Daily Archives: October 5, 2011

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries, Uncategorized

>Remaining Teachable

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>I just checked my Chuck Swindoll daily devotion and it’s one that I must share in its entirety not just randomly quoted.
So here it is:

Esther sustained a continually teachable spirit. “Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known . . . Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care” (Esther 2:10, 20).
Even becoming a finalist in this frenzied competition, or later, becoming queen, didn’t cause Esther to flaunt her independence and strut her stuff. Not this lady! This lovely, dignified, wise woman was still willing to listen and learn.
She remains a sterling example for women today. Some of you are wonderfully gifted teachers. You have the ability to stand before a group and to open the Scriptures or some other area of expertise and hold an audience in rapt attention with your insight and creativity. Others of you have distinguished yourself in public service. You have played prestigious roles and offices in the community. You may be well-traveled and rather confidently move in exclusive circles with powerful men and women whom you know on a first-name basis. There is nothing wrong with any of that. But let me ask, has that changed your teachability? Do you now see yourself as the consummate authority? Or has it simply made you aware of how vast your ignorance really is? I hope it is the latter.
Someone has said, “Education is going from an unconscious to conscious awareness of one’s ignorance.” I agree. No one has a corner on wisdom. All the name-dropping in the world doesn’t heighten the significance of your character. If anything, it reduces it. Our acute need is to cultivate a willingness to learn and to remain teachable. Learning from your children. Learning from your friends. Learning even from our enemies. How beautiful it is to find a servant-hearted, teachable spirit among those who occupy high-profile positions of authority.
Are you, like Esther, still willing to listen and learn?

Yeh, so I read, “let me ask, has that changed your teachability? Do you now see yourself as the consummate authority? Or has it simply made you aware of how vast your ignorance really is?”, and I had to stop and think…
Yeh I am at the point that I have come to realize that I am vastly ignorant, that is why I am constantly digging in God’s Word and researching and seeking and asking, because I have learned that as soon as I think I’ve got something all figured out, God throws me for a loop. He’ll send me a curve ball flying by so quick that it knocks me on my rear end in a split second. If I ever begin to get too big for my britches He reminds me right fast that I still have a lot of growing to do and a lot of learning to do.

This is one of the scariest things about teaching. I have to teach on the knowledge that I have at that point. I teach according to the measure of faith and grace given me one day at a time, and I have to trust that God will take my efforts and use them for the building up of those I teach and I pray that they never look at me as the final authority on any interpretation of the Scripture, for the only final authority is God. There is a big difference between my opinion on a matter and the correct interpretation of Scripture.

 But know this first of all,
that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 
for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will,
but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 
2 Peter 1:20-21
As I am growing in grace, I have learned that I can learn from any person, in any situation, at any time, when I am willing to submit to God and seek Him in all things.
Every moment is an opportunity to learn and grow in Him, even those moments of enemy attacks, sometimes especially in those moments of enemy attacks. I can learn how to discern an evil spirit, a false teacher, a fake friend, or a wrong way. I can learn how to forgive, how to give grace, how to extend mercy, and how to trust in God to repay.
When I remain teachable, I remain humble, when I remain humble, I remain under the mighty hand of God, and that’s where I want to be, under Him.
I am a disciple of Christ, a learner of the Lord, a professional student of the Prince of Peace. My heart and my mind must remain open to Him and His potters hands. 
Therefore humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you at the proper time.
1 Peter 5:6
You see I have learned that I only know in part. I know more than I did yesterday, but not as much as I’ll know tomorrow… Lord willing. Then in eternity, and not until eternity, I will fully know! Wow, every question answered!
You know there really is absolutely nothing more annoying than someone who will not listen and refuses to learn anything new or different than what they already know. They are stubborn, hard-headed, hard-hearted, and make you won’t to smack them across the back of the head. That is not who I want to be before God or anyone else.
Sometimes I don’t like the way God chooses to teach me. Sometimes He allows me to be embarrassed. Sometimes He allows me to be angered. Sometimes He allows me to be hurt. Sometimes He allows me to be surprised. Sometimes He allows me to be shocked.
But He whispers “See what I have been trying to tell you… I couldn’t get you to listen before, but now I have your attention… listen and learn… and know that I love you…”
Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries, Uncategorized

>Praying For Our Children’s Marriage and Purity

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>It’s been a while since I stepped back in time with you to share from my journals, so I believe for at least the next few days I will be doing that… God has stirred the journals up within me and brought it to my remembrance so I think I just might ought to obey.

Today we are stepping back in time to December 30, 2002. At this point I had been on fire for my God for a whole year!
This journal entry is only one of many written prayers over my children and nieces and nephews and one of countless spoken prayers over them.

Father,
I just lift Shelby and Ashleigh and Emoni and Alex up to You Lord.
I just ask that You be preparing them all a spouse Lord.
A spouse who walks in Your ways and lives by Your commands.
I ask that You prepare Shelby, Ashleigh, Emoni, and Alex for these spouses.
I pray that they will have the strength and heart and fear and love for You Lord that they will wait for the spouses You have prepared for them.
I pray for Shelby, Emoni, and Alex’s salvation.
I pray that Ashleigh will keep her eyes fixed on You!
I pray that they will all seek Your face and seek to know You intimately!
I pray Your hand of protection over them!
Keep them safe and surrounded by godly people who truly love You and them!
I pray that they will serve You with their lives and that they will be mighty witnesses for Your kingdom!
In Jesus name,
Amen
(Yes, I pray in exclamation points. I don’t know why. I just always have since I began writing down my prayers )
It is never too soon to begin praying for our children’s marriages. At the time of this journal entry my Shelby was only a year and a half and my Ashleigh was eleven. My niece Emoni was five and my nephew Alex was two and a half. My list of marital and purity prayers has grown tremendously since this day in 2003. My Bekah has been added and many more nieces and nephews and cousins and children (and yes even my college and young singles) who are mine in the Lord, because once I have met you and taught you I claim you as my prayer priority especially in the area of marriage and purity. It is the area that I struggled with and failed at greatly and the scars are many, so these scars that I carry remind me often to intercede on behalf of others in this area. 
Our children and loved ones may stumble in this area, but it doesn’t mean we stop praying. Grace and forgiveness and a new beginning is always available in Christ. He will help them bear His indignation while He restores them and stands them up on their feet again. I know this is true because He did it with me and there is no partiality with God.
 For the LORD your God is the God of gods
and the Lord of lords,
the great, the mighty, and the awesome God
who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.
Deuteronomy 10:17
For there is no partiality with God
Romans 2:11
Scripture just can’t get more clearer than that 🙂
As parents we must not just pray for our children, but we must set clear standards and boundaries to protect our children’s sexual purity and future marriages. No we cannot stick them in a closet when they reach puberty and guard it with our semi-automatic and keep them there until we handpick their spouse and then take them from the closet bound and gagged and blindfolded until we get to the church to remove the gag right at the time for them to say “I do” at the altar, although we can dream…
But we can protect them and their innocence and guard their eyes and hearts. It is our job as parents to set the boundaries. I cringe when I hear of parents picking up their twelve year olds and dropping them off at the movies with a girlfriend/boyfriend. This is absolutely the worst time to leave your child in the dark alone with their hormones and a person of the opposite sex that puts butterflies in their stomach.
 We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
“If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with planks of cedar.”
Song of Solomon 8:8-9
We also cannot leave our children unaware. If they hear the whole truth from us, then we can squash the lies that come with curiosity and learning about the birds and bees from peers. If you are wondering how to approach the topic of sex with your children, just simply begin a family study in the book of Genesis. 
When I began this study with my Shelby we didn’t make it past the second chapter before the birds and bees were addressed.
 For this reason
a man shall leave his father and his mother,
and be joined to his wife;
and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24

My Shelby read Genesis 2:24 and said “Momma, I understand the one part, but what’s the flesh?”
Bam!
Open door…

Having baby nephews around that my little one had seen have diaper changes and given baths made it very easy and simple to explain how God made the boy and girl parts to come together as one flesh. There was no graphic detail needed, no fancy explanations, just the simple facts settled her curiosity and my honesty and openness let her know that she was free to come to me with any question she had about this issue or really any issue.

As we share the truth and set up boundaries and teach our children what God says about this beautiful thing called sex that was meant for the confines of marriage, if or when, our children fall prey to the lies of the enemy and the world, they will know it. They will have truth for the Holy Spirit to pull out and convict their hearts so that they might turn from the lie and take back hold of the truth.

Devotional Studies Through the Bible, Uncategorized

>Prayer’s Precious Power

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Far be it from You to do such a thing,
to slay the righteous with the wicked,
so that the righteous and the wicked
are treated alike.
Far be it from You!
Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?
Genesis 18:25
God’s visit with Abraham was not all about good news. The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sin exceedingly grave (Genesis 18:20). The Lord was about to bring his judgment down on these cities.
The amazing thing in this story is that Abraham’s relationship with God was so close that God shared what He was about to do with him. God doesn’t do things in secret; He has nothing to hide. Isaiah 48:16 declares, “Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret.” His judgments always come with a warning, an opportunity to repent, and to be saved.
When God shares the judgment that is coming to these cities, Abraham cries out for mercy for the righteous ones in the cities. Abraham intercedes on their behalf. It is still God’s people’s responsibility to intercede on behalf of others. We know the judgment that is to come, and we are to intercede and pray for the lost, the blinded, the deceived, the saved, and the persecuted.
Abraham’s heart goes to his nephew Lot and his family, who are living in Sodom. God, in His grace, allows Abraham to bring Him down to staying His judgment if there can at least be found ten righteous within the city. We know from the reading of this chapter that ten were not found and God’s judgment fell, but we also know that God honored the prayers of Abraham and his nephew Lot was spared.
Does God hear our prayers? Psalm 32:6 declares, “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found.” Psalm 34:15 declares, “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.” Yes, God hears our prayers; He hears the prayers of His children. The real question is: are you his child?
Oh, precious one, judgment is coming. God’s judgment will fall upon this world, just as it fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. If you are His child through faith in Christ, then remember these words:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up
on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit,
keep yourselves in the love of God,
waiting anxiously for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
save others, snatching them out of the fire.
Jude 1:20–23
Abraham was building himself up on his most holy faith as he walked each day with God, growing in Him. He prayed in the Spirit and kept himself in the love of God. He waited anxiously for the mercy of his Lord. In his praying, Abraham had mercy on Lot and on his family, who doubted. Abraham interceded on their behalf, and by this intercession they were snatched out of the fire.
God honors the prayers of his people, and even when Lot hesitated and had to be literally dragged out of the city, God did not allow His judgment to fall until he was safely out of the city. Lot was living in this place by his own choosing, but even in this, God honored the prayers of Abraham and delivered Lot and gave his entire family the opportunity to be saved.
Oh, precious one, don’t ever stop praying for your loved ones. God hears the prayers of His righteous ones, those who have been credited righteous through their faith in His Son. Keep building yourself up on your most holy faith. Keep yourself in the love of God, and pray.
Oh Father,
The prayers of Your people are important to You, so important that one purpose of the cross was to give Your children direct access to Your throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). You are so amazing! Your love and concern for Your people humbles me. I praise You, my God, and I give You thanks, for Your mercies endure forever. May I never forget how precious my prayers are to You and how important they are in the lives of others. May I never take lightly the privilege of prayer or the power of my intercession.
My Jesus, it is in Your name that I pray,
Amen.