Permanent protection program...

My prayer:

Today was pretty wonderful God. A mix of a lot of my favorite things again. You are awfully good to me. I love being your kid. It comes with some pretty amazing privileges. 

I don't know what all you have planned in my life next but it looks like it is going to be exciting and you know I love exciting! I see so many possibilities and have no idea which of them will work out, assuming any of them do. 

I also see some real dangerous possibilities. I can see how if I am not extremely careful, I could fall into temptation that I might not be able to pull out of. 

God, please protect me, from everything, including myself. Help me to make right decisions, keep me from temptation and deliver me from evil. It is an old prayer but I need it as much today as they did when you first said it. 

What God Said Tonight:

I am your protector for eternity and I never let down my guard. You are in my permanent protection program. 

The only way out is if you choose to get out. You have control over your own decisions and your decisions can put you in positions that can result badly for you. I will always bring you out. I will always be waiting with open arms to welcome you back home when you turn back to me. But, when or if you choose to move away from me, if you choose a path that is clearly not my will and runs contrary to my word, that moves you outside of my realm of protection. 

I don't condemn you. I died for your sins. But, until you turn from those decisions and return to me, I can't keep you protected the way I want to. I will still love you. I will always love you. I will always have a way out for you. But, try to make decisions that are in line with my word. 

You know my word. You know the truth. Use that truth to make decisions and you will live forever under my covering for you. Stray, and you make yourself vulnerable.

Tomorrow is not promised...

My prayer:

Wonderful Father. You have always said that we are not promised tomorrow and days like today really bring that home. Cousin "D" left to be with you today. No warning, he was just driving along and got t-boned in an intersection. Everything was going so good for him and then suddenly, he isn't here anymore. 

I am grateful that he is with you and we will get to see him again someday. But, I feel so horrible for his wife and kids. Such a huge loss in their lives.

Then, I turn on the news and see that Oklahoma is getting hit with more tornadoes and flooding. More people have died. It is hard to understand God.

I know that death doesn't mean that it is over for us. It just means we get to live in heaven with you which is not a bad deal at all. But, it is pretty hard on all of us left behind. There are people in our lives that when they are gone, they leave a hole and those holes are pretty hard to fill.

I pray God for comfort and healing for everyone who has lost someone close to them. I pray that you help us through it and that you fill those holes.

Thank you Jesus.

What God Said Tonight:

It is easy to focus on the one that is gone. It is the obvious thing to do. And, you will miss them. You will mourn your loss. But, when the mourning time is over, what I need you to do is focus just as much on everyone who is left in your life as you did on the person who was taken from you. 

There would be a lot less regret and sorrow in your life if you spent dedicated and focused time appreciating the people around you more often. You truly are not promised tomorrow, so if there are things you want to say, people you want to hug, do it today. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Never procrastinate when it comes to love. Love now and love often. 

Leave every interaction with the conscious knowledge that you may never see that person again. And, if you don't, did you leave them with the words you want them to remember and the words that you would feel good about remembering?

It is a way of living that may feel strange initially but will yield great love and little to no regrets in your life. 

Falling in love with God...

My prayer:

Thank you God for the amazing time of worship at the river tonight. I love those unexpected moments with you. Your presence was strong and so beautiful. There is nothing better than your presence. 

You are with us always but there are moments, like today, where I get to focus on and recognize your presence and those moments are amazing. Your presence brings peace and beauty and love and healing. It brings everything I need. You are so truly wonderful God and every moment in your presence is a gift. 

What God Said Tonight:

I am who I am. I love that you enjoy my presence. I enjoy yours too. That is really the basis of any good relationship, you need to enjoy being around each other. The same is true with me. 

That is what I desire. I don't want you to go to church from obligation. I don't want you to read the Bible or pray from a sense of obligation. That is not love. When you love someone, you want to be with them, you want to learn more about them, you want to do things for them. 

When you spend time with someone out of obligation or do things for them out of guilt, that is bondage. And, I came to set you free, not to place you into bondage. I am your freedom, not your chains. 

I hear your thoughts already churning. There is a time for obedience and faith. You can't always go just by your feelings. But those should be seasons where you learn something, not a way of life. Your way of life should be a life of being in love with me. And, if it  is not, we need to work on that. 

I already love you like crazy so that part is done. Now, I just want you to love me back. With that love, with that real love, so many other questions, worries, and doubts go away. Fall in love with me all over again.

God's best...

My prayer:

Amazing Father. I am having a definite problem calming my mind down enough to communicate tonight. My thoughts are all over the place. There are so many pending things right now...it is exciting and at the same time, stressful. I guess those two things often come together. Maybe they are just different points on the same continuum? 

Peace, be still, mind! 

Thank you God for who are and all that you do. Thank you for taking care of my friend who fell. Your protection over her and her fast recovery are truly a miracle. 

Help me God to not miss what you have for me to do. There is so much happening and so much possibility, I am afraid I will get too caught up in one thing or another and miss your best. A life of good enough is not for me. I want all that you have for me. I want your best.

I could keep going but even I am tired of going down rabbit trails. Time to shut up and listen to you God.

What God Said Tonight"

I made you to lie down in green pastures. I made you to experience my peace which passes all understanding. I did not make you for worry and stress. I did not intend that you would be so stressed. 

I will show you the things I have for you, I always do. I will lead you into your next adventure(s), I always do. I will make sure that you are in the right place at the right time, for the right reason, I always do. 

I already know the end from the beginning so I know where you need to be and when you need to be there. I know the things that will be hard for you and the things that will be no problem. I can see the road blocks and the ways around them. 

I can see all, I know all, I am all. The only one who can stop my best in your life is you. The only way you can do that is if you turn your back on me. As long as I am in your life I will be your guide. 

When you put me in your back pocket and forget about me, when you stop praying, when you stop studying my word, that is when I get concerned. That is when I need you to pick a path with me, not around me. I love you and I will work all things to the good of those who love me and are called according to my purpose.

Fire on the horizon...

My prayer:

Awesome Father. I am not in the mood to hear my voice tonight. I would rather hear yours. What do you want to say?

What God Said Tonight:

Do you see the fire on the horizon? It is  burning bright and low. It looks small now. But, as it gets closer, as you get closer to it, you will see that is actually raging. 

My fire, my Holy Spirit fire is about to come onto you with a power and ferocity that is not been seen before. Don't worry, you will not be harmed, but it will provide you with the power you need for the next season. 

You are walking into a time where you will need my great power and protection flowing through you. It is a season of great importance and you will see great things. But first you must burn with my power in you. 

Check the horizon, the fire is on the way.

Trust...

My prayer:

Mighty God. We have been talking for a couple hours already tonight and I don't know if I feel peace or if I just feel numb. I could not have been more wrong and I am disappointed, confused and wondering how I could have read things so completely wrong. 

You know that being wrong is not something that I am comfortable with. And, when I am wrong, I want to change as quickly as possible. But, since I don't really understand what happened and why, I am left in this limbo land of asking why. 

Not why me, but just why. I want to understand and learn from this so I don't have to go through it again. I want to understand whatever I need to so I can move forward and not have to circle back to this one again.

What God Said Tonight:

I need you to trust me right now. Not because it is a season, not because I need you to learn more about trust but simply because I can't tell you everything right now. 

I am working all things to your good, but I can't share the details with you right now. You know me. You know my love for you. You know that I always work things out for you, although sometimes it takes a while. 

Remember all of the times that when you trusted me and I was able to accomplish true greatness in you. That will happen again if you can trust me now. I love you.

Healing power...

My prayer:

You are amazing God. Thank you for healing so many folks today!! It was awesome. And thanks for topping it off with one more opportunity to pray and see you heal tonight!

Your healing power is so amazing and wonderful and so available! Everyone of your children has access. I want to see a day where every single child of yours experiences your healing power. I want to see a day where we live in your healing power. I want to see a day where our first reaction to any affliction is prayer. 

That's what I want. 

What God Said Tonight:

We are on the same page my daughter. We are of like minds in this. 

I paid the price, I took the sins and sickness into me and I died for them. I took the stripes on my back so that you can be healed. I paid the price. I offer it to you as a gift. Not as a a reward, not as a ransom, but as a gift. It is yours for the taking. 

I desire that you walk in divine health. I never meant for my children to walk in sickness. I love you and I want you well for your sake and for the sake of the kingdom. Walk in health with me.