I Have Been Silent for a Purpose.

It has been months since I have blogged, recorded a video for You Tube, or been on Instagram. The purpose? To be closer to God. I have had many trials since Ash Wednesday. Some personal that I won’t talk about right now but several I will.

Let me start with Ash Wednesday. This was a day that God placed a very uncertain obstacle in my path that would require much patience and waiting. I am still waiting for God’s resolution. My health is fine incase you wander down that path. Ash Wednesday was truly different for me this year. I saw people on Facebook giving up a certain liquor they loved while others proclaimed they would be kinder to others. This was their sacrifice during the Lenten season. I am not speaking against their choices, God knew my sacrifice would be different.

God lead me to draw closer to Him and not the things of the world. He led me to post on Facebook, “40 People for 40 Days”. I would begin praying for anyone that asked me to cover them, a family member, a friend, situation, health concern, or absolutely anything that fell into God’s righteousness. Let me tell you what my prayers were everyday.

22 were for health and healing, 2 for sobriety for a family member, 2 were for grief, 4 were for severe anxiety, 7 were unspecified and asked for prayers of covering, 3 were for employment uncertainties, 5 were for financial relief, 8 were for children that had pulled away from God, 1 was for a child struggling with mental unbalance, 6 were complete families and their struggles, 2 were for moms that were not fully participating in their kids lives, 13 were for elderly friends and family members, and several were peppered in daily as I saw need through my own eyes. God took me way past 40.

God opened my eyes during this 40 days in a way He never has before. I prayed daily before going to bed and started at 8:30 pm. I am not going to lie, this was a long process as I prayed individually for these people. I did on 3 occasions ask God to forgive me, but I was weary toward the end and did ask Him to do a complete covering over my whole list as I was unable to pray individually. Nightly, as I prayed, I felt my prayers become more intentional and specific for each person. I felt the Holy Spirit develop the prayers within my heart with an emotion I had never felt before. I felt God pulling me closer to Him each night as I gave my time to Him and not the world. I saw God maturing me spiritually.

God also showed me another important lesson as I prayed for others, and that was to refocus on gratitude. I had taken many of these walks in prayer for myself throughout the years. A walk with family members needing healing, financial issues, personal healing, sobriety for myself, relief from severe anxiety, I had prayed for all of these for myself. God showed me His goodness that currently I wasn’t in a walk with these struggles. He showed me how He had held my hand and healed me. I was reminded to never forget to be grateful when we aren’t in a walk that others are. Oh, I have other struggles but I don’t fear because God is with me and will never leave me.

Below is a picture of the prayer stones I gifted the people that asked me to pray for them. I purposely used an ink that I knew would wear off and shared with them this message. “This small stone has a cross on it. If the cross disappears, look at the stone. Jesus is your rock and foundation, even if feels like He’s not near, be reminded of this message. He is your rock.”

Since Ash Wednesday, I have had many friends diagnosed with new illnesses, cancers, unknown masses in their body, and now mental stress ignited out of the mass shooting in my hometown. I am again in prayer for all of them and it’s a large number.

Recently I participated in an Evening of Empowerment for victims of violent crime. I again set out my prayer request bucket to allow another Holy Spirit driven 40 days of prayers for those in need. This is a picture of that little bucket that quickly filled.

I had hoped to show you some of the handwritten prayer requests but most included the victim’s name and would always respect their privacy. I was able to crop these 2 prayer requests to show you the magnitude of their requests.

A home and forgiveness………the things we take for granted. My heart breaks when I read these two request. I have always had an address and a place to live. This young woman was in her early twenties and has been homeless since she was 18. Every day she is looking for a safe place to be, a place most of us take for granted. The other request is vague and asks for forgiveness. A gift God gives freely and to anyone that asks. Many of us are afraid to ask for God’s forgiveness because we are ashamed or don’t feel worthy. We are worthy and we are loved. These beautiful women from that event that have blessed me to be their prayer warrior will be covered and I will intercede on their behalf.

Ezekiel 22. https://www.gotquestions.org/stand-in-the-gap.html

I am asking you today to build your prayer life for yourself and for others. The power of prayer changes lives and I am a witness to this. I prayed for 40 days starting Ash Wednesday, 23 people told me at different times though out the 40 days to continue my prayers because they saw God moving. That is a huge number for me as most people I pray for don’t recognize God’s blessing but recognize the need to pray. We have to open our eyes to His work that completes the period of praying. My ministry came from the love and messages at Chase Oaks Church in Plano, Texas. It is a come as you are church allowing you to walk into our church without fear with the understanding no one is perfect but God loves you as you are.

https://www.chaseoaks.org/

My love and gratitude for you reading my blog. LoLo