Joy and Peace

I was reading my Bible this morning and I found a scripture that I just must share.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I love the fact that I do not have to stir up hope for myself. That I can ask and God will fill me with joy and peace in believing. Then I can abound in hope and not in my power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Is there anything better? To know that God wants peace, joy, and hope for each of us so much that He has provided for it. All we have to do is ask and believe that His word is truly.

Believe this for yourselves today. Know that no matter what you are struggling with, God has provided for your joy, peace, and hope. Grab a hold of that and do not let it go.

Blessings on all of you today.

Jess

Idaho Mandate & Abortion

I just wanted to say "Yeah" to Idaho and the other states that have placed this mandate in their law. It is that pregnant women seeking an abortion would have to have an ultrasound first and see the images of their baby.

At one point in time, I was an unwed mother of 19 fearing to tell my parents and the world of my pregnancy. For one brief moment I thought about abortion, but something instead of me knew that an abortion was not the way out. I now know it was Jesus in me protecting me from making a mistake I would struggle to live with the rest of my life.

I know not everyone is like me and there are those who honestly do not view a fetus as a baby. I personally think that adding pictures to the equation will even out the odds in the baby's favor.

Here is the link if you want to read about it: CitizenLink.

P.S. Did I mention I was from Idaho?

Faith

FAITH

Doesn't that word just get you? Do we fully understand what it means to have faith? The whole concept of faith stretches my mind beyond where it wants to go and yet, it does want to go there. I truly want to see the world the way God does. I truly want to believe that the things I ask in Jesus' name will be provided for as long as I am seeking His righteousness. I want to look into the scary future and know that "He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world".

All of this and so much more is what the word faith stirs up in me.

How about you?

Praying for Loved Ones

     The Lord has really been talking with me lately regarding prayer. I know the one way we can truly sacrifice for our families is to take time and lift them up in prayer. Sometimes, our lives become overwhelming and it seems that prayer is the first thing to go, or prayer for others, specifically.

     Sometimes, I know, we need to find God in our circumstances before we can find Him in the circumstances of others.

     But sometimes, we are just tired. Tired of fighting the Good Fight!! Tired of having to continuously lift up those that do everything in their power to hurt us or push us away.

     I am actually living such a situation. I have a family member who has chosen to walk away from God and our family. She is trying desperately to cause us to be mad at her, so that we will push her away and she can feel justified in pushing us away. It is a very hard situation.

     I have seven brothers and sisters. I have to say that my brother, who is closest in age to me, is special to me. He is almost 29 and not married and I have just been allowed to be his protecting, defending big sister for more years than is usual.

     Once a brother gets a wife, your role as big sister changes. I know this by experience. My second youngest brother is happily married to a wonderful woman and so he does not need me to be the defender, protector in his life. God provided someone better and I am good with that.

     So my wandering sister has chosen recently to spread terrible rumors about the brother I am the defender, protector to. So needless to say, I was a bit riled when I heard, but God is good, he gave me a husband who will let me know when I am stepping out of line.

     The interesting thing of the whole situation is that I had decided just four days before to begin spending time daily praying for my sister and fasting one meal per day to see breakthrough. The Enemy knows which buttons to push in our lives to try to distract us from the purpose God has set before us.

     Thankfully my husband does call me on things when I step out of line or I could have gotten very worked up and distracted from my purpose.

     I tell you all of this so you will understand where I am coming from. In seek the best action plan to pray for my sister, God really spoke to my mom, sister-in-law, and I about proclaiming scripture over my sister to combat the lies she is speaking forth.

     Our prayers are very important. The Bible says in James 5:16b The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

     But I also know, there is nothing better than speaking the Word of God over and for those we love. God's heart for our loved ones is deeper and more pure. Sometimes, I own motives get in and can confuse our prayers. That will not happen if we are speaking the Word of God.

     I encourage you. If you have any type of situation you are facing and your need truth spoken into it, get out your Bible and find the verses that will speak to it and then begin to declare them over that situation.

     If you are being challenged in any situation, one of the best verses to proclaim over your life that will give you confidence to face it with the Lord at your side is Romans 8:37. "Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

     So take out your two-edged sword and show the Enemy what your Lord is made of.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

With love and blessings,

Jess

Praying Your Worries Away

Last weekend on Sunday, I had the opportunity to speak at one of our local nursing homes. It was to be short and sweet. Let me tell you it was. I think I spoke for a total of 6 minutes.

I thought I would share with you what I said to those lovely elderly people.

(Just so you know, this will not be verbatim, but it will give you the gist.)

The Lord is always wanting to take care of our needs for us. Many times we do not feel like we want to bother God. We will take him the big things and try to fix the little ones on our own. Today I challenge you to begin taking all of your needs to God.

Matt. 6:25-34 says, ₂₅ "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

₂₆ "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

₂₇ "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

₂₈ "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

₂₉ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

₃₀ "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

₃₁ "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'

₃₂ "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

₃₃ "But seek first His kindom and His righeousness, and all these things will be added to you.

₃₄ "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I have found these verse to be so true in my own life. My husband lost his job in September and we have been living on faith in the Father ever since. We are still making it, but I know it is not by anything we have done.

We chose at that time to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" and we believed that in doing that "all these things will be added to you".

The Father knows our needs and He desires to provide for them. The one thing we must do is lift them up to Him in prayer. Our prayers are not to enlighten God to our current situation. Our prayers are to lighten us of our burden of trying to make everything work out. That has never been our job, I am not sure why we try to perform it.

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

If you will release your burdens to God, He will take them from you. He will give back to you something that would not have dared to dream.

1 Peter 5:7 says, "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

And He cares for each one of us like we were the only one. He does not think to himself, "Well, yesterday I helped Joe, so I cannot help Jess today. He cares for me and you as if we were the only ones on the planet. He has the provision to do that.

God loves us as his precious children. We can know that He only wants the best for us. Now that may not look like what we think it should, but if we give it time, we will release God's way is definitely the best way.

I will end today with Matt. 7:7-11.

₇ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

₈ "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

₉ "Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?

₁₀ "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?

₁₁ "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

I hope this inspires you to remember, you never have to do it only. The Father is always there with you.