WHATEVER

In past years, the term, "whatever" has had a negative connotation. The Cambridge dictionary defines it as something that, "doesn't matter, is of no importance". As I continue to grow in my Christian walk, the term "whatever", is becoming more and more the way I respond to things, but not in the negative.

As someone who is wired towards emotional responses, I have lived a lot of my life reacting to situations and having a knee jerk reaction. God in His infinite wisdom, saw fit to yoke me with "Mr Logic & Reason"; in our premarital counseling, we discovered how different we are in the spectrum of emotion and logic, on opposite ends in fact! It took many years for us to balance one other out, each bringing a different perspective on life; I don't immediately react to things and Dave has become more sensitive to other people's feelings.

The Message translation of Philippians 4:8, explains this verse beautifully.

"Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Philippians 4:8

Some days I am successful in allowing the Holy Spirit to clamp His hand over my mouth giving me time to think twice on how I will respond. On unsuccessful days, my initial reaction is eye rolling and sarcasm. I used to tell our children that "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." This could be applied to many different scenarios, from the clothing you might wear, to the words you speak, to what you post on social media. It is so easy to crush a person's spirit by saying hurtful things. Honesty is important, but so is the delivery of the words you speak. Again, the Message translation from Proverbs, (the book of wisdom), states,

"Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose." Proverbs 18:21

In this journey of sanctification, which is a churchy word meaning to become more and more Christ-like, how fitting that the Holy Spirit gently guides and tames our tongues. Our Pastor back in Texas used to say, "God loves us right where we are but He loves us too much to leave us there." If that isn't the blessed life, then I don't know what is!

PRAYER

For so many years, I would say that prayer was not my strong suit, that I wasn't any good at it. I would read James 5:16 which says, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Immediately, the enemy would say, "WELL, that leaves you out!" I knew how much I had messed up and was as far from righteous as one could be. Then, I would tell myself, "God's going to do what He wants to anyway, so what's the point?" I was actually MISSING the entire point of that verse! I believed that God moving on my behalf, or others I prayed for, was completely dependent upon me!

That was a lie that the enemy had convinced me to believe. Of course, he wanted me to throw up my hands in defeat and think that it's only strong Christians who are the ones God would listen to. I think of all the time I wasted being ineffective in God's kingdom and how I just rolled over and took the lazy way out. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit pointed out something that is the key to James 5:16.

In God's eyes, I am that righteous person! When He sees me, He is looking at the righteousness of Christ that I'm covered in. I'm not standing in my own efforts because they will never measure up, instead, I'm standing in the One who has made me righteous by his death and resurrection. While I was immediately liberated from my carnal thinking, I was also angry with the devil and disappointed in myself that I could be so easily convinced of a lie. I suppose it's why I feel passionate about prayer now!

A few years ago, I read the book, "FERVENT" by Priscilla Shirer and it completely transformed how I look at prayer. Now, I pray Scripture when I go before the Lord. Not only do I worship Him with what Scripture tells us about who He is but I also pray His promises that He has declared over me. I am slowly learning the names of God and I use those titles as I pray. Jehovah Nissi is a favorite, "God is my banner", He fights our battles on our behalf.

I came up with the idea of a prayer wall after seeing the movie, "War Room", a couple of years ago. The door to my craft room over the garage is metal so I purchased magnetic clips and picture frames to attach to it. I have photographs and index notes to remind me to be proactive in my prayer life. My craft room is is my prayer closet; it's where I listen to my praise and worship music, do my Bible Study and intercede for myself and others. I have met with the Lord there more times than I can count, for me it is holy ground.

The Living God meets with me and we fellowship, my life is blessed beyond what I can comprehend!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18