bit by the love bug!

Have you ever been bit by the love bug? It feels like nothing in your little world could go wrong... and everyone is drawn to you! I've been bit a few memorable times, including recently. I know this time is utterly different than anytime before. Because this love bug has come out of a greater, living reality of what it means to depend on God. I'm gradually realizing my purpose is to be loved and to love. And apart from the grace of God I can produce no good thing! Being dependent on God means to not worry, "be anxious for nothing" as scripture declares. If I'm being obedient and walking the path God has laid out for me, then what do I have to worry about?

I used to say, "It's not God that I don't trust, it's my ability to hear Him that I don't trust." Yet, even in that statement it proves my distrust in God. By me not trusting that He knows me well enough to properly guide me. This segues into another interrealted topic: how much does God really love me? Not only have I been learning His love, but I've been experiencing His pleasure in me. I've become more comfortable with my skin, realizing God created it and said it was good. How do I articulate God's delight? hmmm... For instance, the other morning I was driving into work, looking into the brillant sunrise displaying a vast spectrum of colors, and started conversing with the Lord. "Father," I exclaimed, "are You delighted in me?" Emotions were evoked instantaneously at this request with tears filling my ducts! I felt Him whisper, "Oh Jessie, I am SO delighted in you!" And He went on to tell me how proud He was of me, exclaiming that He knew about the tough choices I have had to make on my own, and I have chosen rightly. And He told me His faithfulness was like that brillant sunrise and I could count on His mercy being new every morning! I continued to linger on the thought of there not being one day that the sun has ceased to rise in my life.  How faithful my God is to me!

Yes, so God's love has been invading every fiber of my being... and this is where I left off to finish later... and lo I have forgotten my thought... sigh.. maybe it will come back.  In the meantime, watch out for that Love Bug;0)

choosing faith

A young man in his twenties came to receive prayer from our healing team family. His desire was to be set free from a smoking addiction. My prayer partner and I earnestly prayed for his request, asking Father to give Him grace and set him free. I looked at the young man after moments of prayer and asked him, "How do you feel?" He responded, "Weird. I've never felt like this before, it feels good!" He proceeded to ask me for a garbage as he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and crushing them with his hands! That young man walked away with a nearness of God he had never experienced before. 

My thoughts: I rejoiced over the victory just won in his life. The battle will more than likely continue for him and he might slip sometimes, but God's grace will strengthen him in those times if he just turns to Him. People will more than likely doubt that he was completely set free of his addiction (even ones reading this right now). What will I believe? I decided in that moment what that young man needs, and what I believe God desires from me, is to have faith for this man. I choose to keep faith in the power of my God and His sincere touch upon this young mans life. Others may doubt, they may even criticize him for believing God likes him enough to set him free. Yet, I will choose to put my hope and confidence in the God who is above every obstacle and has dominion over every addiction. Besides, how do we even achieve the great destiny God has for each of our lives? Many times God supplies others to come alongside us to have faith for the destiny He has called us to live. I pray that you would have faith today. Faith to see the God of the impossible work miracles in your life and the lives of others He has allowed to cross your path in this journey of life. Having faith is of much greater worth in the Kingdom of God than doubting.  Choose to have faith. Who knows, He might usher His Kingdom in and through your decision to believe. And maybe there would be more people walking free of addictions surrounding you. Maybe you just might be set free and able to walk out the fullness of His destiny for your life!

the intercessor

"If revival depended on your prayers, would it happen?"  I remember this question being asked by the leader of a team I was part of my sophomore year in college.  She wasn't trying to tell us we had a poor prayer life, although one thought those thoughts, instead she was provoking us.  This memory came to me because of a similar situation arising tonight between me and God.  Sometimes I think of corporate prayer as God's wisdom to keep us humble.  When we see a breakthrough, prayer being answered, we cannot attribute it to any one person.  With so many people praying so many prayers, it is impossible to conclude that breakthrough came upon the prayers of one or a few.  Well, tonight I felt God turn it around on me as the whole house was engaged in prayer over a particular life or death situation for one of our members.  I felt Him say, "Jessie, pray as if her life depended on your prayers and believe that your prayers are what gives her life."  There was such a boldness and tenacity that came within my spirit at that very moment.  The prayers I prayed at that moment could be felt throughout my entire being!  Furthermore, God shared that this is the life of an intercessor.  At one point the life of Israel was dependent upon the intercession of Moses.  Moses beseeched God continually.  I just thought of the weightiness upon Moses.  The intimacy he shared with God.  God raised Moses up because His true desire was to see Israel restored to Himself.  Israel's sustenance depended on Moses' intercession  Someone, some people, some place is dependent upon my prayers.  This realization came very strong to me tonight.