Peace

A cycle of confusion, so constant, that contentment can never take root.  Band-Aids don’t heal and time never cures.   You’re surviving, but you’re far from living.  Your day becomes about holding it together, but inside you are crumbling. 

Maybe its pain inflicted upon you by another.  Your heart is unsafe.  You long for true acceptance and unconditional love.  Your level of peace is being constantly aware and managing your actions, denying your own desires if needed, or even talking about them.  You try and you try until you realize that even if perfection were possible, it wouldn’t be enough. Callous words leave your heart numb, and yet somehow you still feel the pain.  Every time.
 
Maybe you’re at war with yourself.  Choices in life have left you devastated, guilty, or full of shame.  Or you have something going on inside of you.  It doesn’t have a name or a known reason for being there.  It’s sad.  It’s angry.  It’s depressed.  It’s stressed.  It’s hopeless.  So… you enlist.  You enlist in a losing battle plan of addiction, self harm, or abusing others.

Only the One who made us can restore us back to wholeness. In the midst of your raging storm, I pray you look to Him ~ where your release and your peace is found.

Peace

Crashing waves

Bruise my shore

Howling winds

 Blow in once more

Torrential rains

Pelt my skin

Lightning bolts

Come again

Turbulent waters

Staggered stance

Cycle repeated

In this dying dance

 

Trembling knees

Strike the ground

 Eyes glance up

To where help is found
 

An instant hush

The storm to cease

All at once

A soul at peace…

Fear

 

 

We are all well acquainted with the emotion that bears a choke hold.  It's ruthless.  It's torment.  It's an enemy to faith, a thief that robs you of life - imprisons you to a false reality. 

Anxiety, depression, doubt, worry, hurt, anger, sadness, low self esteem, unworthiness.  It comes disguised underneath many different emotions, but it all comes down to one thing:

 

FEAR.

 

The paralysis for some is the dread of what could happen years down the road, anxiety associated with an unpredictable economy, and for many it is the torment of what today, the next hour, the next minute will bring. 

"...fear has torment." 1 John 4:18a

Fear is not only an emotion, but a spiritual force. It is very similar to faith in that both have an unshakable belief in an unseen future. Fear trusts circumstances, natural predictions, the enemy's lies, and self.  Faith trusts God and what His Word says.  Fear is negative faith. 

 

Fear is an enemy of God.  It in essence rips Him of His lordship in our lives. We become self focused and not God focused.  We put our trust in the wisdom of man rather than in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5).  We no longer see Him for Who He is and who He desires to be in our lives...  He solely becomes a gateway to Heaven, but in our day to day living He is diminished to a dusty figure placed on a shelf.   

God is love, and the Bible says that Perfect Love casts out fear.  God is THAT perfect love. 

 

"There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but perfect love turns fears out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment.  He who is afraid has not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:18

Father, we want to know Your love... Your love is our freedom.  Your love removes shackles. Your love delivers us from all fear.  You are not what our circumstances look like. You are not what the latest trends define You as.  We commit to growing in the knowledge of who You truly are as defined in Your Word, and through that knowledge - growing in intimacy with You... We know that in experiencing that intimate love - fear has no more room in our lives. Thank You for Your love and the hope and peace it brings.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TkUMJtK5k

 

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Fear

 

 

We are all well acquainted with the emotion that bears a choke hold.  It's ruthless.  It's torment.  It's an enemy to faith, a thief that robs you of life - imprisons you to a false reality. 

Anxiety, depression, doubt, worry, hurt, anger, sadness, low self esteem, unworthiness.  It comes disguised underneath many different emotions, but it all comes down to one thing:

 

FEAR.

 

The paralysis for some is the dread of what could happen years down the road, anxiety associated with an unpredictable economy, and for many it is the torment of what today, the next hour, the next minute will bring. 

"...fear has torment." 1 John 4:18a

Fear is not only an emotion, but a spiritual force. It is very similar to faith in that both have an unshakable belief in an unseen future. Fear trusts circumstances, natural predictions, the enemy's lies, and self.  Faith trusts God and what His Word says.  Fear is negative faith. 

 

Fear is an enemy of God.  It in essence rips Him of His lordship in our lives. We become self focused and not God focused.  We put our trust in the wisdom of man rather than in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5).  We no longer see Him for Who He is and who He desires to be in our lives...  He solely becomes a gateway to Heaven, but in our day to day living He is diminished to a dusty figure placed on a shelf.   

God is love, and the Bible says that Perfect Love casts out fear.  God is THAT perfect love. 

 

"There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but perfect love turns fears out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment.  He who is afraid has not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:18

Father, we want to know Your love... Your love is our freedom.  Your love removes shackles. Your love delivers us from all fear.  You are not what our circumstances look like. You are not what the latest trends define You as.  We commit to growing in the knowledge of who You truly are as defined in Your Word, and through that knowledge - growing in intimacy with You... We know that in experiencing that intimate love - fear has no more room in our lives. Thank You for Your love and the hope and peace it brings.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TkUMJtK5k

 

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Fear

We are all well acquainted with the emotion that bears a choke hold.  It's ruthless.  It's torment.  It's an enemy to faith, a thief that robs you of life - imprisons you to a false reality. 

Anxiety, depression, doubt, worry, hurt, anger, sadness, low self esteem, unworthiness.  It comes disguised underneath many different emotions, but it all comes down to one thing:

 

FEAR.

 

The paralysis for some is the dread of what could happen years down the road, anxiety associated with an unpredictable economy, and for many it is the torment of what today, the next hour, the next minute will bring. 

"...fear has torment." 1 John 4:18a

Fear is not only an emotion, but a spiritual force. It is very similar to faith in that both have an unshakable belief in an unseen future. Fear trusts circumstances, natural predictions, the enemy's lies, and self.  Faith trusts God and what His Word says.  Fear is negative faith. 

 

Fear is an enemy of God.  It in essence rips Him of His lordship in our lives. We become self focused and not God focused.  We put our trust in the wisdom of man rather than in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5).  We no longer see Him for Who He is and who He desires to be in our lives...  He solely becomes a gateway to Heaven, but in our day to day living He is diminished to a dusty figure placed on a shelf.   

God is love, and the Bible says that Perfect Love casts out fear.  God is THAT perfect love. 

 

"There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but perfect love turns fears out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment.  He who is afraid has not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:18

Father, we want to know Your love... Your love is our freedom.  Your love removes shackles. Your love delivers us from all fear.  You are not what our circumstances look like. You are not what the latest trends define You as.  We commit to growing in the knowledge of who You truly are as defined in Your Word, and through that knowledge - growing in intimacy with You... We know that in experiencing that intimate love - fear has no more room in our lives. Thank You for Your love and the hope and peace it brings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uztHkNujb5o

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Peace

 

 

Abuse endured by another?  Life is a roller coaster that never comes to a halt.  Cycle of confusion spins so fast that contentment can never take root.  It may not leave outward bruises and scars, but the inward “soul scarring” is a pain that doesn’t just go away with a Band-Aid and time.

 

Or is it a battle  all your own?  The war of inward struggles and pain from past choices.  The guilt and torment of regret and sadness never lets up... a daily chokehold.  You are surviving but you are far from living.  Your day becomes about holding it together for the sake of hiding it from those around you, but inside you are far from okay.

 

Only the One who made us can restore us back to wholeness. In the midst of your raging storm, I pray you look to Him ~ where your release and your peace is found.

Peace

Crashing waves

Bruise my shore

Howling winds

Blow in once more

Torrential rains

Pelt my skin

Lightning bolts

Come again

Turbulent waters

Staggered stance

Cycle repeated

In this dying dance

 

Trembling knees

Strike the ground

Eyes glance up

To where help is found

 

An instant hush

The storm to cease

All at once

A soul at peace…

Fear

 

We are all well acquainted with the emotion that bears a choke hold.  It's ruthless.  It's torment.  It's an enemy to faith, a thief that robs you of life - imprisons you to a false reality. 

Anxiety, depression, doubt, worry, hurt, anger, sadness, low self esteem, unworthiness.  It comes disguised underneath many different emotions, but it all comes down to one thing:

 

FEAR.

 

The paralysis for some is the dread of what could happen years down the road, anxiety associated with an unpredictable economy, and for many it is the torment of what today, the next hour, the next minute will bring. 

"...fear has torment." 1 John 4:18a

Fear is not only an emotion, but a spiritual force. It is very similar to faith in that both have an unshakable belief in an unseen future. Fear trusts circumstances, natural predictions, the enemy's lies, and self.  Faith trusts God and what His Word says.  Fear is negative faith. 

 

Fear is an enemy of God.  It in essence rips Him of His lordship in our lives. We become self focused and not God focused.  We put our trust in the wisdom of man rather than in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5).  We no longer see Him for Who He is and who He desires to be in our lives...  He solely becomes a gateway to Heaven, but in our day to day living He is diminished to a dusty figure placed on a shelf.   

God is love, and the Bible says that Perfect Love casts out fear.  God is THAT perfect love. 

 

"There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but perfect love turns fears out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment.  He who is afraid has not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:18

Father, we want to know Your love... Your love is our freedom.  Your love removes shackles. Your love delivers us from all fear.  You are not what our circumstances look like. You are not what the latest trends define You as.  We commit to growing in the knowledge of who You truly are as defined in Your Word, and through that knowledge - growing in intimacy with You... We know that in experiencing that intimate love - fear has no more room in our lives. Thank You for Your love and the hope and peace it brings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uztHkNujb5o

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Open Our Eyes

Suicides.  Drug overdose.  Addiction. 

 

Almost a year ago I remember hearing of the suicide of a 14 year old local boy.  My heart became heavy.  I believe we have become too accustomed to thinking "what you see is what you get." We take things for face value. We see a smile, we assume someone is happy.  We hear someone laugh and we assume they have joy.  This young boy was known for being friendly, helpful, and always having a smile on his face. Behind that uncracked smile was a heart that was broken.  People say that there were no signs... they judged the book by its cover and now all that is left are questions with no answers.

Tragic.

As Christians, we have been given spiritual vision. Discernment.  It is an ability to distinguish between truth and error; good and evil. It's the ability to see "behind the scenes." It's seeing through God's eyes. 

 

"God would surely have known it, for He knows the secrets of every heart." Psalm 44:21

 

You may read this Scripture and think Of course God knows all things because He is God.  When we became Christ followers, we were given the mind of Christ. As we fervently study the Word and press into prayer - we will come to know the heart of God at a whole new level.  We too can see like Him.

 

"For, "Who can know the Lord's thoughts? ...But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16

We are the body of Christ in the earth. Because we are called to be His hands, His feet, His voice - He equipped us with exactly what we need in order to do so: the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is our Guide. He will show us things. He will deposit things within us that are the very words to unlock a hardened heart. He will give us the key to exposing the pain of a "what seems to be" happy person. He will show us things to come in order to protect us and protect others.  He will give us different strategies to reach the unsaved.  He will keep us well informed if we will just listen.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." John 16:13 

We just need to be yielded people. A people who are hungry to hear. A people who want to bring the will of Heaven to earth.  A people ready and willing at all times to be used to touch lives that Jesus said were worth dying for. Let's not drop the ball...

 

Lord, we pray that You would open our eyes into the unseen realms, open our eyes to see past the natural into the spiritual.  We pray for discernment. We pray that we wouldn't see as man sees, but that our vision would be through Your eyes. We want to touch lives. We want to save lives.  We don't ever want to miss an opportunity, a life that You want to touch through us.  We yield ourselves for Your use, Father...

Help us be a people of compassion, a people sold out to the cause of reaching others with the hope of Your Good News!  Be the words on our lips, Lord. We pray You would give us words of knowledge and words of wisdom so that we can have a word in due season for those, who like this young boy, are on the brink of giving up.

We also lift up the family and friends of those who have lost lost someone to  suicide or addiction... We pray for comfort and we pray for true peace that only comes through You.  We pray laborers would rise up during this time to reach out to the family and friends who are grieving.  May good come out of this tragedy by the lives that will be won for You.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Fear

 

 

We are all well acquainted with the emotion that bears a choke hold. It's ruthlessness. It's torment. It's an enemy to faith, a thief that robs you of life - imprisons you to a false reality.

Anxiety, depression, doubt, worry, hurt, anger, sadness, low self esteem, unworthiness. It comes disguised underneath many different emotions, but it all comes down to one thing:

FEAR.

The paralysis for some is the dread of what could happen years down the road, anxiety associated with an unpredictable economy, and for many it is the torment of what today, the next hour, the next minute will bring.

"...fear has torment." 1 John 4:18a

Fear is not only an emotion, but a spiritual force. It is very similar to faith in that both have an unshakable belief in an unseen future. Fear trusts circumstances, natural predictions, the enemy's lies, and self. Faith trusts God and what His Word says. Fear is negative faith.

Fear is an enemy of God. It in essence rips Him of His lordship in our lives. We become self focused and not God focused. We put our trust in the wisdom of man rather than in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5). We no longer see Him for Who He is and who He desires to be in our lives... He solely becomes a gateway to Heaven, but in our day to day living He is diminished to a dusty figure placed on a shelf. 

God is love, and the Bible says that Perfect Love casts out fear. God is THAT perfect love.

"There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but perfect love turns fears out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment. He who is afraid has not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:18

Father, we want to know Your love... Your love is our freedom. Your love removes shackles. Your love delivers us from all fear. You are not what our circumstances look like. You are not what the latest trends define You as. We commit to growing in the knowledge of who You truly are as defined in Your Word, and through that knowledge - growing in intimacy with You... We know that in experiencing that intimate love - fear has no more room in our lives. Thank You for Your love and the hope and peace it brings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uztHkNujb5o

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Fear

 

 

We are all well acquainted with the emotion that bears a choke hold. It's ruthlessness. It's torment. It's an enemy to faith, a thief that robs you of life - imprisons you to a false reality.

Anxiety, depression, doubt, worry, hurt, anger, sadness, low self esteem, unworthiness. It comes disguised underneath many different emotions, but it all comes down to one thing:

FEAR.

The paralysis for some is the dread of what could happen years down the road, anxiety associated with an unpredictable economy, and for many it is the torment of what today, the next hour, the next minute will bring.

"...fear has torment." 1 John 4:18a

Fear is not only an emotion, but a spiritual force. It is very similar to faith in that both have an unshakable belief in an unseen future. Fear trusts circumstances, natural predictions, the enemy's lies, and self. Faith trusts God and what His Word says. Fear is negative faith.

Fear is an enemy of God. It in essence rips Him of His lordship in our lives. We become self focused and not God focused. We put our trust in the wisdom of man rather than in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5). We no longer see Him for Who He is and who He desires to be in our lives... He solely becomes a gateway to Heaven, but in our day to day living He is diminished to a dusty figure placed on a shelf. 

God is love, and the Bible says that Perfect Love casts out fear. God is THAT perfect love.

"There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but perfect love turns fears out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment. He who is afraid has not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:18

Father, we want to know Your love... Your love is our freedom. Your love removes shackles. Your love delivers us from all fear. You are not what our circumstances look like. You are not what the latest trends define You as. We commit to growing in the knowledge of who You truly are as defined in Your Word, and through that knowledge - growing in intimacy with You... We know that in experiencing that intimate love - fear has no more room in our lives. Thank You for Your love and the hope and peace it brings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uztHkNujb5o

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4