Day 13 of 40 Days of Prayer

24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— 25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

‘Why were the nations so angry?

    Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;

    the rulers gathered together

against the Lord

    and against his Messiah.’

28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:24-26, 28-31 NLT)

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us your Word and your Holy Spirit; they guide us and direct us unto the path you made for us, long before we were even born. We thank you God for the wisdom you have given your children, for your understanding and discernment regarding our future; you have given us all that we need to pray and encourage one another. We ask for forgiveness of our sins, the sins we’ve committed against you and each other, the sins we’ve forgotten and the sins we can’t forget – we ask that they be cast away forever and that we turn from those sins and focus on you dear God. Your Word tells us that when your children lift their voices together in prayer, as one voice, in one accord; that this spiritual unity enables your Holy Spirit to operate among us. Together we pray that the people of this land would acknowledge you as their Lord and Savior and not seek salvation from the government.  We pray that the leaders of this nation be challenged to be people of honor and integrity –  and to place you above themselves and above all others, to lift you high where you belong, as the one true God – the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. We pray that the lost would be found, the roaming would return to the fold and the hurting would be healed and restored. We pray for your will to be done in this land and that your mercy and grace would be seen and felt by all. We thank you dear God for your never ending love, we thank you for boldness in our words and in our lives; that we would minister to all the land, blessing everyone we meet with your light that shines through us. We ask these things, in your son Jesus’ name ~ AMEN

Boldness and Faith

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,  a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head. 

4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”   (Mark 14:3-9 NLT)

I was just thinking of this woman, Mary of Bethany.  Imagining what it would have been like for her…thinking of how she might have been at her home praying when the Holy Spirit urged her to get up, get her jar of oil, go to where Jesus was and pour the oil over his head.

I’m not sure about all the customs and procedures of Biblical times, but what I’ve read, has told me that women did not have the equality and freedoms we have today. I imagine it took a lot of courage to step out and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.  She knew what she was doing was going to be unorthodox; people might talk about her being inappropriate, maybe even a little crazy, going against customs and stepping out where the world thought she didn’t belong.

I’m not sure if Mary had a husband or if she was wealthy. According to the scripture, this alabaster of oil was worth a year’s wages. So this oil had an extremely large monetary value and using it in this way, was a major financial sacrifice.  I’m sure if she had hesitated and maybe asked a friend for advice they would have discouraged her and told her not to do that, maybe they would have tried to convince her that someone more ‘special’ might have that calling, that she didn’t need that burden.

This is what I’ve learned from Mary: not only did she hear the message God had for her, she listened, and obeyed.  She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, she knew it was going to take a lot of courage, but she stepped out in faith and followed God.   I see Mary’s courageousness, faithfulness, and sacrifice – and I want that boldness and faith! 

I now believe I have been called to step out in faith and I know I will face obstacles, I will be unpopular, and I will lose 'friends' and family - but none of that matters – the only thing that matters is to hear my Jesus tell me one day, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’.

*I wrote this blog entry in less than hour on Friday Sept 7^th, for some reason I thought I should hold off on publishing it. I think I know why now; Sunday my Pastor spoke on Luke 7:36-50 – the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed him with her alabaster of oil. I know the Holy Spirit speaks to all the Believers as one, and it seems most of my devotions and the messages I’ve listened to have been of one accord and this strengthens and encourages me greatly!!  So I was able to change up the last paragraph and claim what GOD has for me!!

Day 6 of 21-Day Challenge: Boldness

“And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31 NLT)

BOLDNESS is actually translated from the Greek word, parrhesia (Strong’s #3954): Outspokenness, unreserved utterance, freedom of speech, with frankness, candor, cheerful courage, and the opposite of cowardice, timidity, or fear. Here it denotes a divine enablement that come to ordinary and unprofessional people exhibiting spiritual power and authority. It also refers to a clear presentation of the gospel without ambiguous or unintelligible. Parrhesia is not a human quality but a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

I want that kind of boldness, I want to walk without hesitation and fearlessly stand before man and share GOD’s love. I want to be a laborer that harvests a great number of souls for the Lord (1). I want to be a child after GOD’s own heart.  One day when I stand before our Lord, I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”(2) Until my last breath, I want to fight the good fight, I want to finish the race, keeping my faith and lay a crown before my King.(3)

Jesus died for me, so I can live for HIM. I want to see Brothers and Sisters in Christ standing up for their faith, sharing GOD’s love, true doctrine and not preaching hatred.(4) I want to comfort the broken hearted and take care of the widows and orphans. (5) I want others to see a light shining in me and my family, to experience the joy and peace that this world can never deliver, that only the creator of the Heavens and earth can give. (6) I want to show people that it’s my relationship with Jesus Christ that has made me a new creation, not a religion of rules and hollow traditions. (7) There is a thirst inside every person that can only be filled by GOD, we were made to seek HIM and only by acknowledging Jesus as Lord can we be saved.(8)

That is my challenge for all today, be bold in our faith. Pray for boldness, strength, and the words to speak to non-believers. Ask GOD for encouragement in our boldness; ask GOD to allow you to bless and share HIS love with others. Pray for wisdom that we would follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance and not our flesh. Pray that people not only hear us speaking about GOD’s love, but see us sharing GOD’s love, so that we would be doers of GOD’s Word. Be bold in our faith so that when others see the trials we are going through, they will notice we are standing strong on the Solid Rock and not faltering in the howling winds from the storms of life.  Our faith in GOD and HIS Son, Jesus Christ, has set us free from the bondages of death and sin; so let us live with the boldness that our Savior has given us by HIS righteousness!

1)Matthew 9:37 NKJV

2)Matthew 25:21 NKJV

3)2 Timothy 4:7-8, Revelation 4:10

4) John 3:16-21, 1 John 4:16-20

5) Psalm 34:18, James 1:27

6) Mark 4:21, Romans 15:13, John 14:27

7) Luke 12:21, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 23:1-33

8) John 4:10-14, 1 Chronicles 16:11-36, John 14:6-7, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:8-9