Doing our Chores for God

Have you ever felt like God has called you to do something, but have felt you didn’t have what was needed to accomplish this purpose? Have you ever been sidetracked in the task God set before you? Have you thought that obstacles along the way were from God?

As a parent, I give my children chores.  I expect them to do be done in a certain time frame and I expect them to be done well.  I sometimes will even give my sons chores to do that they don’t understand (like, cleaning out the dogs water dish and then refilling it with clean water, this makes no sense to them). I admit my kids are like most children, they’d rather not have to do their chores, they will procrastinate and put the chores off as much as possible, usually some complaining and whining is involved.  I always make sure that whatever tools are needed for the chores are given as well. I’ve also never felt the desire to go and interrupt their work or sidetrack them with something else. 

You can probably see where I’m going with this - as God’s children - the tasks He has given us, technically, could be seen as our ‘chores’.  Each child of God has a purpose, we have many chores that can be involved with this purpose.  God called me to start this blog and Facebook page - I might not be able to see what God’s grandmaster plan behind this is, but He knows.  Honestly, sometimes I will kick my feet around in the dirt, find something else to do (anything else to do) instead of my chore, seriously - it must be a fleshy thing!  We all will avoid our chores, trying to put off what we know we should do, but for some reason we just don’t want to - everything else looks better, we can get ourselves busy with other stuff, trying to preoccupy our time, we can even find ‘good’ things to do - but if it’s not the task we were given, it’s still disobedience.  

Sometimes obstacles happen - I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come down with a cold, sinus infection, migraine, or injury when I was close to completing a chore.  I know that all are just arsenal the enemy uses when he's trying to get me off track.  The devil has a reason to keep us all away from completing our chores, he knows he loses in the end - so he’s bound and determined to mess up whatever glory is waiting;  he has one purpose and he will ‘lie, steal and destroy’ to keep us from ours.

We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 Voice)

Any purpose God has given us, He’s equipped us with everything we need (including the weapons to defeat the enemy - Armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18). So if I felt that it was God who led me to write, I can’t say in the same breath that he hasn’t given me anything to write about. We’re talking about the God of plenty - there is no lack, no need, no anything that He can’t supply.

And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 AMP)

When my sons finish their chores, they’ve always said to me, “Didn’t I do a good job, Mom”,  and I can see the bigger picture now - like a proud parent telling their children yes they are proud and yes they did do a good job - that's all I'm looking forward to hearing one day too.  You see, I’m doing my chores for my Heavenly Father and one day all I hope to hear is, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”, that’s really all the encouragement I need.

Painting by Silvia Barbosa://youth.mahanaim.ca/ministries/art-ministry/prophetic-art/

Day 7 of 40 Days of Prayer

Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;

    they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,

    so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.

 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,

    for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.

O Lord, do good to those who are good,

    whose hearts are in tune with you.

But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord.

    Take them away with those who do evil.

May Israel have peace!  (Psalm 125:1-5 NLT)

Dear Heavenly Father,  we thank you for your never ending love and your Word that guides us and teaches us. We thank you that you offer your wisdom to those who seek after you and that your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Lord, we ask for forgiveness of our sins, sins against you and each other. We know we fall short so very often, so thank you for the mercy and grace you freely give us anyways.  We thank you for the protection and blessings you have poured out on your nation, there is a new hope stirring among your children and we know that to you, all the glory is due! We pray for our leaders, for their hearts to be changed, and that your will would be done in their lives. We pray for all the people of our nation, the people who don’t know you as the one and only living God, the people who have abandoned you as their Lord and the people who don't even realize they've left you; we pray that they would seek you out and make you the Lord of their lives again or for the first time. We pray for our nation to awaken from their slumber and arise as a true child of God – humbly seeking your face, repenting of their sins and running to you. We pray that all the people would be stirred by your Holy Spirit, desiring to be in your presence, to share your love and compassion with others. We thank you Lord, we praise you Lord, we want our hearts to be pure before you, we want to honor you and do your will and not our own. Thank you for sending your Son to save us, thank you for the new creations in Christ we have become, we love you God, in Jesus’ name we pray ~ AMEN

40 Days of Prayer

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.    (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)

I believe God is calling out to His church, calling to His children, calling to the hands and feet of Jesus – a calling to seek God’s face, to humble ourselves, to pray for forgiveness, to turn from the world’s way to God’s way. This call is a stirring in all of our hearts, the tugging of the Holy Spirit to seek God for restoration -not man or the government.

This country was founded on Christian principles, blessed by God because the people sought after God to free them from oppression. In the time since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, our country has sought refuge in our government instead of God. We have allowed the ‘freedom from religion’ instead of the original purpose ‘freedom of religion’, by remaining silent.  It’s time to declare Jesus as our Lord and not our government; we must seek God as a people, united in the body of Christ.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT)

Choosing life and blessings means we seek God’s holiness, that we are turning from the world’s way and following God. We make the choice with not just our minds, but with our hearts, we have to turn our hearts to God to receive the blessings He has for us, our children, and our country.  So choose this day, to live for God and not for ourselves, make the heart choice that the Lord will be our master and not this world we live in.

Join me in my ’40 Days of Prayer’ for our nation, beginning September 28 through November 6, 2012 – Election Day in the United States. I believe this is a pivotal event, not just in the USA, but in the world! I will be posting a prayer everyday during the 40 days on my Facebook page, Stir Me UpLord – if you have not Liked my page, please do so and join the event of prayer and share with others.

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people). (Ephesians 6:18 AMP)