Hypothetically, if a same-sex couple came to our church and asked us to dedicate their child, how should we answer? Our pastor posed this question to our staff and leadership after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in the Spring of 2015. He wanted to be proactive. Our leadership struggled with this question all summer. They engaged prayer, bible studies, and heartfelt dialogue as they processed this challenging issue. They struggled with this key question: “What does love require?” By the end of the summer, the majority of our leadership team felt the Lord leading them to say “yes, we will dedicate a child of same-sex parents.” They couldn’t get past Jesus’s words, “Let the children come to me.” But to be clear, NO ONE on our staff was affirming the gay lifestyle by saying “yes” to the child!

Our pastor decided to be open with our congregation on this issue and delivered a powerful sermon over Labor Day weekend. We lost key members of our congregation over the issue, including staff. We lost a beloved worship leader, who believed that standing on the stage with same-sex parents would be a form of condoning the gay lifestyle. He worried that it would damage his Christian testimony and resigned. Our Stewardship pastor resigned as well in addition to families who had been longtime members of our church.

Why am I revisiting this topic? Because I experienced the loss of a dear sister in Christ – one of my prayer warriors – over the leadership’s decision. But the Spirit of God has been working mightily in this situation, and I want to share with you how God moved through the power of prayer to reunite us.

I shared our leadership’s decision during a Bible study when my dear friend became unsettled (see my previous post here: http://wp.me/p3LmrK-uR). She couldn’t believe our church thought it was okay to dedicate a child to same-sex parents. More importantly, she couldn’t believe I stood with my pastor. I tried to reason with her. I asked, “What is your church’s plan to evangelize people who are living a gay lifestyle? How will that happen if you tell them they and their child are not welcome there? Isn’t the church supposed to be a ‘hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints?’

At the time, she couldn’t deal with my questions. Within twenty-four hours of our bible study, she called me to “sever our friendship.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I told her that I was not asking her to agree with the stance of our church and reminded her that Christians disagree on plenty of issues, but we don’t truncate relationships because we disagree. After twenty minutes of conversation, it was obvious that my friend had made up her mind, and the friendship was over.

At the time my friend ended our relationship, I was driving back to Texas from Kansas. As I processed her decision, I realized she had made the decision hastily. It felt irrational. She called me in less than twenty-four hours to tell me she had prayed about it and talked to her pastors the morning following our study. But her decision was not bathed in prayer for any significant time before the Lord. As we had been prayer partners for a good while, I knew she had a tender heart for the Lord. If the Spirit wanted her to restore our friendship, she would listen to His voice. So instead of being mad at her, I continued to pray for her and chose to bring this broken relationship to God on a daily basis.

Here’s what I prayed:

• Lord, please pour out blessings upon blessings to my dear sister in Christ.
• I pray that she will HEAR YOUR VOICE and that the Spirit will soften her heart to restore this friendship.

On Sunday, June 5th, as God would have it, I was making my nine-hour drive once again back to Kansas, when at 6:00pm my cellphone rang. It was my friend! I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I had to let it roll to voicemail. I immediately listened to it, and was delighted to hear that she wanted a chance to talk and would I please call her back. After I gathered myself, I returned her call.

“I wasn’t sure you would even talk to me,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I miss you. You are my sister in Christ, and I want to apologize for how I handled things. I still disagree with your church’s decision, and that won’t change. But please know that I care about you.”

“I am thrilled to hear your voice!” I said joyfully. “And I accept your apology. I also have no problem with you disagreeing with our leadership on this issue.”

This one exchange allowed us to reconnect and restore our friendship. I told her that I never stopped praying for her. Since we had gone eight months without contact, we were able to update the prayer requests we had going for one another and add new ones. We agreed to make contact once a month to share how God was moving in our petitions. It was like old times. Our interaction was comfortable. It was as if the friendship had been intact all along.

This restored relationship speaks to the power of prayer. God worked mightily in this situation and brought a happy ending. All I can do is praise Him and thank Him! I am thankful for my sister in Christ and her willingness to continue our friendship and our prayer partnership. Glory to God!

The Lord knows how to heal any relationship. I encourage you to keep praying for the relationships that are important to you. You may not think He’s at work or even cares about your desire for a restored relationship, but He does.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 7.1.16 A Happy Ending appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

April 8, 2016, marked the one-year anniversary of my father’s death. Tomorrow would have been his 80th birthday. As I reflect on my loss, I want to share with you what I miss most.

One of Dad’s spiritual gifts was intercessory prayer. A day didn’t go by without him lifting me up before the Lord. He was my prayer warrior.

If you are a parent, I want to suggest that the most important gift you give your children every day is prayer covering.

Dad understood the power of prayer and always reminded me that he prayed for me daily and considered it a privilege to do so. Each time I prepared to drive to Kansas on business, he paused and prayed over me, often over the phone. I heard these words often: “Lord, protect Lee Ann every step of the way. May there be no car trouble, accidents, or weather that could cause harm. May your angels hem her in from the north, south, east and west. May her week be productive and continue to bless her practice. Please bring her home safely.” Hearing him pray those words over me was a blessing. His prayers expressed his love, care and concern for me.

If you’re a parent, take time to pray aloud so that your children hear your love for them as you take them before the Father.

Dad cared deeply for my spiritual well being and growth. When I was a child, he centered his prayers on helping me discover salvation in Jesus. 3 John 4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” If you’re a parent, I bet there were times in your children’s life when you wondered if God was drawing them to Jesus. But once your child placed their faith in Christ, you experienced “great joy” knowing that your child asked Jesus to forgive their sin and commit to follow Him.

Pray daily for your children’s salvation until they make their decision for Jesus. No matter how old they are, keep praying for this!

When I made my decision to place my faith in Christ at age ten, Dad’s prayer ministry continued to grow. He lived out the Biblical examples and instruction regarding intercessory prayer. Colossians 4:12-13 states “Epaphras….is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” In Colossians 1:9, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding….” Dad upheld Scripture by praying continually for me.

“Wrestle in prayer” for your children. Ask God to “fill your children with all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

When I became a Christ-follower, Dad and I shared a new bond in Christ. We no longer had just a “father-daughter” relationship. We prayed together, resulting in some of my most precious memories. We shared spiritual intimacy as we expressed our thoughts together before the Lord. I learned more about prayer from my Dad than any other Christian because he modeled it regularly. He didn’t stop with “I will pray for you,” but prayed with me as soon as the need was expressed! He allowed me to hear his prayer before God, just as Jesus did praying out loud to His Father in front of His disciples (John 17) right before He faced the cross.

Pray with your children to build a deeper relationship with them.

I am Dad’s living legacy. I love praying for others. Intercessory prayer is the most important ministry I have because of Dad’s strong influence in my life. As he sowed spiritual seeds in me through prayer, the Lord found many ways to water them so that I could bear fruit for His glory. I believe Dad went to his heavenly home “having no greater joy” than seeing me walk in truth.

If you desire to strengthen your prayer ministry for your children, what would your next step look like? I realize many of you already pray for your kids, but maybe your next step is to pray over them in their presence. Let them hear your heart. Maybe your next step is to find a time when you can consistently pray together to deepen your relationship with your children. For those of us who are single, let’s pray over our family daily. There are plenty of spiritual children in our faith family who can use our intercessory prayer.  

If you have any insights, thoughts or reactions you’d like to share, please locate the Comment box below. I bet some of you have a vibrant prayer ministry for you kids that our readership would love to hear about!

May God richly bless you as you allow your daily prayer for your children to be the greatest gift you give them.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 4.29.16 The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Children appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

What does your prayer life look like when you feel hopeless and powerless? Perhaps your marriage is so broken that you believe it’s irreparable. Perhaps you are suffering depression and can’t beat it. Or maybe you’re facing bankruptcy because of mounting medical bills that exceed your resources. You have tried everything possible to fix what’s damaged in your life, and nothing has changed. There is hope! We serve a God who cares about every detail of our lives. When we feel defeated with no solutions in sight, He invites us to pray boldly before His throne. What does that look like?

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Here is my litmus test for praying boldly. Whatever I ask of God cannot contain any ounce of my flesh to produce the outcome. If I can contribute to the desired result, then it’s not bold enough. The answer to a bold prayer must happen by His intervention alone. It means 100% of my dependence rests on God for the result. Today I want to offer three reasons why we should pray boldly.

1. Praying boldly expresses our faith

When we pray for things that only God can do, we are stating our BELIEF in His power and might. We embrace that nothing is impossible with God (Lk 1:37, Matt 19:26). Daniel was a young Jew and a God-fearing man. King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, captured Daniel and deported him and many other Jews to Babylon. Daniel is our model for praying boldly. King Nebuchadnezzar had a recurring dream that caused many sleepless nights. He turned to the magicians and enchanters to get the interpretation, but there was one minor problem. The king insisted that THEY tell him what the dream was and then interpret it, and if they couldn’t, he would cut them into pieces! The magicians and company became exasperated and said, “There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks!” (Dan 2:10) The king became furious. He expanded his execution order to include all the wise men of Babylon, which included Daniel.

When Daniel learned that he was facing a death sentence, he asked to see the king so he could request some time to interpret the king’s dream. The king granted his request. Daniel returned home and explained the situation to his three godly friends. They expressed their faith with boldness. They asked God to reveal the dream and its interpretation. They believed God would do that for them.

2. Praying boldly builds our faith and and the faith of those around us

Praying boldly allows us to build our faith muscles. It’s like going to the gym and doing “reps.” To build muscles we need to lift weights regularly that put more stress on our muscles to build them over time. The same is true for our prayer life. If we want to strengthen our walk with the Lord, we need to consistently stress our faith muscles with God-sized prayers.

Here’s the rest of Daniel’s story. God revealed to Daniel the dream and the interpretation through a vision during the night! Can you imagine how this would build the faith for him and his friends? Daniel woke up the next day ecstatic! He couldn’t stop praising God for “revealing the deep and hidden things.” He thanked God for making known to them “what we asked of you.” (Dan 2:22-23) Daniel went back to the king and reported everything that God showed him. The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” (Dan 2:47) When God answered the bold prayer presented to Him, He built the faith of three parties: Daniel, his three friends, and King Nebuchadnezzar.

3. Praying boldly pleases God

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” God invites us to approach the throne of grace with confidence (Heb 4:16).  Throughout the Bible, we read that God desires to show us “great and mighty” things. He wants to answer our bold prayers, but that’s not going to happen if we don’t call upon Him.

I want you to identify the areas of your life that create despair for you and express your faith in God through bold prayers. It might look something like this:

“Lord, my marriage is broken. I am emotionally exhausted and have tried to repair it, but it is hopeless. Lord, I can’t fix it, but YOU can because nothing is impossible for you.”

“Lord, you are the provider of all financial resources. I don’t want to file bankruptcy. I have depleted your resources. I need you to provide what I need to take care of these bills. Lord, I can’t fix this, but YOU can because nothing is impossible for you.”

“Lord, my son is struggling with drug addiction. He has tried to overcome it, but he keeps having relapses. Lord, I can’t fix this, but YOU can because nothing is impossible for you.”

It’s time to invite God into our deepest and darkest places of our lives. We need to bare our souls to Him and plead our case. We need to admit our complete dependence on Him to intervene. His answers may not come to us in overnight express. He will respond in His perfect way and in His perfect time. We need to pray boldly with many “reps.” Stay persistent. When we express our faith in Him, He rises to the occasion with answers that will cause us to drop to our knees and praise Him. It will build our faith. It boils down to pleasing God with a simple bold prayer: “Lord, I can’t fix this, but YOU can because nothing is impossible for you.”

Your thoughts are always invited because they are valuable. Perhaps you have a testimony to share that will encourage others as they begin to pray more boldly. You may click the link “Share Your Comments” below.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 11.13.15 Three Reasons You Should Pray Boldly appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

We do a great job protecting our home with locks or security systems. We safeguard our cars in a locked garage. When we encounter cold weather, we insulate ourselves with layers of clothing to keep us warm. When it comes to protecting ourselves and assets, we’re pros. It’s the most natural thing we do. But how careful are we about protecting ourselves spiritually? I want to share my favorite prayer of protection. If you keep a prayer guide, I hope you will find some Scriptural gems in today’s post to enhance your prayer life.

Pray on the Full Spiritual Armor of God – Eph 6:10-17

How seriously do you take spiritual warfare? I believe the devil is alive and well! Paul describes our battle this way (v.10-12): “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This is a command.

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Satan is a strong enemy, and we need the power of God to be able to stand against him. Never underestimate the power of the devil. He is not compared to a lion and a dragon just for fun! The Book of Job tells what his power can do to a man’s body, home, wealth, and friends. Jesus calls Satan a thief who comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). Not only is Satan strong, but he is also wise and subtle, and we fight against “the wiles of the devil.” The Christian cannot afford to be “unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and seeks to blind men’s minds to the truth of God’s Word.

God has provided the “whole armor” for us, and we dare not omit any part. Satan looks for that unguarded area where he can get a beachhead (Eph. 4:27). Paul commands us to put on the armor, take the weapons, and withstand Satan, which we do by faith. But what are the pieces of the armor? Paul, the author of Ephesians, describes them:

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“Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (v.14a) – Satan is a liar (John 8:44), but a man of integrity, with a clear conscience, can face the enemy without fear.

“Stand firm with the breastplate of righteousness in place” (v.14b) – This piece of armor, made of metal plates or chains, covered the body from the neck to the waist, both front and back. It symbolizes the believer’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) as well as his righteous life in Christ (Eph. 4:24). Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit.

“Stand firm with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (v.15) – If we are going to “stand” and “withstand,” then we need the shoes of the Gospel. Because we have the peace with God (Rom. 5:1) that comes from the Gospel, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must prepare each day to share the Gospel of peace with a lost world.

“In addition, take up your shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (v.16) – The shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood, and covered with tough leather. As the soldier held it before him, it protected him from spears, arrows, and “fiery darts.” Satan shoots “fiery darts” at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, critical thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. Faith is our defensive weapon to quench the fiery darts.

“Take the helmet of salvation.” (v.17a) – Satan wants to attack the mind, the way he defeated Eve (Gen. 3; 2 Cor. 11:1–3). The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God. When God controls the mind, Satan cannot lead the believer astray. 

“Take the the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (v.17b) – The sword is the offensive weapon God provides us. A material sword pierces the body, but the Word of God pierces the heart. The more we use a physical sword, the duller it becomes; but using God’s Word only makes it sharper in our lives. A physical sword requires the hand of a soldier, but the sword of the Spirit has its own power. It is “living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). The Spirit wrote the Word, and the Spirit wields the Word as we take it by faith and use it.

Now that you have a better understanding of the armor, turn it into a daily prayer. Feel free to change this to fit how you feel the Spirit is leading you. Here is a simple prayer to protect ourselves by praying on the full armor every day found below (v.14-17):

Lord, thank you for providing us the armor we need to defeat the Enemy. I now put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, and the feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace.

As Warren Wiersbe puts it, the “whole armor of God” is a picture of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and our peace (Eph. 2:14). His faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20); He is our salvation (Luke 2:30); and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14). This means that when we trusted Christ, we received the armor. Paul told the Romans what to do with the armor (Rom. 13:11–14): wake up (Rom. 13:11), cast off sin, and “put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12). We do this by “putting on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14). By faith, put on the armor and trust God for the victory. Once and for all, we have put on the armor at the moment of salvation.¹

If we take God at His word and understand the reality of spiritual warfare, then we will “put on the full armor of God” without fail. It’s time to protect yourself! Are there other Scripture passages you like to pray for protection? Your thoughts are always welcomed by clicking the link “Share Your Comment” below. 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

¹ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible Exposition Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 57-59). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The post 9.25.15 Grow Your Prayer Life: Protect Yourself! appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Do you know why I love to blog? Because I believe that God will lift the words off the page and into your heart in a way that encourages or blesses you at your point of need. I started this blog five years ago to create another avenue of ministry to promote spiritual growth. I write to share something meaningful that will strengthen you as we travel on this spiritual journey together. To that end, I always pray that the Lord will give me what HE wants me to share to support you, and He answered! He planted this thought: “Since you find joy in praying for others, why don’t you not only pray over your readers, but help them grow their own prayer life?” The moment I “heard” that idea, I immediately saw a vision for it. Who doesn’t have room to grow in the spiritual discipline of prayer?! We never arrive, right?

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Before I advance this vision, let me be clear: I do not have the corner of the market on prayer! I do not believe I am above anyone. I don’t think I am more spiritual than anyone else. I have plenty of room to grow in this area. Consider me as one who comes along beside you to give ideas on how to strengthen your prayer life. I want to risk with God on this vision. I want to help you unleash the power of prayer in your own life. Moreover, I believe YOU have much to offer. I hope the Spirit prompts you to share things about your prayer life through the “Comments” section. I want everyone to enjoy YOUR wisdom and insights. The only credential I have is my personal experience, but I trust the Lord can use it for His glory.

I envision helping you develop your own prayer guide. You may read some prayers that resonate with you, so you adapt it to fit your prayer life. I want you to feel freedom to change anything you see. The goal is to strengthen YOU in prayer, and the Lord will show you how. Some posts on prayer will be topical. For example, what are some good Scripture passages to pray when we need protection? How can we pray effectively when someone is fighting an illness? What are ways that we can praise God through prayer? When hard decisions are in front of us, what are some Bible passages we can pray back to Him and then discern His answer? Again, I don’t have all the answers, but together we can gather many of them!

But where to begin? When I was little, my parents taught me popular prayers that I memorized. My bedtime prayer was, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray to God my soul to take.” When it was time to bless the food at the table, I learned, “God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.” But then I got older, so it was time to branch out from canned prayers.

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I learned to pray by listening to others. I listened to my parents pray. I paid attention to how my Sunday School teachers prayed, or how my pastor prayed in the pulpit. My youth pastor encouraged our small group to pray “sentence prayers” to help us overcome any fears of praying out loud. During my college years and in my twenties, I learned about quiet times. I had mentors in the church setting who taught me that I could read a devotional and then apply it through prayer. In my thirties and forties, I discovered prayer journaling. I stumbled upon a prayer notebook by E.M. Bounds called Memos to God. Each pre-printed sheet contained a set outline for prayer. The acronym was ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). I prayed to God daily by filling in the blank sheets after reading the devotional for the day. I kept a prayer journal for years. As God answered prayers, I used a yellow highlighter to reinforce that He hears our prayers. Now I’m in my fifties. I am discovering the power of using Scripture as a way to pray to God. Please know that I was never alone in this journey.

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God placed mature believers throughout my life who helped me grow my prayer life. My Dad prayed over me for many years. I experienced his strong love for me as he prayed to the Lord on my behalf. Norma Branson, my dear sister in Christ in Kansas, prayed with me every week for several years. My dear friend Bonnie Mikes has spent Thursday evenings with me for over four years here in Austin, and we’re going strong. Because their walk with the Lord is so deep, their prayer life is rich. I bet you have your own list of those who have helped you along. We not only need to thank God for these strong prayer warriors, but we need to embrace the vision that we can become prayer warriors too. Are you ready?!

Today I want to share a section of my prayer guide that is a daily staple for me. A beautiful choral arrangement called “God Be in My Head” by John Rutter inspired it. Please listen to it. It’s only 1.5 minutes long: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3mHgedrsQ

Here are the lyrics:

“God be in my head and in my understanding;

God be in my eyes and in my looking;

God be in my mouth and in my speaking;

God be in my heart and in my thinking;

God be at my end and in my departing.”

Mr. Rutter describes beautifully how pervasive God should be in our lives. We want to ask God to permeate every area of our lives. As you read the prayer below, I encourage you to roll your cursor over each Scripture reference. You will see the complete verse that supports the prayer request:

God, be in our head and understanding:

• May you give us generous portions of wisdom without finding fault [James 1:5]
• May you give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know you better. May this same Spirit give us keen spiritual insight into all of our circumstances [Eph 1:17]
• As we live out each day, help us to “trust in the Lord always and lean not on our own understanding, but in all our ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make our paths straight.” [Prov 3:5-6]

God, be in our eyes and in our looking:

• May we see everyone through the spiritual lens of Christ [I Sam 16:7; Rom 2:11; Jam 2:1]
• May we look upon one another with Christ’s compassion and mercy [Matt 9:36]
• When we interact with others, may the smile of Jesus be evident in our eyes. May they experience our genuine care and concern for them [Prov 15:30a]
• When situations become complex, may your Spirit bring the hidden things to light that we may see and understand them from your vantage point. [Job 12:22, Job 28:11, Dan 2:22]

God, be in our mouth and in our speaking:

• May you give us words of life that are comforting, encouragement, edifying, hopeful and healing [Prov 15:4, Prov 15:30b]
• May you lead us by your Spirit to choose our words wisely so that we minister to those around us. [Prov 25:11]

God, be in our heart and in our thinking:

• May you give us a fresh indwelling of your Holy Spirit. [Eph 5:18b]
• May the fruit of the Spirit be evident to others. [Gal 5:22-23]
• May the eyes of our heart be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which you have called us. [Eph 1:18]
• May we give the Holy Spirit free reign to control our mind that will result in “life and peace.” [Rom 8:6b]   

This is my foundational prayer. Do you have a foundational prayer in which you’re inviting God to be involved in every part of your being? Did other Scripture passages come to mind that we can use to strengthen the above prayer guide? If so, please click “Share Your Comments” below for everyone’s benefit.

As my subscribers, I am now praying for you. I can’t wait to see how God strengthens us in our prayer life. Until we meet again, “May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” (Num 6:24-26)

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 9.11.15 Grow Your Prayer Life: Begin with a Foundational Prayer appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

If you knew you had more control over the outcome of the Presidential election, would you exercise it? As I watched the Republican debate on August 5th, I knew immediately the candidates I did not want as President! I also observed Christian candidates on the platform who could lead our country. They would need God’s help to make it to the final ticket, however. Watching the debate caused me to reflect on the 2012 Presidential election, when I waited for the final nominees before realizing I had better pray! I didn’t start praying early enough, nor did I pray boldly enough.

If you’re a Christian, I have a call to action

that allows you to influence the outcome in the next election.

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I believe the Lord wants candidates who have a heart after His. He wants leaders who have the humility to come before Him to seek His wisdom in all matters. God has given us a golden opportunity to pray fervently for the next twelve months to effect who becomes the nominee for each party. Today I want to inspire all Christians to ask the Lord to bring two strong Christian candidates to the final ticket. To that end, let’s pray in agreement the following requests:

1. May each Christian candidate have a heart after His.

I am reminded of the story of King Saul, who was disobedient to God and was no longer allowed to be the King. Samuel told King Saul, “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (I Sam 13:13-14) We then get a glimpse of how God chooses His leader in I Sam 16.

The Lord told Samuel that He had chosen one of Jesse’s sons to be king, but Samuel had no idea who it was because Jesse had eight sons. God prepared Samuel, saying, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Jesse presented his first seven sons, but Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen these. Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse had a son named David, who was out in the field tending the sheep. Samuel asked for Jesse to send for David, and the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”

As we pray over the candidates who believe they can lead our country, let’s not fall into the trap of external appearances. We want what God wants, a man or woman after God’s own heart.

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2. May the Lord help these Christian candidates find great favor with the American people. 

We have biblical examples to support that God gives favor to His children.

• Abel brought the fat portions of his firstborn flock, but his brother brought “some of the fruits of the soil” as an offering. Since Abel honored God through his giving, the “Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering.” (Gen 4:4)
• Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. So “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Gen 6:8-9)
• Moses, whom the Lord called to deliver Israel, had God’s favor: “I know you by name and you have found favor with me.” (Ex 33:12)

The biblical accounts show that those who obeyed God had His favor. Since God doesn’t change, I believe the biblical pattern will continue. He will reveal to us over the next year whom He has shown favor.

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3. May God fill these two Christian candidates with boundless wisdom. 

King David had a son, Solomon. Before King David died, he appointed Solomon to reign in his place. (I Kings 1:29-36) Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David. (I Kings 3:3) The Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (I Kings 3:5)

Solomon knew what he needed: “Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours? (I Kings 3:7-9)

Do you see Solomon’s humility and dependence on the Lord to help him succeed in his new role as the king? Don’t we all desire two Christian candidates who would humbly come before the Lord asking for God’s wisdom? Solomon pleased the Lord. “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” (I Kings 3:11-12) We read later that, “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” (I Kings 4:29)

Let’s pray that the Lord will make it clear which Christian candidates are seeking wisdom. I believe He will show us as we go along.

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/PhilipYb Studio

Prayer is the most powerful tool God has given us to change our world. Let’s not waste it or get lazy in our prayer life. I am asking Christians to join in agreement to pray boldly for the requests made above. We have the ability to influence the outcome of this next election if we would pray daily. NOW is the time! Nothing is impossible with God. I believe He will provide two strong Christian candidates on the ticket so that it’s a win-win for the American people.

Are you on board? If yes, would you prayerfully consider sharing this with other Christians? The more who pray in agreement, the more we positively influence the outcome of the next Presidential election. Your thoughts are always welcome below. 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

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Knowing how paralyzing fear can be, God’s Word states over 140 times, “Be Not Afraid.” Jesus emphasized that we are free from fear when He said,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27)

As Christians we face fears and anxieties because it is part of the human experience, and Dad was no exception. Today I share his last two prayer requests from his Intercessory Agreement¹:

“Father, pour into me such levels of grace and love that every trace of fear in me will be completely eliminated from this moment until death and instead that my whole being will be filled with Your joy. I again acknowledge my weakness and that more grace will be needed to eliminate fear in me. I ask You to make me as unswerving and unshakeable as the Rock within.”

God has given us a foundation for dealing with fear, commanding us not to fear. “Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7).  The Lord invites us, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) If I were developing curriculum for a class on “How to Deal with Fear – 101,” these verses would serve as our beginning point. All should learn to take our fears and anxieties to God through prayer and petitions to receive His peace.

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/Dirk Ercken

God never meant for us to live in fear, but rather live with His peace in all circumstances. There was no fear on earth until Satan and sin entered the world. Dad already knew this, like many of you. Yet his prayer reflects a spiritual maturity that I hope to have someday. Based on his prayer, I would create curriculum for “How to Deal with Fear – 201.” It would be based on I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 

Dad understood that fear and love cannot co-exist. His prayer reflected a desire to avoid having fear in the first place. He desired to live for Christ with a heart that soaked in the love of God at all times. If God filled his heart with His perfect love, there would be no room for fear. The perfecting of God’s love in our lives is a process. When we were lost, we lived in fear and knew nothing of God’s love. After we trusted Christ, we found a mixture of both fear and love in our hearts. But as we grow in fellowship with the Father, the fear gradually vanishes and His love alone controls our hearts. An immature Christian wavers between fear and love; a mature Christian rests in God’s love.

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/hxdbzxy2

Photo Courtesty@Shutterstock.com/Brues

Finally, Dad offered his last prayer request:

“I offer my earthly life for causing the primary commandment to love You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and with all my strength, to be fully realized in me. I know that absolute sovereignty will be required to accomplish this, but, since You are sovereign, I have no doubt that You can do it although accomplishing that in me could well be the most difficult task You have ever undertaken.”

Dad’s heart was to glorify God in everything he said and did. He understood that his frailties would get in the way of his desire to fulfill the greatest commandment of all. He determined from the beginning to never stop praising God.

At the end of his Agreement, he showed his humility: “I am exercising my free will now to lay this in Your hands counting on You to carry it out and to leave nothing up to me from here on. I don’t want my human weakness to be given any opportunity to abort and frustrate my desire to glorify You and to be used by You. I am depending on You to arrange and do it all.”

As I conclude this series, I grieve that I lost a humble father who lived selflessly for Jesus. Though I will always miss him, he is with Jesus and I couldn’t be happier for him! I look forward to living with him for all eternity. Thank you for going on this journey with me to honor my father. I appreciate your love and support.

If you were to author an Intercessory Prayer Agreement, what would be one of your ongoing prayer requests? Your thoughts on anything you’ve read are always warmly welcomed below. 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

¹ Intercessory Agreement: Blog Series for each prayer request begins 5.8.15 http://wp.me/p3LmrK-ry through today’s post.

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When you need prayer, who do you count on to pray for you?  If even one person comes to mind, consider yourself blessed beyond measure. For me, that person was my father. His spiritual legacy contained intercessory prayer at its core.  He was my top prayer warrior.

Dad believed in the power of prayer and faithfully prayed for my brother Gene and me on a daily basis. He considered it his highest privilege and responsibility as a parent to cover us in prayer. Like most parents, Dad wanted to see his children healthy and happy. He wanted us to succeed in whatever career we pursued. But Dad’s prayer life focused on our spiritual well-being. He subscribed to 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the light.”

Can you imagine a parent praying over you on a DAILY basis? I realize many of us pray for our loved ones when certain events or circumstances arise. Dad certainly did that when Gene and I faced challenges. However, Dad deeply desired that Gene and I would know Christ as our Savior. Isn’t that what all Christian parents want?! Sure it is. We want our loved ones to know Jesus and enjoy a love relationship with Him for eternity. Dad wanted us to discover our purpose in God’s kingdom and live our lives serving Him.

He was so committed to praying for our salvation that he was willing to give up his life in exchange for our salvation. You read that right. He was willing to lay down his life in return for our salvation. How many of us are willing to offer our life in exchange for an answered prayer? I’ll be honest. I have never offered God my willingness to give up my life for anything or anyone. Dad knew it was a win-win for him, as it is for all Christians. He understood that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8). How did I know that he was willing to die for me and Gene in exchange for our salvation?

Dad wrote an Intercessory Agreement with God on May 14, 1983. At that time he was 47 and divorced. He was living in Austin teaching at Crockett High School. I was out of college working my first job, and Gene was a senior at the University of Texas. I found the document in one of his files after he died. Here’s the opening of his Intercessory Agreement:

“I know and am very grateful that, as your child, I am not my own, that I am bought with a price. Because of that I understand that You are already absolutely free to take my life to Your glory at any moment, and that this agreement will in no way alter that. If Your desires require my life, then I happily lay it down without reference to anything but my eternal life in You, my Father. I will never cease praising You and thanking You for my redemption in Jesus Christ and the incredible heritage You have given me in Him. However, You evidently still allow human free will to operate to some extent in areas of the lives of Your children. There do appear to be some choices within a calling from You. In the hope that it is meaningful and that my earthly life is still at least partly mine to give, I am willing to lay down the rest of my earthly life if You count that of sufficient value that You are willing in exchange to do the things I have listed below:”

#1. The salvation of my children, Gene and Lee Ann. Dad listed seven more prayer requests that mattered to him the most, and I’m going to share them in time. Each request reveals his heart and how closely he walked with God.

Dad’s intercessory prayer ministry has shaped who I have become. I won’t fully appreciate his prayer covering over me until I get to heaven, but I know I miss it now! I believe that I am becoming the woman God created me to be in Christ Jesus because of his faithfulness to pray for me daily. His legacy lives in me, and I am committed to carrying it on. I have prayed daily for my family members for years. As I pray, I quote many Scripture passages that will help them grow spiritually, just as Dad did for me.

I now have the opportunity to make a powerful difference in the life of one precious young lady, my goddaughter, Serenity.

Serenity is a striking young lady with an adorable personality and a beautiful spirit within. She is finishing her freshman year at Texas Tech University. I have the privilege of being a godly influence in her life. I want to do for her exactly what Dad did for me, and that is to pray for her daily, focusing on her spiritual growth.

Dad committed to pray for us daily, but his intercession went well beyond his children! I look forward to sharing more of his legacy in the weeks to come.

If you are a parent, I hope Dad’s legacy inspires you to pray more deeply for your children if you aren’t doing that already. Children are a precious gift from the Lord, and we have the honor to care for them through daily prayer. Do you have a special prayer for your children that you don’t mind sharing with us?

Blessings,

Lee Ann

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As I read the barrage of headlines of beheadings, persecution of Christians, and evil against children and women, I wonder how actively and consistently we are gathering together to pray. Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer has the greatest potential to move the needle in God’s kingdom. If that’s true, why don’t more Christians form weekly prayer groups? Think boldly with me. What would our world look like if all believers around the globe made it a top priority to gather weekly and pray? Wouldn’t our world be a better place to live?

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When I committed to teach a Sunday school class in May 2011, I asked God to raise up a prayer team for me. I needed a group of women who would commit themselves to pray with me on a weekly basis for this teaching ministry. He responded by bringing me two women who felt God calling them to join with me. Thursday evenings have been the highlight of my week for over three years. We have seen God answer our prayers in miraculous ways, which fuels our commitment to protect our prayer time.

Listen to Jesus’s invitation to us. He says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt 18:18-20)

Jesus is describing a physical gathering. The Greek word for “gather” is “sunagō,” which means to “assemble, or convene, or come together.” He is suggesting that we should have a prayer partner or two and dedicate our time to meet together and “agree about anything we ask for, and it will be done for us.” Jesus made prayer attractive by not restricting what we can pray for, purposely leaving it wide open so we can pray as boldly as we dare. Additionally, He makes it clear that He desires to join us! I often picture Him sitting in an empty chair with our prayer group.

I don’t think He’s a casual observer. I believe He’s there as our Chief Priest. He takes a vested interest in what we pray for. He makes sure that He intercedes for us before our Father to answer our prayers in accordance to His will. It is Christ’s active participation in our gathering and the power of the Holy Spirit that allows us to move the needle in God’s kingdom to make great things happen that glorify Him.

If the above is true, why don’t all believers jump at the opportunity to be in His presence and make things happen?!

• Perhaps we are shortsighted in our vision. Do we really understand that we have the ability to “bind and loose things on earth?” We can exercise our authority over things that are not legitimate and “loose” the things that are.

• Perhaps we have let the world of media distract us. We are tempted to say, “We don’t have time to meet once a week for prayer.” However, look at the amount of time we spend in front of a television or a mobile device mainly for entertainment. It’s staggering. Surely we can sacrifice one hour a week and redirect it to a prayer gathering!

• Perhaps we rationalize why gathering together for prayer isn’t necessary. After all, doesn’t He hear us pray “in agreement” even though we may not be sitting in the same room at the time we prayed? Sure. In fact, many of you pray regularly. Some of you are considered prayer warriors by your family and friends. That’s all good, but Jesus is still inviting us to “gather” in His name so He can join us, intercede for us, and answer our prayers.

What if every believer chose not to let any excuse stand in the way? Can you imagine how much we could move the needle to bring God’s grace and peace into a world filled with darkness?!

What would inspire you to take Jesus up on His offer? Could you find at least one or two people who will pray with you on a weekly basis? The most powerful thing we will ever do in our lives is get on our knees before our Father to pray. My prayer team “agreed” with a spirit of boldness that God would call all believers to form a prayer team, which includes you. Now is the time! Are you willing to move the needle in God’s kingdom through prayer?

Blessings,

Lee Ann

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