Tag Archives: Prayer

8.21.15 Will You Use Your Influence Now to Effect the Presidential Election?

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.

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/VGstockstudio

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/VGstockstudio

 

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.

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/ChristianChan

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/ChristianChan

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.

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/Dennis Owusu-Ansah

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/Dennis Owusu-Ansah

 

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

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

7.3.15 The Heart of My Father: His Last Two Requests

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

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 Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/hxdbzxy2

Photo Courtesty@Shutterstock.com/Brues

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.

5.8.15 The Heart of My Father: Praying for His Children

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 Leaning Pic

Serenity 7.4.14

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

9.26.14 Are You Willing to Move the Needle?

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?

Photo Courtesy @ Istockphoto.com/pagadesign

Photo Courtesy @ Istockphoto.com/pagadesign

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

4.15.12 Be Anxious for Nothing

Philippians 4:6-8 – “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 minds in Christ Jesus.”

     Imagine your doctor telling you he needs to admit you because your leg needs to be elevated to deal with fluid drainage from the ulcers. You head to the hospital in good faith with the premise of managing the leakage. Now imagine your doctor coming in a few days later to look after your wounds and announcing that your arterial circulation has significantly deteriorated and that an amputation is the best option to move forward. When he called me to share the news, he was feeling overwhelmed and scared. Dad was in a difficult position, and I was unsettled about it. Shouldn’t a doctor who has been treating my Dad on a regular basis have a higher level of awareness as to the real condition of Dad’s leg? This didn’t feel right to me. Dad was a captive audience, and he had to make a decision that could potentially place him in a nursing care facility. I asked Dad’s permission to call his physician.

     I was candid with him on the phone. 

     “My Dad understood that he was being hospitalized to elevate his leg and deal with the fluid drainage,” I told him. “He trusted your advice, and now you tell him that his leg needs to be amputated. Can you help me understand what’s going on? Was there more to your conversation with Dad prior to his admission that I didn’t know about?”

      “You are absolutely, one hundred percent correct,” the doctor said. That was the premise.  I had no idea how badly his arterial circulation had deteriorated until I looked at him.” Our family knew this day was coming when Dad would face another amputation. The goal was to save his leg as long as possible. The doctor acknowledged the many treatments Dad had undergone to manage these ulcers and thereby extend Dad’s independence. But the ulcers weren’t healing. He was given two choices. He could undergo an amputation or continue the battle to manage the ulcers.

     Saving the leg means a debridement surgery. This entails scraping away dead tissue in and around his wounds to create a healthy bed of tissue for skin grafts to close the wounds. Dad went that route a year ago. It took a couple of debridement surgeries just to clean out the ulcers and clear away the dead tissue. Then there was the surgery to take skin and graft it to the wounds to close them. This was a viable solution last year because his arterial circulation was very good, but that is not true this year. His arterial circulation deteriorated significantly, which made the debridement/skin graft approach an ineffectual treatment. His only other choice was to amputate.        

     Dad knew in his heart that an amputation was the right decision. Once he consulted with the orthopedic surgeon, Dad agreed to it. Over the weekend I notified family, Dad’s church family, and my Sunday School Class to pray for Dad. Since his surgery was scheduled for Monday, April 2nd, I went to the hospital Sunday evening to pray with him. As I was driving to the hospital, I wondered if Dad would be feeling anxious. Would he be having any doubts about his decision? When I arrived at Dad’s room, the power of prayer was already on display in Dad’s spirit! He was not feeling any anxiety. He was sitting on the edge of his bed exuding a peaceful demeanor. He was nonchalant about the amputation. When I marveled at his calmness, he said, “It’s like I’m ignorant of what’s happening.” That is God honoring the many prayers of His children on behalf of my Dad! But the power of prayer was not the only thing on display.

     God illumined the spiritual maturity of my father during our prayer time. I opened our prayer by asking God to pour out His grace, His mercy, His compassion, His peace, His love, His comfort, His healing, and His encouragement upon my father. I asked the Lord to allow this surgery to be successful. I prayed that the Lord would give Dad a victory in rehab so he could return to his assisted living apartment. I thanked the Lord for what this surgery will mean to Dad. Dad will no longer have nurses in his apartment every other day redressing wounds. There will be no more trips to clinics for lymphatic treatments. He won’t have to take pain medications that dull his memory. He won’t be in and out of hospitals to fight infections with antibiotics. He will feel more independent with more free time. As I finished my prayer, Dad began to pray. He acknowledged that there were just too many blessings to count. He prayed with a spirit of gratitude for all God has done for him. He prayed for those who are spiritually lost. Then he started to pray for me. 

     This is something special that Dad does often. Whenever I am with him and he desires to express appreciation for the things I do for him, he will go beyond a simple “thank you”. He will verbalize his prayer with me present. That evening he recited his favorite, “Lord, thank you for Lee Ann.” he began. “Please reward her generously for all that she does for me.” Now understand I am in a hospital room attempting to minister to him, but instead he is focused on praying God’s blessings over me. I hope I will be spiritually mature enough some day to focus on others instead of myself. His great faith in God’s sovereignty, God’s faithfulness to take care of him, and God’s perfect will for him is a tremendous model for anyone. I kissed him goodnight and knew in my heart that God had “prepped” Dad’s heart with immeasurable peace. 

     The surgeon called me at 8:50 Monday morning to let me know the surgery was a success. The recovery nurse called me at 10 a.m. to let me know he would be back in his room by 11:00. Each call was a confirmation that God was taking care of my father. There is nothing like the power of prayer. I believe God honored the multitude of prayers that went out for my Dad. God hears us when we pray and lovingly responds. Let’s praise God from whom all blessings flow. You can be sure that’s what my Dad is doing. 

Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Lee Ann