Thursday, August 30, 2012
Hold On and Don't Let Go by Jacqueline D. Moore
Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. ~ Pamela Vault Starr
Scripture:
"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 2 Samuel 22:17-18
I used to wonder why some people settle for mediocrity. As I look around me at people in this world, I often wonder what causes a person to lose their hopes and their dreams? I often ponder how and why would someone give up the spark within themselves that pushes them on to do great things.
Personally, I reflect back on the life of my maternal grandmother, Madea. Growing up, my grandmother was the epitome of the strong black woman. She was the center of my family’s world. She worked hard and loved even harder. She fought for the things she believed in, especially her family. Then one day, she just stopped fighting.
Now I don’t know what happened to cause this change. Maybe it was having to bury two daughters, one being my mother; and her own mother. All within a few years of each other. Maybe it was losing “Auntie, the woman who had taken my grandmother and great-grandmother in when they had no place else to go. Maybe it was the realization that her grandchildren, whom she cherished had grown up and moved on.
Whatever the reason(s), it was evident that my grandmother had just given up on life, put away her dreams and decided to die. Yes, it took three long years for it to happen, but happen it did.
I often wondered how this strong and powerful woman could just give up her life so easily. Then I grew up and saw first hand how the things that happen to us can throw us for a loop and just make you tired. Tired of fighting, tired of loving, tired of living.
Too often I see people who have lost hope and don’t have anything to hold on to, lose their grip on life and just let go. Too often the things of this world will beat you down, leaving you bruised and confused, unable to stand the blows of the evil one.
For those of you who may be going through something, I come to tell you; hold on and don’t let go. To those of you who are feeling beat down by life, I come to tell you; there is shelter from the rain. For those of you who feel like all hope is gone; I come to let you know that there is still hope for a dying world. There is comfort for your weary soul. It can be found in the loving arms of Jesus.
So Hold On, Be Strong, and Don’t Let Go!
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Lord, we come to You seeking strength, guidance and a little more patience. Father, forgive us when we feel weak in our faith. Forgive us when we seem to give up and give out. Lord, we know that You are not a God of confusion. You have told us that You would never leave us nor forsake us. Thank You Lord for that word. Father, hide us under Your wings of salvation. Cover us in the blood. Keep us nearer God to thee. Lord, we ask that You would continue to bless our brothers and sisters. Those who are saved and those who have yet to get to know You for themselves. Lord, we pray for financial breakthroughs today. So many need so much, have mercy Lord. Breath on us Lord, cover us Lord, Have mercy on us Lord. We love You Father God and we are thankful for what we do have. We praise, uplift and bless Your holy name. As we submit our prayers and petitions in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Encourage Yourself! by Jacqueline D. Moore
Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your
choice. ~ Wayne Dyer
Scripture:
From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:20-21 (New International Version)
So often, many of us will go through life singing that song. You know the one; woe is me. When things in our life start going wrong we want to throw a pity party. We want others to help us resolve our problems or at the very least, give us a word of encouragement. What we fail to realize is that sometimes we have to resolve our own problems and situations by speaking of our victories.
I for one know that when we are faced with insurmountable pressures, we begin to buckle. We look to others for stabilization. We want others to understand our problems and what we are going through. Unfortunately, rarely do we receive from others what we want or need. We become discouraged and will often find ourselves standing alone in a corner, trapped by paralyzing fear and despair. We want to get mad at our family and friends because they aren’t there for us. Well today I want each and every one of you to know that when the world won’t give you a word of encouragement, we must learn to encourage ourselves.
Today’s word reminds us that there is power in the tongue. We have the power to speak life and death into each and every situation we are faced with. We are reminded of this time and time again via the word of God. When we start speaking life into our dead situations, we can start to see them move. We will begin to see the manifestation of our words in action via the indisputable word of God. When we say to that mountain to move, it moves. Not because of who we are but rather because of whose we are.
No matter what we may be going through or who is willing to stand with us, know that we already have the victory through Christ Jesus.
Be Blessed
Sometimes you have to encourage yourself.
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test.
And no matter how you feel,
speak the word and you will be healed;
speak over yourself,
encourage yourself in the Lord.
Prayer:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Father God, we enter into Your gates with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness. We thank You for new mercies with the dawning of a new day. We thank You for the blessings we will receive today. We thank You Lord, for walking with us through dangers seen and unseen. We love You for all that You are to us. Father, we ask that You would speak a word into our spirits right now, before the trials and tribulations of the day begin. Grant us Your peace. Grant us Your joy. Grant us Your favor. Lord, someone reading this prayer right now, needs the reassurance that everything will be alright. Someone reading this right now needs the comfort of Your loving arms wrapped around them. Someone reading this just need to know that they are not alone and that You are with us, always. Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness. We thank You for the gift of salvation. We give thanks to Your son, who paid the price of our sins, at Calvary, in whose name we pray, Amen.
Scripture:
From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:20-21 (New International Version)
So often, many of us will go through life singing that song. You know the one; woe is me. When things in our life start going wrong we want to throw a pity party. We want others to help us resolve our problems or at the very least, give us a word of encouragement. What we fail to realize is that sometimes we have to resolve our own problems and situations by speaking of our victories.
I for one know that when we are faced with insurmountable pressures, we begin to buckle. We look to others for stabilization. We want others to understand our problems and what we are going through. Unfortunately, rarely do we receive from others what we want or need. We become discouraged and will often find ourselves standing alone in a corner, trapped by paralyzing fear and despair. We want to get mad at our family and friends because they aren’t there for us. Well today I want each and every one of you to know that when the world won’t give you a word of encouragement, we must learn to encourage ourselves.
Today’s word reminds us that there is power in the tongue. We have the power to speak life and death into each and every situation we are faced with. We are reminded of this time and time again via the word of God. When we start speaking life into our dead situations, we can start to see them move. We will begin to see the manifestation of our words in action via the indisputable word of God. When we say to that mountain to move, it moves. Not because of who we are but rather because of whose we are.
No matter what we may be going through or who is willing to stand with us, know that we already have the victory through Christ Jesus.
Be Blessed
Sometimes you have to encourage yourself.
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test.
And no matter how you feel,
speak the word and you will be healed;
speak over yourself,
encourage yourself in the Lord.
Prayer:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Father God, we enter into Your gates with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness. We thank You for new mercies with the dawning of a new day. We thank You for the blessings we will receive today. We thank You Lord, for walking with us through dangers seen and unseen. We love You for all that You are to us. Father, we ask that You would speak a word into our spirits right now, before the trials and tribulations of the day begin. Grant us Your peace. Grant us Your joy. Grant us Your favor. Lord, someone reading this prayer right now, needs the reassurance that everything will be alright. Someone reading this right now needs the comfort of Your loving arms wrapped around them. Someone reading this just need to know that they are not alone and that You are with us, always. Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness. We thank You for the gift of salvation. We give thanks to Your son, who paid the price of our sins, at Calvary, in whose name we pray, Amen.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Passing Through Darkness by Jacqueline D. Moore
That which causes us trials shall yield us triumph: and that which make our hearts ache shall fill us with gladness. The only true happiness is to learn, to advance, and to improve: which could not happen unless we had commence with error, ignorance, and imperfection. We must pass through the darkness, to reach the light.
Scripture:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 (New International Version)
Darkness is described as a condition that is void of light. When darkness is all around you, it is hard to see where you came from and even harder to see in what direction you may be headed. Have you ever been out at night and there was no light anywhere around you; or, in a room that was void of light? But then, you saw a ray of light and started heading in the direction from which the light emanated? That’s how our Christian walk is sometimes.
We find ourselves lost in the night, surrounded by darkness. We can’t see where we came from or where we are headed. We may even begin to panic and start doing irrational things in our quest to find our way home and out of the darkness that threatens to envelop us.
We search for a ray of light in anything, everything and everywhere. Our search may even lead us to the wrong things. We make seek solace in all the wrong places; in sex, drugs or alcohol. Some people get so lost in these places that they may never find their way home. You may know or seen some of these people. I know I have. My youngest sister got lost one day in the world of drugs and never made it home. However, my prayer is that she found the light she so desperately needed. Jesus; the light of the world.
Jesus can lead you out of darkness and into the wonderful light.
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Grant unto us, Almighty God, in all time of sore distress, the comfort of the forgiveness of our sins. In time of darkness give us blessed hope, in time of sickness of body give us quiet courage; and when the heart is bowed down, and the soul is very heavy, and life is a burden, and pleasure a weariness, and the sun is too bright, and life too overwhelming, then may that Spirit, the Spirit of the Comforter, come upon us, and after our darkness may there be the clear shining of the heavenly light; that so, being uplifted again by Thy mercy, we may pass on through this our mortal life with quiet courage, patient hope, and unshaken trust, hoping through Thy loving-kindness and tender mercy to be delivered from death into the large life of the eternal years. Continue to touch Your saints who have asked for our prayers. Grant us everlasting mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
"Caught in the Middle"
Now Available!
http://www.jacquelinedmoore.com
jackie@jacquelinedmoore.com
http://www.peaceinthestormpublishing.com
Sunday, August 26, 2012
What is Faith?
By faith we understand
Faith is the refusal to panic. ~ David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Scripture:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 (New King James Version)
So often we hear the phrase “Just have faith,” but how many of you truly understand just what faith is? Faith is often described as; believing and trusting in the power of the unknown. The dictionary defines faith as the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
I love to study the word of God and as I looked up the passage in the NKJ version of the bible, it had a title that stated as part of the lesson, by faith we understand. It raises the question, how can we understand something that we cannot truly touch, taste or feel?
In the flesh we are often taught to believe only in the tangible. Our minds often will not process information that does not make sense to us. In many ways we are too literal for our own good.
Now trust, that’s a whole other topic. However, when we talk about faith, we must also talk about trust. Trust is an emotion that I believe each of us is essentially born with. It is not until we learn betrayal that we begin to lose our trust in others.
Understanding is described as the ability grasp the meaning of, or to accept as a fact or truth or regard as plausible without utter certainty.
Faith is the belief and trust in and loyalty to God, the firm belief in something for which there is no proof and/or complete trust.
Now when I put those two definitions together I see; I understand and grasp and accept as fact or truth or regard as plausible without utter certainty in the trust and loyalty of God and I firmly believe that even though there is not proof of His existence, I totally and completely Trust Him.
That my friends, is the basis of faith!
Prayer:
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Father, when trouble comes my way, help me to learn to trust and have faith in You. Help me to remember that if I but have mustard seed faith, that I can do all things through Christ Jesus. Lord, sometimes we forget that You are our ever present help in the time of trouble. Thank You Lord, for being there when we need You. Lord, when we begin to falter and start to worry about our problems, help us to remember to be still and pray. When the problems of life seem to overwhelm us, help us to remember You are right there with us. God help us to realize that weeping may endure for a night, and that sometimes it is necessary for trouble to assail us so that we can see You power and Your glory manifested in our lives. Lord, We ask for strength today; the strength to stand and fight the good fight of faith yet another day. Lord, grant us peace today. Your peace that passes all understanding. Lord, fill our hearts with Your love. Your love that is not our selfish definition, but the love of Christ Jesus, that strengthens us. Now Lord, we come together on one accord to pray for one another. For no matter how heavy our cross seems, we recognize that we are blessed beyond our own imaginations. Bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Bless our loved ones who have not come to know You yet. But most of all, we Bless Your holy name. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Faith is the refusal to panic. ~ David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Scripture:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 (New King James Version)
So often we hear the phrase “Just have faith,” but how many of you truly understand just what faith is? Faith is often described as; believing and trusting in the power of the unknown. The dictionary defines faith as the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
I love to study the word of God and as I looked up the passage in the NKJ version of the bible, it had a title that stated as part of the lesson, by faith we understand. It raises the question, how can we understand something that we cannot truly touch, taste or feel?
In the flesh we are often taught to believe only in the tangible. Our minds often will not process information that does not make sense to us. In many ways we are too literal for our own good.
Now trust, that’s a whole other topic. However, when we talk about faith, we must also talk about trust. Trust is an emotion that I believe each of us is essentially born with. It is not until we learn betrayal that we begin to lose our trust in others.
Understanding is described as the ability grasp the meaning of, or to accept as a fact or truth or regard as plausible without utter certainty.
Faith is the belief and trust in and loyalty to God, the firm belief in something for which there is no proof and/or complete trust.
Now when I put those two definitions together I see; I understand and grasp and accept as fact or truth or regard as plausible without utter certainty in the trust and loyalty of God and I firmly believe that even though there is not proof of His existence, I totally and completely Trust Him.
That my friends, is the basis of faith!
Prayer:
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Father, when trouble comes my way, help me to learn to trust and have faith in You. Help me to remember that if I but have mustard seed faith, that I can do all things through Christ Jesus. Lord, sometimes we forget that You are our ever present help in the time of trouble. Thank You Lord, for being there when we need You. Lord, when we begin to falter and start to worry about our problems, help us to remember to be still and pray. When the problems of life seem to overwhelm us, help us to remember You are right there with us. God help us to realize that weeping may endure for a night, and that sometimes it is necessary for trouble to assail us so that we can see You power and Your glory manifested in our lives. Lord, We ask for strength today; the strength to stand and fight the good fight of faith yet another day. Lord, grant us peace today. Your peace that passes all understanding. Lord, fill our hearts with Your love. Your love that is not our selfish definition, but the love of Christ Jesus, that strengthens us. Now Lord, we come together on one accord to pray for one another. For no matter how heavy our cross seems, we recognize that we are blessed beyond our own imaginations. Bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Bless our loved ones who have not come to know You yet. But most of all, we Bless Your holy name. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
From Victim to Victor! by Jacqueline D. Moore
Your attitude determines your altitude. – Unknown
Scripture:
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:34-36 (New International Version)
For more than the better part of last year, I was paralyzed by a number of unexpected changes in my life. My inability to adequately effect positive change to counter all of the negative forces coming against me rendered me practically useless. I was dazed and confused; punch drunk by all the blows life seemed to be sending my way. I was content to sleep my life away and do nothing to fight back against the forces that threatened to destroy me. It’s a brand new year and you ask, “What’s changed?” And my answer is nothing except my attitude.
At the beginning of a new year, many of us make resolutions to change some things in our lives. Those resolutions might be to lose weight, exercise more or quit smoking. Some make resolutions to go back to school or find a better job. For the most part, many will fail at these supposedly life changing resolutions. However, there are those who will in fact succeed. And do you want to know the secret to their success? It’s their attitude. They simply made up their minds to achieve their goals.
Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten all the life lessons I had been taught as a Christian. You know the ones; “I am more than I conqueror”, “I can do all things”, “I have not because I ask not” and the list goes on and on. Someway somehow I had started believing the lies that the enemy had started whispering in my ear; you know those too; “you aren’t worthy”, you can’t do anything right and that list goes on and on as well.
Far too often when things are going wrong in our lives, we tend to forget that we already have everything we need. It’s called the word of God. We just have to learn not to look down but to look up instead.
We must focus our attention to the heavens from which cometh our help, keep our eyes on the prize and remember that we already have the Victory!
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Lord, sometimes I try to pray and the words won't come. I toss and turn and feel nothing. My mind is dry, my heart is dull, my soul longs for life. Hear my silent cry, my God, hear me. Breathe on us Lord renewing a right spirit within us. Even in our times of sorrow, we praise Your holy name. Lord, open our eyes and give us a discerning spirit, so that we may recognize the tricks of the evil one. Lord, we come before the throne of grace once again asking that You would forgive us for not depending on You. We come asking that You who are rock and our salvation, would help us to starve our fears and doubts and feed our faith. Lord, I personally ask for forgiveness and direction for myself. I know that sometimes, we take You for granted and in doing so, leave ourselves open to attack. Lord, we stand before You again, putting on the whole armor of God. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, wielding our shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, and placing upon our heads, the helmet of salvation. Lord, let us always be diligent against attack from he who seeks to destroy us. Continue to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Continue to anoint our leaders. Help us always to be able to call upon the name of the Lord in our times of distress. Thank You Lord, for Your faithfulness. Thank You Lord, for Your covering. Thank You Lord, that You pick us up, when we have been knocked down. We will the name of the Lord at all times, and His praises shall continuously be in our mouths. Praise his name saints of God. Glory Hallelujah, thank You Jesus, in His name we pray, Amen.
"Caught in the Middle"
Now Available!
http://www.jacquelinedmoore.com
http://www.peaceinthestormpublishing.com
Jackie@jacquelinedmoore.com
Scripture:
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:34-36 (New International Version)
For more than the better part of last year, I was paralyzed by a number of unexpected changes in my life. My inability to adequately effect positive change to counter all of the negative forces coming against me rendered me practically useless. I was dazed and confused; punch drunk by all the blows life seemed to be sending my way. I was content to sleep my life away and do nothing to fight back against the forces that threatened to destroy me. It’s a brand new year and you ask, “What’s changed?” And my answer is nothing except my attitude.
At the beginning of a new year, many of us make resolutions to change some things in our lives. Those resolutions might be to lose weight, exercise more or quit smoking. Some make resolutions to go back to school or find a better job. For the most part, many will fail at these supposedly life changing resolutions. However, there are those who will in fact succeed. And do you want to know the secret to their success? It’s their attitude. They simply made up their minds to achieve their goals.
Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten all the life lessons I had been taught as a Christian. You know the ones; “I am more than I conqueror”, “I can do all things”, “I have not because I ask not” and the list goes on and on. Someway somehow I had started believing the lies that the enemy had started whispering in my ear; you know those too; “you aren’t worthy”, you can’t do anything right and that list goes on and on as well.
Far too often when things are going wrong in our lives, we tend to forget that we already have everything we need. It’s called the word of God. We just have to learn not to look down but to look up instead.
We must focus our attention to the heavens from which cometh our help, keep our eyes on the prize and remember that we already have the Victory!
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Lord, sometimes I try to pray and the words won't come. I toss and turn and feel nothing. My mind is dry, my heart is dull, my soul longs for life. Hear my silent cry, my God, hear me. Breathe on us Lord renewing a right spirit within us. Even in our times of sorrow, we praise Your holy name. Lord, open our eyes and give us a discerning spirit, so that we may recognize the tricks of the evil one. Lord, we come before the throne of grace once again asking that You would forgive us for not depending on You. We come asking that You who are rock and our salvation, would help us to starve our fears and doubts and feed our faith. Lord, I personally ask for forgiveness and direction for myself. I know that sometimes, we take You for granted and in doing so, leave ourselves open to attack. Lord, we stand before You again, putting on the whole armor of God. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, wielding our shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, and placing upon our heads, the helmet of salvation. Lord, let us always be diligent against attack from he who seeks to destroy us. Continue to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Continue to anoint our leaders. Help us always to be able to call upon the name of the Lord in our times of distress. Thank You Lord, for Your faithfulness. Thank You Lord, for Your covering. Thank You Lord, that You pick us up, when we have been knocked down. We will the name of the Lord at all times, and His praises shall continuously be in our mouths. Praise his name saints of God. Glory Hallelujah, thank You Jesus, in His name we pray, Amen.
"Caught in the Middle"
Now Available!
http://www.jacquelinedmoore.com
http://www.peaceinthestormpublishing.com
Jackie@jacquelinedmoore.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
.JPG)
