Tag: Holy Spirit

2023 National Day of Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

 

Hello Friends. Well, today is our National Day of Prayer. It seems each year we need it a little more than the last. This year’s theme is Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much, taken from James 5:16b – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

When we ourselves are walking uprightly in the Holy Spirit, not grieving Him, but being sensitive and obedient to His leading, and actively praying according to His will, our prayers will be powerful and we will see the Lord work mightily to move mountains.

You can find all the information on this year’s Day of Prayer, its history, events, livestream, and more, here.

Our Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, exalting and praising the mighty name of Jesus the Christ, the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. LORD, we pray for ourselves first. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 23-24)

I repent of my sins and ask you to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I lay down those sinful deeds and thoughts and take up your righteousness, and with it your peace and joy. May my life be salt and light to those around me that you would be glorified in all I say and do. Fill me with your love and compassion for the lost and all those you put in my life.

We lift up our nation to you, LORD, its churches’ leaders, government leaders, schools’ leaders, and leaders at home. We pray for the pouring out of your Holy Spirit to open the eyes and hearts of those who’ve been blinded, to convict of sin and bring about a revival for the salvation for many, and revival among those who have known you but have been drawn into the world and become complacent.

We pray for your mercy, that you would bind the enemy and his lies and deception. We pray for the healing of those who would answer your call, believing on the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.

May we humble ourselves and turn back to you as a nation, looking to you in all we do. May you heal us that we would again be a light to the world of your goodness and faithfulness when a people put their trust in you and in your Holy Word.

Thank you for hearing our prayers, and we thank you in advance for what you’re going to do.

We pray it all in the name of our Lord Jesus, our Savior, amen.

Just Jesus

Posted on by Dorci

There are days when it all gets overwhelming, and this time I’m not talking about the trials of life. I’m talking about all the articles, the teachings, the books that remind us Christians how to have godly marriages or singlehoods, to remember to present the gospel to others, and what about who’s right and wrong about those disputed ideas in God’s Word, and don’t forget to serve God, and repent, and what to do when suffering, and sowing and reaping, and don’t do this and do do that, and, and, and…

And those are good things. We need those things. But sometimes I think we can get so caught up in all that that we can begin to try to do it in our own strength, to shoulder the burden of the Christian life ourselves. And some days I just want to reset and say to myself and to everyone –

Just Jesus.

Just focus on Jesus and He’ll lead us in relationships; just abide in Jesus and He’ll give us the desire to make disciples; just rest in Jesus and He’ll open His Word to us and give us wisdom; just remain in Him and He’ll sweetly convict us of any sins He wants to help us with. Just walk with Jesus and He’ll walk with us through suffering. 

Just keep relationship with Jesus first and He will do it. His Spirit who is alive in us will give us all we need to love, to forgive, to walk in power, strength, and courage, to be victorious in this life.  

So when it gets overwhelming and you don’t know the answers, you have no strength, you don’t know where to turn, just Jesus.

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke (zugos – to join, a coupling) upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
Matthew 11:28-30


The Eternal Symphony

Posted on by Dorci

Recently I was blessed to attend a symphony performing the music of the incomparable John Williams. You may or may not recognize that name, but you will recognize some of his masterpieces.

Not only is he a decades-long accomplished conductor, but he’s composed the scores for some of our most beloved films: Schindler’s List, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws (one of my favorites!), Saving Private Ryan, Fiddler on the Roof, Indiana Jones, and yes, every single Star Wars movie, and so much more. 

Soaking in the beauty of each arrangement, I watched as each section played in perfect unison, and every section harmonized with the others.

Dozens of individual sounds, while beautiful on their own, but together, as they followed the direction of the conductor, each sound contributed to form a symphony that touched the soul. 

Even within sections where all were playing the same instruments, each person had a slightly different way of holding their own, of sitting, of moving…

Some would periodically move back and forth across the stage to play more than one instrument. Most musicians had moments when they sat during a piece, waiting for their cue from the conductor. Some waited longer periods of time and only occasionally played their instruments.

As I listened to the waves of the violins, the pounding of the drums, the moaning of the cellos, the ting of the triangle, the crashing of the cymbals, this poetry set to melody, I couldn’t help but think of you and me. 

God has given each of us an instrument, if you will, a gift to bless those in the kingdom of God, and to be a light of His love touching souls in the world. 

We have different gifts, none more important than the others, but each one complimenting one another to accomplish God’s composition, the beautiful, eternal plan our Father has written.

As we keep our eye fixed on our Conductor, following His instruction, waiting when we’re called to wait, contributing as He directs us, not exactly like another but as the Lord has blessed us in our own way, that we can fully realize our part alongside our brothers and sisters in our Father’s grand orchestra. 

For those who know Jesus Christ as our Savior, God has given us, at this time in history, a part to play. Don’t despair if your part doesn’t seem as active as someone else’s, or if your instrument is different than another’s, or you seem to have longer (or shorter) waiting periods, or you have one gift while someone else has more than one. 

Each one of our parts is vital to the symphony God has planned. 

And one more thing. The word symphony is derived from the Greek word sumphōnia meaning unison of sound, a concert of instruments. 

That word is used one time in the Bible in the telling of the parable of the prodigal son.

The son had left the father, squandered everything he had and was left destitute.

He’d come to his senses and journeyed home, his father running to greet him. Though the son had been resigned to being a mere servant of his father, his father would have none of that. He embraced him, clothed him in his finest, and joyfully received him back as a son, and a grand celebration ensued. 

As the older son was coming home, “he heard music – sumphōnia – and dancing.” Luke 15:25b

Of course God doesn’t need any of us to accomplish His will, but He’s chosen to bless us with gifts that we might be part of His eternal composition.

As we each perform our gifts, God causes them to be used together to bring some to the Father for the first time, and some to return to a loving, trusting relationship with Him. The echoes of that orchestra will reverberate forever.

Could there be any more beautiful symphony than that? 

 

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Heavenly Father, help us be sensitive to the prompting of your Holy Spirit to serve you with the gifts you’ve given us. I pray, too, for those who aren’t sure what their gifts are. Please show them how you’ve gifted them and how you desire they use those gifts in their own unique ways to accomplish your grand purpose. Thank you, Father, for your grace and mercy in allowing us to be a part of what you’re doing in the lives of others, and may we always be careful to do it all bathed in prayer and with your love. We ask it all in Jesus’ precious name, amen. 

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer of Gratefulness

Posted on by Dorci

Our dear, precious Heavenly Father, we praise your holy name, the name above all other names. We are overwhelmed at your goodness and provision. Thank you for seeing us and our needs long before we have them and for providing in ways we could never think or imagine.

We praise you and thank you for the move of your Holy Spirit on various groups around the world. May salvation, repentance, and the joy of your Spirit continue to spread as far and wide as your will determines, and may no one stop it.

Where space or facilities or food, whatever is needed, may you please provide. 

May revival come to all our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit.

We pray, too, for those impacted by the many disasters around the world. May you comfort the grieving, may you provide whatever is needed, and may you give strength and courage to the workers. Above all, LORD, we pray for the drawing of your Holy Spirit for salvation. 

There is no one like you, LORD, and we praise you and thank you for all you are and all you do. May our hearts be ready to honor and glorify you with our lives at all times in all circumstances. 

We echo the words of our brother Paul:

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

We pray it all in the mighty name of Jesus, amen!


I pray you carry the joy of the Lord with you throughout the week. As you abide in Him, may His Spirit fill you and rest on you to give wisdom, direction, and produce in you every fruit He provides. May His love lead you in all you do and say. 

In Him,
Dorci

Sunday Praise and a Prayer For the New Year

Posted on by Dorci

Hello! I pray your new year is off to a good start. And whether it is or isn’t, let us remember that the Lord has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He is with us no matter how deep and dark the trial may be.

He will give us the strength and courage to endure, and not only to endure, but as Jesus tells us in John 10:10, He came to give us not only life, but an abundant life. That word for abundant, perissos, means beyond, superabundant, superior, excessive, exceeding abundantly above, beyond measure…   You get the idea. 

This is God’s will and promise for us who walk with and in His Spirit. 

So let us set our hearts and minds on Him and let Him be the very reason we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28) and watch what He will do!

I’d love to hear from you throughout the year what God is doing in your lives so we can praise and glorify Him together. And if you ever need prayer, please do not hesitate to leave a comment, email me, or contact me through the blog’s pages on Facebook or Twitter. 

In Christ,

 


“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

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Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy and precious name. As we seek you each day, may we make choices that glorify you. We thank you in advance for what you’re going to do, how you will provide for us in every situation, and for the abundant life of your Spirit, your love, joy, peace and all the fruit we bear as we hold onto you through our Lord Jesus Christ, and may the world sit up and take notice so much that they, too, will know that in you and you only is life. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.