Daily Devotional – 6/11/12 “I pray your strength!”

As I walked into the job this morning, I learned that 3 coworker’s lives were forever changed, over the weekend, due to death knocking on their doors. 2 are dealing with the passing of their husbands and 1, the death of a son and although I know that death is something we all have to face, it makes it even more relevant that you have to live for today because time stands still for no one. While you are still trying to make it up in your mind to live right, you might not have tomorrow to do it. Yea, you keep saying I’m going to church next Sunday and then it’s next Sunday and the Sunday after that but soon it won’t matter because somebody else will be rolling you down to the altar in your favorite color casket. I know you may think you have time to get yourself right but what if you don’t? Stop wasting the time you have now! You walk around with a funky attitude mad at the world when the world never asked you to change for it; you changed because you chose too and stop blaming the bed because you say you got up on the wrong side when you get up on the same side every morning, the only thing different is you. You don’t have to become a product of your environment but be productive in the environment you’re in. Your past only dictates your future when you allow it to be present in your future. So go through all the trials and tribulations and get up with your arms high claiming the victory over your circumstance. Say, I may be temporarily out of funds now but it won’t last. Say, I may be without a car now but it won’t last. Say, I may be without a job now but it won’t last. Say, I may be arguing with my spouse now but it won’t last. Say, I may be sick now but it won’t last. Say, I may be grieving now but it won’t last because 2 Corinthians 4:17 states, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Isn’t that worth shouting about? All the troubles that we face now are just preparing us for what God has already promised! And if that isn’t enough, the troubles you face make you stronger and wiser to face them, if they shall come again. The next time trouble beckons you out to the middle of the ring, you’ll be ready and able to handle it, not because you’re the champ in KO’s but because you’ve been prepped and prepared by the best trainer ever. And even though you may get knocked to your knees in the first round, you got someone standing in your corner with his arms stretched out ready to be tagged in. See, when you tag God into the ring, your battle then turns into rejoicing and with rejoicing come restoration and with restoration comes relief and relief brings rest. Because once you’ve rested you’ll be ready for battle and after the battle come victory and you can’t claim victory without first winning the fight and with God, there are no losers.

My prayer for you:

Heavenly Father, I come petitioning your throne this morning, first to say thank you. Thank you Father for waking us up this morning and allowing a fresh anointing over our heads, for being in our right minds and for giving us all the things we had on yesterday even if we were too stubborn to thank you for them. God, right now I ask that you stop by the homes of all those grieving and give them comfort. I won’t ask that you stop their tears because tears are liquid prayers but I’m asking you to just be in their presence. Let them know they are not alone and although they are weeping now, their joy will come. Now, oh, God touch the person reading this so that they never fall without you being near to catch them and they never lean without you having a leaning post nearby. God touch their bodies; lighten their feet so that they never walk in a dark place alone; strengthen their legs so that they’ll be able to walk for you all the days of their life; strength their knees so that they can kneel in pray daily; strengthen their hips/thighs so that they can handle the days when the path seems to have no end; strengthen their spine/back bone to be able to handle being walked over and stabbed by folks who are supposed to love them; strengthen their rib cage so that it can be a protector of the major organs they need to live each day; strengthen the heart so that it can handle heartache and pain without causing it to stop; strengthen their shoulders so that they can carry the burdens of this world without staggering and falling; strengthen the arms and hands to be able to carry the excess burdens that have fallen from the shoulders, to the trash so that it doesn’t become a stumbling block in their way; strengthen the neck so that it can handle turning the other way when folks slam doors in their face; strengthen the mouth so that nothing unclean shall come from it; strengthen the nose so that it can smell mess before it even enters their personal space; strengthen the eyes so that they can see evil coming before it makes it arrival; strengthen the ears to be able to ear exactly what folks are saying, clearly; strengthen the brain so they know right from wrong, good from evil; when to say no/yes and how to live according to your word. God I ask these things because I know you are able to do it. Send hope to the mother who feels there is no hope. Send a helping hand to that father who feels helpless in their situation. Send a way out for the sister whose back is against the wall. Send guidance for that brother who is thinking about suicide. Send your word to the person who is fighting their addiction to let them know they can be made whole if they repent with their mouth and believe with their heart. Remove the strongholds that have our children bound today, God. I asked that you release the chains of peer pressure, bullying, teenage pregnancies, STDs, attitudes, disrespectfulness, thoughts of suicide and sickness from their bodies. God this world is changing at a rapid rate and we are losing more children than we are supposed to, so I ask that you touch their hearts and minds so that they won’t be so easily influenced by the enemy and so they don’t give up or in so quickly. God, I’m calling on you because we need you right now. God build us up so that we can be strong soldiers for you. Bind us together, as one, so that one shall not fall without someone being close enough to catch them. I don’t know every situation my brother or sister is facing now but I know that you‘ve equipped me with the Holy Spirit that intercedes on my behalf. I thank you for your never changing grace and your never ending mercy. I believe these things and I speak these things, now! I am standing in the gap praying on behalf of all those who don’t know how to pray for themselves. Thank you for allowing me to be a vessel. Oh, God, when I can no longer do the work that you have for me to do here, when I won’t be able to pray for my brothers and sisters; when you sign my name in your book of life and all my toiling will be over; I want to be able to hear my name called to receive rest until the day you shall return for your people. I thank you God for blessing me, continue to strengthen my body so that I may work for you. Bless each life that is touched by this devotional and let it reach the magnitude so that they know, you are real and you’re able to do just what you’ve said in your word. Believe on today; my brother, my sister and then receive what God has for you. These many things I ask in your son Jesus name.
Amen