Merry Christmas and Blessings for our True Loves

On that day in history, Simeon found the Light at the end of his tunnel and he declared that Jesus was a light to lighten both Jew and Gentile (see Luke 2:32). The word he used for light here is "phos" (Strong's #5457) and has some remarkable meanings. First and foremost it is anything emitting light like a lamp, a fire, or a torch. Other things that are included in this word search are heavenly lights – such as what surrounds angels when they appear on earth, and a star. The definition of the word goes on further saying that light reveals truth and knowledge, and enlightens the reasoning process of our minds thus bringing understanding, especially regarding moral and spiritual truth. His Light brings the power to understand His Truth!

“And SUDDENLY there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”

On this day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Life and Light.

Glory to God in the highest!  Thank you LORD that we can celebrate today the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ!  

• Jesus, please invade the lives of those who are called to join us in Kingdom Marriage.  Break into their hearts, and into the messes of their lives in a new, miraculous way.  

• We speak NEW DIVINE LIFE & LIGHT to the dreams that have died, and pray for new dreams to be given and imparted to their spirits, minds, and hearts today.  

• We speak NEW DIVINE LIFE & LIGHT to all areas needing the Light of the World to expose doors that need to be closed, and shine Your light on the new doors that are ready to be opened.  

• Give them the Keys to the Kingdom on this Christmas Day.  

• Fill them with the Gift of more of You Jesus today.  

• Give them new gifts of Your Divine hope, joy, peace, and Your perfect love.

• Give them the expectancy of a child this Christmas morning, and eyes to see clearly Your BEST gift for them.  

And thank you Great God for all of your gifts today, and that next year many of us praying today will be with our True Love for Christmas 2012!!  

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

DISCERNMENT - The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for Our True Loves

(This is a repost from 2011, and there is an update about the Sagacious Gentleman following the post.)  

Every day Match.com sends me a selection of men they have chosen for me on that particular day.  It is sort-of like the “ShopItToMe” emails I receive with all the great designer fashions that are on sale, based on my preselected criteria. It’s all shopping!  Anyway, the nice looking “Sagacious Gentleman” caught my eye, not as much because of the way he looked, or that he is a big skier - no it was “SAGACIOUS” that caught my eye.  I must confess, I had to look up the word, and I am glad I did.  

SAGACIOUS:  

• Keen in sense perception.  
• Of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment: discerning.
• Caused by or indicating acute discernment.
• Synonyms:  discerning, insightful, perceptive, prudent, wise, sage, sapient.

The Sagacious Gentleman is looking for a woman with “acute discernment and a keen practical sense.”  Discernment is a much more valuable trait to look for in a person than, “a woman who can look great in a LBD, and jeans.”   no really, I see that all the time.  

The discerning of spirits is one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and one I would like to send via UPS to the man God is leading to me, day by day.   My friend Jack Sera wrote a book called, “Revealer of the Enemy.”  Jack places a high value on a woman’s discernment in marriage:

“...”The purpose of my new book, 'Revealer of the Enemy', is to bring enlightening revelation to the major role of wives within their marriage. That role is, "Helpmate." Satan has been attempting to hide Gods intended role from Christian wives ever since the fall in the garden. Helpmate, in Ancient Hebrew, is translated as Revealer of the Enemy. That's right! This message, when understood and lived out, will free up wives and husbands to begin to take back what the enemy has stolen."

On the eleventh day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Discernment.

Thank You Father God for the sagacious gentlemen and ladies You are preparing for each of us, and for Kingdom Marriages.  Please Unite us by the Power of Your Spirit, and send them an increase of the supernatural gifts of discernment and wisdom.  

Just as the Wise Men were able to read the stars, and know a King was born, give our spouses the wisdom needed to know the next steps in their journey.  

• Give them spiritual and natural eyes to see, and ears to hear Your voice saying to them, “This is the way, walk in it.”  

• Impart to each person sensitivity in their Spirit, to know Your best when presented with a choice.  

• “For you (my beloved) have not been given a spirit of fear, but of Love, Power, and a sound mind.”  (Sound mind - the word denotes good judgment, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions.  It includes the qualities of self-control and self discipline.)  

• Give our beloveds an increase of Your wisdom, and the good sense to ask You for wisdom daily.  

• Give our beloveds the Mind of Christ, to know their true identity as the King’s heir, child, and loved-one.  

Thank You dear Lord, for the anticipation we feel today; the expectancy, and hope.  Thank you Jesus for Hope.  

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

P.s.  I did meet Sagacious Gentleman.... ask me "off-line" for the story, but God did some amazing things in that man's life.

  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

PATIENCE - The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for Our True Loves

One of the definitions of  patience is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG-Suffering.  When is long suffering, TOO-LONG-suffering?  God is right on time, though I must say, in my exoerience, sometimes if feels as though He is taking a bit too long.  But that's according to MY time.  

Abraham & Sarah must have felt that God’s timing for the fulfillment of the promise was a bit too-long.  Or the Israelites who waited 400 years in spiritual darkness before Jesus broke-through with His glorious light!  They must have struggled with patience, and that was indeed loooooong-suffering. 

Patience, the Hebrew word is makrothumia; Strong’s #3115: 

From makros, “long,” and thurmos, “temper.”  The word denotes lenience, forbearance, fortitude, patient endurance, longsuffering.  Also included in makrothumia is the ability to endure persecution and ill-treatment.  It describes a person who has the power to exercise revenge but instead exercises restraint.  This quality is a fruit of the spirit. 

God is patient with us, and when we abide in His Spirit, we have His supernatural gift of patience.  

“I waited and waited and waited for God.  At last He looked; finally He listened.”  (Psalm 40:1 The Message)

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11-12 NKJV)  

On the tenth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of divine Patience. 

Patient God, we pray for our future (or existing) spouses, that You will deliver to them an extra measure of patience and long suffering by Your Spirit ~

• that they will be lenient with others
• exercise restraint when provoked
• have fortitude and patient endurance

Just as we have been waiting and waiting and waiting, the other person has been waiting too.  

Thank you LORD for sending the comforter to them while they wait with patience for us!  Thank you UPS Man, for Uniting us by the Presence of Your Holy Spirit!  

“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

PROSPERITY - The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for Our True Love

“Save now, I pray, O LORD

O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity!”  (Psalm 118:25)

“Let the LORD be magnified, 

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants.”  (Psalm 35:27 NKJV)

We know that the words we speak or pray or declare have the power to change and create because we are sons and daughters of the King of kings!  We have dominion!  This Christmas let’s send a blessing of prosperity to the person God has chosen as our Kingdom marriage partner (future OR current marriage.)    

One of the Hebrew words for Prosper or Prosperity is Shalom - PEACE!   (See December 14th here.)

Prosper, Hebrew - tsalach, Strong’s #6743:  To rush; to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable.  To make prosperous, bring to successful issue, cause to prosper.  To show or experience prosperity, prosper.   

This is an interesting word because tsalach is the same word used when the Holy Spirit came upon David, Saul, and Gideon to empower them for victory!  Come upon us Holy Spirit, that we all may succeed in the work and works you have given us to accomplish!  

On the ninth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Prosperity.

Father God, thank you for sending Your anointing to prosper to the people you have chosen to join us in Kingdom Marriages.  Thank You that when we declare Your Word, which is THE Truth, changes will happen in the lives of the people for whom we are praying - even though we may not know them!  

Lord God, we declare a multiplication of Your Word to change the atmosphere, and mindsets!  

• Holy Spirit, we pray, come upon (prosper) the people You have called to Kingdom marriage - NOW send prosperity!

• Give them Shalom - peace and prosperity!

• We declare that our spouses “will remember the LORD their God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers.”  (Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV)

• We declare that, “He (our spouse) will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper!”  (Psalm 1:3) 

Thank you Lord that we can hope, and wait with expectancy for the fulfillment of the desires of our hearts!  

AMEN!  It is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

Awe and Wonder - the Fear of the Lord - The Twelve Days of Blessings for our True Love

Every Christmas my sister and her family host a wonderful (or as she would say, FABULOUS) Christmas party for her family and close friends.  I must confess that every year it is a little bit stressful for me, because I hope and pray all year that I will finally have THE date to the big party.  I usually choose to go solo, and I always have a great time catching up with the festive people I see once a year.   

This year, after much angst and over analyzing, I asked a man-friend to join me at the party.  Why was it so stressful for me?  Was I worried more about what people would think if I showed up solo... again!?  Every year a generation 15+ years younger than me arrive with new spouses and children, and I enjoy them all, while stuffing my “hope deferred.”  Worrying about appearances is “fearing” man rather than trusting God.  I don’t think man-fearing was the main reason for my angst, it was a bit deeper.  I realized that my resistance in asking a friend was rooted in my desire to enjoy ALL of Christmas with my True Love.  I don’t want just A date, I long for THE Date!   Can you relate?  

So this year I pray; we pray.  I pray for the man God is preparing for me, and we pray for the many other people longing for a Kingdom Marriage.  May we all have a deeply rooted awe, wonder, and reverence for the Son of God, it is the “Fear of the Lord.”

My pastor, Peter Young, has been teaching from Isaiah 8-9, and the Fear of the Lord.  

“The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].”   Isaiah 8:13 (Amplified)

Fear, (Hebrew) morah:  Fear, reverence, terror, awe; an object of fear, respect, or reverence... In the present reference, Isaiah is admonished never to fear human threats, but to let God alone be the object of his reverential fear.  

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace ~ we declare that we honor, and revere You.  We worship You!  We are in awe of You, and we open our hearts and spirits to receive the Wonder of all that You are, and Your majesty.  

Give our True Loves, and all who are appointed for Kingdom Marriages, the gift of a deep fear of You - a gasping wonder and awe when we think of You, and feel Your presence.  We trade in our fear of man, and choose to fear the Lord.  

Amen!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

Gentleness - Twelve Days Of Christmas Blessings For Our True Love

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest.  [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]  

Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.  

For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.”

(Matthew 11:28-30)    

"Of One Heart"  George Carlson, Greenwood Village, CO

Gentleness, (Greek) praotes, Strong’s #4236:  A disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control.  The word is best translated “meekness,” not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control.  The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well.  (Word Wealth note from my Spirit Filled Life Bible)

Jesus entered our world as the most humble, meek and gentle being we can imagine; an innocent baby, born in a the mess and coldness of a manger.  Nothing is impossible with God.  Jesus modeled the power of gentleness.  He did not react, as we would like to, when he was rejected, or beaten, or cut off in line while trying to buy a gift.  When He stood in Love, and gentleness, He used the most powerful and effective retaliation of all.   Gentleness is warfare when it needs to be, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit of the most awesome God is POWERFUL!   

We are powerful when we are yoked with Jesus, not striving to be or do all the right things in our own strength or cleverness.  We need His strength, wisdom, love and power.  

On the seventh day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Gentleness.

Thank You Jesus for demonstrating the true meaning of gentleness and meekness.  Thank you for the supernatural power of the Fruit of Your Spirit!   Fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit today, and fill those who are called to join us in Kingdom marriages.  

• Holy Spirit, fill us, and fill our True Loves with Your fruit of gentleness, meekness and humility - when we are filled and inflated with Your Spirit, we cannot be inflated with pride.  

• Give them Your quiet strength, and empower them today.

• We declare Gentleness to be imparted by the Holy Spirit to us, that we will: 
• Have a disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control.  
• We will pardon injuries, correct faults, and rule their own spirit well.

• Father God, cause us to remove the yoke of heaviness, and to take Your yoke upon them, that they will find rest - relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet for our souls. 

• Thank You God, that You are the great Restorer - bring Your Restoration in these miraculous days of Christmas!    

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2011

FAITHFULNESS - The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My True Love

“A faithful man will abound with blessings...”  (Proverbs 28:20)

Earlier this month, while looking at an impossible situation, and trying to have enough faith to believe that God would come through for me, my prayer shifted.  I began asking God to increase my faith, and strengthen me to believe that He will do what He says He will do.  I realized that I could not muster up enough faith by my own striving, it had to come from God.  It is the picture of letting go, falling back, and trusting that He will be there to catch you.  He always does, because our awesome God is FAITHFUL!  SO faithful!   

God did come through for me in that situation that seemed impossible!  

I want to be full of faith every day, and it is my desire to meet a man who is so full of faith, that he is unwaveringly faithful to me, after he is steadfastly faithful to God.  

Faithful, emunah; Strong’s #530:  Firmness, stability, faithfulness, fidelity, conscientiousness, steadiness, certainty; that which is permanent, enduring, steadfast.  ‘Emunah comes from the root “aman,” to be firm, sure, established and steady.”  “Amen” derived from this same root, means “it is firmly, truly so!”   Emunah is often translated “faithfulness” or “truth,” as truth is considered something ultimately certain, stable, and unchangingly fixed.  

I also looked up the word “faithfulness” in Webster’s dictionary, and the “Synonym Discussion” was interesting to me.  Something I had not thought of when thinking of “faithfulness” is “firmness.”  

“Faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance.”  

God is firm - He doesn’t move, or change His mind.  We are created in the image of God, and we are filled and empowered by His indwelling Holy Spirit, so we can ask for more of His attributes in our own lives, and for Him to fill our beloved.  

On the sixth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Faithfulness.

Thank You Father God for Your firm Faithfulness!  You are so faithful to Your promises, and to complete what You have started in our lives.  You invited us on this journey to pray for Kingdom Marriages, and I believe that all of us will receive the desires of our hearts - Your best marriages!   LORD, help our unbelief, and give us the gift of faith to believe the unbelievable, and wait with hope and expectancy!  

• LORD God, fill our (future or current) beloved with Your Holy Spirit; fill them with the gift of FAITH, that they will bear much fruit of Faithfulness!  

• Impart to our beloved the miraculous faith of Mary and Joseph this Christmas!  

• Increase their faith to believe that You adore them, and that You will bless them with a great romance.  

• Make their faithfulness FIRM - that they will be:
• Loyal
• Constant
• Dedicated 
• Devoted
• Devout
• Staunch 
• Steadfast
• Resolute

• And we declare that the faithful men and women You have called to unite in Kingdom Marriages will abound with blessings!  

Thank You, UPS Man, for Uniting us by the Power of Your Spirit!  

AMEN!  it is firmly, truly so!

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My True Love - GOODNESS

One of the things I hear in circles of unmarried people is, “All the GOOD ones are taken.”  

Or, “There aren’t any good guys out there [in the dating world.]”  

I cringe when I hear people say things like that!  Our words have power, and if “the good ones are gone” is what someone says or believes, it will be more challenging to see the great ones when God brings them into our lives.  I admit, sometimes it seems that all the good guys are married, but I am very careful not to agree with such faithless words.  

God is GOOD, and He is more than “able to do exceedingly abundantly above ALL that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us!”  

There are good men and women, just like you, waiting to find their true love!  So when you start feeling discouragement weigh you down like a wet blanket because of the lies in your head, speak the Truth - the powerful Word of God over the lies.  

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of GOODNESS, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”  (Romans 15:14 NKJV)

Goodness, agathosune; Strong’s #19:  Compare “Agatha”, and possibly “agate.”  Beneficence, kindness in actual manifestation, virtue equipped for action, a bountiful propensity both to will and to do what is good, intrinsic goodness producing a generosity and a Godlike state or being.  Agathosune is a rare word that combines being good and doing good.  

The other day I was feeling the expectancy of God’s blessings in my life, grateful for the things I have yet to see, and I felt Him say to my heart, 

“I am blessing you not because you are good, but because I AM Good.”  

Some days the only thing I can pray is, “God, I know You are good, and You are faithful.”   When we focus on His goodness and love for us, then goodness will be a result of His spirit living in us.  Fruit of the Spirit!  It doesn’t happen from striving to do all the right or “good” things, so that we will GET what we want.  He is not Santa Clause!  Naughty or nice, God is still good!  

One more thing - I remember one of my pastors saying, “when you need something in your life, give it away, and God will give it to you in greater measure.”  We could all use more goodness, so let’s give some away!  

On the fifth day of Christmas, we give our True Love ...the gift of Goodness.

God, You are GOOD!  Thank You for Your Goodness in our lives.  Thank You that because You are Good, You will hear our prayers, and touch the lives of people we may not even know today - our future or current spouses!   

• Fill them today with Your Holy Spirit.  Compel them to ask You to fill them today.  

• Fill our spouses with Your Goodness!  

• Fill them with Your “virtue that is equipped for action.”

• Impart to the people you have called to Kingdom marriages, “A bountiful propensity both to will and to do what is good.”

• Generous God, fill them with Your generosity. 

• Give them the strength to be good and do good, and fill them with the knowledge to know it is because God, You are good.  

• We declare that there are GREAT people “out there” in the dating world, and we know that God is our Matchmaker!  

“Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass.  I have purposed it; I will also do it.”  GOD (Isaiah 46:11 NKJV)  

AMEN! 

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

Joy - The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings

JOY!  

Click here to see the 7 minute video of the meaning of Christmas

“But the Angle said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a GREAT JOY, which will come to all the people.”  (Luke 2:10 Amplified)  

Jesus is THE great joy!  Even though your life might not look the way you had hoped and dreamed this Christmas, receive and be filled with the greatest Joy!  And join me in praying that Angels deliver the message of great joy to your spouses, future spouses and families.  

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines;  Though the labor of the olive may fail,  And the fields yield no food;  Though the flock may be cut off from the fold;  And there be no herd in the stalls --  

Yet I will REJOICE in the LORD.  
I WILL JOY in the God of my salvation.  
The LORD God is my strength  
He will make my feet like deer’s feet  
And He will make me walk on my high hills.”   (or high heels! ha ha!)  
(Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV)

HE WILL!   Thank you LORD!  

The word for JOY is gil (geel) Stronng’s #1523; 

“To joy, rejoice, be glad, be joyful.  Gil contains the suggestion of ‘dancing for joy,’ or ‘leaping for joy,’ since the verb originally meant ‘to spin around with intense motion.’  Although everything is wrong in Habakkuk’s external world, he is leaping for joy over his fellowship with Yahweh.”   

“Do not sorrow, for the JOY of the LORD is your strength!”  (Nehemiah 8:10)

Joy in Nehemiah 8:10 is Strong’s #/2304; Joy, Gladness.  

On the fourth day of Christmas, I give my true love....  JOY!  

Father God, we pray and declare that You are imparting to our spouse, future or current, unspeakable JOY!    Be our UPS Man, and Unite us IN JOY by the Presence of Your Spirit.

• Despite their circumstances, and busyness, give them feet like deer, that they can walk on the high hills, and overcome anything pulling them into discouragement.  

• We declare (from Song of Solomon 2:17)  “Turn my beloved! And be like a gazelle, or a young stag, and leap over the mountain of Bether [SEPARATION.]    

• Fill them with Your Holy Spirit today, so full that they cannot contain the Joy!  Impart to them leaping, spin-around JOY; contagious JOY!  

• And sensitize their spirits.  Give them a child like spirit, expectant for Christmas morning.  A spirit that will leap for joy when their spouse (future or current) walks in the room, like John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb.  (Luke 1:41)  

• Lord, impart to them the Joy and Gladness in You, that will strengthen them until we are United, face to face, by the Presence of Your Spirit!   

AMEN!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012