Mountains

The Royal Wedding of 2011 (and a few nudges by God) inspired me to begin an online community to pray for Kingdom marriages.  With a few more God-nundges, as we enter the summer and wedding season, I feel that we need to unite our faith and our voices in prayer, and press-on believing that marriage is on God's heart.  YOU and the desires of your heart are important to God, and I am expecting to be amazed and dazzled by the testimonies soon to come!   ALL things are possible with God!  Mary said so!  Some of the upcoming posts will be a repost from last summer’s 40 Days of Declarations, which is the case today.  

And please let me know if you have a good report to share!  (I might soon....)  

Summer in the Colorado Rockies is glorious!  I love to escape the heat, head to the mountains, and set out on an adventure, ususally with my most faithful male companion, my Labrador.  On the most recent mountain adventure, my group of friends made it to the the tippy top of a 14,240’ peak, in extreme wind, (which changed our plans of skiing the peak.)  Dare I confess that we drove to the top?!  We saw a young “stag” on the drive, but we really bonded with the hearty goats (you will understand the reference in a moment.)   

A verse that I have been declaring for a few years over my future husband is Song of Solomon 2:17 (NKJ):  

Until the day breaks 

And the shadows flee away, 

Turn, my beloved,  

And be like a gazelle, 

Or a young stag 

Upon the mountains of Bether.

Bether means SEPARATION.  The Mountains of Separation!  Are there mountains of separation in your life that are blocking you from walking in the fullness of your destiny, and meeting the person God has for you?     

The Amplified:  

[Then, longingly addressing her absent shepherd, she cried] Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, return hastily, O my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart as you cover the mountains [which separate us].

Zechariah 4:6-7 (NKJ):

      “ This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
      ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
      Says the LORD of hosts.
    ‘ Who are you, O great mountain?
      Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
      And he shall bring forth the capstone
      With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!'"

 The book that has inspired me to speak and declare the Word of God, more now than ever, is by Charles Capps, called “Faith and Confession.”   Charles Capps describes “grace” as “God’s willingness.”

This is what he says regarding Mark 11:23 

“...whoever says to this mountain, 'be removed ...’”   

“Jesus is talking about problem areas in your life, about situations that you face and circumstances you don’t know how to handle.  

He tells you to say to that situation, ‘Be plucked up, be planted in the sea; depart, be gone.’  Tell it what to do and where to go!”  

Today, imagine yourself on top of a mountain, after our long journey, and we are going to declare with authority that the mountains of separation, or hinderance are removed!  

Declarations:  

Thank You Father God for this journey of faith; for Your faithfulness to lead us, and to instruct us in the power of Your spoken Word.  “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by [speaking] the Word of God.”   Fill our words today with the power of Your Holy Spirit, and flatten the mountains of separation in our lives, and the lives of the men called to be our husbands!  

• We declare that God’s way is perfect; The WORD of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. (2 Samuel 22:31)

• We declare that is it not by our might, nor by our power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, to breakthrough in our lives, and the lives of the men called to Kingdom marriages.  

• I speak to the mountains in my life, with the authority of the King of Kings - Be plucked up, be planted in the sea; depart, and be gone!   (or as Beth Moore would say), “MOVE IT!”

• I shout “Grace! Grace!” To the mountains of ________________ (fill in the blank as things come to your mind), DEPART!  BE GONE!

• I declare to my beloved - Come to me hastily!  Be like a gazelle, or a young stag, and LEAP over the mountains that separate us!

• I declare over myself and the man God has appointed as my husband (2 Samuel 22:33-37)

33 God is our strength and power,
      And He makes our way perfect.
 34 He makes our feet like the feet of deer,
      And sets us on the high places.
 35 He teaches our hands to make war,
      So that our arms can bend a bow of bronze.
 36 “You have also given us the shield of Your salvation;
      Your gentleness has made us great.
 37 You enlarged our paths under us;
      So our feet do not slip.

Thank you Father for your bringing Your Good gifts into our lives, and for exposing everything and anything that is an obstacle on the path of our destinies. 

AMEN!  [so be it!]”  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

The UNITY Candle

The UNITY Candle 

Can you feel it?  The tension in our nation over marriage!  This is not a political blog, but lately the topic of marriage in the political arena is a good indication that we need to resume our posts, and pray for marriages - both the marriages in the future, and for the strengthening of existing marriages.   

Last week in Jakarta, Indonesia, the World Prayer Assembly convened.  There were 8000 attending the conference from every part of the globe, and on Thursday night they joined with 90,000+ Indonesians, in stadiums to pray for the nation and the world.  I tuned into the live webcast at 5am Denver time to participate, and it was truly an incredible event!  

The reason I am telling this to the 1 + 1 = One group is because the pinnacle of the event was the lighting of the "Torch of Unity!"  Unifying the global community of Christians.  Representatives from the nations made a commitment to each other - to be unified as one.  

The Torch of Unity from the live WPA webcast 5/17/12

It reminded me of the Unity Candle in wedding ceremonies, and curious, I did a little Google research this morning.  Wikipedia says that it is relatively new, but a website on Jewish traditions mentions the Unity Candle, so I think perhaps it may have been around longer than 50 - 100 years:  

Unity Candle Ceremony - Light is a symbol of God’s presence, the candlesticks symbolizing the beginning of a home that will be filled with the light of Sabbath and festival candles.  Three partners in the relationship: the bride, the groom, and God, are symbolized by the lighting of a Unity Candle. 

“From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven.  When two souls that are destined for each other find one another, their light flows together  and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being.” (the Baal Shem Tov)

(If you have more information about the tradition of the Unity Candle, please post a comment, or send me an email.)  

“The spirit of a man is the candle of the LORD, searching the inner depths of his heart.” (Proverbs 20:27 NKJV)

The prayer for us today:   

• May the footsteps of Jesus will be our pathway (Psalm 85:13), leading us towards the spirit & light of our future or existing marriage partner.  As we (and our candles of the Lord) move closer to that other person, the light will become brighter, and we will see more clearly.  

• Lord, give us and our future marriage partners eyes to see and ears to hear Your direction.  

• Awaken our spirits to be drawn towards You God, the Unity Candle that will unify our individual lives soon.  

1 + 1 = One!  

• I pray that you will be encouraged today, and in the days to come.  
• Open your hearts to be filled with the Joy of the LORD again - the contagious JOY of the Lord!!  It is your strength!  “...Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  (Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV)

And a prayer I pray for you, and one you can pray for your future spouse: 

"I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom, (the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation) and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those he called—His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.”  (Ephesians 1:16-18 NLV)

AMEN!  [so be it!]”  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

PRAY!

National Day of Prayer 2012

Today is the National Day of Prayer, and a great day to re-ignite our prayers for Kingdom marriages.  God’s heart is to see relationships and marriages strengthened and restored, and He sent Jesus to “save THAT which was lost.”  One of my favorite leaders, and a man who loves romance, Ed Silvoso teaches that one of the things Jesus came to restore is the relationships between men and women - marriages.  (See his book, "Women, God's Secret Weapon")

Derek Prince in the book “God is a Match Maker” says this:  

“the prevailing attitude toward marriage in any culture or civilization is usually an accurate barometer revealing its moral and spiritual climate.  The decline of a culture is marked by a decline in its respect for marriage.  Conversely, the renewal of a culture is marked by a corresponding renewal of the biblical values of marriage.  In restoration, the bride and groom are central.”   

Descriptions of decline and desolation related to the bride and groom can be found in Jeremiah 25:10-11, and Revelation 18:22-23.  Derek Prince continues, 

“One conspicuous feature central to both these descriptions of decline and desolation is the silencing of the voices of the bridegroom and bride....” 

“The converse is equally true.  Restoration of a culture will be marked by the restoration of marriage as a source of joy and a cause for celebration.  In Jeremiah 33:10-11 God promises the end-time restoration of Judah and Israel.  ‘...there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom...For the Lord will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.”  

As prayers and declarations are made today, for the restoration of this great nation, let’s  raise our expectancy, and believe that we will see breakthrough in the area of Kingdom marriages.  

"You will also DECLARE a thing, and it WILL BE established for you'  So light will shine on your ways." Job 22:27 NKJ

Declarations - 

We agree today with the prayers and declarations over this nation, by Your family of believers, from coast to coast; that Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Thank you Lord for hearing our words, and for empowering the prayers of your people to bring a shift of restoration of this God founded nation!  

• We declare that today marks the end of decline and desolation in our lives and for our nation.  

• We declare that today is a day of breakthrough, and we believe we will see the hand of God breaking through in our nation!  

• In agreement with Jeremiah 33:10-11, we declare that there will be heard again in this nation the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom!  

• And on this National Day of Prayer, we declare Joel 2:16, “LET the bridegroom go out from his chamber; and the bride from her dressing room” (a room of preparations.)  OPEN THE DOORS!  

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, 

My soul shall be joyful in my God;

      For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
      He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,  

As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
      And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

      11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
      As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
      So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.  (Isaiah 61:10-11 NKJ)  

• We declare that the leaders of this nation will receive the mind of Christ, and God’s great Wisdom.  

• We declare alignment of the hearts and minds of our leaders under the Lordship of Jesus Christ! 

• Thank you Father God for Your leaders of our government who are declaring "Jesus is LORD of this nation" today!!   

AMEN!  [so be it!]”  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012