Home Stretch - 40 Days of Prayer and Blessing

This is the home stretch for those of who have been praying 40 Days of Prayer and Blessing.  Last night I was reminded of the movie Secretariat, and woke up this morning thinking about these remaining days of our prayer assignment - this is not the time to slack off.  So, at the beginning of our last 7 days, a dose of Secretariat gumption is in order for ourselves, and for all of us called to Kingdom marriages.  

 “It (he) paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,    and charges into the fray.  It (WE) laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;    it does not shy away from the sword.” (Job 39:21-22) 

“You are about to see something, that you’ve never seen before!”  

“This is not about going back.  This is about life being ahead of you and you run at it!  Because you never know how far you can run unless you run.”  Penny Chenery (Tweedy)

Pray and believe that we are all going to see something, (or someone) that we have never seen before!  Pray that the men will be infused with renewed strength to run into their destinies.  

Day 34 – (15^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ men (1Peter 2:11-17) 

• Would live such good lives among the Gentiles, that people would see their good deeds and glorify God
• Show proper respect to everyone
• Love the brotherhood of believers

Prayer for yourself:

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is.  (1 John 3:2)

AMEN!  [so be it!]”  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

Be Mine! 40 Days of Prayer and Blessing

Happy Valentine’s Day!  

After a glorious wedding celebration this past weekend, and truly celebrating the love of the bride and groom, without entertaining a pesky internal pity party, I was surprised by that kick in the gut feeling when I entered Whole Foods last night.  You know the feeling.  I had really forgotten about Valentine’s Day, until I walked through the grand entrance of the store, filled with flowers, succulent berries, and luscious chocolates.   I think there was a man holding a gorgeous bouquet for his girl in every aisle!   

On this 33rd day of praying blessing over men called to Kingdom marriages, a reminder that God does hear our prayers, He is faithful and good, and He will answer, is what I need today.  

“Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”   (Jeremiah 33:3 The Message)

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me...” (Psalm 138:8 ) 

The Hebrew word “Perfect” is Strong’s 1584:  “To end, finish, accomplish, perfect; to come to an end, cease; to perform, fulfill.” 

“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”  (Matthew 21:22)  

Lets be thankful that we have a loving God who will give us the desires of our hearts!  Delight yourself in Him.  Oh - and go buy yourself some flowers!!  

Day 33 – (14^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ men (1 Peter 1) 

In Christ’s name and through the Holy Spirit, we pray that God would allow them to:

• Have minds prepared for action 
• Be self-controlled
• Have their hope set fully on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed
• Be holy as He who called them is holy
• Have sincere love for God’s people, loving them deeply, from the heart

Prayer for yourself:

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

AMEN!  [so be it!]”  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

A Wedding Day - 40 Days of Prayer and Blessing

Weddings!  1 + 1 = One.  Weddings are a day of hope, joy, giddy-love, promise, and expectancy for a bright new future.  

My nephew Willis was married Saturday 2/11/12 to the incredible and beautiful Caitlin.  Their wedding is a testimony, and a reminder that God is the God of Romance!  He does answer prayer, and He brings people together who are exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think!   Virginia Beach Willis, met Seattle Caitlin in a church in Los Angeles!  (please excuse my cell phone photography)  

  

It is difficult to describe the sense I had during the wedding celebrations for Willis and Caitlin, but I believe that in the atmosphere of a God ordained wedding, there are supernatural gifts of romance, love, hope, faith and joy available to all who are willing to receive them.   In rejoicing with those who rejoice, new hope and faith for an exceedingly-abundantly-above romance is imparted or given to those who will delight themselves in the Lord at the wedding banquet.  

When my niece and newlywed Cally read Romans 12:9-15(ish) over the bride and groom in the wedding service, I was reminded of the Royal wedding of William and Kate (hmmmm, quite similar to Willis and Caitlin!)   The Bishop of London gave an extraordinary address at the Royal wedding, which I have saved if you are interested in seeing the whole message.  

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day this is. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and their truest selves.”   

“In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.”

I am over-the-moon happy for Willis and Caitlin, and they will indeed set the world on fire!  

With renewed hope for love, lets pray and bless the men called to Kingdom marriages - whether they are married or not-yet married.  For He IS doing a new thing - the old has gone, and we open the door of our hearts and minds to God’s best!

Day 32 – (13^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ men (Psalm 71)

• Increase their honour and their comfort
• Allow them to praise You for Your faithfulness
• Allow their lips to shout for joy

Prayer for yourself:

But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, He who formed you.  Fear not for I have redeemed you.… , I am the Lord and beside me there is no saviour…I work and who can turn it back?  Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43)

Double up - 40 Days of Prayer and Blessing

Two for one today!  I had some internet connection issues this weekend, so we can all pray double prayers for our list of 10+ men.  

Day 30 – (11^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ men (Psalm 51)

• Create in them a pure heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within them
• Cast them not from Your presence or take your Holy Spirit from them
• Restore to them the joy of your salvation and grant them a willing spirit, to sustain them
• Allow them to teach transgressors your ways

Prayer for yourself:

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Day 31 – (12^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ men (Psalm 86) 

• Turn to them and have mercy on them
• Grant them strength & save them
• Give them a sign of Your goodness
• Help and comfort them

Prayer for yourself:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,

Get out there! 40 Days of Prayer and Blessing

 ^1-3In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences."  (Ephesians 4 The Message)

Day 29 – (10^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ men (Ephesians 4):

• Live a life worthy of the calling they have received
• Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace
• Attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ

Prayer for yourself:

I am dead to sin, and by His wounds I have been healed!  

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Peter 2:24-25)

Don't Faint - 40 Days of Prayer and Blessings

I needed this encouragement today.  Do not give up believing - do not loosen or relax your courage!  


Galatians 6:9-10

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁹And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap [a harvest of blessings], if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.

Day 28 – (9^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ men (Galatians 6):

• Carry each other’s burdens
• Not compare themselves with others
• Not to become weary of doing good

Prayer for yourself: 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

Humility - 40 Days of Prayer and Blessing

Because I needed this one today ~

Day 27 – (8^th of February)

Prayer for your 10+ Men (Romans 12) 

• Bless those who persecute them and not curse them
• Live in harmony with others
• Not be proud, rather be willing to associate with people in low position
• Not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

Prayer for yourself: 

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  (1 Peter 2:5)