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

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved - KINDNESS

KINDNESS

These Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for My Beloved are a repost from last year.   Today I cannot simply “repost.”  

We are all stunned by the senseless, evil, violence from the events in Connecticut.  Yesterday morning I was so agitated and overwhelmed that I chose to send prayers for PEACE, because the Peace of God is what I needed most.  I wonder now if my angst was not really about my own little life, but perhaps I was sensing the fear and devastation across the country.  We need to pray for peace.  

This morning I read a post written by a Denver pastor, Lauren Sanford, asking the question, “WHY?”  You can read his post here.  

“Conscience, based in primary care and concern for the welfare of others, dies when self-focus leads to lawlessness and lawlessness leads to lovelessness. This opens the door to demonic influence."  Lauren Sanford

And From Galatians 5...  

“But what happens when we live God’s way?  He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.  We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”  (Galatians 5:22-23 The Message) 

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”  (Galatians 5:16 NLT)

"My counsel is this:  Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit.  Then you wont feed the compulsions of selfishness.”  (Galatians 5:16 The Message) 

Selfishness.  We cannot be in relationship and care about others when selfishness is the fruit of our lives?  Self focus is a main cause of divorce, and when your eyes are staring at your naval, you will miss the person God has for you.  Marriage is not just something we desire because it looks fun.  Marriage is vital for the peace and well-being of society!  

My hope and prayer is that we will be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit daily, trusting God so completely that the Fruit of the Spirit is evident, and our navel gazing will be eradicated.  The spiritual gifts we are sending to our beloveds, are transformational!  The powerful presence of God, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit enables all of us to take our eyes off of our own lives, release fear, open our hearts to humanity, and “live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit.”   That kind of freedom is irresistibly attractive!  

Kindness.   The Hebrew word is chrestotes, Strong’s#5544:  Goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability.  The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience.  The Holy Spirit removes abrasive qualities from the character of one under His control.  

I want that!   Kindness begins with me.  

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

Gracious God, you are so kind.  This Christmas, fill our spouse with Your Holy Spirit - so full they fall more deeply in love with You, letting go of fear and the cares of the world.   As they are filled with Your Spirit, give them an extra measure of Kindness, that they will ~

• Exhibit Goodness in action

• Have sweetness of disposition

• Be gentle when dealing with others

• Live a life of benevolence

• Be friendly, approachable and kind to others  

Thank you LORD for Your faithfulness!  Thank You for transforming us more each day, by the renewing of our minds through Your powerful Word.  Thank You for bringing our beloved closer to us every day.  Thank You Holy UPS Man, for Uniting us by the Power of Your Spirit!  

Amen!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for Our Beloved - PEACE

“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.’”

Can you even imagine what it would be like to suddenly see a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and declaring peace on earth?  WOW!   After that reality altering experience, the shepherds wisely decided that it might be a good idea to visit baby Jesus.  

PEACE - shalom; Strong’s #7965:  Completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation of discord.  Shalom comes from the root verb shalam, meaning “to be complete, perfect and full.”  Thus Shalom is much more than the absence of war and conflict; it is the wholeness that the entire human race seeks.  (Note from The Spirit Filled Life Bible.)  

“Behold, on the mountains  

The feet of him who brings good tidings,   

Who proclaims PEACE!”  (Nahum 1:15 NKJV)  

Jesus came to bring Peace; Shalom.  We are to enforce His peace by proclaiming PEACE wherever we go, and today we proclaim PEACE over the one we will marry, or have married.  To help us understand the importance of praying declarative prayers, in agreement with the Word of God, I share with you from the book “The Supernatural Ways of Royalty” by Kim Vallotton.  

“We are partnering with God to bring justice to earth. (PEACE!)  Like Paul we are restoring the knowledge of the one true God.  Like Gideon, we are restoring the supernatural signs of God.  We’re restoring health to people’s bodies, souls and spirits.  We’re restoring relationships and families.  We’re restoring financial prosperity....   

The truth is that Christ defeated and disarmed the enemy once and for all on the Cross (see Col. 2:15).  God has condemned him as guilty and handed over the authority he had usurped from Adam to Jesus Christ, the second Adam.  

OUR JOB as “little Christs” is as deputies who enforce that judgment in every situation we come across.  God created a world where our vote counts and where our agreement with that He’s doing is necessary to release His power into the world.” 

Our Father God, You are so amazing - Wonderful!  Counselor!  PRINCE OF PEACE!  

Thank you for delivering the enormous gift of peace today, to the people You have chosen to join with us in Kingdom marriages. Lord, bless the marriages of the people in our lives with Shalom.  (Add your own prayers to each word of Shalom.)   

We declare over our beloved, our friends, families and over ourselves:  

• Completeness in every area of our lives
• Wholeness
• Peace
• Good health
• Welfare
• Safety
• Soundness
• Tranquility
• Prosperity
• Perfectness
• Wholeness
• Rest
• Harmony
• The absence of agitation or discord  

Lord, "perfect and bring to completeness, all that concerns us."  (Psalm 138:8)    

And I pray that each of us will have the mind of Christ to comprehend the power of our partnership with You LORD of lords, and King of kings.  

AMEN!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings for Our Beloved ~ LOVE

The little black purse ~

Yes, I have been offline, and the truth is, I feel a bit like an ostrich with my head buried in the sand.  I really have not felt like praying for marriages lately, so I’ve gone into hiding with the excuse (and some truth) of getting buried in helping my parents move from 4200 sq ft to 1050 sq ft.  

Going through the closets, and looking through all the stuff has been quite a process.  There is a lot of old junk, and a few timeless treasures.  In the chaos of the clutter, I found a small, tired and torn black purse, and I almost sent it to Goodwill without opening it first. Inside was not $100 bill, but something far more valuable.  Inside and subtle, was a tiny piece of folded Christmas wrapping paper, tape intact, with these words lightly written:   

“To my Darling WifeThe Love of my life!All things are possible through Him who strengthens us ~You can be all that you want to be! Love, David

Do not toss the treasures!  This Christmas remember to hold tightly to the promises God has given to you.  I might not feel like praying, but I do believe that a good marriage is in God’s plan for my life, and yours too.  

Some of you wrestle as I do at Christmas time with the tension between the desires of your heart, and reality.  It is not just about marriage, the pain and struggles are numerous.  BUT GOD.  Christmas is a season of miracles, and we must remember that ALL things ARE possible!  

Would you like to join me in praying 12 days of spiritual blessings for your beloved, known or unknown?  If you are married, this is a great way to bless your spouse before Christmas Day.

If you are not married, there is someone out there waiting for YOU!  They are aching for your gift of love, just as you are longing for them.  We may not have a beloved to lavish fine Christmas gifts upon this year, but God knows that other person, and He wants to be our UPS man.....  

Uniting by the Power of the Spirit.   

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

Father God, together we pray that You surround our spouses (future or current) with Your perfect Love that drives out all fear.   Embrace our beloveds, and give them a new and grater experience of the Love of Christ that passes knowledge - that they are able to comprehend even more, what is the width, and length, and depth, and height of Your Love for them.  
Fill them with Your heartbeat for the world around them; that Your Love will fill them, and overflow to all who come in contact with them.  
We pray and declare that we will all love You, the Lord our God, with ALL of our hearts, with all of our souls, and with all of our minds.   

And I must add a quote from my niece Elizabeth’s blog, Long to Love:   

“'When you pray, expect the immediate activity of God. Perhaps seen, likely unseen.’ Whatever it is in your life that pushes you to fall on your knees, to yearn and plead with God for supernatural intervention, pray for it and know He is moving.  I love the Message version of Romans 8:26-28 – 

'… the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.'”

We can know that God is moving in the life of someone we will embrace in the future - and He is Uniting us by the Power of His Holy Spirit!  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012