Friday, August 26, 2011

"Peace, be still!"

"And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling...Then He (Jesus) arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." Mark 4: 37, 39 (NJKV)

The LORD, Creator of the heavens and the earth, is in control of all things. He is in control of the winds and the waves. He is in control of all storms of life... yours and mine. And He is able to speak "Peace, be still!"

As I write, Hurricane Irene is unleashing its fury along the eastern coast of the United States. But even a hurricane must obey the Lord God Almighty!

Sovereign God, You are Creator and in control of all things! Have mercy God! We ask You to weaken and redirect the storm away from heavily populated areas. We praise You Lord that even the winds and the waves must obey You! Please put a hedge of protection around residents of the east coast! In the Name of Jesus, we plead, "Peace, be still!"

And may our Father God in heaven speak peace into your situation. Let it be LORD!


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Prayer for Students


Heavenly Father, as another school year begins, we pray for all the students around the world. Give them a love and respect for school and their teachers. Help them to be disciplined to do their assignments. During the first days of school, lead each one to their new classes. Teach the students to be honest and honorable in their habits and communication. Guide them to make godly friends and be good role models for their classmates. Protect all who play sports and travel representing their schools. Create a desire to be pure in heart, mind, and body for this generation and for generations to come. Place in each student a desire to shape their culture to honor and glorify YOU. In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

We appreciate Bobbye's grandson for his contribution to this prayer. Thank you Robby...may you grow strong in the LORD!
And thanks to our teen photographer for her contribution as well. I love your heart for the LORD "A"!!!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Prayer for School Personnel

"For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding"
Proverbs 2: 6 (NKJV)



As educators and other school personnel prepare to welcome their students back to school, let's remember them in prayer:

Dear LORD God in Heaven, we approach your throne of grace on behalf of all the schools around the world, trusting You for the education received in each one. Guide and protect each teacher, professor and instructor. Give them a passion for the subjects they teach. Bless them with wisdom and patience for their students. Fill them with your joy and peace. Grant them the resources needed to purchase curriculum, books, and supplies. Fill the libraries with good books and bless the librarians to select materials that teach honorable principles.

LORD, bless and protect the support staffs of each school including:
  • School Boards of Education
  • Principals
  • Clerical staffs
  • Maintenance and cleaning staffs
  • Yard and landscape workers
  • Food preparers and servers
  • Bus drivers
  • School nurses
Surround each school and university with a hedge of YOUR Protection. Send legions of Your angels to guard each facility and purify the atmosphere. Send Holy Spirit discernment where evil is present.

Our institutions of learning are a gift from YOU and we give You praise and thanksgiving for them!

Let the precepts in Your Word return to the classroom.

Thank you, LORD, for hearing our prayer. In the Name of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...Amen.


Please join your prayers to ours in the "Comments" section. I love your praying hearts!
Bobbye

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Our Reponse

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly." Joel 2:15 (NIV)



Over 30,000 gathered in Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX, in response to Governor Rick Perry's call for a day of prayer and fasting for America.

The seven-hour meeting included prayers for personal and corporate repentance, repentance for idolatry, the shedding of innocent blood, and violating the commandment to love God with all our heart. We prayed for the nation and Israel. The older generation blessed the younger generation, and the younger blessed the older. We cried out to God for forgiveness and mercy, asking Him to heal our land and send revival to our nation. A team from International House of Prayer (Kansas City) led worship.

Dr. James and Shirley Dobson of Focus on the Family welcomed the attendees and she led a prayer.

After sharing his story, Luis Cataldo, director of The Response, said,  "Perhaps the shakings we're suffering are a wake-up call to the church to turn back to the God of the Bible."

The humbled Texas Governor, Rick Perry,  read Joel 2: 12-17; Isaiah 40: 28-31; and Ephesians 3: 14-21

Governor Perry prayed, "Lord, You are the source of every good thing. You are our only hope. And we stand before You today in awe of your power, and in gratitude for Your blessings; in humility for our sins.

Father, our heart breaks for America. We see discord at home. We see fear in the marketplace. We see anger in the halls of government. And as a nation we have forgotten Who made us, Who protects us, Who blesses us, and for that we cry out for Your forgiveness.

We pray for our nation's leaders, Lord -- for pastors, for the generals, for governors -- that You would inspire them in these difficult times. Father, we pray for our president, that You would impart Your wisdom upon him, that You would guard his family. We pray for our military and the families who love them. Father, especially for those special operators who lost their life yesterday in defending our freedoms.

You call us to repent, Lord, and this day is our response. We give it all to You. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen and amen."

Dr. Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, TX, spoke about idolatry in the church. He said, "The reason why America is in a mess, is because God's church is in a mess.  If we want to fix America, fix the church, and God can use the church to fix America."

Doug Stringer, founder of Somebody Cares America and Somebody Cares International, spoke that because of the blood of Jesus, we crossed our racial, political, and denominational barriers to lift up the name of Jesus.

In a video message, Florida Governor Rick Scott asked us to pray that our leaders will have wisdom. He also announced he and his wife are praying for their soon-to-be born first grandchild.

Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas read 2 Chron. 7: 12-15 and Matthew 5: 3-16, exhorting the worshipers to let their light shine across the country and world. He prayed asking God's forgiveness of our sins, and that we be salt and light. He asked God to heal our land by His mercy and grace, and asked forgiveness for looking for God's blessing instead of looking for Him.

To view the video archives of this historic event, held Saturday, 6 August 2011, click here. 

Friday, August 5, 2011

What would happen if I...?


"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'
And I (Isaiah) said, 'Here I am. Send me!"
 Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

 
"Lord, what would happen if I...?"

"What would happen, Lord, if I sold my television and prayed every night from midnight until 2:00 a.m.?" That is the question that David Wilkerson asked the Lord in 1958. The world would soon find out! After praying for several months, God  answered, "Go to New York City and help the teenage gang members." This was a big order for a skinny little Assembly of God pastor from a small Pennsylvania town. However, God had already begun preparing him for the mission by providing Leonard Ravenhill as a mentor.

The result: Teen Challenge, an addiction recovery program. Its mission is "to provide youth, adults and families with an effective and comprehensive Christian faith-based solution to life-controlling drug and alcohol problems in order to become productive members of society. By applying biblical priniciples, Teen Challenge endeavors to help people become mentally-sound, emotionally-balanced, socially-adjusted, physically-well, and spiritually-alive." Having an 86% or higher success rate worldwide, it has become known as the program with the "Jesus Factor."

Continuing to  pray from midnight to 2:00 a.m., God revealed another work for Pastor Wilkerson. In 1987, this "old-school" preacher planted a church in Times Square in the middle of New York City. Within two years, a historic theater was purchased to house the church, now with over 8,000 regular worshippers representing over 100 nationalites.

Having served God's purpose to his generation, Pastor Wilkerson went to be with the Lord in April 2011.

Moses made excuses when God called him to go to Pharoah (Exodus 3:1- 4:20). Jeremiah claimed that he was only a youth and could not speak well (Jer. 1: 1-10). In contrast, Isaiah gratefully responded, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6).

"Lord, what would happen if I...?" Let's seek the Lord, asking Him what He has for EACH of us to do!


I love your praying hearts!
Bobbye