Prayer - an intimate connection

It took me nearly 40 years to understand the importance of prayer, and how this form of communication with the Lord brings not only comfort and peace, it binds our hearts closer to Him. Prayer, in my opinion, is simply a conversation with our very best Friend. God loves us with an everlasting love and with His lovingkindness He has drawn us to Him! (paraphrase Jeremiah 31:3). No human being can claim that!

Many of us have heard it said, "prayer is the key that unlocks heaven's doors", or "prayer is the key in the hand of faith", and, "prayer is the key to the heart of God." Well, I believe all of the above. It's not that the omniscient God doesn't know what's in our thoughts, or is unaware of our concerns - because the Bible says He knows even the secret things! (Daniel 2:20-22) Our communion with God is more about relationship with Him. And prayers are not always requests; things we want God to do for us. A prayer may be a simple "thank You, Lord", in the morning when we open our eyes to see a brand new day. A prayer may be a conversation with the Lord while driving to work - going over plans and seeking His guidance. I have found, in my own experience, how having "a little talk with Jesus", really does clear my mind. And even when things don't go well, my foundation stands firm. I'm not shaken because I've fortified my mind, heart and soul and have the assurance of His divine presence. The proof is usually manifested in the way a potentially horrible outcome is buoyed or even avoided because of a word placed in my mouth at the right time - when I would have otherwise made things worse (in the flesh). I've tried handling things my way, and I know the difference. Now, I never leave home without spending time in prayer and the Word!

Prayer gives us supernatural powers! Power to love the unlovable, and give of ourselves when we're really not in the mood, seeking nothing in return! We're not alone when we've asked the Lord to order our steps in His Word. (Ps 37:23; 119:133) God knows us by heart, and when we've been communicating with Him on a regular basis, He grants us the desires of our hearts because we've become one in the Spirit with Him and His Son, Jesus. (Ps 37:4) We're not perfect, by any means, but we're sons and daughters after God's own heart because we have accepted His Gift of love!  If someone has wronged us, we as believers know we must forgive! (Matt. 5:14-15; Mark 11:25-26) When we do wrong, we confess (agree) our error before Him and ask forgiveness, and He does!(1 John 1:9)  If we have wronged someone, we know that the Word of God requires us to ask that person for forgiveness. (Matt. 5:22-24)  AND HE GIVES US THE POWER TO WALK THE TALK!  Prayer for strength in difficult situations is God's specialty. I know that the favor and blessings I receive in my life are due to the powerful prayers of friends and family on my behalf. And so, my relationship with God is ever increasing because of His faithfulness toward me - I can't help but praise and thank Him daily for grace - which is unmerited favor!

When we open ourselves to a closer walk with God, we cannot remain the same. Our thought processes change; our way of life changes. Our friends may not even recognize us anymore. (we won't recognize ourselves!) And some friends will fall by the waysi(de because of the light that shines within you. We have heard it said that prayer changes things. I'm a living witness to this fact. When we allow the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, into our hearts (which is Christ dwelling within us) - we begin an amazing transformation! (Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 2:5)

You know how we say, when someone has spent quality time with their beloved, there is a glow about them? The glow is even more intense when we've had an intimate connection with our Lord and Savior. It's unexplainable, but for those who have daily communion with God, it's understood.

I pray that we become more curious about the joy a closer walk can bring us through an intentional, prayerful connection with God. I guarantee you more fulfillment than you've ever known!

Blessings!

Boaz Ministries

It's been a little while since I posted here. Much has been going on and I'm here to share the news about the relationship ministry I'm now involved in with my husband, Bruce Edwards.

Boaz Ministries was Bruce's idea a few years ago, and his aim and mission was to encourage men, single and married, in developing and sustaining strong, healthy, loving  and Godly relationships with their women and wives. The name "Boaz" is taken from the book of Ruth in the Bible. Boaz was a just and noble man and his is an amazing story of protection, devotion and love.  Today, we'd definitely call him "marriage material", a real man! My Christian sistas out there already understand, with a knowing smile, when the name "Boaz" is mentioned.

By definition, Boaz means, "in strength" - and is a fitting name for this ministry. My background in family services/counseling, is a wonderful blend, and therefore, Bruce and I joined forces and extended our reach to include women, single, premarital, and married. We understand that the family is the foundation of our communities and society. We see there is a spiritual attack against the family - and the battle cannot be won using ordinary (carnal) weapons.

At Boaz Ministries, we seek to provide some relief, encouragement, tips, counsel and prayer - all based on the Word of God.  For as I have written elsewhere on this blog - there isn't any human situation that the Bible does not speak to, whether specifically or in principle.

We have a Facebook page and I welcome you to come by and take a look. From time to time I will also post insights here that Bruce and I will share at Boaz Ministries.

http://www.facebook.com/theboazministries

Beware of "Blessing Blockers", Ladies and Gentlemen

Just a quick and necessary word for singles who wish to be selective and discriminating when choosing a life mate. I'm talking marriage - complete with the paperwork.

The term "blessing blocker" isn't my own. It was coined by a sister/friend of mine who, at the mature age of 50 plus, and two previous marriages that ended in divorce, understands the importance of waiting on the Lord. Since becoming single for the second time, she's had the occasional gentleman caller to show interest. However, she's not rushing. And when she felt one suitor was trying to press her for a more serious relationship, she took a step back and let him know that his approach was not acceptable. All along she had been praying for the Lord to reveal if this man was indeed "the one".  Then she did her research. Yes she did. And number one, he wasn't even available to court. He was not divorced yet. (a major detail that seems to be omitted far too often - even at this age!!!) Second... he has a criminal record. YES he does - of the most unsavory kind!  Not a good look.

Needless to say, she was relieved to get the 4-1-1 that he wasn't sharing. And that's when she told me, "...because I don't need anyone to be blocking my blessing! I have no time to waste with the wrong one."

Please note: this message is for the gentlemen, too. I'm just passing it along to anyone who will hear. But don't just take my word for it:


"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Psalm 27:14 KJV

God's Protection

Most believers are familiar with Psalm 91, the protection chapter in the Book of Psalm. And just for the sheer beauty of the promise, and the reassurance, I share it here in the KJV:

¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
⁹Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

I have a testimony.

Yesterday, while I was at work in my office, my car was broken into and the perpetrators tried to steal it. In broad day light, in a public parking lot at a professional suite of offices - two young men (I will not describe them further than that), rolled up in a black Nissan. One of them got out, and according to a witness who happens to work with a friend of mine, went to a white (my) car, looking suspicious. The witness began to think that maybe the young man knew the owner of the car, because he was so smooth. He got the car door open on the driver's side, then popped the trunk and looked inside. In a few minutes, they rolled away. This happened between 3:30 and 4:45 p.m.. I had just gotten to the office at 3:00.

When I got to my car at the end of the day, around 6:00 - I noticed that my window was rolled down, and the door was unlocked. Strange. I KNOW my door was locked....but I got on in and put my key in the ignition...but the key didn't fit! I turned it every which way, but my car would not start! Then it dawned on me: someone tried to STEAL my CAR!

Thankfully my friend was still nearby, and I called her (we had walked out to the parking lot together). As I was telling her what I thought had happened, she REMEMBERED what her co-worker had said earlier. She realized that, in fact, her co-worker had been right to be suspicious. I made three calls immediately: 1. the police 2. AutoZone (my girlfriend and I correctly assessed that I need a new ignition cylinder) 3. my mechanic.  Then I began to count my blessings.

1. I was safe. I had not been IN the car when they tried to take it.
2. The car was still here. They had not been able to steal it. Whatever they took, can be replaced.
3. I WAS SAFE. AND GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT!!

While waiting for the police, I made calls to my Supervisor and the Director of the agency. They were stunned. I had eyeballed the interior of my car, checked the trunk - and the eye witness from my friend's job returned to give her statement. At first blush, I thought they hadn't taken anything. We waited longer than I expected for the police to arrive - and I wasn't leaving my car in the parking lot. I needed to call the tow truck, but wanted to get the police report done first. However, it was getting dark, and we were three women in a place that isn't as safe as we once thought. (well, nowhere is truly safe). Even though we waited inside my locked office, it was eerie outside as the sun set.

At 9:00 p.m., after my car and I were dropped off by the tow guy, I walked in my door, went to my bedroom and fell on my knees. I thanked the Lord, again, for His protection. I thanked the Lord for His mercy and grace. While on my knees I remembered that earlier, as I was traveling to the office, I was thanking God for the blessing of transportation that has been such a reliable and faithful machine (thanks to my excellent mechanic!). And I prayed for continued mercies and protection for my children, who are away, living their lives. (my middle daughter is out of town for a few days on a much-needed vacation with some of her friends; I didn't worry her with this.)

Upon further inspection of my car this morning, I found that they had taken some CDs, and my Bible. I cannot express how hurt I felt when I realized my special study Bible, given to me by my late husband, is gone. (I ran back into the house to see if it was inside. But no, it wasn't) All that came to mind was, "Lord, deal with them." The pain of that loss is slow in subsiding.

I'm at work today, and I'm feeling good. I've warned my co-workers about making sure their windows are all the way up and their doors are locked. I do believe my doors were locked, but the window on the driver's side may not have been up all the way. I know that I'm blessed because I'm able to share this testimony. As I wrote the other day, http://thewomaninmyattic2.blogspot.com/2012/03/are-you-ready.html , though the current events are heinous and the times are perilous, I'm not frightened, nor am I afraid. I've been blessed with some kind of spiritual lens, complete with some sort of outer, full-body covering that, while I'm sure it can be pierced through (and my body can be destroyed) - it's really protecting my soul.

By God's grace and power, I'm still on the path. My car's gonna be fixed by tomorrow - and I'll be rolling again! These are the plans I've laid out before the Lord. I'm trusting He'll make it so.

Amen!

Blast From "Attic" Past....

April is National Poetry Month

And in April of 2008, I was honored to be listed among such accomplished poets, by APOOO Book Club/Book Reviewers. I found this still lurking in the long forgotten archives of my old blog (of the same name).  Just wanted to share. And by all means, let's have some poetry, shall we?

 

National Poetry Month

Well I had to return to say something on behalf of Poetry Month. This is a special time of recognition, although poetry is a day to day thing with me. So I'm encouraging folks to venture out into the byways, find an open mic event, support a spoken word endeavor - or go to the library, get online and read some of the classic works by E.E. Cummings, T.S. Eliot, Elizabeth Barrett Browning...or more contemporary works by James Wright, Pablo Neruda...or poems by Black poets...Cullen, Hughes, Shange, Giovanni, Sanchez and so many more!

Are You Ready?

If you haven't been living under a rock someplace, then you know that the current events are horrendous! From the killing of the civilians in Afghanistan by one of our soldiers http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46745123/ns/local_news-west_palm_beach_fl/t/protesters-demand-trial-afghanistan/, to the untold thousands of people being slain worldwide for their belief in Jesus Christ (that never makes the sanitized news we get over here in America) http://www.persecution.org/  to the outrageous "stand your ground" murder of Trayvon Martin in Florida http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/trayvon-martin-case-timeline-of-events/, to the killing of yet another young Black man in Pasadena, CA last Saturday night, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46889232 , to the murder of a "Good Samaritan"  during a jewelry store robbery at a local indoor swapmeet near me - this past Monday! http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-victorville-deadly-jewelry-robbery,0,2659968.story

And I haven't even started on the ridiculous gas prices, this "toe up" economy and the banksters who hold us all hostage!

I offer the links to back up what I'm talking about - so at your convenience, you can read up on what's been going on. But I'm sure you've heard about the main stories in the news. It's bad. And the truth is, it's not going to get better. Paul's letter to Timothy speaks about how things are today in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (New Living Translation):

 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. ² For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. ³ They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴ They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. ⁵ They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

I think we can safely say that a whole lot of the above is going on today. ("the last days" began when Jesus left this earth - yeah, for 2000 years we've been in "the last days") And when Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Jesus about future events, He said (I'm taking it from Mark 13:5-37, NLT)

⁵ ... “Don’t let anyone mislead you, ⁶ for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. ⁷ And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. ⁸ Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
⁹ “When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. ¹⁰ For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹ But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
¹² “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. ¹³ And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
¹⁴ “The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where he should not be.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. ¹⁵ A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. ¹⁶ A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. ¹⁷ How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. ¹⁸ And pray that your flight will not be in winter. ¹⁹ For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. ²⁰ In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
²¹ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. ²³ Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!
²⁴ “At that time, after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
²⁵ the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
²⁶ Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
²⁸ “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. ³⁰ I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
³² “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. ³³ And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!
³⁴ “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his servants instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. ³⁵ You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. ³⁶ Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. ³⁷ I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”

I offer the Word to back up what I'm talking about, as well. As a wise man once said when asked about spiritual matters (and check this, EVERYTHING we do is ultimately, a spiritual matter), "I have no opinion - it's about what the Bible says." In other words, I let the Bible be my LAST word on any matter. And I believe strongly, in Bible prophecy. These current events- though they are heinous and horrific, make my gut wrench in sadness and sorrow for the victims and their families- they do not frighten me. Though we live in perilous times, I'm not scared. Someone asked the question, "when will it end?" My answer, "when my Lord returns, wiping away sin and death, and take His people to live with Him eternally."

It is written, in Revelation 21:5-8 (as seen and recorded by the Apostle, John on the Isle of Patmos):

⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. ⁷ All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
⁸ “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

I do look forward to the new heaven and new earth God has planned for all Believers (Rev. 21:1-4). I see that the enemy is picking folks off at every turn. Young and old; rich and poor. I told my youth group that the plan of the evil one is to kill us before we can make a decision for Christ. Whenever someone dies, my heart's concern is always: 'were their souls ready when they died?'  Death can happen so suddenly. And if the pattern of our lives is not toward God, there is a problem, with eternal consequences.  Yes, I believe that sincerely. And only God knows who are His (2 Timothy 2:19).

My prayer is that we watch and pray. My hope for Believers is that we not be lax in our walk on the path of righteousness; that we not conform to this world and get caught up in its madness. By God's grace and power, I'm on the path. Let's get ready.

Are you ready?

Birthday Blessings

If I had ten thousand tongues, I couldn't tell of all the blessings God has given me lo these 56 years on the planet.

Today is my birthday - and I would be remiss if I didn't say "Thank You Lord" for health, strength, my children and parents...and the newest, blessed addition to my life - my longtime friend, fellow poet/author, Bruce Henry Edwards.  We were joined in holy matrimony Friday, March 16, 2012, Las Vegas, NV (I know...but we don't subscribe to the sin of the city!)

Bruce and Bridget Edwards