Marriage is HARD. Bold Prayers Day #3 God is listening.

  Day # 3 was really yesterday - Sunday.  A day to seek our Heavenly Father and enjoy Him and rest.  I didn't blog last night, simply because I needed to REST - but I prayed.  I prayed for two couples especially that have inspired or caused me to write these 40 days of prayers. 

 My husband and I had a sweet retreat to the west coast to stay with new friends that God appointed.  I LOVE that.  It is so good and sweet of God to bring people to your life that ADD to it...not take away from it.  Anyway, I wanted to capitalize on that flow or thought of communication. 

I blogged about  communication as this dear and godly couple impressed both my hubs and I in their ability to communicate.  They have been married 40 and have seen their own crisis moments.  Nothing  is easy or perfect, but there was a time that God drew them so close that they know and realize TIME is short.  Anyway, I loved how they just would  'tell stories' together.  It is not just one of them talking and sharing but how blended their conversations were  and how they complimented each other.   I told my new friend that and she replied, "we have our fussy  times too".  I am sure they do, but the bottom line is you can tell they communicate with the Father and with each other. 

I know many marriages suffer from a LACK of communication.  I believe prayer is the answer to that and a change of heart as well.  Therefore I blogged and prayed and shared. 

 But there are different REAL ways to change that as well.  One is listening.  LISTENING...is a BIG deal.  Many don't listen with the intent to just listen, they listen with the intent to give you their opinion.  I think in our marriage, when we focus on be a better listener - we actually love each other better. 

I wrote this blog back near Christmas time.  It was after someone lashed out at me and she would not listen.  And my flesh began to get so angry that I questioned a lot of  things that I believed the LORD had communicated to me. 

I sort of felt that I needed QUICK and radical communication from God to affirm my direction and my 'next step'. 

Yes, God listens and He answers.   I truly believe His lambs HEAR His voice. The problem with this person that lashed out at me -- well, I believe she truly does not have peace within her heart and she may have known Jesus as her Savior - but she does not understand that HE can be her healer...her confidant, and He can free her from her present addictive and hurtful habits.  I truly believe she will suffer a great loss if she is not open to some help, but my part in this at the moment is prayer.  I must pray and intercede and trust God's timing on this. 


So, as the Holy Spirit brought me back to this blog, I thought about those women IN marriages where don't feel that God is listening.  And I also thought of those women so cause up in stuff at the moment that they don't even realize that God wants to draw them out of their PIT.    So I will pray first and then share the REST of this blog. 

 Lord, I am humbled that YOU love us this much -- You know my heart Lord --USE these words for YOUR glory - I pray specifically for those wives and husbands that are fighting a spiritual and/or physical; battle at the moment and they don't think that God is hearing them.  They feel attacked, they fell isolated and alone.  Lord, may they seek YOUR Word and know that You are quite aware of their circumstance and that YOU are fighting for them.

  And Lord, for the one who is reading this and thinks, "is that me?"  Am I so far removed that I don't even realize that my  present perception of Jesus needs a good relook?  Am I lashing out at the wrong people, maybe even my husband because I am not in communication with Your Father?   I pray for those women and men ... especially if they are in a marriage that is very rocky at the moment.  Lord, YOUR will be done,  may Your Word reveal to them their present circumstance and perhaps they will repent and begin to fix what has slowly broken.  Use my words and prayers for Your Glory. IJN - Amen. 

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I found myself asking that very question of HIM a few days back.

Now, if you read this or know me -- you may be asking yourself, "really Chell?  Can the enemy still get to you?" 

I know the Lord has asked me to give Him time.  I believe I know HIS purpose for my life and I believe I am in a time and place where I am 'equipped' to do it - but ONLY because of HIM.  He has given me dreams and visions and a passion to help women  be set free -- to truly experience the LIFE that God intended them to have.

 I can get VERY excited and I am passionate about hearing that 'atta girl' when I finally meet Jesus. 

But, "Yes!"...... if I allow my thoughts to ponder and think about something .....without allowing God's Word to be the promise to which I run too -- the enemy can whisper so quickly to me and I doubt.

The enemy can also use another  -- this person got  mad at me and began  to 'verbally vomit' and then a word is spoken and all of a sudden,  you can find yourself questioning.  Especially if the person hits you  LOW, below the belt,  and tells you -- "You USE God like a crutch".  I think sometimes the ones that really believe they are speaking with a godly intent --  can hurt the worst.  But, I have to remember that hurting people, hurt people.

I read the book of James over and over for 2 days.   Making sure -- that WHAT God has me doing -- is HIS will and not mine.   And with that --  I prayed: 

 "Lord, if you really WANT me to continue speaking life into women and praying with them, encouraging them to believe in the impossible....then I need some reinforcements, I need to be WOW'd and reminded that YOU are pleased with me".  

I am being transparent -- perception is not reality at times.  I believe that even the strongest of people, need God as much as a new believer!  


"Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you." Matthew 8.13

God was so gracious and gave me not one but a total of 4 - FOUR - confirmations  -- and this blog is not about me going on about how sweet God is to me -- but to remind You, the reader, that HE will do the same for you.


Today, my Pastor reminded me --that many of us don't live within the freedom that God intended for us.  No where in the bible, does  it say that "its OK" is what God wants for us.

 "OK" is not HIS best.  In a study he mentioned,  90% of  the people surveyed ( that were Christians)  claimed  they were  only 'surviving'...and not 'thriving'.   So therefore only 10% are thriving.

  Again, that "OK" seemed OK for 90% of those surveyed.  

 I declared I wanted MORE than OK.   I declared myself as a part of the 10%.

I believe I am in the 10%.  I am thriving -- excited and believing that Jesus is not an imaginary friend of mine -- HE is God!   And, when I needed the re -assurance from God -- HE gave it to me - 4x over!    HE will do that for YOU as well!   Just ask. 

We want God to be able to do wonders and yet...many times our prayers are so wishy washy.  I am determined and I know, that prayers do work and the more bold and specific I am -- the more HE answers.

Matthew 9.29  "Let it be done for you according to your faith".

John 20. 27  "Stop doubting and believe."

Even the prayer in my 'needy moment'...."Lord, am I really doing what you want me to do?"...... HE answers.  ( Read the book of Titus)  


Matthew 8.13 says:  "Go, As you have believed, let it be done for you".

This is an excerpt from Audacious by Beth Moore:

•   Let's let go of Jesus as our imaginary friend.  let's exercise a fiery faith fed by the facts of Scripture and approach the genuine HIM - God;  He's not the conjured-up answer to our need for a crutch. HE is God.  
• The One who can change everything.
• The One who can do anything.
• The One who is closer to us than our lungs to our ribs, than our joints to our ligaments, than our bones, to our muscles, that our muscles to our skin, than our eyes to our lids.
• This is God in our immediate midst, ever present, ever able, ever active and no less willing that He's ever been.  
• God who is completely acquainted with the roots of all our fears and reasons for all our tears even when we ourselves have no idea why we are crying.
• God, who can impart wisdom to us beyond our years and our experiences just because we asked.  ( James 1.5) 
• God, who can infuse us with supernatural stamina to climb over insurmountable obstacles and use our very voices to move mountains from here to there.  
• God, who can gift us beyond any conceivable explanation and accomplish works through us with ramifications that will outlast time.  
• This is God who can make us feel what we don't.

I read that chapter earlier last week and again the next day.  Tonight after I reflected upon the Preacher's message today , I read it again.  I WANT that in a painting or a BIG wall poster -- as a reminder -- and I want to read and reread it every day!
 The Preacher today -- he was in Joshua.  Chapter 22 - verse 43 --

The LORD gave Israel all the land that HE swore to give to their fathers.   They took possession of it and lived in it.  The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He swore to their fathers .  Not a man among their enemies stood before them, and the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands.  Not a single word of all the good things that the LORD had spoken to thei children of Israel failed.  They all came to pass. 

Amen...

So, will you be in the 90% or the 10%?

If you want to thrive....  and you have not been broken and poured out before HIM.  Do it...  seek counsel.    You may even need to be baptized.....

If you want to thrive....  then be obedient to WHAT God has asked you to do, change, or move.....maybe it is time to join a body of believers...or return to attending a church home instead of the church of your convenience....


If you want to thrive....then pray that scripture prayer over your life...over your children....over your husband... over you.....

 The LORD gave Michelle all the land that HE swore to give her ancestors.  SHE took possession of it and LIVED in it.  ...... and all the good things.... They all came to pass!   .....  see what I am saying?  

Humbled -- Michelle