Faith over Feelings - Blog Prayer #38 -- Today.

 This one will be LONG.  Just letting you know.  You will need some coffee of caffeine of some sort.  This is #38. 

 I started this Faith over Feelings series back in June of LAST year.   Little did I think it would take me a YEAR to truly get through this series.  Writing about FAITH over FEAR.   But, God has me here.   It has been a YEAR of FAITH over FEAR.  

I blog.  I  have blogged much, most of my blogs came about because of therapy.   I found myself alone - a lot.  I had "NO one" to talk with.  So I blogged.   Now my life is so different.  And I still hear from God and want to blog and talk ...but HE has me in a different season. 

I miss that.  Blogging.  But, I know that we ebb and flow in seasons.  And, God created me to be a writer and HE will use my voice when HE wants.   However, I am, or my flesh is determined to FINISH this 40 days or blogged prayers -- sooner than later.  I  just am.  

I feel or believe another reason why it has been a SLOW season of writing is that when God moves -- HE can move FAST, but often in my life, it is a SLOW process.  I am learning to be slower and taking the time to listen rather than get that quick answer.  

Today, Holy Spirit awoke me - writing a letter to another in my head.  There I was writing again.  But that letter will wait, for HIS timing, today -- this photo was like a flashing LIGHT in my head and my heart.  Whose  children are those?

 THOSE are two kids.  Two young adults that had NO clue.  NO clue of what they would walk through...no clue of what they'd be ask to do...no clue of HOW God truly loved them.   No clue of God's power and authority.  

I marvel -- 33 years. 

 My heart breaks as a few very dear ones  around me are mourning and grieving their marriages.   Some will read this and wonder, will my marriage survive this?  Others will read this and relate -- as they are in a season now where they are asking themselves as well..."How did we do this?".  

As far as those close around me who are in a hard marriage or in the process of a divorce,  I have prayed for miracles and I have asked God to give me insight...as if "I" could help -- but, God knows best. 

 Why we survived a major earthquake - is by the GRACE and WILL of God.  I know, it was a miracle.  I KNEW HE placed a love and thought in my head that I HELD onto.  I would not give up.  But, I also believe it took faith over fear.  

Today, I am playing on REPEAT --a  Kutlass's song -- " THAT is what FAITH can do".  I have played and sang that song SO much that I can literally get MUCH work accomplished and sing at the same time.  About every hour, I break down in tears and recall a few times this song was literally my lifeline and then I go back to punching some numbers on a computer screen -- ( my weekend job ). 

 God moves through HIS Word and HIS music -- worship music.    

THOSE two kids in that photo - had NO clue of HOW much God would allow nor, what GOD would do -- "even when we fall.... we will have the strength to rise".

Today, I wanted to blog and remind the one reading this - that GOD sees you.  He is the God that sees.  El Roi -- the God who sees.  HE knows.  HE has seen your heartache and the new news of pain.  He knows what you must do today - what you must confess and He knows HOW it will go down.  And HE is faithful.  THERE is no fear that when we walk in obedience to HIM -- even when it looks like it has all failed -- HE will still win.  

"Impossible is not a word.  It is just a reason for someone not to try."

• I want to remind you TODAY,   God takes the initiative by causing us to WANT to pray or for us to NEED to pray. 
• I want to remind you TODAY,  the Holy Spirit takes the WORD of GOD and reveals it to you and God's will. 
• I want to remind you TODAY, that as we pray in the Spirit - we pray in agreement with God's will.  
• I want to remind you TODAY,   we must then ADJUST our lives to that truth. 
• I want to remind you TODAY,   we look for and listen for confirmation for our decisions and directions from the Bible, our circumstances, and the body of Christ - other believers.  
• I want to remind you TODAY ...THEN  YOU obey. 
• I want to remind you TODAY,  God will work through you today to accomplish HIS purposes.  
• And finally - I want to remind you TODAY that YOU will experience God as you pray and communicate with Him. 
• Remember, God does not NEED you to pray -- that is our way to have communication with Him. 

Phil 2:13 

"It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

John 16.13

"He will not speak on his own: he will speak only what he hears, and he will tel you what is yet to come." 

John 10.4

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." 

Today I am most thankful for the prayer warriors that spoke into me, for the body of believers that prayed for us.  I am thankful for family that accepted and loved from afar, but mostly for God's timing and I know that I obeyed.  I can't put my finger on the exact formula -- as I have watched many obey and fight for their marriage and it did not end the same way.  God knows those hearts and those circumstances and I don't credit ANYTHING that I did - it was ALL GOD. 

God did answer my prayers and HE gets the glory and THAT has increased my faith.  My faith to pray for another and encourage another to HOLD on and GIVE God the time .....the time needed to change your ( my heart) and then the other.  

Faith over fear.  

I was reminded today of a Word of Knowledge that was given to a prayer warrior on my or our behalf.  God orchestrated it.  This man - his name is Morris, saw me and saw or knew what had transpired in my marriage.  I was at his church on a Sunday night.   He also was given a picture or vision.  He inquired to the people I was attending church with and shared what God had showed him  about me.  

 He is a sailor - a ship captain.  He saw a  braided chord.  A BIG rope on a boat that had been severed.  With frayed edges and it was no longer ONE chord.  So, he asked God, "what  does this mean and what is she to do?."   God replied to him "well, you know how to repair it or she can get a new rope".  

He  shared this with me, several weeks later.  After I had decided to wait out my marriage and believe for a miracle.  I had decided not to get a new rope.  So  Morris shared with me, " Michelle,  now you know that it will take a lot of work, you have to recut each end and it will take time but if you repair it correctly and mend this chord -- it will NEVER break there again".  

In preparing for writing this, I googled a few things and watched a video of "HOW" to repair a broken rope/chord.  There is cutting and burning... interesting.  Both Bren and I were cut, we have had to cut away some of the old and broken pieces and frayed edges.  And there is burning... fire.  Interesting in that too - I think of the fire of God - right away.  Beauty from ashes.  WHAT comes after a burning of woods or a place -- new growth.  ???  !!!   Anyhow, today that end part of the Word of Knowledge -- "it will NEVER break there again- if it was mended correctly."  

BAM - Truth.  WOW.  

THOSE kids in that photo had NO clue -- BUT God still won.  GOD knew.  

With that -- may this just bless you and remind you that  -- nothing is impossible with God.  

Lord, thank you for this inspired word and insight.  Lord, you know I must give credit for some of this to my present BIBLE study - Experiencing God - unit 5 -- has WRECKED me in a good way.  Lord, for the one or many reading this today that took the time, I pray it would inspire them to believe and get closer to YOU.  Lord for the marriages that are hurting right now  - especially those close to me.  Lord, for the marriage that is dissolving right now, Lord - lead and guide.  Lord, for our Nation and all of this trouble - the birth pains of the end.  As a mother in labor says.. and feels..."it is getting closer"... I believe YOUR return is getting closer.  May we be the witness of your LOVE and MERCY to those fearful around us... especially me Lord, may I be an instrument of YOUR peace - thank you for the 33 years of marriage and for my man.  I DO love him and trust him more than I could of ever  of imagined when we walked into that church back in 1987 -- with that BIG hair and Jessica McClintock dress and that BLACK tux... OH he is still as cute!   Lord, bless us and may our story give another the hope to fight it out -- as on the other side of that mended chord -- it is good.  REAL good.  IJN  Amen.