Let us give our loved ones the BEST Valentine ever – lifting them in prayer EVERY DAY. They will know it! They will see and feel the blessings of the Lord in their life as you lift them in prayer. 1 Corinthians 13 from the CEV:
What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? What if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others.
Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails.
Everyone who prophesies will stop, and unknown languages will no longer be spoken. All that we know will be forgotten. We don’t know everything, and our prophecies are not complete. But what is perfect will someday appear, and what isn’t perfect will then disappear.
When we were children, we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways. Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything, but then we will, Justas God completely understands us. For now there are faith, hope, and love. But of these three, the greatest is love.
Questions: What says ‘I love you’ most clearly to you?
An Ordinary Person
Henry Neufeld – born in British Columbia, Canada, to missionary parents with a brother and two sisters, Henry spent his early years learning about servant hood and ‘being content in all things.’ His thirst for knowledge had him continuing his graduate studies in Biblical Languages and coming out of that not believing in God. He took a ten-year tour through the military doing Special Operations and earning the nickname of ‘Little Hitler’ for his ability to do personnel reviews and cut people down to size! To meet this gentle man now is to come into contact with the power of God to totally change people and make ‘head knowledge’ about Him become ‘heart knowledge’ of Him. Henry loves me even in the un-lovable times. He supports me and God’s ‘call’ on my life. He is truly my covenant marriage partner with the Lord.
Week 7
Elisha’s servant got up early, and when he went out, he saw an army with horses and chariots all around the city. The servant said to Elisha, “Who, my master, what can we do?”
Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid. The army that fights for us is larger than the one against us.”
Then Elisha prayed, “LORD, open my servant’s eyes and let him see.”
The LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17 (NCV, emphasis mine)
“Oh my Lord, what shall I do?” I’ve been there – wore that t-shirt down to a rag – and I am here today to testify to the fear that tried to isolate and destroy me.
Fear and deception are the great weapons of the enemy. If he can convince me that I am overwhelmed and outnumbered, then I will give up. I will pull in and try to find some cave to hide away.
“Open His eyes so he may see.” That’s the answer. Give me eyes to see YOUR truth, Lord. There is not a situation that God does not have control. God is Creator, Ruler, Savior, King of King, Alpha and Omega, beginning and end.
I testify to you today that He has brought me through abuse, shame, poor choices, divorce, raising three children (through their teen years!), ministry, financial catastrophes, cancer, and the list goes on – GOD brought me through. WHO WAS WITH ME WAS GREATER THAN THOSE WHO WERE WITH ‘THE OTHER GUY’!!!
The angel of the LORD camps around those who fear God, and he saves them.
Examine and see how good the LORD is. Happy is the person who trusts him. You who belong to the LORD, fear him! Those who fear him will have everything they need. Psalm 34:7-9
When situations seem overwhelming – God hasn’t deserted me! In fact, He’s gone before me!
Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, “You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you.
God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly diseases.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you can hide. His trust will be your shield and protection. Psalm 91:1-4 (NCV)
God is faithful. Even the darkness of my troubles is like light to Him (Psalm 139). He is ready to meet with me any time of the day or night. When turmoil comes, stopping right then and laying it all out to God will bring peace and clarity to my overloaded mind and spirit. Allowing God to separate truth from lies and shift the priorities to His will produces the strength that I need for the day.
Questions: With thought and total honesty, what are my fears?
Share some times when God was working in a situation even before we knew there was a need.
Week 8
Give thanks to the LORD and pray to him. Tell the nations what he has done. Sing to him; sing praises to him. Tell about all his miracles. Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the LORD be happy. 1 Chronicles 16:8-10 (NCV)
Isn’t that a great hymn of praise to God, who is so worthy of praise?! David spoke these words as the Ark of Covenant was brought into Jerusalem. Truly a time of celebration!
But we thank God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Do not let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is never wasted. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NCV)
I am very blessed in my life. I have found our Father God to be faithful. May I briefly testify?
In April 1999, my then 12-year-old son was playing baseball and basketball and had discovered girls weren’t as bad as he previously thought. One day, he came to me complaining of a sore throat. I looked. There was…a growth …a tumor. Three weeks later, he was diagnosed with cancer.
Always be joyful. Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NCV)
For the next year, that kind of Scripture was hard for me to read, much less claim and agree. For the next year, my son and I went every week for chemo and every three weeks it would require chemo in the hospital. Four weeks of radiation treatment would cause 2nd degree burns on in the inside of his mouth. No school. No baseball or basketball. No hair. Weight loss. Some visits with friends when he wasn’t too sick or too weak or having treatments or transfusions or…whatever. God is faithful and He is worthy of my praise.
Hundreds, no thousands of people prayed. I received emails from all over the world, as one person would tell another. We had compassionate doctors, nurses, technicians, and volunteers, who treated us like we were the only one they would care for that day. We had a family of God that held our arms up (like Aaron and Hur did for Moses) when we were too tired to pray for ourselves. God is faith and He is worthy of my praise.
I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13 (NCV)
I will not lie to you and