Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category

Prayer SOS for one of our Best LPM Buddies

Hey, Siestas! I am so grateful for your kindness. This is from an email I got from Trav and Angela last night:

“Thanks so much for the call to prayer you gave. Ang and I were overwhelmed as we read all of the sweet prayers and messages. Too much! What an amazing community. I am proud to be a MIESTA. Their prayers are already working…”

Then a text this morning: “Hey! On the plane right now. Thanks to the prayers of sweet siestas…I am much better! Worst of it pretty much gone. Just feeling a little run down. Thanks for sending the SOS!”

Let me tell you how much impact you had through the power of Christ, Girls. The man I talked to yesterday – even last night via text – was in no shape to get on a plane this morning. But he did. God be praised! Never underestimate the power of prayer!! When you band together to believe God, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. God LOVES the faith and unity so much.

Original request:
Siestas, I wonder if you’d quickly jump on the prayer train with me for our dear friend and ministry partner, Travis Cottrell? He is really sick (nothing serious but pressing and almost travel-prohibitive – fever, etc.). He’s got several huge things coming up at once that need his utmost attention. First of all, it’s his and Angela’s darling Levi’s fifth birthday (that’s their baby) and they have his party today, then EARLY in the AM he’s got to board a flight to Puerto Rico for work with the International Mission Board THEN he goes straight into a city back in the States to serve at a church later in the weekend. I told him this morning if he didn’t get dramatically better soon, to consider allowing me to unleash the Siestas before the Throne of Grace in his behalf. Just got a call from him saying, “DO IT!” So, Siestas, DO IT!!!! Thank you so much. We have no dearer friends than he and Ang to LPM. I love you!

PS. You guys are the best. I just got home from Bible study and checked your responses, praying in agreement with you. Travis is the kind that will be really touched and humbled by all the support and so will Angela. I cannot even express what a wonderful woman of God she is. You’ll never waste a prayer on her because she is the one holding the three-children fort down (complete with home-schooling) when Trav is away. I loved the prayer for Travis that one of you related to the Scripture in Mark where Jesus raised the woman from the fever and she immediately began to serve Him. YES! Very appropriate! That’s what we need to happen. I’ll get you guys an update as soon as I hear one from him. Look at the top of this same post hopefully at some point over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Keep praying until we get him to Puerto Rico and feeling strong! I am so thankful for you. You really came through on this. I knew you would, Christ be praised!

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Breaking Free

My mom will be back soon for more wedding talk, but in the meantime I am bursting to tell you all that today is the first day of Bible study for 2008! Beth is incredibly excited and encouraged to meet our group. We will be studying Breaking Free. The core message of this study is simply freedom for the captives. I think it’s fair to say that many, perhaps even most of us siestas have been involved in this study before. I know that everyone who has been changed by Christ’s message of freedom will share in our joy as we set out to proclaim that wonderful message for the next 10 weeks.

We are excited to get to tell you that Breaking Free is being revised, much like the Tabernacle study (A Woman’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place) was. Some of the messages will stay exactly the same and others will change completely. The updated sessions, which will mirror those taught this semester, will be taped in the fall. We could not think of a better location for the filming than Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, where the study was originally filmed ten years ago! (Having to add in a little note here with information we didn’t originally have so that we can help prevent calls to their church. The taping is a special occasion between Beth and their church and not open to the public. Thanks so much for your understanding!)

Siestas, may we incite your intercession yet again? (I was going to say “one more time,” but I know as long as there is a Living Proof Ministries, we will be asking for your prayers!) The enemy loves to see God’s people in bondage, and because of that we know he will come against us and against those who will participate in this study. Even so, while we want to be alert and aware, we march into this semester of Bible study with a spirit of victory and not of fear! Amen? Nothing could be dearer to God’s heart than ministering freedom and victory to captives, so we will do it with confidence, fearing no evil.

We claim 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (The Amplified Bible) And we wholeheartedly believe 1 John 4:4, which tells us, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (NIV)

Our primary prayer request this semester is for the captives not to grow discouraged. Please pray that they will indeed be set free! Pray that each one will finish and make freedom in Christ a reality in her life. I am getting excited just typing these words! I am filled with faith that God is going to do a huge work in each life.

Other things to pray for include anointing for Beth to teach, anointing for our praise team to lead worship, wisdom and endurance for our Bible study coordinator (Jennifer) and other staff members, peace and calm over the parking lot and in the sanctuary as the women arrive, that many will come early, that the parking lot will accommodate every car, and for there not to be even one distraction while Beth is teaching tonight. The list could go on and on! Thank you in advance for your prayers. May God’s glorious name be praised!

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A Valentine’s Prayer

My powerful and glorious and holy God, with everything I have and everything I am in Christ, I come before Your Throne to intercede on behalf of marriages. Lord, I come before You with complete confidence because I know with irrefutable certainty that I am praying according to Your will. Father, You are PRO-MARRIAGE. You are FOR US. And if You are for us, who indeed can be against us? Lord, Your enemy the devil is waging full scale war on the marriages of Your own children. Havoc resides in the earthly house of God. Our churches will only be as strong as the families that inhabit them.

If not for Your Spirit living within us, Satan’s psychological warfare would be almost too much to bear and his lies too sly to discern. We cry out to You, Lord! I ask You to rise from Your Throne in behalf of each of our homes and marriages and cause our enemies to scatter violently. Open our eyes to the deceit of the enemy that tempts spouses to think they need something – someone – brand new. Help them to see that it would be an unending cycle of newness always wearing off and demanding something deeper to sustain it. Renew us, Lord! You created marriage and You alone can sustain it. Breathe fresh life into each of our marriages. You are a master at resurrection life. Raise marriages from the dead, O Lord! Reclaim those that have given up. Put a holy tenacity in them to refuse to let go. Give each spouse eyes only for the other. Cause each husband to thrill to the touch of his wife. Cause each wife to thrill to the touch of her husband. Renew a fiery passion in their hearts toward one another. Fill each wife with the desire and obedience to treat her man like he’s the real man You created him to be. Forgive us our serious trespasses of dishonoring or belittling our spouses in any way. Forgive us for making our men secondary priorities to our children. Help us to see that the best thing we could ever do for our children is to have a wonderful relationship with their father.

Cause each man to be lavish in his demonstrations of love toward his wife. Open his eyes to see how hard she works and how badly she needs his blessing. In turn, open her eyes to the pressures that fall daily upon her man and enable her to love him in a way that soothes and relieves him. CLAIM OUR HOMES AND OUR MARRIAGES, LORD! I know You can perform miracles over the worst of marriages. You performed countless wonders over my own. Lord, in Jesus’ Name, You bring to a stunning halt every weapon forged against each couple and every scheme the enemy may already have under way. Bind every single person and subsequent action that may be coming against one of these marriages. Halt any hint of extra-marital flirtation or fantasy in the powerful Name of Jesus. Cause any other person that has become dangerously attractive to now become utterly repulsive to them. Empower every person at risk to flee for his or her life from sexual temptation and immorality. Make each spouse TRUE, Lord, in heart, soul, and mind.

God, I lift this to You with great urgency and fervency. Enough is enough! Enough Christian marriages have disintegrated! I don’t just pray for couples to stay together. I pray for them to LOVE staying together. I pray for the return of laughter, flirtation, desire, and life-long commitment. Interrupt mediocrity with fresh fire. We are all weak in our natural selves, Lord, and we know we’ll never have perfect marriages and homes but we are fully capable in Your sovereign power to have good ones. Healthy ones. FUN ONES. L-A-S-T-I-N-G ONES! Lord, the beauty of praying in Your will is knowing that every single couple who desires and receives it can have it. Every couple can be healed. Every couple can be in love again. Every family can be whole if they are willing. Make them willing! I offer this intercession with the absolute belief that You initiated it, Lord. You do not waste time nor effort. If You prompted it, You meant to answer it. Now, compassionate and wonderful Father, do what only You can do. Out-do everything we ask. Do more than we could think to request so that Your great Name can be magnified above all else. I set before You every marriage represented by those who read this entry. Cause every couple to have a glorious Head-on collision with You, Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Nothing is too difficult for You. My prayers are unmistakably heard and my thanks already appropriate because I offer each of these petitions in the incomparable and delivering Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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