The Call to Return

Distraught over what I was seeing the enemy doing to those around me and through a dream about the same, I turned to the Lord. He, in turn, led me to His Word, showing me what to pray over the situation. And then I did that, placing them in His Hands. And I got through it.
Do you know believers who have strayed from their former position in the Lord, and have you, grieved for them, tempted to be consumed by hopelessness, too? Have you stood by watching as the enemy has attacked their weaknesses, causing them to compromise their dedication to the Lord and His ways of purity and holiness? And, yet, they have remained blind to it?
I share with you the prayer the Lord has shown me to pray on their behalf. If it stirs your spirit, maybe you'd like to pray it too:
(Taken from Zechariah 2)

Rouse yourself from your Holy Dwelling, Lord. Come and live among them once again. Help them hear your call to escape from Babylon (the world and it's way, hopes and beliefs) and return to You, for they are Yours, Lord-the apple of your eye. Restore them to yourself and be their glory. Be a wall of fire around them to protect them from being plundered again. Let those who steal, steal no more. Thank you Lord.

Of course, in many cases, acknowledgement of sin and repentance will be needed to cause blind eyes to see again. But only with the Lord's help can this happen.

Leaning on His Breast in Trust

I set out to write one thing, but before my computer could load my "blogging page," the direction of my writing had changed. I was going to write how I had observed that the big "demon" that had come in during my children's generation was "relativism," and how this monster had even invaded those who call themselves His. Relativism's core is defining "truth" according to each individual, and has made the way for secular "tolerance" to come in. Anyway, before I do write the article I was going to write, and not the one I desire to write, I will go no further in describing how this perversion has invaded and infected this world, and those who the world has taken root in.
If we look at all the devices that satan has and is using to divert our attention, and thereby attempting to destroy our faith, we will be tempted to feel, and then ultimately "be" defeated. I know he has come at my mind in various ways to try and cause me to fear what he is using man to do in this world. With the election, bombs exploding everywhere, the church sytem coming up with all kinds of truths to satisfy their fleshly longings and justifying it with some scripture, to apathy towards our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted and imprisoned, if not killed, daily, and all the other problems out there, one can see (if they CAN see) that the enemy is appealing to every area of unsurrendered flesh in God's children to try and turn them from Him, and to annialate the trust in His faithfulness.
Not to say that "nothing will ever happen" if we are His, but if we are at the place of trust in Him, than satan has no place in us. If we've already given up our lives for His sake, than we are free. And if we truly know, that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord", than "where is the sting of death?"
I must daily fight the arrows of satan as he, through others around me, give the bad reports of what is happening out there aka "delivering the bad report of the giants in the land." When consistently barraged by these reports, it can bring discouragement and resulting fears, which can undermine the belief in the very real protection of the Lord, which is "being in a place of rest because of His unfailing love that He has for me and you, knowing that "nothing can seperate us from that; not demons or death-" NOTHING! His Love should be our peace and rest.
The word says that when we see all these things happening we should rejoice, because our redemption is getting close, and we should encourage each other in this way. This is where "fixing our eyes on Jesus" comes in. as the old worship song says, "all the things of earth will grow dim," as we do this. It is a truth.
My prayer for all of us who are in His Body is: Lord Jesus-Help us give up our lives for your sake, completely and totally. We open up our hearts so that your love will cast out all of our fears. Whatever idols we are holding on to for security and reliance, we offer you now. Please destroy these false gods in us, so that we can give our hearts whole-heartedly to You, knowing that our loss is our gain in You. Death is life in You, and this surrender and what results, is truly the abundant Life; rest, peace, and joy in You alone.