Don't ever give up on your child......keep believing that they will be saved!

Good day everyone! This particular subject is very close to my heart because I have been praying and believing God for my unsaved children and grandchildren. Slowly but surely God has come around and answered some of my prayers and I am forever grateful to Him for that.  I see God working in a mighty way in my families lives and it warms my heart to no end.  But it wasn't always like this, and that is why I decided to write this post. See my dear friend Carolyn gave me a prayer that say's it all one day.  She is my sweet friend who I have coffee with all the time. We both share these prayers for our families salvation, so we can one day after this life is over and done with, we can be together in God's presence.

So here is the prayer that she copied for me -  it goes like this:

Don't you worry, God knows exactly how to apprehend your children.  And when the time comes, He'll do it,  after all, you weren't in your prayer closet when He found you!  But until then, you must stand fast in faith for them.  No matter what they get into, no matter how far off the track they seem to be, just keep saying what the Bible says about them.  Keep your eyes focused on the covenant mercy of God and not on the symptoms of ungodliness that you see in their lives.

Don't ever give up on your child!  If you've gotten weak and discouraged lately, it's time for you to get the fire back in your bones.  Dig into the Word of God and dig out the promises He's given you for your children.  Lay hold of those promises and don't let go.

Learn to call things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17).  When you hear bad news about your children or you see them do something that hurts your heart, just say:  "God, I thank you that Your tender mercy hovers over my child.  I thank You Lord that he is born again, filled with the Holy Ghost and obedient to You. I thank you that Your Word is in his mouth (Isaiah 59:21), that he is taught by Your Spirit and great is his peace (Isaiah 54:13). I am not moved by what I feel or what I see.  I am moved by Your Word and I call it done in Jesus' Name!"

You have a covenant with God that covers your children.  So rejoice!!! God will be faithful to you.  One day your boy or girl will be going about their business doing their own thing when suddenly - "Psssst" - they'll hear the voice of God.  When that happens - they'll come running - you can count on it!

I encourage you today to begin thinking and praying like this and reading as much as you can to equip you with God's word and what his promises are for our lives.  Joel Osteen is a great writer and inspirational speaker who has lived by these set of principles that were taught to him by his father, here are a few books that may interest you on this awesome subject - God Bless!!!

A new year can ring in a renewed life!

Happy New Year!

With each passing new year I have found in my lifetime that when I look back at what exactly I accomplished I can either be happy or disappointed.  I choose to be happy, even though I didn't get to finish some projects that were on my list. I then say to myself; there is still tomorrow, and by not dwelling on the things I didn't accomplish, but have the attitude that this is a new year and I will get as much accomplished as possible, I know things can only get better - Amen.

Now, with each new year we also tend to examine our lives and what we are truly made up of. In my own life I know that I am grounded in Christ, he is my rock and my foundation.  He is my Savior and my reason to get up each and every day and face whatever challenges that come my way.  But, I realize there are so many others who do not have that hope of Glory in Christ.  They are the ones that I want to speak to right now.  I pray that some of the things I am about to say will strike a chord and awaken that inner most spirit to make a change if that is what is needed. 

I was listening to Adrian Rodgers preach the other day and he was talking about how God is the Potter and we are the clay, he really caught my attention because it is so true.  See making pottery is the oldest craft made to man.  The potter shapes and molds the clay on the potting wheel and creates a beautiful artwork when it is complete - he's created a masterpiece from a lump of clay.  Ever feel like a dirty lump of clay - boy I have.

Think of God as the master workman and he is constantly at work in you, if you have allowed him into your life that is.  See God gives all of us a free will, so some of us choose not to allow him to work in us or be a part of our life. Shameful as that sounds, just look at the people who are walking around lost trying to do things on their own and not getting very far.  God wants to make us a vessel that he can use for his purpose from the lump of clay that he begins with, we are unclean, unlovely and unable, until he places his hands around us and begins to shape us and mold us.  Remember we were made from the dust of the earth.

There are some people like I mentioned above that don't believe God can do this and they mold their own lives, we all know some of those "moldy" people don't we?  The wheel God uses represents circumstances in our life. It's the potter who turns the wheel and orders every turn of the wheel, sometimes it doesn't make sense to us only to God.  God thinks differently, his ways are not our ways.  Every turn of the wheel is turned by God or is allowed by God.  When a person resists God that's when the clay may break or crack, there is a problem and it's not with the potter, it's with the clay.  There maybe some hidden inpurity, something hidden that keeps the vessel from becoming what God wants it to be.

There might be something inpure in that individuals life, not broken enough, stiff and doesn't yield to the potter.  This is where self examination comes in - is there something that stands between you and God and he cannot mold and shape you into a vessel he can use?  Are you truly yielded - have you said to the Lord - use me, may your will be done not mine? God doesn't mess up.  When there is a problem like this do not dispair, there is hope.  Just because you fail doesn't mean God is through with you.  On the contrary, there is good news.  You can have a brand new start because our God is a God of second chances. Do this while your life is still pliable, it gives him all the pieces he needs to work with.

Unfortunately, when a life rebels and they are not going to yield to God then that clay gets hardened and can break, he cannot be made whole again.  Do not harden your hearts - but turn to him and listen to his words. Remember God will give you the desires of your heart.  In bible days people who were vain and foolish and lived in darkness, sexual immorality and perversion were their lifestyles because that is what they wanted.  God gave them over to do those things which were not his way. Their hearts were hardened and God could not use them or remold them.

God is saying I want to make something beautiful of your life.  He can take you even if you feel like a dirty lump of clay and shape you into a beautiful life of service to him.  The wisest thing you can do is receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior today.  He will give you a fresh start, but be careful to not harden your heart until the clay sets and the vessel is deformed because then it is fit to be destroyed and never repaired. 

My prayer today is:

Dear God in Heaven, today I pray for all my family, everyone who reads my blog and the whole nation.  Those who are hurting and those who do not know you as their Lord and Savior.  May your grace be poured over them and may they find you.  May they experience your peace, which surpasses this worlds understanding.  Bring joy into their hearts and enable them with the power of your salvation through Christ Jesus.  

Become real to each of them and my loved ones, and may they humble themselves before you and repent of their sins. May they receive that forgiveness and they leave at the cross all the guilt, sin and attitudes and fears and may they be washed clean as snow.  If they are needing a fresh new start in 2013, may it come to pass this year and they allow you the Potter to shape them into the person you are calling them to be.  I know this will come to pass because it is your will.  In Jesus name I pray - Amen!