Standing in Joy, Unshaken

The countdown until Christmas will soon be in the single digits! I’m sure you’re already “feeling it” by now. So, I thought I’d share with you what is on the front of my planner for this academic year—

Artwork from Pinterest

 

Take this as a reminder for yourself to find your REST in the Lord. Amidst all the “to dos” and gatherings, if you are losing your joy, pick up your water of life, the Word of God, and take some time to rest at the feet of Jesus, the One all the to do is about.

 

Breathe in His verve, His energy, His sparkle.

 

The Moms in Prayer Leader’s Guide says that “just as your body needs water every single day to stay hydrated and healthy, your spirit needs living water from God’s Word and from His Spirit every single day.” It is from Him that you will receive the “richest moments of your day,” and from there you will be able go forth with unhindered boldness to celebrate with your family the advent of our King!

 

My prayer for you this Christmas season is that you will remember your Strength of Life, your Forza di Vita, amidst all the fun of the celebration of His first coming. May He, then, show you He truly is your all-sufficient God, the One who can pour on astonishing blessings! (2 Corinthians 9:8 The Message) May you stand in joy and not be shaken!

 

 

Put on Your Glory!

I LOVE autumn. I am so excited to see the trees putting on their “glory—like this maple in my side yard that I can watch transform from my office window.

But that begs a question.

 

Are we putting on our “glory”? Is that an odd question? Not really.

 

As a teen, I would arrive early to college and sit on a couch outside the “pub” to read my little New Testament, a graduation gift from my church. This, 2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP), is the one verse I still remember from those times (of course, it was the King James Version back then).

 

And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,

are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

 

Take a step back and look at verse 17—

 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].

 

That’s what the Lord desires for us—emancipation from bondage. He wants us to live in the freedom He holds out to us through the steps we take to follow Him, to put on that “image,” as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:24. And that enables His glory through the work of the Holy Spirit to dress us up gloriously year round!

 

So, keep looking in the mirror of the Living Word—with an unveiled face, see His glory and put it on. Don’t let anything rob you of that privilege. Make your time in His presence what He wants it to be—an honor, pleasure, and a joy.  As Matthew Henry wrote, “We behold Christ, as in the glass of his word; and as the reflection from a mirror causes the face to shine, the faces of Christians shine also.”

 

Put on your glory! Shine!

 

 

Love that Constrains

This past Sunday, one of the hymns we sang in church was “Living for Jesus,” by Thomas Chisholm. The second stanza is—

 

Living for Jesus who died in my place,

Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;

Such love constrains me to answer His call,

Follow His leading and give Him my all.

 

Love that constrains. That word, constrains, is something interesting. It means to limit or restrict. Does that sound odd to you? A love that limits us? A love that restricts us?

 

Isn’t it true, though? You, as a mom, put limits around your children because you love them. Yet in those limits, they find freedom.

 

It’s like Priscilla Shirer wrote—

 

Often, when God wants to move you forward to the next level with Him, He may require you to “tuck in your tunic”—to restrict certain things within the boundaries set by His truth. When you willingly submit, true freedom awaits you.

From “The Armor of God”

 

The truth is, you cannot go from here to there without leaving here. And that does require a response to the Lord’s love that is constraining.

 

In order to follow Jesus fully, to answer His call, the disciples had to constrain themselves. And so do we. If we are to walk in the Spirit, we cannot walk according to the flesh. (Galatians 5) If we are to put on Christ, there are numerous things we have to put off. (Ephesians 4, Colossians 3)

 

And that means, praying moms, if we are going to be the temples of our God, the houses of prayer—His prayer warriors—that we are meant to be, there will be much that we have to limit in our lives. But, isn’t it worth it? We not only get to participate in His kingdom work, we are drawn close into the Presence of the One who sits on the throne!

 

May His love constrain us to answer His call, to follow His leading, and to give Him our all.

 

Living for Jesus, a life that is true,

Striving to please Him in all that I do;

Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free,

This is the pathway of blessing for me.

 

The Powerhouse in the Home

Recently a friend shared with me an email from an acquaintance of hers. This woman had written to her about the reasons a woman needs to be prayerful. She referred to Luke 7, an occasion when Jesus went with His disciples into the city of Nain, near Nazareth. Luke tells us that a large crowd accompanied the Lord. As they approached the city gate, another large crowd was coming out from the city. It was a funeral procession—“a dead man [was] being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.” (Luke 7:12 AMP)

 

Now if you’ve heard anything at all about Jewish funerals at the time of Jesus, you would suspect there would be loud weeping and wailing in abundance. And you can probably picture those accompanying Jesus stepping aside to let the procession go by. Perhaps you can even see the fear in their eyes. Death.

 

But Jesus didn’t step aside. He saw her and—

 

…felt great compassion for her, and said to her “Do not weep.”

And He came up and touched the bier [on which the body rested],

and the pallbearers stood still.

And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!”

The man who was dead sat up and began to speak.

And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Luke 7:13-15 (AMP)

 

The writer of the email, whom I have yet to meet, said—

 

It was the cry of a mother that moved the Heart of God. Still today, mothers who cry before the Lord…move the Heart of God. When mothers stop praying, their families (especially their children) perish. Satan gets a foothold and starts to destroy the home, yet when they return to their rightful place as the anchor of the home, demonic strongholds get demolished. … the “devil is terrified of mothers (the powerhouse in the home). Today, as the woman of the home, consider yourself blessed. Consider yourself highly favored and consider yourself dangerous when you pray.

 

Do you consider yourself dangerous when you pray?

 

You are when you use your weapon, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, in prayer with intent, with  passion, asking for the Lord to give His life to your children, to your home.

However, there’s no danger from a weapon that lies motionless.

 

As Priscilla Shirer said, the Holy Spirit is giving us His Sword to use so we can stand firm against the schemes of our enemy, the same sword Jesus used. 

 

Let’s keep our weapon unsheathed and in hand. May our praying be “pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage that never fails.” (E.M. Bounds)

 

Let’s be the powerhouse in our homes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Maestro Difference

Do you know the difference between a symphony conductor and a maestro?

 

It’s one of heart, it seems.

 

One does the job. The other takes it to the heart level.

 

A maestro is said to lead with confidence, with exactness and with inspiration. (Of all things, I learned this from a GMC auto commercial!)

 

Wouldn’t you say that is true?

 

It’s a reflection, I think, of doing what you do with wholeheartedness, with excellence.

 

It’s what Paul wrote to the Colossians (3:23 AMP):

 

Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men…

 

Phillips puts it “as a sincere expression of your devotion to God.” And the Message, “don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God.”

 

This, ladies, is what the Lord desires of us—taking whatever we do, prayer included, to the heart level. As the commercial says, it’s that kind of performance that deserves a standing ovation.  Yes! And it’s that kind of work that the Lord gives, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

 

May we all be maestros!

Effective Prayer

When it comes to prayer, we often hear quoted James 5:16b—

 

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (NIV)

 

In the case of this verse (and of course many others), there is an advantage to our having different translations. Here is the same verse from the Amplified.

 

The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

 

And listen to the words used by the English Standard Version—

 

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

 

What caught my attention today as I read it first from the ESV is “as it is working.” Hmm. So, I looked it up in the Amplified, which says, “when put into action.”

 

It’s so easy to think that our prayers are not work, not action. But, the truth is just the opposite.

 

Here is the same verse from the New American Standard Bible—

 

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

 

The word “effective” is the Greek word energeō

, which the New King James Version translates as “effective fervent.” This Greek word, according to Strong’s means to be operative, be at work, or put forth power. It is anything but passive. In fact, this word is used to describe the work of God by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:6 and of the Holy Spirit in verse 11, as well as in other scriptures. And, interestingly, the NASB doubles the word using it at the beginning, “effective,” and at the end, “accomplish,” as if to emphasize the working significance of prayer.

So, praying moms, be sure that the time you spend in prayer IS work! And be sure that it will make a difference.

 

Samuel Davies, an 18^th century minister, evangelist, and religious reformer said, “And how are we to expect His sacred influences? The answer is , Pray for them: pray frequently, pray fervently.” He also said, “The most important blessings of my life I have looked upon as immediate answers to the prayers of a pious mother."

 

Praying moms, you are moving the Hand of Heaven to accomplish much.  

 

 

After this Faithfulness

In the Word of God, the story of Hezekiah, his predecessor and his successor, reveal how each generation can bring death/destruction or life/restoration. When Hezekiah became king after his father’s death—a king who emptied and shut the doors of the house of the Lord—it is written of this new king, “He did right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that David his father (forefather) had done. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord [which his father had closed’ and repaired them [and replaced the gold overlay].” (2 Chronicles 29:2-3 AMP)

 

Then, the reforms began. Temple worship was restored. The Passover was celebrated. Idols were destroyed. And reforms continued. And the Word of God says, “…he did what was good, right, and true before the Lord his God. Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in keeping with the law and the commandment, seeking and inquiring of his God [and longing for Him], he did with all his heart and prospered.”

 

Yet … 2 Chronicles 32 begins, “After these things and this faithfulness” the enemy came. What? “After…this faithfulness”? He was doing the right things and the enemy came?

 

Did Hezekiah panic? Did he ask, “Why?” No. He makes a decision to get to work. He encouraged his people, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed…for the One with us is greater than the one with [the enemy]. With him there is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (32:7-8a)

 

When the enemy ramped up his threat, Hezekiah ramped up his defense. With Isaiah the prophet, he prayed and cried out to heaven. And the Lord God showed the enemy—and His people—that He was not an idol, that He was unlike the gods of the other nations the enemy had overcome.

 

The point?

 

Sometimes we do everything “right in the sight of the Lord,” yet the enemy puts us or our children on his radar. Bad things happen. Then what?

 

Let’s choose to follow Hezekiah’s example.

 

Instead of panic, let’s resolutely set to work (32:5). Let’s choose to recall to mind and mouth who our God is (32:7-8). Let’s pray and cry out for help (32:20)—and not just by ourselves, but with others. And then, let’s wait upon the Lord God to do what only He can do.

 

Simple? No. Possible? Yes! Because it all begins with the first step, just as it did with Hezekiah, “In the first year of his reign, in the first month…”

 

Perhaps Hezekiah remembered the words of his father (forefather) David—

 

Some trust in chariots and some in horses

but we will remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 20:7 (AMP)

 

 

 

Shoulder to Shoulder

A “Bing Homepage Quiz” recently showed a photo of three lionesses, shoulder to shoulder, with the question, “What do these lionesses do together?”

 

The options were:

A.    Keep the males in check

B.     Hunt

C.     Everything

 

The answer? Everything!

 

Lionesses, often siblings, form the core of any given pride. And to keep the group functioning, they coordinate everything from rearing cubs, to hunting, to protecting the pride. (Bing)

 

Hmm. Does that sound familiar, moms?

 

So, did you notice one thing I described about the photo? They were shoulder to shoulder. They weren't doing it alone.

 

Zephaniah 3:9 (NASB), speaks of the Lord’s people serving Him shoulder to shoulder, in one accord, of one consent. Matthew Henry wrote that the word alludes to oxen in a yoke. Benson’s Commentary agrees, noting that it is a metaphor “taken from beasts drawing together in one yoke, or men setting their shoulders together to one burden.” Or, to say it another way, “helping one another with conjoint effort.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

 

This is a perfect picture of one accord prayer, the kind of prayer the ministry of Moms in Prayer disciples women to do for their children and schools. Moms are taught to “join shoulder to shoulder in carrying great burdens.” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary) In fact, that is quite what Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible writes: Believers “should join in fellowship with one another, and sing the praises of God together; agree in prayer to ask of God the same things…”

 

I’ve found that one accord prayer helps accomplish the melding of the members Christ’s Body together to act like the body we should be as opposed to individuals. In Moms in Prayer, this even crosses “church” boundaries.

 

As Christ’s return draws near, the enemy’s attacks will strengthen. We need each other’s shoulders to help us stand firm, to persevere in faith until the end. This is the community—shoulder to shoulder—that the early church described in the Book of Acts experienced that resulted in great power, great grace and growth amidst trial and tribulation. THIS is what Christ’s Body needs today.

 

In fact, it’s what Jesus prayed for us that night in the Garden (John 17:11, 20-23 NASB):

 

I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. … I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

 

Like lionesses, moms, we need to do everything together, shoulder-to-shoulder, to be strong and stand firm as we rear our cubs and protect our pride. Take a risk. Trust the Body. Don’t go it alone.

 

Waiting Watchwomen

Waiting always requires patience. In the New Testament, the word often used for “patient” is the Greek word “hupomone.” This is another word for endurance. One of my favorite Old Testament pictures of this is in Psalm 131.

 

O Eternal One, my heart is not occupied with proud thoughts; my eyes do not look down on others; I don’t even begin to get involved in matters too big, matters of faith, state, business, or the many things that defy my ability to understand them. Of one thing I am certain: my soul has become calm, quiet, and contented in You. Like a weaned child resting upon his mother, I am quiet. My soul is like this weaned child. O Israel, stake your trust completely in the Eternal—from this very moment and into the vast future.

(The Voice)

 

We lean back into the Lord and trust Him while we are waiting. However, that doesn’t mean we “do” nothing. We are to wait actively. A visiting pastor to our church recently noted that our waiting is to be “full attention waiting.” It’s the waiting of the watchman. Merriam-Webster defines a watchman as “a person whose job [it] is to watch and guard property at night or when the owners are away.”

 

One Hebrew word for “watchman” is the word “tsaphah” which gives the sense of someone bending forward in order to view, even lying in wait. Another word, shamar, is used even to describe someone who not only guards but also preserves, as with lovingkindness, which involved keeping someone/something in mind. As the pastor, Becci Curtis, said, this is full attention waiting.

 

Moms, we are, yes, to endure, leaning on the chest of our Lord. But, we are also to be actively guarding our children through our prayers, watching for the Lord’s answers AND not leaving our post. Our voices are not to be quiet. They should be continually speaking the Word of Truth into our children’s lives—in prayer and in instruction. Just as Ezekiel, what we learn from the Word, the mouth of God, is to be passed on to our children. (3:17),

 

It’s what a watchwoman does—she waits, watches and speaks the Truth.

God's Perfect Timing

We just finished moving our elderly uncle from one assisted living facility to another. We knew about a year ago that this time would come. So, we’d been seeking a room for him at a large facility in town, the same one where my mom-in-law resides.

 

However, that facility has a waiting list. And even though my uncle was high up on that list, there were issues keeping him from being next. As the months passed, our time to get him moved, due to financial reasons, was getting shorter and shorter. It was beginning to be difficult to stay in “trust.”

 

We’ve always been taught that God’s timing is perfect, that He knows and understands what we don’t. As a visiting pastor to my church a few weeks ago reminded us, when we don’t wait, we often do impulsive things that can get us into trouble. Can you attest to that?

 

So we kept waiting and praying. A few weeks ago, we were still getting no closer to moving my uncle to this large facility. My husband said we may have to have him live with us. But that would mean major renovations to our home in order to accommodate his needs that we had no finances for. And, though it may sound silly, I was afraid for my cats should my uncle move in with us. He is not always the best driver of his electric chair. My husband thought we should just go ahead and plan on him moving in with us. I decided having others also pray would be better.

 

Then, I called the Department of Social and Health services AND got an immediate answer. I called this smaller facility, and was told they had an opening AND they were having a discounted rent special beginning this month for four months. Hmm.

 

We took a look at the facility. It was perfect! A larger studio than the other, just right for him. The facility itself was easy to find for his family visitors yet was tucked up next to a green space that just gave the whole place a sense of quiet and peace.

 

From the first contact to moving my uncle in, less than a week transpired. He is adjusting well in spite of his slight dementia.

 

Could I venture to say again, it is perfect.

 

God’s timing is perfect.

 

Moms, if you are in the waiting zone, keep praying and keep waiting. Let God do the work behind the scenes to make the end result perfect.

 

The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him,

to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word].

Lamentations 3:25 (AMPC)

 

 

Hope Gives Peace

In reading 1 Samuel 1, the passage about Hannah made me think about what it means when another comes alongside you to agree with you in prayer before the Lord. It means hope. Eli's prayer—

 

“Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to Him.”

1 Samuel 1:17 (ESV)

 

—invoked Hannah’s response: “Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then Hannah "went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad." 1 Samuel 1:18 (ESV)

 

Think about it. Someone, though, not at first, agreed with her pleas from sorrow before the Lord.

 

Her husband's other wife didn't. Instead, she “provoked her grievously to irritate her.”

 

Even her husband didn’t. He said, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” Logical and reasonable questions, but just not coming alongside.

 

Even Eli at first questioned her, thinking she was drunk. But, after hearing her heart, he came alongside her.

 

That’s what I love about praying with other moms. They hear my heart as I pray for my child. AND then they come alongside me in prayer.

 

And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for,

it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.

Matthew 18:19-20 (TEV)

 

 

 

If you would like other moms to come alongside you in prayer, join or start a Moms in Prayer group. Click here for the website link or email me at WA@MomsInPrayer.org and I will help you get started.

 

 

Dangerous Prayers

Did you know that prayer is dangerous?

First of all, it is dangerous to Satan. But prayer is also dangerous to us.

 

Prayers of praise affirm God's authority and bring His Presence and power among us. And, running into God's Presence defeats the enemy.

 

Prayers of confession reveal our unbelief and defeat Satan's attempts to get us off mission.

 

Prayers of thanksgiving free us up to see God and encourage us to stand against the enemy in God’s wondrous working power—the same power that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.

 

Prayers of intercession are both defensive and offensive in character and go over the head of the ruler of this world to the King over of all creation.

 

When we stand in belief, there are no wimpy prayers. The enemy considers each prayer dangerous to his objectives. We're here to take back what the enemy has stolen.

 

Prayer is dangerous to us, too, to our flesh. Prayer strengthens our walk with the Lord and helps keep us in step with the Spirit.

 

So, whatever you do, don’t stop praying!

Be unceasing and persistent in prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (AMP)

Junk Mail

Once when I opened my email and checked the junk mail folder, I had emails about Costa Rica Dream Vacations, Dental Implant Info, and African Safaris, among others. They quickly went to the delete box.

It made me think. Am I a junk mail sender to the Lord when I pray?

 

How do you or I begin our prayers? Do we go right into One to one time with a long list of requests? Or, do we begin by worshiping the One whose presence is worthy?

 

King David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), implied in Psalm 37:4 that the priority in our lives and in prayer is to delight ourselves in the Lord—to worship Him—and then consider our petitions in light of that worship.

 

As believers, our lives are about knowing our Lord. We do that by abiding in Him, the Living Word, and by letting His truth “shape all that we are—and all that we think.” (Daniel Henderson)

 

Jesus Himself puts it this way, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 AMP) His beloved disciple wrote, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15 NKJ)

 

Daniel Henderson wrote, “The Holy Spirit empowers us to know Christ. Worship-based prayer brings us to a greater sensitivity and surrender to the Holy Spirit. As a result, our prayers become Spirit-fueled.” That means we pray by His power and in His wisdom and guidance.

 

So, when we come to our Lord in prayer, if our first priority is praise and adoration of the One, we won’t be sending God junk mail.

Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!” Angels listen as I sing my thanks. I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: “Thank you!” Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word. The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength.

Psalm 138:2 (Message)

 

Stronger!

The PBS show, “Midwives,” is a series based on the best-selling memoirs of the late Jennifer Worth. As a recent episode began, a “street walker” was assaulted. Although, she was found and helped by a nurse, she refused to report the assault. She didn’t want people to know what she did to support her children after her husband had abandoned them. Then, a young mom was assaulted. She had been walking with her crying baby in the night air hoping to calm him. When it didn’t, she was so upset at his crying that she walked away from the pram. That’s when she was assaulted. She didn’t want anyone to know what she’d done so she refused to tell authorities. Both women for different reasons didn’t have the strength.

 

At a point earlier in the episode, the head nun told a younger nun during chapel that her voice needed to be stronger when they sang and worshipped. She said that it not only helps her but others.

 

This same young nun was then assaulted. At first, she, too, refused to cooperate, and she was very angry with God. Why would He allow that to happen to her?

 

Then, it occurred to her—the first two women could not be strong to tell and stop the attacker, but she could. So, she went to the police and told, going through the difficult process that required. Through her testimony, the man was caught and stopped. Her experience, though, resulted in making her stronger, including her voice in song and worship.

 

A song Kelly Clarkson sings, “Stronger,” says, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller … What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter…” That part of her song rings true.

 

Christian artist Mandisa’s “Stronger,” does better by reminding us that even in the “rain,” even when it’s hard to see God, He is still right there and He still cares. But He knows if you hold on, you will end up stronger. Her words echo Peter’s, “After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you his eternal glory. He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever.” (1 Peter 5:10 TLB)

 

It’s tough for us as mothers to see our children go through the hard things this life can throw at them. Sometimes it seems that we can do little or nothing to help them. But our prayers can do what our hands cannot. Our spoken prayers for them can help bring God’s power to work in their lives and help them become stronger.

 

When suffering comes, hold on. Stand firm. Pick up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and fight like a warrior—PRAY! You will bring the strength of God into play.

 

He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place,

and make you stronger than ever.

1 Peter 5:10b (TLB)

Our God is UNHINDERED!

[This is from one talk I gave at our April 23, 2016 Washington State Moms in Prayer Getaway Unhindered.]

We often sing about our God, praising Him and declaring our beliefs.

 

But … what do you and I really believe about the Lord?

 

How do we picture Jesus?

 

Perhaps our picture of Him reveals His passion, such as when, with a whip in hand, He drove the moneychangers out of His Father’s House of Prayer. Perhaps we see Him tenderly lifting a widow’s son off his death carriage and giving him back to his mother. Or perhaps we see Him gathering up the little children to snuggle on His lap. Possibly we see Him compassionately feeding the thousands that gathered to hear Him speak in the wilderness. Do we picture Him purposeful and assertive as He spoke truth in the face of hypocritical religious leaders?

 

These are among the many “pictures” we see in Scripture. But one thing is for certain, we see Him choosing to boldly without hindrance walk out His Father’s plan and purpose for His life.

 

Jesus was and is unhindered. That’s the truth of Scripture.

 

Our God is unhindered.

 

No one can stop Him or thwart His plans. From Genesis 37, we learn Joseph dreamed—twice—that his family would bow down to him. Even his father, Jacob, found that difficult to hear. In verse 20, as they plotted to get rid of Joseph, his brothers said “we’ll see what becomes of his dreams.” But, God’s plans were unhindered by theirs.

 

The cross is another example. That certainly backfired in the enemy’s face! To his chagrin, he found he’d now have to deal with temples—houses of prayer—all over the world! God’s plan!

 

Our God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and on His throne. He can make a way when there is no way. Jeremiah 32:17, 27 remind us that nothing—nada—is too hard for Him.

 

Christine Caine wrote:

 “…nothing can hinder His plan. …

No promise is too hard for God to keep.

No prayer is too hard for God to answer.

No problem is too hard for God to solve.

No person is too hard for God to save.

No mountain is too big for God to move.

No need is too great for God to meet.

There is nothing our God cannot do!”

 

Our God is unhindered: unblocked, unbound, unbridled, unchanged in His character and eternal plan; He is unconfined, unconstrained, uncontrolled, undefeated, never undone, unencumbered, unfettered, unimpeded, uninhibited, unmoved from His purposes, unobstructed, unprevented, unreserved, unrestrained, unrestricted.

 

Our God is unhindered!           

 

Do we believe it?

 

Job did. He said—

 

If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

Job 9:12 (NKJ)

 

But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does.

Job 23:13 (NASB)

 

Even the foreign ruler Nebuchadnezzar recognized God is unhindered. Daniel 4:35

 

The Pharisee Gamaliel, Paul’s Rabbi, knew this when he told the Jewish Council, “if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it.” Acts 5:39

 

The Lord God Himself in His own words confirms this truth. Just read Isaiah 14:24, 27.

 

Tozer wrote: “God moves undisturbed and unhindered toward the fulfillment of those eternal purposes that He purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

 

Do we believe it?

 

Dorothy Sayers wrote: “The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore—on the contrary, they thought him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him ‘meek and mild,’ and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies.”

 

And Jill Carattini wrote: “God who moves unhindered among ordinary people, touching life and history, is not the tame and therapeutic being we attempt to package.”

 

That’s what Job recognized of God when he said, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.” (42:2)

 

Chris Jordan wrote: “Regardless of the circumstances, God is powerful, and He is not thwarted, He is not contained, He is not opposed by man in a way that prohibits Him.”

 

Take a Selah moment to think about these statements.

 

Our God is unhindered.

 

In the Book of Revelation, we are reminded by Jesus Himself—He was there in the beginning, at the very end He will be there, and He is in control of everything in between. He is standing today in the midst of His Church. His eternal plan is progressing. He is unhindered!

 

So, how should we respond?  Romans 14:7, in the Amplified Bible, says, “None of us lives for himself [for his own benefit, but for the Lord], and none of us dies for himself [but for the Lord].”

 

In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus was at the temple watching people put money into the temple treasury. He pointed to a widow who, though obviously poor, put in everything—all. In essence, she “stepped” into the offering plate. BUT, what could have hindered her?

 

Because our enemy sees believers—us—as those who threaten his territory, he will plot and scheme to slow us down and/or stop us. In the Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis alerted us to the fact that one of the devil’s main aims is to hinder, especially to hinder our prayers. To instead do that to him—to hinder him, we need to throw off what hinders as the writer of Hebrews 12:1 tells us.

 

What things do you need to drop at the cross? Fear…worry…unforgiveness…anger…bitterness…?

 

By throwing these things off, we are enabled to get up and move forward unhindered. The truth is we cannot go from here to there without leaving “here.” But, Michael Youssef wrote, “the same Lord who saved your soul and has sustained so many others will enable you to overcome—all the way to the finish line.”

 

So, let’s make sure we are not carrying anything that hinders our God’s power in our lives. Let’s drop those hindrances, those stones, so we are free and unhindered to move forward in boldness. Remember, we have a High Priest who is not only able to empathize with our weaknesses but is able to give us what we need to be unhindered by them.

 

That is because—

 

Our God is unhindered!