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Archive for the ‘God Is: A 7 Day Devotional’ Category

Day 7: My Reflections on Jehovah (The Lord)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , on September 19, 2013| 1 Comment »

Jehovah

I have learned so much about who God is through writing this series of devotionals. Our God is truly EVERYTHING that we will ever need in this life. I am so grateful that we have a loving God that shares His names with us so we can call on Him in any situation, at any time. He has a name that we can call on for any circumstance that we may find ourselves in. I chose 6 for this devotional series, but there are so many more. He is all powerful, all knowing, everywhere at every moment. How GREAT is our God! How AWESOME is our God!

Some of the things that I learned from writing these devotionals:

Jehovah Jireh is the God of provision. As a single mom, there have been so many times when I didn’t know how the bills would get paid and how I would provide for 5 kids. I often called out to God to provide. Jehovah Jireh heard the cries of my heart and has ALWAYS provided.

Jehovah Nissi is my banner. It doesn’t matter what battles I face in life, God is my victory.

Jehovah Rapha is my healer.  He heals me physically, emotionally and spiritually. I had pneumonia for 6 weeks in 2006. I was caring for 5 children 13 and under. I struggled through work until the doctor told me to stay home or she would put me in the hospital. I didn’t have the energy to crawl through my day, much less take care of 5 kids. In my illness, I cried out to my healer and Jehovah Rapha answered.

Jehovah Shalom is my peace. In this chaotic world, we need a corner where we can find peace. God has been that peace for me. Jehovah Shalom, my peace in a messy world.

Jehovah Shammah is always there. It has been such a blessing to know that God is everywhere we go, knows everything we face and will never leave us to struggle alone.

Jehovah Sabaoth is the Lord of Hosts. I have faced battles in my life. Battles against other people and spiritual battles. I serve a God who is the commander in chief of not only heavenly armies, but also earthly armies. Nothing happens without His approval. When I cry out to Him in the midst of a battle, Jehovah Sabaoth answers and fights for me.

I pray that this devotional series has encouraged you. These are not the only names of God. I encourage you to research on your own, make a list of all the names of God, and use those names in prayer when faced with a tough situation.

I would also encourage you to use a journal to write down what each name of God means to you in your life.

This journey has drawn me so much closer to my Father. Praise His name! HE IS MY EVERYTHING!

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Day 6: Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , , on September 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Jehovah Saboath

Exodus 15:2-3

2 “The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.

The Lord of Hosts is our Warrior. He will protect, deliver and rescue us. As a single mom, I find this very reassuring. Our God is the Lord of armies and He is willing to fight for us when we need Him to. There have been many times in my life when I was faced with difficult situations and have felt that I was in the battle on my own. I felt that everyone was coming against me and no one was on my side. I never need to worry. God always has the back of His children.

Are you fighting a battle right now and feel that you are fighting alone? The Lord of angel armies is waiting for you to go to Him in your time of need. He is willing to fight for you. You just need to ask. Start with this prayer:

Jehovah Sabaoth,

I am fighting a battle with_________________ and I know I will never win this battle on my own. I need you! I need you to fight for me. I surrender this battle to you, Lord of Hosts. I know you have my back. I praise your name! I thank you for hearing the cries of your children. I thank you for coming to the rescue of your children. I need you now.

Amen

You are NOT in this fight alone! If you need me to pray with you or for you, use my contact page and I will get in touch with you. With God fighting for us, we need not worry. Nothing in heaven or on earth can ever overpower our Lord of Hosts!

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Day 5: Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , , , on September 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

7-Jehovah-Shammah

 

 

Ezekiel 48:35

“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord Is There.”

When I first realized that my marriage was coming to an end, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of abandonment. I felt completely alone. I felt like no one cared about what happened to me. At that point in my life, I did not feel the presence of God. I felt like everyone had left me, including God.

I know that God never left me and never will. He is my Jehovah Shammah, always there in the midst of our heartache and pain. Life is full of loss. There is no way to get around it. At one time or another, we will ALL feel loss in our lives. In the midst of that heartache, our Lord IS there!

If you are dealing with a loss right now and feel like your heart is breaking into a million pieces. If you feel abandoned by those that you love, know that our heavenly Father is right there beside you. He will never abandon you. He will never leave you to handle your pain alone. Cry out to Him. Let Him know how hurt you are. He is waiting.

Jehovah Shammah,

Thank you for being The Lord Who Is There. I am feeling so hurt and abandoned right now. I don’t know how I will ever go on on my own, I feel paralyzed by fear and my heart has been broken. Help me, Jehovah Shammah, get through this pain that I feel. I am surrendering the hurt and the pain to you. I acknowledge that you are here with me. I am not alone. You ARE here. I praise you, Lord!

Amen

If you are feeling overwhelmed by loss and the broken heart of abandonment, please remember that you are NOT alone. Let me know how I can pray for you. You ARE special! God loves you and will NEVER abandon you!

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Day 4: Jehovah Shalom (My Peace)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , on September 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Jehovah Shalom

Judges 6:22-24

22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

When the Lord told Gideon that He was sending him to save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, Gideon replied, “Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

Not only did the Lord save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, He did it with only 300 men! Gideon must have thought God was crazy when He told Gideon his army was to large. He must have felt that he was crazy when he faced the Midianite army with only 300 men, but he obeyed God and God gave him the victory.

Gideon faced an overwhelming battle, but he walked in the peace of the Lord, knowing that God was with him. Gideon could have run in fear. No one would have blamed him. Instead he chose to trust God to fight the battle with him. He knew God’s peace.

In my life as a single mom, there have been many times when I have struggled to feel the peace of God. I have dealt with overwhelming anger, fear, bitterness, and the list goes on. Peace alluded me, until I found my Jehovah Shalom, my God of peace. My life still gets crazy and sometimes I do still feel overwhelmed, but I know I have a God of peace who is willing to walk this out with me.

If you are feeling overwhelmed in this season of life, know that we have a God of peace willing to give us the gift of peace. All we have to do is ask!

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace of our Lord and Savior will guard our hearts and minds! If you are feeling overwhelmed today and think that peace is something that you will never attain, I encourage you to say this prayer:

Jehovah Shalom,

My God of peace! I am feeling so overwhelmed right now. I feel chaos and stress around every corner. I hunger for the peace that surpasses ALL understanding. I want that peace in my life that comes only from you. I know that it is a gift and I only need to ask and open myself up to receive. I am surrendering everything in my life that is overwhelming me and keeping me from feeling your peace. I am letting go of that control that my circumstances have on my life and I open my heart and my mind up to receive that peace that only comes from you. I accept the gift of peace and I trust you to walk this out with me. Thank you Father for the gift of peace!

Amen

If I can pray for you, or guide you along the path to peace, please contact me! I am here!

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Day 3: Jehovah Rapha (My Healer)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , , on August 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

8-Jehovah-Rapha

Exodus 15:26

He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

How reassuring to know that we have a God that heals us! In my life my Jehovah Rapha has healed me from fear, a failed marriage, and anger. Not that I don’t sometimes feel fear or anger, but they don’t control me like they once did.

God wanted the Israelites to be healed from the past and live in peace. He loved His chosen people and only wanted what was best for them. He feels the same about us today. Our heavenly Father loves us and wants to heal us. He wants us to live in peace. He wants to heal us, but we have to be willing to admit that we need to be healed. We have to stop living in denial and accept God’s love for us. We need to let go of the thing that keeps us from living our lives fully and open our hands to receive the love and healing that God is waiting to pour out. He will not force us to accept this gift. We have to be at the point where we are sick and tired of the way things are and we are ready to experience how things can be with God. It is up to you, my friend. If you are ready to accept this gift of healing, open your heart to healing with the following prayer:

I am opening my heart to you, Jehovah Rapha, for healing. I am opening my body to you for healing. I open my spirit and my mind to you for healing. I am struggling with_______________ and need healing, Lord. I know that your healing is a gift and I let go of my hold on this issue and open myself up to your love and healing. I thank you and I praise you for the healing that is already taking place. I give you ALL the glory!

Amen

God can heal EVERYTHING! Addictions, a broken marriage, a chronic illness, a mental illness, spiritual issues, etc. God can heal it! You are never alone in your struggles. Jehovah Rapha is ALWAYS with us! Contact me if I can pray for you. I am here for you, sister friend!

the new doves nest

I am dedicating this post to the courageous women of the Dove’s Nest Recovery Home in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Dove’s Nest is part of The Charlotte Rescue Mission. I  found out about this christian recovery home for women through the On-line Bible Study with Proverbs 31 Ministries. These women are remarkable in their strength and determination to change their lives. For more information on the Doves Nest or to make a donation go to http://www.charlotterescuemission.org. I have faith that Jehovah Rapha will heal these women.

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Day 2: Jehovah Nissi (My Banner)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , on August 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »

11-Jehovah-Nissi

 

Exodus 17:15

Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

The Amalekites had come against the Israelites and had lifted up hands against the throne of the Lord (Exodus 17:16). As a result God came against them and Joshua wiped them out by the sword.

In my lifetime there have been times when the enemy, Satan, has come against me. He has used fear, low self-confidence, and lies to keep me from fulfilling God’s purpose for my life. Satan has used my past against me. I believed the lies. I believed that I was not good enough to be used by God.

Over the years, the Lord has healed my heart and I no longer believe the lies of the enemy. I believe the truth of God’s Word, that I am to walk in courage knowing that God is with me. I believed God’s Word that I am loved and cherished by my heavenly Father. As Jehovah Nissi, God has been my banner. He has been the won who fought for me and won my battles against the enemy. My Lord Jesus has been my victory and has given me victory.

God is our banner. He fights our battles for us, giving us the victory. What is your battle against today? Is it drugs, pornography, fear, low self-esteem, false sense of identity, abuse? Whatever it is God will fight this battle with you, giving you the victory. He only wants you to trust Him with it. He wants you to be willing to let go and place the battle into His more than capable hands. Saying the prayer below may be a place to start:

Jehovah Nissi,

I know in my heart that you are my banner, my victory and I give my battle with_______________ to you. I surrender it all to you and trust that you are fighting the battle for me, giving me the victory. I know that I cannot fight this battle alone. I need you to fight it for me. I thank you for giving me the victory!

Amen

Keep praying and keep lifting up the name of the Lord our banner, Jehovah Nissi. You never have to fight alone. Our Father never expected us to have to fight alone. He is here to fight with us. Give it to Him and He WILL give you the VICTORY!

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Day 1: Jehovah Jireh (My Provider)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , , , on August 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Jehovah Jireh

Genesis 22:13,14

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by it’s horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

In chapter 22, God told Abraham to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him to the Lord. Abraham obeyed, and took his son to sacrifice him. Abraham had faith that God would not harm Isaac. God had told Abraham in Genesis 17:19 “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” Abraham knew that God would not break His promise. God provided the ram to take Isaac’s place on the alter.

As a single mom, there have been many nights when I have laid awake and worried about finances. I worked part-time and lived paycheck to paycheck. Over the years, my faith in God has grown, as Jehovah Jireh (my Provider) has time and again provided for us. For many years, as the kids were growing up and out of clothes, every time I noticed that one of the kids was in need of clothes, someone would come with a big bag of clothes that fit that specific child. The giver never knew of the need, but God did. I came home from work one day to two big trash bags full of clothes for the girls, who were growing like weeds. I never found out who left them. We always had food. Even though vehicles broke down all the time, I always had transportation. I have been blessed with an ex-husband, who has helped out in many ways. I have always been grateful for a God who provides for His children.

Are you in need, my friend? Go to God and tell Him of that need. He already knows, He is just waiting for you to come to Him. Lay it at His feet and allow Him to provide. If it helps, say the following prayer:

Jehovah Jireh,

I know you are my provider. I come to you now and lay _______________ at your feet. I am surrendering this need to you, Lord and I, like Abraham, trust that you will provide at this time. I give thanks, knowing that you are already at work on my behalf. Thank you, Father.

Amen

If there is any way I can pray for you, contact me and let me share this burden. I want to remind you that our God is a God of love. He loves you and He will take care of you. Trust Him!

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