The Beginnings Of A Prayer Warrior

February 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This post is by my new friend, Susan Evans. Susan grew up as a missionary’s kid in Guatamala. She is a former public school teacher, and now homeschools their four precious children with a unit study approach. She also incorporates Charlotte Mason’s excellent, hands-on methods. 

Susan has a new website that has a wealth of articles and fun ideas for learning called Hands-On Learning, so be sure to check it out at www.susanevans.org. 

I’ve invited Susan to be a guest blogger this week at Tablet Of My Heart. Please understand that what God did with Susan in the following situation was personal revelation between her and the Lord.  Susan isn’t, and I am not, implying that anyone SHOULD pray for an hour and that two minutes of prayer is not enough.  What God was simply teaching Susan was to learn to enjoy His presence. God just wants to be with you!

Be sure to drop by Susan’s website and let her hear from you!

The Beginnings Of A Prayer Warrior

By Susan Evans

 After hearing a powerful sermon on prayer, I felt convicted that I didn’t pray enough. Because prayer is a lot of hard work, people prefer to spend their time in Scripture. Scripture gives you a high when you learn something new about God, and you are more highly respected when you have more biblical knowledge. Prayer seems like time wasted that could be used for more productive things. 

But Scripture commands us to pray. Not to pray is disobedience. Jesus, who is God, spent chunks of time set aside to pray. On the night before He chose His disciples, He spent the entire night praying and didn’t even sleep. (Luke 6:12) 

I used to think that quick prayers throughout the day were adequate. Because we are commanded to pray without ceasing (I Thess. 4:17), this would be the only way to do it. 

But then I noticed in Scripture how godly people were “devoted to prayer.” (Col. 4:2, Acts 1:14) They actually set aside an hour or a chunk of time to intercede for people. It was considered labor. (Col. 4:12) Labor is hard work. Do I labor when I pray? If all I’m doing is praying two-minute prayers to God, this is not what the Bible is talking about. 

I realized I was lazy. I didn’t feel like praying. It was boring. My mind wandered. I was angry that God was convicting me of this when I had two toddlers and a baby. My life was a foggy list of chores with three children in diapers. How was I going to find time to pray? 

Because of my deep love for Scripture, I always found at least an hour a day to spend in the Word of God. I’m not saying I wasn’t interrupted, but when the baby napped in the morning, I would put the two toddlers in a safe, enclosed area with classical music and take out one set of toys that they hadn’t seen in a few days. I taught my toddlers to play independently from a young age for up to an hour at a time. During this time that I spent with God, I always learned fresh things about God, which helped me to live the way I ought to live. 

Now I decided that I wasn’t going to allow myself to read Scripture until I had prayed a full hour.  I was going to do this for one month, and then I would see what happened. (By the way, I played Scripture on cassette during breakfast, so I wasn’t going to neglect the Word of God. I had been neglecting prayer, and I was going to prayer boot camp, basically.) 

Day 1 – I prayed for everything I could think of. When I was finished praying, I looked at the clock. Five minutes had passed. I thought to myself, “What on earth am I going to do for an hour?!” I felt exasperated that I had set such a ridiculous, impossible goal. I felt like I was fighting a spiritual battle. I had to pace the floor and pray out loud to keep my mind from wandering. I cried out to God, “Teach me how to pray! I have no idea what to do. I’m sorry that being with You is boring. You must really be hurt by that. Maybe I don’t love You as much as I thought. Please give me a greater love for You. I don’t want to run away and learn things about You – I want to know You. I want to hear You. I want to connect to You. I need wisdom. I want Your Spirit in me in great measure. I’m so tired. I don’t have enough in me to actually do this. The desire is almost non-existent, and it scares me.” 

Then I just shut up and opened my heart to God. I settled in. There was no rush. I had to fill up a whole hour anyway. So I would just be in the presence of God for a while. 

I started giving praises to God and magnifying Him. My words all sounded like cliches. I cried. 

Teach me how to pray. 

He did. Wow, did He ever teach me. 

www.SusanEvans.org

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Homeschooling, Marriage, prayer, Spiritual Gifts

How do you know when it’s God?

February 21, 2010 By 2 Comments

How do you recognize when it’s God speaking to you and giving you direction?  How do you determine if it’s your own desires or thoughts, the influence of the world, or even satan?

The Bible says in 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV), “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. ”

God has a still, small voice. It’s important that we take time to pull away and get really quiet before God to listen to Him and hear Him clearly.  We know that God will never violate His own word, so anything that contradicts scripture is not from God. (Titus 1:2, NKJV)  

We primarily hear God’s voice through the Bible – reading it, studying it, memorizing it.  The Bible is the very thoughts and heart of God.  It is our life map, our wisdom, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalm 119: 105) As you are reading the Bible, something from the page will often jump out to you. Faith will be stirred in your heart. There is an inner witness, a knowing this was God.

Another way to know the voice of God is to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings with a word from God.  Jesus came to give us peace, so any voice that leaves us feeling confused, fearful, angry, discouraged, etc, is not from God.  John 14:25-27 (The Message) says, “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.”

We can also find out the will of God through the advice, prayers, and prophetic words of godly people. God often uses His people to confirm the word of the Lord to us.  Proverbs 11:14 (NASB) says, “Where there there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory. ” The Darby Translation of that same verse says, “Where no advice is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

Although this is not always a reliable source of confirmation, at times God does give His people dreams and visions to guide them. God spoke to Joseph in his dreams that one day he would be ruler over his father and his brothers, who sold him into slavery out of jealousy. (Genesis 37)  God spoke to Peter in a dream about what was clean and unclean, which was His word and direction to Peter to preach the good news of salvation to the Gentiles. (Acts 10: 9-40)  God spoke to John of the end of times in the book of Revelation.

God may use one or a number of these ways to speak to us.  To learn more about being able to hear God’s voice, and spending quiet time with Him each day in prayer, click here.

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Spiritual Gifts

My husband is HOME!

February 20, 2010 By 2 Comments

Praise God, praise God, praise God, my husband Ray is now safely home!  And oh, what opposition there was to get him here!  He was supposed to leave yesterday morning at 8 a.m. on a MAF flight. He and others were booted off that plane to make room for other persons, who had previously paid and were given preferential treatment.

He talked with a state rep, and after TWELVE hours of waiting in the Haiti airport on different planes, he winded up taking a U.S. military Air Force cargo plane with a bunch of other people to Miami, FL (no seats; he had to sit on the floor), which arrived about 1 a.m. this morning.  A friend picked him up in Miami and drove him two hours to Melbourne, FL, where he was able to get a quick shower at the friend’s house and then board a plane to Charlotte, NC. He texted and called me at 6 a.m. to let me know he was in the U.S..  He had an hour layover in Charlotte, then boarded the plane to Kansas City, MO.

Meanwhile back home driving on the way to the airport, I noticed smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and as I slowed down I saw smoke coming out in a greyish, large cloud from the engine in the front of our car!  I pulled over asap and told our daughter Leah to get OUT of the car.

As I stood there, staring at the smoke and wondering how I would be able to get to the airport, a woman in a white van – one of God’s ministering angels, no doubt, by the name of Barbara – pulled up and asked if she could help us. She let Leah and me stay in her warm van until help arrived.  She would not let me pay her, either, and she just called me “friend” and said she was glad to help me.

Our daughter Heather left the church office, where she was doing volunteer work today, to pick us up.  Heather and our 4-year-old granddaughter Violet, our daughter Leah, and I then went to the airport to pick up Ray.  His plane was right on time.  It was SO good to see him at last!  We greeted him with a long-stemmed, red rose and lots of happy hugs!

On the way back,we picked up the car after seeing if it would start okay and not smoke anymore, and on the exit ramp, it just died and smoke came out of the engine again. We had it towed by a shop in town, went to pick up a bite to eat, and then went home.  We’re praying it won’t cost a lot to fix it.

As we pulled up in our driveway, Ray saw the “Welcome Home” banner and “Our Hero in Haiti” sign I had put out there this morning.  He said it was a little embarrassing, but I think it touched him! 

I also had “Welcome Home Balloons,” a box of Valentine chocolates, and the newspaper article on his work in Haiti waiting for him inside the house. When we came home, we discovered that our rent had been prepaid by someone for us for this coming month as God’s special blessing to us; and had received an unexpected check that we hope will more than cover our car repairs!  Oh, God is so good!

We ate, I gave him an oil massage to relieve his stiff neck, and he is now peacefully resting in our bedroom. Our hero in Haiti is now home!  Praise You, Lord Jesus!  Thank you all so much for praying for his safe return. The stories he’s been sharing have been just amazin, and I can’t wait to share the pics and videoes with you!

“Let the saints be joyful in glory, Let them sing aloud on their beds, Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations.”

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Travel

Waiting is the hardest part

February 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Today is the day that Ray is supposed to leave Haiti on a propellor plane. He stays overnight in Florida, then tomorrow he arrives in Kansas City, MO, in the afternoon. I am still waiting to hear if he made it out of Haiti yet.  God, with His sense of humor, seems to enjoy making me wait on a lot of things:

  • Redlights;
  • Slow cashiers in the speed lane;
  • Sunday drivers on Friday afternoons;
  • The drive-up bank lane, which has one car and that I pulled into, is slower than the one with three;
  • A husband who never makes quick decisions;
  • Children who get dressed as slow as molasses;
  • Payday;
  • Websites pages that load slowly;
  • A husband coming back from a foreign land who I haven’t seen in a month. 

 What do you do to help you wait?

“My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.”  (Psalm 62:5, NKJV)

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer

Forgiven, Not Condemned

February 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Pharisees and the scribes brought in a woman caught in adultery to Jesus in the temple, asking Him what should be done with her. The woman probably feared that Jesus would harshly judge her. But she found instead that she was forgiven, not condemned, and Jesus told the Pharisees and the scribes to let those who had no sin to be the first to throw a stone at her. 

Is there some sin that you’ve done or are struggling with right now that you feel condemned for?  Join Beth today as she shares about God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. Jesus doesn’t want you under that weight of condemnation and shame, but to forgive you and to set you free.

Filed Under: Podcast

Face it!

February 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you’ve noticed a new pic of me on the home (welcome) page, that’s because my friend Diane generously offered to spend today taking various pictures of me with her cool camera, so that I could have a fresh pic this year for my website.  After she finished and we put them on my laptop, I uploaded them to Facebook and asked my friends to vote on their favorite one for my website’s “Welcome” page. Hands down, the one on my home page was the winner.  It was between this one, seen at right and at www.bethjones.net , OR

this one on my “About” page:  http://www.bethjones.net/about/. I am still debating!

The 3rd voter winner I used for my ”Speaking” page:  http://www.bethjones.net/about/speaking/

Another voter favorite was this one that I used for my “Contact” page:  http://www.bethjones.net/about/contact/

The rest I used for “Just some fun pics” under my “About” heading  here.

What do you, my dear readers and listeners, think? What’s your favorite?  You can either leave a comment below, or send me an email at elizabethdjones@gmail.com. 

And let’s face it, we don’t always want to look at ourselves in pictures.  A picture sure shows that extra winter weight we’ve gained this year – or some other unattractive feature!  But aren’t we glad that God doesn’t view us how we see ourselves?  He views us through the clear lens of His unconditional love. He says our face is LOVELY to Him (Song of Solomon 2:14). 

The next time you look at yourself in the mirror or see a picture of yourself that you don’t really like, ask God to give you a revelation of how HE sees you, the way He sees His Son Jesus. Perfect. Righteous. Beloved. His very own, unique, radiant reflection – His beautiful Bride without spot or blemish.

My beautiful friend Diane

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Spiritual Gifts

Ray’s flights scheduled this week

February 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Me ~ Ray’s coming home!

After nearly a month of my husband Ray being in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, to help our pastor friend Jay Threadgill and the earthquake victims, Ray is coming home. His flight out of Haiti on a propellor plane is scheduled to leave this Thursday, and his flights from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Charlotte, NC, and then to Kansas City, MO are scheduled Friday. 

All of these flights are still “iffy,” so please pray for God to move mightily on Ray’s behalf and for traveling mercies to get him safely home.  Please continue to pray for his total healing of his cough, and his physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration.

The needs in Haiti will continue for years. May we not forget them in prayer and in giving monetarily. Psalm 146: 7-9 says:

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
       and gives food to the hungry.
       The LORD sets prisoners free,

 8 the LORD gives sight to the blind,
       the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
       the LORD loves the righteous.

 9 The LORD watches over the alien
       and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
       but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

To donate to pastor Jay’s continuing work in Haiti, click here.  You can also still give to Ray’s medical mission trip through his medical-security missions organization,  SEMSAR.

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Travel Tagged With: , , ,

Beauty for ashes

February 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The magnitude -7.0 earthquake in Haiti was devasting, killing an estimated 200,000 people with millions displaced and hungry.  But God is creating beauty out of the ashes.  Thousands of Haitians have been attending pastor Jay’s early morning prayer meetings, and at least 300 received salvation recently. Below is the latest newsletter update from pastor Jay Threadgill in Port-au-Prince on the rebuilding process and praise reports.

Ray is still not home yet; he’s trying to get a plane this coming Tuesday to fly to the U.S.  He’s having a lot of trouble getting out of there, and lately he’s been sick with a deep cough. Pastor Jay, Ray, the staff, and the Haitians have had little food, and are having to rely on God for their daily bread.  

The last I heard, the medical clinic was still going strong with Ray treating at least 200 patients a day, and disease was beginning to break out in the tent city on the compound’s grounds.  Please pray for a plane for Ray very soon and for total healing of his cough.  Because the internet is hit and miss over there, and his cell phone doesn’t work there, he hasn’t been able to contact me lately. I only receive his sporadic updates on Facebook. Thank you for your continual prayers for his safe return. Here is pastor Jay’s newsletter:

 Once again, our Lord and Savior has brought forth such a wonderful surprise. Today is the one month anniversary of the earthquake. The nation called a day of mourning. The collective church called for a day of fasting and prayer. Guess we know who’s hearing God, huh?

OVER 15,000 IN ATTENDANCE!

Little did I know that the crowds would come to our church site to pray. I was expecting a good double of our normal attendance for prayer, but I was pleasantly surprised as people kept coming, and coming, and coming. It was well over 15,000 who came. Maybe close to 20,000, but I always stay a bit conservative with my numbers.

They were everywhere. In front, on the hill, under the trees. There were at least a thousand standing behind the platform. The power, mercy and love of God was all over us. There was a great call and prayer for national repentance. We literally stood before the throne of God and cried out to him that He would forgive our nation. The worship was sweet. The presence of God was real. Thank you Jesus! Check the pics on our relief page… www.fomrelief.com

OVER 300 SAVED!

Even though it was a prayer service, many came that were not yet saved. It may even be close to 500 who accepted Jesus today. I don’t know, but I’ll have actual numbers tomorrow. The saints have a whole new sobriety to the Holiness of God along with approaching His throne. Thank you Lord for drawing your people to your saving Grace.

TENT TO BE LOADED AND SHIPPED THIS NEXT WEEK.

We are so excited about getting our new 20,000 sq. ft. tent this next week. We’re still getting the concrete forms and iron set on the site. This should be done this week. Hopefully before the tent comes, we’ll have the cement poured. We want to give our special thanks to City Church in Northern California for the purchase, transport, and help with the tent, the air blowers and all the other many details that they have covered to enable us to have a place to worship. Thank you God! Thank you City Church!

WE’RE BACK UP FEEDING!

By the grace of God we’ve received a couple of shipments of food that have enabled us to begin feeding the people in the surrounding areas. I’m sure we’ve already come close to putting another 10,000 meals out. We’ll be ministering to our own church members, Monday. Many have been somewhat scattered since the event.

IT’S A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT!

Well we’re out of the news, but still in the battle. Hundreds of thousands still live in tent cities all over the city. Food is beginning to get distributed through different agencies, but many still live with below basic provisions.

We’ve now began the “Rebuild Phase”. We’re working on our own facility repairs. We’ve begun to take some of the money donated and have started helping people repair their houses. This is an area many of you can give to. For about $3K we can rebuild or repair many of our brothers and sisters houses. If this interests you or your church…please contact us so that we can work out the details with you.

Remember we love all of you so much. Linda and I want to thank you for all your sacrifice and prayers. Together we will “Rebuild Haiti” as we “Build His Kingdom.”

********

To donate to Ray’s medical mission trip in Haiti, send a check or money order to pastor Jay’s Melbourne, FL headquarters address listed on his website here or to Beth Jones, P. O. Box 452, Butler, MO, 64730.  For the checks or money orders going to Florida, be sure to mark your check memo or the bottom of the money order as “Ray Jones.”

Or if you’d rather donate directly to pastor Jay, you can donate via Paypal on pastor Jay’s website.

Here is a video taken of the service with the Haitians streaming in. One of the pastors is speaking to the people, most likely in Creole (native language other than French and English).

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Travel Tagged With: , , ,

Dreams you never thought to dream!

February 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

What big dreams are in your heart tonight? Did you know that God wants to bless you even MORE than you even dared to imagine? That is what happened to me today!

Today I had to learn to – BREATHE.   I was a LIVE speaker today on Cindy Rushton’s Ultimate Women’s Expo, A Year That Counts.  God is just SO good to me!  And I got through it without fainting, LOL! 

Cindy has been my role model for years as a wife, mom, writer, and speaker, and I was SO honored that she asked me to do this.  You can still grab a ticket to hear my session today and ALL the speakers’ session audios, PLUS get free bonus ebooks, articles, bookmarks, prayer sheets, and audios in the mommy grab bag!  The speakers have been just INCREDIBLE for this expo!  God has been all over it.  Just grab your ticket here!  http://www.bethjones.net/yearthatcounts.html

Tomorrow Felice Gerwitz will be speaking at 8 a.m. CST. I LOVE Felice. She is so awesome.  I may be there in my pj’s, drinking strong coffee (with LOTS of my Hershey’s International Delight chocolate-caramel creamer), but I do plan to be UP to have a “morning feast” with her teaching!

Hope to see you there, too!

***

Want to stay in touch with me and get all the latest here at Tablet Of My Heart?  Sign up for my personal mailing list today and receive a free ebook and audio, PLUS mini-articles, links to my latest podcast, event and product announcements. You’ll also receive bonus goodies like articles, audios, and ebooks.  Sign up at the top of the page on the right-hand side at www.bethjones.net.

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Homeschooling, Marriage, prayer, Speaking, Spiritual Gifts, Travel, Writing

Ready for A Year That Counts?

February 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Are you ready for a life this year that counts? That really matters?  That draws you closer to Jesus?

Here are some practical tips to do that:

Pull away to be alone with God for an hour, a day, a weekend.  Pray and seek God’s will and direction for your life. Get quiet and still before God. He will speak to you great and mighty things.You don’t have to pray long for hours to do that.

You can pray anytime, anywhere. Your quiet time with God can be early in the morning as you’re getting ready for your day, in the afternoon when the kids are playing or reading, or at night before you go to bed. God just wants to be with you! He loves spending time with you!

Study God’s word each day, and let His Spirit speak to you. Obey Him.  Learn to repent quickly when you do mess up.  His word is a lamp to our feet. Only faith pleases the Lord. Our faith grows by hearing the Word of God, and by relying on and trusting in God.

Seek wise counsel from others.  In an abundance of counselors we wage war and have victory. Find spiritual fathers and mothers, mentors and life coaches to pour into you what they’ve learned, to speak truth, correction, advice, and guidance into your life. They will help you along life’s journey. We weren’t meant to travel life alone.  We need others.

Eliminate whatever’s unnecessary. Learn the POWER OF PRUNING.  Identify distractions, hindrances, besetting sins that keep you from an intimate relationship with God, and that cause you to veer off your course this year.

Manage your time well.  Don’t let time thieves rob your life, especially your quiet time with God.  Make the most of every minute count, so that you can do and become what God has called you to and to be.  Take control of your time so that you won’t get to the end of your life (or year) with regrets over wasted time.

Remember how important PEOPLE are, not things. Life is more than making a lot of money, having nice things, building a great business or career.  Cultivate intimate relationships with people.  Spend time with those you love – family and friends. Tell them how much you love and appreciate them every day, because we have no guarantees of tomorrow. Live as if each day were your last.

Get out of self.  Develop a servant’s heart like Jesus’ heart when He wrapped the towel around his waist and washed His disciples’ feet.  Help others in practical, needful ways.

Become a giver. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so we could live with Him forever. Give of your time, your money, your gifts, your heart.

Live your life intentionally and with laser focus. Discover your purpose, tap into your great potential. You have so much more inside of you than you even realize!  You’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg so far; God has so much more in store for you this year for His glory! He has great plans for you!

Don’t forget to have fun! Life is not meant to be endured, but LIVED.  We need to laugh more and have lots of fun every day. Look at how children laugh a lot, play and are so happy. The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Become who God destined you to become.  Find out what your spiritual gifts are and begin using them for God’s glory and to further His kingdom.  Find your niche, your place in this world – and bless others with what God has deposited inside of you to minister to Him and to others.  This year, live a life that counts!

Would you like to learn more about having a year that counts?  Join me for Cindy Rushton’s Ultimate Women’s Expo this Friday, February 12 at 2 p.m. CST. I  will be speaking on Holding onto God: Mary Magdela and Other Women Who Would Not Let Go!

Join me here.

http://www.bethjones.net/yearthatcounts.html

Are you ready for encouragement, refreshment, and inspiration from some mighty, anointed women of God?  There is no deadline for joining in on this great time together as women after God’s own heart!  Get your ticket TODAY! 

Cindy Rushton is donating a FREE ticket to the expo!!!!!!  To win, go to the link above, and tell me what session you would enjoy the most and why.  Just leave a comment here or at my Facebook fan page. Limit 3 entries per person. The deadline is Thursday, February 11, 2010, at 11 p.m.

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage, prayer, Speaking, Spiritual Gifts, Travel, Writing
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