Free Access to the Throne

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? ” Esther 4:14 (ESV)

We read this passage and picture a confident bold woman marching into the King, ready to challenge the unjust decree against her nation. This is far from the truth that is found in the full story.

Esther was a young, vulnerable woman – armed with a few attributes that ultimately became weapons through the hand of God and brought deliverance. No foot stomping, no raised voice, no screaming demands or threats were needed. Trust, humility, obedience and the wisdom of God were carried on her head and shoulders as she entered the throne room.

Esther trusted her uncle’s advice and trusted that God was in charge of the situation. Armed with that trust she stepped under a mantle of humility as she accepted the presented task.  With that spirit of humility, she requested help. It was time to pray! She entrusted this time of prayer and fasting to those that she was willingly stepping in the gap to save. It was this designated time in the presence of God that brought his intervention.

I don’t believe that the three days of prayer and fasting were easy for her. Just as Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane asked for a way out “if it be possible let this cup pass from me”; she also, had to come to a place of obedience at all cost. Esther’s obedience- her YES Lord – came during that time of prayer, waiting, listening, and trusting in a God who is good ALL the time – “even if” the answer might be NO.

The wisdom of God began to seep into her quieted mind sometime during those days of waiting in His presence. It was here that she was given very specific plans; and the only agenda she went into the throne room with, was God’s. Following those plans – doing it God’s way, turned the tables of history.  Most of us would NOT have invited the King and our enemy over for dinner.

Esther came before the king – confident – but confident that God was in control.

She glided into that room with humility and the favor of God that stirred the King; not only did he hold the scepter out to her, invite her to him, deliver her from the law of death but he also offered her the ability to ask for whatever she desired. Now that is FAVOR! That favor delivered an entire nation from death.

This is a great inspiring story, but what does it have to do with us – now – today?

This story shows us our place in prayer. Our ability to step into the gap – to go into the throne room – to carry requests for deliverance to Our King, and it is a choice set before each of us. We have been gifted, free of charge, great-unlimited access! When we obediently enter His presence with complete trust and humility, our Father always listens. Wisdom, direction, freedom and deliverance are only a breath away.

Don’t step back, wait or think you will stand in prayer for that person, that situation, that illness, that event – next time or “maybe tomorrow”. Take your place on the wall – stand in the gap between the broken and the needy; be willingly to lay down your agenda and with trust and obedience boldly go to the throne room of our Father – for it is TIME to pray.

“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Face to Face – Heart to Heart

I go to sleep and wake up to a handsome face that has been next to me for over 40 years. I know his eyes, his mouth, his smile, his hands, his voice and even his growing wrinkles; the interesting part is that this man looks the same to me now as he did in his 20’s. I know him face to face; heart to heart, for we have become one.

Jesus knows us the same and he calls us to that type of relationship and communication. He knows every hair, every wrinkle, even every thought – he knows us intimately and asks us -desires for us – to come close and know him face to face, heart to heart.

Intimacy comes from knowing, and knowing takes time; time at His feet, time in quiet stillness, in a face to face; heart to heart connection and we call this prayer. No hurried “hello, have a great day” quick kiss on your way out the door will work.  No relationship is built on fast pace connection, it is all about spending time.

“Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

This type of face to face, heart to heart adoration changes you at your very core. All the worries of the day, fears of the night – life’s craziness, falls away and peace rushes in.

As my husband’s presence brings me overwhelming love and joy just because he is who he is; so does a face to face, heart to heart walk with Jesus bring an abundant life filled with joy – deep down joy.

What does it take? How do you get there?

Desire it! Ask for it!

Take TIME! SLOW down!

Wait silently! Sit and LISTEN!

And extravagantly ENJOY it!

The best part of your day will be waking up to HIM; for you will walk face to face, heart to heart, with your savior.

Artwork courtesy of: Dennis L. Sanchez

What a Ride – Let’s Go Again!

The roller coaster looms ahead, growing larger as you move closer to the ticket taker.  Your heart begins to race as your sweaty palms clasp around the cold steel that locks you into place. Is it to late to get off, run the other way? The gears begin to clunk under the car, grinding forward as the ascent begins. “OH NO – here we go”. Your heart seems to stop and your eyes shut tight as you reach the top. Suddenly, the wind whips your hair back, the scream erupts from your throat, and the exhilarating rush of speed courses through every cell as the rattling coaster car descends, only to find it beginning the upward climb of anticipation again and again. The end comes sooner then you desire but the ride was worth every emotion that you experienced. The unexpected joyful cry is “what a ride – let’s go again”.

Walking in faith is rather like that roller coaster ride. We must be willing to accept and pass over our ticket, climb into the seat with shaking clammy hands, trust that the gears, car and steel will hold us and get us to the end safely. The uphill grinding and the downhill exhilarating rush are expected each time we step out and say YES, Lord! But when we take this ride of faith, we get through one ride and our excitement for the next is one of great expectation. Our hearts joyfully cry “what a ride – let’s go again”.

for we walk by faith not by sight. II Cor. 5:7

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. II Cor. 1:20

“Pass the Potatoes”

At our holiday meals the presence of mashed potatoes is required. With a minimum of 16 present at any one time the familiar phrase “pass the potatoes” is heard every couple of minutes throughout our meal.

One day as I was praying intently, I heard a little whisper from the Holy Spirit that said, “Pass the potatoes”. It was so out of place that I had to open my eyes, stop and audibly say “Huh?” This encounter and its revelation has changed my prayer life.

As I listened, He instructed, “I haven’t asked you to till the ground, plant the potatoes, water them, harvest them, clean them, peel them, boil them, mash them, and serve them; ONLY to pass the potatoes. I have done, and do all the rest”.

WOW – it is simply our joy to PRAY (“pass the potatoes”).

As we receive prayer requests, even those that are heavy and painful, it is only our place to take the bowl from those weak shaking hands into our own, and simply pass those requests (pass the potatoes) to the waiting hands of Jesus.

We are sitting with HIM at the table; we are placed in the gap between the need and our Lord. It is our privilege, our honor, our calling – to say YES and pass them to HIM.

We need not till the ground – preparing it for him. We need not plant the request. We need not water with continual begging. We need not clean, peel, boil and mash it into a correctly sounding request. We need not serve it to those around us – we simply need to receive it into our hands and move it with intent into HIS hands. Then our part is done.

The simplicity of this concept lifted self-induced pressure from my prayer life and brought freedom that allows me to continually lift requests to the throne – day and night.

WOW – it is simply our joy to PRAY (“pass the potatoes”).

I Thess 5:17. Pray without ceasing

 

Photo courtesy of graur razvan ionut @ freedigitalphotos.net

“I am a kid – Silly”

I love watching my grandson and his 6-year-old friends! One day they were all “being dinosaurs” and I asked them “who are you”? I was prepared to hear T-Rex and a list of all the great ones they know by name along with detailed information of each. To my surprise my grandson declared, “I am a kid, silly”.

These words spoken from a child’s perspective are ones we need to chew on and remember. We grow up and “become” whatever we have worked hard to get to – through education, training and practice as well as those passions and gifts that God has endowed us with naturally. BUT those are simply like “playing dinosaurs” – who we really ARE is not connected in any way to what we do.

WE are simply kids!   Children of the Most High God!

As we learn and walk in this understanding, all the striving, performing and need to succeed drops away as freedom to BE who we are, begins to ring true all around us.

We can step in and play dinosaur when needed – doing our jobs and pursuing our passions, but we must understand that we are not a dinosaur! And with freedom we can simply announce, “I am a kid, silly.”

Declare today that you are a child of the Most High God! Enjoy what you do, but don’t allow it to steal your identity.

Just BE a kid, silly!!

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Rom. 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God

 

Your Spring Will Come

Walking past barren, deciduous trees in early spring, a reminder of the past harsh winter is visible all around; however, an interesting event occurs as day after day you make the same passing. One day they are barren and suddenly, the next day they have burst forth in color. Hidden for those fleeting months life was sleeping deep inside; it  was producing energy to bring forth buds and conserving power to erupt with new life.

We too, live through times that are harsh, barren, and cold. Life circumstances seem to swirl around us and strip us from all hope, joy and motivation; emptying our leaves and leaving us standing just like those barren deciduous trees.

When our lives are dry, barren and broken we must look to the spring. Our spring waits for the warm touch of our Lord. He knows what is hidden inside of each of us, what is ready to flourish, what is ready to show forth His glory. His timing and our humility will change our mourning into dancing and produce what He has ordained from the beginning of time. Our part is to trust in the spring that is coming, rejoice in the hidden buds being created, and at the right time move in faith into a new flourishing display of His glory.

Psalm 30:11-12. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Walking Between Belief and Faith

It’s spring and the birds are busy with preparation for the new life within their nests. Each step for those little lives requires a physical adjustment.

They find strength within to begin the pecking process to come into the world, if they never worked at pecking that shell, they would die.

Once they break free from the protective shell they must be fed from parents. They can believe and expect that food but unless they have the faith to open their little beaks to receive it, they will die.

As they grow stronger, and fuzz becomes feathers they must then take another big step of faith. They have seen mommy fly in and out of the nest, but just peaking over the edge is a scary thing. They get encouraged and nudged by mommy but believing still isn’t enough; they must have the faith to step over the edge, free fall and lift off. If they choose to stay in the nest, they will eventually die.

Once the flight ability occurs they still have much to learn, and each step in the growth process requires belief in what is being taught to them as well as faith to step out and do it. But, once they do- oh, what a beautiful world they have to enjoy. They fly higher and sing boldly of the greatness of creation.

The whole process takes a short time but is one of walking between belief and faith.

II Cor. 5:7 for we walk by faith, not sight

Spiritually we too live a life walking between belief and faith. We can walk a life full of believing in the Bible, in who God is and what Jesus did for us. But, somewhere faith must begin to churn inside where belief changes and faith emerges. This faith begins pushing us to step into a place where we take the step over the edge, free fall and lift off. It is here that the transformation of the blood of Christ changes us to BE HIS representative in the earth. As we listen to the Holy Spirit, are directed and encouraged, it then only takes a tiny bit of faith to say YES LORD. Then we take full flight in all HE has created us to be and begin to fly higher and sing boldly of the greatness of our Lord.

Let’s join our feathered friends – step out, free fall and lift off to higher places.

I Thess. 5:24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.