Yes ~ God hears our Prayers

We have such a blessed assurance from the Scriptures 

that God hears and answers our prayers in His time.

We can have the confidence in knowing that as we turn 
to the One who gladly listens to us as we pour our hopes 
and fears our joys and concerns out in prayer,
those precious moments will bring us very near to the heart of God.

As I was reading John's birth announced to Zacharias

in the book of Luke chapter 1 certain words leaped off the page;
not that I had never read those words before, as I most certainly had,
but they spoke differently as God's Word does each time we read it;
Because it is the Living Word of God.

"But the angel said to him [Zacharias] 

"Do not be afraid Zacharias, for

Your prayer is heard;

and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,

and you shall call his name John."

Chapters 1-3 are so exciting because they speak of

John's birth, Christ's birth announcement, Mary's visit to Elizabeth 

and the song of Mary.

But...it was those words "your prayer is heard"

that spoke so strongly to my heart this particular day.

The angel Gabriel, stood in the presence of God,

and was sent to bring Zacharias good tidings. WOW!

"But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself  him who is godly;

The Lord will hear when I call to Him."
~ Psalm 4:3 ~
Psalm 4 speaks of why we should pray ~
In God's infinite love and wisdom, God always knows
what to give us in answer to our prayers.
I think we can all attest to the fact that our prayers
do not always change our situation,
but they should always change us.
As we bring our anxieties to our all-wise, all-loving,
and all-sovereign God, we can be assured,
He is enough!
♡
Four years ago when my dad was undergoing triple bypass surgery 
I called upon many of you for prayer,
and you were faithful.
I knew that you were faithful in your prayers, because I could sense 
the presence of God in that time of great burden.
There was a peace that was unexplainable, 
a peace that passed all understanding for what was taking place.
One evening during those last days when dad would be with us
mom and I were ready to rest our weary heads upon our pillows 
when mom said to me ~
"Debbie, I'm exhausted... yet I do not believe I will be able to sleep"
Mom was worried...it wasn't looking good for dad.
I too was exhausted...
But ~
I knew that I could lay my weary head down and sleep peacefully
because you see, there had been people from all around the globe
praying for our situation throughout the day.
Now it was evening for us, but not for those across the world,
 we had prayer warriors who would be holding us up in prayer 
while we slept, because for them, it was daytime.
What an incredible peace that was to my soul!
We had prayer warriors around the clock,
it doesn't get any better than that!
I reassured mom with that very thought,
and she slept like a baby in the arms of a Loving Heavenly Father,
while our many prayer warriors covered her in prayer.
Did our situation change?
No, God took my dad to his heavenly home.
But ~
I know that I changed.
God hears our prayers and answers our prayers
in His time and according to His will.
How we would have loved for God to heal dad,
but that was not His will.

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me,
and I will listen to you.
And you will seek Me and find Me,
when you search for Me with all your heart."
~ Jeremiah 29:12 & 13 ~
The Lord would restore His people when they turned back to Him
and sought Him with all their hearts.
When we earnestly seek God anywhere and everywhere 
with our whole hearts, He will meet us at every crossroads 
of our lives, and through pain and victory 
with each step we take with Him, we will come to know
our God who hears and answers our prayers
in a very real and personal way.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
you will ask what you desire,
and it shall be done for you.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit,
so you will be My disciples."
~ John 15: 7 & 8 ~
In our relationship with God, His words abide in us
and our branches abide in Him.
A natural outgrowth of that abiding relationship is prayer.
Chapter 15 goes on to say that Jesus wants 
the Christians joy to be full.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
~ Philippians 4: 6 & 7 ~
When we take our anxieties to God in prayer,
we discover the peace of God.
We are also promised something better: the God of peace Himself,
His protection, presence, comfort, and encouragement.
God seeks our prayers.

"Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus
from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 
make you complete in every good work to do His will,
working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever."
Amen.

To God be the Glory!
Debbie


My photos were the last days of our spectacular colors
before the blanket of snow covered their glory

God is Merciful~

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
yea, our God is merciful.
* Psalm 116:5 *

♡******♡

Hello to you, my dear and sweet followers!

I'm popping in to leave you with a little up-date on mom.

She continues to jump over each hurdle that is placed before her

and is getting stronger each and every day. 

God is merciful!

Mom was in ICU a total of 27 days ~

that is serious cause for substantial physical impairments

muscle loss and weakness that can have a lasting effect,

but by the grace of God she is doing extremely well. 

While our days have been filled with therapy, doctor visits and just plain rehab

the spring and summer months have come and gone so very quickly

taking us into those cool autumn days and bringing with them 

the changing colors of our aspen leaves here in the Rocky Mountains.
I was beginning to think that it wasn't going to be a colorful year,
but oh my, each day has brought with it such glorious beauty.
Some of our doctor visits are a three hour drive,
but I'll take those drives any day just to see God's creation and beauty.
As of now, mom and I will be heading to Arizona October 9th.
I will stay with mom until the end of October and help with getting her settled
 then return home just in time for Stephanie's Tea Cup/Mug Reveal Party

♡******♡

Over these past three months you have so graciously gone before the throne of God
and prayed over my mother and our family
and for that, I am truly grateful!
Your many prayers have been heard and our Great and Loving God has been merciful.
He has bestowed His grace upon our family and carried us through 
Some difficult hours meeting our EVERY need.
May I ask for your prayers again on behalf of the surgeon who
did the Mitral Valve Clip procedure on mom?
Last week at mom's follow up visit this amazing Doctor (and Believer in Christ)
shared with us that he has pancreatic cancer. :(
My heart sank as I sat there looking and listening to this man
who has a young family and a life ahead of him now facing the battles of cancer.
His testimony of the Lord was awesome and he had a joy 
that was contagious.
He was one of the Instruments God used in saving mom's life,
now I wish to reach out on his behalf  to the many prayer warriors
and ask for prayer and a miracle in the healing of this wonderful Doctor.
When I say "miracle" I believe that what ever the outcome will be,
whether God heals him or calls him home to glory 
that will be the miracle God has in His marvelous plan.
Thank you, and God bless you!

"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the word.
* Acts 6:4 *

Be Gracious!
~ Debbie ~

Call Upon the Name of the Lord ~

Hello sweet friends ~ I pray you are having a beautiful day!

This past week I was talking with my sister over the phone 

and somehow we got on the subject of our older cell phones.

My husband and I have kept every cell phone we've had from the first one we got, 

 boy have they ever changed. 

I remember the first cell phone available, it was huge!

It was like putting an oversized man's shoe up to your ear.
The thing was all battery, quite heavy and those who owned one
thought they were the cats meow. 

We didn't have the first cell phone but came along when the first flip phone with an antenna no less, became available and we thought that was pretty fine!

Can you tell that I love pink?
Every phone I've owned has been pink and I LOVED my first flip phone!
I had that phone for years, even used mailing tape to hold it together.
I was slow in getting a cell phone, but sure have enjoyed it once I took the plunge.
Texting was something I didn't do and believed I never would,
until my boss gently persuaded me into getting an iphone.
I was working with Hospice and Home Care at the time
so texting with staff was much quicker and quieter
should we be in the presence of a client.
Having never texted before I had much to l earn.
"Spell Check" has certainly caught me off guard at times
and changed words without my notice, yikes!
My very first text, to my sister praise the Lord, was ~
"I want to toilet you"
What I was wanting to say was ~
"I want to let you know. "
Spell check turned "to let" into "toilet" without my even knowing it.
When my sister texted back and asked why I wanted to "toilet" her
I was shocked!!
How thankful I was that the text went to my sister and not my boss.

♡♡♡

Whatever the conversation was between my sister and me,
it caused me to ponder on the open line we have with God in our prayer lives. 

" And he spake a parable unto them to this end, 

that men ought always to pray,  and not to faint."

*Lukes 18:1*

In this parable Jesus was encouraging His listeners

to be persistent in prayer. 

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. "

*Colossians 4:2*

In order for us to have an effective prayer life

we must continue earnestly (call upon the Lord) being vigilant, alert and thankful.

Our disciplined prayer life will lead us into spiritual fitness

preparing us for God's ministry. 

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, 
and watching thereunto with all perseverance 
and supplication for all Saints. 
*Ephesians 6:18*
Our whole life should be a life of prayer.
We are to "continue steadfastly in prayer." 
*Romans 12:12b*

♡♡♡

As children of God, we are privileged to call upon the Name of the Lord

anytime of the day or night and He has promised in His Word

that He will hear our petitions and answer according to His will. 

When calling on God, how wonderful it is to know that 
we will never have to pay for a call ~ there are no busy signals ~
never a wrong number dialed ~ He doesn't hang up on us ~
 we will not be put on hold AFTER having listened to the recording first ~
and the lines are NEVER down.

God's ears are attentive to our prayers 24 hours a day ~ 7 days a week. 
" The Lord hath heard my supplication, 
the Lord will receive my prayer."
*Psalm 6:9*
♡
"Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry."
*Psalm 39:12a*
♡
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
But verily God hath heard me: and hath attended
to the voice of my prayer. 
Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer,
nor his mercy from me."
*Psalm 66:18~20*
♡
When we are listening to God, (who is on the other end of the line you might say)
through the reading of His Word, and we are sensitive to our sins
we will find ourselves constantly confessing our wrong doings.
Verse 18 is telling us,  that if we refuse to repent
 (express sincere regret or remorse about our wrongdoing or sin)
or harber and cherish certain sins, then we are placing a wall
between us and God.
No, we may not always remember every sin we have committed,
but our attitude toward life should be one of confession and obedience
so as to keep those prayer lines open.
Are you experiencing the joy of living in close relationship with God
through your prayer life?
 May our prayer lives be as that of David's,
"I give myself unto prayer."
*Psalm 109:4b*


"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray,
and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. "
*Psalm 55:17*
Amen.

Praise God!
~ Debbie ~

Away From my Blog

"Prayer is no fitful, short-lived thing,
it is no voice unheard and unheeded
in the silence. It is a voice which goes into
God's ear, and it lives as long as God's ear
is open to holy pleas, as long as God's heart
is alive to holy things.
God shapes the world by prayer."
~ E.M. Bounds ~

 

 I want to thank those of you, Dear friends,
for the prayers you have lifted
on behalf of my parents, especially my father
and his health issues.
On Monday morning the 4th
my father will be having open heart/by-pass surgery.
 ~
"Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth;
help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart."
~ Martin Luther ~
~
There is peace with-in our hearts
just knowing others are on their knees
in prayer when the needs arise.
I know you will be praying,
and from the sincerity of my heart, thank you!
~
I will be spending some time with my parents
so I will not be posting.
I will be getting my messages, so please feel free
to contact me if you would like.
Should time allow, I will pop my head in
and try to say hello.

~~~***~~~

"And in that day you will ask Me nothing.
Most assuredly, I say to you, 
whatever you ask the Father in My name,
He will give you."
(John 16:23)
Amen

Joy!
~ Debbie ~