Prayer is the Ultimate Anti-Spyware

Over the week-end my computer got very slow. Even typing and using the word processor program got laborious. I did a system restore and that didn’t accomplish a thing. I also downloaded new spyware applications and got rid of a few spy programs that were hidden in the system. I finally changed the batteries in the wireless keyboard and mouse. It seemed to work a little better, but who knows which change made the difference? It wasn’t fast enough though. Finally I resorted to what I should have done first – I prayed! Yes, I prayed for me and my computer. I asked God to help because He knows the computer is important to me and I am important to Him. 

Pray for a computer you say? Pray for yourself? Yes! If you’re like me your time is valuable and short. There are many things vying for every hour of the day and if one thing runs down it all comes to a halt. So I prayed.  Spyware abounds everywhere. The enemy of our souls wants nothing better than to derail and dislodge our walk with God.  First he attempts to distract us with pressing events and issues. If that doesn’t work he’ll try to disarm and disengage us. His spyware is very sophisticated – so much so that we often don’t even see it until we’re bogged down with rage or fear or worry or frustration.  

Prayer is the ultimate anti spyware. Through prayer we can do a thorough system restore. We can go back to our Father and restore the things we left behind while we were getting busier and busier.  Praying His Word dislodges bad programming that threatens our hearts and minds.  We need time talking with the Lord to restore our spiritual batteries and make our hearts stronger and more effective. Prayer for ourselves is the first line of defense-as we pray for God to restore us and renew us, He gives us a clean heart and fresh mind for the day ahead. As we ask God for the very things we have tried to fix ourselves, He gives us His design for repair and we find ourselves feeling rejuvenated and better able to hear from the Lord.

Oh beloved, are you having a hard time hearing from the Lord? Has your heart been loaded with weariness, guilt, insecurity, comparison, and perfectionism? Are you wondering what’s going to happen next? The Lord knows your weaknesses; He knows the enemy’s first line of attack to your system. He knows you personally! And because He knows you, He has a plan to thwart the enemy’s plans. When you seek Him first, for yourself, your loved ones, your life and your plans He will steer you in the right direction! He will speak love words over your entire being, so that you will be so filled with His love that nothing else can come in! He will speak His care over your life so that you will be so filled with the knowledge of His mercy and grace that nothing can come in to bog your life back down!

Oh how He loves you! Wherever you are and whatever situation you find yourself in, God is with you and as you turn your heart to Him in prayer He will do whatever it takes to restore you so that you can praise, honor and glorify Him!

Psalm 5:2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but You.

Psalm 142:5 Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.

Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Isaiah 55:6  Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near.

Spring Cleaning Feels Great!

It’s getting the time of year to do spring cleaning around the house. Old movies often depicted the maid raising a rug and just sweeping everything underneath.  The problem with that tactic is that eventually there will be a huge lump under the rug and someone’s bound to trip over it, probably the maid who created it!  Closets need to be cleaned as well. How often do we find ourselves opening a closet door to find that things literally fly out at us! We find ourselves attacked by the very thing that we tried to store away, hidden from sight.  This is a good time to box up things lying around the house too.  The only problem with boxing things up is if we don’t go through the box and throw certain things away and file other things where they need to go, we’re going to find ourselves carrying around this huge box of junk and we’ll be bent over. No matter where we put it, we’re going to have to pick it up and move it around again. 

I know there’s a lot of dirt in our lives isn’t there? Some of you have been trying to sweep it under the rug, make things look tidy. Fix it where on the outside it all looks neat and orderly but underneath, in the heart, beneath the surface, it’s a big mess. And unless you deal with it beloved, it’s going to get bigger and bigger and eventually it will trip you up and cause damage.

I know there’s a lot of junk in the closet of our hearts.  We may try to stuff it and keep the door closed, keeping it hidden, but eventually it will burst open, because beloved, on our own we cannot fix the junk of the heart. Trying to stuff it away will eventually come back to hit us smack in the face.  We have to deal with it correctly.

That box you keep carrying around? It only held a thing or two at first, but now it’s heavy, oh so heavy. One thing leads to another and while you keep setting it aside from time to time, unless you give that box of stuff to someone who can sort it out for you.  It’s going to get heavier and heavier and spill over the top isn’t it beloved?

Oh beloved! It’s time to rejoice!  Unlike spring cleaning, heart cleaning never has to be done alone!  You have Someone Who knows how to deal with the things you’ve swept into the recesses of your heart.  The anger, the self-hate, the hurts, the disappointments.  He will help you! Together both you and He will go and clean it up the way only He can! And when God does the clean up it will never trip you up or cause you to fall!  Let the Lord peer into the closet of your heart.  He knows what’s in there anyway and He loves you! Unlike a friend who might be astonished at the mess contained inside, the Lord will never look down on you or get disgusted.  He loves you so He wants to do the cleaning out Himself!  Let Him! Give Him the door and the key – for He will astonish you with His complete work and your face will be radiant as you enjoy the work of His hands.  While you’re at it, you might as well give Him the box of junk – past regrets, future fears, present troubles – He knows you’re tired of carrying it around, hiding it behind your back when you feel His presence, keeping it covered moved around.  Not only will God take these burdensome things in your box, He’ll take the box! Oh beloved you were never meant to carry it around anyway!

God says to you this morning, let Me! Let Me! Everything you are trying to do, fix, repair, clean up, I have made a way to do for you! Just Let Me! Together we will walk through the house of your heart and as I do clean up you will find rest and begin to enjoy the entire life I have given you.  Today, if you will hand over the unforgiveness, anger, hurt, fear, worry, mistakes, sins…give it all – you will find that when I clean house, it’s completely done.  Because I love you I will take it all on Myself. All you have to do is keep bringing it to Me, and I will always take it and dispose of it. And I will sing love songs to you all the while I work. Because I love you, I will sing and clean!  I love you and I’m for you and that’s all that really matters!

Proverbs 23:26 Give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in My ways.

Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

I Peter 5:7 Cast all your burdens on the Lord, for He cares for you.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

The Hole in the Seat

May 12, 2012 When we purchased our present car, there was a small mark on the back left seat. Something had discolored and broke through the leather in a tiny spot. It was hardly noticeable so we thought nothing of it. Over the next couple of years though this spot grew. Beginning at barely seen, it became a gaping hole! Finally Danny figured out that the previous owner must have sat a battery in the seat and the battery acid had corroded it. Neutralizing the acid and repairing the leather was needed. Even though you could see no acid with your eyes, the fact that it was continuing to corrode led him to know that the acid was working to damage things behind the scenes. Once neutralized, the damage could go no further and with care the spot was restored. If it had been left not dealt with, eventually the foam in the seat would have been totally destroyed. There are things in our lives, unseen with the naked eye, yet working to our detriment in the background. Unforgiveness is like the battery acid. First there’s the decision not to forgive. Not seen by many, probably only your closest loved ones or friends. It festers and corrodes until little by little it becomes a wound for all to see. Unforgiveness breeds bitterness and hardness. Not forgiving someone is like pouring salt in your own wound and expecting someone else to be hurt. Oh beloved, who are you holding back on? Who have you decided does not deserve your forgiveness? Unforgiveness corrodes our lives and the lives of those around us. It’s the elephant in the room. Maybe they truly hurt you, maybe the offense was harsh. Maybe it’s justified. Regardless of the reason, left untended, it will keep corroding your life and the wound will get larger and larger. Run to the Lord today, let Him wash away the damage, let Him neutralize the situation and forgive! The choice today is yours. The results of forgiveness are restoration, peace and joy! I know it may be hard but you don’t want to end up bitter and resentful the rest of your life. You are so loved, so incredibly cared for that He will walk you through it all and create a clean heart and a right spirit in you! Never forget how much God forgives and how much He is a restorer of broken relationships. Let Him apply the neutralizer of His forgiveness to your situation today! He loves you and He’s for you, and that’s all that matters! Psalm 86:5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Matthew 6:12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Matthew 6:14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.