The Lord is our banner. He is Jehovah Nissi. His banner is an identifying flag that represents His LOVE. God is Love! His very nature is love. God lives, moves and has his being in love. He responds to his children through a heart of love.

A word of the LORD came to me a few days prior to writing this cassia.

I have set my banner of love over you. For I say the Victory is yours. I say today, I am the Victor! The battle has been one! Open your eyes! Look up; look up, your redemption is drawing close. Do not fear what is going on in the world, walk only in the Fear of the LORD.

Exodus 17:15-16
Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, “For hands were lifted up to the Throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

The Amalekites were a nomadic people who came against the Israelites to destroy them. Moses called for Joshua and told him to choose some men and go out and fight the Amelkites. Moses would stand on top of the hill with his staff raised to God. As long as Moses kept his hands raised the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered them the Amalekites were winning. So, when Moses tired he sat on a rock and Aaron and Hur held his arms up. Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

The battle and the victory is the LORD’s. He shows us through this amazing story of His plan to defeat the enemy in our life. We do not fight with swords as they did. Our battles are against the enemy of our soul, the devil.

Ephesians 6:12
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Our battle is against the evil one. The earth was handed over to his control and dominion at the fall of man. He was defeated through the cross, but we still struggle against him in this world. So, we have an adversary much like Israel’s enemy the Amalekites. He wants to destroy our lives. Jesus is Jehovah Nissi. The LORD is our banner. We fight under that banner. It is recognized by our enemy and he hates it. It represents “For God so loved the world that He gave his Son to atone for our sin.” We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.

God defeated the enemy through giving his Son, because He deeply loved His creation. We are not to walk in fear of the enemy. We are only to walk in a holy reverence or the fear of the LORD. God has called his children to walk in this same kind of selfless love we see being poured out by our Father in giving Jesus Christ as our atonement. We are to love the world into relationship with Jesus.

We walk under this banner of love. We personify the love of Christ!

Song of Songs 2:3-6
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to his banquet hall and his banner over me is love. Strengthen me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

The above reference is a beautiful picture of Christ and His bride, the church. Jesus stands out among all created. He is above every name. He is beautiful and I love to sit at his feet and learn from him. The revelation we receive and the words he speaks over us in our quiet times is sweet to our taste. A banquet was a formal meal held in honor of a person or a special occasion. So, when we see Christ taking his bride to his banquet hall, it signifies a celebration in her honor. Jesus loves his church so much he wants to lavish on her finery. He has prepared this special meal with meat and wine in her honor. To make this gathering even more special, He says, His banner over us is his love. He has not only set us apart to honor us, He declares His love for us! It is his pleasure to raise high the banner, the flag declaring, “My love is over my church, my bride.” He upholds us with His righteousness! He will not let us fall. He embraces us as a gesture of his everlasting love.

Isaiah 25:6-7
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine- the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations.

The LORD himself will prepare the feast for his bride. The best meats and wines will be served to his beloved. All people are invited to this banquet. He is the manna from Heaven; he is the Bread of life, he satisfies the hunger and thirst within all people. This is an invitation to the Nations to come and feast. He will remove the veil that has hidden the mysteries of the times; Christ in you the hope of glory. Jesus will be LORD over the Nations. He is the Desire of the Nations.

Haggai 2:7
I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty

Mankind is created and formed in God’s image; we have an innate desire to be like him. We hunger for love but can only be satisfied with God’s perfect love. Men thirst for greatness, purpose and destiny but even with the very best the world can offer they still feel empty. God wants to come into our lives and take up residence. When this happens we become the temple or house for Holy Spirit. He says,” I will fill this house with my glory! “

Glory in this passage actually means to, honor, glorious, abundance,riches, splendor, dignity, reputation. I would like to be filled with all of those amazing things. To be honored for whom you are. To be so God filled that we radiate glory and splendor. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds. The fruit of this is honor, dignity and good reputation. The abundance of riches comes in many ways; monetarily, spiritually, relationally, and emotionally. In all aspects of my life, I feel blessed!

This past Sunday as Nate and I led worship; I looked out at the congregation and I saw many flags waving as the people worshiped. It was so beautiful. It actually imparted courage to me. I know what those flags represent. They are banners of love, and freedom in Christ. They are being waved before their King. His banner over us is love!

Quieting myself before the Lord:

Pray against a spirit of intimidation that has infiltrated my body, my church. This spirit is in the church to keep destinies from being birthed. There are many men and women who are amazingly gifted and you are not aware of it. You are missing out on their gifts that bring impartation to my body.

I would like to share an encounter I had recently. I was speaking with an acquaintance who is quickly becoming a dear friend. While praying at our intercessory prayer meeting she received a scripture that she felt was from the Lord. She didn’t share it because of a lack of confidence. Later that evening the same scripture was prayed over and declared by someone else. She felt like she had missed her opportunity to share. I searched my heart right away, because I never want to make anyone feel unqualified. At our intercession group we try to walk in humility, love and acceptance. I discerned a spirit of intimidation from the evil one.

I John 3:8B The Son of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil.

Jesus defeated the evil one through the cross! He has come to bring us life more abundantly, and freedom!

If you are a child of God, born again through the shed blood of Jesus, you are given authority to come against the evil one!

You can stop the harassment now, by taking authority over those spirits that keep you from walking in your complete destiny.

I believe that when we are in a situation like my friend found herself in, we presume to think, this is not from the Lord, or my gifting is small and insignificant. Both of these are wrong thinking. I am not being critical of my friend. I am speaking experientially! I have been there recently and continue to stand against this erroneous thinking. To presume something is typically wrong because we filter our thoughts through our soul. We are not perfected yet, many of us are filtering our thoughts through rejection, insecurities, and wounds from our past.

Let’s look at the definition of presume.

Presume means to take for granted, assume, or suppose.

Do you see how dangerous this kind of thinking can be to us? The evil one does not want us to prosper in any way. He wants to destroy our destinies. At the very least he wants to make us feel inferior to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a lie that your gifting is not important, or that it is a lesser gift. There is victory for the born again believer. We can stand against these wrong mind sets. I already said that we have authority as joint-heirs with Christ. We must take the initiative to rebuke, bind, and cast down evil imaginations as we are led by Holy Spirit. He will show you the way to rid yourselves of these tormenting spirits.

Now to the Body of Christ who are confident in their gifting. I commend you in Christ! We need a stronger measure of assurance. So be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might! I would add to this a spirit of humility, love and acceptance. This will bring a unity to the Body of Christ that will be an unstoppable force!

This is a word from the Lord I received today as I was interceding for the Body of Christ:

Yes, this spirit will be put to flight as you stand in unity! The unified church will defeat it! There is strength in numbers and even more strength, multiplied strength in a unified people.

Leviticus 26: 3, 6-13
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then…. I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. So, I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you. You will eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new. Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you and my soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

This scripture is incredibly informative! I love the word of God. It is as relevant for us in the twenty first century as it was for the children of Israel. God was giving a word to the children of Israel then and at the same time His present day Church. He commands a blessing over us if we walk in obedience to Him.

• Peace in the land
• Lack of fear
• Peaceful sleep
• Eliminating harmful beasts. The Hebrew translation for beast is age, alive, and appetite. Therefore we can say God will eliminate any living creature or thing that is harmful to us, God will eliminate our appetites for harmful things or fleshly lusts, God will eliminate any harmful thing of this present age that is coming against us.
• No violence
• Unity in coming against the evil one. There is strength in numbers and unity!
• Strength to defeat the enemy of our souls.
• Presumptions and poor mindsets are going. Destinies are being fulfilled!
• We will run to the battle!
• You will bear fruit and our numbers in the church will multiply.
• God will confirm His covenant with his children through: the bearing of fruit, people coming to Christ, signs and wonders, workings of miracles, healings and deliverances.
• We will leave the old wine skins behind. We are not satisfied with the way things used to be done. We are tired of religious formulas and regulations taught by man.
• We will take hold of the new wine, being led only by the Spirit of God. Jesus only did what He saw His Father do. He was led completely through his prayer and fellowship with His Father. We must do the same!
• We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. He made His dwelling among men.
• He calls us His own. We are the children of God. He is our Father.
• God brought us out of Egypt (a representation of sin and slavery).
• He set us free, never again to be yoked with sin and bondage. Jesus’ yoke is easy and delightful.
• We now walk upright! We walk in righteousness, as joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.

I want to reiterate a few things in closing. Jesus is calling His Body to a spirit of humility, love and acceptance! We are not to judge. We are about to witness the largest outpouring of Holy Spirit that we have ever seen. We must be ready to receive the world into our churches. They are going to come in like a flood, and they will not be clean and polished. We must gently lead, instruct, and allow Holy Spirit to do His work in them. He is more than able to do this.

Unity in the Body is a necessity if we want to see the power of God in our midst. We must honor one another above ourselves; clothing ourselves daily in a spirit of humility. Above all else Church, put on love! Love covers a multitude of sin. Love enables others to be themselves without fear of rejection. Love makes room for another’s gifting. My heart is passionate about releasing these; love, humility, acceptance and unity!

John 5:17
Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too, am working.

It may not seem that way as we turn on the news, or pull up the news via the internet. The news is screaming to us disaster, war, human suffering as horrific as we have ever seen or heard. My heart aches for the precious people of Japan and New Zealand, as they have suffered greatly. Next month it will be another nation affected by the throes of what seems to be great injustice. But, who is really behind these natural disasters and wars spinning out of control? Let me say emphatically it is not God. I do believe that because of the fallen world that we live in, we are subject to these intense groanings.

Romans 8:20-22
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

I believe this passage of scripture is referring to the fall of man recorded in Genesis chapter three. God said to Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’, Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

2 Peter 2:13
But according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells

So, the earth is subjected to futility, which to clarify means the earth is useless, vain, and ineffective. Now, I know that sounds ridiculous, but in a fallen world apart from God our labor is useless, vain and ineffective. Now, that makes perfect sense. The earth will be liberated in the end and will be made new, but until then it suffers! We, who are in Christ, suffer also because we live on earth. Our spirits are redeemed and we live a joy filled, blessed life. Yet, we groan in travail waiting for the redemption of our bodies. This too will occur at the second coming of Jesus Christ, for which we have great hope and expectation!

So, how do we handle such tragedy such suffering as we have witnessed this past month. We pray! We diligently bring these precious people before the LORD. I know the heart of the Father is grieved for them. You say, then why doesn’t he do something to prevent it? This also goes back to the fall of man, Adam relinquished the rights of mankind and the earth was turned over to satan.

Luke 4:5-7
The devil led him (Jesus) up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world, and he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Let there be no question here of the omniscience and omnipotence of our God, Jesus Christ. He knows the beginning to the end of what is taking place in our World. He is more than able to change the course of history, and I know that he has through the intercessions of the saints. We have many examples of this through the lives of the Prophets, Disciples and Apostles. I believe armies can be re-routed through the prayers being offered up to God. So, our grief and distress over the things happening on a daily basis are best funneled through prayers of intercession. It relieves and brings comfort knowing that God is hearing us and Jesus is also interceding on their behalf.

Isaiah 60:1-5
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up you eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

The past few months have been truly amazing times spent in the presence of the LORD. He is visiting His church, the body of Christ. I am not just speaking of the church I attend. He is visiting His church globally and doing several things.

• Purifying her through revelation of hidden sin. Bringing what has been in the darkness into the light. He is not exposing publicly, but as we are before Him in prayer, he is bringing conviction of sin.

• Clothing her with a spirit of humility, and compassion. He is increasing our passion to pray for the church and for the lost nations.

• He is filling us with His Glory! God’s glory is manifested to us through the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes for the LORD, who is the Spirit.

He is filling us with his glory which is changing us into the likeness of Jesus. We are becoming more filled with love, humility, compassion, gentleness, goodness, faith. The word says in Isaiah that darkness, thick darkness is covering the earth, but the glory is rising upon us! The Nations will stream to us because of this glory. We have the good news! Jesus is still the answer! Jesus in his church is the answer! Prepare yourself church for the great end-time harvest. People are desperate and fearful because of all the shakings going on in the world. Be ready to receive these who will be coming in. Prepare your heart! That is the word I keep hearing the Spirit saying. These are indeed sorrowful times and wonderful times. Sorrow for the world apart from Christ, wonderful for His church doing the kingdom work!

So, the Father and Jesus are at work to this very day and we also should be about our Father’s work!

My grace is covering you completely. You are clothed in my glory. Everything that concerns you my daughter is covered with my goodness. Favor, favor, favor; you walk in great favor and honor. Queen Esther walked in my favor, because I clothed her in my glory. She stood out among the other virgins, because I clothed her. I was her radiance and I am yours. You are filled with grace, and honor will be bestowed on you. Walk with strength and dignity my daughter.




Proverbs 31:25-31
Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future. She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness she will not eat. Her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband boasts of and praises her. Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly and well with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness, but you excel them all. Charm and grace are deceptive and beauty is vain, because it is not lasting, but the woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the LORD, she shall be praised! Giver her of the fruit of her own works, praise her in the gates of the city!

My heart is grieved for your daughters my Father. They struggle to fit into what society says is beautiful. They clothe themselves to allure; to find the affirming words their souls desire. They are taking it beyond their clothing as they are still not satisfied with how they look; they are permanently changing their bodies and faces with surgery. They are saying to God, “I do not like the way you created and fashioned me, so I am going to make it better.” Where are these girls’ identities after all of this surgery? I know, they are broken and pieced together, having altered not just their physical bodies but their souls as well. They are modeling themselves after a perfect look that is hollow and empty. The enemy of our souls, the devil is behind this façade. He is lying not only to our young but to the mothers and grandmothers as well. He is saying the perfect face and the perfect body will bring you happiness and fulfillment. To be young and beautiful is the answer to your yearnings, to your emptiness. He is the Enemy of you soul! He is not speaking truth to you. He is the father of all lies. There will always be someone who is more beautiful, younger, and more energetic. Your yearnings for fulfillment will never be satisfied with how you look or how you dress. Only in Christ can you be truly satisfied and fulfilled.

Father God desires to clothe you permanently with his beauty. Let’s take a look at the above scripture and we will see the beautiful plan our Father has for his daughters. He wants to clothe you in strength and dignity; to give you vitality and power. To walk with poise and distinction is to walk with self confidence and peculiarity. You see, God has made you distinct; you were not made with a cookie cutter. You are you. I struggled for years with the size of my nose, thinking it was just too large. In the 90’s I began to accept who I was and how God fashioned me for his pleasure. He loved my nose. I truly began to thank the Lord for my ethnic heritage and embraced it completely.

Father God gives us hope for our future. We should not be preoccupied with the way we look. This is vanity. I can look to my future and rejoice, because I know it will be fulfilling and rewarding. The enemy would like to preoccupy us with many things. He is out to destroy our destinies. He will do this in many ways, but in this discussion I have only focused on the obsession with beauty and a quest for youthfulness.

Jesus says to you, “Your beauty dwells in me.”
Jesus says to you, “Your glory dwells in me.”

Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

He has clothed us with garments of deliverance, and has brought us into covenant relationship with Jesus. He has brought morality to us, and equipped us to do good works. He has clothed us with virtue, justice, and honesty. He sees us as priests and as the very Bride of Christ adorned with beautiful jewels. We need this perspective of ourselves. We would walk a little differently I suspect if we saw ourselves as He sees us. This is walking in the knowledge of who we really are. Wow! Can you see yourself clothed in regal attire as beautiful as Queen Esther? You are the apple of God’s eye.

Godly Wisdom comes forth out of our mouths; because we are spending time in the presence of the King. We are leaning in and tuning our ears to hear what he says. He imparts wisdom through Holy Spirit to us his daughters. We then walk in the wisdom of the Lord. We are motivated to do good. This is moving away from an inward, self serving mindset to being filled with the goodness of God. This is the true beauty that comes from within and radiates strength.

You are not idle in your home life. You are busy keeping your house in order. Another way the enemy waylays us, is by laziness and disorder in our homes. It is hard to focus and be efficient when we live in chaos. Strengthen yourself in the Lord and get busy! He will give you the strength and plan to get your house in order.

Our children, the ones we bore naturally, and the ones we have labored for in the faith, will take notice of our lives. They will take the initiative and call us blessed. There is an amazing beauty in godliness. It comes forth like pure gold. People will be attracted to the glory that resides in you. The scientific community may scorn this notion but I am certain that the Glory of God keeps us looking good. To be youthful, peaceful and fulfilled is the fruit of His presence abiding in you. In the past few years we have experienced the fruit of our children rising up and calling us blessed. It is an amazing feeling to be honored by your children.

Our husbands have full confidence in us. They are in no doubt of our character. How are they certain we are strong, godly, beautiful women? They have witnessed our ins and outs, and the fruit of our lives speak volumes. They are more in love with us than when we first took our vows, because godly character breeds more love and passion. I am not in any way giving license to “let your physical self go.” We are responsible before God and our spouses to keep our temple in good order. I desire to be as beautiful for my husband as possible. I want him to look my way and be pleased I am his. The more I spend time with the lover of my soul the more my lover notices. I reflect God’s glory in many ways. Some of those ways are intimate and just for my husband. Probably King Xerxes was not taken by Esther’s godliness; it was her outward beauty that attracted his attention. Even so God directs the paths of kings and rulers. There is definitely a perfect balance here. You are the only one who can determine that for yourself.

I want to close with this last portion of scripture.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm and grace is deceptive, and beauty is vain, because it is not lasting, but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Charisma and attractiveness can be deceptive in women as in men, but typically women use these traits more. The enemy has loosed a seducing spirit into the world in a much greater degree since the advent of the internet and in advertising. We are bombarded with seductive commercials and billboards. This is dangerous to many who do not guard their eyes and their hearts. Women are being pressured to look like models, and men are being snared through the lust of their flesh. It is all a trap of the enemy, the devil. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy you and your God given destinies. It is all a façade; it is not what it appears to be. Guard your hearts for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil

Women of God, I invoke you to walk in godly fear. To walk in such a holy reverence in all you do. Let’s be aware of how we dress, and how we carry ourselves. Let’s be cautious in the way we speak. We should always have a word mixed with wisdom and prudence. Be beautiful in your appearance and amazingly godly in your actions and speech. I am not presuming to tell you how you should appropriate this; this is between you and Holy Spirit. Blessings and glory to God

We are called to act locally as part of the Body of Christ, but we are to think globally! I am asking the LORD for an expanded vision and heart for the world. Why? It is the Father’s heart that all come to repentance and share in the inheritance bought and paid for by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

This is God’s beautiful plan for his church worldwide.

Isaiah 58:6-7
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

God hates injustice! He brings judgment upon those who oppress the poor, the widow the orphan.

Matthew 18:6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

We are to advocate for the least of these. We are being shaken out of our complacent mindsets and world views. It is Holy Spirit doing this shaking. Wake up church! Wake up! It is time to call sin and injustice what it is - evil! God our Father will not stand for this attitude in his church. His people who are called by his Name should have his heart!

We are to take up the causes of the poor and needy, to provide for the widows and those who are without parents; this would include those who have an orphaned spirit. This comes through the neglect of their biological parents. When we quiet ourselves before God Almighty he begins sharing his heart for the world. We have the option of turning a deaf ear to these calls or acting.

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The Lord requires this of us. It is not an option for God’s people. We are required to be just in our actions towards all people. We are required to be merciful towards all people. We are to walk in humility towards all people. Clothe yourselves in the humility that comes from walking in intimate fellowship with Christ. We are to bear one another’s burdens. Let’s open our eyes to the world’s plight. It is not going to get any better and we the church will be required to do something to lessen the burden of others.

Holy Spirit is shaking us out of our selfishness. My house, my possessions, my car, mine, mine, mine! Stop it! You probably have an abundance of things that could bless someone else. There should be a definitive distinction between the world and God’s people. We should be carriers of the light, the promise of a better life with Christ.

Isaiah 1:10-11
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! The multitude of your sacrifices- what are they to me? Says the Lord, I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

God is saying in this passage above, that he is tired of our sacrifices. You come with your tithe and offering but you are overlooking your neighbor who is addicted. You offer praise and worship to Him, but you haven’t spent yourselves on behalf of the poor man who is unemployed struggling to make ends meet for his family. Tithing, offerings, praise and worship are all good but don’t forsake the other things as well. Jesus spoke of this to the Pharisees in the book of Luke.

Luke 11:39-42
Then the Lord said to him, Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor and everything will be clean for you. Woe to you Pharisees because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue, and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

It is recorded in the Old Testament and the New Testament; a common theme, God defends the least of these, and we should be doing the same!

God our Father loves his children so very much. He is love and His very character exudes love. He knows that by expressing love we will be perfected more in love. When we withhold and become selfish we become more inward and self serving. His desires are for us to become more and more like Jesus. Let’s become more aware of our surroundings and begin to act on what we see. Be led of Holy Spirit in which areas you should spend your time and resources. Do not become overburdened. There is enough oppression and plight to consume us. Be wise and be led always by Holy Spirit in everything you do.

I am beginning an intercessory prayer time beginning on January 24, 2011. I would say a lot of prayer has gone into this decision. This is a culmination of many years seeking the Lord and praying what he tells me to. I have never stepped out to actually lead a prayer group, so in that sense it is new and quite malleable. I am not going into this with a set agenda or formula. I will say that my only agenda is to be led of Holy Spirit into prayer. He searches the deep things of God and reveals them to us his children.

Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

We are in a great position in regards to prayer. We only need to train ourselves to wait quietly before the Lord. He gives the objective for that particular time. It could be our city, our Nation, or a people group. I have an anticipation of impacting and changing history. We will do this as we humble ourselves and pray according to the Father’s will! In 2011 there seems to be a prayer initiative going forth in the United States. I know in our city of Albuquerque there is a new thrust of seeking the Lord for our city and our churches. Our cry is the same, “Bring unity and love to the Body of Christ, and then it will spread into our city streets.” How will they know of the love of Jesus unless we love one another?

I John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!

Heavenly Father has a vast love for his humanity! He created us, we are his dear children; created in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’s image. He wants to pour out salvation. He has a plan of complete restoration of our spirit, soul, and body. The soul includes the mind, will and emotions. He created each one of us with a uniqueness; we have distinct personalities that become evident at birth and even in the womb. I know Father’s desire is to see us mature into sons and daughters of the King. He knows each of our destinies and it is his great pleasure to see us begin to walk in them.

So, can you imagine how he feels about people that have never known him? They are created in his image just like you and I, but have never stepped into their God given destinies. This must grieve his heart. There is much intercession coming forth from Heaven.

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I, send me!”

This has been a favorite verse of mine for twenty years. Each time I read it or heard it read it has gone into the depths of my heart. It is a plea from our Father, “Who can I send?” “Who will go for us? The Father’s heart was crying out for someone to stand in the gap. In this context it was for Israel. We are his voice here on the earth. He needs us to show and speak his love and his plan for humanity. I also like the Father saying, “Who will go for us?” God has a father’s heart for his children. Jesus the Son is always interceding for us to know him. Holy Spirit is actively bringing the Kingdom of God into our midst. He abides in the born again believer prompting him to go into all the world and preach the good news of the Kingdom. Holy Spirit also empowers, and emboldens us to do the work of the Kingdom.

Ephesians 1:17
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Let’s ask God to give us greater vision, greater perspective for our city and state, our Nation and all other Nations as well. I want a global perspective of the Body of Christ and a global burden to pray. This I believe is the Kingdom of God inside of us praying, “Come in! Come in!” Our Father through the Holy Spirit wants to bring more and more wisdom and revelation if we would just take the time to quiet ourselves, listen and pray what we hear.

I want to close this article out with a word from the Lord on December 30, 2010

You will shake the mountains, (strongholds, principalities) and the atmosphere of your city will change. Step out and pray my will over your city, over your nation and over the nations. I re-route armies as my people pray. You were called for such a time; to bring my Kingdom to the earth. I will do great exploits through this group. My blessing is on this. Go in the confidence the Lord, and in the power of the Holy Ghost!

Cedars of God Intercessory Prayer
Monday evenings at 7 P.M.

• Humbling ourselves through repentance
• Worship
• Holy Communion
• Quieting ourselves and waiting
• Listening to Holy Spirit
• Praying His thoughts
• Obeying His directives

All my fountains are in you

That was my prayer today, as I am in the process of learning how to depend completely and wholly on the LORD. He holds my world in his hands is a lyric from a song that has ministered to me the past few weeks. It is amazing to me how Holy Spirit uses one line from one song to prompt heart change in me. I gladly surrender to His Lordship. Jesus is everything I need!

So, I began pondering the cry of my heart, “all my fountains are in you.” I asked Holy Spirit to give me understanding of this statement. This is His response to me.

Everything that pertains to life is flowing from the spring of life, who is Jesus. All of your comings and goings, all of your desires, all of your writings, prayers, intercessions come from this well of living water. Jesus is your source of everything. As you have humbled yourself, submitting completely to his Lordship you are walking in the fountain more and more. There is an unceasing supply of living, clear water flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. It is always available to you. It is when you make decisions on your own, stepping into things I have yet to ordain, then you have made for yourself your own cistern. You fill these vessels with your own waters of good deeds, decisions and plans. The word of God says they are broken cisterns, unable to hold what you have put into them.

Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

Can you imagine the purity of this water flowing from Jesus himself? Purity of heart comes to those who look to God; and infusion of the water of life. I know there are medicinal properties in these waters. There are trees that line this river with leaves for the healing of the nations. It is a nourishing flow straight from the Father’s heart available to all who will call on him; imagine being completely satisfied! I think of the Strength we gain by wading into this river. It begins in our feet and then into our calves and up to our thighs. I believe we can scale a mountain and take on an army!

Colossians 1:19
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

This is where we go to receive fountains of living water. We have access to Jesus who is filled to overflowing with everything we have need of. He has all the love, the forgiveness, the strength, the humility, the power. What is it you are lacking today? Jesus has the provision. I am beginning to see myself through the character of Jesus. I have only the strength he gives to me. I wake up in the morning breathing only because he has blown his breath into my lungs. I have desire to be the best companion to my husband only because of Jesus perfecting his love in me. He makes me a better person. I am solely dependent on him.

John 7:37-38
If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scriptures has said, steams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit

I remember how thirsty I was prior to coming into Christ in fullness. I was hungry for so many things, only to not be satisfied. We as humans have insatiable appetites if left unchecked by Holy Spirit. I longed to be loved and yet, I found myself yearning for more. This desire was never met in me until I came into the fullness of knowing Jesus! I wanted so badly to have a life that was good and productive, but was so dissatisfied with college, and being a waitress. I was living in Pensacola at the time; this was very close to the beaches. I walked off my college campus knowing I would not return. I drove to the beach and set out on the sand writing. I didn’t have a clue what I was supposed to do. I felt alone in my confusion. I knew what my parents wanted for me, but what was this desire stirring inside of me? I had a God hole that was gaping. I met my husband shortly after leaving college. He was filled with the Spirit and full of life! I felt as if I was breathing in fresh air when I was around him. He offered me living water that I had never experienced before. It was only when I was introduced to Jesus, that I was filled and no longer thirsty for the waters of the world. I certainly am not saying that college is evil; my husband has a degree and is in school right now. It was not the will of the Lord for me, even though I had access to a free education. So, the cistern that I had tried to fill was replaced with a beautiful river flowing through me. I am a channel of God’s blessings flowing out to the world. No longer do I house stagnant waters.

John 4:13-14
Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

The water Jesus was speaking about to the Samaritan woman would give her eternal life. She knew of God by her statement to Jesus that she and her people were waiting for the Messiah; she did not have him living in her, infusing life into her. She was so thirsty for love, as she had been married many times and was presently living with a man. Jesus didn’t condemn her, he accepted and loved her. He revealed himself to her as the Messiah, he led her in the truth that quickly set her free and filled her to overflowing. We have eternity set in our hearts. His name is Jesus. He is offering to us an unfathomable gift of eternal life with Him. This includes great gifts right now. Complete wholeness in your spirit, soul and body. Peace that flows in and through us. He has given us a sweet relationship with himself, and he placed us in a beautiful body of believers that we call the family of God.

Jeremiah 2:13
My people have committed two sins; they have forsaken me the spring of living water and have dug their own cisterns that cannot hold water.

I was like the Samaritan woman many years ago. I did not know that I had access to the spring of living water. I believed in Jesus, but did not know he was my source of living water. I did not know he held the key to my future. I was seeking what to do in my life without allowing him to direct me. Oh, how things could have been different. Yet, I have no regrets. I embrace the hard times of my past, because it is partly who I am. I have better understanding of people in their search for life. Jesus makes all things beautiful in time; and he has made me beautiful in him. That day so many years ago when I was confused and searching, he was there silently directing me. I can imagine him saying to me, “Don’t give up Jan, I have an amazing plan for your life. It involves a handsome young man who will love you as I have loved my church.” Wow! I have no use for broken cisterns. I want Jesus in his fullness!