A Prayer for Strength to Overcome Cares and Burdens
Current Mood:
Anointed & Blessed
Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me?
Father, You set Yourself against the proud and haughty, but You give grace (continually) unto the humble. I submit myself therefore to You, God. In the name of Jesus, I resist the devil, and he will free from me. I resist the cares of this world, which try to pressure me daily. Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.
Jesus, I come to You, for I labor and am heavy laden and overburdened, and You cause me to rest—Your will ease and relieve and refresh my soul.
I take Your yoke upon me, and I learn of You; for You are gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and I will find rest—relief, ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet—for my soul. For Your yoke is wholesome (easy) – not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant; and Your burden is light and easy to be borne.
I cast my burden on You, Lord, (releasing the weight of it) and You will sustain me; I thank You that You will never allow me, the (consistently) righteous, to be moved—made to slip, fall or fail.
In the name of Jesus, I withstand the devil. I am firm in my faith (against his onset)—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined. I cease from (the weariness and pain) of human labor; and I am zealous and exert myself and strive diligently to enter into the rest (of God)—to know and experience it for myself.
Father, I thank You that Your presence goes with me and that You give me rest. I am still and rest in You, Lord; I wait for You and patiently stay myself upon You. I will not fret myself, nor shall I let my heart be troubled, neither shall I let it be afraid. I hope in You, God, and I wait expectantly for You; for I shall yet praise You, and You are the Help of my countenance and my God.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
SCRIPTURE REFERECES (AMP)
Psalm 42:11
James 4:6, 7
Psalms 127:1
Matthew 11:28-30
Psalm 55:22
1 Peter 5:9
Hebrews 4:10, 11
Exodus 33:14
Psalms 37:7
John 14:27
Psalms 42:11
Prayer from ‘Prayers That Avail Much’, 25th Anniversary Commemorative Gift Edition, written by Germaine Copeland; 1997
If you desire prayer, please send an email to prayer@nwcministries.com and our prayers will prayer for you and with you.
The Power of Prayer – Thank You
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 AKJV
There is nobody, absolutely nobody, who can tell me that the prayers of the righteous don’t avail much. IT DOES!
Firstly, I must sincerely say thank you to all who prayed for me and to all who obeyed the prompting of the Holy Ghost to intercede on my behalf. I FELT YOUR PRAYERS and though I am not out of the woods, my mind is much more clearer because of your prayers. Last weekend and earlier this week I was extremely angry, which later turned to depression, despondency and despair. I felt depleted and wanted to diminish in one way or another; BUT GOD said “Not so” and had His people pray on my behalf. I literally felt the shift in the atmosphere, in the spirit realm, and my thinking became more and more unclouded and slowly but surely I was Naima again. Once again, thank you so very much and I pray that God tremendously bless you!
I must ask that you continue to hold me in your prayers. My family and I (6 ppl) are still facing very dire circumstances, most of which are under ‘emergency’ status, so we still need your prayers. God is a mighty God and I know He moves on behalf of His people. The Bible says, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalm 34:15). II Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (NKJV); and Proverbs 15:29 says “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (NKJV). Thus, I put my hope and trust in the Lord, believing He will work all things together for my good.
Prayer is a very powerful tool that God has given to His people and it’s unfortunate that many use prayer as a last resort, with little to no expectation, instead of using prayer as a first response to all things. The Bible makes it very clear that we’re to continually pray and for one another; for it says to “pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people)” (Ephesians 6:18 AMP). I cannot express enough how important prayer really is, especially when the Holy Ghost prompts you to pray. It may be a quick short prayer or a much longer intense prayer, but either way, be obedient and pray. You never know if your prayer may stop someone from making a bad decision or if it will literally save someone else’s life!
God bless!
This is Real Talk
Joy eludes me and anger is trying to consume me;
Nothing is coming up roses;
Everything is coming up thorns;
Yet You still say, “Trust Me”
But I am angry with You, Lord;
When You told me to leave all that I knew to follow You, I obeyed;
When You told me to forsake my evil ways and give up my lustful desires, though I at times fell in the process, I obeyed;
When You told me to resign leaving my only source of income, as terrifying as it was, I still obeyed;
When You told me to speak no matter how hard the message or how high the cost, I cried then I obeyed;
When I was confronted with persecution and accusations, You told me to keep on going, and I obeyed;
When all seemed lost You still said, “My child, there is more that I require of you”, and I said, “Yea, Lord” and I obeyed.
But now Lord, look at my heart as it bleeds and see how everything and everyone has fallen down around me;
There are some who think I’ve caused these calamities upon myself, while others simply question the level of my sanity;
The good name I worked so hard to establish has been utterly destroyed;
And the only means of transportation I had has been repossessed;
My home, the beautiful home You blessed me with has been foreclosed, and now homelessness awaits me;
I turn to the left just to find that I’ve lost a child and to my right are the remaining children seeking my strength and direction;
But I have nothing to give but pain and despair, yet, through it all You tell me to trust and follow You.
Burdens and hardship continues to mount up on every side;
The brook has dried up and You no longer command the ravens to feed me;
I cry to You, “Lord, what’s next? Where is the provision?” Yet Your answer is deafening silence;
All the while the devourer lurks in the shadows seeking to do more than just destroy me;
He wants to use me to hurt You;
He uses soothing words to entice me and makes all kinds of promises in hopes of seducing me;
He even says he can give me beauty for ashes and gladness instead of the aching pain I feel inside;
All of these are mine, he says, if only I serve him.
But who can stand against the Lord and live? And though I am broken, I am not ignorant of the enemy’s schemes and lies;
I know that no matter what, You are still God and there is NO ONE, including all of hell, who can stand against You;
Great and Mighty is Your Name, You are the Lord of hosts, the Great I Am, the great King of Glory;
You are everlasting to everlasting and there is NO wisdom, NO insight or NO plan that can succeed against You;
Though I am cast down, my heart still burns for You and aches for You, and I so seek Your glory, Oh Lord;
If You say You will never forsake me, then it is that which is true; therefore, somewhere provision lies and awaits me;
Arise, Oh Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered; renew my joy which is my strength; anoint me afresh with Your Spirit and bring me higher in You;
Restore me, Oh God, so that I may war for You, and through all of this mayhem, show me Your glory.
Your Word says the prayers of the righteous avails much and I know it is these prayers that brings me strength on this day;
While I continue to walk through this valley of death, continue to press their hearts to pray for me;
And let their words be not their own words but the words of the Greater One within them;
And help me, Holy Spirit, to keep my eyes steadfast on the Father and not on the place of isolation and desolation;
Forgive me for any and all sin, and even in my suffering be magnified and glorified, let the people of God be edified and the body of Christ purified;
And let me be healed now in Jesus’ Name, let my mind not wander to dark places but let it be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work and Word of the Lord;
You say in Your Word to let the weak say they are strong, so in Jesus’ name I confess now that I am strong!
Thank You, Lord, for rescuing your servant and for leading me down the path that brings a greater glory to Your wondrous and sovereign Name.
Real talk.
Amen.
The Countdown – Dare to Declare 2009 Word Challenge
Filed under: Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge, Other, Prayers, The Faith Walk
Current Mood:
Faith-filled
Hello to All!
We are about 17 days into the Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge and I am sure that many of us have been tested since day 1 of the Challenge. Some may even say that things got even worst since they began the Challenge. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you. Our enemy will always try to play mind games in an effort for us to be distracted or discouraged; however, I would like to remind you that there is Greatness in you: a Greatness that will NEVER forsake or loose you.
I know that I’ve personally gone through (and still going thru) some life-changing events that threatens the livelihood of me, my 4 children and my five-month old grandchild. In most cases it has been absolutely nerve-wracking, draining and sometimes downright terrifying. If I look at things from an earthly perspective I think I would’ve lost my mind already, believing that my circumstances are insurmountable and too much for me to bear. Just to list a few of my personal challenges right now: I received a certified letter from my mortgage company alerting me that they are executing foreclosure on my home NEXT WEEK. This of course could leave me and my family homeless and in the streets. I no longer have a vehicle, as my SUV was repossessed, so traveling is a challenge. On top of this, left side of my face is a little swelled and is in pain and I have other medical issues; however, my health insurance recently terminated.
Most of the things I am facing are brand new for me, having never gone through any of them before. It appears as though I’ve been stripped and I am the 1st to say that my life makes absolutely no sense from a carnal perspective. If I didn’t know me I would EVEN question my very own sanity because my life, especially over the last year, has been completely turned upside down. There was once a time not too long ago when I was able to go to Macy’s or the Coach outlet and shop for whatever I wanted without really caring about the cost. Christmases were filled with a variety of expensive gifts for all of my children and of course I would treat myself to a few goodies such as expensive jewelry (love my diamonds), travel or reserving a condo for myself just for the weekend to get away and have some me time. My vehicle was a Lincoln Navigator and I owned timeshare. In addition, my 2nd home was in the seat of my hairstylist of 5 years and as far as my credit, it was in pretty good condition. I had almost every major credit card known to man, from a Master Card to American Express and was deemed financially responsible by my creditors. I had an excellent payment history with my creditors and I felt good knowing that I had a few digits in the bank. However, now? My goodness, that is certainly not the case right now. The things I am facing are scary; yet, in the midst of all this, God tells me to “Hold your position”. He requires that I complete trust Him.
Let me be the 1st to tell you that trusting God is not always an easy task, especially when your back is against the wall, you see no way out and your potential outcome appears to be dismal and bleak. Whether received a horrific diagnosis from your doctor or being evicted from the place you call home. I dare not steer you wrong and tell you that it’s easy to trust in our invisible God when everything visible appears to be in utter chaos and you don’t have a physical person to lean on. These aren’t small things but big, life changing things, and even in some cases, life-threatening things; YET in all, the Lord still says “Stand”; for He is much bigger than any circumstance we have.
I can tell you that God is faithful to His Word, which is the only thing I have to stand on. Scriptures like II Corinthians 5:7, “We walk by faith and not by sight” becomes so incredibly real. We live everyday using and depending our senses: sense of sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste; however, the Kingdom of God requires that we disregard our senses and stand on our faith in God. From the carnal perspective, our situation seems so dire and absolutely grim; however, God asks in Genesis 18:14, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” He originally said this to Abraham in response to a comment made by Abraham’s wife, Sarah, when the Lord said they will certainly have a son. From a carnal perspective, they were both very old and having a child at their age would be completely ludicrous and absolutely impossible. However, it is written in Luke 18:27 that “what is impossible for man is possible with God“.
One thing I’d like to point out about Abraham is that Abraham only had a Word given to him by an invisible God. He didn’t have the Scriptures as we have today, neither did he have a slew of Christian books, podcasts, CDs and DVDs. The only thing he had was a Word. And you know what? There are times when that’s all we have, and at all times, this is all that we’d ever need. In order to depend on Him the way we need to, we must resist the temptation of relying on our senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell) and instead stand in faith in God’s Word – regardless of how the situation appears at the time. We know that faith only comes through the Word of God, so when facing your mountain, and in some cases, mountains, go to the Word of God so that your faith may be built up within you.
As men and women of God, we cannot live in a manner pleasing unto God if we walk in carnality aka flesh. We must have, walk and live by and in faith. Every man was given a measure of faith and it is up to you to build on that faith. Faith isn’t just simply saying “Well, I believe God”. It’s a lot more than that. Faith is actually the link or the substance between that which we’re hoping for and manifestation of that thing. The Amplified translation of Hebrews 11:1 reads:
NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
We also know that faith requires action on our part; as James 2:17 tells us that faith without works is dead. The “works” or actions vary from person to person and circumstance to circumstance. The corresponding action to our faith can be something like taking a number of steps ordered by the Lord (actually following those steps) in preparation of that which we believe God for OR the action may be proceeding to petition a person of authority while believing God for a favorable outcome. That’s what happened to Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a Jew and one of the exiles taken captive from Jerusalem to live in Babylon. He was also a great man of faith, focus, and commitment, and was an excellent leader and problem-solver.
The book of Nehemiah begins with Nehemiah having a strong desire to rebuild the wall around the city of Jerusalem. He prayed to the Lord, asking Him for His favor to gain King Artaxerxes’ approval so that he could rebuild the wall (vs. 11). After his prayer, he then acted in faith by proceeding to speak to the king. And you know what? Because of his act of faith and confidence in God, not only did he receive the king’s approval to rebuild the wall but the king also granted a few additional requests made by Nehemiah. Nehemiah knew for certain that the only reason this happened was because of God, as he says in Nehemiah 2:8, “Because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”
Our faith always requires action on our part, whether it’s taking God-ordered steps, or standing still to see the salvation of the Lord (Exodus 14:13). Sometimes our corresponding action can be really simple or seemingly complicated; nevertheless, there is one action that must indeed accompany our acts of faith, and that is speaking words of faith. I recently wrote an entry titled The Perfect Synergy: Mind, Heart and Mouth, and it talks about the creative power that is released when we open our mouths. We all know the Scripture Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit”; however, I would like to use The Message’s translation of this Scripture:
Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.
I don’t think you can get any clearer than that! I would like to add that there is life-altering power when our heart, mind and mouth unite and we confess that which we believe out of our mouths; all being in alignment with God’s Word. Psalm 103:20 says that the angels hearken unto the VOICE of God’s Word and in Daniel 10:12, the angel spoke to Daniel saying, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Our words are very powerful and during our Dare II Declare Word Challenge, we are going to use our mouths to produce much good fruit instead of poisonous, destructive fruit. The Psalmist says in Psalm 45:1 says that our tongues are as a pen of a ready writer. With that said, it’s time for us to write good things deriving from the bountiful blessings God has made available to us. It’s time for us to write a good future, one that lives and enjoys life in abundance, to the full till it overflows (John 10:10).
“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak” II Corinthians 4:13.
Throughout the next few weeks, we will continue to diligently plant good seeds (word) onto good ground (our hearts and minds) so that in due season we can receive a good and marvelous harvest. One of my prayers is that this Challenge, or better said ‘mouth consecration’, is the catalyst for you to continue to declare and decree the things of God over your lives and throughout your lives. There is inherent power in our mouths, power that can lead to good or bad things in our lives. The reason why I titled it the Word Challenge is because not only will we be challenged to speak out our confessions but also we are challenged to resist speaking words contradictory to what we’re believing God for. We will resist speaking words of frustration, doubt and fears as well as resist the urge to pay more attention to our senses or problems than that which the Word of God says.
Beloved, it’s about time for us to use our mouths to build ourselves and others up. Jesus says in Mark 11:23 that we shall have what we say and Job 22:28 tells us that we can decree a thing and it shall be established. I like the way the Amplified translation reads:
You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways.
May your faith greatly increase. May the Lord harden you against any and all difficulties and lead you into greatness, wholeness and prosperity. May your relationship with our Heavenly Father be one containing mutual trust, faithfulness and love, and I pray for your obedience to the Lord and that your obedience to God becomes your life-long signature. I pray that you continue to grow in Him and may the Father bring you to a point where you’re able to effectively and genuinely share the good news with all you encounter. May you and your family prosper even as your souls prospers and may you continually dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. These things I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Other Articles regarding the Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge:
D2D Challenge Update: Keep on Confessing!
D2D 2009 Word Challenge: Sample Confession List
It’s Not Too Late – Join in our Word Challenge!
The Perfect Synergy: Mind, Heart and Mouth
The Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge – Details, Instruction and Tips
FAQs: The Story Behind the Challenge
The Word Challenge – Coming Nov. 15th!
Other Resources:
‘Who I Am’ list that can be used on the Mouth Challenge aka the Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge
Prayer to Watch What You Say
Filed under: Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge, Prayers
I believe this is an awesome prayer and I wanted to share it with you. This prayer, as well as the other prayers I’ve shared with you this week, can be found in the book ‘Prayer That Avail Much’ by Germaine Copeland. This particular prayer, I believe, addresses a problem that we all need help in; which is having control over our mouths. The Bible says in James 3:8, “but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” The Bible also says that death and life are in the power of the tongue, so with that said, it only makes sense to ask and work with the Holy Spirit in helping you to control your mouth.
I encourage you to first read the prayer and then pray this prayer aloud. I say read the prayer first so that you’ll know what you’re praying and so you can get into agreement with this prayer. And while you can certainly pray silently, I strongly recommend you to pray this prayer aloud because there is power in speaking aloud the Word of God. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is alive and active. The Amplified translation states: ‘For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective].’ God also says in Isaiah 55:11 that, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Therefore, get into agreement with God’s Word, which is alive and filled with power, and speak His Words out of your mouth while believing in your heart.
If you are unable to get away for a few moments, then I strongly urge you to read and pray this prayer silently now, print out this prayer (or go to page 28-29 if you have this book), and begin praying this prayer aloud during your alone time with God. You can meditate on this prayer since it is packed with God’s Word, and I’d recommend praying this prayer until it becomes your own. You can also look up the Scripture references following the prayer and meditate on them as well. The goal is for you to get into agreement with the Word of God (heart, mind and soul), to speak out what God says about the matter, to believe God for what He said, and receive! Remember that God’s Word is alive and is packed with absolute power!
PRAYER TO WATCH WHAT YOU SAY
Father, today I make a commitment to You in the name of Jesus. I turn from speaking idle words and foolishly talking things that are contrary to my true desire to myself and toward others. Your Word says that the tongue defiles, that the tongue sets on fire the course of nature, that the tongue is set on fire of hell.
In the name of Jesus, I submit to godly wisdom that I might learn to control my tongue. I am determined that hell will not set my tongue on fire. I renounce, reject, and repent of every word that has ever proceeded out of my mouth against You, God and Your operation. I cancel its power and dedicate my mouth to speak excellent and right things. My mouth shall utter truth.
Because I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, I set the course of my life for obedience, for abundance, for wisdom, for health, and for joy. Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Then the words of my mouth and my deeds shall show forth Your righteousness and Your salvation all of my days. I purpose to guard my mouth and my tongue that I might keep myself from calamity.
Father, Your Words are top priority to me. They are spirit and life. I let the Word dwell in me richly in all wisdom. The ability of God is released within me by the words of my mouth and by the Word of God. I speak Your Words out of my mouth. They are alive in me. You are alive and working in me. So, I can boldly say that my words are words of faith, words of power, words of love, and words of life. They produce good things in my life and in the lives of others because I choose Your Words for my lips, and your will for my life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture References
Ephesians 5:4 2 Timothy 2:16 James 3:6 Proverbs 8:6, 7 2 Corinthians 5:21 Proverbs 4:23 Proverbs 21:23 Ephesians 4:27 James 1:6 John 6:63 Colossians 3:16 Philemon 6
Prayer from ‘Prayers That Avail Much’, 25th Anniversary Commemorative Gift Edition, written by Germaine Copeland; 1997
About the Author
Name: Naima, aka "MsLadyNi"
Email:
Web Site: http://www.naimawilliams.org
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Bio: This fiery yet humble servant of God ministers under an authentic prophetic anointing yet has a teaching ministry style. She also has a deep, genuine passion for the building up and edifying the body of Christ. Since her membership of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International in Chesapeake, VA, under the pastorate of Bishop A. Ray Rouson, she’s faithfully served as a part of the street team ministry, a Sunday school teacher, an Associate Minister, and later the Director of Evangelism. She also spearheaded their Online Outreach Ministry and served as its President and Editor in Chief. During her tenure at SGOMI, she also became certified by Christian International Apostolic Network founded Dr. Bill Hamon, to teach how to properly minister in the prophetic based upon Scripture. Additionally, she also served on the prophetic team at Destiny Spirit Apostolic Network under the pastorate of Apostle Astern. She served in these capacities until the Lord called her to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia in July 2010. To read more about Naima, click "About" then "Who's Naima" located on the top horizontal menu. You can also visit her official website at www.NaimaWilliams.org and her eJournal at www.NaimaWilliams.com/blog! Be sure to connect to her through MySpace and Facebook!
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