How Do I Enter In And Receive God’s Presence & Healing More Deeply In And Through Intercessory Prayer ?
Chef’s Menu For Today
Prayer Meditation
A Prayer to Overcome Fear:
Dear Lord Jesus, I’m declaring today that I will not live in a state of fear. I place all my fears into your hands and commit to trust Your plan. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Let the Holy Spirit stir our Faith in Him by His Spirit of prayer, as we thank Jesus for His Victory on the cross over the fear of death. Let us with thankful hearts bow our knee to Him as we surrender our hearts to Him and declare that Jesus Christ is Lord of our Life.
Phil 2:5-11Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but tempted himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let us take hold of these wonderful promises of our Faithful Protecting, Covenant Keeping Father and Shepherd in the Scriptures and Especially the Psalms eg
Psalm 23:1-6 Jesus IS the Good Shepherd of His Sheep see John 10
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ( I need not fear lack)
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me; (I am not alone or unprotected)
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Ps 91 is Key to how we stand in the midst of trials and persecutions without tipping into fear
Psalm 91 Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”
. . . . . . .
As we consider Elijah in his exhaustion after the great victory on Mount Carmel over the prophets of Baal, let us consider how under the intimidation of the spirit of Jezebel in 1 Kings 19:1-10, Elijah came captive to fear, and so can we. In response to Jezebel’s murderous threats in retaliation, Elijah ran for his life into the wilderness and sat under a broom tree and prayed that he might die.
As you read through this scripture below, why not journal your thoughts and bring to the Lord in prayer any issues of fear responses in your own heart and even desires to die past or present so that Jesus can heal and deliver you. Consider your responses in the face of major intimidation, anxiety or feeling utterly alone. Ask the Lord to speak to you. He may ask you to repent and ask for the grace and mercy of His forgiveness at the cross, for you to be set free by the power of Jesus precious blood. Also, renounce any agreement you might have entered into with the evil one. Note how Elijah’s perception was distorted by the fear that had gripped him and by his sense of isolation and tiredness
God saw his pain and was there with him where he was. We can’t run away from God who cares.
(David knew this: Ps 139:7 ‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?’)
I Kings 19:1-10 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he l forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (Is God asking you too?)
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
(Where does God want you to go or to be, for you to be in His perfect will every day of your life?)
Thanksgiving and Prayer
Ephesians 1:15-23 KJV
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,
Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.
Ima Odutola from: Light and Grace Ministries
To Listen to Ima’s Message and Prayer on “All Grace abounds towards me” via YouTube: Click Here
Anchor Scripture:
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
A Prayerful Meditation with Olivia Helmore
New Wine and Oil Meditation
Receiving God’s Remedy for our Fear
What does fear say?
Let’s come to Jesus and receive His remedy for our fear.
Fear attaches to our past experiences, present challenges, and future expectations, and says the challenge is too great. Fear says the challenge of breaking free from the past, or overcoming in our present situation, or crossing over into the fulfilment of the promise, is too great.
The opportunity for overcoming has passed us by, fear says. It causes us to feel anxious, overwhelmed, defeated, and often enters our hearts when we experience something that’s really too great for us to bear alone. It enters when we don’t receive the protection or comfort we need to return to a sense of safety and wellbeing.
The fear of not having enough of a needed thing to survive can cause us to disconnect from our bodies and the present moment. The fear of being without a needed thing, forever, is too great for our spirits to bear alone, and fear says we are alone. This can cause us to war against our bodies or shut down.
Fear makes us to want to flee from the present assignment. When fear rules parts of us, we find it difficult to trust and have confidence in ourselves and others.
Sometimes pride is an overcompensation for fear: I fear that no one will be there – therefore, I help myself; I fear that no one will speak on my behalf – therefore, I speak on my own behalf; the fear that no one will defend me – therefore, I defend myself.
And on the other side to pride, is self-blame. This too can be an overcompensation for overwhelming fear. Great wrongs may have occurred, and where there is injustice, deep down, we knew there must be some form of accountability. But maybe we never experienced others taking accountability for their wrongs. So, to regain a sense of control where there was no justice, just hurt, and pain, and suffering, we took others’ accountability for them. We took the shame and blame of their actions on ourselves.
So pride and self-blame can become over-compensatory habits based on the fear of no one else being there for us, to protect, defend, comfort, or say sorry.
Fear can also take the form of intimidation. Maybe we feel overwhelmed by the prospect of stepping up, standing out, or speaking out, because we fear the pushback; we fear aggression from people who feel challenged by our words and actions.
Maybe we fear the opinions of others; we fear they will misread us or misunderstand our intentions. This can evoke painful places in our heart, painful experiences we haven’t resolved yet, and maybe we prefer to remain within the bounds of where we do feel safety and comfort, so we draw back from the present challenge.
Fear robs us of engaging in the present, and tries to destroy our future, based on past experience.
Preparing to receive the Lord’s remedy for our fear
Are there places in your heart which you know have been captive to fear recently? Is there a specific area in your life you feel the most fear around? Are there specific words you or others speak over you, which cause you to draw back from simple trust in God’s capacity to help you overcome? Is there any way you sometimes intimidate yourself away from shining the light Jesus has said you are?
When our fears rise up, it can be so difficult to see beyond what they are saying. But Jesus is with us now. He was with us when we experienced things too great for us to bear alone.
So let’s receive Jesus’ Word in us by faith. let’s make some room to bring the places in our heart still ruled by fear, into the light. Let’s turn to Him and ask Him to help us trust Him; help us have confidence in His ability to help us overcome.
Communing with the Word
Lord, thank You for receiving us into Your kingdom. We receive Your Word like little children dependent on their parents for every good thing. We haven’t always known how to trust or have confidence in Your Word. And we haven’t known how to apply Your Word to the places in our heart we feel timid and afraid.
Sometimes we don’t know how to access those parts of us that are so afraid they’ve disconnected; they’ve disengaged from experiencing the world day to day. We haven’t always known how to guard our hearts yet remain tender and soft to receive Your Word of mercy and encouragement for us in our daily struggle.
Thank You for Your promise that You go with us. As we stand in Your Word, we overcome.
Thank You for teaching Your people through the ages that the daily bread You provide is sufficient for today.
Thank You for showing us the ways we have leaned on our own understanding.
Thank You that as we bring these places in our heart into the light, we receive no condemnation from You.
Thank You that You never turn us away. When we hear You knocking on the door of our hearts, and welcome You in, You say You will come in and eat with us. We will fellowship with You in our spirits. We will know we are not alone, we were never alone, and You are never leaving us.
Lord Jesus, Immanuel, thank You that You are God in our midst. Thank You that as we
gather together in the Spirit of truth, You are with us and You make Yourself known to us. The Word and Spirit of truth are consistent with each other. They testify of You.
Lord Your Words are our shelter and hiding place. You provided Your broken body as the foundation and rock upon which You build our faith.
You have seen every moment in our past. You know the difficulties we face now, and You know what is ahead. You compass us roundabout. Not only are You in the midst of the camp of Your people; You surround us on every side.
Help us to know how to get in order as Your church. Help us to endure with You in sufferings; to serve the people You send us to or send to us; and abide in the secret place with You.
You invite us to participate in the regeneration of all things according to Your Word. Thank You for the fulfilment of the promise, that You write Your Word on our hearts and minds. We will not have need for teachers, because You Yourself will instruct us by Your Word and Spirit.
Your Spirit purifies us unto every good work. You receive all that we bring. We are broken, yet You receive us unto Yourself. You place us like a seal on Your heart. Your love is stronger than death.
You came as a Man so we could know You again from the inside out. Thank You for the plans You have for us, to give us hope and a future. Turn our eyes to Your face, with eyes that know and love us, seeing where we’ve been, holding us where we are, and knowing what’s ahead.
Help us to trust and have confidence in You and Your living Word that has made its home in this temple, our bodies. You have chosen us and our bodies to dwell in.
Help us to fear You, that we would dare add nothing to Your work that You finished. You have translated us from death to life. Help us not to lose sight of this miracle, the regeneration of spirits. We are a new creation and You are reforming us in Your image.
Teach us to receive You again as children trusting You, knowing Your heart towards us is good in all things, through all things. We choose to believe that You are God; You have chosen us; Your Spirit indwells us because we belong to You now and we are more than conquerors because of the reality of Your Word being revealed and bearing fruit in us in Your perfect time.
Teach us to rest and not to fear, knowing that You are. In You, we are found. Keep us Lord from going our own way. When we start to fear, cause us to return to You quickly, come back into rest and abide there more and more.
You will for us to live abundantly according to Your Word and in Your Word we have more than enough. To You we are already more than enough. Thank You for the precious Blood that ransomed us once for all time. Help us to live in the light of Your voluntary blood sacrifice for us and for the world.
Thank You that You recognise our sacrifice, and we will enter into the inheritance You have stored up for us at the end of days. Above all, You are the fulfilment of the promise and You are sufficient to cause our hearts to rest.
Grow our trust and confidence; turn our gaze to the assurance of things hoped for. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our deposit of things ahead. Thank You that You use the things that are small in the eyes of the world to bring to nought the things that are.
You work through Your children, Your little sheep, to reveal Your mighty power that no one can change. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us as our Father. You are the Yes and Amen. The hope we have in You is the anchor for our souls.
As we apply Your Word in our lives, we are building a house that cannot be shaken when the winds and the rain beat against it. In You there is no shadow of turning; You are dependable.
Help us to rejoice in You, in and out of season, in the midst of crushing and stretching. Whether we are multiplied or our numbers reduced, we know we are standing in the midst of a great cloud of witnesses, so we press on towards the goal, forgetting what is behind, and pursuing the fulfilment of the Promise ahead, that is You.
We bless and encourage ourselves in Your Name Jesus, knowing You gave Yourself for us and You have given Yourself to us by Your Word and Holy Spirit. Thank You for the company of the saints, the communion table, and the sure foundation of Your Word in us.
Help us not to be afraid but receive the words You give us. Teach us again to come as children and receive the pure bread of Your Word; to fear You, not presuming to add anything to Your Word, and not pretending to be more than we are, for what else could we ask for except what You have made us, children of the Most High King.
You are our Inheritance. We have access to that full Inheritance now in You, Your Word, in the testimony of Your Word and Spirit among us, surrounding us, nourishing us, and keeping us from going astray… calling us back to Your peace and rest.
The battle is Yours Lord. Thank You for fighting on our behalf and restoring us to a place of assurance in our innermost being. As You shake all things that can be shaken, we rejoice knowing You are very near and You are strong on our behalf.
The things, we could not face, could not bear alone, You have borne on our behalf. You finished the power of transgressions and the power of fear at the cross. You reckoned with the substance of all our fears. Now You are the substance of all our faith. And You are building our faith by Your Word and Your Spirit.
Thank You for restoring us to Yourself, to Your Word, and the hope we have in You.
Thank You for causing us to overcome everything we fear according to Your Word and Your good plans for us.
We bless ourselves in Your Name Jesus, Amen.
Ps Jeff’s Special Today: “Sexual Perversions”
You and I are to turn from them and repent if this is an issue. 1 Corinthians 6:9 says: ” Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor somdomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.“ And Revelation 21:8 could not be more strong: ” But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolators, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.“
Being candid with yourself and the Holy Spirit, is any form of sexual perversion an old issue needing to be confessed? And then repented of ?Does your residence have to be cleansed of objects, even of TV and pornography, that reflect sexual perversions in any way? Do you think His Word is only for the disciples 2,000 years ago? Do you have any residue of sexual perversion as an issue for such a time as this? Are sexual perversions connected to your upbringing as a child? Were you molested and that then led to some sexual perversion? Was it a family pattern in any way?
God bless you as you seek His Holy Spirit Wisdom and Comfort on this issue. May you go forward on His path, “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
