Oh My Goodness! I totally forgot about the SLS Blog/ Study today!!! My excuse is that I am going crazy running around tying up loose ends for the Beth Moore LPL conference tomorrow. The bus leaves its first pickup point at 9am, but I need to be there for 8:30. I'm SO PUMPED!!!!!!
It seems like most of us don't get our answers in till the weekend or later anyway, so maybe you haven't even been watching for this......anyway, here it is:
"Hey, Girls! You are doing such a fabulous job with your group discussion. I've especially loved watching you respond to one another. You really are such a tremendous and unique community of women. I'm honored to journey with you here. Let's continue hearing from all those who have been active from the beginning but let's also hear from more of you out there who are watching and reading but haven't really jumped in here and participated. I promise you that when we wrap this thing up, you will be far more satisfied with the experience if you personally invested in it.
We are reaching the halfway point in our journey and have arrived at a place of utmost importance in our pursuit of wholeness. Your assignment this week is based on only one chapter of the book: CHAPTER 9. As you will soon discover, it is not a chapter you just read. It's a chapter you actually do. A chapter you actually pray. Please take it seriously. Everything ahead of us hinges on this experience. It is placed at this point in the journey prior to the prescriptive and practical phase of the book so that the way is cleared and our dignity restored enough to move forward. It will help place us in a posture God can bless with the rich kind of confidence He wants for His people and activate the power we have within us to think and FEEL differently. That's essentially where the remainder of the book heads.
Here are your very simple assignments this week:
1. Do (don't just read but actually do) Chapter Nine. In your comment to this post, simply reflect back on your time with God and share anything specific that you received from it.
2. Go to last Saturday's post (3/6/10) and look at all the verses in the comment section. You will find a wellspring! Pick five Scriptures that speak most powerfully to you right now - five that you feel like you need the most - and write them on the inside of the back cover of the book. (This should be a lot less intimidating than what I asked you to write inside the front cover at the beginning of our journey!)
And that's it for this week! I want the prayer journey to stand by itself and clear the way for mighty works ahead. We have some of our most eye-opening moments in the second half so stay with it, Girls!
Since we only have one chapter this week, this is a great time for many of us to play catch-up!
I am packing this very moment and about to head to Toronto for our first 2010 Living Proof Live. We can't wait to see a God-show in Canada! Come on, Canadian Sisters! We've got plenty of room for you!
I love all of you very much."
Judi, I'm hoping you will have a fantastic time with Beth in Toronto. I know it will be great, so excited for you as head out tomorrow. Blessings on you my friend!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynn! I stole the idea of the pink feather boa's.....today I went to the dollar store and bought 60 of them!!!! We plan to arrive before the doors open so we can scout out some good seats, and hopefully we will be "noticed" in our pink feathers!
ReplyDeleteI'll take pictures!
Judi, Have a blessed weekend! Thank you for hosting this site!
ReplyDeleteJudi,
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to get a report about the weekend! Have a wonderful and blessed time!
Judy B.
Sounds like fun! We'll be waiting to see the pictures!
ReplyDeleteI don't know where to start, but I will try. God is using so many people, situations, devotions and scripture to speak to my heart.
ReplyDeleteI am going through a health issue that is making my flesh very tired and weak.
Friday's JOURNEY devotion was truly perfect for me.
I am learning how to be secure in God's love. I am meditating on hundreds of scripture verses that tell us about God's strength, power and victory. . .
and then I am hit with something at work that can make me feel very insecure.
Today, just before my daughter arrives, I am spending solitude time in her room, "doing Chapter 9" of Beth Moore's book, So Long, Insecurity,
A Time and Place to Heal (a personal prayer time).
Okay, now to choose my top 5 scripture passages out of about 600 that tell us about the Lord's Strength, Power and Victory.
Psalm 73:26NIV
My flesh and my heart may fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
I John 4:3-4NIV
This is love for God; to obey his commands, and his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Isaiah 40:28-31NIV
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lordwill renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles,
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 41:10NIV
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Proverbs 31:25NIV
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
Judi, Hope your weekend was wonderful at the Living Proof live event!
Wow! This was a powerful chapter! I found several things in the prayer to be really thought-provoking.
ReplyDelete1. "As You reveal Yourself to me, I ask that You also mercifully reveal myself to me." (page 167) This is what I've been asking for all along - to find out who I truly am.
2. "Help me to trust that You only shed light where You're willing to heal." (page 167) God is showing us things that need 'fixed'. But He is only doing that because He is going to help us overcome them!
3. "I ask You, Lord, to help me take responsibility for the insecurity that is my own doing. My own fault. My own sin." (page 167) Yes, some things are completely out of our control, but we have allowed a lot of these insecurities to take hold of our lives.
4. "Your intent is to make a wonder out of me and show what You can do through me. You mean to increase the praise that comes to You because of th my life. You want to defy the odds in order to make Yourself conspicuous in me." (page 172) We need to shift our gaze from ourselves to God. He will do great wonders in us and through us, if only we let go of our lives and give in completely to Him.
My five verses are:
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:30 (NLT)
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 17:33 (NLT)
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Psalm 118:6 (NLT)
Hi Siestas!
ReplyDeleteI am still on a high ("There's no high like the Most High!") from the LPL live event in Toronto. I'm going to take the dog for a walk and then come back and give you a recap of the weekend. But in the meantime, I just got this e-devotional and thought it fit in really well with what we're talking about in the book.......
Who Am I Really?
by Christine Caine
"What is man that you are mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:4a)
(adapted from Can I Have And Do It All, Please? by Christine Caine, who appears on LIFE Today this Thursday)
My daughter Catherine knows who she is and has no problem displaying it.
Catherine had just started school at the age of five, and one day she had an argument with another little boy from her class. I think it was over a global issue like who was going to take the teddy bear home that night! At one point in the argument, the little boy grabbed the teddy bear from Catherine’s arms and said to her, “Catherine Bobbie, you are dumb and ugly.” Later that day, Catherine’s teacher relayed the story to me because she was stunned by Catherine’s response to the situation. She watched as Catherine, having just been insulted, put her shoulders back, looked the little boy squarely in the eyes, and confidently asserted, “No I’m not, my daddy says that I am beautiful and smart.” She then proceeded to take the teddy bear back and walk away. I absolutely love this story not only because my daughter ended up with the teddy bear but because Catherine displayed the power in knowing what her daddy says about her, which is exactly what your Father in heaven thinks about you! Empowered by knowing what God’s Word says about you, you can refute the lies of the enemy when they come.
Just like that little boy, the enemy comes to us on a regular basis, not only to try to snatch away the things in life we want, but also to make us believe we don’t even deserve those things. He tells us we are unworthy, unlovable and unable, as he throws insults and doubts at our minds, trying to make us believe we are far less than we really are. But if we can learn to possess the bold, childlike faith of Catherine and simply (and deeply) believe we are who God says we are, and we can only achieve this through the Word of God…and nothing else!
I encourage you to write down the following Bible verses about who you really are in Christ. Take out your post-it notes. Copy these Scriptures, and stick them on every possible surface. Put them on your mirror so you can reflect on them as you’re applying lipstick or brushing your teeth, adhere them to your steering wheel for when you are stuck in traffic. They will remind you of who your Father in heaven is, what family you belong to, and your true identity altering your perspective on who you are.
(continued in next comment)
(cont'd from previous comment)
ReplyDeleteI am a child of God.
“But as many received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the wil of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)
I am saved by grace.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
I am alive to God and dead to sin.
“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:11)
I am sanctified.
“For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” (John 17:19)
I am a new creation.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
I am a royal son or daughter.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
I am reconciled to God.
“That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:19)
I am free.
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
I am justified.
“Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.” (Gal 2:16)
I am chosen.
“For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” (Eph 1:4)
I am adopted.
“Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” (Eph 1:5)
I am accepted.
“To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Eph 1:6)
(cont'd in next comment)
(cont'd from previous comment)
ReplyDeleteI am forgiven.
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:32)
I am predestined.
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” (Eph 1:11)
I am raised and seated in heavenly realms.
“Raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:6)
I am created for good works.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10)
I am called to eternal glory.
“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10)
I am more than a conqueror.
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom 8:37)
I am an overcomer.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
I am never forsaken.
“For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Heb 13:5, AMP)
I am the righteousness of God in Christ.
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:22)
Without truly knowing who we are in Him, we will always struggle, attempting to gain our identity from “having and doing it all,” as opposed to getting our identity from Christ.
This Week
Take a long look who you have thought and felt yourself to be. Is that who God says you are? Adjust your focus so that it’s on who God says you are.
Prayer
“Lord, thank you that I am who you say I am. Please help me to truly find my identity in you, and to display it in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I'm so behind in my reading of SLI -- but I'm not giving up! My prority has been the Tuesday night study of A Heart Like His -- and I've been able to do all of my lessons for that.
ReplyDeleteI get so much from everyone's comments on this blog -- and I know I will benefit greatly from continuing to read the book and meditate on the questions. I hope to catch up this weekend.
Judy B.
I am finally read up! Yahoo!
ReplyDeleteBoy was this chapter powerful, I cried through some of it. God has been speaking to me about perfectionism. How it stems from insecurity, not truly believing "I am who God says I am". This base has come from such instability in my young life and insecurity in my home. But how inadvertantly by putting pressure on myself to do things just right, I am also doing that to my children, yuk. I want them to know who they are in Christ and to walk in dignity, not walk feeling like they never measure up. I love them and want them to experience that. I also am seeing how hard I am on myself. Feeling like I have to perfect so my Father won't leave, like my earthly father did. Ouch, that's so hard to understand, how do you walk out on a little girl? I really need to understand in my heart, not just my head that God will not leave, no matter what happens. Period.
Five Verses:
1. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Phil 4:13
2.The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. Zephaniah 3:17
3.Wait for the LORD;be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14
4.So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
5.Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR YOU.
Jeremiah 32:17
OK I'm hoping I can post all of this without losing it so I might just give the references for my verses:-)
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that stood out to me was on pg 170 "Lord come and treat my heart and soul where they have been shattered by loss. No one on earth can esteem the loss of something precious the way You can." It then continues on the next page "where I lost a home, grant me an internal, unshakable sense of belonging." You are the one sure thing. When everything around me shakes, You are unshakable."
There have been times when I have thought I have no home, where do I belong, where will I live when I am too old to work and can't support myself?
I also really liked pg 173 "Cover me with Your trustworthy hand. Clothe me with strength and dignity. Transform what drives me. Quell what triggers me. Make me a courageous woman in this harrowing culture." AMEN! Also "Make me the kind of woman a little girl could follow to dignity and security."
I'm going to post this and post my verses separately.
Here are my verses:
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 46:4 NIV
"I am He. I am he who will sustain you. For I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
Psalm 112:7-8
"She will have no fear of bad news, her heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord, Her heart is secure, she will have no fear, and in the end, she will look in triumph on her adversaries."
Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still."
Eph 1:19-20 NLT
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Gal. 5:1
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
I read through Chapter 9 and then a couple of days later, when i had more time, I read it through aloud. Its true that reading out loud has more of an impact on our soul!!
ReplyDeleteI was impacted by the statement (prayer) on p. 147 "You only shed light where You're willing to heal" Thank you, God!!!
Also, the prayer on P. 171: "Use change to provoke what needs changing in me, Lord, and to increase my appreciation of the only One who is the same yesterday, today and forever."
But what really stopped me in my tracks, was on p. 172: "Your intent is to make a wonder out of me and show what You can do through me. You mean to increase the PRAISE that comes to You because of my life."
My name, Judith, means "PRAISE", and I love that it is a reminder to me that I need to always be praising my God.
But then I was reminded today in a devotional, "You can never measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet with day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it." --Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
When He is my first priority, my life WILL bring Him praise!!!
Has everyone written their 5 Scriptures on their back cover?
Here are mine:
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
Galatians 5:1 NASB
It was for freedom that Christ set us free;
therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery!
Isaiah 40:28-31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Ephesians 1:17-19 "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom & revelaion, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance on the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Great exercise!
What a divine prayer given to heal so many people!
ReplyDeleteOne statement that was very important to me on page 169 was,
"If I realized how valuable I am, my insatiable need for affirmation would be quieted."
Here is a summary of my convictions:
God is my creator AND the creator of everyone; everyone I love or compare myself to! He loves me enough to know me better than I know myself, to forgive me for my selfish behaviours and to have a plan for me. I need the power of God to live victoriously because no "individual" or no "thing" has the power to save. "Only a wise woman shifts her trust to You." (p. 174)
My five verses:
1 John 5:5 (Message)
the person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.
Psalm 52:1 (NRSV)
Awake, awake O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.
Psalm 28:7 (NRSV)
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with m song I give thanks to Him.
2 Cor 4:7 (NIV)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Rom 8:37-39 (NIV)
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Nicole, I love how simply the message states the whole issue in 1John 5:5 that you quoted. It is all about Jesus, it's not about me!
ReplyDelete