Share your miracle! Someone else needs one too

Since God worked a miracle in our home nearly a month ago, he continues to prove himself faithful through our testimony. I have felt the Holy Spirit leading me to write about our struggles and challenges for the sake of others who are facing similar situations. I believe it is an act of obedience that I share my brokenness so that God's love can flow through me to others who desperately need his healing touch.

The next part of our miracle has come through prayer time together. I have always wanted to experience real meaningful prayer time as a family and with my husband. God is working that out through our willingness to let him in.

Jeremiah's verse is "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)

Jeremiah has an ingrained interest in other countries and traveling the world. His best friends at school from other countries. I have prayed this verse over him since before he was born as well as Jeremiah 29:11. Perhaps these verses are a real living part of the vision God has for Jeremiah's life. 

Maiesha's verse is "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14)

I have prayed this verse for our whole family for a couple years now, but it is especially significant for Maiesha as she starts kindergarten and seeks to make new friends and find "her place" at school. Tyrone and I both want her to understand she is special because God created her so that her self esteem doesn't rest in the acceptance of others. It is so precious to see her smile when she hears that God made her special.

Lydia's verse is "She [Lydia] was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message." (Acts 16:14b)

I have been praying this verse for Lydia since we named her about 2 weeks before she was born. Tyrone and I want her to find salvation in Jesus as soon as she hears and understands the Gospel.

It has been so powerful to pray these verses together as a family. There is no doubt that God's Word is alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Another part of the miracle is how God is using our story to impact other people's lives also. A reader shared the following with me today.

When I emailed you earlier this week about your blog, I was in a state of despair…..just about ready to give up on my marriage of 35 years.  I was so tired of me and my husband being so far apart spiritually that I was ready to let it go.  I have prayed (and am still praying about our marriage) for so many years that we would have the kind of marriage that God wanted us to have…with Him at the head of our lives and family and home.

After I read your blog again, I just asked God to either remove me from this marriage or please change it.  When I got home from work that same day, my husband asked if we could have devotional time together!  God is changing our marriage.  I am praying also that I will love my husband like God loves him.  I am still not trusting him completely but I am more and more aware of what God wants me to do and trying to get closer to my husband.

 

So be encouraged...whatever valley you find yourself in it is not too deep for God to reach down and pull you up. Take some time to share your story - your journey - with other too. You never know the eternal impact it will have on your listeners or readers. God doesn't allow us to go through trials for no good reason. He wants to draw us to him and he chooses to work through us to reach other people in their moments of despair. 

Now stand on his promises and allow him to work miracles in and through your life.

"Stand" by Brit Nicole  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk60wodA_4k

Miracles happen!

God performed a miracle in house last weekend. And it came out of complete brokenness and acknowledging that we are poor and needy people - needy of the grace and compassion of our loving God.

Last Thursday night we hit probably the lowest point in our marriage. There was nothing left that we could do in our own strength. We were powerless except for the incomparable presence of the Holy Spirit. Through an urgent phone call to Tyrone's mom, He led us to some scripture that came alive in those desperate moments. Scripture that revealed the lies and destortions in our minds - that exposed satan's plot to destroy our marriage. We read them out loud. We read them over and over. We claimed the words of God. These verses became our weapons in a spiritual battle that raged all around us. I could visualize the angels and demons battling over head in our room for this marriage and our family.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV)

We claimed these verses in victory over the lies that we deserve to be punished for past sins and failures. That is not from God! He has a plan to give our family a hope and a future.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

We claimed these verses in victory over our fleshly desire to understand our circumstances when we need ONLY trust in God with our whole heart and stop relying on our limited view of His greater plan and purpose for our marriage.

We read Psalm 35, 37, and 70 where David is crying out to God to rescue him from his enemies and find "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." (Psalm 37:39-40 NIV)

The verse that has become my new favorite and one that I am clinging to is Psalm 70:5. "Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay."

That is where the miracle took place. In the acknowledgement that we could not figure all of our issues out, we discovered our desperate need for God. In him we have found forgiveness and a new beginning. We are rediscovering friendship and fun together. We are rekindling passion and intimacy. We have failed in our own attempts to "fix" ourselves. We see that our flesh is weak and the power of sin is real and present in our lives.

BUT...

The power of Christ in us is far greater!

The power of the cross and the resurrection demolished sin!

Christ declared, "... In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Not I will overcome, but I have already. And for this reason we are moving toward the life - the hope and the future - that God has planned for us!

"Take my life/Holiness" by Scott Underwood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHeEytocJVY