Living Under the Wings of the Almighty

   Living Under the Wings of the Almighty

                 Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so very glad that you could join me today. I want to talk about the loving care of the Father, how to walk in it, and how to obtain it. I hope you will enjoy this journey with me. I have experienced it in such a powerful way recently. I am still experiencing it. I want my fellow believers to understand how to walk in it, also. And, for those who don’t know Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you can’t walk in it without Him. And the things happening in the world today will eat your lunch and pop the bag in your face. You will fall apart without Him and His loving care. Yep! You heard me right. Even those of you walking with the Lord are going to experience extreme hardships. But, He is the reason you don’t fall apart.

                       As all of you know, I am a first time grandma. I am so excited about this new role the Lord has given me. There are already wonderful testimonies of my new role as grandma to a wonderful beautiful baby boy. Well recently, because of personal circumstances my world was literally ripped apart! My flesh wanted to fall apart. That is when I made a personal choice. I was not about to fall apart. I began to continue my prayer for my grandbaby’s  safety and care. I have been and still am praying out the rest of his life for him. I started reading my Word with more intensity. When I wasn’t praying, fasting, and reading my Word, I would go on you tube and find every Left Behind or tribulation movie I could find and watch it. This has had an effect on my dear friend and sister in Christ. Hahahahha. I kept saying I can’t find my footing in this. It wasn’t until I said this to my pastor. When I told him that I was having trouble finding my feet, the Lord spoke up and said, “ You aren’t going to find your footing. That is because I Am carrying you, right now.” How powerful is this? He loved me so much that He was carrying me. At that moment, His joy and strength entered my soul. I am slowly getting back on my feet. But, I miss the little boy so much. I can’t wait to hold him again. But, more importantly, I can’t wait to have my daughter back; saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost, and walking out her Christian walk better than I ever could! That is what I am waiting for. To watch her raise her child in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  

                       It is indescribable joy to me in the mere truth that a Holy Righteous Lord, King, and Creator would feel so much love for me. When I found the Lord’s salvation, He baptized me in His great unsurmountable love. It was like waves rolling over me. The tide would ebb back and forth over me. I can’t describe it any better than this. It was so engulfing that there was nothing for me to look back to.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

                    What a wonderful gift. The gift of His salvation. His redeeming love. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. I call it a gift because He does. According to Romans 6:23. For those of you who have a salvation testimony to give, and I believe everyone has a testimony about the day they became a Christian. The day the Lord passed by them. I would love to hear them. I would love to post these testimonies on my page. And unless you tell me to put your name in it, I won’t. People don’t always have to know every last detail. But, we are not supposed to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are supposed to talk about it often to anyone and everyone who will listen. If we are ashamed of Him and the Gospel, He will be ashamed of us according to Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

                         His salvation is how we enter into his care and keeping. And, there are so many scriptures in the bible that talk about His faithful love, care, and keeping. Please go search for it in your bible. This is the first step in His Word and Love becoming real to you in your life and Christian walk. 

                     So how does a believer walk in His Love, care, and keeping. You walk in it by prayer, fasting, and reading your bible every day. Learn about His thoughts for you. They are endless. Isaiah 55:8-9  8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. There is also Jeremiah 29:11 and Matthew 10:29-31. This is how you are in His thoughts. He also talks about how he keeps us in so many scriptures also. My favorite scripture talks about His great love, care, and keeping in Psalm 121:4-7  4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. Isn’t this powerful? Did you know that you can use scripture to pray? Remember what happened when Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and pray? Satan came to tempt him. And with each temptation He would speak scripture to Satan. Why? Because the Lord is Lord. And, Satan can not fight against the Word of God. When you use scripture in your prayers with steadfast faith in it, the Lord promises it will not return void according to Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

                   My favorite promises are found in Psam 91. I pray this scripture every morning over myself, my friends, and most importantly to me - my family. I hope you use this passage in your prayer time also. But, let the Lord speak to you as you read His Word what scriptures He wants you to use in your prayer time. It has transformed my life as well as my prayer life. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN HIS WORD!!!!!!!!

                           

                             In 2 Peter 3:8-10 the Lord promises to come back to collect all of the true believer’s in Him. And, this is His promise to us.   8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

                        This is also a promise to those who have not yet chosen to walk with the Lord. Yes, if you have not made Christ Jesus your Lord and Savior yet, He has a promise for you. He wants you to obtain His love, care, and keeping. Are you lost today? Then it is by His Divine providence that you are tuning in right now. It is a divine appointment created by Him to reach out to you today.

                 For those of you who have not made Jesus Christ of Nazareth Savior and Lord over your life, I want to introduce you to Him. So, let’s look at the 10 commandments in Exodus 20:1-18. Let’s look at it like we would be looking into a mirror. But, let’s use this spiritual mirror to look deep into our souls. I like to call this a soul check. I use this mirror often for this purpose. To repent so that I can draw ever closer to Him who can save to the utmost. And God spake all these words, saying,2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Has the Lord brought you out of bondage yet? Well, what are you putting in front of Him? What takes precedence before HIm in your life? 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: What idols are we worshiping? Like a favorite singer, actor, food, etc… We can make anything or anyone an idol before the Lord.  for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Do you hate the Lord God? Just like we can show Him we love Him by walking uprightly before Him, we can show Him we hate Him by our actions concerning His Word.6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.Do you want His mercy and love? Are you keeping His commandments? 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. How many times have we used the name of the Lord outside of prayer and testimonies? This is taking his name in vain.8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Did you know that 1 day of the week is considered a tithe to the Lord? 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. That’s right. He made it Holy. You see,even the Lord needed to rest. So, if we are created in His image and likeness, don’t you think our bodies, which are created by Him, would need to rest. “But, we sleep at night”, you would say. Yes, we do. But, we need to rest in Him. His rest. Take one day to give all the glory back to Him and all of His provisions for us. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Do we honor our parents? Do we show them respect whether they deserve it or not? Do we forgive what they have done or are doing to us? 13 Thou shalt not kill. Did you know that you can murder someone with even your words? Our words have power according to Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.  14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Have you looked at someone with lustful thoughts? In Matthew 5:28 it says,28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 15 Thou shalt not steal. Have you ever stolen anything? 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Have you ever gossiped about someone? Have you ever lied?  17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.  In the Merriam Webster dictionary covet means to wish for earnestly, to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably, to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another. Inordinate in the Merriam Webster Dictionary means  exceeding reasonable limits : IMMODERATE, DISORDERLY, UNREGULATED. In the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance the word covet in Hebrew is pronounced hamad meaning to delight in, beauty, greatly beloved, delectable thing, delight, great delight, desire, goodly, lust, pleasant, be pleasant, pleasant thing, precious, or precious thing. So, have we, in any way, coveted anything of our neighbors? Even in our minds? You know, it is not the evil thought itself that is sin, but when we meditate and/or pay more attention to the thought that the thought becomes sin. James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

                                  So, the Word of God says that if you have broken one commandment, we have broken them all. James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. So if this is true, what hope is there for us. Romans 8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. So you see, Jesus Christ of Nazareth is our only hope for salvation from the curses of the law. His Blood sacrifice paid the price for our redemption. So, let me ask you, are you ready to come out of your life of sin? Are you ready for the Lord to redeem you from the curses of the law? Are you ready to live under the wings of the Almighty?

                             If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Let me introduce you to Him. It is really simple. First you must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior according to the mirror of the law of the Lord. Ask Him for His forgiveness for all of your sins and call them out to Him. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Then, forgive those who have sinned or transgressed against you. Then, repent. Repent means to change your mind concerning sinful habits. Change your choice making. Let Him influence your choice making decisions as you get in His Holy Word. Ask Him to be Lord over your life. I want to pray this prayer with you. But, this is just an outline. The real work begins after I pray with you because it is a very personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

                    Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

                    Welcome to the family of God. I am so excited over your decision to walk with Christ Jesus today. Heaven is celebrating your decision today. You have a cloud of witnesses interceding on your behalf to run your race to the end and to run it gloriously. Be sure to tell others of your decision today. That is your first step of faith and placing a seal on the deal. I can’t wait to hear your testimonies. 

                For the rest of you tuning in today, thank you so very much. I am so glad you joined me at My Little House of Prayer, today. I hope this message blessed all of you. And, please join me next week At My Little House of Prayer. Remember, Jesus loves you and so do I. 

                    

With My Words I Will Bless You

   With my Words I will Bless You

                   Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so glad that you could join me today. The Lord has been dealing with me about the power of my words. So much so that it has made me more quiet. More quick to listen instead of speak than the other way around. Did you know that our tongue decides the direction our lives will take? I have a few friends in Christ that have said that they don’t hear the voice of the Lord speak to them. They don’t understand why, or how to hear His voice. One of the things I’ve noticed that they all had in common was that you can’t talk and listen at the same time. We all have to learn to listen more and speak less. I guess this is one of the things in our lives John the Baptist meant by John 3:30-35  30 He must increase, but I must decrease.31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

             This reminds me of a song. It was more a prayer. “Let My Words Be Few.  So, let’s discuss the words of our mouth. Let’s ask ourselves this question. Is my life going in the direction I want it to? Proverbs 4:23-27  23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. I’ve heard a pastor say that our feet usually follow our mouths.

                       Am I satisfied with my life as it is right now? Or, am I searching for more? As a Christian we should all desire more. And if you don’t have a blood-bought relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you are searching for something to fill up that empty feeling inside you. There is only one who can fill that void feeling. Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

                    The apostle James says in chapter 3:5-12   5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 

              What great things are we boasting about today? Are we boasting of ourselves? Or, are we boasting of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth? 2 Corinthians 10:17-18   17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

 Ephesians 2:8-9  8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

               So, how is your esteem level today? Do you have to blow your trumpet about yourself, telling others just how great you are? Do you have to put others down in order for you to feel better than them? Do you go into corporate intercessory prayer and bring out in finite detail another’s short-comings under the guise of “Let’s pray for poor so-and-so.” That’s not prayer! That’s gossip. Are you as guilty as I am? I sure am asking the Father to please forgive me. To help me choose my words carefully. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Right here in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the word fear in Hebrew means to morally reverence. Are we exhibiting moral reverence towards Him?  Are we speaking with moral reverence towards the Lord? Remember, He is omnipresent. Thank the Lord for His forgiveness. You know, we do not have to walk our lives out in guilt and condemnation. That is not truly living. Walking in the unsurmountable forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ is truly living. He wants us to walk in His freedom. What is His freedom? His truth. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

              So, how do we walk in His liberty? His freedom? Walk in His truth. Be quiet more. Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.                       That’s the whole point of our walk. To allow others to see Christ within us. There are a lot of Christians out there broadcasting that they are Christians, but there is no fruit to prove it. James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. People don’t want to know what you know. They want to know that you care. How can we show that we care? How can we show others this Jesus Christ who has been loving all of us? By listening more and talking less for one thing.

                          Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.  So, it isn’t what goes in, but what comes out that condemns us. It’s funny how uneasy people can get when you are quiet. I am experiencing this even now. Picture this. Someone walking through the forest. They decide to camp for the night. They have a book of matches. They light one match. They use that lit match to light a piece of wood. Then they pile more wood to make the fire big enough to see, cook, and keep warm. They don’t watch over the campfire they have just lit. An ember floats off into the air and catches a leaf on fire. That leaf floats off to a dead tree and lights it on fire. Then, that tree lights the rest of the forest on fire. Then, this raging fire travels for miles until it dies out. 

                 Our tongue is like a match. How are we using our tongue today? What kind of fire are we trying to ignite? Are we igniting fires of righteousness and truth? Or, of fear, doubt, and unbelief?  Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Are we edifying one another? Are we choosing our words very carefully? Are we building each other up in our most holy faith? Or, are we putting them down? We are called to build each other up. I find it funny. This choice of word. Build each other up. The bible says in 1 Peter 2:5-9  5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 

                  So, for a Christian, Christ is a perfect corner stone to build upon. No cracks or imperfections. Now, each of these rocks  has cracks and imperfections that salvation through Jesus Christ of Nazareth wants to and does smooth out in our walk with Him. But, if we choose to look at other stones' cracks and imperfections and point them out, then what we are really doing is shining a spotlight on our own cracks and imperfections. The foundation of Jesus Christ is sure. But, the wall can’t be sure because of the unrepented cracks and imperfections in each stone. We must come together by edifying each other. Shining a spotlight on the other stones strengths, not weaknesses. Then, we can build a sure wall.

              Even King David petitioned the Lord in Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. This has been my prayer lately. “Lord, please guard the words of my lips. Please help me to not have corrupt communication.” How do I cooperate with the Lord in avoiding corrupt communication? By watching my thought life. Remember, it’s not what comes in that defiles a man, but what comes out. Have you had trouble controlling your thought life? I know that for a while I really had trouble in this area. I still do have trouble. It’s a lot less now, because I went to the Lord about it. I cried out for help. And, He did. He gave me a scripture to dwell on. Philippians 4:8 Boy was sweet freedom sweet?! A corrupt thought will hit my mind. I immediately quote and ponder this scripture. The thought goes away. Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. This works in keeping negative thoughts from coming out of our mouths. I never thought about it this way. Have you?

                        In  Matthew 12:34-37  34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. In other words, even in our words we will reap what we sow. That is a very scarey thought. He will judge every idle word. What idle words have we been speaking? Idle in the webster dictionary means, not in use, useless, worthless. And in the Greek in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance it means, inactive, unemployed, lazy, useless, barren, and slow. So, I ask you. Are these fruits we would want to eat of. Our words decide the direction our paths take. 

                        In 1 Peter 3:10 it says For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: What is guile? In the Webster Dictionary it means craftiness, or deceit. And in the Greek in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance it means to decoy, trick, wile, craft, deceit, or subtilty. So, we are to keep our lips from speaking trickery, or craftiness. We are to avoid speech that would entrap someone. Our speech should be careful not to bring harm to another.

                          Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.. What kind of fruit do you like to eat? I like sweet, juicy, and healthy fruit. Picture two trees in a forest of trees. One tree is a granny smith apple tree. Then, the other tree in the forest is a buckthorn tree. Both fruits look like a type of apple. The granny smith is a desirable looking fruit. And it is edible. It has all kinds of health benefits. You can eat this fruit raw or even cooked. But, the buckthorn fruit looks tasty and desirable. Even though it looks good to eat, it is not. It is a deadly fruit. 

                     Each of us is created in the image and likeness of God. We have an outward appeal. And, in a crowd of people there are many apple trees and buckthorn trees. We look wonderful on the outside. But, what comes out of our mouths reveals what is truly on the inside. Are we trees people want to eat from. According to Proverbs 18:21 our words are fruit. And not only do others eat of our fruit. We will also. I want word of life coming out of my mouth. Life and healing. 

                      How do we obtain words of life and healing? Through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Through reading the bible front to back and applying it to our lives. Through prayer. Through fasting. These are wonderful avenues to obtain words of life and healing. To learn to listen more and speak less. Matthew 5:44-45

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. I am hoping my words are a blessing to you today.               

                 If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Let me introduce you to Him. It is real simple. First you must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior according to the mirror of the law of the Lord. Ask Him for His forgiveness for all of your sins and call them out to Him. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Then, forgive those who have sinned or transgressed against you. Then, repent. Repent means to change your mind concerning sinful habits. Change your choice making. Let Him influence your choice making decisions as you get in His Holy Word. Ask Him to be Lord over your life. I want to pray this prayer with you. But, this is just an outline. The real work begins after I pray with you because it is a very personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

                    Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

                         I am hoping this message today has given all of you food for thought. It has done that for me. Let’s choose our words carefully. Let’s listen more and talk less. Let’s let our words be few. Let’s show forth the perfect fruit of the Lord in our words. Let’s lift up instead of putting down. May the Lord richly bless you today. Jesus loves you and so do I. Join me next week at My Little House of Prayer.

Is Our Minds Right

 Is Our Minds Right

                   Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so very glad that you could join me today.  So far we have discussed Ephesians 6: 10-15 and 18. I hope that we are learning a lot in these discussions. I would greatly appreciate your input. Especially any questions you would have.In Verses 10-11, discussed how vitally important our need is for the full armor of God. That when we join this Christian walk, we are in a battle that belongs to the Lord. Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. In verse 12, we learned what and where the battle lies. That we need a personal relationship with the Lord  Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We need to know to whom we are and to whom we belong. 2 Chronicles 20:15-17  15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.Then, in verse 13, we learned about our need to endure to the end. That we are to totally trust in Him who is able to save to the utmost. That after we have done all we know to do, we are to put our trust in Him. Exodus 14:13-14  13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Matthew 24:1-15 24 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) This sounds a lot like what is going on in the world today, doesn’t it? Because of a question that was asked, we jumped to verse 18 and learned about leading a prayerful life in verse 18 of chapter 6 in Ephesians, our desperate need to read the word of God on a daily basis and how to read it. Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God., and our need for living a fasted lifestyle and how, according to Isaiah 58. Then, we discussed verse 14. How we are to have on the belt of righteousness and our loins girt about with truth. John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12  9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

 Proverbs 4 :23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. 

 Jeremiah 17:9-10  9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. And in verse 15 of chapter 6, And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Our feet in scripture speaks of our Christian walk. We either have one or we don’t. There is no middle ground.  Our lives are our epitaph. Our eulogy. Our last will and testament. When Jesus walked the earth He never proclaimed who He was. He let His life speak for itself. And, it did.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. To show us by example that we could follow God’s laws. And, He came to fulfill all prophecies concerning Him.When something is important to you, you stress the importance of it through repetition. I believe what Jesus was really saying right here is ,”Peter if you love me? Feed my lambs and sheep. Take care of those I’m leaving behind. If you love me, show me. Show me by taking care of those that I am leaving behind. By sharing the Gospel. The Gospel of peace.  The Lord has given us a gospel of peace. So, we are to put on the shoes, put on our walk; of the preparation ,be prepared; of the Gospel of peace; to pass the baton of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’s peace Then we discussed Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  

That this crucified walk is paved in faith. That faith requires action. That faith will and is tested. That the proof is in the pudding. We believe or we don’t. And, our shield of faith is the evidence of our complete trust in Him. Hebrews 11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

                     Now, we are discussing Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We are to put on the helmet of salvation. Why? Because the battlefield is in the mind. If the enemy can draw our attention off of the Lord, he has us in his crosshairs. There are so many scriptures about keeping our focus on the Lord and how it affects our walk with Him. Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon thee: becasue he trusteth in thee. 

 Luke 12:29-32  29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 

Philippians 2:5-9  5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.These are just a few. 

                I have just gone through something that most people would have lost their minds over. How did I keep my sanity? Keeping my mind on the Lord Jesus Christ. Crying and pleading for His help. It is o.k. To break down under the Lord’s headship. He will keep you from falling apart. My first pastor taught me how to not lose my mind. The Lord used him and his beautiful wife to equip and teach me how to walk with the Lord. How to know that I know when it is Him speaking to me. This only happens by reading your bible to be a doer and not hearer only of His word. Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

                          At the beginning of my walk with the Lord. I had a situation where my heart was involved. And, fell apart. There is a difference between being broken and falling apart. When you are broken you are looking for the only one who can redeem your situation. When you are falling apart, you are allowing your carnal emotions to redeem your situation. There is only one who can redeem all things. Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Anyway, I was broken but falling apart. My pastor walks in and asks, “What’s wrong.” Well, I couldn’t even speak. My words were being shut off. That is when he yelled in authority over my situation. “Shut up!” I did it in shock. “Pray in your prayer language. I stumbled for a minute over getting it out, but as I focused on praying in my prayer language (the gift of tongues with the baptism of the Holy Ghost) my prayer language began to flow. I regained my right mind. This is one way to get your mind on the Lord. Jude 20-25  20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. I regained my mind and was able to speak and tell him what caused me to fall apart. But more than that, I thank the Lord for the experience to learn of His saving grace once again. I also thanked my pastor for listening to the guidance of the Lord to help me. He is faithful to keep you from losing your sanity. 

                        I think of this passage when I look at this scripture on the helmet of salvation. Salvation comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. We must put our minds under His divine headship.  Matthew 14:22-33  22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. What did Jesus do? He got away to pray. He didn’t let circumstances and situations arise and then pray. He got alone every chance he could to pray. To seek the Father’s face. That is why He wasn’t surprised. And not only wasn’t He surprised, He walked upon it boldly with the authority the Father had given Him. He has given all of us that same authority to walk in. But we have to get alone as often as we can to pray. If you are looking for a time to pray, Satan will never afford you that. You have to make time and take time to pray. 

                         The wind and waves allowed fear to grip the apostle's heart. Their eyes were not on the Lord. Their mind was not under the headship of the Lord. Therefore, He could not keep them in perfect peace. Then, like a child, Peter cries out, “If it is you Lord, bid me to come walk with you.” Did the Lord condemn him for this? No. He gently and lovingly, with open arms replied to him like we would to a child who is first learning to walk. “Come.” And Peter did. He walked on the water as long as his eyes were upon Him. When the enemy distracted him by the waves, that is when fear was allowed to come in and try to drown him. Do you feel like you are drowning in your circumstances and situations? Put your eyes back on the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Keep your thoughts on Him and what He has done for you so far. When Peter began to drown, he reached and called out for the only one who could pull him up and out of it. “Jesus save me!” He put on the helmet of salvation.

                        The Lord also said to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Now, I find it very interesting that my Word search always came back to our tongue and how to control it. James 3:5-12  5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Matthew 12:34-40  34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

                  The Lord has given us something to speak. His Word and the gift of tongues with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. As we read and think on the Word of God in our bible, we are allowing it to take root in us and be our constant profession of faith. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: What is your profession of faith. 

              I had an experience early in my walk. I was talking with a friend. She asked me about someone. The Holy Ghost got a hold of my tongue and wouldn’t let me speak in my English. I tried 3 times to answer her. But, only tongues would come out. Keep in mind at that time I was fasting and praying. I also chose to allow the Word of God to be my food. So, the Holy Spirit was allowed to take control of my tongue. Psalm 141:3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. By the third time, we both began to laugh and accepted the fact that we were not to talk about this subject. The Lord wants to take our tongues and make them a flaming sword of His Word. Where we follow the example of His Son and only the Word of the Lord will spew out of our mouths. Where we speak life. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Galatians 5:22-25  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

                 Are you enjoying the fruits of your lips today? Get in the fight. Put on and apply the full armor the Lord has given each and everyone of us. Focus on the Lord and His life saving arm. When we address one another, think on your words and let’s ask ourselves if it is edifying. Will our words help or harm? Is our words words of faith or doubt and unbelief? Remember that facts change, but His Truth will stand forever. Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

                 If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Let me introduce you to Him. It is real simple. First you must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior. Acknowledger all of your sins. Ask Him for His forgiveness for all of your sins and call them out to Him. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Then, forgive those who have sinned or transgressed against you. Then, repent. Repent means to change your mind concerning sinful habits. Change your choice making. Let Him influence your choice making decisions as you get in His Holy Word. Ask Him to be Lord over your life. I want to pray this prayer with you. But, this is just another outline. The real work begins after I pray with you. 

                    Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

                              Next week we will start a series on the Our Father Prayer. Breaking it down verse by verse. Thank you so much for joining me today at My Little House of Prayer. I am so glad that you could join me today. See you next week. Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise.