The Divine Encounter

Dear God,

I cannot begin this day without spending time in your presence. I cannot rush to be with you and then quickly move away. I cannot come to the prayer place and not be ready to encounter you. I command my spirit to receive what you will give to me. Amen

Dr. Jessica Ingram
Supervisor, 10th Episcopal District AMEC
Author, The Journey Within
Journeyministry@aol.com

Prayer Quote

"Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?....Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude towards the things about which we pray."

Oswald Chambers

Riding the Complaint Train

Has it ever happened to you? You're up in the morning surveying the landscape of your daily responsibilities and before you can thank God, complaint after complaint lingers on your lips?! Here's the challenge for the day...try to make it through all you do without a complaint!! Let me know at the end of the day how you did in the comment section.

VMM

"Do Everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong."

Philippians 2:12-14 NCV

Lord, deliver us from attending our daily gripe sessions. Forgive us for all of the time we've spent on self- pity and inviting others to our pity parties. Create in us a winning attitude instead of a whining attitude. Help us today to paint a beautiful picture on the canvas of life full of vibrant ideas to improve and move forward, the Lord being our helper.

It is with grateful hearts that we are determine to live fully today. Thank you Lord for all you have been, all you are right now and all you shall be. In Jesus Name, Amen.

VMM

In the Meantime!

“Why are you fearful, O you of Little Faith"

Matthew 8:26

Cause us to hear your loving-kindness in the morning, for in you do we trust. We continue to stand in awesome wonder of your great and mighty works. Thank you for reaching beyond our human faults and frailties to love us without wavering.

Hold us in the palm of your hand in between the cross and the resurrection, between the humiliation and and exaltation.

Protect us even in shadows of threatening things or when haters encamp around us. Calm our fears, which try to immobilize our faith.

Even if we find ourselves at the breaking point, strengthen our faith so that we won’t break confidence in you. Help us to hold on between our Fridays and the Sunday morning on the way.

In Your name, Amen.

VMM

Lord, we live daily believing and behaving the Resurrection on the way!

Cross Confessions

"If we confess out sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " I John 1:9 (KJV )

Good Morning Lord,

Confession is good for the soul. I confess that giving up what I want to grasp what you have for me can be so hard to do. I confess that I want to desperately cling to things that don’t really matter instead of taking hold of what matters to eternity. I confess that my appetites have ruled and reigned too long.

I confess that I have cheapened the cross experience, the cross-talk and the price you paid for the forgiveness of my sins. I confess that I have traded a rugged cross that was to be carried for a jeweled cross to be worn. As I confess these struggles to you, be now faithful to forgive.

Forgiving God, I know lighting a fire in the desert can be difficult. There is struggle. There is smoke that chokes the throat and stings the eyes. Tears follow. In the end, there is finally a flame.

Help me to light your consuming fire. It may be difficult and hard to start. O Lord, there may even be tears. But, in the end, in Jesus name let me be able to proclaim that you, Our God is a consuming fire. Amen.

VMM

So, I cling to the Old Rugged Cross......and exchange it someday for a crown!

The Table is Spread

We sit at the table with you today Lord breaking bread to remember your cross broken body and drinking the never-spilt but shed wine to remember that your blood was shed for our sins that created a new mercy seat.

Thank you for enlarging our future with your sacrifice and changing the equation from law to grace. Thank you for setting the table so that all of us can dine sufficiently for it is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female, bond nor free. We're all one in Christ Jesus. Bread of heaven feed us until we want now more. In Jesus name, Amen

VMM

IT'S HOLY WEEK 2012

The Lenten Journey may be coming to an end on Sunday but it really is a beginning. Please share your insights and experiences in the comment section this week.

Become One

"The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind...."

John 17: 21 (Message Bible)

It is a wonderful miracle that our faith in you Lord, overcomes everything that separates us! Help us to see each other through your eyes and resist the temptation to see each other through the eyes of culture and society. Help us to be aware of the foxes that try to spoil the vine. Help us not to allow little things or the little things we make big become wedges in our relationships.

Forgive us when we fail to reach the goal of one heart and one mind because we know you desire that we all be one. Strengthen us today by showing us through your mercy how to bring unity in our homes and our places of worship. In the Name above every Name, Amen.

VMM

THE LENTEN JOURNEY: YEA THO' I WALK

CALVARY IS IN SIGHT AND THE RESURRECTION IS IN VIEW!

Intimate Calm

Pray this prayer with me:

My soul only waits for the Lord. In silence I sit in anticipation for the one who is my rock and my salvation. Draw me out of the chaos of this world and into the calm of your intimacy. I breathe out chaos and breathe in calm; breathe out the chaotic experiences of living in an uncertain world and breathe in the calm of a peace that surpasses all understanding; breathe out chaotic personalities and breathe in the calm of a changeless Christ; breathe out ignorance and breathe in the calm of your wisdom that instructs me; breathe out my will and breathe in thy will be done.

Calm me just as you have calmed the winds and the waves.
Speak to me just as you spoke to the storm.
Touch me in places I’d rather leave untouched.
See me and know what I thought was hidden from you.
Cross my inner threshold so that we are one.
Here I am Lord your servant is listening

In Jesus Name
Amen
VMM

THE LENTEN JOURNEY: YEA THO' I WALK

The Lenten season is coming to an end. There is still time to seek fresh meaning of the cross-event and resurrection for your life. Take time this week being honest about yourself and everything in your life in prayer and in the presence of a God who gave so that we might live!

Go to www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com for your daily Lenten devotion. Share the sites on your social media networks. You can subscribe to both and encourage others to do the same. It's free.

VMM

Blessed to be a Blessing

"...you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted."

Galatians 6:1

Gracious God, we lift our thoughts towards you this day to give you praise and thanksgiving. Thank you for blessing us with warm clothes on cool days, comfortable beds, sustenance, the ability to create new things and the ability to create wealth.

Help us to reach out to those who lack the basics of life. Help us to be more compassionate and loving towards those who suffer from experiences that stagger the imagination. Help us to be more willing to share our blessings to help someone else.

And if our brother or sister is caught in a sin, show us the best way to restore them gently back into the faith. Guard us, lest we too get caught up in the same sin because we are subject to the same stresses and strains, weaknesses and temptation. Amen

VMM

YEA THO' I WALK: THE LENTEN JOURNEY

It's Holy Week 2012. Be sure to attend a Holy Week Revival, foot washing service, communion or Good Friday service this week. Be prayerful, dig deeper into God's word and maintain your spiritual disciplines.