God Is Sovereign!

God is sovereign! He is in total control of my life! Over the last few months I’ve struggled with a stronghold that I have laid down over and over, only to pick it back up within days or even hours. It has been torcher for my soul. I am reading through the Bible from beginning to end, but got a little bogged down in Jeremiah. So, after finishing Jeremiah I jumped over to the New Testament, and read through most of it, which was all familiar, but I always learn something new. It amazes me how my Bible Study for the day or week fits right in with what I needed to renew my spirit. Even more, it boggles the mind when Bro. Tommy’s sermons, radio commentaries, even the online Bible study that I get through email at work all pertain to the same subject!

Here is one even better than that! This is not what I wanted to blog about, but after you read this, you will know why I did.

I have had a few friends praying for me to be free of this stronghold. After listening to “Clear the Stage”(link below) for a second time out in the Refuge tonight, while praying for the teens that might need to be freed from their own strongholds, I suddenly couldn’t wait to get home, get into scripture, and get out on the deck to my quiet place to meet Jesus. For the first time in weeks, there was no rain, and the night was very bright! I prayed again for God to free me, to use this to His glory and allow me the ability to share Him through my writing. After several minutes, I came back in to the house and opened my Bible.

Now, remember, I got bogged down in Jeremiah. Day before yesterday I decided I needed to go ahead and get back on track;…God always seemed to use the path I was taking…so I thought I would give Lamentations a try. Have you read Lamentations? Oh, man! God is punishing Jerusalem! It’s in complete desolation, and Jeremiah is expressing his suffering for their pain. It’s very dark and scary to think that God could be that angry with us for our disobedience. Chapter 3 is full of graphic images of suffering and spiritual pain, but verse 24 spoke to my heart: “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” I was so struck by that verse, that in all that suffering, all I had to do was allow myself to believe that He would bring me out. Yeah, yeah, I’ve been told and told myself over and over again. I quickly changed my Facebook status to Lamentations 3:24.

Here is where it gets really good. My friend Jamie lent me a book called “Praying God’s Word” by Beth Moore. It’s several chapters of Beth’s knowledge and insight into different kinds of strongholds, then lots of scripture rewritten by Beth as prayer. D A Y...Before…yesterday…I stopped jumping around reading what I thought I needed in this book, and began reading the first part of each chapter and then praying a few scripture. I picked up “Praying God’s Word” after finding Lamentations 3:24 and being so struck by that verse. I began reading the next chapter on overcoming despair. Now, when I started reading I realized it was about loss…more specifically, loss of a loved one. As I read the tearful pages of three women and their loss, I realized it could pertain to most any kind of stronghold that causes despair…and I was in despair. I was balling my eyes out as I finished these little stories, and started to read the first of the scriptures Beth had chosen. To my shock, it was Lamentations 3:22-25, with my verse right smack in the middle of it.

Beth’s rewritten prayer:Merciful and faithful Lord, because of Your great love I am not consumed, for Your compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lord, You are good to those whose hope is in You, to the one who seeks You.

I immediately went back to my quiet place, fell on my face…, and cried out in praise. He had just told me that I was going to be free, that He would use it to His glory and that I needed to tell this story! It was 10:06 pm when I first began praying. After weeks of not being able to get my words into writing, by 12:49 am I am finishing up this blog. Tell me God is not in complete control.

Clear the Stage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sKURkM3Es

I highly recommend the book Praying God's Word, by Beth Moore