Lord, My Life Is In Your Hands | A Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day

in 1967 at the age of 17 Joanie Ericson Tata decided to go swimming she took a dive into the Chesapeake Bay but she did not realize how shallow the water was and she fractured her fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae this ended up paralyzing her from the shoulders down at first it was extremely tough for her she would often pray for healing but nothing happened she doubted that God was real and she struggled with wanting to live however many years later she would reflect on her time in her chair and she said I hope in some

way I can bring my wheelchair to heaven with my new glorified body I will stand up on resurrected legs I will be next to the Lord Jesus I will feel the nail prints in his hands I will say thank you Jesus he will know that I mean it because he will recognize me from the inner sanctum of sharing in the fellow ship of his suffering he will see that I am one that shared in his suffering so he will see my gratitude will not be Hollow and I will say Lord Jesus do you see that

wheelchair over there well you were right when you put me in it it was a lot of trouble but the weaker I was in that thing the harder I leaned on you the harder I leaned on you the stronger I discovered you to be I don't think I would have ever known the glory of your grace if it was not for the weakness of that wheelchair so thank you Lord Jesus for that and now if you like you can send that wheelchair off to Hell dear friends there is a season between when a prayer is

prayed and offered to God and when the prayer is manifested we call that period of time waiting on the Lord this is the place where Joanie found herself and perhaps you maybe you too are in this place where you've prayed and now you're waiting well while waiting on the Lord to do anything specifically answering a prayer is challenging God is working in the waiting as we wait on him we learn how to lean on and trust God the first thing about waiting on the Lord to answer prayer is to admit that it can be very

hard Christian culture has romanticized waiting on the Lord as if it's a beautiful process now while the end result is beautiful because God changes Us in the process the waiting itself can be agonizing waiting on God to heal our bodies when they are sick or waiting on God to fix a broken marriage those things are not easy even Joanie Ericson Tata admitted that at the beginning of the trial when she lost her ability to move below the shoulders down she felt extremely depressed and had doubts about God even though waiting on God to answer prayer

is tough God is walking with us through it Isaiah 40: 29-31 says 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 we respond by running to the Lord to give us strength while waiting for him to answer our prayer we run to him with more prayer we also seek him

out in the word we don't give up simply because God hasn't answered yet we push harder into him while God loves and cares for us what he is more interested in than just answering our prayer is changing Us in the process consider this if God answered your every prayer then and there how would you learn to trust him if he answered your prayers as soon as you prayed them then your prayer life would never grow your prayer would never develop because waiting in prayer it develops your character it trains you to have tenation ious faith

I believe that the reason why the Lord makes us wait in prayer is because he knows that what we need most is to be changed into the image of Jesus waiting on the Lord to answer our prayers causes us to rely on God in her testimony Joanie Ericson T said it was a lot of trouble but the weaker I was in that thing the harder I leaned on you the the harder I leaned on you the stronger I discovered you to be I don't think I would have ever known the glory of your grace if

it was not for the weakness of that wheelchair while she hated the wheelchair she learned to lean on God as she waited she had to relearn how to do almost every task we take for granted such as eating communicating even going to the bathroom she even relearned how to paint by putting a toothbrush in her mouth the whole time she was praying for healing when the healing did not come it helped her trust in God through the weakness the trial you're going through God is using it to help you trust him more so what prayers

are you waiting on God to answer I cannot promise you that God will answer that prayer in the way that you want unfortunately for Joanie she has yet to to receive the healing that she prayed for at 75 years old she's still in a wheelchair however I can promise that God works in your life as you wait since Joan's crash she would go on to write over 40 books using a voice to text machine become a recording artist and become a well-known Christian evangelist even more than that her relationship with the Lord has grown tremend

tremendously and it's due to her prayer life and reading of the word God doesn't want you to freeze and wait for an answer to prayer but continue to seek Him Romans 12:12 says rejoicing in Hope patient in Tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer we have hope that God can answer our prayers we can have the joy of the Lord as our strength even if as we are waiting for our prayers to be answered and often times for some of us it takes tribulation to cause us to pray with intensity now it's through this repeated process of

prayer and waiting that the Lord Works to make us trust him more pray more seek him more and lean on God more than ever before and so now as you consider the things that you've prayed about those things that you find yourself still waiting on answers for those places that seem to get rough and hard at times as you consider those places let's go to God In Prayer let's ask him to help us in the waiting but let us wait patiently let our faith increase let us lean into him more Lord Jesus teach us to

wait on you teach us to be patient and wait on you Faithfully teach us to be still and know that you are indeed God a God who is in control of all things and your timing is perfect teach us to wait on you prayerfully help us holy spirit so that we can live Micah 7:7 says therefore I will look to the Lord I will wait for the god of my salvation my God will hear me May this be the Declaration of our hearts as for me I look to the Lord for help I wait confidently

for God to save me and my God he will certainly hear me Lord Jesus if you have placed us in a season of waiting then I pray that our hearts would be in the right posture May our hearts be in the right place trusting in you without murmuring or complaining never doubting you or attempting to to take things in our own hands let our hearts be fully invested in your word believing that you will move within our situation King Jesus if we are being placed in a season of waiting because you want to reveal some

things within us then may your will be done Lord Jesus if we are being placed in a season of waiting because you want to grow our faith or you want to help us to grow in our spiritual maturity then may your will be done King Jesus give us the grace to wait on you expectantly with assured Faith give us the grace to be unshakable in our trust in you father may we never be discouraged by what our eyes can see father help us to be firm in faith believing that you will arrive in your perfect

time which will be the right time Psalm 37:7 says Be Still before the Lord and wait patiently for him do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes as we wait May the Holy Spirit impress upon us a Godly peace a quiet confidence that knows that God will deliver us in our time of need Lord help us not to be a people who whine or agonize about our individual prayer requests but rather let us become Believers with unshakable trust in a miracle working God lord Jesus Psalm 25:3 says

indeed let no one who Waits on you be ashamed let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause father as your children we're grateful that waiting on you will never result in shame you will never let us down you'll never come up short you are always on time and at the right time teach me not to try and force the issue or try to take matters into my own hands give me a spirit that's longsuffering and patient give me the wisdom to realize that if my situation doesn't seem to be changing as quickly as I

would like then perhaps you Lord are changing me as I grow through the situation help me to realize Lord Jesus that sometimes I have to wait so that you can remove certain characteristics from within me and Purge my heart sometimes I have to wait because you want to prepare me but whatever your will is Lord Jesus let it be done in my life and even as I wait let my eyes remain fixed on you I will continue to wait expectantly believing and trusting that you will always come through for me right at the perfect time

so despite the many discouraging voices in this world and despite the many accusations and lies from the enemy I declare that I will wait for the god of my salvation my God you will hear me in Jesus name I pray amen amen have you ever prayed this prayer Lord lead me take the lead in my life so often we want to do things our way and according to our will but how many of us will do well to Simply surrender and let God take the lead now in Matthew 24 there is an occasion where a

group of Pharisees challenged Jesus they picked the issue of ritual handwashing to confront him however they are looking for any way to discredit him now as I read this passage of scripture I want you to pay attention to what Jesus says about the leadership of some people Matthew 15 ver 1-13 then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders they don't wash their hands before they eat Jesus replied and why do you break the command of God for the sake

of your tradition for God said honor your father and mother and anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death but you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is devoted to God they are not to honor their father or mother with it thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition you Hypocrites Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me they worship me in

vain their teachings are merely human rules Jesus called the crowd to him and said listen and understand what goes into someone's mouth does not defile them but what comes out of their mouth that is what defiles them then the disciples came to him and asked do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this he replied every plant that my heavenly father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots leave them they are blind guides if the blind lead the blind both will fall into a pit if you look closer at

this teaching you will see that it means a person cannot help someone else or teach another person about something if they also don't know the answer now let me ask you how many people have the answer to Life's problems how many people have the answer to your burdens how many people can offer you the answer concerning the lack of peace in your heart do you see why we need to let God take the lead he has all the answers we need to strive to be a people who allow God to lead in our lives we

should trust not in our own understanding but we ought to trust in the goodness in the love and Leadership of Jesus Christ the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land I want you to note how God is saying to his people humble yourselves pray and seek my face turn from your wicked ways this Saints is how you can turn your

life around humble yourself meaning surrender to the Lord accept that you do not know it all you cannot do life through your own strength and might you need Jesus I believe in that here in 2 Chronicles 7:14 the Bible is telling us to Humble ourselves because we need to come to a place whereby we are willing to Simply serve to serve Jesus Christ to serve the body of Christ and serve his kingdom the second point is to pray and seek his face Psalm 42:1 says as a dear pants for flowing streams so pants my soul

for you oh god there needs to be a longing and a yearning for God in your heart indeed the Lord wants his children to not only pray but to pray and seek his face that means don't just come with a list of requests take time to commune with him to build a relationship with him God wants us to fellowship with him the Bible tells us to seek one thing above all else in Matthew 6:33 but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you God wants us

to seek him first we need to have hearts that seek for the goodness of God to be demonstrated in our lives so in everything we do we should do it with pure intentions and godly intentions now let us pray our dear heavenly father all glory belongs to you all the honor belongs to you we are praying at this time because we need you we need need you Lord we need your love and we need your grace help us to serve For Your Glory Master help us to take up our cross daily and forsake the pleasures

of this world master let our hearts be filled with the fear of the Lord so that we can pursue you above all else we need you King Jesus we're looking to you for Direction we're looking to you for counsel we refuse to lean on our own understanding because rather we choose to lean on you father in all that we do give us an attitude of humility give us a servant's heart may I decrease as the glory of the Lord increases and the name of Jesus is lifted higher and hire by the things I say and

do your word says in Psalm 34:2 my soul shall make its boast in the Lord The Humble shall hear of it and be glad father teach me to boast in you and in you alone help me not to boast in the talents and gifts that you have given me but instead I pray that my soul boasts only in you King Jesus in our weakness we will boast of your strength through our difficulties we will boast of your saving power even if we lack many worldly possessions we will boast in your provision father in all that

we do we will continually boast only in you not in people not in my ability or resources but only in you my God your word says in 1 Corinthians 15:58 therefore my dear brothers and sisters stand firm let nothing move you always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain I pray that you would indeed help us to always be steadfast to always be immovable in you to always be abounding in the work of the Lord let everything I do be of

your glory and not my own help me to do good works not to be seen by others but to please you and to bring glory to your name and to point others towards your goodness and father I ask for your forgiveness If Ever I sought after the approval of man above your approval although my sinful nature May at times crave the admiration of others the Applause of others but teach me Lord to crucify the Flesh and humble myself father you deserve the highest praise thank you for hearing my prayer in jesus' name I pray Amen

in today's society there is a need for everything to be comfortable and convenient the concept of God testing us can seem very strange to us we typically put hardships or trials into two categories either we dismiss them and just say life happens in one way or another or we point difficulties to Satan while both of these can be true there is a greater reality that God and his love and mercy he actually tests our faith this is the reality that we find in scripture for instance Proverbs 17:3 says the refining pot is for silver and

the furnace for gold but the Lord tests the hearts in other words just as silver and gold are purified by fire so the Lord purifies the hearts of Believers by fiery trials if you want to refine goal you use the furnace and if the heart of man is to be refined the Lord tests the heart that means that my faith and your faith must stand trial at one point or another and listen our natural tendency as humans is to think that if something seems unpleasant then it must must not be from God but we must

realize that God sees things quite differently than we do not only should we Embrace being tested and going through trials but James tells us that we should relish them James 1: 2-4 says dear brothers and sisters when Troubles of any kind come your way consider it an opportunity for great joy for you know that when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow so let it grow for when your endurance is fully developed you will be perfect and complete needing nothing so our trials they are meant to make us complete so that

we lack nothing in God so that we become unwavering in our faith this changes the way we view hardships it Chang changes how we respond to those difficult times in our lives the reality is that God is always at work in his children and the ultimate goal is that we become a reflection of Christ we are to be conformed into the image of Christ having our minds renewed and our hearts refined not only are we to Rejoice knowing that God is testing us as a good work in our lives but the Bible goes on to

tell us in James 1:12 blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him and Saints when we endure when we keep moving forward and when we persevere through life's trials and tribulations there is a crown in heaven that awaits us the CR of life we lose the beauty of a testimony and what God is doing in us because we become so focused on the trial that we take our eyes off of Christ however the

reality is that every trial gives us a testimony of God's goodness and his sovereignty every trial provides us with the working knowledge that God is still with us refining us molding us conforming forming us all because we are his children we are bought with the precious blood of Christ of course this doesn't mean that we ignore the difficulty in trials and hardships it's actually okay to acknowledge pain it's okay to admit to suffering or hurt or anguish it's okay to acknowledge frustrations and disappointments as long as we bring those things before our Lord in an

humble way and find peace through his word and in prayer ultimately we want to realize that the difficulty we Face will cause us to depend on Christ and it's when we approach these challenges in faith believing and trusting that this is working for our good and that he's producing a good work in us it's when we do this that we truly reach a new level of spiritual maturity in Romans 5 verses 1-5 we find the entire order of Trials and what they produce if any passage of scripture was worth memorizing concerning trials and testing it

would be this one it says therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ Our Lord has done for us because of our faith Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand and we confid confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory we can Rejoice too when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us develop endurance and endurance develops strength of character and character strengthens our confident hope of Salvation and this

hope will not lead to disappointment for we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love the Apostle Paul doesn't merely say we endure in Trials but he actually says we are to rejoice in our tribulations another way of saying that is to say that we should show great happiness or to be extremely joyful in our tribulations now that's a different way to look at things than what you probably grew up thinking ultimately trials bring us hope trials bring out the fire within us

Tri s help us to grow now perhaps the most significant benefit to being tested is found in 1 Peter 1 verse 7 where it says that the genuiness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to praise honor and Glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ this is the goal that in the end once our faith is tested it results in US praising God glorifying God and honoring our Lord Jesus Christ remember that everything is all for God's glory it's all for him to

be praised and so when testing takes place in our lives we should always remember that he loves us and because we love him and we are called according to his purpose all things will work together for our good in Jesus name now let us go to God In Prayer dear Master our prayer is from Psalm 139: 23 to 24 search me oh God and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life search US master and remove every

evil thought every impure and unclean thing within me within my character within my mind cleanse us of all unholiness Lord create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right Spirit within me I pray that every trial that you send our way will accomplish a purpose if it's patience that you want to develop within us then may your will will be done if it's self-control or humility that you want to develop within us may your will be done Lord I pray that even as our faith comes Under Fire let us not murmur or

complain but instead may we continually be found to be looking to you Lord Jesus I pray that you would give us the strength to stand when our faith is being tested I pray that you would give us a heart filled with joy even when when we're being tested 1 Corinthians 15:58 says therefore my beloved brothers be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain father make us steadfast make us immovable in our faith in you God whatever happens in this life may it

not sway us from our faith in your word should the miracle we pray for come to pass or not may you still be praised always should we be perplexed by any situations we encounter may you still be praised always father even when life appears to be falling apart when it's my season to be tested I pray that the Holy Spirit would help me to keep my my eyes on Jesus Christ help me Holy Ghost so that I can realize that the Troubles of this life they're only temporary they're only momentary in comparison to the joy

that awaits me in eternity and so Lord I pray that you would help me and strengthen my character help me not to be someone who is only strong in faith when all is well but may I be strong in faith always regardless of the difficulty I I'm facing your word in 2 Corinthians 13:5 it says examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith test yourselves or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail to meet the test father open my eyes so that I can

examine myself help me to examine my life against your word help me to examine my thoughts and conduct against what your word says a Believer should be and help me to be full of Integrity help me to be prayerful and to be full of love father thank you for hearing this prayer in Jesus name I pray amen the refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold but the Lord Lord test the hearts therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ

Our Lord has done for us because of our faith Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory we can Rejoice too when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us develop endurance and endurance develops strength of character and character strengthens our confident hope of Salvation and this hope will not lead to disappointment for we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love

I want you to pay attention to what the prophecy in Acts 2:1 17 says in the last days God says I will pour out my spirit on all people your sons and daughters will prophesy your young men will see Visions your old men will dream dreams this is no longer just a verse but a reality indeed the devil is aggressive in his tactics and deception in today's world but God is pouring out his Spirit the the last days will be the worst of time and the best of times terrible times will come but for the

believer for the one who puts their hope in Christ they will be in the storm but won't be affected by the storm they will be in the fire but will not be burned yes God is pouring out his Spirit on all people but only those who are willing only those who hearken their hearts to the call of Christ to receive it those who are in Christ are burning with a holy passion but as many as there are who are receiving the Holy Spirit there are also many whose love has grown cold there are those who

have become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God there are those who have become lovers of money more than lovers of God there is indeed a great wickedness in some corners of this world idolatry is there witchcraft is there sexual immorality is rampant and there is also a hatred between man there is an absence of love for one another and Saints if you open your eyes if you ask the holy spirit for discernment you will be awakened to the reality that God is indeed pouring out his Spirit but the devil is also pushing in

in overdrive to deceive and derail the faith of many now my prayer is that you would be in the category of those who receive the spirit of God as acts 2:1 17 declares let's be a people who are aware of the times look at the range of violence in today's world 2 Timothy 3:3 when talking about the impending second coming of the Lord the Bible describes people by saying Without Love unforgiving slanderous Without self-control brutal not lovers of the good notice how the Bible says brutal open your eyes people of God Luke 21:11 says there

will be great earthquakes famines and pestilence in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven we we are indeed living in a time where nature is showing great signs and wonders there are most definitely pestilences that we are living through but I say all of this not so that you should be filled with fear but so that you would listen so that you would be vigilant so that you would be aware the Bible is true the Bible is living in the last days God says I will pour out my spirit on all people

your sons and daughters will prophesy your young men will see Visions your old men will dream dreams so I encourage you to have a desire to receive the spirit of the Lord have a desire to be in that group that has a Divine encounter with God be on fire for Jesus Christ live right live boldly live and walk by faith not by sight God wants our time our energy our commitment our willingness to sacrifice for him and my advice to you is that there is no better time than right now than today to start giving

the Lord all of your energy all of your time and to have a willing to serve him there's no better time than the present the Lord wants to be the priority in our lives so we should make every effort we can to get to know Jesus Christ with an urgency we should work intently to do his will while there is still time life is short our days are numbered James tells us that we don't even know what will happen tomorrow he called your life my life a Mist that appears for a little while and then

vanishes we are so temporary to this world that our lives are compared to the liquid we see for a second coming out of a spray bottle that tiny mist is you that tiny mist is me in the grand scheme of things that's how quickly we appear and vanish in this life so hear me when I say that we need to live with an urgency an urgency to do everything Jesus Christ has set us out to do live with an urgency because you don't have the time to waste by not being who God called you to

be we don't have time to dabble outside of what we're here for now let us pray father I pray for each and every person under the sound of my voice may we find our ultimate fulfillment in your presence and in your presence alone may we find spiritual and emotional nourishment in your presence father in all that we do King Jesus let our appetite be known to you more to walk with you and abide in you let us be hungry for the one who is the bread of life let us thirst for the one who has

Living Waters father may I be a believer who is filled with the word may I only find nourishment and fulfillment in you King Jesus 1 Peter 2 1-3 says so put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good create in me a clean heart renew in me a right spirit I know that such a heart is pleasing to you more than sacrifices or good

works you desire a heart that is broken over sin and one that humbly seeks your forgiveness Psalms 119:9 says how can a young man keep his way pure by guarding it according to your word Lord give me Grace to make my way pure before your sight whenever I think impure thoughts and whenever sinful desires start creeping in give me strength King Jesus Jesus to resist the devil I pray that you would have mercy on me in this world I'm surrounded by Temptation there are so many polluting influences that threaten to infiltrate my heart each and

every day so Lord help me to guard my heart help me to fill my heart with your word help me to be vigilant against every force of evil and every cunning lie of man help me to be in the world but not of it help me to be in this world but not to love it Empower me to be a strong Godly influence in this world rather than for me to be influenced by this world help me to be salt in this earth help me to be a light in the darkness guiding my friends and

my family and neighbors and strangers alike to the Glorious cross your your word calls me in Philippians 4:8 to say finally Brothers whatever is true whatever is Honorable whatever is just whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is commendable if there is any Excellence if there is anything worthy of Praise think about these things Lord I pray that I would not be a sponge that absorbs all the filth of this world no instead let me be like a mirror reflecting your goodness for all to see thank you master for hearing this prayer may your name

be blessed and honored Forever More in Jesus name I pray Amen in the last days God says I will pour out my spirit on all people your your sons and daughters will prophesy your young men will see Visions your old men will dream dreams God won't always give you everything you want but dear friends when the Lord opens a door for you when it's God's will that something should come your way no devil no demon no evil spirit or Prin principality can shut that door I love that the Bible says in Revelation 3:7 and 8

and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things says he who is Holy he who is true he who has the Key of David he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens I know your Works see I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it for you have a little strength have kept my word and have not denied my name when we read this a lot of people may think that when the Bible is talking about open doors it's talking about success and

business and and abundance of blessings however may I tell you that God's open door does not just come in the form of material blessings I have heard of missionaries speak of going to remote parts of the world areas where people told them would be dangerous full of risk and unfruitful however they felt called by God and years later when their labor had had produced good fruit fruit in the form of souls one for Christ they've told me that God opened a door that no man could shut it was difficult it was challenging and at times

it looked like it was the wrong decision but in the fullness of time they saw that God's hand was on their lives and he did indeed open ad door and then I have also heard of testimonies whereby one young lady from Lebanon with elderly parents prayed and prayed for God to open a door for her and her family so that they could have a better life and then through a series of divine appointments she met the right people God's providential hand led her to strike up the right conversation with the right people at the right

time and eventually she landed a well-paying job and she was able to take care of her family yes I've learned that if it is God's will he will open a door in your life and when that door is open no man can shut it so I want to encourage you to do two things don't simply look for God to open a door that leads to material blessings your soul is much more precious than worldly gain the second thing I want to encourage you to do is to praise him don't let the focus be what you

lack but let God be your focus praise him because he is worthy to be praised not because you want something now the chapter of Psalm 146 offers a brilliant expression of Joy praise the Lord let all that I am praise the Lord I will praise the Lord as long as I live I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath don't put your confidence in powerful people there is no help for you there when they breathe their last they return to the Earth and all their plans die with them but joyful are those

who have the god of Israel as their helper whose hope is in the Lord their God he made Heaven and Earth the sea and everything in them he keeps every promise forever he gives Justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry the Lord frees the Prisoners the Lord opens the eyes of the blind the Lord lifts up those who are weighed down the lord loves The Godly the Lord protects the foreigners among us he cares for the orphans and widows but he frustrates the plans of the wicked the Lord will reign forever he will

be your god oh jerus Jerusalem throughout the generations praise the Lord there are so many reasons to have joy in the Lord we ought to be joyful because there are promises in the Bible directed to me and you promises that say surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life we ought to be joyful because our lord Jesus Christ is alive we ought to be joyful because we have been given the Holy Spirit who is our comforter through tough times our counselor during uncertainty and our teacher when we need knowledge I

would even go as far as saying the fact that you woke up this morning is reason enough for you to be joyful if you have ears that can hear my voice you've got reason enough to be joyful because even the smallest things that we often take for granted are actually a blessing now let us pray our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may your name be lifted high above every other name you are the alpha and omega the one who holds the keys to life and death we praise you today we rejoice in the fact that

you Lord are a bridge over troubled water other emotions may be present in our lives but I pray that the joy of the Lord will overrule everything else that I feel your word says in Psalm 20 verse 6-8 now this I know the Lord gives Victory to his anointed he answers him from his Heavenly Sanctuary with the Victorious power of His right hand some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord Our God they are brought to their knees and fall but we rise up and staying firm

I Rejoice because my savior holds all power in his hand you Lord can save me you Lord are the one who listens to all of my petitions to all of my prayers and I pray that you grant me my heart's desire according to your will people all over the world Place their trust in so many different things some in chariots and some in horses as your word says but I trust in you King Jesus I have joy because you are a God who works my circumstances to your glory I Rejoice at your promise in Deuteronomy

20:1 which says when you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours do not be afraid of them because the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt will be with you I worship you Jesus and I find comfort that you are my Defender regardless of whether the odds look to be against me regardless of whether I am outnumbered I will not be afraid because I can call on the name of the one true God a God who has proven time and time again that

he is capable of Defending ing protecting and leading his children to safety you did it for Moses and the children of Israel as they crossed the Red Sea you did it throughout the life of Joseph you protected Daniel and the three Hebrew boys and so I pray and I believe that you will do it for me also you will defend and Lead Me also you will protect me as I hold on to your word that promises me that you will fight for me I thank you and I praise you for being an Almighty keeper and

provider I pray that my reality will be your goodness your favor your love and grace I trade my sorrow and weakness for strength and joy in you Lord take away the voids that are in my life the feelings things of emptiness and make me whole instead may I be satisfied by the treasure that's in your word I pray for peace that passes all understanding and I declare that peace is mine through Jesus Christ I declare that the joy of the Lord is my strength and I Praise You Lord For The Glorious Grace that you have

poured out out on us you are worthy to be adored worthy to be praised and worshiped thank you for hearing this prayer in jesus' name I pray amen and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things says he who is Holy he who is true he who has the Key of David he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens I know your Works see I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it for you have a little strength have kept my word and

have not denied my name praise the Lord let all that I am praise the Lord I will praise the Lord as long as I live I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath don't put your confidence in powerful people there is no help for you there when they breathe their last they return to the Earth and all their plans die with them but joyful are those who have the god of Israel as their helper whose hope is in the Lord their God he made Heaven and Earth the sea and everything in them

he keeps every promise forever he gives Justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry the Lord frees the Prisoners the Lord opens the eyes of the blind the Lord lifts up those who are weighed down the lord loves The Godly the Lord protects the foreigners among us he cares for the orphans and widows but he frustrates the plans of the wicked the Lord will reign forever he will be your god oh Jerusalem throughout the generations praise the Lord in 1967 at the age of 17 Joanie Ericson Tata decided to go swimming she took a

dive into the Chesapeake Bay but she did not realize how shallow the water was and she fractured her fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae this ended up paralyzing her from the shoulders down at first it was extremely tough for her she would often pray for healing but nothing happened she doubted that God was real and she struggled with wanting to live however many years later she would reflect on her time in her chair and she said I hope in some way I can bring my wheelchair to heaven with my new glorified body I will stand up

on resurrected legs I will be next to the Lord Jesus I will feel the nail prints in his hands I will say thank you Jesus he will know that I mean it because he will recognize me from the inner sanctum of sharing in The Fellowship of his suffering he will see that I am one that shared in his suffering so he will see my gratitude will not be Hollow and I will say Lord Jesus do you see that wheelchair over there well you were right when you put me in it it was a lot of

trouble but the weaker I was in that thing the harder I leaned on you the harder I leaned on you the stronger I discovered you to be I don't think I would have ever known the glory of your grace if it was not for the weakness of that wheelchair so thank you Lord Jesus for that and now if you like you can send that wheelchair off to Hell dear friends there is a season between when a prayer is prayed and offered to God and when the prayer is manifested we call that period of time waiting

on the Lord this is the place where Joanie found herself and perhaps you maybe you two are in this place where you've prayed and now you're waiting well while waiting on the Lord to do anything specifically answering a prayer is challenging God is working in the waiting as we wait on him we learn how to lean on and trust God the first thing about waiting on the Lord to answer prayer is to admit that it can be very hard Christian culture has romanticized waiting on the Lord as if it's a beautiful process now while the

end result is beautiful because God changed changes Us in the process the waiting itself can be agonizing waiting on God to heal our bodies when they are sick or waiting on God to fix a broken marriage those things are not easy even Joanie Ericson Tata admitted that at the beginning of the trial when she lost her ability to move below the shoulders down she felt extremely depressed and had doubts about God even though waiting on God to answer prayer is tough God is walking with us through it Isaiah 40 veres 29-31 says 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 knock grow weary they will walk and not be faint we respond by running to the Lord to give us strength while waiting for him to answer our prayer we run to him with more prayer we also seek him out in the word we don't give up simply because God hasn't answered yet we push

harder into him while God loves and cares for us what he is more interested in than just answering our prayer is changing Us in the process consider this if God answered your every prayer then and there how would you learn to trust him if he answered your prayers as soon as you prayed them then your prayer life would never grow your prayer would never develop because waiting in prayer it develops your character it trains you to have tenacious faith I believe that the reason why the Lord makes us wait in prayer is because he knows

that what we need most is to be changed into the image of Jesus waiting on the Lord to answer our prayers causes us to rely on God in her testimony Jony Ericson Tata said it was a lot of trouble but the weaker I was in that thing the harder I leaned on you the harder I leaned on you the stronger I discovered you to be I don't think I would have ever known the glory of your grace if it was not for the weakness of that wheelchair while she hated the wheelchair she learned to lean

on God as she waited she had to relearn how to do almost every task we take for granted such as eating communicating even going to the bathroom she even relearned how to paint by putting a toothbrush in her mouth the whole time she was praying for healing when the healing did not come it helped her trust in God through the weakness the trial you're going through God is using it to help you trust him more so what prayers are you waiting on God to answer I cannot promise you that God will answer that prayer in

the way that you want unfortunately for Joanie she has yet to receive the healing that she prayed for at 75 years old she's still in a wheelchair however I can promise that God works in your life as you wait since Joan's crash she would go on to write over 40 books using a voice to text machine become a recording artist and become a well-known Christian evangelist even more than that her relationship with the Lord has grown tremendously and it's due to her prayer life and reading of the word word God doesn't want you to freeze

and wait for an answer to prayer but continue to seek Him Romans 12:12 says rejoicing in Hope patient in Tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer we have hope that God can answer our prayers we can have the joy of the Lord as our strength even as we are waiting for our prayers to be answered and often times for some of us it takes tribulation to cause us to pray with intensity now it's through this repeated process of Prayer in Waiting that the Lord Works to make us trust him more pray more seek him more and lean

on God more than ever before and so now as you consider the things that you've prayed about those things that you find yourself still waiting on answers for those places that seem to get rough and hard at times as you consider those places let's go to God In Prayer let's ask him to help us in the waiting but let us wait patiently let our faith increase let us lean into him more Lord Jesus teach us to wait on you teach us to be patient and wait on you Faithfully teach us to be still and know

that you are indeed God a God who is in control of all things and your timing is perfect teach us to wait on you prayerfully help us holy spirit so that we can live Micah 7:7 says therefore I will look to the Lord I will wait for the god of my salvation my God will hear me may this be the Declaration of our hearts as for me I I look to the Lord for help I wait confidently for God to save me and my God he will certainly hear me Lord Jesus if you have placed

us in a season of waiting then I pray that our hearts would be in the right posture May our hearts be in the right place trusting in you without murmuring or complaining never doubting you or attempting to take things in our own hands let our hearts be fully invested in your word believing that you will move within our situation King Jesus if we are being placed in a season of waiting because you want to reveal some things within us then may your will be done Lord Jesus if we are being placed in a season of

waiting because you want to grow our faith or you want to help us to grow in our spiritual maturity then may your will be done King Jesus give us the Grace to wait on you expectantly with assured Faith give us the grace to be unshakeable in our trust in you father may we never be discouraged by what our eyes can see father help us to be firm in faith believing that you will arrive in your perfect time which will be the right time Psalm 37:7 says Be Still before the the Lord and wait patiently for

him do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes as we wait May the Holy Spirit impress upon us a Godly peace a quiet confidence that knows that God will deliver us in our time of need Lord help us not to be a people who whine or agonize about our individual prayer requests but rather let us become believers with unshakable trust in a miracle working God lord Jesus Psalm 25:3 says indeed let no one who Waits on you be ashamed let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause

father as your children we're grateful that waiting on you will never result in shame you will never let us down you'll never come up short you are always on time and at the right time teach me not to try and force the issue or try to take matters into my own hands give me a spirit that's longsuffering and patient give me the wisdom to realize that if my situation doesn't seem to be changing as quickly as I would like then perhaps you Lord are changing me as I grow through the situation help help me to

realize Lord Jesus that sometimes I have to wait so that you can remove certain characteristics from within me and Purge my heart sometimes I have to wait because you want to prepare me but whatever your will is Lord Jesus let it be done in my life and even as I wait let my eyes remain fixed on you I will continue to wait expectantly believing and trusting that you will always come through for me right at the perfect time so despite the many discouraging voices in this world and despite the many accusations and lies from the

enemy I declare that I will wait for the god of my salvation my God you will hear me in Jesus name I pray amen 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 rejoicing in Hope Pati and tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer there therefore I will look to the Lord

I will wait for the god of my salvation my God will hear me be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes indeed let no one who Waits on you be ashamed let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause have you ever prayed this prayer Lord lead me take the lead in my life so often we want to do things our way and according to our will but how many of us will do well to Simply surrender and

let God take the lead now in Matthew 24 there is an occasion where a group of Pharisees challenge Jesus they pick the issue of ritual handwashing to confront him however they are looking for any way to discredit him now as I read this passage of scripture I want you to pay attention to what Jesus says about the leadership of some people Matthew 15 verse 1-13 then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus Jesus from Jerusalem and asked why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders they don't wash their hands before

they eat Jesus replied and why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition for God said honor your father and mother and anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death but you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is devoted to God they are not to honor their father or mother with it thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition you Hypocrites Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you these people

honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me they worship me in vain their teachings are merely human rules Jesus called the crowd to him and said listen and understand what goes into someone's mouth does not defile them but what comes out of their mouth that is what defiles them then the disciple came to him and asked do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this he replied every plant that my heavenly father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots leave them they are blind guides if

the blind lead the blind both will fall into a pit if you look closer at this teaching you will see that it means a person cannot help someone else or teach another person about something if they also don't know the answer now let me ask you how many people have the answer to Life's problems how many people have the answer to your burdens how many people can offer you the answer concerning the lack of peace in your heart do you see why we need to let God take the lead he has all the answers we

need to strive to be a people who allow God to lead in our lives we should trust not in our own understanding but we ought to trust in the goodness in the love and Leadership of Jesus Christ the Bible says in second Chronicle 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land I want you to note how God is saying to his people humble yourselves pray and

seek my face turn for from your wicked ways this Saints is how you can turn your life around humble yourself meaning surrender to the Lord except that you do not know it all you cannot do life through your own strength and might you need Jesus I believe in that here in 2 Chronicles 7:14 the Bible is telling us to Humble humble ourselves because we need to come to a place whereby we are willing to Simply serve to serve Jesus Christ to serve the body of Christ and serve his kingdom the second point is to pray

and seek his face Psalm 42 verse one says as a deer pants for flowing streams so pants my soul for you oh god there needs to be a longing and a yearning for God in your heart indeed the Lord wants his children to not only pray but to pray and seek his face that means don't just come with a list of requests take time to commune with him to build a relationship with him God wants us to fellowship with him the Bible tells us to seek one thing above all else in Matthew 6:33 but seek

first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you God wants us to seek him first we need to have hearts that seek for the goodness of God to be demonstrated in our lives so in everything we do we should do it with pure intentions and godly intentions now let us pray our dear heavenly father all glory belongs to you all the honor belongs to you we are praying at this time because we need you we need you Lord we need your love and and we need your grace

help us to serve For Your Glory Master help us to take up our cross daily and forsake the pleasures of this world master let our hearts be filled with the fear of the Lord so that we can pursue you above all else we need you King Jesus we're looking to you for direction we're looking to you for counsel we refuse to lean on our own understanding because rather we choose to lean on you father in all that we do give us an attitude of humility give us a servant's heart may I decrease as the glory

of the Lord increases and the name of Jesus is lifted Higher and Higher by the things I say and do your word says in Psalm 34:2 my soul shall make its boast in the Lord The Humble shall hear of it and be glad father teach me to boast in you and in you alone help me not to boast in the talents and gifts that you have given me but instead I pray that my soul boasts only in you King Jesus in our weakness we will boast of your strength through our difficulties we will boast of

your saving power even if we lack many worldly possessions we will boast in your provision father in all that we do we will continually boast only in you not in people not in my ability or resources but only in you my God your word says in 1 Corinthians 15: 58 therefore my dear brothers and sisters stand firm let nothing move you always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain I pray that you would indeed help help us to always be steadfast

to always be immovable in you to always be abounding in the work of the Lord let everything I do be of your glory and not my own help me to do good works not to be seen by others but to please you and to bring glory to your name and to point others towards your goodness and father I ask for your forgiveness If Ever I sought after the approval of man above your approval although my sinful nature May at times crave the admiration of others the Applause of others but teach me Lord to crucify the

Flesh and humble myself father you deserve the highest praise thank you for hearing my prayer in jesus' name I pray amen the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge fools despise wisdom and [Music] instruction If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turned from their Wicked Ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you to this you were called

because Jesus suffered for you leaving you an example that you should follow in his his steps and he was saying to them all if anyone wishes to follow me as my disciple he must deny himself set aside selfish interests and take up his cross daily expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come and follow me believing in me conforming to my examp ex Le in living and if need be suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in me