A friend remembered

Yesterday, July 1, 2013, we celebrated the life of my friend Alison.  Alison was and will continue to be an inspiration to everyone who knew her.  She lived her life as a devoted follower of Christ and committed prayer warrior who faithfully served in the prayer ministry at my church for over 15 years.  The service was beautiful and well attended because although Alison never married and had no children, she was loved not by her family and the hundreds of people who were blessed to call her friend. 



Alison was a remarkable lady who made a point of reaching for scripture as part of her habit of prayer.  Along with the order of worship that we received upon arriving at the memorial service, we received copy of a collection of scripture that Alison had compiled for herself.  She had taken the time to write out scripture that spoke to her concerning many of the things that she was asked to prayer about as part of her work in the prayer ministry.  For each burden that came to mind, each request she faithfully brought before His throne,  she found a scripture to comfort, encourage and heal. 

When I got home, I enjoyed reading through the scriptures that had meaning to my friend.  The exact scriptures that she treasured and considered sure comfort for those in need, are the ones that I am enjoying the most today. 

Right now I'm looking at a page just a few pages into Alison's book. 

Under the heading of Peace she has listed one of my favorites

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

Under the heading of physical sickness she has listed this verse which to me embodies the life that Alison lived most especially when she was sick.

"The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.  The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." Psalm 145: 13b-14

Some of her headings are more specific than others and one heading is cerebral palsy and  epilepsy which was something that she suffered with throughout her life.    For that specific need she listed one of my favorite verses which is;

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17

If you can't access the player, please feel free to go to this link to hear the song.

 Zephaniah 3:17 by Bonnie McSpadden

Immeasurably More!

Ephesians 3:14-20
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen

What a lovely prayer to have stuck in my head!  This year I was excited to find myself with some time to watch a few of the sessions from the Passion 2013 conference.  I love the fact that when I was a college student I got to go to the first Passion conference in 1997.  Because I was so deeply impacted by my experiences there, I like to keep up with what they are up to.

 Anyway, while listening to the first session Louie referred to verse 20 of this passage where it says,

 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work with in us....."  

I think maybe he asked something like "Do we really believe that God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine?"  I might be close to what he said or  he might have something completely different, I'm not sure I remember exactly.   Still,  I'm telling ya'll that in light of that passage, the question that the Lord had for me is:

Do  I really believe that God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine?   

The coolest thing is that ever since the day I got to catch up with Passion, that question has caused me to identify and change my defeated thinking patterns quite often over the last few days.  Until the Lord began to bring it to my attention, I didn't realize how often I deal with circumstances in my life from a defeated perspective.  More often than I realized I would come across a circumstance in my day and find myself in a state of passive resignation rather than a place of hopeful anticipation.

As those moments have been revealed to me, I've sort of had this refrain caught in my head, a sort of paraphrase of the verse fragment..... He is able to do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine....

Do I have the strength to change this habit?

 He is able to do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine!

How can I possibly deal with this crisis?

He is able to do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine!

Will I be able to do what I need to do?

He is able to do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine!

It's pretty cool because now instead of facing all the ordinary issues I face every day with dogged determination, I have noticed that I am more expectantly watchful.

What will God do in THIS situation? 

Our hope is assured because we serve the Risen Savior who has not only defeated death, but who proceeds us in triumphant victory! In any case, I feel very challenged and excited about what is to come.  I also hope that you will join me in praying this prayer for me, for yourself and for each other because what could be more sweet than to live a life like this?

 "....being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." 

Nothing could be better than that!

Where's My New Song?

I waited patiently for the Lord; 

he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 

out of the mud and mire;

He set my feet on a rock 

and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,

A hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord 

and put their trust in him. 

Psalm 40: 1-3

When I was in college my roommate and I were sort of scripture memory buddies.  We would work on our selected passages and then we would meet and check to see how the other was doing on their memory work.  This passage was one that I chose and it has become "my verse" simply because as a believer in Christ this IS my testimony.....well, I don't know how patiently I wait.... but over and over again, no matter the circumstance the Lord has faithfully turned to me and He has heard my cry when I have been in need.  Through his redemption I have been lifted out of the slimy pit of sin and His word is a firm bedrock foundation upon which I can stand. 

Yet despite all that the Lord has done, I often find myself asking, where is my new song? Where is my hymn of praise?  Where is my heart filled with grateful worship?  Have I grown so entitled and unaware that I forget all that the Lord has done? Have I become too busy to notice? Sometimes.....I do forget.... and often I find myself to be too busy...Those times are usually accompanied by a time of self righteousness and exasperated impatience that God is not working according to my plans and on my time table.......

However, when I remember, when I am convicted to pray, when I wait patiently......which I wish were more often...... THEN my heart is filled with a new song and my soul is over-full with hymns of praise and I cannot keep from singing in worship.  I find it amazing and very true in my own life that when my heart is filled with a new song and a hymn of praise, others are persuaded to trust in the Lord.  As believers our praise is our very best testimony of who God is and our most convincing call to follow him.