My Valentine

My love for Vanessa grows all the times it seems -- just when I think admiration can't get any deeper, stronger, or sweeter, it does.  She's awesome!!!

I'm realizing that my love for her, though, is only effective as an extension of my love for God.  My love for her is only fulfilled if I can see God in her.  Deep calls to deep (Psalms 42:7).

There is a greater love here, though:

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

~1 John 4:10

I'm His valentine, before I'm hers.  Isn't that interesting?  I've been coming into a realization that every believer is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25).  And just today, a friend of mine told me about an interesting Christian book called "God's Wife".

I mess up often...so often. I think back to a recent situation and realize that I could've loved more; I could've cared more, I could've thought about good things more. I could've given my time for something that really mattered. But there is a willingness to forget that comes with forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12). Sometimes, it's time to move on.  On to how our Heavenly Father unconditionally sees us...

"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; And there is no blemish in you."    

~Song of Solomon 4:7

This is the true, whether we as believers really believe it or not.  This is true, whether I fully experience it or not.  This is true, in spite of my real and perceived flaws.  This is a truth that compels us, by Love, to keep pressing ahead!  God belongs to you, and you belong to Him.  Happy Valentine's day!






 

The Gift of Faith in Prayer, Part Four

How do we walk in the gift of faith? Well...

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"                          Romans 10:17

"...Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise."                John 5:19

"For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak."                                                 John 12:49

In order to operate in the gift of faith, we need to draw closer to the Lord.  We need to hear His will and act only based on that.  This is a trust thing!

God wants us to operate in the creative gift of faith.  This is a place of prophetic inspiration and declaration.  We pray according to His will on heaven, in order to see His will happen on earth!