So much has been happening in my life. I kinda mentioned it in my last post but sadly, I can't give details over a blog. I ask all that read this to pray for the following things.

• Wisdom - The Lord says when you ask of this He will give it freely

Ephesians 1:16-18

16"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,"

• Guidance - I want the Lord to go before me in all things and straighten the paths before me.
  

Isaiah 42:16

16"And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."

• Pray for our pastors - We forget that they are human as well and the devil prowls around them like lion to devour. Hold your pastors high in prayer for their protection.

1 Peter 5:8-9

8"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

• Strength - To stand in the face of adversity. The accuser is out to get all of us. Remember always who you are in Christ. He has set the value for you when He sent His son Jesus in our place for our sins. Don't let the devil accuse of your past, that's been covered under the blood of Christ.

Psalm 103:11-13

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him

I love the way the Message translation puts this next verse:

John 3:16 (The Message)

16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

This now leads me to the last part of this blog. I want to encourage all that read this that we need to be spiritually alert. We need to be careful of perceptions and how we can look at something and think it's truth but, until we communicate with one another, we could be buying into a lie and not even realizing it. This can cause terrible destruction in the family of God and to His children. Here's a little snip it from a daily email I get. I pray it encourages you this day. Pray for your Pastor, pray for your church family. Don't let the devil deceive you into perceptions that you believe to be true - seek after the truth with the Lord and with others.

Perception Is Not Reality

TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

"The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken." - Job 4:10

In the advertising business we often say that "perception is reality" for the person who views our advertising message. It does not matter whether the audience believes the message to be true, only that they perceive it to be true. Their actions will be the same whether they believe it or only perceive it.

The enemy of our souls is very good at this game. He may bring on us what we perceive to be true when it is a lie. It may appear that there is no way around a situation. He may bring great fear on us. When we buy into his lie, we believe only what we have chosen to perceive to be true. It usually has no basis of truth. Such was the case when Peter looked on the waters during a night boat journey with the other disciples. At first glance, he and the disciples screamed with fear, thinking that what they saw was a ghost. It was actually Jesus.

Satan's name means "accuser." He travels to and fro to accuse the brethren. He brings an impressive front to all he does, yet behind that front is a weak, toothless lion with a destination that has already been prepared in the great abyss. He knows his destination, but he wants to bring as many with him as possible; so he often has a big roar, but little bite.

The next time some event comes into your life that creates fear and trembling, first determine the source. Look past the emotions and evaluate the situation in light of God's Word. Perception is not always reality.