In my prayer sessions, I sometimes pray for myself, intercede on behalf of others, or join with one or more people. I enjoy my personal quiet time, but also participate on to conference prayer calls, and there are times when I call a friend for needed prayer support. Matthew 18: 19 – 20 affirms the added power of group prayer in stating, "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them."

When I pray, I do so using the word of God because I believe the promise in Isaiah 55:11 that states, "… It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  I have also found that singing enhances my prayer life when a song comes to mind it seems to magnify God’s presence in and around me ushering me into a more intimate experience. Whether in word or thought, I pray while I am walking, dancing, sitting, standing, kneeling, or lying prostrate.

I have the confidence in His promises that: 1- Anything I ask according to His will, He hears and gives (1 John 5: 14-15).  2- I will have transcending peace to guard my heart and mind in Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). 3- If I commit to the Lord whatever I do, my plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3).

Another positive factor is the mutual exchange when I communicate with God. I receive direction and instructions for my life and He gives me the words to speak and write for others and myself (Isaiah 50:4). However, I think that the greatest benefit is held the help in times of need and the intercession of the Holy Spirit when I don't know what to say or feel too stressed out to pray (Romans 8:26-27).

On the other hand, there are some factors that don’t feel as pleasing or positive, such as the watching and waiting period, the unexpected answer, and the disappointing desired answer. Sometimes waiting for God’s deliverance, direction, or plan to unfold in my life creates anxiety, especially when His manifestation time is considerably longer than anticipated.  Then there are times when the unexpected answer is a painful NO or comes by way of an injury as in when my 15 year old niece died o matter how passionately I pleaded or when I received a financial blessing by way of a long term disabling accident.  The old saying “Be careful what you pray for” comes to mind regarding  desired answer when you get what you prayed for only to find out that it was not what you thought and now no longer want.

Over the years, I have become more disciplined in my prayer journey and now engage in a morning personal prayer and meditation period, as well as dial into two conference call prayer lines Monday through Friday.  However, I also believe that keeping a consistent prayer journal to record answers to written and dated prayers would improve my prayer life and strengthen my faith.

Over the years, I have become more disciplined in my prayer journey and now engage in a morning personal prayer and meditation period, as well as dial into two conference call prayer lines Monday through Friday. However, I also believe that keeping a consistent prayer journal to record answers to written and dated prayers would improve my prayer life and strengthen my faith.

Be blessed,

Jo Anne Meekins

3. Know What You Have To Work With. The wisdom that you need is available. Use what you have, learn what to do, and do what you know. Tap into your inner strength and sound mind, utilize the power and authority you possess, accept God’s unconditional love and hold Him accountable to His faithful promises. Take advantage of the diverse and abundant resources that will be more readily available than ever before. Your thoughts will become clearer and your direction ordered, with each step you take toward your plan.

4. Counter The Negative With The Positive. Do not accept a person’s put downs or ridicules of you or your dream, even if they are only “joking”. Negative words that are planted in our minds have a tendency to sprout up like weeds, choking our creativity with self-doubt and fear. Verbally confront them on it immediately; state that you will not receive that remark, it is not true, and no longer acceptable. Then make a statement that is true and positive about you or your dream. Feed your mind with good things to inspire, enhance, and facilitate growth. Do not share your dream with everyone, share only with people you know will be genuinely supportive and encouraging.

5. Affirm Yourself Daily. Practice speaking positive “I” statements that will build up your self-esteem and encourage you to keep striving until you accomplish your goal: “I can do it,” My service(s) is needed,” and “I am gifted, unique, and special”. Call yourself by whatever profession you have chosen: “I am an inspirational writer, encourager, and motivator”. The more you speak it, the more you will think it. Then, it will begin to take root in your mind, grow in your heart, and blossom into a visualization that you can feel and believe, as it becomes who you are.

6. Do It In The Face Of Fear. Face your fears and do it anyway, task by task, and day by day. Work your plan, believe in yourself, your dream, the power within you, and expect to see and receive ripe fruit from your labor. Make positive “I” statements out of all the principles and speak them daily: 1) “I will do everything in my power to make my dream a reality”. 2) “I have a divine purpose and I will work my plan until it is fulfilled”. 3) “All that I need is readily available within me and within my grasp”. 4) I will not let myself, anything, or anyone hinder me from achieving my greatness". 5) “I am anointed and appointed to succeed in my creative ministry”. 6) “I will overcome my fears with each victorious step forward”.

I believe that dream resurrection is relative to one’s personal thoughts and actions. Some people harbor doomsday thoughts and give up before they begin. They expect the worse because they have already created their end. Others think it is life as usual, taking it for granted. They exist one day to the next, not taking any risks, until their time is up. Then there are those of us, who choose to believe that the opportunity of a lifetime is at hand to fulfill our divine destinies. It is a time and place where the field is wide open and the prospects are great for resurrecting a dream and making it live!

                 **************************************************************************************

You may also be interested in related hubs: http://hubpages.com/hub/overcomingfear; http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Turning-Point. 

 

I didn’t have the wisdom or guidance to pursue my passion until late in life even though I recognized that I had a talent for writing poetry when I was in Junior High School. The creativity flowed naturally and I experienced a sense of joy, peace, self expression and accomplishment when writing overall. However, I didn’t pursue writing or any of the other career choices I had a seemingly innate strong liking for; instead I chose Computer Science as my first college major, rationalizing that I could make big money in that field and then branch out into the other less lucrative areas that truly held my interest. I soon learned how flawed that limited thinking was when I couldn’t relate to the binary codes and all things technical. I was more of a people person and realized that the potential salary of this profitable field didn’t matter if the subject material didn’t hold my interest enough for me to process the information and pass the classes with good grades. I have long since learned that it is God who makes our way prosperous:

(Joshua 1:8) “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Matthew 6:33) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Key Ingredients

Some of the key ingredients for pursuing your passion successfully are Surrender, Obedience, and Faith:

1.    Surrender to God’s will, plan and purpose for your life. I had to ask God what that looked like because I realized that I didn’t know how to surrender totally. I found it to be a daily releasing of my will and an embracing of His will. (James 4:6-7) “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (Jeremiah 29:11) “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

2.    Obedience to what God has called you to do, using what is in your hand to do what you are passionate about. We each have at least one God-given gift and should use it to serve others. (Acts 5:29) “… We must obey God rather than men!” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.”

3.    Faith to believe! Believe that God has already equipped you to complete whatever He has called you to do. Faith to face your fears and press forward anyway, knowing that you are not alone and that it is the blessings of the Lord which make one rich and He adds no sorrow with it. (Joshua 1:9) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Merriam-Webster defines PURSUE as Seek: to try to obtain or accomplish (that which you are passionate about); Follow: to proceed along (your desired course); Practice: to engage in (your gift, talents, and abilities).

Nurture the vision that God has sown in your spirit. Dare to dream again and trust Him to bring it to pass. God knows the details and will orchestrate all the necessary people, places, and things together for your good.

(Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

             ********************************************************************************************

You may also like to read related hubs: http://hubpages.com/hub/overcomingfear; http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Turning-Point

 

3.    In February 2007, while attending Inner Visions Institute For Spiritual Development, I acknowledged the manuscript as one of my incomplete cycles of action and incorporated it into my Living Vision Action Plan. I committed to retyping the poems in my computer (I had previously lost the electronic copy when my old computer crashed) and adding the scripture references. I completed that process in June 2007;

4.    My spiritual journaling instructor from Crossroads Tabernacle told me about www.christianmanuscriptsubmissions.com where I posted a proposal of my book and awaited interested publishers to contact me. I received a couple of emails, but one publisher emailed me every week for approximately six months. I had decided to wait and pray for direction of what to do next;

5.    As 2008 came into view, I set some goals and decided to publish with Author House when they reoffered the poetry book $399.00 special. Just before I was to submit the original manuscript from 2008, the Holy Spirit led me to reformat, add a new section, remove some poems and add others. I was amazed and quite content with the finished product and God's order of things. Six of the seven sections ended up with 8 poems each while the Tribute section ended up with 16; and the final collection was more reflective of my life experiences and contained some of my dearest pieces. I had originally thought to just get the first book out to complete that assignment and publish my more evolved work afterward, but God said No! - make this first book a combination of your earlier work and some of your best.

The manuscript was submitted in February 2008 and published in April 2008. So the answer to the question of how long it took to write the book is a little complicated because I was in a 20+ yearlong process.

The book cover is beautiful! The design team came very close to the vision God gave me for it in 2000. It includes an eagle, a rainbow and a rocky mountain top. The rainbow symbolizes God's covenant promise (Genesis 9:13) to His people; the eagle represents majestic strength and soaring; the mountaintop is two-fold, representing the mountaintop experiences with the rocky surface representing the valley experiences. The message that I wanted to convey was that no matter what situations we encounter in life, whether they be joyful mountaintop experiences or sorrowful valley situations, God's promises are always in effect. He is faithful to those who stand on the solid ground of His word and "those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint". (Isaiah 40:31).

*********************************************************************************

You may be interested in reading related hubs: http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Turning-Point.

Have you truly accepted those undesirable characteristics of the person you are considering marrying or do you falsely believe that you and marriage can change them? There is a saying that “you never really know a person until you’ve lived with them.” Consider, however, that previous minor annoyances have a tendency to become major irritations when combined with unknown traits that surface with each passing year.

Discuss Major Issues: Personal expectations, finances, and in-laws are three universal issues that can cause serious problems if not addressed beforehand. Observe the actions and reactions of your spouse-to- be when these issues are discussed. This will give you some idea of what to expect after the wedding.

1. Personal Expectations – Do you have realistic expectations for your mate and your marriage? Have household responsibilities been mutually agreed upon? How many children will you have, if any? What responsibilities will be shared in the care and rearing of the children? What methods of discipline will be used? Consider your openness to rethinking together some of those pre-agreed upon actions if the realities do not meet the expectations (for instance, you agreed on a certain number of children and later find that you are physically unable to have your own).

2. Financial Matters – How will premarital debts be handled? How will major buying decisions and investments be made? Should you have individual or joint accounts? Do you know if your intended manages money poorly; is deep in debt, or has bad credit? Review credit reports of all three major credit bureaus together.

3. In-Laws – Keep your mate informed about all extended family situations that involve you. Genesis 2:24 says, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (NIV). Your mate becomes your immediate family and should be treated as your priority; do not neglect your mate’s needs. Determine to maintain control of your home when relatives come to visit. Relatives can play one spouse against the other when a lack of communication exists in the home.

Seek Premarital Counseling Early: Part of the traditional wedding service states that “holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate, instituted of God … is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly.” You and your fiancé should get professional counseling, both jointly and individually. Early counseling will evoke thoughts and allow reflection and response without deadline pressures to influence decisions. Individual counseling will allow you both to freely express any doubts or problems that may arise.

If In Doubt, Don’t! – If you are having second thoughts, postpone the wedding. Talk openly and honestly about your feelings with your spiritual advisor or counselor. Do not pretend that everything is fine; inform your fiancé and work through it together. Taking time to be sure is far better than spending a lifetime being sorry, miserable, and angry with your spouse or yourself.

Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into marriage by people or circumstances. In spite of warnings and personal doubts, people have gone ahead with their weddings for fear of embarrassment, other people’s expectations, and money spent. Keep in mind that memories will fade, apologies can be expressed, money can be remade, and some deposits can be refunded. Your future and peace of mind are worth more than these, and if that person is truly for you, then dates can be rescheduled.

Know What God Requires Of You: God expects you to honor your vows and will hold you accountable to them. Realize that the commitment is “for as long as you both shall live,” not until the better gets worse, the health becomes sickness, or the money gets scarce. God’s plan is for lifetime commitment.

There are no fifty/fifty percentages in marriage, both persons must determine to give one hundred percent regardless of the return. Making a lifetime commitment means that you cannot just conveniently change your mind if communication goes bad, your needs go unmet, your mate gains weight, or your feelings change – not if you want to maintain a right relationship with God. At those times when the glow of romance dims, trust God to provide you with sufficient grace, wisdom, and guidance to see you through.

Take time to prepare honestly and prayerfully for a lifetime commitment. It can mean the difference between victory and defeat in a marriage.

The Consequences

The following poem is found on page 66 in the Words of Testimony section of my book, On Solid Ground, and illustrates the consequences and lessons learned from not following the suggestions above or fully comprehending the gravity of the commitment.

Life Lessons

On my journey, I chose to do it my way, even though God tried to tell me what was best. But, I leaned to my own limited understanding, and rationalized myself into an unfortunate mess. Fleeing unresolved issues and heart-wrenching loneliness, I married in spite of Spirit’s warning and fearful doubts. Although he was a good man, a minister, and a hard-working provider, you can be unequally yoked to a Christian is what I found out.

It took me ten years to confess and repent my disobedience; emotionally and spiritually, I had slowly begun to die. The following year, my release came after crying out, “How long Lord?” For years I thought, “I made my bed, I have to sleep in it, and stuff the cry.” I am grateful for second chances and new beginnings; I now know: regardless of situations I try to create, God’s process of my development and intended purpose may be delayed or adjusted, but cannot be escaped.

I have come full circle to face my fears and trust God; it is not an option, some things occurred I did not expect. To achieve my dreams and keep my steps directed, God orchestrated the removal of all my safety nets. I walk by faith, stumbling to my divine destination, desperate to learn from past mistakes and to follow God’s lead. I can snuggle in God’s warm embrace of unconditional love now, and increase through the eternal covenant promise, as Abraham’s seed.

God, the Father, always desired to give me the kingdom. He ordained it before I was formed in my mother’s womb. His plans are to prosper me, give me hope, and a future; not to harm me with evil, fear, or irrevocable doom. I learned to be content, even when I appeared lacking because long-term finances had yet to become mine. Through the Word, I attained prosperity of soul and spirit, realizing the physical manifestation must first begin inside.

I am wealthy with immeasurable bles-sed riches; I have God’s favor, fellowship, power, joy, and love. I have family, friends, a church home, and God’s promise that He will perform the good work in me until Jesus comes. I don’t have to figure out all the details of tomorrow. I don’t have to worry about, “What if I fail or fall?” I can repent, speak God’s word, and trust Him to fix whatever the situation, great or small.

I am a wonderful creation made in God’s image and likeness, created to love, worship and give praises to Him; a chosen vessel and laborer, building up the kingdom; without God, I can do nothing; I need God in order to live. The Word is eternally relevant for all generations. Jesus paid the price that holistically sets me free. Therefore, I rejoice throughout all trials and tribulations; I am more than a conqueror, the victory is guaranteed!

(Psalms 30:11) “Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.”

In premarital relationships between a man and woman, God cautions us to flee from sexual immorality because sexual sins are sins against the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:18-19). Engaging in sex before marriage dishonors God and intensifies emotions and hormones before many individuals are mature enough to manage them well. Time is better spent learning about each other and developing a strong foundation of friendship that will endure the challenges of life.

Husbands and Wives

In the beginning, God designed a special and unique relationship between man and woman, as husband and wife, to be united as one (Genesis 2:24). This relationship is a commitment that holds responsibilities for both individuals involved.

The instruction to the husband is to love his wife as he loves himself, with the understanding that no one ever hated his own body, but feeds and cares for it. Now God, in His divine wisdom, knew that not everyone would show love in the same way, so He elaborated on the concept to help make it plain. He further instructed that the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and sacrificed himself for her.

Likewise, the instruction to the wife is to respect her husband and submit to him as to the Lord. And for those of us who only submit up to a certain point, the wife is further instructed to submit to her husband in everything, as the church submits to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33). I for one, as well as some wives I’m sure, can attest to the fact that submission is a hard act to follow, which is probably why God specified these instructions in conjunction with His standard of Christ.

When we learn to base our understanding of relating to each other on God’s instructions and exemplify the love set forth in His word, we can find that the concepts of LOVE, RESPECT, and SUBMISSION are not hated tasks and punishments handed down by God. Instead, they can be privileges and pleasures to be honored within the sanctity of the marriage commitment.

Parents and Children

In addition to the marriage relationship, God extended his design to include the experience of parenthood. This relationship also contains responsibilities and instructions. Parents, children are unique individuals especially loved by God. Be mindful that God chose to reveal to little children what He hid from the wise and learned (Matthew 11:25). Jesus stated that we must become as little children to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mark 10:15). He also said that to welcome a child in His name is to welcome Him (Mark 9:37).

If Christ put such emphasis on our children, what does that say to parents? Be less quick to forget your youthful days and be more understanding, open and reasonable when your children don’t seem to measure up to your expectations. More willingness to be humble and relate on their level of understanding is warranted in order to make it into the kingdom.

Set an example of a Christlike relationship before your children. Do not provoke them to anger with the use of authority. Instead, teach them as you have been instructed by God (Ephesians 6:4). Encourage them and build up their self-esteem, support them emotionally and be open to discuss the realities of life.

Likewise children, honor and obey your parents in everything, listening to their instruction and teaching because this is what God intended (Ephesians 6:1-2). If they are doing God’s will, then their instruction will be a reflective safeguard against those pitfalls laying in wait for you to stumble into (Proverbs 1:8-19).

God has given you the children and the parents that you have. There are no trade-ins. Be obedient to God’s instruction and His will for the relationships that you are placed in. He will strengthen you and restore you. Be encouraged as you submit to one another, in your respective relationships, and God will lift you up himself in due time. He that has ears let him hear!

****************************************************************************************************

You may also read the following related articles: http://hubpages.com/hub/Biblical-Brides.
 

Principles For A Lasting Relationship

ACKNOWLEDGE the good times and make them your focus in the midst of the bad times.

UNDERSTAND that your situation can be challenging at times because of extended family and additional responsibilities.

RECOGNIZE that the enemy (and or the inner-me) uses these challenges as a wedge to distance and destroy what God has allowed and joined together.

REMEMBER that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). God has all the grace, power, and resources to help you both overcome anything and pull together to live a victorious married life.

DETERMINE to fight against the enemy’s attacks and your own self-will to preserve the vows and nurture the commitment that you made before God to one another.

STRIVE to manifest the unconditional love of 1 Corinthians 13 in your relationship and allow God’s intended purpose for your lives to become a reality to be enjoyed and appreciated.

BELIEVE that nothing is impossible with God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to His power that is at work within us. (Ephesians 3:20)

WAIT on God with the expectancy that your dreams and blessings will come to pass.

LOVE “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

You work long and hard when needed and you handle it quite well,
you are a survivor who has improved through each struggle and test.
Out of all the people who I have encountered in my life
you are by far the one I like and love the best.

You are a handsome sexy man, who is straightforward;
you are genuine and kind to everyone you meet.
Your beautiful, sweet spirit reaches deep down to your core
and radiates from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet.

All the reasons why I love you are to numerous for this mere poem;
but, I can tell you that I 've loved you from the start.
After many years, our passion still burns hotter than the sun
since that first day when you caused the melting of my heart.   

Always Friend

Thanks, for being my friend,
for being supportive and helping me mend,
for sticking by me through thick and thin,
for every day that your spirit brightens.
You are my friend, always unto the end.

Thanks, for all that you do,
for keeping me going and assisting me through,
for allowing me to share and cry,
for how you see me through your twinkling eyes.
You are my best bud and my friend, always unto the end.

Thanks, for taking the time,
for your understanding of my heart and mind,
for your knowing of what I like,
for making me feel so good and right,
You are my soul-mate and my friend, always unto the end.

Thanks, for receiving my love,
for letting me shower you with the things I think of,
for my gifts that you inspire; you are my heart’s desire,
you ignite me like fire.
You are my king and my friend, always unto the end.

Thanks, for your love,
You are a gift from up above.
Your gentle touch tingles my insides; you are sexy and oh so fine.
I am glad that you are mine.
I am in love with my friend, always unto to the end.