Thursday, September 17, 2015

Come to the Table

“So David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.’” 2 Samuel 9:7

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for you to prepare the participants of Deeper Still to come to the table with open hearts.  I pray they would choose you and be willing and ready to come to the table and feast on all your goodness and receive all you have for them.   In Jesus’ name, Amen. 
 
We had a situation last night with one of our children which led to this child feeling as if eating alone was what was deserved rather than at the table with the rest of the family.  Minutes before this child had expressed feeling unworthy of anything good.  We gently encouraged this child to come to the table and eat with us.  We affirmed worthiness, love and grace.  With tear filled eyes, this child stayed at the table, embracing our love and acceptance.  Once again realizing, nothing can separate this child from our love.  We want all our children at our table. 

Our Heavenly Father wants ALL His children at His table. 

In 2 Samuel 9, we find the story of Mephibosheth.  In this story, King David asked his servant if there was anyone of the house of Saul left for him to bless.  He was told of the son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, who lived in Lo Debar.  Jonathan had been King Saul’s son and David’s best friend.  Jonathan and David loved each other and made a covenant with each other to care for each other’s households.  It had been over twenty years since Jonathan and King Saul had died in battle.  David had forgotten about the covenant until that day. 
 
When King David found Mephibosheth, he did not feel worthy to sit at the king’s table.  He said to David, “What is your servant that you should look upon a dead dog as I?” Mephibosheth saw himself as a “dead dog”.   It says in the passage that Mephibosheth was lame in both his feet, which happened when he was a young boy and his servant carried him and dropped him while fleeing from the palace after King Saul and Jonathan died.  Mephibosheth was living in Lo Debar, a place where all the outcasts of society lived. Then one day David remembered the covenant he had with Jonathan and everything changed for Mephibosheth.  Not only was he seated at the King’s table, the land of his father’s was restored to him as well.

Those with abortion wounded hearts often feel like “dead dogs”, unworthy to sit at the King’s table.  They may see themselves as lame.  However, that is not the truth.  That is not their identity.  The truth is Jesus Christ made us whole. Their true identity is that of a son or daughter of the King, fully welcome at His table to feast on His blessings, goodness and grace. 


God has made a covenant, a new covenant with his sons and daughters and wants them to reclaim their seats at His table!! And He not only desires His children at His table with Him, He also wants to restore all that was stolen.  The covenant we have with our Father through the blood of Jesus Christ does not restore only part of our inheritance, but all.  He paid so ALL could be restored.  We just need to be willing to come to the table.  

Friday, September 11, 2015

Prayer for Healing the Land

“Ask of me and I will give the nations to you, the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.”   Psalm 2: 8

Father, the blood of the nations cry out from the ground.  The ground longs for healing.  Lord, we ask for you to give us the nations.  You ask, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  We reply, “Lord, here we are, send us.”  We ask for you to heal the abortion wounded hearts of the nations.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to Me from the ground.”  Genesis 4:10

Not one drop of blood goes unnoticed by our God. The voice of the unborn cries out from the ground.  However, there is One whose Blood covers and heals the ground tainted by sin and death. 

A friend and fellow Deeper Still Team Member recently went to the site where death’s stench had grasped her long ago.  She is now free and went to the land where innocent blood was shed to pray healing over the land.  I saw a mental picture of the spiritual impact that was occurring as she prayed to heal the land. 

She knelt on the ground where death had once won the victory.  As she began to pray and weep, the tears that fell from her face penetrated the ground.  Once the tears pierced through the ground, the tears mixed with prayers became the Blood of Jesus.  The Blood of Jesus then began to cleanse the land and His Blood covered the blood shed of the innocent.  The Blood of the One pierced for our transgressions, pierced the darkness and light began to shine forth in the land.  Then, it spread.  The healing Blood of Jesus began to expand and move from city to city, state to state, and nation to nation.  It moved across seas until it covered the entire globe, healing all it touched.

This is the vision of Deeper Still.  This is the vision that encompasses “Until all are healed.”  The healing Blood of Jesus nullifies and cancels the debts of death we could never pay.  It cleanses and restores us completely, conquers sin, and reclaims the victory in Jesus Christ. 


Friday, September 4, 2015

God's Nickname and Praise

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;  For YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.  Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  And in that day you will say; ‘Praise the Lord, call upon His name; declare His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted.  Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.  Cry out and shout, O inhabitants of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!’”  Isaiah 12:2-6

Dear Lord, we declare that  you alone are our salvation.  Lord, may Deeper Still trust you and not be afraid.  For YAH, you are our strength and you are our song!  We praise you and we call upon your holy name.  Lord, we will declare your deeds among the peoples and make mention of your name that you may be exalted!  Lord, for you have done excellent things!  We praise you!!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Can I just say that I love that God has the nickname, “YAH” in the passage above!  Reading this brings a smile to my face.  Of course, it is short for “YAHWEH”, the Lord’s personal name. 

My heart is also still smiling in remembrance of all the excellent things He did in the hearts and lives of the ladies who attended the summer retreat.  So today, it seemed fitting to take a moment to cry out and shout among all the inhabitants (or readers of this blog!) to boast in the greatness of the Holy One of Israel!!!

Will you shout it out with me!  (So what if the person in the cubical next to you thinks you’re crazy!)

For YAH, He is great!
For YAH, He is our deliverer!
For YAH, He is Holy!
For YAH, He is mighty and greatly to be praised!
For YAH, He is our rescuer!
For YAH, He is our strength and our song!
For YAH, He is our redemption and salvation!
For YAH, He is with us!

For YAH, there is NO ONE like our God!