Merry Christmas!!!

Thank you for praying for the Deeper Still Ministry!  Merry Christmas from the Deeper Still Ministry Team!  We are so thankful for you!

Father, we thank you for these prayer warriors that you have enlisted to hold up the Deeper Still Ministry in prayer.  We ask for You to bless them, surround them with Your love, and fill them with Your supernatural peace and joy this Christmas!  We thank You for the precious gift of Jesus.  May our eyes be  focused on the miracle of Jesus and Who You are all year long.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.   

Across the Map

 "Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 
Gen 28: 14,15

 Dear Lord,
Thank you that the “offspring” of Deeper Still (the Deeper Still Chapters) will be like the dust of the earth and they will be spread abroad to the west, the east, the north and the south. And that many families wounded by abortion will be blessed and healed through Deeper Still. Thank you that you will be with Deeper Still wherever they go and that you will not leave them until you have done what you have promised to Deeper Still. In Jesus’s Name, Amen. 

On the floor was a map of the world. The Deeper Still team encircled the map and began to pray. I stared down at the map; my feet nestled next to Antarctica. While praying, I asked the Holy Spirit if He wanted me to pray. My eyes focused on the folder resting on the opposite side of the map, at the North Pole. In this folder was a list. Only this wasn’t the list one usually thinks of being at the North Pole. This list didn’t consist of the names of girls and boys with their Christmas wishes. Instead, this list represented the abortion wounded hearts of women and men whose only wish was freedom.

The Holy Spirit nudged me to lay my hands on the folder and pray. I answered, “But Lord, I am at the South Pole and it is all the way at the North Pole. I don’t think I can reach it.” Then, He directed my gaze towards one name next to the folder on the other side of the world!

“Also, pray over that name.”

The only way for me to reach the other side of the world was for me to stretch my body across the map. So, I did. As I stretched across the map, the Lord spoke. “I will stretch across the world, to the North, South, East, and West. I will do anything to reach those who are in need of healing, I will go even to reach just one.“

God does not want His children to be in despair. His heart’s desire is healing for the hurting and freedom for the oppressed. Thank you for praying for the Deeper Still Ministry. Your prayers are bringing freedom to women and men across the map!

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 of mine 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. 

Thankful

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.  Psalms 9:1

Dear Lord God, we praise you.  We give you all the glory and honor for the works You do through the Deeper Still Ministry.  Thank you from our whole heart.  We will tell of Your marvelous works!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Each time I come down off the mountaintop, my heart is bursting to tell of all the Lord’s marvelous works!  I want to shout it out for all to hear!  My words cannot begin to describe the magnitude of the Lord’s presence and glory that is experienced by the participants and ministry team at Deeper Still Retreats.  Today, I would like to share words from a participant who came in October.  Her words beautifully depict her profound experience with the Lord.

“What a wonderful blessing the weekend was to me. You have made the intangible, tangible to all of us. All of the amazing women who were called to council and love on us this weekend gave all of us the tangible with unspeakable joy. There was so much love displayed through my brothers and sisters in Christ it was almost too difficult to take it all in. Your approach to healing was amazing. You took us step by step, moment to moment through the fire and into the light and waiting the arms of Jesus. Unspeakable Joy! My sister and I are so alike in that satan kept trying to tell us that none of it was real. She wanted to leave on Friday and I was very skeptical. I believe that legion of angels were protecting, watching and Holding that Line so that we could be brought to the place of healing and restoration. Saturday was so amazing when ALL of my brothers and sisters were celebrating A NEW FOUND VICTORY over grief and death and wounded hearts. I felt the Spirit of God hovering over us as we all had the mother mantle placed around our wound bodies and souls. As we were praying, the amazing thing was that there were shots in the distance (I think they were shooting crows) where the Lord was telling us I AM PROTECTING YOU!!

The bunk beds that we slept in were to me, The Lord’s cradle, giving us rest for our wounded and exhausted bodies, and when sleep came it was sweet and deep. 

On Sunday, I just can’t fully describe how beautiful the scene was at the memorial. The crunch of the gravel under our feet as we headed into Zion, the beautiful angel singing as we approached, my brothers who brought us down to our sent, the words of God spoken as we listened, the back drop of the majestic mountains with the royal cross in front of it, and banquet table set and ready for all of us to partake and share in the body and blood of Christ, the smoldering fire that filled our nostrils as a pleasing aroma and sacrifice to the Lord, the benches filled with the redeemed and the restored, waiting and anticipating on what the Lord had in store for us, the roses, the tear jars, the royal adornments (scarves) the crown of glory and the anointing, the Lord’s Supper when we all shared the gift of the body and blood of Christ! 

Dear Brothers and Sisters who gave your time, effort and love, I love each and every one of you and appreciate all of your loving kindness and tenderness on such a delicate subject as abortion. I was given a little glimpse into what God’s love is like and would consider it a privilege to serve with all of you at some point in whatever capacity that you will give to me. 

Karen, I love you my sister for this, the task that you have taken on for the love of Jesus for the grieving and the broken hearted. We were all healed and restored this weekend. The tangible symbol of the bears gave me a place and a clear picture that my babies are in the arms of Jesus. I know that one day we will all be reunited with them in Glory!! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!!

Thank you Jesus for finally putting to rest any questions or doubts about my salvation!! Hallelujah!!”

Because of your prayers, captives are being set free!  Thank you for praying to free the abortion wounded hearts of men and women like the one who wrote this testimony.  We are so thankful for all the prayer warriors who hold this ministry up in prayer!  Happy Thanksgiving!  

Bring On the Firetruck!

“The Lord will guide you always;

He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.”  Isaiah 58:11

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you guide Deeper Still always and you satisfy all our needs and strengthen our frame.  We thank You that the ministry of Deeper Still is like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Judy Townsend, a Deeper Still Ministry team member and the head of the budding Illinois Deeper Still Chapter, shared a word the Lord revealed to her about the October retreat.  The Lord showed her:

“ water..moving water..it began as as small bubbling spout and then eventually moved to a geyser with powerful force and this was the "ammo" used to break the chains and fight the battle.” 

Water by itself it is just a puddle that varies in size.  However, when wind is mixed with water, it can become a force to be reckoned with on a grandiose scale.  The Holy Spirit is the wind that moves God’s people and brings the power to destroy the chains of bondage.

 

The ladies that came to the Deeper Still Retreat were sun-scorched.  They were in need of the Living Water that would revive their souls and flood their heart.  They were also in need of the Wind mixed with the water that would violently fight on their behalf and break every chain.

 

One participant wrote at the end of the retreat:

“The wreckage of my past had left my life in flames.  I was trying to put it out with water guns.  Last weekend, the fire truck arrived!  There may be small areas still smoldering, but the water is still flowing.”

Just as the Lord showed Judy, the water started small but then gushed forth mightily to quench the flames ignited by past wreckage.  The Living Water never runs out and those who drink of it will never be thirsty.  May it continue to flow in the lives of these ladies, making them a well-watered garden whose springs never fail.  

Operation Destroy

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds.  The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, “Destroy!”  Deuteronomy 33:26-27

Father, I thank you for all You did for all the participants at the Deeper Still retreat last weekend.  There is no one like You. Lord, I thank you that you rode the heavens to help.  Thank You that You are the refuge for the participants and team members.  Thank you for thrusting out the enemy from before us and commanding every chain, every bondage, and every dark place to be destroyed!!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I am still elated by what happened at the October Deeper Still Retreat!!!  This verse talks about God riding on the clouds.  I think every team member is still riding on the clouds after all that happened! Two beautiful young ladies met Jesus for the first time and were SAVED!!!  Woot!  Woot!

 

The retreat location is beautiful.  It is at Eagle Rock in Maryville, TN.  From our view, the clouds are actually below the mountaintops in some areas.  

  

 God gave me the verse above for the retreat. 

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun.” 

I did a little research on what “God of Jeshurun” meant as I have never heard this term used before I read this verse. 

“Jeshurun” is a symbolic name for Israel (God’s children) describing her ideal character.  It is a tender and loving name for the people of Israel. 

God rode on the clouds last weekend to reach down and touch His sons and daughters in a real and personal way because He knows their ideal character.  He is tender and loving and sees them as who He created them to be.  He provides a refuge for them where He can reach in with His everlasting arms and grab hold to protect them from any schemes of the enemy.  Then, He thrusts out the enemy from before them and commands His angelic armies to DESTROY the chains, the darkness, the lies, and the strongholds that have held them captive.

 

The verse that follows sums it up beautifully:

“Then Israel shall dwell in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone.  In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew.  Happy are you, O Israel!  Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord.  The shield of Your help and the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, and you shall tread down their high places.”  Deuteronomy 33:28-29

Oh prayer warriors, I so wish you could have been there with us to see it!  Thank you for being with us in the Spirit and praying.  Your prayers paved the way for 2 girls to get saved, the darkness to be held back and destroyed and for 19 lives to be forever changed!  These participants are now dwelling in the safety of the Most High, in a land of blessing and newness.  Their springs are overflowing with Living Water and fullness of joy!  THANK YOU!!! 

Please continue to pray for these 19 who were radically transformed and given new life and Deeper Still.    

The Robe of Righteousness

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord.  My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness."  Isaiah 61:10

Father, we do greatly rejoice in You!   Father, we pray for every participant coming to the retreat this weekend to throw away their rags of bondage and put on the new clothes you have for them! We pray they would put on the garments of salvation and Your robe of righteousness.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.     

During the worship service Sunday, I sang praises to my King with hands held high.  My eyes were closed tightly as to not let a moment of envisioning being with my King escape from sight.

As I sang, I had a vision. I stood in a great throne room.  Jesus walked toward me.  He came into view holding a mantle whiter than any freshly fallen snow and brighter than the most brilliant of stars.

When Jesus reached me, He looked into my eyes and placed the mantle on my shoulders.  He said, "This is your robe of righteousness."  Then, He led me by the hand to the throne of Grace.  All I could do was fall on my knees and weep at His goodness, grace and mercy.

The King of Glory then lifted me up and embraced me.

Wow.  This King of ours is so awesome.  What an amazing love!

This vision reminded me of a stanza in a song we sang at our last Deeper Still prayer meeting to prayerfully prepare for the retreat coming up this weekend.  The verse was from the song, "Cornerstone" by Hillsong.

"Dressed in His Righteousness alone, faultless stand before the throne." 

My prayer is for every participant coming to the retreat this weekend to have a revelation of His glorious mercy and grace.  I pray for them to exchange whatever rags of bondage they come in wearing for the pure beauty of the robe of His Righteousness.  Thank you for praying for the upcoming retreat with us!  Setting the captives free!!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI