Archives

Prayer Monday: Renewed Promises

May13

So I have had the same prophecy spoken over me throughout the years.  I can think of three main instances in which it has happened, two of them were with the exact same wording by different people, in different states, and almost a decade apart.  The third was definitely in the same spirit of the other two.

bones

When I was younger, every time I had a serious time of asking God for revelation/my future, I repeatedly would open my Bible and it would land on Ezekiel 37 (this is over years starting in either elementary or middle school at least 5 or 6 times or even more).  Finally, during my college years after one such time like that, I angrily drove home from church one night and was like “God! You have to tell me what it means, why the valley of the dry bones??? You have to or… or… I don’t even know what!”  It is amazing to think I felt I had a right to yell at God like that. Yet instead of punishing me, that very next Sunday we had an unexpected guest preacher who taught on promises.  At one point, he talked about Ezekiel 37 and explained that bones represent promises and that the valley of the dry bones is an analogy of how God can and will breathe life back into promises that seem so dead and dried up.

Last night, the pastor preached on the subject of promises and how God is faithful and able to perform that which He has spoken.  During alter call, I felt the renewed hope in my promises.  They may at times seem SO dead and so far off, but I once again said to Him who is able, “Jesus, if this is truly what You want for my life, You KNOW what needs to come to pass.  I believe. I will go where You want and do what You want.”  I felt His promises begin to take life back on those dry and dusty bones.  I felt Him say:

“That is why I sent you that passage so many times when you were younger, so that you would know that from a young age I wanted you to learn that I am able to bring your promises back to life.  I want you to always know that I am able and I will bring My promises to life.”   

What promises has God laid on your heart that you feel are dead and dusty?  Know that He is able! Let today’s prayer in your heart be to reclaim your promises! Don’t let despair take hold, know that He is faithful and able to perform what He said He would!  Your promises may look dead in your mind’s eye, but He is able to bring back life even the things that seem to have been lost to you years ago.  Let today’s prayer be one that claims His faithfulness.  Ezekiel was told to prophecy to the bones so speak it forth- speak faith that God WILL bring His promises for your life to reality! You may not see the results today, or even tomorrow, but hold on to your promises, hold on to your faith, and know that HE WILL BE FAITHFUL!

God bless you readers as you believe in His promises for your life once again,

Rebekah M.

Related post:

http://beingrebekah.com/2013/02/04/prayer-monday-breaking-oppression-again/

Prayer Monday: A Prayer for the Hurting

Apr15

In light of the events earlier today, I wanted to say a prayer for the hurting- join me if you would. 

Jesus, 

What happened earlier today was a senseless act of horror today in Boston. What should have been a moment of celebration where months of training finally came to fruition for so many, ended in tragedy.  I pray for comfort and peace over those affected by what took place and I ask for You to help us to embrace You for who You are: the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. You will hold us in this time of pain. You will reach out and comfort those who have lost loved one. You will calm the fear in the hearts of those who are paralyzed by fear from what happened today.  We cannot allow fear to rule our lives. Help us to trust that You hold our worlds in Your hands. Help us to remember that just calling on Your name, the name of Jesus, there is power. There is power to break every chain. There is power to shine brightly in this dark world. There is power to overcome fear, worry, doubt, anger, bitterness, and hatred.  There is power to be love to those around us- to show compassion with our every move. There is power for the hurting to be healed. You mend broken hearts. By Your stripes all those years ago when they were torturing You we are healed. 

I praise You God that You will bring emotional and mental healing. I praise You God that You will help those physically hurt in the blasts. I praise You God that You will bring peace to those living in fear. I trust and believe that You are greater than the darkest of hearts in this world. 

Rebekah M. 

Guest Post: Rebekah M’s Mom “Entering the Restricted Zone”

Apr14

Editor’s Note: Our weekly guest spot is our effort to help our reading community connect with each other. I am excited that my mom, who is currently in a Bible College program, has allowed us to post one of her previous papers she wrote for a class. Based on the book Entering the Restricted Zone by Steve Willoughby, she writes on events that I witnessed while growing up that show God’s amazing ways and how His hand has been on her and my family all our lives. ~Rebekah M.

storm1

Sometimes when the storms of life come, if we are not prepared, it can be devastating. Many years ago, some unfortunate misunderstandings caused someone in the church to mistrust our family. The more we tried to prove ourselves, the more the situation got worse, and eventually we really did not know how to get out of it. We were all praying and seeking God’s direction. Soon everyone got the answer except for me. I felt I was left out and I cried out to the Lord. Three days later, a lady in the church said that she needed to talk to me. She said she had been praying for me the whole week and that God has a word for me. God wanted her to say this to me: ‘There are three moments. “Moment before moment, I will give you peace”, “Moment before moment, I will give you peace”, “Moment before moment, I will give you peace”’. When she was speaking, the Holy Ghost told me that I was in the second moment. I felt the love of God because He sent someone to pray for me and gave His word to comfort me. I realized that this was a spiritual battle and God had allowed it to happen so we would learn an important life lesson. God has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:5). Yes, my husband and I, because we are confident in His love, were able to overcome the situation.

cross1I know my calling and passion is to love and care for the people who have needs and I enjoy doing that as well because I am eager to share with others the love I have received from God. Then a few years ago, while I was happy and busy helping some people who have needs, something was secretly going on behind my back. Someone had spread rumors and false accusations about my motivation for helping others. I was accused with untrue matters from the distorted information. I was even betrayed by a very good friend whom I trusted and highly respected. When this thing happened, it was so hard to accept and way beyond my understanding. I was confused and scared. I thought “If God really, really, loved me; He would not let me go through this.” I was so hurt. I wrapped myself in pains and agony and I cried myself to sleep for several days. This time the storm had struck me really hard. Then at my lowest point, God reminded me of my third moment. Suddenly I realized that this is my third critical spiritual battle and I was not fighting the battle on my own; I have God and the support of my family. He then taught us how to fight this battle and the key was humility and submission. We were determined to hold on to His Love, stick with our faith and endure to the end. Praise the Lord; once again, through the help of the Lord, we overcame the situation.

I know when God allow trials and tests to happen in my life, it is for my own good. He used those situations to make me strong. Through the difficult times, I have learned how to trust Him and do things His way. Because of the confidence I have in His love, I have joy. And this joy that I have, the devil did not give it to me and devil cannot take it away!

Rebekah M’s mom is a loving housewife who lives the Bible and seeks to be His light where ever she is.  

Published by permission of the author. Submit your own post at beingrebekah@outlook.com. 

Contemplation

Mar6

thoughtful

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. ~ Isaiah 43:2

I’m going through this crazy mental time right now.  I’ve gained a few pounds the last few months and the boy is disappearing more and more from my life. I know that I’m the one who told him that I couldn’t date him. I know that I’m the one who didn’t contradict him when he said he didn’t have a pretty girl to kiss when he was down.  I know that I’m the one who said he was what I wanted, but not what I needed (because I needed a praying man).

I miss him though. He still talks to me every day, but before where it was 4 or 5 hour gap at most… it can literally be only a little in the morning or night now.  I miss feeling like he was my constant companion even when it was only via text most of the time. The niche he found for himself in my life now feels empty and a gaping hole.

Tonight, one of my guy friends texted me out of the blue to tell me about how things weren’t going well with the girl he was chasing. Said he messed up with her because he was pursuing her too much when she needed space.  This is the same guy who I said was the example of what I’m looking for in a guy.

Part of me kept wondering what in the world was wrong with her for not running towards him with all she had. Here is this amazing, Godly, thoughtful guy who truly loves Christ and she just didn’t want to date him why? because he was attentive??? I just don’t get it but all I do know is that a slight part of me wanted to be like “me! pick me! I’m here! I love Jesus just as much as you do! Open your eyes!” but… he’s never, ever offered anything besides friendship to me. I gave up on him ever thinking of me as anything beyond a friend years ago.

So here I sit, on the heels of amazing news that I passed my boards and yet my heart is still heavy…

Lord,

Help me to hope in You. I know You have all things in Your hands so help me praise You even with my heavy heart. Help me put on the garment of praise. Help me to love You with all my heart so that this stuff has no effect on me.  Shield me in Your hands. Hold me while I have a heavy heart when I should be rejoicing. Help me shed this feeling of being inadequate, of feeling like no man will find me attractive, to just re-see my worth in You again. Remind me You are walking with me in this emotional time in which things must be burned away and out of my heart.

Rebekah M.

Identity in Christ

Mar5

Definition of Identity:

1) The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.Fingerprint

2) A close similarity or affinity.

I have spent the last few years on a journey of discovering who I am. It started with uncovering a family secret in 2009 that the man who raised me may not actually be my biological father. Worse than this discovery was finding out that the man suspected of being my father was the person in my life who had wounded me more deeply than any other human being on this earth. Emotionally this put me in a tailspin. As a result I started down a path to try to gain a sense of identity. In the last few months I have done extensive research on my family tree and a few days ago received the results of a DNA test to help answer some of these questions. The outcome of this test gave me more questions than answers.

The results of this test were not exactly what I wanted. In talking about it with my godfather he said that sometimes it’s better not to know. He is right, but it’s in our human nature to want to understand where we come from and why things happened the way they did. But I thank God that He has given me peace in this situation. The Lord has held me through every fear and comforted me through my tears. He is my true Father!

I Praise the Lord for His revelation to me that my identity does not lie in bloodlines and broken promises, my identity rests in Jesus Christ! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Where I come from is not important, it’s where I am going!

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

When we are baptized in Jesus Name, we take on His name! We enter into a relationship with Him and from then on we get to use the family name. What a privilege it is to be able to call ourselves Christians! He is our perfect father. He takes care of us, provides our needs, He helps us to grow and even disciplines as we need it because of His enduring love. When we receive His spirit we are freed from the bondage of the enemy and we receive the “spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

I want to be so wraAbba, father, daddypped up in God that it is obvious to everyone that I meet that I belong to Him! I want people to know that I am His child. I want my identity to rest firmly in Him! I want to encourage all of our readers to embrace your Christian identity. There is nothing greater than the salvation He offers us, but beyond that we have received something so special from God; we have received the right to call him Daddy!

In His Love,

Rebekah L.

Prayer Monday: PRAISE!!!!!

Feb11

Jesus,

I’m SO excited to share this news with the readers: YOU GAVE ME MY FIRST CHOICE RESIDENCY PROGRAM!!!!! Thank You Jesus!!! Thank You that You truly do reward us when we just hold on to You!!! Thank You that You have given me favor!!! Thank You that You have ordered my steps!!! Thank You that there is none like You!!! Thank You Jesus… I cannot sing or yell your praises enough!!! Thank You Jesus!!! Thank You Thank You Thank You THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! all the hours of tears, fears, and doubt… You carried me when I couldn’t handle things any longer!!! You are SUCH a wonderful, loving, good God!!!!! Thank You doesn’t cover it all… my heart is overflowing with gratitude!!! I love You Jesus SO MUCH! Thank You for this life!!! Thank You for everything You have given me! Help me remember that if you can bring THIS to pass, you can take care of everything else! Help me drop the rest of my doubts and just trust You!

Oh Jesus, Thank You!!! I just can’t stop it!! I PRAISE YOU LORD! I WORSHIP YOU JESUS!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

With all of my grateful, adoring heart,

Rebekah M.

A Faithless Spouse

Feb9

I’ve been reading Ezekiel lately and one chapter has been jumping out at me for a couple of days now. It’s Ezekiel 16, about the faithless spouse. In this chapter, God speaks about a baby girl who was completely abandoned and left to die. He saved her, took care of her, raised her and when she was older He lavished her with beauty and gifts. Instead of being grateful for the gifts and using them to serve her Creator, she flaunted them – and herself. She used these things to get attention and whore herself. The chapter is an analogy about Israel’s behavior towards the Lord and His word, but I can’t help but feel that it’s relevant in the church today. Especially the western church.

I feel like we are blessed with so many gifts. We’re given daily little miracles pertaining to our personal lives. As a body, we’re given discernment, wisdom, prophecy, the Holy Spirit, revelations, teachings, visions, prayer language, and so much more. We’re given an identity. We’re given a destiny. We’re given an inheritance. So many gifts that we don’t even think about as gifts – most people just think they’re part of Church.

But gifts they are. Precious jewels and jewelry, bestowed upon us by the One who outshines anything this earth could produce.

And yet….too often we cloud our visions and prophecies with our own desires. Too often we scratch our gemstones with our fear and failure to move at God’s command, and we tarnish our gold and silver bracelets with our own agendas. Yes, we may still have some semblance of good. We may still go through the motions. But even if we’re giving generously, if it’s the tarnished and damaged version that we’re giving, it’s not nearly as good .

I don’t want to be a faithless spouse. I don’t want to waste these precious gives. And when I share what I have with others, I want to share my gems with all the brilliance they were created with. I don’t want to share sub-par gifts, dulled and tainted with my own weakness. I don’t want the rest of the church to do so either.

And so today I ask God to search my heart and to guide me as I pray for my own gifts to be restored to their initial flawless state – and for the discipline and obedience required to keep them that way. I ask for guidance in praying the same over the rest of the body. The polishing process isn’t always an easy or a gentle one but the end result is well worth it.

God bless!

~Rebekah A

God is Faithful

Feb5

My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him: and in My name shall his horn be exalted (Psalm 89:24).

I-am-faithful-to-keep-My-covenant

I came to God in my mid-twenties feeling broken, alone, and hopeless. God did what only He can do and transformed my life. It is through Him that we become whole. In walking with Him we realize we are never alone. And it is in Him that we have hope.

Those early months were such a struggle. I wanted so much to live for God, but I didn’t know how, and I didn’t really think it was possible. I didn’t have faith that I could do it because I had failed so many times before. Then one Sunday the pastor was preaching and he stood at the pulpit and said, “We are not faithful, but God is faithful!” Suddenly the light bulb came on. I had never in my life heard that God is faithful. I had heard many times about faithful people, but never once do I recall ever being told that God is faithful. It seems so obvious to me now, but at the time it was revolutionary; the thought had just never occurred to me. The pastor talked about how we have little faith, faltering faith, inconsistent faith, but that God is constant. That His love for us never fails. That He will never give up on us. That it is through Him that we are transformed. We don’t have to rely on our own abilities because He is faithful. It was an earth-shattering thought. In that very moment I was freed from the burden of having to do it on my own. I was released from the cycle of trying and failing. I didn’t have to do it on my own; I could give it to God. I could let God take care of it because He is faithful!

The Lord is faithful;Great is thy faithfulness He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

Now years later I marvel at how such a simple concept was so foreign to me. It seems implausible that I didn’t know that the Lord is faithful, but I truly didn’t know. Thank God for the Word of God and for His anointed messengers!

It’s interesting though because we can know something and believe something and yet sometimes we still need reminding of that thing. Occasionally, I need to be reminded of the faithfulness of God. I shouldn’t need this, for God has proved his faithfulness to me over and over again. Even still, I need to regularly open my Bible and let His Words wash over me, reassuring me that everything in it is true.

His promises are true.His faithfulness continues

His salvation is true.

His mercy is true.

His faithfulness has not wavered!

For the Word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love (Psalm 33:4-5).

Thank you, Lord for the reminder. Thank you for your never-ending patience with me. Thank you for the measure of faith that you have given me to be confident in your faithfulness. I love you, Jesus.

Rebekah L.

Prayer Monday: Breaking Oppression… Again

Feb4

Lord,

I thank You so much for everything You did for me yesterday.  Thank You for everything You have been doing in the last week. What a miracle! What a miracle that You broke me free from all that was in my life.  These readers don’t know it, but I thank You that yesterday at church You lead the pastor to prophecy over me.  His wife never told him anything about what was going on in my life specifically so that should her husband say something to me, I would know that it was truly of You.  Thank You that yet once again someone spoke into my life.  Twice in one week. Once to warn me of the path of destruction I was on and the second time, after a week of repentance and seeking You, to reaffirm Your promises in my life. I know it was You because some of what he said was specific prophecies that had been said over me years ago by other people. Thank You that I didn’t sell my birthright like Esau (Hebrews 12:16).  Thank You Jesus!!!! Thank You!!!!

I didn’t even think of my life being oppressed but thinking back to what the preacher said during his prayer over me, he said that the demons that were in my life were leaving.  That Your power was healing me, making them leave.  I have allowed the spirit of lust and more into my life.  In the world we live in today, it is SO easy to feed it with even just “innocent” movies. It is so easy to see things that invite and then feed the spirit of lust in our lives.  Forgive me.  Forgive me for thinking that in my own strength I could “handle it.”  I can’t! We can’t! There is so much filth in this world that is just seen as “normal.”  Forgive me for thinking that I was okay.  Forgive me for thinking that I wasn’t sinning because I was “pure” by the standards of the world.  Forgive me for thinking that I was above others in terms of being weak to sin.

Thank You Jesus for setting me free from the thoughts that You had forgotten me.  I see clearly now that it was the enemy.  Thank You for setting me free from the delusion that I am not weak to sin (what arrogance! what pride!!!).  Thank You for humbling me in a way I could handle.  Thank You for Your mercy and grace!!! Thank You for Your wonderful ways! I love You Jesus.  I thank You Jesus! Thank You that I no longer fear and doubt You like I did.  Thank You that You freed me from the influences of the spirits of fear, doubt, lust, and jealousy.

Jesus, I right now pray for those who find themselves in a similar place. I pray that You restore to them too the belief of hope! Restore their hope in You again! Restore their belief that YOU ARE FAITHFUL! You are faithful to believe! We will receive and we will reap if we just don’t faint!!! Don’t faint my fellow readers!!! Don’t faint!! Just ask Jesus to give you strength and He will! Even if His help doesn’t seem like help at first- you may discover that what seems like a chastisement is your greatest strength! I couldn’t ask for stronger prayer warriors than my parents, godsister and prayer partner. You are so faithful to me, reveal Your faithfulness to these readers.  I pray this post encourages them. I pray this posts strengthens them and reminds them that You will carry them through whatever battles they are fighting right now.

I love You Jesus, truly with all my heart.

Rebekah M.

Related Posts:

Breaking Oppression

A Daddy’s Chastisement

A Giving Heart (aka Who Gets the Credit Part 2)

Jan23

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others.” ~ Philippians 2:3-4

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” ~ Matthew 6:1-2

Yesterday, Rebekah L posted about giving God the credit for everything we do. It resonated with me. I thought about all the times that I did something, at work or school or even at church, in order to be recognized by others. My deeds were good, but the heart behind them? Not so much. And I thought of how many times in my life I’d felt cheated or slighted by one thing or another. So often we feel like we don’t get what we deserve. It’s frustrating.

The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that it’s actually a good thing. First of all, it’s humbling, which is always ultimately to our good. But more than that, we are called to look at everybody else as being more important than ourselves. Jesus did in fact. He didn’t proclaim Himself as the savior of the world. In fact He even tried not to be noticed when He traveled sometimes. He worked tirelessly, healing and preaching and praying – to the point where those around Him would counsel Him to take a break. While here on earth, He counted everyone as more important than Himself – He saw their needs as greater than His own. And He certainly wasn’t rewarded for it. Unless, of course, you count a crown of thorns and execution as a reward. And yet, look at the eternal glory He’s getting now. And do you really think He’s up there saying “Take that, people. I’m a king now and it’s me you’ll answer to on judgement day – so there!”? Probably not.

But it does go to show that any credit or earthly reward we could get for our deeds pales in comparison to rewards from our Father. We’re told that God sees what is done in secret, and He’ll reward you. Isn’t that enough? I mean, do you really care that you’re not recognized by another person when you know that you’re recognized by God?  We’re also told that when we work for the accolades, that’s as much as we’ll ever be rewarded. Basically, our deeds get rewarded once. It can either be by God or by people. It might sting in the moment, but I know which one I ultimately choose.

So while I’m here, while we’re all here, we’re meant to be the laborers in the background. We’re meant to be working to bless others and spread the message and truth of Jesus in all that we do. It may be exactly that attitude that shows other people that there’s something more, something else we live for. Maybe that’s how God is using you as a vessel in this moment!

God bless!

~Rebekah A