Tuesday, May 27, 2008

by Carolyn Baker

To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 24


Prayer: Who am I O my God to be allowed to approach Your great throne of grace! Who am I O my God to stand in Your presence and seek You for myself. This weak and fallible person stands before You today knowing in the deepest part of my heart that without Your Presence in my life I would surely live a life of quiet desperation and fruitless searching. O My God You are to me the very air I breathe and the source of all things that have any meaning in this complex world in which I live.

There is only one thing that truly matters to me in this quiet moment and that is to feel Your presence surrounding me and to join with the angels and saints in worshipping my God. It is truly Your great glory I seek and it is truly the manifest presence of my God that holds me up. I acknowledge Your great holiness and Your glory and I bow before You today seeking to find You for myself in a way that goes beyond anything I have ever seen before.

I seek only to please You my God and to further the cause of Your kingdom. Jesus Himself has paid the price for my "ticket to eternity" by His sacrifice on the cross and to him I submit my life as a love offering. I do not seek this day glory or honor for myself nor do I seek fulfillment outside the truth of Your Word. Everything pales in comparison to You. Your bright light of glory shines through all the muck and mire through which I walk every day.

Thank You that I am learning to keep my eyes focused on You and on Your glory. Thank You that I am growing stronger in my faith and trust in You, and am growing weaker in my dependence on myself. I wish I could say I have this wired down every day, but today at least I know I can begin my day by placing my trust in Your power to enlighten me when I need it and to strengthen my weaknesses when I am tempted.

O my God grant me a day today where there will be time for me to sit and reflect on You and Your great truths. I know You have many important things to teach me and I know my soul is hungry to learn. Help me today to search for Your Face and find You where You chose to meet me. I need Your presence and Your wisdom more than any big house or car I could possibly own.

Even more than my own security and comfort, I desire to understand Your truths. It is so clear as I look around my world how desperately I need You to grow and direct me. I only desire to seek You for Yourself. I don't simply want to experience Your Presence, I want to live with You my God, in my life, every day of my life, fully aware of Your presence in my heart and soul. I know there is a holiness about my God that sends me to my knees, and I know in order to find this holiness I must live as He calls me to live and surrender the comfort zones that I still hold on to. Flood my heart with the nearness of Your living Presence, and allow me to have a vision of Yourself that is true. Help me to be Christ-like and not self absorbed. Send Your Holy Spirit with a breath of fresh air flowing into my heart so that all my fears and doubts will be swept away, and the security I so desperately crave will flow to me from my dependence on You.

Every minute I spend with You is such a joy to my spirit. Thank You Lord that You never gave up on me. Thank You that You meet me at the crossroads of my own confusions ad delusions, and shine Your light of life on the darkness. You illuminate the path of life that leads to a life of fullness in You, and brings me joy and peace in my spirit.

To You be all the honor and glory!

Reflect: Find a way to spend some extended time with the Lord. As You give Him Your time, He will give You His peace and joy, and Your life will be rooted firmly on a strong foundation that cannot be toppled - no matter what the circumstances. Don't forget to praise Him.


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© Copyright 1998-2008 Carolyn Baker

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Sep 18, '07

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ''I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'' – and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.-Psalm 32:4–7


Prayer: My King, in this quiet moment alone with You, I am at peace. Even though great turmoil surrounds me outside this door, in this moment I am secure in Your embrace. You drew me in here today before anyone was awake. You drew me in to minister to me, and I am profoundly grateful.

To be sequestered with You like this is what keeps me going. It is here that I find my focus. It is here with You that my strength returns and my battle armor is polished and repaired. It is tough sometimes out in the trenches of warfare that flies all around. It is tough some days to pick up my armor and fill myself with Your Word. There are days when all I want to do is forget there is a battle raging – both on the earth and in the heavenlies. Then You remind me, as You reveal Your heart of pain at the anguish everywhere, that I have a job to do – and it’s a vital one.

I feel Your anger today, Lord, as You look at the condition of Your flock. I recognize in this moment how long You have held back Your wrath – largely because of a few faithful ones still hanging on and hanging in. I recognize You are showing me this for a reason, and I am stunned. In this moment I see Your anger burning at the selfishness, ego, and selfish ambition in Your own Body. I feel Your great love for Your flock, and I feel Your pain for those who have been harmed and wounded – some so badly that they are in grave danger of giving up.

I can’t help but look to my own heart first to see if I am one of those who are wounding others by my own selfishness. It is almost impossible to be in Your Presence without seeing my own weaknesses – and in this moment I hear You remind me how long You have been refining me - so my own selfishness and ego would not harm others. I fall to my knees in gratitude at the knowledge of what might have been, had You not refined me in Your holy fire and taught me about integrity and purity of motivations. I am not perfect by any standard of measurement, but thankfully I can recognize when my old nature asserts itself – which allows me to get right with You quickly.

My King, help us please. This strife, division, and selfishness must cease. No matter what the personal cost we must turn to You. I know the time is near when You will no longer tolerate behavior that has led to so much harm. I recognize in this moment that You want to restore Your Body. You are pouring out Your oil on Your leaders - and You are raising up an army of intercessors to flood the camp of the faithful ones with the spiritual warfare protection so vital to the health and safety of Your flock.

Jesus, I ask You this day to shine Your glory on Your faithful ones so the rest of Your flock can identify them. So many of these leaders are largely unrecognized, but they have been faithful where You have put them to serve – and they have attempted to protect those You have given them charge to protect. They have laid down their lives – their own egos, selfish nature, and selfish ambition for the sake of those You gave them authority to care for.

This battered and often bruised body of leaders has learned to stand against fear. They have conquered their own doubts and their own fears - and they are standing in the gap protecting others from the arrows of the evil one that fly all around them. Many of them are like a pastor who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, and yet stayed to feed those that were left behind. I know these great heroes of our faith could have never stood their ground had they not been prepared by You in the simplicity of their personal devotion to You.

Forgive us, my King, for not standing our ground when we have been told to stand and fight. Forgive us for not spending quiet moments alone with You each day where You could nurture and prepare us for what You have planned for us. Forgive and restore our leadership who have fallen victim to ego and selfishness, and get them ready to lead Your flock in a way that can only happen when they recognize their own weaknesses – seek Your forgiveness – spend time alone with You in preparation for the battles ahead.

You alone are the leader of our army, and even though Your Body appears to be in disarray, I know You are raising up leaders and followers who will serve at Your pleasure and only respond to Your "still small voice". They know Your voice - and they have grown strong through their own wilderness experiences – and they are ready to march when You give the orders. To You, my King, I give all the honor and glory!

Reflect: As I was praying this morning, I could sense Jesus at the head of His army – taking His rightful place. As this prayer indicates I did feel His anger burning at selfishness and ego, and at the same time I could feel His heart to restore and reconcile those who have fallen victim to this human condition. For me, the message was to get right myself – to recognize that I have also been held captive to my ego – and to seek God’s forgiveness. I also felt a clear warning not to judge others, but to help others whom I serve. If any of this touches your heart – please get right with God. His anger is a dreadful thing, and it is only His faithfulness and His love that is stopping Him from acting on that anger. Be alert to these times in which we live.

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Sep 19, '07

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with Me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.-Psalm 101:6, Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of You, ''Seek His Face! Your Face Lord I will seek.- Psalm 27:7–8


Prayer: Sweet Jesus, in the deepest parts of my being I am sensing a reawakening of my spirit that seems to be drawing me closer and closer to the truths of Your Word. Somehow I feel You have opened a door, invited me to come listen, learn, and be amazed. This invitation is far more urgent than anything I have ever experienced before. Every fiber of my being seems to be on the alert, and I find myself recognizing Your Presence in places that used to be very dark for me.

How You love Your people! How You yearn to reveal Your secrets to them! How foolish we are as we busy ourselves with the things of this world while neglecting the open doorway to heaven available to every believer of Jesus Christ. For myself and for those who pray this prayer, Jesus, I humbly approach You asking You to change things. My heart screams out knowing we have it all backwards most days. Still Your faithfulness emerges, and I recognize how many times You have prompted me to turn away and go in a different direction. I admit I did not always follow those directions, but when I did, I always drew closer to You and my faith and trust increased exponentially.

This morning, my King, I sense an urgency coming from Your heavenly dwelling place. I knew before I even entered this quiet sanctuary that You had something important to reveal. Unlike other times I did not hesitate to come into this quiet place of prayer. As I seek Your Face You remind me that this is what it is all about – seeking Your Face. Whenever I willingly humble myself and pray waiting for Your agenda to become clear, You reveal Yourself a little more and draw me further up the ladder that runs between heaven and earth (Genesis 28:10–17).

This morning I can see how much You desire for Your often lukewarm body to wake from their slumber. I hear Your cry as You attempt to change the dry places of our hearts into ignited passion-filled fountains of Your truth that overflow with new, fresh meaning. So many of us have not gone much further than skimming the top of Your truths - and this morning, I know this is about to change! I know from experience how many times Your "golden nuggets" of wisdom have saved me from my own foolishness and drawn me to the deeper well of Your Word. (Psalm 27:7-8).

As I pray, I feel led to ask You to help me help others to reach into the supernatural realities of Your heavenly kingdom by climbing the ladder themselves between heaven and earth. Every day is a new opportunity for a believer to go deeper into the reality of Your kingdom possibilities. I pray You would convict many with Your urgency, that the times are ripe for harvest - and that it begins with time spent alone with You as You refine each one of us into the person we were created to be. Convict anyone praying this prayer of the need to go deeper into their own faith. Help them to see the riches available to them through a deeper understanding of Your kingdom truths.

It is very humbling for me in this moment to recognize how many times I have chosen to ignore Your nudging. There have been far too many moments where I have been too busy, to distracted, too tired to listen and obey. I suppose that’s why the truth of Your faithfulness continues to amaze me as You have never given up on me.

Help all of us, Lord, to take back the territory that Satan has stolen from us. Help us to claim victory over the darkness that has permeated so many of us and caused us to step into a lukewarm state. Your weapons of warfare are powerful, and they are given to us as our birthright. Help us to wield them well and to defeat Satan at his own game. I claim back my family, I claim back the parts of my own life Satan has stolen and counterfeited. I claim fullness of joy and a peace that surpasses my human understanding. Cloaked with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), I ask for Your wisdom and spiritual discernment to see into the darkened regions surrounding us so we can pour Your truth like a mighty waterfall into that well of darkness - and drown every deception Satan has planted.

It is all about You, Jesus, so I surrender to Your purposes, and I cry out with a grateful heart for Your patience with me and those who pray this prayer, knowing that Your faithfulness has provided for all of our needs. To You be all the honor and glory!

Reflect: I am convinced we basically live very shallow Christian lives. From experience, I know how God has consistently and faithfully revealed Himself and a deeper understanding of His truths by drawing me into quiet, intimate moments of prayer before His Throne of grace. I remind you once again that prayer is simply talking with God. If you feel led, I would encourage you to recommit to a daily quiet time asking God to increase His wisdom and discernment in your life - with a pure and holy motivation of getting closer to God. I know from my own life that it is a choice I make each and every day to step into my quiet place – even when every fiber of my being wants to put it off. Perseverance is a quality to be sought after as a real treasure – for it unlocks the leys to the kingdom of heaven and gives you the power to ascend the ladder that separates heaven and earth – on the back of Jesus Christ Himself.

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Sep 13, '07

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.-2 Corinthians 10:4


Prayer: Lord, in these days I am recognizing how very easy it is to lose my focus – but along with that I also see how clever our enemy truly is. I refuse to allow him to gain any more ground, so I will no longer allow my thoughts to be taken captive to anything except the control of Your Holy Spirit. It is so easy to fall victim to anger, frustration, discouragement – but it is equally as easy to call on You, Jesus - asking for Your balm of peace to take up residence in our inner being.

I am keenly aware that You are working in Your kids these days - so we can grow into the full purposes You have for our lives. Your Body is so tender to Your heart and as a result You have much to share with us. My prayer today is for Your Body to recognize the special privilege and position they have in Your eternal kingdom. You have declared over and over in Your Word that we are being changed into Your image – and as we do we will begin to see Your glory.

It is because of this conviction that I ask You to help Your Body leave "the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity" -Hebrews 6:1. We also need to always remember that it is all about You, Lord, not about us – and we desperately need the convictions only You can give us when we get out of balance and begin drifting back towards a dependence on self – instead of a dependence on You, only You can truly achieve in us.

I am also asking You, Jesus, to let Your favor fall on my family, my church – those I pray for and work with – and on my nation. There is nothing of earthly value that can compare with the truth that as believers we are the recipients of Your grace and Your favor. We will one day reign with You and come to see You as You truly are. Help us to see You high and lifted up – King above all Kings – all powerful – all loving and full of grace and mercy. I am convinced that the more I come to see You as You are – the more You will be able to use me.

My heart sings for joy knowing You are the same today as You were in Biblical times – and You will never, never change. I rely on this truth every day, knowing that You are God and that You do indeed speak to Your people. You give us wisdom beyond human understanding – You give us peace, joy and comfort plus a security so great that death cannot defeat us.

As You continue to work, Jesus, in Your people please remind us how important people are to You. In such a fast paced culture it is far too easy to fall victim to the "what" of things – oftentimes failing to recognize "WHO" You are calling us to minister to. I ask You to take away the selfish, prideful attitudes that permeate far too many of us – and its place - grow us to be selfless people – willing to lay down our lives for others.

I am often reminded that Your Spirit is moving on this land - and calling us to follow after You - and to abide in You. Grow us to become more like You, and to help us to receive Your promise that our lives do matter, and that there is nothing that can energize us more than the Holy Spirit of God! Make clear to us, Lord, what Your will and Your desire is for our own lives - and for the lives of those we minister to and with. Give us godly character – make us people of integrity, and people who live out each day in a pure and holy fear of our Lord.

We are a new creation, and You are growing us to become at home in both our physical world and in the spiritual realm. Being led by Your Holy Spirit is the greatest of privileges and to see Him use us – an almost overwhelming experience. There is nothing greater than being used by You! So my prayer today is for all who are stuck someplace – unable to discern what it is God is attempting to show them – that You would make it clear to them how easy it is to call on You for relief. I love You, Jesus, and in this moment I am so very grateful for all You have given us - and for all the awesome and wonderful potential You have made available to us so we can live free! To You be all the honor and the glory!

Reflect: My prayer for all of you praying this prayer is that you would begin to experience the reality of all God has planned for You. There are many awesome and wonderful experiences that lay in wait for You to claim them. We need to be aware that God asks us to "earnestly desire the spiritual". If we do not seek it, we will not find it. We must also remember that He is a gentleman and will not force Himself on us. This is a very sobering thought for me, and it should be for you as well! By faith we can do so much! We can find a life that will surpass anything that you can even possibly imagine. There is also a daily battle that rages in the world between good and evil, so we do need to be aware of the weapons God has provided for us, so we will not be overcome by that which is set against us. The goal is to begin to see things through God’s perspective - and as we grow and mature in that, we cannot be defeated. I have often prayed for a "fresh, new wind of God’s Spirit" to fall, and I sense in these days He is answering that prayer. I do not want any of you to be left behind, so I urge you to find your rightful place in God’s Body - and begin the journey toward greatness He has designed for you.

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Aug 17, '07

Friday, August 17, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-9


Prayer: Lord Jesus, I bow before You this morning gratefully acknowledging Your willingness to allow me to serve, and your patience with me as I continue to wrestle within myself. I know most of my struggles are brought on by my own inability to surrender all to You. I know I still hold on to old lifelines that have served me so well (or I guess I should say, held me prisoner) all these years.

I acknowledge You today as the only one who can give me wisdom and understanding where there is now darkness and confusion. I know I need to stop trusting myself and man and surrender that trust to You. But I must confess this continues to be a struggle. I continue to hold me back out of fear, and I know this prevents me from accepting all You have waiting for me.

Thank You, Jesus, that You are sending people into my life who are teaching me Your truths and exhibiting by their own witness, the power of Your written Word and the potential for a life of real meaning. I want this desperately and thank You that I have at least grown up to the place where I recognize this need. I come here today looking for true faith and the courage to obediently follow Your call - no matter where it takes me. I know if I do not obey You when You call, I will have to ask myself if I have truly put my faith in You. I want to serve You and Your people, and I know this means I can no longer live for myself alone. I know You give me the wisdom to understand this and even more, You give me the wisdom to see the deceptions of the enemy. I know I am called to be a warrior in Your army and that You are just waiting for my surrender.

Enlighten my mind and heart this morning. Shine a bright flashlight on the dark corners of my being and replace that darkness with peace of mind and the assurance that You are the Lord of all and that Your power will defeat anything set in my path to deflect my walk. I know You have set me apart and that You are now at the control panel of my life. I also know that You will never leave me and that I will never be alone. Teach me to see You with the eyes of my spirit so I will recognize You every time You call. Allow me the privilege of serving You for the rest of my days - wherever that takes me and for however long I have yet to live.

As my Pastor has said many times there is no "retirement" for Christians. Help me to always be grateful for this fact and grateful for every opportunity You send my way to serve my resurrected King. To Him be all the honor and glory.

Reflect: Our life is a simple process of one day at a time, and one step of faith at a time. Our strength and power are from Him and are just a prayer away for the asking. Ask Him now and wait for His answer.

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Aug 16, '07

Thursday, August 16, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:9-11


Prayer: Lord Jesus, I bow before Your throne this morning asking for a clean mind and heart. As I do, I ask You to reveal any secret, hidden places that still exist so Your bright light can shine there and cast out the darkness that exists. I am aware that one of Satan’s favorite tricks is to attack us in the area of our darkest secrets - often stopping us dead in our tracks from going any further in our walk with You. I am so grateful that even as I begin praying You are showing me how my own insecurities have often led me to make foolish choices - largely because I struggled to keep control myself instead of surrendering that control to You.

I am reaching out to You this morning asking You to help me cast off any insecurities that might still dwell within my own flesh and set me free. I know how easy it is to become trapped in a place of self pity where all we can see are our own needs and desires. I lived there far too long and never want to backslide into that murky darkness again.

Everywhere I look I see “walking wounded”. All through the Body of Christ many good, solid Christians are locked in a prison that keeps them focused on their own needs and successfully prevents them from participating in the life You have for them. I know we no longer have the luxury of unlimited time. I know we must lay down the tools of our childhood and pick up true spiritual maturity. You warn us in Your Word about being prepared, and You remind us how successful the enemy can be as he prowls around devouring the weak.

My prayer today is that You will set Your people free from anything that is holding them back from accomplishing the life choices You have laid out for them. I pray Your children will begin to look beyond themselves and reach out for You, trusting in Your wisdom and guidance instead of their own. Help Your kids to recognize that self-pity will only lead one place, and that is to a place of defeat. This is not where You want Your kids to live. Help me to do what I can to stay strong so You can use me to help others. We cannot fight alone - we need each other.

I pray this day that the forgiveness that comes from a place of self-sacrifice will permeate the Body of Christ. I pray You will give us what we need to fight off the attacks that will surely come our way so we can keep on, keeping on. We have so many opportunities to bring light into the darkness, and yet I know our own insecurities and selfishness often keep us stuck in the mud. I claim victory today for myself, my brothers and sisters in Christ, my church and my country. I claim freedom from pettiness and selfishness and ask You to root out the self-centered spirit of darkness that has such firm control over our lives.

Thank You that You are reminding me every day of my place in Your Body. Thank You that whenever I falter You are just a prayer away. Thank You that You surround me with people of integrity and spiritual strength and wisdom to help me move forward. Thank You that You remind me often how to respond to you if I want You to answer. As the prophet Isaiah has reminded me, when I respond as You call “then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; then you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.“ This wonderful Scripture has sustained me over many years and reminds me of how much You desire Your children to walk free from the oppressive yoke of self pity.

I know that when we fall to our knees in prayer nothing will be able to stand against the church. She will be changed to become that shining light on the hill beckoning to all who have eyes to see, challenging them to look up into the face of God where true peace and freedom is found. Your children will then take their place in the army of the Lord that is forming - even as I pray and the Great Commission will be fulfilled. It starts with prayer so help us to understand Your call to prayer.

Thank You, my King, for Your example as all throughout Scripture You went to Your Father in prayer seeking His wisdom and leaning on His strength. Remove the yoke of pride that disguises itself as a critical nature and set Your children truly free. I never again want to be held captive by anything that will stop me from having an open line of communication to You, my King. You are my lifeblood and without the nutrients I receive from time spent with You, I will remain in bondage - and that simply must not happen. Help me, I cry, I need Your strength, wisdom and power. In Jesus' name, amen!

Reflect: One of the most damaging of Satan’s counterfeit strategies in the church today is the pride that comes in the disguise of criticism and self pity. As Christians we never want to give in to anything that will keep us from an open dialogue with God. God warns us that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Search Your heart and ask Him to reveal any self-pity, criticism or pride that is holding You back from accomplishing what He has for you. As You surrender in prayer, you will find yourself being bathed in His Presence - where nothing is impossible.

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Aug 14, '07

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3


Prayer: Lord Jesus, how grateful I am this morning that the course of my adventure with You is being altered to embark on a journey towards a new beginning that You have shown me is possible. What a rich blessing it is to realize that You can set our footsteps on exactly the right path, pointed in exactly the right direction, at exactly the right time.

I am so aware this morning how much you love me and how much You cherish who I truly am. You look at my fears and anxieties, and my hopes and my longings, and yet still You manage to look past the selfishness that has so often dogged my path and show me how to get back on the right track. I am finally beginning to see that all along You have simply been chasing me along my self righteous path, patiently waiting for the time when I would finally surrender my heart and give it to You. I know now that You were drawing me close enough to Yourself so that I could hear Your whisper and even sometimes feel the hot breath of Your Holy Spirit blowing all around me.

I am so grateful that I am no longer looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places, but instead am seeking You where You have always been, all these years - right next to me. It astonishes me how You have taken the darkness that has often threatened to consume me, and instead given me the brightest light of all to follow. In the end the revelation of who I really am in Your eyes blows me away. I can honestly say I have looked everywhere, under every rock and hiding place looking for You, and You were right next to me all along - I just didn’t want to see You.

I am so grateful that today You have taken away the emptiness I have felt for so long and filled it up with Your Presence. I am so grateful that the intimacy You want with me was part of Your divine plan from the beginning. Here I stand today knowing that You are my focus, You are my very reason for living. From now until I come home to live with You, my life will be full of possibilities as together in this new I intimacy, we walk hand in hand every day toward the goal You have in mind. I don’t even need to know what that goal is because You hold my hand and point me in Your direction.

I pray today and ask that this blessing from above will be showered on all Your children. I pray they will all find a way to reach out their hands to You in a moment of surrender, and that their surrender will be the beginning of a new life so full of possibilities that even the darkness that may consume them will be burned away in repentance and surrender.

You have given all Your children this awesome chance for a life of richness beyond compare and my heart’s cry for all of them is that a beginning will be made as they take their first step of faith towards the God they can truly trust. I am so sure this is where it begins. I am also sure that the ending is more glorious than anything my feeble mind can conjure up. So walk with anyone today that hears this prayer in the center of their being and grant them a sense of Your intimate Presence all around them so they will be encouraged and no longer frightened, emboldened by Your power and strength and set on fire by the very near Presence of Your glory. To You be all the honor and glory.

Reflect: I hope you enjoy this nugget from a book entitled “The Sacred Romance” by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge - it certainly spoke to me: “The scriptures employ a wide scale of metaphors to capture the many facets of our relationship with God. If you consider them in a sort of ascending order, there is a noticeable and breathtaking progression. Down at the bottom of the totem pole we are the clay and He the Potter. Moving up a notch, we are the sheep and He is the Shepherd, which is a little better position on the food chain but hardly flattering; sheep don’t have a reputation as the most graceful and intelligent creatures in the world. Moving upward, we are the servants of the Master, which at least lets us into the house, even if we have to wipe our feet, watch our manners, and not talk too much. Most Christians never get past this point, but the ladder of metaphors is about to make a swift ascent. God also calls us His children and Himself our Heavenly Father, which brings us into the possibility of real intimacy - love is not one of those things a vase and his craftsman share together, nor does a sheep truly know the heart of the shepherd, though it may enjoy the fruits of his kindness. Still, there is something missing even in the best parent child relationship. Friendship levels the playing field in a way family never can, at least not until the kids have grown and left the house. Friendship opens a level of communion that a five-year-old doesn’t know with his mother and father. And friends are what He calls us.

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Aug 15, '07

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10


Prayer: Father, where are You taking us - what standard are You calling us to follow? What is Your vision for Your church, and how do we accomplish the heart’s cry of our Savior? Above all things I know that You are a God of love and mercy. I know each day You stand ready to direct and guide your weak kids and You stand ready to empower us with all we need to accomplish for You what You created us for in the first place.

Today, as I approach Your Throne I am struck by the beauty of Your nature. I see all around Your Throne a great army of prayer warriors singing and praising, interceding to the Great Intercessor Himself. I marvel in my very fallible human nature how You could ever include such people as us in Your great army. I am humbled this morning as I realize more and more the importance of living a surrendered life - seeking after Your nature and bowing humbly before Your great Throne to pray for all those whose lives are being connected up with mine.

Your provision for Your children is astonishing to me and the blindness of Your children perplexes me. You stand ready to give us so much strength and power, and yet we are so woefully weak, incredibly selfish, and unable to see beyond our own needs most of the time. I include myself in this assessment, and know that this must stop and a new day must dawn where we are walking in Your strength and power - trusting in You to accomplish in us what You guaranteed from the beginning.

Help us - I cry - to recognize what You went to the Cross to die for so we can step up, and step out, instead of wallowing in our own selfish needs. You are a God of great love and mercy, and have steadfastly hung in here with us. Your faithfulness astonishes me and our lack of receptivity appalls me. Why You keep putting up with us amazes me - yet I know You do. What You came to give us is beyond our own human understanding, but real nonetheless. Remove our blinding and bondages. Cast out our lukewarm attitudes and replace them with Your heart of love for others. Help us to recognize the Holy Spirit and His abilities to guide and direct our lives, and teach us how to tap into His Holy Spirit power.

I hear Your cry to return to our first love, and I hear the trumpet sounding in Zion. We are indeed a chosen people, called to live lives that reflect Your bright light to all the world. I hear Your “still small voice” whispering to all who would listen to lay down their burdens and follow You. Would You please touch the hearts, minds and spirits - from the inside out - of all who pray this prayer! Would You empower all who ask You with an anointing of Your Holy Spirit that will catapult them to a deeper level of understanding! Help those who are clouded in darkness to follow Your bright light out of their darkness and then release them into their full potential!

Oh my sweet Jesus, how much Your people need You, and how much we need one another. Wherever You see dysfunction I pray for clarity. Wherever You see jealousy and pride, I pray for submission and humility. Wherever You see anger and frustration, I pray for peace and wisdom. Your people are indeed a sorry bunch, but we are YOUR Bunch and as such called by You. Help our self-awareness to take a back seat to Christ centeredness.

Help our singular attitudes to become a unified voice calling out as one to our God seeking Your wisdom to fall on our leaders, churches and ministries. Help Your prayer warriors to take their stand on their watchtowers. Teach ALL Your people to pray as You did when You walked the earth. Reveal Your glory to Your church so all who are lost will be drawn to Your brightness. To You be all the honor and glory.

Reflect: Holiness and truth are a powerful combination. In each one of our lives we can strive to live a life of holiness and to speak the truth in love. By the example of our surrendered lives, we can encourage and empower one another to hang on and persevere when times get tough. We are a holy nation called by God, and together we can assault the darkness where we find it. Will you do your part? Seek His face today and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help and power.

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Jul 18, '07

by Carolyn Baker

I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and You in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.-John 17:22–23


Prayer: My King, I am coming before You humbly today asking You to come, revive this land, and shake up Your Body. Your Presence is very strong in these days - and I long to worship You with all of my heart. I cry out asking You to prepare us for the reawakening that I am sensing You are about to release on Your people. My loudest cry is that You would deliver each one of us from our efforts to keep You under our control. I will be the first to acknowledge we are a very foolish group - and I know You are reminding us that we have this one backwards!

You require obedience and the really amazing truth is that Your Holy Spirit inspires us to walk in this obedience. You are King and Lord - and with every fiber of my being - I sense You are attempting to reveal Your glory through us – if we will just listen and obey Your cry! Don’t ask me how I know, but I feel it is time for You to take the reins again - and show Your kids by example - that You only did what You saw Your Father doing – and it is time for Your kids to do the same.

I pray You would pierce our hearts, minds, souls and spirits with Your great sword - so that we will stop expecting You to be a "cookie cutter" God - and see You for the holy, glorious God You truly are. Remind us when necessary that our own needs and desires often get in the way of what You are attempting to show us. Being human, we are by nature very selfish and often struggle with submitting our will to Your divine will. I am convinced, however, that it does not have to happen this way.

There are signs everywhere, my King, that You are moving and directing us along the path of righteousness for Your name's sake. You are attempting to rid us of our own false expectations and agendas as You shift our tendency towards independence - into the surrender of Your control. I admit it is not an easy process, Lord, but I believe it to be a necessary process.

I pray today for all of my brothers and sisters to come into the full realization of how much they need You – more of Your Presence in their lives – more of Your Greatness being revealed in their lives, and more power and love being given to each one of them as You equip them fully for service. If they are struggling with discouragement, confusion, or frustration, I pray You would guide them into Your Presence - where I know they will find the fulfillment they’re looking for.

Help all of us, I pray, to abide in You! Draw us to Yourself - where You can reveal Your secrets to us and grow us stronger and wiser - so we can serve You as You have always planned. I ask You to prepare the way for all of us, Lord, reminding us as we go that it is You we serve – as You alone are worthy. I believe with all of my heart You are getting us ready for a fresh new wind of Your Spirit to fall on us and on this land. I pray we will be ready – fully armed with Your armor - on our knees - and trusting in You to accomplish Your purposes in each one of us.

Prepare us, Lord! Prepare Your people. We are a needy and a very disjointed group of wanderers – but I know You can and You will handle all of that. I am grateful beyond words for all the brothers and sisters who have gone before me - and I now ask for a special blessing to be theirs as You reveal Your pleasure to them.

Even though I know we have an enemy who devours and prowls – making much mischief as he goes, I am not afraid. I know Who I serve - and I trust that You will help me to overcome the stings and arrows the enemy often throws my way. Even though I recognize I have often given in to his taunts, I pray for the strength to resist him - knowing as I do - he will flee from me.

Grant us Your Presence, oh Lord, and keep us in Your tender embrace so we will not settle! Instead - hold fast to us so we can receive the best You have to offer. Help us to stop pursuing our own agendas – settling for what is easy – and release us instead into the amazing promises You desire to fulfill in our lives that guarantee us the intimacy with You that is the life blood of anything we do for You. Help us to become a "slave" to Christ - as You point us in the direction of Your purposes – using us to fulfill Your purpose of bringing heaven to earth – giving us Your power and strength to serve You as You deserve to be served.

Reflect: Because I believe in the Sovereignty of God – in His mercy and grace – I have watched Him take all of my worldly stuff and slowly begin to refocus me on His greatness. With everything I have surrendered that I once held so closely to myself, Jesus has responded by taking even my smallest gift offering and growing His love in my heart. Day by day, I seek to have His heart and day by day, He draws me closer to the center of His Presence. The amazing thing is that I offer Him so little and He responds with so much more. The Bible tells us that His heart beats faster with just the single glance of our eyes -Song of Solomon 4:9. If you are feeling discouraged or confused, I urge you to surrender all you have to His will being done in your life, and I can guarantee you will be the recipient of a love that conquers all fears and anxieties. He desires to touch you with His Presence and fill you with His Holy Spirit’s power. Don’t miss out by refusing to surrender. Please Journal!

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Jul 16, '07

Monday, July 16, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.-Ephesians 4:31–32


Prayer: Lord, I know this prayer is not going to be a surprise to You. You have been watching me all along as I struggled. You allowed the struggles, teaching me many things along the way as I stumbled all over myself – and more importantly - all over You. To say I am a fallible woman is putting it kindly. The reality is I allowed a sinful spirit to enter my being and start to take root.

How grateful am I for Your intervention. There is no earthly way to express that gratitude! You have once again saved me from myself - as I allowed fear, bitterness and even anger back into my own being. In my frustration I was not able to see beyond its grip on me and without even realizing it, I began to fall.

I could give You a wide variety of reasons - many of them even justified – but when I look into Your Face – recognizing Your sovereignty and seeing Your goodness – all I can do is fall to my knees seeking Your help and Your forgiveness.

For so many years now I have been privileged to see You at work – both in my life and the lives of those for whom I pray. I have been blessed in so many ways - and Your anointing power has followed me. This morning I had to come to grips with the very real knowledge that there is no guarantee that what I have enjoyed to this point will continue. You are after all sovereign and I am Your servant.

I am humbled and grateful in this moment for the insight You have given me. As I struggled with a personal issue in my life, I could not see what Your purpose was in allowing me to struggle. It wasn’t until You reminded me that You are sovereign – You are God and I am not – that I was able to bend my knee in submission to Your divine will. I began to see that there are no guarantees that what I have today I will have tomorrow. I began to see that my dependence had shifted from being completely dependent on You, to becoming dependent on where You had brought me and the anointing power that had gone before.

What I am finally beginning to see now is the very real fact that I serve You – not the other way around. You are sovereign - and Your anointing power has covered me for decades – and I was beginning to take it for granted. I stopped trusting – it’s just that simple. I started looking at the circumstances all around me - instead of bending my knee in submission to what was happening – even though I couldn’t understand it.

It wasn’t until I remembered that "Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light" (Matthew 11:30) - that I came to recognize that I felt exactly the opposite. I clearly heard You tell me to "cast all of my cares upon You because You cared for me." (1 Peter 5:7). I then realized I had come perilously close to losing the anointing - as I had drifted into bitterness and even anger. You kept yelling, "Who are you trusting?" and I did not like my answer.

You are more real to me than anything - and for me to slip so far - so fast – has taught me a lot. I was holding on to the "old anointing" that had sat on me for years – and when it began to shift and change I fell quickly. I was trusting in my own position in the Body and You were trying to take me to a whole new level of my faith. The fact that it was a family issue is what almost did me in.

You have opened my eyes, and I am grateful. You have protected me from falling into a billon different pieces. I pray I never forget this lesson of faith.

I choose to step into the future of possibilities You have prepared, obeying Your call and trusting You for the eventual outcome. I will walk each day in faith – listening and obeying – and allowing You to be my sovereign guide. It is Your divine will that I seek after, and no matter what I have to give up, lay down, or take hold of, I will do it with joy – as Your peace returns to my life - and I let You take control. To You be all the honor and the glory!

Reflect: Have you ever experienced a moment where God has reached out to you – after a long period of dealing with you – to change your heart and even shift your direction? I am sure most of you have, and I am also sure that some of you are in the middle of just such season. Many times we are blinded by our own fears to such a point that unless God intervenes we will stay lost and confused. One way to recognize such a season of your faith life, is that you begin to sense bitterness or anger, confusion or discouragement seeping into the fiber of your being. The sooner you recognize your fleshly condition, the quicker God can set you right again – in the center of His will. We also have to remember that we have an enemy, and it is his goal to distract and destroy. War against this evil in prayer by keeping your armor on. My greatest struggles have come because I lost track of the fact that God is sovereign and He has every right to divert my path. I was fighting so hard to keep things as they were, that I almost missed His will. Even as I write I am still not clear on why God is choosing to do what He is doing – but I am at least aware that I can trust Him to eventually make lemonade out of the lemons of my confusion and frustrations. For my part I intend to follow His lead - and when I made that decision He gave me back my peace. It is a day to day process but faith, hope, trust and love are my fruit - and God’s will is my daily road map. This combination will help me cross the finish line well so that one day I will hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

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Jul 9, '07

by Carolyn Baker

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!-Psalm 8

Prayer: This morning, my King, there is a battle raging within my entire being. As I tried to quiet myself and study, I began to sense a nudging in my spirit that caused me to continue seeking after You. I really only knew I was hungry and thirsty for You, but it seems that was all You needed to draw me into the radiance of Your Presence.
I am beginning to see the battle that rages within - as my mind attempts to control and make logical every feeling and every sense of You that I possess. Being human, I think this is truly a battle between my own human needs, wants, desires, understandings - and Your Holy Spirit. I sense You are attempting to draw us closer to the increasingly radiant Presence our God. I seem to be battling to stay in my comfort zones – and this knowledge make me fall to my knees.

I acknowledge before You the intensity of this struggle. I also acknowledge that You are my only hope as the battle intensifies. I have always been comfortable in my "study mode". I love to learn and study - and now I clearly see that You are all about taking this gift You have given me and teaching me to trust You for the expression of these beliefs.

I am excited this morning at the very real knowledge that You are increasing the "radiance of Your glory" for all the world to see. One way or another man is about to see the outpouring of Your glory as Your Presence draws closer to the earth. Just as an intense heat can turn something solid, so can that same intensifying heat melt everything it touches. That is what Your glory feels like to me. The closer I get, the more I see myself - and the more I recognize You at work, melting away all the ugly, unrighteous parts of my human flesh. At the same time I sense You taking all that is of You and solidifying that into a characteristic that cannot be broken or melted.

The closer I get to You, the more I realize how much of a transformation is really taking place in me – even though I cannot see it, feel it, or touch it. I have no earthly explanation for the metamorphous of what is going on inside of me. I only know it is really happening - and that You are at work in me, getting me ready for the times that lie ahead.

I am not afraid, which is truly something only You can do. I am filled with an overpowering need for the indwelling of God to manifest Himself through me. I pray that His glory will be expressed in a way that draws people to the deep need within themselves to find that center place of Your Presence which only Your Holy Spirit can reveal. We are so hungry, my King, in these days for the indwelling Presence of God, to be felt by all who believe. This world desperately needs a fresh, new wind of Your Spirit to fall on them and on this earth.

My prayer today is one of gratitude to a God who is so intimately personal with His kids that He can take the little we often offer Him and turn it into a magnificent gift offering of praise and worship. Release Your Spirit on Your people Lord, and use us to send Satan and his evil forces fleeing by revealing Your love to a world that has yet to grasp the immensity of that love.

Your Word is the weapon I stand on to soar on eagle's wings into the unlimited potential You have prepared for us. Your Word empowers us with its promises and the revelation of its truth being expressed everywhere around me. Your Word anchors me – makes me stronger – and allows me to understand the nature of my God in a way that grows me closer to You then I ever thought possible.

We appear to be standing on the brink of a personal Isaiah 60 experience! My heart pounds with excitement at the glorious Presence of our God being seen on His people in such a way that draws even those lost in the deepest darkness and the anguish of hardened hearts to Himself. Use Your surrendered ones, Jesus, by expressing their surrendered hearts so all can see. Make Your intensifying Presence felt in this world - as so many are turning away from our God to serve the idols of this world.

You are the greatest hope we have ever been given. I rely on that hope every day of my life as you draw me closer and intensify Your radiant Presence in my brothers and sisters. It is clear to me in this moment that the glory of the Lord is indeed all around us! The heat from this glory is molding and forming us into a people of significance that You will use to reveal Yourself and Your glory to this world - that in its present form desperately needs the relief only You can provide. To You be the glory!!!!

Reflect: I am convinced we are living in times where God’s surrendered ones are beginning to emerge from their cocoon. There is a transformation taking place as God continues to prepare us for His return. Every day I realize that He must increase and we must decrease so His glorious Presence can penetrate every thought, feeling and emotion that holds us captive to our carnal nature. His desire is to fill this world with His Presence, and He has chosen His people as His weapons of choice. Wherever you are in your faith walk, God can take you deeper if you will allow His truths to penetrate the bones and marrow of your being. His Holy Spirit is active within each believer of Christ every day, and we can choose to follow His lead – or not! As God gets His Bride ready for His eventual return, we will begin to experience His glory in ways we do not even understand yet. The cry of God’s heart to draw Himself close to us resonates through almost every prayer I pray. He is transforming His people these days into people who are fully prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead. He is also attempting to give you peace. Remember, nothing can stand against His consuming fire. He is revealing Himself to you – if you will only turn in His direction. Surrender, prayer and anticipation of His greatness can get us over any obstacle that may stand in our way. The only thing that will remain, as God shakes up His household, is our devotion to Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you so your transformation will be complete and you can be used as God has always intended to use you. Cooperate with His Spirit and "all will be well with your soul."

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Jul 6, '07

by Carolyn Baker

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.-Romans 8:16–18


Prayer: Lord, as I take a good hard look at my humanity, I realize how dependent I am on a loving God who – while certainly capable of instant judgment – continues to treat me with love and mercy. I am compelled this morning to reach out to You in your heavenly dwelling place, in thanksgiving – and I am compelled to ask You to help me treat others in the same way You treat me.

It is far too easy to look at my world with my own naked eyes – where all I see is conflict and pride. Yet, as You have trained me over the years through prayer, You have given me the ability to see with Your eyes – and as I do all I see is love and compassion for those around me. There is no doubt in my mind that left to my own human nature, I too would be judgmental and even condemning of those who are different than I.

It is beyond my human ability to understand the why and how of evil. I know it is real and does exist, and I know people are caught up in ego, selfishness and pride which leads to all manner of harm. Yet, You have trained me Yourself, through prayer to see You with my spiritual eyes – and when I do, I see Your love, Your compassion and yes, even Your judgment. I am also consumed with the tears that flow from Your Throne towards those who are still blind - and therefore stuck in the quicksand of what has become their normal life.

I want to wipe away the tears that form in Your eyes, so I do the only thing I know how to do – and that is to pray. Through years of learning about prayer, I have come to understand that without prayer as my arrow, my bow is useless. Without prayer I will see wrongly, judge wrongly and respond wrongly. I admit it often feels like I am standing in the middle of a war zone as I seek Your face and wait on You – but I have also learned through the waiting how incredibly important it is to understand Your will - and therefore be effective with my bow and arrows. The more I learn to pray as Your Holy Spirit directs, the more I understand Your mercy - and the more I realize why it is so dangerous to judge.

I believe that in prayer You allow me to fellowship with you - where I learn of Your ways - and even find myself understanding situations with a heart and mind that is clearly not my own human heart and mind. Every day I see Your love at work in the darkest of situations. I watch You reach out to heal wounds that have held Your kids in captivity for most of their lives. I see You look at someone who has yet to find You with love and compassion and mercy - as I sense You draw them to You – even up to the moment of their last breath of life.

I know how sin makes You cry, and I also know how much You love the sinners. I recently felt an almost overwhelming love for those young men and women caught up in the culture of false teachings and false messages of self worth. I sensed Your desire to turn their "counterfeit" passion for God into the truth of true deliverance and freedom - so their passion can be used for Your true justice, righteousness and mercy.

I look at my own sinful nature and at times wonder just how is it You can love someone like me. Then I see the "face of Jesus", and I lay down all of my human induced guilt crying out in gratitude to a God who loves me so much that He sent me a Savior - knowing that on my own I would only self destruct.

Thank You, Jesus, for prayer - and for the purposes of the Holy Spirit within me. This new creation woman needs You - just as I need oxygen to breathe. My ability to serve You is dependent on my prayer life, for without this fellowship between my God and my own human nature, I would have never reached this level on my mountain journey. It is all about Your greatness – seeing and cooperating with You as You work among us. It is all about becoming Christ like and living under the full control of the Holy Spirit. I grab on to Romans 8:16–17, and cling on for dear life knowing that the times are near where You will soon demonstrate Your authority and power to us as well. I know You died to bring peace, comfort and joy to this earth, and I fall to my knees in gratitude.

Help anyone praying this prayer to draw near to You while You can still be found. Help them to receive Your cry so You can use them to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. To You be all the honor and glory!

Reflect: I am acutely aware in these day of the importance of allowing Jesus to draw me closer and closer to Himself. When I drift from the center of His Presence, I find myself unable to see with His eyes – hear with His ears and love with His heart. Prayer, for me, is a tool of choice God chose to keep the areas of communication open between Him and me. It is the same for you. If you are struggling in your prayer life, it is probably because you have not learned to sit and wait on the Lord. We live in a culture of doing – which Satan often uses to keep us effectively sidelined. The path to real effectiveness in life and ministry is the one designed for You by God – and when you fail to consult with Him, You miss out on the best He has to offer. With the Holy Spirit living within you, it is possible to do what Jesus did, "…I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me. And…I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." -John 8:28–29. Remember - your prayers can bridge the gap between heaven and earth, and your effectiveness will be marked with the Holy Spirit’s power. Without prayer as a tool in your warfare arsenal, you are in danger of being wounded and effectively sidelined. Christ will one day return to rule over this world, and we need to keep our lamps full. Pray now asking the Holy Spirit to release you from whatever is preventing you from living in daily communion with God through prayer. Prayer is simple and effective – it is talking things over with the Creator and listening to the nudging of the Holy Spirit within you.

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Jul 5, '07

by Carolyn Baker

For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.-Hebrews 10:37-39




Prayer: Lord, this morning I sense I need to do a reality check - a kingdom reality check. I realize how easily the enemy can blur the lines between Your kingdom realities and my own earthly needs and desires. I think somewhere along the road, I bought into the idea that it was supposed to get easier as I matured in my faith - but the reality is it is getting harder - more challenging!


You seem to be teaching me about overcoming and persevering - and I seem to be responding with "but I am so tired, and I am getting so much older." I admit this is not a pretty picture of a mature Christian, but it is real to my experience, and like every other part of my journey, I know I need to follow You where You go - picking up Your Cross and trusting Your processes.


There is not a single day over the past several years that I have not been challenged by You in some way. Every time I cry for relief, Your response is to keep on, keeping on - to trust You and follow after You. The irony of my life these days is the recognition that You have placed me in a body of believers who are also being challenged to the deepest core of their faith. I didn't put myself here - You did! I didn't ask to be here!

Every time I have asked You if it was time for me to move on, You have not let me leave - even though I have sometimes cried out to be let go! This has been a humbling experience for me - as You have used it to help me recognize the times in which I live. I also am not afraid any longer - as I see You mounting Your horse as our Lord of Hosts - as You begin to lay the foundation for the city of God You are building for all to see. This has challenged me to step out of my own understanding - into the valley of trust and breakthrough - as we begin to emerge into the reformation we have all been waiting for.


My journey has taken me far! Your kingdom realities are becoming far more "real" to me in these days - as You allow me to see what You are doing and what You are building - a kingdom that lasts. So Lord - here is my dilemma! You are teaching me to see with both my natural eyes and my spiritual eyes. You are helping me to understand Your Holy Spirit's voice when I hear it. I am learning to not question, and simply obey - and I have been rewarded over and over again with the sweetness of Your Presence.

So why is it, Lord, that I feel far more comfortable with You now in Your "spiritual" realities than I do in the "natural" world? I know it is somehow all about Your timing and about my learning to cooperate with You - so I can be discerning and wise. It is such an odd place to be - and it is so very challenging. I hold on to the book of Hebrews every day - following this example - living only for an audience of One!


Fear is alive and well in this world, and it is causing even many really strong Christians to stop moving. It is paralyzing the Body of Christ - everywhere around the world - and it still rises to challenge me frequently. I would like to just cry out for You to come back, Lord, but then I recognize that there are far too many who have yet to find You, and I cannot bear the thought of anyone being separated from You for eternity.


Even as I write these words, I know I need to keep moving ahead. I know You are helping me to see the breakthroughs that are all around me so I can pray in agreement - and help cover all with the spiritual warfare weapons You have given us. So I pick myself up this morning, recognizing that Your ways are not my ways - and that I will never completely understand Your methods - not on this earth. It's all about You, Jesus! It's all about us living in You! It's all about Your will being done on this earth as it is being done in heaven! It is not about my wisdom and understanding, but it is about discerning "Your still small voice" and living in agreement with Your Word and Your purposes.


We are called to be Your hands and feet, Your eyes and ears - an intermediary between You and this earth - so forgive me for allowing my ears to overtake me! Set me firmly on Your path where even someone as weak and tender as I am can be used to do great things for You! I am moving now, Lord! Thanks for pushing me!


Reflect: As you can tell from this prayer, I was not in a real "solid" place when I started. As prayed I knew God was leading me somewhere - I just didn't know where. My point to you is I at least began to pray - which is the first step toward overcoming. This world is often very confusing and I suspect our challenges are going to become even greater. But if we can learn to be authentic and real before Him and then be sensitive to where his Holy Spirit is taking us - we will overcome and we will be used as a catalyst to bring about reformation and genuine transformation. It is important that You know where you are in your spiritual development - as that is your beginning place. So, be real with God, and then ask the Holy Spirit to fill You with His wisdom and trust Him to get you back on His path and to be the "wind under your wings" so you can soar to the heights - where you will find clarity of vision! To Him be the glory!

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Jul 4, '07

by Carolyn Baker

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after such things, and your father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.-Luke 12:29-32




Prayer: This morning I am sensing a strong wind blowing around me. The very air I breathe is different - as the toxins and poisons that permeated the air are being diluted - and a fresh, new wind of Your Holy Spirit is blowing away the debris that has been holding me back. As I breathe in this highly charged atmosphere of Your Presence, I fall to my knees as many other believers have done over the years - as they recognize Your Presence - and surrender themselves to You and Your purposes.


To live every day in fellowship with You has caused me to live with an open heart and open arms. You have refused to admit me into the land of my comfort zones any longer, and You have pushed and prodded me to cross the "Jordan". You are still working in me as I journey - reminding me of my tendency to revisit old comforts that are no longer useful - or good for me. You are showing me not to worry about things, as I am Yours and You are my Shepherd and my Provider.

I am confident that I can accomplish what You have already prepared! I know You will give it to me! You have been faithful at this for over 25 years now. The reality of Your Kingdom is a day to day experience - leading me to the destination of Your choice - which I candidly admit, I often have no clue about. Continue, I pray, to teach me the ways of Your Holy Spirit. I am very weak in my flesh - which has brought me to this place of utter dependence on You.

Only Your Holy Spirit can assure me of Your will being done in my life, and only Your Holy Spirit can help me navigate the minute by minute comings and goings of this life I am now living. I know it is Your Holy Spirit's job to make me more like Jesus. I also know You have brought me where I am today and will take me where You want me to go tomorrow. I have gratefully laid down my earthly security blankets in lieu of living under Your full control. I do not regret one moment - even though it has meant meeting huge challenges.


This morning, my King, I pray for anyone who is struggling with their place in Your Kingdom! I suspect this includes a vast majority of us (myself included). Help us to navigate the muddy waters - and to step out in faith like Peter did when he walked on water at Your command. Many of us are facing critical decisions in our lives - and I hear You remind me that this is where you work in us the strongest - so we can see You more clearly - as you take us to the next level of our faith journey.


You don't need us to do anything for You! But You do need us to walk in faith. We must trust You through the ups and downs and begin living, not in this earthly realm, but in the hope of the spiritual kingdom - where as believers - we can live right here, right now! We may have health issues, job issues, ministry issues, financial and family worries all the days of our earthly lives, but we do not have to give in to worry or fear or anxiety.


The mark of our faith often looks like the willingness of a hungry child - who is willing to give his last drop of food to someone else - as he trusts in You to provide for his own needs. The mark of our faith is also a prayer-filled soul that recognizes where and when he can drink from the well of Your living waters - and sees the path ahead (often only one step at a time) - but still chooses to talk it over with You - every step of the journey.

Help us all to grow in our faith so we can grab on to the life of significance You have already prepared for us! Help us to keep moving ahead - to persevere and overcome - so all who pray this prayer will cross the finish line well. To You be all the honor and glory!


Reflect: Every new day is ripe with potential when you live your life for an audience of One. Every new day can produce fruit that goes deep into the soil - as you live your life under the control of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God - the presence of God - is everywhere all around you. I acknowledge God often takes us on journeys we do not fully understand, but I have come to realize that for me, He has done this to get me to trust Him - and also to start thinking with my spiritual mind - as well as my human mind. This has been a huge stretch of faith for me, and the path has been bumpy. But with every passing day He is showing me His heart, His suffering - and I realize more than ever - that the world I live in is dying - and desperately needs His grace, love and mercy. That is my job description - to represent Him to this world, so that "none shall perish". This is the reason I truly live - not my own comfort. Ask Him now to help you see with His kingdom eyes, and tell Him You are willing to trust Him, and go where He directs, and do what He tells you to do! Remember You do this for His glory - not your own. Keep checking your own motivations as they can be deceptive.

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Jul 2, '07

by Carolyn Baker

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above him were His seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ''Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.'' At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.-Isaiah 6:1-4




Prayer: My King - there is a very sweet aroma of Your Presence in this room with me this morning. You appear to be drawing me closer - while at the same time showing me Your holiness - and reminding me that You are holy and are to be treated that way. It is a sweet reminder - as there is no fear, no doubt in me. It is simply a loving God seeking to remind His kids of His glory, His righteousness and His holiness. It makes me tremble as I also realize this is a pre-requisite to any further advance movement - both in my own life and in the life of Your Body.

Your desire to give us hope, love and joy is strong with me this morning - and so is the warning against pride, ego and selfish ambition - which will certainly derail Your people from accomplishing Your purposes in their lives. I somehow sense this is a reminder for those God chooses to use. As the battle grows stronger, so too does the presence of the Lord of hosts! He waits for us to put on our "full" armor, knowing we will need this heavenly protection to move ahead. I hear Your warning about preparation for war - and I fall to my knees realizing that You fully intend to use us to take back what has been stolen.


You also appear to be cleansing and restoring in these days. You allow us to make mistakes - as this often causes us to finally lay down our ego and pride which had us convinced we were wise enough, strong enough to do it our way - without even consulting the great Architect himself. You are certainly not in a hurry - as You view everything from the perspective of eternity, but man on the other hand is almost always "rushing to accomplish" as if it all depended on them.

How grateful I am for Your grace and mercy which tolerates our foolishness, allowing us to get hungry and thirsty to the point of revival. We are living in challenging days, which is why it is so important to see You as You are - holy, pure, righteous - and the God who judges - a God who cleanses and restores - and a God who alone is worthy of praise.


My prayer today is a prayer of thanksgiving. I am profoundly grateful for all the trials - all the challenges I have faced - especially over the last 15 years of my life. It is because of these trials that I can see a little more clearly the strategies for evil that are prevalent all around me. You have granted me a wisdom that I know only comes from living in the valley of surrender and learning to navigate its pathways where fears and rejections often threaten to overtake me. You always showed up at exactly the right moment and began teaching me the skills I would need to strike the enemy in his mid-section and derail him.


Over and over You have reminded me that I must keep climbing up the mountain as there is greater clarity of vision the higher you climb. You gave me brothers and sisters to journey with on each level of my climb. You always kept challenging me to keep going even though it was getting harder to do it. Your path is narrow, and it is only because Your light was my flashlight that I was able to keep moving. Your love and the hope for victory kept me going and gave me just enough confidence to stand and fight when the time for battle began.


There is a fire being set in these days that only the Holy Spirit can spark and ignite. There is a wind blowing in the land that will soon set ablaze a new movement of God. I see Your holiness, my King. I sense Your magnificence everywhere all around me - and Your Holy Spirit is brooding over Your people igniting His holy fire - which will soon burn and never again be extinguished. To see You as You are, is the goal of my life. To have Your faith, Your wisdom, Your humility, Your love is the great "obsession" of my life.


I pray we will all choose to live for an audience of one. I pray we will not seek after honor or praise, fortune or fame, as the world does but seek to serve only One Master. Give us individually what we will need to stay the course and finish well - and use us to change lives and transform our world as You mount Your horse for the great battle of the ages. It is all about You and You are a Holy God and the only One worthy of praise. To You be the honor and glory!


Reflect: One of the challenges we will all face is the ability to meet the challenges, trials and even tribulations that are sure to come into each one of our lives. God never said it would be easy, but He did promise to help us see Him as He is - which will give us all the courage we will need. One of my largest mistakes over the last 20 years of my life was in my failure to be really grateful for the trials and struggles I have faced. God never left my side - He never gave me more than I could handle, and I still couldn't always see His purpose and often fell into my own great pity parties. I continue to write my devotionals for that very reason - so that someone can be spared from wasting their trials. As I look ahead, I know there is a steep trail ahead of me to climb, but I am not afraid. I have learned my lessons well, and I pray you will meet our Holy God on His Mountain and allow Him to plow the trail ahead of you. His Word and His Holy Spirit is your sustenance and the greatest privilege of all is knowing He is allowing you to see and understand Him as you journey together. He will remove your fears, doubts, confusions, and anxieties - and replace them with the fruit of His Spirit - which will accompany you on your journey and into eternity. Please remember to journal your path.

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Jun 28, '07

by Carolyn Baker

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees.-Psalm 119:1-8




Prayer: O how much I love You, my King. You are continuing to whisper in my ears to "be not afraid". What an awesome privilege it is to be called Your child and to know that You walk every step of my journey with me. I am finding such a sweet place these days in the intimate moments of devotion I have with You. I find myself asking over and over again for a fresh, new visit from You - and a fresh anointing to fall on this world. In the depth of my spirit I am confident You are responding - and I do not have the words to express my thanks.


You are Sovereign, You are good, and You are in control of my life. There is such comfort for me in this truth. I rest on the truth that You are who You say You are - and You do what You say You do! You are the same today as You were yesterday and will be tomorrow! I enter this time with You in fear and trembling - which is an awesome place to be. I recognized Your Presence in this place as You called me from my sleep and brought me in to this quiet haven we often share. My only prayer at the moment is that Your will will be done - right here, right now - just as it is being done in heaven!


I humble myself in Your Presence today - desiring to bring You honor and glory! I know You are seeking authentic faith - authentic humility - authentic servant hood - so that we can reflect Your nature with a willing and obedient spirit. Submission to Your sovereignty is critical to us in these days - as I know that is when You can use us. I sense Your sadness at the fact that far too many seek to serve You but resist Your sovereignty. I also sense that Your Body is beginning to understand this as we are going to need this wisdom to stay strong to the end and finish well!


My King - I recognize how foolish my human nature can often be as I battle with my inner spirit - and I ask You for forgiveness. This is not how I want to be! I so want to be used by You - to reflect you heart and Your mind and Your will. I do not want to drift from the center of Your divine will - and I must acknowledge there is a battle that rages within me on far too many days. This tug and pull must stop - and I desperately need Your help! Forgive me, forgive us all, for our selfish attitudes.

Your Holy Spirit is brooding over the land in these days seeking who He will use, so I humbly ask that You would use each one praying this prayer. I pray we will respond to your call - and that You will use us as You sound the "trumpet alarm". I thank You for the many opportunities You make available for us to serve You - according to Your will.


Reveal Your design to us, my King. Unify this diverse Body of Christ - and make us living, breathing organs of that Body - tuned in to Your wavelength, strengthened and emboldened by Your Holy Spirit. I hear Your cry of anguish at the pain and suffering inflicted by Your Body - and I ask for Your help to surrender anything that might be harmful in my own ministry - and in the Body of Christ in general. Protect us all from the dangers of false motives and impure attitudes. Grant us instead your heart and Your mind - so we can all work together to push back ego, selfishness and pride - which still exists in Your Body.


Teach us all to trust in You, my King - for I know You can accomplish in one day what it would take us hundred of years to accomplish on our own. Equip us to seek Your kingdom needs as our own so You can use us. Your agenda is the only "action list" we need - help us to move with the beat of your heart. You are Holy! You are the Great I Am! You will have Your way with us! In all of this I know we are not to fear - as You are with us and will be - to the end of the age and beyond!


Reflect: Even the most mature Christian must admit that the motivations and "secret" places of our human hearts are full of twists and turns. How we long to be faithful to God's Word and to serve Him with all of our heart - yet the truth is we often falter and we often slip into a ditch on the side of the road. It is a wonder to me that God is as patient as He is with me - with us! Yet, He works in us each day to help us see the truth of our ways so we can be set free and live lives of exponential blessings. There is a depth to our walk with God that is extremely personal - and as we navigate the often muddied waters, He faithfully makes the journey with us. One of the strongest messages I was receiving as I was praying this prayer, was to not be afraid. A pure and holy fear of the Lord is the antidote to confusion, false motivations, impure thoughts, etc. Take a few moments to examine yourself, and ask the Lord to show you any impure or false motivations that might have you effectively sidelined.

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Jun 27, '07

by Carolyn Baker

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.-Matthew 16:19




Prayer: My King, standing in awe of You is becoming my "job description". With the dawn of every new day, I am sent to my knees as I recognize the magnificence of what is being accomplished in Your name all over the world. I am particularly humbled at the realization of the importance of prayer to the success or failure of everything we undertake in Your name.


It all starts with prayer! Without this simple act of obedience, all of our efforts are in danger. Until we lift our voice to You in prayer all of our "works" will be just that - and nothing else. Over and over again I have watched You wait patiently for Your church to recognize the call You have given her - to humble ourselves and pray. I want only to obey this so I can move ahead - under the empowerment of Your Holy Spirit. You have given me the keys to the kingdom of heaven and I take this very seriously.


Of late, my King, You have been showing me - by Your grace and mercy - how much territory we have allowed to be taken in the name of evil. You have also shown me that through prayer and then through obedience to the will of God - we can take back territory for You - as we exercise our right of ownership as Your Body. Understanding the authority we have in Christ Jesus has been a testing ground for me. I recognize today that You were using prayer as a tool of Your choice to teach me about trust - and to give me the strength You knew I would need to stand my ground - and claim the victory You had already won on the Cross.


I pray for anyone praying this prayer, that You would touch their hearts, minds, and spirits with your Holy Spirit so they can give themselves completely to becoming like You. I pray Your Holy Word will beat deep within them so they can be used to turn back the tide of darkness that is gaining ground and claim that ground back for You. Help them to recognize it is all about glorifying our God through the fruit of our labors - which always begins with prayer.


I also pray again this morning - as I do almost every day now - that "Your will will be done on this earth as it is being done in heaven" -Matthew 6:10. I am confident when I pray this prayer that it will be answered. The message of Your coming to the earth is finally being preached and taught all over the earth. As a Body we are beginning to unwrap this wonderful promise and fight through prayer to claim it. "Your will being done in the earth" - what an amazing promise!


Take the prayers of Your people, my King, and begin the process of restoration and reconciliation that is so desperately needed - if we are to claim back the earth for You. I know from personal experience that You are preparing Your people to refocus on the Great Commission! As You do that Your Holy Spirit is brooding over the land - choosing who He will use to lead the charge that will result in "Your will being done on the earth as it is done in heaven."


I also pray for anyone praying this prayer that they will return to You - their first love. Help us all to understand what You are doing in the world around us - so we can join with You to become a part of this great movement of God. I pray that Your church will humble themselves and pray - so we will become a House of Prayer for all the nations. You are in the business of preparing us for battle! Along with this comes a freedom from fear - and a deeper understanding of what needs to happen for Your Body to be ready to follow Your call and move when You move. I know prayer plays a big part in this, so I receive Your call to "humble myself and pray" - and I ask You to convict others praying this prayer to do the same thing.


Help us then to find our rightful place in Your Body - as it is clear to me that this is a cry of Your heart right now for all those for whom I pray. Over and over You have reminded me that Your bright light will be reflected on the earth through Your body in such a way that Satan and his hordes of evil will be forced to flee and give up the territory they have claimed for far too long. You also remind me daily of the importance of being connected to a body of believers, so I ask You humbly to put us all in the right "church of Your choice" - so we can be empowered by Your Holy Spirit to demonstrate the power of the kingdom of heaven being revealed on the earth.


I hold on to the belief that You listen to our prayers - and that through these cries of our hearts - You will give us all we need to stand in complete victory - for our families, churches, cities and nations - and then for the other nations of the world. You are speaking loudly to Your people right now, Jesus. Help us to hear, understand, listen and obey so that everything we build - will be built on the kingdom of heaven and not the kingdom of this earth. To You be all the honor and glory.


Reflect: I am filled with hope for what God is about to do in your life and in mine. If you will humble yourself and pray - if you will listen and obey - God promises to set your feet on solid ground which cannot be shaken. Make the choice to build your life on the kingdom of heaven. It's a daily process of prayer, surrender and obedience - but it does not need to be a long process. Join the army of believers getting in their rightful places. If you are not a member of a church, make that your priority. If you are a member of a fellowship of believers - get off the sidelines and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you fit. Remember that Jesus is the answer to anything that is confusing or troubling you. He is making that clear in the world today, so in prayer and repentance, join the battle to be a part of seeing that everything that is meant for evil can be turned into victory for the kingdom of God. It starts with prayer - so bow your head now and make a beginning!

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Jun 26, '07

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

by Carolyn Baker

Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.-Psalm 112:1-4

Prayer: My King, I bow in grateful humility this morning! I know You have ignited a flame inside of me that has caused me to become more dependent on You then I ever thought possible. You have listened to my heart's cry for intimacy - and You have responded. I have no human words to express my gratitude. To say that I need You sounds so simple, yet day after day, You have drawn me close to Yourself - always challenging me to keep on, keeping on - showing me how to trust Your power more than I trust my own abilities and strengths. You have shown me how to keep pushing the envelope of prayer - to keep trusting that You desire for Your will to be done on this earth - far more than I do.

This dependency I have on You today is very hard to describe. It has come from many years of wilderness wanderings, trying to do it my way. The "fear of the Lord" has taught me true dependence - which as Your Word teaches has shown me this path on which I now walk! This truly is the "beginning of all wisdom". I have no earthly clue how I have gotten here, but over and over again, You have shown me and proven to me that You are the only One I can truly depend on.


I am no longer running and hiding from You - but I am running as fast as I humanly can from anything that You are not in. I am so - so grateful, Jesus, for the intimacy You allow me to have with You. Sure, it comes with a price tag - but nothing this world has to offer compares with the knowledge that Your Holy Spirit walks every hour of every day with me - growing, teaching, correcting and revealing Your plans and Your purposes and Your will.

I bow my knee in grateful recognition of the times You have provided for me - the times You have used me. I am in awe of Your greatness as I clearly see Your goodness. I am also walking down memory lane a little bit today - remembering the situations in my life when my need was so great - and I found myself completely unable to do anything to rectify these problems.

You taught me in those seasons that I was powerless to do anything about it - but You were not. You used them to draw me to Yourself - creating a deeper dependence with each passing season. I am learning - sometimes the hard way I admit - to rely not on myself and my own very limited understanding, but instead to grab on to the hem of Your robe and run towards You. Situations that used to terrify me no longer have a stranglehold on my life. I have witnessed Your goodness - Your provisions - so many times! Even someone as hard headed as I can be, cannot deny Your ability to carry me through the strongest storms. I always emerge far better off than I was when I began - bruised and battered a little - but stronger, more dependent - and truth be told, completely blown away by the intimacy You grant me.


Thank You, Jesus, for Your Holy Spirit - who often inserts His thoughts into my mind. To hear Your "still small voice" is the food I need to keep on, keeping on! Thank You also, Jesus, for leaving me Your Word which constantly amazes me - especially when Your Holy Spirit leads me to a revelation that makes me stop and fall to my knees in wonder - as You provide an insight I had desperately needed.


I will be forever grateful for the strength I have today. You have taught me to rely on You - to heed Your warnings - to move out in faith when You call. You are showing me how to step past my own abilities - moving closer to You - where I can follow You. I know from experience that this is where the fruit of my life takes deepest root. You are showing me how to be creative as I live a life of worship! You are slicing away at my human fears, my human need for approval, and teaching me I can rely on You! I know today I can depend on You and "all will be well with my soul". To You I give all the honor and glory!


Reflect: Intimacy with God is a pearl of great price. He is our greatest treasure, and He always leads us to a greater dependency on Himself. Over time I have come to understand that my expectations of God often have caused me to become discouraged - because I didn't understand His dealings with me. I couldn't always see where He was taking me - still can't - but as I struggled I realized I was not coming to God as I should. I am saddened when I realize how much time I wasted being discouraged when all I needed to do was turn to Jesus and wait upon God. Learning to be dependent every moment is a challenge, but it is what God is trying to teach us. The question often becomes, "Am I willing to take the risk of submission so He can show me His will and reveal His glory?" Every morning as I go into my quiet place, my joy increases, my dependence grows stronger, and my abilities to be used by God for His kingdom purposes increases. It can be the same way with you. Take a step towards dependence right now by spending time in prayer with Him.

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Jun 25, '07

by Carolyn Baker

See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.-Isaiah 60:2




Prayer: Your intensifying Presence is drawing me closer each day to a passion for You I never knew was possible. The closer You allow me to come, the hungrier I get - and the hungrier I get, the more I recognize my need for You. I hear You loudly this morning reminding me that You call me every day - as I study Your Word - to come and sit with You.


I am grateful, Lord, that during a recent season of refinement You allowed me to experience "fear" at a whole new level. You allowed me to feel defeated and very, very tired. But it was in this season that You also clearly told me to dry myself off, get up, and get back in the battle. This took a lot more than faith - it took an obedience that came because of a not so gentle reminder that I was to rid myself of discouragement and oppression - and listen to Your "still small voice".


Once again this morning I sense Your Presence in this place as You descend into my spirit - challenge me to listen, receive You, and obey! Why You would choose human beings to reveal Your glory is beyond me, but I know You do it. Your Holy Spirit speaks into my human spirit every day challenging me to humble myself and repent of the sin patterns that continue to eat away at me. Instead, I hear You