A Prayer Warrior Week

Whew! This week has been an on-the-knees, pray the word aloud week! 
Bill and I went to the 4 way stop in the center of town Thursday evening to pray for our community. This is the third month and three of us showed up. Bill and I wore our eye-catching Christian Motorcyclists Association colors so that passing folk would know we were there for Jesus. Bill, Sundi Jo and I received a lot of looks from people as we prepared to pray on the east corner of the 4 way for our community and the surrounding communities. It is my hope that someone will ask one of us," I saw you at the 4 way stop. What were you doing?" When this happens we can have a conversation about prayer and Jesus. Yep, this is evangelism outreach and/or discipleship my friends.
This is also spiritual warfare. 
What do you believe about spiritual warfare? I believe we live in Satan's world and that we are in a battle to bring people to Jesus Christ. This is the great commission: to go and tell people about Jesus Christ in the world around us. When we follow this way of life, we will run into the enemy, the ruler of this world whom even Jesus had to face and defeat. Our enemy's mission is to keep people from coming to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He wants to keep you in the dark, literally and figuratively. To this end, he places obstacles in the paths of believers to try and separate us from our Jesus by keeping us busy, swamped with drama, and overrun with temptations. Satan also places obstacles in the paths of unbelievers who are beginning to see the light of Jesus and begin walking toward him. 
Grabbing my Shield and Sword
 I have been grabbing my shield of faith and Sword of the Spirit all week to extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy who is trying to discourage a sister in ministry, trying to keep a lamb of God from completely breaking free of Satan's chains, and to stop the umbrella of prayer from being lifted within the center of our community. 
Yes, I have been engaged in spiritual warfare all week AND I believe my prayers are answered. Did you catch that? My prayers ARE answered - maybe not today, tomorrow, or a month from now, but they will be answered in God's timeframe. This is faith in action. This is submitting to God. This is knowing who I am; I am a child of God and he is always good. 
Yes, I know that I sound like a crazy person to many of you.
I don't care. I know who I am through Jesus Christ and I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. Yes, I am a spirit-led, redeemed follower of Jesus Christ and I know who I am through Jesus Christ. 

• I am a coheir of the kingdom
• I have the mind of Christ
• I have a wise counselor
• I can send Satan fleeing
• I am a prayer warrior in the kingdom of God
• I am a fervently dedicated servant of Jesus Christ

Do you know who you are in the kingdom of God? 
The New Testament tells us who we are through Jesus Christ. The Old Testament tells us the history of God's people and why he sent Jesus as the Messiah. If you don't know Jesus or who you are as a Christian, read the New Testament to discover the truth of letting Jesus into your life. 

• 1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

• Hebrews 12:2

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• John 14:16-17

16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

• Ephesians 6:11-12

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

• Ephesians 6:16-18

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

• 1 John 4:4

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

• Galatians 4:7

So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

• James 4:7

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

My Word for 2018 is Jesus, or a Christian New Year's Resolution

Hello all,
You may have noticed that I haven't posted a lot from Dec.4 to Dec. 31. I spent the holiday season focusing on family, friends, and holiday events. However, today is the beginning of a new year and it is time to begin writing again.
I read a post on "Out of the Ashes", a FB public group, that was asking the members to post one word for 2018 as they received their word through prayer. 

My word was immediately given to me - Jesus.  Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Redeemer, Jesus the Teacher, Jesus the Servant, Jesus the Fisher of Men, Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the Lord of my Life.
Jesus is in the beginning, middle, and end of my day.
That doesn't mean I don't fall short of his example though. I do. Daily. It is so hard to walk down the narrow path of faith and think of myself as a stranger in this life. I find myself concerned with things that have no bearing on my life as a follower of Jesus.

My actions and behaviors do not always reflect the loving light of Jesus Christ. So what do I do?

1. Ask for Jesus to help me and strengthen my ability to reflect his love and lifestyle as a servant of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit every day. 
2. Stop beating myself up mentally when I fall short and do my best to not repeat the error. Let the error teach me and not condemn me. Condemnation is Satan trying to widen the gap between myself and Jesus. I am not letting him succeed. 
3. Focus on what I am doing right. This simple activity will increase my spiritual connection with the Lord and keep Satan from trapping me into thoughts of condemnation. 
4. Evaluate my activities regularly and not let myself get caught up in busyness that stops me from reading my bible, meditating on the bible, and being a servant. This isn't an excuse to skip out on what the Lord calls me to do, but a way to keep me from getting caught up in activities that don't serve Jesus in anyway. 
5. I need to be a servant of the Lord that is actively asking people if they know Jesus and not a busy part of an organization that isn't fulfilling the needs of orphans, widows, homeless, and hurting people. Unconditional love for the unlovable is part of being a new person filled with the Holy Spirit.
6. Read my bible regularly. All of the bible, not just part of the bible. The bible is the "Sword of the Spirit" and can teach me how to think, act, and keep my mind focused on the new woman that I am. I will grow spiritually this way and begin to find myself speaking the word in my daily life, not quoting, but speaking the word as naturally as breathing. 

Jesus is my word and my way of life for 2018. 

I will continue to be a coheir of the kingdom of God and do my best to reflect the unconditional love and light as a follower of Jesus Christ. 

The Holy Spirit is my counselor, the bible is my instructional manual, and my Jesus will strengthen me to be his servant. 

Happy New Year and may the Lord bless you and keep you through the coming year,
Sallee Bonham

A Joy Filled Woman

Power of the Tongue - Proverbs 18:21

Satan's goal is to divide the children of God. 
Speaking of division and troubles within the body of the church is only giving power to the problem. Let your tongues speak of life, not negative issues. Don't let the fruit of your tongue be destructive. The consequences of speaking negatively within the church body about each other can and will fracture the family of God. 

Let's speak of unity and faith, two issues of life.
Yes, speak of the unity within your church body. Speak of the faith within your church body. Speak words of unity and faith. Pick out the good in your brothers and sisters and speak of that good. Give power to the good. Let the fruit of your tongue be constructive, not destructive. 

The children of God are a world-wide family.
We are not separate sections of the family of God, contained within many church bodies. No, we are one, world wide body of Christ. If we focus on speaking only of unity and faith, can you imagine the effectiveness of our spiritual battle against Satan on a world-wide scale?

Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
John 17:21
That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Satan the Deceiver

The Dragon, or Satan  
Satan is a leader who prefers to use his own wisdom in achieving his goals and believes he needs no one. His rebellion against his creator shows the full extent of his self-will.

Satan is willing to say or do anything in order to have his way. 

He befriends people and uses power, money, and material things to achieve his goals. He appears to be a wise counselor who wants only the best for his friends, but in reality he is only interested in creating death, destruction, and famine. 

We are living in a spiritual battleground. 

For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. Let us not be deceived. Satan is powerful as the “god of this age” BUT disciples of Jesus Christ need not cower before him in fear, BECAUSE “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

from the short bible lesson, "Superhero Discipleship" by Sallee Bonham

Stand Firm, Stand Strong

The Sunday sermon had me saying,"Amen" softly to myself. 
Bill heard me and turned his head just enough for me to see his face and smiled at me each time I said it.  Honestly, Jesus was in the house! I could feel the Holy Spirit swell inside me and fill me with joy.

I wish I could convey that moment to you!
Listening  to one of God's called pastors giving a sermon using the Sword of the Spirit and letting the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ be in control is unmistakable. To me, the excitement of the indwelling Holy Spirit being joyful because the gospel is being preached feels like an internal bubble that expands as it is filled with the truth and joy of the Word. Leaving church, I felt light and joyful from worshipping the Lord through his holy word and singing praises to Him. 

Taking Notes
I love immersing myself in the Bible and studying what it says so I take notes during sermons. I carry 3 x 5 index cards and a couple of pens in the pocket of my bible cover so that I can take notes during sermons, or just to write a thought down. Sunday, I used the scripture insert from the bulletin that is provided for taking notes during the sermon. My notes are below. 

Sunday Sermon Notes - July 9, 2017

First, the background information about Paul when he wrote to Ephesus. 
Paul was under arrest and chained to a Roman soldier 24 hours a day when he wrote the Ephesian church. Therefore he used military terms for the spiritual battle that each of us must face alone and together as the body of Christ. 

Our pastor started out with Ephesians 5:21:
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

And then he moved on to Ephesians 6:10-14

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 

Click on the verse number to see the parallel bible versions and commentaries at biblehub.com. 

Our pastor emphasized three points from the verses in Ephesians 6:

• Stand strong in God's might.
• Stand armored against evil.
• Stand firm through everything

Standing firm within the body of Christ means to:

• Trust each other
• Join and work together
• Practice discipline and be coordinated
• Pour love out upon each other and others
• Pray

The 2016 Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally

Our 700 mile round trip was rain-free, which was an answered prayer.

We arrived at the Union County Fairgrounds, home of the Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally, at 3:00 P.M. on July 13. July 13 is the Early Bird day to arrive at the rally and if you want a shady camping spot, this is the day to get there. The day was still sunny and fairly clear when we arrived.

Storm clouds over the Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally at the Union County Fairgrounds on July 13, 2016. 

However,  a pop-up thunderstorm appeared an hour after we arrived. 
Thankfully, Bill and I had our instant tent up and most of our gear inside the tent when strong gusts of cool air announced the storm's arrival. The gusty wind and rain was fairly brief, maybe twenty minutes long. The already saturated ground formed water puddles after a minute or two of rainfall. 

Large pickup trucks pulling enormous RVs kept arriving after the rain stopped.
Bill and I watched one driver in a four-wheel drive truck spin all four truck tires in an effort to move his RV, but it didn't help. All evening we watched this same scenario play out over and over. A tractor, or a tow truck, would appear and carefully pull the stuck rigs out of  the mud so they could continue to look for a drier, less muddy, parking spot.

Wednesday - See the enormous RV pulling a motorcycle trailer on top of  the hill? A smart choice!

Being a Christian biker at an adult only bike rally can be tough. 
Bill and I wear T-shirts that have a large Christian Motorcyclists Association patch on the back and a small one on the front. This way, passersby are aware of who we are when they see us on our way to the hospitality tent, or vendor area.

We are not supporting the rally by attending, we are practicing lifestyle evangelism in the midst of a biker rally. 
Jesus called us to this ministry because of our past lives, the before Jesus lives. Both of us lived the biker-party hard lifestyle before we made our decision to live our lives for Jesus Christ and follow the teachings of the Bible. Our past lives have uniquely equipped us for motorcycle ministry to bikers. We know what it feels like to live like this.

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen                                                                                                              Hebrews 13:21 AKJV

The Hospitality Tent
The goal is to be of service and witness to rally goers while providing coffee, free water, and free Gatorade. Bill and I work at the hospitality tent, help bless bikes, pray for people, and try to show a little bit of Jesus' love to those around us.

Additionally, free travel-size toiletries,toothbrushes, bug spray, sunblock, and other helpful articles are usually available. A variety of faith-based, biker pamphlets and New Testament bibles formatted for bikers assist with the witnessing.

On one of the tables, prayer request forms and a prayer box are provided for people who don't want to talk about prayer needs, but still want prayer. The prayer request form includes spaces for contact information, too. However, most prayer requests are anonymous, but Jesus knows who filled it out.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.                                                Galatians 6:9-10 AKJV

Thursday
Thursday morning, we walked to the hospitality tent and assisted with making coffee, filling the water cooler, and making Gatorade.  We were able to witness to several people throughout the day. Bill gave away two New Testament bibles, Hope For The Highway, and helped bless motorcycles.

We also witnessed to a young man who sought us out while we were eating supper. In fact, he pulled his bike up in front of the hospitality tent, parked it, and approached us. He talked to us for almost half an hour and then he asked to have his motorcycle blessed.

After a long hot day, we went to our tent about 6:30 PM. Our usual evening routine is to talk to our camping neighbors for a short while before retiring to our tent for the night before the evening parade of motorcycles begins to move through the camping area.

Bill at the end of a long, hot day. 

The parking lot by adjacent to the vendor area.

Friday morning we worked at the re-entry gate, or the CMA gate, from 8:00 AM to noon. 
At the end of our gate shift, Bill and I rode our bikes to the vendor area. We walked through the vendors looking at all of the biker themed equipment, motorcycle clothing, and food.

During the walk through the rows of vendor booths and tents, we talked to the vendors that were not busy with customers, told them we hoped they sold everything, and witnessed as much as possible.

Happily, I spotted a small seat that we both thought would attach to the rear fender of my bike, between the solo seat and the luggage rack during our walk through!

The First Baptist Church of Sturgis and F.A.I.T.H. Riders had a small tent set up in the vendor area and they were giving away faith-based pamphlets and cold bottles of water. Bill and I talked with our brothers-in-faith and happily accepted bottles of cold water to help combat the humid heat.

Afterward, we went back to the hospitality tent and sat in the wind of the large fan that kept the air moving in the shaded area under the tent canopy until 4:00.

At our tent, we talked to the neighbors while we prepared to ride into town for supper. Unfortunately, another pop-up thunderstorm appeared and kept us tent bound until 7:00 PM. We decided to stay at the tent because it was so late. Supper was chocolate chunk granola bars that I had brought with us.

Tent bound during the Friday evening thunderstorm. Yes, the sun continued to shine during the downpour.   

Friday - The down pour stopped, but it continued to sprinkle rain intermittently all evening. 

Sometime in the early morning, blaring, emergency vehicle sirens woke me up as they drew closer.
Looking out the back tent window through the trees, I saw the flashing lights of an ambulance and police car as they passed by on  the highway. Listening, the sirens seemed to remain in the same spot and I decided they had to be at the front entrance of the rally. Sleepily, I prayed briefly for the safety of the emergency responders and whoever was injured before I went back to sleep.

Saturday, we were free until noon.
After we woke up and dressed, we rode out of the rally to take a shower at the First Baptist Church of Sturgis. The church had arranged for a disaster relief shower trailer to be on their parking lot.  Plus, the church ladies were serving coffee and breakfast in the community auditorium.

I had not realized how much the rally had been wearing on me until I sat down to eat breakfast with Bill at the church.  It was a welcome relief from the adult rally.

 At 11:00 AM,  we returned to our tent at the rally. Our neighbors were friendly and we talked with them quite a bit before we left for our gate shift. 

As we began our shift, one of our Christian Motorcyclists Association members told us that a man had died early in the morning. 
Instantly. I thought back to the sirens that had disturbed my sleep that morning. This was why the emergency vehicles had come to the rally. 

We were told that the man had lost control of his motorcycle, hit two other motorcycles, and ended up with the motorcycles on top of him. Sadness crept into my heart, but we all are responsible for the choices we make. It was too late to change what had happened. However, I could pray for the dead man's family and friends.

What a long, hot afternoon!
Several bikes came up to the re-entry gate without a rally pass. We directed them back to the highway and the main entrance. By now, we recognized many of the bikes and riders that were going into town and coming back from town. We waved them through the gate and I called, "Thank-you" to the ones that held up their left arm so we could see the rally band around their wrist.

At 4:00 PM, we left the gate and returned to camp.
We talked to the neighbors beside our tent. On our left, the neighbor was a guy who was camping by himself. Bill was able to witness to him for about 20 minutes because he was curious about why we were there. Our other neighbors on the right were a group of three couples. However, we mainly talked with one couple about bikes and life in general. Hopefully, we planted a seed or two just by being ourselves.

About 5:30, we rode our bikes through the CMA gate ourselves to eat supper at the Roadside Diner, a local diner that had good online reviews.

Upon our return at 6:30 PM
The evening parade of bikes through the camping area had started early. A half dozen spectators had set up chairs in front of our tent, but they apologized and moved so that we could park our bikes. Bill parked his RoadGlide, but I stayed on my Softail Custom waiting for him to move the motorcycle trailer and attach it to the trailer hitch on my bike. After the trailer was attached, Bill was ready to cover up his bike and I was ready to retreat to our tent for the night.

While Bill finished putting the cover on his bike, I  was in the tent praying for Jesus to let the walls of Satan's stronghold fall like the walls of Jericho.

Spiritually, this prayer was a flicker of light amid the darkness around me.
However, I knew our home church prayer warriors were adding their prayers to mine. Happily, the crowd around our tent seemed to disappear in a remarkably short amount of time. Answered prayer? I believe so.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.                                                                                                          Hebrews 11:20 NKJV

We zipped our front tent windows halfway up to help block the outside noise, before we started repacking our bags in preparation for leaving in the morning.

After talking for about an hour, we went to bed. As I lay there listening to roaring motorcycle engines and blaring country, rap, and rock music intermingled into a chaotic noise without harmony,  I prayed for the safety of everyone at the rally and repeated my prayer to let the walls of Satan's stronghold to fall like the walls of Jericho.

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3 With praying also for us, that God would open to us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.                                                                                                                                        Colossians 4:2-4 AKJV

Sunday in Kentucky
Bill and I woke at 5:30 AM to silence. We hadn't heard stillness in three days and we savored the early morning quietness.

I got up about thirty minutes later to dress and finish packing my clothing bag. As Bill started his morning routine, I unzipped the tent and emerged into a calm and cool Kentucky morning. Silently, I thanked Jesus for the cool morning. Working together, Bill and I had everything packed in about an hour.

The morning was no longer silent as other early risers finished packing and began leaving the rally.
Bill and I held hands, bowed our heads, and prayed aloud for our safe travel before we started up our bikes.  My bike and Bill's bike rumbled as we rode up the hill to the CMA gate at about 7:00 AM to begin our ride home.

The Rally Was Over 

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God's grace.                                                                                                                                             2 Corinthians 1:12 NIV

Slammed, but Encouraged

Anonymous has been struggling this week. 

Satan has slammed Anonymous with near driving accidents, cancelled health insurance, and a sick child. 

Missing work because of a sick child is frowned upon. You can't stop your child from getting sick, but bosses don't like it when you miss work. 

Yes, Satan is trying to weaken Anonymous and stop them from continuing to draw nearer to Jesus. That's how our enemy works. 

The scripture that I shared with Anonymous is Deuteronomy 31:6 AKJV

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God, he it is that does go with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you.

I know that the Sword of the Spirit will cleave through Satan's plan and give encouragement.

Hebrews 4:12 AKJV

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Plus, the Lord set up a divine appointment for Anonymous in the parking lot of the local discount store.

A stranger kindly offered to take the shopping cart to the cart corral. After thanking the stranger, Anonymous was encouraged by the stranger's following remark,"It's the Christian thing to do." 

Yes, this one small remark was a beacon of encouragement. 

A simple remark spoken at exactly the right time by a Christian was a divine appointment that served to encourage Anonymous's faith that God was right there in that parking lot. 

Join Bill and I in praying for Anonymous. Jesus knows who it is.

Sallee Shares: War Room Bible Study

War Room is a great, faith-based movie and our church had a free movie night to watch it before starting the bible study.

Leading a bible study for adults is slightly outside of my comfort zone, but I know that Jesus is equipping me with the knowledge I need to be successful in this endeavor. After all, the bible study is all about him and using the word of God daily.

 2 Timothy 2:16-17

16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Today, I am sharing some of my favorite parts from Session 1.

Session 1 has you evaluate where you are in your personal relationship with God. Are you ice cold, lukewarm, or on fire for the Lord? In the movie, Miss Clara illustrated this point by serving herself hot coffee and Elizabeth a cup of lukewarm coffee.

Revelation 3:15-16

15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 

Jesus wants an intimate and close relationship with us. 

Revelation 3:19-20

19‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 

I love the mental image I have when I read Revelation 3:20.

 Can you see Jesus standing at your door, hand lifted, knocking on your door? He is waiting for you to open the door. Throw that door open beloved one! Greet him with a big smile and exclaim," Jesus! I am so glad you came to see me. Come on in. You are just in time for dinner." 

Day Two of Session 1 - The Armor of God and Prayer

I see pictures in my mind when I read. The ability to visualize brings the bible to life for me. Yes, TV is a poor second to the mental images I see while reading bible verses like Ephesians 6:10-18:

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people

Can you see yourself clad in your armor, kneeling in prayer? 

You are a spiritual warrior. I am a spiritual warrior. We are called to pray, pray, and pray more. Join me in this spiritual battle we are fighting. We truly are members of the Lord's Army, but on a spiritual level. Join me in this battle brothers and sisters, for the world is growing darker and needs more prayer warriors. 

Love Your Church Family as Yourself

Church members are a family.
Through Jesus, we are born again into a family that has one common thread - we all accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. Additionally, brothers and sisters in faith share a love of Jesus which should extend to each other. However, siblings in faith do not always get along.

Hurt feelings, angry feelings, and snappy words are all harmful to the family of God.
Guess who is thrilled with dissension among a church family? Yes, you know the answer - Satan, the master of dissension and deception. Remember the slogan,"What Would Jesus Do?, or WWJD." That slogan is a simple way for brothers and sisters in faith to decide how to handle difficult situations with each other.

In our heart, each of us knows what Jesus would do. In fact, if we are listening, the Holy Spirit himself, our communicator between the Son and ourselves, will tell us exactly what to do. At that point, it is up to each individual to decide if he or she is willing to follow the wise counselor's guiding, or not.

Additionally, the Bible tells us over and over that we are to love one another.
Let go of grudges, revenge, and anger right now! In the end, God and Jesus will judge the right and wrong of things. Love your church family as yourself and spread some peace, love, and joy today!

1 Peter 2:17 NIV
Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor

Romans 12:10 NIV
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves

Leviticus 19:18 NIV
"'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

1 John 4:21 NIV
And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister

Call to Pray for Christians in Africa

I awoke at 3:30 A.M. CST and felt led to get up and pray for missionaries. After praying for missionaries worldwide and by continent, I felt led to pray for missionaries and Christians in Africa. Then, I started writing this post.

Our brothers and sisters are being killed and persecuted right now! Buses are being stopped and searched for Christians by armed militants. This isn't a movie, it is real and taking place right now. Christians are being beaten, jailed, and killed in Africa because of their faith. I am calling upon my brothers and sisters in faith to pray to our Lord Jesus,
Scripture Prayer
Lord Jesus, we pray to you so that the flood of great waters will not reach your faithful missionaries and followers in Africa. Let them be surrounded by songs of deliverance in the form of prayers from their brothers and sisters in faith who abide in safe lands around the world. 

Lord Jesus, I know you are faithful because God is faithful. Walk with the missionaries and faithful who have answered your call in Africa. Keep your angels close to them as they walk through the waters and pass through the rivers of persecution and opposition. Surround them when they are under fire so that they will not be scorched or burned by the forces of the Enemy. Let your people hide with you so that they may be preserved from trouble.

Jesus, reach down your hand from on high and deliver and rescue your faithful followers in Africa from the mighty waters of whatever troubles they are facing from the hands of their enemies. Protect them as they spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Isaiah 43:2

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. 3"For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; 

Psalm 32:6

6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. 

Psalm 144:7
Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners

Extinguishing the Flaming Arrow of Anger

for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
James 1:20 NASB

Anger is an area of my life that occasionally causes me issues. "Hot-tempered and high-strung" is the phrase that described the earthly Sallee Bonham for the first 33 years of my life.

Over the last twenty-three years, my desire to rid myself of anger has sent me to my knees in prayer many times. Slowly, but surely my anger has been removed by writing to find the source of the anger, by immersing myself in scripture about anger, AND by the grace of God at work in my daily life. 

Writing about my anger is a sure way to reveal the cause. Usually, I find I have a resentment and/or fear that is affecting the following:

1. My security - fear
2. My self-esteem - upset with myself/ not being "good enough"  - fear
3. A personal relationship/pride - fear

I have to be very honest with myself when I am looking at the cause of my anger. However, I want to live an anger free life. Did you see a pattern in my list? It is all about me. Yep, I have grabbed onto my life again and am not trusting GOD and Jesus to take care of EVERYTHING! (sigh) Now it is time to give my life back to Jesus because my heart's desire is to be closer and closer to Jesus.  I do not want to be an angry Christian! 
It is time to pray this prayer:

Jesus, I am yours! I am giving all of myself to you, good and bad. I am asking you to now remove from me every single imperfection of character that makes me less useful to you. Give me the strength to stay in your will, to do your will, and to be your servant. Amen!

To stop the flaming arrow of the Enemy, I pick up my sword of the spirit (my study bible) and look up anger. Reading through the list of scriptures, I turn to each chapter and read each verse in context. However, I did not feel that sense of "this is it", until I read what James had written in James 1:19-27. 

 "19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

 Righteousness and anger do not belong together. It is time for me to curl up at Jesus' feet and to look intently into the perfect law (the Bible). I am going to win this spiritual skirmish with the Enemy by relying on the Word of God and trusting Jesus to take care of everything!

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places

Ephesians 6:16

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.