prayer

Carlene Wooddell

Leaning In

Philippians 3:13-15New International Version

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

For the past year, I have not been as intentional in my prayer life as I should have been. It’s not that I don’t believe in the power of prayer, because I absolutely do and am in fact a person that was delivered through prayer to be cancer free.

As this year began, my church, as always does a series called 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer. You can choose to fast anything, in order to draw closer to God and grow spiritually. We are living expectantly this year, choosing to watch God move thru and in our lives. God can do anything for anyone.

I have decided to lean in to what God has for me. I am fasting mobile games. Little did I know that those mobile games that took up way too much time in my life, was holding me back from spending time with God. Being intentional has helped me to come back to Jesus and truly walk with Him daily. We started on January 2nd and six days in, I can already see how the 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer are changing me. It’s not about me, or my life, it’s all about Jesus.

I know from past experience, the more I lean into God and His Word, the better off life is for me. Jesus is my redeemer and my sustainer. He is my Peace. He can be yours too.

Getting up at 6:00 a.m.to join in morning devotions, sounded crazy, but it is wonderful! The short devotions and scripture shared with all of us daily through our online platform starts my day off just right. As I sit and follow along in the Bible or listen to it read to me, along with commentary, reminds me nothing is hopeless in this life. The scripture reminds me that God has always been for us; He will look for the one, and leave the 99, so no one will perish (see Matthew 18:10-14).

I want to be like Paul, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. And do this, we must live expectantly in all we do. Many times this may require us to wait, to be still, to hold unswervingly to our faith. To trust in the Father.

My new year looks promising as I press into the Lord. I spend time with Him reading my own devotions, praying and journaling. Every year, I start a journal, but never seem to keep it up. This time I am praying that when I come back to this post a year from now, my journal will be full of the wonders God has done in and thru my life and those I love.

So, I ask you, what are you leaning into this year?

Jesus can turn any mess in you life into a message. And any test in your life to a testimony! Jesus is our Hope. #HopeAlwaysHaveFaith

I encourage you to share what God is doing in your life. Let me know. I would love to pray with you!

Father in Heaven,

Today I give you all that I am. I invite you into the weak places in my life, so that you can turn them into strengths. I invite you into my heart and life, use me Lord to show others Who you are and give me eyes to see others as You see them and lead them to You. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen

Thanks for following along, much love and blessings~Carlene

Advertisement
Carlene Wooddell

Just a Glimpse

I’ve been thinking about home, my heavenly home. I’ve been thinking about what it will be like to have NO MORE PAIN.  I have even experienced ‘just a glimpse’ of what it may be like and yes, I want more.  Sadly it seems, more often than not that none of us are truly satisfied with the blessings God bestows upon us. We always want more of something.  

You see, in April of 2012,I attended a Healing Conference and was healed of Fibromyalgia.  The pain was gone, I was able to run up and down stairs, bend over, dance with joy and just relish the feeling and knowledge of NO MORE PAIN. I was so overwhelmed with the Love.  So overwhelmed that Jesus loved me that much to take all my physical pain away! I have always believed in healing and prayers and I know my Jesus, my God is a God that loves, truly~however, until I experienced it first hand, little ole me, I just can’t explain the overwhelming, joyful, radiant love I felt and still feel to this day.

You know I have studied and I have been told that when we go home to be with Jesus, in the Heavenly realms, there will be NO MORE PAIN, no more tears, just the most wonderful, glorious joy.  And I have always thought how will our hearts hold that much joy~will it be spilling out of every part of us, will we even be able to stand it. I for one, am truly looking forward to finding out.

Since the arctic cold winter has descended upon us this year, I have been having pains. I don’t really classify them as chronic pain, because I have chosen not to speak that over my life, but there is something different. I struggle with going to the doctor or not, because if I do that….does that mean I don’t believe I was healed? I know I was healed! I praise the Father for his healing touch! 

The problem with my eyes, is that when I get a glimpse of something I like, I always want more and there are times I hear God telling me that His grace is enough for anything I am facing. So maybe I had that glimpse to know that better things are coming.  Glorious times are unfolding. And I know from past experience, His grace is enough. It is sufficient.  I am His. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. What I see as a flaw, HE does not. He sees beauty. It’s so easy to go along with the world and the flesh and think of all the things that make us who we are or who we aren’t but strive to be.  

I have physical pain. Yes it hurts, but I am still walking, talking, seeing, hearing, tasting and loving. I am still breathing and learning and living. And as a very dear friend reminded me today, I am thriving.

Sometimes a glimpse is needed to push us forward, to find our focus on what is important. Getting over the physical pain, is that the most important thing in my mind now…no.  The most important thing in my mind is hearing what God wants me to hear, for me to know where I am supposed to go with the directions He gives me, to discern that they are of Him and not my own wishful thinking and I know that by having ‘just a glimpse’, the Lord was able to redirect my focus on what is truly important~Him and my relationship with Him.

I just have to say that one day, we will all be dancing and singing with joy, because there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more hurt…..can you even imagine?

As always, I leave you with this thought, God Loves You, right where you are~blessings,

Carlene