Would You Have Time for Me?

If I, the stranger, showed up at your work place, would you have time for me? If I came to where you are directing a lab and leading others in a hospital scene, would you have time for me? On Superbowl Day, if I came for prayer at your house, would you have time for me? Would you really stop your day for me, the stranger, to ask about why I was there? Or would we be embarrassed  IF someone showed up at the workplace asking for just a few minutes of time for a prayer in Jesus' name and a word?

What about our priorities? Yes, what about those priorities in the workplace, home and even in city the square? Do we consider ourselves too busy and of importance to come down from a cloud of "important me" to help a stranger who could use a timely word from God?
Do we tell others, "well, I will catch you next Sunday" or " I will catch you next Saturday evening for church"?  Are we just connecting with those "church folks"?
Is Jesus the Lord and Ruler of our hearts in our home and the workplace? What about having a simplicity of life that is one of perfect order, that is quiet filled with the Presence of God? Or do we operate in a place that promotes us, that is very loud, and  carries the promotional neon sign flashing..............."see how I am doing"! "Look at me, look at me!"
Before this day, started, did we truly seek the Lord, submitting the entire length of our day and every encounter with others into His mighty hands for safe keeping? And did it include a stranger?

Let's look at John's ( you remember John the Baptist, right) busy day..........baptizing those who confessed their sins..........calling to those that the "kingdom of God" was at hand!

Matthew 3:4-17.......4 And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  NKJV

God is order! Jesus had a need to be baptized by John the Baptist! Interesting truth, is this not?

What if God wanted to deliver to you a word in person, and we would not permit the person ( maybe a stranger ) to come to deliver it?  What if another young person comes for prayer and tell of his trouble, and we are all dressed in our pretty white uniform and looking all business, but have no time for the troubled young man and he possibly could be the next Billy Graham? 

God decides the package when He delivers a "message", a prayer, or even a "Word". We do not get to choose that delivery person.

So what if you had been "John the Baptist" and sent Jesus away............"sorry, I am busy here........."!
The religious folks in John's day surely resented him and his way of dress. They did not seem to take him at his word.

They came and asked who he was!

John 1:19-28........................19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said: "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Make straight the way of the LORD," '

as the prophet Isaiah said."

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.   NKJV

What I believe is that John was looking for the Promised One, for he speaks, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

He, John, expressed his looking for the One to come and did not mind telling those religious leaders of the day that they were vipers!
John's day was changed. He was ministering the Word for repentance. He was telling of those Who was to come and changed his day when Jesus arrived!
Now if John had to change his day, should we not be willing to do the same?


We find when reading about Paul, his day was changed. In fact his whole itinerary changed. Let's read it here below!

Acts 16:6-10...................6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.  NIV

Paul and his companions tried to cross the border to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to do so. It was then during he night Paul had the vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
Paul's itinerary brought him to Philippi and made his first convert in Europe. We know her as Lydia, " a certain woman named Lydia......who was a seller of purple. (Acts 16:14)
Then Paul and his companion were followed by a slave girl with a spirit of divination. (This is found in Acts 16)

Of course, the final city we find him in before leaving Macedonia for Athens, Greece was Berea (Acts 17:10-14). It was here that he left Silas and Timothy for a short period of time to assist in the work. (Acts 17:15 and Acts 18:5)

Paul was to become acquainted and work with Macedonians like Gaius in Acts 19:29, Aristarchus in Acts 19:29;27:2, Secundus in Acts 20:4, and Sopater in Acts 20:4.

What if when Paul had the vision, he told God, "sorry, I am super busy here!" "Catch me next month!"

In the workplace, we are very busy and do our job well, but when we give God glory ahead and give HIM praise for what He will do in that place that will bring new converts to His kingdom, we should be willing in heart to say, "yes, Lord, change my day and bring whom You will so that I might pray for them, give them a word of encouragement or just a hug"!

I always think of this scripture:Matthew 10:32-33.................32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. NKJV

Are we willing to confess Jesus before men when our "peeps" are not around? Or could we be like the Pharisees and Sadducees.......?

On our trip out East back in the Fall of  2014, we prayed and believed for much success in that trip of gathering information on the health of all my family who lives there. They certainly were important to us, and it was our desire to get there and help for the time we could! On our trip back, my prayer was one of how we might together as a family minister to someone, and the Lord certainly gave us someone to minister to in the workplace.
It was on the third day out, and we wanted a good "breakfast" place to eat, but it seemed that either the place we chose was closed or was nowhere near the area we were driving through on our way west. Finally around or close to noon, we find a restaurant. Still off the main Interstate with some twisting and curving of side road, we arrived at the final destination for "breakfast" food.
It was when we were seated and this young, tall man came out to serve us and he certainly was the "one" God wanted us to minister to on that day! He surely needed an encouraging Word according to what the Lord was showing us and we were certainly excited to deliver it! This young man had such a "spirit of excellence" on him to do a wonderful job! Before we left that place, all of us hugged and looked forward to eternity with Jesus. The young man, as well as us, were invigorated with the breath of life that comes from God and Him alone.  Yes, that place was busy, but we were not intimidated to minister God's life and love to this young man in front of others who were there just to eat.

Yes, we had opportunity to stop many places to eat before arriving back at home, and we saw some people who did not dress for opportunity and offer to go beyond in any manner of their serving patrons at a few restaurants. A couple places, we felt like we should have gotten the food ourselves.

Do we really have time for others?  Do we look out to minister to those "WE DO NOT KNOW" OR ARE WE JUST LOOKING FOR OUR FELLOW PEEPS? You know what I mean, those, who will stroke the kitty cat fur and puff us up TO BUILD OUR EGO, or can we really step out and minister without any stroking and remembrance other on the part of the stranger when they remember we prayed for them in PUBLIC! Like John the Baptist, will we look for those to minister to while they are on our pathway?
What if we need to change up our day, or change up a trip to accommodate what God wants to do for someone He loves?
We are going through once in this life and there are no dress rehearsals. What will people remember about our attitude and character towards others? Will we only embrace those nearest to us and look like us or will we go "to Macedonia" when God calls?



Father, we pray today in Jesus' name that when YOU call, we want to answer with an emphatic "yes". Help us to see where changes can come in our daily life of living and to reach the "stranger" You love with all Your heart.
Like John the Baptist and Paul, You interrupted their lives and brought such change and glory to Your name, we pray for that same kind of move in our lives. May we move from the mundane to the adventurous, from the spectator to the participator in Your plan for the strangers that come across our paths.
 Father, I know we all have questions about our needs, desires and wants. and even what our future looks like, but in reality may we know that we exist to glorify You.  That when days come and we feel beaten down, even by some kind of adverse circumstance, HELP us to know YOU are with us and that YOU desire us to participate with You in meeting with the stranger. Today, we choose not to seek our "peeps" to give us that old familiar pat on the back and shove us forward, to get us up and get us going, but we seek the Supernatural in You. I pray that we would never be confined to the material world but know YOU are our source and In YOU we are not limited!

We are of the Light and dressed in the righteousness of God. We are those with a home that has seated us at the right hand of the Father of glory. We carry His name and are empowered from on high. It is today that we expect our lives to change to minister to the "stranger" and may we never be the same in Jesus' name. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV 

Never Alone

When the seasons change, and the darkness creeps in earlier in the Fall and Winter, of course, all the lights are on in our house. Inside and outside there are lights to light up the darkest of rainy, cold days and nights.  Even the wind seems to take on that howling type of sound you mainly hear only in the late winter.

But in years earlier, I experienced the darkest of the dark and the coldest of many days. For a period of time our marriage seemed more like a one-sided affair so to speak. Sometimes people have to make decisions to work more hours to have something set aside for retirement. But I sensed there was more to my husband's behavior than just some financial situations that had to be adjusted.

We can sense when someone is upset or even mad, right? But it seemed deeper and more dramatic and the hours together were harder than when he had to be away from me.
In this period of time, my husband had lost first his step-father and then his mother. Even though their deaths were three years apart, he seemed deeper in darkness than what I had thought he should be experiencing.
With the death of his parents, old things cropped up from his childhood that were anything but good. He had faced many beatings by a strap or belt. As the man no longer lived, my husband faced those times alone, he thought.
While he was working through many challenging things he had experienced of his childhood, I faced something I had not expected. In the course of only a few months, my body became very fatigued and needed more than the nine hours sleep I usually got. I would force myself out of bed and into work clothes, only to return several hours later and resort to the bed for the needed rest.
Finally making the appointment, the G.P. could not help and sent me to a specialist, who then sent me to another specialist. After three months, they found the mass growing on my ovary. Surgery would be needed to remove it and have a hysterectomy, but I sensed that God was close by my side.

Yes, it was the end of August and darkness seemed to creep in earlier, even though it was summer time by the calendar, it seemed more like the middle of winter time. The day finally came in September and that ugly thing was removed and I was whole 100 percent.
What helped me, when my husband was away so much of the time? I had no other family within a four hour drive from where I lived. I seemed invariably alone with no outlet.......But............

I had God! I had Jesus the Healer! I had the Holy Spirit who was my Comfort through those long, and darkest of days. I chose to hear God speak. I would speak His word daily, so I could hear it and the neighbors as well. I would put healing CD's and teaching tapes on healing. I kept the Word of God flowing. I added praise and worship music and pray in the spirit. (your prayer language in Tongues)

He was all I needed to make it through a dark place in my life!

No, we are never alone! We must know that He is there and cares so much for us.

Visit those passages of scripture should you need some lifting today..........whatever I experienced I gave thanks, no not for the ugly mass but for the goodness and love of God and to know He watched over me. It is not easy to do some days, but if you keep it up, you will come out of that "deep hole" and know that God has a way for you.

Remind yourself of these things:
Lamentations 3:22-23....the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Psalm 107:20...he sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions

Isaiah 43:2....when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and though the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Psalm 34:15...........the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

Psalm 34:18...The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

God has a plan for you and He is not through with you yet!
You are saved by His grace...Ephesians 2:5
You are a new creation....Ephesians 2:15
You are a partaker of His promises in Christ...2 Peter 1:4
You are strengthened with might by His Spirit.......Ephesians 3:16
You allow Christ to dwell in your heart by faith...Ephesians 3:17
You are more than a conqueror...Romans 8:37
You are the healed....1 Peter 2:24
You are free....John 8:36
You are victorious....1 John 5:4

When I prayed for me, I continued to pray for my husband and others as well. It was not just about me and what I was experiencing. I chose to let the Light of God shine on the situation and came out of the darkness and the cold. I experienced the love of God!

Sometimes, we may think we are the "only ones" who go through things, but we are not. Those who stand the closest to us all face something either daily or monthly. What we choose should be life in God and His ways!

It took almost 10 years for my husband to come through that pain and anguish, but he is stronger in the Lord. My husband and I walk side by side to minister God's Word to others. I pray that you will know that you are not alone and God, alone has the answer you need!

Five years earlier I had put this prayer together and I send to you today:
Father, this is the day the Lord has made. I rejoice and I am glad in it! I rejoice in You always. And again I say, I rejoice. I delight myself in You, Lord. Happy am I because God is my Lord! Lord, I pray that my countenance radiates joy of the Lord. My joy I pray is overflowing so it may be full, complete for the joy of the Lord is my strength. Father, today I have the victory in the name of Jesus. Satan is under my feet.
I pray also for my husband for I know YOU intended that the greatest most rewarding human relationship in my life would be my marriage. Help us to resolve any differences that we have had. Rekindle in our hearts the love, joy and passion we had for each other when we were married. Help us to forgive the mistakes we have made and start fresh again. Help me as his help-mate be sensitive toward him. Reveal to me areas I need to change in order for our relationship to improve. Help us to guard our mouths so we not criticize each other. Show us how to love and give love to our spouse. Let our lives be an example of Your love and grace. Lord restore our marriage completely and I give you much thanks. It is in the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen




You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV)