I pray over the people and situations that are on His heart. He always leads me to pray for people that are on my heart too, but at times I find myself praying for someone I never thought to pray for.

The other day a man’s name came up in my heart. I’ve never met this man. I couldn’t even bring to mind what he looks like. But I sensed God wanted someone to pray him.

He is a man who wields great influence. He is a man that opposes all that I cherish. He is a man that opposes God. He is a man that many believe is playing a great role in destroying the America, One Nation Under God, that we know and love. And God wanted me to pray for him.

I googled him. I wanted to see his face. When I saw him anger tried to rise up. Hate tried to rise up. It was fear trying to rise up. He is destroying what I love. But I looked at that man’s face and said, “I refuse to hate you. If I hate you I cannot help you and God wants to help you.”

I chose in my heart to forgive him. I chose in my heart to let God love him through me, then I prayed for him.

My prayers were not motivated by what his freedom and salvation would mean to me or to this country, but for his own sake. For God’s sake. Father God loves this man.

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (John 3:16, Amplified)

For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. (John 3:17, Amplified)

For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior, Who wishes all men to be saved…(1 Timothy 2:3-4, Amplified)

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:44-45, KJV)

I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt [in their minds], lifting up holy hands. (1 Timothy 2:8, Amplified)

…You have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. (Isaiah 38:17, Amplified)

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (Matthews 18:11, KJV)

Selah.

…You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood… (Revelation 5:9, NKJV)

…God is love. (1 John 4:8, KJV)

We were redeemed by His blood back to God Who is love. We were redeemed to love.

Jesus said… Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40, KJV)

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35, KJV)

…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5, KJV)

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love… (Colossians 1:13, KJV)

He drew us back to Himself and filled us with His love. Now He asks us to demonstrate His love wherever we go. We were redeemed to love others as He has loved us. We have been redeemed to love. Selah.

…Our Father which art in heaven… (Luke 11:2, KJV)

I was thinking today about a time when some circumstances occurred in my family that led to strife and division. Some took one side. Others took another side. I was caught in the middle refusing to takes anyone’s side but God’s.

There seemed to be no common ground, no chance for coming back together. But this was my family and I wasn’t about to give them up so easily. I prayed for four and half years. Not to get God to do something He didn’t already want to do, but to make room for Him by continuing to agree with God and by refusing to agree with the devil.

What was the devil saying? He was flinging around accusations to try to divide and conquer. You see he knows that a house divided against itself cannot stand (Mark 3:25). And what stand is the enemy most concerned about, when a house stands in his way as he tries to steal, kill and destroy and when a house, God’s house, not just one church, not just one denomination, but God’s house, God’s family in unity takes a stand for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

…Our Father which art in heaven… (Luke 11:2, KJV)

Those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior are part of God’s family now. And we have an enemy who would like to divide and conquer. Let’s not give up our family so easily. Take a stand against the seeds of division and strife the enemy would try to sow and let’s take a stand together for Our Father’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

BEHOLD, HOW good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!… for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore (Psalm 133:1,3; KJV)

Being alone with Him. There are so many voices and so many distractions, but oh the beauty of getting away with God. The beauty of being alone with Him, sitting in His Presence and hearing His voice.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away… (Song of Solomon 2:13, Amplified)

Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]… And the Lord, spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Moses returned to the camp, but his minister Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the [temporary prayer] tent. (Exodus 33: 7,11; Amplified)

Being His own. There are so many things in our lives, so many people, and so many needs calling for our time and attention but remembering that first and foremost we are His. We’ve been bought with a price. He gave Himself wholly for us and to us. Oh, to respond by being wholly His.

…My beloved is mine and I am his… (Song of Solomon 2:16, Amplified)

Be with Him and be His and the rest will follow. Selah.

Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life… (Psalm 23:6, Amplified)

Because of Who He is, and Who He is to me, I expect to be pursued by only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love.

Because of Who He is, and Who He is in me, every where I go, I will leave in my wake His goodness, His mercy, and His unfailing love. They follow me.

That which I have freely received, I freely give.

When I say this, I’m not necessarily talking about your activity level or your productivity in the kingdom of God. I’m talking about the state of being within your own being, spirit, soul and body.

Someone asked me about my ‘ministry’ the other day. I was thinking about that this morning and had this thought, “I don’t want a ‘ministry’. I just want to share the message.” For me that message is He loves you and He sent Jesus to save you spirit, soul, and body because He loves you.

Many years ago I attended a ladies meeting at church. During this meeting someone prophesied over my life and spoke of things I would do for the kingdom of God. At the time I had no idea what they were talking about. In a way that was good. I couldn’t make it happen, because I didn’t know what ‘it’ was.

What I did know was how to follow God’s leading. He would nudge me in a certain direction and I would follow. He would then nudge me in another direction and I would follow. Years later, as I walked through the hall of a hospital it suddenly occurred to me that I was doing what had been prophesied concerning my life. He made it happen, as I simply followed His lead, one step at a time.

At some point in my ‘ministry’ I lost sight of this. I was so busy doing the work. I was so busy being the ‘minister’ everyone expected me to be. Really I was no longer ‘being’. I was just doing.

Then I felt that nudge again. I followed Him. He reminded me that all the activity, the ministry, was not who I was or who He wanted me to be. He just wanted me to be His kid. The rest would follow as I simply followed Him.

Relax and be His kid. That’s the root. The rest is fruit.

For in Him we live and move and have our being… (Acts 17:28, Amplified)

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me.  (John 15:4, NKJV)

You are so beautiful to me. Can’t you see? You’re everything I hoped for. You’re everything I need. You are so beautiful to me. *

I had an interesting experience with God recently. I was sitting with Him and I began to see some things about myself I might have done differently had I created myself. Some were physical changes. Some were personality changes. I didn’t even realize that I felt this way deep down inside.

As I came to the realization that there were things I guess I didn’t like about myself, I also realized that I was exactly what He was “hoping” for.

When a couple find that they are expecting a new little one, they have hopes, yes about the child’s future, but also hopes like “I hope he has your eyes” or “I hope she has your smile.”

God said to me, “When you were being formed, I was ‘hoping’ for a petite little hispanic girl with dark curly hair and big black eyes.”

In that instant I felt loved, accepted and beautiful. I was everything He hoped for.

When you were being formed, He was ‘hoping’ for you. You are so beautiful to Him.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (Psalms 139:14, KJV)

* “You Are So Beautiful To Me” sung by Joe Cocker

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her… (Luke 7:13, KJV)

It was in His words.

…and he said unto her, Weep not. (Luke 7:13, KJV)

It was in His touch.

And he came and touched the bier… (Luke 7:14, KJV)

It was in His actions.

…And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And [Jesus] gave him [back] to his mother. (Luke 7:14-15; KJV, Amplified)

What was it? It was love.

It was love in His eyes, His words, His touch and His actions then, and it’s love in His eyes, His words, His touch and His actions today and forever.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8, KJV)

Let it be His love in our eyes, our words, our touch and our actions too. They will know us by our love (John 13:35).

We love, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19, ASV)

…Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. (Song of Solomon 2:13, Amplified)

Do I take time to meet my Good Shepherd each day, letting Him tell me of His love, and cheering His heart with my interest in Him? (Footnote to Song of Solomon 2:13, Amplified)

I start each morning not with a list of wants and needs. I start each day not with my cares and concerns. I start each day with Love. Just letting Him love on me and loving Him in return.

We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19, KJV)

As I sat with Him one morning last week, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with love for a person that came to mind. I knew she had need of healing in her body and in her soul. I knew she had financial needs. I longed to see her needs met. Why? I was feeling His heart for her. He longed to see her needs met. He longed for the freedom, in her life, to meet her needs.

As compassion rose up in my heart I felt that God wanted me to call her and offer to spend some time with her in prayer concerning her own personal needs. She is someone who prays for everyone else. She is someone who prays for nations. God wanted prayer put forth for her.

I called her and she agreed to meet. I told her that I was coming just to pray for her and nothing else. A few days later I went to her home and together we sat with God and let Him love on her.

She was happy and grateful to receive His love, but she said that her focus was not on herself but to take that love out to others. My response to her was that going out and ministering that love to others is not the root it’s the fruit.

We love each other as a result of his loving us first. (1 John 4:19, NLT)

We are to go out and love others. We are to be moved with compassion towards others. We are His ministers on this earth, ministers of His love. How do we do that? By first letting Him minister His love to us personally.

I sat with Him that morning letting Him love on me and the next thing I knew I was compelled to go love her. I was moved with compassion, compelled by love after first being overwhelmed by His love.

We love, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19, ASV)

…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15, KJV)

And as ye go, preach saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:7-8, KJV)

Go ye. Selah.

It’s a song by Third Day called I Believe. Here are some of the lyrics, specifically the ones I hear as I awaken each morning.

I believe in a faith that’s strong/ I believe in a hope that carries on/ I believe in these things and more/ Most of all… I believe in love.

As I awaken to these words playing in my heart, my first thought is always the same. It is the scripture 1 John 4:16.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (KJV)

For the last 14 years I have helped many people in their hardest times, in their darkest hours. I’ve helped many, including myself and my own family find peace and hope in not only difficult times but in just living everyday life. After all these years the greatest truth I have found to help regardless of the situation is this, God loves us.

Whether the situation was the loss of a job, the breakup of a family, or a terminal diagnosis my advise started out the same, first and foremost know and believe that He loves you.

Where is the hope and the peace in finding yourself out of work, “I may not know how it’s going to be okay, but I have no doubt it’s going to be okay because He loves me.”

Where is the hope and the peace when your family is falling apart, “I may not know how my family will rise above this, but I know we will because He loves us.”

Where is the hope and the peace in being diagnosed with any disease, “God said ‘by His stripes I was healed’ and I’m not sure how it all works, but I know it’s going to be okay because the One Who said this loves me.”

There are so many things and so many people out there saying believe in this thing, in this ‘truth’, or believe in this person, but today first and foremost believe in this, believe that you are loved by God.

I may not know the difficulty  you are going through today, but He does. I may not know the answer to your problem, but He does. The one thing I do know about you is this, I know and I believe that He loves you. Today, He wants you to believe it too.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10, KJV)

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. (Romans 5:8, Amplified)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear… (1 John 4:18, KJV)

And now abide faith, hope, love these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13, NKJV)

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten… Son… (John 3:16, Amplified)

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized you…