“Warrior” – Monday Musical Musings

August 31st, 2015 dsisler

 

If you read my blog on Saturday, you know that I went to see the movie War Room. It was so good, I knew I wanted to see it a second time before it left theaters and so, yesterday, I met up with another group of ladies and we watched War Room together.

 

IMAG1492I took notes the second time (remember, tomorrow I’ll give you some practical tips on prayer)!

 

The song I’m sharing today is from the movie. It is the last song you will hear if you stay through the credits. It’s called “Warrior” and just like the movie, it is a call to get on your knees and pray.

 

If your prayer life has been lukewarm, today is a call to do something about it. Don’t allow the enemy to continue to dampen your spirit with his lies and deceit. Choose to believe in the One who has come to give you abundant life. Choose to have meaningful conversations with the King of Glory. Choose to be a warrior.

 

And in case you need it, here’s your fight song prayer warrior!

 

“Warrior”

 

I see the smoke on the horizon, I feel my heart pounding in my chest

I hear the war raging all around me, somehow I feel like I was born for this

I can taste the fear that adds new courage, as I raise my shield and lift my sword!

 

Chorus:

And I fall on my knees and fight like a warrior,

I am a warrior on my knees

I call on the Name of the One who has conquered,

Only the Conqueror I believe

The enemy trembles every time,

‘cause he knows the battle is no longer mine

When I fall on my knees and fight

Like a warrior. Like a warrior.

 

Daughters and sons, we can hear you calling,

Broken and weak, we can hear you cry

And even though our enemy roars like a lion,

The Lion of Judah is on our side!

He will go before us and behind us,

Fighting on our left and our right

(Chorus)

 

Our weapons, our trust

Our weapons, our hope

In the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

He says, “I am with you, so don’t be afraid,

‘cause I’ve already won this home.”

(Chorus)

 

Calling on the Name of Jesus, there is power in the Name of Jesus.[i]

 

And now, you really must listen to this song and prepare for the battle. Click here!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

[i] “Warrior,” by Steven Curtis Chapman is the official song in the soundtrack for the movie War Room.

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Psalm 63

August 30th, 2015 dsisler

 

I was reminded of King David’s words in Psalm 63 this morning. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1 – NIV)

 

August 2004 Trip2 018mThat’s the desire I want in my life! Sure, I have a relationship with Jesus. Yes, I spend time in prayer and Bible study. Of course, I have quiet time with Him. But does every fiber of my being thirst and long to be the Creator of the universe? How earnestly am I seeking God? I believe I have some work to do.

 

If you are in a similar situation, I pray for you what I pray for myself. For the desire to grow stronger. For the relationship to deepen. For God’s Spirit to penetrate every nook and cranny of my heart, mind and body. For Jesus to be the Lord over every part of me. That’s how we can earnestly seek God.

 

Today’s repeat blog post is about a bad tire. I pray that God will use my words today to draw someone closer to Him. Blessings!

 

The Tire

 

My 2004 Ford Escape has 170,000 miles on it. It has been a great traveling companion and I will be sad on the day we part ways.

 

In preparation for the arrival of my newest grandchild, I asked my husband Mason to check the car over to make sure everything was okay. The fluids, the tires. You know, the things that need to be in working order, especially when I’m in a hurry.

 

One of my tires has been losing air slowly over the past month or so and on occasion Mason has had to fill it. He thought he would buy some tire sealant to stop the leaking. So he purchased a bottle of the stuff and was ready to finish the car prep job.

 

The process for the sealant is to let all the air out of the tire, remove the object that caused the problem (air leaking), add the sealant, fill the tire with air, and then drive. Sounds easy enough doesn’t it?

 

After reading the directions, my husband figured there had to be something causing the tired to deflate, you know, the thing that was to be removed from the tire. So he decided he should probably take the car to have the tire repaired properly.

 

It took 15 minutes, it cost $10, and I have a lifetime guarantee on the repair. My tire is now in good shape.

 

Isn’t this the way we are with our spiritual lives at times. We know there is an issue. We look for a quick fix. But in the long run, the only thing that will make it right is doing the right thing. Mending our soul the right way.

 

Satan is out to get us. He is firing some flaming arrows directly at us. Paul mentions such actions in Ephesians 6:16 (NIV) and how we are to protect ourselves. “In addition to all this (using the armor of God for our spiritual journey), take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

 

The flaming arrows the evil one points directly at us can be lethal. If we are not prepared we will be in trouble. And if we have been hit by a flaming arrow, we must allow full healing of the wound. A quick fix will not work. A job done half way will not work. We must take it to the One who is the greatest Repairman of all time. God.

 

When we bring our brokenness to God, He is able to make the repair. Completely. Satisfactorily.

 

King David knew of this brokenness and what God’s role was to be in the healing process. In Psalm 51:17 (NIV), David said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” When we give our brokenness to God, our wounded spirits, He will accept that sacrifice and repair the damage.

 

David also knew restoration. Psalm 23:3 (NIV) tells us, “He (God) restores my soul.” Complete restoration. Complete healing. Complete mending.

 

You see, when we give our wounds, large or small, to God, He promises to do the fixing. There is no reason for us to believe we can do it on our own or that we can fix it ourselves. We can’t. It’s not possible.

 

So I ask you today, what wounds do you need to give to God for repair? What brokenness have you held on for far too long? Why not let the great Repairman fix your heart the right way? He’s the expert at it. And with the mending of our souls comes a lifetime guarantee…no, an eternal guarantee.

 

Please don’t go another day with the wounds you carry. God’s arms are out-stretched and waiting to take care of it for you. You just need to give it to Him.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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War Room

August 29th, 2015 dsisler

 

I had the pleasure of going to see the movie, War Room yesterday. If there is any way you can make your way to a theater this weekend to view this movie, I would encourage you to do so.

 

CCIn War Room, there is a call for prayer warriors to make space and time in their lives to go to their personal war room, get on your knees and pray. I know, from personal experience, the transformation that will take place when we seek God’s face in the midst of our busy lives. So if I know this transformation, why wouldn’t I want to ask God to show up in the lives of my family, my friends and my neighbors?

 

Do you remember this verse of Scripture? “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 – NIV)

 

We, who are called by the name of the Lord and Jesus Christ, are called to follow these steps:

 

Step 1 – Humble ourselves

 

Step 2 – Pray

 

Step 3 – Seek God’s face

 

Step 4 – Turn from our wicked ways

 

When we’ve done these four things, God says He will:

 

#1 – Hear from heaven

 

#2 – Forgive their sin

 

#3 – Heal their land

 

In my younger years, this verse of Scripture was put to music. I still recall the music and can recite the words because of that song. But until I actually follow the steps listed, there will be no hearing, forgiving or healing. It is my greatest desire to do these four things. I pray that you have the desire to join me on this journey.

 

One of the things I enjoyed about this movie was the practical steps given to move us toward prayer. You can look forward to a blog next week that will share some of these ideas. But until then, spend some time with God. Just do it. He is waiting for you.

 

If you’d like to watch the movie trailer for War Room, click here.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Four Elements to Happiness

August 28th, 2015 dsisler

 

We hear the word “happy” all the time. There are happy dances, happy songs and happy happenings. We celebrate happiness, embrace happiness, as well as search for happiness. And just how do you know if someone is happy? They are usually bubbling with it, right? You know when someone is happy.

 

Of course, there are those who may not be “happy” about something. An artist might say, “I’m not happy with this piece of work.” A race car driver might say, “I’m not happy with the way my car is handling.” A business person might say, “I’m not happy with the way this deal turned out.”

 

For some, happiness can sometimes be elusive. Happiness can be fleeting. Happiness is only as good as long as there’s something around the corner to make you happy once again.

 

Obviously the question we must ask is, “What does it really mean to be happy?” Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about happiness.

 

 

I spent a little time with a few verses of Scripture, my colored pencils and the Lord this morning. These few verses give us four elements to happiness! Take a look.

 

“God’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn; when you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes, when you avoid sin’s highway, when judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse. For you, the Eternal’s Word is your happiness. It is your focus—from dusk to dawn. You are like a tree, planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry. Your fruit ripens in its time; your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun. No matter what you do, you prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3 – The Voice)

 

Did you see the four elements to happiness? Here they are.

 

Element 1

Follow good advice

 

Element 2

Follow the path of righteousness

 

Element 3

Allow delightful, encouraging words to flow from your lips

 

Element 4

Focus on God’s Word…day and night

 

Perhaps you are missing one of these elements. If so, why not spend some time with God today and allow Him to begin His work in that area of your life? I don’t know about you, but I want to be like that tree that flourishes and produces good fruit and lives well. Today I pray that you will find your happiness in God.

 

Looking forward to a happy day!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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The Blood of Christ

August 27th, 2015 dsisler

 

My husband loves to watch Sunday morning news programs. This past Sunday, there was a story that he had me watch about a man who creates art with his own blood. It was amazing what he was able to do.

 

Holy Land Experience 035mThis man has created a crazy system. It’s a large contraption where his blood flows through tubing and eventually is put on paper through a pen of some type. With the help of a computer, the machine draws little squiggly things on paper and when it is complete, there is an actual picture of a person, place or thing.

 

Well, let me tell you about another man who was willing to use His own blood as well to paint a beautiful picture; a more beautiful picture. A picture of grace. A picture of forgiveness. A picture of new life. A picture of hope. A picture of you!

 

Hebrews 9 gives us a deeper understanding of Jesus’ blood. You may want to take some time read through Hebrews 9:11-28, but here are some of the highlights about the blood of Jesus.

 

  • Jesus entered the Most Holy Place by His own blood for eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).
  • The blood of Christ cleanses our consciences so that we may serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14)!
  • Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant (Hebrews 9:15).
  • The first covenant was put into place with blood (Hebrews 9:18).
  • Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).
  • Jesus’ blood sacrifice was once and for all (Hebrews 9:12; 26; 28).

 

Here’s something cool too. The Voice version has translated Hebrews 9:23-24 this way. “Since what was given in the old covenant was the earthly sketch of the heavenly reality, this was sufficient to cleanse the earthly sanctuary; but in heaven, a more perfect sacrifice was needed. The Anointed One did not enter into hand-crafted sacred spaces—imperfect copies of heavenly originals—but into heaven itself, where He stands in the presence of God on our behalf.”

 

In these verses we see a sketch. The painting. This is where Jesus stands on our behalf in God’s presence. Jesus has painted this scene with His own blood.

 

Can you see the picture? Do you recognize your face among the droplets of Jesus’ blood? I pray that you see it. He was willing to shed His blood for your sin. For your forgiveness. For your salvation. What a beautiful picture!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

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