In spite of COVID, this year I’ve had several breakthroughs that I have been asking God about for years. There have been numerous people and groups that have helped me along the way. But I’m learning that the biggest factor is that I decided that I was willing to go through the pain and make the effort to get well. God is compassionate and won’t force it on us. 

I’ve always wanted a close relationship with God, seeing visions, dreams, and hearing from Him. Jesus said I needed to do the healing above to get it. Last fall after working on my recovery for a few months I finally started hearing him and seeing short snippets of pictures that I knew didn’t come from me. At first it startled me because they usually weren’t during a prayer or devotional time
 
I’m finally recovering from the orphan spirit that I have dealt with my whole life. I’m actually able to internalize that I am His beloved and that I am a Child of God. For years that was the cry of my heart. That it would go from my head to my heart. But it didn’t start until I decided to deal with my issues.
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The first 10 days of March I had so many visions and revelations from God I was getting overwhelmed. I called it my waterfall. I was ecstatic and didn’t want it to end. Then COVID hit & it stopped. The reason it stopped so long was that I wasn’t listening to God on that subject. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. Well, I was doing something wrong, but not what I expected Jesus to say. About a month ago, God convicted me of worshiping experiences instead of HIM. OUCH!

And then, just last week, I got my latest piece of healing about a former church. And boy, it's brought a lot of peace. I've now forgiven everyone who hurt me there. When I told my husband, Chad, he saw the last piece of the onion fall off. It was the anger & bitterness I had with the situation & anyone that I perceived as hurtful towards me. Just because I felt wounded doesn't mean they meant it that way or that they even know they hurt me. It's amazing how much healing I've had in the last year. Now, I’ve said those words for years, but now I’m living it and actually believe them.

None of this would have happened if I hadn’t wanted to get well.  So, I encourage you. Ask God what He wants you to work on, not what someone else says you need to work on or even what you think you need to work on. 
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Remember that God, in his compassion, really wants the best for you. These aren’t just nice sounding pat Christianese words. IT IS A REALITY. GOD LOVES YOU!!!

Peggy Allen
August, 2020

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”   - Matthew 11:28-30 The Message  

With everything that is going on in the world right now God is showing me He is our burden bearer. 

We can all relate to carrying something heavy physically, “I picked up the box and it was so heavy I could barely lift it.” But, how often do we think about the burdens or the weight that we are carrying that no one can see? Most of the time we don’t even talk about the weight until it gets to a point of feeling like it’s crushing us and we simply cannot hide it anymore. 

The things we carry almost don’t seem like burdens anymore because we become so use to carrying them. I used to have a real problem with worrying. I had a list in my mind of things I needed to worry about. If by some small chance there was nothing on my list I worried because I must be missing something that I should be worried about! How silly is that? 

The promise I now stand on is:  Psalm 68:19-20 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape of death. He is daily bearing our burdens and through Him comes escape of death! What a promise when your mind is racing with all the “what if’s”. 

There will always be more burdens than we are able to carry. I have learned that carrying burdens God wants to carry for us leads us to exhaustion, spinning out of control and burnout. These things keep us from Jesus, the one who can truly help us. 

So, Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Are you ready to give Him your burdens? He is waiting for you, every day. 

Dear friend, may you release all the heaviness that you have been carrying to Jesus. Trust Him and surrender everything that is preventing you from leaning into the rest that God has for you. Amen.
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Monica Brunn
August 2020

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ~ Ephesians 3:10 NLT

Have you been praying for something and wondering when God will respond, or why God hasn’t answered yet?  The book of James gives us some possible clues.  First, it suggests that we haven’t yet received what we desire because we simply haven’t asked. (James 4:1) Yes, God knows what we desire and knows what we need, but often he is waiting for us to realize it, and press into it in prayer, so we can partner with him to bring it about.

In James 4:3 he gives another possible answer.  Our motives are wrong.  We are asking only because it would give us pleasure.  The request is not reflecting Christ in us.  Have you asked God to align your motive for it with his?

Which takes us to another familiar block to prayer, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone …” (Jas.1:6) James clarifies a few verses later where he writes that every good and perfect gift comes down to us from our gracious heavenly Father.  We deceive ourselves if we think the source is any other place. (1:16,17) 

Any of the above may answer your question as to why God seems not to be answering.  We also need to consider that our timing for it is not God’s.  Or, perhaps, that he is or has answered, just not as we expected. However, in this very unusual time we are in, when everything seems to be described as “unprecedented”, may I suggest that, perhaps, your request is not big enough?  Is your request limiting what God can, or even desires, to do?  Maybe God is waiting for you to trust him with the impossible?!  

In order for God to clearly receive the glory, it seems that sometimes, he loves to accomplish things so big that only he can get credit for it.  Where are you placing your faith?  In God alone? Then, how big is your God today?  Don’t be afraid to ask for the seemly impossible.  And believe that our loving God can and will accomplish it, even through you!

Dear friend, may our kind, infinite, sovereign God answer your biggest, most impossible request this week.  May the Holy Spirit multiply your confident hope in God by giving you a fresh revelation of his majesty, power and goodness at work for us, in us and through us. Give thanks! Amen
​Mary Sumner, August, 2020