Week Three Highlights - Unveiling the Power of Prayer

• Guiding Questions for the Week:
• How can I support my husband in his work, to make things easier for him?
• Where do you want me to turn something over to you, Lord, and commit it to prayer, rather than trying to do it on my own?
• Memory Verse Challenge for the Week: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 (We will add another verse next week, but if you are ready to move ahead, go on to verse 8.)
• Assignment for Week Three: Go over chapters 4 and 5, if you have already completed them, and really pray about this topic and where god wants you to be with it. He may want you to make a change, share from your heart next week, or seek wisdom and godly advice.
• RETREAT DATES: November 7-8, more info coming soon!
  

Week Two Highlights - Unveiling The Power of Prayer

• Guiding Questions for the Week:
• What area of your heart, or thoughts in your mind, are not clean and pure right now?
• Are you willing to submit yourself enough to say, change me Lord?
• In what ways am I looking to my husband to fulfill my needs and expectations, when I should be looking to God?
• Memory Verse Challenge: "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Don not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:4-6
• Objectives for the study:
• Strengthen your relationship with God.
• Deepen your marriage through prayer.
• Fellowship and accountability with women
• Scripture memorization
• Try to identify one that you seem to be targeting this week as you study and pray.
• Assignment for Week Two: Read Chapters 2-5 and complete the questions in the study guide that catch your attention. You may answer all of them, but don't feel the pressure that you have to, if you are limited on time. Pick out any that you would like to discuss with the group.
  

Week Two Highlights - Unveiling Our Spiritual Eyes

• Guiding Questions for the week:
• Do you believe you are a "prime" target?
• Do you allow God to put limits around you for your protection?
• Are you willing to HOLD ON for one more day?
• Do you believe that through Christ you were made clean? Ephesians 5:25-26
• Memory Verse Challenge for the week: "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Revelation 12:11
• Objectives for the study:
• To shed light on Satan's massive campaign to seduce the saints.
• Remember how much our Heavenly Father loves us. We are NEVER too far that we cannot go home.
• That we, as Christians, will wise up to Satan's seductive schemes and fortify our lives before he traps us into something ungodly.
• Assignment for Week 2: Read Chapters 3-5 in your book and come ready to share and discuss.
• Challenge for the week: Please send a note or word of encouragement to someone in your life that has positively influenced you for Christ.
  

I Sought The Lord And He Answered Me!

Wow! What a night we had last night! The Spirit of God was present and moving and I am so grateful for everyones contributions to discussion time. How awesome to come together and share with each other, study God's Word and learn more about who He is, all while having a good laugh...or many as the case was last night! (Thank you, Kristine! Your quick wit always catches me off guard and has me in stitches!) I will post the "Highlights" from last night shortly for those who were absent, but received this devotional by email from Proverbs 31 Ministries and felt that it speaks so loudly about the very things we are studying together that I just had to pass it along to you. Also, for anyone not familiar with "blogging", commenting is very simple and if you're not ready to put your name in print, feel free to post anonymously. God can only begin to heal and restore when we acknowledge our needs and sometimes what we share is meant to encourage someone else and facilitate healing for them. So speak of, if you feel led, and of course feel free to give Chelle and Christy a hard time...it helps keep them in line! :-) Have a great day!!

September 18, 2008

My Secret

Lysa TerKeurst

“I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant. Their faces are never covered with shame.”

Psalm 34:4-5 (NIV)

Devotion:

The young teenage girl named Sidney sat across from me with eyes full of emotion. Her voice choked out a whispered, “thank you,” as she turned and kissed the chubby-cheeked little boy sitting in the baby carrier beside her. Just one year earlier, I’d sat across from this same precious girl listening to her plans to have an abortion the next day. Panic, confusion and fear consumed her and made her feel as though she had no other choice. As soon as she spoke those words, tears fell from both of our eyes. Hers were tears of relief. Mine were tears of redemption. Both were wrapped in the hope that God truly can take even our worst mistakes and somehow bring good from them.

Yesterday, you read Luann’s beautiful devotion about her making the last minute decision to not abort her baby. Sixteen years ago I was also a young woman panicked and sitting in an abortion clinic. Only unlike Luann and Sidney, tragically, I kept my appointment. And I can honestly say, the grief that entered my life that day has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. For years I kept this secret buried deep within my heart. I was so ashamed, so horrified, so convinced that if anyone ever found out I’d had an abortion, I’d be rejected by all my church friends and deemed a woman unfit to serve God.

So I suffered in silence, wrapped in a cloak of shame.

Going to church was incredibly hard during those years. I was convinced I was the only Christian woman who’d ever had an abortion. I’d never heard another Christian woman share this as a part of her testimony. Never did I hear of anyone speak of the hope and grace that Jesus provides to those of us who were suffering from making that decision. I only heard well-meaning Christians debate the issue of abortion with very strong words. Their words stung, made my heart seize and my eyes feel like they’d explode into a flood of a million tears.

Don’t get me wrong, the issue of abortion is serious and we should take a strong stand against it. But we must also remember that it’s more than a topic of religious and political debate. For one in three women within the church, it is one of the most painful parts of their life story. One for which they want to find forgiveness and healing, but are too afraid of being judged to share their secret with anyone.

So they suffer in silence, wrapped in a cloak of shame.

Sweet friend, is this you? Are you in this place? Can I offer you a lifeline today? There is hope and healing that can be found. It is possible to be forgiven and to let go of the emotional pain. For me, there were three things that helped my healing more than anything. First, I sought help from my local Crisis Pregnancy Center who offered a Post Abortion Bible Study. Secondly, I named my baby and wrote a letter promising to make his life count by sharing our story to help others. And lastly, I kept my promise to my child and asked God to give me the courage to share my story with someone in order to help them.

Remember Sidney? She was one of the first people I ever told. Seeing God bring good out of what Satan meant for such evil in my life, did more to heal my heart than almost anything else.

Dear Lord, please tenderly give us the courage to face the secrets hidden in our hearts. Lord, we ask for your forgiveness. And we ask for your healing. Please help us see some kind of good come from our past mistakes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Visit Lysa TerKeurst’s blog to read the letter she wrote to her child that she referred to in today’s devotion.

Who Holds the Key To Your Heart? by Lysa TerKeurst. This book and Bible study were written specifically for people who are suffering in silence due to shame from their past.

Spend some time asking Jesus how He wants you to respond to today’s devotion.

Application:

Take time to pray for women in your community and church who are suffering from the pain of abortion.

Consider giving your time and resources to help your local Pregnancy Care Center minister to women in your community.

Power Verses:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (NIV)

Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (NIV)

© 2008 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

Did You Hear God Speak to You Tonight? Chelle

Did anyone hear God speaking to you tonight? I know of one person that definitely did! Pretty cool. Watch for her to share in this comment section. Anyone else? Don't be shy. Bless us by sharing your story.

He speaks to us if we have ears to hear. He shows us His glory if we have eyes to see.

I cant wait to see who comments and what they say! It's exciting isn't it?!

Waiting to be blessed by your stories,

Chelle

Where Did Everyone Go?

Okay, ladies, where did everyone go? According to my count there were more than 3 people at study last Wednesday. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the question for the week! The more we can share with one another the better we'll get to know each other and be able to stand-in-the-gap for each other as the opportunities arise. I suspect that there are "lurkers" out there checking out the blog, but remaining silent...you know who I'm talking to! :-) Go ahead and speak up, or I might have to start shooting AGAIN! lol

Jenelle

Are you ready?~ Christy

Girls, I pray you have all had a wonderful week. I am sure it was quiet and peaceful. Plenty of time to read, study, take long naps, relaxing walks and watch as your children clean your house from top to bottom. Ok, Ok, I am obviously kidding. If you have taken any walks recently with Chelle you would know that they are anything but relaxing. That girl can move! But I do pray you have had time to meet with Jesus this week.

Beth Moore states in her Stepping Up book, "If we could hear the voice of God as we sit before Him, we would never cease praying. If we realized how much the sovereign Creator esteems our passion and leans forward to hear our vows to Him our relentless search for significance would finally end."

Lets practice listening for that quite voice as we try to sit still, if only for a few minutes, before our loving Father.

See ya tomorrow :)
Christy