The Lioness, Proud, Statuesque, Broken, and Hurting.......

 


Got your coffee ready? I want to talk to you about something really important and serious.....your pride and your soul....

I wonder if I can paint a picture for you, can you open your minds eye, and follow me to an alter..... There she stands, Sunday service, practically perfect suit, her hair just right, nicely manicured hands, perfectly posed and raised to heaven with a regal stature...She stands just enough to the front that she is in the alter, but not so far that anyone would thing that she "needed" prayer. She will gladly find someone else to pray with, or join in with the alter call song.... This is the lady that has everything in order, everything is always fine, nothing is ever wrong, and she doesn't need any extra prayer, but "thank you".

Meanwhile....... Her heart is crying out, connect... pray..... let it go..... call on me..... I am standing here..... I am waiting to give you the release you want...... just call on me.......I have joy that I want to pour into your life.... I have the healing virtue to pour into that wound....say my name..... I have a ministry for you..... I HAVE A PURPOSE FOR YOU!

Know anybody like this? Is this YOU?

Oh my goodness! How many times have we found ourselves here in this exact place, or maybe we have had a burden for someone like this.... It is a very frustrating place to be, on both accounts.... frustrating not to allow yourself to breakthrough, and frustrating, when you know the release God has for someones life and they won't be real....

Why do we as women allow ourselves to get this way??? Let me tell you what I have found to be true in myself at times before... and if we are just being honest, you will also recognize that you at some point have been the same....

ITS PURE UNADULTERATED, UNDENIABLE, PRIDE !!!!!

Let's go back to that sister in the alter....... All the while God is calling her, she is answering back, but not the way she should..... Instead, she is listening to the devil and agreeing, "no, I can't just break down right here, I am a Ministers Wife, or a Sunday School Teacher, or Church Secretary, or Ladies Ministry Leader, or Choir Director, whatever the position....I am supposed to have it all together at all times.....IE; "I am fine, there is nothing wrong" Lets go to the word about praise at all times....

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
 ⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
         There is no want to those who fear Him.
 ¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
         But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Psalm 34:8-10

I posted this whole passage, but I really wanted you to notice verse 10. In the animal kingdom, the Lion is the strongest animal, top of the food chain, PRIDEFUL..... God's word says he will go without, will suffer, and hunger.... but those who hunger after God, will not lack, they will get what they need.....


So, that's not how you feel you say? Maybe you don't work in any of those ministries...... so what then could be the problem with our dear sister in the alter...?

Maybe she feels this way...... "I can't just run to the alter, and pour myself out to God, because people look up to me, and they will think something is wrong with me!" "Someone will thing I have backslid", "People will think my marriage is falling apart".... Hate to break it to you sister, but if you are having this argument in the alter, or maybe you are not even getting to the alter, there is something wrong with your thinking..... What's wrong with you is that you are not fulfilling your purpose, your design.......

WHAT IS MY PURPOSE, MY DESIGN???

I am so glad you asked......let me tell you:

I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 ² My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
         The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Psalms 34:1-2

 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
      for he issued his command, and they came into being. Psalm 148:5

Because He has inclined His ear to me,
         Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. Psalm 116:2

Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  I Thess 5:16-18
 
This is your purpose.... To praise God with all you have, every service, everyday, continually..... This is what God wants from you... In this, you will get your release, you will get what you need.... and more than that you will get what God wants to give you..things you don't even know God has for you, this is the extra....

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!  Selah Psalms 68:19

As you can see, God's word is clear on your purpose of praise... It's because he has given you life, Praise is what you were created for...

So lets talk about our sister and her issue with pride. See there are more consequences to her prideful spirit than she is aware of.... What about the burdened sister? I mean, I know we love one another, and we have become a very perceptive society, and even our education, and life experience can help us be sensitive to others needs, but I mean, what about when God has burdened you for someone???

We spend time in prayer asking God to use us, and then when he burdens us, we either don't recognize it because we are not sensitive to the Spirit, or we are fearful and lack the faith to step out and intercede for our sister. Two things we have to do here... Pray for sensitivity, and a bold faith...
My Pastor's wife, has given me a good measure.. If you are in prayer and feel burdened for someone, or a word comes to you through prayer, and it is positive and encouraging... be bold and go for it.... I want to make it very clear, I do not believe that God will ever give us (lay sisters) a negative or hurtful word, or revelation about another sister. I believe this is a Pastors role always, and God shares these things with Pastors only. Please submit to your Pastor's authority in this matter.... but to be encouraging and loving... absolutely, in fact it is our duty as the family of Christ.

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be^{] 9} not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. I Peter 3:8-9


What of that proud sister standing there, you know.. the one who is so clearly hurting and broken.. or maybe the one who has just lost sight of her joy in all of the chaos that surrounds her daily....The one that "everything is fine"... If you are this lady, can I just very lovingly say to you, if your sister comes to you and says, " I have been praying for you, you have been on my mind, (or something along these lines) please don't allow that prideful spirit to rise up and shut her out. See, God places people in our lives at the right time for a reason.. maybe her burden for you is more of a blessing in waiting in her life than yours. Why begrudge her what she deserves... I am not saying you have to confide your worries in her, but you can very gently say, Thank you, for letting God use you to come and pray with me..... Let God in!

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. ⁵ For each one shall bear his own load. Galations 6:1-10

Maybe you are the sister standing in the alter, or it is alter time.... why stop in the "safety zone"? Why not go all the way to the front, why not throw caution to the wind, throw your hands in the air, and praise him with all you've got? Who cares what people think? What if they think "Wow, she's gonna get something from God"! What if it encourages them to do the same? What if they haven't done it because they watch you, and you haven't done it? WHAT IF YOU START A REVIVAL IN YOUR ALTER?????

Ladies... It's too late in the game, to be perfect.... It's time to get real with God. We all need God all the time. We all have flaws, just because we fall on our face before God, does not make us on the path to hell, It makes us courageous women, who are willing to say "I have a purpose, my purpose is to praise God, at all times"
I WAS CREATED TO PRAISE HIM!


Be Blessed, Be Triumphant
Joy