March 16, 2026

Sing To The Lord (With All Your Heart)

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Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to Him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all His work is done infaithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of His mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    He puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!
For He spoke, and it came to be;
    He commanded, and it stood firm.

 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom He has chosen as His heritage!

 The Lord looks down from heaven;
    He sees all the children of man;
from where He sits enthroned He looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
He who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.

 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
    on those who hope in His steadfast love,
that He may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
    He is our Help and our Shield.
For our heart is glad in Him,
    because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in You.

Psalm 33

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Sing to the Lord with all of your heart,
Sing to Him a new song. Sing to Him a new song.
Sing to the Lord with all of your heart.
Sing to Him a new song.
Sing to Him a new song.

Lift your voice, let your praises ring.
Let every tongue glorify our King.
Let’s become the generation Who will passionately praise Him,
Trusting in the greatness of our God.

Sing to the Lord with all of your heart,
Sing to Him a new song,
Sing to Him a new song.

Singer/Songwriters: Paul and Rita Baloche
along with The Maranatha Singers

Baked Beans

Baked Beans resize Happy Independence Day!  I’m hoping you are able to celebrate with family and friends today.  What’s on the menu? One of my guilty food pleasures is a right-off-the-grill hot dog.  I know, not the most gourmet of foods, or the healthiest, but everything in moderation, right? And what goes better with hot dogs than baked beans?  Now you could just open a can of baked beans and plop them in a saucepan, but where’s the fun in that? Make your own!

Once I decided to do just that, I found my Mom’s recipe for baked beans.  That poor note card has seen better days, but its hard-used appearance proves what a popular recipe it is.
Baked Beans Recipe Card Mom resize
 
I didn’t have any canned white beans in the pantry, but I did have a one-pound bag of dried white beans. They take more preparation than canned beans (obviously – canned beans come out ready for use) but are worth the effort.  First, dried beans are cheaper than their canned cousins, because once you soak and rehydrate them, they double in weight. (Put another way, when you buy canned beans, you are paying for water.)  Second, you are avoiding any salt, preservatives, or chemicals in the canned beans, not to mention the chance of BPA in the can itself.
 
Anyway, I soaked the beans the night before, but they double in size, so I only used half. (You could freeze the rehydrated beans in a Ziploc bag and thaw them when you have another recipe for them.)  I used my Mom’s recipe as a jumping off point, and they were just as delicious as hers were.  I realized they don’t need to bake in the oven and are great on the stovetop—that way you won’t have to heat up your kitchen on a hot summer day to make them.  These are easy, cheap to make, and will impress everyone who has them.  Hearty, smoky, and fantastic, these put those  gloopy canned baked beans to shame!

Baked Beans

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound dried white beans, soaked overnight in 6 cups water (or use 2 cans of white beans, reserving some of the canning liquid)
  • 5 slices bacon, diced 
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1/4 cup BBQ sauce (optional, but I like the smokiness – you could also try a few dashes of liquid smoke)
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Directions:
  1. If you are using canned beans, skip to Step 2.  If you are using dried beans: Drain the water from the beans you soaked overnight. Put the beans in a pot, cover with about 4 cups of water and a lid, and cook over medium heat for about 2 hours. You don’t want to cook off all the water, so check in on them every once in a while. When they’re done, save about a cup of the cooking water to use in the baked beans, in case you like them a little “saucier” than I do.  
  2. In a Dutch oven or very heavy-bottomed pot, fry the bacon. When it’s about halfway to crunchy, add the onion. When the bacon looks done, add the beans. Turn the heat down to low and stir everything together for a few minutes.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Give it a taste and see if you need to adjust the seasonings. It likely won’t need salt, but you may like some pepper.
  4. Cover and cook on low heat for half an hour. Check the consistency – if it’s too thick, add some of the bean cooking water; too thin, take the lid off and let simmer.  Serve hot.
Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

Ayin Adonai

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Behold, the Lord’s eye <Ayin Adonai> is upon those who fear Him,
who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.
Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.
For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us,
in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.

Psalms 33:18-22

Such a comforting thought—that our Father has His ‘eye on us!’  Of course, our heavenly Father does not have actual, physical eyes!  But, if He did, they would be awesome, magnificent, never-missing-anything eyes, wouldn’t you say?  And, figuratively, that IS the truth!  Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and all that is upon this earth AND us, He DOES see us—everything around us, everything about us, everything we do, everywhere we go.

When human characteristics or attributes are placed on God it is called biblical anthropomorphism.  Anthropomorphism basically means ‘the form of man.’  A synonym for anthropomorphism is ‘personification’.  There are many examples throughout the Scriptures of both God referring to Himself and the writers of the Bible referring to God in “anthropomorphic” terms.  One purpose to do so would be to describe God in terms more understandable to humans.  Since God is invisible and has no form, we would not have a framework on which to understand Him.  (Here is a great article which explains this in detail.)

Doing a simple search for the phrase, ‘eyes of the Lord,’ came up with over 100 Scriptures on Biblegateway.com.  Here is a link  if you would like to go and read them all yourself!!!  Many refer to a person doing either what is right and good, or doing evil.  Here are a few passages which I particularly love (hope you do, too)!

But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord.
Genesis 6:8 AMP

And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done.
1 Kings 15:11

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth
that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.
2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths.
Proverbs 5:21

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
1 Peter 3:12

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May the end of Psalm 33 be the prayer of our hearts!

Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.
For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us,
in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.

Freedom

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The Star-Spangled Banner (final stanza)

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I never knew how long The Star Spangled Banner was until I looked it up last week.  I was actually wondering if God was mentioned anywhere in the song.  You always hear just the first stanza sung at many events.  The complete song is four stanzas long.  The last stanza (as posted above) does refer to God.  So, two of my questions were answered: 1) Truly, how long is the anthem? 2) If there is more than 1 stanza, is God mentioned anywhere else in the song?

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.
Psalm 119:45

Our forefathers sought a life of freedom from oppressive governments and to be able to worship freely as they pleased. They did not want to have to answer to one particular “denomination” as we now call all the different types of worship in Christ. Our forefathers wanted to be able to live a life where they would be free to seek the Lord and live unoppressed by the monarchy. They found it in the land that, following the American Revolution, would become the United States of America.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;
only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

For those of us who were blessed to be born here, or blessed to become citizens here through naturalization processes, we have been called to liberty. We are called to be free from the wants of the flesh. We are supposed to love one another and serve another in the eyes of God. God brought us to this free nation, and we are to serve free from the sins of the flesh. We are to use our liberty from oppression to serve God.

We praise and serve God for our freedom through different actions. There are those who serve selflessly in the Armed Forces. Let us thank and remember those who are currently deployed fighting to protect and sustain our freedoms. There are those who serve here at home through emergency services or working in some other capacity. Then we also serve our Lord by helping others and our neighbors. This is just part of the liberty that God has granted us. Let us praise Him and thank Him for our freedom. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing our nation and giving us the freedom to worship You. Thank You for those who serve to protect that freedom and die for it, if that is their destiny. Thank You for our freedom from the consequences of sin. Thank You for Your love and protection. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

One Nation Under God

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Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance.
Psalm 33:12

Over two hundred years ago, the Pilgrims came to this land looking for religious freedom from a government that was persecuting them and trying to get them to worship in an “official” way. Battered by storms and the Atlantic Ocean, they survived the perilous journey to what is now Massachusetts. Then, they survived the new climate and seasons over here. They were even helped by natives who would become known as Native Americans. Eventually the people who settled here would fight the American Revolution, and they would win their freedom from England. This land would become known as the United States of America. Through the centuries, people from many different nations would come to this land seeking the same freedoms and rights that the Pilgrims had been seeking.

Our forefathers were God-fearing people. They prayed to Him daily. They read the Bible. Prayer was allowed in school. Prayer was allowed anytime and anywhere. Our nation prospered. We as a people were blessed. God was with us then, and He is still with us now. He is still our Rock and Protector. He is our Savior and Father. However, there are those out there who want to see God and His blessings leave our nation.

Prayer is no longer allowed in our schools. Groups are fighting to keep baby Jesus and the nativity scene out of town squares at Christmas. Schools are being sued if God is mentioned at graduation. City governments are being sued because they pray before a meeting begins. Political groups are wanting to remove the words “In God We Trust” from our money. We can’t even post monuments to the Ten Commandments without someone raising a stink about the separation of church and state. God eventually punishes the areas of the world that think and act like He does not exist or start to turn away from Him.

As long as we are silent, things will get worse before they get better. There are people out there who are starting to fight back. Parents are starting to cry out for prayer to be reinstated in schools. States are passing bills to allow the Ten Commandments to be posted in state buildings. ‘One nation under God’ is starting to rise again, and it will continue to rise as long as we do not keep silent. Our forefathers were not silent…nor should we be.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for letting us be citizens of the land of the free. We pray that You continue to lead this nation through the coming years and through turbulent times. Lead us to Your blessings and protect us from hard times. Protect our troops as they protect our freedoms, and protect those here at home who protect us on our shores. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thrive

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Here in this worn and weary land
Where many a dream has died
Like a tree planted by the water
We never will run dry
So living water flowing through
God, we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire

Just to know You and to make You known
We lift Your Name on High
Shine like the sun, may darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It’s time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive

Into Your Word we’re digging deep
To know our Father’s heart
Into the world we’re reaching out
To show them who You are
So living water flowing through
God, we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire

Joy unspeakable
Faith unsinkable
Love unstoppable
Anything is possible

We were made to thrive

Songwriters: Mark Hall and Matthew West
Performed by Casting Crowns
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We were made to SHINE and THRIVE in this world
We were made to stand out in a very lost and lonely world…

I LOVE this quote by Joyce Meyer:
What does it mean to be more than a conqueror—You already know you’ve got the victory before you ever get the problem.

AMEN!!! We are victorious in every situation because of HIM!!  We weren’t made to JUST survive…we were made to THRIVE!!!

They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
Jeremiah 17:8 ESV

Like a tree living by the water, we will NEVER run dry!!! What a promise!!! Can I get and AMEN!!! If that doesn’t give you some encouragement and hope…I don’t know what will! That is SO our God!!!

Because of Him we can have joy unspeakable!!!

Without having seen Him, you love Him;
though you do not [even] now see Him,
you believe in Him and exult and thrill
with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.
1 Peter 1:8 AMP

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Oh Heavenly Father, thank You for this awesome word…that we can have joy unspeakable and that we will NEVER run dry in this worn and weary land..Into your Word we are digging deep! May we show the world just Who You are by the lives that we lead. May We thirst more and more for you!!! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!!!!

Handcrafted

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The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
Psalms 33:11-18

How often do we see commercials advertising products that will make our appearance stand out?  We seek out hairstyles, makeup, and clothes that will make us unique and that will define our own “look.” I think about individuality in our appearance, the car we drive, our performance at work—we want to be unique.  In a quest for uniqueness, and in being our own person, this verse paints a picture:

He fashions their hearts individually…
Verse 15

Our Heavenly Father values our individuality. He values that we are all different and because of this He created our hearts differently. He is not concerned with our outside appearance, but rather with what is inside. He gave us different passions and desires, different strengths and weaknesses, different characteristics—all which make us the unique creation that we are.

They call America the melting pot, where we respect and admire others for their differences, and our differences make us who we are. It is a gift to have the ability to impact others and the world in only a way we can. It is a gift to have been handmade, crafted, and designed individually. We have had God’s hands forming who we are now and who we will continue to grow to be.

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Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making us one-of-a-kind. Thank You for making each of us who we are—individually and in Your image. Please give us the courage and strength we need to use our individual skills to make a difference for You. And to impact others how only we can. Thank You for the freedom to do these things as well. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Broken Hallelujah

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I can barely stand right now.
Everything is crashing down,
And I wonder where You are.

I try to find the words to pray.
I don’t always know what to say,
But You’re the one that can hear my heart.

Even though I don’t know what your plan is,
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes.

I’ve seen joy and I’ve seen pain
On my knees, I call Your name
Here’s my broken hallelujah
With nothing left to hold onto
I raise these empty hands to You
Here’s my broken hallelujah

You know the things that have brought me here.
You know the story of every tear.
‘Cause You’ve been here from the very start.

Even though I don’t know what your plan is,
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes.

When all is taken away, don’t let my heart be changed.
Let me always sing Hallelujah
When I feel afraid, don’t let my hope be erased
Let me always sing Hallelujah.
Let me always sing Hallelujah.

I will always sing
I will always sing
Here’s my broken hallelujah.

 Writer(s): Josh Havens/Matt Fuqua/Jordan Mohilowski/Dan Ostebo
Performed by The Afters

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The band, “The Afters,” wrote this song about Job and all the things he went through. Each band member put himself in Job’s place and challenged himself to this: if each one of us lost it all, and we had the trials that Job went through, (death, loss, illness etc.,) would we still praise God for Who He is and for what He has given us? Would we believe that He is good always, even when we don’t like what He gives? And the answer came in a song…this song.  (If you would like to hear more from The Afters about the story behind this song, click here.)

Can you relate? I know for me there are days that just putting one foot in front of the other is all I can do. Everything is so uncertain and the things I have prayed for seem light years away, yet I still praise Him and believe that He is good always and He loves me so much. I see all the little miracles throughout my days and although no one else may understand, I do and I am amazed that He is in the small details of my life. Sometimes the ‘Hallelujah!’ is broken, because I am. But as the song says, my heart is not changed. I am still so in love with my God.

There are times that I don’t know what to pray. Those are the times that I just hold out my empty arms and receive all He has to give  me. When we don’t know what we need, He does. And sometimes He allows pain into our lives and maybe we don’t know why but if we were to see the big picture, we would never change a thing. Because He is our Creator and He loves us more than anyone ever could, we trust Him in these times and rest in Him.

Where are you today? Are you wondering where He is right now? If you are going through a storm, He is right there with you. If you are on a mountain top, He walked with you all the way there. He never leaves you, regardless of how you feel. So praise Him with everything you have! Hold out those empty hands and let Him fill you with all He has for you. Because He is always worthy to be praised, even if your praise feels a little broken…

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.
Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
“Naked I came from my mothers womb and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away;
may the name of The Lord be praised.”
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Job 1:20-22 NIV

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Let us pray: Dearest Heavenly Father, You are worthy to be praised and worshipped. Thank You for the grace that we don’t deserve. You will take our ‘hallelujahs’ however they come. Even when we feel empty, and are in need, You know the answers before we ask. Lord, we ask that You give us the will and the courage to praise You, even when we aren’t where we want to be and we  have lost all we thought was important. When we have You, we have all we need. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

No Man Is An Island

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From His dwelling place He looks [intently] upon all the inhabitants of the earth—
He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who considers all their doings.
No king is saved by the great size and power of his army;
a mighty man is not delivered by [his] much strength.
Psalms 33:14-16

How mighty is our God!  He is the One Who can command the world to be made from nothing, into what we have now. In seven days, God spoke into existence each thing that exists. From the birds of the air and the annoying mosquitoes to the horses and, finally us, He created us for companionship.

Companionship means ‘the good feeling that comes from being with someone else‘. I would imagine that the companionship that exists in heaven is wonderful. Everyone getting along, no arguing, no complaining, no chores, no nagging backaches! Just imagine that—no more pain. Thinking on this reminded me of this song. We sung this in choir in high school in 1979. No on can stand alone, no matter what he/she make think.

No Man Is An Island

No man is an island, no man stands alone
Each man’s joy is joy to me
Each man’s grief is my own
We need one another, so I will defend
Each man as my brother
Each man as my friend

No man is an island far out in the blue
We all look to One above
Who our strength doth renew
When I help my brother
Then I know that I plant the seeds
Of friends    that will never die

I saw the people gather
I heard the music start
The song that they were singing
Is ringing in my heart

No man is an island, no man stands alone
Each man’s joy is joy to me
Each man’s grief is my own
We need one another, so I will defend
Each man as my brother
Each man as my friend

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Father, we know we cannot stand on our own.  Help us demonstrate this to those around us.  Help us to shine our light to others and also to not be afraid to show when we are desperate and in need.  You have placed people in our lives who can help strengthen us for when we feel afraid and are lost.  Thank You for Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Born For This

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Feels like I’ve been holding my breath, trying to still my restless heart
Everything hangs on my next step, finding my nerve, playing my part
I found shelter underneath His crown, found favor inside His eyes
Rock this boat, and I just might drown, honesty seems to come with a price
There’s a time to hold your tongue, time to keep your head down
There’s a time but it’s not now

Sometimes you gotta go, uninvited
Sometimes you gotta speak when you don’t have the floor
Sometimes you gotta move, when everybody else says you should stay
No way, no, not today
You gotta ask, if you want an answer
Sometimes you gotta stand apart from the crowd
Long before your heart could run the risk
You were born for this
You were born for this

I’m leaning on the ones before me, my father’s father’s dreams
I’m standing on the top of their shoulders calling the One delivering me
There’s a time to hold your tongue, time to keep your head down
There’s a time but it’s not now

One step, one move
Born to trust You
Made to lay my life before You

Songwriters: Nicole Nordeman, Bernie Herms
Performed by: Mandisa

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Ladies, we were born for such a time as this!!  We have been equipped for everything we need to live a life of victory.  We just need to tap into it!!!  We each have an important role in the Kingdom and it’s different for each of us.  God planned it that way, so that we all may function in unity together as sisters in Christ.  The question we need to be asking God is “What’s my role ?”  And, once you know, then do it well to honor and glorify your Daddy in Heaven.

We can learn SO MUCH from Queen Esther and her God-given boldness at just the right time.  It wasn’t the popular thing to do and she most certainly could have lost her life for her boldness.  She stood alone and yet she trusted God in it.  And because of it her people were saved.

  • Are we listening to what God is telling us to do?
  • Are we trusting Him in it?
  • Are we willing to step out in that holy boldness and be obedient?

Amazing things are awaiting when we choose to step out!
Obedience = Abundant Blessing

I love this excerpt from Dr. ChandraKumar Manickam:
“Some people watch history, while some people make history. A true hero recognizes a crisis and moves to meet it. What makes a hero? Someone would say, “Be just in the right place at the right time.” People become heroes, because they take quick action at the “right time,” while others stand watching in horror. This kind of courage made Esther a brave heroine in the history of Israel.
Though queen Esther did not have a specific title of ministry, she was instrumental in saving the entire Jewish nation. She was steadfastly committed to living according to godly principles. This allowed God to use her for His purpose and glory.”

click here for entire teaching

Ladies, let us not be just watchers but instead step out in faith and let God use us right now for His purposes—orchestrated by Him for His glory!!!

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that we were born for such a time as this and that each of us women have a very IMPORTANT role in the Kingdom.  May we choose to operate in the different roles that you have appointed specifically for each one of us…so that we may live in unity with each other.  I pray that each woman would step out in holy boldness at just the right moment orchestrated by You for Your glory and Yours alone…in Jesus’ name!!!  Amen.