{"id":12204,"date":"2013-05-30T01:01:07","date_gmt":"2013-05-30T05:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=12204"},"modified":"2013-05-29T23:17:36","modified_gmt":"2013-05-30T03:17:36","slug":"girls-with-swords-chapter-10-sword-of-light-discernment-and-prayer-pgs-162-165","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/05\/30\/girls-with-swords-chapter-10-sword-of-light-discernment-and-prayer-pgs-162-165\/","title":{"rendered":"Girls with Swords: Chapter 10 \u2013 \u201cSword of Light \u2013 Discernment and Prayer\u201d (pgs. 162-165)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Some weeks as I am sitting with my pink laptop, Bible, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Girls with <span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">Swords<\/span> <\/span>book, preparing the blog for you all, I wish I could just rewrite everything Lisa has written on the pages we are about to discuss.\u00a0 Not because I do not want to write but because <b>her words touch my heart so much, they challenge me, and they bring me closer to God.\u00a0 <\/b>So much of what she has written has led me to dig <span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">in to<\/span> God\u2019s Word more and more.\u00a0 <i>I pray that her words have done the same for you!\u00a0 <\/i>I am thankful for Lisa\u2019s words.\u00a0 Reading this section of the book, these are\u00a0the words that stuck out the most to me; they are found on page 164:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Discernment and true intercession have the power to release restrained captives into their destiny.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Throughout His earthly walk, Jesus discerned the work of the evil one, then interceded by bringing light, truth, and healing <span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">into<\/span> the darkened days of earth.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Discernment realizes when others are blind and then intercedes based on their ignorance rather than on their actions.\u00a0 The Cross ended our separation from God, but His intercession didn\u2019t stop there.\u00a0 Jesus <span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">not only rose<\/span> from the grave; he ascended into heaven:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i>Who shall bring any charge against God\u2019s elect?\u00a0 It is God who justifies.\u00a0 Who is to condemn?\u00a0 Christ Jesus is the one who died&#8212;more than that, who was raised&#8212;who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Romans 8:33-34<\/p>\n<p>Once again, Lisa\u2019s words remind me that I am a princess warrior (in training) for the King.\u00a0 I am challenged to remember what God has done for me over again so I will never forget!\u00a0 I believe the best part of witnessing God\u2019s work in your life is learning in those moments <em>how to let God work in the lives of others by interceding for them<\/em>.\u00a0 These are the lives of the restrained captives and ignorant warriors who are blind to God\u2019s power in their own life.\u00a0 When God is working in your life to form you into the princess He has designed you to be, it is not always under the best of circumstances.\u00a0 <i>Sometimes, God&#8217;s best work is in the darkest part of our walk with Him.<\/i>\u00a0 Through these moments, though, we have found God\u2019s light that we may shine brightly for others who are living in darkness to see.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/GodsBestWork.jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-12208\" alt=\"GodsBestWork.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/GodsBestWork.jpg.jpg\" width=\"480\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/GodsBestWork.jpg.jpg 600w, https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/GodsBestWork.jpg-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I have learned so much <span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">of<\/span> how to share God\u2019s help with others because I was once held captive, restrained by Satan\u2019s slithering grasp.\u00a0 I was once an ignorant princess who did not even know she possessed warrior potential.\u00a0 I was so blinded by the darkness my life was quickly becoming.\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Can anyone relate?<\/span>\u00a0 When I was living in the darkness of my past sins, mistakes, shame, and poison, I remember crying painful tears every single day.\u00a0 These tears left stains on my heart&#8230; dark stains.\u00a0 Every time I cried, I always wished someone would see me crying, and then just maybe that someone would pray for me.\u00a0 <b>I knew I desperately needed prayer, but I had no strength or words to pray for myself.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>When I finally decided to start getting back into God\u2019s Word, I came across this passage one day:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.<br \/>\nWe do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself<br \/>\nintercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.<br \/>\nAnd he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,<br \/>\nbecause the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God\u2019s will.<br \/>\n<strong>Romans 8:26-27<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The first time I read this, yes, I CRIED!\u00a0 This time the tears were not painful; instead they were filled with joy and thankfulness to God.\u00a0 These new tears washed away the stains the painful ones had left on my heart.\u00a0 After reading this passage, I realized that God saw every tear that fell from my eyes and, not only did He catch them in His hands, but He also prayed each one away.\u00a0 In those teary moments, God\u2019s spirit interceded for me.\u00a0 He was the One I was wishing for all along to pray for me&#8212;I just didn\u2019t know it at the time.\u00a0 This realization moved me to tears; wouldn\u2019t it do the same for you?\u00a0 This passage remains true for each and every one of us.\u00a0 Whether it is our tears that are falling into darkness or the tears of others<i>, God\u2019s Spirit is ready to intercede for us on behalf of the tears that stain our hearts. <\/i><\/p>\n<p>The darkness we go through is never pitch black.\u00a0 There is always God\u2019s light nearby or far away depending on how fast you are <span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">wandering<\/span> from His path for your life.\u00a0 In our darkest moments, God is interceding for us with His truth, light, and healing.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the dark we find God\u2019s light.<\/p>\n<p>Because we have found God\u2019s light, we are able to help others find God\u2019s light.<\/p>\n<p>From our darkened moments, we learn how to intercede for others who are searching desperately for \u201ctheir light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As conquerors through Christ, we are here for a purpose to be God\u2019s light THROUGH the tunnel for others to see.\u00a0 When lost warriors and restrained captives find YOU on their dark path, will you be shining on God\u2019s path and guiding them to Him?\u00a0 Will you be the reflection of God\u2019s Light&#8212;His Son?\u00a0 Will you discern God\u2019s truth that is needed and intercede for all of the lost?\u00a0 God desires to set the captives free through YOU and ME, can you believe that?!\u00a0 We know we can handle such a task because God&#8217;s Spirit is our aide at all times.<\/p>\n<p><b>When I was traveling through my dark tunnel, I found God\u2019s light in the midst of the darkness because of faithful followers of Christ who looked through the exterior of my hardened self, and discerned what my heart truly needed, a healthy dose of Jesus!\u00a0 <\/b>For that reason and so many others, I desire to be that same light to the whole lost world.\u00a0 It is not time for judging the exterior shells of others we pass by on our path to Heaven; it is time to intercede for the lost, darkened hearts, waiting to be broken out of their shell by Jesus\u2019 mighty power.\u00a0 God, we give YOU all glory forever and ever!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0*****<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s Pray:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lord, thank You for Your goodness.\u00a0 Thank You for giving us your H<span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">oly<\/span> Spirit to live inside of our hearts.\u00a0 I pray that You help all of us princess warriors in training to be YOUR Light for others to see.\u00a0 I ask Your Spirit to help us discern and intercede on behalf of the lost darkened world.\u00a0 I pray that others see Your light shining <span class=\"GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct\">bright<\/span> through us.\u00a0 Thank You for teaching us how to be Your useful light, even (and especially) if it was not under the best of circumstances.\u00a0 We trust that our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.\u00a0 Lord, until we are living in YOUR GLORY, let us bring You glory through living out Your will for our lives.\u00a0 We pray all of these things in your Precious, Holy Name. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some weeks as I am sitting with my pink laptop, Bible, and Girls with Swords book, preparing the blog for you all, I wish I could just rewrite everything Lisa has written on the pages we are about to discuss.\u00a0 Not because I do not want to write but because her words touch my heart [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":12208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[144,147,2581,218,308,1993,365,379,425,1985,2579,441,2576,554,1986,2580,723,724,791,2578,2577,1617,2582,1135],"class_list":["post-12204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-womens","tag-bible","tag-bible-study","tag-captives","tag-christianity","tag-diane-meyers","tag-discernment","tag-faith","tag-fellowship","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-girls-with-swords","tag-gods-light","tag-gods-love","tag-intercesion","tag-jesus","tag-lisa-bevere","tag-lost-world","tag-online-bible-studies","tag-online-bible-study","tag-prayer","tag-romans-826-27","tag-romans-833-34","tag-satan","tag-set-free","tag-womens-bible-studies","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/GodsBestWork.jpg.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p39pHp-3aQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12204"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12210,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12204\/revisions\/12210"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}