Count Your Blessings

These blessings are for all of us, God never excludes anyone. These are the material blessings of peace, prosperity, a fruitful land, children, victory in war and, above all, God will make you His people. We struggle with asking for what He has already set aside for us. God wants to bless your comings and your goings; this means the beginning and end of every action. He is our Provider and when we are blessed, we, in turn, will bless others. If you want victory at work, you need God on your side; if you want victory with children who have fallen away, God will honor your petitions if you follow His Commandments. We can never do this alone. We need the help of our Creator.

The Lord will give you victory and prosperity; that means He will put your enemies in place and make them scatter in seven different directions. God wants to bless the work of your hands. We do everything with our hands. He wants to bless what flows through our fingers: our work, our creativity, our touch, and how we lift our hands in praise.

I want the rain in due season because sometimes I’m spiritually dry and need the soft sprinkles of heavenly mist to rejuvenate my prayer life.

Being the head and not the tail means that you understand who you are in the Kingdom of God. This does not mean that we are to push others aside to reach the top; rather, we are to treat others as the head. This lack of respect is one of the missing elements in our society today. We cannot control what is being displayed by the vast majority of the media, but we can choose to walk away from this incivility. We have allowed evil to not only prevail in our land, we are being made to believe that this is a justified action on the part of the perpetrators. You will always be the tail if you disrespect others.

The more you serve the Lord, the more crosses you are given. I will never be able to take the COVID-19 immunization because I suffer from an autoimmune disorder. This disorder was brought on by getting the flu shot. There is no cure for this unsightly condition, no medication to keep it at bay either. In April it will be two years that I have suffered with lichen  plantus; the only relief is that the lesions are fewer  than before. So if I developed an autoimmune deficiency with the flu shot, I can only imagine the disaster of a new, unsafely tested vaccine.  Most likely it will wreak havoc on my already weakened immune system. My allergies have escalated to a new high, so now I double up on the doses. I always forget to include myself in prayer, but my sweet  husband tells me that he prays for my healing daily. We learn to carry our crosses with grace by not complaining  (I’m still working on that one).

It does not matter where you are in you relationship with God, you could be a holy roller, someone who just attends church once a year, or a non-believer. The Holy Spirit is always available, ask Him to  help you.

COVID-19

This demonic pandemic has affected all of us. When it first started back in March, our Bible study group prayed for strangers with COVID-19. As time passed more and more people that I know personally have contracted coronavirus: two nieces, a nephew, an ex-brother-in-law and his brother and several cousins. The virus has taken a toll on two of these mentioned. One of my cousins, Ricky, is still in the hospital after four weeks following his diagnosis. What we do not understand about virus will be a lesson for all doctors and nurses treating patients. Why some react worse than others is still partly a mystery. My cousin did not have any underlying health issues, yet at one point he was fighting for his life. His mother, my Tia Maria, who is 95 years old suffered from fever and headaches but pretty much breezed through the virus with only a few days of hospitalization. Thanks be to God and the prayer chain, my cousin’s health has improved and he may soon be released from the hospital. According to the specialist, Ricky will  have several months of recovery ahead of him, but through the grace of God we will continue to pray for a speedy recovery.

If you need a financial blessing, start tithing to God’s work.  Offer your services to the needs of others. If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, you must first become a servant. We give out of our necessity, because the more you give from your heart the more will be returned to you. This is God’s rule of reciprocity.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the blessings You have bestowed on us. Thank you for good health and for keeping us safe during this pandemic. Lord, give us victory in every area of our lives. Teach us to operate in humility and to fully understand that You will bless our comings and our goings. Lord, I pray for all those who are suffering with coronavirus, especially my cousin Ricky.  Bring total restoration to their bodies and bless them with Your healing touch. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to live in this great land, a place where we can freely praise You!