Prayer for This Day of Rest....

Hmmm... We're heading out the door for church in fifteen minutes... First and foremost I need to pray for our Pastor, Cere. He's already preached the early message but he has one more coming up in hour.

I must pray for my family as well. For some reason Sundays tend to be the most difficult day for family harmony. I am claiming the famous phrase from Romans as my verse for the day...

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

- Romans 12:18

My heart is willing, and by God's Divine Grace, today WILL be a day of peace for this family.


Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord the Sabbath is designed to be all about you. It is supposed to be a day where we commemorate the work You did during the creation period and the time You rested afterwards.

Father God it should be a time of drawing close to You individually and in corporate worship. Lord I pray that this will be a day of peace for this family. I pray that we honor You with our words, with the tone of our voice, with all our heart, mind, and soul.

Lord I lift up Cere as he prepares to deliver his message this next hour. I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will descend upon the entire church body and we leave today renewed and transformed ready to impact the world for Your Kingdom.

Father God I especially lift up Connor to You this morning. I pray for a double blessing of His time with You and the rest of our family today. I pray for my heart Lord. Keep it soft and tender. Season my words with Your grace my King. I clothe myself in full armor this morning ready for anything the enemy my send my way.

Lord I Love You. I praise You, my King. And I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Prayer for my effectiveness as a Father and Leader

There's no way we can reach our potential effectiveness to this lost and dying world if we can't treat each other right and get along within our own family unit.

-Samuel Chadwell, November 2008

I'm struggling to be an effective spiritual leader and role model to my wife and children. Of course my main problem once again is trying to solve this issue under my own power. I can not and will not be able to fix this on my own.


Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I pray that I could be more effective as a parent and husband to my family. I consider my relationship with my family to be the most important 'mission field' of my life. And I know it must be important because otherwise, the enemy would not be paying so much attention to it.

Father God I lift up Monica, Connor, and Elijah to You. Bless them, Lord I pray. I am so grateful for my family. But Lord I have not been an effective spiritual leader or role model and I am deeply sorry for that. I want this family to honor You and give You glory by the way we treat each other. Lord I am especially ineffective with Connor. While I pray for changes in his life I recognize that I need to effect some changes as well.

Lord I pray that Connor would seek a closer walk with You and spend more time engaged in things that have a consequence in Your Kingdom Work. And Lord I pray those things for myself, too.

Father God, Elijah is getting old enough to where he can discern when there is conflict present in our home and I do not want him to grow up with conflict. Lord my wife is the sweetest woman on this planet. I love her and want to honor her with a happy wholesome family unit.

Above all else Lord I pray that Your Holy Name be glorified by the way this family loves and treats each other. Lord my focus today is on my own family, but Lord I also ift up families everywhere to You. What's wrong with this family is what's wrong with the world.

I love You Lord, and I'm grateful to be a part of the family of God. You've got this situation under control. I rest in You my King. And I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Day After Thanksgiving... I'm still Thankful...

We had a nice Thanksgiving in the Chadwell House this year. Our meal was about the best I can ever remember. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day cooking with my wife. After dinner we enjoyed a pay per view movie together.

Now what do we do with the day after Thanksgiving...? Well, we continue to give thanks and praise. It's a gorgeous day outside. After I complete this post Elijah and I are going to go for a walk...

Anyway... Every day should be a day of Thanksgiving...!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord thank You for this life. Today my prayer is simple. I love You and want to live my life for You. I lift You up with my highest praise today. You are a mighty, powerful, awesome God...!

Father God I stand in the gap this morning for my country and it's leaders. Bless our leaders to know a closer relationship with You. Raise up and send a generation of believers to impact those around them for Kingdom matters.

Thank You for blessing me to bless others... I pray my light shines brightly for You today.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Shout a Joyful Noise... Psalm 100:1

Praise God Today.... I hope You enjoy these Michael W Smith Concert Videos, they are some of my favorites and completely sum up how grateful I am for my precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...!

Happy Thanksgiving...!

Proud of the Next Generation...

You know how I've been praying for God to raise up the 'next Generation of Believers' who will take a stand for Christ and all the bible holds dear... Well Praise The Lord He's doing just that.

I am a member of facebook, an Internet social networking community. I joined it primarily to reconnect with and witness to friends and family from around the world.

My heart recently swelled with pride when I was looking on the profile of one of my former tennis students. He had posted a note to all the friends in his network about how he felt about the results of the recent presidential election.

Several of his friends posted dissenting comments regarding his support of Senator McCain. My former student gave them a piece of his mind, calling them out for supporting a candidate who supports abortion.

It is so refreshing to see that there are young people in college who are taking an active stand for Christ, the life of innocent unborn babies, and the preservation of the family as more important issues than the economy. God is raising up the next generation.

Praise the Lord...!

Dear Father God,

Thank You so much for the reassurance I have regarding the next generation of believers. Lord I lift up my friend Josh to continue to be strong and let his light shine in front of his peers and the world. Bless his efforts to educate his friends about what is important.

Father God I stand in the Gap today for all those who have a callous attitude abut the fate of unborn babies. Forgive those who care more about the price of gasoline than preserving an innocent life from murder.

Lord, please influence President Elect Obama to change his stand on supporting abortion and wake up the American people to realize that this is a grievous sin against Humanity and Heaven...!

Father God I love You. I give today for Your Glory. Help me to influence those around me for what is good, true and right. Help the world to see You in me. Lord I also pray for special blessings on my tennis camp this morning. I ask for breakthroughs for each and every one of students this morning.

Thank You Father for my family, my new job, my country and the opportunity to make a difference in this world. And most of all, thank You for dying on the cross to save the souls of mankind.

You are an awesome, wonderful, incredible, loving, holy God. Praise You, Jesus...!

And I pray these things in Your precious name, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Amen and Amen...!

Preparing My Heart For Thanksgiving

I've been thinking very much about this year's Thanksgiving. This one seems quite different to me than all the previous ones in my life. I can't quite explain it more succinctly than that.

The Lord has really been making my heart more tender to a lot of things in my life. I am more in love with my wife and family than I ever have been. That in itself is not so unusual, I suppose. But I've never felt more attuned to the fact that every good thing in my life is from God. I've been blessed way beyond what I really deserve.

I have this sense though that America is unraveling at an incredible speed and our society's way of life is about to drastically change. My 'sense' tells me to that this could be one of the last few Thanksgiving holidays as we know it.

And the question is what am I going to do about it...?

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I love You. And I am very grateful for my life and my 'way' of life. Father God, You have blessed me so much and I have done very little to nothing in return. Isn't it time that I started acting more like a child of God and impacting this world around me...?

Lord Help me. I need Holy Spirit Power to change. I am weak in and of myself but in You I am strong. I can see so clearly the little satanic traps I fall into time after time. Conflict at home with family members and issues with managing time and money are some of the main things that distract me and divide my time leaving precious little else for Kingdom Work.

Father God first and foremost, I am sorry. I apologize. I want to do better. I want to live a life that is completely honoring You. Oh You are showing me more things about myself this year that You ever had. And I am truly grateful.

I give today to You Lord. It's all about You, for Your Glory. And I stand in the gap for this great country which I am very thankful for. I pray for a spiritual revival to take place across this land. I pray for the generation of believers that You are raising up this very minute to fight here on earth for Your Kingdom in Heaven.

Lord I pray for the heart of Barack Obama. Soften it to You, Lord. Father God I pray for Christian influence in His Life. I pray for his family and his administration. Bless them to know You and make decisions based on the Truth of Your Holy Word.

Father God You are a good and awesome God. You've got the whole world in Your hands. I rest in You, my King. And I pray these things in Jesus' Name, AMEN.

Prayer for this Week..

Dear Heavenly Father,

In this time of need, strengthen me. You are my strength and my shield; You are my refuge. I know, Father God, that You strengthen those whose hearts long for You. The body grows weary, but my hope is in You to renew my strength. I do not fear, for You are with me. I am not dismayed or overwhelmed, for You are my God. I know You will strengthen me and help me; that You will uphold me with Your righteous hand.

Lord I need You today and everyday. My family needs You. This country needs You.

Father God Lift us up, hold us up. I press on for You , my King. I give today for Your Glory and I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

An Amazing Prayer for our Country...

I was searching for the phrase: 'praying for a hedge of protection' and came across an awesome prayer for our country at this link... http://www.praying.org/urgent-prayer-requests/3778-hedge-protection.html

I am awed by the specificity of this prayer. I stand in complete agreement with my dear friend in Christ Zephthree17, and pray blessings over their house and family.

Hearing God's Voice...

In Dr Charles Stanley's Devotional this morning he discussed discerning God's Voice. The consensus is that God still speaks to His people and we must learn to hear His voice.

One way to miss His voice is to stay busy all the time. Even when one's 'busy-ness' consists of 'good works', there is still a limit to the amount of responsibility God wants us to assign to our twenty-four hour day.

Staying busy all the time definitely mutes the work of the Holy Spirit.

Another way to miss the voice of the Holy Spirit is to attach yourself to a spritual leader or denomination that does not follow scripture or who may add or subtract from the gospel. Of course, there is no way to know if You are being deceived about The Word if You are not in The Word, yourself.

I love the scripture verse John 1:4... Beloved, test the spirits, because many false teachers have gone out into the world....

Today I am praying for discernment to hear God's Voice. I am praying for sanity in an insane world. I am praying a hedge of protection around my family, myself, and my property today. I am praying for warrior angels to stand at all the entrances of my home today and keep away any wandering or evil spirits. Here is a great website I came across this morning regarding praying for God's protection. When you have a few moments, I definitely recommend browsing that site...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord God thank You for Your Holy Spirit that gives me discernment. Father God I thank You for the many obvious blessings in my life, especially my sweet precious wife and family. Lord I thank and praise You for my new employment venue.

My Lord and Savior, I pray for victory over the stronghold of busy-ness once and for all. Father God I pray that nothing would take priority or precedence over being in Your word and doing Your will.

Lord I pray for a legion of Warrior Angels to stand guard and form a hedge of protection around my family and I today. Father God, You are the Lord of my life and I Love You.

I give today to You Lord, and I pray these things in the power of the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lifting up my wife

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I lift up my precious Monica to YOU... Father I pray a hedge of protection around her right this moment. Bless her sleep tonight, Lord. I pray that the enemy would not be able to touch her or even come close to her or this family. Father God I stand in the gap for my family. If anyone or anything is going to affect my family it has to come through me first. And Lord I am strong in You. No weapon formed against this family will prevail, and we will serve and honor YOU, my King. I Pray these things in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Weekend Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I give you thanks and praise for a beautiful day this morning. I pray for a great tennis program this morning at 10 AM, and harmony at home this evening and tomorrow. I lift up my sweet wife who needs a little rest today. I pray for her day, Lord. And as always I cover my two boys, Connor and Elijah with a protective hedge of prayer. Bless them to be a great blessing to their mother today, my King.

Father God I give you praise and glory for every good thing that happens today. Lord I stand up this morning for America and it's leaders. I pray for Your Divine Grace and Wisdom. I pay that you would raise up a generation of believers who will impact this society and our world in a great way.

Father God I love You and I am Your humble servant. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen

Praying in Jesus' Name

Here's a thought provoking article from a Christian tennis pro with whom I have been acquainted with since my junior tennis days. He was asked to pray before a large group of varying faiths and he writes how he struggled whether he would pray 'in Jesus' name' or not.

He had some concern about offending others whose religion did not recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior. I have faced that situation too on many occasions, myself. I believe it's much easier to pray out loud before a crowded room of Christians, than a mixed group of varying faiths.

Romans 1:16-17 would always come to my mind when I struggled with what to do. If I refuse to pray in Jesus Name so as not to offend anyone, doesn't that mean that I am 'ashamed' of the name of Jesus, and therefore, the Gospel...?

A reader commented on David's Blog with several biblical instances of Jesus giving us instruction in this matter of how we are to pray:

...And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. -John 14:13

Other scriptural examples of Jesus instructing us to pray in His Name include:

John 14:14 – If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

John 15:16 – Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 16:23 – And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

John 16:24 – Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

John 16:26 – At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you [as our High Priest who forever makes intercession for us].

Also, see Paul on the subject at Ephesians 5:20 and Colossians 3:17.

What Does a Devoted Follower of Christ Look Like...?

When I think of a role model of a devoted follower of Christ I think of my precious wife... She is always in the Word. She is always thinking of other people before herself. She is frequently exhausted because she spends most of her day in the caring of her family and friends.

I have got to be one of the blessed husbands on the planet because of my dear sweet Monica...!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I thank You and give you praise for my wife. She is an awesome helpmate. She is a blessing to this family.

Lord I lift her up to You today as Monica has a long and challenging day of teaching ahead of her. Bless her energy level and focus as she awakes in a few minutes to start her morning preparing for her classes. Father God if there is anything I can do to make her day go smoother or easier please help me to be attuned to my wife's needs and be there when she needs me. She is always there for me, Lord.

Father God I pray a special blessing on Monica's students. I pray that many lives would be changed today by her encouraging words and Godly witness.

Lord I lift up Elijah and Connor today, too. I pray for a good day at school for them, Lord. I also ask blessings on my preparation for DTS tonight. It's getting down to the wire and I still have much preparing to do...

Father God I still have the interests of this great country of ours close to my heart. Lord please continue to bless America. I still pray that You raise up a generation of believers who would stand strong and tall for You. I pray for that Godly, Christian influence on our president and other governmental leaders.

Lord I pray for revival across this land. I pray for repentance from a people who have gone astray.

Father, Lord, Savior.... -I love You. I give this day to You, my King. Forever and Ever, In Jesus Name I Pray, AMEN...!

Intensive Discipleship Training This Week

Starting tomorrow Monica and I will be attending an intensive, three-day, twelve hour Discipleship Training Course at our church. We were assigned a lot of homework to complete prior to the course. One of the assignments was to read the story of Joseph in Genesis 37 through 50. His story has always been one of my favorite bible stories.

Joseph had many bad things happen to him and he faced many temptations but remained true to his faith and his God through out it all and the Lord blessed him greatly for his faithfulness. The life story of Joseph shows example after example of how the Lord works all things together for good to those who trust Him.

Our Pastor encouraged us to read the story of Joseph several times and asked us to think through it closely because it is a key element of understanding our own lives and the working of God's will.

I am going to spend much of the day today preparing for this course. And I lift up my wife and everyone else who will be attending this class over the next three days.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You Lord for this opportunity to draw closer to You. Lord I pray that lives will be touched and changed forever because of this course. Father God I ask that You prepare my heart for this weekend. Make it tender and open to the Holy Spirit's prompting.

Lord help Monica and I to complete our pre-class assignments today. Bless Elijah to be self-contained and busy today. We are setting this time aside for You, Lord. Pastor Cere said that many things might happen to us this week to distract us, keep us from completing our work, or even prevent us from attending the course. Lord I just pray a hedge of protection around my family and myself over the next few days.

Father God I love You. I give today to You like I've given no other day. Help me to remain completely focused on the tasks at hand. It's all about You Lord and for Your Glory.

My life is in Your Hands. I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

America, Are You getting enough to eat...?

I would dare say that very few Americans will go hungry today. -Or thirsty, for that matter. But in other parts of the world food is scarce and clean drinking water is rare. I know that I take these every day conveniences for granted at times because it's been over twenty years since I've been exposed to famine and/or poverty during my travels abroad.

Now, let's look at the title of my article from a spiritual perspective... Are we getting enough to eat 'spiritually'...? I don't think I am... I'm in The Word a little bit each day but I'd call my spiritual nourishment routine a little better than a 'starvation diet'

I believe God desires, expects, and deserves better treatment than that. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life...

He is the Bread of Life....

Is there any BREAD of Life in your diet...?

If so, are You willing to share some of that bread with others around you, or are you willing to sit there and watch them starve to death spiritually...?

My wife and I rescued a dog from the side of the road a few months ago. That poor dog had been abandoned and was starving. It was literally a skeleton with fur pulled over it. We couldn't bear to see that poor animal suffer.

But how many of the people in our lives are suffering spiritually because we can't 'see' their ribs...? The results of our recent presidential election prove that the majority of America is malnourished spiritually.

I feel like I'm just 'rambling' this morning, but hopefully these words will mean something to somebody who reads this blog today.

I stand in the Gap for America today. And with each passing day I feel a stronger call to make more of a difference in the lives around me, my sphere of influence.

I want to change the world as best I can and make it a better place for Elijah and Connor.

Praying for the New Week...

Dear Heavenly Father...

Lord I just pray that You bless my new week. Help my organization and my communication as I transition to a new lesson location this week in Angleton. Bless my family Lord, the past week has been a little difficult on every one's schedule with the closing down of my Columbia Lakes location.

Lord I pray blessings on the management at Columbia Lakes and all the co workers I have left behind.

Father God as I look forward to the future I do so with eager anticipation of abundant blessings. I love You Lord and every success that I have is from You and for Your Glory.

Lord help me tie up all the loose ends and all the projects I need to complete this week and bless my lessons and travel today to Clear Lake.

Father God, You've got the whole world in Your Hands. Thank You for being such a great big God...! I give my troubles, cares and concerns to You my King. I will follow You.

Lord please bless America. Withhold Your judgement on this country just a bit longer. I pray that You lift up a generation of people who will live their lives totally abandoned to You. Help Monica and I to raise our sons to be part of that generation.

Father I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Sunday Prayer

Lord I lift up Pastor Cere this morning as he prepares for his Sunday message. I also lift up clergymen all over the world today. Father God I pray Holy Spirit power to come down and anoint believers around the world to take a stand for truth, righteousness, and life.

I pray for a peaceful family day for my own family. I pray for a restful day, yet a day of accomplishment.

Lord I pray our President, President -elect, and our country. I lift up that small remnant that still stands in the gap for America and the world.

Bless us Lord. I pray for more time to accomplish great things for Your Kingdom. I love You, and pray these things in Jesus name, Amen.

Thankfulness and Praise...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I look out the window and see a beautiful day. You made today. You are an Awesome God.

Thank You, Lord.

Father God, I awakened this morning without a heaviness of heart and spirit. I feel like a huge burden of oppression has been lifted from my shoulders.

Thank You, Lord.

My Blessed Savior, I look in front of me and see a golden opportunity to honor You lay ahead. You are the maker and author of all good things.

Thank You Lord.

My Beloved Redeemer, You make all things new. You have taken a wretch like me and transformed my life. I will never be the same again. Never, never, never...!

Thank You Lord.

I love You, Lord. You have done great things for me. Lord Jesus, I give my all to You today and every day. I pray blessings this morning on my precious wife who wore herself out helping me these past few days. Thank You for my precious help-mate. She is a blessing to me. And thank You Father for my precious children. I can't imagine life without Connor and Elijah.

Lord, I lift up those co-workers whom I leave behind in my previous place of employment. I also lift up the upper management, Lord. I specifically lift up Dondra and Billy to You, my King.

Father God I thank You for the many opportunities I have had to let Your light shine. I am sorry for the missed opportunities.

I am ever grateful for another day to glorify You through loving my family and coaching tennis. I consider myself set apart and especially blessed.

I PRAISE YOU, JESUS...!

Lord, as always I lift up President Obama and his family to You. I lift up his administration to You. Bless them to know You, Lord. Bless them to be obedient to Your Word. Father God I pray for continued mercy on America and that You would raise up a new Generation of Believers who will influence this world for the sake of Your Kingdom.

I stand in the Gap for America today. And I give You the praise and glory today for every good thing that happens.

I pray these things in the precious name of my beloved Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Praise Report...!

God has provided a new employment opportunity for me. God is good. Blessed be the name of the Lord....!

I begin teaching at the Bayou Club in Angleton tomorrow...! YEA....!

Prayer for our Country...Prayer for Barack Obama and his family

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord my life seems to be a whirlwind of that which would distract me from You. Help me to keep my focus, Lord. Let my day be about honoring You in all my thoughts, words, and deeds.

My Precious Holy Savior, I lift up President Elect Obama and his family today. Lord I pray for Christian influence in his life and the lives of his wife, family and administration. Father God I recognize that there will be many people from President Bush's administration that may become unemployed as a result of the transition. I lift them and their families up to you also, my King.

Lord there are so many issues at stake in the new administration. One such issue is abortion. Father God I know that it is NOT Your will for abortion to be funded and endorsed as a woman's 'basic right' by our government. I don't believe it is the will of the majority of Americans. Lord I pray for intervention in this area.

Father God only You have the right to give life and take it away. Lord I pray that some way, some how the lives of precious, innocent, unborn babies are protected...!

Lord I ask for mercy on America. Forgive us our sins. I pray for repentance, Lord. I pray for the healing of the morality of America.

Father God I love You and I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Obedient and Trusting

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I sincerely thank You for the chain of events that is currently unfolding in my life. I am sorry that I did not heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit sooner.

I realize that I have come to this conclusion before, several times in my career.

Why is it that I seem to keep getting short term memory loss?

It doesn't matter so much where I work, but that I serve You with all my heart, mind, and soul. I can not with good conscience work for an organization that does not Honor You.

Father God I step out in faith this morning. Lord I trust in You. I stand on Your Word. I will be obedient. I give You all the praise and honor that You so richly deserve. Though I can not see what the future will bring, I know that as long as I am obedient to Your Principles then I have nothing to fear...

I love YOU LORD. And I pray these things in JESUS' name. Amen.

The 'Art' of Silence...

How does a person know when to speak out or when to remain silent...? That is a good question.

Here are some scripture verses about communication with others to meditate on and pray about this morning...

Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 21:23 Whosoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

James 3:2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, also able to bridle the whole body.


But what about when we have a conversation with God? I think the art of silence should apply to the prayers we lift up as well... Prayer is quiet time in a quiet place and it is in this quiet place that the Lord has free reign to talk to you and lead and guide you.

I heard this saying once and it still holds true today. Lord, here sits a fool doing all the talking to the one who knows everything and has all the answers. I need to shut up and listen to the one who has all the answers!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I'm going to try to keep it brief today. I really want to honor You with the words that come out of my mouth today, and every day. If I don't have anything good to say I'm not going to say anything. But not only that, I want to just work on listening more. Help me to be a better listener. Help me to dwell in 'that secret quiet place' more often. Help me to hear Your still, small voice.

Lord my wife wrote in her journal that she is in awe that this country has just elected the least God-fearing man to ever hold the office of the Presidency. I stand in complete agreement with her statement. I lift up President Obama and his family to You this morning. And I lift up this once great country. Lord, please send someone to influence President Obama for the sake of Christianity. Please forgive our country for it's sins. Father God I pray for revival to sweep across this land.

I love You, Lord. I love my family and I love this country. Use me how You will, my King. I am ready, willing and able to take a stand for that which is good, true, pure, and right.

Heavenly Father I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

Drifting through a mentally and physically exhausting life is not the Lord’s plan for us. Our challenge is to take captive anxious thoughts (2 Cor. 10:5) and replace them with God-pleasing ones—dwelling on that which is pure, good, and right. The best way to remove stray threads of worry is to crowd them out with something positive: weave Scripture into your mental grid instead. -Dr Charles Stanley

God has something to say about everything that concerns us. I love that Dr Stanley's devotional today echoed my sentiments yesterday. And I love his advice and encouragement to 'weave scripture' into one's mental grid. This is definitely something that I want to do, and MUST do if I am to overcome negative thoughts and actions.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You Lord for great shepherds like Dr Stanley. Thank You for Your Timeless Truth, The Bible. Lord I pray that You instill in me a hunger and thirst for Your Word like never before. Help me to be in The Word more than ever. And enable it to change me into someone that That You can really use for Kingdom work.

Lord I thank You for the unbelievable act of kindness that was demonstrated to our family yesterday by one of our sisters in Christ. Wow... we are so humbled.

Father God I continue to lift up this country. I pray for those who are living worldly selfish lives without any concern for the sanctity of life, others around them, or the moral future of our country.

Lord I lift up those who know better but are doing nothing or very little to stem the tide of evil and moral decay flooding this country. I pray for the weary, Lord. I pray for the small remnant that stands strong in the gap. Help us to continue the good fight and be salt and light to this world.

Lord I lift up our governmental leaders. Raise up men of character and faith, Lord. Lord I still pray for blessings on America.

I love You Lord. And I will show You that Love by giving my all for the sake of Heaven. I will live my life today in Your honor, for Your Glory my King.

God, please bless my precious family today. Keep them safe. Enable us all to influence those around us for You.

In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Philippians 4:8-9 Revisited

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute , if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."Philippians 4:8-9

I thought this would be a good verse for me to re-visit today because I have a tendency to slip into negative thoughts when I'm facing the same negative situations over and over again.

I don't want to be negative, and the Apostle Paul is absolutely correct in his strategy to defeat negative thoughts. We must dwell on that which is not negative...!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I need You. My family needs You. The church needs You. This country needs You. The whole world needs You. Thank You for being a God who is able to meet our needs. Thank You for being a God who really cares. Thank You for Your helper, The Holy Spirit. Thank You for the sacrifice of Your dear sweet son, Jesus Christ.

Lord thank You for those who would be Your hands and feet. I pray Lord that You would allow me to be one of those.

Father God I fall on Your mercy and grace for my negative thoughts and actions yesterday. I pray that You continue to help me overcome that sin in my life. I want to honor You, Lord. I love You Father. My faith and hope is in You. Keep working Your work in me my King.

Today is a new day. Father God I lift up President Obama and his administration today. I lift up President Bush, too. Bless our country's leaders, Lord. Enable and Influence them to make Godly decisions.

Father I pray that You change the hearts of many Americans today, including President Obama's. I pray that Americans everywhere will recognize that abortion is murder and sin is sin. I pray that America turn from it's worshipping the dollar and make You Lord of all.

You are MY Lord of All. You are My Family's Lord of All, too. We Love You, Lord. I ask blessings on my family today. And I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Praise Report...!

I have to just give God a GREAT BIG SHOUT this morning. The fund raiser event went well yesterday. The morning drill was well attended and everyone had a fun time.

I did have a few 'wrinkles' occur to my event planning, but it all worked out fine. I had a key helper not show up which stressed out my initial organization, but Monica and Connor rushed up to the tennis center and saved me by pitching in and helping with activities.

Later that afternoon Connor filled in as my partner playing matches and we had a great time...!

I love that we all pulled together at a crucial time for a common good. That was HUGE!

As far as I'm concerned, God worked a miracle yesterday!

THANK YOU GOD!

Dear Heavenly Father,

It's amazing how you worked a potentially terrible situation with one of my instructors not showing up for my big fund raiser event into a family triumph with Monica and Connor arriving and making it all work out better than I had originally intended.

You are truly an AMAZING GOD...! I'll just add that to the list of the many other occurrences when You have stepped in and saved the day in an unexpected way.

Father God I do give You all the Glory for everything that went well yesterday, both on the court and off. Thank You so much for a good family day for the Chadwells...!

Lord, I just pray that You continue the work You have started in our family. Help Connor and I control our words and tones with each other and give each of us grace when we fail to do so.

Bless us today, Oh Lord. Father God I lift up Cere as he prepares his sermon message for today. I also lift up Pastor Greg and clergymen everywhere this morning. Today is the first Sunday after our presidential election. No doubt the messages will probably have some degree of political overtones. Lord let Your Holy Spirit speak to us today through our shepherds.

Lord I lift up America to You this morning. I pray that now more than ever Christians will rise up make their voices heard to our elected leaders. We can not afford to wait two or four more years until the next elections. We must all become political activist watchdogs now..! Oh Lord I pray for a stirring in the hearts of Your people in this way.

It's no coincidence that I awakened many times last night with a sense of urgency to pray for America. These are critical times for the future of America as we know it...!

I love You Lord. I love my family, and I love America. Praise You, my Sovereign King, Bless my family, And God Bless America...!

I pray these things in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Lifting Up MAFA

Today I recognize the Master's Academy of Fine Arts in Lake Jackson. MAFA is a private school for home schooled children that meets one day a week and focuses on the study of history through the lenses of music, drama, and art. It is a Christian based organization that most definitely glorifies the Lord. My wife teaches the art component for the school and my son Elijah attends the mini Master's Academy for 3 year olds.

I have seen and been involved in the program first hand and believe it is a fine institution. In order to increase awareness of MAFA and home schooling in general I am hosting a special Tennis Fun Day Drill and Benefit Doubles Tournament today at my home court, the Columbia Lakes Tennis Center.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You Lord for MAFA. I pray a special blessing on it's administrators, teachers, and students today. Please bless my benefit event today, Lord. I pray for safe travel to and from the event today. I pray that everyone has a great time today supporting such a worthy cause.

Father God Thank You for the awesome weather that we are waking up to today...! I feel like my event is already off to a good start even though it is still two hours away.

Lord I lift up President Bush today as he has the task of running his own administration and transitioning with President Elect Obama's new administration. As always, I pray that Christians who are involved in these situations rise up and let their lights shine.

I pray for our country now more than ever, Lord. I know You are in control, my King. I pray that You will use me where I can be most effective for spreading the cause of Christianity. Help me to be a great encourager. Help me to motivate and influence situations and those around me for goodness and righteousness.

Father God please bless my family this weekend. Sometimes weekends are the most difficult times for the Chadwells. I pray You cover us with Your love and grace, my Savior.

Speaking of Love, I love You, Lord. I give this day today to You. I honor You with my life, Jesus. And in Your precious name I pray, AMEN.

Prayer for the Weekend.....

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I praise You and and give You honor and glory today. I thank You for another day of life to effect change and influence those around me. I thank You for the participants registered in my fund raiser this weekend and pray blessings on that event and all my lessons today and tomorrow. And Lord I pray for a peaceful, restful Sunday for myself and family..!

Father God I lift up President Obama as he is picking his cabinet members and organizing his administration. I pray for some Christian influence within his cabinet picks.

My Lord and Savior, I surrender my will to You this morning. I pray the Holy Spirit will empower me to speak boldly for the Kingdom today and bring a message of Heaven to those I encounter. Bless my tongue to speak only life today. Bless my thoughts to be pure, righteous, and holy.

I lift up my sweet wife to You this morning as well. I pray for a peaceful day of rest and restoration after her past 48 hours of busy-ness. I lift up Connor that he will be salt and light to those around him at school and that he is able to face all his challenges today with Your Amazing Grace, Love and Mercy. Lord I lift up my sweet little boy Elijah. I just pray for another awesome day of wonder and discovery for his precious little life. -Thank You for my family, Lord. I love them, cherish them, and pledge to defend them with my life if need be. -The same sentiments go towards my country and for Your precious WORD, my King.

Father God I also lift up my extended family across the country. I pray blessing on Becky and her family in New York and on Monica's parents in California. Lord, they are Your Light shining in dark places. I pray their flames burn brightly and they are able to influence those around them for the sake of the Kingdom. Lift them up Lord. Keep them safe and healthy in Your loving embrace. Give them strength and courage to carry on. Bless them Lord.

I love You Jesus. And I pray these things in the power of Your Holy Name, AMEN.

Words of Encouragement

Today Dr Tackett's blog was one of great encouragement. The tact he is presenting is one I had already come to adopt as my own before I read his article. Here is what he said:

We should live no differently today than we should have been living before: with hope, with joy, with peace; walking blamelessly before God and before men; being light and salt in the world; working as unto the Lord; etc. Now is the time for the attractively, winsome body of Christ to show What we are made of and in Whom we trust…for we do not trust in horses or chariots, but in the name of the Lord our God.

-Dr Del Tackett, Truth Observed

If you'd like to read his complete article, CLICK HERE.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord as always I stand in the gap for America this morning.

Father God today I lift up President -Elect Barrack Obama and his administration to You. Lord.

Lord I lift up America to You. It's You whom I trust in. It's You whom I ultimately submit to. It's You whom I fear, honor, respect, and love with all my heart, mind, and soul.

Lord You can do anything. I submit to You Lord. You are in control. I am Your servant.

I pray blessings on my dear wife today. She has a big teaching day. I pray that she touches the hearts and minds of dozens of home schooler's today. Lord I lift up Elijah and Connor for good days at school. Bless them to be salt and light to their classmates and teachers.

Lord I lift up myself. You know all my little issues, Father. As always, I pray to be less busy and more in tune with Your Kingdom's work.

Father God I especially lift up my father in law, Arno this morning. I pray for favorable test results from his recent Doctor's visit.

I love You Lord and I humbly surrender myself to Your Will today. Let nothing be about Sam Chadwell today, but let EVERYTHING be about YOU.

I pray these things in Jesus' precious name, AMEN.

Pursuing Righteousness

The following quote is taken from a post on Dr Del Tackett's personal weblog. Dr Tackett is the chief spokesperson for the Truth Project, a nationwide initiative to bring the Christian world view to the body of Christ.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 1 Peter 2:13-14

Romans 13 declares that God has instituted the sphere of the state. The authorities are God’s servants who are supposed to punish evil and condone what is good. This is reiterated in 1 Peter 2, quoted above. The authorities are to pursue righteousness. We are to pursue righteousness. Jesus declared that “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” are blessed. Why? Because God is righteous and His children should hunger for it, thirst for it, pursue it. -Del Tackett, Nov 2008

America is not currently pursuing righteousness. Our recent election proves that. So what is the true Christian supposed to do now that 'America' has spoken...?

Dr Tackett answers that question:

What do we see from the lives of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, or John the Baptist? -When the authorities didn’t pursue righteousness, God sent to them prophet after prophet to pronounce what was right and what was wrong. It seems that pursuing righteousness must include the desire to see the authorities and the laws of the land promoting what is right and good…not that which is evil. -Del Tacket, Nov 2008

More Christians have got to become 'activists' in their own communities. We've made our faith and convictions 'personal and internal' for too long. We're not impacting our society and the world around us any more. But that same society is about to start impacting us, big time. We must become 'modern day' Moseses, Elijahs, Elishas, and John the Baptists.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I lift up my country to You this morning. I thank You for those who share my beliefs about the sanctity of life and traditional family values. Father God now as this country moves forward following the election I pray that Christians will still stand up and fight for and pursue righteousness. We have an uphill battle ahead of us but we can not back down or compromise The TRUTH.

Lord I lift up our country's newly elected officials to YOU. Change their hearts regarding the many issues that concern and grieve You. Lord help myself and other Christians like me to do everything we can within our sphere of influence to impact those around us for the sake of Righteousness.

Father God forgive those who call themselves Christians but voted solely on the basis of economic issues and did not consider the lives of precious unborn infants a more important issue than their pocketbook.

Lord Jesus I am sad for America today, but I do take heart because You are still on the throne and You still hold the whole world in Your hands. And I know that You will be coming back soon...!

I love You Lord and I give today to You. I still stand in the Gap for America And I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

God is Still on the Throne...

Well, I'm going to bed weeping for America, tonight. But while I'm sad at the outcome of the presidential election I do still have faith in God that He will turn this outcome for good. God is definitely at work behind the scenes. He is still on the throne.

I believe that Christians who did not vote for life and family values or those who did not vote at all are going to really be regretting their decision in the very near future.

No matter what the cost I will not back down in defense of all that I hold dear. And I will not cease to pray for America and it's leaders every single day from now on for the rest of my life.

I am very sad that Measure Eleven in South Dakota failed. God can NOT be happy about this...!.

Come what may, I will continue to stand in the Gap for America.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord thank You for the opportunity to live in America and for the privilege to be able to participate in the voting process. Father God the bible says to honor our elected officials. But Lord I have many concerns over our future leadership. I pray for Your Holy Spirit discernment in this matter.

I can not openly endorse a politician whose moral values line up exactly opposite of my own. But I can pray for Him. And so Lord I lift up Barrack Obama and Joe Biden to You. I pray that the Holy Spirit would soften their hearts to the many issues that concern myself and many other Christians

Father God I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen..

The Future of Our Country

Today is a historic day. How will it go for America...? We were founded as a Christian Nation by men of great faith. In a little over two hundred years our country has been going down a slippery slope. Will the Christian voters unite and take a stand for the future of our country today...?

I believe they will. I do not believe the mainstream media. They do not report fair and unbiased news. We will see at the end of the day. I'm still praying and fasting for America...!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I'm lifting up the American Voter today. I'm lifting up the Christian Voter. Father I pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene in the hearts and minds of voters everywhere today. Father God I rest in You for the Future of our Country.

I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Acts 9:11 Behold He Prayeth

I came across Acts 9:11 this morning in my morning devotional and was filled with hope that God heard the prayers of Saul (Paul) and HE answered immediately by sending Ananias to him.

I believe that God hears the prayers of those praying for this election and that HIS WILL will be done tomorrow. I think that many Christians will come out of the closet and make their voices heard.

I believe that this will be an election like no other we've ever seen in our country's history.

I am fasting and praying for the next 48 hours

Praying For the Election...

It's really down to the wire now... Monica and I have already cast our votes in the early voting process.

Monica wrote a great post in her blog and included many quotes from our Founding Fathers.

I'm praying that between now and Tuesday that the Holy Spirit does a powerful work in the minds and hearts of Christians all over America.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I lift up this once great country to You. I pray for a revival and a return to the faith and principles of our founding fathers. Lord let my faith be strong and bold like those honorable men of a time and era long past.

Father God I stand in the gap for my country this morning. I love You Lord. And I love my family and my country. I pray for continued grace on America.

Don't let America fall into it's own devices and moral depravity. Father God, there are still those who would serve You whole-heartedly, unashamed, and unafraid to lay down our lives for THE TRUTH . Lift up this small remnant of true believers to impact our society. Give us four more years, my King.

Lord I pray these things in Jesus' name, AMEN.