Day Four of the 21-Day Daniel Fasting and Prayer

I will be posting for some of the days of the fasting and prayer on my blog; days that I believe the Lord is directing me. Like today my sister and friend in the Lord, Avis, came over to walk with me…five minutes out, and five minutes back, that’s ten minutes and for someone who doesn’t even walk to the mailbox and back that is huge…I came so close to calling her and saying, “Can we do this another day?” She told me she would have come anyway…that’s just how she is, and I love her for it.

You see we can tell ourselves I want to eat better, exercise, rest, play, start something new to be in better health. I want to read my bible more, pray and fast. But so many times we talk ourselves out of it by saying, I don’t feeellll like it….I’ll just do this some other time….I’ve got to many other things to do….I’ve got kids or a job….or, I don’t feel good right now…whatever the excuse is, sometimes we don’t even need an excuse we just don’t do, “it.” Avis is in her seventies, I’m only six-five lol…but she said, “Girl, now I’ve got to go to work. I’m so proud of you for doing this today, it’s a start; so, same time next Thursday?”

I said, “Yes, and thank you so much. You’re an answer to a prayer I’ve been praying for over five years.”

“All it takes is a made up mind and then start…” That was Avis’s words to me this morning…

A made up mind, and then, start. No more procrastination… Just Do It!

The enemy comes to us through our mind. He makes one tiny suggestion and then sits back and laughs as we fall into his trap…

But when we turn our minds over to the Holy Spirit…fast and pray…we won’t listen to the devils lies…we’ll hear the voice of our Shepherd and we will follow Him…He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His namesake…He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemy…He makes us to lie down in green pastures and He restores our soul…

Let this mind be in you…whose mind…the mind of Christ…He will not lead us to destruction…He speaks good things to our mind…He says, surely…absolutely…Goodness and Mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in the HOUSE of THE LORD…FOREVER amen…

~Marla Shaw O’Neill January 17, 2019

Philippians 2:1-11 The Message (MSG) He Took on the Status of a Slave

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Psalm 23 New King James Version (NKJV) The Lord the Shepherd of His People A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.