Linda Evans Shepherd's Blog, page 2

It’s Your Silver Candlestick Year!

In Les Miserables, the inspiring novel by Victor Hugo oft performed on Broadway and the silver screen, Jean Valjean, is caught and sentenced to nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s hungry children. His release came with impossible curfews and check-in points and continuous mistreatments.  One night, Jean knocked at the door of the Bishop of Digne’s home. The bishop took pity on him and gave him food and shelter for the evening. However, after the household went to bed, Jean robbed the bishop of his silver.  The next morning, Jean was caught and thrown at the bishop’s feet.  The bishop had the power to send Valjean back to prison, but instead he handed Jean Valjean the silver candlesticks from his own table and said, “Would you leave the best behind?”

The bishop’s grace and generosity had an amazing effect on Jean Valjean’s future. No longer was Valjean a slave to the law, but a man who multiplied the grace he had so freely received.

This is silver candlestick living. It’s when we live into the idea of the abundance of the grace that we ourselves have been given.  We are those who were redeemed by Jesus, God’s only son. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins through his own suffering and death on the cross.  He, the resurrected Lord, gave us his love and grace freely so we can lavish it on others.

This means we are rich enough to spend our love, time, efforts on things of eternal value; family, friends, and loved ones in Christ, not to mention the poor, burdened, and heartbroken and those who need Christ.  We can afford to give ourselves to silver candlestick living because we have been given so much.  As we press into our abundance and give what we’ve received, God miraculously and abundantly replenishes our rich supply and graces our lives with joy.  So let your light so shine on top of your silver candlesticks in 2015 so others can see and receive the same grace you have been given.

Based on story in The Stress Cure.

The post It’s Your Silver Candlestick Year! appeared first on Got To Pray.

Be the Blessing; Pray For a Friend!

Linda Evans Shepherd

Have you ever thought of tithing your prayer life by spending part of your prayer time praying for others?

A friend of mine decided to try praying for three other people every time she sent God a request concerning her own needs.  Angie said, “When I started this practice, I was amazed at how God’s answers to my prayers began to increase.”

That goes along with a study conducted over sixty years ago by a professor at Redlands University in California.  Dr. Parker and Ms. St. John detailed this ten year experiment in their book Prayer can Change Your Life.

They describe creating three test groups made up of people with one thing in common; they were all desperate for an emotional or physical healing.  The first group was made up of individuals who each met with a physiatrist for one hour a week. The second group prayed for themselves by themselves, while the third group met together and prayed for each other for an hour every week.

Which group do you think had the most dramatic results?  You guessed it; it was the group that prayed for one another.  The members of this group had a 72 percent answered prayer result, with 100 percent saying they had at least some lasting improvement in the areas prayed over.  In fact, a non-believing husband of one of the members of this prayer group was actually healed of cancer.

As for the other groups, the group that met with the physiatrist had some improvements, but only as long as they continued to attend their weekly sessions.

But what results did the lonesome prayer people have?  Believe it or not, they had little to no improvements.

I can’t say I’m surprised.  I know when I’ve set out to pray for a need for myself, I find it’s easy to get discouraged in my prayers.  But when I take this same need to a praying friend and we pray together, it seems to me that I can count on a swifter answer from God.  In fact, I saw such a result this past weekend when my flight to Baltimore was in jeopardy of cancelation because of high winds.  The airline attendant told me, “I think you’re grounded until tomorrow.”

Of course, I’d been praying all along, but it wasn’t until I reached out to my prayer team that the winds instantly died down and my flight was able to take off.

Carole puts it this way, “When we pray together, we have a more open heaven experience.”

By this she means we can more easily access God and his answers to our prayers.  I think the reason for this can be found in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” NIV.

I know that when I call out to God, I have a direct line to him. But when I come to God with a friend, it’s like our individual prayer lines are knitted together, creating an even stronger cord.  Carole says, “I find that by adding a third person to a prayer circle, it’s like our cord of prayer grows even stronger.  I’m always amazed at how much power these entwined prayers seem to have over the prayers I pray by myself.”

If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to start your own prayer group, even if it’s made up of you and one other.  If you can’t meet in person, meet online or over the phone at least once a week. Share requests then step back and watch what God will do with your cords of prayer.

So, if you are seeking a blessing, be that blessing by praying for others and including the needs of others in your times of beseeching God.  Don’t be surprised when God answers.

The post Be the Blessing; Pray For a Friend! appeared first on Got To Pray.

Be the Blessing; Pray With a Friend!

Linda Evans Shepherd

Have you ever thought of tithing your prayer life by spending part of your prayer time praying for others?

A friend of mine decided to try praying for three other people every time she sent God a request concerning her own needs.  Angie said, “When I started this practice, I was amazed at how God’s answers to my prayers began to increase.”

That goes along with a study conducted over sixty years ago by a professor at Redlands University in California.  Dr. Parker and Ms. St. John detailed this ten year experiment in their book Prayer can Change Your Life.

They describe creating three test groups made up of people with one thing in common; they were all desperate for an emotional or physical healing.  The first group was made up of individuals who each met with a physiatrist for one hour a week. The second group prayed for themselves by themselves, while the third group met together and prayed for each other for an hour every week.

Which group do you think had the most dramatic results?  You guessed it; it was the group that prayed for one another.  The members of this group had a 72 percent answered prayer result, with 100 percent saying they had at least some lasting improvement in the areas prayed over.  In fact, a non-believing husband of one of the members of this prayer group was actually healed of cancer.

As for the other groups, the group that met with the physiatrist had some improvements, but only as long as they continued to attend their weekly sessions.

But what results did the lonesome prayer people have?  Believe it or not, they had little to no improvements.

I can’t say I’m surprised.  I know when I’ve set out to pray for a need for myself, I find it’s easy to get discouraged in my prayers.  But when I take this same need to a praying friend and we pray together, it seems to me that I can count on a swifter answer from God.  In fact, I saw such a result this past weekend when my flight to Baltimore was in jeopardy of cancelation because of high winds.  The airline attendant told me, “I think you’re grounded until tomorrow.”

Of course, I’d been praying all along, but it wasn’t until I reached out to my prayer team that the winds instantly died down and my flight was able to take off.

Carole puts it this way, “When we pray together, we have a more open heaven experience.”

By this she means we can more easily access God and his answers to our prayers.  I think the reason for this can be found in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” NIV.

I know that when I call out to God, I have a direct line to him. But when I come to God with a friend, it’s like our individual prayer lines are knitted together, creating an even stronger cord.  Carole says, “I find that by adding a third person to a prayer circle, it’s like our cord of prayer grows even stronger.  I’m always amazed at how much power these entwined prayers seem to have over the prayers I pray by myself.”

If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to start your own prayer group, even if it’s made up of you and one other.  If you can’t meet in person, meet online or over the phone at least once a week. Share requests then step back and watch what God will do with your cords of prayer.

So, if you are seeking a blessing, be that blessing by praying for others and including the needs of others in your times of beseeching God.  Don’t be surprised when God answers.

The post Be the Blessing; Pray With a Friend! appeared first on Got To Pray.

Praying the Prayer that will Help You Through Your To-Dos

By Linda Evans Shepherd

Based on story told in Experiencing God’s Presence; Learning to Listen While You Pray

 

A couple of years ago I was feeling the wrath of an unexpected storm. With both of my parents in the middle of health crises, I found myself hopping in and out of airplanes so I could rush to help. But by dropping everything, my ‘to-do’ list threatened to drown me. Besides caring for my parents, there were conferences, book deadlines, and projects requiring my immediate attention.

Late one night as I lay my head upon my pillow, my mind begin to spin as I thought through all I had to accomplish in the next few months. My parents were still in crisis, one of my children had hit a difficult snag, and my heart literally ached with concern for my loved ones, plus my to-do list was growing faster than I could possibly respond. “Help me, Lord! Help me!” I cried from my bed as sheer panic drummed my heart.

With tears, I told the Lord, “I am only one little gal and how is it you’ve called me to accomplish so much in these next few weeks?

Behold me. I heard him whisper.

So I tried to imagine what Peter must have seen when he saw the Lord walking across the top of the water on the Sea of Galilee. But instead of ‘seeing’ the Lord, all I could ‘see’ was a blizzard of paperwork falling around me, each page scrawled with yet another ‘to-do’ written in black marker.

As I watched this paper blizzard, I saw the pages of my ‘to-do’ list landing, then floating on the turbulent Sea of Galilee. That’s when I saw him. Jesus was walking toward me, over the tops of the floating papers.

Behold me, he whispered.

As his face came into focus, I took a step toward him, my foot secure as it stepped on one of the many floating papers around me. Miraculously, both the paper and wave held my weight.

Behold me, he encouraged as I continued to look at him.

I took another step, then another as my eyes locked on Jesus’s face.

When I reached him, he said, “Linda, you can only walk through this storm if you behold me.”

My heart quit racing and my tears stopped falling. The Lord himself had shown me how to set my priorities by putting ‘behold Him,’ at the top of my to-do  list.  It’s as Isaiah 26:2-4 states, “He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength. (TLB)

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,

If I can be truthful, I am a woman with a to-do list bigger than I can manage.  I now see that when I behold you, my to do’s will fall into place. Lead me and guide me every step of my every day – as I continue to behold you.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The post Praying the Prayer that will Help You Through Your To-Dos appeared first on Got To Pray.

The Path to Personal Freedom

A woman emailed me to beg for permission to commit suicide.  She said, “I can’t catch a break.  The battles never stop. I don’t want to live anymore.”

My heart goes out to my hurting friend. I well understand where she’s coming from.  Besides, who can’t relate to even an occasional feeling of discouragement? The truth is many of us have received our share of blisters as we’ve walked an unintended path of pain.  If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the middle of a road called despair, know there is a shortcut to freedom, a shortcut that has everything to do with LIFE and nothing to do with suicide.

That way is Jesus.  He is the path that can take you safely through a world of difficulties.  Not only does he provide a way through your troubles, he walks through your troubles with you.  In fact, if my friend will give him permission, he will also walk with her and lead her to peace in her storm.

In Next Door Savior, Max Lucado wrote, “TheFort Knox of faith is Christ.  Fellowshipping with him. Waiting with him. Pondering him. Exploring him. The heart-stopping realization that in him you are part of something ancient, endless, unstoppable, and unfathomable.  And that he, who can dig the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, thinks you’re worth his death on Roman timber.  Christ is the reward of Christianity.  Why else would Paul make him his supreme desire? ‘I want to know Christ’ (Phil. 3:10 NCV).”

The words that could help you start your journey to peace could include a prayer like:

Jesus – thank you for taking the blame and punishment for my mistakes. Forgive me for my sins.  I give you me.  I give you my burdens, my troubles, my despair and worries.  These are now your problems because I choose to rest in you.

A prayer like this can change everything.  It will take you to peace. To life. To freedom. To Christ.

To take a test about faith in Christ, see www.GodTest.com

This article originally in the July/August 2014 issue of Leading Hearts Magazine for Christian Women.  Free on issuu.com and Apple Newstand.

 

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Can We REALLY Hear God’s Voice?

Can we really hear God’s voice?

Some theologians say, “God doesn’t promise to talk to us, so therefore, He doesn’t.”

Oh really?

May I say this in response?

 

Dear Nay-Saying Theologian,

Is this reasoning, as stated above, your proof that God no longer speaks to individuals today?

I would submit that you consider that millions of people can testify that whenever they read the Word, it speaks not only to encourage their faith, but to their personal longings, questions and situations.  For example, anyone who has ever read a scripture, such as, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,” (Phil 4:13) and had it speak directly as a solution to a dilemma, can testify to the power of hearing God’s voice.

But not only does God speak through His Word, He can speak through sermons, friends, nature as it continually worships the Creator, and also through God’s still, small voice.

After all, if God loves us enough to put His Holy Spirit on the inside of us, I’m sure He meant for us to become human candles burning bright with His presence.  So it stands to reason, that a God like ours wants more from us than shopping list prayers. He not only wants our attention, He wants us to have a listening ear.

Søren KierKegaarD, a Danish Christian philosopher and theologian who lived in the 1800’s once wrote,

“A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end, he realized that prayer is listening.”

Hearing God’s still, small voice is first about learning how to abide in His Presence, and while we abide, learning to open a listening ear to His voice just as the prophet Elijah discovered,

 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Kings 19:11-13 (NIV)

I believe that the question God asked Elijah is the same question God whispers to each of us, “What are you doing here?”

The answer should be; we are here abiding in the power of the presence of God as we rely on His direction and leadership in all areas of our lives.

In my book, Experiencing God’s Presence, Learning to Listen While you Pray, I lead readers into that place where they not only can consciously abide in God’s presence, but hear and recognize God’s still, small voice in their lives.

So Dear Theologian, did Jesus not say to us when He spoke to his beloved disciple John, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelations 3:20 (NIV)

Did Jesus not teach in John 10:27, “My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Not only do these Scriptures indicate that God wants to speak into our lives, they also indicate that we need to learn how to listen.

Christians throughout the ages have learned to hear God’s voice and in so learning, have discovered that their relationship with God can be more; more intimate, more vibrant, more personal, and more filled with the sweet presence of Jesus.

In conclusion, Dear Theologian, while perfecting the art of dissecting faith, don’t forget to live it.

If you are ready for more of God, perhaps it’s time to crack open my latest book, Experiencing God’s Presence, Learning to Listen While You Pray.

The post Can We REALLY Hear God’s Voice? appeared first on Got To Pray.

A Colorado Flood Report; What to Pray When the Floods Come

From the heart of the Colorado flood zone  –

One of my dear friends, who lost her home two years ago in the Boulder fire, now has her new house’s basement underwater near Left Hand Creek.  She jokes, “Last week I told the Lord how lovely it would be to have more water in the creek, and how nice it would be if we could remodel our basement.  I should have asked for a ‘little’ more water, with ‘little’ being the operative word.  So since I didn’t specify the amount of water I was praying for, I guess you could say this whole flood thing is my fault.”

Of course Cindi was only kidding, but her words point to an interesting question;  Just who is at fault?

Colorado Flood Report

Well, in case you haven’t heard, my beloved state of Colorado has endured what they are now calling the 5000 year flood and I’m here to tell you it’s a mess!  In my town alone, 6000 homes were evacuated due to the rising river which divided the town in half.  At one point, my end of town stood as an island surrounded by a moat of water.  With over 50 state bridges damaged or destroyed, for many, myself included, there was no place to go but to our knees in prayer.

What was God thinking to deluge a perfectly good state with such a devastating flood?  After all, our cities are often honored as the number one place to live, for having more educated adults than any other locale, and for ranking tops in both fitness and health.  The towns and foothills of Colorado are known for their beauty, mountain sunsets and wonderful mountain living.  So why go and ruin a perfectly good thing?

And why start the drowning of the state on 9/11?

A coincidence?  I don’t think so.

My opinion?

For just as God called out to our nation on 9/11, God has been calling out to the individual states; including Colorado. God first called out to Colorado  in the school shootings, then in the fires, the theater shooting and now in a flood that served up a front range wide ‘Katrina,’ stranding people, destroying roads, and flooding homes.

Our response?

Many of my neighbors are refusing to take God’s call, saying, “My my, look what nature, or global warming, global cooling, Obama, the Republicans or even the Bush administration did to destroy our lovely state!”

This bunch has not even considered that God is trying to get their attention, especially as they feel so good about themselves.  In fact, as if in defiance of God, they say, “See why we are so special?  We are Colorado proud.  We are Colorado strong.  We will rebuild.”

I have heard very few people respond, “Yes, Lord, I am listening,” which is actually the correct response; a response that we all need to pray no matter which state we are in.

And to clarify this response, let’s take a look at an ancient call to prayer found in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

I’m going to paraphrase this scripture so we can pray it together.  Care to join me?

Dear Lord,

We choose to humble ourselves before you, agreeing that you alone are God and that we are your people.  Lord, we turn from seeking our way to seeking your face.  We turn from our wicked ways, including the sins described in Galatians 5:19-21 which include:

“Sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.”

We turn from these sins, even if it means being kind to people who hurt us, turning off sexy shows, yielding our will to your will when it comes to our own ambition, and giving up our envy for the things others have, staying away from wild parties, keeping our pants zipped outside our marriage bed, to stop dabbling in the occult or occultic entertainment, passing up a second, third and fourth helping, staying sober and not getting high, to quit worshipping ourselves, our wants or desires, to stop fighting with others or exploding our anger all over our friends and family, and even turning off TV shows that celebrate and glorify death and murder.

Help me to avoid these sins, as I pray and seek your face.  I pray this because you want to walk with me and to heal my land and because I want to walk with you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Anyway, friends, I’m not writing this to try to offend, I’m writing this because God loves you so much that he wants to walk with you.  He wants you to hear his voice, and to worship him.  I am writing this so you will join me in reaching out to God on a very personal level.  For you see, there is hope.  There is hope that he will hear us and heal our land.

If you would like to find out  more about how to know God on a deeper level, answer the questions at:  www.GodTest.com.

Praying for all of you from waterlogged Longmont, Colorado.

The post A Colorado Flood Report; What to Pray When the Floods Come appeared first on Got To Pray.

GOT TO PRAY with Linda Evans Shepherd

Linda Evans Shepherd
The Prayer Author & Speaker

Welcome to Got to Pray!

Have you ever tried to pray, but felt worried that God was too busy to be bothered or even that God might be angry at you?  But then, maybe you have prayed and God didn’t answer as you hoped.  I’ve got great news; you can pray effectively and in a way God hears.  Plus, you can learn prayer secrets that will help you learn how to trust God in a way that will help you find the real miracle you needed all along.  I hope you will join me as I share news, prayer secrets and lead you in some wonderful prayers. With love, Linda Evans Shepherd

P.S. Be sure to check out my prayer books; Experiencing God’s Presence, When You Don’t Know What to Pray, When You Need a Miracle - the 2013 Selah Christian Living Book of the Year, When You Can’t Find God - the 2012 Selah Christian Living Book of the Year.

Scroll down to see my blog posts as well as more about my prayer books on this Got To Pray site.  If you would like to take a test to see how well you know God, click on:  God Test.

 

The post GOT TO PRAY with Linda Evans Shepherd appeared first on Got To Pray.

Prayer Key to Trusting the Lord

In my quiet time this morning, I spent some time waiting on God – listening for His voice – and as I listened, I wrote down these words:

I am with you — by your side, keeping you company. I’m watching and waiting for you to rejoice with Me and Me alone for I am in all things, good and difficult. Rejoicing is the key because rejoicing releases trust and that is where your life in Me needs work – trusting in Me in all things. So, trust Me. Rejoice! Stop being afraid. Rejoice! I say again rejoice!

As I thought about His words to me, I considered Philippians 4:4 which says, “Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!” (Amp)

Prayer Key to Trusting the Lord

Perhaps this verse it’s more than an invitation to praise God, it’s a command because it’s a gateway to going deeper in our ability to fully trust Him.

How convicted I was as I begin to recognize that I did have trust issues with God, starting with my prayer that my son, a new college graduate, would get that all important first job.  What if instead of fretting prayers like “Lord, it’s been a couple of months since Jim’s graduation, when are you going to provide the job he’s seeking?  Please let something break open soon.”  I prayed rejoicing prayers of trust like, “Lord, I know you have the perfect job and perfect timing for my son’s start date.  I’m rejoicing that you are giving him some space to enrich his life with patience during the waiting.  Help him to grow in you in this time.  I’m excited for what You are doing in his life. I know Jim’s new job is on the way. I am rejoicing in you! Thank you!”

This second prayer feels so much better, and as I pray it, it helps me to trust more deeply in God and to delight in Him.  It keeps my mind on the goodness of God instead of the fears behind my worries.

I think C.S. Lewis understood this concept when he wrote,   “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” ~ C. S. Lewis

And so it is.  Let’s rejoice in the Lord today.

UPDATE to article:  Praising God that my son got his dream job!  How wonderful it is to step away from fear and step toward God as we learn to trust him with all our heart.

Verse to contemplate: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (Amp)

Recommended Reading: When You Don’t Know What to Pray, How to Talk to God About Anything.

Why not sing along with little Sabrina – This is the Day that the Lord has Made…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33VmM-J38XI

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