RECAP of Prayer call 07.19.20

Good Morning Sisters, Do you need some HOPE? Is all the negativity in the world getting to you?  “So, we’re almost to the end of July and it seems to be getting harder to keep hopeful...with all of the news about school cancellations and negative reports of a second wave of the virus.” Rita said.  I think many of us “feel” this way. THIS is WHY we can’t put our HOPE in a fallen world. Tell your emotions that CHRIST IS KING! Feelings are not truth unless aligned with God's Word. THIS is WHY we must keep our eyes laser focused on our SHEPHERD. Rita shared a very timely message on HOPE last night that every American in this country needs to be reminded of. The Greek word for hope is “elpis.” The Greeks did not look at the moment they were in. They looked at their past experiences to gain the right perspective on their current situation. When you look back at your past struggles and see how God brought you through it gives you hope for what you currently are facing and for the future. We ALL need to be reminded of God’s faithfulness. As humans we have a short memory. We tend to quickly remember the bad things and easily forget the good ones. In other words, we don’t have to worry about what is happening now because of what has already happened in our past. God brought us through THEN and He will bring us through NOW and in the FUTURE.  Psalm 77 (below) is a great psalm that demonstrates HOPE. It tells us how to change our perspective when we're feeling hopeless and far from God. It's about a man that has lost his way and doesn’t feel God anymore. God feels far away. In verse 77:2 the man is having trouble sleeping. His mind won’t let him rest. He is worried. What’s keeping you up at night? Have you been awake at worrying about your finances? worried you might get the virus? Night time questions are dark and keep you on a loop that goes nowhere. Like the man in this psalm you start asking crazy questions. When you get anxious you start to worry about things that don’t even exist, you come to crazy conclusions. How do you break this cycle? He is going to show us how to shift our perspective. It’s easier to blame God than to be accountable for our own attitudes and actions. Don’t let doubt and self centeredness cut you off in the middle of your story. The shift in his perspective happens in the 10th verse. In Psalm 77:10 he goes from “what if” to  “worship”.  He goes from himself to God. He is forcing himself to REMEMBER ALL that God has done for him. He is reminding himself of WHO God is.Sometimes the only way forward is to circle back. We must remember how powerful and good our God is. Take a second and remember all He has done for you. When you are in the middle of the night it’s hard to remember how faithful He has been in your life. This is why the man said he had to “force” himself to remember how God brought him out in the past. Use all that energy and fear to recall all the times he has been with you. Psalm 77:19 says even when you don’t see it God is working. The Lord is your shepherd. God is your guide and is revealing himself to you all along the way. Sometimes we miss what’s right in front of us because we’re worried about what’s down the road. When you’re up at night when the dark shadows are so scary remember that your Shepherd is with you. The Bible is full of verses on HOPE. RIta shared several of them.  I suggest taking the time to look them up, write them down and meditate on them.  Jeremiah 29:11 Ephesisans 1:18 Hebrews 10:23 Isaiah 40:31 Psalm 9:18 Romans 5:13 Rita also shared the story in Genesis of how God drove Adam and Eve out of Eden after the fall. Did He do this to punish them? NO! He did it to protect them. If He had left them there mankind would have been left in a fallen state for all of eternity. It was a great act of God’s love and redemption. This should give us great hope in our dark times. We must take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It should give us great HOPE now with all that’s going on in our nation. GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL OF IT!!! As His remnant we are being called to RISE and SHINE!  We are being called to take the authority He has given us and bring UNITY, LOVE and PEACE to our nation.  We ended the night with prayer for our nation. We declared and decreed, we took our dominion over the darkness. It was an anointed night and we praise Jesus for the victory that we have in HIM. Women of  Faith is this Wednesday @ 7pm. We’re on Chapter 7 of our Psalm 23 study. I will be teaching. Victoria Schenck will be leading our prayer call this Thursday.  I will be sending out an August schedule soon. We will be taking the first week off in August as I will be out of town. We are moving our daughter into Furman on August 3rd and will be in Greenville that week. Also, we're praying about having a Teen Study in the Fall (through Zoom).  Please let me know if you have teens who would like to attend. Meeting Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/wcwqP4Go0UVLY4H270SDfYgbI7jYX6a80XIe8vMIy0k_0amDxQAJde42Nf4t4vg2 Access Password: 5KNf.f+% Women of Faith Study “A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23” Wed. 7/8, 7/15, 7/22, 7/29 7-8 pm on Zoom  Wed. Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81858818241 Password: 196078 Prayer and Praise Every Thurs & Sun in July 7/9, 7/12, 7/16, 7/19, 7/23, 7/26, 7/30 7-7:45 on Zoom   Thursday link :  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84498728695 Password: 778244 Sunday link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86319197372 Password: 922285 Love,Sherry :-) Psalm 77 1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted. 3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned; I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b] 4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. 5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; 6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked: 7 “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? 8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” 10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” 13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. 16 The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. 17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. 19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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