"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength"
~Is 40:28-29~
Lord, thank You for reminding me that You don't grow weary of my prayers. You listen tenderheartedly to each one. You don't faint in shock at the deepest thoughts or longings of my heart...You know me better than I know myself. What You are doing in my life may be difficult for me at moments, but Your understanding is unsearchable....You always have my best interest at heart. You give me power to stand, to keep walking in moments I am too weak to walk alone. And when I have no might to face the day, You increase Holy Spirit strength within me.

"There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn"
~Ps 46:4-5~

Lord, Your Holy Spirit is like a mighty rushing river. Flow into me like a stream, that I may make You glad. Stay in the midst of me. I shall not be moved from Your presence. I can hold on thru the dark night because I know Your help, Your deliverance, Your instruction, Your promise ....comes just at the break of dawn.

"For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength...but you would not"
~Is 30:15~

Lord, I deeply desire to be content with You every day....You show me continually that the sign of greatest contentment is rest in my soul. As I return my focus to You, You quiet my anxieties, and help me rest in the confidence of Your presence, Your promise. Help me see every time that my spirit is unrest, it is only because I doubt You. Remind me that when I doubt, it replaces my faith...and without faith, it is impossible for me to please You. Cover me with quiet confidence. Be my strength.

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."
~Phil 4:11-12~

Lord, the gift of contentment is priceless. Help me focus on Your abiding presence in every situation....make my joy constant. I realize there may be moments of unhappiness, but Lord in those moments, I can still have sweet peace in Your presence. Wake me every morning with a smile and Sonshine in my heart even when it's storming in my life. Let me think only on today, so that I don't run ahead of You. Show me all the small wonders today holds, so that none of these escape my notice. Don't let satan rob me of joy by discontentment...let my soul rest quietly in confidence of You.

Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed"
~Deut 31:7-8~

Lord, I praise You for the Joshua's You send into our lives! The persons of strength that stand by our side as we pass thru troubled times until we reach our promise. They help us inherit all that You have claimed for us. Their unwavering faith, steadfast companionship, listening ear, words of encouragement, & fearless leadership are all from heaven above. Strengthen the Joshua's. Give us boldness to be the Joshua's of our household, focused on leading our family to You. Satan cannot stop the blessing we are about to inherit. We claim all You promised us...in the sweet precious name of Jesus!

"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess"
~Deut30:15-16~

Lord, You have set life, abundant and vibrant, before me...if I will choose it. Cause me to wake up with attitude set to enjoy this day that You have given me to the fullest. Focus my thoughts on good things. Purpose my heart to spend this day in constant communion with You, ever aware of Your presence and companionship here. Keep me in Your perfect will as I go to possess all that You have promised me. Love You, Aba Father!

Then he said to me, "Do no fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me..."

Lord, from the first day we pray, You always answer. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, sometimes the answer is delayed by satan's interference. Help us remember in the wait that the answer IS on the way. You will deliver it, even if the chief angel Michael has to reinforce the delivery. God, I pray to be blessed before You...I am waiting for Your answers to the questions in my life. Send Gabriel with my answers. Send Michael to be his reinforcement as satan battles to stop my blessing. I believe, Lord, I believe
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" ~Heb11:6~

And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. ~Dan 10:11~

O Lord, that You would look down and call me beloved! Let me draw this close to You....thank You for sending Your angels to me when I am in need. I tremble in the majestic presence of Your Spirit!

"Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands" ~Dan 10:10~

I praise You Father....You touched Daniel more than 2000 years ago, and You still touch lives today. In Your presence, all healing takes place-mind, body, soul and spirit. I desire to feel Your hand, to be covered by You. Bless our lives with Your touch.

"Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground" ~Dan 10:9~

This verse just called for a second look...Ever had the Lord put you to sleep? I have, many times, usually after pacing the floor, my mind overwhelmed with a thousand things....how many times do I work myself into a frenzy, trying to fix everything, only to realize in the end the answer was always already there in His delivered Word. He lets me run in circles, till I run out of steam, then He picks me up, puts me to bed, closes my eyes, and makes me rest in deep sleep. Teach me to rest in Your delivered word always.

"Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands" ~Dan 10:10~

Oh, Lord, I need a touch from You! Reach down, to the deepest part of me...see me, touch me, love me. I want to feel Your abiding presence cover me, catch me, cradle me. Hold me on Your chest, let me rest there. Breathe Your reviving spirit into me.

"Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground" ~Dan 10:8-9~

When God speaks to you, it's only to you. There is no group of hearers to confirm it. Vs 7: "And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision...". We can run to the preacher, the church folks, the neighbors, our family, our friends....but God speaks directly to us. We alone must discern it. We alone must obey. HE is a personal God, my God, your God, with a personal vision & purpose for my life, your life.

Acceptance

I dare not ask You Lord another time
What You're already revealed to me
The times and seasons fall under
Your divine authority

Great wonders?
No doubt one day I'll see
Hope does not disappoint-
That is Your hope inside of me

Here I am Lord
Sure only of relief
Determined yet to serve You
And finally absent of grief

Mind set on higher things
More that just a chapter closed
Lighter back, easy smiles
This is what acceptance holds
~Kristie West 3/12/09~

"Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is , the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude" ~Dan 10:5-6~

Wow...can you imagine what Daniel saw. He had fasted and prayed for a divine interpretation of an earlier vision, and now here, in majestic response, an angel's breath-taking appearance...every part of his presence with Almighty authority. The God of Daniel that gave such a mighty answer to his prayers,is your God, my God...and still gives mighty answers to our prayers. Believe...seek Him earnestly, wait for Him eagerly, expect His grand appearance into your life.

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled" ~Dan 10:2-3~

Daniel had seen the vision, and he desired interpretation of it. He fasted and prayed 3 full weeks. When is the last time we got this serious with God? When is the last time we fasted and prayed to get a prayer answered? Oh, to be like Daniel....focused on heaven's answer

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." ~Dan 6:10~

As we look at the story in Daniel chapter 10, we have to first look at how Daniel knew that vision was from Jehovah God...it's because he knew Jehovah. His custom was to spend time with God three times a day, every day, even through persecution. His divine discernment came from recognizing the voice and the hand of God. When things come into our life, and we aren't sure if it comes from God or from the devil, see who will be glorified by it, who does it honor, does it line up with the Bible, and with the heart of God. His Spirit is in-dwelling inside us from salvation forward. Time we spend with God sharpens that tool of discernment so we stay in His perfect will, and out of the enemy's traps.

"In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long, and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision" ~Dan 10:1~

When God sends you a message, either through another person, a verse, a dream, or a vision, it is very personal. We find later in verse 7 that "I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision...". No one else saw it. No one else could verify it, or validate that it ever happened. But Daniel knew. He knew God, knew His voice, recognized His hand. What courage and faith it takes to stand on a vision God gave you, and nobody else saw it...especially when the appointed time for this to come true is long. I pray my faith would be as strong as Daniel's, to trust in the God I know who sends the promise, the dream, and continue hope in that until the appointed time.

"So God granted him what he requested" ~I Chron 4:10~

The deepest desires of Jabez's heart were in perfect line with the will of God....so it made it especially easy for God to grant his requests. When we pull up close to the heart of our Father, our wants suddenly become transformed. We see life in a totally different perspective, we see the big picture of His divine purpose and where we fit into that plan. When our deepest desires reflect His deepest desires for us, the answer is always, simply...yes.

"Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart" ~Ps 37:4~

"...that I may not cause pain" ~I Chron 4:10~

Jabez had spent his life in the shadow of "pain", and he begged God to keep His hand on him, keep him from evil, that he would no longer cause pain. My sins bring pain to the heart of God. He loves me so much, it was with great pain He sent Jesus to give His life for me. Lord, I want to be an honorable person like Jabez. Keep Your hand on me, keep me from evil, that I would never bring You pain....Let my existence be daily companionship You God, and my testimony a source of joy to Your heart. Let my life reflect Your image as You created me to do.

"...and that You would keep me from evil" ~I Chron 4:10~

No matter what war wages outside, or even if enemy soldiers have sneaked into the home camp, the safest place to be is under the hand of God. He cannot protect us from evil if we are far away from Him, from His perfect will. If we bolt and run, whether by fear or disobedience, we cannot be in the shield of wings-we are on our own. If we stay, and obey, HE can protect us, teach us the tactics of the devil, share His strategical moves for victory. He can help us avoid the land mines, and traps the enemy has laid for us, showing us how to not only escape captivity, but win back our territory. Lord, keep me from evil, keep me close to You, make "us" victorious, one battle at a time....we already know we win the war!

"...that Your hand would be with me..." ~I Chron 4:10~

The only way that God's divine hand can be with us is if we are in the exact center of His perfect will for our life. He always desires to stay with us, to keep His hand of comfort and protection on us. Whether we stay close enough to let Him is up to us.

"...and enlarge my territory" ~I Chron 4:10~

Jabez asked God to enlarge his territory. This could literally be land, territory he owned and managed. But it may have been his territory of influence, the number of people he could be a positive Godly example to. Sometimes when we pray for a blessing, God picks us up out of our circumstances and sets us in a new place. Other times, He opens our eyes to a new perspective, blessing the circumstances we are already in, and blessing our mindset while we are here. God, I beg that You create more "God-ordained moments" in my day, to share Your love with others. Let praise be on-going from my lips to Your heart through out my life, let my joy be contagious. Enlarge my territory, however You see best...and let me always, always see You in every situation.