Month: July 2016

by Betsy Roy

What comes first in your life? If you a Christian woman you probably will answer “God, family, work…..”. Next question – What is your first thought when you wake up and what is the first thing you do in morning? Is it reach for the cell phone and check your messages? check Facebook, Instagram, Twitter? I’m guilty! As I searched online for images of women lying in bed reaching for a cell phone I found a lot of them.  I didn’t find even one image of a woman lying in bed reaching for a Bible.

Now I’m not saying that looking at your cell phone first or checking Facebook is sin. But, it is a matter of priority and what is entering your mind FIRST thing in the morning. Our actions are a reflection of what is on our heart. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is he began by quoting Deuteronomy 6: 4 & 5. The first word is “hear” (shema in Hebrew). The word “shema” means more than the auditory hearing of sound. It means to listen and obey. In other words to do what you are hearing. James 2 teaches us that faith apart from works is dead. So we see that hearing, faith and doing are all connected. What we listen to does affect our faith and therefore also our actions.

The Bible teaches us in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”.  So faith increases as we hear (listen and obey) the Word of God. I am challenging myself to not only read more of God’s Word, but also to “hear” it (listen to it and obey it). Will you take up the challenge?  Instead of turning on the radio in your car to listen to music (even Christian music) or talk, why not listen to God’s Word FIRST? Here’s a great website to do just that – “Faith comes by Hearing” – where you can listen to the Bible in various forms, including dramatized, and in many languages. Yep, they’ve got an “app” too!

There just is something about hearing God’s Word in audio form. You can also read the Bible OUT LOUD! When your inner ear hears what your mouth is saying it builds faith! Give it a try today! And let’s spend more time in the Bible than we do on social media. Our face needs to be in THE Book more than on Facebook. God’s Word has transformed my life and it will transform yours too as you listen and obey.  A personal favorite is Psalm 119. Verse 11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” 

“I prayed for Faith, and thought that some day Faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But Faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, ‘Now Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God’. I had closed my Bible, and prayed for Faith. I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and Faith has been growing ever since. ” ~D.L. Moody

Betsy Roy is the Director of Women of the Word, a Christian Women’s Conference Ministry. She lives near Springfield, MA with her husband Jim. They have 3 daughters and 3 grand-children.

 

 

 

 

by Barbara Benton

Below is a prayer adapted from various prayer sources by Barbara Benton, a WOW speaker.  Please read it out loud and join with us in agreement for it’s fulfillment. We also encourage you to become actively involved in prayer events in your area such as Franklin Graham’s Decision America Tour.  Invite others to join you. Consider making a commitment to pray daily for America. We need it!

Father, I pray according to 1 Timothy 2:1-3 which says, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.”

I pray, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, for our president, the vice president, all the cabinet and the chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court to receive the wisdom of God, to act in obedience to that wisdom and for the power of God to flow in their lives. I pray for the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to find Your peace and direction, and for these men and women to act and lead according to Your Word. A house divided against itself cannot stand, therefore, I pray for them to be unified in righteousness for the sake of the nation.

I pray for Your protection to cover all our law enforcement officers and the men and women of the military. I ask for godly counsel and wisdom for judges across this land. In the Name of Jesus, I pray that You and Your kingdom of righteousness be manifested in the hearts of all those who are in authority in any way.

Father, Your Word says to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because those who love Jerusalem shall prosper. Lord Jesus, because You love Jerusalem and wept over it, I love it also. I pray for Jerusalem to receive the peace of God, which brings wholeness—nothing missing, nothing broken. I pray that no leader of our nation will make any decision that will harm Jerusalem in any way. And in the Name of Jesus, I pray that You reveal Your perfect will to all the leaders of Israel. I ask You, Lord, to reveal Yourself to each person. Thank You, Father, for hearing my prayers that are in accordance to Your will. I receive the answers, in Jesus’ Name. Amen

You may connect with Barbara Benton here. Barbara will be speaking at the Fall 2016 Women of the Word Conference entitled “Overcome”.  Come join us!