Tag: prayer

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Moments of Clarity

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Matthew 20:32-33 “Jesus said to them, what do you want Me to do for you? They said to Him, Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”

Outside my living room window 100 aspens were shimmering in the breeze. It was around 5:30 p.m. and the sunshine darted through the clouds dotting the sky. The aspen leaves were a creamy yellow except for the moments when the setting sun would break through and light them up in a dazzling blaze of lemony yellow. A cloud drifted by and everything was back to a dull cream. This kept happening, and each time I would race out the door to take a picture when the sun had lit everything up so brightly.

What I witness in nature God so often uses to speak into my heart. Those flashes of brilliant sunshine through the aspens reminded me that God brings beauty and clarity in a moment and it’s ours to grasp quickly before it’s gone. Maybe we have that flash of insight, hmm, he’s not the one, or this job shouldn’t define me, or I want more creativity in my life. Maybe it’s wow I was short-tempered back there, or our home needs a spiritual reset. Clarity is curative. That bright flash of insight points us into truth.

A friend in L.A recently shared a hard decision she made to pass up a big business opportunity in favor of a more genuine, personal track. Her clarity came when she realized she had missed so much life in the past ten years. My favorite boutique owner in Sun Valley told me that she had taken the risk to close her store on Sundays. Her clarity came because she’d been working non-stop and realized she needed a spirit-focused rhythm in her life. A young man told me this weekend that he had realized he never seriously considered the message of Christ. He said his mother’s negative Catholic experience growing up had shaded everything he had been told. In a moment of clarity, of revelation actually, he realized there’s more to the gospel story than what he had been told, and so he’s investigating Christianity. An older friend of mine shared a new perspective she gained– that her husband had sacrificed so much when they were first married, and now, with his health declining, was her time to sacrifice for him. That clarity brightened her words, actions, and attitudes with new compassion. Each of these friends experienced a moment when God brought their life into clear focus.

Dear ones, don’t we all need God to break through with clarity in some fashion? Are we in a situation like Elisha’s servant, surrounded by enemies and unable to see the mighty army of God protecting us? (2 Kings 6:15-17) Are we like the disciples after the resurrection, walking with Jesus but not even realizing it?  “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him: and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road?” (Luke 24:31-32)

I’ve experienced moments when, like the sunshine breaking through the trees, God’s insight gave me clarity. Ideas like wanting to honor all that God has given me in a day—to savor the beauty all around and also to view each obstacle as an opportunity for growth.  To work hard with excellence but keep identity rooted, not in what I do or what I own or what others think, but in the sole fact that I’m a blood-bought daughter of Christ, the King. Wanting to love people the way that Jesus loved people. It’s in the details that I ask for greater clarity and insight. How do I honor God in my day? How do I love people like He did? Jesus said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46)

Join me in praying this week, Lord, open our eyes. Break through our cloudy commitments and bring Your bright Presence to illuminate our way. We want to see You, Lord to follow You. Amen

If you haven’t already signed up for my blog, go to www.MargaretAllen.org/Monday’s scroll to the bottom of that page. My book, Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion is available anywhere you buy books.

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Monthly Mashup #6

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Welcome to my monthly mashup! These are some of the things I’ve enjoyed or pondered this month. Health is the emphasis on this month’s mashup. From the Beloved Apostle, John on the isle of Patmos: “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2 

ProLon and the USC Longevity Institute

I read The Longevity Diet by Valter Longo a while ago. I was so inspired by his research at USC that I decided to give the ProLon fasting diet a try. It’s a 5-day fast where you get to eat, but your body “thinks” it’s fasting. This fasting mimicking triggers “autophagy,” which is your body’s natural way of cleaning house. Longo’s research discovered that doing this 5-day fast in three consecutive months cleared your body’s slate of many diseases. In 2018, TIME nominated Dr. Longo as among the top 50 most influential people in health. I did the 5-day fast three times and it kicked my lagging thyroid into gear- a welcome change for sure! I found that after doing the ProLon fast I was more mindful of my eating habits and more committed to healthy, non-processed, non-genetically modified foods. I’ve recommended this fast to my friends and family and I’m about to start the fast again for a second round. Check out @prolonfmd

Healing with Hyperbarics

I got Covid back in February and in June my lungs still didn’t feel 100%. Even on a moderate hike my lung capacity was noticeably less. Because Sun Valley is a pretty darn athletic/adventurist town, I learned about a medical treatment called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Pro athletes do it before games to improve oxygenation and after to reduce inflammation. In the treatment you inhale 100% oxygen while resting in a chamber with increased atmospheric pressure. The 45-minute treatment injects 400x more oxygen into your tissues and mobilizes stem cells. It regrows healthy tissues and reduces pain and swelling. And at my age, who wouldn’t want to reduce some pain and swelling? The long story short is wow did this thing work for me! My lungs are at 100% and my energy levels are through the roof. Look it up- there may be a hyperbarics clinic near you.

A Related Rant

Because hyperbarics is a medical treatment, you may need a doctor’s referral. Back in June, I went to a clinic to inquire about a referral for hyperbaric treatment. I was ranting to the doctor about how the medical system in the Bay area was no help when I had covid. Sick as a dog, I went to my healthcare system which was a leading provider in the Bay and was told take a Tylenol for any fever and Robitussen for any cough and good luck. So, get this my friends: the doctor in Idaho responded to my rant by saying, here in Idaho we’ve been treating covid patients with Ivermectin and we are seeing great results! Interesting. So, I tuck that piece of news in my pocket and shuffle on over to hyperbarics. Two months later, the exact same doctor at the exact same clinic says they are NOT ALLOWED to prescribe Ivermectin for covid.  What could possibly have changed his enthusiastic endorsement of an effective medicine? Who would NOT ALLOW effective medical treatment? It seems like there is a medical mafia that is not interested in treating this thing- they require us to take the experimental jab that, as of this month, 14,701 people have died from. Which leads me to the only thing I know to do…

PRAYER

This psalm was read aloud at a recent gathering and we were in tears. Listen to the timeless beauty of God’s word and pray this prayer dear one: Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for Help, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. 

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.

O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me. There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself. Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue. Hold them guilty, O God; by their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, for they are rebellious against You. 

But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy; and may You shelter them, that those who love Your name may exult in You. For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5, a Psalm of David

Aren’t you glad that God surrounds you with favor like a shield? I pray blessings on your home and I hope you will pray blessings on mine. My days on fb are numbered, so please sign up to get my blog in your email. Go to www.MargaretAllen.org/Mondays  And it’s officially ‘wear a sweater in the morning and regret it in the afternoon’ weather which means Holidays are coming up–my book makes a beautiful and personal gift! Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion is sold wherever you buy books.

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Quiet Waters

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The beautiful thing about hiding God’s word in your heart and mind is that it seeps into the little mundane moments of a day and transforms it. Here’s a scripture you probably already know:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I 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 have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.  Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23, a Psalm of David.

I’ve been praying this psalm, whispering it actually, all week as I prayed for people trapped in the conflict in Afghanistan. I’ve prayed it for the families of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Kabul attack—25, 23, 22’s, and five twenty-year old killed evacuating civilians because our government left all our military gear and withdrew troops before civilians. God help them, guide them, comfort them as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It is such a tender psalm, especially knowing that David, the author, had seen so much trouble and heartache in his life.

I was hiking this week with my dog, Sophie. We went up to Pioneer Cabin outside of Ketchum, Idaho. What a beautiful climb through the trees and wildflowers, up 3000 ft vertical over a seven-mile hike.  Several times we crossed over or next to streams and each time I stopped so Sophie could drink. But it’s funny with a little dog, you have to choose a bend in the stream where the water is not rushing rapidly. If the water is too fast, she’s afraid and won’t drink, even though she is thirsty. While I was carefully bringing her to the right sections of water, God’s word came bubbling up in my mind: He leads me beside quiet waters.  Turns out that sheep are similar with little dogs in that they need still water to drink. And maybe people need a safe and quiet place to be refreshed as well. That’s why the Lord is our shepherd. He carefully and tenderly leads us to rest and replenishment. When we are exhausted by a wicked and unjust world, God thoughtfully leads us into a place of peace. When life is wearing us down we can remember that He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.

How has God brought you to quiet waters recently? Starting the day praying Psalm 23 out loud can be our choice to center our lives peacefully in His word. Blessings to you this week my friends. Be sure to sign up for my blog to hit your email rather than social media

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Entering In

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I’ve heard the saying “people are as close to God as they want to be.”  I understand we are responsible for our spiritual life, but here’s why I disagree with the statement: I think most of us either don’t know how to be close to God or we are misinformed as to what we could possibly hope to gain there. 

Whenever I meet with someone who complains they just can’t seem to find the time to read their Bible and pray, I instantly know they have misinformation and hurt around the goodness of God. If we believe that God punishes us, withholds good from us, doesn’t help us or come through for us, then yes of course it makes sense that we can’t find time to meet with Him. Who would want to meet with that? It gets tricky though because cognitively we may say no, I don’t believe unkind things about God, but deep within our hearts there may be disappointment toward God in very personal ways. 

How do we work through this duplicity? Press in. Be honest—God can handle what we have to say!  We can ask Him to meet us, speak to us, comfort and guide us. We can choose to consciously align our heart and mind with the truth of scripture. Well, I don’t feel like God is close to me. Feelings don’t create truth—they follow truth. “… the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) We believe that God is good and has good for us based on the truth of scripture and our feelings of closeness will follow.

Did Jesus in fact encourage people to draw near and follow Him? Jesus urged a close relationship, saying “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Jesus knew that He had good to offer us—peace and gentleness, partnership in life, learning and wisdom. He knew that His sacrificial death on the cross would defeat darkness and spiritual oppression. Jesus lived a perfect life so that we could enter in to relationship with God.

Listen to the tenderness of God’s heart toward us: “For the Lord God says this: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them. As a shepherd cares for his flock on a day when he is among his scattered sheep. So I will care for My sheep and will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing place will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in a good grazing place and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will feed My flock and I Myself will lead them to rest,’ declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick.” (Ezekiel 34:11-16) This doesn’t sound like someone we have to beg to come close to us, does it?

“I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick.” This, my friend, is the heart of God toward us. Do you feel lost right now? Is your life scattered or broken? Catherine Marshall wrote, “God seeks us out at a point in our own need and longing and runs down the road to meet us…At the same time, there is one central core of the entering-in or commitment experience that is common to everyone who undergoes it. It is the act of putting oneself—past, present, and future—into God’s hands to do with as He pleases.” (Beyond Our Selves, p 44)

Are we as close to God as we want to be? If not, we can put ourselves—past, present, and future—into God’s hands to do with as He pleases. We enter in, because we know that He is good.

Go to my website www.MargaretAllen.org for more resources. Please share this blog with everyone who is pressing in!

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A Long Shelf Life

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Fun fact: our prayers have a long shelf life. No Biblical story demonstrates this more than the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth. When an angel appeared to Zacharias and told him “your prayer is heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son” and Z replies to the angel, “How? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (See Luke 1:13-18) We realize by his response, Zacharias and Elizabeth hadn’t prayed for a son in many years. They had given up on that dream, but God did not forget!

In Acts 10 a roman military officer, Cornelius, is described as a prayerful, generous, God-fearing man who encountered an angel in a vision. The angel released this amazing revelation: “Your prayers and your generosity have created a memorial before God.” The prayers of this one man were answered miraculously while the disciples witnessed the Holy Spirit move among gentiles in ways they did not conceive as possible. (See Acts 10 for this wonderful story) 

So, dear friend, if our prayers create a memorial before God, meaning they are remembered by God and for a long, long time, what’s on our prayer list? If we could sit out on the back porch with God, what would we talk about? Our loved ones? Our future, direction, and purpose? Would we pray for our family, our school or work, our nation to walk with God in fresh ways? Long after we forget these prayers, God continues to remember them and honor the cry of our heart.

One month before my 40th birthday I gave birth to our son, Samuel Cooper. Every day of my pregnancy I blessed him and prayed for him. And every night (until he stayed up way later than us) we would bless Cooper before he went to bed. We prayed about little concerns of the day like tests coming up or friendships happening, but we also prayed for God’s vision for his life. We blessed him to be a man of integrity and wisdom. We blessed him to love God’s word and to walk in His ways. We prayed all kinds of prayers I can’t even remember but God still has them. You see, prayers I’ve long forgotten are just now coming up on God’s to do list!

Cooper returned home this week from his freshman year at Baylor. Like Samuel in the Bible, it appears that a razor has not touched his head and also like the Biblical Samuel he does not let God’s word fall away from him. Cooper likes to read his Bible with me in the mornings. We sip our coffee and share insights from what we are reading. When he was a chubby little toddler and I prayed he would love God’s word and walk in wisdom, I had no idea how beautifully God would honor that prayer! I could not have imagined the young man he would become or the impact he would have in his world.

Our prayers matter– they are not forgotten! In fact, the throne of God is described in Revelation as being surrounded by twenty-four elders worshipping before the Lamb, “each having golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8) If our prayers are this precious to God, please dear saint, don’t let up, don’t get weary or distracted! Pray the prayers of heaven and watch God do amazing things!

Sign up for my blog at www.MargaretAllen.org and find my book Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion anywhere books are sold.

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Monthly Mashup

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Welcome to my monthly mashup! These are some of the things I’ve enjoyed or pondered this month:

A Devotional I’m loving: Igniting Faith in 40 Days by Steve & Wendy Backlund

If you are open to a new perspective, check out this little devotional. Igniting Faith is a mere 44 pages, but it packs a punch. Some of the illustrations from the Backlunds helped shift my focus to a much more positive and faith-filled expectation. Their notes on Romans 4:17 (God calls the things that are not…) and Ezekiel 37 (bringing life to dead places) are absolute fire. This is my fourth time through Igniting Faith and it’s still an inspiring way to start the day.

A video I enjoyed: “An ER doctor on how to triage your busy life”

 If, like me, you have fallen out of love with TEDX talks, this one may win you back. It’s not that I dislike TEDX talks, I just got tired of wading through ones that didn’t apply. But Darria Long’s talk as an ER doc was fun, inspiring, and practical. Her presentation helped me to rethink some ways I was organizing my life and also be more thoughtful about how I talked about my life. Check it out: https://youtu.be/Fe1z22_Qd9E

A cookbook/insta account I adore: Half Baked Harvest

I tend to get stuck in my cooking creativity, making the same tired meals each week. My daughter Miranda offered to cook for me when she was home. She came in with Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in Coconut Milk and proceeded to Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar. I was practically licking the pan as I asked, “Miranda, where did you get these fabulous recipes?” She laughed, “Aren’t they great? And they are so easy!”  If you have an insta account, look up @halfbakedharvest.

 A young gal named Tieghan Gerard started creating fabulous recipes at a young age and founded Half Baked Harvest. She is a NYT best-selling author of HBH Super Simple cookbook. Her insta account @halfbakedharvest provides daily inspiration for dinner and desserts. I thought I knew how to make tacos till I made her Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch! Check out Easy Greek Sheet Pan Souvlaki and Potatoes or Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes with Whipped Mascarpone. So good! Try it out and let me know your favorites!

A Quote I’m pondering:

“Stop trying to get from people, what you will only ever get from God.” – Christine Cain

Thanks for reading! I always ask for feedback on the blog and recently a friend mentioned that she was not able to leave comments. Has anyone else had trouble commenting or sharing it on their social? Please let me know! You can sign up to receive my blog in your email every Monday at www.MargaretAllen.org at the bottom of Monday’s With Margaret. And, if you are reading through my book, Gracious Living, I would love to hear what resonates for you. Have a beautiful week everyone!

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Good Friends

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“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

Do we consider ourselves friends of Christ? Honestly, sometimes it’s easier to just be a servant! We secretly attempt to compartmentalize our faith by choosing to “serve” at strategic junctures while keeping some parts of our heart separate, private. And even while Christ deserves obedience, what He has called us to is actual friendship. This friendship is a little key that opens the big doors of blessing from God.

When we consider friendship with Christ as the overarching principle of being a Christian, then the underlying character traits make sense. Stay with me: last week we saw that humility and worship were ways of partnering with God to unlock the doors to a full life. If I am truly focused on being a close friend with Christ, humility is a natural response! Worship makes total sense. If I am vulnerable and transparent before the Lord, seeking to be His friend, then a hunger for righteousness is completely in line. Gratitude isn’t so much a practice as it is a natural outflow of my friendship with our loving Savior.

This week I’ve reflected on my friendship with God. I’ve asked Him how we could be closer. I’ve also asked if there were thoughts or behaviors that initiated distance rather than intimacy. I have discovered over and over that distance is my choice and not His. But when Jesus said, “I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you,” He was establishing His desire for closeness and communication.

Think about your friendship with God this week. Do the things that good friends do: spend time together, share your heart with honesty and vulnerability, laugh, sing, cry. Give honor and credit. Be grateful. Value what He values. Ask questions.

May the joy and peace that uniquely belongs to Christ, fill you to overflowing this week. May this key of friendship with Christ open beautiful doors of blessing in your life.

Check out my book, Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion. Read it on your own or go through it with friends. I enjoy zoom calls with groups that are reading through Gracious Living together and discovering such joy in the journey. Check out my website for more at http://www.MargaretAllen.org

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Partnering with God

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A few weeks ago, I posted a reader’s question concerning the law of partnership. We talked about ways we inadvertently partner with the enemy through our participation in fear, anxiety, shame, anger, pride and so on.  Today I want to focus on specific ways of partnering with God that bring blessing and peace into our lives. Little keys open big doors. What are the little keys, the ways we hold hands with God, that open the big doors of blessing and peace?

One key is humility to seek God’s Face

“all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5: 5-7 You might need to reread this scripture in order to see that one of the ways we humble ourselves is by casting all of our anxiety on Him.

Proverbs 22:4 “True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.”

 Let’s dig into a story that illustrates this key of humility unlocking the door to God’s blessing: in 2 Chronicles 20 Jehoshaphat, King of Judah faced terrifying armies coming against him and he was deeply troubled. But rather than partner with fear and anxiety, he humbled himself and turned his attention to seeking God. He fasted. Then he stood before his nation and proclaimed the promises and faithful nature of God. He recounted God’s goodness out loud. In faith he declared that God would hear and save because they had cried out to Him in their affliction. Jehoshaphat prayed, “For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 2 Chron 20:12

We all have prayed that prayer at some time, haven’t we? Lord, I don’t know what to do but my eyes are on you! And just as God answered the humble and vulnerable prayer of King Jehoshaphat, He answers us as well. “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” v 15 God was saying your problems are now MY problems! I got this. Study your Bible my friend and see if you don’t find time and time again, God exalts the humble. This one little key will open the door to riches, honor, and long life.

Praise, Worship, and Adoration

Listen to how King Jehoshaphat responded when he heard from God: “Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and everyone worshipped the Lord. They stood up to praise the Lord God with voices loud and high.” 2 Chron 20:19

Does God come through for you and then it’s back to business as usual? Let me encourage you, after doing the hard spiritual work of seeking God’s face and fasting, get your praise on. Shout hallelujah. Proclaim His goodness and His faithful promises out loud to your own self and to anyone else around. And when the Spirit of God shows up, no matter how He shows up, worship and adore Him with voices LOUD and HIGH! That’s right, get your praise on! 

Jehoshaphat believed so strongly in the faithfulness of God that he put singers in front of his soldiers. They praised the beauty of God’s holiness, saying “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” Get this now: WHEN they began to sing and to praise, THEN the Lord ambushed the enemy. (2 Chron 20:22) God inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3) He waits for one sign of our worship, our obedience, our trust in Him, and He reveals His goodness and faithfulness. 

When you don’t know what to do with the multitude coming against you, whether it’s health issues, marriage problems, finances, or more, partner with God through these simple key acts of obedience.  Humble yourself, cry out to God and seek His face. As you worship Him and proclaim His goodness you will experience God’s blessing and peace. 

These are just a few of the keys to unlocking doors to blessing. Do you have a testimony of God coming through for you? Please share it in the comments. We will examine a few more keys next week as we set our hearts on partnering with God to walk in blessing.

Check out my website for more information at www.margaretallen.org. Find me on insta @margaretallen.gl  

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Reader’s Question: Law of Partnership

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Just as the law of gravity orders our physical world, spiritual laws govern the spiritual realm. The law of partnership is one of those laws. In my Real Talk interview with Pastor Lily Olgiati I explained that in this law of partnership, God is a gentleman. Meaning that He waits for our engagement with Him, never intruding on space we have not offered. In contrast, the devil is terrifyingly intrusive, taking ground that was never intentionally offered.  Any experience with addiction, anger, or fear quickly verifies this. We may open the door to a temporary experience and find we have fallen down a slippery slope of painful behaviors. 

Throughout the Old Testament, we read statements like this: “If you would only obey Me, then…” (see Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 4,5,6, 1 Samuel 7) Is God on a big power trip about obedience? No, rather I believe He created this law of partnership, that He LONGS to bless us, pour good into our lives, IF we will only PARTNER with Him. God cannot force blessing upon us but eagerly waits for us to open the door to Him.  Similarly, if we partner with the enemy, we have empowered him (the devil and demonic spirits) whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. (Jn. 10:10) We see in scripture that when God’s people pray, fast, dedicate themselves, and obey, then peace follows. God delivers them from oppression of every kind and pours out blessing and rest. And when God’s people wander from Him and follow (partner with) other gods, the door to oppression, sickness, and lack opens.

How can we identify partnerships in our life? Think about the last experience you had that felt off, uncomfortable, or confusing. As you reflect, ask yourself- was I holding hands with fear? Anger? Rebellion? Or in this situation was I truly participating with faith, patience, obedience? We can partner (participate, hold hands) with the enemy in many subtle ways. Let’s take fear for example: maybe we come from a family who worries a lot. In every situation we have been trained to look at what could possibly go wrong and how we could be in danger. Even though we are Christ-followers, fears tumble out of us, keeping us awake at night as we fret over the health of our children, our finances, careers, politics, and so on. We partner with fear by obsessively controlling our relationships, health, and environment, constantly scrolling, posting and speaking our fear multiple times a day.

I was at a women’s group once where I heard a woman say to four different people that she had gotten a mammogram that day because her mother had breast cancer as did her grandmother also. All day and throughout her life she rehearsed this fear and spoke it to anyone who would listen: my grandmother and mother had cancer and I fear that I will as well. What would partnering with faith look like in this situation rather than holding hands with fear and foreboding? She could acknowledge her fear to God and hand it to Him to carry. She could then speak life over herself saying something like I am a blood-bought daughter of Christ the King! He says I am beloved and blessed. I am so sorry for my grandmother and mother’s experience but that is not my inheritance! I believe that God’s goodness will follow me all the days of my life because His plans for me are not for calamity but for good. (See Jeremiah 29:11) Throughout her life she then partners with God’s design for health in her eating, drinking, relaxing, and speaking. 

Have we opened doors to the enemy by partnering with rebellion rather than obedience? (I share my story of this in my Real Talk interview with Pastor Lily- watch it here: https://youtu.be/KZhNtOhpEwA ) Have we spoken fear over our life and now feel almost bullied by dread and foreboding? Have we held hands with a political spirit so much that we have alienated friends and family? 

When we discover how we’ve partnered with the enemy, we need simply to break that alliance. I’ve woken up some days in a pissy mood and then declared out loud I will not partner with this spirit! This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! And the power and love in God’s Name comes to me. Whatever your situation, say to the Lord I am holding hands with You today. I will not hold hands or partner with_____. I renounce it and break all ties with it. I command that spirit to leave in Jesus’ Name. I ask You Jesus to fill in all that space with Your peace and love. Amen

A friend asked how I developed this understanding of partnerships and laughing, I said, “I’m not that smart- I’m just a good reader!” My professor from Fuller Seminary, Dr. Charles H. Kraft brought this law to light. I highly recommend his books, I Give You Authority and Deep Wounds, Deep Healing.

An easy way to partner with God is to daily open the door to spirit-filled information and dialogue. You can get fresh input into your spiritual life by checking out my book, Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion. You can find it on my website (along with this blog) www.MargaretAllen.org or anywhere books are sold. Next week we will explore powerful ways to partner with God to open doors of His blessing and protection.

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Forgiving Past Hurts

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Do you want to forgive someone but just can’t seem to make it happen? Many times, we will genuinely want to release past hurts or offenses but our efforts don’t stick. We continue replaying hurtful conversations and experiences even though we want to be rid of them. Let me describe a process to journal and pray through that will lead us into complete forgiveness. First, let’s look briefly at what forgiveness is NOT:

Forgiveness is not erasure. We don’t come along with a white board eraser and wipe it from the slate. Rather, we write Paid in Full next to the offense.  It is paid for through the blood of Christ. It cost Him something and it has cost us something.

Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. We can forgive someone but that doesn’t automatically mean we want to have dinner with them. We can forgive the offense and honestly say they don’t owe us anymore, while also holding the boundary that we don’t desire to continue opening our life to them.

Forgiveness is not rationalizing or marginalizing what someone has done. We don’t say things like “oh, he had a rough childhood” or “she’s just that way.” Rather, we acknowledge the wounding that happened and release it to Jesus Christ, asking Him to carry it for us.

When I began to study the Bible as I processed wounding from my childhood, I was struck by the fact that Jesus expected us to forgive others. How could He demand this? Did He not know the horrible things that could happen in life? Yes actually, if anyone could ever understand injury and betrayal it was Jesus. Will you take a moment and read Matthew 18:23-35? It is Jesus’ answer to the question of how many times must we forgive someone? In the story a man does not forgive because he did not fully perceive his own freedom and forgiveness. Our forgiving others and even ourselves is anchored in one simple fact: Jesus purchased our forgiveness with His blood. It is paid for-past, present, future. Christ-followers forgive because God has forgiven all of our sins. When we can own the radical, brazen love and forgiveness of God for ourselves then we are free, truly free to love and forgive others.

Grab a journal and some Kleenex and find a quiet space. Anchor in the love of God and then ask Him to show you any hurts, offenses, or unforgiveness that you may be holding toward anyone. Write down what He shows you, listing the person, the offense, and all the effects that have rippled through your life. List the emotions that came with the hurt—perhaps betrayal, anger, shame, fear and so on. For each event acknowledge that Jesus is just, and He will deal with that person rightly. I acknowledge that Christ died on the cross to pay for that hurt with His precious blood. “Then, I take the offense, hurt, and every connected emotion, and lay them at the feet of Jesus.  Each time I say something like, I have every right to be hurt (angry, bitter, jealous, afraid, etc.) but I know if I hold on, it will ruin me.  It’s too heavy for me to carry, Lord. I ask Jesus to carry that hurt or offense for me.” (Gracious Living, p. 240)

After laying these things at His feet, “I acknowledge that the hurt has taken up space in my heart and mind that needs to be filled with something else. If I’ve held bitterness, for example, I will ask Jesus to replace it with a sweet and tender spirit. If I’ve held on to fear and foreboding, I’ll ask Jesus to pour joy in every place that once carried fear.” (Gracious Living, p 241) Do you understand the process so far? We list the hurt and all the effects it has had and we consciously lay them at the feet of Jesus, asking Him to carry it for us. Then, we replace those emotions with ones that Jesus gives us. Now, one last step: “Because demonic spirits often inflame unforgiveness, I conclude my forgiveness practice with a prayer of renunciation and protection. I’ll pray, I no longer partner with unforgiveness (bitterness, fear, anger, hurt, etc.). I command these spirits to leave in Jesus’ name. I forbid them to return or torment me about this hurt again.” (Gracious Living, p 241)

For years I struggled with shame and anxiety but when I spent just a few hours focused in this way, laying shame and anxiety at His feet, I was changed. A true exchange happened! Take some time this week to process forgiveness. If you stall out, get a trusted friend or counselor to walk through it with you. My book, Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion spells out the process in greater detail. Go to www.MargaretAllen.org for the book, the blog, and free resources.