Welcome 2014!

This is my first post for 2014 and I really want to encourage others with my post.

We just finished our annual prayer and fasting as a church.  I'm all pumped up and very excited for what this year has to bring.  2013 was a good year, but I'm believing that 2014 will be a better year... wait, let me say that again... 2014 will be a GREAT year!

No matter what situation you are in, be encouraged!

Three things that I'm believing God to happen this year.

RESTORATION.  The act of returning something that was stolen or taken from you.  In Joel 2:25 it says: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you." That speaks of restoration. What is it that was stolen or taken from you?  Money?  Time?  Health?  Relationship?The Lord promised He will repay the years the locusts have eaten. That's a great promise!

PROVISION. In Joel 2:26 it says: You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed." Plenty to eat until you are full... That speaks of provision.  And not just simply provision, but more than enough provision.   In verse 22, if God is very mindful of the animals, what more us?  We are His children. In verse 24, it speaks of fulness and overflow.  You see, God can change your situation overnight!

IMPARTATION. In Joel 2:28 it says: "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." We will be filled more and more with God's presence.

These are some things we should be very excited about!

I am!

7-Days of Prayer and Fasting

It's 12:30 in the morning and I'm still wide awake. I guess it's the hot cocoa I had after dinner.  

We just finished our church's annual seven-day prayer and fasting.  As a church, we begin each new year with this. It is our way of humbling ourselves before God and consecrating to Him the upcoming year. It is also the time when we corporately come into agreement and believe together for breakthroughs in our personal lives, families, finances and churches.  I'm very excited for what God is going to do next in my life and how God is going to unfold the miracles I've been believing for.  

As early as January 2, even before we started fasting, God began showering me with blessings in the area of my work.  He has once again proven Himself faithful in His promise.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  Malachi 3:10

Fasting this year was difficult for me though.  It was really a struggle.  Because of the nature of my job, I had to exert much effort to bite my tongue and zip my lips when it was all too easy to let out ugly words than to simply smile.  We were all warned that as our body adjusts while we fast, there would be temporary bouts of mental annoyances like irritability.  Sometimes it felt more like it was beyond irritation.   But I thank God for His strength and His grace that I was able to make it to the finish line.  

If there's one thing I immediately got from this year's prayer and fasting, it's embracing the entirety of who God is.  Simply put, He is my everything.

Lord, thank you for the victory.  Thank you for my breakthroughs and miracles. I give you all the glory and the honor... Lord Jesus!

Your Will Be Done

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without
money and without cost." Isaiah 55:1

For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." Luke 12:12

Two verses God gave me last Thursday during my one day fast. I was asking God for three things. He answered two. The other one I'm putting on hold until God speaks to me about it. Aside from the three things I was asking God for, God impressed in my heart about something else. I'm not quite sure how to do this yet. It's about helping young couples whose marriage are hurting. I said, "God, how am I gonna do this? I'm having problems with my own marriage." I told my small group leader about it and she got so excited. She said, "Yes! It shall come to pass!"

God said that His words will not go back to Him empty but will accomplish the purpose for which they were sent. Somehow, at the back of my mind, I'm thinking that maybe He's letting me and my husband go through this rough road so we will be able to say that yes, we know how it feels because we've been on that same road. Well, I know that God has great plans for us.

Lord, I pray that Jesus will be glorified in my life, in my husband's life and in our marriage. Lord, not my will but your will be done.

Day 7 - Breakthrough Fasting

Yesterday was our last day of fasting. We went to church to worship the Lord and prayed for our heart's desires. It felt good that we all made it! Singing worship songs was so heartfelt, it almost felt like I was singing in front of the gate of heaven. I was extremely moved during our breakthrough prayer. I guess everyone in the room were. It was so powerful.

During my fast I was lead to so many promises of God, but I'll share two verses which I hope will encourage you too as much as it did me.

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men." Joshua 6:2

...For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land." Joshua 8:1

God has said to Joshua the words "I have delivered." Past tense. Done. Even before the actual handing over of Jericho and Ai happened. When Joshua obeyed, he received what the Lord had promised him.

We have to obey what the Lord's telling us to do.

And the God we serve is faithful to fulfill everything that He had promised.

To God be the glory!

Day 2

I got all sorts of mocking from the pit of hell. Rude comments were thrown at me.

"Are you crazy? Why do you have to fast?"

"What have you done that you have to fast?"

"Is that a religion thing? Crazy! I'll never join your religion if that's the case"

"Is that about religion? Forget it! Grab a plate and eat!"

"LET'S GO EAT!!!" (All eyes were on me while they chant those words)

I just smiled at them and didn't say a word. I figured that it's useless to argue with these people anyway. My heart was breaking. I just said, "Lord, help me. I don't like to take offense. They don't know what they're doing."

I knew something like this was going to happen. But God kept me strong.

We're back in Manila. I survived Day 2... only because of God's grace.

Day 1

We're on our way to meet up a client in Baguio so we're going out of town in a few hours. It's Day 1 of our fasting and I'm pretty much aware how the enemy tries to ruin things for me since last night. Anyway, we still have an hour or so before we leave and I want to spend it with the Lord. I guess it's bye-bye for today. God bless!

Prayer & Fasting

I finished the book This Present Darkness by Peretti last night. Hit the sack at around 4 a.m. I know this sounds crazy but I just couldn't stop reading until I finished the remaining pages. Anyway, I enjoyed the book a lot.

Tomorrow is the start of our annual seven-day prayer and fasting. This is my first time to participate in this annual event in our church. I'm excited to what God is going to reveal to me. I'm also believing God for my breakthroughs. So last night, my friend and I made a list of our faith goals for 2008. Then we put it in a small box and tied it with a green ribbon. We prayed over it then I put it on top of my cabinet. It'll be opened on January 7, 2009 to see how many of our faith goals God answered. Sort of like a time capsule.

As a spiritual family, we begin each new year with seven days of prayer and fasting. It is our way of humbling ourselves before God and consecrating to Him the upcoming year. It is also the time when we corporately come into agreement and believe together for breakthroughs in our personal lives, families, finances and churches.

I'll be writing down what I have learned, what God has revealed to me and my breakthroughs in the coming days.

Lifting up year 2008 to God almighty!