A Mother's Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Lord, we love You and adore You. Forgive our sins and those of our children. I come to you on behalf of mamas, grandmamas, "Big Mamas," "Get Mamas," "Nanas" and God Mothers everywhere, women of God submitted to Your way, Your will, and Your Word. Father, give them knowledge, wisdom and understanding to face life’s parenting challenges with dignity and discernment. Lord, when the load seems too heavy, help them remember that You are the burden bearer, that with You all things are possible.

Abba, when mamas, grandmamas, and Big Mamas cry out in the midnight hour on behalf of their children, help them recall the work of our ancestors, and the strength of womanhood from previous generations, and the godly women You've given as examples in Your Word.

Help them remember that African American women endured unjust and inhumane treatment, extreme hardships in this nation's history to protect and rear their children. Help them remember the unfeigned faith of Timothy’s grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, women who instilled a steadfast faith in the young preacher Timothy. It was a faith that caused Paul to declare to in 2 Timothy 1:5,"I am persuaded that it is in thee also.”

When confronted with rebellious children and rebellious parents who neglect parenting responsibilities, help your mamas, grandmamas, and Big Mamas recall the prayer of our sister Dr. Renita Weems in the book, Showing Mary (page 177):

“When I am tempted to doubt myself
and question my gifts and experience,
Remind me, God, of all that I know,
And that which I don’t know that I
know.

Remind me who I am and whose I am.
Even when I hide behind
piety to
avoid doing what must be done,
and use you as an excuse for
indecision,
for lack of action, for silencing myself.

Love me enough
to lift the lid off my basket,
and order me to stop crouching in the dark,
Like a woman without a God.”

In Jesus Name, Amen.
--------------

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus saves!

The Power of Persistent Prayer

I was asked recently, "How many times should we pray to God about the same thing?" God has given me the word that we need to be persistent in our prayers. Jesus tells us this in Luke 11:5-9 in the parable of the man who went to his friend at midnight for three loaves of bread. The Bible says that even if the man wouldn't open the door for the sake of friendship, he would open it because his neighbor was persistent.   The Bible says ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, and knock and the door will be open.  The NLT translation says keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.  There's power in persistent prayer!

The story of Hannah praying to conceive a child is a story of persistence in prayer (1 Samuel 1:1-28). Hannah didn't talk back to her  rival, Peninnah who made fun of her for being childless; nor her partner, Elkanah who thought he was better for her than 10 sons; nor her priest, Eli who thought she was drunk.  Hannah talked to Jehovah Jireh, her great and awesome Provider!  And soon Hannah conceived Samuel, one of the greatest prophets who ever lived.

The widow pleading before the unjust judge for justice is another example of persistence paying off (Luke 18:1-8). The widow had to go to a corrupt judge.  We can go to our heavenly Father (Ephesians 3:14).  The widow was a stranger.  We are God's children (John1:12).  The widow had no access to the judge.  We have constant access to God (Hebrews 10:19).  The widow came to the court of law.  We come to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).  The widow had no lawyer.  We have Jesus as our advocate (1 John 2:1).  The widow had to wear down the judge before he really listened.  We already know that God hears our requests (Psalm 4:3).  If this poor woman received what she deserved from a corrupt judge, how much more will we receive from our loving heavenly Father?  As Jesus illustrated, persistence pays off.  Keep on praying!

Romans 12:12 says, "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer."

We know that God does not always answer prayers the way we want Him to or expect Him to, however, the good news is that in these instances of persistent prayer, God said "yes"! This suggests that we have not, in many cases, because we ask not persistently. 

When it comes to prayer, it's important that we are consistently and persistently asking God for the lost to be saved and for our prayer requests to line up with His will for our lives! Prayer is not getting your will in heaven.  It is getting God's will on earth.  1 John 5:14-15 states, "And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him...."  We serve a God who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we can ask or think!

What are you asking God for? Post your prayer requests and prayers in the Jesus Saves Ministries group, and keep on posting them, and keep on praying! Jesus saves!


The prayers of the righteous availeth much!!

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This group of intercessors lifts up the names of those who are sick & shut in, bereaved, and/or just standing in the need of prayer. We are fasting and praying for God’s will to be done in our homes, churches, schools, and communities. We are asking for souls to be saved, broken marriages and relationships mended, people healed and delivered of their afflictions, and spiritual growth for Christians. Become a prayer warrior. Post your prayers, prayer requests and join our discussions or start your own discussion. James 5:16 states the prayers of the righteous availeth much! Join us in praying for the unsaved, our communities and the nation.

Back to Work With Joy!

We can best celebrate the birth of Jesus by returning to our every day duties with joy! This is what the shepherds did.  The shepherds had just seen angels, heard their marvelous music, and had seen the Christ child. After all this, we read that they "returned glorifying and praising God...." With joy the shepherds returned to their common, everyday duties of attending sheep. Christian joy, unlike worldly joy, fits one for duty. This is because Christ brings joy; Christ brings joy into the performance of duty.  He gives strength for the assignment because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

No doubt as they went about their tasks, those shepherds were joyful a very long time, if not the rest of their lives thinking about what they had witnessed. Shepherds were the least in the community, and were relegated to work on the outskirts of town because of the smelly, dirty job they did tending sheep. That they would be visited by angelic hosts, that the LORD would reveal himself as a baby to the likes of them, oh, what joy!  We should understand that Jesus doesn't come in "showy" ways, but in "lowly" ways. He was born not in a palace or a mansion, but in a stable in a manager.   He appeared not before kings and dignitaries, but before shepherds in a field. He came to extend peace and goodwill not just to certain pious people, but to all people (v14).  You can return back to work filled with joy not just after Christmas and the holidays, but on Mondays and on any day of the week knowing Jesus Christ was born. And because he was born, died and rose again, salvation is available to all who trust in him.  Jesus appeared to shepherds tending sheep, and He can show up on our jobs, even at school, on any day at any time in answer to prayer. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is present.  His name is Jesus, the hope of the world (Matt. 12:21).  His name is Immanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23)   His name is Jesus, the One who saves his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21)!  Jesus saves!

Jesus Saves Ministries' Fifth Annual Hope Food Baskets Giveaway

This Thanksgiving, we experienced the blessed joy in giving. We held our fifth annual Thanksgiving Hope Food Basket Giveaway on Monday, November 20th at The Life Conference Suite, distributing 52 food baskets with turkeys, chicken, and all the trimmings, plus turkey/ham vouchers to additional families in need.  We are thankful not because we are so good, but because God is so good.  He deserves ALL the glory! 
Churches, ministries, organizations worked together supplying food, turkeys and financial support including coordinating ministry, Jesus Saves Ministries,  The Church of Truth, Broadway Temple AME Zion Baptist Church, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Dare to Care Food Bank,  Withers Academy of Music,  Old Testament Exegesis, and WLOU Radio.  Thank you to volunteers Minister Marian Anderson, Pastor Emery Lee, and Deacon Jerome Price for their service to our families in this initiative. 
This is a major give back for us because in one day we were able to feed as many families as we have fed between January and October 2017 through our Food Pantry at The Life Conference Suite.  It is our mandate to be a change agent in West Louisville offering life, love, faith, and hope to residence who need it the most. HOPE has been defined as Having Only Positive Expectations. It is our prayer that through efforts like this, each of us can do our part to share the hope of Jesus Christ and to offer hope to those in need.  Keep watching for our Christmas Food Basket Giveaway in association with Liberty Tabernacle Church at The Life Conference Suite.  Sincerely, Min. Angela Lee Price

Showing Gratitude in An Ungrateful World

Have you ever heard people say "thank you" insincerely because its the politically correct thing to say, or as if to way to end a conversation, "you may go," or "you're dismissed"?  There is a difference between Godly and worldly thanks.  With worldly thanks, there is no "holler up" to God as the provider of all things, and neither is there "follow up" with actions commensurate with the sincerity of our hearts.  In an ungrateful world, entitlement reigns supreme.  Very few say thank you because they believe they're supposed to get to what blessings they receive.  Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one, a foreigner, a Samaritan returned to say thank you.  Jesus asked the whereabouts of the other nine, then told the one, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well" (Luke 17: 11-17).
As believers, we ought be thankful to God not just at Thanksgiving, but at all times. David said in Psalms 34, "I will bless the Lord at ALL times.  His praises shall continually be in my mouth...."  All ten lepers were cleansed, but only one was cleansed and made well. Don't miss the blessing of thanksgiving. Psalm 107 states, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy." And Hebrews, 12:28 states, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"   What are you thankful to God for?  Let there be "follow up," with your "holler up."  Jesus saves!

Verse of the Day: Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15 NIV http://bible.com/111/col.3.15.NIV

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