Your Voice Of Encouragement

Prayer Champions, Christmas is one of the most joyous and sacred times of the year. Christmas brings so many pleasant memories to many of us. It is a time of love, celebration, festivities, family, decorations, good cheer, gift-giving, Christmas concerts, plays, and reflection. JESUS came to earth and changed the course of history for all of humanity. We now have access to the Throne of Grace because JESUS came. Let us worship this month as we prepare to celebrate Christmas with our loved ones. "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11, NKJV.

Christmas is a time of worship, joy, and appreciation of JESUS CHRIST and HIS arrival on earth. Starting on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, many churches light the advent candles on the advent wreath. The Advent wreath is made of evergreen boughs, symbolizing everlasting life. The circle represents the continuous love of God, with no beginning and no end, and the soul's immortality. Each of the four colored candles in the Advent wreath represents a week leading to Christmas. Traditionally, three of the candles are purple, and one is pink. The final candle is white and is located in the center of the wreath. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it wi

Prayer Champions, I am so thankful that we have reached the last day of November with 90 reasons to thank the Lord! Many of us took the challenge to write down 3 things each day to thank God. Many of us celebrated Thanksgiving Day with family and or loved ones. It was a special day that I placed on my list, like many of you. I thanked God for the food on our table! Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?”  Then they took away the stone [d]from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”  John 11:40-42, NKJV

We are not only thankful for our blessings but we are also thankful for the authority and the anointing we have in Christ as Prayer Champions. In Matthew 18:18, JESUS assures us that we have the authority to bind or forbid things on earth and that it will be bound or forbidden in heaven.  We have also been given the authority to lose or set free or allow things on earth and they will be loosed or set free or allowed in heaven.  We have a big part through our prayer by ushering the kingdom and GOD’S will on earth as it is in heaven. At John 15:7, Jesus gave us the instruction that if You and I abide in HIM and His words abide in us we can ask what we will and it will be granted to us.  We are to ask, seek and knock.

Prayer Champions, let's welcome Pastor Dana Taft as she teaches on active thanks! Consider the story of the lepers in Luke 17, starting in verse 11 -19; on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy[b] came toward him. They stood at a distance  and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”  Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” On their way, they were healed. When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God.  He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.  Jesus asked, “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine?  Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.”

We must go to God with our entire souls. We go with all of our affection, passion, and faith. We also must ask God for wisdom concerning our families and loved ones. As intercessors, we must pray for our loved ones by name. Husbands pray for your wives and wives pray for your husbands. Parents pray for your children, and children pray for your parents. Siblings pray for each other. “With all prayer and petition, pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.” Ephesians 6:18, Amp.

Prayer Champions let's thank God for 3 things each day this month! We can keep a gratitude journal and by the end of the month we will have 90 blessings listed. "Oh give thanks unto the Lord for God is good! God's mercy endures forever!" Psalm 136:1

Prayer Champions let's welcome special guest Pastor Tedd Washington, Grace for Living Ministries, Longwood Florida!  Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” Luke 11:1-4, NKJV

Prayer Champions let's use scriptures to have unmovable faith and confidence in God! We will cast the whole of our care - all our anxieties, all our worries, all our concerns, once and for all on the LORD.  Believe that GOD cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. We will make affirmations directly from scripture to live a life of trust in  GOD and abundance. The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness, I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31:3, NKJVlet's

Prayer Champions choose to have unmovable faith and confidence in God’s ability and willingness to help so that you are not struggling and plagued by anxiety and fear of the unknown. Choose to cast the whole of your care - all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on the LORD.  Believe that GOD cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Give your concerns to GOD and take your hands off!  Stop worrying and trust GOD to lead you through a brand new life of abundance. The choices you make today will affect your future. The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness, I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31:3, NKJV

Prayer Champions welcome to the first Wednesday of October and the start of the 4th quarter of 2022! this month we want to be intentional about reaching out to the people in our sphere of influence. In Matthew 28:19 -20, we read, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”  Amplified

Prayer Champions, let's welcome back our special guest, Pastor Patricia Washington from Grace for Living Ministries in Longwood, Florida! On this last Wednesday of Self-Care September, she shares with us teachings on Joy.  Now to GOD who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless  before the presence of His glory with exceedingJoy,To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power,   Both now and forever. Amen, Jude 24-25 NKJV

Prayer Champions, as we continue Self-care in September, I want to talk about your spirit. This week, we want to talk about the innermost aspect of our personhood, the spirit, which is defined as the vital essence or vital force within us as living beings. Sometimes the soul and spirit are used interchangeably, while some scholars argue that they are 2 separate things, with the spirit thought of as higher than the soul. They differentiate the soul as where the psychological activity, thinking, emotion, memory, desires, and will reside. The spirit is considered the real self where wisdom, love, happiness, compassion, harmony, and peace reside. God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. Psalm 51:10, ERV

Warmest greetings Prayer Champions as we continue our focus on Self-Care September! Today's broadcast shares 21 scriptures we shall use to pray for the mind.2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Corinthians 13:11, AMPLIFIED Classic, Finally, brethren, farewell (rejoice)! Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace, and [then] the God of love [Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence toward men] and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you.

Prayer Champions, let us get back into the practice of focused prayer each week. The theme for this month is Self-Care September. Our key verse is from 3 John 2, Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. NKJV, Listen to that same verse in the Amplified version, Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. The NLT puts it this way, Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.

Prayer Champions as we prepare for our month-long hiatus remember to keep on praying! We pray the very words of scripture to build up ourselves in our most holy faith and to strengthen our resolve to stand in the gap interceding for our world in prayer. We call on the words of Psalm 121, I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 God will not allow your foot to [a]be moved; God who keeps you will not slumber. Therefore Prayer Champions, we will make a joyful noise unto the Lord, and serve the Lord with gladness!

Prayer Champions our Sovereign and Immutable God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, sits on the throne. Therefore our posture must be full of awe, respect, reverence, and devotion. We do not approach in a cavalier manner or with an attitude of entitlement. We do not come to God with impure motives or merely to present a list of requests. As Prayer Champions, we must approach God in an atmosphere of worship. Our worship must be in spirit and in truth according to John 4:24. Our souls must be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, our hearts must be pure, our consciences clean, and we approach with praise on our lips.

Prayer Champions as we thank God for this second week of broadcasting this month let's reflect on our prayer assignment. We are people who have developed powerful prayer lives through ardent adoration and passionate devotion to God. As Prayer Champions, we have become skilled, proficient, and extremely knowledgeable about direct communication with God Almighty!  We pray prayers that arouse God’s attention and get results every time. The Prayer Champions’ foundational scripture is; “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14, NKJV)  Our mandate is, Pray Without Ceasing found at 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and our ministry assignment is to offer fervent prayers that create mighty breakthroughs and set free love, joy and peace in abundance! 

Prayer Champions for the month of July let's choose to be joyful and content! Joy is also a spiritual practice and decision. As Prayer Champions, we can choose to be full of Joy or joyful each day. Contentment flows from the joy decision. Philippians 4:11-13, NASB, 1 Not that I speak [g]from want, for I have learned to be [h]content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things [i]through Him who strengthens me.

Prayer Champions rejoice in hope! Prayer Champions, from this point forward as we go into the second half of the year, let’s hold fast to our hope.  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all You who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NKJV) Our gracious Lord knows what we need and is our source for life’s material necessities like food, clothing, and shelter as well as the intangibles of love, joy, and peace. We can go to God and boldly ask for miracles when we need healing in our bodies. Our behavior should reflect sincere devotion to God.  As we strive first for the kingdom and God's righteousness, we have the assurance of God’s promise to supply our needs.