Father in heaven,

Give me perception about the devil’s deception—
Holy Spirit alerts on the schemes of the deceiver.
If something I’m considering isn’t right for me,
then please redirect my pathway as a believer.

Keep my life conformed to the standards of your Word;
anything opposing your stated values is wrong.
Help me to spend enough time with you in prayer
to hear your counsel in a way that is strong.

I know there’ve been times I’ve missed “hearing” you
on personal decisions that didn’t turn out well.
So, earnestly, I pray for those who are missing hearing you
on the truth that Jesus saves sinners from the judgement of hell.

And may people realize their need for a Good Shepherd
on life’s journey to specific blessings you’ve prepared.
For you love so greatly that, through Jesus, you provide grace—
the greatest message to the world that can ever be shared!

in Jesus’ name,
Amen

P. A. Oltrogge

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17

“The way of life winds upward for the wise, that he may turn away from hell below.” Proverbs 15:24

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:16-17

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Ephesians 1:15-23
(Scriptures NKJV)

“And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

“And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.’

“And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host, praising God and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’

“And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

“And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

“And when eight days were completed before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

(From Luke 2 NASB)

A blessed Merry Christmas to you, dear follower or friend of this blog…. Thanking God with you that He sent His Son—Emmanuel, God With Us

P. A. Oltrogge

Lord,

Make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where there is injury-pardon,
where there is doubt-faith,
where there is despair-hope,
where there is darkness-light,
and where there is sadness-joy.

Divine Master, grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive—
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Attributed to Saint Francis Of Assisi

Thanking God that we are anchored through Christ…

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:19-20

Photo by Porch of the Lord

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute; if there be any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:6-8 NASB

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” John 6:11

“…other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks.” John 6:23

(Other scriptures above, NKJV)

Dear blog followers,

Thanksgiving time in America is approaching, a time when we especially stop to thank God for all of His goodness and blessings to us. I’d like to take a moment today to thank all of you who have signed up to follow The Porch of the Lord blog posts/poetry, and thanks to all of you who occasionally send “likes” regarding them. Your encouragement is greatly appreciated.

I am praying for you and believe that you will find all of the goodness and mercy the Lord has for you today and always as you trust in Him. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches over you.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” words of Jesus in Luke 12:6,7 NKJV

Life presents situations that sometimes are very tough,
so these words might seem simplistic amidst things so rough.

But when circumstances are trying, it’s wise that we bring out
the “BIG GUNS” of our PRAISES, adding their spiritual clout.

You may be hurting badly, and it might, at the time, seem hard–
but you’ll be ministering to the Lord, and giving the problem less regard.

Thank the Lord for His goodness and for all that He’s already done.
Tell Him that if anyone can help you now, you know that He’s the One.

Consider giving an hour…Jesus said, “Could you not watch with Me one hour?”
Many have been amazed by the results and the outflow of His power.

Even if you don’t see things change right away after doing such,
keep praising and praying with the spirit, both of which will avail much.

It’s our praises that stop the adversary, as Biblical examples have told,
and there’s something about being loud and something about being bold….

But even if you can only offer praise with a voice that’s faint,
you’re doing the right thing, so persevere, dear saint.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright, I will show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23 NKJV
.
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” words of Jesus in John 4:23-24

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 NKJV

“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?’” Matthew 26:40
_______________________

I well remember when a young woman in my church, who had had a pelvic fracture due to an accident was healed at a morning service during praise. She suddenly realized she was standing normally. Later, x-rays confirmed the miracle.

The following are from the booklet, “Confessions for ‘Whole’ Life” by Sandra Kennedy Ministries. These regard pain…

Isaiah 53:4 The Lord bore this pain in His own body. Therefore, I don’t have to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 God is faithful and has made a way of escape out of this pain.

Mark 4:39 I speak to the pain center of my brain and the nerve endings and I say, “Peace, be still.”

Mark 11:23 I speak to the mountain of pain and I say to you, “Be thou removed.”

Song of Solomon 1:3 Your name, Lord, is as ointment that soothes my pain.

Psalm 103:3 The Lord heals all my diseases and all associated pain.

Psalm 40:17 The Lord is my God and my Deliverer, and He will deliver me from this pain.

and others, including scriptures for many other afflictions. The booklet is available at http://www.sandrakennedy.org

Joseph Prince speaks often on the benefit of daily communion,
http://www.josephprince.org

“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30:5

“Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:14

“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Galatians 4:6

Scriptures NIV

Photo/Unsplash

Love, with no definite expression of outward action or word,
isn’t love at all–since, by our hearts, nothing is “heard.”
Kind words, loving service, time spent together, a gift, or a tender touch–
without these things tangible, we can’t really feel love much.

Just like most plants need regular sunshine and water,
we need regular caring expression from friend, spouse, son, or daughter.
Mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters can affirm and encourage–
we all can, for this world holds much that can discourage.

Friends and family are meant to uplift us and be a fortress in life;
and when loving gestures abound, there will be little, if any, strife.
When love is firmly founded thereby, we’ll be ready to reach out
to those needing love from us whom we may meet on a daily route.

Jesus also said that we should love those who don’t love us back;
sometimes, such love can move relationships onto the right track.
At times, we must look past the things in some that seem odd–
we may need to pray for the grace of the unconditional love of God.

For that love has been found to lead others to tangibly feel
the love of the heavenly Father in a way that is real.

P. A. Oltrogge

“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5

“These things I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:17

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:9-11

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful just as your Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:31-36

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11

“Regardless of the obstacle in your life, there is a wind from God that can bring you out. Let the wind of the Lord blow down every spirit of fear and heaviness that would cause you to give up on what God has promised you.”

“Face the giants in your life, slay them, and move on. Do not be daunted by the mistakes and failures in your life.”

T. D. Jakes

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” Exodus 14:21-22

Dear Porch blog follower:

If you’ve not heard of the businessman, Stanley Tam, of Lima, Ohio, an internet search will bring you to some videos on the story of his life—a great testimony to what the Lord can do with a life dedicated to living for Him.

God bless you today…

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

From Galatians 6
verse 2
NKJV

In practical ways, may we do this, Lord. And help us to be aware when someone needs prayer.