A Word In Due Season
1st Week of October 2011

10/03/11
PRAYER HAS A VOICE

Scripture: Luke 11:2 "And He said unto them, When you pray, say .... "

When Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray, the first thing that He instructed them to do was to audibly say the words of their prayer to God. God is omniscient and He know the thoughts of our mind and the meditations of our hearts. He understands our motives and intentions better than we do. He also sees our pain and disappointments and listens to the cries of our heart even though we do not give them sound. Yet, even though the Lord can see what is going on internally within us, He shares with us a very important principle of prayer, which is that He wants us to give voice to our prayers.

Jesus told us that our Father God knows what things we have need of before we ask for them, but He doesn't say that we are not supposed to ask (Matthew 6:8). In fact, following the statement that God knows what we have need of, Jesus taught us that we still need to make our needs known and that our request should be prayers that can be heard. James 4:2 says, "You have not because you ask not." And then in John 16:24, Jesus said, "Up until now, you have asked nothing in My Name: ask, and you shall receive so that your joy may be full." Even when the blind man was crying out to Jesus, Jesus asked him what he wanted. It seemed that the blind man's need was very evident to everyone near, but Jesus wanted him to declare his specific request. Asking for a need to be met not only causes you to acknowledge your need of the Lord's provision, it also allows Him to determine where your faith is. When Jesus heard the blind man say that he wanted Jesus to restore his sight, Jesus knew that the blind man believed in Him and also that he believed that Jesus could do that mighty work. He told the blind man, "Go your way, your faith has made you whole."

Today, I want you to think about the things that you want God to do for you or someone else in your life; recent things or things that you have held in your heart for many years. They may be things that you think you do not deserve or things that seem too impossible for even God to do. Then I want you to make those needs known to God and ask Him to grant your requests in the Name of Jesus. I want you to remind God of the scriptures above and release your faith in Him to accomplish what He has promised to you. Allow your spoken words to declare your faith in God and belief in what He can do for you. Remember you have not because you ask not. Prayer has a voice and you need to speak your words aloud to God. As you do, I believe that God will listen and that He will answer as Jesus said so that your joy may be full and complete. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/04/11
GARMENT OF PRAISE

Scripture: Isaiah 61:3 "... garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

God has a remedy for the oppression and depression that you or maybe someone that you care for may be facing. He has anointed Jesus to minister to the meek, the brokenhearted, and the captives that are bound in physical and spiritual prisons. Jesus came to comfort all that mourn in Zion, which represents the church. He appoints unto us three things in a great exchange. He takes the ashes and our ruined lives and gives us beauty. He gives us oil or the anointing of joy in our lives in place of mourning, and He also gives us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Jesus turns everything that has damaged and hurt us into something beautiful. He takes "all things and works them together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Notice that He called 'heaviness' a spirit. There is no force that can battle an evil spirit but the Spirit of the Living God. God's Word tells us exactly what we are to do when this spirit of mourning and heaviness comes against us. God provides the "oil of joy and the garment of praise" for us, but they are like items that are only issued to us. Once they have been appointed, they need to be received and put on. They are like unused clothing in our closet until we apply them to our lives. We must put forth an effort and begin to sing and praise God from a thankful heart. Only then will the Spirit of God drive out the evil that is oppressing us and trying to force us into depression.

Isaiah 51:11 says, "The redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head; they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away." This is a pattern for deliverance. When we begin to sing and rejoice, the anointing of joy begins to flow from God, and the sorrow and mourning that is attempting to plague our lives has to flee. Isaiah 52:1 and 9 says, "Awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments," ... "Break forth into joy, sing together." We must take the initiative to awake and put on this beautiful garment of praise that has been provided for us. We must take heed to God's word. When oppression and depression present themselves, we must exchange them for songs of praise and then watch sorrow and mourning flee away as we break forth into a spirit of joy. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/05/11
HALF-BAKED CAKE

Scripture:  Hosea 7:8  "Ephraim is a cake not turned."

The Northern Kingdom (Israel) was also called Ephraim.  When Ephraim or Israel presented itself to God, it was full of sin and strife.  Ephraim had mixed themselves among strangers and allowed these people to devour their strength.  Even though God had redeemed Ephraim, they had transgressed against Him and had made no effort to seek forgiveness or return to Him.  When God saw their iniquity and wickedness, He saw them as cakes that were not turned.  They were like a pancake that was cooked only on one side, unready for consumption and detestable to the palate.  Yet, verse nine tells us that Ephraim did not recognize their own weakness.  They were unaware that their strength had been devoured or that they had become decrepit as signified by their gray hair. 

Like Ephraim, unholy alliances cause our spiritual strength to be devoured.  The sin and strife we experience in these relationships depletes our Christian witness and destroys the anointing of God's wonderful Spirit upon our lives.  God doesn't want us in these compromising positions.  When He gets ready to use us in His kingdom, He doesn't want to discover that we are as cakes unturned and unfit to fulfill His purposes.  Instead, He wants to find us complete and thoroughly furnished with His word so that we are able to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).  God wants us to be pure and full of His Holy Spirit so that we are well able to do the mighty works that He has called us to do.  He has also furnished us with spiritual weapons and told us to put on His whole armor so that we can stand and be ready to engage in spiritual battle against the forces of the evil one (Ephesians 6:11). 

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/06/11
GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

Scripture: Lamentations 3:23 "Great is Thy faithfulness."

Our God is awesome and our God is faithful. There is no way to measure the length, depth, or height of God or His faithfulness. If we were to try to explain God's faithfulness, we would have to agree with the writer of this scripture that God's faithfulness is simply "great." The proportions of His faithfulness cannot be measured because it expands with every need that we encounter. Neither can the Lord's faithfulness be counted or numbered because it is new every morning. God is faithful to love us when we are unlovely. He sees only the beauty of His creation and not the shortcomings and failures of our human nature.

God is faithful to forgive us of all of our sins, for when we confess our sins, He sees the blood of His only begotten Son and not the ugliness of our words and actions. God quickly forgives when we confess and is faithful to extend His mercies. His love is abundant and free and His compassion never fails. When He speaks, His words come to pass and never return to Him void. There is not the slightest shadow of turning with God. He faithfully remains the same today as He was yesterday, and will be the same forever.

God will be as faithful to you as the universe that He created and set in motion. The sun rises and sets right on time each and every day. The moon remains in its appointed position and faithfully reflects the light of the sun. The seasons come and go and have faithfully done so for century after century. God works His plan and He is stable. This is a manifestation of His character. You can put your faith and trust in Him. Just like His magnificent universe, God is in control of your life and He will not fail you. Yes, the clouds may cover His sun and shadows may make your way seem dim. There may be times that you can't see Him and think that He is not there. These are the times that you must place your trust in His Word. God said that He would never leave you or forsake you and that He would supply your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus. You can depend upon His Word. Although dark seasons may come to your life, He will bring light again. God will not leave you alone. He is forever faithful and He is with you right now. He is standing somewhere in the shadows of your darkness. He is the Spirit of Truth. Reach out to God in simple faith, trust Him, and trust His Word. God is faithful and His faithfulness is great. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/07/11
COME LEARN OF ME

Scripture:  Matthew 11:28-29  "Come unto me  .... Learn of Me."

Jesus gives us two wonderful invitations.  He invites us into His presence by saying, "Come unto Me," and He also invites us to "Learn of Him."  He offers us His personal fellowship and His personal mentorship.  These two invitations that He offers are actually one package, for you can't have one without the other.  You can't really learn about who Jesus is without coming to Him and experiencing Him as a person, and you can't come into His presence without learning from Him and about Him. 

When we come to Jesus to learn of Him, He doesn't offer us a second hand education.  He said that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things (John 14:26).  The knowledge that you acquire in His presence is spiritual revelation like it was with Peter when he declared that Jesus was the Son of the Living God.  Peter didn't surmise the person of Jesus through reading about Him in a book or hearing others talk about Him.  He had come unto Jesus and he had learned of Him.  Peter knew in his own heart who Jesus was because he had been with Jesus and had experienced a spiritual transference of wisdom and understanding.  Jesus explained that flesh and blood had not revealed this knowledge to Peter, but that the revelation of Jesus' deity had been supernaturally imparted by the Father in Heaven (Matthew 16:17).

These two invitations to come and to learn were given particularly to those who were weary and carrying heavy burdens.  Yet, invitations are simply that.  No one will force you to come regardless of how tired and weary you may be and no one will force you to learn.  It is up to you to accept the Lord's invitation and make time in your own personal schedule to follow through.  Communion with Jesus offers us an awesome avenue of exchange.  He promises that if we would take time to come into His presence and learn of Him that He would give us rest in our souls in exchange for the things that were making us weary.  He declared that His yoke would be easy and that His burden would be light.  Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we wait upon the Lord, our strength will be renewed and we will mount up with wings as eagles.  We shall run and not be weary, and we shall walk and not faith.

 It is important that you take a few minutes every morning to come into the Lord's presence and learn of Him before you start your day.  As you develop a relationship with Jesus and learn of Him, you will come to understand that you can only do what He tells you to do and say what He tells you to say.  That knowledge will impart incredible strength into your soul because it will release you from false responsibility and free you from stress.  Your decisions will become easier and more accurate because you are leaning upon the Holy Spirit of Wisdom and Truth.  Your path will become clearer because your life will be less cluttered by the things that surround you.  When you sow this seed of time for your day, you will find yourself saying no to a multitude of distractions because you will be focused on God's goals and desires for your life.  His plan and His purpose is the most important agenda for your life so take time to come and learn of Him and allow His strength to carry you through the day. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of October 2011

10/10/11
DEDICATED TO GOD'S WILL

Scripture: John 6:38 "For I came down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me."

Can you imagine choosing to leave Heaven so that you could come to Earth? Yet, Jesus made this choice so that He might fulfill the will and purposes of God. He left His awesome home in Heaven and totally surrendered Himself to the cross so that He could redeem mankind. Jesus stated very plainly that He did not come to do His own will but that He was yielding Himself to the Father's will. He laid down His life, emptied Himself of who He was, and allowed God to direct His life.

I recently read that to make an inner contact with others, you must "look them in the eye and point your heart towards their heart." This is also true in our contact with God. Although we cannot see Him physically, our spiritual eyes must be turned towards Him and our hearts must be in tuned with His heart. True connection with God will only be experienced when we make a conscious effort to look into His eyes and to seek to know His deepest desires. Only as we yield ourselves to Him can He write the chapters of our lives and fulfill His own will and purpose that He has destined for us. Doing God's Will is not always so easy. For some who want to go, He says, "Stay" and for those who want to stay, He says, "Go". Sometimes it becomes tedious to stay in the field where you have been placed. It may be difficult to bloom where you have been planted and hard to brighten the corner where you are. The old clichés sound good, but as far as you are concerned, they don't seem to fit because you can't see any progress.

I recently planted a luscious green plant in the sun. It looked beautiful for a few days in its new spot, but soon withered because it was created for the shade. Some of us are made for the blazing experiences of the sun while others can only endure the shade. Only God knows what is best for our lives and He simply wants us to move when the cloud moves and stay when the cloud stays. Yet, how often do we strive with our maker? We are like the grass that refuses to grow in the yard and yet seeks out a place in the flowerbed. Remember that God knows us much better than we know ourselves and He knows exactly where we fit. We must lay our plans at His feet and allow Him to direct our lives. Only as we dedicate ourselves to God's will, will we truly flourish and find our destined place in His kingdom. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/11/11
THE GREATER SHADOW

Scripture:  Acts 5:15 (NLT)  "Sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might fall across some of them as he went by."

The other day I took a walk in the late afternoon.  The sun was beginning to set behind me so my shadow stretched out about fifteen feet before me.  As I walked, I caught up with another couple who were walking in front of me.  They knew that I was coming close behind them because they could see my shadow on the pavement between them.  Yet, it seemed that they took little notice of my shadow because even though my shadow had invaded their territory, it had no life or power within it to alter their lives in any way.  It could not hear the conversation between the two of them or verbally communicate with them.  And even though my shadow was in their path, it could not cause them to stumble.  My shadow could only announce that someone was very near.

This was not the case when the Apostle Peter's shadow passed by on the streets of Jerusalem.  The people had great hope in Peter's shadow to the extent that the sick people gathered in the streets just to experience his shadow passing over them.  Yet, please understand that it was not Peter's shadow that brought healing and miracles.  Instead, it was the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was upon Him as a person.  Peter had been with Jesus and because of that intimate communion with Him, supernatural power continued to linger in Peter's life.  It was Peter's relationship with the Lord that caused the gifts of healing and deliverance to overflow from his life into the lives of those who believed and had faith to receive.

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/12/11
IN GOD'S HANDS

Scripture: Jeremiah 18:6  "... as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand."

This scripture sounds so inviting and it gives us a sense of security, for what better place to be than in the hands of a loving God?  We desire to be in this special place so we yield ourselves to God.  Yet, too soon we learn the first part of this verse where God says, "Cannot I do with you as this potter?"

God is sovereign and He is in control of our lives just as the potter is in control of the clay that is on the potter's wheel.  We are in the hands of a creative genius and He can do as He pleases with our lives.  God doesn't look at our problems and failures but instead sees our potential and makes it His business to form us into the vessel that He wants us to become.  At times, this may become a very hard process for us because there are no perfect lumps of clay.  Each one of us has to be dealt with in a special way and sometimes this is not easy for us to endure.  God has to carefully remove the hard places and the bubbles to make us into stronger vessels.  We often struggle with this process and like the potter who works with the clay, it becomes necessary for the Lord to allow us to be totally crushed so that He can start the process anew.

God is not only our Creator, He is creative and imaginative in all of His work.  When we are created, the mark of God is upon us for we are made in His image.  Yet He delights in the differences of each individual.  Every vessel that He creates is unique in appearance and purpose.  He personally works with each vessel and is able to turn sinners into saints and mortals into eternal beings.  God takes extreme pride in His work and each time that He creates, there is a resounding echo of the words that He spoke in Genesis over His creation, "God saw that it was good."

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/13/11
APPOINTMENT WITH GOD

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/14/11
NEW LIFE

Scripture:  Song of Solomon 2:12  "The flowers appear on the earth ..."

King Solomon, who was the wisest and wealthiest man of his day, wrote these simple words.  Even with the vast knowledge and wisdom that he had concerning the complicated things of life, he was still moved by the simple but miraculous works of God.  He took time in his writings to acknowledge the miracle of the new life of the season, for he wrote, "The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.  The flowers appear on the Earth."  He knew that regardless of his wisdom, he did not have enough knowledge or ability to create a flower on his own.  Neither could his vast riches grow them.  They came only by the hand of the Creator of Heaven and Earth and the seeds that He provided.

Spring is my favorite time of the year because when it comes it covers the earth with new life.  It is always so amazing to watch God's marvelous handwork in action as the season appears.  It truly fulfills its name for everything that has been dormant for a season springs up with new life.  The things that once looked dead begin to come alive and in a matter of weeks the leaves on the trees and the grass in the fields turn a rich green.  The atmosphere that was filled with the cold gray of winter changes into the warmth of the vibrant colors of spring.  The earth resurrects itself into the new life that God ordained for it.  This has happened century after century in obedience to the voice of the Father God who spoke to all of the life on the Earth and told it to bring forth after its kind.

God spoke this scripture to me at a very special time in my life.  It was a season when I thought all hope was gone.  I was in a valley of utter despair and couldn't see my way out of the darkness.  Yet several years later, I am a witness to you that God can cause "the flowers to appear" again.  He changed my darkness into light and caused the roses to share their fragrance with me again.  He made the rains to cease and commanded the sun to shine.  In the midst of a cold dormant season, He surrounded me with His love and caused new life to spring up within me.  I look back now at that terrible season in my life and wonder why it was so hard for me to believe for deliverance from it because God is always so faithful. 

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of October 2011

10/17/11
FAITHFULNESS AND TRUTH

Scripture: Isaiah 25:1 "... Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."

The Prophet Isaiah spoke to the Lord and said, "O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your Name; for You have done wonderful things." He then declared that the Lord's "counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." There have been situations in my life when I have sought for counsel from individuals. At the time, their advice seemed reasonable, so I followed it because they knew more about the subject at hand than I did. Unfortunately, however, there were times that things did not fall into place as they had suggested and their advice turned out to be ill advised.

Just the opposite is true with God's counsel. Even though many times His counsel goes beyond human reason, it always turns out to be faithful and true. What kind of wisdom tells a man to build an ark on dry ground in a time when rain had never fallen before upon the earth? Yet, these were Noah's instructions that saved him and his family from the flood. What kind of counselor would tell a man to lead millions of men, women, and children out of the security of Egypt into the uncertainty of the wilderness with no natural provisions? Not only that, who would ever instruct them to cross through the Red Sea? Only God would tell Moses to do such a foolish thing. Who would tell an army to go out singing before their enemy instead of preparing them for battle? Yet Jehoshaphat won the battle by following these simple words of counsel from God. Or what kind of commander would have his army march around a city for seven days and then shout until the walls came down? That was God's counsel to Joshua at Jericho. Who would tell a young shepherd boy to go against a giant with just a few stones? But that was how David won the victory over Goliath. These were the counsels of Almighty God who is always faithful and true.

Sometimes God tells us to do things that are foolish to our natural minds just like He did the saints of old. He may tell us to share our last portion, do something that seems unwise in the eyes of others, or instruct us to go somewhere that we normally would not go. Yet, God always does things with purpose and His counsels often times confound the wise. We must remember that when the Lord gives us counsel, He will make things work together and cause them to come out for our good. He is able to breathe life into His words of counsel. He will create that which has never been and resurrect the things that we thought were dead, for God is not limited by natural law. His Name, that is above every Name, stands behind His words of counsel. We can trust Him and we can trust His words. We can be sure that His words of life, which are written with the precious blood of His Son, will forever remain in faithfulness and truth. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/18/11
THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Scripture: John 10:14 "I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My sheep, and My sheep know Me."

Jesus speaks much about Himself as being the Good Shepherd and His believers as being the sheep of His pasture. He talks about leading His sheep and caring for them in every way possible. Jesus declares that He knows His sheep so personally that He calls them each by name and He is committed to protecting them whatever the cost. He even said that the Good Shepherd would give His own life for His sheep.

These words are comforting to us because in the beginning of this discourse Jesus gave a stern warning about the deception that is in the world. He made it very clear that there is a spirit of evil that will try to show itself as our shepherd. These false shepherds will even try to speak like the true Shepherd speaks by using the Good Shepherd's own words. They can quote scripture just as Satan did when he deceived Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and when he attempted to deceive Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. That is the reason you must listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd and not just the words that are spoken, for they may be an attempt to deceive. The false shepherds are thieves that are out to steal, kill, and destroy (Vs. 10). They will bind up the sheep so that they cannot go in and out to find pasture because they don't want the sheep to feed on God's truth. The Word says that they will pretend to love the sheep, but in instead, they are simply hirelings who are there for what the sheep can give back to them. They are only interested in the sheep's wool and flesh and will flee at the first sign of danger.

The Good Shepherd, on the other hand, will lay down His life for the sheep. His sheep will know Him, recognize His voice, and will follow Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He came to give to you, not take from you. There will be many voices telling you many things in this life, but don't be confused or deceived. Listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd and ask the Lord to help you hear Him plainly. His voice will always lead you into truth and peace. Be cautious if you hear another voice that you do not know or recognize. If it sounds strange and does not bear witness to the Holy Spirit within you remember that you have the right to flee from it (Vs. 5). Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. He will never make His voice strange to His sheep because He is the Good Shepherd. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/19/11
GOD'S GUIDANCE

Scripture:  Psalms 27:11  "Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path."

When journeying across the country, we travel many roads and encounter many situations.  Some are challenging while others are uneventful.  Often, we can see miles down the road and drive with no thought as to what direction we are heading.  We are able to relax as we make progress towards our destination.  At some point, however, this comfortable place ends and we are forced to make choices.  When decisions must be made concerning the correct turns, we begin to search the road map and watch for signs along the way that will insure that we stay on the right course.  If necessary, we stop and get directions.

So it is with our lives.  We submit ourselves to God and start in the direction that we believe He wants us to go.  Things proceed very smoothly for a while and we are quite sure that we are on the right path.  It seems that we can see far into the distance and feel confident while we remain on this steady path.  But then things begin to change, and we are forced out of our comfort zones and onto side streets that we've never traveled before.  We are faced with the unfamiliar and must make decisions concerning new paths that we need to take.  These unfamiliar paths can be frightening to us if our trust is not in a Savior who said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

I remember an incident when I was to follow my brother's car to a house in the country.  We exited the main highway, and turned down one country road after another until it seemed that we were just traveling on little trails.  I had no choice but to keep following my brother because he had all of the directions.  Finally, everything came to a sudden stop and we ended up in someone's driveway at the end of the trail.  It was a frightening situation because huge dogs began to bark and jumped at our cars.  Yet, my faith remained in my brother, for I knew that he would not forsake me.  Finally, we both worked ourselves out of the situation, returned to the main road, and eventually reached our destination safely.

As we listen to the news today with all of its natural disasters and rumors of war, it reminds us that things can change very suddenly in our lives.  The road we are on, which seems so clear and steady now, may not be so clear tomorrow.  We may come to the end and have to make sudden decisions concerning unfamiliar paths that lie ahead.  Yet these are not times to fear, but times to trust.  We must remember that God knows where we are and He knows what is happening in our lives.  He has all of the directions.  All we must do is stay close to Him and follow where He leads.  We can be assured that He will teach us His way and make the path plain before us. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/20/11
GOD RESPONDS

Scripture: John 16:24 "Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete."

God loves communion and wants interaction with His people. He could move us around and do as He pleases just as a chess player does with a pawn on a chessboard, but God has entrusted to us our own will. He would like for our wills to be submitted to Him, but He doesn't demand it. He has graciously granted us freedom to do as we please. When we exercise our will and express our choice in words and actions, He responds.

Jesus told His followers, "Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name." He wanted them to express their need to Him and ask for their provisions. If you are in situations today and wondering why your needs are not met, could Jesus respond with the same words, "So far, you haven't asked for anything in My Name"? We often have thoughts concerning our needs but do not verbalize them into prayer because we may think that our needs are too big or too small. Many blessings are missed simply because we fail to ask. We just wait for God to read our minds and so nothing happens. Consider the promises of a response from God in these scriptures:

Matt. 21:22 - "Whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing, you shall receive."
James 1:5 - "If you need wisdom, ask God ... and He will give it to you."
James 4:8 - "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."
James 5:14 - "Is there any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him ...and the prayer of faith shall save the sick"
Luke 11:9 - "Ask, and it shall be given to you; Seek, and you shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened to you."

If you need or desire anything, whether it be wisdom, healing, or finances, don't just think about it or talk to others about it, but express your need to the Lord. He is listening and your words of prayer will evoke a response on God's part. And as Jesus said, when you ask and receive, then your joy will be complete. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/21/11
ALL OF YOUR HEART

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart."

There are many examples in the scriptures of people who trusted in God with all of their heart. Jesus showed the greatest example because He gave His own life on the cross as a ransom for many as He trusted God to raise Him from the dead. Moses' mother put her trust in God when she placed Moses into basket and then put the basket on the river. Can you imagine her great concern as a natural mother when she let go and put her precious son into the hands of God? The three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God and believed that He would deliver them out of the fiery furnace. But they also boldly declared that if God didn't deliver them that they would still not serve the king's gods nor worship the golden image which he had set up. Job placed all of heart's trust in God right in the middle of his trials and tribulations when he said, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust Him."

In each of these examples, there was a life at stake and if God did not come through, all would be lost. This is ultimate trust. It is a trust that most of us have not experienced in our lives because we have not had a situation that demanded this kind of faith. We have not been put on the river, in fiery furnace, or crucified on a cross. Yet, God still calls upon us to put this same kind of trust in Him on a daily basis. We are not to be foolish in our actions because God expects us to use the wisdom that He has imparted us. Yet, the Lord doesn't want us to lean upon our own understanding. Instead, He wants us to acknowledge that He is in control and then allow Him to direct our lives in the way that He sees fit.

Yielding to someone else's control and even God's control can be very difficult for most of us. It is like being a passenger in an automobile. We have all had those moments when we were uncomfortable being the passenger rather than the driver. We wanted to tell the driver to turn here or turn there, slow down or speed up, or call their attention to the fact that they ran through a traffic signal. It is our nature to want to be in control.

There was a saying that stated, "God is my co-pilot." That idea sounds good at first glance until you actually think about its true meaning. If God is just the co-pilot of my life that means that I am in the driver's seat and I am still in control. I am allowing God to just ride with me on my journey through life and give me a few suggestions along the way. This is not a good position to be in, for God never intended to be our co-pilot. Instead, He wants to be the pilot of our life. The Lord has good plans for us, but He cannot get us to where He wants us to be if we are in the driver's seat. If we want to reach our destiny in life, Jesus must be the Lord of our life and sit on the throne of our heart. A portion of our heart is not enough to satisfy the Lord. We must yield our entire selves to the Lord and trust Him with all of our heart. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
4th Week of October 2011

10/24/11
DOUBLE SECURITY

Scripture: John 10:28-29 "... neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand."

When I was a young child, my father liked to tease me and play games with me. Quite often, he would offer me something like a nickel or a dime or possibly a small piece of hard candy. He would show the prize to me and then he would close his hand tight around it. It was up to me to pry his fingers open so that I could retrieve the reward. I would work diligently to open his hand with all of my might, but my strength was never able to match his. He would laugh because I would only be able to get one finger loose at a time. The treat that he was offering to me was safe in his hand until he decided to give it to me.

In the scripture above, Jesus said that no one would be able to pluck His sheep out of His hands. He then declared that His Father is greater than all and that no man would be able to pluck them out of the Father's hand either. Can you grasp this picture? We are protected not only by the hands of Jesus but also by the hands of the Father. It is as though Jesus is holding us as tight as He can in His hands and then He places His own hands in the hands of the Father God. Their hold upon us becomes double security, for Jesus and the Father are one (Vs. 30). This does not mean that the Father and the Son are one person, but that they are one in perfect unity in their natures and actions. They work together as a team and the devil has no power over this mighty unity. He is no match against the combined strength of their four hands, four thumbs, and sixteen fingers.

This knowledge should give us great security because we can be assured that the Father and the Son are holding us as tight as they can because of the great price that they both paid for us. God the Father gave His own Son in order to secure our redemption, and then Jesus, the Son, sacrificed His own life on the cross so that we could have eternal life. We have much to rejoice about. For we know beyond a shadow of doubt that regardless of how hard the devil may try, he can never pry us out of the double security of Their hands. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/25/11
GOD'S THOUGHTS

Scripture:  Psalms 139:17-18  "How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them.  If I could count them, they are more in number than the sand."

Imagine that you are on a beach that stretches for miles and miles.  You make yourself comfortable and then you begin to count the grains of sand that hold back the vast ocean.  One by one, you count each grain until you are finished, and then you go to the next beach and start all over again.  You do this until you have counted all of the grains of sand on the Earth.  We know this is an impossible task and so is taking inventory of God's thoughts towards us.  David said "if" he could count God's thoughts towards him, they would be more numerous than the sand.  God's thoughts towards us are so precious and they are so many that they reach into eternity.

God begins to think about us before we are ever conceived.  We are His special design.  When we are being formed in the secret place of our mother's womb, He forms our being into the awesome vessel that He desires.  He creates within us special abilities so that we will be able to correspond with His mighty plan and fulfill His purposes.  We may look at ourselves and think that we are very little, but the Lord makes no mistakes.  Our life has always been in His hands, and He has always been in control.  The crown is upon His head and the scepter is in His hands.  He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  We must acknowledge that He is God and that He made us to be the person that He wanted us to be.  When we accept God's sovereign plan for us, we begin to find our place and to understand our purpose.

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/26/11
GOD SEES YOU

Genesis 16:13 "You are the God who sees me?"

Abraham's wife, Sarah, was barren and as she waited, year after year, she finally gave up hope in ever having a child of her own.  In desperation Sarah arranged for her maid, Hagar, to bear a child with Sarah's own husband, Abraham.  Things did not work out as Sarah had planned, however, because sin never delivers what it promises.  Instead of finding happiness, Sarah found grief and bitterness.  She blamed Abraham for her bad decision and she despised Hagar who had conceived and bore a child to Abraham.

Sarah eventually had a son of her own and they named him Isaac, but she still had no peace in her heart.  When Hagar's son mocked Isaac, Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and her son away into the wilderness.  Abraham and Sarah's bad choices brought Hagar much undeserved heartache and pain.  Hagar had served them faithfully for many years and had yielded herself to their wishes and demands.  Yet, she was treated harshly by those that she had given herself to in obedience.  She was used, rejected, abused, despised, suffered reproach, and then sent away to die.  She was in a place of no hope, no provision, and no future.  No one seemed to care for her or her child, but God saw Hagar in her afflictions and He came to her rescue.  He spoke life to her and her son, Ishmael, and pronounced blessings upon their lives and their future posterity.  When God came to Hagar's aid, she not only declared, "You are the God who sees Me," but she also said, "Have I truly seen the One who sees me?"  Hagar not only realized that God had seen her and her son, but she also got a glimpse of who God was in the process.  She saw that He was a God of love and compassion and when she saw God at work in her life, she understood the great plans that He had for her and her son.

We have this assurance that regardless of how desperate our situation may look, God has not forsaken us.  He will remain true to His word.  As we wait for His answer to come, we can be sure that He will deliver us from all evil.  When we have been used and abused, we can't allow bitterness to linger in our hearts.  When we have been rejected by loved ones, ignored by the world, and feel like a cast away, we can't give in to the negative emotions of the moment or allow them to dictate our lives.  As we look to God as our refuge and help in the time of trouble, He will be our comfort and show us acceptance.  In times of adversity we must not only recognize that God sees us, but understand that we have the same opportunity that Hagar had, which is to look beyond our distressing circumstances to see the One who sees us.  We only need one small glimpse of God's glory and grace to make it through life's circumstances and that will happen when we search for God with all of our heart. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/27/11
POWER OF FAITH

Scripture:  I Corinthians 2:5  "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

The Apostle Paul did not preach a message with enticing words of man's wisdom but a message that was a demonstration of the power of God.  His message required faith.  Natural wisdom often discourages us by telling us that faith doesn't work.  We must understand that faith is not contrary to reason but exceeds reason.  We are not required to explain God or the words that He has spoken, we must only believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith is a gift and a fruit of the Spirit and it doesn't come simply because of our needs or desires.  It is supernatural and Paul said that it comes only by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:7).  In Matthew 9:29 Jesus spoke to two blind men who were seeking healing and said, "According to your faith, be it unto you."  These men had been following Jesus and their faith had been stirred as they heard the reports and testimonies of what Jesus was doing throughout the land.  Jesus' famed had spread because He had done many mighty miracles, and had even raised a young girl from the dead.  Faith in Jesus had come into the blind men's hearts because of what they had heard and Jesus responded to their heart full of faith, not their desperate situation.  He was looking for those who would believe in Him.  Jesus passed many people who did not receive a miracle because there was no faith in their hearts.  In one city, the scriptures declare that He could not do any mighty miracles because of their unbelief.

Jesus speaks the same words today, "According to your faith, be it unto you."  You can only receive what you believe for and you can only believe for the things that you hear from God, for His words are spirit and life.  What are you trying to believe God for?  Your faith will not stand in the wisdom of men, for reasoning will speak out against the foolishness of your faith.  You must find your faith building answer in God's word, for your faith will stand only in the power of God.  His words are creative and full of power.  As God speaks into your heart, your faith will rise and that faith will become substance to your hopes.  Then according to your faith, it will be done unto you. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
10/27/11
DESIRES OF THE HEART

Scripture: I Kings 3:5 "The Lord appeared to Solomon ... and said, 'What shall I give you?'"

What would be your response if God approached you as He did Solomon and said, "Ask what I shall give to you?" Would you speak rashly and ask for the first thing that came to your mind knowing that you may possibly regret that choice in the future? Or would you risk the chance and ask God to come back later after you had time to think it through? Look at four men in the scriptures and notice the one desire of their heart.

King David asked that he might have personal relationship, fellowship, and communion with the Lord. In Psalms 27:4 he said, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple." David's sole desire was to be in the Lord's presence and to be able to worship Him. He was determined to find this special place for he wanted the Lord to talk with Him. He sought for this intimate communion with the Lord to the extent that God called David a man after His own heart.

Elisha desired a double portion of the anointing of God's Spirit that was upon the prophet Elijah. In II Kings 2:9 Elijah asked Elisha, "What shall I do for you before I am taken away from you?" And Elisha said, "Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." Elisha recognized that it was the anointing of God on Elijah's life that caused the wonders and miracles to happen. He knew it would take no less than this same Spirit working in his life to empower him to do the same works of God so he asked for a double portion. He received this wonderful blessing because he stayed focused on the prophet and did not allow himself to be distracted even by the chariot of fire.

Solomon asked for wisdom and a discerning spirit instead of riches and honor for himself. In I Kings 3:9 he said, "Give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad." Solomon said that he felt like he was but a child, not knowing how to come in or go out. To serve as king over the people of Israel, he needed God's wisdom and the ability to discern truth. The people and their needs was his main concern and God granted his desire.

The Apostle Paul's desire was "that he may know Jesus" (In Philippians 3:10). Paul did not want to know 'about' Jesus as we know 'about' someone like the president. He wanted to know Jesus in a deeper fashion and have a personal intimate relationship with Him. He sought for an experience with the Lord on the basis of the Lord's suffering, death, and the power of His resurrection. Paul counted everything else as nothing compared to this desire to know Jesus in a supernatural way.

Psalms 37:4 says "Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart." What is your heart's desire? Think about the desires of these men and let them challenge your life. Desire fellowship and intimate communion with the Lord so that He may speak words in due season to you. Search for His wisdom and discernment so that you will be able to lead God's people with an understanding heart. Seek to abide in the beauty of God's presence so that you may come to know Him and the fullness of His power. Ask that a double portion of His anointing rest on you so that you may serve and minister to His people. Remember that God loves you and He wants to give you His best. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
1st Week of October 2011

10/31/11
THE LORD'S SIDE

Scripture: Exodus 32:26 "Who is on the Lord's side?"

Moses had been on Mount Sinai for forty days communing with God and receiving the commandments of the Lord. These commandments were written on two tablets of stone and Exodus 31:18 tells us that they were written with the finger of God. God had actually engraved His words upon the tablets of stone. What an awesome thought, to be able to hold something that precious in your own hands. Yet this glorious experience and wonderful keepsake was soon to be ruined. As Moses came down from the mountain with Joshua at his side, they could hear sounds coming from the camp. Joshua thought it was the sounds of war but Moses knew that it was the sounds of music and laughter. When Moses came into the camp, the first thing that he saw was the golden calf that the people had made for worship. Righteous anger rose within Moses and in a moment of distress and passion he threw the tablets to the ground, breaking them into pieces.

Just after this incident, Moses stood and asked the people, "Who is on the Lord's side?" He made it very clear that there was no middle ground. There were no hiding places, no gray areas, and no maybes. It was either yes or no, light or dark, good or evil. They had to decide and they had to step forward and show their commitment. He said, "You are either on the Lord's side or you are not. Those who are on the Lord's side come to me." Joshua later gave the people the same choice. He said, "Choose you this day whom you will serve."

As we consider the things that we face today and the critical choices that are before us, we need to think about Moses' question. We must weigh every decision against the principals and character of God, and then do the very best that we can to make the godly choice. II Corinthians 3:3 tells us that we are declared to be the epistles of Christ and that His words are written, not upon stone but on the tables of our heart. God gives us a witness within our spirit about what is right and what is wrong and we are accountable to Him for the knowledge and wisdom that He shares with us. Sometimes it may not be pleasant and many times it will not be popular, but none-the-less we have a responsibility to choose those things that represent the interest of the Kingdom of God and show forth His righteousness. We can't serve two masters. We must answer the question that Moses posed to the people for our own selves. Whose side are we on? +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================