Prayer points for renovation of church facilities

Monday, June 27, 2022

This is specifically addressed to the intercessors praying for the renovation of church facilities.

For several years I worked for Harllee-Quattlebaum General Contractors, serving as private secretary to one of the project managers. They constructed manufacturing plants, hospitals, office buildings, etc. throughout southeastern United States. I got very familiar with every aspect of a project from beginning to end, and with all the “hitches and glitches” that can occur.

I’ve also lived in a house under major remodeling, twice. It was NOT FUN. Both were run by Christian contractors but that didn’t prevent lots of problems and delays along the way.

Having stayed up later last night than usual for me, I woke up today at 6:00 (way later than usual) hearing specific prayer already going on in my spirit! I got a cup of coffee and went to the computer, began typing and praying, adding points as the Holy Spirit directed for quite a while. This list probably isn’t finished yet today but this is it for right now. Share with anyone you like.

If you know or hear of other points that should be prayed about, please let the other intercessors know as the project progresses.

Important — we must keep our spiritual eyes and ears open as we go along, hear God’s directing voice in specific situations and circumstances as they arise, and to prevent demonic hindrances from any aspect of this project, no matter what time of day or night it is.

My Day 1 Prayer Targets:

Overall:
Include physical, practical and spiritual elements to pray about
God’s presence — His wisdom, understanding, knowledge, favor in all aspects of the project beginning to end
Also his divine healing, health, wholeness, energy, power, stamina, refreshment, and rest for body, soul and spirit
Angelic presence as well — their protection and assistance around the property and people
Revelation knowledge, discerning of spirits, words of knowledge and wisdom as needed
Holy Spirit’s guidance and intervention where needed along the way
Those involved in leadership / intercession / work able to use the spiritual authority of the believer
Practical and spiritual expertise for all involved in project
“No hitches, no glitches” along the way; smooth process
All work, major and minor, to be done with excellence AND PRAYER
God to be glorified in the ongoing work process and the end result
The result will aid in the Gospel being shared with members, visitors, whole community
People involved (workers, etc.) who aren’t already to get saved / healed / filled with the Holy Spirit during the project
Word and prayer to be shared along the way as opportunities arise
No accidents, no damage, no injuries, no illnesses develop among those working
No squabbles, hurt feelings, “pouting” in any groups
No weather delays or weather damage to property / project / supplies / people
No mischief / thefts from outside the church or project
No hold-ups due to supply chain problems nationwide or worldwide

Intercessors:
To be led by the Holy Spirit; have a listening ear
Faithful; this may be a year-long project; persevere throughout
To be protected from spiritual attacks on themselves, their families, work places, etc.
Pray for each other also, as well as church pastors, staff, pastor’s council

Church Committee:
To be appointed by the pastor’s council:  Wise, thoughtful, intelligent, knowledgeable of construction / remodeling process as much as possible
Holy Spirit directed; gifts of the Holy Spirit operate in their lives
Good communicators with each other and workers, also with church membership
Choose someone to be contact person (team leader) between church and project workers
…… Question: Will they be on-site during work? Someone other than normal church staff? —————
Contact person to be authorized to be the decision-maker for small stuff that may arise
In conjunction with contractor, prioritize order of work so as not to prevent stoppage of church processes, much confusion / disturbance
(Children, youth services will be ongoing during the project)

Contractor:
Be assured it IS the right company (God’s choice) and thus not necessary to wait for another quote
Right project manager appointed to our project
Get contracts signed timely, right price, right provisions for contingencies, emergencies, etc.
Timely start – able to begin right away with planning, blueprints, ordering, using wisdom throughout
Choose suppliers wisely, honorable, honest, dependable, with favor toward church and company
Subcontractors the same
Laborers to be knowledgeable, good foreman, honest, dependable, on time, agreeable with bosses, willing to learn

Suppliers:
Favorable attitude toward church and contractor
Able to access right materials at good prices, no shortages, no long waits, no damage in transit
REBUKE price increases not absolutely necessary

My Day 2 and following added prayer targets:

No delays in getting started due to “foot dragging,” incomplete paperwork, sickness, etc.
All paperwork be done timely and correctly, no hidden surprises
All permits be obtained on time
The right things ordered are delivered – no mistakes, switches or back orders – right colors, sizes, styles, etc.
Patience between everyone involved, church staff, members, work crew
Extra security provided, to keep eagle eye out for mischief-makers
Extra care taken by all ages maneuvering around construction areas
Clean as you go — for workers to keep debris cleaned up, supplies, equipment, materials, etc. stored somewhere they won’t be a danger or distraction to anyone, especially kids
Diligence in staff and others in looking out for debris, supplies, work being done, etc. and to not move, damage or mislay any items
No negligence in any area, preliminary or during project, on anyone’s part

Please let me know any time if you think of something I need to add to my list.
Blessings, Bette Cox
bettecox@att.net
(843) 629-0225

Henry’s Sentries are being called up

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

A radical revolutionary not afraid to speak up against Great Britain, Patrick Henry is most famous for his speech that includes the line, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Governor of Virginia during the Revolution, he fought to add the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution.

As I was dreaming a nonsense sort of dream early this morning, a word from the Lord interrupted my dream quite loudly. “Henry’s Sentries.”

It was so loud, so pronounced, that it woke me up from sleep about 4:00 AM. There was nothing more than that, no explanation, nothing. I couldn’t imagine what it meant.

I know what a sentry is – a guard, a watchman – which is what prophetic intercessors are, in the spirit realm. I am one of those.

But who or what was Henry? Immediately the name, Patrick Henry, came to mind. All I remembered about him was “Give me liberty or give me death,” a statement he made in a speech before the American Revolution.

Questions and more questions kept coming:

• Who exactly was Patrick Henry?
• How was he connected to “sentries?”
• How did he get information that caused him to support resistance to Great Britain?
• Who were his friends, acquaintances, cohorts, compatriots in those times?
• Henry’s sentries — were they secret agents? Spies?
• Pre-Revolution and/or during the Revolution?
• Did Patrick Henry know Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and if so, were they friends?

I got up, fixed a cup of coffee and went to the computer. Using various phrases to seek out what that word referred to, I learned that without the voice and influence of Patrick Henry, there would be no Bill of Rights attached to the Constitution. That piqued my interest even further.

And then I came across a free online digitized biography of Patrick Henry, written by his grandson William Wirt Henry: “Patrick Henry: Life, Correspondence And Speeches V1.”, published in 1891. I found a printed copy online and ordered it. I started reading the digitized  version, taking a break only to go to a Tuesday prayer meeting at my friends’ home.

I have learned some interesting things about Patrick Henry:
– Ordinary looking, unassuming (usually).
– Didn’t care much about his outward appearance or dress.
– Loved music; played the violin and flute.
– Loved fun, quite personable with an excellent personality.
– After a few years of regular school he was tutored at home by his father.
– Closely observed people and things, keeping his thoughts to himself a lot of the time.
– Highly intelligent; a voracious reader.
– A Christian from an early age; knowledgeable of the Bible.
– Possessed a remarkable and accurate memory of whatever he read, saw or heard.

I have also learned some important things about him:
– Married at age 18, he failed at two occupations, then read a couple of law books, applied for a law license, was examined and licensed.
– He began a highly successful practice while still a very young man, serving the working class people mostly; quite successful in court, he soon became respected and well liked in that area of Virginia.
– He was a powerful, anointed orator when he finally began to speak on issues that he felt passionate about. Like freedom. Liberty.
– Elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses on a “fluke,” in just a few short days he became one of the most notable and powerful voices in Virginia politics. Amazing!

I gradually came to realize that Henry’s sentries didn’t live during his lifetime. God is calling them up in OUR lifetime.

Henry was a modern-day Son of Issachar (see note below), one of Holy Spirit’s sentries whose relationship with the Lord, close observation of the times and events he was living through, and courage and willingness to speak out were instrumental in saving the American colonies from the grip of Great Britain.

Sentries like that are needed now, in the time we’re living in. I could name a few that I know of across the nation today, but many more are needed.

I shared about this with the members of the prayer group and was asked to pray a prayer of impartation over the group – there were nine of us there today – for this specific assignment. And so I did.

We are all connected to other intercessors in this area and other places, some prophetic, some not, but we have discovered a common thread in the last few weeks: attacks of the enemy to distract our attention and change our prayer focus.

Some have been hurt in odd accidents, some have become sick with unusual ailments or someone in their families have, and some have been experiencing sudden disturbances in their household or with relatives.

At the same time, there have been a number of great answers to long-time prayers, real breakthroughs.

We are committed to continuing our prayers / commands / decrees, asking the Lord to sharpen our spiritual seeing, our hearing, our attention to his voice; committed to taking greater authority over the distractions of the enemy, to standing up and speaking out when and as the Holy Spirit directs it.

How about you?

……………………………………………..

The sons of Issachar are described in I Chronicles 12:32: “Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.” They served David well.
See https://www.livingaschristians.com/resources/2020/06/14/the-sons-of-issachar

Singing in the Shower

Remembering Daddy and his feathered friend Petey, on this Father’s Day weekend.

SC Family Memories

The year after Hurricane Hazel, our family moved from Cole’s Crossroads back into town.

The roomy house boasted of two full bathrooms, a real luxury to my way of thinking in the mid-1950’s.

No more waiting in line when you were running late on school days, no more annoying “hurry up in there” when you were soaking in a bubble-filled tub, reading your latest library book.

One member of our family preferred the shower to the bathtub — Petey. We’d had our share of family pets for years, all of them outdoor types. Assorted dogs and cats romped and ran, clawed and scratched and begged to come indoors, but none of them were allowed to live inside, until Petey.

He really didn’t belong to Harold or me, though, he was daddy’s bird. He owned a cage but mainly used it to swing in, or catch a snack of bird seed…

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Who killed… ?

Esther's Petition

The idea that God uses Satan as his lap-dog – or hit man – is an old and persistent idea. But it ignores Jesus’s plain commands, his delegating his own creative authority to the disciples and his command for them to pass that message on. (Matthew 28:18-20)

That idea prevents people from praying in faith. More believers, faithful church-goers, are getting sick and staying sick. More will die. And more will leave their church, seeking a gospel of power that actually works. Do I have to become one of those? Some folks probably hope that I do, because what I say below doesn’t jive with their experience.

If you don’t know what God’s will is, you can’t pray specifically in accordance with I John 5:14-15.  Such as, healing is the children’s bread. The stripes on Jesus’ back were for our healing. Jehovah God named himself, I…

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The world is winding down

Are you watching?

Esther's Petition

18 April 2022

At bedtime last night, I prayed as I often do, “Father, please speak to me.” What I had in mind was, what did the Lord want me to pray about, to request of him. That brought on a conversation I didn’t expect.

“The world is winding down,” he said.

Then he defined what “the world” actually is. Every human being alive at one moment in time constitutes the world. It’s people, not the planet earth. And this world, this iteration of the world, he said, is winding down. He continued explaining.

The people of the world consists of many believers and many unbelievers, young and old. Many, many are tired. Even faithful, spirit-filled believers are weary, exhausted from holding on, interceding, trying to believe their prayers are right and will be answered, although it’s been a long time and there’s still no breakthrough.

They are not just…

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God sings.

Esther's Petition

God sings. Imagine that. No, really… imagine that…

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” (Zeph. 3:17, KJV)

I learned this verse as a scripture chorus set to music many years ago. Other versions include these two:

“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (NIV) Mighty Warrior! Sometimes I really need that warrior.

“The LORD your God among you is powerful— he will save and he will take joyful delight in you. In his love he will renew you with his love; he will celebrate with singing because of you.” (International Standard Version) I especially…

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God loves music

God loves music. He invented it.

I was thinking about music one night, and the Lord showed me a musical instrument that Tim had recently been playing in heaven.

It was constructed much like Tim’s french horn on one end (near the mouthpiece) with metallic circles. But the straight part of the horn was very long and the bell more narrow, more like a stretched-out trumpet. The horn was so long it had to be supported by a stand near the bell. I don’t know what it sounded like, but I know it would have been beautiful.

That started me to thinking about all the music that has existed throughout the centuries, and I realized –

Music existed before people did.

God invented music. There is music in space, the vibrations of moving planets, and suns and moons, asteroids and comets, the rings around Saturn, and even in what appears to be empty space.

Then there is the music of song, spoken and instrumental. I thought about every instrument ever invented, some used only a short time, and every song ever written, some sung by only one person, or only for a short time.

That led me consider all the musical varieties possible.  Even if nothing else was ever invented or composed, there is still enough music for everyone to enjoy for eternity!

Take the children’s song “Jesus Loves Me” in just one key, one voice, one rhythm, one volume, one tempo, one vocal range – C, female solo, 2/2, soft, medium, alto.  You can play it with one finger on a piano keyboard.

Vary just one element. Change the key to D. Now you have two versions. Vary one element at a time, adding a number of versions. Then vary two at a time, or three. Use two voices, change the key. Each time you change an element, you are multiplying the versions available of just that one song!

If you do that for every song ever composed, and play it on every instrument ever invented, or combinations of instruments, you will need a long stretch of eternity just for one song!

I began to imagine all those varieties of “Jesus Loves Me.” Change the mood with a minor key instead of major, perhaps. Use a calypso style. A waltz tempo. Or a full orchestral treatment, with multiple movements, key-changes, tempo changes, some verses bold and full of praise, some hushed and quiet like a lullaby. Or change the language. Just think how many languages have existed in the world, how many dialects!

Imagining so many versions of that simple little song in my mind, I began to be awestruck at the possibilities.

How God loves music! He obviously he loves all music types, praise and worship, love songs, humorous, historical, folk, classic, opera, all of it. But especially God loves worship music. Beyond the fact that music is just one form of worship, Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit truly love worship music.

Meditating on all this I suddenly had a mini-vision of an outdoor natural amphitheater, much like the place where Jesus gave the sermon on the mount.

Jesus was seated on one hillside, in a natural chair-shaped depression in the grassy terrain. A great multitude of men, women and children was seated on the ground throughout the valley and up the hillsides, a little space left between each one for elbow room.

There were stringed instruments of many shapes and sizes, some played with bows, some with fingers, some with picks, and some with little hammers. Horns, metal or wood, long or short. There were snare drums and kettle drums, bongos and other kinds, some played with sticks, some with hands. Then there were people holding sticks like children’s band instruments, metal and wood, thick and thin. There were so many types of instruments ranging from the primitive to the very sophisticated. Here and there in the crowd sat the vocalists, people without instruments.

All were facing the audience, the audience of one: Jesus.

The worshipers were there to express their love to Jesus in an outpouring of worship. How they loved him! And how he loved them back! I don’t remember hearing the music, in my vision they had not yet begun to play and sing.

But the view of that hillside was spectacular, Jesus loving his people and them loving him back.