Prayer Partners After God's Heart

Over two years ago I was struggling personally and my daughter was having some health issues.  I felt all alone in what seemed like a nightmare.  I prayed, cried and struggled to keep it all together.  I wondered where God was and questioned who I was and why would God allow things to come crashing down on me.

Then one evening a friend on Facebook sent me the most beautiful prayer that she said God placed on her heart to share with me.  I wept and knew that it was words of comfort and affirmation from God.  This Facebook friend did not know me personally nor did she know what my personal struggles were.  However, her prayers were specifically for me like she had known me all my life.  It was words that I needed to hear.  At that moment, I knew that we had to meet so I invited her to lunch one day.


My prayer partner, Sarah Long

 Our spirit instantly connected and we each shared our struggles, our inner conflicts, our faith, our doubts, questioning, and our love for God.  We both had different stories, but similar themes.  From that point on, we knew God divinely introduced us to each other for some reason and purpose.  We communicated by phone, text, email and Facebook.  She was even a guest speaker at one of my Victorious Women's event.  She had asked me if I would have an interest in being her prayer partner.  I told her that I did not have time since I was back in school working on my Master's degree and working full time.  She told me that she had been praying for a prayer partner, but God had not revealed that person to her yet. 

About six months ago, I was at a really dark place that is often referred to as a dark night of the soul.  She was sending me personal daily prayers and devotions that were piercing my soul and exactly what I needed at the time.  It was at this place that God revealed to me a vision of a ministry that He is orchestrating in my life.  It was so overwhelming so again I reached out to my friend and invited her to my home for lunch and prayer.  One weekend we even went to Smith Mountain Lake to meet with her mentor so that he could help me to discern this vision and pray with me. 

It was that weekend that her mentor said, "LaDawn is your prayer partner."  She told him that over a year ago she had asked me, but I didn't have time.  She shared that with me what her mentor said.  So I told her that we would both pray about it and see what God would reveal to us.  Once I began to pray, there was no question that we were supposed to be prayer partners.  So we scheduled our prayer times to meet every other week.  During this time, we read scripture, meditated, updated each other on where we are at spiritually, being transparent with each other and sharing our inner struggles and conflicts between spirit and flesh, praying for guidance, truths, and God's will and direction for our lives.

I must say this is one of my most favorite times that I look forward to every other week.  It has been one of the most revealing, enriching, and deepening experiences of my faith and spirituality.  It feels so good that I can share with my prayer partner all of my failures, short comings, inner conflicts, and struggles knowing that she will never stop loving me nor judge me.  We both keep each other accountable and pray for each other outside of our prayer time.  We often receive and share words that we receive from the spirit for each other.

I know in my heart that it is no accident that God put Sarah Long, my prayer partner, into my life.  I am so grateful to her for allowing me to be authentic and transparent with what I am struggling with in my waking life circumstances.  I appreciate her willingness to stand in the gap for me when I feel like I don't have any faith to muster up.  She has helped me to grow spiritually, to be vulnerable, to deepen my relationship with God and also to be able to trust again in relationships. 

I would encourage others to pray for a prayer partner if you are wanting to deepen your relationship with God and experience the Holy Spirit with a shared spiritual revealing of what is possible.  I cannot say enough about how life transforming this has been for me.  Thank you Sarah Long for being obedient and patient as you prayed for a prayer partner for over two years.  God was working in me and preparing me for this appointed time with you!  I am so grateful and appreciative for you!  I love you sweet sister!

Perfect Unity

(credit to Wikimedia.org)

Oh God, last night a dear sister friend of mine came to my house unannounced and told me to put on a coat and go outside with her.  As I walked outside, she said let's walk up on the hill of the farm.  So we went through the gate and walked up to the top of the hill that looks east toward the Massanutten mountain.  As I got to the top of the hill, there it was!  It was an amazing site.  It was a full, bright, almost glowing orange moon that was radiating hues of white, and yellow from it.  It was the most spectacular moon sight that I have seen against the backdrop of the clear night sky.  It looked like a fall or harvest moon.  We both just kept walking out into the field trying to get closer to it.  We found a space in the field to sit down beside each other where we could just marvel at God's beauty and wonder what He would say to us.  We held each others hands and just began to pray and praise God by asking him for his protection and anointing upon us.  We asked that He fill us with His peace.  This was before I even knew that I would be reading Psalm 122 later that evening in preparation for my Palestine/Israel trip in which the scripture says "peace be within you". 
We felt God's presence in that moment by the gentle wind that was swirling around our faces.  We were breathing in deep so that we could draw Him in closer to us.  We told God that we needed and wanted more of Him.  As I am preparing myself for Palestine/Israel, there is this peace within me where I am expectant that God will reveal Himself to me.  I can't name what that feeling or knowing is, but I just have a sense that He is going to reveal himself to me in a very profound way.

My prayer was, God let me see, hear and feel your presence.  I want all that you have to give me.  I want your peace, joy, grace, mercy, and unending love.  Fill me God from the inside out.  So I then read Colossians 3:12-17 that tells us to
"clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful."

What would that look like if everyone could truly forgive each other, forgive the events and traumas from generations past and to live with complete abandonment of self by loving each other.  To me, that is God's constant message, to LOVE all in all circumstances and situations.  It is love that covers a multitude of things which can bring about peace and unity. 

Then I turned to one of my many favorite scriptures of Paul's prayers to the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-2 that says for us to know and feel that He does dwell within us and that is where our strength and power comes from.  It is Christ's dwelling in our hearts that gives us faith.  Again it is LOVE that He says we must be rooted in and we have no earthly conceptualization of how wide and long, high and deep His love is for us.  This is what I want to experience...more of God so that he can fill me with His fullness.  Yesterday my prayer was that God would take me to the center of his heart so that I could experience all of Him and what He has for me.

Perfect unity can be summed up in God's peace, forgiveness and love.  That is my prayer for the world that every person, community, state, country and the world can be filled with the fullness of God with peace, forgiveness and love that He offers us so that we can give it freely in return to our brothers and sisters.  It is this place within ourselves where we must get to experience peace, forgiveness and love where I believe heaven meets earth whereby we each individually can change the world collectively for peace and unity.  May you go with peace before you, with in you and after you radiating an unending love for all of humanity.  May God Bless You and Keep You in His Grip!

A Heart of Gratitude!

Mercy Me Concert (LaDawn, Laura Sheffer, Rhonda Rexrode)

Saturday evening my sister, Laura Sheffer, my cousin, Rhonda Rexrode, and I went to see Mercy Me in concert.  The praise worship service was amazing, but lead singer, Bart Millard's message was powerful. 

He shared that it doesn't matter where we have been, what we have done, nor can our services or deeds save us and give us eternal life in heaven.  It is our hearts that God is after.  He wants an intimate relationship with us and Bart said that we should spend Sabbath rest with God.  Sabbath rest doesn't mean that we relax by playing golf or sit in front of the tv on Sunday watching our favorite sport.  Sabbath rest means coming to the Father regularly each and every day by spending time with God revealing to Him our inner most thoughts and concerns.  It is during this time that we create a space for God to whisper to us to hear His leading and direction for our lives.  Coming to God each and every day shows our reliance and dependence on God that we trust Him, and that He will provide for all of our needs before we even know what that may be.  Bart also stated that "we are to believe that we are also redeemed and holy.  If we don't trust and believe in God's grace and the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, we are saying that his death was not sufficient enough or for nothing". 

I left weeping Saturday evening with a new perspective and a heart of gratitude.  Even though I have had intense pain and suffering, I see how God is working in my life and He has been with me the entire time.  I am grateful that He can use my pain and suffering to minister and lead others to God.  I am grateful for the new opportunities, new experiences, the people that God has placed around me and the vision He has placed upon my heart.  I am grateful for my new relationship with God that has allowed me to experience the Holy Spirit in ways that I never knew possible with visceral body sensations, hearing His voice and gentle nudges to direct and lead me.  It is these experiences and my heart of gratitude that continues to seek and encounter more of God.  On January 1, 2013, God gave me affirmation to "stay so close to Him, that I lose sight of everything else that I see."  As I continue to focus and bow down at His feet daily, I am relinquishing more of myself so that I can be more for God.  He will sustain me, He is my defense, and He will give me rest.  He has torn the veil and removed all of my inequities.

That evening God revealed to me that a heart of gratitude crushes the expectation of entitlement, it diminishes selfish pride, and fills me with a content heart of trust that honors God that I do believe that He is working all things in my life for the good of those that love Him. 

Put on your heart of gratitude by scheduling God in your calendar every day.  It is at this place that you will be fulfilled where He will provide you what He has intended for you.  With your presence, by His grace and a heart of gratitude God can transform you each day to be in His perfect will.  That is what I am seeking.  With Gratitude!

Time of Meditation

I am in You,
You are in me.
When I get that,
You have mercy on me.
What does that mean?
What I don't deserve
You give me anyway.

I am in You,
You are in me.
Feeling you call me,
How could you possibly use me?
I've been blind and deaf,
But  now I see and hear.
I experience your visceral emotion.

I am in You,
You are in me.
Losing myself and what I used to be.
In order to gain everything,
I must relinquish all and
Meditate in your presence.
You will not let me fall.

I am in You,
You are in me.

No Longer My Own

Have you ever walked a labyrinth?  If not, I would highly encourage you to do so.  Labyrinth walking is an ancient practice used for over several thousand years.  It is a way to walk in a slow meditative pace that leads you to your inner depths.  It is believed to bring about healing, wellness, insight and divine guidance to your life purpose. 

photo by http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum/images/gallery/buildings-and-features/labyrinth-02.jpg

On several occasions, I have walked on the labyrinths at Eastern Mennonite University and at the Arboretum at James Madison University.  I also share this experience with my clients to see what may be revealed to them. 

I personally had a spiritual experience as I was wondering around the path to the center of the labyrinth.  As I entered the opening, I was concentrating on my steps and breaths.  As I raised my foot, I took a deep breath in and slowly placed my foot down while exhaling my breath.  I paused until I took the next deep breath in unison raising my foot.  I repeated this concentrating on my steps and breaths as I meandered around the turns until I was lost with no thoughts at all.  I was in a daze of complete surrender and abandonment of myself to the divine. 

Once I got to the center of the labyrinth, I meditated there for some time.  When I got up to leave, I sat on the ground beside the labyrinth and focused on what I just experienced and what was trying to come forth to reveal to me.  As I focused on my felt sense, I physically, emotionally and mentally felt peace.  I was so relaxed and felt as though I had just gotten a full body massage.  Then a poem emerged called “No Longer My Own”.

No Longer My Own

I follow and trust my own inner divine calling.

I had to let go of all the false parts of myself

In order to hear and

Recognize the whispers.

 

My steps are no longer my own,

But of a higher purpose and will.

As I continue to go inward,

I will gain purity, clarity and wisdom.

 

This will allow me to lead others

To peace, wellness and whole being

Since I am now stripped of myself

And no longer my own!

by LaDawn

God Be Near Me

God be near me.
Let your face shine upon me
Like the beaming radiating sun.

God be near me.

Let your arms pull me in
With a strong hold but with gentle care.

God be near me.

Like there are no worries in this world.
Let me rest securely in you.

God be near me.
To purify my thoughts
Before I even know them.

God be near me.

To heal my broken heart

Before I even know what I need.

 God be near me.

And fill me with your joy and peace
A way of being, that only you can give.

God be near me!

by LaDawn on November 11, 2012

 

Jesus Prays for Himself, Disciples & Believers

My pre-trip scripture reading for today is from John 17.  As I prayed and meditated on this chapter, my reflection is that there is much spiritual warfare going on all around us.  Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples, and all believers to be protected as they are living out God's truth and work in this world.  God calls us to love all believers and nonbelievers.  He calls us to be in unity with each other and spirit.

What comes up for me is that I know that while I am in Palestine/Israel, there will be spoken and unspoken conflict and spiritual warfare that goes back many generations.  I believe this is the work of the enemy of generational curses.  I plan to stand in the gap and pray just as Jesus did for everyone that I encounter regardless of their faith, culture and background.  We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and I am looking to see, hear and empathize with their story to gain an understanding of them personally so that they feel heard by me returning unconditional love to them in hopes that they will see, feel and experience Christ's love for them.  Love covers all, endures all and is the greatest act of kindness that we can give freely to our brothers and sisters in hope of creating peace and unity as Jesus extends to us.  It begins with each one of us and multiplies.

It is my belief and hope that we can defeat the enemy and release the chains of bondage that have cursed many generations.  If we are all committed to forgive quickly, give love, receive love and multiply love unconditionally it would spread rampantly uniting us.  It is love that binds us in unity preventing the enemy from having any strongholds upon us.  The prayer offered to us is:

Pray not for Arab or Jew

For Palestinian or Israeli

But pray rather for ourselves

That we must not divide them in our prayers.

(by Christian Aid based on a prayer by a Palestinian Christian)

 

A scripture verse that was laid upon my heart as I was writing this reflection was "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7.



Agape Satyagraha Goes to United States Institute of Peace

Monday a week ago, I took teens from the Boys & Girls Club, Agape Satyagraha Program, to the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC.  Soryada Fontana, co-leader with me, and Geo Bonilla, Programs Director at the Boys & Girls Club accompanied us. 

Agape Satyagraha is a faith based program developed by the Church of the Brethren, On Earth Peace.  It is a five tier conflict resolution curriculum that teaches teens about positive and negative conflict and ways to deescalate conflict in a peaceful, nonviolent manner.  Our program related to mostly local issues and what teens are faced with in their everyday interactions with classmates and society.  Some national issues were discussed.  We used mediums of role playing, group dialogue, interactive exercises, practicing interpersonal skills, communication skills and articulating in writing what was gained from the experience.  I was impressed with the richness and diversity of our teen members perspectives and dialogue.  They were very engaging and impressive teens indeed!

While at the United States Institute of Peace, we gained another perspective on international peace and nonviolent initiatives.  I was impressed with the teens depth of knowledge and their interaction with group discussion especially since we did not touch upon international initiatives in our training.  To learn more about the United States Institute of Peace and their work follow this link http://www.usip.org/.

To find out more information on how you can donate or be a part of Agape Satyagraha at the Boys and Girls Club in Harrisonburg, please feel free to contact me.

All Things New: Peace Be With You!

Today I visited Parkview Mennonite Church where my roommate for the Palestine/Israel Cross Cultural trip attends church.  Her name is Furst Jenkins, and ironically I met Furst over two years ago when we were both interviewing for the Master of Arts in Counseling program.  I ended up in the counseling program and she went to seminary.  We have stayed in constant contact and now we are going to be roommates for our trip to the Holy Land.

We both know this is going to be an extraordinary experience that God has divinely orchestrated for such a time.  Pastor Phil Kniss' message was "All Things New!  New Peace."  During one point of the service I leaned over and caressed Furst's hand and said that He has made all things new and we are going to experience God's peace!  We both were just smiling and glowing with God's love, peace and a knowing.

Pastor Kniss' message spoke to me directly today as he was explaining the way that God's breath is spirit and we are to be one with his breath.  We are to act upon His calling for our lives with action just as the disciples did.  We too are called to live out God's breath by living, loving, and forgiving by sharing God's truth and peace that He gives us. 

As Pastor Kniss was describing this breath and holy spirit encounter, it took me back to the day of January 15th, 2013, between my classes during lunch when I felt God nudging me to a time of prayer and meditation.  During my time of meditation, I experienced God's breath pouring in, through, and out of me.  It was a surreal feeling that I will never forget.  As I was at this place, my body felt so hollow like an empty shell or vessel.  As I continued to breath in deeper and deeper, it was as though I was not breathing on my own.  The breaths that I was inhaling was so deep, refreshing and flowing in a powerfully strong and unobstructed way.  The image that I had was that God was breathing down upon me from my head and I followed the breath as it poured into me and out from my body.  I was there for almost an hour and knew I had to get to my next class, but I did not want to leave this amazing feeling and experience of God breathing in, through and out from me.  Then, these words were spoken to me:

     Beautiful One,
          Be still, be still, be still and know that I am God.  Give me your anxious thoughts and ways.  I am doing a new thing in you so surrender and let go.  You can't even begin to see, hear or understand what I am doing, but I am working and moving in your midst.  I am the light and truth.  I am pouring that into you so that you can be my vessel to speak into others lives who don't know Me or have a relationship with Me.  Rest for a while and lay at My feet while I do this new thing in you.  There is nothing you have to do or need to do.  I just ask you to "be".  "Be" with Me in My presence.  I will give you peace, joy, affirmation, answered prayers and the next steps you are seeking.  Just "be" so that I can fill you fully and completely to prepare you for this next new thing.  It is so close beautiful one.  Cling to My robe and I won't let you fall.  We have beautiful work and an amazing journey planned together.

So I ask you, will you take time to just "be" at Jesus' feet so that He can fill you with His peace, love forgiveness and something new.  That is my prayer for you today!  Peace be with you!  It is at this place of "being" that allows you to receive God's peace.  It is God's peace that truly sets us free.

"So Christ has truly set us free.  Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law."  ~ Galatians 5:1

Peace be with you!
   

Orientation for Palestine/Israel Cross Cultural Trip

Today was orientation day for me at Eastern Mennonite University for a shared cross culture experience to Palestine/Israel called Places, People, Prayers:  A Cultural Encounter with the Holy Land.  It is being led by Seminary faculty, Dorothy Jean Weaver and Kevin Clark.  I have never been to the Holy Land but knew it was something that I was being led to embark on.  In a short six month time period, I had been offered on three occasions to go.  So when this opportunity came up, I prayed about it and it was clear that I was to go and experience the Holy Land.  We will be immersed in the community and their culture for three and a half weeks. 

I have high expectations but I can't put into words or even articulate what I am expecting to encounter.  I am going with expectancy to encounter the Holy Spirit and pray that prior to me entering Seminary that as I am visiting Holy sites that the Bible will just come alive for me. 

As I was sitting in orientation today, I noticed a visceral felt sense in my throat which is the 5th Chakra speaking to me.  I was experiencing a throbbing and pulsating feeling in my throat almost to the point of feeling like my throat was closing in.  I researched and meditated upon this feeling and it was revealed to me that the Throat Chakra is energy of inspiration, self-expression, communication and creativity coming forth.  It also stated that it is an increase in spiritual awareness that allows you to share your gifts, abilities, visions, voices, inner intuition and talents from the divine rather than self-seeking approval from others.  It is a time to share and voice your insights and gifts with humanity and the world.

As I meditate daily with the God, I continue to get affirmations that I am on the right divine path and God is unfolding the vision and ministry that He has entrusted me with.  As I meditated this evening, I colored a mandala that represented this release of energy that is getting ready to overflow out from me to serve my clients.  It is various colors of blue which also represent the 5th Chakra with shades of purple and yellow mingled in.  The purple represents the spirit's divine led plan while the yellow represents the energy and inspiration that is bursting to come forth. 

Beginning each week, Seminary faculty has given us prepared scriptures and reflections to meditate upon to prepare us for our departure and time in the Holy Land.  I hope to share as much of my reflections with you as I can while I am preparing for the trip, but also as I am in the Holy Land. 

I would appreciate your prayers for "insha' allah" (God's will) for this trip!  Shalom!

Spring is Coming!

As I drive around, I am reminded of spring coming with the presence of daffodils.  They seem to pop up in unlikely places such as fence rows, along the roadside, and in fields.  Daffodils have always been a favorite flower of mine.  It may be their vibrant yellow color representing new birth, inspiration, and energy coming forth.  They are very resilient because they withstand the unpredictable spring weather of wind, snow and cold temperatures.  Their unique shape shouts joy and happiness while their fragrance inspires the mystical beauty that surrounds us with an aroma of grace from nature.  How beautiful and pleasing to stop and smell the daffodils.  I hope too that you have an opportunity to stop and appreciate the daffodils. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35uXO7DpT2U