Digging Ditches Across the USA

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

. . . Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches”. . .2 Kings 3:16 (NKJV)

Get your “shovels” ready, ladies! It’s time to start digging!

In 2 Kings 3 we read the story of three kings going to battle against the king of Moab. This trio included the king of Judah, the king of Israel, and the King of Edom who joined forces to commence the battle. Only there was a problem. The armies had marched for seven days and found no water. They called for the prophet Elisha who told them to dig ditches for “You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water” (2 Kings 3:17). Miraculously, the armies obeyed, God filled the ditches with water, and the armies quenched their thirst and that of their animals. In addition, the enemy saw the water as blood and came forth unprepared to battle the three armies. And Yehovah Nissi, our conquering King, won a great victory for Israel that day!

And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ 2 Kings 3:16-17 (NKJV)

When Elisha told the kings to dig ditches, it is possible he was remembering the time his predecessor Elijah dug ditches. Do you remember that Mt. Carmel victory? The prophets of Baal could not get their sacrifice to light, even with all their hooting and cutting. Then it was Elijah’s turn to pray for the Lord God to light his sacrifice. But first, Elijah had a huge trench dug around the altar. Then those trenches were filled with twelve water pots of water. When the Lord sent His fire, it consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and all the water in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:20-40). Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, our Rock, the Christ, the Living Water, do it again! Turn hearts of stone to Living Water. Pour out Your Holy Spirit and Living Water across this land!

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters. Psalm 114:7-8 (NJKV)

As we prepare our offering, our sacrifice of prayers, let’s dig ditches around them and ask the Lord Himself to fill our land with His Living Water. While you pray for Living Water to cover this nation, your thoughts may turn to the woman at the well in John 4. How did Jesus say to get His Living Water? Just by asking! James 4:2 reminds us, “you do not have because you do not ask.”  Can we dig ditches with our prayers and then ask the Lord Jesus to fill them with His Living Water?

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10 (NKJV)

Where have I been digging ditches? I’ve been digging them everywhere the soul of my foot has touched. I’ve been digging ditches in Wisconsin where the Lord healed our granddaughter from cancer. I’ve been digging ditches in my state as I have tea with Jesus each morning. I’ve been digging ditches in Washington DC as I pray for the upcoming election. Yes, I’m digging ditches with my prayers!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Now it is your turn! Get your “shovel” and start digging ditches in your hometown for the Lord to fill with His Living Water. Help us, O Lord, to dig ditches with our prayers. And may You fill these ditches with Living Water to flood this nation! Come, Living Water, Come!

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38 (NKJV)

And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)

And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. Ezekiel 47:9 (NKJV)

p.s. A great resource for prayers for the USA: https://amillionwomen.org/

Dear Israel

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Psalm 98:3 (NKJV)

Dear Israel,
I am praying for you. You are the tree and I am a branch. We need you to be well, to be safe, to be protected, to have the victory, to be saved, to have peace. And so, almost every day since October 7, 2023, the Lord God has given me a Bible verse to pray for you. I want to share a few of these verses and prayers to encourage you, and to help my other TEA CUPP ladies to keep lifting you in prayer.

From Psalm 83 Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult . . . let them be confounded and dismayed forever, yes, let them be put to shame and perish that they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth. Let it be so! Yehovah Nissi, continue to go out with Israel’s army and every missile. Be their Shield and Sun. And may all Israel and all their enemies know the Lord is God!

From 1 Kings 8:44-52 When Your people go out to battle against their enemy. . . listen to them whenever they call to You. . . forgive Your people who have sinned against You. . . maintain their cause.

I Kings 4:24-25 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 1 Kings 5:9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; I will float them in rafts by sea. . . I pray first for our brothers and sisters in Israel. Lord Jesus, Yehovah Nissi, fight for them and do not stop until victory is won. Fight as David did in the name of the Lord God of Israel. And establish the land as it was in the time of Solomon, far-reaching and at peace; even peace with Lebanon from where Hiram gave Solomon wood for the temple. Renew that old friendship between David and Hiram. Send peace and victory to Israel today. Protect our brothers and sisters there. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you. My heart and prayer is for all Israel to be saved, to know You, Yeshua, as their Messiah. Give the leaders of Israel the wisdom of Solomon. Give the army of Israel the skill and heart of David. Give every lady and child angels of protection, and pour out Your Holy Spirit across the land!

I pray the blessing of Ezekiel 36, especially Ezekiel 36:7-10, 36:15 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. . . “Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore,” says the Lord God.’ ” Abba Father, I pray this blessing is NOW for Israel! Give them victory today and continue to be their Shield and Salvation! Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Ezekiel 39:29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.” Lord Jesus, have compassion on Israel this day. Do not hid Your face anymore. Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon them all. Let them know You as Messiah and glorify You for being their Shield and Rock in the battle. Continue to bring peace to Jerusalem and save Your children. Bless all the children of Israel and all Your children around the world today.

From Psalm 108:7-13 God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;
Judah is My lawgiver. Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe; Over Philistia I will triumph.” . . . Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies. . . . Deliver Israel TODAY, O Lord! I claim this Psalm, the Land belongs to Yehovah God. He has declared it! He shall squash the enemy with His shoe. The Lord is sending His angel armies to fight, help and protect. Praise God who helps Israel do valiantly! Praise Jesus for casting down the enemies!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Please join me in continuing to pray for victory and peace in Jerusalem and for all Israel to know the salvation found in Yeshua Messiah, Jesus the Christ, Son of the Most High God.

My favorite Podcast for keeping up on the news of Israel, along with a Messianic Jewish message of encouragement can be found at BouldozerFaith.com with Pastor Kenny Russell. Please keep Pastor Kenny and all the children of Israel in your prayers.

Lord, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. Psalm 85:1 (NKJV)

For our shield belongs to the Lord,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel. Psalm 89:18 (NKJV)

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:17 (NKJV)

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for deflecting missiles and being favorable to Your land!

O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. Psalm 115:9-11 (NKJV)

Thank you to Freepik for the Israeli Flag clip art! Designed by rawpixel.com / Freepik

Hope in the Hurricane

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves.
The Lord on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea. Psalm 93:3-4 (NKJV)
Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. 1 Samuel 12:23 (NKJV)

Today I want to send a message of hope to those who are in the hurricane season. Someone in Montana is praying for you! The West is on fire and I’m surrounded by smokey skies, but I am praying for you! And not only me, many others are praying for you.

Dutch Sheets on Give Him 15 is lifting up prayers for you with all of his prayer warriors. Over in Israel, while they are being hit by missile attacks, Kenny Russell with Bulldozer Faith and his listeners are praying for you. The Million Esthers descending upon Washington DC this weekend are also praying for you! And, Jesus is praying for you! Romans 8:34 promises us that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, making intercession for you. Romans 8:36 goes on to promise the Holy Spirit is praying for you! And long ago, before Jesus went to the cross, He poured out His heart for you in John 17:20, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” Though I know the last thing you want to see right now is a cloud, you can rejoice there is a cloud of witnesses praying for you!

It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Romans 8:34 (NKJV)

. . . Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 (NKJV)

Why do I want to tell you this? Because I want you to be comforted with the comfort I have received from the Lord (2 Corinthians 1:4). I have evacuated at least seven times because of forest fires, wondering if I would see my home again. My in-laws’ home went up in smoke in 2008. My parents’ home was flooded in 2016. And most recently, in 2022 we lost our home and belongings to an outbreak of mold. We know the sadness, the tears, the discouragement, the anxiety. . . yet we also know the joy, comfort, encouragement and peace found through the hope of Jesus Christ. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

. . . We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment. Psalm 66:12 (NKJV)

Unless the Lord had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence. Psalm 94:17 (NKJV)

We still don’t have a place to call home, yet we press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, thanking Him for providing for all our needs according to His riches in glory, trusting Him for each day’s needs (Philippians 3:14, 4:19). I pray for you, dear one, that our Lord Jesus will also comfort and sustain you during this trial. And if you have lost loved ones, my heart goes out to you yet again, for I also lost my college cross country team in a plane crash. The unexpected and sudden death of a loved one can cause tears of anger and grief and unbelief. Only Jesus can make the pain go away. I know this because He took my pain and bore all our pain on the cross. Remember the Father knows how much it hurts, because He watched His only begotten Son die. Please run to Abba Father’s loving arms and let Him comfort you today and put the pieces back together. I’m running to Him in Montana, too, He has room for us all. Jesus loves you, dear one!

. . .He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. Isaiah 30:19 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Psalm 85:4-7 Restore us, O God of our salvation. . . Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, And grant us Your salvation.. . Abba Father, Yeshua Messiah, I pray this for my family and nation. Restore! Revive! Rejoice! Because of Your mercy and salvation, restore what the locusts have eaten in all the hurricane areas. Revive this land by pouring out Your Holy Spirit. Rejoice us with Your joy and gladness again. Have compassion on all Your children left in the wake of Helene and Milton. Bless the rescue workers and keep them safe. Good Shepherd, find all Your lost sheep. Send more laborers into the harvest. Let all who survive turn to You. We ask for Your grace and mercy. In the name of Jesus, we rebuke the prince of the power of the air and command every hurricane to turn back to sea. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. Our God shall work even this for good. Our Heavenly Father is pouring His love on His hurting children. He is healing our hurts and hearts. He is providing for all our needs. He is changing every flood into Living Water, every fire into Spiritual fire, and every wind into the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit, come! In mighty name of Jesus who calms the storm we pray, Amen.

You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples. Psalm 65:7 (NKJV)

He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still. Psalm 107:29 (NKJV)

Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Psalm 103:4 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version (NKJV) and Common English Bible (CEB).

4:7 Petitions . . . For Whatever Reason

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

. . . for whatever reason we may call upon Him . . . Deuteronomy 4:7 (NKJV)

I love the New King James Version of Deuteronomy 4:7. It says that for whatever reason we may call upon the Lord. For whatever reason! You lost your car keys? Call upon the Lord; He knows where they are. You received a concerning report from the doctor? Call upon the Lord; He is Yehovah Rapha, our Healing God. Your children aren’t following Him? Call upon the Lord; He is their Creator who knit them together in your womb, the Author of their faith who wrote their stories. You are homeless? Call upon the Lord; He is Yehovah Jireh our Provider, the Lord Jesus who is going to prepare a place for us. Trouble with a friend? Call upon the Lord Jesus who knows what it’s like to be rejected. You lost a loved one? Call upon the Lord, our great Comforter. You don’t know where to turn? Call upon the Lord and He will make straight your path.

“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” Deuteronomy 4:7 (NKJV)

Those who have been following My TEA CUPP Prayers for awhile now know how much I love to use God’s Word in my prayers. To avoid vain repetitions, I will often take a verse from my daily Bible reading to use in prayer. The last P of the TEA CUPP is for Petitions where we pour our hearts out to Jesus. As you call upon the Lord for whatever reason, today I’d like to show you the many ways you might present those petitions to the Father using His Word. Though “please bless” and “I pray for” are wonderful ways to share your heart with the Lord, here are a sampling of other ways you might begin your prayers:

Arise for . . . (Psalm 10:12, 68:1) 
Awake to . . . (Psalm 59:4; Isaiah 51:9)
Carry . . . (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11)
Come to . . . (Psalm 101:2, 119:77)
Deal with . . . (Psalm 109:21, 119:124)
Defend . . . (Psalm 20:1, 59:1) 
Deliver . . . (Psalm 59:1, 60:5; 2 Peter 2:9) 
Do not forsake . . . (Psalm 38:21, 71:9) 
Do not pass on by . . . (Genesis 18:3)
Forgive . . . (Matthew 6:12-15; Luke 23:34)
Give . . . (Numbers 27:4; Psalm 2:8) 
Give ear . . . (Psalm 5:1, 80:1)
Grace be with . . . (Acts 4:33; Revelation 22:21)
Guide . . . (Psalm 32:8, 48:14)
Have mercy on . . . (Matthew 15:22, 20:31)
Hear and see . . . (Isaiah 37:17; Luke 10:24)
Help . . . (Psalm 60:11, 109:26)
Hold . . .  (Psalm 73:23, 94:18, 119:117, 139:10)
How long . . . (Psalm 80:4, 89:46)
I ask . . . (Matthew 7:7; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14-15)
I beg You earnestly for . . . (Mark 5:23; Luke 7:4)
I call for . . . (Genesis 4:26; Psalm 91:15)
I cast . . . (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7) 
I come to You for . . . (Matthew 11:28, 24:3)
I cry for . . . (Psalm 61:1, 77:1, 88:1-2, 88:13, 107:28)  
I implore You to . . . (Psalm 116:4; Luke 9:38)
I petition for . . . (Esther 7:3; Psalm 20:5)
I pour . . . (Psalm 62:8; Isaiah 26:16)
I pray for . . . (Exodus 33:13; James 5:13) 
I request for . . . (Romans 1:10; Philippians 4:6)
I want You to . . . (Psalm 23:1; Matthew 20:32)
I will not let You go unless you bless . . . (Genesis 32:26; Psalm 67:1)
It is time for . . . (Psalm 119:126, Revelation 1:3)
Look upon . . . (2 Samuel 16:12, Psalm 119:132)
Make haste to . . . (Psalm 38:22, 40:13, 70:1) 
Preserve . . . (Psalm 16:1, 64:1) 
Remember . . . (Nehemiah 13:14; Psalm 106:4; Luke 23:42)
Restore . . . (Psalm 60:1, 80:3, 85:4) 
Return to . . . (Psalm 6:4, 90:13)
Save . . . (Psalm 106:47, 108:6; Matthew 8:25)
Shelter . . . (Psalm 61:3-4, 143:9)  
Shine on . . . (Psalm 67:1, 80:1, 94:1, 119:135) 
Strengthen . . . (Psalm 27:14, 68:28) 
Take this cup from . . . (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42)
Turn to . . . (Psalm 25:16, 86:16)
Whistle for . . . (Isaiah 5:26; Zechariah 10:8)

Today’s TEA CUPP: I know you will find many more ways to share your heart with the Lord Jesus in prayer. Try one of these petition-starters in your prayer journal today. We can conclude this list of petition prayer starters with another 4:7 verse:

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 1Peter 4:7 (NKJV)

Wake Up, Jesus!

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38 (NKJV)

I was awake since 1 a.m., up since 3 a.m., reading my Bible, praying all my prayers, yet it was still dark. I cried out, “I watch for you, Jesus, more than watchmen wait for the morning. When will You come to answer my prayers? How long until soon?”

Remembering the missionary pastor who visited our church, I cried “Wake-up, Jesus!” Pastor Samuel said we need to wake up Jesus in our churches. He is sleeping in the stern of the boat. “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” I cried again (Mark 4:38).

Do You not care my pains are extra sharp this morning? Do You not care we are still homeless over a year after leaving our moldy home? Do You not care that we spend all this time in Your Word and prayer and seek You with all our hearts and live for You each day? Wake up, Jesus!

Don’t you care what is going on in our nation and world? They are fighting your dear land of Israel! Evil people are trying to end our elections in America. They are still trying to kill people with vaccines. “Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever” (Psalm 44:23).

…Awake to help me, and behold!
You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors… Psalm 59:4-5 (NKJV)

Babies are still dying everyday from abortion, families are falling apart, schools are teaching evil subjects. Innocent people are being trafficked. Churches are going against Your Word. Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! (Psalm 83:1)

I cry again, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! (Psalm 80:1) Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days,In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent? (Isaiah 51:9)

Then I decree, it will be like in Isaiah 33 and Psalm 78: Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine (Psalm 78:65). “Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up (Isaiah 33:10).

Amen and Amen! Let it be so! Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Wake up Jesus with your prayers! Read the story of Jesus asleep on the boat in Mark 4:35-41 and Psalm 107:23-32. Claim God’s promise in Psalm 121:4 that He will never sleep again.

Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4 (NKJV)

P.S. Dear one, God who created the sea can calm any storm on it. And God who created you and me can calm any storm in our lives, too.

The Lord on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea. Psalm 93:4 (NKJV)

The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:5 (NKJV)

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness. Psalm 96:11 (NKJV)

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24 (NKJV)

His Hand is Outstretched Still

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

…But His hand is stretched out still. Isaiah 5:25 (NKJV)

51 Years ago on this day, January 22, 1973, just eight days before my youngest brother was born, the supreme court of the United States of America made the tragic decision to allow abortions, the murder of babies, in the case of Roe vs. Wade. On June 24, 2022, after decades of prayer and hard work on behalf of believers, the supreme court reversed that decision, giving the decision back to each state. And so the work continues in each state to protect babies and the prayer warriors pray on. With sadness I heard this past year how one state where I used to live, Ohio, had enshrined abortion in its constitution. Oh, Ohio, reverse this curse in the Name of Jesus! Let us all continue to pray for precious babies everywhere.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)

January 22 is also recognized by many as Sanctity of Human Life Day, praying God will use for good a day that the enemy intended for evil. I declare that every day is a sanctity of human life day, For God says in His Word, choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)! He proclaims that every life is so precious that He sent His One and Only Son Jesus Christ, Yeshua Messiah, to die for each of our sins (including the tragic sin of abortion) so that we can have eternal life with Him (and those babies) in heaven (John 3:16). And that little baby hand that rocked the world over 2000 years ago is outstretched still to help you with your babies, to forgive your sins, and to hold you in the palm of His hand.

He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. Luke 1:51 (NKJV)

It has been less than a month since much of the world marked the birth of our Savior Jesus with the celebration of Christmas. A few years ago, I wrote a devotion entitled “Christmas Must Be Pro-Life.” Now my thoughts turn more to the Old Testament and our Jewish heritage for we have been grafted into Abraham’s tree. I think of the babies born to Judah and Tamar in Genesis 28. As Tamar was giving birth to her twins, a midwife tied a red string onto the baby who reached out his hand (Zerah), but then the other baby broke through and was actually born first (Perez) (Genesis 38: 27-30). This Perez was in the lineage of Christ (one of Jesus’ ancestors). I imagine that when Jesus was born to Mary, His hand could have reached out first, then popped back in so He could be delivered headfirst. Because Jesus is both our scarlet thread baby and our breakthrough baby, making a way for us all to get to Abba Father in heaven. Jesus provides His scarlet blood to wash away our sins and He is making breakthrough miracles even today (like the Supreme Court reversal of Roe vs. Wade!). Those baby hands that first reached out to Mary and Joseph, then reached out to heal the sick and lame, then reached out on a cross to die. Those blessed hands are outstretched still!

Those mighty hands created the world and everything in it in six days and rested on the seventh.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:1-3 (NKJV)

Those mighty hands delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt with signs and wonders to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. Deuteronomy 26:8 (NJKV)

Those mighty hands knocked down the walls of Jericho and used Joshua’s outstretched arm to defeat the people of Ai, conquering the Promised Land.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city… Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Joshua 8:18 & 26 (NKJV)

Those mighty hands heard the prayers of King Solomon when he dedicated the temple to our awesome God.

For they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this temple. 1 Kings 8:42 (NKJV)

Those mighty hands gave Isaiah this prophecy, we often hear at Christmas time:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

Have you read Isaiah 9 all the way to the end? Over and over, Isaiah tells us …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 9:12) …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 9:17) …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 9:21) …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 10:4). And before he concludes, Isaiah has many more promises for that Arm and Hand:

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,
And His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him. Isaiah 40:10 (NKJV)

The Lord has made bare His holy arm
In the eyes of all the nations;
And all the ends of the earth shall see
The salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:10 (NKJV)

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear. Isaiah 59:1 (NKJV)

And the Psalmists loved those blessed Arms and Hands…

That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me. Psalm 60:5 (NKJV)

Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand. Psalm 73:23 (NKJV)

You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. Psalm 89:13 (NKJV)

The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. Psalm 118:16 (NKJV)

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me. Psalm 138:7 (NKJV)

His Hand is Outstretched Still for the babies. My youngest brother will turn 51 next week, but 63 million people will not be having birthdays this year, those babies whose lives were taken because of Roe vs. Wade. If you are a mom of one of those babies, His hands are stretched out for you, dear one! Those nail-scarred hands that hung on the cross for all the world are stretched out for you! Be like Thomas and feel the holes in Jesus’ hands, claim the promise that His scarlet blood washes away all your sins, and let those hands carry you through today and all your tomorrows.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. Matthew 19:14-15 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Our Joshua, our Yeshua, our Jesus, has His hand outstretched still… reaching for us, fighting our battles, stretching out His hands and giving His life for us on the cross. Reach out and take hold of that everlasting hand, dear sister. There is a verse in Nehemiah 12:43 when they are dedicating the wall of Jerusalem that says, “…God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced…” This is my prayer: May God make us all rejoice with great joy, all the women and children, mammas and babies, grandmas and grandchildren. HalleluYAH! Jesus is our salvation! His hands are outstretched still!

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’ Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (NKJV)

That all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever. Joshua 4:24 (NKJV)

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:27-28 (NKJV)

(See also Genesis 50:20, Exodus 13:3, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:14, Exodus 13:16, Deuteronomy 9:29. Psalm 20:6, Psalm 44:3, Psalm 63:8, Psalm 72:14, Psalm 74:11, Psalm 77:15, Psalm 98:1, Psalm 136:12, Psalm 139:10, Psalm 144:7, Isaiah 14:27, Isaiah 51:5, Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 62:8, Isaiah 63:5, Isaiah 65:2, Jeremiah 1:9, Jeremiah 32:21, Ezekiel 16:20-21, Ezekiel 20:33-34, Ezekiel 23:37-39, Matthew 14:31, Acts 13:11, Romans 8:28, Romans 10:21)

Another Pot of Precious Promises

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. John 16:1 (NKJV)

God’s blessings to you on your new year, dear sister in Christ! I hope your year is off to a good start. Perhaps like me you woke up with a terrible cold on January 1 and thought all the new year’s hopes and resolutions had gone out the window! But Jesus is merciful and healed my cold and gave me strength to press on and send my next book, More TEA CUPP Prayers, back to the publisher for the third time. HalleluYAH! All glory to Jesus!!! How I pray that it can be ready for you by Resurrection Sunday!

Ten years ago, I wrote a short devotion called Pouring a Pot of Precious Promises, written on a day I came across several promises in my daily Bible reading. As I was reading the book of John again in December, John 16 surprised me with many promises from Jesus, too. I thought, “we will have to pour another pot of precious promises for the ladies!”

I hope you’ll read John 16 for yourself and discover perhaps even more words that touch your heart. John 16 came at a sad time for Jesus. He knew He would soon go to the cross to die for our sins. (John 17 contains His last prayers for us all before He was betrayed). Jesus knew His disciples would need the promises recorded in John 16. If the disciples needed them then, I believe we also need these promises for 2024.

First, lets look at some of the not-happy promises…

The enemy will try to make us stumble (16:1).
The enemy will put us out of the churches (16:2).
The enemy will try to harm us (16:2).
We will have sorrow (16:20).
In the world we will have tribulation (16:33).
Somethings we can’t bear to hear now (16:12).

Do you find most of those promises are hard to hear? Me, too! Let’s keep reading, because Jesus gives us His comforting promises:

He will send us a Helper, the Holy Spirit (16:7).
The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement — sounds like a great revival! (16:8).
The Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth (16:13).
The Holy Spirit will tell us things to come (16:13).
The Holy Spirit will glorify God’s Son Jesus (16:14) — that way we’ll know it’s the Holy Spirit!
In a little while we will see Jesus (16:16) — Oh, what a glorious Day!
Our sorrow shall be turned to JOY! (16:20, 16:22).
Whatever we ask the Father in Jesus’ Name, He will give us (16:23).
The Father Himself loves us because we believe in His Son Jesus (16:27).
Jesus is our peace (16:33).
Be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome the world! (16:33).

Dear one, please be of good cheer, Jesus truly has overcome the world. He already conquered death and the devil when God the Father raised Him from the grave on the third day. He opened the door of heaven for all who believe in His Name. We can trust Him completely for He has a good, good plan.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Pour a pot of these precious promises in your teacup today, dear sister. You will need them this coming year. Read John 16 in your favorite Bible version. Then, write the most precious promises from your Bible in your prayer journal or on notecards on your bathroom mirror. Keep reading His Word and holding onto Jesus’ promises every day!

p.s. If you want to begin a new Bible reading plan this year, I’d like to recommend the M’Cheyne Daily Bible Reading Plan. I made some special bookmarks to use in this well-loved plan.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NKJV)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. 1Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV)

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9 (NKJV)

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:14 (NKJV)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Revelation 2:7 (NKJV)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

Yes, Mandy, there really is a Hell

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Jennifer Grace

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

Our first summer in camping ministry, we had a potpourri of counselors from various church backgrounds. One tall slim girl named Mandy grew up Lutheran and knew her Bible well. As Mandy spoke with her campers during Bible study one week, the topic of hell came up. Mandy shared what she had learned from God’s Word. When one of the campers went home, she told her parents, who told their pastor, who told the superintendent of camps at the head office, who called my husband to say our “counselors were not allowed to talk about hell since some churches don’t believe in it!”

…whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Matthew 5:22 (NKJV)

We were astounded! Yet being new to camping ministry and young Christians ourselves, we encouraged the counselors to just keep the focus on Jesus in their Bible studies. But if there is no hell, why does anyone need Jesus who came to save us from our sins so that we won’t go to hell?!! Well, I can tell you, if we were in that situation again, we would pull out our Bibles and march down to the head office to show the leaders God’s Word. And so, to paraphrase the famous line from the 1897 New York Sun editorial by the aptly named Francis Church, I reply, “Yes, Mandy, there really is a hell! You were right all along! Here is the proof I’ve found in God’s Word which does not lie.” Oh head office, know the truth and the truth will set you free!

The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God. Psalm 9:17 (NKJV)

Perhaps the best Bible story depicting hell is found in Luke 16:19-31. Here we meet a very poor man named Lazarus (a different Lazarus than the one Jesus’ raised from the dead). This Lazarus suffered throughout his life. When he died, he went to Abraham’s bosom (a picture of being held in heaven in the arms of God). At the same time, a wicked wealthy man died and was sent to hell. From hell, this rich man could see across a large chasm into heaven, where Lazarus was being comforted on Abraham’s bosom. The rich man begged for Lazarus to bring him some water, but Abraham said, “No, you had the good things during your lifetime, and besides there is this big chasm that separates us.” The rich man begged for Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his family about hell, but Abraham replied, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” And so the rich man was left in hell to suffer for all eternity (Luke 16:19-31). It is interesting that Jesus raises another Lazarus from the dead in John 11! And were any persuaded by this miracle to repent?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. Psalm 139:8 (NKJV)

Oh, dear one, we don’t want this eternal torture for anyone, not our friends nor our family nor our worst enemies. We want to bring them the Good News of God’s salvation through His only Son Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ)! We want to show them through the scriptures how Moses pointed to a Savior. Jesus is the Seed to crush satan’s head Whom God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis. He is the Passover Lamb who died for our sins in Exodus. He is our High Priest and the Law fulfilled in Leviticus. He is the Prophet foretold in Deuteronomy. He is the Captan of our salvation in Joshua. He is the One the psalmist declared is poured out like water for all the world. He is the One wounded for our transgressions in Isaiah. He is the 4th person walking in the fire in Daniel. He is the ruler from Bethlehem as told by Micah. He is Jesus Christ, the baby born to the Virgin Mary, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. He is Yeshua Messiah, who bore our sins on the cross that all who believe in Him will escape hell, have our sins washed into the depths of the sea, and live eternally in heaven, with Lazarus on Abraham’s bosom! (Genesis 3:15, Exodus 12:21, Leviticus 21:10, Deuteronomy 18:15, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53:5, Daniel 3:25, Micah 5:2,Micah 7:19, Luke 2:7, Luke 2:12, 1Peter 2:24, Pastor Tim Sheets, “Knowing Him,” Oasis Church, November 26, 2023).

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read Job 33:23-30 and Jude 24-25 and see there is HOPE! Jesus is our Mediator, the One who keeps us from the pit! Jesus’ blood He shed for us on the cross washes us clean so that we can be in heaven with Him for all eternity. Our citizenship is in heaven! Make your salvation certain today by calling on Jesus and confessing your sins. Rejoice in our great hope, dear one!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1Peter 1:3 (NKJV)

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NKJV)

Hell and Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more the hearts of the sons of men. Proverbs 15:11 (NKJV)

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Revelation 1:18 (NKJV)

If you’d like to learn more, you might enjoy reading We still need the Key and It is Finished and Leave no Doubt and My Dear Loved One.

…and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. John 20:28-29 (NKJV)

(See also Deuteronomy 32:22, Job 21:30, Job 26:6, Psalm 11:6, Psalm 21:9, Psalm 73:18-19, Psalm 140:10, Proverbs 1:12, Proverbs 5:5, Proverbs 7:27, Proverbs 9:18, Proverbs 23:14, Proverbs 27:20, Proverbs 15:24, Proverbs 20:26, Isaiah 14:15, Isaiah 14:19, Daniel 12:2, Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 13:24-49, Matthew 18:8-9, Matthew 23:33, Matthew 24:29-51, Matthew 25:30-46, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 3:17, Luke 12:5, John 5:22-30, John 5:46-47, John 8:32, 2Thessalonians 1:8-9, 2Peter 2:4-11, 2Peter 2:17, James 3:6, Jude 23, Revelation 20:15)

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth. They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations. Ezekiel 31:15-17 (NKJV)

For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. Psalm 86:13 (NKJV)

Listening for His Voice

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Jennifer Grace

He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 11:15 (NKJV)

It’s been a long time since I wrote a post. Dear sisters in Christ, I haven’t forgotten you! I’ve been praying for you, working on the edits of my third book, More Tea Cupp Prayers, moving into our temporary winter home, cooking for my hungry boys, homeschooling our youngest son, visiting my mom and grandchildren, reading God’s Word and listening for His voice. LISTENING is what I want to share with you today.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:9 (NKJV)

When we sit down for TEA with Jesus, the first thing we should do is open His Word, our Bibles, letting our Lord speak while we LISTEN. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” And so, we pick up our Bibles, open and read, letting that two-edged sword slice through our thoughts as we LISTEN.

Do you remember what happened in Genesis when Adam and Eve did not listen to God’s instructions, eating the forbidden fruit? They were kicked out of God’s beautiful garden forever. Do you remember what happened when King Saul did not listen, performing the sacrifices before Samuel arrived? He was removed as king of Israel. Do you remember what happened to the rich young ruler who did not listen to Jesus? He went away sorrowfully (see Genesis 3, 1 Samuel 13, Matthew 19:16-22).

Our attitude for listening should be like that of the boy Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. Four times God called to Samuel as he was falling asleep. The first three times, Samuel thought it was Eli the priest calling him. But finally, Eli realized it was the Lord, instructing Samuel what to do. Read this beautiful children’s story and come to Yeshua like a child, saying, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (See 1 Samuel 3:9-10).

Another Old Testament Bible story comes to mind about listening. In Kings 19, the prophet Elijah was in crisis. He had just triumphed over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, but now Jezebel was seeking to kill him. While Elijah hid in a cave on a mountain, the voice of the Lord came to him. As Elijah looked out, a great windstorm blew past the cave entrance, but God was not in the wind. Next, an earthquake shook the mountain, but God was not in the earthquake. Lastly, a fire like the forest fires of Montana roared past the cave, but God was not in the fire. Finally, there was a still small voice. Knowing this was the Lord God, Elijah wrapped himself in his mantle and went out to listen for God’s directions.

Who else was a good listener? Esther listened to Mordecai and spoke up for her nation. Naaman listened to Elisha and his assistants, washing seven times in the Jordan to be healed. Peter listened to his brother Andrew and came to meet Jesus. And who can forget Martha’s sister Mary who sat at Jesus feet listening and listening and listening (2 Kings 5, Esther 7, John 1:40-41, Luke 10:38-42).

My friend, God still calls us to listen today. Listening comes in many ways. We listen as we read God’s Word. We listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit to guide us. We listen to trusted pastors and friends to point us to the Scriptures. All the while, we are praying for discernment, we test the spirits, comparing the message to other Bible verses to see if this message is truly from God (2 Timothy 3:16, , 2 Peter 1:19, 1 John 4:1-3). Listening for God’s voice is so important today with all sorts of false prophecies and fake news going around. Compare everything you hear to God’s Word and make certain it is from the Lord.

What has God been teaching me recently as I seek Him in His Word and listen to His voice? He tells me to honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. He’s saying to live by faith and not by sight as we wait for healing and a home. He’s called me to finish what I began over a year ago and press on toward the goal of the upward cause of God in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:24, 2 Corinthians 8:11, Philippians 3:14). And, He’s shown me how to pray the names of God and rebuke the enemy in His name! (i.e. “In the Name of Yehovah Rapha, I rebuke the pain in my tummy, and claim Jesus’ healing, none of the diseases that were upon the Egyptians shall fall upon me or my family. We are covered by the blood of Yeshua Messiah! In the Name of Yehovah Jireh, I rebuke the destroyer who took our home and belongings a year ago! I claim our inheritance in heaven, and also, God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Yeshua Messiah!!! (See Exodus 15:26, Romans 5:9, Philippians 4:19, 1 Peter 1:4).

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read 1 Kings 19 for Elijah’s listening story. Choose three more listening verses to look up in your Bible. As you go through your week, reading God’s Word and praying, write what the Lord is telling you in your prayer journal. Perhaps He is calling you to a task. Perhaps He has a promise for you to claim. Keep listening for that still small voice of Jesus, dear one!

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Luke 9:35 (NKJV)

Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. Deuteronomy 7:12 (NKJV)

Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. Psalm 78:1 (NKJV)

I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to folly. Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)

For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord,
And has perceived and heard His word?
Who has marked His word and heard it? Jeremiah 23:18 (NKJV)

Hear, all you peoples!
Listen, O earth, and all that is in it!
Let the Lord God be a witness against you,
The Lord from His holy temple. Micah 1:2 (NKJV)

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matthew 13:16-17 (NKJV)

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:43 (NKJV)

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28 (NKJV)

…And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Acts 18:8 (NKJV)

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness.” Hebrews 3:7-8 (NKJV)

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. James 1:19 (NKJV)

(See also Numbers 9:8, Deuteronomy 4:1, Deuteronomy 5:1, Deuteronomy 6:3-4, Deuteronomy 9:1, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 18:18-19, 1 Samuel 3:10, Psalm 45:10, Psalm 49:1, Psalm 50:7, Psalm 81:8, Psalm 81:13 , Psalm 85:8 , Isaiah 1:10, Isaiah 32:3, Isaiah 33:13, Isaiah 34:1, Isaiah 46:3, Isaiah 48:12, Isaiah 48:16, Isaiah 51:1, Isaiah 51:4, Isaiah 51:7, Isaiah 55:2-3, Isaiah 66:5, Jeremiah 6:17-19, Jeremiah 10:1, Jeremiah 19:3, Jeremiah 19:15, Jeremiah 25:8, Jeremiah 26:3, Jeremiah 29:20, Ezekiel 2:8, Ezekiel 3:7, Ezekiel 3:10, Ezekiel 3:27, Ezekiel 12:2, Ezekiel 25:3, Matthew 7:24, Matthew 17:5, Mark 4:3, 4:9, 4:12, 4:23, 4:33, 4:24, Mark 7:14-16, Mark 7:37, Mark 9:7, Mark 12:29, Mark 8:18, Luke 8:8, Luke 8:21, Luke 9:44, Luke 14:35, Acts 3:22-23, Hebrews 5:11, Hebrews 12:25, James 1:22, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:29, Revelation 3:6, Revelation 3:13, Revelation 3:22)

💝From Jenny’s Journal: Luke 19:48… for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.
O let all Your children truly hear you NOW, Lord Jesus, all Israel and the USA and all the world, not killing you a week later, but instead, dying to sin, welcoming you as Savior, Messiah, Christ, Lord, and King! In the Name of Yeshua Messiah, we say to all ears, Ephphatha! Be opened!!! Mark 7:34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

O earth, earth, earth,
Hear the word of the Lord! Jeremiah 22:29 (NKJV)

All Things Work for Good

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Jennifer Grace

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

All things, All things, All things! Not just some things or most things or things that are especially important, but ALL things work together for good! That’s what God’s Word promises us in this well-known verse from Romans 8:28… And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I love God. I love His Son Jesus. I am called according to His purpose and so I claim this promise. That’s what the first “P” in the TEA CUPP is for, claiming God’s PROMISES. Dear sister, you can claim it, too! You are called to be His daughter and He has great plans for you!

As I was reading the book of Joshua in my Bible this month, I saw a beautiful example of this promise. After their amazing victory in conquering Jericho in Joshua 6, the Israelites suffered a crushing defeat in Joshua 7 because one man Achan had kept the enemy’s accursed booty. The Lord was angry at Achan’s disobedience, so He did not go with Israel’s army to defeat Ai that first time. Once Achan confessed his sin (Joshua 7:20) and received his punishment (Joshua 7:26), the Lord God was no longer angry and could once again go with Israel’s army to fight the battles.

In the first battle, Joshua sent about three thousand men who were quickly chased away by the people of Ai. This is where Romans 8:28 came in! God used even the failed first battle at Ai to trick the enemy. In the second battle, He had Joshua station ambushes on the far side of Ai, unbeknownst to the people of Ai. Then Joshua himself lead the group that marched up as at the first.

Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that we shall flee before them. For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore we will flee before them. Joshua 8:5-6 (NKJV)

The Israelite’s followed the plan. When the people of Ai chased Joshua’s army they fled as in the first battle, then the ambush attacked the city and set it on fire! When the enemy looked back at their city, their hearts melted and Joshua’s army turned back and pursued them all. Read Joshua 8 for all of this exciting story! It’s so neat how God let their first failure trick the enemy and they won the second battle! HalleluYAH! Praise Yehovah!

Yet, that is not the only Biblical example of Yehovah God working all things for good… what about God turning Sarah’s barrenness into the miraculous conception and birth of Isaac. What about David’s sin with Bathsheba producing the wisest king Solomon and the continuation of the genealogy of our Messiah, Jesus? What about the prophet Daniel returning with the remnant to Jerusalem? What about Paul’s shipwreck bringing salvation to the sailors and island people? And most of all, what about God turning the sin of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit into a Seed that would one day be our Savior, Jesus Christ?

And so, I claim Romans 8:28 as a promise for my life. Nine months ago, I had to flee my home due to mold. The enemy has been pursuing me in all kinds of ways… health issues, homelessness, pains, tears, despair, loss of pets… but like Joshua, I seek the Lord and keep pressing on and claiming His promise to work even this for good. We are more than conquerers through Him who loves us!

Just look how God has blessed us this summer… my old Bible study leader invited our animals and us to stay on her property. A friend from our fellowship loaned us their beautiful camper. With food and clothing we are content, yet still we pray for that new home Jesus is preparing. Yes, we still have tears. Yes, we still have dark nights. But we are confident that, yes, God will work all things together for good because we love Him and we are called according to His purposes!

Dear one, how can you claim this promise in your life today? If you are in a difficult relationship, God will use it for good. If your children are prodigals, God will use it for good. If you are broke, God will use it for good. If you are hungry, God will use it for good. If you are hurting, God will use it for good. If you are sick, God will use it for good. If you are mourning for a loved one, God will use it for good. If you made a big mistake, God will use it for good. If you are homeless, God will use it for good. if you are lonely, God will use it for good. If you are brokenhearted, God will use it for good. In ALL things God works together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read the amazing miracle in Joshua 8 today! Use the enemy’s strategy against him in your own battles, claiming victory through our Lord and Savior Yeshua Messiah!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

For thus says the Lord: ‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.’ Jeremiah 34:42 (NKJV)

For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands. Psalm 92:4 (NKJV)

You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:68 (NKJV)

He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (NKJV)

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

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

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

My TEA CUPP Prayers

Praying God's Word … Inviting Ladies to TEA with the King of kings!

Category Archives: The TEA CUPP