Exalting with the Christmas Story

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

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)

The Christmas Story is a blessed place to find verses to exalt and praise our Lord Jesus. (The E part of the TEA CUPP is for Exalting, where we lift up the name of our Father in heaven and praise Him for sending His Son to be our Savior). From the Old Testament prophecies, to the words of the angels, to the shepherds and wise men, we have plenty of examples for exalting and honoring our Lord. Let’s look at a a few of these:

Do you remember how Jesus taught His disciples to pray, saying: “Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name”? That is what exalting is all about. Like a halo above an angel’s head, we lift up Abba Father’s name above all. (Matthew 6:9)

Isaiah the prophet hallowed Him in the verse above, proclaiming Him as “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

The wisemen in Matthew 2 exalted Him with their actions: And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. (Matthew 2:11)

When the Virgin Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, she glorified the Lord with her song: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47)

When Zacharias’ son John the Baptist was born, he praised God with his first spoken words in nine months: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David, (Luke 1:68-69)

When the angel came to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, suddenly a multitude of angels appeared glorifying God, saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14)

And after the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see if this new Baby was really there, they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:20)

According to the Law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took their Baby to the temple to be dedicated, where a man named Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”” (Luke 2:28-32) Anna also was there and joined Simeon’s praise as she gave thanks to the Lord. (Luke 2:38)

From Genesis to Revelations, especially the Psalms, the Prophets, and the New Testament writings, God gives us words to hallow and exalt our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the precious Baby who came humbly to a stable to save the whole world.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Join the prophets and wise men, join Mary and Zacharias, join the angels and shepherds, join Simeon and Anna, join all creation this Christmas in exalting and hallowing the precious name of our Lord Jesus. As you sing your favorite Christian Carols, truly sing them to glorify the King of kings: “With the angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem,” Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.”

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for leaving heaven and coming to earth to die for me. May you be glorified in my heart and family this Christmas and always.

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Revelation 5:13 (NKJV)

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9 (NKJV)

Thank you for stopping by My TEA CUPP Prayers! If you are blessed by today’s post, you might also enjoy some of my other Christmas devotions. I pray a wonderful celebration of our Savior Yeshua to you and all your loved ones!

As you move into the year 2025, consider using my Bible Reading Bookmarks or check out this cool website I just found where you can design your own.

Also, consider joining this Daniel Fast as we pray for our country the first 21 days of the new year.

Taste and See this Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Jennifer Grace

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)

If ever there was a good time to “taste and see” that the Lord is good, it must be Thanksgiving. Taste buds are tempted with a tantalizing table of treats this time of the year. And for these gifts, we give the Lord thanks! For every good and perfect gift (especially our food) comes from above!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17 (NKJV)

What are you having for Thanksgiving this year? I pray that you are surrounded by loved ones and yummy things to eat! I know some may be struggling financially this year, with job lay-offs and high grocery bills. I pray someone delivers a casserole and pumpkin pie to your door! Our family is still homeless, but we do have a place to stay and food for the table and children coming “home,” so for that we are very thankful! And while we might want to be sad about this or that, Jesus tells me, “You give them something to eat!”

But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” Luke 9:13 (NKJV)

And so I set my moldy brain to work on a little plan and divide up the menu and who is helping with what, and soon we have a scrumptious dinner, feasting like children of the King of kings in our borrowed cabin. Yes, the Lord is gracious!

If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1 Peter 2:3 (NKJV)

I love how Jesus always promises to feed us. Isaiah promises that He feeds us like a shepherd, for He is our Good Shepherd. And if this is a sad Thanksgiving for you, He is also carrying you in His arms. For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted (Isaiah 49:13). And for the young families with little ones, He is gently leading us, too!

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:11 (NKJV)

I was reminded of a few sad Thanksgivings lately. November 25, 2024 marked the 39th anniversary of the plane crash that took my college cross country team. Thanksgiving that year was a time of grieving. The other night we were driving home late after spending the day in the emergency room with my husband who thankfully only had vertigo, not a stroke. In the last few miles before our cabin, I hit ice on a bridge and spun our truck around and around before landing at the edge. Just two years after that plane crash, I had a similar accident with my parents’ car on my way home from a Thanksgiving gathering. May Jesus’ angels keep charge over all your loved ones this holiday season!

There have been happy Thanksgivings, too. I remember 1998 when my family all gathered at our church camp in Iowa. After the meal we had a talent show with my parents performing their famous skit of “Mabel and the Chewing Gum.” I remember 2006 when we were on a mission to Mississippi to help with rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. We served a Thanksgiving dinner at a soup kitchen that day. I remember 2017 was the last Thanksgiving with my Daddy before he went to heaven. He was so thankful to have the family together. And in 2000, during the covid year, we spent Thanksgiving with Kennedy when she had cancer. And now she is a healthy third grader! Yes, there is always something for which to be thankful.

The first part of My TEA CUPP is T for Thanksgiving where we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). How about if we all do that this Thanksgiving: Cut maples leaves from orange construction paper. Invite everyone to write and share blessings on the leaves. Then make a Thanksgiving wreath and pray 1 Chronicles 16 or a Psalm of thanks.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Let’s count our blessings instead of our bad days. Let’s count His praises instead of our pains. Let’s count our loved ones instead of our lack. And whatever you have on the table, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Here are a few of our Thanksgiving favorites:

Party Beans, Rice Con Queso, and Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin and Pecan Pies

Give us day by day our daily bread. Luke 11:3 (NKJV)

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)

Claim the promises of Zephaniah 3:15-17!

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:

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––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)

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