Flames of Fire Ministries, Inc.
A Restoration and Empowerment Ministry.
"He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants."
"He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants."
- Psalm 104:4 NIV
Navigating the ‘Sitting Down Season
What do I mean by that? Let me explain. About 2-3 months ago I was in what I thought was a ‘nesting ‘season. I live to cook and since it is only me here, large meal prep is not my ‘normal’. However I was cooking up a storm and then packaging them up in smaller portions, I call, ‘homemade tv dinners. I thought had crossed my mind which was, now what Lord. Is something going to happen to me? A friend I told, thought same.
Well on Saturday about 4 weeks ago after a long day out, I was asked by a friend if I could cook up some of my ‘awesome’ chicken soup for a friend of hers, who was ill. I was too tired to do that, and mentioned I thought I had a large package in my larger freezer, and that I would look.
I had just put something on the stove to warm, and I did not have my phone with me. I went in the back room, and began to paw through the freezer.
Ah ha! There it was, buried! I began to move stuff around. It was a very large package of home-made chicken soup. I thought I had a clear way to put both my hands on it, and then yank! Well, I did, and it did not budge much. My body jerked to the right and then, Yikes the most incredible pain I had ever felt, and I could not move! Oh, good I thought! What a ‘fine kettle of fish’ this is. I had forgotten I had a smart watch on, so I was wondering what to do next.
I prayed. Slowly still determined to get the soup, it finally gave way. All I could do was cry out due to the severity of the pain. But I still could not move much. My initial thought was I had reinjured my back, which was just starting to feel better. Please note this was not the devil. I made a stupid choice in how I took the soup out.
After a bit I was able to take the frozen soup and myself over to my table and sit down. I was still wincing in pain. I called my friend and told her; I have the soup but you’ll have to come over and get it.
She did. I was able to move about, but my range of motion was severely limited and I had the worst pain I had ever felt, next to childbirth. It even felt there was something moving or shifting with that right side.
This was a Saturday. I made it to Monday at which point I contacted my DR. and went to PT. She said my side and back were like tight rubber bands.
The pain was unlike I had ever felt, and being the determined person I am, just kept going. But God was going to stop me in my tracks! At that point the medication offered to me, did not touch it. All I knew was that I had to press through in to continue to Praise to Him. I remember saying I am not going to give the devil and inch with this situation. I could not understand when I was at a point that my long-standing back issues were feeling better, that this could have happened.
A few of my friends said spiritual warfare. Another said for those moving forward in Him, they have a ‘target ‘on their back. Both of those comments really did not ring true to me. I could not find anything in the WORD saying we were at the ‘mercy ‘of the devil. What I did find was in Psalm 91, ‘No harm would come near my tent,’ and also that we would have sufferings, trials and persecutions and that they had a purpose in us to produce character, perseverance and more.
Where is it in the bible that when we are obedient and do good and moving forward with GOD the enemy has permission to use us as a Dart board? BTW God does test us, look at Job! When He does, He dumps the grace on us to endure! However, I believe since the enemy is a legalist, if we have sin enter our lives, or disobedience it can open the door to the demonic. But to naturally assume when we are moving forward with GOD we will be attacked and say so…. Nope I don’t buy it!
Well, my Bible says death and life are in the tongue. Lest we declare and prophecy these negative things on ourselves.
Moving on, in less than a week I had a back MRI and also flat films to see if I had broken a rib. Both were negative. But what they did find was a ‘questionable lucent (shiny) lesion’ on the proximal portion of my Humerous’. More x-rays recommended, and then two radiologists recommended an mri.
Dragging myself in pain to all of these tests was so so painful. The last MRI, of my arm was the most.
I had even gone to Urgent Care to get a better pain protocol. And it did help some. But I was down for the count. I had to cancel things left and right, and barely move at home.
White flag! God had my attention and the only thing I could do is worship and praise Him. I can tell you what I was a target for! Isolation doing its nasty work.
Navigation Devices Used in my ‘sitting down season’.
1)Praise and Worship- Can be as simple as, ‘I praise you Lord for this trial.
2) Encouraged myself in the LORD! Read the WORD, have praise music on and more.
3) Remember Jesus is praying for us at the right hand of the Father, (unceasingly) and also lifting others to pray for me, without asking.
i.e. One of those weekends was particularly hard for me and GOD sent a sister to text me, and call, throughout the whole weekend. I was so touched and it was a lifeline to me.
4) Humble yourself and ASK for prayer! I dragged myself to church and a bible study, to have hands laid on me.
5) Remember this is TEMPORARY
6) Do not let fear take root in your heart! I will admit I was worried about that lesion. But I am healed here, or there. Win, win!
7) Ask GOD what He is trying to show you in all of this. There is ALWAYS a message! Expect those downloads.
8) In my weakness the Lord was pouring out in me in prayer for others with fruit! Go all out praying for others, you will be amazed how the flesh gets in the way sometimes!
There are times God makes us sit down. Rather than fight it, we should start asking Him what is it, He is trying to show us.
9) REST in Him.
Sometimes God gives us the legal right to ‘come apart’ before we ‘come apart’.
10) Ask the Lord if this is prophetic intercession for someone, or is it truly something going on in your body. I have been there and done that when HE uses me as a Prophetic Intercessor. He will answer.
Some of us think GOD needs us! Pretty arrogant huh? We need Him at all times. We need to be able to listen and with the constant stimuli of life coming at us, sometimes that seems impossible.
I kept saying this was worse than childbirth pain. Yet I sensed as I ponder starting this ongoing School of the Prophets it is a time of being pregnant with it. Pregnancy is NOT the most comfortable thing to experience. The labor is rough, and when you get to the transition portion of the labor, that is the cou de gras of pain. You almost feel out of control. ‘Get this baby out of here’
Then a week ago Tuesday when I noticed that the extreme pain was abating in lieu of using mild pain measures I gingerly started weaning myself off the meds. Low and behold I was healed! How do you go to literally screaming pain to none in 1 day, you don’t! It was miraculous. Then finally this past Sunday night the MRI report was finally available on the patient portal. The lesion that I saw as well as the Drs did was GONE! The final note was “no bony or soft tissues lesions seen!”
I also firmly believe that what HE allows into our life and we overcome, we will have a new authority in the spirit praying for others.
The Bible says ‘to whom much is given, much is required’.
In 1992 I got a scripture in Psalm 66. This am when I went to my news feed in fb, there it was, again with some explanation of what I had endured! The encouragement that this season for me was preparation for the ‘birth’ of something new. I was encouraged that I was not found wanting, as hard as it was. I am expecting the birth of the baby, anytime now!
“My Treasure,
It is not that I do not feel or identify with your pain right now. I see your tears; I hear your cries of agony. However, my beloved, right now, you are in labor.
Like a woman in labor, whose contractions and pains increase as the time of birth approaches and as the darkness seems to intensify as the dawn of a new day draws near, so are you closer to the manifestation of My promises in your life than you have ever been.
And so, I hold your hand and strengthen you. I encourage your heart to endure patiently and not quit or give up now. I increase your inner strength and give you the courage to continue being focused on where I am taking you, and what I am doing in your life.
A midwife's focus during a pregnant woman's time of labor is to ensure safety of mother and baby during delivery. The midwife encourages the mother to endure the pain, and try her best to focus all her energy of delivering the baby she has been carrying for 9months.
So, it is with you right now.
Psalm 66:10-12 (NLT)
For You have tested us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid a heavy burden [of servitude] on [a]us.
You made men (charioteers) [b]ride over our heads [in defeat];
We went through fire and through water,
Yet You brought us out into a [broad] place of abundance [to be refreshed].
Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So, after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.
Your Daddy,
God
via Pam Jackson
GOD is faithful.
Josephine Marie Ayers
Macedon, NY 14502
Fax: 585-486-1509
josephine@flamesoffire.us
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