iShineInMinistry

Let's thank the Lord for the blessing we have as we serve Him today!!

Ephesians 1:16 (NET)

I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers.

Lord, I praise and thank You for the blessing of serving in full-time ministry. I thank you that You called me and allowed me to be in this place to serve You at all times. I thank You for each and every person You place me in contact with and thank You that You count me faithful to be able to minister to each person.

Lord, I ask that You will keep me in a place where I am grateful and thankful for this calling every single day. Continue to fill my heart with love and compassion for Your people and remember that it is a privilege to serve them and be Your handmaiden.

I thank You for Your faithfulness in my life, my Savior and my God. I love You, Lord and praise Your holy name. In Jesus' name, amen!

Luke 1:48 (KJV)

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

Psalm 139:3 (NET)

You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;

you are aware of everything I do.

It's that time of year again! School is in full swing and so is ministry for the upcoming holidays. There isn't a moment in the day where you don't have some task or duty on your unending to-do list. You are to the point where you may have to start scheduling sleeping and eating to stay afloat. We all know this is the time of year where we get too busy to really take care of our bodies; yet we know that we need to stay healthy to do all the things we are called to do as we serve the Lord and the people of God. We need to take these three safeguards to heart so that we don't burn out before Christmas Eve! See below and then ask the Lord to help you consistently do these needed things.

1) Eat Well: Take the first few hours of the day to get filled up spiritually and physically...doing your devotional and having some fruits, veggies and protein. You will keep your energy level up in every sense of the word and also get the vitamins needed to keep you immune system ready to fight off fall germs!

2) Pray Often: When the going gets busy, we seem to talk and listen to God less. This should be the opposite effect considering that we need His strength to do what He has called us to do. As soon as you feel the need to flesh out, ask God for grace and mercy (for yourself and that thorn in your flesh that is standing in front of you). Then make sure to go before the Lord throughout your day, having a constant line of communication with Him, so that all that flows from you in those stressful moments is the fruit of the Spirit, not the wrath of a mean girl.

3) Go to BED: Your body has to recuperate from all of the extra time, work, ministry and activities that are going on during this season. This is not the time to become a forced insomniac. Say no to a dinner outing or early morning coffee date, you can't be everywhere all at the same time. Even Jesus went off alone...trust me, we aren't as legit as Jesus so we need some sleep. Cuddle up with some chamomile at night and sleep in a little on Saturday morning. Your body will thank you...and not go on strike by way of sickness.

I hope you will prayerfully find ways to place these things on your priority list during this active season. We can't shine as bright with the flu or a hangry attitude because our blood sugar is too low from lack of food. Be wise as you serve and enjoy this fabulous and fast season of ministry!!

Psalm 147:1 (NKJV)

Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

For it is pleasant,

and praise is beautiful.

Full-time ministry is nothing short of an amazing privilege and blessing that we all get to experience every single day. We counsel ladies, we comfort children, we bake, set up and tear down outreaches and continue to grow as we get the opportunity to hear the worship service each week (depending on where we serve, we hear the same message multiple times so it really sticks)! This calling is just fantastic, but I want us to remember the better thing so that we can choose to surrender to worship as we serve Him.

Just as Mary and Martha got to spend time in the presence of the Lord, we have that blessed opportunity as well. While we may have many tasks that we oversee as we help prepare for the worship service, we need to remember to stop and go sit at the feet of Jesus once that first worship song begins to play. You may have to stop and worship as you cuddle a baby and listen to a child's rendition of "Jesus Loves Me", but still take the chance. You may need to pause and get your heart on track before you greet someone and hand them a bulletin, but you do have the opportunity. You may have to wait a minute or two before you pour that cup of coffee for someone in the cafe ministry, but allow yourself (and the waiting customer) the chance to enter into the presence of Jesus. We all need that pause and that moment with Him. We can't get encumbered with all the duties that come with ministry to the point where we forget about our Savior altogether. If we do this, we aren't really ministering anymore...we are just completing a checklist.

So, this week (and always) please remember to take those moments and really be with Jesus. Surrender to worship while you enjoy your calling, lift you voice, lift your hands and lift your heart to Him. You will be blessed and the people you serve will be blessed too! Worship Him in spirit and truth...Happy Surrendered September!

Psalm 34:1 (NKJV)

I will bless the Lord at all times;


His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Colossians 3:24 (NKJV)

…for you serve the Lord Christ.

A prayer for you lovely ladies that serve in full-time ministry.

Lord Jesus, we know that You are the maker of all good things and that You continue to direct our paths, bless and strengthen us as we serve You. We thank You for the honor and blessing of serving You and Your people. We thank You for the endless miracles that we get to see first hand, day in and day out and we thank You that You have counted us faithful to be used for this reasonable service.

Lord, we ask that You will fill our hearts with grace, mercy, kindness and compassion as we serve and go to the places where You call us. We pray for hearts that are burdened for the lost and completely committed to doing the work of the ministry, no matter how difficult, dirty or taxing the task may be. We pray for strength, rest, a diligent spirit and a healthy balance that allows us to run this race of serving with endurance. We know that You will be faithful to do all of these things…we know that we can do all things through Christ, because You give us strength.

Please continue to remind us that we do all for Your glory and honor and that we are the vessels that You have chosen to use. Please keep our hearts pure and clean before You and search our hearts so that we do not become puffed up or prideful as we do the work of the ministry.

We thank You for all things and ask that You go before us, Lord. We love You and praise You…we ask that You be magnified in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Galatians 6:9 (NET)

So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. Pray for those that you serve with in ministry and continue to keep your eyes on Jesus!

Luke 15:10 (HCSB)

I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents”

We are at the beginning of that wonderful season of “full-throttle” ministry again! I love this time of year…it all turns into a whirlwind of serving, praying, encouraging and then executing all of the wonderful things that the Lord has laid on the hearts of those in ministry leadership. You serve through fatigue and delirium and have a blast doing each and every task (well maybe not every). Year after year you see the Lord’s faithfulness and it just seems like the best day ever, every single time!

I love that we see Him show up in a spectacular way throughout all of these huge outreaches, filled with ideas, décor, volunteers and so many other elements. But I do wonder if, in our modern lifestyles that think “bigger is better” do we lose sight of how God shows up in the normal, day-to-day ministry?

We are waiting for the Lord in the midst of the Ladies’ Retreat, Christmas Eve Service, Harvest Celebration and other large outreaches; but do you also trust God is showing up in the exact same way during a smaller mid-week service or even in the toddlers class during Children’s Ministry? I think we sometimes go into auto-pilot and miss what the Lord is doing in those smaller things as we make huge plans for Him to really show up on those seemingly “bigger” days.

Please remember that He is there on the days when one person gets saved just as much as He is there on those outreach concert days when 300 people come to know the Lord. He is in that classroom when that sweet little seven year old prays the sinner’s prayer just as much as He is there when a room filled with drug rehab women are giving their lives to the Savior. No matter how many people see Him and how young or old they are, they are blessed and that ministry is blessed.

Be encouraged as you serve in the “everyday” ministry and look for the many ways the Lord shows up in those times…they are the same exact way He shows up during that candlelight service; and we are blessed because we get to be part of that beautiful moment when someone comes to know the Lord!

Make sure that you are praying for the Lord to show up in the “small moments” the same way you pray for Him to show up during those larger ministry outreaches!