PRAYER SCRIPTURES

Luke 18:1-8 (NKJV) Then He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'" Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"  🛐 🙏

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James 5:14-18 (NKJV) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayers of the righteous avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 🛐 🙏

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Hebrews 4:15-16 (NKJV) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 🛐 🙏

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Psalm 102:1-2, 17 (NKJV) Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; incline Your ear to me; in the day that I call, answer me speedily. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer. 🛐 🙏

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Psalm 69:14-17 (NKJV) Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me. Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in trouble; hear me speedily. 🛐 🙏

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Matthew 11:28 (NKJV) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 🛐 🙏

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Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 🛐 🙏

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Matthew 14:34-36 (NKJV) When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. 🛐 🙏

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Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" 🛐 🙏

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Luke 10:19 (NKJV) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 🛐 🙏

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Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." 🛐 🙏

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1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 🛐 🙏

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Psalm 88:1-2 (NKJV) O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry. 🛐 🙏

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Psalm 141:1-2 (NKJV) LORD, I cry out to You; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 🛐 🙏

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Mark 5:34 (NKJV) And He (Jesus) said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." 🛐 🙏

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

THE GOD OF PEACE

This was about 8 years ago… I went to Walgreen's and was heading fast down the straight-away between the aisles when Prima donna dressed to the hilt in leopard print (even her 5-inch heel sandals and tippy-toes) almost crashes head on into me coming out of one of the aisles. I was already in a foul mood when I went to the store and instead of her apologizing to me, I apologized to her and Prima donna sashayed on off as though it was my fault, and I was supposed to be the one apologizing. Because I was already in a foul mood, that drove my irritability radar soaring into the red zone. "Miss Thing with her leopard print toenails thinks she is too good for apologies," I thought.

By the time I made it to the check-out line, guess who lands right in front of me? Yes! Leopard toes herself! So now my irritation is directed to the Lord. "You would let her get right in front of me."

At the end of her transaction, she drops twelve cents on the floor. Without even thinking, I dove to the floor and picked it all up and handed it to her. She gave me a sincere “God bless you,” and walked out of the store.

In that moment, my heart melted, I forgot all about my foul mood and said, "Thank You Lord, You just gave the devil a black eye." I felt bad that all through the store I was thinking bad thoughts about my sister in Christ who happens to dress differently than me. Perhaps if I had not been speeding like a gazelle through the store, we wouldn't have almost had a head on collision. In truth, I did owe her an apology for judging her the way I did, simply because I was angry at someone else.

When I got home and pulled into the driveway, the Lord sent a beautiful blue jay to visit me on my front porch as a reminder that He is with me always... even concerning the thing that initially got me in the foul mood to begin with. I sat in my car and watched the blue jay play in our front yard for a minute or two as the peace of God flooded my soul and washed away the thoughts wreaking havoc in my emotions.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)

May the God of peace be with you all. (Rom. 15:33)

The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. (Rom.16:20)

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

YOU'RE DAZZLING!!!

The Lord saved me in the Spring of 1999. Immediately, my life began to morphe in so many ways. One day I heard the word "dazzling". It came out of nowhere, and I knew it wasn't me. For several weeks this went on, and on, and on. I kept seeing and hearing the word dazzling but had no idea what it was in reference to.

One day my former husband brought me home a candle that had the word dazzling on the label. I knew that God had moved on him to gift me with that. I sat down to watch the movie Sabrina (Harrison Ford's)... low and behold I got the reference.

Sabrina was the daughter of a chauffeur whose mother had died long ago. She was in love with the young son of the family her father drove for but the son did not know she was alive.

They paid for her to go to work in Paris France, and when she returned she was dazzling. Suddenly, the young son noticed Sabrina. He invited her to the birthday party they were throwing for his mother. As they danced that beautiful evening, he said to Sabrina, "Do you know how beautiful you are?" She dropped her head and said, "No." He said, "You're dazzling."

❗Oh my God ❗

At the same exact time Sabrina and I both said, "Dazzling?"

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https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxSRSXtngFhJlTbCtlmL-bfiIXQ9rhn6dn?si=MhsbEhvlJgTlPchz

(18 second YouTube clip of that scene)

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I never saw that coming. And up to that point, I had never-ever seen a dazzling me when I looked in the mirror or at photos of myself.

Fast forward to 2024. I turned 60 years old on my last birthday. My hair started thinning and falling out. I prayed about it and I'm not seeing so much hair in the combs anymore, but the Lord took me way back to that time when He had taken me from self-loathing to self-acceptance.

I've started reciting verses from the Song of Solomon as a way to rebuild my confidence, because if God says I'm dazzling, then for sure I'm dazzling... and so are you!

Song of Solomon 4:1-2 (TLB) King Solomon: "How beautiful you are, my love, how beautiful! Your eyes are those of doves. Your hair falls across your face like flocks of goats that frisk across the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are white as sheep's wool, newly shorn and washed; perfectly matched, without one missing.🌺

Song of Solomon 7:1 (NKJV) How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince's daughter!🌺

You're dazzling! Go in peace.✌

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

THE STINK OF OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION

The Stink

In the movie Facing the Giants, Grant and Brooke Taylor had a stink in their home that they could not figure out where it was coming from. At the same time, their relationship with God had grown cold and they hadn’t even noticed. They lost sight of God while they were pursuing other interests. The stink in their home was a physical expression of their spiritual condition. Every time they walked in from outside, it would hit them in the face.

God’s Rebuke

God rebuked the children of Israel through the prophet Isaiah (65^th chapter). They had grown rebellious and unresponsive, following their own evil paths and crooked schemes. They insulted God by worshipping idols and pagan gods. They ate food that was forbidden. They had a holier-than-thou attitude, and thought they were spiritually superior to others. In Isaiah 65:5 God says, "These people are a stench in My nostrils, an acrid (unpleasant) smell that never goes away.” The Lord said, “I was ready to respond but no one asked for help.”

When we attend worship without any remorse for the sin in our lives, it is a stench in God’s nostrils. When we act holier-than-thou like scribes and Pharisees, it is a stench in God’s nostrils.

Return To Our First Love

I love that verse in 2Cor. 2:15 that says, “We are to God the fragrance of Christ;” a sweet-smelling fragrance, not a stench in His nostrils.

In the movie I mentioned at the beginning of this blogpost, God led the couple to what was stinking up their house. It was after they finally came to realize through a number of incidences that they needed to return to their first love. If you have not seen Facing the Giants, I highly recommend it.

Prayer of Repentance

Jesus said in Rev. 2:5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”

In David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” He’s repenting and praying for restoration and renewal.

The sacrifices of God, dear friend, are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. (Ps. 51:17)

May God richly bless you. Go in peace.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

THE GOD-SHAPED HOLE

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has planted eternity in the heart of mankind. This is a part of us that can only be satisfied by His presence. We have a spiritual hunger and thirst that cannot be satisfied with earthly pleasures and pursuits. They will always fall short of satisfying the God-shaped hole in our soul.

The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:17).

Someone once told me the story of a coworker whose life was going great. Great marriage… great family relations… great career… financially stable… and had great health. But he kept feeling that something was missing and couldn’t put his finger on it. Some kind of way God revealed to this coworker that his soul was hungering and thirsting for God. He came to Christ, and received satisfaction.

It's kind of like when you’ve missed some meals and your stomach is growling, then you sit down and enjoy your favorite meal. Nothing can begin to compare to the satisfaction of God’s presence. He is our breath of life.

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

THE PRECIOUS CHIEF CORNERSTONE

In every stone building, one stone is crucial. It is laid first, and it is to ensure that the building foundation is square and stable. It is the rock upon which the weight of the entire structure rests. It is the cornerstone. 

Though Jesus Christ was the stone which the builders rejected—yet He is the Chief Cornerstone of God's entire plan of redemption. In Him alone we find salvation. Only by faith in Christ Jesus can we enter into the kingdom of God. Once we place our faith in Jesus, our adventure of faith begins.

 

Together, all believers form a habitation for God, and are the stones being built upon the Chief Cornerstone. So let each one take heed how he or she builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11).

 

When I make my bed in the morning, I remind myself that what my hands find to do should be done with precision, and heartily as unto the Lord (Eccl. 9:10 & Col. 3:23-24). So also, it is with how we build on the precious Chief Cornerstone… how we build on His foundation… how we walk out this adventure of faith in Christ. Our lives should be a mirror that reflects the image of Christ. Build on that foundation as a master builder that others may see Him in us.

When I was growing up my mother used to quote to us often, "When a task is once begun, never leave it till it's done. Be the laborer great or small, do it well or not at all."

Don't build with inferior material, my friends, use the best you've got. Go in peace.

 

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

TRUSTING WHEN IT HURTS

King Hezekiah and the Prophet Isaiah

The Lord told king Hezekiah to set his house in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly and prayed that he would not die. The Lord added fifteen more years to Hezekiah’s life, during which time he fathered a son named Manasseh. His son became king after him, and reigned 55 years. He massacred more Hebrews than any king before or after him, until Jerusalem was filled with innocent blood from one end to the other.

If king Hezekiah had died at the time God told him to get his house in order, Manasseh wouldn’t have been born, and many wouldn’t have suffered horrible deaths.

At times we may misjudge God’s decisions and the things He allows, but God is loving, and good, and faithful. A lot of times He's working behind the scenes to prevent tragedies... but for Hezekiah, his impending death just made him wail the ugly cry.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

We can learn to trust God no matter what the circumstances appear to be at present. It may take some time, but if we draw near to God, He'll draw near to us. He reveals Himself to those who want to know Him.

Psalm 40:5 (NKJV) Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

LIVING MY BEST LIFE

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I’m living my best life but not because I’m wealthy, because I am not. And it’s certainly not because I have all my needs met, because I don’t. But I’m living my best life because I have Jesus in my heart, and nothing on this earth can compare to that. Yes, we can have great mammon (more money than we can spend), but a relationship with our Heavenly Father outweighs all of that.

I’m reminded of so many biblical heroes that testified to that. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Our God is able to deliver us from your burning fiery furnace O king. But even if He doesn’t, we will still not bow to your idol gods.” These were souls committed to God not because He would make life easy, but because of their love for Him. They were thrown into the fiery furnace but the fire did not harm them. God was committed to them too.

Paul and Silas had been beaten with rods and thrown into prison with their feet locked in the stocks. But in the midnight hour they were singing hymns to God and praying. The prophet Isaiah says, God comforts all who mourn, and consoles those who mourn, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for their mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That is spiritual wealth, my dear friends, that money cannot buy. There are millionaires out there who are not happy, proving that our best lives are not always filled with material things (cars, cash, clothes, and a castle).

I'm not trying to talk you out of your life's dreams. Not at all. Keep believing... but incorporate those beliefs with a hunger and a thirst for God. He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think.

Go in peace.

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

GOD IS NOT MY BUTLER

God is not my butler, serving up answers to my prayers on a silver platter. Neither is He my errand boy, to go over here and there to see about something or someone.

We don’t make demands on God, but we pour out our hearts and souls to Him. May we never forget it is a throne of grace to which we come and submit our petitions to obtain mercy and find grace to help in our times of need (Heb. 4:16).

We’re not in the driver’s seat, Jesus is at the wheel. What man shall teach God how to govern the world? God alone is the possessor of absolute power and absolute wisdom.

When we talk to God, we shouldn’t demand what we want, but we humbly and confidently ask Him for our requests. We ask that His will be done, and that He may align our desires with His will. Because He hears our prayers, He will give us a definite answer.

God is Majesty, Dominion, and Power

Hebrews 8:1-2 (NKJV) Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

These, and all blessings, we humbly ask and pray in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

MY INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

Grow In God-Dependence

For some time now, God has been dealing with me about my independent spirit. I never-ever want to feel like I'm being a burden on anyone, so I generally won't ask for favors, I just try to figure out a way to do things myself... but the Lord wants us totally dependent on Him. My independence has been sabotaging our relationship because it hinders God from leading me His way, because I'm busily doing things my own way, so I don't have to be a burden on Him.

I was watching one of my favorite Bible teachers this morning, and she read the passage in Deuteronomy 8 about the Lord leading the children of Israel through the wilderness to humble them, and teach them to totally depend on Him. That's why they got a daily provision of manna, and yesterday's manna went bad. When they tried to keep leftovers, the manna bred worms and gave off a bad stench.

In this season of my life, my wilderness experiences has taught me to lay down my independent spirit and let God be in charge as my caregiver, my provider, and the GPS giving me directions. He wants us living totally dependent on Him. We're not getting on His nerves, and we're not a burden on Him. It's His preference.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NIV) This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man (or self), who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

BODY LANGUAGE

It was September 28, 2022, and I was on a job interview. I thought it was going well, but right in the middle of our meeting, the interviewer abruptly terminated the interview and escorted me out of his office, making a comment that let me know I had irritated him in some way. I had no idea what it could’ve been. Frankly, I thought the interview was going well.

Two months later, I saw that he was still running the post for the position, so I mailed him my resume again. He called me immediately upon receiving it and we set up a meeting for that same afternoon. He did not remember my name from the first interview as we spoke on the phone, but as soon as he walked into the lobby where I was waiting and saw my face, I could tell that he remembered me. He said, “I’ll be back in 15 minutes.” But he didn’t come back. I sent him an email apologizing for whatever it was I had done to offend him, but he never responded.

Today, the Lord revealed to me that the reason the interviewer dismissed our meeting was because of my body language. He was reading negativity through my body language, and that makes perfect sense because he was doing most of the talking, and I was just noticing how junky his desk was.

Proverbs 16:30 in The Voice Translation says, “Body language can expose a person’s intentions.” It screwed up my job interview, and there’s no telling how many other things I’ve sabotaged while someone was reading my thoughts through my body language.

The apostle Paul’s advice is to meditate on good thoughts.

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy… meditate on these things.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

SEEING THE WORD AS A TOOL

A scalpel in the hands of a skilled surgeon can save a life, but in the hands of a fool can kill. So it is also with the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says it is sharper than any two-edged sword. This incredible "cutting" power of Scripture is therefore a tool to separate our very thoughts into good and evil.

To share God's word is a great responsibility because the way we present it, and live it, will encourage people either to accept it or reject it. Whether we speak from a pulpit, teach a class, or share with friends, we are entrusted with accurately communicating and living out God’s Word. As we share God’s Word with friends and neighbors, they will look for its effectiveness in our lives. Unless it has changed us, why should they think it can change them?

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Be diligent to present yourself approved of God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Greek phrase translated “able to teach” occurs in the New Testament in 1 Timothy 3:2 and 2 Timothy 2:24. It simply means to be able to explain God’s Word with skill. That is the ability to utilize His tool effectively like that surgeon with his scalpel does, saving precious lives. The emphasis is not only on having the knowledge of Scripture, but also on the ability to communicate it effectively.

Go in peace.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove