PRAYER FOR FINANCIAL INCREASE

Prayer of Faith

Heavenly Father,

I pray for financial increase in my life today. I decree and declare to walk in expectations of divine increase in every area of my life, and by faith declare that it’s already done. I proclaim the season of lack to be over, for it is written, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” I declare a new season of abundance to be manifested in my life. For it is written, “I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” I rebuke the spirit of poverty from my life forever, and I bind the effects of anxiety, worry, and fear. I loose the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba Father,” for I am a child of the Most High, and it all belongs to Him. My Father is rich in houses and land, and He holds the power of the world in His hands.

Father, I plead the blood of Jesus over my life and finances to reverse every financial curse on my life and commit to me Your favor. I have dwelt long enough at this mountain; it is time to turn from here and journey onward. Lord, I ask that You remove and destroy all barriers that are blocking the flow of Your grace, mercy, and favor in my life. I pray that You will guard my heart and mind from greed and lust, and fill me with a heart of abundant love for You, being rooted and grounded with a desire to please You, and walk in integrity all the days of my life. Give me wisdom to know how to help advance Your kingdom as You bless me financially. Help me to walk in the Spirit, and not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Lord, help us to honor You with all our possessions, and with the first fruits of our increase. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one: for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. These and all blessings we ask and pray in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

STRUGGLING TO FORGIVE

Help Me To Forgive

When I was growing up, I remember there was this lady in the congregation at our church that my mother really, really did not like. She had a very strong personality that just aggravated my mother… and she really struggled to like this lady. Actually, she had a strong dislike for her. Just the sound of her voice made my mother cringe.

My mom said that one day the Lord told her to start praying for this lady. He said, “Every time you pray for your own children, I want you to also pray for her, and her children.” At first it was a struggle. She did it out of obedience but was not really sincere about it.

My mother prayed for her own three children faithfully and would also add the lady at church. “Oh yeah, and Lord please bless that lady and her three children too.”

This went on for quite some time, out of habit, until my mother noticed that she didn’t dislike the lady quite as much as she thought. Eventually all of the offense had disappeared, and she and the lady became really good friends, and the friendship remained for many, many years, even after they had both left that church... proving that it is impossible to remain angry with someone that you pray for on a regular basis.

💛💛💛💛💛

There was this young man that would drive up and down our street with his loud, roaring car. He had modified it in some way to cause it to sound like he was at a drag strip. He would pass our house, drive around the block, and come back through several more times. This angered me so badly that I can’t even put it into words.

One day as I looked out the window, I saw him pass our house and turn at the corner to make the block again. For some strange reason, I just began to pray for his salvation. I prayed the Lord would convict him and draw this young man with cords of loving kindness, and cause him to know what real true joy is. True joy is not getting a kick out of disrupting the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. It is coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally and having a one-on-one relationship with Him. Out of that relationship comes an unspeakable joy that stands out over anything else.

The prayer coming from my heart for this young man was so overwhelming that I fought back the tears welling up in my eyes. I have not heard him drive by anymore. God answered my prayers. The aggravation that I was feeling toward him went away. When I would think about him, I genuinely wanted him to obtain that joy that only comes from knowing Christ.

Jesus said, “Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” It may… or may not change them, but it will always change you.

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

KEEP HOPE ALIVE

I heard a story about a newborn baby girl named Hope. She was in the hospital on a ventilator because she couldn't breathe on her own. The Saints of God came and prayed for Hope.

Not long after that, the nurse came and saw that Hope’s ventilator had become detached, but she was breathing perfectly on her own. God had healed her. Not only Hope, but the baby laying across from her was also miraculously healed, for that baby’s ventilator also became detached but the baby was still breathing on its own. I believe someone in the group had also prayed to God for that baby. Hope is all grown up now and is an anointed praise leader for God.

The nurse caring for these two babies was so encouraged by these miracles that she began to believe God for her broken marriage. God also answered her prayers and restored the couple's marriage.

Keep hope alive.

Keep believing.

When you feel your hope fading, seek God to restore it.

Sometimes our endurance does not seem to outlast the trial. But God has given us His Comforter (Holy Spirit) who is able to keep us encouraged, for what God has promised He will bring to pass.

The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled (Rom. 15:4). When you feel hopeless, ask God for a word. A word spoken in due season, how good it is!

To God be the glory!
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove 🕊

GOD'S STILL ON THE THRONE

Yesterday I was sitting on the front porch talking to my Heavenly Father...

"Daddy, one thing is for sure, Your thoughts and my thoughts are as far apart as heaven is from earth. For example, when the devil deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden and tempted them to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, I would have committed the devil to hell right then and there. But he's still here wreaking havoc on earth... roaming about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. It is hard to figure some things out because I know You have the power to make him stop, yet You allow these things to continue. Maybe there was a conversation between You and Satan concerning Adam and Eve, that was similar to the conversation y'all had about Job. Then You removed the hedge that was around Job, and Satan was permitted to attack him. But I trust that You have a reason for all of this - something I cannot see nor understand at this time. Help us through these perilous times. Help my faith to remain rooted and grounded in You as a loving and compassionate God."

This morning I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and saw something I posted two years ago today from 1 Corinthians 13:

"For NOW we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, THEN that which is in part will be done away. For NOW we see in a mirror, dimly, but THEN face-to-face. NOW I know in part, but THEN I shall know just as I also am known. And NOW abide faith, hope, and love - these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Watch the news for 5 minutes and you will see that we are living in perilous times. Nevertheless, we have a loving Father that is still on the throne and in control of all things.

NOW we only see part of the story, but THEN we will understand it better by and by.

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

THE OFFERING OF OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Small Offerings

I read a piece by Xochitl Dixon in the God Sees Her devotional where she confesses serving and worshiping God through her writing. Then an acquaintance criticized her and she became discouraged.*

I can relate to this because I have been posting to this blog for eleven years and I never seemed to be able to increase a following that is significant to all the work I put into each post.

Finally... I recently decided that instead of agonizing over the blog's statistics, I would give those stats back to God. After all, it is the Holy Spirit that speaks through me to develop the postings in the first place. I began signing off each posting with, "To God be the glory."

In her devotion, Ms. Dixon compares our use of spiritual gifts as offerings to God.*

Like the poor widow in Mark 12th chapter, that tossed her two mites into the treasury (worth less than a penny in today's market), I will offer my small gifts back to the One who called me and equipped me with the gifts in the first place. Jesus said of the poor widow, that she had put more in the treasury than even the rich.

I thank God for the few followers I do have, and I decided that even if I am the only one reading these postings, then they must be just for me.

If I never gain fame and fortune, I will be fruitful in this endeavor. I will plant my seeds and watch over the field to the best of my ability. 

The mustard seed is one of the smallest herbal seeds on earth but when it is sown in the earth it grows and becomes greater than all herbs. It shoots out large branches and can grow as high as 15 feet.

Though your beginning is small, yet your latter end will increase abundantly.

If I use what I have got,
God can do what I cannot.

The Lord said to the prophet Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Be encouraged brothers and sisters.

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

* Reference: God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women, Our Daily Bread, Priceless Worship, January 8, Xochitl Dixon, Author