prayer

Building Walls of Prayer

/ Gail Johnson / 4 Comments

My propensities to “fix” problems often sets my body in motion to calm my racing mind. But when my hands are no longer busy, and my feet have stopped moving, I often feel helpless. But then, I’m reminded there is still something I can do. I can make a difference through prayer. Prayer gives me a chance to move from helpless to hopeful. From defensive to offensive. From powerless to powerful!

Nehemiah was miles from home when he heard Jerusalem’s walls were broken down and her people were in trouble and disgrace. The walls protected the city. Without walls, the people were defenseless and prey to their invading neighbors. With walls, they were a fortified city–safe and secure. Therefore, the walls had to be rebuilt. But what could he do so far away from home?

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, And said,

“I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

Neh 1:11  O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer. Nehemiah 1:4-11

Prayer changes things.

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. Nehemiah 6:15

 

Walls of Salvation 2

Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Design by Levi Johnson

 

If you are familiar with Nehemiah’s story, you know this wasn’t an easy task. They were constantly dealing with their enemies.

They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.  Nehemiah 4:17-18

Like Nehemiah, we need to pray for our cities. We need to pray for the sins of our country. We need to turn our face to God and seek His counsel. And then we need to put feet to our prayers and make a difference in our communities.

Will you continue to join with me and build a wall of prayer around our nation? Together, we can make a difference!

Just Breathe

/ Gail Johnson / 5 Comments

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Song of Solomon 2:13

There are no sweeter words to the human ear than the call to rest at His feet. A place where the known speaks with the unknown. The seen fellowships with the unseen. A place where the heart finds peace. And the spirit is renewed.

When I began this journey, I promised myself I would always answer His invitation. The time spent at the feet of Jesus transforms me. I become a better daughter, wife, mother, friend, and writer.

So, dearest reader, I am taking a break to spend time with my one Desire. I will be back in a while.

Thank you for understanding and continued support of this blog.

In the meantime, if your world is a little crazy, take a moment and listen to “Breathe” by Johnny Diaz.  Great advice for this busy life. But, you’ll have to wait for the chorus to get it.

Blessings,

Gail

 

Sparrows and Gravy

/ Gail Johnson / 3 Comments

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:31)

The house was a dilapidated jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. Innocuous black snakes often found their way inside through the ill-connected joints. Rags filled the broken window panes, a barrier against the frigid air. It was a sorry sight to most, but it was home to me.

There were seven of us. Poor as hanks, survival meant eating whatever was set before you. Squirrel, rabbit, or deer, we didn’t ask. We weren’t worried so much about saving the planet back then as we were about saving ourselves. Dad worked continually, but he never seemed to catch up. It was either feast or famine, there was no in between. So more times than not, we did without.

My twenty-two-year-old mom tried her best to keep five kids happy. One particularly cold day while camping in the kitchen with just the stove to keep us warm, she threw a blanket over the table and we all climbed under, our imagination doing the rest. For a while, we played oblivious to our persistent problem. The need for food.

But Mama was praying. And God was listening!

Around lunch time, my granny, Mattie and my great-granny, Blanche, brought two whole fryers expecting to fry them, until Mama explained she had no grease. Blanche asked for Chicken N Gravy-1butter. Mom gave her all she had–several small pieces from blocks she used to butter her pans when cooking (Before the days of Pam). Undaunted, Blanche melted the butter and pan-fried the chicken. Then she made butter gravy with the drippings. We feasted on the best Chicken ‘N Gravy we had ever tasted before—or since.

I make this recipe when I want comfort food. Back then I didn’t eat much. I didn’t like deer, rabbit, or squirrel. And I refused to eat fried bologna! So when I found something delectable, I kept it near my heart. Each time I eat this dish, I’m reminded I am more valuable than the sparrows.

What You Need:

Whole fryer or 4-6 breast, thighs, or legs seasoned to taste

½ cup butter or margarine

½ tsp of salt and pepper (according to taste)

½ cup flour (see note)

2 2/3 cup water (see note)

 

Here’s How:

Place butter in pan or Dutch oven and heat until butter sizzle.

Brown a few pieces at a time, turn, and cook until tender.

Remove from pan

Combine flour and salt. Add to drippings to make a roué. Stir until medium brown.

Add water and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Return chicken to the gravy and allow to simmer 5-10 minutes.

Serve with rice, homemade biscuits, or pasta, and a salad.

Note: With different chicken pieces comes more drippings. Reduce drippings and flour as needed to make perfect gravy. The more you make this recipe and become familiar with it, adding more or less of things, the better it will taste.

Do you have a favorite dish that reminds you of God’s goodness?

Have you ever had someone to show up at your door just when you needed a helping hand?

Ain’t God good?

Blessings

Gail