September Study !!

This month 7 ladies has committed to a specific day of the week to share a scripture, devotional or reflection. By doing this each of us will only be responsible for that one day of the week throughout the moth (which totals like 4 posts each). I know we are all busy-back in school, work, etc... But whatever we decide lets stick to it. We've got to uplift and keep each other encouraged. I will try my best to post the things the ladies share on here. I know it can be very uplifting and encouraging so, I will see how I can fit 30 days of devotionals onto our blog. 

With all love, 

Ladies of Virtue 

It's FINALLY HERE.. THE CALL WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR !!!

Hello LOV!

 

There have been MANY inquiries about doing a conference call, so with the assistance of Bel, we have come up with a few suggestions.

 

Timeframe: While many of you wish to do this conference call on a weekly basis, there are many whose schedule will not allow this to be. There is the option of listening to a playback of the call, yet this impedes them from responding and giving their input. Also, to be considerate of everyone’s obligations and responsibilities, I would suggest keeping the call to an hour. Now, here me well, J after we hold prayer, and answer the questions for that session, we can stay on the line until the next morning! I just want to ensure that anyone calling in will receive what answer she is looking for.

 

Organization: To ensure that each call stays in the direction that we intend, we decided that we should, at the beginning of the month, establish the days, times, and topic of the call(s). We know we can talk!! J This would somewhat guarantee that all prayer requests are acknowledged and prayed over and that questions will be answered. *We can opt to have an open discussion night at the end of the month as well.

 

Leaders: Amber has agreed to lead the first discussion/prayer call. ALL of you ladies are welcome to have a chance!! We can create a schedule and everyone decide when they want to take the lead. (just be sure to stick to your day)

 

Submission: I feel that emailing your prayer requests and questions to one email address will limit duplication and save time. I have volunteered to receive the emails, compile a list of requests and/or questions, and then forward them to the person in charge of leading the call that week. (if anyone wants this task, don’t hesitate to let me know). Once we decide on a day and time for the call, we will establish when emails should be submitted to me, and when I will have them to the person who’s leading. In addition to keeping the call within a descent timeframe, on the question and answer calls, we should limit the number of questions we answer, because I’m sure we will go IN on the responses J

 

If you have any other suggestions, please let me know. Your input is VALUABLE! If you feel that this will work, please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NHST96 and take a 5-question survey so that we have a definite framework for our conference calls.

For the call taking place on Sunday, August 18th at 7:00pm EST, it can be an open discussion, just so we can test out the system and make sure everyone is able to connect. After we chat and enjoy discussion, we can have a closing prayer. 

Conference Dial-in #: (712) 432-1500 

Access Code: 569072#

 

Yours in LOVe,

 

La-Keisha & Bel

Final Day: Stability

Psalm 93:2

Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.

1 Corinthians 16:13

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

1 Corinthians 15:58

So, my dear brothers & sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Hebrews 10:32

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who is promised is faithful

Our God is stable and constant-He never changes, and unlike us, He doesn't compromise or change His values. He cannot be manipulated or persuaded to go against His Word. Despite our inconsistencies  the power for spiritual stability is ours in Christ! We must allow him to control our lives; we do this by being knowledgeable of his will for our lives.

God's plan existed at the beginning of creation and remains the same today. The word says that many of us are “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14). And you have those that are driven by their emotions rather than sound thinking. Lets not be these people-running every which way, looking for what sounds right and run to what IS right.

Prayer 

Hey ladies! Hope everyone is well. I'm gonna be posting the prayer a little early tonight, as I am about to go into church. First of all, I want to say from the bottom of my heart I appreciate your commitment to the 7 days of prayer. ! I know it was a sacrifice for all of us, but we DID it! I am grateful that you trusted the assignment and joined in to make it happen. I pray God’s blessings, healing, peace and favor upon each of you! Father, we come before you tonight with praise and thanksgiving! You are a mighty God, and we live to make your name great! Tonight my LOV sisters and myself come to you tonight asking for stability in every area of our lives. We are women who are maturing and desire to be emotionally, financially, mentally stable. You are a God who changes not, and one we can depend on. Lord, we apologize for being inconsistent and unstable. Make us over into the complete women you are calling for. Women of integrity, women of prayer, women who are confident in who we are in you. We cancel any assignment of the enemy to have us become emotional wrecks. We will not succumb to or be destroyed by his tactics. But instead, we will be controlled by the truth of Christ. We walk in the full knowledge of Christ. I thank you that we are complete, whole, sound and stable women. Knowing that our Father is a strong tower and the solid rock.

Day Six: Finances

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 112:3 (NIV)

Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Financial struggles are one of the many challenges we will ever face. In the midst of them, our faith can become weakened, & we become overwhelmed by the desire to take the burden solely upon ourselves. This should be the moment to put our FULL trust in God; placing full confidence in Him, believing that He will intervene to meet our needs.It doesn't matter if we're "rolling in the dough" or, "robbing Peter to pay Paul," as they say, never forget that it is God who is our source & it is God who supplies our every need.  He is Jehovah Jireh, the one who provides. God knows & understands the basic necessities of life like food, shelter and clothing. And he tells us in Matthew that if we seek Him,his kingdom &his righteousness, he's  going to take care of our necessities of life.While God is busy taking care of our needs, lets be sure to do our parts by being better stewards & faithful in managing what he has given us. 

Prayer: 

Father, tonight I thank you once again for a chance to come in your presence. I seek you tonight for blessings over the finances of my LOV sisters and myself. You know exactly where each of us are financially and I pray that whatever we have is multiplied many times over. I declare that we will not only have finances to meet our day-to-day needs, but an abundance so that we are able to bless those around us, and all over the world.We want to make spiritual deposits as well. Lord, all we have comes from you and is yours Father. May we be faithful in managing what you have given to us. God, help us straighten out any financial problems that we have and forgive us if We haven’t been good stewards of our money. Give us a new attitude and a new commitment to managing our finances wisely and responsibly. Lord, for those of us who see no way out of financial bondage, show us your way to freedom. We place this need before You, confident in your power! We leave these worries in your hands. Thank you for financial freedom, discipline and abundance! Amen. You are a detailed oriented God Father and you care about our finances. I pray we all we cast our financial worries and woes at the altar of mercy and remember that you are our provider. Give us the tools and wisdom to be better stewards of all the resources you have given us. Let us be grateful for what you have given us and praise you for the blessings to come. We ask that you break the yolk of all bad spending habits and any other habits that hinder us from spending and saving wisely. In you name we pray and ask all these things Amen!Father we thank you for today, Father you say every good thing comes from you Father guide us In our finances,how to spend, teach us how to manage our bills, we cancel our school loans lord!!!!! Lord I bide whatever it is that prevents us from being Financial stability, we don't want to live pay check to pay check.God we are blessed to live the way we live. You always come through when we are in need. Lord i pray we will be grateful with all that you bless us with. Teach us how to spend well, teach us how to tithe and bless others with what you've given us. I thank you for debt free living for all these ladies. I thank you for blessing their needs. You are our Provider, and we ask you to allow us to trust You in all finances and bills. Show us how to manage our money. In Jesus Name, amen.

Day Five : Healing -- Health (Physical, Mental, Spiritual)

3 John 1:2

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His [own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

Jeremiah 30:17

For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, says the Lord.

Physical Health

The bible teaches that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, are not our own, and that we have been bought with a price. It also urges us to glorify God in our bodies. It is God’s desire that we have good health. Often times we ignore physical fitness and wellness and usually don’t take it seriously until we, or someone close to us falls ill.Jesus Christ came to give us the abundant life; this includes physical, mental and spiritual healing. Christ did not die on the cross so that we could remain in bondage to sicknesses of the mind or body, but to free us all from all afflictions.Thinking on these things is crucial to mental health. We must avoid filling our minds with anything contrary to the word of God, and any negative thoughts. A healthy mental diet is one free of degrading, impure, doubtful thoughts.

Mental Health 

In order to achieve mental health, we must start out by thinking positive, or right thoughts. In Philippians 4:8, it says, “and now, my friends, all that is true, all that is noble, all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gracious, whatever is excellent and admirable-fill all your thoughts with these things.”Thinking on these things is crucial to mental health. We must avoid filling our minds with anything contrary to the word of God, and any negative thoughts. A healthy mental diet is one free of degrading, impure, doubtful thoughts

Spiritual Health

Good spiritual health is more vital than physical health. Our physical bodies will eventually die and decay no matter how well we care for them and our spirits will one day receive supernatural bodies that will live for eternity. In order to achieve perfect spiritual health, we have to maintain a godly spiritual condition, which is by keeping Christ's commandments.The key to living a spiritually healthy life is filling up on joy, love, peace, etc…the fruit of the spirit. When these fruit are abounding in our lives, people can see Christ! When we’re full of the fruit, it means the spirit is within us, and it enables us to live godly lives-which are healthy lives.Let’s take a full evaluation our physical, mental and spiritual health so that we will have direction for developing a plan to bring our lives into balance and be whole women of God.

Prayer Time !!


Father, tonight I come boldly before Your throne asking you to guide my LOV sisters and I to live wholesome, healthy lives. We take hold of Your promises to heal us in the areas we need healing. We proclaim and believe that we are healed of all sickness and disease.Let’s take a full evaluation our physical, mental and spiritual health so that we will have direction for developing a plan to bring our lives into balance and be whole women of God.We give you praise, honor and glory, amen.Lord we come before you with thanksgiving for what you are about to do in each and every one of our lives. We so desperately need your healing in so many areas. The physical, emotional, and spiritual. Things we have buried deep down inside of us. You desire to see us whole and holy. Break each and every stronghold, each and every ungodly yoke that keeps us from basking your grace and glorious love. There are those who have been verbally abused..Lord I thank you for speaking to this ladies. Thank you for blessing them daily.  Continue to touch them in areas of their lives changing them to be used by you. Lord don't let them think they are going through it alone. No matter how the enemy may try give them a sign so they will know you are there. Be the father they never had. The mother caring n loving they need. Be the best friend with the listening ear. Love them filling that void.Lord when they are hungry feed them. When they need clothes n shelter send it their way. Bill are due but we know I know you are an on time God. Dry those tears of feeling less than. Lord you can fix anything. You can heal anyone. You say seek you n trust you. We not calling on you for brownie point but we worship you with spirit n truth. We long to be with you. This world is not our final home. We are here to praise you. Break the chains that holding us from getting close to you. Remove rebuild reform our mind body n soul. I thank for all u have done. Seen n unseen. I love you. I bless your name. Be with these ladies as they sleep. Protect their families and those they love. Let them trust only you. Let the words of my mouth n meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. Oh lord my strength n redeemer."We're not calling on your for brownie points but we worship you with spirit and truth".

In Jesus name we pray, AMEN ! 

Day Four: Clarity!

 (Being clear on the vision in which we are going after)

I hope it blesses you!

Habakkuk 2:2

-Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by,

Proverbs 3:5-6

-Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

God really does have a plan for every single person, even if it takes a while to see what it is. We know what we want, and most of us are pretty confident in what it is God wants. Although God already has his plans mapped out for out lives, we can still bring our desires to him-he wants to give us the desires of our hearts.

Habakkuk tells us to write the vision and make it plain. Many of us have ideas and dreams that we want to achieve and make happen, but we aren’t clear on exactly which ones are feasible or even God-ordained. Be mindful that because it all sounds like a good idea from the world's view doesn't mean it's God's plan for you.

One thing that God gave me, and has stuck with me for a while: “everything that is God is good, but not everything that is good is God.” Lets vow to be women of God living with a clear focus for our lives, so that we aren’t wandering aimlessly

Focus on what is God. Take some time and seek God to help make the vision clear. Ask yourself, what are my natural abilities, what am I passionate about, what are my spiritual abilities/where do I serve best in ministry? Before making a decision take the time to fast and pray about it, no matter how big or small it may seem. Trust that God will make the vision clear, and keep you focus on making it become a reality!

Prayer

Lord, I thank you once again for allowing me to come before your throne of grace. I come with a heart of thanksgiving and a mouth of praise. Tonight I am asking for clarity for my LOV sisters. I am asking that you make clear every vision that my sisters have. Every vision that is line with your purpose for their lives, I call to fruition. Fill them with the knowledge of your will, wisdom and understanding. I cancel every assignment of the enemy. The weapons of confusion, defeat, uncertainty and doubt that are formed will not prosper, and I render them powerless. Give each of my sisters a clear hearing of your voice so that they know when it is you speaking. I ask for clarity of purpose that they may know your complete will for their lives; clarity of mind so that their thoughts will not cloud the vision, but make it clear. Now, Father I thank you that you have made the vision clear and that their answer is yes and amen to all of your commands. Your word says that where there is no vision the people perish. My sisters will NOT die, but live with a clear vision of the direction that you have laid out for them…

Jesus just thank you and I ask and pray that the prayers of my sisters come out the way you intend. Ladies just to give You some words of encouragement. The pastor preached "God work on me " he was saying that the plan, anointing, word, etc that God has placed in His children has to be completed. He's not going to start something and not finish it. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We can't go wrong with Jesus. Anything that stands against you will be removed. He wants us to suffer for his glory and not faint. Tell yourself and others that God is going to get the glory no matter what your situation looks like. Our Blessings and victories are always greater than our sufferings. Just stand steady in God's word and stay seeking his face and being obedient no matter where you are in life. He cares and loves you and just wants us to see how great he is each and every day. Don't focus on the bad. Look at the good in all situations sisters!

Prayer request. Healing. Guidance. Wisdom. Persistence. Father I thank you these ladies you place in my life. You know better than they know themselves. Use them to reach others. Where they fall short strengthen them. Fill in that void. Bond us together so that we continue shine for only you. Bless our families and all around us. Lord you know where we need you most. Open our eyes to see only you. Keep us humble.

Give us clear visions for our families, jobs, friends, husbands, kids etc... And whatever is NOT your will speak to us God so we don't make mistakes...

Lord that you for all of my sisters... we don't know what you have in store for this group but we know it will bring about glory for you and blessedness for us. Thank you Lord for being a God who delights In revealing your will to your children. You are higher than the heavens but you love us dearly and anticipate our every word. Let us remember to take time each day and just be quiet before you...no petitions no anything just waiting to hear from you and all you desire to reveal to us. We need your guidance. We need your direction.

Give us all a vision of your will for us and whatever you will have us do for your kingdom. Let us deny ourselves and take up our crosses. We are not a part of this world. We need to divorce ourselves and allow you to be our sole focus.

A Letter From God to Women

 I recently came across this letter posted on my facebook. Pray it blesses you and helps you to understand  the worth you have in the eyes of the Lord. The author is unknown to me. -Amber

A LETTER FROM GOD TO WOMEN

If you ever look at yourself and feel that you don’t measure up,
Read this and you outlook will change before you finish reading it.
This is good to keep, not just to read from time to time,
But to also keep stored in your heart!
Enjoy, and remember who you are!!

When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being,
When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils.
But you, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man,
Because your nostrils are too delicate.
I allowed a deep sleep to come over him, 
So I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.
Man was put to sleep so that he would not interfere with the creativity.

From one bone I fashioned you.
I chose the bone that protects man’s life.
I chose the rib,
Which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, 
As you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you, I modeled you,
I created you perfectly and beautifully.
Your characteristics are as the rib,
Strong, yet delicate and fragile.
You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart.
His heart is the centre of his being;
His lungs hold his breath.
The rib cage will allow itself to be broken,
Before it will allow damage to the heart.
You are my perfect angel; you are my beautiful little girl.

You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence,
And my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart.
Your eyes…..don’t change them,
Your lips… how lovely when they part in prayer.
Your nose, so perfect in form.
Your hands, so gentle to touch.
I’ve caressed your face in your deepest sleep.
I’ve held your heart close to mine.
Of all that lives and breathes, you are the most like me.

Adam walked with me in the cool of day, yet he was lonely.
He could not see or touch me, he could only feel me.
So everything I wanted Adam to share with me, I fashioned in you;
My holiness, my strength, my purity,
My love, my protection and support.
You are special because you are an extension of me.
Man represents my image, woman my emotions.
Together you represent the totality of God.

You are loved, respected and fragile.
Keep shining, keep running,
Keep hoping, keep praying,
Keep being exactly what you already are in God’s eyes,
COMPLETE!!