As we were in special prayer for our partners...God allowed us to see the intense spiritual battle faced by many of His children.

We felt the concern of His children over their prayers going ‘seemingly’ unanswered.

You may have been praying for changes in your finances...a new job or a promotion...a healing for your body...turning lack into more than enough or children overcoming addictions to alcohol, drugs or sin…but your answer hasn’t manifested…yet.

As we were praying. . .our attention was turned to Daniel 10:12-13 where He drew a direct parallel to what happened to Daniel and what may be happening to you.

“Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of [and in response to] your words.”

Here are seven keys about unanswered prayer.

“You just don’t know what I’m dealing with.”

“Nobody knows what I have to put up with.”

That reminds me of a country and western song.

“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.”

Guess what?  . . .they don’t want to know.

BUT if you want things to get better than they’ve been. . .you need to stop talking about it. . .rehearsing your hurts. . .leave the past in the past.  Time to move on up.

We need to get a grip on what’s been holding us back from achieving what God created and endowed us to do. . .and from fulfilling His vision for our lives in 2015.

Here are seven ways to let go of what’s been holding you back.

If you're drawing breath on planet earth...there will come moments...times of adversity when you wonder what to do next.

In these moments...your solace will not be found at the local watering hole commiserating with someone as lost as a goose in a blizzard.

Your answer will not be found in extended conversations with friends about why it's unfair you have to deal with these situations.

When trouble strikes and it will...here are seven times we need to go deeper in the Word and pull closer to God.

1.         When you’re disappointed

Here’s the great news. . .regardless of the intensity of the enemy’s attack. . .you will never be put to shame or disappointed.

I realize that’s a bold statement. . . but there are eight verses in the Amplified Bible translation which say exactly that.  Here are three of them.

Psalm 25:3 in the Amplified Bible says:

Have you ever read a scripture that just ignited a mental firestorm. . . stirring your spirit and energizing your fingers on a laptop keyboard?

Here’s the scripture that fired me up today.

Proverbs 12:24 in the New Living Translation says:

“Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.”

As I read that scripture I began thinking about the differences between successful and unsuccessful people.

Brian Tracy, the noted author and success teacher, said:

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'”

Being successful is not necessarily the result of your education, experience, family background or luck. . .but neither is being unsuccessful the result of those same things.

Here are twelve differences between successful and unsuccessful people.

I was talking with a man recently who said:

“People are getting laid off.”                                 People can’t find jobs.”

People are taking pay reductions.”                     People can’t pay their bills.

People are slashing their budgets.”                     Home values are dropping

Savings accounts are being emptied.                 Investments have gone up in smoke.

He looked at me…smiled and said….that’s just what’s happening in my family.

I had another man ask me what was my best investment advice for right now….

Samuel was ninety-two years old and blind. . .but he was mentally sharp even after his wife Sarah went home to be with the Lord.  However, Samuel didn’t feel he should live alone anymore.  His two children and their families lived miles away in different states so Samuel decided to move in a residential living facility for seniors.

On the morning of his move. . .Samuel was packed, impeccably dressed and waiting for his cab to take him to his new home.  Right on schedule the cab arrived at 8 AM.

Samuel, as was his life-long custom, arrived early and had to wait a few minutes before Jasmine, a young assistant at the facility came to take him to his new room.

Even though Samuel had to maneuver his walker down the corridor . . .he was able to maintain a brisk pace.  Jasmine began to describe Samuel’s room in detail as they walked together.  She said the room had a new couch, recliner, desk area and best of all, a big window looking out at the forest. Plus, he would be able to move freely with his cane because of how the furniture was arranged

Samuel interrupted Jasmine’s detailed description and said:  “I love it.  I love it.  I love it.”

Jasmine smiled and said “Mr. Samuel, we’re not there yet.  You haven’t seen your room.  Hold on and I’ll show it to you in a minute.  It’s down the next hall.”

The Way to Change Things … a Mother’s Day Message by Bev Herring

There are really three ways to run a church.

First, the Pastor can do it all.

Second, the church can pay for everything to be done.

Third, develop people to handle all the details.

The problem with the Pastor doing it all...is that the church must rely on the capabilities and strength of one person or couple.  So the church ends up, at the best, limited, and at worst the couple gets totally burned out.

But...you can also use money.  It just takes a lot of it to finance a church budget...even a small church.