Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Lord Lift Me Up - Part 7

 


 

Today, Nancy Campell teaches about lifting our hearts, our prayers, and our banners.  I hope you've had the experience of worshiping God with banners.  I've attended many worship services that include them and have always been blessed.  Seeing the colorful designs, and especially watching them be paraded through the synagogue is very uplifting.

 This banner was made by one of our synagogue members, Gail Reindl.  I greatly admire her talent to create something so beautiful for God's glory.  This banner is one of a set  that she and other ladies made to remember the twelve tribes of Israel.


 


Today's post is the final part of the seven-part series by Nancy Campbell.  Her teachings have been so encouraging to me and I hope they have blessed you, too.  It's from Nancy's weekly e-mail devotional (used with her permission).  You can sign up for the e-mails on her website.  www.aboverubies.org

                   PRESSING ON TO HIGHER GROUND

Part 7



  “In the name of our God, we will set up our banners.”

(Psalm 20:5).


We are now up to Point No. 7 as we press on to higher ground.

 

7. LIFT UP YOUR HEART

 

Lamentations 3:41: “Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”

 

I love that this Scripture talks about lifting up our heart and our hands. To lift up our hands without our heart being involved is meaningless. But to lift up our heart with our hands is very meaningful. It gives action to what is in our hearts and God loves to see that.

 

Job 11:13 (NLT): “If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer!”

 

8. LIFT UP YOUR PRAYERS

 

What does it mean to lift up our prayers? We pray quietly in our hearts of course and we do this so many times throughout the course of the day, don’t we? Especially as mothers we are continually praying for wisdom and seeking God’s guidance as we mother and nurture our children.

 

But there are times to lift up our prayers. We are so desperate that we must give voice to them. We also lift up our prayers when praying with others so they can join with us and say Amen to what we are praying.

 

Isaiah 37:4: “Lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.”

 

1 Timothy 2:8: “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting.”

 

In the Bible, lifting up the palms or hands is a metaphor for prayer.

 

9. LIFT UP YOUR BANNERS

 

A banner is not meant to drag in the dust. It is meant to fly high! It is a sign of victory. It is a warning to the enemy. It is a proclamation of truth.

 

Psalm 60:4 says: “Thou has given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.”

 

God has given us truth in His word, and He wants us to display it, not hide it under a bushel. We must continually lift up the banner of God’s truth—to our children and to whoever will listen to us.

 

Isaiah 13:2: Lift up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them . . .”

 

Jeremiah 50:2 (BSB): “Announce and declare to the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it, hold nothing back . . .”

 

Isaiah 59:19: “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

 

We read an amazing description of the bride of Christ in Song of songs 6:10: “Who is this that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners.” This is not the picture we would equate with a bride, is it? But this is how God sees His church, the bride of Christ. This is a picture of an army marching to battle with their banners lifted high. They are not retreating. They are on the attack. They are a scary sight as they push back the enemy.

 

Let’s look at some other translations:

HCSB: “awe-inspiring as an army with banners.”

CJB: “formidable as an army marching under banners.”

ESV: “awesome as an army with banners.”

 

Banners are a sign of victory. They reveal what we believe and what we stand for. God is a banner holder. One of His salvation names is Nissi, The Lord is my banner (Exodus 17:15).

 

He wants us to hold up our banners too. We must be banner holders in our homes. Holding God’s truth high. Never letting it fall to the ground. Are you holding the banner of truth high, mother? This takes purpose, tenacity, and strength. Never let the enemy grab your banner, carrying it off and laughing in your face. Keep standing strong in this evil day and “having done all, stand” with your banner lifted high.

 

You are the protector of your home front. You are not cowardly hiding from the enemy. You are waving your banners high. You will not allow the enemy to come against your marriage, to woo your children from the truth, or to enter your home. The only way you see the enemy is a foe to be utterly defeated and routed.

 

Let’s be banner waving mothers . . .

Holding up the banner of truth against all deception.

Holding up the banner of love against all bitterness and hate.

Holding up the banner of righteousness against all evil.

Holding up the banner of purity against all immorality and uncleanness.

Holding up the banner of unity against all dissension and strife.

Holding up the banner of contentment against all discontentment.

Holding up the banner of faithfulness against all faithlessness.

Holing up the banner of motherhood against all counterfeits of Satan.

 

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

 

PRAYER:


“Dear Father, please help me to hold the banners of Your truth high. Save me from compromise. Give me courage to stand strong even when others are caving in all around me. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

 

AFFIRMATION:


I am a banner holding, banner waving mother. Look out world!

 

 


 

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Lord Lift Me Up - Part 6

This series by Nancy Campbell has been so encouraging to me and I hope it will bless you, too.  It's from Nancy's weekly e-mail devotional (used with her permission).  You can sign up for the e-mails on her website.  www.aboverubies.org 

 Today, Nancy continues verses that speak of lifting our hands.  One of the practices of Judaism is lifting our hands to bless the children each week.   I wrote about that in this previous post that I think will be interesting to you:  Blessings

PRESSING ON TO HIGHER GROUND

Part 6



  “And one of them some the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear and healed him”

(Luke 22:50,51).


We continue discovering Scriptures about lifting up our hands.

 

e) We lift up our hands in affirmation to truth



Ezra 8:6: “And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And ALL THE PEOPLE answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands . . .”

 

Do you find you like to do this? I love to raise my hands in agreement when someone is speaking the truth, don’t you? Oh yes, we can agree in our hearts and nod our heads, but did you know that you are allowed to raise your hand? It’s biblical. And there’s something about doing some action! Why don’t you try it in church one day? You can even shout Amen as the people in Jerusalem did! You’ll only have a riot or a revival. More likely a revival!

 

f). We lift up our hands to bless others


Leviticus 9:22: “And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people and blessed them.”

1 Kings 8:54: “And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD from kneeling of his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying . . .” Read also 2 Samuel 6:7-20.

 

Luke 24:50: “And Jesus led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.”

 

It is a lovely thing to lay your hands on those you pray for and bless in the name of the Lord.

 

g) We lift up our hands to bless our children


Don’t you love this Scripture in Mark 10:16: “And Jesus took them (the little children) up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” The Passion translation says: “Then he embraced (caressed) each child, and laying his hands on them, he lovingly blessed each one.” Read also Luke 18:15, 16.

 

h) We lift up our hands to serve others and help those in need


I love the way God’s Word is so practical and tangible. God writes words to us that get right down into the nitty gritty of how we live. 1 Peter 4:8 says: “And above all things have fervent love among yourselves.” The word fervent in this passage is “ektenes” and means “to stretch out, to extend the hand, intense.”

 

Love is more than a feeling. Love is action. If we have fervent love, we’ll be stretching out our hands. Of course, we do this all day long as mothers, don’t we? We are always reaching out for babies. We nurse them, hold them to us, or wear them in a baby carrier more than we leave them lying on their own. We continually reach out our arms to touch, caress, and hug our children. We cook for them and serve them food. We clean the house. This is love in action.

 

We extend our hands in hospitality. Immediately after reading “fervent love,” we read the admonition to “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” Hospitality doesn’t just happen. You have to cook. You have to prepare a table. Yes, you have to extend your hands. Get them working. But this is fervent love. It is biblical Christianity. It is the lifestyle of the early church. It is part of our “one anothering faith (Romans 1:12).

 

Our God is an hospitable God. He loves to reach forth His hands to bless people, but He is looking for our hands to use here on earth.

 

The virtuous woman “STRETCHES out her hand to the poor; yea she REACHES forth her hands to the needy” (Proverbs 31: 20).

 

When God reveals the picture of the lifestyle of the godly woman, we read that she reaches out her hands to embrace children, practice hospitality, wash the saints’ feet, relieve the afflicted and help those in distress, and continually stretches out her hands to all kinds of good works (1 Timothy 5;10). Nothing happens without reaching out our hands.

 

i)  We lift up our hands to pray for the sick


We reach out our hands in fervent love when we pray for the sick. The word is used in Matthew 8:3 when Jesus touched the leper: “And Jesus put forth (ekteino) his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Jesus was willing to touch the leper.

 

We should always be ready to touch or lay our hands on those who are sick and pray for them, beginning in the home with our families of course. God loves to “stretches forth His hand to heal (Acts 4:30).

 

PRAYER:


“Dear Father, Please help me to be always ready to reach forth my hands. You want me to reach forth my hands in praise to You. You want me to reach forth my hands to bless and pray for others. You want me get my hands working and reach them forth to serve others. Please anoint my hands to be “reaching forth” and “stretching forth” hands. Amen.”

 

AFFIRMATION:


I am not ashamed to be one who raises my hands to affirm the truth. I know God love us to affirm His truth.

 

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Lord Lift Me Up - Part 5

 

Are you weary? Are you in despair? Are you in a battle?  I pray this post will encourage you today.

This series by Nancy Campbell has been so encouraging to me and I hope it will bless you, too.  It's from Nancy's weekly e-mail devotional (used with her permission).  You can sign up for the e-mails on her website.  www.aboverubies.org

PRESSING ON TO HIGHER GROUND

Part 5



  “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain?

Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain”

(Zechariah 4:6, 7)



We continue our point No. 6 about lifting up our hands to God.

 

b. We lift up our hands when we are in desperate need of God


Ezra 9:1-7: “And I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness: and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees and spread my hands unto the LORD my God, And said, O, my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” Do you notice that He cried out to God at the time of the evening sacrifice? This was a specified time to call upon the Lord.

 

Psalm 88:9: “Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.”

 

Psalm 143:6: “I stretched forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.”

 

c. We lift up our hands to God’s commandments


Psalm 119:48 says: “My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” Have you ever been reading God’s Word, and something hits you so powerfully that you can’t help lifting up your hands in awe to God?

 

When Ezra read God’s words to all the people, they all stood up and lifted up their hands: and the bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD . . .” (Nehemiah 8:5, 6).

 

d. We lift up our hands when in the battle


I am always challenged by the story of Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ hands to win the battle against the Amalekites. Do you remember this account in Exodus 17:8-13? The children of Israel, under the command of Joshua, went out to fight against the Amalekites? Moses was up on the hill, lifting up his hands with the rod of God. When his hands were up, the Israelites prevailed. When he got tired and let down his hands, the Amalekites prevailed.

 

Let’s read what happened: “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; the one on the one side and the other on the other side; and his hand were steady until the going down of the sun” (verses 11 and 12).

 

We also have “Amalekites,” haters of God and all that is pro-life, pro-constitutional, and righteous in our land. We have enemies to fight, and our greatest weapon is the power of prayer. Many times the battle is so severe, either personally in your own life, or as we fight the battles in the nation, that we must do more than pray. We must also lift up our hands toward God. There is something about doing this that adds desperation and power to our intercession. It’s not my might, nor by power, but only by the power of the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6).

 

We also need one another as we fight our battles. No soldier goes to war as a lone soldier. We go against the enemy as an army. Notice how Israel prevailed against the enemy when Aaron and Hur continue to hold up Moses’ hands up to the Lord. They each needed one another. Gather others together with you in the battle.

 

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

 

PRAYER:


“Dear Father, I reach out my hands toward You as I battle in prayer for the victory. I also realize that we need to encourage one another as we intercede. Help me to never miss the prayer meeting where we can fight in prayer together against the enemies of the Lord. Amen.,”

 

AFFIRMATION:


I am not ashamed to raise my hands in prayer. My intensity in prayer outweighs any embarrassment I may have.