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At the July 2007 WAVES event a presentation on Spiritual
Preparedness was given by WAVE A., and received a standing ovation!
This is based on that inspiring presentation.
| On Spirital Preparedness | Printable Quotes (Spiritual
Preparation) | Printable Bookmark
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Background - Fear
I attended my first WAVES event in Chicago in 2004. At one point, a
very dear friend said to me, "You have a lot of fear. Shake it off!" I
knew I feared many different things from childhood on into
adulthood. To me, much of it seemed inherited and not under my
control.
The 2004 event taught me more about God's love and sent me on a
temporary spiritual "high." Not long after, I learned what a difficult
trial I would have practicing what I had learned and letting go of
fear. Betty has written that knowledge comes first and then comes the
internalizing process. During this journey I realized God was
preparing me to share ideas on Spiritual Preparedness. As in Ezekiel
11:19: "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new
spirit within you."
When Challenges Happen
Listen to God - Challenges are Blessings
In times of great challenge a person may ask, "Why is this happening
to me?" If one listens for God's angel messages, the answers will
come - with the blessings of learning to love more. Or suppose a person
feels a great injustice has been done. This is exactly as I was
feeling once, but then I heard this angel message in my thoughts,
"You have been greatly blessed, for you have been given the
experience which best promotes your spiritual growth."
Listen for God - Act
This angel message came to me one morning while I was feeling
overwhelmed by trials:
"The darkest night cannot put out the smallest light."
I realized I need to let my own light shine.
Our WAVES brothers and sisters came to the rescue for others in Boston
when the electricity in the hotel suddenly went out. They were ready
and quickly sprang into action, safe under God's guidance and
protection. God literally guided them all from the darkness to the
light. They were ready and they let their lights shine helping both
themselves and others.
Always Glorify God
I reconsidered Christ Jesus' experience and how he prayed to glorify
God. I looked up the definition of "glory" in Noah Webster's 1828
American Dictionary of the English Language (published by the
Foundation for American Christian Education). In part it reads, "It
coincides with clear, and the primary sense seems to be to open, to
expand, to enlarge." The following words are also found in the
definition: plain, clear, open, bright, luster, shining, splendor,
magnificence. We all can pray, Jesus did, to glorify God.
Examples of Spiritual Responses to Frightening Situations
Here are some examples of spiritual preparedness.
Finding Our Courage Within
I also heard this story of a woman who handled a scary situation with
prayer. She was lying down on a sofa one day when suddenly she saw,
through the window, explosions of white clouds and firework-like
sparks above the houses.... Immediately she jumped up in fear and
questioned aloud, "What is that?! Oh my gosh, what is that?!"
She thought it was a terrorist attack. She ran to the back of the
house, and looking "within" in prayer, asking, "What should I do?"
The answer came, "Don't panic, be calm, and stay right where you
are." Then she looked out the window to see how others were
responding. It was apparent that they had neither seen nor heard
anything unusual. She found out later that an electrical transformer
had blown, possibly due to a squirrel.
A Story from Where Angels Walk, by Joan Wester Anderson
Three college students set out on a drive home in extremely cold
weather with dangerous temperatures. A concerned mother of one prayed
with faith asking God to send them help. After one of the students
was brought to his home, the other two drove off and found themselves
on a lonely rural road when their car broke down. Realizing the
danger they were in, one student prayed acknowledging that only God
could help them now. Suddenly, there appeared a warmly dressed man who
knocked on the car window and offered to help tow the car. They
returned to their fellow student's home, entered the house, and then
turned to pay and to thank the man - but he was nowhere to be seen,
and there were no tire tracks from his truck in the snow.
What About the Scary End Times?
The following two citations are about "the end," which are often seen
as frightening:
- 2
Peter, Chapter 3: "But the day of the Lord will come like a
thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar.... But in keeping with
his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,
the home of righteousness."
- Matthew
13: 24 to 30 and 36 to 43: "...the reapers are the angels. As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it
be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his
angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that
offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace
of fire..."
Yet I interpret these as pointing to an end to the material
understanding of things and the coming of spiritual awakening.
Preparing the Armor of God
Bible verses from Ephesians
6 ("take unto you the whole armour of God... your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace... above all, taking the
shield of faith...") are symbolic. For example, one cannot go to
the grocery store and purchase a jar of "preparation of the gospel of
peace" for one's feet.
However, we can do something that helps us do these symbolic actions,
such as by preparing Bible verses for emergencies, so that they become
actual "preparations of the gospel of peace" for the soul!
Bible Verses
Many people have found it helpful to print favorite helpful Bible
verses on 3 by 5 inch note cards and rubber band them together to take
along for moments of inspiration. (A perfect size band comes on
asparagus bunches at the grocery store.)
For your convenience, on the next
page are encouraging Bible quotes that you can simply print out on
your printer, fold, and carry with you everywhere - or pass along to a
friend! Or, copy or cut-and-paste them onto 3 by 5 note cards.
Following Betty J. Eadie's practice of including affirmations in her
book,
EMBRACED
BY THE LIGHT: PRAYERS & DEVOTIONS FOR DAILY LIVING, I have
created my own affirmations, which are placed after many of the Bible
verses quoted on the page. Of course, you may use these or create
your own affirmations.
Prayers & Devotions Book
Betty's book also lists study pages for defense against "fear." If
you'd like to print out the list (you can fold up the paper as a
reference bookmark!), please click here.
January 2
February 23
March 3, 12, 27
April 2, 9
May 10
June 17, 29
July 16
August 2
September 20
November 8, 26
December 8
Epilogue - Casting Out Fear
The Kingdom of God within us, our innate goodness, cannot be silenced,
no matter what we fear humanly. Put your full trust in Him, for He is
the Governor of all.
Remember the Bible words, "Fear God"? I originally
concluded that these two words meant to respect God; now, they have an
even more powerful and effective meaning:
"Don't fear anything except for Him." He is the only and
ultimate power over all, and we are always under His
all-encompassing care.
Hallelujah and Amen!
"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and
there is none occasion of stumbling in him."
I John 2:
10
| On Spirital Preparedness | Printable Quotes (Spiritual
Preparation) | Printable Bookmark
Reference |
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