Lamentations 3:22-23 - Your Force Field Will Fail Not
Step 1: Pray. Select.
Today, as I sat down to pray, the Holy Spirit brought to mind an incident that happened recently where I made a mistake, and the LORD shined grace upon me. As I apologized for my mistake and humbly admitted my ignorance, the strangest thing happened: the person moved on almost as if nothing had ever happened. It felt like the whole thing was erased entirely.
Since this moment was brought to mind, I searched for scriptures focused on God's grace and protection in times of trouble. As I came across Lamentations 3:22-23, I knew this was exactly what I needed today. So, I moved to STEP 2.
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out amongst the others:
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Step 3: Re-Write
With a focus on the words I circled that stood out, here are the personalized sentence(s) that came alive in my heart.
Jennifer, through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, fail not, new every morning.
If you are doing this alongside me today, add your name in front of your unique sentence so the Lord can speak directly to you.
Step 4: Visualize
I close my eyes to visualize and focus on the sentence the Holy Spirit gave me today. The first thing I notice is that I am in an undefined space. My vision today is in the first person. I look down to find my hands like you would when entering a virtual reality experience. When inside a virtual world, you find that your hands are used to orient you within the space and to utilize the hand controls to proceed with commands within the environment.
As I do this, I notice my hands seem to be on fire. I am in shock that I don’t feel any pain. I lift them and wave them in front of my face. I still don’t feel a thing. There seems to be an invisible barrier between my skin and the flames. How can this be? I feel absolutely no heat, but the fire is definitely there!
I now notice my whole body is on fire, and everywhere I look, flames are trying to consume me, but again, I do not feel a thing. What is protecting me from getting scorched?
The Holy Spirit wants me to focus on the fact that the force field acting as a barrier between me and the flames is the LORD. The flames do not consume me because, through the LORD’s mercy and protection over my life, I am safe and saved. Jesus is that barrier. He came and died for me to protect me and keep me from failing. Jesus gave me a new chance at life, not just one time but every single morning.
The Holy Spirit wants to drive home the fact that the past does not matter or hold merit in where we are going. The question is not whether we will make mistakes going forward in life, but instead that we trust that if we admit to our mistakes, learn from them, and ask for forgiveness, He will protect us and wipe our slate clean every morning.
So make new choices today, and be thankful you were not consumed by the fire. Give glory to the LORD for new mercy every morning of every day.
I have a question in my mind, so I proceed to Step 5.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The requests/questions that came to mind are:
Holy Spirit, why me? Why would the LORD protect someone like me?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
Here is the answer I received:
“You are not just someone. You are His child. He will not let the enemy take you when you constantly seek your Father. You will make many mistakes. He already has seen them all. He has already seen all the potential choices and knows all the potential outcomes. The one thing he asks is that you must choose him every time. That you allow his power to take over even in the darkest of situations. He makes a way where there is no way. If you understand this, and you continue to look for him as you confess to your mistakes or shortcomings in life, he will provide the mercy you need. You will not receive this from people or the world; you will only receive it from your Father. He knows the portion to give. Rely on him, go through him in all situations, and he will keep you from the devourer. But there is one thing you mustn’t forget. You must give the mercy you receive to others. You must not harden your heart. If you do not give away what your Father gives to you, then you will not have room to receive a new replenished amount each day. There are rules. There are statutes. Love your neighbor as you love thyself. If you expect your Father to step in and intervene on your behalf, then you must step in and intervene on behalf of others. You must remain with a cheerful, giving spirit and, in turn, be a living testament for others to see just how good the LORD is. This pleases your Father. He is an endless well to quell the fiery darts of the enemy.”
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Thank you for your mercy this morning. Thank you for reminding me to give away what I receive from you with a cheerful heart, knowing you will replenish my portion every single morning.
I feel the need to just focus on how grateful I am to be your child and that you chose me to carry out your statutes. It is an honor and a privilege to know you, Father. And thank you for reminding me that I am yours, so I matter in the grand scheme of things. Thank you for reminding me that I am worth saving every single day.
Thank you, Jesus, for not letting me be consumed by the fire!
In Jesus' mighty name, I pray and seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus - Amen.
Step 8: Share. Testify
If you used the 8-Step Prayer Practice today, we would love to hear how God works in your life! You can comment below or share your miracle or testimony HERE.
Conclusion:
Friends, wherever you go today, let’s take a moment to show others just how good the Lord’s mercy really is by giving mercy away, knowing there is a fresh new supply every morning.
Let’s focus on times when the LORD pulled each of us out of our sticky situations, chance encounters, or messy situations and protected us. Leaving us speechless and saying, “If it hadn’t been for God…” I am sure we all have something we can fill in the blank.
I have been walking with the LORD for a long time, and the fact that he provides new mercy every morning is not something we should take lightly. It is the gift that keeps on giving. And that alone deserves a mountain of praise.
God bless you. See you soon!
