“About the eleventh hour … He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard'” (Matthew 20:6-7).

Almost three years after the retirement age of sixty-five, on May 5th, I was named the new Chairperson of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, succeeding Shirley Dobson. I can honestly say I am honored, humbled, and very overwhelmed by the trust invested in me by the National Day of Prayer Board, Committee, and Shirley Dobson herself. I am now facing a new set of responsibilities, with a new set of friends and staff, under the glaring public spotlight.

Photo Credit: Ron Walters

I am encouraged by the example of the prophet Daniel, who, in his winter years, prayed and recorded a prayer that moved heaven and changed nations—a prayer that has become a pattern for my own as I pray for America. It seems obvious that God uses senior citizens! Yes He does! And so my predominant reaction to my new appointment is one of deep, humble gratitude to God. At my age, when many employers would not think of hiring someone for a very responsible position, God has expanded my territory and called me to a great work.

I share this as encouragement for anyone who is of retirement age or older. Praise God! He can use us! At this eleventh hour, present yourself to Him for His service. Ask Him to show you what He would have you do. Let Him know you are available. Then join me as together we work in His vineyard … {eoa}

Anne Graham Lotz, founder of AnGeL ministries, has proclaimed God’s Word worldwide for more than 30 years. Her newest book, Wounded by God’s People, is available at  

Surely all of us by now have heard of the president’s bathroom bill directive. A few weeks ago the country was aghast at Target’s decision to allow those who identify as a sex opposite their own to use the bathroom of their choice.

Millions of people boycotted Target and still do for this absurd and dangerous decision.

This week our commander-in-chief once again assumed a level of authority that does not belong to him and essentially blackmailed schools all over the nation; he threatened lawsuits and to cut off their federal funding if they refused to allow children to enter bathrooms of the sex with which they identify. Furthermore, this extends to locker rooms and showers as well, which is unconscionable.

There are three reasons why this bathroom bill directive is wrong

removes states’ rights to govern their own education system. Until now every state had the right to decide how it was going to govern its own education system. Now this top-down directive from the Oval Office essentially tells every state how it’s going govern its school system, whether or not they agree with the directive. While this is not a law, because a president doesn’t have the power to write laws, it carries a lot of weight. Without federal funding, a school will have to close its doors.

These states have two choices: fold and surrender to this decree, or fight back and risk losing federal funding. Personally, I’d love to see a majority of the states call the president’s bluff!

some claim that forcing transgender/cross-dressing people to use a bathroom of their biological sex is discriminatory, subjecting people to sharing a bathroom with those of the opposite biological sex is alsodiscriminatory. It discriminates against those who identify with their biological gender by subjecting them to an uncomfortable and vulnerable situation, without giving them a choice.

What’s more, forcing young people to use locker rooms shared by those of the opposite sex is an irresponsible decision. It is uncomfortable enough, at best, to disrobe in front of those of the same biological sex. How much more disrobing in front of those of the opposite sex? It makes both parties vulnerable at an age when hormones are raging high.

Furthermore, it is immoral. For Christians, this should be a no-brainer. The Bible clearly says over and over that we are not to view another person’s nakedness, unless they are our husband or wife. I would argue this goes for locker rooms where kids of the same sex are forced to disrobe and shower.

This is why kids are so uncomfortable with it. God never designed us to be comfortable with our nakedness being exposed.

However, to disrobe in front of someone of the opposite sex is immoral, plain and simple, no matter how they identify.

3. It places the most vulnerable among us in great danger. While the Washington elite choose to bend over backwards to appease a very small minority of our population (roughly 0.3 percent), they choose to place millions of women and children at risk of being attacked by predators.

While I believe few among us truly believe that most transgendered people are predators, there are “straight” people who arepredators and will gladly take advantage of this decision to enter bathrooms of the opposite sex and prey on children: women, boys and girls alike.

This hits the school system right in the gut. How many stories have we heard of coaches, janitors and teachers sexually abusing children? And now they’re given even greater access to children when they are most vulnerable and no one can question it.

And how will parents react to this bathroom bill directive?

This is the question that has nagged at me the past two days.

Three weeks ago my Facebook timeline exploded with angry posts opposing and boycotting Target. And now I am waiting for another massive backlash, for the posts by angry parents frightened to send their kids to school.

I am waiting for the boycotts of the school system and parents sincerely seeking suggestions for alternative forms of education.

I am waiting to hear parents say, “I am never sending my kid back to a school where they are locking in a building for 6-7 hours a day without my protection from potential sexual predators”.

At the end of the day, God gave usthese children, and it is our right and responsibility to protect them. We can bury our head in the sand and soothe our conscience by saying, “That would never happen to my child,” or, “My kid knows how to protect himself.”

And yet in 2010, statistics showed that 20% of girls and 5% of boys are sexually abused, and 93% of of those cases were by people that had some sort of relationship with that child, including a teacher, coach or instructor of some sort.

Homeschooling is a good option for parents.

While I do not believe that isolating your children from evil is a reason to choose homeschool, I think we’d all agree that there are more reasons than just the bathroom bill to choose homeschooling. Overall, statistics show that the children testing in public school tend to test lower than children who are homeschooled.

There is a good reason for this; public schools are caught in a web of political correctness that governs how and what they teach. Furthermore, classrooms are over-full, and teachers are unable to give children individual attention they so often need.

To be fair, not every school is bad and most teachers genuinely want to help their students succeed.

But Washington and union politics often hold them back from accomplishing what they set out to do when they chose a profession in teaching.

I think that now, more than ever before, parents need to start seriously investigating alternative forms of education. And while private school could be an option, even many private schools receive federal funding. Furthermore, I believe that they will be the next target of an Oval Office directive.

Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her Bosnian hero. Together they live with their two active boys where she enjoys fruity candles, good coffee and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. Her passion for writing led her to author her best-selling book The Missional Handbook. At A Little R & R she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. You can also find her at Missional Call where she shares her passion for local and global missions. She can also be found at on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest and Google+.

Many people struggle to know how to respond when their healings do not manifest immediately. Here are some keys to walking out these progressive healings. 

Submit and Resist

James 4:7 gives us the first key, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

• Submit to God.

• Resist the devil.

• The devil will flee from you.

Submission is a matter of the heart; it’s having the right attitude toward God and His Word. We can obey God and still not be submissive because obedience is an act, while submission is an attitude. Resisting is also a matter of the heart. In this case it’s a decision to refuse to surrender to the enemy’s thoughts of doubt and unbelief toward God and His Word. When we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us.

A Personal Testimony

I was in Lilongwe, Malawi, stepping off the bus to walk to healing campaign to minister healing to the people. But as soon as my foot touched the ground an excruciating pain shot through my knee along with many other symptoms. The closer I came to the platform the worse it became. The symptoms of the people started to jump all over my physical body.

I immediately cried out to God in my heart for His strength and healing from all the symptoms of pain and sickness that suddenly came upon me. And as I taught the Word, and declared to the people the specific healings according to the symptoms that manifested on my body the people were healed and the symptoms left my body as well. Every one, except for one: my knee.

What Did I Do?

I did not exalt the enemy by voicing this attack with moans and groans and telling everyone that came into my presence about the pain I was in. Instead, I continued to thank the Lord that He was my healer. Was this difficult? Yes.  But it was a quality decision that released my healing.

When my husband heard my bone rubbing on bone and asked me if that was my knee, I answered him, “In Jesus’ name, my knee is healed.” The Bible is very clear that we are to declare things that are not as though they already are. Romans 4:17 says, “(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

This is faith talk. And many Christians seem to have a problem with this. Some say it is lying. No, it’s using the creative force of the tongue that God has given to us. Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” It’s putting trust in God’s promise to heal us, and not in the pain and sickness.

It sounds radical I know. But it is exactly how our God is, and how He operates. And He instructs us in and throughout His word to do the same.

I could have easily given into this physical attack on my body. My five senses and human reasoning were warring against my confession of faith for the healing of my knee. The enemy didn’t want me healed, so he fought me. Other people were questioning me because they could hear bones rubbing against one another as I walked. But I chose to be like Abraham in Romans 4 and did not exalt the enemy’s evil or the pain, but declared the glory of my Healer, Jesus Christ.

It took a few days, but with each pain-filled step, I thanked the Lord that my knee was healed, and my cartilage was recreated, every bone, muscle, ligament, tendon and nerve in my knee was brand new for the glory of my God.

With every step I resisted the curse of the enemy. He grew weary of my persistence to submit to God and to trust in His healing promise, and he gave up. The devil released his grip on my knee. He fled from me, and the recreation of my knee manifested.

This is how we walk out James 4:7, and submit to our God, resist our enemy, the devil, and see him flee from us, and witness our miracle manifest. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a healing evangelist and the Destiny Image author of DARE to Believe and Greater Than Magic. Visit her at .

Walls, barriers, obstacles always seem to appear whenever I am trying to do the right thing. I could be going along fine on a “diet” and all of a sudden something would happen to derail me. “I want to do this,” I scream. “Why can’t I?” Bottom line, I did not trust Jesus to lead me on this journey.

Instead, I would just give up. The boulders strewn in my path just seemed to big to overcome. So, I’d go back to what I’d always done. Just eat whatever I wanted. I didn’t want anything or anyone governing my life.

This, of course, was really not true in the deepest part of me, but it certainly was in the reality of the moment. Trust in the One I should have complete trust in was absent in this one area of my life. Because of that, it felt like I was swimming through mud in every other area as well.

The Problem

We always focus on the problem (Rom. 7:19) and not the solution (Rom. 7:24-25). Sometimes, though, that’s because we don’t understand the problem. Reading over it again today, it all came together in my mind, and it really starts with an earlier verse.

Romans 7:13 says, “Therefore has that which is good become death unto me? God forbid! Rather, sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was working death in me through that which is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.”

What Law Is This Talking About?

It’s talking about the Scriptures the people knew at that time: the Old Testament and all the myriads of rules and regulations God had laid out for the people to follow. I am very aware that many of these included what they should not eat, like unclean animals for instance (see Lev. 11 and Deut. 14). According to the law, beef could be eaten, but pork could not.

What was the purpose of the Law? God was revealing to us that we have a sin nature. We fall short in many areas. Although there was much more to the Law than food laws, God used everyday illustrations to show the people how far they were from following Him. In my way of thinking, in regard to dietary laws, it wasn’t so much about what food they ate but whether or not they would follow what God said.

When they couldn’t follow even everyday laws, which for that time period were crucial to their health and long life, it just magnified the fact that as human beings we fall way short of God’s standards even when He spells it out in black and white. So in essence He said, “Eat this and live. Eat that and die.”

The Conundrum

Here’s where Romans 7:19, the Scripture that brings up the conundrum we all feel, comes into play. “For the good I desire to do, I do not do, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who does it, but sin that lives in me. I find then a law that when I desire to do good, evil is present with me.”

Now do you remember why sin seemed to increase? It increased because the Law, the rules, revealed people are increasingly sinful. The Law is not wrong. The Law just reveals what the core issue is—sin or the desire to do wrong—that is resident within us.

Diets and The Law

In my life, diets were like the Law. They revealed the deeper core issue inside of me. For me not to be able to follow a diet that told me what I could and couldn’t eat just revealed there is something really wrong with me. So many times I would either stop when I failed to follow the rules or I would follow them until I got to goal weight and then abandon them altogether, rewarding myself with all the things the diet was telling me I couldn’t have.

It’s really the same thing Paul is talking about. I knew the diet was telling me good things to do. I wanted to do what was good, eat the right things and exercise, but in the long run I would give up and fall back to old patterns. I didn’t want to eat the wrong things and die early, but still I did it. It was the theme of my life that every time I tried to do the right thing where eating was concerned, I’d do the wrong thing.

I Am Miserable

Romans 7:24-25 says, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

How does Jesus free me in my diet conundrum though? The answer used to always evade me.

If a diet is like the Law, it makes it really easy to see because Jesus set me free from the Law, from the rules, from the rebellion I feel inside. I am only free, though, when I totally trust in, rely on and cling to Him and Him alone. Then I am no longer following a set of rules, laws and restrictions. I am following the only One who completely loves me, the only One I can totally believe in.

The New Way

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new.” The old way of doing things by being captive to a constant diet is gone. The new way of following Jesus and what He wants for me has invaded my life. Does it include what I eat? Oh, yes, it sure does. It’s not out of following a law or even getting a high five from Jesus. It’s all out of my love for Him and His for me. It’s the way I do life now.

“You won’t lead me where You don’t go,” Amanda Cook sings in “We Dance.”  If I am following Jesus, He will lead me. That means if He prompts me not to eat sugar, it’s because He knows me and what’s best for me.

I know what you are thinking. “Are you saying Jesus didn’t eat sugar?” I don’t know. I just know in order to keep up with where He’s going I have to do what I know He’s told me to do. For me, that’s not eating sugar and flour.

What Is It For You?

I can’t answer that for you. However, if you’re walking with Him He will show you, if you are listening and if you trust Him.

It’s clear then. The question is, do you trust Him to lead you rather than diet rules? If not, then what barrier do you need to ask Him to remove so you can follow Him and be made new, even today? {eoa}

Would you like the mentorship of someone who has actually lost weight and is keeping it off? #KickWeight is Teresa’s low-cost, six-month coaching program. Right now it is closed as a great group is moving forward on their journey. However the landing page is open and a new group will start possibly as soon as October 2016. Get your name on the list now; just go here. In the meantime, the ongoing group, Sweet Change Weight Loss Coaching Group, is open. Come on in. The water is fine. Join here.

Teresa Shields Parker is a wife, mother, business owner, life group leader, speaker and author of Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor and Sweet Grace Study Guide: Practical Steps to Lose Weight and Overcome Sugar Addiction. Get a free chapter of her memoir on her blog at . 

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” A merry heart, a heart that is filled with gladness and joy is like taking medicine and it heals the physical body, but an afflicted or wounded spirit causes the physical body to dry up, to wither away or to decay from the inside out.

As we study the Word of God, we see how the spirit, soul and body are intertwined. When the spirit (the eternal being) and soul (the mind and the emotions) are distraught the physical body suffers. Jesus Christ tells us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”

He tells us that in this world we will face difficult times. We will all experience pressure, anguish, persecution and times of trouble. These difficult times are not designed by God, but are brought upon us by our enemy, Satan. As it says in John 10:10, “The thief comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” Our enemy, Satan, is constantly looking for a way to steal, to kill and to destroy us. And these times of tribulation can cause great stress on the physical body and can make us sick.

But despite all of life’s tribulation, we can find rest in His presence, and with these words of comfort: “But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” He is saying to us to take courage because He conquered, and won the victory for us at Calvary. In John 10:10, He says, “I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

We can live abundant lives, lives of victory even in the midst of trials, by choosing joy. In Nehemiah 8:10 it says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. This joy is our defense against the attacks of the enemy. And every time we choose joy, we are choosing to take a supernatural medicine that heals the physical body. So create a merry heart, choose joy over sorrow, fill your heart with gladness, allow no room for depression, live life and laugh! {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the Destiny Image author of DARE to Believe and Greater Than Magic. Visit her at .

Have you ever faced a situation in which dread nearly shut you down? It might have been a looming tough decision, an unpleasant confrontation or some obligation totally outside of your comfort zone. It could be that you are faced with something you hate to do or for which the passion to do has left you. If you have, you have probably encountered the terrible feeling of dread.

It is so important to identify the onset of dread in its earliest stage. Not only does dread bring on extraordinary physical discomfort, but it also kills momentum, robs you of your joy and blocks productivity and progress. Dread is not your friend. To keep from being paralyzed by dread and maximize your momentum you must recognize the dread factor at its onset and deal with it firmly.

Recognize it as a common reaction. You may feel unique but you are not alone. You are no worse than anyone else simply because you feel it. Even though it is common you don’t have to become a victim of it.

Recognize that dread begins with an either an external groan, an internal groan or both. Identify it at its early stages, and deal with it quickly.

Recognize that dread is an entry point for fear. Fear, left unchecked, paralyzes; you will lose productivity and momentum. Dread steals resources from you. It robs you of your good feeling. It will rob you of dollars left unearned and productivity declined, never to be recovered. It is extremely difficult to think clearly or to be creative when under the influence of dread. You cannot afford dread on your business’ bottom line—what you do in the next hour or the next time dread comes knocking will impact how much money is added to business’ bank account.

The next time dread knocks on the door of your day, try these three steps:

• Recognize—Know you are in the driver’s seat. You are not out of control. You can decide whether to be dread’s victim or to be a victor over it. Once you decide not to agree with the dread, voice that decision aloud. Do not give your voice in any way to agree with dread; do not state it in any way that gives it a way forward in your day. Instead of proclaiming fear and loss, proclaim productivity and gain.
• Redirect your energy into productive activity. Just like a star basketball player, pivot from the block of fear and dread to focus and from distraction to productivity. Choose and take actions that agree with your proclamation of productivity.
• Maximize your momentum in the right direction. Dread is the fork in the road at which you must choose wisely. Do so, and you will maximize your momentum in the right direction, and dread will not be allowed to derail you.

This is for you today! Are you going to apply these simple principles for yourself to gain momentum forward? Great leaders are often faced with dread and discouragement. Daily they must decide to conquer rather than to be conquered. Join them today and decide not to fall prey to the profit drain of dread.

Job identified the normal outcome of dread and its power as a self-fulfilling prophecy:

“For the thing which I greatly feared has happened to me, and that which I dreaded has come to me” (Job 3:25).

Dread and fear are real. You still have difficult people and situations in your life. This can’t be ignored. The power you have is to refuse to let the added weight of dread and fear to take root in your spirit and rob you of momentum when these situations arise. Deal with dread powerfully and, as I have witnessed many times, you will gain momentum.

Here is a simple example from my experience of dealing with a difficult situation that had the potential for derailing my momentum. Recently I had to have an interesting discussion over a marketing issue that had the potential to be somewhat awkward. To avoid losing momentum to dread, I followed the advice I am giving to you.

As I felt dread rise in me, I immediately reframed the issue. Instead of framing it as a confrontation to avoid, I framed it as a productive conversation from which momentum was to be gained. All of this in a short three-minute conversation.

First, I took a moment and identified with her in her own struggles. I acknowledged the magnitude of the job she had to do. I expressed confidence in the things I had seen her do well.

Then, I expressed the need that was common for both us: the need to serve our customers well.

Then I planted the seed of a suggestion or two for her to think through over the next week or so. To follow that up I said, “I’d love to know how I can help you serve our customers better. Think about it. Let’s do coffee in a week and figure this out.”

What at first was a defensive posture turned into a smile and agreement. Instead of giving dread the opportunity to put the breaks on our momentum, together, we found a productive way forward.

At times of dread and fear we are not left on our own. The psalmist reminds us we can turn to the Lord at times of fear.

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4).

Paul encourages to take on a thought transplant: to replace thoughts of dread and fear with:

“Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8, emphasis mine).

The way you use your mind will determine your productivity. You can receive incredible results with these simple steps. Use the momentum of the dread and turn it to productivity. Seek to understand before being understood. When it arises, you get to decide.

How are you going to confront dread the next time it knocks on your door? {eoa}

© 2013 Linda Fields – All Rights Reserved. Linda Fields is the Founder and President of 7M-pact, author, corporate consultant, coach, and lecturer at the university level in the United States and abroad.

I remember a time I visited a church in the U.S. with a friend, and during the worship service, I saw a man in a wheelchair that was paralyzed from the waist down and the rest of his body was distorted. As the Spirit of the Lord started to move, I saw this man raise his twisted arm up to acknowledge his adoration to the Lord. Tears ran down my face, as my spirit felt grieved for this man.

My heart ached within me for two reasons. The first reason, physically he was weak, but his spirit was strong, yet it was trapped inside of a broken body, and he needed a miracle. The second reason my heart ached is that I desired to pray for the man, but he and the others that he came with were whisked out the door before the service ended. The presence of the Holy Spirit was present to heal, but no opportunity was offered.

The other day, I had an in-depth conversation with a pastoral friend concerning faith and healing. We were discussing the following questions: “Why are people in the United States not healed?” “Why is it so difficult for Christians in the U.S. to receive healing?” 

And “What is it going to take to have a mighty move of God with divine healings and miracles manifesting on a regular basis?”

My response to these questions all revolve around the theme of faith. Our faith must be stirred in order to receive healing. When I say that our faith must be stirred, I am not referring to a moment when emotions are high. Faith hasn’t anything to do with emotions. Faith is trust. And we need to be able to trust in God and His Word to receive healing.

If the church is not teaching about divine healing, then the people will come to the service without any expectations to receive healing from God. And they will return to their homes just as they came, weak and sick. If we as individuals do not read and study the Bible concerning healing, we will not be able to trust in God’s promises that His healing power has been made available for us today. Therefore, we will suffer and die prematurely because we do not understand God’s will to heal us.

God is not withholding His healing power from the people of the United States. The manifestation of divine healing is not given because people are poorer or have greater needs than others. It’s not supernaturally dispersed because one lives in a certain region of the world.

The reason healing does manifest more readily in certain parts of the world is because the Word of God for divine healing is being taught in those lands on a regular basis, so their faith is developed more than ours to receive divine healing for their physical bodies.

In order to develop our faith or trust in God to receive healing, we need to hear His Word concerning healing. If the church desires a mighty move of God within her midst with signs and wonders following, then she must be willing to open up the Bible and teach the full gospel of the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ, which includes divine healing, and then offer the opportunity to be healed. We as individuals need to be responsible too, and read and study God’s Word for ourselves, and stir up our own faith to receive His healing power into our bodies, or to release it to others.

If we will saturate ourselves and the land in which we live with the Word of God concerning healing, then faith for healing will arise and healing will manifest.

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

What do we need to do for healing to manifest?

1. Study the Word concerning healing.
2. Teach healing to others.
3. Offer opportunity for healing.

Then supernatural healing will manifest in our midst, regardless of our geographical location. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a healing evangelist and the Destiny Image author of DARE to Believe and Greater Than Magic. Visit her at .

What is worship, really?

Yes, I know that it’s the part of the service when we sing worship songs. But is that all worship is? Is worship just the singing part? Is worship just a style of song or singing?

These are questions I asked myself about 15 years ago when I began to sense a great change in Christian music. Suddenly everyone was singing “worship” and every song was a “worship song,” no matter the lyrics or difficulty of the music.

The answer to those questions radically changed my perspective of worship and what worship actually means.

As Christians we often compartmentalize our lives.

When I read the Bible, it’s godly.

When I go to the store, it’s secular.

When I sing worship songs, that’s worship.

When I wash dishes … well, you know.

But God never meant for us to compartmentalize our lives this way.

As a child of God, everything we do should be worship, because the Holy Spirit lives us us and wants to influence everything we do, everything we say, everywhere we go and everyone with whom we speak!

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

And we see this same principle this week with Good Morning Girls in Deuteronomy 11-15. Every chapter actually speaks about worship, whether it’s about obedience, requirements about how to worship and offer sacrifices, punishment for those who practice idolatry, giving the tithe, or respect for mankind.

God doesn’t view worship as just singing or prayer, just as “Christian activity” isn’t just reading the Bible or evangelism.

Worship is a lifestyle.

When I clean the house, prepare dinner or drive the kids to soccer practice, I am worshipping God, because I am serving my family. When I serve my family, I am serving God.

But there is a catch, and it’s my attitude.

If I serve my family with a bad attitude, I am not worshipping God, because God cannot be glorified through my bad attitude. My attitude determines whom I am worshipping. When I serve my family with a godly attitude, I am serving God, because He gave me my family as a ministry. When I am at work, I serve God, because God gave me my job.

This is why Paul said we should be “with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing any man does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is enslaved or free” (Eph. 6:7-8).

When I give my family 100 percent, when at work I give 100 percent, I am not giving to men but to God. I am not serving my boss, but God.

And that is worship.

Maybe you’re thinking, But I don’t want to give 100 percent or I simply don’t have 100 percent to give.

Give what you have, just as the widow gave to God all that she had, and God will reward you!

A miracle happens when, with a joyful heart of worship, we give to the Lord all we have. And the more we give, the more our hearts are filled up! And our heart because an endless fountain of joy because worship always brings joy!

What is worship?

It is the way I choose to live my life! {eoa}

Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her Bosnian hero. Together they live with their two active boys where she enjoys fruity candles, good coffee and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. Her passion for writing led her to author her best-selling book The Missional Handbook. At A Little R & R she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. You can also find her at Missional Call where she shares her passion for local and global missions. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.

Judy asks: “Becky, when does one check things out with a doctor?”

Judy, this is one of those questions that I am asked often, and for good reason, there is so much confusion concerning faith and divine healing. I hope to be able to bring a little clarification to the matter.

God is not against doctors. God gave them the knowledge and ability to help the human body. But even with all of their knowledge and ability, they fall short of being able to help all. A wise doctor will recognize that there is a “Great Physician,” who created the human body and is able to heal it as well.

I have one whole chapter in my book; Dare to Believe, based on the book of Luke. Luke gives us an amazing account of the life of Jesus, as the Healer. Interestingly enough, Luke who was chosen by God to write this book in the New Testament was a physician himself (Col. 4:14).

Judy, whenever you feel the need to go to see a doctor, “Go.” God wants you to prosper in spirit, soul and body. He wants you well. He will meet your faith wherever you are at. Be free, and don’t be bogged down by guilt and condemnation. He truly wants you well.

3 John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, even as your soul is well.”

But remember, God’s best is always divine healing. He’s the Creator of the human body. He’s the Great Physician, and with Him, there is never a hopeless situation. His diagnosis is always correct. Instead of repairing or replacing with artificial parts, He recreates a new part for you. There’s no risk of infection, or rejecting new body parts. His work is perfect. There’s no haggling with insurance companies, because it has all been covered by His blood, and for you the price is just right, it’s free. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the Destiny Image author of DARE to Believe and Greater Than Magic. Visit her at .

Today, we are going to take a unique look at fear, what it does and how it prevents the manifestation of the healing power of the Lord.

A friend of mine was stung seven times by a scorpion. The first thing that happened to her was that her tongue became swollen and paralyzed. Then this venom worked its way down her arm and side, and both were paralyzed and her body was in extreme pain.

Fear is like this venomous scorpion that stung my friend. Fear first paralyzes the tongue, and then it affects the rest of the body. Why?

In Proverbs 18:21 it says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Your tongue possesses a power. What is this power? It is the power of the spoken word. Words have the power to create or to destroy.

This is why fear, first and foremost, paralyzes the creative power of the tongue. If you receive the injection of its venomous poison into your spirit, you will begin to speak failure, destruction and even death. And by the power of your own tongue, that which you speak will be produced.

In the incident with my friend, her tongue was paralyzed, she needed someone to come and speak words of healing over her body. I did this, and immediately she was set free from extreme pain and the swelling and the paralysis left her body.

Another testimony about a young man that became very ill and was in a lot of pain. It was discovered that he had a cancerous tumor. He shared what happened to him when the doctors came into his hospital room to give him the bad report. He said that as he heard the death report, he could not speak. It was as if he had swallowed poison. What did he really swallow? He swallowed fear. He accepted this death report into his spirit and immediately started meditating and speaking death. It took others to speak words of healing into his life in order for his faith to be encouraged to the point that he accepted the words of faith and started to speak them for himself.  And once he started to speak faith-filled words of healing, health and life his miracle manifested and the cancerous tumor disappeared.

It is of utmost importance that we refuse to accept the venomous poison of fear into our spirit, that we do not allow fear to paralyze the power of our tongue and that we choose our words wisely and speak faith-filled words of life and healing. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a healing minister and the Destiny Image author of DARE to Believe and Greater Than Magic. Visit her at .