Ever have God wink at you?

You’re going along through your routine day, and something unusual or special happens.

Others might call it a coincidence, but the sense of joy you receive tells you it isn’t merely a convergence of random circumstances. Rather, it’s a personal reminder that our loving God is actively involved in the lives of His children.

It could be the most ordinary of events. Or it could be something extraordinary. Sometimes it’s not so much about the event as it is about the timing.

For example, Hubby and I were talking about how we haven’t seen much wildlife around our home in the past several weeks. We usually see rabbits, snakes, sandhill cranes and other birds and animals, but the fauna had been hiding lately. Then, within two days, I saw two large rabbits hop across our lawn, a shiny, two-foot black snake slither across the grass and our family of cranes strut across the backyard.

Coincidences, you say? Then how about this one …

Hubby’s mom lived with us for most of our marriage. You’ll never meet a sweeter woman. Sadly, in her last years, she suffered from a variety of illnesses, including dementia. We struggled to find things that would bring a smile to her face and make her eyes light up the way they used to.

One day, during an outing to the local mall, she saw a store selling electric organs/pianos. The joy that lit her face was almost tangible, so we purchased a small organ, and she loved playing with it for the remaining months she had with us.

Well, for the past 18 years, that organ sat in a corner of our home, unused. We finally decided to sell it earlier this year. I listed it on various marketplace sites, to no avail. I displayed it at a garage sale—it almost sold, but the buyer changed her mind at the last minute.

Finally, I listed it on Craigslist. Within two days we received an email that said:

I’m interested in this because my 85-year-old grandmother has dementia and all she talks about is how she played the piano in church when she was younger. She lives in a mobile home, so we’re looking for something small that will fit there.

A day later, the buyer picked up the organ and that evening texted a picture of her grandmother sitting on the piano bench, hands on the keyboard, smiling the broadest smile you would ever want to see.

God orchestrated events so the electric organ that brought joy to someone with dementia would be held in reserve until it could bring joy to another person with dementia 18 years later.

Coincidence? I don’t believe that for a minute.

I recently completed a Bible study of the Book of Romans. The last chapter is one many people skim through, or often skip altogether. Why? It’s filled with a list of names—most of which mean little or nothing to us today.

But those names tell me that God cares about individuals. He knows your name and mine. He is actively involved in the lives of His children. Sometimes He does it as His Holy Spirit gives an extra measure of peace in a difficult situation. Or He might do it by opening an opportunity you thought was closed.

Sometimes He does it with a wink.

Have you experienced a God wink? Share it in the comments! {eoa}

Ava Pennington is a writer, speaker and Bible teacher. She writes for nationally circulated magazines and is published in 32 anthologies, including 25 Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She also authored Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, endorsed by Kay Arthur. Learn more at AvaWrites.com.

This article originally appeared at avawrites.com.

One reader writes, “Becky, how often do I speak words of faith for my physical healing?” This is a great question, and I know many people are wondering the answer to this question.

According to Proverbs 18:21, the power of death and life are in your tongue. Every word you speak is either producing life or death. Therefore, you should be daily speaking healing, strength and life over the physical condition.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words,” (Prov. 18:21, AMP.)

In the natural, if you were or are taking an antibiotic for a physical ailment, you would probably be taking this medication one to three times per day. I believe you should be speaking words of faith over the situation no less than this every day. In fact, I would even up the dose and speak words of faith every time you are about to utter a negative word or moan or groan about the situation.

Say aloud, “In Jesus’ name, my body is healed and made whole. It is pain free and full of life for the glory of the Lord, amen.” It may be a struggle at first, but eventually, your words of faith will produce the healing you so desire and need. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

Betrayal is an act of deliberate disloyalty, and it is very painful. A disloyal spouse, parent, son or daughter or other family member; a friend, boss, co-worker or ministry partner. No matter who the betrayer is, their deliberate disloyalty hurts badly.

How do you deal with betrayal? What do you do with the pain? How do you protect yourself from the betrayer? How do you overcome betrayal?

There isn’t an easier answer to any of these painful questions. But there is a place you can go for comfort, direction and security. You can access this place anywhere you are. It’s in the arms of Jesus.

Let’s look at the first question on this list. How do you deal with betrayal? You must deal with it honestly. You need to find out what is going on. And don’t base your actions on suspicions or feelings, but on the facts alone. And remember, no matter what excuses you are given, you are not the one at fault. The betrayer has gone astray after the lusts of his or her own flesh. And when you are given lame excuses, answer with the truth directly and honestly. Truth hurts, but it does set people free; whereas lies also hurt, but everyone is left in turmoil.

• “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).
• “But each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed” (James 1:14).

What do you do with the pain? There’s no way around it. When someone betrays you, it hurts. It’s a weapon Satan uses against you to bring destruction to you, your family, your friendship, your business and your ministry. But no matter who is betraying you, or how painful the betrayal is, there is still only one way to inner peace, and it is through forgiveness. Vengeance does not bring healing to the soul; it only prolongs the healing process and brings with it more pain and obstacles to overcome.

Jesus understands the hurt of betrayal more than anyone else does. He was betrayed by everyone, even us. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was in every sense tempted like we are, yet without sin.”

And we need to come to grips that God is not the betrayer; Satan is. And he used this person to harm you. John 10:10a tells us about his wicked intentions against us, “The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy.”

We are not to be vengeful; that area belongs to God. Romans 12:19 (AMP) clearly tells us, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

As challenging as it may be, our responsibility remains the same—forgive. Forgiveness is not based upon our feelings, or whether we believe the person deserves to be forgiven, but because our Father God tells us to. In fact, our obedience to forgive in this betrayal has eternal consequences upon ourselves as well. Matthew 6:14-15 warns us, “For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”

How do you protect yourself from further betrayal from this same person or group of people? You need to set up healthy boundaries around yourself. Learn to biblically judge the situation before you. I personally use John 10:10 as stated above to decide what’s happening around me. If the situation is set out to steal something from me, like peace—I stay away. If the person, or person’s actions, will kill my relationship with my family or friends, I know it’s not of God. If the end result of what’s taking place or what’s about to take place will destroy relationships or ministry efforts, I put my foot down and say, “No! This is not happening here.”

And I should make note here, do not say, “If you do this, I will do this …” unless you are really willing to follow through with it. Matthew 5:37 says regarding this, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’ [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.”

The only true way to overcome betrayal is with the help of God and by His way of forgiveness. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

When I was a girl growing up, Mother led us in family devotions every day. She read the Bible, prayed and that was that. When Daddy was home, he led in family devotions. But when he read the Bible, he would stop and make a comment, ask a question and lead us in discussion. So, my mother taught me by her example to love reading my Bible every day, and my daddy taught me by his example to think about what I was reading. A little over 10 years ago when my mother went to heaven, my daddy started asking me to read him the Bible. At first, it was very intimidating. And then it became such a joy. Because he was hard of hearing, there were times I would sit in front of Daddy, knee to knee, and he would ask me to give him a full 60-minute message. He never took his eyes off my face. Once in a while, he would interrupt me, ask a question or we would discuss what I was saying. But he loved to hear God’s Word.

As he got weaker, we went from 60 minutes to five or 10 minutes. But the pattern was always the same—whoever was in the house was called to gather around him whether he was at the kitchen table, or sitting in his study chair or more recently when he was in his bedroom. But before I read a passage of Scripture, I would explain why I had chosen it. Then I would read the passage to him. I would always end by telling Daddy I loved him.

At Daddy’s funeral service, with 2500 people in front of me, and millions more watching the live broadcasts, for the last time I led in “family devotions.” The passage of Scripture I chose was 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The reason is this: I believe from heaven’s perspective that my father’s death was as significant as his life. I know that Feb. 21, 2018, was the date God had preordained to take my father home. Why? What was significant about that day? When I did a web search, I discovered that Feb. 21, 2018, was the day when the Scripture reading for Jews focused on the death of Moses.

Moses was the great liberator. He brought millions of people out of bondage to slavery, got them to the edge of the promised land and then God took him to heaven. At that point, God brought Joshua to lead them into the promised land—to take them home.

Like Moses, my father also was a great liberator. He brought millions of people out of bondage to sin, and he has gotten us to the edge of the promised land—heaven. Then God called him home. Could it be that God is now going to bring Joshua to lead us into the promised land? To lead us to heaven? To take us home? And do you know what the New Testament name is for Joshua? It’s Jesus!

I believe my father’s death may be a shot across the bow from heaven. Is God saying, “Wake up, church. Wake up, world. Wake up, Anne. Jesus is coming!”? Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 when the gospel is preached to the whole world—as it was during my father’s funeral service, as it is through churches, missionaries, ministries—then the end.

At the end of the day, my patience wears thin, and I am weary. After taking care of three kids, one husband and one self, I just don’t have much left. So shower time can sometimes try my patience.

One evening after supper, I sent my then 7-year-old daughter Grace ahead of me into the bathroom. “Get your clothes off, go to the restroom and then get in the shower. The water is already on and is just the right temperature,” I told her.

“Okay,” she grinned and galloped off on her imaginary horse, dragging her pajamas on the floor behind her. I finished wiping off the kitchen counters and made my way to my bathroom where I expected to find Grace already in the shower with her hair wet and ready to be washed. Instead, I found one little naked girl standing in the middle of the bathroom, staring into my mirror – mesmerized.

I stood and watched a moment, taking a deep sigh, trying to muster some patience. Grace spun and faced the opposite direction, only to gaze at herself some more in the mirror on my husband’s side of the bathroom.

“Mama,” she said, never taking her eyes off herself. “I love it when two mirrors get lined up like that. I can see myself again and again infinity.” Then she giggled. “It’s the best because it’s an army of me’s.”

I looked and saw the reflection of her reflection as the two mirrors faced each other. The little spinning naked girls repeated infinitely above my bathroom sink. I couldn’t help the laughter at her expression “the army of me’s.”

“Did you know there were so many of us?” she said as she galloped towards the shower.

Her question made me think of the story of Elisha and his servant. The servant got up one morning to find their city was surrounded by an army of their enemy. Elisha told him, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than with them” (2 Kings 6:16).Then Elisha prayed for God to open the servant’s eyes. “So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17b).

As parents, sometimes we may wish for an “army of me’s” when we don’t have the energy to bathe little ones and their imaginary ponies. While we don’t have an army of ourselves, we do have an army of the Lord on our side. Pray and ask God to open your eyes to the ways He surrounds you and your children every day.

Thank you, God, for surrounding me with your angels. Open my eyes to see your presence. Amen. {eoa}

Carol Hatcher is a former elementary teacher turned writer. This author and speaker lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Come visit her at sheeptotheright.com.

This article originally appeared at just18summers.com.

About 10 minutes from my childhood home in Wyoming, you’ll find Sinks Canyon State Park, at the base of the Wind River Mountains. The locals call it “the sinks,” which is actually the name of a unique geological formation (I plagiarized that wording from the park website) where the raging waters of the Popo Agie River vanish underground.

I don’t think I’ve ever gone there without speculating, in childlike wonder, about what happens to the water as it travels underground. There’s a sense of exciting mystery, when an entire river just disappears from sight.

The Lord brought this image to my mind, as I’ve been laboring to blog more and more. So many times, I’ve sat in front of my laptop with the cursor blinking loud on a blank page.

Lord, I’ve prayed, How is it possible that you’re doing so much work inside of me and I feel like I can’t write about it? I’ve never had more content to write about than I have in the last months, but I’ve never felt more inhibited to put the words on paper.

But finally, the Lord has given me words to describe to you what’s happening: The water of life has carried me underground. His beautiful and spectacular raging waters have swept me to a hidden place, where most of the work happening inside of me is where no one can see, and it’s so special and intimate that I can’t even share it—often don’t want to share it.

Is this a temporary hiddenness?

The Popo Agie pops back up from its subterranean journey, and you can drive down the road and feed the fish there. But I don’t know about this river ride with the Lord. Does he take each soul permanently to a deep, private place?

Luke tells us: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16, NIV).

I wonder how much of Jesus’ relationship with God was underground. When we read about his daily activities with people, are we only seeing a very small part of what he was really experiencing with God every day?

In Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World That Loves to Be Noticed, Sara Hagerty says: “No one knew this conversation I was having in my head with God. And I was starting to like these secret exchanges.”

Dallas Willard, in The Divine Conspiracy, talks about the “discipline of secrecy” —the practice of doing good works for only God to see.

A secret, underground life with Jesus? Tell me that’s not intriguing. It’s a new thought for me, as I read Paul’s declaration: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3, MEV).

What does this mean for a blogger who likes to share with others what God is doing in her life? Maybe it means I have less I can share with you, even as God is working ever more powerfully and beautifully in my heart. Or maybe this is a season of private worship and growth for me, and sometime down the way, the water and I will pop back up, to be visible again?

I don’t know.

But if you don’t hear from me as often as I’ve written in the past, I hope you’ll feel the exciting mystery of my vanishing. At the same time, I hope you’ll long to go deep and intimate with God yourself. Follow Jesus’ lead and withdraw, as often as you possibly can, to lonely places and pray. (Women, we can do this mentally, without leaving our homes, so don’t despair.)

What is God doing in your heart right now that is private and just for him to see? {eoa}

This article originally appeared at christyfitzwater.com.

Do you feel overwhelmed? Does your world feels like it’s caving in on all sides at once? Look to Jesus. He’s faithful. He will never leave you or forsake you, Hebrews 13:5. God’s not angry like the world would have you believe Him to be. Psalm 86:15 beautifully describes the goodness of God toward us: “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy and truth.” If you allow Him, He protects you. Second Thessalonians 3:3 says it like this, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”

Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed because you focus on the problem, and in doing so, you wind up magnifying your enemy, the devil, when in reality the things he whispers to you are just lies. In John 8:44, Jesus calls him the father of all lies—half-truths. The devil takes the Scriptures and twists them, and he makes his lies believable to you, and once you grab hold of his lies, they then can produce in your life. And again in John 10:10, Jesus calls the devil “the thief” who comes “to steal and kill and destroy you” (John 10:10). So you need to be careful what you are dwelling upon, the promises of God or the devil’s lies.

When you feel the negative reports or circumstances are too much to bear, you need to get a way to a quiet place with the Lord, and this does not need to be a physical place, but a spiritual one. Matthew 6:6 instructs us: “But you, when you pray, enter your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:6). Jesus spent much time alone in prayer with the Father, and so should you.

• After He had sent them away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone (see Matt 14:23).
• Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray (see Mark 1:35).

The next time you feel overwhelmed by life, remember to keep your eyes focused on the love Jesus has for you. Ponder upon His love, mercy and lovingkindness He feels for you. Be comforted in the fact that He wills to protect you. And spend time alone with Him in prayer until His strength takes over in you. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

I first heard them chirping a few weeks ago. Four baby birds crying for their mama, nestled safe in a top corner of my covered porch.

Periodically I’ve watched from afar. In time, their heads peeked out higher and their morning cries grew louder. But when I peeked out my bathroom window this morning, something felt different.

They seemed ready to launch.

Not wanting to disturb, I opened normally shut bathroom blinds and perched where I could see them easily through the lens of my camera. The bravest stood straight, his full body exposed. His wings flit about a few times, but then he sank back into the safety of the nest.

Soon, his mama and daddy swooped in. They would fly in close, land near the nest and then shoot off into the bright sky again. You could almost hear them say, “Come on! Follow us! You wouldn’t believe the heights you can fly.”

With the parents gone, the baby birds stirred again. Wings flapped. Necks stretched high. Anxious chirps announced their desire to launch, coupled with concern.

Would their wings really work? Would they be able to find food? Was it worth the risk?

While I took numerous good photos, my dirty bathroom window tainted the color. So, right when I was certain they were busy worrying about their future, I decided to step outside with Windex and a cloth and wipe my view clean. But when I opened the front door, three baby birds took flight.

At first, I was annoyed that I missed the moment. Then, I noticed the remaining sibling. Scrunched down in the nest, I almost couldn’t tell if the silhouette was a bird or a twig. But a close-up photo confirmed my suspicion. One had failed to launch.

Concerned, I kept an eye on him. However, not long after, I opened the front door and saw the mama, daddy and even a sibling bird perched all around the nest. They hadn’t forgotten him at all. They’d come back to regale him with stories of tall trees and high perches.

And it worked. By the time I finished teaching a voice lesson 45 minutes later, the nest was empty.

My oldest son turned 26 last week, and I spent yesterday afternoon bonding with my 24-year-old son’s five-month-old little boy. Just as I’ve settled into what it means to be a parent of adult children; the cycle has begun again. Our newest little bird will soon be crawling and daily fighting for independence. And the dance between hovering and letting go will ensue.

Some days, parental instincts will rule. But on many others, only prayer and discernment will guide the way.

Having witnessed the launch of one generation, I’m already praying for the next. For just like you, we’ve got a little bird who’s yet to fly. {eoa)

Susan Schreer Davis lives with her husband, their cat named Eggs, and the challenging effects of mitochondrial disease. She leans on humor, family and faith the size of a mustard seed to maintain hope. Learn more about Susan, her latest book and many songs at susanschreerdavis.com.

This article originally appeared atjust18summers.com.

Surely it is not always comfortable to examine our spiritual progress, but it is necessary. Yes, it reveals both good and bad, but instead of condemning ourselves during this process, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to convict us to change.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]” (Rom. 8:1, AMP).

We can’t change the past, but we can adjust the way in which we handle a similar situation today. And isn’t this part of the forgiveness process anyway? Taking our failures to God and seeking forgiveness from Him and relying upon His strength in the areas we are weak.

“If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]” (1 John 1:9).

With sincerity of heart pray: Father God, forgive me for the areas that I have just plain missed it. Holy Spirit, teach me how to make amends with those that I have offended, and show me how to transform this area of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Self-examination not only reveals our past mistakes, but it also highlights our successes with God. And it is the only way we can know our standing in the Lord. If we do not examine ourselves we are unaware of the progress we have made in Him. It is an important tool of assessment in our everyday walk with God.

When it comes to faith for healing, I remember when I didn’t even know about healing. And then after I became born again, it took time for my mind and heart to be renewed in this area. There was a time I found myself begging and pleading God for healing as if He had been the one responsible for sickness. But since those days, I have repented, studied the Word and allowed His healing message take root and transform my life to where I am today–encouraging you to move forward in this area of your life.

With a heart of thanksgiving, pray: Father God, I am so grateful that I am not the person I once was, but that You, Holy Spirit have been with me every step of the way, and I have truly advanced spiritually. I thank You for this encouraging spiritual report, in Jesus’ name, amen.

So don’t be afraid to examine your spiritual progress. I have found that the Lord is very encouraging when it comes to correcting us. Yes, He deals with the situation head-on, but He builds us up to trust in His power to change.

“Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?” (2 Cor. 13:5, AMPC). {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

Others around you will recognize when you walk in the supernatural power of God, and they will seek you out. I was sitting down listening to one of the local pastors at an outdoor evangelistic campaign, and a lady in a nearby house saw me sitting on the bench and sent for me to come and pray for her. When I arrived at her house, she shared with me that she was in great pain and had been unable to urinate all day. She wanted me to pray for her. I placed my hands upon her and rebuked all infection, swelling and kidney stones, and the woman went flying to relieve her bladder.

This is a natural walk in the way of the supernatural. The Spirit of God waits to release His power through us, to deliver those who are bound to Satan, to release divine healing to those who are suffering from the devil’s wicked works, to give a prophetic word to those who are seeking direction and needing encouragement and to help those who are spiritually lost find their way to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Since God is fully aware of the times we now live in and the condition of the hardened hearts of the people toward the Lord and His ways, He has supernaturally equipped us with a power that is greater than any magic this world has ever known. It is the supernatural power of faith. This faith will outshine anything we face. {eoa}

*This excerpt is taken from Greater Than Magic by Becky Dvorak, p. 53.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.