Posts by April Moore
Pray for Those in Authority
First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 1Timothy:1-2 NASB.
Jim was having an animated discussion with his wife in the living room. They were playfully arguing over the rules for their nightly chess game.
When Jim looked over, he realized his teenage son was scowling at the TV. The headlines were proclaiming yet another politician who had been accused of a crime. “There’s so much evil in the world.” His son exclaimed. “How can I make any difference at all?”
Jim thought for a moment, then 1 Timothy 2:1-2 came to mind. “You can pray for your leaders…for your mayor, our governor, the Congressmen, and women. Even our president.”
“But how do I pray for them?” His son asked. “I don’t know where to start.”
“You could pray for their physical safety,” Jim’s wife offered. “That any evil planned against them would be thwarted.”
“That they would stand firm in the face of temptation,” Jim added.
“And that God would provide them with wisdom so they would lead gently, not oppressing the people they serve.” His wife said.
Praying for those in authority can be a wonderful way to show more grace, love, and mercy. When you regularly intercede for leaders, you become less concerned with which side is right and more focused on living a godly life.
God, I confess—sometimes the corruption and lies and viewpoints discourage me. But help me to remember that I can do something—I can pray for my country and its leaders. Teach me how to intercede for those in authority. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In the Wilderness
“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” – Matthew 4:2, NIV
Kayla’s plane had just touched down at the airport when she got the call. Her oldest daughter was in the hospital and the doctors didn’t know why she was sick or how to help her.
Without stopping at home to change, she went to be with her daughter. She’d just returned from a mission trip, building homes in an area that had been devasted by a tsunami. She’d felt God’s presence so strongly during her time on the island but when her daughter was sick, she didn’t have that comfort.
When a friend stopped by, she shared her fear that God had left her. “I felt such peace while I was there and now I’m just numb.”
Her friend reassured her that her feelings were normal. “Satan waited to go after Jesus until after He’d spent forty days praying and fasting. He waited until he knew Jesus was exhausted. Any time you experience a spiritual breakthrough, expect to be tested.”
Kayla’s daughter went on to make a full recovery and the experience caused Kayla to see Jesus in a different way. “I’ve always relied on feeling close to God. With my daughter’s illness, I had to lean into faith and trust that God was there, even when it felt my prayers for her went unanswered.”
God, give me strength when I’m being tested. Help me to remember that Jesus was tempted, too. Provide a way out for me so I wouldn’t stumble into sin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Stephen: The Forgiving Saint
Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!.” Having said this, he fell asleep. – Acts 7:60, NASB
Stephen was an enthusiastic preacher, sharing the Word of God with others boldly. Others tried to trip him up but he was able to refute dissension and false truths because God gave him amazing wisdom (Acts 6:10).
But he had angered some of the religious leaders of the day. So they captured him and put him on trial, making up lies and false witnesses against him. When Stephen began to refute their words, he was dragged outside and brutally killed. As Stephen was being pelted with large stones, he began praying for those who were harming him.
We find it difficult to forgive someone for a crossed word or a negative performance review. Stephen could have been angry. He could have lashed out. He could have called down God to deliver him.
But he didn’t…he leaned into God’s will. What if you interceded for those who wronged you? The driver who cut you off in traffic, the spouse that doesn’t support your dream, or the cop who wrote you a ticket you didn’t deserve?
God, I don’t like what (name) has done to me. In the flesh, I’m tempted to lash out. I want to call down vengeance and take up a righteous cause. But by the power of Your Spirit, I choose forgiveness. I lay down my life just as Stephen did. Please forgive (name) for hurting me. Show them great mercy and kindness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Whew… Morning Meditations 💖
2 Corinthians 5:10 NASBS
[10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NASBS
[17] Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. [18] Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, [19] namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
This is beautiful… for us (Believers) the self strength we’ve lived in and sin we’ve done and trespass we’ve committed in this life aren’t counted against us. Christ reconciled that. (You can read the whole chapter)
We will “recompense”… this word means to obtain or receive. We will be obtained and receive accordingly from our deeds at the time of judgment. Judgments can be ruled for or against you. In our case… for us.
The knee jerk reaction is to “work” for a greater reward so that we receive greater. But you can’t work for anything IN Him in self will, selfish motive, etc. You can’t strive for heavenly reward. Because in those things you did not work in obedience to Him, but to yourself and what you thought fulfillment looked like. That is still a work of the flesh.
Hebrews 4:9-13 NASBS
[9] So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. [10] For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. [11] Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. [12] For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [13] And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Verse 10 is FIRE!
🔥 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Rest from YOUR works.
He calls us to abide in His rest. Resting is an act of faith. We must trust. Not work ourselves… striving for reward or finances etc… Find the flow of God and go about our deeds in life in the flow of the spirit. We’re wired in the flesh for “doing”. But if we abide in the spirit with Him… we rest and move with Him. So that which you do is still in His rest.
I could say so much more on this, but I’ll rest in this revelation for today.
But move in Him, build, create, reconcile others to Him… Wherever He leads… you’ll find rest and you’ll receive a great reward. Because your motive is to please Him (without faith/ trust, this is impossible to do), walk in obedience to Him and move as He says… saying yes to Him.
Living your yes to Him.
The Blessing of Supportive Friends
“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” – Exodus 17:11, NIV
When Luke’s wife left him for another man, he was devasted. He had two little girls to raise and he felt unprepared for the task. He didn’t know what to do so he reached out to a well-known men’s leader in his community.
The men’s leader connected Luke to a weekly men’s meeting. The men prayed for each other every week, often sharing concerns about their work, their families, and their spiritual lives.
Luke’s wife eventually came back to him, asking for a chance to repair their marriage. Although Luke wasn’t sure if the relationship could be saved, he was willing to try for the sake of his daughters.
He shared the situation with his men’s group and everyone prayed over him. The next two years were some of the most intense of Luke’s life but with God’s help, he rebuilt his marriage. He credits God and the faithful men in his prayer group as being the reason his family is still together.
The Israelites were in the middle of a fierce battle. Every time Moses held up his hands, they prevailed. But if Moses lowered his arms—even for a moment—they began to lose ground. Eventually, Moses became exhausted. That’s when Aaron and Hur stepped in. Sensing Moses’ need, they sat by him and held up his arms so the battle could be won.
Walking through a crisis or trial on our own can be wearying. We all need Aarons who can grieve and weep with us, who know how to intercede and pour grace over our aching hearts.
God, please send me an Aaron. I feel alone in this battle and I’m a mile past exhaustion. Show me kindness by sending friends who can help me bear these burdens. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer is Powerful
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” – Acts 12:5, NIV
Peter was imprisoned by King Herod. The evil king had already killed James and now he planned to execute Peter. But while the king was plotting, the followers of Jesus were praying.
The night before Peter was to go to trial, an angel appeared in the cell with him. Peter followed the angel out, supposing that this was a vision or dream. But what happened was real. Peter must have laughed as he hurried down the dark streets, looking for his friend’s house.
When he arrived, he told the servant that he was Peter. The servant reported this to those in the house and they laughed at her. But she was insistent and eventually others went to investigate and found Peter waiting on the porch.
Sometimes, we feel powerless to help hurting friends or family members. We think we can’t do anything but that’s not true. We can pray for our loved ones that God would intervene in their situations.
As you wait for God’s answers, continue to seek Him and strive to honor Him with your choices. The Christians in Peter’s story continued to meet together and pray, despite how grim the circumstances must have looked.
God, when I’m tempted to focus on how powerless I feel, remind me again that prayer is powerful. Help me to stand strong in moments of temptation and continue to worship You no matter what’s going on around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
Then he said to me, Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. Daniel 10:12 NASB.
Daniel was a prayer warrior. He prayed daily, seeking God constantly. That fact alone is remarkable. But when you consider the time he lived in, it’s downright amazing. He was a captive from Israel who had been taken to Babylon.
He was known to the king, who seeing Daniel’s wisdom, promoted the young man. As a result, Daniel developed powerful enemies who tried to destroy him.
Once after Daniel had been praying over a coming war, an angel appeared. The angel told Daniel that from the first moment of prayer, God had heard his requests. These prayers were immediately answered.
But Daniel did not see those answers for many days. Then one day, an angel arrives to explain that he had been traveling to give a reply from the Lord but was unable to come due to events happening in the spiritual realm.
Daniel’s story illustrates that we may not always see immediate answers to our prayers. But that doesn’t mean that God’s not listening. Not only does God hear your prayers, He will also be faithful to answer them!
God, when I’m praying for others and I get discouraged, help me to remember the story of Daniel. I want to stand strong in my faith, even when it feels like nothing’s happening. In Jesus name. Amen
Powerful and Merciful is our God
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” – 1 Kings 18:38-39, NIV
The nation of Israel was at a crossroads. Some of the people worshipped Baal and other false gods. But a few like Elijah still followed the Lord’s commands.
Elijah knew it was time for the people to choose who they would serve. So he called the king and all of the prophets of Baal together. He proposed a plan: the wicked prophets would build an altar and offer a sacrifice, calling out for their god to send down fire.
They did this early in the morning and they continued all day without results. That’s when Elijah built an altar and doused everything in water. Then he called out and fire fell from Heaven, proving that the Lord is God.
Sometimes the people around us need to see God’s hand moving and know that He’s real and He intervenes in real life situations. When you come across these people, remember Elijah and pray that God would send them a sign.
God, thank You for being the God who listens! I pray for (name) who needs a reminder of Your Presence and Majesty. Send them a sign that they would understand how powerful and merciful You are! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Gifts from the Heart
Author: Kingdom Enlightenment Ministries
Jesus was in the temple, observing all the wealthy wanting to be noticed as they came with their offerings. He noticed a very poor widow dropping two small copper coins in the offering box. “Listen to me, ” he said. “This poor widow has given a larger offering than any of the wealthy.
Luke 21:1-3TPT
Valerie clutched her last five dollars tightly in her sweaty palms. Since being widowed a year ago, every dollar went toward keeping food on the table for her growing sons. She worked two jobs each night, she crawled into bed exhausted.
She could hold onto her last bit of cash, but she thought of her church’s homeless fund. “There are others out there with even less,” Valerie reminded herself as she dropped the money into her church foyer.
A similar situation happened one day when Jesus was visiting the local temple (church). Many gave with much fanfare, drawing attention to their extravagant gifts. They were seeking acknowledgment and praise from those around them. Sadly, much like gift-giving today.
But their gifts didn’t impress the Messiah at all. Instead, He highlighted a widow who had thrown in two coins. Though she was poor and could use the money for her own household, she gave generously to others.
This story illustrates a simple truth about Jesus: The size of your holiday gift doesn’t matter. What matters is the intention behind that gift. When you give from your heart, Jesus is delighted with your offering whether big or small.
Lord, please help me to be a generous giver. Let me give- not to receive praise or recognition- but from a sincere desire to honor You and others.
Stuck Marriages
There comes a time in some marriages where the couple gets stuck. Honestly I can say after being married 9 years and walking with people in marriage for years… you aren’t stuck when one just REFUSES to take action. I lovingly say… that’s rebellion.
I’m not talking to those who have been working hard, keeping their face before God and working through personal growth areas. Although this may help you toward the end. Or the ones in extreme conditions like abuse. Depending on the situation, there are different things to consider in those cases. But for most other marriages I want you to understand that most marriages fail because ONE or BOTH persons refuse to get up and get real help. Where they open up and tell the whole story of their side and not only their spouse. Where they are willing to get healing from painful areas going all the way back to before they may have met their spouse.
It is typically out of lack of trust, denial, or fear of some kind. The flip side is… if you really knew the effects 10, 20 or more years down the road of how an irresponsible divorce would effect those sweet faces you raised and nurtured or the spouse you walked with. All of the excuses, the blame, responsibility shifting, and lack of obtaining help becomes completely foolish in the end. When either of you refuse to allow help from a person or a resource… all of your excuses will seem trivial in the wake of a destroyed marriage. Stop playing Russian Roulette with yourself, your spouse, and your children when you refuse help. Know that the way you process through your marriage does hold weight in GLORY. And it affects your life and the life of your children. You’re accountable for what happens with your family. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. YOUR COVENANT, Your CHILDREN, your LEGACY are that important. How you process your marriage is how your kids learn of marriage. Go to wise counsel. Not just a buddy. Sincerely ask God to send someone, He is faithful and will show you who to turn to. And it doesn’t work when you constantly make excuses saying that there is no one, especially if you’ve not given God the opportunity to show up for you. Ask Him…
You CANNOT live according to the flesh and your own desires and feelings and expect GLORIOUS results. Sorry… our carnal nature doesn’t yield that kind of fruit.
HOWEVER if you’ve been acting responsibly about your issues, or you’re in serious danger, or you sought help, worked through your own issues, AND you allowed God to guide you through your decisions…. AND it STILL doesn’t work… you’ve acted wisely. You minimized much more than you can tangibly grasp even in the first few years after a divorce. But that doesn’t have to be the end.
In beautiful contrast, I’ve seen horrible marriages become beautiful ones. Some of which pleasantly surprised me. BUT it’s because they PUT IN THE WORK. They fought for their lives! First on their OWN issues (believe me it’s NOT just your spouse) and then toward their marriage. Choose BRAVELY and choose WISELY with your life. Like my husband, Morris Moore always says, “Each person in a marriage is respnsible for the damage in some way even if it’s perceived to only be 10%. Find out from God what your responsibility is and work on it.”
If you’ve reached the end of this and your thoughts keep racing… saying… but THEY.. my spouse won’t do anything about it. Then you’ve missed the whole point. Read again. It starts with you, your relationship with God, bravely admitting and processing YOUR stuff. You make the first move and pray for them to follow. But don’t focus on your spouse… focus on closely walking with the Father. That will take all of your energy. Let God take care of your spouse. Turn your thoughts of blame and hurt to God. This is to bless and not hurt you. It’s a post of love and fire to see your family succeed. It’s only impossible if you say it is.
Some resources that may help are the following books:
Click on the Title for the book link
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
