When I think about this idea of getting to serve the Lord in ministry, I am in awe all over again of how He chooses to use us to reach people and the world. I look back and remember the amazing things that He has done and what He has allowed me to see and to be a part of. I have seen the power of the gospel to change lives, marriages, families, and communities. I think about how God saved me at the age of five…My parents were missionaries and for the first time, the Holy Spirit opened up my heart to understand the gospel. We lived upstairs in this wonderful old house and the church was downstairs. I could not wait for my Daddy to come upstairs so he could pray with me to get saved. From that day on, God has been my rock, my refuge and my fortress…the one to which I could always go. When we go back to the story of how we came to know Christ, I believe it stirs up within us a passion to share this good news with everyone that we can. It is what keeps us going! We can get lost in our routines, our areas of serving and get discouraged when we don’t see what we continue to ask God for. Disappointment can be the very place that the enemy comes in and convinces us that God is not who He says He is and that He cannot do what He says He can do…Then we can lose hope and stop believing God for His mighty power to draw people to Himself, to build the churches and ministries He has placed us in, and for Him to help us fulfill our calling. We can be so disillusioned…that we stop believing the very God who called us on this faith journey. This year, I have felt this desire to go back…to remember and celebrate what God has done in our lives in the past… To remember how He saved us…How He used us to share the gospel with someone…How He led us…How He equipped us and prepared us… How He miraculously met our needs…and to proclaim to Him “I believe You will do it again!” “Dear Lord, I thank You for all that You have done for us…For saving us and allowing us to serve You. We claim Your Word today…”As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long…Since my youth, God you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.We pray for a great harvest of souls and we pray that You will empower us to share the Good News with the people in our neighborhoods, communities and all around the world.”

-Cindy Lyons

In ministry, there are times that we are tired. We have given everything we have and it seems like we are not making progress. Or we are waiting for God to answer prayers we have prayed for such a long time. There are times when we go through a season of loss or betrayal and we don’t know if we can keep on going. We can be so crushed by what we have gone through that we lose heart. We stop hoping and believing that God can truly bring victory. During one of those really hard times several years ago, I found this verse that absolutely gave me the strength to go on..to keep on believing God and His promises. I am sharing two different versions of this verse because both really have been such an encouragement to me. Psalm 27:13-14 “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” *It may seem that God is silent…but He is certainly working powerfully behind the scenes to accomplish His good plans. I love vs. 1 ~ “The Lord is my light and my salvation –whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life –of whom shall I be afraid?” “Dear Lord, When we are afraid, we put our trust in You…You are our light and salvation. We can trust in Your goodness…not just when we get to Heaven…but right here in the land of the living. So we will remain confident in You…our everlasting, all-powerful, and good God. We will wait on you. Help each of us to take one more step forward, believing You and Your promises… may hope and strength rise in our spirits. May we take heart and wait for You…to walk in our calling…to serve one more weekend…to teach one more class… because maybe today… just maybe… we will reach one more soul for You.”

-Cindy Lyons

I love this verse… it reminds me that it is not all up to me to get things done for the Kingdom. I need to say “yes” when God calls me to do something… and do it to the best of my ability…but I cannot do it all in my own strength. There are times, that we cannot see the outcome… we cannot imagine how God can use us. God loves to call us to do things that are out of our comfort zones…to step out and minister in ways we have not done before. He is always up to something new. When He puts a new idea or vision for something on our hearts, we can trust that He is working in us and will act in order to fulfill His good purpose through us. “Dear Lord, we thank You for inviting us to join You in Your plan to reach the world. We thank You for not only calling us, but for empowering us, equipping us and anointing us for the purpose You have called us to. May we not step out in our own strength, but rejoice that You are actively leading us and doing it through us. May we never shrink back in fear when You call us…may we trust that You are working in us in order to fulfill Your good purpose. May we believe You more and more and see You do great things in us and through us. Please be with our friends in ministry this weekend. May their faith grow as they see You at work in every moment of ministry… in their homes, in their marriages and with every opportunity that You give them. May they be assured that when You see their willing and trusting hearts, that You are so pleased with them…and can do great and mighty things.”

-Cindy Lyons

Do you ever feel like you are carrying so much on your shoulders? Your relationships… your family…your work…your responsibilities in the ministry? Many times, we love what we do, and we signed up for this…but we get tired, weary and sometimes lose our courage and confidence. There are times that we have been in a battle and have been shaken. We love God, but we are not sure we are going to make it through this trial. When we go through these times where we feel weak, uncertain or our faith is small…we can cling to God’s promises. I love this excerpt from Psalm 62. I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. “Dear Lord, We wait for You. You are the author and the finisher of our faith. When our faith is weak…we sit in Your presence and let Your Word wash over us. We can trust You and Your promises. You alone are our rock and our salvation… You are our fortress where we will NOT be shaken. Our victory and honor come from YOU ALONE. Please encourage and strengthen our dear sisters in ministry today… Help courage and hope rise up within them as they trust in You. May we see Your goodness in the land of the living and may we be able to praise Your mighty works and power to the next generation!”

Cindy Lyons: Founder of Friends In Ministry & Serves at High Street Baptist Church

We can look forward to this new year, because God wants to do a good work in each of our hearts and lives. Sometimes when we have gone through a difficult season, we find it hard to believe that the new season could be better. The enemy sends in fear to keep us from hoping, to unsettle our faith, and to steal our peace. During these times, I claim this verse out loud. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind!” If we wake up with a spirit of dread…waiting for the next bad thing to happen… this is the enemy trying to intimidate us. We can say “NO” to the enemy and claim God’s precious promises. Friends, we can trust God this year! We are on this journey with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! “Dear Lord, We thank You for Your promises in Your Word! We refuse the spirit of fear and we thank You for Your power, love and for giving us a sound mind! We thank You that You delight in the well-being of Your servants. We thank You for allowing us to serve You. Please be with our friends in ministry this weekend and we ask that You will lift whatever fear and oppression that may be over them and free them to serve with JOY!”

Cindy Lyons: Founder of Friends In Ministry & Serves at High Street Baptist Church