Prayer Circle: May 1

THE VALUE OF SELF ESTEEM

1 John 3:18-20 Message

My dear children let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

1 John 3:20 NLT

Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Many times our feelings can mask and disguise the Truth about who we are and what God is preparing for our future. We begin to doubt if His plan will actually be initiated and manifested into our daily life. This is especially true when we find ourselves in a disastrous situation created by our own hands.

The excerpt below is from a personal reflection journal during a time of regret and remorse.

I know there is something wrong with my mind. My thinking keeps me suspended in a chaotic world of bad choices and a pained heart. There is an apparent disconnect between how to get from here to there. Magnetically pulled into a destructive atmosphere filled with regret, disappointment, bitterness, loneliness, and hurt… my nightmare is transitioning into my reality.  No one sees the grief that is overwhelming the eyes of my understanding. No one hears my heart crying in anguish. No one to talk to, no one to trust, no one to support me, no one to love me. 

Have you ever been in this place? A place where tears flood your eyes as soon as you say utter “Je” and before you say “sus”. A moment where you want to give up on everything, a moment where you feel your efforts are fruitless towards achieving your goals, a moment of low self -esteem. Low esteem causes depression, unhappiness, insecurity and low confidence. Inner criticism, that nagging voice of disapproval inside you, causes you to stumble at every challenge and challenges seem impossible (http://www.more-selfesteem.com/self_esteem.htm). If we are honest within… each of us can be touched by this circumstance at one time or another. How can we arrest this situation?

1 John 3:18-20 becomes the lamp unto our feet and a light to our path. Love. Loving on God with all your passion (powerful and compelling emotion or feeling) and prayer (conversation) and intelligence (knowledge whether received or imparted; aptitude in grasping truth) and energy (available power); Followed by loving others as you love yourself. When you open yourself up to loving on God, He will fill you with His blessing (peace, love, invocation of good), making your life rich (prosperous, happy, building up), and he adds no sorrow (grief of mind, anger, hurt, pain) with it. When you open yourself up to loving on God, you enlarge your capacity to receive and give love. 

God’s love is more powerful than your feelings. Keeping your mind focused on God in these times releases perfect peace (completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, tranquility, contentment) and shows God that you trust in His judgment despite your circumstances, your behaviors, and your feelings. Keeping your mind focused on God increases your self-esteem or your overall sense of self-worth or personal value. Filling yourself with absolute truth leaves a strong foundation for you to stand on. When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. It’s upon the solid rock or strong foundation that God built his church through his people. And we are His church.

We build value within ourselves and promote godly change by practicing real love with God. Casting our cares upon the Lord especially when we are heavy laden and lowly in heart. He will give us rest. Take His yoke and learn of Him; and we shall find rest (blessed tranquility) in our souls.

Gracious and Loving Father,

Thank you for hearing our cries. Thank you for being with us in our times of desperation, hurt, grief, and low esteem. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to release our stress at your feet. We wash your feet with our tears and break our alabaster box in your presence. At your feet we gain our place of victory for you have placed all things under your feet. And you have given us the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. We step on the neck of depression, low self esteem, hopelessness, misery, sadness and despondency. We stand victorious in you. We declare and decree that an open window in heaven is releasing love, goodness, holiness, and righteousness. We open our hearts and minds to receive the fullness of your blessing.

Thank you for changing us within and cultivating a Kingdom mentality. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should shall praise your name because you called us out of darkness into Your marvellous light: We come to you with open arms and nothing to hide. We surrender to your love. I am grateful that you have Called and Chosen us to this path of blessing, experience, enlightenment, favor, growth, and increase. This is our season for grace for favor to reap what we have sown in tears in money in friendships in time in talent. Everything is working together for our good.

Bless Deandra today with your love father. Continue to teach her how to love your people as Christ loved the Church. Allow your love to anoint her prophetic gift and prepare her for her year of Jubliee.

Bless Angela J today with your love father. Continue to teach her that your love is everlasting. Remove any doubt that you have plans to prosper her and not to harm her, plans to give her hope and a future. Father your word declares you give beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness, please give her faith for doubt.

Bless Aretha today with your love father. Continue to teach her how to strengthen and restore her faith in your love. Allow your love to mature your fruit of temperance within her. Wrap her in your love and give her wisdom in areas are deficient.

Bless Sonseeahray today with your love father. Continue to teach her about your true purpose for her in your Kingdom. Allow you love to keep her mind focused on kingdom assignments. The harvest is plenteous but the labors are few.  She is worthy of her reward and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Bless Lynda today with your love father. Continue to teach her how to surrender to your love according to Psalm 37. Allow your love to keep her in a place where she can practice true love and trust you always in any situation.

Bless Lori today with your love father. Continue to teach and train her ears how to hear your voice. Let not her emotions in her heart and mind deceive her about the words you have spoken over and into her life. Allow your love to reconfirm what she has already heard you say.

Bless Antoinette today with your love father. Continue to teach her how being connected to you connects her with the ability to do all things thru Christ. Let nothing separate her from your love. Allow your love to increase her faith in You and your word.

Collectively we praise and worship you today. Thank you for connecting us in this prayer circle, thank you for connecting us with your love. In Jesus name I pray… Amen.

Name	Location	Summary of Request
Reverend Deandra Jenkins	Columbus, Ohio	Increase in Love gift and prophetic anointing; Year of jubilee (50th Bday)
Angela James	Silver Springs, Maryland	Increase in Faith, Removal of Doubt, and Change of Perspective about God’s Love toward her
Pastor Aretha Tanner	Clarkston, Tennessee	Strength and Restoration of Complete (Uncommon and Unusual) Faith, discipline, structure and increased wisdom regarding finances
Sonseeahray Foster	Jacksonville, Florida	Kingdom mindset and Kingdom focused, God’s true purpose being birthed out
Lynda Dorman	Silver Springs, Maryland	To fully surrender all to God as instructed in Psalm 37
Lori Rheubottom	Burtonsville, Maryland	Hearing the voice of God regarding matters of the heart
Antoinette Woodland	Washington DC	Increased faith and confidence in abilities