Prayer Circle May 6:

Gen 25:21-26 KJV - 

"And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she [was] barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac [was] threescore years old when she bare them."

Hello Saints of God,

When I embraced the moment to pray for each of you, I did not fully understand, examine, or analyze what the ramifications would be. I'm not regretting the ramifications but I did not count the cost. I've never experienced carrying the load of a spiritual assignment and how the enemy will come to distract me from simply praying for friends. The enemy’s tactics are the same... kill steal and destroy (John 10:10). The tactic activities for one could be binge eating, cussing, drinking, cheating, lying or even a bad attitude; For me the tactical activities that the enemy uses to distract me is depression, men, sex, drugs, and alcohol. And believe you me the struggle is on... When evangelizing we encourage sinners by saying you don’t have to get it all together before you come to God because He is the source of power that thrusts you into your renewed life. (And God is showing me the same theme when it comes to Kingdom Living and Affairs.) I am not afraid of the struggle and by getting additional knowledge, revelation, and hands on training from God I feel empowered to take on the challenge of cultivating my birthed gift of Kingdom Intercession.  

I want to apologize for being MIA for the last 2 days but I've definitely been encountering new situations, new struggles, learning how to cope & rebound successfully. Last week Angela J helped me when I was struggling with suicidal thoughts & a bout of depression. The overwhelming feeling of sadness was preventing me from believing the Truth of God. Equipped with the understanding that I don't live based on my feelings I pushed through with prayer. My worship experience gave me a sense of relief and peace but the sadness was still there. I continued to keep up with my responsibilities and commitments but the sadness regrouped and transformed into a new activities which intensified the struggle.

Today I had an opportunity to be a part of a prayer call hosted by Aretha Tanner. Pastor Darrin Allen released a word from the Lord on the call. The foundation of the prayer was from Genesis chapter 25 versus 21 thru 26. One of the main revelatory messages is “God is using the struggle to stretch us”. In my time of intercession today God focused my attention on this message.

The struggle within us is based on the fact that we are pregnant with twins. One twin will be greater than the other one & the second born shall receive the inheritance blessing. Naturally the first born is supposed to receive inheritance blessing. Therefore, things in this hour will not always appear as they seem. We will need to trust God and a whole new way because what we are accustomed to will not be the norm.

The struggle can be a variety of things depending on what God has predisposed for your life. I spoke to Deandra Jenkins and she said the twins represented ministry & marriage for her. For me the twins represent… righteous living vs old habits & ways.

The stretching comes during a preparation moment during a transition, during a time of pregnancy. There is always a stretching moment and if you do not stretch during that time then you can cause injury to yourself and not finish the race. As a runner prepares for a race he incorporates stretching into his training regimen... even at the starting line there is a time to stretch. As a mother's body is prepared during pregnancy her stomach and body goes thru a stretching... and even in the final moments there's a huge stretching so that the baby can birthed.

I don't know if you are at the starting line or in a transitioning place but don't neglect to stretch. The stretch may seem unnecessary, mundane and an unimportant but it's a valuable & uncelebrated time that promotes self-perseverance.

Let's look 5 benefits of stretching…

Increased flexibility and joint range of motion:

As you age, your muscles gradually become shorter and tighter, reducing your overall flexibility. This restriction makes you more susceptible to muscle, tendon and joint injuries. Stretching is primarily responsible for increasing flexibility and reduces these risks. Increased flexibility also allows you to exercise more easily. Also stretching effectively increases your range of motion enables you to keep better balance. Better balance means you are less susceptible to falls and the resulting injuries.

Improved circulation:

Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts like lactic acid in the muscle tissue. Releasing the lactic acid will allow for healing in the muscles to take place and for a greater performance in your next workout. Improves circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you’ve had any muscle injuries. Stretching reduces muscle soreness after working out. The less sore your muscles are, the less painful it will be to work the same muscles and to exercise in general, and the more comfortable your day to day life will be.

Better posture:

Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.

Stress relief:

Since stretching is an exercise, it has the same endorphin-boosting effects, improving your mood and the way you feel in general. Stress causes your muscles to contract, becoming tense. Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress.

Enhanced coordination:

Maintaining the full range-of-motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.

Listed above are physical benefits for stretching our physical body. We are made of flesh, soul and spirit and the Holy Spirit showed me that there are many physical stretches that we can do to receive soul-ish and spiritual benefits. Praying, worshiping, studying, practicing foundational Kingdom principles, sharing the love of Christ, intercession, fasting, etc are some ways that I can think of immediately. 

What are some stretching exercises that you have found to work for you?