Our Mighty Fortress

Father God ~

You are awesome and your unending love for us is matchless in all things known and unknown. Thank you for all you are to us. We can't even fathom your greatness. You are our mighty strength and refuge and ever-present help in times of trouble. You are always there, always helping, always loving, always ready to lead us as we surrender to you. You are our mighty fortress. Help us to be still and want what you want and hate what you hate. May you be exalted among the nations and exalted in the earth. Drench us with your HOLY SPIRIT. Come, spirit of God. Come. In the good and great name of Jesus. Amen and Amen!


Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4 U Ministries

Thank you King Jesus for those who served

Beloved…

This Memorial Day I can’t help but think about and want to thank the many men and women who gave their all for us that we might every day enjoy the freedoms we now possess. These mighty brave souls faced life-threatening battles as they defended our country. Many people have given their lives for us so we can be free.

I had the chance to thank a few servicemen yesterday for their sacrifices made to serve our country. I can’t thank them and others like them enough, so I am lifting them up in prayer to our Almighty Father.

Father God ~ I pray you will surround those who served yesterday and today with your strong arms, shower them with your loving grace, and make your presence forever known in their lives. Gracious God, give the troops now serving, and their families, strength, comfort, and the courage to face each day. May our love, compassion, and support shine on these brothers and sisters. May they know we love them and appreciate all they are doing for us. In the good and great name of Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen!

May the God of peace be with you all.

Shalom,

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4 U Ministries

Heal the brokenhearted in Joplin...

A monster tornado ripped through and smashed the southwest Missouri city of Joplin on Sunday evening. A total of 116 fatalities have been confirmed among the widespread damage. The tornado also ravaged a major hospital, just when it was needed the most.

Having survived several tornadoes in the Midwest, I have a deep compassion for those devastated from natural disasters. I know from experience the first two to three days after such an event, everyone is so thankful to be alive. It is in the rough days that follow that people change.

People change as their hopes and dreams have been extinguished. They begin asking questions like “why me?”, “why didn't God just take me?”, “where was God?”, and “why does bad things happen to good people?”

Anger takes over the body with Satan leading the way. Yes, you are upset that you may have lost everything you have worked for, but God has saved you. Conditions were right for a terrible storm to flatten the town taking everything and everybody, but many were saved. Praise God!

Please join me in praying for these people as they begin to put back together their lives. Pray they will forever be thankful and that they will take the bad from all of this and make it good.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV.

Our God does no evil, but he can cause and allow bad things to happen, but always for our own good. We are told in Psalm 147, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” We are now calling on the LORD to heal the brokenhearted of Joplin.

Dear God in heaven ~ You are the almighty king of the universe and ruler of all things known and unknown. Hear the prayers of your dear children. I pray that these brokenhearted people will turn to you for strength, courage and guidance and not turn away from you. Wrap your loving arms around them as they face hardship and sorrow and embrace them with your unending love. In Jesus name. Amen and Amen!

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4-U Ministries

Jesus heals many...

Mark 1:29-34 (NIV)

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Dear God in Heaven ~ We thank you King Jesus for healing Simon Peter's mother-in-law many years ago at her home near the Sea of Galilee. Thank you for taking away her fever and thank you for healing many people that evening of many diseases and driving out demons. O LORD, thank you for continuing to do miracles and healing today. In the good and great name of Jesus. Amen!

Rick Hawbaker
Jesus Heals Today

Talk of rapture...

Greetings… There has been a whole lot of rapture talk going on lately. Again someone has predicted the world will come to an end at a certain date and time. I have been getting emails from folks around the world asking if this is going to be it for us and have been fielding questions at work.

The word of God very clearly says in Matthew 24:36 (NIV), “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Jesus told in Acts 1:7, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

Make no mistake about it. No one except God knows the day and hour of Jesus return to earth. If Jesus did not know isn’t it crazy to think someone on earth knows.

Do your business with the LORD surrendering to him and be ready. British Baptist Preacher Charles Spurgeon said in the 19th century, “Christ’s coming will be sudden, startling, universally visible, and terrifying to the ungodly.”

Don’t be caught unexpectedly. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and admit you are a sinner and repent of your sins. This free gift of forgiveness and eternal life is offered to everyone, but it is yours only if you make the decision to receive it.

Shalom,

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4-U Ministries

Praying for one another…

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV).

Often times we find ourselves in the position of not knowing what to say to a brother or how to help a friend in need. I ran into someone this week I had not seen in four years. We hurried to catch up with one another’s happenings while we had been absent one from another.

Joy filled our hearts as we talked over old times of working together. As I began asking about his wife and children, suddenly the light fun conversation switched to serious talk.

With tears in his eyes this young man informed me that his wife, 34, had colon cancer. Sadden and shocked, I offered to pray for the love of his life. That is the most we can do for one another.

I ask you not to forget you have brothers and sisters who are hurting and in need of prayer. Please don’t let them down, but lift them up in prayer to our God. For our God is the mighty healer and the mighty provider. He is all to us and we can’t make it without Him.

Shalom,

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4-U

Revealing the glory of the LORD…

I was driving to work at sunrise through the singing hills just south of town. Oh, what a beautiful day was coming. God’s presence was there to be seen. Rolling hills of scattered pines dotted the landscape. The freshness of the morning displayed the glory of our Maker.

I popped up over a hill and noticed a lot of deer running along the shoulder on the other side of the road. Looking to the right I could see two deer watching the others run. A look straight ahead sent a signal to my brain to stand on the brakes immediately because there were three deer crossing my path.

An Angel of the Lord alerted me just in time. My vehicle stopped three feet short of killing a deer, or two, or three, and possibly myself. All glory and praise to our coming and risen king. He has given me more time to release His presence.

Holy, holy is He. Although I stopped on a dime, God did not stop there. He went on almost immediately to show me a vision of my father carrying a newborn calf across the field to the shelter of a barn.

That scene of my father playing through my mind actually happened over fifty years ago. It was the exact thing that happened and I had not recalled it since. God put it through my mind again.

It got me thinking of my father. He was a passive and compassionate man of God. The glory of the Lord shined through him. He gave me a good example of how to live for Christ as he was obedient to God’s commands and possessed the compassion of Jesus addressing the needs of others.

That’s how you reveal the glory of God.

Father God ~ You are awesome in power. The extent of your greatness is unknown. Your glory has always covered the earth, but many have never seen it. May I boldly release the presence of God, displaying your glory, and bringing forth your kingdom. May the knowledge of the glory of the LORD soon cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. In Jesus name. Amen!

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4 U Ministries

Life is very precious...

“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.” 2 Samuel 14:14 (NLT)

Life is very precious. One does not really understand how precious life is until they are in a situation where they are losing their own life, or come near to death through others.

The Van Bibber family last week was on their way home from a funeral when a deadly accident struck. Three of the five family member lives were snuffed out.

Christina Van Bibber and two of her children were seriously injured in a vehicle crash. Her husband, John and their 14 year-old son, Caleb, were killed.

Jessa and Jacob, their other two kids, were listed in critical condition. Seven year-old Jessa died on Mother’s Day. At this writing, mother Christina and Jacob were the only survivors.

Each moment we have on earth should be treasured. Don’t let life slip away from you. We are told in Isaiah 43:7, that we were created to glorify our creator and that’s what we need to be doing.

Get to know God through a personal relationship and be a blessing to others. Make the most of your earthly life. It is a one-time experience. Use your time wisely to be prepared for eternal life.

Shalom,

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4 U Ministries

God's light shines when all else fails...

Mindy, one of my co-workers, a year ago packed up a few things and put everything else in storage in California. She then moved to Colorado to help with her family. In the past ten months, cancer has taken her mom, her sister and last week, her brother.

Half of her family has been snuffed out by cancer. Mindy and her brother have been left alone with their father. Their father has a bad heart and goes in this week to look at his options of how to treat the cancer that has begun taking over his body.

Mindy has built strong relationships with others and with Jesus Christ and these relationships are giving her a huge boost as problems seemingly come at her from all directions.

She has found that to make it through the sadness of disappointments, the anxiety of loss and the stress of change, she needs others for encouragement and support.

People can be a great help in these situations, but they are human and will sooner or later let you down. If you try to handle it alone, you will be defeated. God’s light shines when all else fails.

The best lessons in life are often dealt out to us as we struggle the most. We need to put our hand in the hand of the man who stilled the waters. We have to keep paddling our boats through the storm. God will never be shaken.

‘Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.’ – Isaiah 41:10.

Father God ~ You have called us out of darkness and claimed us to be your children. We do not understand all of the time the “why’s” involved in our lives as we face tests. But we know you are in control and that you are pruning us and making us better. Thank you for caring for us. May your power and glory radiate through us. In the good and great name of Jesus. Amen!

Shalom,

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4-U Ministries

Keep on loving each other...

Jack was a man who returned to work pulling himself out of retirement to collect some cash for a project at his home. His wife, Alice, had become unable to walk in the past year and he so much wanted to make their home handicap accessible for her.

He found a part-time job and he had such hope in his heart of raising $1,500 needed to transform his home for his wife. Their marriage was nearly 60 years strong. He wanted to spend every daylight hour with Alice, but trekked off to work three mornings a week.

Jack fell to the ground at work as a stroke took his life. He had shared his dream of helping his wife with several co-workers. One of his friends at work, George, took charge and passed the hat collecting money in memory of Jack.

Much to the surprise of George, the 120 co-workers tossed in $1,200 in the first two days following Jack’s death. George knew just how important this was to Jack and to Alice and did not think twice about taking $300 he had pinned to his curtains in his home and donated it to the cause meeting the goal of $1,500.

With tears in his eyes, George handed over an envelope with $1,500 in it to Alice and said, “here is the money Jack was working for to pay for your home project.”

This is a tale of two strong believers in Christ. Both men showed the compassion of Jesus. They both picked up their towels and served someone else like in the example of Jesus being the servant of all.

The second part of the story of the “Last Supper” (John 13) is the example of Jesus serving others. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, doing a job that servants did. People walked most everywhere then and their feet were hot, dirty and tired. Having them washed really made them feel good.

If we all were servants to others and helped others live happier lives, would not this world be a great place to live in? We are told in Hebrews 13:1 (NIV) “Keep on loving each other as brothers.”

Father God ~ May we truly love one another as much as we love ourselves. Give us the desire to take up our towels and take care of the needs of others, like Jack and George did for Alice. May we show our love for one another by serving them. In Jesus name. Amen and Amen!

Serving a Living God,

Rick Hawbaker
Praying 4 U Ministries

Our light has come...

You are awesome, O LORD! You are mighty and we are so fortunate you have picked us to be your children. You knew what we are to become and you still picked us.

Thank you for the promise you have given to answer us when we call and to not forsake us. We are forever grateful to you.

You have written in Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV), “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Thank you for being there for us. You are available 24/7.

“No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 (NIV).

May your fire fall down on us and may we never be the same. Give us the desire to pursue you. Show us your way Lord. May your love flow through us to others. Show us your glory.

We know you are alive and know you sent your son, Jesus, to earth to give us a better life. Thanks for His precious blood poured out for us and thanks for your great mercy and forgiveness. You are all to us!

You told us in 1 Corinthians 8, “But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.” (NLT). Knowledge puffs up, but love strengthens us. Drench us with your loving Holy Spirit that we might love like you.

“We can only behold Jesus by having a living encounter with him,” wrote Bill Johnson, of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. May we surrender to you and stop stumbling through the darkness. Jesus is all we have and indeed all we need!

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1.

Serving a Living God,

Rick Hawbaker
King's Kid