Dive into this week's podcast as we explore divine grace inspired by recent tornado warnings in Georgia, connecting them with the story of Esther. Learn how to receive and share God's abundant grace amidst the challenges and envy that come with blessings.
Experience the power of being in the right place at the right time, as Esther did, and use your blessings to uplift others. We discuss overcoming envy and finding strength in life's uncontrollable events, inviting you to discover grace so profound it's visible even to adversaries.
End the week on a high note with Psalm 150, drawing closer to God through praise during our Thursday prayer calls. Embrace kindness and the joy of giving, building a cycle of blessings that enriches all. Stand together in faith, and no storm will be too great to weather.
Dive into this week's podcast as we explore divine grace inspired by recent tornado warnings in Georgia, connecting them with the story of Esther. Learn how to receive and share God's abundant grace amidst the challenges and envy that come with blessings.
Experience the power of being in the right place at the right time, as Esther did, and use your blessings to uplift others. We discuss overcoming envy and finding strength in life's uncontrollable events, inviting you to discover grace so profound it's visible even to adversaries.
End the week on a high note with Psalm 150, drawing closer to God through praise during our Thursday prayer calls. Embrace kindness and the joy of giving, building a cycle of blessings that enriches all. Stand together in faith, and no storm will be too great to weather.
Come join us at our virtual events monthly. Visit our website to learn more.
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no-transcript. All right, good morning y'all. It's Thursday morning, come out of the wilderness prayer and I'm adjusting my music. For those of y'all who I haven't met before, I know that there's a lot of folks now watching us on Parade Deck Live TV in their faith channel, and hey y'all, good morning, and a shout out to everybody who is catching us on Facebook, through YouTube and X or Twitter. You know all the spaces, the people who listen to us at the end of the week. There's a lot of folks that are being blessed on replays and I'm just glad and grateful. Good morning, faithful Tracy. I'm just glad and grateful that the Lord has given me another opportunity to just come before y'all.
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There's so much happening, and today we're in the second week of talking about grace, and part of the reason we're talking about charis or grace is because five biblically represents grace, grace and grace and favor, and so we've been really leaning into uncommon grace and uncommon favor, and so we're talking about grace in time of need, and I thought it was so appropriate this morning. I'm, physically, I'm in Georgia, I live in Georgia and there's a lot of storm and tornado warnings going on this morning, and so I thought, wow, what an incredible time, because there are a lot of people who are in need of things that are so far outside of our control. It's one thing to be in need of financial help, because maybe someone will come along and donate to your cause. You pick up some hours on the job and that's something that you can see tangibly like oh how. This is something that could be remedied. But if you're someone that's in the path of a storm a storm in your life, in the way that we're in the path of our tornado, we can't control the storm. We can't stop the storm. We can't manipulate a tornado. All you try to do is get out of the way and you don't even know where that thing is going to move.
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When the storms of life come and you're in real need, in great need that, this is that moment that we lean on God's grace and his favor. So, lord, I thank you for showing us that this morning, because a lot of times we come to you with what we call these small asks. We ask for things that you know you will bless us. You will give us the manna of the day, you will give us the ideas, you'll give us the finances, you'll give us the you know you will bless us, you will give us the manna of the day, you will give us the ideas, you'll give us the finances, you'll give us the. You know the things that we need, those tangible things.
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But there are things when the life, that life storms show up when we have a greater need you know greater need and healing, even in our minds and our bodies, a greater need in areas and situations we just can't control and we have to rely on you. There's nothing we can do when we were in the path of this storm, all we can do is trust you, god, and rely on your grace and favor. So I just wanted to start at that. That is just a powerful again. You know a lot of y'all who are saying you want to hear from God. If you just step back and look at what's happening around you and you look at what's happening through your spiritual eyes, right, you don't just everything isn't just natural Like, oh, you know, ask God what things mean. He will show you, he will show you some of these lessons that I'm teaching you.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so we're going to talk about grace in time of need today. Amen, thank you, tracy, thank you, lord, for provision and uncommon grace and exactly and your favor, so even that you know there's a declaration that we say out loud every prayer that we do Mondays and Tuesdays. Every prayer, we do a declaration because we're speaking God's word over our lives, about what he says about us, and one of those lines, one of those things comes up, is that his favor surrounds me as a shield and that's so important for you to know that when you're in this time of need, and again, because we're on so many platforms, but especially on the ones that are on the LinkedIn streets, where there are a lot of people in business, or people who don't have jobs, or people who are looking for jobs, or, you know, people who have real health issues and things like that you know this is, this is again today, just going to help encourage you a little bit, right, I pray that God is going to meet you where you are, but you know, just for you to open your heart, to put your heart in a posture that you, you hear from him right. So, lord, I just give this over to you. Have the Holy Spirit for you to have your way and teach us.
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We're going into Esther and I think for a lot of believers. You know the story of Esther, the chosen queen, and there's a couple of things that I wanna show you that he was showing me in a different way to look at Esther. And so when you come into the word of God, the scripture shows you what happened in the past, but it also shows you a way for you to see yourself. It is a scripture is like a seed in your life, right, it's like a seed that's planted. And so when I go into the scripture, I end up, I plant myself in the story and then he'll show me, show me what it means for me in that story. And I pray that, as you're asking God to reveal things to you, that's that's what you do, right, you come into it's not just coming in and reading these stories and go, oh, that's great. I always ask him what does that mean for me? And and so he'll open that up and reveal things and you'll end up finding out things and learning some of the ways, the mysteries of God. When you're in the story, you're not just reading it like, oh yeah, I read the Bible in 365 days, but you didn't even catch the word. The word is Jesus. Okay, I'm sorry, that was a sidebar.
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So Esther 2, and I'm coming to verse 16 and 17, and it says and Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the 10th month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the women and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. So he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. I'm going to show you something. Maybe you've picked this up for yourself, or maybe this is something new for you, but one of the things that I ask when I'm asking God to give me uncommon favor and uncommon grace, I will even come into this word and say, father, in the same way that you gave uncommon favor and uncommon grace, I will even come into this word and say, father, in the same way that you gave uncommon favor and uncommon grace, when he's showing me this king, this, for me, is a representation of what God is doing for me, and so when I read this word and I want to release this for those of y'all who are in, I mean, a real season the storm is coming. You can't get out of the way. Okay, you know, when you read this word and you're putting yourself in this word, men too, all right.
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When you're reading this word, the scripture, and you're putting yourself in the word of God and you start to open your eyes and call on some of the same things. His word is yesterday, today and tomorrow. The king loves Shelley more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all of them, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. You see, I start to put myself in God's story, because what he said, what was true for Esther, is true for me. The same God that gave grace and favor to Esther gives it to me. The same God that gives grace and favor to Esther gives it to Tracy. The same God that gave grace and favor to Esther gives it to Michael. You got to put yourself in his word, and another thing that he was showing me was the same way as he did it.
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He is the king of king, the Lord of lords, and so, as he is my king, he is the one that crowns me. He is my king, he is the one that crowns me, and when God sets you apart and set what we call the royal crown on my head. Instead of others. You're going to come across people, as you're stepping into more grace and favor, who are jealous because you've gotten that crown. But listen, he's setting the royal crown on your head and it causes you to stand out. But it's not just for you to get this blessing, it's not for you to. You know, you're in the storm of life and the Lord has blessed you and the Lord has given you grace and favor and you just hold on to that thing as if it's yours.
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Because if you go into the rest of Esther, you understand that the favor that Esther received, the reason why she had won the grace and favor in the king's sight, was because God has set her apart, because he was gonna use her to do something for his people. It was for a much larger purpose, a much larger purpose the advancements that Esther made. It says Esther hadn't told people who she was, where she came from, and Mordecai in this story told her not to. So there are some times when God is placing you in a position of grace and favor where it's not time for you to say anything. All you have to do is to be in position with what God has told you to do, but this grace and favor that she won. And again the word says in his sight, meaning people saw this. Lord, bless me with such uncommon grace and favor that it is known. But, lord, use that. I want to be in the position where this grace and favor is an overflow into the people around me. So I thank you God. I thank you God. I want you to go back into this word.
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This is Esther 2, 16 and 17. And as you're reading about this king, I want you to think about our King, jesus, and how he loves you more than all, and how he gives you his grace and favor inside of everything, inside of everyone, how he set his royal crown on you. You don't have to fight or compete about what he's doing for anybody else. He set you apart. Isn't that amazing? And verse 18, it says then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants. It was Esther's feast. I thank you, god, that there's a great feast in heaven All the officials and servants. It was Shelley's feast.
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That's the kind of grace and favor that we're going after, uncommon grace and favor that can only come from God. And so I'm going to stop sharing, as you're in this time of need right now, whatever it is that you're standing in need of. Some of y'all are just trying to fight to get your mind right and you're asking God, give me strength, give me favor in my job as I'm dealing with my manager and my colleagues. Give me favor and grace in my finances as we're trying to pay off these bills and we're struggling financially. Give me grace and favor, lord God, in just sending our kids to school. Give my kids grace and favor so they come home safely. Lord God, provide for us in such a mighty way in this time of need. Father, give me grace and favor that I'll survive life's storms, the ones that I cannot see right. Give me grace and favor. Isn't that amazing? So I want to encourage you. I want to encourage you. That's the kind of grace and favor and it can only come from God. Abba, lord, jesus Christ, god the creator, holy Spirit.
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I just want to be clear, because a lot of people say God and we don't know who you're talking about. I just want to make sure you understand which one I'm talking about that level of favor and grace that comes upon you when God puts on that royal crown on you and others see it. Others see it meaning even your enemies. Who are your enemies? Your enemies come to you in even your mindset. Sometimes your mind can attack you Fear and doubt and depression, mental health issues. I'm just telling you these are attacks that come on you. Health issues, those are attacks that come upon you. But yeah, even people who people peopling right, people will see it and they, you know, people will see it and they become envious and that becomes a kind of an enemy to your flesh right. So God will bless you, even in front of your enemies.
Speaker 1:
On common grace and favor, now I want to give you one last scripture, and this is I hope this blesses you. This is a how do I stay uplifted when I'm going through these things? Because, as we're asking for grace and favor, there's some of y'all who are going through the things. Okay, and so how do I? How do I stay like, what do I do when I'm in the middle of this storm? Like I said, I started out by saying that there's storms heading. Like I said, I started out by saying that there's storms heading, physical, for real storms heading. This way, we cannot control the weather, right, we cannot control it. So there's storms heading this way.
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And yet here's this verse I'm going to share with you that really talks about praising God. If you want to see God, you know. Encounter him, encounter his presence in the middle of a storm is what I'm talking about. As you're in that time of need and you're praying for God to give you grace, to lift you up, I'm going to share with you a scripture that helps you and I'm going to read it out. I'm going to share it on my screen for those of y'all who listen to me on the audio streets.
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But this is Psalm 150, and this is a word that we release. Praise to God in the middle of your storm, as he's pouring out your grace. Thank you, god for that. And the word says praise the Lord, praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in his mighty heavens, praise him for his mighty deeds, praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound. Praise Him with lute and harp. Praise Him with tambourine and dance. Praise Him with strings and pipe. Praise Him with sounding cymbals. Praise Him with loud, clashing cymbals. Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. I'm telling you there is nothing that can come between you and God when you release this praise. This is Psalm 150.
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I read from the ESV version but as you're in this period, this time of need, and you're waiting for God's response, you're waiting for that blessing, you're waiting for those doors to open, this is where you start praising, praising God. Praise him, praise him in your time of need. And I'm telling you, this uncommon favor and grace that he has, because he wants to bless you, will come upon you. You have to submit your heart to his plan and not yours to his plan and not yours. You have to submit to him. And so, as you're going through grief, as you're going through loss, as you're going through pain, if you're on the job and you're having a little trouble with the colleagues and the coworkers or maybe it's your spouse or your children and you're waiting for God's favor in this time of need, praise him through that. You're waiting for God's favor in this time of need. Praise him through that. Praise him anyway.
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It confuses the enemy. It confuses your natural mind, because your natural mind is we're tuned to. You know, fall into the depression and fall into doubt and fall into fear. When we're in a time of need, where is God? So whenever I meet someone and they say where is God, where is God, I tell them did you praise? Did you praise? Did you praise? Did you praise? Right? Some of the answers to your prayers are locked up. They're not being released to you because you're so busy complaining. Where is God? Where is God? And yet he's already released the answers and you're missing it. Praise him, praise him anyway, and all these things will be added onto you.
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So I encourage you go into Psalm 150 in your time of need. I know it sounds contrary. I would love to tell you to go find a good song and rock out to it. I would love to list the list of gospel songs that helped me through it. It's not going to help you. I'm just telling you right now go into the word and release it over your life. Praise God, praise God. Go into Psalm 150. I dare you to go into Psalm 150 in the middle of your time of need, in true prayer, in the middle of your prayer, right, right, in true prayer, and release that over your life. I dare you not to see something happen. God is amazing.
Speaker 1:
Father, I thank you that you're with us, that you've given us your uncommon grace and favor. And in the same way that you gave that favor onto Esther, when you set her apart, you placed a royal crown on her head, you poured out your favor so that she could be blessed, so that she could bless many, lord God, I ask that now, for every person under the sound of my voice that's standing in need of whatever it is, father, if they're standing in need of help, help if they're standing in need of jobs, if they're standing in need of breakthrough, father, if they're standing in need of healing, would you give that to them now? And as we come to you praising, praising you with all our breath, praising you with our hearts, souls and minds, oh God, believing what you say about us, knowing that it's your favor that surround us as a shield, father, we thank you for everything that you are doing for us. I thank you that you are interrupting our schedules and you're even shifting through our minds. I ask that you will show us the areas in our lives where we really need to do some work. I thank you that you're inviting us to come closer to you, lord God, so that we can understand your will for our lives, this charis, this grace, this uncommon grace and favor, father, will you pour it out on them now, like fresh oil in the morning? Would you pour out your grace and favor on those who are seeking you with their whole heart, with a contrite heart, with broken spirits? Would you pour out your grace and favor on them? Let this be a day that they will never forget. Give them the encounter that they're asking for with heaven. Lord God, release your angelic, help the angels of blessing, lord God, the angels of grace, the angels of favor, in every area of their lives where they need it, lord God, open their eyes so that they can see.
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And I thank you, lord, that, just as you have blessed Esther to go forth among many and to save nations, that those who are under the sound of my voice, who have been called to do this kind of work for God, this kind of ministry, that they will also receive uncommon favor and grace to go into the world and do what it is that you've called us to do. Thank you, lord. I thank you for uncommon favor and grace for all the leaders under the sound of my voice, that you will help them to make wise decisions, those who are believers and those who are not. Lord God, I thank you for giving uncommon favor and grace to the teachers and the police officers and the analysts and the counselors and the therapists and the ministers, pastors, everyone anyone who's under the sound of my voice, consultants, whatever their profession is, whatever their assignment is. That you will give them your grace and your favor this month, lord God, as they are seeking you out. Father, I ask that you will give us uncommon grace and favor as we support International Academy of Smyrna. That you will bless us so that we can bless them, lord God, so that every student there is blessed and no one will go with a need not met. That you will give uncommon grace and favor to all the teachers and the administrators in this organization.
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We ask for uncommon grace and favor to all the pastors who are leading, lord God, in Bible-based churches. That you will show yourself to them. Thank you, lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you, lord, for everyone who is listening and for those who are in need. Lord, I thank you for the blessings that you release.
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Father, I ask that you will heal broken hearts, disappointed hearts, hearts that are blocked up with fear and doubt, lord God, that you'll remove those scales from their eyes so they can see and they can fully receive this gift of grace that comes only from you, lord Jesus, and we thank you for that. We thank you for these blessings, we thank you for your favor, we thank you for your grace. I thank you that, as your word declared, as Gabriel said this to Mary, oh favorite one, that that is our name as well. Oh, favorite one, I thank you that we are favored by you, that we are set apart by you, we're blessed by you, we have that grace. And so now, lord, as we move into this day and as we move into the rest of this afternoon for those who are around the world listening that we will encounter you in such a different way, and as you give us grace and favor, lord, I pray that you'll press on our hearts, lord, god, so that we do the same for others. It's not for us to be selfish when we are blessed by you. It's for us to give it away. What a strange and wonderful thing, amen, that when he blesses you, the more God gives me, the more I want to give it away, and the more I give it away, the more he blesses me. Isn't that strange, thank you? Thank you, lord, for overflow. Amen, y'all. I hope this blessed you.
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Grace in time of need, if you don't know where to go, go to God first before you start complaining. Before you start complaining, go to God first. I hope this blessed you. Remember what I said go back to Psalm 150. If you're in your deepest, darkest time of need I know, as I'm saying it, someone's saying that don't make any sense. Why is she so happy? I'm in Psalm 150, praising God. That's where I'm at and he's amazing. He shows up all the time.
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Again, this is a Thursday call. That means we have Thursday prayer, one o'clock and seven o'clock, eastern standard time. You can call our prayer phone line 30 minutes of prayer. You can call in from wherever you are. If you're in the US or the UK is free, call in, tap in and get prayed. We'll stand up, you know. Stand with you in prayer. So God bless you. Y'all. Have an amazing rest of your week and go in God's grace. Amen. I love you, but Jesus loves you more. Please, please, be kind to somebody today. You don't know what people are going through. Amen, all right, take care.