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  • 16 hours ago
    Posted by Dion Todd
    The king talked with them; and among them all was found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore stood they before the king. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchante...
  • Wed at 3:01 AM
    Posted by Dion Todd
    If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, "Don't handle, nor taste, nor touch" (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men? These things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imp...
  • Tue at 3:01 AM
    Posted by Dion Todd
    While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 WEB.While his wife gave birth in a stable, the strong smell of farm anima...
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  • March 25, 2022 - led by Lynn Brown
    This is a group for RHM sponsored events like corporate fasts. Everyone is welcome to join and participate in things currently going on in the ministry. We love you and thank you for being a part of Refreshing Hope!
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Sledgehammer

  • Sledgehammer from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

    While working in construction, I have had the pleasure of breaking up concrete with a sledgehammer. You can swing and smash, but nothing seems to happen for a while. You can get exhausted without making much of a dent if it is reinforced. Then finally, you swing, and it crumbles. You managed to break through because all those previous swings had weakened it.

    I find that praying is a lot like that. Now, I know there are times to pray in faith and stand on it. When you pray and know that the Lord has heard you, then you wait patiently. 

    The Apostle Paul asked the Lord three times to remove his "thorn in the flesh," but the Lord told him, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). When Paul received the answer, he stopped asking. But unless you have that inner peace, then you keep praying until you do. 

    That's how Jesus did it. On the night of the Last Supper before His arrest, Jesus went to the garden to pray. He knew Judas Iscariot had gone to betray Him and was bringing an army to arrest Him. Jesus went and prayed three times, saying the same words:

    (Matthew 26:36–39 NKJV)  Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

    (Matthew 26:40–44 NKJV)  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

    Jesus lived as our example, and on the most stressful night of His life, He went back and prayed the same words three times. He kept smashing that rock until the peace came. That night, it was an angel who appeared from heaven and strengthened Him (Luke 22:43). 

    You pray, then pray, and pray until the breakthrough comes. We are as weak as water today because we don't. "Bleh... I don't have time." The truth is that we don't believe it will help, or we would find some prayer time.

    (Luke 18:1–5 NKJV)  Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' "

    We always ought to pray and not lose heart! Never give up on prayer. In the parable, you have a powerful judge, able to put people in prison, and a helpless widow. She had nothing to offer the judge, but she pleaded with him relentlessly until he gave her what she wanted. She kept hammering away at that rock until it shattered. 

    Pray until the answer comes: "Lord, I know You heard me earlier, but this is important to me, and I would really love an answer from You."

    It's not that God is like the unjust judge or doesn't care about our prayers, but spiritual warfare is going on in the heavenlies, and our prayers cause things to move. In the book of Daniel, there is a story where Daniel was fasting and praying for twenty-one days. Then a Man suddenly appeared to him. Daniel collapsed, and the men with him fled in terror. 

    (Daniel 10:12–14 NKJV)  Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come."

    The answer to Daniel's prayer began on day one, but there was a struggle in the heavenlies, and it was day twenty-one before he received the message. What did Daniel do? He kept fasting and praying until he got the reply. 

    Like the Apostle Paul, it is best to move on when the Lord has given you an answer. Whether or not it is the answer you wanted to hear. Never try and change His mind, for He knows the end from the beginning and can see the havoc your prayer would likely cause. 

    Example: King Hezekiah became sick and near death. The prophet Isaiah came and told him to put his house in order, for he would die. 

    (2 Kings 20:1–3 NKJV)  In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.' " Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

    (2 Kings 20:4–6 NKJV)  And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years. 

    Hezekiah recovered and lived another fifteen years, but during that time, he had a son named Manasseh, who became the most wicked king Israel had ever known and led the country away from the Lord (2 Kings 21:16). 

    A mentor of mine went car shopping once and spied a cute little red Chevy Vega on the car lot. He put his hand on it and prayed, "Lord, is this the right car for me?" and heard, "No." Now he knew the Lord's voice and that it was Him speaking. He walked around the lot and didn't see anything else interesting. 

    So he went back to the cute little red car and prayed again. He heard "No" a second time. He called his wife and told her about it, and she said, I don't feel right about that car. He looked around the lot again, laid his hands on the car, and prayed if this was the right one for him. This time he heard, "Yes! You need this car..." 

    He bought it and started home, but it ran out of oil on the way. The engine blew, and it sat at the end of his driveway while he made the payments on it for the next two years. Sometimes, we need that car. 

    Keep praying until you get your answer, but then let it go, even if it's not the answer you wanted to hear. 

    You can pray this with me if you like: 

    Prayer: Heavenly Father, I love You and thank You today! Please give me wisdom in prayer, and help me discern when You are speaking to me. I want what You want, for You know best. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!


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Social Sharing

21 comments
  • 1
Kevin J. Eck
Kevin J. Eck Amen!
August 29, 2022
  • 0
Debi Burton
Debi Burton Heavenly Father, I love You and thank You today! Please give me wisdom in prayer, and help me discern when You are speaking to me. I want what You want, for You know best. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen! ❤️
August 29, 2022
  • 5
Liesel  aka  Lisa Wardle
Liesel aka Lisa Wardleedited: August 28, 2022

Amen and Amen!!! Oh Lord, my God, may I earnestly pray like "Jabez" in the old Testament, when he asked the Lord to increase his borders, so that others can see You, oh Lord, and be drawn to You! Please give me discernment when I go to you in prayer, may I always pray according to Your will in my life and the lives of everyone around me, and then please give me patience to wait on You, because You know all things, and you know what is best, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen and Amen! Thank you Pastor Dion for todays's message!

August 28, 2022
  • 3
David Fabillaran
David Fabillaran

Amen Lord Jesus!

August 29, 2022
  • 3
Kay Collinsworth
Kay Collinsworth

Amen Father 

August 29, 2022
  • 3
Patricia Walker
Patricia Walkeredited: August 29, 2022

AMEN. Heavenly Father,  You know the best for me.  Here my prayers..  Amen

August 29, 2022
  • 3
Candy Laventure
Candy Laventure

Great message, Pastor.

Praise our Lord. Amen!

August 29, 2022
  • 2
Brenda F
Brenda F

Amen

August 29, 2022
  • 2
Dana Rozell
Dana Rozell

Amen!

August 29, 2022
  • 2
Marisa Jackson
Marisa Jackson

Amen!!

August 29, 2022
  • 2
David  Earlywine
David Earlywine

Amen 

August 29, 2022
  • 2
Celeste Strenn
Celeste Strenn

Amen

August 29, 2022
  • 3
Yvette York
Yvette York

Amen Good Morning Everyone 

August 29, 2022
  • 2
Scott Riegelmann
Scott Riegelmann

Amen thank you Father for hearing my prayers my life is in your hands 

August 29, 2022
  • 2
Lynn Brown
Lynn Brown

Heavenly Father, I love You and thank You today! Please give me wisdom in prayer, and help me discern when You are speaking to me. I want what You want, for You know best. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

August 29, 2022
  • 1
Richard Mondello
Richard Mondello

In Lord Christ Yeshua's name we pray, Amen. 

August 29, 2022
  • 1
Wanda Pennington
Wanda Pennington

 Thank you Lord Jesus for hearing my prayers. Forgive me for being impatient with your answers.  I trust you Jesus and know you are taking care of me and my family.  Amen 

August 29, 2022
  • 1
Cathy Webb
Cathy Webb

Thank you, Pastor Dion, for drawing my attention once again to prayer. Never thought about the sledgehammer quite like this. Always learning new facets! Lord, give me wisdom through our conversations. Thank you. Amen

August 29, 2022
  • 1
Mari Kaufmann
Mari Kaufmann

Please hear my prayers. Amen

August 29, 2022
  • 1
Bella Colliander
Bella Collianderedited: August 29, 2022

My Heavenly Father, Your will be done.  Thank you Pastor, I love to just talk to my Father. Amen

August 29, 2022
  • 1
Wesley Paulus
Wesley Paulus

Amen! 

August 30, 2022