β Today's Promise: "Keep yourselves in Godβs love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." Jude 1: 21
~ Daffcar in Maryland
It was the end of July 2021, and I was thirsty for the Joy of the Lord to be maintained in my life. I grew tired of obtaining the joy of the Lord and loosing it hours or days later. Therefore, I set my heart to seek the Lord, to secure His joy in my life permanently. I started on a 6-day fast, starting on August 1st, and I said, Lord Jesus, My Heavenly Husband, just speak to me.
It was then, I was reading one of my daily devotions. On this very verse: "Keep yourself in the love of God..." Jude 1: 21. Then I remember asking, How Lord? How can I keep myself in Your Love? This seemed so impossible. Then a few hours -day later, I felt a push to read "Prison to Praise". I had bought a lot of books, from Erin's recommendations and other books from godly women and men as the Holy Spirit led me, and some I have had for months. I immediately went to my bookshelf to dig out that book by Merlin Carothers.
Prison to praise is a small book, and when I picked up this book, I could not put it down, and it was all that I needed. It was about just what my heart desires the Joy of the Lord. A thankful heart for the cross, of what The Lord has done and of the Love of the Father should be the source of my joy, and by meditating on that day and night that I am able to maintain the joy of the Lord.
Also knowing that the Lord controls every details of my life, even the miniscule details. With that in mind, I asked Him, My Beloved for forgiveness of how I sometimes complained about work, the assignments I get, and about things that others do to me. Then I started thanking God for everything. Right before I read Prison to Praise, I felt that God was preparing me for what He was about to teach me.
I remember right before my fast, I was talking to my sister, who was then pregnant at the time, and she said to me, "my behind hurts so much". and I said, "thank God that your behind is hurting". she said "what"? I said, yes, He knows all about it, even before it started hurting. Then she thanked Him, and we both laughed uncontrollably. It was such a precious moment that we shared. Then after I read "Prison to Praise", I understood the significance of what I said to my sister and I understand the lesson the Lord was teaching me: the Power of Praise is able to help me maintain the Joy of my Heavenly Husband: To thank Him in every circumstance.
After reading Prison to Praise, I looked up other books by Merlin Carothers, which brought me to read "Power of Praise". This book brought me to realize my deep error. I have been praying for God to bring my EH (earthly husband) to the states, only when He completely changed him. I would cry when I saw that his immigration processes was progressing, telling the Lord that my EH has not changed yet.
It was then I saw my horrendous error, and I asked the Lord to forgive me, and I also told another sister, who was helping me pray that the Lord will also change my EH (earthly husband) before coming to the states. I happily told the sister to help me pray for God to bring my EH just the way he is and to also help me thank Him for how my EH is right now. The sister did not reply as expected, and sadly this led to the end of our relationship. But I thank God for that dear Sister, and I pray that He will open her eyes too to that same truth.
I also was changed to thanking God for my hair, which I have also been complaining about, leading me to wear wigs. After reading one of the testimonies from Power to Praise, I thanked my HH (Heavenly Husband)for my hair, and that same day, I started just wearing my hair just the way He made it from the womb of my mother, natural.
My Heavenly Husband The Lord Christ, I thank You for revealing this precious truth to me through Merlin Carothers and Erin. I thank You and praise You for all that You are to me. I love You Lord!
"Keep yourself in the love of God..." Jude 1:21
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