Power Outage

UPDATE: The power is back on! Praise the Lord! Thank you for your prayers!
Prayer Warriors, there's been a power outage in the sanctuary at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. It happened in the beginning of the filming of Session 9. They've sent everyone away for an hour. Please pray! Thanks!

Message Preparation

Hi friends. Mom and I have been sending text messages back and forth for the last few minutes. She's having to prepare four messages today to get ready for tonight's and tomorrow morning's sessions. I don't know how she does it! Only the Lord! If you wouldn't mind, would you lift up this preparation time to the Lord?

After these sessions, she will stay in New Orleans and film intros and outros until Monday. Looking at it that way, she is about halfway through. I'm sure she could really use a big gust of the Spirit's wind to carry her on. Thanks for investing in this taping with your prayers, sisters!
We love you,
Amanda

New Orleans Update

I just got to talk to my mom and wanted to give everyone an update. It sounds like things are going very well so far at the Breaking Free re-taping. Mom said it was a true miracle of God, possibly even a sign of the return of our Lord, that she has stayed within her 60 minute time limit for all three sessions. (Kidding. Let's not get a letter circulating!) That has never happened even one time in all of her tapings! When she goes over her allotted time, it always makes things harder on the editors and on Beth herself because they have to hack away at the lesson. So praise God with us for this miracle and let's ask Him to keep it up!

One prayer request for today is for plenty of energy and rest. Mom slept very little last night. She went to bed around 11 p.m. and woke up at 2 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. She really struggles with sleep after she teaches at night, whether at a Living Proof Live event, a taping, or even Tuesday night Bible study. She gets really wired and her mind can't stop teaching. She is teaching two sessions each evening for this taping, so it's twice as challenging. Even though she's tired, she is in very good spirits and is believing God to give her everything she needs for tonight.

Please ask God to keep her in good health. Also pray that all 11 sessions will have the full energy of the Holy Spirit. Pray that not one of them will drop, in Jesus' name!

Several of our siestas are attending the taping, including JennyHope, who keeps everyone in stitches. I've even heard a rumor that she may have bequeathed a jumbo pencil and back scratcher to Beth. (Maybe she will enlighten everyone who wasn't at the Siesta Fiesta as to the significance of this gift.) If any of our other siestas attending the taping are online today, let us know you're there. Mom wants a list of names!

Y'all should know that my husband Curtis is normally the first person to complete my mom's Bible studies (that we know of), but we think JennyHope is going to have him beat on Esther. Jenny has confessed to having stalked her LifeWay store until she got her copy. I'm not sure Curtis is going to do Esther: It's tough being a woman. But if he does, he can write "It's tough being married to a woman" on the cover.

Thanks for your prayers, ladies! They really do make a huge difference. We love y'all!

PS - We should be hearing from Melissa soon!

Breaking Free Taping

Hi ladies! This is just a little reminder that the Breaking Free taping in New Orleans starts tonight! Please be praying for our Beth, the LifeWay crew, and the attendees.

Beth flew out of Houston immediately after speaking at a luncheon for pastors' wives at our church. (HFBC is hosting the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention this week.) I was fortunate to be able to attend with one of my best friends and we had such a neat time. And yesterday we got to have lunch after church with more than 100 IMB missionaries who are going to be appointed on Tuesday night. (Some of them are Siestas!) I'm going in reverse order, but that was right after an awesome worship service in which our very own Miesta, Travis Cottrell, led worship with our choir and orchestra. Do I even need to tell you how grand it was? Wow! Praise our glorious God!

It has been a really neat couple of days and that's just the beginning for Beth. I can't wait to hear and eventually see on video what God has in store for the taping this week. Thank you for praying, ladies! We are so blessed to have your support!

Taping at Life Today

You girls know we are absolutely shameless in asking for prayer, so here I come again with another request! Mom is in the Dallas area, my old stomping grounds, this weekend. Between tonight and tomorrow afternoon she will tape five teaching sessions for "Wednesdays with Beth" on "Life Today with James and Betty Robison." (She'll teach two sessions tonight and three on Saturday.) She does several of these tapings each year. These weekends are incredibly intense. Imagine a Living Proof Live event with two extra sessions. Each time she is completely dependent on God for a sustained anointing, perfect health, full energy, restorative sleep, concentrated preparation time, focus, and a great connection with the audience - in other words, a demonstration of the Spirit's power! It is a good and desperate place to be.

My dad is usually with her on these weekends because they feel that she benefits from the covering of his presence and his prayers. He is not able to be at this particular taping, so we would like to ask our sweet siestas to help us with some extra prayer coverage for Beth. These episodes reach what is to me a mind-boggling amount of people. Please pray that Jesus will completely overtake my mom and use her to teach the Word boldly and accurately to the studio audience and viewers at home. Pray that His name will be glorified through all of this. Thank you so much, friends! It is all about Him!

We love you bunches and we are so thankful for you.
Love,
Amanda

PS - You can watch all the previous episodes online here.

Prayer Request for Bible Study

Hi ladies! I wanted to let you all know what a big night this is for your LPM siestas so you can be praying. We are kicking off "LIT," which is our fall Bible study series. (Registration is closed.) My mom and Melissa are co-teaching a class of about 150 18-25-year-old ladies and it will begin tonight. Next Tuesday Curtis will kick off his ungraded class for men and women. We are so excited! Please pray for Beth and Melissa as they begin their class tonight. Please also pray for the young ladies who will join us this fall. Our Bible study coordinator is Jennifer Hamm, in case you want to lift her up by name. She is awesome and works so hard! Okay, gotta run. I have to leave the house in 15 minutes and I'm not even close to being ready! Story of my life. Thanks, sisters!

For the Chapman Family

Dearest Siestas,

The Living Proof Ministries blog will go dark for three days as a representation of silent mourners sitting beside our friends and co-laborers in the Gospel, Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman and their children. We pray that this small effort will serve as a reminder to all who visit here to go face down and intercede for this dear and loving family at this terrible time of loss. We have chosen three days as a symbol of resurrection as we plead with God to comfort them, tend deeply to each one of them, and raise them in the months and years to come from this place of unimaginable grief.

Faithful family of God, our deepest thoughts, love, and prayers are with you and will remain with you for many months to come.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:1-4

Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.


Comments closed.

Last Day of Taping

*UPDATE*
Here's the latest text message my mom sent me:
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! God heard the prayers of the saints! It was cold and at times sprinkling the least bit but mission was accomplished to the great glory of God! 4:28 p.m.

Hey Siestas! I would like to ask for your prayers for the taping today. Beth and the crew were not able to film this morning because of bad weather. They are getting ready to try again right now. Please pray for God to clear out the rain and grant them favor to get everything done this afternoon. He is so gracious! Thanks, y'all!

Two Texts From Mom

1:41 p.m.
God has held back rain because of the prayers of the saints! 70% chance all day! I love you!

5:51 p.m.
God was glorious and graceful! We met today's goals! Only Jesus!

Thanks for praying for the taping. One day down, two to go.

Prayer SOS for one of our Best LPM Buddies

Hey, Siestas! I am so grateful for your kindness. This is from an email I got from Trav and Angela last night:

"Thanks so much for the call to prayer you gave. Ang and I were overwhelmed as we read all of the sweet prayers and messages. Too much! What an amazing community. I am proud to be a MIESTA. Their prayers are already working..."

Then a text this morning: "Hey! On the plane right now. Thanks to the prayers of sweet siestas...I am much better! Worst of it pretty much gone. Just feeling a little run down. Thanks for sending the SOS!"

Let me tell you how much impact you had through the power of Christ, Girls. The man I talked to yesterday - even last night via text - was in no shape to get on a plane this morning. But he did. God be praised! Never underestimate the power of prayer!! When you band together to believe God, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. God LOVES the faith and unity so much.


Original request:
Siestas, I wonder if you'd quickly jump on the prayer train with me for our dear friend and ministry partner, Travis Cottrell? He is really sick (nothing serious but pressing and almost travel-prohibitive - fever, etc.). He's got several huge things coming up at once that need his utmost attention. First of all, it's his and Angela's darling Levi's fifth birthday (that's their baby) and they have his party today, then EARLY in the AM he's got to board a flight to Puerto Rico for work with the International Mission Board THEN he goes straight into a city back in the States to serve at a church later in the weekend. I told him this morning if he didn't get dramatically better soon, to consider allowing me to unleash the Siestas before the Throne of Grace in his behalf. Just got a call from him saying, "DO IT!" So, Siestas, DO IT!!!! Thank you so much. We have no dearer friends than he and Ang to LPM. I love you!

PS. You guys are the best. I just got home from Bible study and checked your responses, praying in agreement with you. Travis is the kind that will be really touched and humbled by all the support and so will Angela. I cannot even express what a wonderful woman of God she is. You'll never waste a prayer on her because she is the one holding the three-children fort down (complete with home-schooling) when Trav is away. I loved the prayer for Travis that one of you related to the Scripture in Mark where Jesus raised the woman from the fever and she immediately began to serve Him. YES! Very appropriate! That's what we need to happen. I'll get you guys an update as soon as I hear one from him. Look at the top of this same post hopefully at some point over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Keep praying until we get him to Puerto Rico and feeling strong! I am so thankful for you. You really came through on this. I knew you would, Christ be praised!

Breaking Free

My mom will be back soon for more wedding talk, but in the meantime I am bursting to tell you all that today is the first day of Bible study for 2008! Beth is incredibly excited and encouraged to meet our group. We will be studying Breaking Free. The core message of this study is simply freedom for the captives. I think it's fair to say that many, perhaps even most of us siestas have been involved in this study before. I know that everyone who has been changed by Christ's message of freedom will share in our joy as we set out to proclaim that wonderful message for the next 10 weeks.

We are excited to get to tell you that Breaking Free is being revised, much like the Tabernacle study (A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place) was. Some of the messages will stay exactly the same and others will change completely. The updated sessions, which will mirror those taught this semester, will be taped in the fall. We could not think of a better location for the filming than Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, where the study was originally filmed ten years ago! (Having to add in a little note here with information we didn't originally have so that we can help prevent calls to their church. The taping is a special occasion between Beth and their church and not open to the public. Thanks so much for your understanding!)

Siestas, may we incite your intercession yet again? (I was going to say "one more time," but I know as long as there is a Living Proof Ministries, we will be asking for your prayers!) The enemy loves to see God's people in bondage, and because of that we know he will come against us and against those who will participate in this study. Even so, while we want to be alert and aware, we march into this semester of Bible study with a spirit of victory and not of fear! Amen? Nothing could be dearer to God's heart than ministering freedom and victory to captives, so we will do it with confidence, fearing no evil.

We claim 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control." (The Amplified Bible) And we wholeheartedly believe 1 John 4:4, which tells us, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (NIV)

Our primary prayer request this semester is for the captives not to grow discouraged. Please pray that they will indeed be set free! Pray that each one will finish and make freedom in Christ a reality in her life. I am getting excited just typing these words! I am filled with faith that God is going to do a huge work in each life.

Other things to pray for include anointing for Beth to teach, anointing for our praise team to lead worship, wisdom and endurance for our Bible study coordinator (Jennifer) and other staff members, peace and calm over the parking lot and in the sanctuary as the women arrive, that many will come early, that the parking lot will accommodate every car, and for there not to be even one distraction while Beth is teaching tonight. The list could go on and on! Thank you in advance for your prayers. May God's glorious name be praised!

Requesting the Honour

A Valentine's Prayer

My powerful and glorious and holy God, with everything I have and everything I am in Christ, I come before Your Throne to intercede on behalf of marriages. Lord, I come before You with complete confidence because I know with irrefutable certainty that I am praying according to Your will. Father, You are PRO-MARRIAGE. You are FOR US. And if You are for us, who indeed can be against us? Lord, Your enemy the devil is waging full scale war on the marriages of Your own children. Havoc resides in the earthly house of God. Our churches will only be as strong as the families that inhabit them.

If not for Your Spirit living within us, Satan's psychological warfare would be almost too much to bear and his lies too sly to discern. We cry out to You, Lord! I ask You to rise from Your Throne in behalf of each of our homes and marriages and cause our enemies to scatter violently. Open our eyes to the deceit of the enemy that tempts spouses to think they need something - someone - brand new. Help them to see that it would be an unending cycle of newness always wearing off and demanding something deeper to sustain it. Renew us, Lord! You created marriage and You alone can sustain it. Breathe fresh life into each of our marriages. You are a master at resurrection life. Raise marriages from the dead, O Lord! Reclaim those that have given up. Put a holy tenacity in them to refuse to let go. Give each spouse eyes only for the other. Cause each husband to thrill to the touch of his wife. Cause each wife to thrill to the touch of her husband. Renew a fiery passion in their hearts toward one another. Fill each wife with the desire and obedience to treat her man like he's the real man You created him to be. Forgive us our serious trespasses of dishonoring or belittling our spouses in any way. Forgive us for making our men secondary priorities to our children. Help us to see that the best thing we could ever do for our children is to have a wonderful relationship with their father.

Cause each man to be lavish in his demonstrations of love toward his wife. Open his eyes to see how hard she works and how badly she needs his blessing. In turn, open her eyes to the pressures that fall daily upon her man and enable her to love him in a way that soothes and relieves him. CLAIM OUR HOMES AND OUR MARRIAGES, LORD! I know You can perform miracles over the worst of marriages. You performed countless wonders over my own. Lord, in Jesus' Name, You bring to a stunning halt every weapon forged against each couple and every scheme the enemy may already have under way. Bind every single person and subsequent action that may be coming against one of these marriages. Halt any hint of extra-marital flirtation or fantasy in the powerful Name of Jesus. Cause any other person that has become dangerously attractive to now become utterly repulsive to them. Empower every person at risk to flee for his or her life from sexual temptation and immorality. Make each spouse TRUE, Lord, in heart, soul, and mind.

God, I lift this to You with great urgency and fervency. Enough is enough! Enough Christian marriages have disintegrated! I don't just pray for couples to stay together. I pray for them to LOVE staying together. I pray for the return of laughter, flirtation, desire, and life-long commitment. Interrupt mediocrity with fresh fire. We are all weak in our natural selves, Lord, and we know we'll never have perfect marriages and homes but we are fully capable in Your sovereign power to have good ones. Healthy ones. FUN ONES. L-A-S-T-I-N-G ONES! Lord, the beauty of praying in Your will is knowing that every single couple who desires and receives it can have it. Every couple can be healed. Every couple can be in love again. Every family can be whole if they are willing. Make them willing! I offer this intercession with the absolute belief that You initiated it, Lord. You do not waste time nor effort. If You prompted it, You meant to answer it. Now, compassionate and wonderful Father, do what only You can do. Out-do everything we ask. Do more than we could think to request so that Your great Name can be magnified above all else. I set before You every marriage represented by those who read this entry. Cause every couple to have a glorious Head-on collision with You, Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Nothing is too difficult for You. My prayers are unmistakably heard and my thanks already appropriate because I offer each of these petitions in the incomparable and delivering Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.