Weekly Devotions for Women
Happy Sunday, friends. Welcome to another of our Weekly Devotions for Women.
I wanted to use my little Christmas church for weekly devotions for women before I put away this weekend.
I have enjoyed how the morning sun shines on it to remind me to spend my morning time with the Lord each day.
Last Sunday, I said that I wanted to spend a few devotions on how God helps us through changes in our lives.
We so often experience difficulty in dealing with change and our Father is there to hold our hands through it all.
I also promised to share with you the biggest change moment of my life.
So here goes….thank you for joining me for these devotions…
WEEKLY DEVOTIONS FOR WOMEN: WHO I WAS
This potentially could be a very long story and some of you know it. But, I am going to hit the highlights and attempt to not get too long.
I was raised in an angry home. A home full of fighting and stress…constant tension.
When I left there for college, it was a type of rescue and, though I did return occasionally, I knew I never wanted to live there again.
But, I carried their anger with me, and began a host of bad decisions as I sought to make sense of it all.
When I finally entered the world of advertising/marketing (my journalism degree did not provide enough money to live on my own), I was not a nice person.
The “b” word was very appropriate to describe me in my early 20s. I was not enjoyable to work with or be around…and even known to scream at other drivers and use my fingers to show them my angst.
I listened to horrible advice from other ungodly co-workers. With each mistake, I sunk deeper into despair.
At that time in my life, women were encouraged to be “Bad A’s” in order to have success in the professional world.
It was around this time, that I began to drink and drink heavy, but by God’s grace, I never became alcoholic. I was proud of the fact, however, that I could drink any man under the table with Jack Daniels.
But Satan will use alcohol to take you to places you should not be and then use guilt to shut you down.
I shutter now, even writing this, to remember who I was.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONS FOR WOMEN: WHO I AM
But, praise God in heaven, someone was praying for me and He sent help when I was 25 years old.
A co-worker and his wife were persistent to share the Lord with me in a gentle and loving way.
They invited me to their Bible Study at a time I needed new friends.
That would result with me finding myself in an apartment on my knees experiencing an encounter with God who proved to me that HE IS ALIVE AND REAL.
That was followed by the co-worker’s wife inviting me to a women’s retreat.
At the end, the speaker walked off the stage and up to me in a large audience, and said, “You want to know Jesus.” I stood and prayed with her before everyone else.
At that time, God began His work to create in me a new heart and a new spirit.
It was not magic, but it was a continuing process where the old disappeared and the new thrived.
It seemed that suddenly, I was not angry any more.
I could not get enough of His Word and would listen on the radio and television to anyone preaching the Word of God. I stayed in constant prayer.
I began to be careful with what I allowed into my mind…what I was reading, and watching, and listening to.
Oh, I had moments where the enemy attempted to snatch me back, but I kept going forward in a relationship with my Father God that I now knew was real.
The more I studied the Bible and prayed, the stronger I became.
THE ANGER WAS GONE…THE ALCOHOL WAS GONE…THE DESIRE TO SIN FOR ACCEPTANCE WAS GONE. NEW PURPOSE WAS BORN.
It was such a powerful change that I knew God could do ALL things and worked miracles.
This is why I trust Him with changes in my life. When something happens that I did not see coming, I immediately go to God in prayer and then trust Him with the results.
When you experience first hand, His love and power to change, you need not worry about anything else.
I hope by sharing snippets of this story with you that some will be encouraged to trust Him with changes in your life that have taken you aback.
If you would like me to pray for you, please email me at [email protected]. I promise to pray.
Thank you for joining me today for the Weekly Devotions for Women…I am so blessed that you are here….until tomorrow…
EMBRACE TODAY & KEEP SMILING!
By Pamela Lutrell
Blless you for sharing your story. The Lord is so amazing! So thankful you let Him into your life and that He has used you to help so many others.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story, Pam. You are an inspiration to all. God bless you and everyone reading here.
Wow Pam, I can’t even picture your before compared to now. That’s a testimony to the way God can turn things around. Thank you for sharing that. I’ve read your blog for several years, but somehow I had missed some of those things.
He truly is God of the impossible.
After how God worked in my own life, I know He can change and help ANY life. Thank you, Cheryll.
Bless you Marcia. I encourage everyone to pray without ceasing for those people in your lives who need the Lord. Someone prayed for me and God reached down and answered those prayers.
He truly is, Cindy. He can change any life…any.
What a wonderful testament of God’s work in you. Praise God!
Lovely devotional. Very powerful.
God is so good! He changed my life and will do that for others too.
Thank you for being here, Becky.
Pam,
You touched hearts today with your testimony. As a fellow traveler, I pray for God to bless you and your family.
Marilynn
Thank you for your prayers, Marilynn.
God has blessed you Pam! Many of us women had the same struggles entering the workplace in the ‘80’s, being immersed in the new Feminist movement and having come from angry, unloving homes. On top of that, our male contemporaries still saw us as sex objects and second class citizens. No wonder we were angry! And yes, anger does not serve us well and is not a fruit of the spirit. I am so happy that you made it through and to the other side with the constant support of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
I have read your story before but didn’t remember the change in your character or the alcohol. Yes it sounds like satan was in control. But thankfully you were persistent and had people in you life to help you through that. Satan probably was trying very hard to keep you away from God.
Daily prayer helps.
Jesus loves us and he saw me through such a challenging time. We can trust Him to see us through our every day.
Satan was trying very hard to keep me from God and I watch him do this with so many lives. Never hesitate to pray for your loved ones. Whenever, I feel the enemy attempting to return, I immediately rebuke him in the name of Jesus. I have not even shared all of the information about this time in my life even now. I allow the Holy Spirit to tell me what to share each time. God know who is reading and who may know someone who needs to hear this portion of my testimony. Thanks Paula
Thank you for sharing your amazing story of redemption. God is so good! Happy New Year, Pam🥰
All the time…God is good! Happy New Year, Jen!
Pam, thanks for sharing your story again. You are a wonderful example of the change in a life for Christ.
Blessings always
My heart cracks each time I read your story, but then I smile when I see your smile and aura. God is powerful and healing. Belief and prayer is key.
God wants to help everyone. I am so thankful He ran to me.
Yes! And add in His word… then all things are possible. Thanks Deborah!
Thank you for sharing your story Pamela. I lived for 19 years in an angry abusive marriage until my last son left home. Then I started going to a small group of people that taught me to meditate. For years we all meditated for 45 minutes together and then talked of how God helped us in our daily life and to make it better. I met my husband Brent and we have been married now in a peaceful, happy marriage for 32 years. Prayer does make a difference.
What a wonderful story you found Jesus. Jesus is a life changer for the good. Everything God does is for His glory and our good
Thank you for sharing your testimony again. I have read it before, but each time I do, it hits home again. God puts people in our lives to help & guide us, & because He is a gracious forgiving God, He never gives up on us.
You are an amazing woman. I have loved following you blog for several years and consider you a friend as do many others who follow you. I think you have attained an all new success in your Sunday devotions. I so look forward to reading each one. Thanks for sharing yourself with us.
Jesus taught us about prayer and once we learn it for ourselves then we begin to pray without ceasing. Powerful.
Yes…for His glory!
Thanks Becky. His love is so deep.
It is completely for God’s glory alone. Thank you for the kind words.
I love these weekly devotions…thank you for sharing your story, Pamela. May I ask that my son, Eric, a musician who is trying hard to succeed in a less lucrative career, be added to your prayer circles? or any reader’s prayer circles?! The arts are so important to all of us, but they are not favored financially. I am praying that he can find his way.
Yes…I will pray for Eric. Thank you for sharing this Susan.
This was so inspirational!…so awesome to read!
You are amazing!