 Dear Friend,
Another glorious day praying in concert is here! I look forward to meeting you at the Throne of Grace at 6:30 a.m. or p.m. Today's topic is one that may seem unlikely to you at first, but has everything to do with our prayer for spiritual awakening in America.
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Thank you for joining me at the Throne of Grace. Please see today's prayer guidebelow. I look forward to meeting you here again next week!
Your Sister in Christ,
 Natalie Nichols
President,
Shades of Grace Ministries
www.shadesofgrace.org |
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Passionate Pursuit
A Joyful Journey to More of Christ
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Piney Woods Country Club
3001 U.S. 59 S
Nacogdoches,
TX 75964
Registration Fee: $5
Registration required for hors d'oeuvres.
Registration deadline: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, 2010.
Register online at www.shadesofgrace.org
or by phone at 936.569.8741
Click here for more info
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| Concert of Prayer: April 22, 2010
An Unlikely Subject  of Prayer
Each Thursday we are praying in concert for spiritual awakening in America. The person the Holy Spirit led me to
pray for today may seem quite unlikely.
In the Concert of Prayer, we
have prayed for different people in leadership positions, from
government leaders to pastors. But the person who is the topic of
today's call to prayer is rarely singly remembered in prayer.
Last weekend my mother and I spoke at a women's retreat in the San
Antonio, Texas area. Before mom began sharing her testimony, she first
took a moment to exhort the women to pray.
"I urge you to pray for your pastor's wife," she said.
"Being a pastor's wife is one of the most difficult and lonely
positions in life. I know. I've been there. If you spend more time
with one woman in the church than another, then jealousy is a risk. In
addition, a pastor's wife has no friends - not like you and I have. She
can't speak to someone candidly about what goes on in her home. You and
I might have at least one friend to whom we confide about our husbands,
but a pastor's wife can talk to no one. Not even about the little
things that might be frustrations, like a husband leaving dirty clothes
on the floor. You and I can vent to someone about the little and big
things in our family, but a pastor's wife has no one. Being a pastor's
wife is one of the loneliest jobs on earth."
In the ten years mom and I have been ministering together, I don't
recall ever hearing her ask the women to pray for their pastor's wife.
This was rare...and stimulated me to much prayer and thought on the
subject.
As I have been praying about today's topic of prayer, the Holy
Spirit clearly led me to call you to prayer for your pastor's wife. I
don't think I've ever heard prayer requested for a pastor's wife alone.
Often she is included in a blanket prayer for the pastor and his
family, but rarely is a day like this set aside in prayer for just her.
What does this have to do with spiritual awakening you might ask?...
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| National Revival: It comes
down to you and me
Praying for spiritual awakening in America is a broad, sweeping
prayer. Ultimately, the awakening we desire on a national level must
first be experienced in our lives on a personal level. Corporate
revival comes down to individual revival, to our spiritual walk - our
personal repentance, submission, holiness and filling with the Holy
Spirit's power. It is not only hypocritical; it is counter productive
to pray for national revival on one hand while ignoring the conviction
of the Holy Spirit on the other. God's plan involves using us as salt
and light to facilitate spiritual awakening in our churches, our
families and our communities. If, as salt and light, we have lost our
savor and grown dim, we are wise to pray for personal awakening, personal cleansing and personal revival as we pray for the same on a national scale.
Last Thursday morning, as I woke and began praying in concert for
spiritual awakening in America, the Holy Spirit sharply turned my focus
from a national scale to a personal one. He did so through Francis
Frangipane's book, The Three Battlegrounds. That afternoon I tweeted a sentence from the book that stood out to me as immensely profound and powerful:
"When the Holy Spirit shows us an area that needs repentance, we must overcome the instinct to defend ourselves." [i]
This instinct launches a defense proceeding that is often days
underway before we realize what is taking place. I know that in my own
life, so often I've argued the case, defended myself, convened my own
jury and acquitted myself without realizing what has gone on in the
spiritual realm. Francis Frangipane continues:
"We must silence the little lawyer who steps out from a
dark closet in our minds, pleading, 'My client is not so bad.' Your
'defense attorney' will defend you until the day you die-and if you
listen to him you will never see what is wrong in you nor face what
needs to change."[ii]
I don't know about you, but I have let my lawyer argue my case for
far too long. I'm tired of playing lawyer, judge and jury. I want to
be made keenly aware of every area of compromise and darkness in my life....
To The Top
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| Wilderness Outcry
 As we pray today for spiritual awakening in America, I want to share
an excerpt from a letter written by Dutch Sheets. Not only does it
contain a powerful message, it informs you about an event I feel is critical for our nation: Wilderness Outcry, June 14-18, 2010.
America is in a horrendous crisis of monumental
proportions, a season much like Israel in the days of Joel. This Old
Testament prophet warned of devastating judgment coming to Israel, but
laced the warning with hope and God's mercy if certain things occurred.
That is precisely where we are in America. We Americans are a confident
and optimistic people, which is often good, but can also create a
dangerous denial and crippling passivity. This is happening with many.
But please do not be deceived by those who are saying everything is
fine. The truth is that we, as a nation, are in serious trouble. Listen
to these words from Joel - they are accurate for us today:
What a day! Doomsday! God's judgment has come. The strong God
has arrived. This is serious business! ... Shake the country up! God's
judgment's on its way - the Day's almost here! (Joel 1:15, 2:1; The Message)
The State of the Nation
If God brought corrective but serious judgment to Israel, we are
horribly deceived if we think it will not happen to us. If something
doesn't happen to lessen this judgment-and it can be lessened-we are
headed for very difficult times...
To The Top
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Interceding for 
America: Two Points in Prayer
Many American citizens are grieved over the corrupt politicians and
lack of representation in our government, especially after recent
legislation that defied the will of the people. To the sleeping nation,
it feels as though we lost America and our blood bought freedoms
overnight. However, unless we truly repent and pray for our nation,
things will only worsen. After I posted to facebook about our need to repent and pray for the
nation, a friend commented asking how she is to pray and "repent for
our government:" "I want to make sure I'm praying correctly," she said.
"And I don't know what to do to repent when [my husband's and my] votes
are carefully researched and prayed over before they are cast. I just
want to make sure we're praying well and doing all we can through the
Lord for the U.S." My friend raised an excellent point. We need even more specific
guides in prayer. Here in the Concert of Prayer related posts, we have
been focusing, and will continue to focus, on specific ways that we can
pray for our nation. Today we will pray for two things - and with each, pray broadly (for
the Church at large, for the Church in your community and for your
local church) and personally (apply it to your own life): 1. God, Give us Your Spirit of Prayer
"I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a sprit of grace and supplication" (Zech. 12:10, emphasis added).
Have you become complacent
about your time with God and His Word? Are your desires dictated by the
appetites of your flesh? Do you need a breakthrough in your finances, your
relationships, your business? Discover the key to a transformation
and supernatural work of God in your life...and your year! The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer. Twice Paul refers to Him in reference to prayer. "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15). "God hath
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father" (Ga. 4:6). One of these passages says, "we cry"; the other, "He
cries." In reference to this, Andrew Murray says "there is blending of
the divine and human cooperation in prayer."[i] It is the Holy Spirit who prays and by Whom we pray. We are helpless
to pray without an enabling of the Holy Spirit. We must have the
Spirit of supplication! If there is going to be a returning to God, it must begin with prayer. "From the day of Pentecost, there has been not one great
spiritual awakening in any land which has not begun in a union of
prayer, though only among two or three; no such outward, upward
movement has continued after such prayer meetings declined" - Dr. A.T.
Pierson
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Discover Natalie Nichols
& Shades of Grace Ministries
In the midst of severe
illness caused by undiagnosed Lyme Disease, Natalie Nichols came to rely
on God's Word to comfort and sustain her. Now through Shades of Grace
Ministries, she shares how you and your loved ones can experience God's comfort
and grace through life's trials.
Our
Mission
The core mission of Shades
of Grace Ministries is to lead others to seek and apply the Word of God in
every circumstance of life.
Our Vision
Shades of Grace Ministries
desires to see a world where every Christian walks by faith and stands
upon God's promises as found in His Word.
Watch Natalie's Journey
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In This Issue
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May 6, 2010
Come dressed to play on the beach and soak up the Son!
Piney Woods Country Club
3001 US 59 S
Nacogdoches, TX 75964
Registration required for hors d'oeuvres.
Registration Fee: $5
Registration deadline: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, 2010.
Register online or by
phone at 936.569.8741 Invite Your Friends!_____________
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God's Comfort for Life's Trials
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Shades of Grace now on YouTube!
Visit our channel
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Visit Passionate
Visit Natalie
on Facebook. ________________
Follow Natalie. ________________ |
TESTIMONIES
"I prayed the Prayer of Salvation...I finished the 21 day fast then started the Daniel fast till Easter. I'm doing Bible study every night. I know God sent me to you. Just those 3 words have changed my life:
"Miracle of Prayer"
L.P.
"Thank you so very much for the message that you shared
with us tonight. In all my nearly 32 years of being in...church, I have
NEVER heard the message that I heard tonight. I never realized the
importance and the need of fasting, what it REALLY means, and how to
apply it in my life. Thank you for sharing these truths with us. I
was so excited that I came home and "talked my husband's ear off"
telling him of all the things I learned tonight. I can't wait until we
all meet again...and learn of the things God is doing and going to do in
our lives. What an awesome thing God has allowed for us to experience
with Him!!!"
- D.S.
"I went tonight not being convicted about fasting. I left there VERY
convicted.....I'm in! It was a great night in the Lord, thanks Natalie! I
am truly refreshed."
- L.H.
"The service last Thursday was 'Powerful, dynamic and so anointed'. I
realize that I definitely was lead by God to be there at that meeting. I was suppose to work that day...God had other
plans. Praise Him. I definitely was convicted that
night to start the fast. And, HE has been so faithful and has given me
the strength and power to 'stick with it'. Praise the Lord. So thank
you Natalie and I can hardly wait to 'see the results'. I KNOW THEY
WILL HAPPEN. PRAISE GOD.
- B.M
We belong to a new, small church. Our pastor is teaching on fasting.
Your insights have been helpful to me in explaining [fasting] to so many in our
group who find this idea a whole new concept. Thanks for the teaching!
- T.L.
I cannot even tell you enough.. how much [your blog] has spoken to me - even
the timing is perfect...and the Lord knew
exactly what I needed to hear. God has confirmed some things even
through some of the scripture that was in this blog!
- A.M.
"I saw your post (Isa
iah 58:1, "Like a Trumpet"). It is my desire that God would
develop me into that kind of man. Thanks for your boldness..."
- K.W.
"The
day I heard your testimony was a life-changing day for me. I have never been
the same since! We Christians are in and out of the Word. We don't know
its value. Your testimony
showed me
that the
Word is our only hope."
- M.N.
I have appreciated what you have shared on fasting and
the different resources you have mentioned. About a month ago, I began feeling
like in addition to the 'extra' praying I was doing for my dad concerning his
cancer and treatments, that God was urging me to fast 2 days a week as part of
my prayer time for Dad....As I read your experiences and
encouragement, I felt the Father ask me again to do this for my dad as a act of
love and obedience. So for a couple of weeks now, I have added this to my
weekly routine. Whether it affects God answering my prayers for my dad's
physical needs or not, I feel a renewing of my peace and joy from my obedience.
In addition, my dad says he has had no side effects from his radiation
treatments so far and he claims that as an answer to prayer--as do I.
Thanks
for your encouragement and willingness to speak to us from what the Father has
given you.
- M.B.
"Although life is still a
struggle for me and my family, I know God is faithful...and your life is living
testimony to that! Thanks for the encouragement - revealed through your life -
that brings endless hope to hurting people. I praise God and know He is behind
it all!!"
- P.F.
"I watched the concert of
prayer tonight -- powerful praise and worship! I worshiped God in my living
room along with you...God is calling me to a higher place with him; I must
share the gospel with others -- in the places he gives me, no matter the
cost...Thanks for leading us into his presence."
- C.C.
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