Category: prayer

Does this make sense?

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Jericho –

I’ve heard and read the story countless times. Therefore, I assumed that there’d be no new information for me here. I knew God could make anything meaningful of course, but I didn’t count on learning any new factual information about Jericho. Well, never assume….

Maybe you already knew this, but I didn’t.

In our Sunday service, Pastor Mike shared that Jericho had not one but two walls surrounding it – an inner wall and an outer wall. I never knew that. [More about the walls: http://www.israel-a-history-of.com/walls-of-jericho.html]

And it turns out that when the Israelites famously blew their trumpets and shouted their cries to tumble the wall, the inner wall crumbled onto the outer wall creating a ramp for the Israelites to enter. Their greatest obstacle became their stepping stone to victory. The greatest obstacle you face will become your stepping stone to victory.

Up until that point God provided for the Israelites. The day that they camped before Jericho was the last day that God provided manna for them (Joshua 5:12) Now God was requiring them to step out in faith. Faith requires us to do the unusual to bring about what God wants.

Before He gave them their marching instructions, He told them that He GAVE them “Jericho, its king, and all its mighty warriors.” The enemy was already defeated! (Joshua 6:2) We also fight a defeated foe. They had to go through the battle, and we do too. But we fight from victory that is assured.

Why did God have such an unusual plan for the conquest of Jericho? Perhaps it was to prove to them that HE was their deliverer, not their weapons or military expertise, not their skills or talents. Or maybe it was a test to see if they would follow His strange instructions completely. Not that He needed to see if they would pass the test – they needed to know that they could be obedient.

Jericho was considered invincible and that was the first thing on God’s agenda for Israel to conquer. Its defeat showed them (and us!) that it is God who is invincible.

Do you have an impossible obstacle? Take comfort from the words of Rahab – the prostitute and the only one (and her family) saved from Jericho because she was faithful to our Lord and sheltered the spies. “For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.” (Joshua 2:11) 

Please let me know how I can pray for you.
“The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” 1 Thess. 5:24


The Doubt Monster

Posted on by Susan Panzica


Everywhere I turn, it seems to be the topic of the day. Doubt. I was drowning in the “I don’t have what it takes…” Bloggers like Chatty Kelly and Jody Hedlund are addressing it today. Renee Swope’s new book “A Confident Heart” released this week. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s high on my list.
Doubt is the enemy’s tool. It affects everyone. And it can affect any area of our lives. Are we a good enough mom, wife, friend, writer, speaker, worker, fill in the blank. It has us focus on whatever will take our eyes off God – our weaknesses, other’s strengths.
After Adam and Eve sinned and hid in fear, God’s first question to them was “Who told you….?” He hadn’t told them to be fearful, ashamed. They were listening to the voice of their enemy.
All that God asks of us is to be obedient. To seek, to love, to serve Him and His people. When our eyes are squarely on Him, our doubts fade in His light.
Years ago, I had a strange experience. I was to speak before a crowd of fellow employees at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Every cell in my body trembled in fear. I had asked for prayer from trusted friends, telling them my session would begin Wednesday at 8:00 am. It was Wednesday at 7:55, and as I drifted to the podium, I wondered how I’d be able to utter a single word, so filled with fear and doubt was I.
Then something weird occurred. Really weird. It all happened in a nanosecond. I felt a tingling on the top of my head, like when someone pretends to crack an egg on your head. The tingle moved down from my head past my shoulders, past my arms and torso, down my legs, and out my feet. Picture a thermometer with a pinhole in the bulb and the red liquid leaking out the bottom. The tingle was fear, and so tangible was this feeling that as it left my body, I looked down because I thought I’d see a puddle of fear on the floor. All I saw were black and white tiles. As my eyes swept back up, they glimpsed the wall clock – which read exactly 8:00 sharp. In that instant, I simultaneously remembered 3 things – my praying friends, my mentioning 8:00 am, and the Scripture verse that says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” God is perfect love, and He supernaturally removed my fear.
I’d like to say that ever since that time, I have never experienced fear. But that would be a lie. What I do know is this – He CAN supernaturally remove my fear – if He wants to. So if He doesn’t, it means that the fear is there for a reason – most likely, so that I keep tethered to Him, focused on Him, in communion with Him, dependent upon Him rather than myself.
All the self-doubt that’s so prevalent and so destructive is just a tool in Satan’s arsenal, seeking to hinder the work of God. If only we can just remember that yeah we do have weaknesses, but it’s in our weakness that He is strong. He gets all the glory when imperfect people do amazing things. When we think we have it all together, we are at our weakest point.
Of course, that’s my sermon for today. Tomorrow I may just be a pile of doubts again. 😉
Prayer request:
Thank you in advance. I’m so grateful for this community of prayer warriors.
Please keep my family in prayer – so much going on:
My dad is in ICU. He had emergency surgery last night to repair a ruptured fistula in his arm – the arm used for dialysis. This is one of many serious issues he’s facing, including cancer. In addition to his physical issues, please pray he’ll know God’s presence and peace. 
My son has been running a fever for the past 3 days, a week after his return from Uganda. I don’t even want to think of the possibilities.
I’m supposed to attend a 4 day writers’ conference starting Wednesday followed by a family vacation. A lot to prepare for both, assuming I can even do either one now.
And I will be sharing this Sunday’s message in church since my son is unable to do so. He was to share a message from his mission trip. So I’m preparing for that now. I’ll share from a chapter in my WIP book.
Can I just say “Oy vey!” 




Who Would Have Thought???

Posted on by Susan Panzica
When he was just a kindergartener, he was the smartest player on the soccer field. As all the little players swarmed the ball like bees around a hive, AJ waited patiently outside the crush for the ball to emerge, then singlehandedly (or singlefootedly?) ran the ball down the field to the goal. The coaches and parents marveled, “He’s going to be a great soccer player!” 
Until he quit. 
“I don’t like soccer. You have to run all the way down the field, then run all the way back again.” From then on, baseball was his true love, playing year round. 



In eighth grade, his homeroom teacher, Mr. Allen, was also the cross-country coach. When AJ told us he was going to run cross country, my husband and I fell over laughing, literally. But when he started finishing in first place, we stopped laughing. Turns out that it was “useless” running that AJ didn’t like. All that down the field and back again with no scoring was boring. But running through the countryside or down streets toward a finish line – in increasingly faster time – was an achievement. 



His high school coach, Mr. Apol, a model of what coaches should be, challenged and encouraged each student to better themselves according to their own ability. Cross country taught me so much about running the race of life, my early blogposts were peppered with XC stories. (Stay tuned for more on this next week!)



Now AJ, college student, is running the NJ Marathon! On Sunday May 1st, he will run 26 miles through several NJ shore towns. Once again, family and friends will be there cheering along the sidelines and at the finish line. 


This time, he’s raising money for a summer mission trip to Uganda. 


Now for the mom-pitch! Would you consider supporting AJ in this endeavor? 
First, please keep him in prayer:
– that he would run well and finish well 
– with no injury! (He’s been having some knee trouble during training.)
– that the weather would be favorable.


And second, if you feel so led, financial donations toward his mission trip go to Touch The World and can be made at: 

Donations can be made in any amount large or small, flat or per mile.


He, and we, thank you in advance for your prayer and/or financial support. 


Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith… Consider Him …, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:1, 3


ps – couldn’t resist adding this poem that AJ wrote and posted on facebook this morning:



‎’Twas the night before race day
and everyone knew
That twenty-six mile was
a whole lot to do.
My bones are all aching
my muscles all sore
Nervous cause no Panzica
has tried this before.
But I have a secret that
I want all to see
And that is my God
that lives inside me.
Cause when I cannot do it
and am falling apart
He holds me together
From my feet to my heart.










While You Were Waiting…

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I’ve read it a hundred times. OK maybe not a hundred, but a lot.

The Book of Acts, one of my favorite books in the Bible, full of drama, history, theology.

Chapter 17, one of my favorite chapters, where Paul delivers a powerful message in Athens.

Our adult Sunday School class is studying it. Paul fled to Athens because those Thessalonian rabble-rousers started to agitate the Bereans. Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Berea until Paul’s other travelmates came back for them.

And there it was:
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. Acts 17:16-17

While Paul was waiting…. The 4 little words screamed for my attention.

How many times had I read the inspired sermon that follows these verses and missed the fact that Paul was alone as he wandered around the city, waiting for his fellow workers to join him to begin ministry in this new locale.

“God’s Waiting Room.” I’ve heard the term, even said the term myself. It’s that period of time spent waiting for our life to begin anew.

“When this happens, then I will…”
“When I get a job, get married, have a baby, then I will …”
“When the chemo is over, then I will…”
“When I discover my gifts, then I will…”

Years ago, I heard Elisabeth Elliot share, “We should wait on the Lord the way a waiter waits on tables.” How does a waiter wait? Serving. How may I help you? What can I do for you?

That’s what Paul did. “Paul was waiting . . . So he …” He was distressed with what he saw (idols everywhere) and “so he reasoned with” whoever was around. He didn’t lament that his companions weren’t with him. He didn’t wait until his team was in place. He saw and he served right where he was.

In my husband’s chiropractic office, we have what some call a Waiting Room. We don’t; we call it a Reception Area. There’s a tv monitor that has streams facts about our amazing bodies. The reading materials are about health or about the Lord. Our intention in that room is that while the patients are waiting, they are being prepared to meet the doctor or meet their Maker (not in the fatal sense of the phrase!)

The “waiting room” can be a place of worry or anxiety, a place of uncertainty not knowing what the future holds. It can be a place of preparation for that future. Or like Paul, it can be a place to (cliché alert) “bloom where you’re planted.”

In the allegory book, Hinds Feet On High Places, the character Much-Afraid is on a journey to her Shepherd. At a lonely severe rugged spot, she meets a tiny flower nestled among the rocks. It’s name: Acceptance-With-Joy. The Shepherd later tells her, “When you wear the weed of impatience in your heart instead of the flower Acceptance-With-Joy, you will always find your enemies get an advantage over you.” Her enemies are our enemies: Resentment, Craven Fear, Bitterness, Pride.

On Sunday, our dear friend Irene was in the Sunday School class. She spent most of last year alone in her apartment, exhausted from the chemo she regularly received. Now that her strength is slowly returning, she eagerly makes the long drive to church each Sunday. I asked her about her time spent waiting. Her answer: “It was so difficult, but I got so close to the Lord during that time, I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Irene faithfully leads our prayer ministry and fills the role of “prayer warrior” more than anyone I know, yet the Lord used that time of weakness and waiting to strengthen her in ways beyond her imagination.

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (Is. 40:31 Amp V.)

Are you in “God’s Waiting Room?”

Do you wait as the Amplified Verse says – with expectation, looking for the Lord, hoping in Him? There lies the key to renewed strength and power, run and not being weary, walk and not becoming tired.

Dear Lord, I pray for those who are waiting. That they may sense Your indwelling power. That they will be strengthened to serve You right where they are. And that in the serving they would become more like You.

Here’s the update….

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Dear friends,
Tomorrow, I will be posting every day for the 40 days leading up to Christmas. Before that series begins, I want to provide a little update and thank you all for your prayers on behalf of my family.

I had started a series of “people posts” based on some special people in my life who through their character or circumstances exemplify a particular God-given identity. Because of the whirlwind of events of the last month, that series is on a little hiatus. I have 10 more to be published, so look for that series to continue in the new year.

As for the family issues – after nearly 7 weeks of hospital-to-rehab-to-hospital-to-rehab, my dad got his green band on Tuesday, my stepmom’s birthday. No present could have been better. With the green wristband, my dad was able to surprise her by joining her and their friends for a night out. Of course, the frantic call I received that night from the charge nurse saying that they couldn’t find my dad was more than a little comical. And the best news is that he is able to go home on Monday. He stills needs physical therapy, but he’s on the mend. His doctor thinks he has 9 lives!

My mom fell on the street in NYC, and is now in rehab for healing from 2 fractured pelvic bones. She’s so active that this is a real setback for her. The last 2 weeks jumped from one nightmare to another. It’s amazing how many additional complications arise from being immobile. But fortunately, on Thursday she began making exceptional progress. It’s still a long road ahead, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel now – and it’s NOT an oncoming train!

My daughter is still a girl in search of a diagnosis. She’s been pricked and prodded and been through more tests than most girls her age. We have another appointment on Tuesday. The good news is that diseases, parasites, bacteria have all been ruled out. For Lauren, it’s the “not-knowing” that is a struggle. Fortunately, we have trust in an “all-knowing” God!

I thank you for your prayers, emails and calls. All I can say is a quote I heard many years ago –
“The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”
Paul says, “His grace IS sufficient.” That means it IS [present tense] enough. It grows to meet the need. It always is enough.

Blessings to you, my friends,
Susan

Touched By An Angel

Posted on by Susan Panzica

… some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

Last night, we celebrated the birthday of our dear friend, Mark. Friends and family gathered together with lots of food, music, and laughter as we shared memories of the funny and poignant times spent with Mark.

For years, my daughter and her friends honestly believed that Mark was an angel. Many other children believed that as well. It was easy to believe. In fact, I believe it myself 🙂

Mark was and is a prayer warrior. Years ago, before one of my first speaking engagements, I was terrified. Put me in a circle of friends, and I can jabber all day. But standing in front of people is another story. You’ve heard that public speaking is the #1 fear in this country, right? It’s a studied fact. The #2 fear in this country is death. That means that at a funeral the average person would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy! Ok, that last sentence was borrowed from Jerry Seinfeld, but it’s true, isn’t it! I still get butterflies when I have to speak, but I’ve learned that the fear keeps me on my knees and not relying in my own strength which is a good thing. But anyway…. Here I was, knees buckling, stomach churning, reviewing my notes endlessly. And Mark called to let me know he was praying for me. I hadn’t asked him to pray. He just knew the need, and his call letting me know that he was praying could not have been more welcome. Here was this man of God praying for a women’s event!

There’s so much more I could say about this faithful servant and friend, but let me ask you: do you have a Mark in your life? If you are as blessed as my friends and I, please be sure to thank your angel. And share a comment of how that special person has blessed your life.

Mission Trip – Haitian Style

Posted on by Susan Panzica
As most of you know, my 2 children have been on mission trips this month with Touch The World. AJ arrived back from Eleuthera, Bahamas safe and sound, and has promised to write a blogpost about his trip, but first he’s busy catching up with friends 🙂 Lauren returned from Uganda last night. More on their trips later.

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Last Saturday, the TTW Haiti team bunked over at our place. After arriving at JFK, they stayed with us until their closing rally on Sunday. What a joy! As they shared their stories, we laughed, cried and vicariously experienced their last 3 weeks.

So many things I want to share, but I’ll settle for two:



1- Symphony of Prayer
When we bowed our heads in prayer, I was greatly moved. Rather than hearing one person to pray aloud, each person simultaneously prayed aloud. This is how the Haitians pray, and the team adopted this manner of prayer. As they prayed, I thought – this is what God hears all the time on a much greater scale! The cacophony of voices brought to mind John’s description of the prayers of the all the saints ascending to heaven like incense (Rev. 8:3-4). I heard all the prayers, but not a single word could I discern. Yet God has no problem hearing multitudes of voices across the entire earth and identifying each of His children in a personal way.

God, come close. Come quickly!
Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing!
Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising… Ps.141:1-2 MSG

 

2- What is permanent?
One of the team’s tasks in Haiti was to build the platform from which they presented VBS, dramas and puppet shows. However, the wood supplied for the task could not be cut. At the conclusion of VBS, they had to disassemble the platform and use the wood to make bunk beds, benches and tables for the Haitian children.
As they shared this story with me, we discussed what was really permanent. The team shared the gospel from the sturdy wooden platform they built. The wood then was reconstructed into furniture for the Haitian people which would remain with them. But, eventually time, use, neglect, weather will take their toll on these items. What will really endure forever are the words that were shared, the everlasting truths of God, and the love that was poured into the hearts of these people who have lost so much, yet have gained eternity.  

The grass withers and the flower drops off, But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you. 1 Pet. 24b-25 Amp

Thank you, Haiti team, for sharing with us your stories, your humor and your sweet spirit. And thank you, Lord, for using these young people in such mighty ways.

In The News

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Today: 
  • Kampala, Uganda – 74 people are killed in bombings by militant Somalian al-Qaida terrorists
  • Eleuthera, Bahamas – the “Barefoot Bandit” is arrested amid a hail of gunfire after 2 years of robbery and vandalism

Today: 

  • My daughter is in Kampala.
  • My son in in Eleuthera.

It’s only when we experience such peace-robbing tests that we can really know the truth of “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Is 26:3). And God did provide His perfect peace as we waited to hear the details.

Thankfully, Lauren and her team are fine. They are staying 10 miles outside the city. This mom and dad are rejoicing. But there’s a mom who is happy her bandit son got arrested, because it means he didn’t get killed. And there are people who are grieving the loss of their children, spouses and parents.

So thank you so much for your texts, emails, and calls, and especially your prayers. Let us keep praying, and not just for safety, but for His peace, comfort and healing.

Hazy, Hot, and Holy!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. Really, I haven’t!
But I have been super-busy.


From my last post, you may remember that God miraculously provided for my daughter’s mission trip to Uganda. Well, since then, we’ve been in a flurry of activity getting both her and my son ready for their trips.


AJ is leading a large group of middle-schoolers to Eleuthera, Bahamas. Lauren is leading a small group of high school/college students to Kampala and Gulu, Uganda. More on that later.


They left for 3 day leadership training last Wednesday, June 30th. Then, on Friday night, my husband and I joined a small army of volunteers for Touch the World’s 5 day training camp. Tony did grounds crew, while I taught the teens how to teach Bible stories to children on the mission field. It was grueling. Getting up at 5 am, working all day in over 100 degree weather, serving in the dining hall. Yet at the end of the 4th day, we felt as if we had been on a retreat!


The worship and teaching were awesome, ushering us right into the throne room. But beyond that, there was a sense of being part of something bigger than ourselves. These young people are the future of the church. To see them sacrifice weeks of summer fun to minister to needy people in the U.S. and across the globe was inspiring.




I’ll be sharing some testimonies in the days and weeks to come. But for now, I’m requesting prayer for these youth out on the mission field. Many got quickly and violently sick on the last night just before they left for the airports. A few teams stayed back until all recovered. Some traveled while sick. At this point, most are at their destinations or soon will be.


Please pray for their swift healing. Pray that God is glorified in the lives of these teens and their leaders. Pray that the teams are unified in Him, that they accomplish much for the kingdom, that they will be effective in their mission. And please pray for the staff at Touch the World. They work tirelessly, especially when the youth are out on the mission field.


As for my two-


Lauren is in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, for the beginning of her trip. TTW has a permanent ministry there, and Lauren and her team will be leading VBS for over 300 children who live in an orphanage there. The second half of her trip will be 6 hours to the north in Gulu where her team will minister to the residents of the displaced persons camp and help with construction of a Dream Center, which will provide a sustainable farm and vocational training to the residents, many of whom were child soldiers abducted into the former rebel army. Check out the ministry at http://www.ttwuganda.com/.


AJ is in the Bahamas, but far from a resort experience! In the early morning (before the temps hit 110 degrees), he and his team will be doing construction at Camp Bahamas, a Christian camp for inner city kids. Then in the afternoons, they’ll provide a sports camp and VBS for the local children. AJ’s team is comprised of 5 leaders and 18 junior high students, so he’ll be ministering to the youth on his team as well.
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Thank you in advance for your prayer support. The teams will return on July 18th, 25th and 29th.

 

But here’s the good news…

Posted on by Susan Panzica
My dear friend, Diane, is going through multiple trials; more than one person ever needs to go through. Her mom, husband, brother and son all have relentless medical issues, and she is overcoming recent severe neck and shoulder pain.  

She might not think so, but even though clearly distressed, she is radiant. Yesterday, while sharing with me her current dilemma, she added, “But here’s the good news… I’m growing in faith, …”

Though going through unimaginable heartache, she was able to see the “good news.”  Then when writing this post, I came across these words of wisdom shared by another friend, Penny Musco –

  • The apostle Paul was someone who knew all about danger. He had several adventures, scrapes and near escapes – blindness, persecution, stoning, arrest and beatings, death threats, shipwreck — even a snake bite! Sometimes, though, I have a hard time with Paul’s conclusion in 2 Cor. 4:8-9: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” But I have felt crushed, despairing, forsaken or destroyed, I argue. And that’s my problem in a nutshell: I may be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down, but my feelings aren’t in charge—God is. And if He says He won’t let things get to the point of no return, then I’ve got to trust Him to work it out. And that’s just what Paul concludes too: his sufferings were “in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God” (2 Cor. 1:9). So simple… yet so hard to do!



When we are in the crucible of pain, He is suffering, too. We know “He was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Is 53:3). And we know that “He bore our sins” (1 Pet. 2:24). But so often we forget, at least I do, that He not only bore our sins, but He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows as well:

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried…
Isaiah 53:4





To know that we are not alone in the struggle is good news indeed. Like Paul, I eagerly “want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection”. Yet, do I also want the “fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”? (Phil 3:20)
To be honest, not so much. Yet, it’s two sides of the same coin, and there are hidden benefits to the suffering. Our faith grows strong in the rich soil moistened by our tears. Our countenance begins to reflect Him more as He inhabits us more. And therefore, we can conclude:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:28, 37-39









Are you struggling today, my friend? Can I pray for you? Please leave your prayer request in the comments or email me.
And would you pray for another friend of mine, Pam, who is in now critical condition having contracted malaria while on a mission trip to Uganda? My daughter is scheduled to lead a youth mission trip to Uganda in July. Please pray for her and the other workers for Touch the World Uganda. Thank you.