Dec 24th, 2004: MANIFESTING CHRIST, CONSIDER THE LILIES.

PART #12

THE STAFF AND SWORD MINISTRY

December 24, 2004

MANIFESTING CHRIST "CONSIDER THE LILIES... ('Matthew 6:28)

by Nancy-TONI Youngbrandt Ever since the late 1970's when God the Father gave Chuck-JGHNEL a vision of the United States and then circled five areas where He said, "I WILL KEEP MANY ALIVE HERE," many Christians have been eager to move to those areas. Now, with Jesus providing us with a home in one of those areas, some intercessors have raised some questions related to those places of refuge. The questions have ranged from — Is it time to pray that God would release wealth to the Body?

— Can we pray that the Lord will tell us where those in the Net of Prayer should move?

— Can we pray for financial help to enable them/us to make the move?

— Should we start "cleaning out" those areas (spiritually)?

— Should we start setting up home churches?

— Should we start setting up a communication network?

While these are all valid and good questions, when it comes to issuing prayer sheets for the Net of Prayer, as a Body of Believers, we are always careful to follow Jesus' leading and commission in how we should pray. Right now we just do not have the leading to pray in this direction as an assignment for the whole Net of Prayer, however, if some intercessors feel led, feel the need or just want to start praying about a potential move, for God's provision of funds and insight into just where to go and such, you are certainly free to pray for yourselves and your family on an individual basis. To help in this, I will include a prayer sheet for those interested in praying about these issues in addition to their regular Net of Prayer prayer sheets.

To me, the biggest question for an individual to explore when it comes to this issue is — Do you have the ability to receive from God? -- Do you have the inner disposition and relationship with Jesus to receive from Him? I have been writing the "Fiery Trials" and "Manifesting Christ" articles to help each individual come into a relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father for themselves. You

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MANIFESTING CFIRIST — "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 24, 2004

INTRODUCTION continued see, there are things we can pray for as a Body and there are other things you have to pray for and know for yourself from God. When it comes to moving, having a `green pasture', or knowing whether to stay where you are at, you need to know from God the Father through Jesus for yourself what He would have you do. And since the call on one's life and God's Perfect Will for you is as unique as each of God's children and therefore isn't necessarily the same for all of us, each of us must know within ourselves, after a time of prayer and abiding in Christ, what God's Perfect Will is for us and receive from God directly. From there, we can seek the Body for their discernment to help prove out whether what we received in the way of insight or revelation is truly from God or from ourselves.

Being the center of God's Perfect Will for you is where we all should be. We don't want to get ahead of or behind God. We also shouldn't assume or presume to know God's Perfect Will without an extended time of prayer and fasting.

In the end, anything you do and receive should be a physical extension or manifestation of your spiritual walk with Jesus. It is here, in your walk with Jesus, in your posture in prayer and in your "inward life-principle" from which you operate that all else does and will flow.

So in this article I have the leading to discuss where you should be spiritually in your walk with Jesus so that you may be in the best position to receive the answers to prayer you seek.

GOD IS MY REFUGE As I said earlier, since God's Will is asvaried as His children, so are there many possibilities of God's Perfect Will for you. Some possibilities include-I) Stay where you are at.

2) If you are in a city, you could move to the country.

3) You could move to a different town or state, depending upon where you are now.

4) You could stay in an area that is know to be certain to experience devastation, knowing it is God's Perfect Will for you to do His work to help others in the aftermath.

5) Maybe you are to be martyred, jailed or interned in a camp.

6) Perhaps you are to get out of where you are years ahead of time or with just what you can carry.

And the list could go on ... but regardless, I would like to focus on 3 different and yet related visions for you to consider in prayer.

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MANIFESTING CHRIST — "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 26, 2004

GOD IS MY REFUGE continued The first vision was that already mentioned, where God the Father showed ChuckJOUNEL a map of the United States and circled five areas — the upper half of each of these states: Washington State, North Dakota, New York State, Arkansas and the panhandle and upper portion of Florida. God the Father then said, I WILL SAVE MANY ALIVE HERE." The second vision Chuck-JOHNEL received was of the United States again. He saw that it was brown in color from coast to coast but then dotting across the whole country were little green patches everywhere. These green patches were not just in the 5 areas previously circled but all across the country.

(As a side note, later someone suggested that Chuck-JOHNEL change the name from `green patches' to `green pastures' so he did.)

The third vision was one given to Henry Gruver. Ln this vision he saw invading troops marching through a city. In that city were praying Christians over whom a dome of protection resided by the Spirit of God. It just so happened that when the troops came to that dome, they couldn't see or detect anything but rather they simply parted and went around it, coining back together on the other side. The amazing thing is that they had no knowledge of what they were doing and were `blinded' by the Spirit of God to any remembrance of having split up and then coming back together and they just continued on their way leaving the children of God undisturbed.

Over the years we have met Christians who have had similar visions or dreams where they are on a green patch of land surrounded by brown and grey earth. Another described herself as being surrounded and protected by the "dome of Jesus", where she felt safe, protected and provided for by being under and in God's Presence. Ultimately, this is where every Christian should be — walking in God's Presence at all times, anywhere and everywhere.

In Hannah Whithall Smith's book, THE CHRISTIAN'S SECRET TO A HAPPY LIFE* , she shared an interesting vision that God gave to a lady she met. This woman saw herself in a perfectly dark place with a body of light advancing toward her which gradually surrounded and enveloped her and everything around her. As it came near her, she heard a voice saying, "This is the presence of God! This is the presence of God!" Hannah then goes on to explain, "While surrounded with this presence, all the great and awful things in [ fe seemed to pass before her _fighting armies, wicked men, raging beasts, storms and pestilences, sin and suffering of every kind. She shrunk back at_first in terror; but she soon saw that the *Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc-, Po Box 719, Uhrichsvilie, Ohio 44683 httn:lhvN 1v.barbourbooks.com

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MANIFESTING CHRIST --- "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 26, 2004

GOD IS MY REFUGE continued "presence of God so surrounded and enveloped herself and each one (f these things, that not a lion could reach out its paw, nor a bullet fly through the air, except as the presence of God moved out of the way to permit it. And she saw that if there were ever so thin a film, as it were, of this glorious presence between herself and the most terrible violence, not a hair of her head could he ruffled, nor anything touch her, except the presence divided to let the evil through. " This woman even saw that the small and annoying things in life equally no

longer troubled her as well. All the petty trials and harsh words no longer affected her when

she was surrounded by God's Presence unless God allowed it, which He sometimes does in helping us die to our self-nature.

While I realize that many in the Body of Christ do not yet have the kind of loving and trusting relationship with Jesus to where His Presence so surrounds and keeps them in all things, I share this so that those who have a heart for God may know the possibilities in their relationship with Jesus. When this type of relationship has become a reality for you, then the questions, anxieties, and fears for your future will lift as you know by the Spirit of God that God is in control of your life and He will keep you and bring you through any trial and trouble that may come. If you are walking in this kind of relationship, then no matter whether you are in the country or in the middle of a large city, then you can rest assured of God's Protection and Presence in your life and that He will lead you and guide into His Perfect Will for you as you look to Him and follow His leading.

YOUR APPROACH TO GOD-FROM LAW OR GRACE? Let me now raise this question — When it comes to what God's Perfect Will is for you, do have the attitude that you must work hard to obtain what God has for you? Do you think there is something that you must do to receive what God has for you so you will be worthy to receive it?

Or, do you believe in your heart that God has something for you and that He will keep it for you? Do you believe that God will guide you to it as you look to Him and no one can take it from you? Do you believe that God will provide for you all you need when the time comes?

In answering these questions, you need to be honest with yourself and not just agree with what you think is the right thing to say — after all, it is just between you and God and He already knows your answer.

Well, the reason I raise these questions is because they help to reveal whether you are

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MANIFESTING CHRIST — "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 26, 2004

YOUR APPROACH TO GOD — FROM LAW OR GRACE? continued approaching God from a lawful, self-effort attitude or posture in prayer or from a grace position. And depending upon which approach you make, this will affect your ability to receive answers to prayer and the things you are seeking from God. You see, a legal or law-based inner attitude or "inward life-principle" is one that is ultimately based on self — self-dependence, self-effort and from the view that some how

righteousness can be earned through works. Grace, on the other hand, is based on what God and Jesus Christ did and will do for us. It is based on the reality that we can never be worthy of anything God would do for us on our own merit but rather, through Christ Jesus, we are counted as worthy since He paid the price for our sins for us. The legal path is often appealing to our soul because it gives a sense of worth in our own eyes but in truth, due to our fallen nature and sin, we can never earn righteousness on our own terms and by our efforts. This attitude of being able to earn God's blessings will ultimately prevent us from receiving from Him what He freely gives because we will not feel we are worthy. One the other hand, the grace approach actually opens the way and allows God to bestow on us what He would freely give us.

This is an important distinction for all to understand who want to receive what God has for them. I say this because too often in discussing green pastures it is too easy to let self creep in and take precedent over God and what His Will is. We have heard people say, "Well, if God doesn't hurry up, then I can't do this or that to be ready." Or, "If we don't move now, there won't be enough time to do all that is needed," .... that kind of thing. In both of these cases, they are coming from a place of law which relies on self and what self can do, what self understands about the timing and what self thinks it needs to be doing. It is also a form of bondage spiritually as it leaves one reliant on oneself and our limitations more than on Jesus and His liberty that sets us free.

To further illustrate the difference of law and grace, in the book by Hannah Whithall Smith she gave some excellent examples of law versus grace, or the gospel as she terms it. Here are some of them

The law says, This do, and thou shalt live.

The gospel (grace) says, Live, and then thou shalt do.

The law says, Pay me that thou owest.

The gospel (grace) says, 1 frankly forgive thee all.

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MANIFESTING CHRIST - "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 26, 2004

YOUR APPROACH TO GOD - FROM LAW OR GRACE? continued Quote from Hannah Whithall Smith's book continued The law says, Make you a new heart and a new spirit.

The gospel (grace) says, A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.

The law says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

The gospel (grace) says, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The law says, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things written in the book of law to them.

The gospel (grace) says, Blessed in the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

The law says, The wages of sin is death.

The gospel (grace) says, The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The law demands holiness.

The gospel (grace) gives holiness.

The law says, Do. The gospel (grace) says, Done.

The law extorts the unwilling service of a bondman.

The gospel (grace) wins the loving service of a son and freeman.

The law make blessings the result of

obedience.

The gospel (grace) makes obedience the result of blessings.

The law was given for the restraint of the old man.

The gospel (grace) was given to bring liberty to the new man.

Under the law, salvation was wages. (Something to be earned.)

Under the gospel (grace), salvation is a gift.

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MANIFESTING CHRIST — "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 26, 2004

YOUR APPROACH TO GOD — FROM LAW OR GRACE? continued I would even add one final comparison of my own The law keeps one at a distance from God. The gospel (grace) brings one close to God. So how does this connect to our ability to receive from God, you may ask? After all, certainly God does not abandon one who is operating under law and will provide and meet their needs as well — this is true. However, the approach you make in prayer and in your inward attitude will play out as either the fruit being that of the Spirit of' God or one mixed with self and less than what God would intend for you.

For example, years ago we received a letter from a lady who believed that God was telling her to move then and there through a dream. She wrote us for discernment of her dream and the leading she was getting to move. I prayed about it and the Lord Jesus showed me that it was not yet time for her to move and if she moved then, it would be in God's Permissive Will and therefore she would endure more hardships and troubles than if she waited for God's Perfect Will to move. Jesus said He would not abandon her but just that she would go through more trials than she would need to if she waited. Well, she decided not to wait and moved a few months later and did indeed endure many hardships and trials that may have been avoided had she waited a while longer for God's Perfect Will. In her case, I believe that she wanted to move and so out of her will and self-determination she made the move, perhaps hoping that God would cover her. This may be thought of as an act of faith, stepping out like she did, however when it is self-motivated, it is not faith but rather it is out of law and self and God is far removed from the picture.

Personally I find operating from grace far easier and that God has never disappointed us or let us down. I does involve letting one's own will and understanding in a situation go to God but I find that, since He knows what is going to happen down the road and we don't, it is always worth it.

On a final note on this aspect of receiving from God based on one's relationship with Jesus and God the Father, I found some observations and comments by Hannah Whithall Smith most insightful as she wrote of receiving from God and how the very spirit and heart of one's relationship with God and Jesus plays out in our ability to receive. She writes: " When people are comparative strangers to one another, they cannot with any great comfort receive great gifts from each other. But when they are united in spirit, with a bond of true love between them, then, no matter how great the gifts may be that pass from one to the other, they can be accepted without any feeling of embarrassment or obligation on either side."

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MANIFESTING CHRIST - "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 26, 2004

YOUR APPROACH TO GOD - FROM LAW OR GRACE? continued Quote from Hannah Whithall Smith's book continued "This principle holds good in the spiritual life. When Christians are living far off from God, they cannot be brought to accept any great gifts from Him. They feel as if they were too unworthy and did not deserve such gifts; and, even, when he puts the blessing into their very laps, as it were, their false humility prevents them from seeing it, and they go on their way without it.

But when Christians get near enough to the Lord to (be aware and know) the true spirit of adoption, they are ready to accept with delight all the blessings He has in store for them and never think anything too much to receive. For then they discover that He is only eager, as parents are, to pour out every good gift upon His children, and that, in fact, all things are theirs, because they are Christ's and Christ is God's." (unquote)

HOW CAN I GROW IN GRACE? Now the question could be raised that if you find that you have been operating from a place of law, how does one change to begin to operate and grow in grace? Well, I would say that there are 3 basic steps in prayer one could take and would need to pray about over an extended period of time. As the saying goes, old habits die hard - however, you're never too old to change.

Step one - First recognize and repent of your self-dependence and self-effort and anything in your soul that would keep you from God and receiving His Presence, and from receiving the fullness of Jesus Christ and His free gift of salvation and love into your heart and soul.

Step two - Now pray to receive Jesus Christ, His Love and His Forgiveness into your heart and soul. Pray that your soul would be planted in the very heart of God's Divine Love, and that ii would be enveloped by it and steeped in ii.

Step three - Make a point to spend time in prayer daily just abiding in Jesus, His Presence and look to Him only. Let all thoughts of self go and look to Jesus. Let Him be your all and the only thing you desire at that moment. Let go of all else, trusting that everything else will be taken care of in God's good time.

It is important for you to grow in grace that you start from an inward disposition or lifeprinciple of having received God's grace. One cannot start in law and self and then expect to grow into grace — it just doesn't work that way. You need to be rooted and planted in grace and then grow from there. To do otherwise would be like planting a flower in hard, rocky,

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MANIFESTING CHRIST — "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 26, 2004

HOW CAN I GROW IN GRACE? continued barren soil next to a planter's box full of rich potting soil and then expecting the plant to grow into the box. Instead, the flower needs to start, from the very beginning, growing in the soil of the planter's box and then it will continue to grow in that rich soil to full maturity.

Likewise, we cannot plant ourselves (our soul) in law and expect it will grow and produce the fruits of grace along the way. Instead, we must begin anew and plant our soul in God's Grace and Life and let that grace and life grow in us and through us.

I like the way Hannah Whithall Smith further explains it this way: "To grow in grace is opposed to all growth in self-dependence or self -effort - to all legality, in fact, of every kind. It is to put our growing, as well as

everything else, into the hands of the Lord and leave it with Him. It is to be so satisfied with our husbandman and with His skill and wisdom, that not a question will cross our minds as to His mode of treatment or His plan of cultivation. It is to grow as the lilies grow, or as the babies grow, without care and without anxiety; to grow by the power of an inward life-principle that cannot help but grow; to grow because we live and therefore must grow; to grow because He who has planted us has planted a growing thing and has made us on purpose to grow."

"CONSIDER THE LILIES..."

What I am led by the Holy Spirit to try to impress upon you is really the importance of having the right relationship with God, our Heavenly Father, so as to be in the best position in prayer and heart-attitude to receive from God and Jesus Christ, and to be in the best spiritual environment (grace) to grow to your full potential in Christ. So, how we approach God is the key — are we coming from a place of law/legalism or grce through Jesus Christ?

And — should there be any doubt -- God the Father and Jesus Christ do want us to approach them. After all, Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 —

"COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT LABOUR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN OF ME; FOR I AM MEEK AND LOWLY IN HEART: AND YE SHALL FIND REST UNTO YOUR SOULS FOR MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT."

Page 10 MANIFESTING CHRIST - "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." December 29, 2004 "CONSIDER 1 HE LILIES... " continued If you find that reasons arise within you that argue with Jesus' call to come to Him, then know that you are looking at your 'self' nature at that moment. If you think you are not good enough, clean enough or righteous enough, then you are operating from law/legalism. Instead, just remember that Christ died for your sins and through the His shed blood we are sanctified and washed clean; we are now counted as worthy to come before God. It is true that none of us is worthy on our own merits but, through Christ, we are now counted as worthy because of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

I would also point out that in this Scripture, as we come to Jesus and take on His yoke, Jesus said that we are also to learn of Him and part of that learning is to be as Jesus is and so He says right away that He is "meek and lowly in heart. " So we too must be meek (which means patient and mild) and lowly in our heart toward God and Jesus. This heart-attitude is one which comes from a place of grace.

You see, recognizing His grace and how unworthy we are -- and yet receiving the beautiful gift we have been offered to be counted worthy is the essence of grace because there is no labor or burden that can acquire it. Instead it is the law and the legalism of self that weighs one down with heavy burdens and labors as we take on the duty to obtain our salvation and righteousness by our own effort - something that can't be done! As the Apostle Paul wrote, once you start to do the law, then you are obligated to the whole law and in the process you make what Jesus Christ did for you of no effect. In other words, His free gift has been returned and replaced with self-effort and self-dependence - how sad'. As a contrast to this weary way of self & law, we can still see Jesus calling us and telling us that His yoke will be easy, and His burden will be light; in Him we will find rest unto our souls.

Another Scripture dealing with this very topic is Matthew 6:25-34. Here we can see Jesus calling us yet again to abide in God's Grace and start living from an inward life-principle of grace through Jesus Christ. Here Jesus said "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment (clothing)?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. "

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MANIFESTING CHR IST — "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." January 1, 2004

"CONSIDER THE LILIES... " Matthew 6:25-34) continued "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?"

(Now we come to the real point of what Jesus was expressing ....)

y "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenl Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. " This to say, we are to look to God and Jesus Christ in all things first, and as we have faith and trust in God, He will meet our every need .... it is a matter of priorities and focus in our heart. You see, if we are legally-minded we tend to see everything through the eyes of our self-nature and what we have to do to get by in this world. We see most of what we have from our job to the things we buy with our wages as being from our own self-effort. On the other hand, if we are Grace-minded and see that all we have is from God and that is who we are truly serving even in a secular, worldly job, then even if that job is lost, we will have the peace and trust in God to keep us and provide another job or in some other way to meet our needs.

So here when Jesus said to "take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, ... " and so on, He isn't saying that you are to have a total disregard for those things and to be irresponsible but rather He is saying that we are not to worry and trouble ourselves excessively over taking care of our physical needs but rather realize that what we have now, we have by the Grace of God upon us and that God will continue to meet our needs and provide for us as we seek Him first in our hearts and as Lord of our lives. This is to be our priority.

With God the Father and Jesus Christ as our priority, then any job or task you may perform is to be done to please Him — even a job or vocation such as cleaning offices, being a secretary or raising a family. You don't have to have a ministry or work in a church capacity to serve God. You can serve God in any job or task you perform if you do it with the heart and inward life-principle of doing your work unto the Lord God. Jesus then said that once you do that — once you "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;" then "all these things (your physical needs) shall be added unto you. " When everything you have is the Lord's and you recognize in your heart and soul that everything you have is from God, then He will keep you and provide for you even when circumstances and situations in your life change.

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MANIFESTING CHRIST — "CONSIDER THE LILIES.." January 1.2004

"ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU" Lastly, I would encourage anyone who has a concern or need to feel free to seek the Lord in prayer about your specific prayer request or question. After all, Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-

8, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" So, yes, come unto Ihm, ask Him, seek Him, and in a meek and lowly heart. Trust that Jesus will lead you, provide for you and keep you. You can also trust and rely on the fact that He will not give you something that will ultimately hu rt or harm you for Jesus assures us in verses 9-11 of . just that. In Matthew 7:9-11 it says "Or what man is there of y ou, wh om if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

The other side to this is that while we may be praying for one thing in mind, we must also trust that if God chooses to not answer it, it is for a good reason which we may not understand at the time. For example, many of God's people are in fi nancial trouble and often think that a big lo tt e ry win would solve all of their problems and so are praying for that. While it is possible that God may pour out large sums of money on some of God's people, I don't believe that He is going to do it on a massive scale as some are hoping for. Why do I believe that?

Because the discernment and insight that I have is that large sums of money are often more of a trap than a blessing for God's people as it is too easy to then start relying on the money more than on God — and God is a jealous God and does not want anything to come between Him and His people. I believe that if one hasn't been prepared by Go d to handle large stuns of money and they don't already have a yielded and surrendered hea rt to God, then hearing God once you have the money is going to be all the more difficult as soon one will find there is more need and more ways to spend money on "wo rt hy projects" out there than the actual money you have. In the end, I would rather do without or with a little than be drawn away from God through large sums of money.

So, again, feel free to ask, seek and knock for the an swers to prayer you seek, but al so be yielded and trusting in God that He will give you what you need when it is in His Time to do so. By Grace we know that God has taken care of all our needs and He has a Perfect Plan and Will for us, so now we just need to pray from the hea rt -attitude of being led into that Perfect Will. y`,^, !.ch& A