Wrap Yourself in Joy Podcast

At Night, Nehemiah Inspects the Rubble in Jerusalem, James J. Tissot (1896-1903)

If you need favor, let Nehemiah encourage you.  When you pray for favor, you are asking God to give a powerful person sympathy or judgment supportive of your needs or for help to turn a bad situation around. After Nehemiah prayed, God gave him favor with the king, and the king gave him everything he asked for.  Join us today to discover how to trust God more and ask for favor when approaching challenges.

It’s about two to five months after Nehemiah left the king’s presence, due to the time it took him to make the 500-mile journey from Susa to Jerusalem. King Artaxerxes of Persia granted his request to return to Judah and rebuild his city. Nehemiah said, [T]he king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me [also translated as “the favor of my God was upon me.” Today we cover these points:

• The land surrounding Judah was controlled by enemies of the Jewish people.

• God put the desire in Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2: 12).

• Nehemiah first had to encourage his discouraged people and inspire them to rebuild.

• Sanballat, Tobiah, and later Geshem opposed a restored Jewish province, for it threatened their trade and authority.

Be inspired to ask God for these requests that Nehemiah has demonstrated. Write the answers in your prayer journal.

1. Ask God to put His desires into your heart as he did for Nehemiah.

Consider hosting a weekly one-hour Cup of Joy Women’s small group study on Nehemiah.  It accompanies this podcast and you can begin anytime.

• Pray about accepting this wonderful opportunity to engage others and evangelize by hosting a small group of friends over coffee or tea.You can choose from among my four podcasts (The Joy Series, Advent JOY, Esther & Turn-around JOY or Nehemiah: Rebuilding Hope and JOY).

• Download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com

The post Nehemiah & Rebuilding Hope #3 – Need Favor? Let Nehemiah Encourage You! appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Nehemiah Demonstrates Intercession (St. Takla.Org)

Do you procrastinate or supplicate when you face a broken situation or difficult task? To procrastinate means you put off doing something often because you don’t know where to begin. Do you feel stymied because something beloved to you seems shattered and you don’t know what to do or where to begin? Join us today as Nehemiah shows us how to supplicate to our God for restoration and new hope.

Nehemiah teaches about interceding for a people and a nation. Nehemiah demonstrates powerful intercession. The prayer of Nehemiah starts the process of bringing great solutions to great difficulties and a broken nation. Today, we cover the following points.

• There are at least FIVE forms of prayer. “The Holy Spirit is the one who teaches the Church and recalls to her all that Jesus instructs in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions of the same basic 5 forms of prayer:” 1) blessing, 2) petition, 3) intercession, 4) thanksgiving, and 5) praise” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2644).

• The four themes of Nehemiah’s prayer teach supplication.

• A = Adoration. Nehemiah praises and adores God first (v. 5). Praise God’s greatness. Begin prayer with adoration. (Psalm 100: 4: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!)

• Nehemiah’s four months of prayer, fasting, and waiting on God paved the way for God to make a way.

Consider the following aids for increasing personal intercession.

1. Keep a prayer journal (e.g., a small, inexpensive notebook with lined paper).

• Consider hosting a weekly one-hour Cup of Joy Women small group study. It accompanies this podcast and you can begin anytime. Contact me for free materials and help to get started.

• Download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com

• Check out more podcasts here!

The post NEHEMIAH & Rebuilding HOPE #2 – Procrastinate or Supplicate? Nehemiah Teaches Intercession! appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Do you have messy situations in your life? The Book Nehemiah will remind you of God’s presence and power to transform brokenness and disappointment. You can overcome the fear and discouragement. Join our podcast today and allow Nehemiah to teach you to walk with God in new hope and joy.

I hope you were able to listen to my last podcast series – Esther and Turnaround JOY. If you enjoyed the book of Esther, I know you are going to love Nehemiah.  The Book of Nehemiah speaks to our faith today, even though it was written almost 2500 years ago. It will inspire you and your family in times of discouragement, trouble or worry in the face of life’s difficulties.  Nehemiah reminds us all how God’s presence and power are with us and can transform lives. Today we cover the following points.

• The Book of Nehemiah is considered a historical book in Scripture meaning it is part of recorded history. It details the third return of God’s people from the Babylonian captivity, that occurred around 605 BC.

• Nehemiah lives and works in Suza, the winter home of the Persian kings. He was the cupbearer, who tasted every drop of wine and morsel before the king could consume it. In our culture, we might call him a professional wine taster and food connoisseur. However, this position is much more. If the cupbearer dropped dead or would not eat in fear of poisoning by the king’s enemies, the king would know not to eat it either!

• Our lesson here is that Nehemiah talked to God. The first thing he did in great emotional pain over the destruction back home was to turn to God. He took his emotional pain and heartbreak to God in prayer. He did not immediately try to fix the problems.

•  “O LORD (v. 5) is the first name.” In the Hebrew, the word is “Yahweh.” Yahweh is the divine personal name that God gave in love for the people of Israel to use. Yahweh is the Lord God is the self-existent one, the one who is always present. You can say:  O Lord you are with ME. O God, You love me and never leave ME.

1. Which of the names for God that Nehemiah uses would you like to use more in your prayer?

       If you would like to host a weekly one-hour “Cup of Joy Women” study on Nehemiah with your friends that accompanies this podcast, email me: [email protected].  I will send free materials and get you started.

• You can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com

• Check out more podcasts here!

The post Nehemiah & Rebuilding Hope #1 – Messy Situations? Studying Nehemiah can help! appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Are you looking for encouragement and JOY?  Esther will help you celebrate God’s goodness. When you recall and celebrate what God has done,  your faith is strengthened, you are inspired to trust Him more, and you are encouraged with hope. For Esther and all Jewish families, the annual Feast of Purim celebration helps them recall that God delivered them and will continue to deliver them. Join our podcast today and be encouraged to joyously celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness as we review the many turnarounds in the Book of Esther.

Approximately two months and ten days after the first decree was issued, Mordecai wrote the second edict, which empowered the Jewish people to defend themselves against their enemies. The turnarounds were astounding! Today we share at least 15 reversals and cover these points:

• To plunder means to steal goods during a war for your profit.

• Mordecai and Esther declare two days of celebration in an official decree to be remembered forever.

• The Book of Esther shows us joy; Esther begins with a banquet and ends with a feast.

• Esther 10 -16 or deuterocanonical additions A – F suggest Mordecai remembers a Dream. It foretold God’s deliverance relating to the main events in Esther plus the chapters add a few details to the occurrences.

• God used the beautiful Esther, caused the sleeplessness of the king, brought down Haman, exalted Mordecai, and gave the Jewish people victory over their enemies.

• The Feast of Purim, still celebrated yearly in the Jewish tradition, helps Jewish families remember God has delivered them and will continue to deliver them.

1. Do you set aside time to remember, joyously celebrate and thank God for what He has done for you?

Join my podcast this summer, Ruth – Finding JOY in Tough Times: God’s Purpose for Every Age. If you would like to host a weekly one-hour “Cup of Joy Women” study on Ruth with your friends, email me: at [email protected] for free materials that accompany the podcast and get you started.

• You can download Bookmarks (and recipe card) from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com

The post Esther & Turnaround JOY #10 – Celebrating God’s Goodness & Purim appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Do you need some creative solutions for your life? Today, the Book of Esther will inspire you with more reversals and some creative remedies—all part of God’s answer to prayer.  It may look like there is NO way out, but God working behind the scenes can always give a perfect solution. The turnarounds in Esther are uplifting and become so evident through a second edict that many Persians watching Esther and the nation’s deliverance expressed a desire for conversion.

In this podcast, we will cover the following points.

• Mordecai not only acquired Haman’s wealth and property but also his position.  The king gave him his signet ring making him the second most powerful man in Persia.

Two months and ten days after Haman issued the first edict, Mordecai summoned the king’s secretaries and wrote a second edict that counteracted Haman’s edict, empowering the Jews to defend themselves.  At least six more turnarounds transpired:

• Haman‘s edict was written and dispatched to kill the Jews (3: 13-15) The TURNAROUND (8: 10-14): Mordecai’s edict was sealed and dispatched to give the Jews authority to attack those who would attack them.

Do you need creative solutions and more turnarounds? Don’t give up.  Ask our Lord to show you creative solutions for your impossible situations. Invite the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and your ears to what you don’t yet see.   Remember God loves reversals and His solutions are always the best solutions and they will bring JOY!! Principles from Esther to help guide you in difficult times might include:

1. When God defeats your enemies, they are vanquished.

• You can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com

The post Esther & Turnaround JOY #9 – Creative Solutions and MORE Turnarounds appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Image: Esther reveals Haman’s plot to the King by Jan Lievens, 1623

Do you need reversals in your life? Let Esther encourage you. God loves reversals!

Today in our podcast, we encounter three reversals in Chapter Seven of the Book of Esther. This is God’s providence bringing dramatic changes in circumstances in response to the prayers of His people. It can happen again and it can happen in your life! Join us today as we cover these points:

• When King Ahasuerus could not sleep, he reads his chronicles and discovers that Mordecai’s service had never been rewarded.

• Haman hated Mordecai so he is humiliated when the king tells him to do those very things for Mordecai.

• Esther dishes up sweet words to the King.

• In Persian culture,

• Diners ate at a table while reclining on a couch.

• Harbona, one of the king’s chief consultants, appears to know of Haman’s hatred for the Jews and of the gallows he built in his backyard to execute Mordecai. He suggests that Haman be hung on his own gallows.

• The gallows built in Haman’s backyard for Mordecai were used instead to hang Haman.

• Romans 15: 4 reminds us: “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” Let Esther give you hope.

• God can reverse the evils around us.

• Read Psalm 37: 1-5 and notice all the “do not fret” but instead “trust in the Lord” phrases. He will act as you delight in Him and commit your way to Him.

• You can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: com.

The post Esther & Turnaround JOY #8 – Reversals Begin appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Image: Esther before Ahasuerus (1547-48) Painting by Tintoretto

Are you praying, waiting, and discerning? Have you ever prayed in a daunting situation? Were you looking for a quick solution? Sometimes a quick solution is not the best solution. In our podcast today, Esther shows us the value of prayer, but also why it’s important to wait and discern God’s solution

Esther’s name comes from the Hebrew root “SIT-UR seter,” which means “concealed.” It suggests her identity would be concealed for a time, but the time had come for her to reveal her faith.  Mordecai asked her to go to the king to stop the edict against the Jews, but without an invitation, she could be executed.  Esther finally agreed to put her life on the line for such a time as this. She knew she needed God’s intervention, so she called for three days of fasting from food and water for all Jews, and even her maids. Then she would go to the king with the conclusion, “If I perish, I perish.”  In the podcast today, we will cover these points.

The Third Day (Esther 5: 1-8)

•  The “third day” in the Jewish faith is significant. A Jewish commentary suggests believed God’s deliverance for Israel would come after prayer on “the third day” (Midrash Raba, Esther).

• Esther “stood” before the king radiating an inner strength and outer beauty from God.

 Esther’s Discernment and the First Banquet (Esther 5: 9-14)

• The fasting and prayers of Esther and God’s people changed the heart of the King.

 Haman and His Prized Sons

• Haman boasted to his family and friends (v. 10-12). H

• Which principles on prayer, waiting and discernment will you apply?

• You can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

The post Esther & Turnaround JOY #6 – Pray, Wait and Discern appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Image: Mordecai & Esther by Aert de Gelder, 1685 – Mordecai urges Esther’s Intervention

Do you have a mission for such a time as this? You indeed do and this podcast will help you!  Join us today as Queen Esther trusts the power of God in prayer, gains needed courage, and discovers her mission.

In Esther Chapter 3, Mordecai refused to bow down and pay homage to Haman.  Enraged Haman hatred for Jews and cast Purim (somewhat similar to our dice) to determine the date for the killing of all Jews throughout all of Persia. The king agreed and the announcement for the annihilation of all the Jewish people was distributed throughout the kingdom on Passover—the very day Jewish families commemorate annually the time God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and saved their firstborn.

Now, their joy-filled Passover celebration was turned into a time of wailing. Could you imagine this happening to you, your family, or your church family on a celebration like Easter?

The words For Such a Time as This, come directly from Chapter 4 of the Book of Esther. Today, we cover these points:

• Mordecai heard of the edict and he sobbed greatly, tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth and ashes. He wailed and wept bitterly on the city square at the palace gate.

• Esther lived in the plush environment of the palace, but she may have become secluded from the world around her. She was not aware of Haman’s edict.

• Esther called a day of national fasting.

• Fasting is about relationship. It is about aligning ourselves with God—drawing close to Him, worshiping Him, hearing from Him, repenting (turning), and changing our ways.

Today, our story teaches us:

• At first, Esther was not aware that God had a mission for her—God planned to use her powerfully. With Mordecai’s help and the providence of God, she discerned her mission but was afraid and at first denied it.

• You can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourseldinJOY.com.

The post Esther & Turnaround JOY # 5 – For Such a Time as This appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Do you ever have unwavering resolve? Have you pondered when to be resolute or when to compromise? In relationships, compromise is used for cooperation and keeping the peace, so we need to negotiate our desires with the positions of others. Nonetheless, there are some situations where we must stand firm, determined, and unshakable.  Join us today in the Book of Esther where we learn unwavering resolve in difficult times.

Welcome to Esther & Turnaround Joy Episode #4: Unwavering Resolve & the First Edict, where we encounter Esther and Mordecai five years after King Ahasuerus sponsored the beauty contest, crowned Esther as queen, and celebrated with Esther’s banquet.

Now, the providential hand of God becomes more evident as we see why God put Esther in a position of influence—even before the Jewish people faced the prospect of annihilation.  Now it’s 474 BC  we join Mordecai as he stands near the palace gate and overhears a plot to kill the king. I hope you enjoy these points:

• Mordecai is “sitting at the gate” checking on Esther, and likely working in a government position.

• Mordecai stood firm with unwavering resolve which means firm, determined, not shakable, and displaying unwavering loyalty. (Vocabulary.com dictionary).

• Mordecai stood firm in his faith and obedience to God’s law and would not bow to Haman.

• Haman offered the king 10,000 talents or about 375 tons of silver, which of course he hoped to acquire by killing Jewish families and plundering their homes.

• To Haman and the king, it was just another day to celebrate their power, so they had a drink.

• We witnessed a good example of unwavering resolve with Mordecai. It reminds each of us that there is a time for unwavering resolve when we must follow God no matter the cost.  We cannot deny God’s commandments ever.

• YOU can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: com.

The post Esther & Turnaround JOY #4 – Unwavering Resolve & the First Edict appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Are you seeking to become more attractive and win favor with others? Who isn’t? Join us today at the Spa, circa 479 BC and hear how attractiveness, God’s way, finds favor and how the providence of God unfolds slowly but surely. (The image is an ancient painting entitled Esther Bedecked by Aert de Gerder, 1684, showing Esther bedecked in an ermine-edged coat.)

• Four years have passed between Chapters One and Two of Esther (see Esther 1:3 and 2: 16). According to Greek historian Herodotus, during that time King Ahasuerus suffered a great military defeat by the Greeks and returned home to consume himself with overindulgence and sensuality.

• Mordecai was introduced as a Jew in the family line of Kish (King Saul’s family) of the tribe of Benjamin. (Calling him a Jew repeatedly suggests that he was somehow still a foreigner and not completely accepted into secular Persia.) A person’s family line showed his status in Jewish lineage. When the Scriptures mention Nebuchadnezzar carried away Kish, the verses are referring to the Babylonian captivity, with a second forced removal involving King Jeconiah of Judah in 597 BC. Likely, Mordecai’s grandfather and family members were among those taken captive in 597 BC.

• The beauty contest was not the usual Persian way to select a queen. Normally, kings took their wives from the families of the Persian nobles and that is probably how King Ahasuerus crowned Vashti. However, a self-indulgent and powerful king could choose any woman he wanted for a wife.

• After twelve months of beauty treatments, it was Esther’s turn to come before the king.

• When King Ahasuerus crowned Esther as his Queen, he. gave another party, calling it Esther’s Banquet. This celebration included both men and women, generous gifts, and even tax relief.

Today, our story teaches us:

• The Lord can turn the heart of a leader. We can trust and pray that He does in our times as well.

Proverbs 31: 30 and 1 Peter 3: 3 summarize God’s beauty plan.

• Proverbs 31: 30. Charm is deceptive, and beauty fleeting but a woman who fears [worships, honors, and respects] the Lord is to be praised. (GNT)    Obviously, with age, beauty fades, but to worship, honor and respect God creates a lasting attractiveness that appeals to others too.  God blesses all of our attempts to honor Him. So how is your attractiveness quotient when you consider spending time daily to worship and honor God is an important part of any beauty plan?

• You can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourseldinJOY.com.

The post Esther & Turnaround JOY # 3 – The Spa & the New Queen appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.