Our Guest: Kathy Branzell
Kathy Branzell is president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She also founded Fellowship and Christian Encouragement for Educators and served as a Rapid Response Chaplain for the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, National Coordinator of LOVE2020, and National Facilitator for the Mission America Coalition. Find out more about the National Day of Prayer at NationalDayofPrayer.org.
Key Thoughts and Scriptures:
Matthew 5:16 NIV In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Psalm 78:4 ESV We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.
Proverbs 3:6 NKJV In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
- Sometimes God is directing our paths even when we think He’s abandoned us.
- Kathy struggles with the idea of getting angry at God because why would you run from the One who is your help and your hope. Even if He decides not to be your earthly healer, He is going to be your ultimate healer.
- Her path was to run headlong into His throne room to His feet and cry for help.
- Always keep your sense of humor in everything.
- Every minute has mission and meaning.
- “God’s not going to stop being faithful to me on this day.”
- Be willing to take all that God has for every day and to invest in that opportunity to store up treasures in heaven.
- Trust God with everything.
- Don’t take anything at face value; Take everything at faith value.
- Ask God what He’s up to.
- Don’t get ahead or behind Him, but keep in cadence with His Heartbeat for you.
- A pity party only puts you in a pit.
- Celebrate life every single day.
- You can still make plans, but be willing for God to frustrate them.
“Either way, I win,” – Kathy’s 16 year old son after being diagnosed with cancer.
- “Jesus decides my days.”
- This is an opportunity to glorify Jesus.
- We make it through difficult times on God’s strength, not on our own.
- Talk about your history. Make it a story about God’s faithfulness.
- Start building up courage and strength in our younger brothers and sisters in Christ. So that they know whose they are and the character of God and His strength.
- Kathy loves stories of faith because they gave her such confidence that God was going to work in her life too.
- We all walk in Kingdom purpose.
- Prayer is caught, not taught.
- So many times we honor people for worldly things rather than their character.
- Every human being needs acknowledgement.
- Prayer is a conversation with the One who loves you more than you could ever understand and the One who could do anything and everything above what we could imagine.
Ephesians 3:20 NKJV Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
Kathy’s Two Most Spoken Prayers:
- Help!
- Shut my mouth!
Psalm 141:3 NLT Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.
- The fervency of prayer comes out of a warm heart.
- Be willing to learn different parts of prayer.
- We praise God for who He is.
- And we thank God for what He does.
- Let it be a conversation.
Ruth’s Story
- Ruth was traveling with someone who called herself, “Bitter,” yet she was sweet and faithful.
- We need to be willing to journey with the bitter, the hurting, even the hateful and show them the love of Jesus Christ.
- Our lives—marked by God’s faithfulness through trial and triumph—can become a living legacy of faith to those around us.
2 Timothy 1:5 NIV I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Psalm 139:17-18 NIV How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
- Fruitfulness, not feelings, should run our lives when we are plugged into the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 2:7 CSB Being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.
- Faith in God isn’t something just for the good times—it’s a way of life. It’s how we anchor our souls in hope.
Psalm 121:7-8 NIV The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Links:
- “Life Means So Much” by Chris Rice
- “I Take Things At Faith Value, Kathy Branzell’s Story”
- National Day of Prayer
Books:
- From Heaven’s View by T.W. Hunt
- The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom
- An Invitation to Prayer: Developing a Lifestyle of Intimacy with God by Kathy Branzell
- An Apple a Day: 365 Devotions for the Heart of a Teacher by Kathy Branzell
- Prayer Warrior by Kathy Branzell
- 40 Days of Love: A Prayer, Care, Share Devotional by Chris Vennetti and Kathy Branzell
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