Potent Praise & Poetry Collaboration!!!

Hello world of Potent Poetry readers!

Potent Praise & Potent Poetry have shifted to combine both blogs and will for now on be "POTENT PRAISE". If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see added or taken away from the blog please let me know. We would love to hear your thoughts concerning the collaboration. Please continue to send submissions to submissions@potentpraise.com.

Thank you for your contributions/future contributions! We appreciate your support. Please keep us lifted up in prayer as we ALL continue to share the word of God and uplift the Kingdom! on Potent Praise and each of our individual blogs.

The Battle

Jay L. Zumbrum

My mind is a raging fire, I'm convicted in my heart
I long to be a Christian Lord, but know not where to start
I hear my Savior knocking, He's standing at the door
And all the earthly worldly things aren't important anymore!

I make the great decision, I fall down on my knees
And ask my Lord to save me, enter my heart I plead
And I know that at that moment, my sin is cast away
I'm now a newborn child, a tender Christian babe!

The news spreads fast, and soon I learn, the enemy has heard
His plan is to attack, before I know the Word
For with the Word I have in me the Holy Spirit's power
He knows he must attack at once, he cannot wait an hour!

He gathers together all his demons and sets his battle plans
He must destroy this new child's faith, it must blow as drifting sands
The planning takes just minutes, they empty all the files
And then his army moves, armed with many trials!

The attack is fast and furious, and for a while I stumble
But in the end, I am quite sure, it is Satan who will bumble
I'm hit with many problems, they're coming by the score
And as my faith begins to slip, I fall down to the floor!

Satan now is laughing, he jumps around in glee
And then the smile fades from his face, as I struggle to one knee
He stares unto the battlefield, his face is filled with terror
With all the files they had on me, could he have made an error?

I'm beaten, battered, on one knee, as my lips begin to move
Satan is screaming at the top of his lungs, "What's he trying to prove?"
He sends out queries to the demons, "What is that he's saying?"
The answer comes like a shot in the night, "Oh Lucifer, he's praying!"

My strength ebbs back, and as I struggle, I gain the other knee
And when the demons see this, they turn from me and flee
Satan screams, "Stand and fight, he's only just a man!"
The answer comes loud and clear, "A man in the Savior's hand!"

The battle now is over, my faith as strong as steel
And in my heart, I know full well, the Lord Jesus is for real
For as I lay on the ground that day, something gently lifted me
Without that gentle lifting, I'd never have gained my knees!

The moral of this poem, is really very clear
Just call on the name of Jesus, when you're facing fear
For when you call on Jesus, Satan hasn't got a chance
The power that he thinks he has is fictional romance!

Sought Potential Part I (read the origianl)..../HE thinks I shine/ Curiosity of my potential leads me to continue to climb and climb/But sometimes the hand of time refuses to shake my hand in agreement/ So I carve my name in the cement of patience/

Right now, I want you to do the same and carve your name in that same cement of patience and anticipate the continuation of this poem. Patience is indeed a virtue.

POTENT POTENTIAL!!!
by Christoph Jenkins

Now that I have engraved my name in that cement/ The clock on the wall of this world no longer seems relevant/ Because of the time that He spent on the cross/ He hung high and lost His life/ So that I might realize my full potential/ However, it is essential that you know/With all clarity and complete sincerity/ That I will never acquire enough credentials/ To reach the potential He has set for me/ He adores me!/ And I do Him/ Before I knew Him, my future was bleak as can be/ Desolate!/ My potential was weak as can be/ There was no hope!/ I'll testify right now/ It's best to try him/ And I know how/ Be honest with yourself and with Him/ Shelf your old ways and do away with them/ Verbally ask God to reside in you/ Because believe you me, He takes pride in YOU/ Especially, when you take pride in Him/ I use to take short timid steps/ Now, I can stride in Him/ Psalms 18 and 2 is my proclamation/ Let it be your proof if you need documentation/ HE told me I have Potent Potential/ All because I allowed my heart to become residential/ You should do the same?/

Give your life to Christ! Do it this day because tomorrow might be too late.

God Bless!!!

After the "Love"

by Sojourner G

So there we sat on the edge of the bed...
afterwards...
on opposite sides.

She was looking at the wall. I was looking at the sink.

I kept wanting to be concerned about what was going through her mind, but everything in my upbringing screamed so loudly in my ear.

"What have you done?!"
"Boy you in trouble now!"
"Ima ttttteeellllllll!"
"You gonna git it!"

Why was I back in my childhood?

But through all of this,

God was silent.

I knew what I was doing. I turned heaven's volume down. Who am I kidding? I put Jesus on mute.

"I put Jesus on mute," I think I said aloud.

She was lost in her own thoughts.

I tried to think about the fleshly pleasures so recently experienced, but the three man gang of Grief, Guilt and Fear, leaned on me like the oppressing heat of the Saharan sun.

Grief reminded me that I was not who I thought I was nor who I claimed to be. He caused me to mourn the loss of my character and integrity. Said he talked to God and that He was hurt. I knew Grief was lying...and telling the truth. He convinced me that I no longer deserved life so I gave my joy to him.

Guilt went to work on my heart, causing it to thud sickly in my chest. "You're always telling other people how to live their lives, always giving advice on how to straighten up and fly right. Now you're just like the rest. Hypocrite!" The word stung like a slap in the face with a cold hand. He stabbed my mind with the knife of unworthiness, the ice pick of unrighteousness, and dug into my anemic heart with the dull jagged spoon of uncleaness. He convinced me that I was no longer worthy so I gave my confidence to him.

Fear said nothing at all, but settled in my stomach like a hot metallic ball of grease that would not allow itself to be vomited out...but made me wretch over and over. He fed the thoughts of panic about discovery and started a forest fire of humiliation and embarassment. My whole body trembled at the thought of what could be... because of what was. Without lifting my eyes, I reached deep inwardly and placed my security into his hands.

And there I sat as they circled around me, whispering to me, taunting me, assuring me that they were going nowhere.

Still there I sat, ready to be poured out onto the floor.
No form.
No substance.
No more.

Then the phone rang.

Out of habit, I picked it up, connected the call and said,

"H'lo?"

"Hi Honey! Dinner will be ready when you get home and don't forget you're taking the kids to bible study tonight, 'kay?"

"OK."

"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
~James 1:14-15

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