Your Struggle Will Lead You To Your Purpose

Your struggle will lead you to your purpose. The things you've overcome are your testimony. When you share your testimonies and your God-given gifts, those are the things the world is in need of, and that is where you will find your purpose. Live with intention to find where those two roads merge, and you will discover great fulfillment.

 How do you discover your purpose? The first part of the answer is, you must first develop your relationship with God, for He is the one that gave you distinct and unique gifts that are tied to your calling. Without drawing close to Him, you can't possibly hear Him to know what He is saying. He won't shout, you have to quietly listen for His voice. So, the closer you are, the more you learn to develop that listening ear.

The second part of discovering your purpose is to look deep within and ask yourself, what are you really good at? Usually it is something that just comes easily, like a natural gifting. That is one clue that it is God-given. Others can't do what you do like you do it. Whatever that thing is, it makes you unique. Zero in on THAT.

Tyler Perry had a really great inspirational message on this topic and one thing he said is that he had a dream and that dream wouldn't go away. He tried and tried in his own strength to make his dream come to pass, but only met with failure. UNTIL, one day, GOD breathed life into the dream and it was birthed for real. We all have to learn the lessons of perseverance and risk looking foolish. That is part of maturing and growing our faith. We have to learn to deal with failure, but failure in itself is not an indicator of whether or not the dream is actually going to come to life and be successful. With every failure and false start, God tests our responses. We will be challenged with how we handle offense, disappointment and the assault against our soul when the enemy does all he can to discourage us from trying again. There are times when you desperately want others to acknowledge your success or give you that 'attaboy' pat on the back, and be met with stoney silence. You know in your heart it is a deliberate slight by those you thought would or should be happy for you. This too, is all testing prior to the dream coming to pass. Because what God has in mind for you can sometimes be so big, it astounds even you. It can be so awesome, that it makes others envious of the way you are getting blessed. You have to be able to handle that with grace and not offense.

Your purpose and the dream inside of you WILL come to pass if you give yourself to doing that ONE THING with excellence. You may be able to do a lot of things well, but the gift that you give yourself to, to do it with an excellent spirit, is the thing that will lead you into the birth of the dream of God. FOCUS. Pursue excellence in all you put your hand to do, and pray that the grace of God does for you what you cannot do for yourself. Your purpose will be fulfilled and joy will be the trademark of your life's work.

Healing For Your Soul

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory; that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I might not cause pain!" So God granted Him what he requested. (1 Chron. 4:9,10).


Today we're going to dissect a little portion of scripture that has big implications. It's called the Prayer of Jabez. The story of Jabez is tucked away between genealogies in the 4th chapter of 1st Chronicles. It begins by informing us that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. That's just half of the first sentence, but let's stop there for a moment.

Jabez was MORE honorable than his brethren. It doesn't say his brothers were a bunch of rascals. It just tells us that Jabez set the bar a bit higher and that was a notable quality about his life. Friends, what do you think others would deem notable about your life? It makes one stop and think, doesn't it? If we want our prayers to get the attention of heaven and compel answers to come forth, then I think this is our first clue as to why God granted Jabez' request. Live your life in such a way as to capture your Father's heart. Don't let there be any reason for Him to have to consider whether or not your petition is answered quickly! When Daddy hears your voice, let His immediate answer be a resounding YES, give her whatever she requests!

"...and his mother called his name Jabez, because she bore him in pain." (1 chronicles 4:9). So, imagine you're talking to your mom one day, and your conversation goes something like this: "Hey Mom! How did I get my name?" you ask innocently. "Well..." her voice trails off. Reluctantly, she continues. "Bringing you into this world was the greatest pain I have ever experienced. There was trouble all around. There were things going on in my life, you know...your daddy left and war made everything a fearful time. There was hardly enough to eat, and then you came along. It wasn't a good time to be having another baby, but what was I going to do? Five kids already and another mouth to feed, and I was all alone. There was just a lot of sadness and sorrow. Life wasn't good, so the name Jabez just seemed appropriate."

I can't imagine the sadness and sorrow this boy felt when he realized why he was named Jabez. His mother cursed him with a poor choice in names, but once Jabez discovered the meaning behind his name, he made a conscious choice to NOT cause pain. Back then, in biblical times, a person's name was deeply significant. Their name and destiny were very connected. Jabez obviously did not want to feel responsible for other people's pain, and that was incorporated into his heartfelt prayer. So here it is, all 4 lines of it.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory; that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I might not cause pain!" So God granted Him what he requested. (1 Chron. 4:9,10).

The rest of the story isn't available, only that God gave him what he asked for. But I can tell you this from experience and from praying this prayer myself. If we're serious about being a person of influence, the first thing God does is set about cleaning up our character so that we aren't a source of pain to others. He uncovers our weaknesses. He lovingly challenges us to surrender to the remolding and reshaping processes under the guidance of His tender care. We are all somewhere on this road of development, and we need to learn to be gentle towards one another, because none of us should want to be responsible for causing other people pain. Please tell me that you aren't so hurt and bitter that you relish the idea of getting back at someone else to cause them pain...it is not fulfilling. It only loads a person down with guilt and shame.

I pray that today you can take a new look at whatever your circumstances are, and know that God isn't punishing you or deliberately causing pain. Pain comes when we refuse to examine ourselves in light of His word and try to stay the same person that God is trying to change. God's purposes are always redemptive. If He is stripping you, then it's only so that you learn to ask the right questions and pray the prayers He wants to answer. If He is asking you to surrender your will over a situation, it's because you can't play god and ask Him to be God at the same time. The presence of pain, anger, fear or insecurity in our life is evidence that we have lies in our belief system that God is trying to root out. Pain is evidence of unhealed wounds. The truth of His word is what heals. When we get the revelation of His word in us, the lie is displaced and truth is what heals our fragmented soul. Let us come to Him eagerly and surrender the pain, the resistance, and the uncertainty so that our eyes can be opened to the truth that heals. When you aren't in pain, you have less of a chance of causing pain or offense to others. This is a secret Jabez understood. If he didn't want to repeat the pattern of causing pain like his own mother inflicted upon him through his name, it was up to him to break the cycle. Today, it's up to you, and with God's help, you can break every negative, painful cycle you've endured. Let today be a day of a fresh start!

 "That I might not cause pain..." The simple, heartfelt cry from Jabez' prayer is that he would not cause pain to others. Now THAT is an honorable prayer! People can cause pain to others in the least of ways that they don't even stop to think that's what they may be doing. What seems harmless to us may actually inflict unnecessary discomfort, pain or offense to others. Personal judgments are felt by others whether we intend them to or not. A raised eyebrow. Inflection in conversation or the use of a particular tone of voice can convey the thought that you disapprove of something in the life of another person. An attitude of rejection or many other messages are conveyed just as easily through body language as they are through verbalization, and they are just as wounding. When ever we carry judgments that tell us we know better than another person, we are going to end up hurting or offending them - even if that is not our intention. 


I have never wanted to be an instrument of pain to someone else, yet I have found that when I am pained in my soul, it can be ever-so-easy to do. When your soul is not at rest, when it feels anxious, angry or frustrated...it can begin to feel like you can't breathe. Out of our own discomfort, discouragement and distress, we can far too easily become the instrument of pain that releases negative words over others. This is what Jabez'  mother did when she named him out of her own pain. She actually caused a curse to occur over his life, and he could have lived with that identity forever - except there was something inside of him that longed to be free of that curse and longed to be free and healed! Jabez took his own destiny into his hands and said, "I will NOT become a source of pain!"

Your soul can't breathe if it's suffocating under the weights of anxiety, depression, over taxation from too much busyness and distraction, or the many things that can deplete us. If it continues over an extended period of time it can feel like you're suffocating. Make time to take time - for a time out. Rest your weary soul. In the words of our Lord, "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Ask Holy Spirit to come and fill all those empty places with Him. I say to your storm: "Peace, BE STILL."

 Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit means that we pick up on these things (hopefully sooner rather than later) and be willing to yield to His Spirit so that we don't cause pain.

Holy Spirit,

Forgive me for all the times when I have needlessly inflicted pain or offense on others. I give You my heart, my mouth, and my entire being; just please don't let me cause pain to others. I will gladly yield myself to You so that no matter what the situation, You can speak through me. You can put a guard on my mouth, revise the outgoing message and adjust my body language so that I do not send negative messages. Forgive my proud judgments against other people. Forgive me for being a source of pain to others when I have spoken and acted negatively towards others out of the pain in my own soul. Breathe life and fresh breath into my soul, Holy Spirit. Let me soul and spirit be renewed and refreshed. Let me be an instrument of healing, encouragement and peace, and speak whatever You would say to others. Help me to withhold what ever is unnecessary so that Christ can be glorified and others are encouraged. In Jesus name., amen.

An Encounter With Love

Christianity can be a lot of things, but if we don’t have love, it’s pointless. If we're going to church, trying to witness to others, volunteering in service, or any number of things we do in the name of Christianity; if we're not doing is out of love for God or others, we are pretty much guaranteed it's wasted effort. People know the difference.

How often we try to run ahead of the Lord! We can get so caught up in the thought of being busy for God we run off without Him. Yet, we can do nothing without Him. We cannot witness in our own strength. We cannot get people healed, saved or delivered in our own strength. We can barely get through the day without the anointing that comes to give us grace and strength. It's tiring! We cannot even love those we already love without God's love flowing through us. I know. I've proven it more than once!

We forget sometimes, that God stepped out of heaven and manifested as a human being, so that we could see with our own eyes a demonstration of Divine Love. The world was in such a need of an encounter with Love, that He decided to come to earth and show us how to love others properly. Divine Love took the form of humanity so that when the time was right, it would communicate the Father’s love in a way that mankind could comprehend. Love took on the role of Defender, Protector, Redeemer of the Lost, and Teacher of all things right and good. He took on the role of Healer of our hurts, Deliverer of the oppressed and tormented, and Supreme Authority over heaven, earth and the underworld. Then, when the world was convicted of such a pure and holy Love, we said, “Enough! We can stand no more of this conviction! Leave us with our cold love! Leave us with our judgments!” So we crucified, in the most painful way possible, the One who loved us. We mocked Him, spit at Him, whipped Him in our anger and accused Him of things that weren't true, in order to keep from having to feel the deep conviction that our own ability to love selflessly was seriously flawed and in need of an overhaul.We could not stand to have Him around anymore, but Love took it all without complaint. All the beating, through his flesh was pierced with nails, and He even carried His own cross to His death. Once again, Love demonstrated to the world His selfless devotion to us, even when we did everything possible to show Him we were unworthy of his loyalty and acted as His enemy. He took it, and wore a crown of bloody thorns as payment for our sins.

A disconnect occurs when people lose their love. You see, judgments, criticisms and fault finding come from hearts that are cold and lack love. Those that feel hurt, rejected, abandoned or offended by the harshness of life often have a hard time receiving love. They don’t trust it. They have taken their heart into their own hands and resist vulnerability towards God and others. Real love makes them suspicious. The love-starved heart will run away from the very thing that is needed to heal them, simply because people construct walls out of self-preservation. I'm not just talking about the people who haven't accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. I'm talking to those who are His. When life has worn us down, our strength is depleted, and so is our ability to love. If we're not careful, we can become just as cold in our love towards the Lord as those that don't even know Him.

Our efforts to be helpful to others or our good intentions to offer advice are often shunned by those that we seek to heal, simply because they do not yet understand this great Love. Their eyes have not yet been opened to receive spiritual truth because they lack an encounter with God. How often we get the order backwards, and want them to receive truth before they've ever encountered Love! It can only come through revelation. A heart that is distrustful of others does not know how to truly give or receive love. It sees everything through a filter of suspicion, criticism or judgment rather than realizing there is such a thing as pure, unconditional love and acceptance, and it's found through Jesus Christ.  

A heart that has wandered away from Truth becomes a mocker of all that is authentic and divine. All we have to do is turn on the TV and look at how mainstream America has adopted rebellion, debauchery, and evil as the new normal. We look to vampires, devil worship, sexual exploitation and witchcraft as our sources of entertainment. Not because we are necessarily in agreement with all of it, but because we find the supernatural realm fascinating and enticing. A heart that fills itself with darkness can only ever become darker, colder, and less and less in touch with Truth. It will reject Love and Truth because of being immersed in worldly philosophies that say, “Anything is acceptable. As long as it feels ok, justify whatever you want. After all, you are in charge of your own life, right? Don’t you have free will to do whatever you please, and live however you please?” Yes...we do. God will not violate our will. Father will not force us to love Him. But do we really, really want to live estranged from Love? Do we want to live estranged from Mercy and Forgiveness? Are we really asking to live apart from His blessings, healing and the kindness of a Father who loves us? Is THAT what we really want? If it is, then we may certainly have what we insist upon, but if we give it some thought, I don't think that is what anyone really wants. 

A heart that is out of touch with their heavenly Father looks for a new version of truth that is not based on love, acceptance and a Holy God that died to take away the penalty of our sins; but seeks to establish a reality based on the lies, deception and rejection they have accepted as truth. And so, because people desperately lack an encounter with Divine Love, they reject the One that came to heal and save them. 

We forget sometimes, that it is the kindness of God that leads people to repentance. Abba Father, open our eyes to realize we need more of you!! It’s not all our advice, telling others what they need to do, or what they should do. It’s not an invitation to join us at church, or the fact that we may feel we have the counsel that someone else really needs. That’s going to change their mind about what they think about God. It’s not the form of Christianity, a fish on a bumper sticker, a church program or the size of a church that leads people to seek out this sinner-Savior relationship. It’s Love. Pure and simple. Until we have more of it, we fall desperately short of being the kind of witness that really truly changes a person’s mind about wanting to get to know the God we say we know. It starts with us. You. Me. Because we’re the gospel people see. If our love has grown cold and stale, how can that ever be attractive to someone else? If we have lost our passion, how can anyone else fall in love with Someone that no longer captivates us? 

When we have had a long, dry season, it can become easy to become disillusioned to the things of God. He wants to come and refresh us again and give us hope for our future. How often people have asked, "What is my assigment, Lord? Why are we still just sitting here?" Yet, during the trials and the testing, one thing you may not have understood is the fact that the Lord deliberately disconnected one of your battery cables so that your battery would run out of charge. It's a lengthy process as the anointing wanes and your well runs dry. But that too, can be the design of the Lord. You must be emptied before you can be filled. You are like those empty clay jars at the wedding feast of Cana in John chapter 2. Sitting on the sidelines waiting to be used, but in order to fulfill your purpose you must first be filled. The emptier you are, the more He will fill you - when the time is right. He wants to give you a NEW anointing, and He doesn't leave any of the old wine in the vessel. He completely empties it so that what is poured in is brand new wine!! New power comes with a new anointing. The Lord gave me an illustration in a dream about how we as believers keep taking used batteries out of various remotes and things and put them into our controllers, thinking they will keep working. We keep trying to get enough of a charge out of old used batteries to string us along for a little while, when God is saying, "You need a brand new battery, not a recharge!" He has a new anointing for us in this season, and it's an anointing of Divine Love. Only Divine Love is powerful enough to break the stubborn resistance of a hardened heart. Only Divine Love is powerful enough to break the hold of the enemy's grip. Only Divine Love is powerful enough to work miracles like we've never seen before! We cannot give away what we lack. We can only give away what fills us. (That is really food for thought, isn't it?!?) We have to be filled with Love before we can leave such a remarkable witness behind that people will be running to catch up with us and breathlessly ask us, “Wait!! What just touched me? There is something different... about you. HOW do I get that??”

Love is what turns the enemy’s camp upside down. Love is what changes minds and challenges hearts to want to make a new judgment. Love never fails because Jesus never fails. If we do it His way, hearts WILL turn. Love is what causes people to want to receive that Forgiveness and Acceptance for themselves. Love is what draws others closer so that they can change their mind about what they once believed. That is what real repentance is. Only Love can change a heart that has rejected Him and exchanged Truth for a different philosophy. We can’t do it in our own strength. We need a fresh anointing! We need Love to come down and fill us once again with a life-changing encounter that reconnects us to the heart of our Father. Love has a name and He is called Jesus Christ. This is the love that will change the world.

Father,

I thank You for showing me that I need a fresh encounter with You. You said that everyone who asks will receive, and everyone who seeks, will find. You said that everyone who knocks, the door will be opened to them. I come this day seeking You. I seek an encounter with the living God that will fill me with Divine Love. I ask for a new spiritual battery! Let a new anointing and a fresh anointing come over me and reveal new things about you, Lord Jesus. I thank You for meeting me where I am and answering the cry of my heart for more of you. In Jesus name, amen.

Cannibalism in the Church

Cannibalism in the church. Really? It sounds odd, doesn't it? Yet, the Lord has given my husband and I several dreams on this subject recently so I know it's on His mind. And He has a lot to say about it.

God uses some pretty graphic dream language to convey spiritual significance. A cannibalistic church is unhealthy. Galatians 5:15 in the NIV says, "But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another." Other versions of this scripture warn, 'beware lest you are consumed by one another.' Gossip. Slander. Evil speaking. Suspicion. Backbiting. Blaming and complaining. This is the spiritual reality of modern day cannibalism. The warning to every person is that these ungodly habits and behaviors release destroying spirits. They also release a curse into the lives of those that partake of the table of demons. Spirits of death and hell become attached to those that allow these habits and behaviors to take hold of their tongue.

God wants to heal families, but He wants to heal church families, too. 

Not only does it effect individuals, it affects churches, too. A church that has this going on is full of dead men's bones. It is full of spiritual immaturity, death and decay. The ungodly habits of evil speaking are like vampire spirits that suck the life out of the church and it's leaders.  These things cause offense, division and discord, competition, jealousy, and brings in every evil thing, according to James 3:16,17. A church in this state will never prosper. Evil speaking will cause the death of churches and ministries. It literally has the effect of undermining unity, love and leadership to the point of spiritual decapitation. It resists and rebels against the authority of God. It is sin to complain against leaders and the body to the point of wearing people down and causing them to break. In Numbers 20:10-13, we read the account of Moses being disciplined by the Lord for his failure to uphold holiness to the people. The long and the short of it is, the people complained and blamed the leadership God had given them - so much so, their leader broke under the strain of it. Moses, in his anger, sinned. He sinned against the Lord because he was worn out and upset with the constant pressures of an unruly and insubordinate group of people. He snapped. Wouldn't you? Listen, I know how I dislike hearing my own kids complain and get an attitude, so I can't even imagine how Moses felt dealing with a million or more people! We all slip at times and lose our cool. Sometimes poor decisions come out of the stress and strain of what people feel at the moment. Aren't you glad God is so merciful? Still, God held them all accountable anyway. Moses was banned from the promise land and many of the people were bitten by poisonous snakes and died in the wilderness. A whole generation of people were so filled with unbelief that they refused to obey God and take the promise land. Disobedience is costly. Here we learn of the dangers of evil speaking once again. It produces bitterness of soul, unbelief and eventually, rebellion to the Lord. Those are guilty of this type of wrongdoing are taking into captivity and under the dominion of the enemy until they repent. God has a standard according to His word. Repentance MUST and always WILL precede restoration, healing and revival!

Your family and your church can be healed and restored.

The only way to correct and heal what has become defiled is through personal and corporate repentance. Pray for God to bring separation between those that are spiritually dead and unable to receive spiritual truth, for those influences are like leaven that will permeate the entire congregation. It is hard to tell sometimes who those individuals are. I'm not asking you to judge others. Only God is fit to judge. The right thing response is to pray. God can move those scoffers, mockers and evil speakers out of the way. Pray for God to separate those that truly want to grow and be healed from those that are planted by the enemy in order to hinder the plans and purposes of God. Pray the scoffers, the gossips, the mockers and those with unprofitable conversation would either have a change of heart and genuinely repent, or God remove them as He sees fit. These things must be confronted. "Cast out the scoffers and contention will cease." Proverbs 22:10.

The NIV says, "Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended."

NASB says, "Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out. Even strife and dishonor will cease."

The Aramaic Bible in plain English says this: "Destroy the evil one and cast out the contentious; abolish judgment and shame, lest he sit in the assembly and shame all of you." Wow. now that says it all.

A church that gossips, complains, and generally participates in destructive speech brings shame and dishonor upon themselves, and reproaches the name of the Lord. People often don't stop to consider the seriousness of these things, but it's not a laughing matter. God takes the subject of honoring His name, His children and His servants seriously. Never forget that the Holy Spirit lives inside of others! Speaking against other people is not wisdom, no matter what you may feel about them. Take heed to yourself and don't let your mouth sin and get you into trouble! God has said in 1 Sam. 2:30 that those that honor Him, He will honor; but those that despise Him will be disdained.

Disdained - Unworthy of one's consideration. Synonyms: scorn, deride, regard with contempt, sneer at, sniff at, look down one's nose at, despise.

Is that how you would want God to treat you? Hardly. I would be more that a bit frightened if I brought on that kind of response from the Lord. I would be on my knees repenting and really meaning every word of it. Only a fool refuses to get right with God! But you see, people do this sort of thing all the time and fail to understand that scorning the things of God is more serious than they may stop to think about.

I do not give this word to be harsh or hard towards anyone. Rather, this is a very clear word to those that may feel convicted by what is written here so that they can return to the Lord with an honest evaluation of their heart that leads them to repentance. The fear of the Lord must return to His church and to every believer! Not fearful of drawing close to the Lord, but 'fear' in the sense of showing honor and reverence towards Him and having a right heart towards others. I pray that you do not warrant judgment or correction from the Lord because that can be a quite painful experience. If this article has spoken to your heart, simply pray and ask the Lord to forgive you. His promise in 1 John 1:9 is to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness! He is so merciful and kind, even when we do not deserve it!

God wants more than anything to restore our losses and help us break free from those things that allow the enemy into our lives. He wants to help us break free from demonic entanglements and leave us open and vulnerable to the destroyer.

An individual that's been healed will bring healing to a family. A healed family can bring healing to their church, community and beyond. 

Father God,

I ask your forgiveness for anything I have said or done to participate in gossip, slander, backbiting, evil speaking, blaming, complaining or rebelling. Forgive me for speaking against You when I did not realize I had done so. Holy Spirit, forgive me for grieving You and speaking against the Spirit of God inside other believers. Please forgive my sin and let the blood of Jesus cleanse me from all unrighteousness. In Jesus name, amen.

Feed My Sheep

No one I know likes trials, emotional pain or the testing of our faith; yet, it's in the fiery trials of life that give us experiences that others can relate to. It's what makes our testimonies and our character authentic. Would you want someone who hasn't gone through some things to counsel you or give you advice on how to get through your mess? I wouldn't, and I'm guessing neither would you! 

Some times we experience the pain of loss and grief so deep we feel that no one else knows what we are feeling. God allows us to go through those things knowing that it will produce compassion and an ability to minister to others that He will bring across our path in due season. He wants us to have answers that give others hope and encouragement, and ultimately so that they can hear the testimony that God is able to be trusted during their difficult times.

Never be afraid to share what God has brought you out of, because it's your experience and testimony that makes your life authentic in Christ. You have been given an incredible gift to be able to minister hope and healing to others that are hurting. Your testimony now belongs to God and others in need. Humility is love in action, giving away what no longer belongs to you. To you, it is proven experience with the Lord; to others, it is fresh manna from heaven.

In John 21, we read the account of Jesus walking on the beach with his followers. He asked them, "Children, do you have any food?" The people responded, "No." And immediately they went fishing. 

I thought about this in light of the fact that there are so many people that are afraid to be transparent about the painful parts of their life. When we refuse to share the embarrassing or awkward parts of our past, not only does it rob us of authenticity and a witness to others, it actually robs others of food. When we refuse to feed others from the experiences, trials, and difficulties of our lives, we rob them. We are actually participating with the thief in order to deprive others of spiritual nourishment, because those things can help give them strength to get through their own painful experiences in life. We call it fear, but God calls it pride and selfishness, because we're really thinking more about ourselves than others.

Back to John 21. After the people were fed, Jesus turned to Peter, one of His beloved disciples, and asked him, "Peter, do you love me?" Peter of course was mortified that the Lord would ask that, and convicted as well. Peter said, "Yes, Lord! You know that I do!" 

Three times Jesus asked Peter the same question and three times Peter affirmed that he did indeed love the Christ. Each time, Jesus reminded Peter, as He reminds all of us, to take care of His little ones and feed them in love. Remember, we don't all have to be standing behind a pulpit, but we are all ministers. Take the leap of faith and unlock your heart. There is a hurting world out there and someone today needs to hear YOUR story. 

And the Mountain...Moved

When faced with what seems like a difficult problem, how often we pray what seems logical to us, rather than ask God for a specific scripture to 'move the mountain.' Yet, as I sought the Lord for a word, I turned to Psalm 68:8 and this is what it says: "Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel." The presence of GOD! The presence of God is where we find solutions of every kind. Creative and inspired ideas for breakthrough. Strategies. Conviction for change. Solutions for unsolvable problems. Sometimes all it takes is for that ONE WORD, ONE SCRIPTURE that makes the enemy lose his grip, because our speaking out the INSPIRED PROPHETIC WORD is GOD's HAMMER against the enemy's hand. God is so faithful to give us a word when we ask for it!! Sinai is a MOUNTAIN made of hard rock, yet when the presence of the Lord touched it, it shook, crumbled and yes, it MOVED. Mark 11:22-24 tells us to have faith in God and then speak to the mountain. Pray for the presence of the Lord to invade the place where the mountain stands. Call for the presence of God to rise up and overwhelm the mountain, what ever it is called. Friends, WHAT IS YOUR MOUNTAIN TODAY? Scripture is also referred to as the hammer of God's word. "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" What ever you are facing as a stubborn, resistant obstacle or a mountain of problems in your life, know that with God's word acting as a hammer, and calling for His presence to invade the atmosphere and environment where the mountain resides, YOU CAN MOVE THE MOUNTAIN.


 Father God, 

I lift up my loved ones to you: (_____,_____, etc) and ask that You send Your presence into every place where there is a mountain of resistance. I ask that Your presence invade the atmosphere and every area where there is a stronghold or a place where the enemy has claimed for himself. Let the glory of Your presence come to overshadow and completely envelope the mountains. Invade and completely encompass the strongholds of the enemy with Your glory. Let the enemy be blinded by the light of Your presence and put to flight by Your very presence. I command the enemy to flee at the presence of the Lord! (Make this specific to the circumstances where you are praying for change). I declare the name of Jesus over the name of: Infirmity, Sickness, Disease& Illness; I declare the name of Jesus over the name of Heaviness, Depression, Mental Illness and Grief; I declare the name of Jesus over the name of Idolatry, Self Will, Self Rule, and Rebellion. I declare the name of Jesus over the name of Addiction, Bondage and Pharmacia; I declare the name of Jesus over the name of Jealousy, Envy, Anger, Unforgiveness, Rage and Malice; I declare the name of Jesus over the name of Pride, Judgement, Accusation and Slander. I declare the name of Jesus over the name of Witchcraft, Bitterness, Magic, Deception and Lying Spirits. I declare the name of Jesus over Satan himself and all the works of the darkness and I command every name that is not aligned with truth, godliness, righteousness, purity, life, and peace to submit and bow to the name that is above them. I declare every name that is associated with the works of the enemy to bow and submit to the name of Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I command the power of the enemy broken now over every person I have lifted up to You, O God, and command the enemy to loose them now in Jesus name. I declare healing over sickness and disease. I declare joy and peace over heaviness and depression; I declare freedom over every bondage and addiction. I declare righteousness, order and alignment over every place where there has been disorder, unrighteousness and disjointedness. I declare the love of God, forgiveness and humility over judgment, bitterness, jealousy, anger, envy and competition.I declare a release of light and truth into every area of darkness and deception. Lord Jesus,let Your angels be assigned to oversee the fulfillment of that which has been declared and to carry out this word in Jesus name. Amen.

The Promise Is Out For Delivery!

Without prayer the devil already has us beat; with prayer we are more than conquerors! No matter what forces seem to keep your answer to prayer at bay, know that in Christ all God's promises are YES, YES and AMEN! They might be slowed down for a while but they won't be stopped - unless you release your hold in prayer. Don't lose your grip on the promise! Regardless of what day your breakthrough arrives, IT IS STILL ON THE WAY. Confess THAT. Thank you, Lord, answers to prayer, miracles and breakthrough, healings and provision, salvation and deliverance - - - special deliveries are on the way! Angels have been assigned to oversee God's word so that it comes to pass, and the promise is "out for delivery." It's on the Fed Ex truck - IN TRANSIT, and that is what the tracking information will declare until the day it is delivered, right to your door!

Be Anxious For Nothing!

When you look at the ocean it appears as though there is no end. Powerful. Majestic. A force to be reckoned with. Yet even when it seems quiet on the surface, there is so much going on beneath the surface that we cannot see. Faith is a lot like that too. It takes a different perspective to understand that what we see isn't all there is going on! As huge and as incredible as the oceans are, they all pale in comparison to God. Trying to imagine all that God is capable of, the way He will work out the issues of our life or the things that concern us are all beyond our comprehension. Yet so often we put limitations on Him and allow a faulty perspective to reduce The Omnipotent, All Knowing, Almighty God to the size of our worst fears. Fear projects a false reality as though it were real and makes a person feel as if God is not going to intervene in a situation or answer their prayer. The question is, "Why assume God will not answer your prayer??" 

When you can unravel the "WHY" to that question then you have the root of double-minded thinking. The voice of

fear does not have to be louder than the voice of faith! When we limit God, it's like trying to put the ocean in a cup. IMPOSSIBLE. Let your faith be encouraged today! God has unlimited power and ability to change your situation in a moment. Often though, He is just waiting for you to line up with faith. Trust Him even though you cannot predict the outcome or understand how He works. Faith doesn't have to have all the answers up front; it just understands there is much more going on in every circumstance than what you currently know. Often what things appear to be is not the whole picture. Your prayers are heard in heaven. Be still and know He is God.  Look at this picture of life under the surface. There is a whole other realm of activity going on!


When things seem like nothing much is happening can often be crisis times in a person's faith. We look at the circumstances and think, "Is this the way things will remain?" Yet when it's quiet to us is when God is often hard at work. He is just not tipping His hand to the bigger picture. This is the time when He deals with His enemies, and our enemies, too. He deals with those that would stand in opposition to His purposes. He makes things ready on every level. He has prepared the messenger to deliver the message, but the people must be prepared also to be able to receive the message when the time is right. He allows circumstances to reach crisis levels. He makes all things ready at the appointed time and then brings all the pieces together at the appropriate time so that His purposes are accomplished. What ever you are going through today, trust God to work it out. What you see is often not a true indicator of the outcome. GOD determines the way things play out. Your job is simply to pray and to trust. Be still. Be still and know He is God!

From Prison to Praise

Friends,

A few days ago I wrote and told you I wanted to help other women find their voice and share what God has done for them. Not everyone has a blog or a website but each one of our testimonies are precious and powerful. People need to hear them because by sharing our lives and our stories, we encourage others.

The following story was sent in by a dear friend named Mary from Tuscon, AZ. I am so grateful that she took the time to write it out and send it in, because it shows what God can do in a person's life. He wastes nothing. He will take our pain and turn it around and let His power and anointing flow through to touch others. The pain of what she went through touched my heart as I know it will touch yours, too. So many of us have gone through terrible things, but God can redeem them all and turn those things into a platform to reach others who are also in pain. Today, Mary's story is shared with the world in an effort to give other women hope, and faith to trust the Lord with their pain and sadness. I love what Mary wrote about how God has bigger things in mind for us than we do! May this story bless you as it has blessed me! 

"I am where I am today because I had a praying mother. I always begin my story with that because it is important to acknowledge the power in prayer. God is so amazing and I know if He can heal my heart He can heal anyone's. I love that He uses cracked pots so that His Light can shine through because I am definitely a cracked pot. When I read that Moses was a fugitive and Jacob was a cheater and Gideon was a scaredy cat and Jeremiah was just a boy and Elijah was depressed and Paul was a murderer of Christians. I knew I was in good company and God had a place for me too.

My parents were great, my relationship with my peers throughout school was strained to say the least. I was heavily bullied and gang raped by boys I had grown up with my whole life. I grew up in a small town where everybody knew everybody. After the rapes, they told everyone in town how I was a willing party so I not only suffered the shame of multiple rapes, I now had to endure the ridicule of the taunting and the laughing at me and the name calling, Not to mention the hatred of the other girls because I was labeled very negative names. Taking my life became an option and I knew I had to get out of there.

My parents allowed me to go and live with my sister in California. I never told them what happened but they knew I was having issues.  I began to steal from my sister to buy marijuana so I would have friends . Because of my experiences i didn't think I could be liked for me. I married the first man that wanted me and he was very physically abusive. That was only the beginning.

For the next 35 years my life consisted of crime and drugs and abuse. I did 4 prison terms, have been married 5 times, 3 children and 1 abortion. I lost custody of my daughter when she was 2 due to my alcoholism and my drug addiction and repeated the cycle 10 years later when my sons were 2 & 3. Luckily their fathers stepped in and they raised them. I got saved in 1993 but formed no relationship with Jesus. I didn't know how. In 2009 at age 52 facing 10 years in prison God met me right there on the floor of my jail cell. He cleaned me up and He put me in a position leading a Bible study as an inmate for the next 3 years. 

In my sentencing I watched the Judge literally change his sentence for me in a matter of seconds. You could see that God had spoke to him. He was a Christian man.I am sure God arranged that as well. He went from a sentence of 8 years to 3.5 years in seconds!!! I had already done close to 3 years so I released in a couple of months. Truly this was God..

Please do not misunderstand me..God did not take away the consequences of my choices, He only shortened them. He knew my heart and He saw that I had finally found the answer to living for Him.

It is staying in His word. Such a beautiful place of love is His word. I have been home 2 years now and God continues to bless me. All 3 of my adult children have moved here to be closer to me and get to know Mom..They know Jesus is responsible for who I am today and what better testimony to my children. I still have my share of problems believe me, but with God all things are possible. Today I fight my battles on my knees instead of in a bottle or locked in a room high.

You see, God's plan is never instant. I believe sometimes he allows us to go though the things we do because we will use that experience to help others. In 1993 when I got saved in the jail, a lady prophesied that I would work with women one day. Leading that Bible study was part of that prophecy..but don't you know that our God had more in mind? Recently I was approved for our church prison ministry to work with women coming out of prison to make that transition into society living life on purpose. One of the girls in my group in prison got out and died of a drug overdose 6 months later at the age of 24. She was my room mate as well and a very close friend. It was then that God gave me this vision, that women need a place when they come out to feel connected. Her mother had found notes written to me afterwards but never sent where she was struggling. For Brettney and any any woman like her..God is now giving me that place..I will honor Him and Brettney's memory with this opportunity He has given me.

God has healed my heart..His light is shining bright through this cracked pot.. :) He loves us so..remember Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted, to save that which is lost. If that is you today..Come..Jesus is waiting..Just call on His name, He will meet you wherever you are..just come.."

When God Breaks Your Heart for What Breaks His

It's almost midnight and I can't sleep. The whirring of the fan and the soft feather pillows are not a comfort this night. Too much weighing on my mind. A restless heart wrestles with God. There's this kid...and I can't get him out of my head.

Unkempt and dirty, he rides around the neighborhood riding his scooter...always alone. You know this kid, too. The one that knocks on your door and wants to know if your kids can play, and the first thought you have is..."Um, listen kid, I feel sorry for you and all, but I'm just not sure you're a good influence, ya know? I know it's not your fault, but..." And you find yourself shutting the door in his face more than you allow him in. At eight years old, you can see his future mapped out for him. Absent parents. In and out of jail with no thought of how they have abandoned the kids they brought into this world. Grandparents who are so broken themselves they can't properly care for anyone, now struggling to raise a kid they don't seem to want or care much about. And others can only say, "Well, it's better than being in the system."

This kid. This kid has family but lives like an orphan. And it's breaking my heart.

Midnight comes and goes and still I can't sleep because now the Lord is nudging me to pray my best mom prayer over this kid. See, a mother knows what this kid needs. He needs a family. He needs someone to love all over him and let that love and concern wash away that brokenness. That lie screaming in his face that tells him a thousand times a day he's rejected, unwanted and nobody cares. He needs a mom that will hold him and rock him and whisper in his ear that someone does care...He needs a dad that will set some healthy boundaries for him and show him how to respect himself enough to say no to trouble when it comes knocking. He needs a dad that will raise him up right, show him how to hold a door open for a lady, treat a woman with honor and respect. He needs a dad to teach him the value of a good education, hard work and being kind to others. But see, that takes commitment, and that requires something...something I'm not sure we can give enough of to make a difference.

Tears spilling onto my pillow, now feeling a burden for this kid like I've never felt and my heart is still twisted into knots. "God, your word promises that you set the solitary in a family. This child needs a family. Will you do that for Him, Lord? Will you? Because He needs it sooner rather than later. Don't let this boy become another statistic." I find myself pleading with God not to let this boy go down the same road as his parents. I don't want him to repeat those same mistakes. I want to see that generational curse broken. Yes, this kid can be trouble sometimes. He is the problem child in my complex. But he isn't a bad kid. He is an unparented kid. An unwanted kid. Neglected and unloved. My stubborn, reluctant heart is still wrestling with God. "Am I this boy's keeper, Lord?"  "Did I ask for this? Don't you know I have enough on my plate with my own kids, my own family?" 

My mind momentarily wanders to the story of the Good Samaritan. Am I my brother's keeper? Is that what this is all about? I begin to question God again. "What exactly are you asking me to do here?" Because I'm smart enough to know that when God begins to break your heart over something, He's also asking you to be part of the answer.

Morning comes all too soon and once again this boy is on my mind. Thoughts of sadness overshadow my day before it's even begun. I pick up my Bible and read Psalm 68:6.

"A father to the fatherless; a defender of widows is God in His holy dwelling. God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy, but the rebellious live in a dry, sun scorched place."

As I prayed for this boy to receive a family, I know in my heart that family is mine. I don't know where that will lead any of us. I don't know what all that means at this point. All I know is, somehow I have to give more of myself than I've been willing to do in the past. Because the broken can't give away what they don't have, and somebody has to love this boy. He is just one of many. One of many that has the potential to grow up and be the second or third generation of his family, repeating the same mistakes as his parents and someday possibly fathering a child and ending up walking away...because somebody didn't care enough to show him the right way to love. I could say it's not my job to do someone else's responsibility. I could say that and walk away and ignore the weight of conviction as I watch this kid wander by himself day in and day out, around the neighborhood. I could look the other way and go back to bed when this boy is wandering the parking lot looking for his grandpa, wondering why, when it's already dark, no one is home to tuck him into bed and make sure he's safe. I could say no to a lot of things, but I'm wondering if I should. After last night's heart wrestling with God and a heart wrenching prayer, how can I? Somebody has to love the orphans, the homeless, the cranky neighbor across the street and the multitudes of people that cannot heal or find their compass in life, all because they are broken. The sad thing is, I had this sudden realization that I had put years and years worth of prayer and effort into trying to love others that didn't want my love, didn't appreciate my prayers or and didn't want to be knit together as family. I spent so much energy frustrated, resentful and angry over the rejection from those that did not know how to accept that love or give it back, that I completely missed the one right under my nose practically crying out for someone to heal his brokenness. His heart is torn and bloody and needs to be bandaged. And now I know. For years there has been one specific prayer that has gone unanswered. It was our family's prayer to find the right church and know we were an integral part of something bigger than ourselves. God has answered many other prayers, yet that one thing He remained silent about. Now it all makes sense. We were people looking for a family, yet God has called us to be spiritual parents and He is going to bring the rest. Spiritual children. Maybe you've been asking God where you fit, also, and haven't quite found the right place.

All I can tell you is, keep asking; keep praying for God to lead you to the right people. Because church as we once knew it is no longer the same. That paradigm is changing because there is no way that current model of church is sufficient to hold the harvest. Those nets are too small. Our concept of church doesn't have to be within the four walls of a local building where people meet. We are the church and Christ is in us. The Christ in us longs to touch those that are lost, hurting, abandoned and alone. He longs to set the lonely in a family where He is the Head, and the Father's love can be poured out on those He knits together. You just have to ask Him where to find the moms and dads and sisters and brothers that He wants to be a part of your life.  They're out there. Spiritual mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and little ones. They need you, and whether or not you are ready to accept it, you need them. You. Need. Them. We each have something valuable to offer someone else. Maybe you can teach that lost young man a trade. Give him some loving, fatherly advice. Or give that pregnant teen a home and stability until she finds her way. Maybe you can offer a meal to that elderly person that is so lonely inside her apartment she feels everyone has forgotten her, or that young person that could use some help with his homework. I don't know what you have, but you have something to give. Just give it without judgment, no strings attached. What seems small in our estimation could mean the world to someone else. It could be as simple as a hug or a kind note in the mail. It could be a prayer or letting someone else know about the God that answered your prayer. There is someone God wants to send you to, you just need eyes to see them. They need hope and you need to give a part of yourself away. You are their miracle, and somehow...though you may not understand how...they are yours. Our miracles are wrapped up in each other, you know. Someone out there is praying for you to find them and become knit together with them.Others may not even know how to pray, but God will answer anyway...simply because HE LOVES US THAT MUCH. He knows what we need before we even ask and He will have someone else pray and ask on behalf of someone else's need. He is a good Father that is always looking for a way to take care of His kids. Ask, seek and knock. For everyone that asks, receives. Those that seek, will find. And those that knock, the door will be opened to them.

God Is With You, Even When You Can't Feel Him or Hear His Voice

Friends, I have shared many of my own testimonies and life experiences with you through this blog. I hope you find them helpful and encouraging. I know many people struggle with hearing from God. Sometimes when we are going through a difficult time we wonder whether or not God is there, or why it feels like He isn't listening. 

Recently I asked a friend if I could share her testimony with you. There is someone out there that needs to hear this! I want to encourage you to share your testimonies with the world, but perhaps some of you need a forum to do that, or maybe you need a little help getting your feet wet and taking that first step of faith. I want you to know I care, and I want to help YOU find your voice and share your story with the world. Telling your story has the impact to transform you from the inside out and break you free from all your fears, insecurities and false concepts about who you are. Sharing my testimonies and my experiences with the world has freed me from a lot, and I want to help others break free from all their personal limitations, too. I believe that together our voices will create a ripple effect. Do you have a testimony to share? Contact me at xpectamiracle@yahoo.com.

Here is a testimony from a woman by the name of Patty Mcgehee. God has done some amazing work in her life and she gave me permission to share her story in hopes that it helps reassure others of the constant abiding presence of the Lord. Here is Patty's story:

I had a vision of Jesus taking me on a journey. I won’t go into all the details now because it would be too long to read, but, in short, in this vision, God told me that even when I can’t see him He is always there. A year later, I ended up in a situation where I had been held hostage, beaten and raped. I thought I was going to die. I didn’t think I was going to make it out of that situation alive. On the inside, I was begging God to save me…to send someone to help me. He was silent. I kept asking Him, and the more He was silent, I thought, “Okay Lord, if this is it…If I’m about to come home, so be it. After a little bit more time the Holy Spirit had brought to my remembrance of the vision I had a year earlier, and He said to me, “What did Jesus say to you in the vision?” Within my heart, I replied, “He said even when I can’t see Him, he is always with me. The Holy Spirit replied to me, “Yes.” Right then I knew somehow some way I was going to be delivered. I had so many concussions. My head was so swollen. I had a tumor on my jaw all my life and I was afraid I was going to die, the pain was so severe. I wasn’t trying to call upon him. I could hardly think, but in my great distress I said the name of Jesus just because the pain was so great. Each time I said His name my captors looked frightened. By the third time I said His name, a SWAT team appeared in the doorway and I was rescued. It wasn’t until days later that the Holy Spirit spoke to me concerning the name of Jesus. He said, “Even though you  weren’t even trying to operate your faith, weren’t you delivered at the mere mention of his name?” It struck me. My help showed up within seconds of speaking His name. Even when you can’t see God in it, He is always there; even when He seems silent.

Here is a wonderful reminder of God's promise in the Amplified Bible. This is the second part of the scripture in Hebrews 13:5(b)..." for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not,I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!"

Miracles Happen When You Believe

The last couple of days I've had that song “When You Believe,” by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston floating in my head. I kept humming it all day and thought, Lord, "Yes...Lord. When we believe anything is truly possible!"

Many years ago, my husband and I were moving from California to Florida. We were not in the best emotional or spiritual condition at the time and I had been very distressed. All of a sudden we passed a large billboard that said, "Miracles Still Happen," Psalm 46:1. That night we took an unexpected detour off our intended route to stay at a hotel in Texas. As we got into the room, we noticed a Bible laying open on the table. It was opened to Psalm 46. A few days later, as we got to our destination in Florida, we had on the local Christian radio station. A song came on and it was the words to Psalm 46! Well, we dropped everything and raced over to this church that was live on the air. As we opened the doors to the sanctuary, we were blown away by the incredible worship, dancers and banners. It was almost like sensory overload and it felt like a little taste of heaven. It was so refreshing and just what we needed. God was showing us that He was leading us. He was very much involved in our circumstances and He wanted to encourage us. He wanted to open our eyes to see that He was with us! 

Our Father is so loving. He cares for what hurts our heart and robs us of joy and hope. He doesn't want us to be full of fear or insecurity, and He doesn't want us to wonder if He is with us or not. YES, He is there - do not fear! I don’t know what you are praying for today, but I wanted to encourage you to take the limits off!

How often we allow anxiety to speak louder than faith. Just because you haven’t received the full manifestation of what you’ve prayed for doesn’t mean God has said “no.” All His promises are yes and amen! Did Jesus not say that we would see miracles if we would believe?

Miracles happen when you believe. Sometimes we confuse hope with actual faith. They are not the same. We need hope to lead us into faith. If you believe, you have trust, and trust does not waiver in fear. Trust is not double minded. Trust is confident assurance in the One in whom our confidence is placed. Sometimes we forget our confidence is not supposed to be in things like the government, our employer, our insurance company, doctors, or ourselves. We get them mixed up because we tend to turn to those things for solutions to our problems. Doing that has the potential to take God off the throne and put something or someone else in its place. If our anchor of hope is in the wrong thing, what we feel is double mindedness, anxiety and insecurity over the situation.

Negative circumstances, whatever they are, take time to reverse. Every prayer, every declaration helps turn the course of the situation. Sometimes we have misplaced our faith and actually put our faith in ourselves or others, as if they are responsible for turning the situation. If fear is the spirit at work, people can often try to resort to manipulation and control. God does not need our help as such, and often our best efforts to ‘help God,’ keeps Him from being able to work. Friend, if you need a God intervention, then give Him room to work. The situation is not yours! Jesus died for it. It belongs to Him. Do you need to give something back? Perhaps it is time to take inventory. If faith is in the wrong thing, fear will over ride your thoughts. Our faith must be in Christ alone. Turning the situation is GOD’s JOB. Not ours. Put fear in check. Start thanking Him for turning the situation around.

Praise Him for turning complacency into commitment. Thank Him for turning that rebel into a reformer. Thank Him that illness and disease are repelled and healing manifests according to His word. (Did you know illness and disease can’t attach to the anointing? Anything with death attached to it must die!). Thank Him that your needs are met according to Psalm 23:1. Thank Him that He is faithful to watch over His word to perform it. HIS WORD. He is faithful to perform HIS WORD. Not ours. Declare HIS WORD over that troublesome situation!  

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God. Faith kicks into a higher level when we declare His Word because HIS WORD never returns without an answer! (Read Is. 55:11). WHEN YOU BELIEVE… WHEN YOUR FAITH IS IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST – His faithfulness, His character, His integrity…then you shall have what you have asked for in prayer. All things are possible to those that believe!

Here is the link to that wonderful and very powerful song "When You Believe," by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. What a beautiful way to encourage your faith today! 

You Tube Video "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston

Get Back Up Again!

We all know what pain feels like. The day that phone call came from the doctor's office... The knife in your

back from betrayal of a close relationship...maybe it was the day your spouse walked out or the feeling of hopelessness over that rebellious child. There are times when we all take some serious hits from the enemy. Those are the times when we we experience the kind of pain that leaves the wind knocked out of you, where your renegade thoughts are like a runaway train and hope seems too far in the future to wait for.

And then, there's the anger. The anger of  shattered dreams, waves of despair and nagging fears over the future. Perhaps you've experienced some of that, too. There have been times when we go down pretty hard.The most painful thing, I think, is the smug delight of our injury that we know comes from the enemy.

One of my favorite scriptures is from Micah chapter 7."Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light." Micah 7:8. God promises to bring us out of darkness where we will see His righteousness, and He will execute judgment against the enemy. Do you know how He does that? He does such a marvelous work in us that every lie and judgment spoken against us is refuted according to His promise in Isaiah 54:17.

The day came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got back up again. Because, you see, Holy Spirit pulled something up from so deep inside of me I wasn't sure if it even still existed. It started slow...like a faint dawning of something transforming within me. Then it became my roar. It's that primitive, powerful heart cry that says, "I WILL NOT LET YOU HAVE ME. I WILL SURVIVE THIS!" It's like that mama lion roar that lives inside of every woman. You know what I mean. It's that kind of fierce when someone does something wrong to your loved ones. God help the person that touches my child...my family...Yeah... THAT kind of fierce. Just thinking of it makes your countenance change. It had gotten buried deep under leayers of depression and bitterness for a while, but Holy Spirit lifted it up from the inside of me and when I got up, I got up swinging. Because sometimes you have to get back up and fight for a dream that no one else sees but you.

You may have went down in the third round, but there are still 6 rounds left and Coach won't let you quit. He's right there behind you, whispering in your ear..."I won't let you quit! You still have it in you...I believe in you...together we can win this. Get up, get UP and get back in that fight!" And as you listen, He whispers strategy in your ear..."Hit high! Use your left! Uppercut, now, take him down!" That is what the Holy Spirit does for us. He pulls something out of us we didn't know we had left.

When we get back up, God sees to it that we hit the enemy hard enough to make him wish he never messed with us. He gives us understanding, insight, strategy, and power to lift others off the mat. Some of them aren't even in the ring anymore. The coach is still there, waiting for us to make a decision and go for the win. Maybe today you hear Him urging you to GET BACK UP. God wants to give each of us the strength to take the enemy down. He gives us courage to face those skeletons in our closet and not be afraid. He gives us peace about sharing our testimonies and letting others know what God did for us. Because our reputation isn't about us. Our story is not longer about us; it's about Him. Dig deep, friend, and find that roar deep within you. Get your fierce back. It's your time to get back up again.

Toby Mac - Get Back Up Again