This week I am featuring words of encouragement from the young people in my life . Here is what 15 year old Nyla wants you to know.
What is encouragement ? When you are praying to God he is listening to everything, and he is giving you hope and peace. When you are upset your family is always there to help you and support you. God is the number one in your life, he is the supporter in your life. God will always be there, he isn’t going no where. How do you trust God? One way you can trust god is by praying and believing in him and understanding what he did for us
This week I am featuring the young people in my life. My God daughter blessed us with this.
“When I wake up in the morning love , and the sunlight hurts my eyes. And something without warning love, bears heavy on my mind…. Then I look at you… and the worlds all right with me. Just one look at you and I know it’s gonna be….A lovely day.”
I have heard this song for as long as I can remember and I just loved the stride in the beat. It wasn’t until this year where the lyrics and the meaning behind the cadence really allowed me to hear it from a different space. This past year I have been on a consistent journey to be mindful of the things I say and the thoughts I keep. I would wake up , give reference to God , thank him for waking me up, ask for a great day. Then have the nerve to say “ ughh today is going to be annoying”., after I just prayed and ask God for a great day. I know, the audacity…
So truth is , I have had such a negative way of thinking for so long ,I hadn’t noticed that I had subconsciously wired my being to think so negatively. I could feel excited about my day with genuine happy intentions , but my thoughts were so dark I couldn’t feel jubilant if I tried.
I was tired and over it, I wanted to go beyond my mind and learn to speak, walk, breathe and even dance myself to the life I wanted. I begin challenging my trained thoughts with the truths I wanted. It wasn’t easy, some days it would take me about 15 minutes to complete a thought or affirmation out loud or in my mind. But I was determined . I figured since my negative thinking has brought darkness the positive thoughts are bound to bring the sunshine.
Then I remembered, that I have the power to choose cadence of my day and how I want to approach the things I think and speak . Let me be honest it took a LONG time and there were challenges. Some challenges where I did break down and bring on the dark cloud thoughts. But I remember how that darkness felt and it got to a point where I tried to say something lousy and I couldn’t. This is not an easy process take ALL time that you need. Please be patient and kind to yourself, there is only one you.
It was the morning after a challenging day. I was washing my face and looked in the mirror and started singing… “ when I look at you and the worlds alright with me . Just one look at you and know it’s gonna be…..A lovely dayyyyyyy!” I felt each and every note all over my body and fir the first time in a long time I BELIEVED today will be great no matter what.
I just want all the lovelies from coast to coast to know we possess so much power that is rightfully ours. Even when it things look to be chaotic , heartbreaking or all things in between. I encourage you to choose the thoughts that you want to see reflected in your life. Feeling somber.. speak joy. Stressful day ahead.. speak strength . Take it one thought at a time.
Let’s practice together! When I pray, I chose to believe what the Father says about me. He believes I am fearfully and wonderfully made.! See, look at how brave you are! You choose to speak great things over your life! Its only up from here. I am confident in you!
I hope something I said will encourage you to challenge those gloomy thoughts with pleasant affirming ones instead. You are in charge if your frequency , raise it every chance you get 😊
“Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.” Isaiah 41:10 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/isa.41.10.ERV
This is a scripture that reminds us how faithful God is to his people. Yes, that includes you. If you have chosen God, he has chosen you and you will benefit from the promise.
How many times have you been faced with a situation that was catastrophic for you and your family. How many times have you lived through something that you knew would break you? If you are like most of us this happens occasionally. I lost my daughter as an infant .. whew I didn’t know how to keep going with that heavy of a loss and after her death I was left feeling like it was over.. I DID NOT DIE!
When I loss my momma and years later losing my father , no one could prepare me for that. I told myself I was ready, that I could handle it , yeah.. Not Ready. I have many days where the grief seems unmeasurable but I’m still here .. I DID NOT DIE!
When we got into a rough financial situation and lost many things, even our home, I had no idea how we would recover. I had no idea how I would be able to face another day.. but look at Me, still here! I DID NOT DIE!
You want me to tell you how I made it? I trusted God… that sounds simple and easy right? I had to trust God when my situation was so rough I was eating ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches. I kept trusting God as my marriage was failing, as my family turned its back on me and talked about me like a dog. I trusted God when my job was threatened and I had to take a cut in pay. I trusted God when the doctor gave me bad news about my health.. when I had more pain that joy, when I had more bills than money, when I was spiritually bruised , I kept trusting God. I had to keep it real simple for myself. When doubt entered my spirit I would stop and ask myself, do you trust God; Yes or no? When people were giving me bad news I asked myself, who do you trust, this mess or the word of God? I chose to trust God even when things looked crazy and I couldn’t see it.. I trusted God because at the end of the day my very soul knows that God is my answer, no matter the question. My soul knows that these battles are not mines, they belong to our Lord and savior.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:11-12 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/eph.6.12.KJV
I am forced every day to trust God because the enemy would have me to believe I am not enough, that God doesn’t care about me. The enemy would have me believe every negative thing .. but my God renews my mind daily, as I seek his face.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalms 139:13-14 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.139.13-14.NIV
I would say to you my friend to hang in there .. no matter what you are facing.. hang in there.
“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.59.19.KJV
No matter how the enemy presents himself to you, you will live! YOU WILL NOT DIE!
I asked my 8 year old granddaughter Zoey to write a word of encouragement for my people. This is her response. I did not edit ✍️ it because it’s from her heart.
Praying to God will be good for people.He answers your prayers in his own way but he will not answer them right away you will need to wait for him to answer your prayers.And grab a When U Pray journal and start writing. You can write anything. You can write about your feelings about your life anything you want to write you can write. That’s why i like When U Pray cause I love God he is my hero my life savior. I hope you guys will love him too.
How often do you see people asking for prayer? Pretty regular huh? Sometimes it’s asked casually and sometimes it’s asked with sincerity and a deep belief that when people come together in prayer, things change. I don’t normally ask others to pray for me because I’m never sure if they will, especially if they don’t normally talk to me or know my life and what I believe. I believe prayer is special and reflects a deep need to have a relationship with the Lord. I believe that prayers should be very simple and sincere but you have to believe in the power of the prayer. If someone is so kind as to use their alone time to speak to God on my behalf, I am forever grateful. If someone asks me to pray for them, I do, I spend time with God on their behalf because I know who God is for me and I believe if he does it for me, he will do it for you. Sometimes I’m not sure what to pray but that doesn’t stop me… I trust God and I truly believe if I am sincere, his power is activated on your behalf.
Prayer changes things.. in the Bible it says: “Are you having troubles? You should pray. Are you happy? You should sing. If such a prayer is offered in faith, it will heal anyone who is sick. The Lord will heal them. And if they have sinned, he will forgive them.” James 5:13, 15 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/jas.5.15.ERV
“Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/eph.6.18.ERV
“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have.” Philippians 4:6 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/php.4.6.ERV
Fri-yay right .. for those of us that work a traditional Monday to Friday shift, Friday is welcomed with open arms and oftentimes with a fanatical type of joy. People write songs about Friday and wax poetic about its joy. Friday is the gateway to the weekend .. those two days in a row with less of the daily bump and grind.
I think on a day like today you need a few words to keep ya grounded:
Up in the morning at six o’clock Head for the city Turn on the music, the radio Nobody’s hurrying (nobody’s hurrying)
Day after day Slaving away, yeah
Punching the time, I’ma I’m late again Sneak in the back way
I count the hours, minutes too So glad it’s Friday (so glad it’s Friday)
Jump in my ride It’s Friday night
Livin’ it up, livin’ it up Oh, yeah, Friday night Livin’ it up, livin’ it up at last Living it up, livin’ it up Oh, yeah, Friday night Livin’ it up, livin’ it up at last
Only on a Friday Never on a Sunday Never on a Monday
Ok I know in the world this moniker for Thursday has one meaning but I’m thinking along the lines of Thirsty for the Word..
You know those days when you have been toiling along, keeping busy and trying to stay focused. This is one of those days that tends to be filled with meetings, chores, kids practices and other tedious items that drain your energy. So here is a few things to boost you up:
“I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be good to you and give you peace.” Galatians 1:3 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/gal.1.3.ERV
“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” John 4:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.4.14.ESV
Hump day… it’s a real thing. We could call it refuel day because Wednesday is like the halfway point in most work weeks and is normally greeted with some joy. (I’m talking about myself) I have this hump day remix song I love to play for my team at work, it adds a little pizzaz to our Wednesday mornings when I remember.
Wednesday is also a day many religions offer bible study or prayer meetings. During these meetings you often gather in person (or on zoom during a pandemic) and share bible stories, song, scripture and other religious rituals. These rituals are designed to give you a boost of faith, a boost of hope and sometimes a boost in your knowledge of the Bible and its principles.
it’s Wednesday again and I hope you find a way to rejuvenate yourself to manage the rest of the week until Sunday Comes! Here are a few scriptures I found:
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV https://deuteronomy.bible/deuteronomy-7-9
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.27.1.KJV
“We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. So stand strong in that freedom. Don’t go back into slavery again. I say this because our hope of being right with God comes through faith. And the Spirit helps us feel sure as we wait for that hope.” Galatians 5:1, 5 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/gal.5.1-5.ERV
Tuesday is one of those days that most people are ambivalent about. I don’t hear people making songs about Tuesday or disliking it, it’s just Tuesday.
Tuesday is considered the second day using the calendar system of the world we are in today. But God in his infinite wisdom wasn’t ambivalent about the second day, he was purposeful. “Then God said, “Let there be a space to separate the water into two parts!” So God made the space and separated the water. Some of the water was above it, and some of the water was below it. God named that space “sky.” There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the second day.” Genesis 1:6-8 ERV
God didn’t let second day blues deter him, he got busy and created the land and the sky. What will you do on this second day?
Will you decide to be productive and hopeful or will you give in to the Tuesday blues? Will you believe that nothing is impossible today? Will you believe that you are a conqueror? Will you believe that giants fall? Will you believe that the word of God is sufficient? Will you trust God today with your stuff? Will you let the blood of the Lamb do it’s perfect work in you? I know it’s Tuesday but let’s decide to make this Tuesday a great day.
“Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy” Colossians 1:9-11 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/col.1.9-11.ERV
I don’t normally post every day, but as I was reading my post from yesterday my spirit said “and now it’s Monday” what advice do you have for today. Y’all my spirit often demands a little more so now it’s Monday and I want to share with you how I feel about Monday. I used to dread Monday, I would get sad on Sunday because the weekend was ending and Monday was coming. One day as I was sitting at my desk moping, yes moping, (I was a mess), the Holy Spirit reminded me that this was a day the Lord had made and I should rejoice and be glad in it. I was immediately chastised in the spirit.. how could I dread any day that the Lord made and… and …he allowed me to wake up to see it? See my dilemma? I had to decide right then and there how to view Monday in a way that honors my love for Christ.
Most people who know me at home and at work will tell you that Monday is now my favorite day. I am excited “When Monday Comes” because it’s another chance, another way for me to try and get it right. I look forward to Monday and I appreciate it as another day the Lord has made.
“We have all these great people around us as examples. Their lives tell us what faith means. So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:1-3 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/heb.12.1-3.ERV
Anybody else get excited when Sunday comes? Excited to go to church and fellowship and worship with like believers? Me Too! Me too! Going to church is like going to a filling station and getting refilled with love, hope and joy. It’s like being renewed and refreshed for the coming days. I’m not sure about what’s going on in everyone’s life but my life gets busy; I get drained and frustrated by situations daily. Coming to church helps center me. Hearing the word, singing worship songs and hugging other people restores my joy. I would pray that you have a place to go on Sunday or whatever your worship day is. There are many churches open in every religion and my prayer is you find the one that fits you and your families need.
Find some place where your spirit can be refreshed. I know many churches have online service and that’s great. After being online for almost a year following the pandemic going back inside the building and feeling the Holy Spirit during corporate worship … it felt like my soul said ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Sounds crazy huh? But for real I needed the refreshing corporate worship that I couldn’t get in my living room.
I was reminded that we need corporate worship by this scripture; “We should think about each other to see how we can encourage each other to show love and do good works. We must not quit meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. This becomes more and more important as you see the Day getting closer.” Hebrews 10:24-25 ERV https://bible.com/bible/406/heb.10.24-25.ERV
Lord I come to you asking for help. Help me Lord with the grief I feel from people who have left me but who are still alive on this earth. Lord I know that you are a father to the fatherless and you take care of your people, I know you give true peace to those who trust in you so I’m asking for your help with my grief. In the name of Jesus, amen.
In 2018 I buried my father and in 2020 I buried my oldest brother due to Covid and the grief seemed endless but with God and the love of Jesus I was able to move forward. Here is where the problem comes in; It’s easy to find scripture support and support from friends and family when a loved one dies but most people don’t recognize that you can grieve people who are still alive.
I have dealt with this kind of grief and I am still dealing with it. How do you go to someone and ask them to pray for your grief , they don’t always understand because most people’s definition of grief ends when someone is dead. I’m talking about a different kind of dead. Dead in the spirit relationships. People who have played dead in your life, you know, they never show up for you physically or emotionally but feel as if you owe them just because they are family. You know the type, the ones who depend on you but you can’t depend on them. One day you have to make a decision, them or you? Once you decide to chose you over them the grieving starts, you miss them even though they hurt you. You miss them even knowing they could care less about you in the ways that are meaningful to you. They never call you unless they want something. They borrow money and don’t pay you back or feel the need to. They never support you, they assume someone else will. They, they, they.. see the problem? It’s easy to blame them when the truth is you are responsible for the things you allow in your life. Talk to God, tell him your sorrow and your pain. Trust God with your grief, he can handle it and his knowledge will allow you to put it in perspective. We often attempt to drag people along with us in life long after their purpose in our life has been fulfilled. God truly does have a plan for you to give you a future and a hope so go to him when your heart is overwhelmed, he alone can help. Recognize you are grieving, then allow God to heal that place in you. We are trying to live free, free from anger, free from pain and frustration so let’s use our helper.
“God is our protection and source of strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble.” Psalms 46:1 ERV
“Two people will not walk together unless they have agreed to do so.” Amos 3:3 ERV
“The Lord is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth. He gives good advice to honest people and shields those who do what is right. He makes sure that people are treated fairly. He watches over his loyal followers.” Proverbs 2:6-8 ERV
“I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? My help will come from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. He will not let you fall. Your Protector will not fall asleep.” Psalms 121:1-3 ERV
There are times when I am looking at my problems, concerns and cares and I begin to feel defeated. I look at my problems and seek an answer here in the earth because my flesh is of this earth but in reality, I need to be looking to the hills from which cometh my help. Sounds easy doesn’t it? Just look to the hills where all your help comes from; If only it was that easy. I believe looking to the hills from where your help comes from means you have to put action to your faith. It means choosing to trust God even when the situation looks hopeless. Trust God when you feel defeated. Trust God when you are overwhelmed with grief. It means literally trusting God for those earthly emotions. It means believing him at his word.
So I searched his word to find something to believe in: “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1 NKJV
“The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my place of safety. He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection. He is my shield; by his power I am saved. He is my hiding place high in the hills.” Psalms 18:2 ERV
“I must calm down and turn to God; he is my only hope. He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me. My victory and honor come from God. He is the mighty Rock, where I am safe. People, always put your trust in God! Tell him all your problems. God is our place of safety. Selah” Psalms 62:5-8 ERV
And I will leave you with this: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV https://deuteronomy.bible/deuteronomy-7-9
If you must use God’s word, use it to lift me up. When I disappoint you in life or make a decision that does not make you proud, don’t search the scriptures for a way to prove I’m wrong, search for a word to help me or to keep me in perfect peace. If I am falling short, remind me that God is able to help me no matter what the situation. “With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.” Ephesians 3:20 ERV
If you must tell me I am wrong or remind me of how I messed up or disappointed you, let’s talk about it. Give me the opportunity to apologize or reconcile, I’m not perfect. “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love. You are joined together with peace through the Spirit. Do all you can to continue as you are, letting peace hold you together.” Ephesians 4:2-3 ERV
If you must share your feelings, do it in love. Communication is always the answer. “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 ERV
If you must use the bible for correction, remind me that because Jesus gave his life, I am forgivable and most definitely forgiven. “So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 ERV
When in trouble we often become introspective and close ourselves off from our loved ones and even God. I hear people say, “I’m not going to God just because I’m in trouble or things are not going right. “ and I think HUH? God is able to fix things we can’t even see. I believe it’s human nature to stop trusting anyone when you are hurting. I look at how animals retreat and are most dangerous when they are hurt. I think about how alone you feel when your hurting and it makes sense that as people it’s easier to stop trusting anyone at that point.
When I begin to become lost in my own head the Holy Spirit rises up to remind me that God is not like man, his ways are not our ways. The Holy Spirit reminds me that we can’t give God the characteristics of man, he won’t hurt us, turn from us and ignore us in our time of trouble. When you are in trouble or feeling troubled is exactly when you need to turn to God.
I was thinking about this and the words from Whitney Houston came to mind.
I know that when you look at me there’s so much that you just don’t see, but if you would only take the time I know in my heart you’d find a girl who’s scared sometimes, Who isn’t always strong. Can’t you see the hurt in me? I feel so all alone, I wanna run to you.
Hearing those words reminds me that I want to run to the one who is ABLE!
“Give the Lord a chance to show you how good he is. Great blessings belong to those who depend on him!” Psalms 34:8 ERV “When trouble comes, good people will not be destroyed. When times of hunger come, good people will have plenty to eat.” Psalms 37:19 ERV
“Nothing is more precious than your loving kindness. All people can find protection close to you. They get strength from all the good things in your house. You let them drink from your wonderful river.” Psalms 36:7-8 ERV
“The Lord is good. He is a safe place to go to in times of trouble. He takes care of those who trust him.” Nahum 1:7 ERV
““Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV
When U Pray 