When U Pray

Lord I come to you trusting and believing in the process. I come with a bowed head and humble heart believing you know the plans you have for me to give me a future and hope and that if I trust you, my life with belong to you and I will walk the path you have set before me.. by faith in Jesus, Amen

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah

We are currently renovating our basement and it’s a mess, paint and supplies everywhere, things half torn down some things are half put together and dust and cobwebs are everywhere. This morning as I was walking among the mess in my basement I was reminded of my life. God found me sitting on a pew, I was a broken mess, with some things half done and other things half undone with the dust of my past mistakes, the cobwebs of my dreams littered everywhere.
As I looked around at the mess in my basement I realized this was a good mess! This mess is a process to get to my vision for this space. Oh a praise goes right there, I said hmmm that must be what God said when he saw all my mess. He knew the vision he had for my life so this mess was temporary, it was necessary for the vision.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://jeremiah.bible/jeremiah-29-11

As you look over your life and see a mess, know that it’s a good mess and is necessary for the vision. To rebuild something you have to tear down the original to get to your vision. Don’t get discouraged along the way, trust the vision. Remember it will all be okay in the end.

If it’s not ok, it’s not the end!

Broken vessels still pour but are not as effective.
If you have a pot that has a leak in it you can fill it up but it can only pour out the portion that doesn’t leak out. Does this feel like you? Do you ever feel as if you are not whole and complete? Like nothing makes you happy anymore? Nothing fulfills you? Does it feel as if something is missing?
What may be missing is your relationship with Christ.

“Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people. He satisfies those who are thirsty. He fills those who are hungry with good things.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107:8-9‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.107.8-9.ERV

When I feel overwhelmed or blah I usually self check and ask myself, Am I praying regularly? Am I basking in a God’s presence? Am I looking for fulfillment outside of Christ? I look at me because those things are usually what hinders me, so I stop and review what I’ve been doing. I find if I spend too much time in the world, I lose focus on what God has for me. When I am in the world I begin to look for solutions in my own power .. knowing in my heart that I am powerless.
My best advice is lean on God and his word. Trust the process and don’t try to solve your own problems, give them to the one who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above what we can even imagine. Trust him with your heart and your thoughts, for he is faithful.

When you are broken in your spirit it’s hard to uplift someone else. It’s impossible to pour from an empty cup. If you need to be filled, you have to ask God to heal those things in you that leave you broken so as you receive your blessings you can pour out what you receive and increase your faith.

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/rom.15.13.ERV

What is true and the Truth are not the same.
It is 85 degrees outside in Flint today is true. Tomorrow it might not be 85 so that statement was true yesterday but not today and maybe not tomorrow. The Truth, never changes.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/heb.13.8.ERV

In our flesh we tend to listen to what appears to be true, I love you is probably one of the most misused sentences ever used; it is usually true when uttered but is not always the Truth. Make that same person mad, hurt their feelings and watch how fast that love turns to disgust or distrust. unconditional love is highly sought after but rarely achieved and because we are unable to have unconditional love in our own power we stop believing in Love.
Don’t forget that the truth and what is true are not the same.

What is always true is the word of God. If he said something he has to do it.
““You are right,” the Lord said, “and I am watching to see that my words come true.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭GNT‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/68/jer.1.12.GNT

When the word of God says I will never leave you nor forsake, you it not just true, it is the truth.

When the word of God says to be strong and courageous because he is with you.. he means that.
“So also will be the word that I speak— it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:11‬ ‭GNT‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/68/isa.55.11.GNT

So don’t get caught up in situational truths. Remember the word of God is the Truth.

When reading the Old Testament do you ever notice how God gets mad and destroys everything and everybody when the people he chose kept choosing wrong. In the time of Noah he destroyed every tribe and nation, he destroyed EVERYBODY but Noah and his family along with two of every animal (so creation could continue). Now what I find amazing is this:

1. Noah loved God so much that God saved Noah’s entire family and allowed everything to be renewed through his line.
2. Noah knew Gods voice and when God gave him instructions he listened and followed them.
3. Lastly, following the renewing of the earth the people where told of God and his glory as well as his wish for the people to be blessed they continued to do what they wanted .

In my sanctified mind God looked down on his creation and asked himself “what more can I do to show them how much I love them”?
In my mind he said I’ve tried delivering them, smiting them, capturing them, destroying them, healing them and everything in between what can I do next?

Here is definitely where my mind goes left, I can imagine him saying I’ve tried everything else, I’m going to try LOVE! I’m going to allow Love to do what I have been unable to do.
“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/jhn.3.16.ERV

Enter Mary:
“The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you. Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me!” Then the angel went away.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:30-33, 38‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/luk.1.30-38.ERV

Enter God’s new thing:
“I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love. 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. Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:3-7, 13‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/1co.13.3-13.ERV

I woke up to the rain beating down on the roof, thunder booming and lightening cracking open the sky. It was comforting hearing the water hit the roof, it soothed me in my spirit.
As I prepared to write this morning I looked inward for a topic and I immediately thought of the rain and how after the storm moved on the world was washed clean, the flowers and the crops were nourished and the lakes and streams were replenished. What a wonder rain can be.
I typed in “rain” in my bible app and this scripture caught my eye.
““Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return until they have watered the ground. Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:10‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/isa.55.10.ERV

I was reminded that all things work together for good… yes, even the rain.

We often look at the storms in our lives as something to be feared or avoided at all costs, but I’m challenging myself to look at storms as periods of refreshing. I’m challenging myself to look at storms as a way for God to replenish some things in my life, to wash me clean.

As I look back over my life I’ve come to realize that I have never once solved a problem on my own. I look at the things that I suffered through that at the time, I thought were going to kill me, but they made me stronger. I look at the people I thought I couldn’t live without, I’ve been just fine; I may miss them but I didn’t die. I look at my life and I realize that once I started trusting God, I wasn’t as susceptible to the winds and the waves. I still have troubles but I’m choosing to trust the process. I’m choosing to look for the silver lining, the rainbow at the end of the journey, the pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow.
I choose God: “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.37.25.NKJV

What would you choose? Never doubt you are choosing everyday to either be happy or sad.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/114/jas.1.2-8.nkjv

We all must do what is good and right for our lives, but in the doing, remember that God can and will be your guide. The scripture that chose me today makes it clear that you will have a choice to make. You can allow the things that happen to you to perfect you or allow them to deflect you from your purpose.
Paul reminds us that if you lack wisdom, Ask God .. remember what happened when Solomon asked for wisdom, God made him the smartest person alive and with that came everything he could have hoped or dreamed of.
“Now give me wisdom and knowledge so that I can lead these people in the right way. No one could rule this great nation without your help.” God said to Solomon, “You have the right attitude. You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for wisdom and knowledge so that you can make the right decisions. So I will give you wisdom and knowledge, but I will also give you wealth, riches, and honor. No king who lived before you has ever had so much wealth and honor, and no king in the future will have as much wealth and honor.””
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭1:10-12‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/2ch.1.10-12.erv

Now imagine this, you have a decision to make and you go to God for help, you ask him to guide you, you ask him to be the light on your path and you ask him to direct your path?

This is what Jesus said about it; (it’s in red)
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/1/mat.6.33.kjv

Take your concern to God and he will help you make the right decision, the decision that lines up with your purpose and his will.

“My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭…

How does your circle support you?

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/114/1co.13.13.nkjv

And a Praise break goes right here … yes now abide faith, hope and love but the greatest is love … that will preach all by itself.

Have you ever went to God and pointed the finger at what someone else did to justify your behavior? It’s like believing that God will take your word over someone else’s. It’s like forgetting God is omnipresent and already aware of the facts and the choice you made. It’s like telling God on somebody .. that’s funny to me but also very real. As humans, we often try to understand our own behavior in relation to what others said or did. We can’t live like this as Christians.
Jesus asks us to turn the other cheek. God reminds us vengeance is his. God reminds us he gives us free will so we can choose to behave respectfully even when being disrespected.
A life lesson I learned the hard way. One day in my communication with God I was reminding him why I did what I did. I was pointing my finger at someone else. Guess what? Yup you got it, he did not address the person at the other end of my finger but he began to address the three fingers pointing back at me.
God reminded me that those three fingers represent Faith, Hope and Love. If I keep the faith and remain hopeful in Christ that Love will will heal all the broken places in me. Love will allow me to show patience, love will allow me to be understanding and compassionate. Love will hold my tongue even when I feel persecuted, love will guide me to truth and peace.

Today I choose the walk of Faith.

“knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:3-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/114/jas.1.3-6.nkjv

Manifestation refers to various pseudoscientific self-help strategies intended to bring about a personal goal, primarily by focusing one’s thoughts upon the desired outcome. The techniques are based on the law of attraction of New Thought spirituality.

Eight ways to manifest anything

1. Be clear about what you want. …
2. Figure out how what you want makes you feel. …
3. Create a plan – and stick to it. …
4. Practice gratitude and radical kindness. …
5. Address limiting beliefs. …
6. Trust the process. …
7. Raise your vibration. …
8. Don’t be afraid to receive and acknowledge signs from the universe. (God)
   The Lord my God sent me this in a dream. I woke up and had to get it down in writing so I didn’t forget.
   I was riding on a horse in the middle of two horses and we praised and worshipped the Lord in prayer as we rode toward a building (I assume it was church) lining the path were people and among them were celebrities and regular people worshiping together. A sister in Christ was there and asked me to bring a word to the people and all I could think of was this. Manifesting a dream or the manifestation of a prayer. Hallelujah

I have been thinking about prayer and how it works long after the prayer leaves your lips and your heart. Recently I looked back over my life and realized I am living a life a prayed for. I mean actually prayed to God and believed he would bring it to fruition. Let’s be real I didn’t pray for every single thing I have now but I prayed for peace and I have been faithful to that prayer and he has been faithful in giving it.

What are you praying for?

““I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:27‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/jhn.14.27.erv

“Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. No one will be able to stop you all your life. I will not abandon you. I will never leave you. But you must be strong and brave about obeying the commands my servant Moses gave you. If you follow his teachings exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:5, 7-9‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/jos.1.5,7-9.erv

You ever need to be encouraged? Open the Bible, chapter after chapter there are stories that will encourage you and remind you of the grace of God.
In this passage the Lord is reminding Joshua that just as he was with Moses he will be with him. So I used my biblical imagination to assume just as he was with Moses, he will be with me. I take this word personal and I strive to be strong and courageous and I also strive to follow the word of the Lord (I’m not always successful) well to be honest I’m not nearly as successful as I would like to be, but I keep trying.

The scripture says if you follow the book of law, study it and speak about it you will be successful and wise. So as people of God we strive to study the word and try to apply it to our lives so we can live successfully in Christ.
“Do your best to be the kind of person God will accept, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who has no reason to be ashamed of his work, one who applies the true teaching in the right way.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/2ti.2.15.erv

I have to remind myself that success in Christ may look differently than success in the world. I may not have a huge house or a fancy car, a large bank account or a dream job but I can have peace, joy, love, and the fruits of the spirit.
“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/gal.5.22-23.erv

Remember the Lord your God is with you, just as he was with Moses.

“Every time I pray, I always remember you. God knows this is true. He is the one I serve with all my heart by telling people the Good News about his Son. I pray that I will be allowed to come to you. It will happen if God wants it. I want very much to see you and give you some spiritual gift to make your faith stronger. I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith that we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:9-12‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/rom.1.9-12.erv

Have you ever noticed that when you have a friend who is seeking God they will reach out to you, ask you questions and share ideas? I think that is the most beautiful thing ever, because when they call on you it reactivates your faith. When they ask a question you have to think about the answer, pray about it or even read up on it so you can answer them. The interaction between people of faith helps you in your journey.

“So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/rom.10.17.erv

I say all that to say, encourage one another and be willing to share your experiences and your views. Trust God and allow him to lead you in your discussions but share amongst yourselves. Some of my best revelations about Gods love and his mercy have come from talking to other people of faith.

“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://www.bible.com/406/heb.10.24-25.erv

That’s it, that’s the post. If you are operating on faith it’s because your prayer life is strong.

Being in communication with God regularly allows faith to manifest exponentially…

So that’s it.. keep talking to God

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/114/heb.11.1.nkjv

The very first word is NOW! That means your faith is available to you right now. You don’t need a special blessing, a visit from a dignitary or some magical thing to happen. NOW FAITH IS. Faith is you believing God even when everything around you is crazy. Faith is believing that God can and will. No, he is not a magician and he won’t snap his fingers and your hopes and dreams come true. No he will not make packages appear on your porch or money drop in your account as soon as you say amen to your prayer. But.. and I try not to use that word, he will keep you in perfect peace until your dream is manifested on the earth. His word tells us that ALL things work together for those that love him and who are called according to his purpose.

Now Faith Is .. yours to use with purpose and precision.

Today I was reminded about Esther. It was very refreshing to hear the story repeated, to hear how one young girl in a strange land was able to encourage an entire race of people to go into prayer TOGETHER, for the common good. It was great to be reminded of what her uncle said to her when she doubted her ability:
“If you keep quiet now, help and freedom for the Jews will come from another place. But you and your father’s family will all die. And who knows, maybe you have been chosen to be the queen for such a time as this.””
‭‭Esther‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/est.4.14.erv

Look at where you are in your life (I’m preaching to myself here), are you feeling confused, uninspired, broken, alone or unsure of your next steps? You are not alone, many people feel this way as they wait on the Lord to lead and guide them to the next steps in the journey. Stop 🛑, ask yourself has The Lord been talking to you but You’re afraid to listen? As yourself if the Holy Spirit has been nudging you but you keep thinking your tripping?

Don’t allow your fear of the unknown to stop you from trusting a God who has proven himself over and over and over. Even if he hasn’t done anything in your life, look at what he did for so many, he guided Moses to lead the Israelites out of bondage. He kept Daniel from
being eaten in the lions den, he kept me from losing my mind when my whole world crashed on me. He kept me in perfect peace when I lost my mother and my father. He made a way when I was lost .. I’ll bet you could think of many times he was there for you to.

Don’t let the enemy convince you that you are alone or not good enough.
“So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?””
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/111/heb.13.6.niv

“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.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62:6-7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/psa.62.6-7.erv

“Lord, your faithful love reaches to the sky. Your faithfulness is as high as the clouds. Your goodness is higher than the highest mountains. Your fairness is deeper than the deepest ocean. Lord, you protect people and animals. Nothing is more precious than your loving kindness. All people can find protection close to you.

The fountain of life flows from you. Your light lets us see light. Continue to love those who really know you, and do good to those who are true to you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭36:5-7, 9-10‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/psa.36.5-7,9-10.erv

Just remember that whatever he is calling you to do, he has equipped you to do and made provision for you to do it . Leap out on faith ..

“God is the one who saves me. I trust him, and I am not afraid. The Lord YAH is my strength. He saves me, and I sing songs of praise about him. ””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/isa.12.2.erv

“Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/1co.13.7.erv

When most people think of their mother they think of love, caring, kindness, forgiveness and a feeling of belonging. I say most because that is not everyone’s experience. To some their mother’s love was not a place of safety but terror and pain. Both women were physically mothers but emotionally they were vastly different. The one truth is in both instances the children were affected.
Reading through my Facebook page today there were men and women suffering through the day because their mother had passed away or because they do not have a relationship with their mother and that lack is creating hurt, pain and disappointment. A mother’s love is so vastly underrated because most of us do not realize the effect of the love or lack of love until it is too late.
I will ask you today to honor your mother and forgive her for when she did not get things right. I would ask that you forgive yourself and let the love of God heal all those broken places.
““You must honor and respect your father and your mother. Do this so that you will have a full life in the land that the Lord your God gives you.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:12‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/406/exo.20.12.erv

If you want to live a full life you have to forgive, yes even your mom. Unfortunately or fortunately love covers a multitude of sins and love forgives easily. I am not asking you to forgive frivolously but knowing what it takes to forgive. My mother loved me but she messed up a lot and my brother and I got hurt, physically and emotionally but someone who loved me reminded me that if I wanted to be free, I had to forgive my mother and learn to love her in a way that did not hurt me. That was the BEST advice I was ever given. My mother and I had a beautiful relationship before she died, it was not perfect but we learned to appreciate each other and it made her death bearable.

Give love a chance .. if your mother never hurt you, I Thank God for you because you are blessed.