Category: Encouragement

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Carrying What God Has Written

Could it be that what you’re calling “waiting on God” is actually God waiting on you to grow into what He’s already written?

A few nights ago, I had a dream that has lingered in my spirit ever since. Before falling asleep, I asked the Lord to meet me in my dreams, to show me my state, my condition. And He did.

In the dream, I was hanging a bag on a peg in what seemed like our kitchen or laundry area. As soon as I placed it there, the peg broke. I was a bit annoyed, but immediately I heard this thought:

“You crack not because what you are carrying is too heavy, but because you have not developed the capacity to carry it.”

When I woke up, those words echoed inside me. They pierced through layers of reflection and understanding. It wasn’t just about a peg and a bag; it was about the weight of purpose, the demands of calling, the stretch of destiny.

1. Why We Crack

The Lord used that simple picture to reveal something profound:

We often crack under life’s weight not because the weight is too heavy, but because our structure is too weak. The issue is not what God has placed on us; it’s what has (or hasn’t) been built within us.

In the dream, the peg represented my inner life: my strength, character, endurance, and spiritual maturity. The bag represented what God has entrusted to me: the assignments, responsibilities, and promises connected to His pre-written script for my life.

When the peg snapped, the message was clear: weight exposes weakness. And until we develop the inner strength to sustain the weight of what we’re praying for, God, in His mercy, will withhold it.

2. God Doesn’t Withhold the Promise; He Protects the Vessel

This understanding connects deeply to what the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of recently, that God desires to enlarge us, but He will not release more than we can bear.

In John 16:12, Jesus told His disciples, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” The problem was not the message; it was their capacity. The Lord wasn’t denying them revelation; He was protecting them from collapse. Heaven’s weight requires Heaven’s strength. Every promise comes with a corresponding process designed to shape us into vessels that can carry it well.

3. Developing Capacity

2 Timothy 2:21 gives us the divine formula:

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

There are four stages in that one verse. Each a layer of capacity building:

  1. Purging — Removing what contaminates and weakens the vessel. This could be fear, pride, offense, compromise, or unbelief. God can’t build on a polluted foundation.
  2. Sanctification — Setting ourselves apart for divine use. This is where God trains us in obedience, humility, and sensitivity to His Spirit.
  3. Readiness — Allowing Him to equip us with the right mindset, habits, and posture to steward what’s coming.
  4. Preparation for Every Good Work — Enduring seasons of stretching, testing, and proving, which strengthen the structure for greater glory.

Every time we endure pressure without breaking, we increase our carrying capacity. Every time we yield to His process, our “peg” becomes stronger.

4. Our Capacity Builder

Jesus didn’t leave the disciples in their limitation. He promised them help:

“When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13)

The Holy Spirit doesn’t just reveal truth; He fortifies us to carry it. He enlarges our spirit through revelation, matures our hearts through testing, and deepens our roots through fellowship. 

We often pray for new levels, but Heaven answers with new disciplines. 

We ask for weight, but God gives us workouts.

That’s the mercy of capacity-building; it saves us from spiritual collapse.

5. The Weight of Destiny Requires the Strength of Discipline

Sometimes, God lets the peg break to reveal what must be reinforced.

Failure, disappointment, and delay often expose the parts of us that can’t yet handle the fulfillment we’re asking for.

The dream reminded me that cracking is not punishment; it’s revelation. It shows us where growth must occur. The breaking points of life are invitations to mature. Because before God gives more, He builds more. Before He increases the weight, He strengthens the beam.

When I think back to that dream, I realize the weight was never the problem. The promise was never too heavy. The issue was the peg. And the mercy of God is that He allows the peg to break, not to shame us, but to rebuild us stronger.

A Prayer for Enlargement

Lord, help me to develop capacity.

Strengthen the framework of my life so that I can carry what You’ve written about me.

Where I have cracked under pressure, rebuild and reinforce me.

Purify my heart, sanctify my motives, and train my hands for the work ahead.

I yield to Your process so that I can steward Your promise.

Enlarge me, Lord within and without until I become a vessel fit for the weight of my destiny.

Reflection Questions

  1. In what areas of my life has God exposed the limits of my current capacity?
  2. What disciplines or purging processes is He inviting me into right now?
  3. How am I partnering with the Holy Spirit to grow stronger in the areas where I once cracked?

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Living From the Script God Wrote

Have you ever wondered what’s written about you in Heaven? 

Did you know that there’s a book in Heaven with your name on it? 

Did you know that before you took your first breath, God already authored your story, a perfect script woven with purpose and promise?

This is a mystery woven through Scripture that has always captured my attention — the Books of Heaven, including my book. The psalmist David said,

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.” 

(Psalm 139:16, NKJV)

That verse has always stirred me. It reveals that before my beginning, God had already seen my end. My life, its purpose, design, and unfolding, is not random. It was authored. There is a script written by the hand of God that contains His intent for my existence.

The Ongoing Writing — A Partnership Between Heaven and Earth

But as I began to meditate on this truth, I realized something profound; the mystery of divine partnership, the intersection of God’s sovereignty  and human will. 

This mystery has caused me to ponder. God wrote a book about me. The book He has written contains His perfect plan and will for my life, how He has designed my life to unfold and the journey I would take. It’s almost as if He wrote the movie script of my life based on His will and purpose for my existence.

So I ask, “If God knew the end before my beginning (Isaiah 46:10-11), if He has written His perfect will for my life, then where does my will fit into that? Is it that God’s book has His intent but my will either follows His script or mine?”

I’ve come to understand that there is God’s script, and then there is my stewardship of that script. God’s book reveals His intent, but my will determines whether my story aligns with His plan or diverges from it.

So, yes! God writes the plan, but I write the story through my responses. God gave me a will because He wanted my partnership, not programming. My will determines whether I live from the authored intent or from an alternate draft of self-direction. 

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV) – “… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”

Isaiah 1:19 (NKJV) – “If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;”

Our choices don’t rewrite God’s eternal purpose, but they do decide how much of it is manifested through us. The divine script remains intact in heaven; the earthly story is co-written through surrender. Heaven then records how much of His intent we have fulfilled. (The books of records – Revelation 20:12)

The Realignment

Salvation reconnects us to the Author. Through Christ, we are re-attached to the original manuscript that sin once blurred. It reinstates our access to the book written before time. 

Renewing our minds is the divine strategy to be able to decode the script. 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2, NKJV)

Prayer aligns our conversation with heaven’s counsel.

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and [a]mighty things, which you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3, NKJV)

Fasting quiets the noise of self-will so that God’s will can surface. (Isaiah 58)

The Holy Spirit is the resident interpreter of the divine manuscript.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12, NKJV)

Together, these spiritual disciplines open access to what God has already deposited in our spirit. They awaken the “eternity” God has set in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11); the hidden knowledge of our pre-written purpose. 

When we walk in fellowship with Him, Heaven begins to release pages of understanding, glimpses of what was written long before we ever began to live it out.

Living from the Script

To live from the Book then means I no longer live reactively but prophetically, not just responding to life as it happens, but aligning with what God already authored.

It changes the way I see seasons of delay or redirection. They are not interruptions; they are divine edits. God never abandons His storyline; He patiently waits for my agreement so that Heaven’s record can reflect Heaven’s intent.

Every time I say “yes” to God, I step deeper into the chapter He wrote for me before the foundation of the world.

Reflection Questions

  1. Are there chapters of my life where I need to realign with Heaven’s original script?
  2. How aware am I of the fact that Heaven has a book with my name in it?
  3. In what ways am I partnering with the Holy Spirit to discern what has been written about me?

Prayer of Alignment:

Father, thank You that my life is not an accident; it is authored. Teach me to live from the script You wrote for me before I took my first breath. Help me to partner with Heaven’s intention so that my days on earth reflect what You have already written in Heaven. Let my story be a faithful echo of Your book. Amen.

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The Encouragement Toolbox

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on the ways God equips us for the assignments He’s placed on our lives. First, I shared that our equipping begins with the legacy we inherit, the genealogical heritage that shapes us. Then last week, we looked at how God equips us through deliverance, confronting the root issues, cycles, and traumas that try to hold us hostage, and He gives us power to rise and walk free.

Today, I want to share yet another way God equips us, through encouragement.

Job reminds us that God speaks in many ways: through dreams, visions, instruction, even warnings (Job 33:14–17). 

One morning, I awoke from a dream in which I was preparing an encouragement toolbox for a young woman, a new believer in the Lord. In my dream, the box was a deep cherry-colored wooden case, almost like an egg box. Inside, each egg sat in a little marked space: thanksgiving, praise, spoken word, and more. I found myself telling her, “When you feel down, open this box and begin to encourage yourself in the Lord.”

When I woke, my mind went immediately to David in 1 Samuel 30. Scripture says he was greatly distressed. His men were weeping. Their families had been taken. They even spoke of stoning him. Yet the Bible says, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (v.6). The Hebrew word there, ḥāzaq, means to strengthen, to take hold, to support, to make strong.

What struck me most was the order of events: David encouraged himself before he prayed. He couldn’t even reach for the ephod until he first reached for courage.

Prayer requires strength. Sometimes, when we are crushed under discouragement, grief, or mental burden, we can’t even get to prayer until we first remind ourselves of who our God is.

That’s when I understood my dream; each “egg” in the box was a tool of strength for moments of distress.

My Encouragement Box includes:

  • Thanksgiving – recounting the blessings of the Lord, big and small.
  • Praise – declaring who I know God to be, in song or in speech.
  • Prophecy to myself – aligning my words with His Word, speaking truth over my own life.
  • Listening to sermons/teachings – letting faith be stirred by hearing the Word again.
  • And if the heaviness lingers? Repeat.

These tools are not just for me; they are part of my equipping so that I, as an “older woman” (Titus 2:3–5), can strengthen others. Encouragement is contagious. When we find courage in God, we can pass courage to the next generation.

Friends, we all need an encouragement toolbox. We need something to reach for when the weight of life tries to press us into despair. Because like David, once we find our strength again, we are able to pray, to hear God’s instruction, and to move forward.

A Prayer

Father, I thank You that I can wake with my mind on You. Thank You for reminding me that there is a generation of women coming after me that You are calling me to teach, mentor, and cover. Thank You for showing me that I am now among the “older women” You speak of in Titus 2. Train me, Lord, to encourage myself so that I can be an encourager to others. May my speech be laced with thanksgiving, filled with praise, rooted in prophecy and Your Word, so that in times of distress I can stand strong. Holy Spirit, lead me continually into this truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Lessons from a Well and a Bed

As I sat in quiet meditation, my heart turned toward someone whom the Lord has entrusted to my care. I began to pray, asking the Lord to meet her in the very places where life has wounded her. As I prayed, the Spirit brought two passages of Scripture to mind: one about the woman at the well, and the other about the man at the pool of Bethesda.

In John 4:15–16, the woman says to Jesus, “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” And Jesus responds, “Go, call thy husband, and come hither.”

In John 5:5–8, Jesus meets a man who has been sick for thirty-eight years. He asks him, “Wilt thou be made whole?” The man answers, “Sir, I have no man…” And then Jesus declares, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”

At first glance, these stories seem unrelated, but in both of these encounters we see the same principle: before healing comes, Jesus confronts the root.

  • To the woman, He goes straight to the wound of her life, her brokenness in relationships. “Go, call your husband.”
  • To the man, He touches his despair and loneliness. “I have no man…”

Two different lives. Two different wounds. But both statements carry the same silent cry: “I have no husband“. “I have no one.”

In both of these moments, I see a pattern, a principle for healing and deliverance. Jesus was ready to bring wholeness, but before He released it, He touched the root of the pain. 

Deliverance begins here. Jesus does not ignore the cycle. He does not cover over the pain. He goes to the root. The root of shame. The root of dysfunction. The root of hopelessness. The root of trauma. The very thing that keeps us thirsty, keeps us paralyzed, keeps us stuck in the same posture year after year.

And after He confronts the root, He equips.

  • To the woman, He offered living water that would forever quench her thirst.
  • To the man, He gave strength to rise and then commanded him to carry the very bed that had carried him for thirty-eight years.
  • That’s the pattern of deliverance. Jesus does not just free us; He equips us. He gives us power to change posture. Power to break the cycle. Power to carry what once carried us.

When deliverance comes, everything shifts. The woman who avoided the crowd ran back into the city and declared, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.” The man who lay in weakness for decades walked out in strength, carrying the proof of his healing. Both became living testimonies equipped not only to live free but to witness boldly.

And this is still the invitation to us today. Everyone’s bed looks different. Everyone’s well is different. But the principle is the same: Jesus comes to confront the root of our bondage, to heal the wound, and to equip us with power to walk free. 

Reflection Questions

  1. What “bed” or “well” in your life has kept you stuck in one posture?
  2. What truth might Jesus be confronting in you not to condemn, but to heal?
  3. What posture is He calling you to change so that you can rise and walk differently?
  4. How could your testimony of deliverance equip someone else to believe in Him?
  5. Who in your life is waiting to hear you say, “Come see a man…?

A Prayer for Equipping

Lord Jesus,

Thank You that You know my well, my bed, and my story. Thank You that You never turn away from my brokenness but confront it with truth. Today, I invite You to go to the root of what has carried me for so long. Equip me with strength to rise, to walk, and to carry what once carried me. Let my life testify to Your power, and let my voice boldly declare, “Come see a man who made me whole.”

Amen 

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How to Overcome Blurred Vision

 “... I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, …. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:8, 13, NIV).

Melissa is on her way back to her hometown after having been away for 3 years. When she left home, she was full of joy for and anticipation of the great opportunity ahead. She was walking into her best life, or so she thought. However, the following 3 years were filled with shattered dreams and downtrodden expectations, unexpected suffering, and almost intolerable pain. Returning home was her only hope but the thought of all she had lost and what lay ahead filled her with inconsolable grief. She could not stop crying.

Having resolved to start the journey home, Melissa packed the U-Haul truck and drove off towards the north. But she could not stop crying. She navigated the route with tears rolling down her cheeks, until she heard these words: “If you don’t stop crying, you will not be able to see the road; you will not be able to see where you are going.”

As I reflected on 2023 and turned my gaze toward 2024, the memory of one of my co-workers testimony flooded my mind. Melissa shared with me how God’s leading and guidance brought her through one of the darkest times of her life and that guidance began with the words she heard in that U-Haul truck. Those words were life changing for her and, at the time that she told me her testimony, it was as if the Lord Himself was speaking those words to me.

So often, our forward movement is hindered not because of a lack of sight, but rather because of cloudy or blurred vision caused by tears. Tears of sorrow because of the pain of losses; tears resulting from having to let go. Tears of fear brought on by the unknown, not knowing what lies ahead. Tears that cause us to freeze in place, not able to move forward.

I listened and was pointed to Ecclesiastes 3:1 -11a (NIV). “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…. He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Every activity has a season assigned to it and accepting the end of seasons, though sometimes difficult, is essential to our ability to move into the next for our lives. Like Paul, we must master the art of “counting all this as loss…. forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:7, 13, NKJV).

The year 2023 has come to an end and we have just entered a new year. We are not sure where our path will take us this year. But one thing is certain: if we don’t stop crying, we won’t be able to clearly see the path ahead. My prayer for you this year is clarity of sight and that God would grant you the comfort, courage, and grace to stand despite sorrow so that you can “make your way prosperous and have good success” (Joshua 1:8, NKJV).

Friend, wipe away the tears. Position your eyes to see. Lift your eyes so you can see with clarity the length and breadth of that which the Lord God has in store for you and be able to safely navigate the path to get there. This year can be an amazing year if you reject blurred vision brought on by tears.

Let us pray: Our Heavenly Father, as I begin my journey into this new year, I pray that you would grant me grace to let go the things I need to and embrace the new things that you are sending into my life. May my life be characterized by joy and not sorrow, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below and share the post on your social media. Thank you for your support.

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Give Thanks!

“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Every morning as the sun rises, every time the rain falls, every time an animal deposits its waste on the ground (soil), and every time the weight of a bee settles on a flower, it is an opportunity for that plant to receive what it needs to grow and multiply. To some, the heat of the sun, the wetness of the rain, the stench of the manure, and the weight of the bee may be perceived as NEGATIVES, discomfort, and even pain but, to others, these same things are perceived as BLESSINGS.

There is [an] opportunity for growth in EVERY situation that comes our way. This is why the Lord God said, through Paul, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV).

Friends, we can choose to view these situations as earthen vessels with treasures buried within and hunt for the treasures that will enrich our lives with growth and multiplication. OR we can choose to stay at a place of depression and defeat. The choice is yours. Choose well!

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Right thing, Wrong time

Grace and I were on our way to visit a church. I punched in the address in the GPS and we set off. According to the GPS, the journey should be about 26 minutes, that is, it should take us about 26 minutes to get to our destination. About 6 minutes into the journey, Grace asked, “Mummy, are you watching the map?” I then looked at the GPS, sighed and said, “I just added 3 minutes to our time.”

I missed a turn! I was distracted; I was engrossed in thought. I was not concentrating on or paying attention to the journey because my mind was preoccupied with what the Lord had revealed to me that morning during my time with Him. I was doing a good thing, a God-thing but at the wrong time. 

The consequence of my inattention was additional stops and ultimately delay. The initial route from the point where I veered off required 6 traffic lights stops but the route I ended up taking had over 15 traffic light stops. As I drove and waited at each traffic light, I fought the feelings of frustration that the wait invoked. I told myself there was nothing I could do, at this point, but stay the course and remain focused going forward so I can make it to my destination sooner than later.

As I talked myself into remaining calm, I pondered on how the delay meant that we would miss what was ministered to the congregation within the first 5 minutes of the 1-hour service as well as whatever else the Lord had prepared to release into our lives at that time. I saw how delay not only makes the heart sick but it robs us of some of what was rightfully prepared for us, while bringing into our lives unnecessary interruptions and the frustrations that accompany them.

I thought of my current journey and wondered:

  1. Could it be that the frustrations that I am experiencing is because of a delay?
  2. Could it be that I am doing the right thing but because of lack of focus I have fallen behind schedule and am no longer in sync with the timing of God?
  3. Could it be that the delay or setbacks I am blaming the adversary for are a result of my failure to be intentional or give keen attention to my journey?
  4. Could it be that I am doing the right thing but at the wrong time?

I am reminded of the five foolish virgins in the parable Jesus taught in Matthew 25. The reason they did not experience their expected end (Jeremiah 29:11, KJV) was because they were doing the right thing at the wrong time.

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10, NIV). 

These virgins were doing the right thing: “going to those who sell oil and buying some for themselves” so that they could complete their assignment of lighting the path for the bridal procession. They ended up at the right destination: the wedding banquet but were denied access. Why? Although they were doing the right thing and were at the right place, they had missed the right time. Their lack of focus and attention during the journey opened the door to a delay that caused them to be out of time and to incur unnecessary sufferings.

Similarly, we are told in Luke 19:40-44 that Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they missed their time of visitation and the price they would pay was untold sufferings.

On the other hand, the Shunnamite woman understood that it was not enough to do the right thing; the right thing must be done at the right time. 2 Kings 8 1-4 (NIV) tells us , “Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land.”

She moved in the timing prescribed and “It so happened that as Gehazi was telling the king the story of the dead person brought back to life, the woman whose son was brought to life showed up asking for her home and farm” (2 Kings 8:5, MSG). The king ordered, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now” (2 Kings 8:6, NIV).

My dear friends, when we do the right things at the right time, we intercept the things that God has already prepared for us. But we must be mindful that it is possible to be following the leading of the Holy Spirit and still fall behind schedule. How? If we are not vigilant about distractions, especially those that stem from within – internal distractions- we can propagate a cycle of delay in our lives, limiting ourselves from being and doing ALL that the Lord God has fashioned us to be and do. In this year of recovery, let us be intentional about being on the lookout for distractions, staying focused, and endeavoring not only to obey but to be in time as well.

Let us pray: O Heavenly Father, please grant me the grace for discernment that you gave the sons of Issachar so I can understand not only what you want me to do but the right time at which it should be done. I break the cycle of delay over my life, in Jesus’ name, and receive strength to be vigilant as I follow the leading of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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Washed

 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3, NKJV).

It was “Family Car Wash Day”. All four of us were in the backyard putting hands together to wash the three cars in our household. Thad, my husband, had just gotten through lathering the truck and John our son followed with the hose, rinsing off the soap. As the flood of water ran down the side of the truck, it revealed areas that still needed washing. Grace commented how interesting it was that it looked like the truck was washed clean, but the rinsing revealed that it wasn’t. She continued with her observations about the need for more washing for it to be thoroughly clean. As she shared, I was reminded of the 3-fold washing taught by Scripture: the washing by the blood, washing of the word, and washing by the Spirit. Without all 3, we will not be thoroughly clean. “There are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” (1 John 5:8, NKJV).

As I meditated on this throughout the following days, I thought on how we live in a world that is obsessed with having, having more and having it at any cost. Unfortunately, being immersed in such an environment increases our risk of being contaminated or defiled. There is that constant influence that affects our desires, ambitions, and focus. If we are not intentional about rejecting that influence, we will remain in a state of uncleanness and miss our reward at Jesus’ appearing.

1 John 3:2-3 (NKJV) states, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

“… everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Everyone who has this hope in Christ should cleanse oneself, or should take upon oneself purification. We each have a responsibility to endeavor and maintain purification so we can be pure as Jesus Christ.

Yes, there is an act of purification that comes through the blood of Jesus; through and by His blood our sins are washed away. But there is further purification needed to free us from contamination and defilement as we live in this world. This purification or cleansing is done ‘with the washing of water by the word’ (Ephesians 5:26, NKJV) and “through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal” (Titus 3:5, GW). We must aspire for these to be daily applied to our lives.

Friends, to be totally free of the past, we must ensure that we are washing; washing daily, washing frequently. Washing ensures cleanliness. Just as we see the importance of washing our bodies, cars, clothing, utensils, etc, we should also see the importance of washing our soul daily. It is when we have clean hands and a pure heart that we can ascend into the holy hill and partner with God (Psalms 24:3-4, KJV). The cleaner we are the more we become like Him and the more intimate we can become with Him (1 John 1:5-7, NKJV). The more intimate we are with Him the more access we have to His heart and His power.

Paul said to the church at Corinth, “And such were some of you. But you were washed …. (1 Corinthians 6:11, NKJV). Let us endeavor to be WASHED.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, I thank you for your blood that washes away my sins. Thank you for the availability of your word and your Spirit that sanctifies and cleanses me until I become as pure as you. May I not be content with the contamination of the world that settles on and around me. Instead, may I have a desire to access both your word and your Spirit as a means of purifying/washing myself daily. I look forward to being like you on the day of your appearing. Amen.

DIG DEEPER:

  1. Bible Study: The Laver of Brass
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Getting Pass Your Past

A moment ago, a minute ago, yesterday, last week, last month, nine months ago …. All these phrases are examples of THE PAST.

If you are like me and many others, at this time of the year, you have taken some time to reflect on the past, specifically the past year. You wonder what you might have done differently and how you can improve or do better in several areas of your life for this upcoming year. For many, this reflection might present a sense of “stuckness”, where it seems, although not impossible, very likely improbable to get pass certain aspects of the past. This feeling of “stuckness” is often buried  beneath smiles and well wishes for the season and new year. But there is a way of getting pass the past, a way to truly enter the new year with new momentum and a new drive. I have found that answer in a set aside time of prayer and fasting at the end of the year. For me, it takes the form of 3 days of prayer and fasting but for others the length of time might differ.

In this final blog post of 2022, I would like to share with you a strategy that I have discovered and used to help me get pass my past. First, before entering this period of set aside time of prayer and fasting, I set goals and clarify the purpose of the times of prayer during this fast. This enables me to be targeted in my requests and focuses my spiritual eyes and ears to receive instructions and directions from the Lord, concerning my deliverance, growth, and development. For me, the story of Jonah has provided targeted goals needed to facilitate my moving pass my past. Those goals are namely:

  1. To be rerouted and realigned with God’s destiny for my life.
  2. To hear clearly God’s instructions to me a “second” time.
  3. To realize redeeming of time/restoration of years.

The prayer requests that accompany these goals would then be:

  1. Lord, please cause me to have such an encounter in this time of prayer and fasting that it would be the prepared “vessel” that would transport me to exactly where you want me to be in this season.
  2. Lord God, attune my ears to your frequency and give me the eyes of an eagle to be able to clearly hear your voice and see your leading.
  3. Lord, grant me acceleration and redemption of time that I would arrive at where you intended me to be at this date and in this season of my life.

My prayer for you as you end this year and look forward to another is that this upcoming year you would

  • “forget what is behind and straining toward what is ahead …. press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [you] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV).
  • “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12, KJV).
  • that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better…. that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1: 17-19, NIV).
  • “be filled with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…” (Colossians 1:9-11, NIV).

I love you guys and am praying for you. Have a happy and Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, New Year. Remember, your past cannot hold you back unless you empower it to do so. The Spirit of the living God has given you power to get pass your past.

DIG DEEPER:

  1. Devotional: The Gift of Mercy
  2. Bible Study: The Power of the 3-Day Prayer & Fasting

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Exactly as He said!

“So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told me…” (Acts 27:25, AMPC).

“Even in tumultuous times, the garden is still working.” These are the words my husband, Thad, spoke as he came in from outside, with an almost perfect green tomato in his hand. My thoughts were, “That garden puts us to shame.”

Here is a garden defying what the season is saying to it, and still bearing fruit. We had given up on it, thinking that it had borne all it could for this year. Thad had not been paying any attention to it for months now; he had not been tilling the soil, adding nutrients, or watering it. Yet, the garden persevered and brought forth fruit. The fruit was not in abundance but it was fruit nonetheless. 

As I write, I am reminded of Hebrews 10:35-36, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (NIV)

Friends, as you look back over this year and begin to look forward to the New Year, I would like to remind you that there is still more in you for that goal, that vision, that seems to have borne all that it could. What you need most right now is to hold on to your confidence in God and be patient. Encourage yourself to “have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told [you] …” (Acts 27:25-26, AMPC)

I declare over you that your faith will not fail. Confidence is rising in you now and you are receiving strength to hold on to that confidence. As you hold on, it will provide you with the fuel that you need to be patient and to persevere in doing God’s will. Amen!

Let us pray: O Holy Spirit, please help us to cast away everything that will erode our confidence: every lie, every doubt or unbelief, and every fear. We cast them all away today and hold on to your promise, in Jesus‘s name. Amen.