Tag: #holyspiritguidance

Posted on

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
Posted on

Positioned for Revelation

I awoke out of sleep hearing these words:

If I speak less, then I will hear more.
If I hear more, then I will see more.
If I see or perceive more, then I will understand more.
If I understand more, then I will be converted and healed.

This came as a result of me meditating on this passage of Scripture before I went to sleep.

For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears for they hear – Matthew 13:15-16.

I had encountered these verses along with others in Matthew 13 during my time with the Lord yesterday and the Holy Spirit was impressing on me the need to be correctly positioned so that He can reveal truth to me; truth that will bring change and healing. If I am going to discover and unveil more of who God says I am, who He designed me to be, my ears must be positioned to hear and my eyes to see.

As I lay in bed, the Holy Spirit brought these other verses of Scripture to mind so that I could understand what He was teaching.

And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is, the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [of our circle] everything becomes a parable, …. [Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear. For whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a yearning for truth], even what he has will be taken away from him.” – Mark 4: 11, 22-25 (AMPC)

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving – James 1:19 (AMP)

My dear sisters, my prayer for us is that, on this journey of self-discovery, we will always maintain the position that produces revelation; – a careful and thoughtful listener – and that our revelation will propel us to more effectively fulfill our various assignments in our Father’s kingdom. Go forth this day giving thought and study to what you have heard in your private time with the Lord and may your eyes perceive, your ears hear, and transformation follow.

Posted on

Strategies for Success

For the past two mornings, I literally dragged myself out of bed to go meet the Lord at our place of prayer, at our time of prayer. During yesterday’s time of prayer, it seems like I did not have my usual connection with the Lord, but I determined to stay there and give Him the time I had set aside for Him. This morning’s prayer, however, was different. As I knelt, I began to talk to God about a few dreams that I recalled having during the night. Almost immediately He answered back. As I knelt in silence, these are the words I heard. I later called them my “Strategies for Success“.

  1. WATCH WHAT YOU FEED ON:
    You are what you eat. If your daily diet – that which you consume – is made up of mostly carnal, worldly things (songs, movies, literature, social media etc.), you will become carnal and worldly. Your sensitivity will be more honed to things of the flesh than things of the spirit. Monitor your diet. Be sure to be adequately feeding your spirit man daily.
  2. WATCH HOW YOU MANAGE “YOUR” TIME:
    Just as God gave the servants in Matthew 25:15 (AMPC) talents to each in proportion to his own personal ability, He has given to each of us time in proportion to our own personal ability [to handle it]. He expects the same of us as He did of them:
    – Use the ability that I have and be a good steward of the time that was given.
    – Invest my time in things that will give a good return or profit to the kingdom.
    Remember, I will have to give an account, even of the use of “my” time.
  3. BE MINDFUL & INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE:
    – I should not just let life happen and whatever happens I flow with it. I should, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, be dictating to my life what will happen.
    – I should not live my life in a reactive state rather in a proactive state.
    – Ascribe tasks to my time. Every minute of my day should be accounted for. No time should be left for the enemy to shape or inject his will/agenda.
  4. CULTIVATE OBEDIENCE & CONSISTENCY:
    Routines have their place and rewards. They are needed as foundations on which we build.
    Routines help us manage our time, thus managing stress and reduce time stealers in our life. They ensure that attention is given to important tasks, forcing us into a habit of giving our time to the things that are priority. Routines help us to optimize our daily lives.

    Meeting the Lord at our place of prayer and at our time of prayer should become a routine in our lives. It should be the first step in the procedure of how we start our day. If we can develop the habit of meeting the Lord at our place of prayer and at our time of prayer, then the struggle of finding/making time to pray will cease. We will then open room to “hear” and receive frequent impartations from the Lord. PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT!

I encourage you, dear Friends, to give thought to the strategies by which you live your life. Remember, a strategy is a plan of action to achieve a goal. What are your goals? Do you have strategies for their success?

Dear Father, please teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalms 90:12

Posted on

REFLECTION & MEDITATION

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. – Psalms 143:5 (KJV)

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. – Psalms 77:6 (KJV)

My dear sisters, here is another strategy for victory that the Holy Spirit has been teaching me. It is another weapon that the Father has given us to ensure our success in the battles we will encounter throughout this journey called life. This strategy provides us a source from which we can discover more of who we are and gain resources to fulfill our various assignments here on earth. It is the strategy of Reflection and Meditation.

Reflection = serious thought or consideration; a thought or writing about something, particularly in the past, or what one sees when looking into a mirror or body of water.

Meeting the Lord at my place of prayer and just thinking, seriously and carefully considering something in His Presence is an act of prayer.
– NOT asking or telling, but thinking.
– NOT fretting (being worried or anxious), but thinking.
– NOT complaining (expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance about something), but thinking.

Thinking = reasoning with God; making rational judgments; getting understanding; discerning; seeing God’s mind concerning a thing.

This is what I sometimes experience in my early morning times of communion with the Lord. As I reflect on activities, situations, and circumstances, He gives me discernment and understanding, causing me to make rational judgments about what my subsequent responses or actions should be.

This is not contrary to Scripture. In fact, David practiced this form of prayer. He gives us a glimpse of this in both Psalms 143:5 and Psalms 77:6. He tells us that [he] remembered the old days, went over all [the Lord has] done, pondered the ways [the Lord has] worked (Psalms 143:5 MSG). He shares in Psalms 77:6 (NET), I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang; I will think very carefully.” I tried to make sense of what was happening.

Meditation = to focus one’s thoughts (on one thing) for a period of time; dedicating a certain amount of time to be mindful about something.

When we talk about reflection, we should think about a mirror. Reflection is about my thoughts – letting them go and having them bounce back to me, giving me insight to my strengths and weaknesses. When I spend time in prayer reflecting, the Holy Spirit/the word, my mirror, reveals what I need to work on or change (what needs refinement in my life) AND what I need to reinforce or guard so as to preserve.

Meditation, on the other hand, allows me to see circumstances (others included) from God’s perspective, therefore informing my plans and decisions. Joshua 1:8 (MSG) says, “Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed.“

Dear friends, in your times of communion with the Father, allow for moments of reflection and meditation. I guarantee you that many of the answers that you have been looking for will be found in this position of prayer.

Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – AMEN!

Posted on

Prayer for My Marriage

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. – Matthew 19:6b (KJV)

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for joining us together. Thank you for the spiritual yoke that binds us together, making us one. I pray that You would breathe on our yoke. Father God, breathe on us. May we desire to be together, to be one, to be in each other’s company – not because of the pain that discord in the yoke causes but because we enjoy each other’s company.

Please teach us how to love each other; how to be mindful of each other; and how to cover each other. When we do not understand each other’s words, actions, or even thoughts, teach us to run to You and ask for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. May this be the modus operandi (mode of operating) for our relationship so that we can become immune to the spirit of Offense.

In our times of reflection, may we see in the mirror of your word what is needed to bring change in ourselves (individually) and eventually growth in our marriage. Show us what we need to meditate on in regards to our marriage that will make our marriage prosperous and allow it to have good success (Joshua 1:8).

I cover my husband with my prayer this morning. Let the power of Your Holy Spirit be manifested in his life today. Cause Your will to become his will; Your agenda to become his agenda; Your priorities his priorities, in Jesus’ name. May he remember that he is an overcomer and more than a conqueror, in Jesus’ name.

Thank You Lord for giving him to me and me to him. May we be empowered to take care of each other and be good stewards of each other’s hearts, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, AMEN!!

Posted on

A Prayer to Start My Day

Hello Friends! November is my birth month and, in celebration, I would like to bless you with daily posts this month. Each post will be either a prayer, devotional, or a short study that I have taken from my personal prayer journals, spanning the past 7 years. I pray that they will be a source of blessing and inspiration for you, as they have been for me.

Dear Holy Spirit,
I CONFESS! – I have departed from that first instruction You gave me, “Come here! Spend at least one hour with me daily.”

I CONFESS! – I have not been in agreement with You in my actions.

I CONFESS! – I have not been attending to Your voice so I can hear, know and heed Your instructions.

I CONFESS! – I have been doing what was right in my own eyes and, as such, have reaped the fruits of disorder in my life, and have frustrated the grace of God.

Father, please forgive me. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness that I have allowed into my heart and life. Holy Spirit, please come again and make Your abode within me. Please no longer stand afar and watch my demise.

I thank You for speaking to me again, for getting my attention through that dream. Thank you for guiding me with Your eye.

Now, I commit my day into Your hand and ask for sensitivity to Your voice and leading today.
Let Your kingdom come and let Your will be done in me as it is in heaven.
Cause me to walk into those things that You have prepared for me today.

Thank You that Goodness and Mercy are following me today.
Thank You that Your hand of favor and the glow of Your anointing is evident upon my life today.
Thank You that Blessings are attracted to me today.
Favor is attracted to me today.
Money is attracted to me today.
Health is attracted to me today.
Prosperity is attracted to me today.
Good Success is attracted to me today.

The glory of the Lord is upon me, goes before me, and is my rearguard.
Today, I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Today I go forth in expectancy to see all You have prepared for me.
THANK YOU LORD!!!

You are so good and faithful; my heart has no need to fear!
THANK YOU LORD!!!

Amen!