So I was on my walk this morning and towards the end of it I was praying for our worship night here at the church at which I sing every month. I was praying and this wording came out of my mouth, " God I don't want to live in the "if" zone". Now, I do plan to explain, but if you have ever been through any kind of affliction or adversity in your life, you probably already know what I mean.
What it means to me is, I don't want to live my life based on IF I can do something. It's a powerful thing, God has been speaking to me so much through His Word and the confession of His Word is completely setting me free. But there are scriptures I have known my entire life that I am teaching Parker, our 4 year old, that God is throwing back in my face.
Examples:
Philippians 4:13, " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Joel 3:10, " Let the weak say, ' I am strong".
I have had to keep catching myself, and I know for a fact that this is the Holy Spirit who has opened my eyes to the subtleties of how I speak things. I have always been so careful with what comes out of my mouth, but it's time to go to a new level. I say, " Well IF I am feeling good, or IF my body will cooperate." Instead of, " I can do ALL things." There's no if's with God I've noticed. The more I confess the Word, it's a matter of fact, not if this and if that.
So my prayer today was that God would help me to get out of that "If" zone. I am already moving forward so much. Walking 3 miles almost everyday, driving now, even though this is the best I have felt in months....these are big steps and all because of the Word. I just want the Word to completely overtake me.
I will step on that stage tonight, I will be strong, I will glorify God, my body will cooperate and I will not question it. I will continue to recover and get stronger and stronger everyday. I will, I will, I will...I am so amazed by Him. Keep it coming Jesus, keep making more like You.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
"God, I hate this."
How many times have you said that to God in your seasons of affliction? Okay, maybe I'm the only one. Hate means "to dislike intensely or passionately". In the midst of a conversation yesterday, this thought hit me. Every time we look to God in the midst of our affliction and say, " I hate this God." He says right back to us, " I hate it too."
Let me explain. We only hate what we are going through, most of the time because we are not taking what God has laid in front of us to overcome that hatred. To overcome with grace and strength and conquer that thing we hate so much in our lives. Whether it's relational, sickness, affliction, finances, you name it, this applies.
When I say that, I can hear God saying, " I hate it to. I dislike intensely and passionately what you are walking through. I hate it because I paid the price for you to not have to walk this way. I sent my Son to be a living example of all the promises in front you. I sent Jesus to be the living and active Word. I sent Him to redeem you and give you a way out of your situation. All you have to do is believe it and confess it and let it be alive in you."
Mark 11:22-23, " So Jesus answered and said to them, " Have faith in God. For assuredly, I SAY to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, ' Be removed and be cast into the sea, ' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS."
This scripture has been sticking out to me every morning for a week. Do you know that God has given us a way to have grace for our situation and to overcome and not hate what we are walking through? If we take Mark 11 and really believe it and speak it into existence that thing that we hate so much will no longer be there!
We have got to understand that it's not enough to just know God's Word, it's not even enough to just hide in our hearts, we have to SAY it. The enemy is the prince of the air and we have to get the Word out of us so he can hear it and we can defeat him in every area of our lives.
I am seeing and experiencing God's Word in action everyday as I have been confessing it out loud. It's been changing me my whole life to an extent, but now it's manifesting itself. I encourage you to find those scriptures in the Word that apply to you and your situation. Start saying them everyday and see what God does.
Isaiah 55:11, " So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH WHAT I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING FOR WHICH I SENT IT."
That's all we need to know. No matter what we see, no matter what we feel, or not matter how silly we may think we look or sound, say the Word of God. Wield it, it's meant to be a weapon. God will honor His Word because we acknowledge His name (Psalm 91).
Let me explain. We only hate what we are going through, most of the time because we are not taking what God has laid in front of us to overcome that hatred. To overcome with grace and strength and conquer that thing we hate so much in our lives. Whether it's relational, sickness, affliction, finances, you name it, this applies.
When I say that, I can hear God saying, " I hate it to. I dislike intensely and passionately what you are walking through. I hate it because I paid the price for you to not have to walk this way. I sent my Son to be a living example of all the promises in front you. I sent Jesus to be the living and active Word. I sent Him to redeem you and give you a way out of your situation. All you have to do is believe it and confess it and let it be alive in you."
Mark 11:22-23, " So Jesus answered and said to them, " Have faith in God. For assuredly, I SAY to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, ' Be removed and be cast into the sea, ' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS."
This scripture has been sticking out to me every morning for a week. Do you know that God has given us a way to have grace for our situation and to overcome and not hate what we are walking through? If we take Mark 11 and really believe it and speak it into existence that thing that we hate so much will no longer be there!
We have got to understand that it's not enough to just know God's Word, it's not even enough to just hide in our hearts, we have to SAY it. The enemy is the prince of the air and we have to get the Word out of us so he can hear it and we can defeat him in every area of our lives.
I am seeing and experiencing God's Word in action everyday as I have been confessing it out loud. It's been changing me my whole life to an extent, but now it's manifesting itself. I encourage you to find those scriptures in the Word that apply to you and your situation. Start saying them everyday and see what God does.
Isaiah 55:11, " So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH WHAT I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING FOR WHICH I SENT IT."
That's all we need to know. No matter what we see, no matter what we feel, or not matter how silly we may think we look or sound, say the Word of God. Wield it, it's meant to be a weapon. God will honor His Word because we acknowledge His name (Psalm 91).
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
33 Years of Life and Death
So yesterday, as most of you know, I turned 33! Happy Birthday to me :-) I have been dwelling on a thought for a week or so and just didn't want to put it out there until the Holy Spirit released me to do so. So technically speaking, I am now entering my 34th year of life so last year was my 33rd year of life and I couldn't help but think about Jesus. Jesus died at 33. Easter and His sacrifice has had so much more meaning and impact to me this year because of all that I went through last year.
I was thinking, my 33rd year was filled with more life than I have ever experienced but at the same time more dying to myself than ever before. 33, a year of life and death. You all know how strongly I feel about the Word of God and the power that it holds. As I have been confessing more and more Word lately there are some particular scriptures that have really been moving me and giving me a ton of hope.
Jesus said in Isaiah 55:11, " So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH WHAT I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING FOR WHICH I SENT IT."
John 1:1, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
So back to Jesus, He was the living Word. He was sent to accomplish something. He was sent to deliver us. And according to the Word of God Jesus prospered and accomplished that goal.
Here are just a few promises that have not returned void for me:
Jeremiah 33:6, " Behold, I will bring health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth."
Psalm 118:17, " I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord."
Psalm 107:19-20, " Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. HE SENT HIS WORD AND HEALED THEM, AND DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR DESTRUCTIONS."
Isaiah 40:31, " Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary , they shall walk and not faint."
Those are just a few that I have been standing on that I am seeing them manifest themselves in my life. They are not returning void in my world. God's Word is living and active and not returning void!
So yesterday not only did we celebrate my birthday but also we celebrated the fact that I have been off all ms medications for 8 months! Now tell me God's Word doesn't work. It does and it will change us from the inside out if we let it. Keep confessing it, keep it in front of you, never let it depart from your eyes (Proverbs 4:20-22).
I was thinking, my 33rd year was filled with more life than I have ever experienced but at the same time more dying to myself than ever before. 33, a year of life and death. You all know how strongly I feel about the Word of God and the power that it holds. As I have been confessing more and more Word lately there are some particular scriptures that have really been moving me and giving me a ton of hope.
Jesus said in Isaiah 55:11, " So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH WHAT I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING FOR WHICH I SENT IT."
John 1:1, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
So back to Jesus, He was the living Word. He was sent to accomplish something. He was sent to deliver us. And according to the Word of God Jesus prospered and accomplished that goal.
Here are just a few promises that have not returned void for me:
Jeremiah 33:6, " Behold, I will bring health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth."
Psalm 118:17, " I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord."
Psalm 107:19-20, " Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. HE SENT HIS WORD AND HEALED THEM, AND DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR DESTRUCTIONS."
Isaiah 40:31, " Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary , they shall walk and not faint."
Those are just a few that I have been standing on that I am seeing them manifest themselves in my life. They are not returning void in my world. God's Word is living and active and not returning void!
So yesterday not only did we celebrate my birthday but also we celebrated the fact that I have been off all ms medications for 8 months! Now tell me God's Word doesn't work. It does and it will change us from the inside out if we let it. Keep confessing it, keep it in front of you, never let it depart from your eyes (Proverbs 4:20-22).
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