Moving Forward, Setting Aside our Doubt

It seems like so many of people in the body of Christ are entering a time of Transition in so many ways right now.  There are many seasons in all of our lives and transition will be a part of it. Transition will always get us from one season to the next, but most of the time it will not happen the same way. There are times that transition happens smoothly, times that it may seem turbulent and times that transition may seem daunting to say the least.  But one fact remains that we will go through transition, ready or not.


There is one part of this that I want to focus on, because it seems that so many people that I have come in contact with are walking through similar aspects of transition.  And that is, when we know that God is sending us through transition for a purpose and we even know what that purpose is, but once transition begins to happen doubt and fear begin to set in.  We not only question can we do this, but is this really what we are supposed to do.  We wonder if we can really accomplish what God has shown us.  Is this really what we are supposed to do?   Even though things fall into place for us to carry out the assignments that God has placed before us, a sea of doubt comes rushing in when we pause and start questioning what we are to do.  This is what we can't do.


 James 1:5-6 NIV says

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

So when we have First sought the face of God for our life and what He should have us do, once we get that answer and the path is before us we must begin to move forward looking for Him to guide us. This is when we might be tempted to question or doubt what is beginning to unfold before our eyes.  But the Word says that when we ask God for direction and He shows us the way, that we must not doubt but in faith believing, step out in what He has called us to do.

We have to trust God in every step and at every intersection of our lives.  When we are honestly seek His face for everything that are to do or not to do, have faith and trust Him.  Though we are nervous about that step, when we do and keep following Him, we learn that we have peace in His Presence as we keep seeking Him. We are safe in Him, when our decisions are made in His Presence for the purpose of following Him and to give Him glory.   

When we act in obedience, peace comes with it, even in spite of how daunting it is to not know what the future will bring.  So I encourage to stand strong in who you are in the Lord, who is the One who guides our steps as we follow Him.  As Joshua 1:9 says,  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you may go.  

Heavenly Father,
I thank you for everyone who reads this and is going through a time of transition in their life.  As You lead and guide them, speak to them Lord and may they hear You clearly as they seek you.  May Your Presence bring them comfort and confidence in Who You are.  Guide and protect them and their families in their time of transition. Keep them together and safe as they are under Your wing of safety as in Psalms 91.  In Jesus Name I pray, Amen

Many Blessings to you my friend as you follow the Most High for you and your family.  May and your family take the Kingdom of Heaven with you every where you go. 

The Sound of His Love

Through the main stream and social media, written words and local pastors, there are many messages, sermons and lessons on Love, for an very important reason.  We at times need to be reminded what exactly Christ "embodied" during His walk while He was here on earth.  Everything that He did, He did through Love. 

Paul's message through out the New Testament, consistently would point to Christ and His ways.  Christ said that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.(Matthew 5:17)  But He didn't stop there.  He gave us His commandments, to be the "Greatest" commandments meaning that the Ten Commandments should be carried out through HIS commandments. To Carry out those commandments through His Love.

We know that the two greatest commandments are to One: Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul and strength.  The Second one being: to Love our neighbor as ourselves.  (Matthew 22:36-40)

As we walk through our lives, we learn that we can't "Do Life" on our own, but that we need His love.  When we think about it, we also know that Israel in the Old Testament times couldn't do it in their own strength either. The weight of the Law, if you will, seemed so heavy because they could not be good enough to "not" do the things that are wrong, and always be doing the things that are right.  They needed a Savior.  We need a Savior.  People then and today, will wear themselves out trying to be good in their own strength.  And given enough time in that situation, we will all buckle under the pressure of being "Good" enough. When we try to be "good enough" to deserve this salvation that we have, we will come to the point that we say, " I give up.....  I can't do this."  

That's why it takes the truth and revelation of His love to see it through.  This is where "The sound of  His Love" comes into play.  When coupled with Christ's love, everything that we do, say and express looks and sounds like Him.  There is a Harmony that will be at work in our lives.  That doesn't mean that life is always perfect, but through Him our words build up and edify each other, and not tear us down.  Our actions and deeds will do the same. We can not walk this path out without the grace and mercy that His love brings. That is a game changer.

So that is why we need to evaluate "The Sound of His Love"  in us individually. What does it sound like when His words are spoken through our own conversations and actions?  There is and will be a harmonious tone in our words and the things that we do because we have embraced His love, which releases grace and mercy in our lives and in those around us.  As simple as that sounds, this has been His plan all along. 

So I pray that the truth and revelation of Christ's love operates freely in your life and the lives of others around you.  We can change the world for the Kingdom of Heaven one life at a time through His Love.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you for every person who reads this entry today.  I pray that they not only feel Your love around them and in their life, but that it flows to others around them, bringing healing and joy that they have not yet known.  I thank You Lord, for the lives of friends and family members being transformed by the power of Your Love, Your Grace and Your Mercy.  For it all comes because of You, for our good and Your glory.  For You along our good.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

 

A Prayer From The Heart

Today's entry is not a post or article as usual, but it is more of a prayer. For the prayer of the righteous avails much .[James 5: 16 b]  As I pray for my own country(America) I pray over yours as well.  You see, I have learned over the years, that too easily our prayers can become a formality that self serves.  What do I mean?  Because life can become very chaotic, we can easily get overwhelmed and finding ourselves in a place where we are continuing to pray for ourselves and the situations that we are in, and becoming un-effective in prayer for anyone else.  This is not what God our Father intended.

We as Christians are to be those who walk in victory, despite hard times and difficult circumstances. We can walk in Victory because Christ IS our victory.  Our relationship with God ensures this, but that has to be complete truth on our end. He knows this all too well, but we must know it also.

My husband and I pray over this blog often.  Every time I check in on the circulation of this site, numbers are not what is important but rather where it is reaching and circulating.  Each time that one of these entries is opened up from a new country, we begin to pray not only for you where ever you are, but the country you are in as well as the people around you.  We have so much more authority in the Kingdom of God where we live, than is often realized.

So as I pray this prayer over my nation, please pray it over yours and know that we are here praying it with you.  Though we may never meet, God has connected us for a purpose.  To see His Kingdom come in all the Earth!

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am thankful that You love us, and You know where each and everyone of us are.  You are worthy oh God, of all of my praise, and I thank You Lord for my country.  I love it dearly and I love my people.  You have me here for a purpose and I know that it is not by accident.  So I cry out to you on behalf of my people, my government and my land. Transform the lives of the people who live here. May they come to know you as their Lord and Savior. I pray that you protect its borders, keeping every Godly thing in, swiftly remove every ungodly thing out.  Bring your strong right arm of protection down over those who love and worship You, and save those who don't.  I align my prayers with Your Word and pray: May Your Kingdom come, may Your will be done....  in This Land!  Have Your way oh God, in my beloved country.  Bring Revival to my people!!  May they learn and know of Your ways.  As I stand in the gap and repent for the sins of my nation, forgive and abide in the townships, cities and states. Bring healing in every area that has been ravaged by anger, selfishness and deceit.  Heal our lands oh God!  There is no other god like You, no one can come close to You.  You are the Alpha and Omega, our Beginning and our End.  Bring Your Kingdom to this earth so that we can live out your purpose until You come again.  May many of my people come to know You as their Lord and Savior.... Our Rescuer, Deliverer, our Mighty Fortress and Strong Tower.  You are Everything and so much more!! Have Your way in my country oh God!!

It's is Jesus Mighty Name only that I can Pray........ Amen!

As much as I am determined to see God's  Will be done, I do not only want to see it in my country, but I pray to see it in yours as well.  Be Blessed everyone, and never stop seeking His face for your life and the lives of those around you !! In Jesus Name.

Embrace The Hurt No Longer

There are times in life when you have a goal ahead of you, that takes everything that you have in you to reach; like running a race, working out in a gym due to setting goals for wight loss, or even muscle gain goals. Maybe its finishing college or some form of school that you have put off for too long.  When you have these type of goals ahead of you, it most often comes with the phrase "No pain, No gain".  You have to embrace that "pain" because it is getting you where you want to be.  That "pain" is a mile marker for overcoming obstacles to your goal. This is a positive process.

Now, emotional pain is quite different, even though many people use the same tactics to get through or overcome their situations, oh so we think. We think that if we treat our emotional pain like the physical situations previously mentioned, that it will help us over come that problem. I have witnessed people who have been hurt emotionally or abused and used that as a source of strength to get themselves into a better life such as, finishing school for a better job and financial status. There are many instances where this scenario fits, they have taken their pain and made it their motivation to succeed; but there are layers and layers of other problems that can come with this type of motivation to acquire their accomplishments.

When we rely on our pain to drive us, we don't realize that we for one, begin to think that we are self sufficient or that we have to be; we appear to have accomplished our goals on our own.  So we become what we see as self reliant.

Now, it IS good to say I don't want to be in this position any more and then do something about it.  But Self reliance is the opposite of what the Word of God says that we should be.  The Word says that His Grace [not our strength] is sufficient for us. [2 Corinthians 12:9] It is all we need. It will help us get through every situation.  When we rely on our own strength, this leaves no room for any other source of strength, and God wants to completely  BE our strength.

Also when we become self reliant in our situations, we also loose the ability to trust.  We won't trust others, or if we do, we don't do it easily, because we have learned that we can only trust ourselves, not needing help from anyone else. We might get to the point where we will trust a few people, but it is generally a very few.  Not too many people is ever allowed inside the life that we have built.  What we do not see is that really we have built a wall, not a life.

This is a very real and in depth problem in people who have been hurt and wounded. The pain is real and it dominates everything someone in this situation will do and perceive around them.  But God is greater than any of our problems and struggles in life. He can and wants to be your source of strength.  He alone brings peace that surpasses all understanding. [Philippians 4:7] He is the only one who can take away the pain that we carry deep inside of us. The pain that we do not even realize, at times, that we hold on to so tightly.  This pain will define everything that we do, as long as we hold on to it. But Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. [John 10:10]  That means living life, free of the pain of the past, and living out your future with and through the love of Christ.  Believe me when I say that the difference is like night and day.  Imagine stepping outside free of a prison, but the prison is your emotions.  God wants you to live free, in Him.  You can live life full of joy, peace and purpose.  This can only be found though Jesus Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Your love, mercy and grace that You have for everyone of us Your children.  I thank You for each person that reads this, who is needing what seems to be a miracle in their life. You alone, are our source and strength.  I thank You, that through You only can each person find their peace. You are our Prince of Peace.  I pray that all who need you, that their spiritual eyes will be opened to Who You are and all that You want to be in their life.  Bless each one of them, and may they come to know the Peace and Comfort of Your Presence.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.

God is always waiting on us to call out to Him.  He is there for you.  Trust Him, it will change your life.  If you have any questions or comments, they are welcome.  If you prefer that they be in private, please go to our website www.walkingwiththefather.com  there is an email address there in the "Contact Us" tab.  You are welcome to do so at anytime. Someone will be there.  There will also be those who are designated to pray with you on our FB page as well.

Blessings to each of you reading this in Jesus Name.

Walking In Grace

This picture above is of a gift bag that I came upon in a retail store.  It's really cute, and I knew immediately of some friends who would fit this fun loving, fashion gift bag.  It would  fit them personality to a T, sweet, funny, girly.... you get the point.  We should bless our friends and loved ones gifts like this.  they should feel special and we need to make each other smile more often.  So go do it today :)

But this bag also made me think of something else.  What does walking in Grace really mean?  Grace doesn't mean that I now deserve what I want.  Nor is it a license to get what I want, whatever "that" is.  Grace is God's Unmerited Favor, meaning that there is absolutely nothing that I can do to deserve God's forgiveness everyday and every time I make a mistake.  There will never be a day that I am Holy enough to earn the Grace I receive. And there will never be a day on this earth, that I will not need His Grace in my life.

Now that is not saying that we "mess up" everyday, but it is available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days every single year that we are on this earth.  It doesn't run out.  As a child of God it is a benefit of having a Heavenly Father who loves us more than life itself.  Our relationship with Him is the most important thing to Him because we are meant for relationship, for spending time with Him.   The question is: Is it the most important thing to us?  How important is our relationship with God?

The great news is that He is not roaming back and forth in heaven looking for the "perfect" people to say, "I want that one to be my child"  No, He knew in the beginning that we would all be imperfect, but He made a provision for us before we needed it. Yes, He has always been ready to love imperfect people, and provided the solution before the problem of imperfection arose.

And in saying that, the focus cannot be on our imperfections, but it should always be focused on the truth of God's Grace and Mercy.  Why you might ask?  Because we can not be a people who only focus on our problems or someone else's faults, because that doesn't solve any problem.  But when we shine the light  on God's Mercy and Grace, others will see that it is available to them as well.   The Word tells us that He came to seek and save those who are lost. (Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10)  Letting others know that His Grace and and Mercy is for us all, that should be our focus, with a thankful heart daily knowing that we will always need it ourselves as well.


This is what Grace and Mercy Looks like....

Have a great Day my friend..... Be Blessed In Jesus Name,  Because He loves and cares for you !

Purposed In His Presence

There is something that I have experienced before, and recently it happened again causing me to reflect for a moment. We have all been in this place. It's nothing new, nor is it exclusive to only me. [Insert grin] This is what happened.  Because of the events of the very LONG day before I was so tired this specific morning, that I just couldn't hardly put one step in front of the other.  I literally had to keep pushing one foot moving in front of the other to get the day started with all that this entails; husband to work, home school rolling on, taking the dog out, then desperately hanging on to a cup of coffee hoping that it would help. (and it didn't help as much as I would have liked) It was one of those mornings that I needed a second cup without the time.  Then I remembered that I was supposed to be at the church for prayer at 9 am.  I thought to myself, can I even drive?  I was that tired.  But I knew that I couldn't stay this way, I said a quick Lord Help Me and kept going.  But something had to change.

Normally when I go to the church at different times for prayer, it's not prayer for me, that's the kind of prayer that I pray at home.  Rather it's to minister to God, praying for His Will and Plan to come to fruition in the body of believers, in the leadership of the church, and more importantly for the salvation and transformation of the lost in our community, our City.  And on this morning, I was struggling to focus on just praising Him.  I couldn't hardly get passed first base, per say.  So I got down on my face before the Lord, and no, I didn't go to sleep. :)  I just simply told God the truth quietly:  That I loved Him and thanked Him for the Honor of praying for His people..... but I needed help.  On this day, as an intercessor, I didn't do what I always do. It wasn't the time to declare the [actual] Word of God over our city, nor was it time to "stand on the wall" and pray over everything that is happening in our congregation.  And believe me, Great things ARE happening!  It wasn't the time for all of that, it was time to Worship and Bless the Lord, and I was struggling. So you see, we can't always be "Susie, Super Spiritual"  where ever we are, all the time. There will always be times that we need help. And I was definitely there.

So in the middle of being quiet and honest before the Lord, He was ready to do His job, especially because I was struggling.  While the prayer music was playing, you could feel the Holy Spirit step in and take over.  I wasn't saying much of anything, yet my heart was crying out to God, and immediately you could feel His Refreshing Presence enter the room.  The excessive tiredness began to subside along with the fogginess that came with it. Suddenly, I could realize that I was praying what  needed to be prayed, and it wasn't "Lord help me" anymore. It was the prayers that He wanted to be prayed. You see, when we learn to submit ourselves to Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit [in all things], the Holy Spirit will guide and direct us. And in this instance, He was praying the prayers that needed to be said, while refreshing and restoring me at the same time.  He just good like that!

So don't ever be intimidated or afraid to be honest with God, no matter what the situation is.  Always go to Him first, and then .... always be honest.  He understands  how we feel, but He is waiting for us to bring it to Him..  He has our answers, He's ready to refresh us and give us strength, but we must bring it to Him first.  He is ready to give us the Great Exchange: His strength for our weakness, His joy for our mourning, a Mantle of Praise for our heaviness.  It is all there in His Presence, and He is waiting for You!!

Have a Wonderful Day in Jesus Name.
Be Blessed!

He Comforts Us Part 2

Psalm 40:1-3

New Living Translation (NLT)

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what He has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.

I have heard this scripture repeated lately, and have learned that when God puts scriptures out there over and over again for us to see, its for a reason.  You might read it once, and then you might see it in a devotional and then again on a Sunday service, it is sang about or quoted again. Has that ever happened to you?

Well recently, I had heard this scripture repeated from three different sources in a short amount of time, and it jumped out at me because I know it well.  I have a history with this scripture.  Sometimes we just need to revisit previous times in our life; not to keep reliving the past, but to remember what God did for us during those times.

In the days that scriptures were written, more specifically the Old Testament, there would be a specific encounter that one would have with God, and they would build an altar there, give thanks to Him and move on.  And when they at times would come back by that place they would revisit that altar and remember what God had done in their life.  They would kneel there and thank Him again for what He had done for them before.

This scripture is one of those altars for me.  I remember as a young adult I struggled.  You see, I grew up in a family of Pastors and Evangelists.  God has blessed me with a Godly heritage that is part of my foundation today, but that didn't keep me from moving away from God and walking a completely different path for a time.  In the early days of marriage to my husband, we came back to the Lord right away.  But because I had walked such a dark path at times, and because I was a Pastor's kid and Pastor's Grandchild, the enemy enjoyed reminding me almost every minute of the day, that I knew better. So, he wanted me to think I had to settle for mediocre Christianity,and that I wasn't going to receive any more from God, because I knew better and I could not take them back or I couldn't make them go away either. (this was the battleground in my mind)

And one day I read this scripture, and held on to it so closely for a long time.  Because I just couldn't believe God could ever forgive me of all people, of everything that I had done or become.  I knew all to well what the pit of despair was like, and never wanted to return there again.  Even though I still did not have a grasp on the fact that I was a child of God and not a step child per say, I knew who rescued me, and everyday I could not be thankful enough.  It was kinda of like I was the prodical son returned without the celebration.  I knew that I had been forgiven, but had not yet reached out for the truth, that I could "celebrate" or live in joy, because I had been rescued.  Believe me when I say, that the day that this mind set turned around, I have never gone back.  I live in the redemptive power of the cross, and I will never go Back!

Now, back to the point.[insert grin]  The scriptures are in place to bring us life, to bring us joy, to bring us comfort.  Not just because of the words, but because HE comforts us and confirms to us through His Word.  I held on to this scripture with a thankful heart that I had been forgiven until one day I got to the point that I could literally turn the page to

Psalms 42: 1 
New King James Version (NKJV)

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.

There came a day when I could see how much my Heavenly Father loved me, and my past had nothing to do with it.  The enemy had officially lost the battle as my eyes were finally opened to the truth.  My past was gone, as far as the east is from the west, and I am free to live the rest of my life in the joy and peace of His Presence!  This is what He has for us, and this is how He Comforts Us: through the truth of His Word.


Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you for every soul that reads this entry, and I pray that they find You and all of Your goodness, mercy, love and strength in every verse that they read.  Bring to their remembrance all of the love that You have for them, and also the freedom and purpose that You have already given them.  May we all learn to walk in that today.  It's Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

I pray that each of you not only know how much God loves you, but also to take comfort in His Word.  It's for you.  

Many blessings to you today In Jesus Name.