Coming Out of Someone Else’s Normal, Into My Destiny – II

failure success decision

 

Romans 8:29 – 30

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified he also glorified.”

No one wants to get to the end of their live and consider themselves a failure. In fact, most people don’t want to fail at anything they endeavor to do. But, do we feel the same way about fulfilling our God-given purpose? Are we willing to fail at what God has predestined us to do in order to fit into someone else’s box? Are we willing to forego our calling so we can be liked? Are we willing to neglect our predestination in order to get along with others? Are we willing to fail God so others can feel good about us?

In every family everyone has a role. Some of us are the “go to” person. You know, the one everyone calls when things are falling apart. The one everyone expects to have all the answers and take care of everything even when it’s not their responsibility. Then you have the “baby” of the family. Not that they are a baby or the youngest in the family, they just act like a helpless, hapless baby. They expect to be taken care of by everyone else because that’s their role. And of course, you have the irresponsible one. We all have them in our families, they are the ones that no one can count on for anything, and usually, they are the lazy one that does nothing but expects a share of, or a free ride to, everything that goes on in the family.

But what if your family role was not the role God has appointed for you? Are you willing to give up the role your family expects you to play in order to fulfill your God given appointment?

Sometimes, we are called out of our current situation and into our destiny like David, but other times, we’ve got to walk into our destiny in spite of what others may think or say.  We’ve got to know that if God called us to our destiny, He’s made the way for us to fulfill our call and, our gifts will make room for us.

Are you struggling with knowing you’re more than others give you credit for?  Or, are you fighting within yourself to move past your fears and reach for the unknown because you know that God has ordained greater for you?

If you answered to either of these questions is “yes” then you have a bigger question to answer; Are you willing to be a failure in God’s plan for you, rather than being the success He’s already ordained you to be?

The biblical meaning of success is summed up in Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

Not succeeding at our God-given task means hundreds, possibility thousands or event millions of lives will not affected by the eternity plan that is in you.

To fail or to succeed, the decision is yours.

 

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Prayer for Today

bookends

May 22, 2015

Father, everyday Your children have a spiritual choice to make; whether we’re going to operate with Your bookends of grace and mercy or, if we’re going to operate with Satan’s bookends of fear and doubt.

Your bookends hold together Your Word, Your promises, faith, love and hope in our lives. Satan’s bookends hold despair, depression, hopelessness, anger and anxiety for our lives. The choice of what bookends we want in our lives is ours, individually, to make.

Lord, help us as we make the wise choice to live under Your blessings and evict fear and doubt out of our hearts, minds and spirits by utilizing Your Word of truth just as Jesus did on the Mount of Temptation.

Father, help us as we accept everything that comes with living under Your blessings for our lives. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

Deuteronomy 11:26 – 28

Matthew 4:1 – 11

 

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Prayer for Today

Falling apart bible

April 16, 2015

Father, when I’m faced with difficult situations and circumstances my humanity comes to the surface. I know Your Word says that You haven’t given me the spirit of fear but sometimes I am fearful.

Father Almighty, when I am dealing with the illness of a loved one, I feel fearful of losing them. When I faced with the loss of income, I am fearful of losing my home, car or other possessions that I need. When I’m confronted with the loss of a friend because they don’t want to hear the truth, I become fearful because my relationship with them is important to me. Forgive me Father, but I’m only human.

I know that as long as I am alive a certain level of fear is going to surface from time to time but, I refuse to allow fear to control my mind or my emotions. That’s why I run to You and find shelter in Your Word.

Your Word reminds me that You are Elohim, the Creator of heaven and earth; You are the God of everyone and everything! Nothing is greater than You. No illness, no financial shortfall;  nothing is greater than You!

When I run to Your Word my fears are relieved because Your reminds me of Your unfailing love and greatness. Thank You for being my fortress, my refuge in difficult times and my very present help in the time of trouble. Thank You!

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture References:

Psalm 46

Proverbs 30:5 – 6

John 1:1 – 4, 14

II Timothy 1:7

 

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Prayer for Today

God whisper

April 8, 2015

Father God there are so many voices vying for my attention. Often the voices I need to pay attention to are drowned out by the loud voices that I should pay the least amount of attention. Help me Lord!

Father the external loud voices are usually people who want something from me. These voices usually come from marketers and advertisers who want to tell me how I should look, how I should feel or what I should eat, drink or wear. They want me to know what their pill or drug can do for me. All these voices lead me to believe I’m just now good enough the way I am.

Father, on the other hand, my internal loud voices are usually my low esteem, my past failures, my fears and doubts, which all lend themselves to my ability to have paralysis through analysis. I end up getting stuck where I don’t want to be but I can’t move because all I hear are the loud voices screaming at me. Help me Lord!

Father God these voices yell at me daily! I often listen to them more than I listen to Your still small voice that is gently whispering Your truth to me. Help me Father to pull away from all the loud voices so I can hear from Your through Your Word, through prayer and meditation.

Father, I want to set aside time during the day to shut out all the loud voices just so I can hear from You. This is my sincere, earnest and heartfelt pray I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

I King 19:11 – 12

Matthew 14:23

John 10:27

Romans 10:17

 

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Prayer for Today

Feed faithLenten season challenge: Read the scriptures that are referenced at the bottom of each prayer every day during this Lenten season!

 

March 6, 2015

Father, I know that without faith it is impossible to please You, but doubt often come in and shakes my faith in You. Before I know it I’m playing the “what if” game. I’m coming up with “Plan B” just in case You don’t show up on time or You don’t fix the problem the way I think it should be fixed.

I cause myself anxiety; fear or I’m placing the blame on myself or someone else which causes me to be angry, ashamed or feeling guilty. None of this gives me peace, joy or contentment which means it’s not from You and it is not how You purposed me to live my life. Forgive me!

In the midst of me causing myself turmoil because my faith in You waivers, Your faithfulness towards me never waivers. Thank You!

Lord, I need You to not only rebuke the storms that are brewing in my live but I need You to calm the storm of doubt, fear and unbelief that is developing in me. Father, Your word says if I have faith in You, nothing will be impossible to me. Please help my unbelief.

Help me live by my faith in You; not in man, not in the world system, only You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

Psalm 3:5 – 6                     Matthew 17:20

Psalm 118:8                        Mark 9:23 – 24

Isaiah 26:3                          II Corinthians 5:7

Isaiah 40:27 – 29             II Timothy 2:13

Matthew 6:30                  Hebrews 11:6

 

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Prayer for Today

Not staying where you are  Lenten season challenge: Read the scriptures that are referenced at the bottom of each prayer every day during this Lenten season!

February 25, 2015

Lord free me for joyful obedience. Not just today but every day of my life. I’m tired of walking down one wrong path after another. I’m sick of allowing my emotions to guide me in ways that You did not design for me.

I’m asking you to free me from guilt, shame, pride, low esteem and procrastination. Do not allow doubt, fear or uncertainty to stop me from moving forward in You and for You. Help me release my past failures and my shortcomings and embrace Your call on my life.

Father, nothing that has happened to me is more important than what You’re calling me to be and accomplish for the kingdom of God. I know it is by faith that I will please you and it is by faith that you will bless me as I work to renew my mind. Releasing the old and embracing Your word as my compass and my guide.

Do not forsake me Lord! I am working to change and I am Your handiwork in the process of being more like Your son. Let Your word work in me and change me from the inside out. In Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

Deuteronomy 28:2        John 16:13 – 15

Psalm 25:8 – 9                  John 17:17

Proverbs 20:24                Romans 7:21 – 25

Ecclesiastes 3:11              Romans 8:1 – 2

Isaiah 58:9 – 11

 

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Prayer for Today

January 23, 2015

Father God, today I refuse to walk in fear or doubt. I will not lean to my own understanding but I will trust in you. Father, you created me in your image and in your likeness. I am perfected in you. I am able to accomplish everything you’ve planned for me.

I have been made righteous in you. My former ways have passed away and in you I have become a new creation. You have made me an ambassador to the lost, the least and the less than; to bring them to reconciliation to you through Jesus Christ your son.

Lord, sometimes I think I’m not good enough to fulfill your plan for me, so as I embark on my tasks as your ambassador, remind me that I am a part of your royal priest hood.  A part of your holy nation and you are the only one greater than me.

Thank you God for thinking enough of me to call me your child and to make me more than a conquer through your son Jesus Christ. Help me be an obedient and mature child of the Most High God. Help me to walk out the path you’ve carved out for me. In Jesus name. Amen

Scripture references:

Proverbs 3:5 – 6

Genesis 1:26 – 27

Hebrews 10:13 – 14

II Corinthians 5:17 – 20

Ephesians 4:23 – 24

I Peter 2:9

Romans 8:37

I Peter 1:13 – 16Ambassador

 

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Prayer for Today

January 16, 2015

Father, you will not allow your righteous ones to be condemned. No matter what is being leveled against us. No matter what men say about us, you, our Lord and Savior, will deliver us out of them all.

I will not fret nor worry. I will seek you and you will deliver me from all my fears.  I will call to you and you will answer me. You will save me from all my troubles.

I will lack nothing I need for you my Lord will provide everything I need, whenever the need arises. You always provide for your own. Those who don’t believe in you may be in want and lack but never your children.

Thank you for teaching me to distinguish the difference between your love me and what the world calls love. I will praise and glorify you for your greatness and your mighty acts that you are issuing on my behalf. I will tell of your goodness in the land of the living. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture references:

Psalm 34

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Going Scared

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar,demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.” Judges 6:27 – 32 (NIV)

Gideon was scared. He was scared of his family, the townspeople and God. But in the midst of all his fears he didn’t allow his weakness of heart to stop him from obeying God.

Gideon made an adjustment. He was so concerned about the reaction of his family and the townspeople he obeyed God when the no one else could see him. He not only protected himself from the other people he protected his servants that he took with him. Gideon knew he and the servants would have been met with stiff opposition had they tried to demolish Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole during the day when everyone could have seen what they were doing.

Some say Gideon was a coward. I think Gideon was strategic. In verse 11 when the angel of the Lord came to Gideon, he gave Gideon specific instructions. Nowhere in the instructions did he tell Gideon what time of day the work had to be done nor who had to go with him to complete the job. Gideon came up with and executed a plan that kept him and his servants safe and allowed him to complete the assignment God gave him. Strategic!

Many of us would say that if an angel of the Lord came to us and told us what to do we would do it without hesitation. BUT WE LIE! We have the Holy Spirit living in us and we still are scared to do what God has told us to do. We have a better covenant with God than Gideon did, yet we aren’t obedient to God’s call on our lives.

If the members of the Body of Christ were obedient to the call of God and strategic in carrying out God’s requests, our neighborhoods and communities would change for the better. There would be effective ministries in our churches that would meet the needs of the community not just continues the traditions of a by-gone era.

If we answered God’s call on our lives our circumstances would be different and our focus would change from the temporal things of the world to the eternal things of God’s kingdom. But alias, too many of us who call ourselves “Christians” have decided to ignore God’s call on our lives,  to allow His call to go unanswered or to answer His call only when it’s convenient for us.

Remember, we are on our lives journey being led and and guided by God through the Holy Spirit. We can’t get where God wants to take us if we leave the road before we reach our destination. Afraid of where God may be taking you? It’s okay to go scared. Just GO!