Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 12/20/17 “I wish, no I pray!”

Sometimes you can wish for things that can cripple you, causing you to be held hostage in a place you wouldn’t give to your worst enemy. And the reality of it all, you will not recognize it, until you’ve given years of your life you can’t get back. Yeah, you will experience things that will teach you, make some mistakes that will cost you and even lose some stuff that will strengthen you but only if you knew then what you know now. This is why you have to stop wishing and start praying because there is a difference. See, wishing is like signing an agreement without reading the fine print but praying is running a background check. Wishing is buying the car without a diagnostic check but praying is getting the car fax report and a twice over by a skilled mechanic. Wishing is like taking a chance on meat that’s pass the expiration date and praying is selecting fresh from the meat counter. Wishing is your stamp of approval but praying comes with God’s. This is why Jesus says in John 15:7, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.”

Wishing is desiring, prayer is asking. Wishing is a spoken plea, praying is a silent request. Wishing gets you but praying releases you. This is why you have to know the difference because sometimes your wish can be granted and it not be what you thought. Stop wishing for stuff God hasn’t ordained for your life. Stop blowing out the candles and wishing for the man of your dreams, pray and let God shape him and then send him. Stop closing your eyes and wishing on a star but pray to the one who created the stars. Stop wishing for the lottery and pray to the God who holds the lot in His hands. Beloved, wishing can cause heartache that it takes years to heal when praying can give you a new heart. Wishing can cause some sleepless night but praying can give you peace that you cannot even begin to understand. Wishing can mess you up but praying can clean you up. You might not like it and may not even agree with me but you know, as well as I do, you are only wishing for what you know God has blocked.

Daily Devotional – 12/19/17 “I owe God!”

Can I let you in on a secret? Well, it’s not really a secret but it’s something you may not know. While my mouth is full of praise, gratefulness and thanks to God for all He does for me, this isn’t the reason I serve Him. When I count up my blessings, I thank God. When I look at my family chain, I rejoice of God. When I open my eyes and can see, move my limbs and they work and check my senses and they are still intact; I praise God. But this is not the reason I serve God. No, the real reason I serve God is not for what He does/did but it’s for what He didn’t do. See, God didn’t turn His back on me the many times I turned mine on Him. God didn’t stop trusting me, with the little, even when I didn’t trust myself. God didn’t stop protecting me, even when I was doing stuff I knew wasn’t right. God didn’t close my mouth, even when it was filled with hurtful words toward folk. God didn’t snatch His gifts from my hands, even when I was using them unfavorably. God didn’t halt my walk even when I was in places I had no business being. God didn’t let me die in my sin even when I visited with it too many times to count. So you see, I don’t just serve God for His blessings but I serve Him because He didn’t banish me away when I was a backslider. I don’t serve God for His grace but I do because He didn’t hold a grudge against me even when I was guilty.

This is why I cannot be mad at people who treat me differently because they say I’ve changed, I have. I cannot be disappointed when I no longer get invited, my dance partner is different. I cannot be offended when people talk about me, it comes with the favor. Yes, there are times I want to hang out on Saturday nights but my Sunday mornings are not the same as yours. Yes, there are times I want to gossip but there are people who I need to pray for instead. Yes, there are times I don’t feel like being holy but it is part of my calling. There are days I don’t want to be spiritual but then I think about the many times God spared me. What I’m trying to tell you is, I owe God too much but it might be too much for you to get. Understand me, I still have flaws, I still say somethings I shouldn’t, I still shut down when I’m mad, I still curse, I still love my tattoos; in other words I’m still a natural being but I owe God. I owe Him for the ransom He paid when the enemy was holding me hostage. I owe God. I owe Him for the sacrifice of His Son who drank the majority of suffering meant for me. I owe God. I owe Him for what He didn’t allow to happen. I serve because … I owe God!

Daily Devotional – 12/18/17 “You’re being developed!”

Sometimes God will keep us hidden in order to develop us. Yes, I know you can teach, sing, pray, preach, run a business, lead, take care of a household and will make somebody a great spouse but it isn’t time yet. See, what God is doing is developing you and because He is, you’ve got to sometimes experience being hidden. When film is developed, there is a process.

The film has to be removed from the camera using a film picker. Wondered why things have been happening to you lately? Feeling like you’re being picked on? You are but it is God picking you out.

Once it is removed, it’s placed in a special holder that allows the end to be cut or shaped properly. It’ll hurt but it’s necessary to ensure you fit.

Then, the film is stuck to a (get this) a leader card using special tape. Are you wondering why you haven’t been moved from under your leader? You need them to be developed. Stop rushing your process. And if you don’t have a leader, you need one.

Next, to ensure films are not mixed up, they are given unique serial numbers. Beloved, own your uniqueness; you were not made to be like, sound like, look like or mimic anybody else. Be you!

Then, the film is fed into the processing machine that takes it through:

A. Developer – “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

B. Bleaching – “Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.” Psalm 51:2

C. Fixing – “I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the LORD. “For you are called an outcast–‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.'” Jeremiah 30:17

D. Washing – “Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.” Isaiah 1:16

E. Stabilizing – “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.” Psalm 40:2

F. Drying – “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2

It is then, once you’ve gone through this process that you are now ready to be handled by man’s hands. Before, if you ended up in the wrong hands, they could ruin you. Oh but now that you’ve been developed. When folks touch, they may leave handprints but they can be wiped off. This is why, if you skip any of the steps, while in the darkness, you run the risk of being unusable and/or failing in the light. Your time will come but don’t rush the development.

Daily Devotional – 12/15/17 “Jesus will intercede!”

Can I share something with you? They are lyrics to a song by Kirk Franklin, one I’d never heard before but as I was looking for something else this morning, it kept coming up. And I just believe it is for somebody who is in the midst of the worst time in their life. This is for somebody who is standing at the crossroad and thinking of going back the wrong way because it seemed easier then. This is for somebody the enemy has isolated. This is for somebody whose mouth depression is trying to close. This is for somebody who knows the amount of pills that will end it all because you’ve counted them out more than once. This is for somebody who keeps looking at the gun and contemplating using it. This is for somebody who cannot get free from the addiction. For somebody who cannot silence the voices in your head. For somebody who cannot turn off the vision molestation embedded in your mental library. This is for you who is crying reading this. This is for you who just got paid and still don’t have enough money for lunch. This is for you … Simple words to recite because even when it feels like you’re being punished, nothing you do works, nothing you say comes out right and no matter how you try, it’s still broken. Well beloved, Jesus can and will intercede for you.

Song says, “Jesus please mention my name, when you talk to your father today. Life down here feels so strained, my brokenness is in the way. I’m not that good, don’t pray like I should yet I’m amazed you get me through, He sees me but he hears you. Jesus please mention my name, see I got some bad news today. Be nice if you can carry this weight, see it got me questioning my faith. What else to do, the safest place to hide is you. You are the door I now walk through, He sees me but he hears you. He intercedes for me, protects me from things unseen. Right between God and me, He intercedes for me.”

Jesus can and will intercede for you. Are you willing to let Him? You’ve tried everything else, will you now try to trust Jesus because the bible shares in Hebrews 7:24-25, “But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”

Daily Devotional – 12/14/17 “Divorce Day!”

Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today, in the sight of God to un-join and to denounce the union of you and your marriage to unholy matrimony. Yes, today beloved, we are giving you the pen to sign ‘dem papers’ because it is time you get free. Look, I know you’ve become comfortable although you know the situation is critical but it’s over. Sure, it is easier to stay rather than starting over but it’s time you come out. Okay, it has the ability to make you feel good, sometimes but it’s doing nothing for your skin or your soul. Today is divorce day.

So, here are the terms of your divorce.

DIVORCE AGREEMENT

This Agreement is made and entered into as of 12/14/17 by and between:

Me and my past, my mistakes, my failures, my low self-esteem, disappointments, those who’ve let me down, my slip-ups and slip-ins.

WHEREAS:

Me and all the things listed above and all those I’ve forgotten were unlawfully bound to each other and

We resided together in cohabitation and

We partied, slept, dwelt and did some things together, we

Are now divorcing due to irreconcilable differences. In other words, what I now desire is different from what the other party can give.
In consideration of the above, and of the mutual promises and agreements contained in this Divorce Agreement, the parties, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:

AGREEMENT TO LIVE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT

The Party, of ME, agree to live separate and apart from the other, as if not married and each The Party of Me shall be free from any interference, harassment and authority or control whatsoever of the other Party. The Party of Me shall now have full and unconstrained control over my own destiny.

By execution of this Divorce Agreement, the Party of ME represent and warrant that even though the Parties have not resolved any and all issues or disagreements, as of the 14th day of December in the year 2017; be it dissolved!

This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws and provisions of God and God only.

In Witness Whereof, the Party of Me have intentionally caused this Divorce and is alright with it! Duly executed and delivered as of the date first written above.

It’s your choice but here’s the pen… “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1”