Daily Devotional – 7/13/17 “My choice!”

I recently started back on the journey of getting healthier. My husband and I joined an athletic center near the house and I am proud to say, we have been 4 consecutive days. Along with working out, I have also changed my eating habits. Today, for lunch, I walked with two of my coworkers to the cafeteria. I had already made up my mind saying I was getting grill chicken on a spinach wrap. We get there and the station that makes the sandwiches also makes pizza. My two coworkers order pizza with every meat available, some vegetables and covered in cheese. Really?? Baby, when I tell you it looked so good. But I held my own and I ordered my spinach, chicken wrap. What am I getting at? Your choices don’t have to be like those around you. You have a choice. Yes, I could have given in and ordered that good looking pizza but then I would have been mad at myself later on because it was my choice. And although, I was with them and they ordered pizza, it didn’t mean I had to. And guess what, we didn’t stop being coworkers because I ordered something different from the menu. It meant they made their choice and I made mine.

Look, you cannot keep using the excuse, “they made me do it.” My grandmother used to ask us, before the punishment, if everybody jump off a cliff are you going to jump too? Well, are you? At some point, you have to be alright with being different, doing things differently, answering questions differently or even asking questions differently. It does not mean you are better than anybody, it just means you are your own person who can make your own choices. Beloved, your destiny depends on you standing out from the in crowd. Your faith depends on you being able to know the difference between right and wrong. Your salvation depends on you being strong enough to make your own decision. You have a choice. This is why the bible says in Psalm 1:1-2, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Besides, I got enough stuff to repent for, on my own, without you helping me. We are good and I love you with that agape love but it does not mean I have to agree with your every choice nor does it mean I have to go along with everything you do. It’s my choice.

Daily Devotional – 7/12/17 “You praying?”

About two weeks ago, I made a statement that said, “God, I am ready whenever you are” and I be doggone if the enemy wasn’t ear hustling on our conversation. Chile, I could tell you but I won’t because God got me covered. What I can tell you is this, I can be in a place right now where I don’t feel holy, don’t feel like encouraging you, don’t want to pray for anybody else, declining to respond to those who have need of me, pressing ignore on the phone and bypassing text messages but I will NOT! Why? Because this thang isn’t about me. I knew when I said yes to God that I would have to accept the heaviness of the mantle I carry. Does it make this journey easier, no but it sure does make it worth it. This is why I can sit in my car, before walking into my job, and pray for God to open shut up wombs, for Him to remove anything negative from MRIs, for Him to erase debt in the matter of minutes, for Him to open blinded eyes and give movement in feet that haven’t worked in years, to restore organ functions, to pay off debts, to ease a trouble mind and to make His ways known.

Yes, when I could have taken the time to pray for me, I chose to pray for others because I just know, believe and feel that if God can do it for you; He will bless me in the process. I will not be selfish because if God can do it for you, He can do it for me. I won’t hold my prayer for you because if God can do it for you, He can do it for me. I refuse to allow my situations to keep me from helping you out of yours because if God can do it for you, He can do it for me. See, when I pray for somebody else, I just believe that God is shutting the mouths of the naysayers who are against me. When I pray for somebody else to be blessed, I just believe He will use the same somebody who spoke ill of me to bless me. When I war for you, God will have somebody warring for me. When I walk the floor of my house, at midnight, for others; God will have somebody doing the same thing for me. Please understand, I am in no way saying don’t pray for yourself but sometimes, you have to pray for others. Hello Job! For the bible says in Job 42:10, “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

Daily Devotional – 7/11/17 “Say what now?”

So, let me get this straight. Marvin Sapp says the reason people supported and purchased a million copies of Jay Z’s album (in 6 days) is because they/we, Christians or people in general, are quicker to forgive them of their issues before those of gospel singers. I disagree. Lakisha’s opinion says, the reason folk are not quick to support gospel artists is the same reason a lot of youth and young adults don’t support church … there is no transparency. We, preachers, pastors, intercessors, prophets, bishops, apostles and etc. stand as if there is no hell going on in our life or like we don’t want a beer or glass of wine sometimes. Too many times, those in ministry and leadership put on a front like all is well when most of them is a cry away from suicide. Some of us (I’m a member of ministry too) preach that the only way a woman can stand in the pulpit is with a shirt button up to her chin, sleeves pass her wrists, skirt down to her ankles with stockings and kitten heels. Or that a man has to dress in a suit and tie otherwise he won’t be taken serious. Well, what about reaching those whose only form of clothes, for the moment, is cutoff jeans and a t-shirt.? How do you reach the young lady who don’t know how to properly dress for service? How do you reach a young man who doesn’t own nor know how to tie a tie?

Where is the transparency in ministry? When will you drop the act and let folk know you’re just as damaged as they are? Yes, Jay Z sold millions of albums but he owned his truth? What’s yours? When I accepted my calling to ministry, I toiled months with the assignment because I was fearful of how folk would look at and accept me. I mean, here I am 5’5 with curves who likes to rock a pair of 5 or 6 inch heels with no stockings, jeans occasionally with holes in them and a dress that hits right at my knees. I raise my arm that has tattoos. I pray with the same mouth I sometimes curse with. I like to have a margarita every once in a while. My attitude is sometimes jacked up and there are times I don’t feel like being holy but this is my truth. I don’t stand in the pulpit nor do I carry myself in ministry with an act like I got it all together, I don’t. No, I am not saying you have to spill the entire truth of your life but don’t act like me wanting a glass of wine is sinful when you have one too, yours is just in secret. You can’t preach deliverance from bondage when it is the very thing that has you bound. Faith works with facts and Grace works within weakness. Be willing to change and don’t be afraid to testify of what you’ve overcome. Your weakness could be the very thing to save somebody else.

Daily Devotional – 7/10/17 “What is your faith doing?”

When you think you are not worthy of the favor God has placed over your life, He will allow some things to happen to prove to you that you are, indeed worthy. This is why we have to trust God, especially during the struggle. You may know this and/or you may not believe this but it is when you’re in the midst of your struggle that loyalties are defined and lines are drawn. When we go through, spiritual and/or physical attacks, God allows it to see whether or not we will trust Him through the good AND the bad and to see just how far our trust with Him goes. Do I believe God will purposely place a sickness in our body to test your faith? No, because I have read Genesis a few times and I have yet to see where God created cancer, high blood pressure, migraines, organ failure; etc. yet, it happens. And it can happen to the best of us, when we least expect it because occasionally, we just have to struggle. Read Job.

And if Job isn’t enough, read about Paul because in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas are sent out to preach the gospel and while doing what they’d been chosen and appointed to do, they meet struggle. After being ran out of one town, they move to the next only for struggle to find them there too which results in Paul being stoned (a big struggle). Now, Paul could have easily stopped trusting God after the first time the struggle showed up and he definitely could have while he was standing there with stones hitting his body but he doesn’t. Instead, Paul allows stones to pierce his skin and his trust is still there. With every sting and blood drop, his faith could have left but it didn’t. While he was being drug out the city and left for dead, he could have lost faith but he doesn’t. Instead, the bible says in Acts 14:20, “But the disciples formed a circle around him, and he got up…” His faith, connected to the faith of the disciples around him, raised him up. What is your faith doing, especially doing your struggle? What is your faith saying, especially doing your struggle? Where is your faith taking you, especially doing your struggle? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself because if you are not checking your faith, regularly, you may not have all the coverage you need when struggle shows up.

Daily Devotional – 7/7/17 “Put some respect on it!”

On my way back to work, I stop to get a sandwich for lunch. While in the drive-thru, this young lady comes out the building and she has on some shorts that left nothing to the imagination. I mean, all of her ass-ets were out, literally. This twenty-something young lady’s face of attractive features, no longer matters because folk will focus on her body that’s on display. This beautiful young lady who may have the mindset of a genius yet no one will get pass her wardrobe. This young girl who may be crying out for help but nobody will take her serious. When did this become the norm? Now, I am all for loving the skin you are in, being comfortable with your body and all that but when did this become acceptable? Did I miss that memo? Because my grandparents and momma would have beat me to death, revived me and then put me on punishment.

What ever happened to loving self? Please don’t misunderstand me because not every woman who walks around the public streets half-naked has low self-esteem but there has to be something missing. Or maybe there is something I am missing. Or maybe it comes with maturity. Yea, okay; this is what I will say, it comes with maturity. But does it? I’m asking because I am truly lost. Yes, I have a 20 year-old daughter and yes, she tries it sometimes but she knows how I react to foolishness such as this. It is my responsibility to train up a child but I also have a responsibility to help, all, because if I (we) don’t tell it, we run the risk of losing the next generation of Debra’s, women intercessors, prophets and preachers. This is why the bible says in 1 Timothy 2:9-10, “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.” Beloved, nobody can take you serious when you are half-naked. You have to put some respect on your body, ma’am, and maybe then somebody else will.