Daily Devotional – 4/27/17 “Squad Goals”

You cannot do it alone! I’ve said this many times before but listening to #theholdfast prayer call with Rev. Kia Moore, this morning, solidified this thought. Beloved, look, it is time you quit searching for folk who will ride or die and instead get some folk who can rebuke and decree. See, there are going to be some situations in your life that will shake you, some darkness that will depress you, some sickness that will suffer you and some circumstances that will confuse you and you need some folk who can lay out on their face for you! Yes, girl’s night is good but can they pray for you? Yes, the group texting is cool but can they cover you? Yea, the barber shop talk is alright but can they go to God on your behalf? Like Kia shared this morning, you need somebody who can work God and not just watch God! Why? Because when they work God, things happen ON YOUR BEHALF and you never opened your mouth! This is why it is beneficial to have some folk around you who isn’t selfish. Yes, I know your ‘squad goals’ is to be surrounded by folk who match your fly but chile, I need some folk who match my faith.

I get it, when you were younger, you had a squad who was willing to ride with you to bust somebody’s windows but now, I need some folk who can bust open the windows of heaven. I don’t need you to fight for me on social media but go to war for me in your prayer times. Don’t speak for me in the natural but call my name when you’re speaking in tongue. Please understand, I war for my friends and family. And they don’t have to ask. When there is a need, I pray. When I see their marriage in trouble, I pray. When they are sick, I pray. Financial trouble, I pray. Suffering, I pray. Because this is my responsibility! This is why the friendships I have had over the last fifteen plus years have lasted. It is not about the material things but it is those times of need and you were there. It is not about whether you showed up to my house party but did you come and shut down the pity party. It is not about whether you can afford to get me a birthday gift because I’d rather have you praying for me to see a hundred more birthdays. Squad goals for me, is the linking of our faith. What are they to you?

“Your squad will usher you into the place where you can get your slate cleared before you enter into your next season” – Kia Moore

Daily Devotional – 4/26/17 “I’ll wait!”

God isn’t saving you because you’ve been so good but He is saving you because He has and He has a purpose for your suffering. Do you not understand that God is all knowing and everywhere? Do you not get that He knows every hair on your head, even if you braid it down and cover it or cut it off? Do you not understand that God had the journey of our lives planned before daddy hooked up with momma? Baby, God has seen all the places you have been, the stuff you have done and heard all you have said yet He still has a purpose for your life. If He didn’t, you would be dead by now. Yeah, God heard you lying but He still loves you. He saw you creeping yet He still cradles you in His arms. He followed you when you fell into temptation because He promised to never fail us. Ok, I get it, you are tired of hearing pastor tell you to hold on when your hand is cramping from the grip. You are sick of the social media “God got you” posts when you have called and He hasn’t answered yet. You are fed up with the “weeping may endure for a night,” scripture when it seems like all you have had is more nights than days lately.

You’re faithful but the fight seems fixed against you. You lay out on your face and still being lied on. You pay your tithes and bills still behind. You serve and still barely sustaining. You pray and still being preyed on. You’ve cried until it is now a whimper and still confused. You’ve been in covenant with the word and some days, even it, feels like it is breaking up with you. You are tired of going to the altar Sunday after Sunday only to leave still stuck. Tired of calling your prayer partner only to hang up still in pain. Sick of sowing into stuff yet reaping nothing. Well beloved, you may not want to hear this but hold on until your change comes. Stay on the line even when the hold is long. Sit in the waiting room until your name is called. Stand in the line even if it looks you’re your turn will never come. Keep your ticket until it is your number called. It may look like its dead but I have seen the evidence of God restoring life (come here grandma). I’ve seen what God’s healing power can do (come here sister). I’ve seen His work in others (come here you). My sister, my brother; stop looking at how far you have to go because I can guarantee if you look back, you will see that you are farther from where you came. Today, instead of complaining tell the Lord, I’ll wait! Instead of giving up, decree, Lord, I’ll wait.

Daily Devotional – 4/25/17 “When praises go up …”

The bible does not say when praises go up, blessings come down. This saying originated from Psalm 67 and has been interpreted to say the line above. Please understand, I am in no way saying that when praises go up blessing don’t come down but there are some things in between that has to be done too. See, you can praise with a hardened heart yet it won’t give you your desired result because Proverbs 28:13 says, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” Yeah, I have been guilty of saying this too because it is what I learned but when you grow, so should your biblical knowledge.

Psalm 67 says this…

God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah

Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Then the earth shall yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us,

And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

Saying, God give me your mercy and bless me. Let your face shine upon me so that I know you are well pleased. For after you bless me, use me to tell the world and spread your salvation. God, let your children praise you, for you shall judge us justly. Let the people thank you. Then the earth will show it, you will bless us and we will honor you!

Beloved, we can praise God but we will not yield an increase/blessing of God until we know God’s way, accept His salvation and offer Him praise.

Daily Devotional – 4/21/17 “Thought I’d share again!”

One day, on my way to work (after a doctor appointment) I stop at Popeye’s. I order the $5 big box, chicken strips, only to get to work and have a chicken breast and thigh. Now, I could have been upset about it and simply thrown it away but I would still be hungry. The chicken is still good so I’ll eat it. What does this have to do with a devotional? I’ll tell you … Sometimes you have to eat what you get even though it’s not what you ordered. Sometimes you have to receive what God gives even if it’s not what you prayed for. Sometimes you have to accept the hand you’ve been dealt even though you were hoping for better cards. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that the odds aren’t going to always be in your favor, this time! Yes, I know I paid for chicken strips but they’re both the same price so I didn’t lose anything. I still received something to put inside to stop my growling stomach. Oh, I know that isn’t the car you wanted but the car note is what you needed. I know you’re ready to get married but be thankful for the time God is giving you to prepare yourself to be a husband or a wife. See, I’ve come to realize that God gives us what we need and not what we want. Oh, it’s quite possible that this can be the same thing but think about the times it isn’t. 
You should be glad about that. God could have given you that man, you wanted but instead He gave you the one you needed and you find out later the one you wanted is an abuser. God should have given you that woman you begged Him for but instead He gave you the one He knew would help you in your ministry and you later found out the one you wanted, wasn’t first lady material anyway. Oh, yes; God could have given you that house you kept driving by but the next time you went, you found out it was built wrong and needed a lot of work so be grateful He gave you the one you needed. God could have given you that job you kept crying for but instead He blessed you with a career and you later found out why the turnover rate was so high on the one you wanted. Beloved, God gives us what we need and He’ll supply our every need, at His time. What do you do in the process? Wait with patience, praise and faith! So stop acting like God owes you everything you ask for especially when you know some of the things you’re asking for don’t belong to you anyhow. Trust God because He knows. And be glad He doesn’t give us everything we ask of Him because then most of us would be tore up, raggedy, divorced 13 times, in bankruptcy every 7-10 years, jobless, homeless and sick. 
— “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19