Daily Devotional – 2/11/16 “Don’t play with it!”

Lent is upon us and a lot of people are saying they are giving up certain things. If you are, great, but don’t play with it. Listen, fasting is hard and during your time of fasting the enemy will come at you even harder. If he was bold enough to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11), what makes you think he will sympathize when it comes to you? This is why I said, don’t play with it because you are about to be hit by the opponent and hit hard; so brace yourself for the impact. Maybe you aren’t fasting but the enemy is still trying to defeat you, brace for the impact. Regardless of what it is, you can handle it. Spouse left, friends haven’t called, money is few, church folk looking at you strange, can’t find a job, car on its last leg, children acting like they don’t know the rules and on top of that you’re getting sick; brace for the impact. It’ll even seem like everything is hitting you all at once, all hell is breaking loose around you and you can’t find level footing but it’s just your time to endure; brace for the impact.

Lent is a season of repentance, a time you choose to fast and pray. It is not a season of doing it because everybody else is because while you are in this season (whether you are fasting or not), you may be tempted but don’t give in. Even if you happen to fail one day of your fast, pick back up and do better the next day. Even if it seems like your tears won’t stop, cry; they are liquid prayers. Just don’t play with this thang. It may get hard but you’ll be taken care of just like Jesus was, while in the wilderness, by the angels dispatched to protect you. But beloved, you’ve got to first believe, don’t concede. I don’t care if it looks dark, keep walking. It doesn’t matter if you’re stumbling over stuff, keep walking. It’s ok if folk have already counted you out, keep walking. Just don’t play with this spiritual thing because you may just find yourself in self-made trouble if you do. For the bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.” Don’t fast for followers and don’t participate in Lent for likes; do it because you want better for your spiritual life. Whatever the reason, don’t play with it.

Daily Devotional – 2/10/16 “It’s OUR fight!”

Stop saying it’s not your business when you see your folk hurting! We have to get to a place on this spiritual journey where we get bold enough to pray the enemy out of the folks who are around us. Stop sitting by watching the people, you claim to love, suffer in the spirit. Stop being selfish and only praying for you and call out someone else name, every now and then. Baby, the enemy is using more saved folk now days than ever before. You want to know why? It’s because our faith is weak and we’ve become afraid of the enemy’s pursuit. So now when he shows up we think it’s easier to say yes to him now and then repent later. However, the enemy doesn’t work like that. Once you accept him or allow him to come in, it’ll be like trying to get out of quick sand. Sometimes, the person he’s attaching himself too is weak, spiritually and this is why those of us who are stronger than they should be praying for them.

Our fight

Please understand this is in no way saying you have to put your life on hold to rebuild their life but what I am sharing is; we ought to be able to help folk, spiritually. This is why the bible says in Romans 15:1, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” Then Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.” Not everyone is as strong-willed as you and this is why you have to meet people at their point of need. If I’m comforting someone who is grieving, I have to put myself in the place they’re in, in order to be able to encourage them. And when I do, the Holy Spirit intercedes to pick up where I am short. We, as strong Saints of God, have to get back to being about God’s business for those who are weak. We can no longer sit around why our families are being incarcerated by the enemy. We can no longer act like it’s not our problem, when it’s everybody’s fight. I don’t know about you but I’m tired of the enemy having a VIP pass to my family, friends and church. I’m sick of seeing him succeed in destroying marriages and relationships. So, I’ll pray over them whether they accept it or not because eventually, they won’t have a choice! If we prayed more, the enemy wouldn’t be able to prey! It’s our fight! Let’s win it together.

Books you should be reading!

 

Have you enjoyed a book by Author Lakisha Johnson yet? If yes, thank you! If no, what are you waiting on?

In the first series, A Secret Worth Keeping, you meet friends; Shelby, Chloe, Ray, Kerri and Lyn. These ‘Damn Divas’ are enjoying life to the max and by that I mean, they enjoy sex and lots of it.

They find themselves intertwined between the legs of men, who aren’t their husbands on a number of occasions. For some, the cheating is because they are missing what they need at home. For others, they do it because they love it. Yet they’ve vowed it’s A Secret Worth Keeping!

Find out what happens to them when it all becomes too much. Will their marriages survive? Will they find the love they’ve been looking for?

A Secret Worth Keeping $0.99

A Secret Worth Keeping: Deleted Scene FREE

A Secret Worth Keeping 2 $2.99

First Series

Oh, I couldn’t let it end there because Camille Shannon (Cam if you’re nasty) was just too much for one series, she needed her own.

In Ms. Nice Nasty, you get to know more about Cam. She always proclaimed to be who she is, take her or leave her but what happens when that’s no longer enough? In book one (1) she’s unapologetic for the life she lives. Will she still be that way by book three (3)?

Find out by downloading this entire series.

Ms. Nice Nasty $1.99

Ms. Nice Nasty: Cam’s Confession FREE

Ms. Nice Nasty 2 $2.99

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I hope you will download, read, review and share these series.

Be blessed and Happy Reading!

Lakisha

Daily Devotional – 2/9/16 “I’ve seen too many victories …”

Even when you’re in a place of defeat, it doesn’t mean you’re out. It simply means you didn’t win, THIS TIME! So lift up your head my brother, my sister and stop holding it down in shame. Baby, if we won every battle what would we have to work for? If we did everything right, what would be the sense of trying? If we accomplished every goal, how would we appreciate the hard work and sacrifice? Beloved, if you just so happen to find yourself in a place of defeat, lift up your head! Smile the same way you would if you had won. Don’t take defeat as the last say so when you’ve already seen victories. It doesn’t matter what the doctors are saying; if you beat if before, you can do it again. It doesn’t matter the bank said no, if you’ve been approved before; it’ll happen again. So what if you got turned down for that promotion, you’ll get the chance again and the next time may be your yes. Ok, that relationship didn’t work; don’t count out this one.

Defeat

Hebrews 10:33-34 says this, “Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.” Yea, you may be subjected to being persecuted for what you believe in, beaten down by burdens or even people, thrown in a spiritual jail by the words of judgmental folk and lost all you had but take it with a smile and your head lifted up. Stop accepting defeat because your trust should be in a Man who can do anything BUT fail! God cannot fail. And when it feels like you can’t, turn in your bible to Hebrews 10:35-36 that says, “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Be patient enough to endure your defeat for then you’ll be able to praise in your victories!

Daily Devotional – 2/8/16 “Rejoicing in spite of!”

Baby, I am without a shadow of a doubt, glad I don’t look like the mess I’ve been through. Yea, I get excited about the fact my skin don’t show the scars from being drug to hell and back on my worst day. I’m glad my clothes don’t smell like the fire of fear I’ve sometimes found myself walking through. I am glad my hair isn’t soaked by the rain from the storms I’ve had to struggle through. And I’m so glad my shoes aren’t muddy, my nails aren’t dirty and my clothes aren’t stained from the ditches that were dug for me that God has allowed me to climb out of. Oh, aren’t you glad this good ole Monday morning when you consider what you could look like? I don’t know about you but my outlook could look worse. My today could be tormented by the trials of tribulations. My yesterday could have held me back. My tomorrow could … Well; I’ll handle it when it comes. But for right now I’ll rejoice in the fact that I’m still here.

See, I could be concerned about folk but they will be them so I won’t. I could be worried about this and that but what will worrying do? I could complain about needing more finances but when has complaining every accomplished anything? I could wish but wishing does nothing for me. So instead of all that, I’ll rejoice. What am I rejoicing for? I’m rejoicing God said that even when it looks I’m about to fall, He’ll catch me! I’m rejoicing for the activity that is in my limbs (even with a little pain). I’m rejoicing for the new anointing God has given me. I’m rejoicing because I could be backed up into a corner afraid to come out but I’m not. I’m rejoicing because I could be lying in ICU hooked up to a life support machine with my husband making a decision whether to turn it off or not but I’m not. I’m rejoicing because my family is doing well. I’m rejoicing because things could be worse. And I’m rejoicing because if it was based on me, things should be worse. Oh, you may see my glory but you surely don’t know my story! And even though I can’t take the credit for being where I am and even who I am; I can shonuff rejoice in whose I am!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4