Daily Devotional – 5/1/15 “I am troubled!”

If I live to see tomorrow, God will allow me to see 38 years of life; it’s one I don’t take for granted. Yet as I look at the state of our world, I am troubled. I am troubled by the fact that we are burying more children that are dying by violence. I am troubled by the fact that police officers are killing more than they are protecting. I am troubled by the fact that domestic violence is on the rise. I am troubled by the fact that women are finding it cool to be misused and abused, portrayed as worthless when God has made your value more than that of rubies and would rather live in hell than find peace in your own home. I am troubled by the fact that our men are diminishing their power as being our king, our protector, the head of their home and would rather run the streets with their pants sagging or post pictures with gangs and drug paraphernalia. I am troubled by the fact that we are raising children in this society to think that it’s ok to be disrespectful because they see their parents being disrespectful. I am troubled by the fact that we don’t value our relationship with God like we should, we don’t love like we could and we don’t help like Jesus would. I am troubled! I am troubled that our churches are empty yet the clubs are overflowing. I am troubled that parent meetings are not being attended by parents and our children are failing. I am troubled that we are only using God when we need Him and not praising Him when we have Him. I am troubled. I am troubled that we feel the need to burn our communities to solve problems yet we won’t voice our concerns, vote the problem out or the solution in. I am troubled that we are quick to judge those who make a mistake yet we won’t pick them up. I am troubled that Christians are the harshest judges yet are the ones doing the most sinning. I am troubled!

Father God, as I come petitioning your throne today; God, I come asking you for peace in our trouble land. God, we need you down here to tear down walls of violence, hate, and anger. God we need you to strike the hands of those who seek to do your people harm. Oh God, right now in this land and country, we need you. God, destroy the chains of bondage that has been wrapped around your people by way of generational curses. Destroy alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, suicidal thoughts, peer pressure and any attempt by the enemy that sets out to kill your people. God, heal the hearts of those who have been affected by violence so that they may forgive. Then God forgive those who have taken the lives of someone; forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing. Oh, God; our land is suffering and we need you to come and see about us. We need peace, healing, joy, love and understanding in this troubled land, God, send it like only you can. Heal our children; strengthen the parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts; so that they can be greater in their raising. I am standing in the gap on today God, crying out to you for healing of our land; come and see about your people. We need you here. Amen.

2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Daily Devotional – 4/30/15 “Expectancy Level!’

This month is almost gone and I am still looking for my May to be greater than my April! Yes ma’am, yes sir; I’m expecting great things ahead, what about you? I’m expecting greater things because I serve a God of greater! No, I don’t have any idea what tomorrow holds but I know who holds tomorrow; so I am expecting greater. I have no idea what my tomorrow might look like but I know who can give me what I need to handle whatever I get up looking at. Oh, I don’t know what May will hold for me but I surely know who will hold me in May! See, I’ve raised my expectancy level – I expect more from God because He’s expecting more of me for Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” I’ve change my surroundings because I found out that I am not only blessed by what I received but I’m also blessed by who I am around. For Psalm 1:1-2 says, “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.” I’ve accepted my assignment for Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I waited expectantly for the LORD, and he took notice of me and heard my cry. He plucked me out of a pit of confusion, even out of the quicksand; he placed my feet on a rock and established my steps. He put a new song in my mouth, praise to our God! Many will watch and be in awe, and they will place their trust in the LORD.” Y’all this thang is getting real … When you raise your expectancy level, God will meet you at your place of expectancy.

Let me break this thang down … When you expect to get that promotion (even before you fill out the application); God will meet you there! When you expect the loan to be approved for that new house or car; God will meet you there! When you expect healing in your body; God will meet you there! When you expect your ministry to be blessed, God will meet you there! When you raise your expectancy level, God will meet you there. And get this, not only will He meet you there but baby; He’ll allow the Holy Spirit to beat you there! Didn’t get that? Don’t worry … When you raise your expectancy level, your name will be in meetings you don’t know anything about. When you raise your expectancy level, your resume will be in the hands of folk you haven’t even met yet. When you raise your expectancy level, your lunch will be paid for before you even order it. Oh, when you raise your expectancy level, God meets you at the point of your expectancy and He allows the Holy Spirit to precede you! What more you need? Baby, God takes care of His children! All He is waiting on is for you to understand the gift that is already inside of you. He knows you are destined for greatness, He made you. He’s simply waiting on you to tap into it! What are you waiting on?

Daily Devotional – 4/29/15 “Don’t question your assignment!”

It’s amazing how things come full circle when you think back on them. On yesterday I spoke on memories and on today I revisited the devotional I did on this exact day two years ago and … MY GOD! Now, this won’t make sense to you if you are reading through your natural eyes so I need all my spiritual folk to go with me. See, the weeks leading up to my ordination into the ministry were mind-boggling crazy, to say the least. Not so much as me fighting the calling but just the fact of standing before a congregation of people and then a council of preachers being questioned (not in a bad way) about your calling, is nerve-wracking. And if you aren’t spiritually grounded the enemy will mess you up! But as I started to write my devotional today, I didn’t have a clue (like some days) on what to write so I started flipping back through and here’s how the devotional from 4/29/13 started, “I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out what to write and nothing would come to mind. I asked God what He would have me to share with His people on today and still nothing. I saved 2 topics in my phone on yesterday but they didn’t even fit this morning. I thought about not doing a devotional today but even that didn’t fit so here I am wondering yet again. Wondering why someone like me would be an encourager to someone like you. How could I encourage someone? Why was I blessed with this gift but then one of the scriptures I jotted down yesterday came into my thoughts which says in Romans 9:20, “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Ok God, you got me there. Oh but hold up because God wasn’t finished getting me back in line because Romans 9:21 says, “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?”” – Do you see my point?

Who do we think we are to question our assignment or the assignment giver? You may not like what you have to do, so what! Do you think every person who has a job to do love it every day of the week, there is some bad days promised? However, you have an assignment, do it! Yea, I get it, there are some things happening in your life that have caused you to be angry but deal with them and get over it. Sickness has crept in and chemo has taken your hair but it’ll grow back and if not; rock your bald head. Death showed up and took your loved one but baby grieve for them yet also celebrate in knowing that to be absent from this side means to be present with the Lord. The job laid you off; God has something greater in store. Spouse walked off; God has something greater – open the door! My point is this; God never gives us an assignment He hasn’t already equipped us to handle. If we are failing at it, it may be because we haven’t been taking notes during His discussions; studying during His study groups or asking questions when we need too. God is the potter and He made us in His image and likeness and He has destined us for greatness. Yes, we go through hell that causes our clay pots to get damaged in the process but our potter has the ability to make us over – that great news! We don’t have to question our assignment and we surely don’t have to question our assignment maker because He got His part covered and if we are under His covering, we are covered too!

Daily Devotional – 4/28/15 “Past Memories …”

I don’t know how many of you have Facebook but lately it has been allowing you to look back on things you’ve posted from the same date years previously. I mean, it has actually went back to things I’ve posted back to 2009, things they deem as memories. Now, just imagine, for a minute today if God would show up at your door with a “memory book” and allow you to flip back to some of the times you thought you were counted out, forgotten and left for dead; how would you feel now? If God would stand before you now allowing you to flip through the memories of how you used to be strung out on drugs but now He’s allowed you to clean up your act and your bloodstream, what would you tell Him? If God were to be in your presence right now, allowing you to flip through the pages of your life and see how you used to look when you wasn’t fitting to live but wasn’t ready to die; what would you say to Him? If God showed up at this very moment and played your past life story and you saw the memories of how you used to be, compared to how you are now; how would you act?

Oh, somebody ought to be excited about the fact that God don’t dwell on your past. Somebody ought to be acting absolutely crazy with praise every time you think on your present circumstance knowing that your past should have killed you. Yea, somebody should be standing toe to toe with the enemy every time he shows up at your home when you think about all the hell you’ve overcame that didn’t destroy your destiny. Somebody reading this devotional ought to be about to shout, at this very moment, because it was you who God saved just this past weekend from your mess! Yea, stop thinking that your past is years ago because baby your past is yesterday. This is why the bible says in Isaiah 43:18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” What if God allowed us to flip back through our memories and see where He bought us from – how would you act? Maybe then we will remember why we should praise Him for the good and the bad. Maybe then we will see that He is worthy of our thanksgiving. Maybe then we will remember our part in His plan. If your past didn’t pronounce you dead, why aren’t you living? If your past problems didn’t hold you then, why aren’t you acting free now? If your past didn’t get you and you’ve confessed to be one of God’s children, act like it! For our bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Daily Devotional – 4/27/15 “A Change!”

When I say that God has been absolutely blowing my mind lately, it’s an understatement. On yesterday, I was officially ordained as Minister Lakisha Johnson. Wow! For the last week or so, I’d been so nervous that I hadn’t been sleeping well but when I tell you that the Holy Spirit showed up in that place on yesterday. God has a way of making a change in your life, if you allow Him too. I told y’all a few devotionals ago that my next month wasn’t going to be the same and I meant that. I declared at the beginning of this month, greater things beginning next month and God is already opening the doors. Now, I don’t know if you caught that but I said doors because I am anticipating God to move in a number of ways, my expectancy level has been raised and I just believe that God will do it for me. Whatever it is I expect, I believe He will do. Why? Well, because God is just that good and He will do what we ask. For Luke 11:10 tells me, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

What are you declaring? What are you seeking God for? What are you willing to give up to get it? What are you willing to sacrifice for your change? I was willing to give up me but God gave me Him in place of me. I was willing to give up people but God gave me more like-minded folk so I didn’t even missed those I had lost. I was willing to give up stuff but God simply replaced it with something better. When it all simmered down, I hadn’t lost anything but I gained something greater through my change! What about you? What are you willing to give up for your change? What are you willing to change for your peace of mind? Aren’t you ready for a change by now? Aren’t you tired of doing the same thing, going through the same mess, being the same mean-spirited person, singing the same tired song or throwing the same pity party? Aren’t you ready for your change yet? The song my sisters and nieces song on yesterday says, “A change, A change has come over me. He changed my life and now I’m free.” How many of us can say that? Are you ready to be free? God can do it; all you have to do is commit to the change He can make in your life!