Daily Devotional – 9/29/14 “You are just the branch!”

Sitting, staring at the computer trying to figure out what to write about but my mind and body is tired because lately I’ve been having such vivid dreams and although it’s hard to put into words, I know it’s God speaking to me yet I’m still trying to figure out what all of this means on this spiritual journey. During one of those moments this morning, prayer was the word that was dropped into my spirit and I thought about sharing that as a devotional topic but as Christians, you know that you ought to pray; don’t you? You know that you should pray for yourself for 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land, shouldn’t you?” Then I was challenged again on Facebook to share my favorite bible scripture and for those of you who know a little about me, then you know the one I’ve share above is my favorite but I thought I’d share another one that leapt out to me this morning from John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” See, in John 15:1, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” How does this go along with prayer? Easy because the scripture says ask whatever you wish and it will be done. And how do you ask …through prayer.

Jesus goes on to say in the next verses (This is me putting it another way); My Father, cuts off the branches of the vines that bears no fruits because they mean no good to the vine and are dead weight yet He prunes those who bear good fruit in order for them to continue to bear good fruit. Please understand what I mean here when I say bearing fruit, I mean sharing God’s word. Not just any word but God’s word that is actually digestible for other folk to be able to eat it and understand it. As Christian’s it is our duty to be able to share God’s word with other folk thus being able to bear good fruit and as Christians we are branches connected to the true vine, Jesus, who is connected to the gardener God which means we should all be bearing good fruit. If we aren’t then we may be doing it for the wrong vine. I’m simply stating the facts. If you call yourself a Christian, other Christians and folk who aren’t believers should be able to eat fruit from your branch, good fruit. They should be able to get a word, a scripture, a prayer or a word of encouragement from you every once in a while, that is edible. This is why Jesus says you’ve got to remain in me and as long as you do, I’ll remain in you because you can’t bear fruit without me when you are just the branch. Did you catch that? You are just the branch, Jesus is the vine and without the vine you are nothing! John 15:6 says, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” You have what it takes to bear good fruit but you’ve got to be connected to the right vine. So when you do it for the vine, make sure you’re doing it for the right vine so that whatever you ask, it will be done. Connect to the true vine, pray and it will be done.

**Whoever you are that thinks God isn’t listening to you, He is but you’ve got to reconnect yourself to the vine in order to get the nutrients you need to bloom again. He hasn’t left you; He’s simply waiting on you.

Daily Devotional – 9/26/14 “Let it go!”

Ok, I’m going to say this because it needs to be said … We are all going to die but there is no need to speed it up. Stop killing yourself with stressing over things you have no control over. You, right now, are stressing over a man or woman that probably isn’t even yours; let him or her go! You are stressing over credit card debt that you didn’t have any business in any way and then you got the audacity to be mad at God, no boo; it wasn’t Him, it was you and now you need to cut them up, get on a plan and pay them off. Your blood pressure is high at this very moment because you won’t take the medicine the doctor prescribed because you say you don’t need it but ok. You know good and well that high blood pressure runs in your family and if you won’t take care of your health then you need to take the medicine and if you don’t then tell your folk what funeral home you want them to use because you do know that high blood pressure can kill you right? I’m just stating facts. You and your spouse are probably fighting over finances instead of sitting down like adults and figuring out how to fix them. You are probably at home stressing over the folk on the job instead of leaving that mess on the job. I mean, at what point will you actually enjoy the life that God has actually given you? Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, “So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.”

See, if you work then you should enjoy the fruits of your labor every now and then. When God created the Heavens and the Earth, didn’t He rest? When you work a job, don’t you get off days? And when you work, don’t you get paid? Then why shouldn’t you have some enjoyment in your life? And baby, your life should be enjoyable. Your home should be enjoyable. Your home should be your refuge from this cruel world. When you face hell all day in the world, you should step in your home and not have to face hell there too because it should be your sanctuary. You should be able to find rest there and if you don’t then you need to have a long talk with the folk who resides there. Please understand, I am in no way telling you to make drastic changes like divorce so don’t go home and leave a Dear John letter talking about Lakisha told me to do it because baby, I ain’t testifying in not one divorce proceeding but what I am saying is this … life can be too short to live each day stressing, losing your hair, getting sick, off balance, running up doctor bills because you’re mad at the world, can’t get prayers through because your heart is so full of hate, worship ain’t about nothing because your praise is so full of crap, you can’t smile because you won’t allow yourself to be happy, can’t be love because you’re so caught up on that dude or female who broke your heart years ago, won’t let God in because you’re still holding on to that church hurt that happened when you were 20 and you’re 52; baby LET IT GO! Momma hurt you; she’s gone. Daddy didn’t love you, he’s gone. Your baby daddy did you wrong, he’s moved on. Baby momma put you on child support, pay it and move on. Cousin didn’t pay you back, forgive them and move on. Job laid you off, you found a new one; let it go! LET IT GO! For the bible says in Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” This is my good word for you today … LET IT GO and enjoy life!

Lakisha on the Move … BWABC Literary Festival (Pictures)

I must say … I really enjoyed myself at the BWABC Literary Festival that was held Friday and Saturday, September 19-20, 2014 at the Hilton here in Memphis, TN. I met some of my author friends from Facebook and even got to meet some new authors! And most importantly, I got to meet new readers! It is always good to meet new readers. So, I wanted to share a few pictures with you guys.

Happy reading! And if you haven’t picked up my newest book, A Secret Worth Keeping 2, GET IT!!!

Part One is $0.99 at Amazon – HERE

Part Two is $2.99 at Amazon – HERE

Daily Devotional – 9/25/14 “Agree with your favor!”

You’ve been favored by God but you can’t figure out why your favor ain’t working? Well that’s because you’ve yet to agree with your favor! Chile what is wrong with you. Don’t you know God doesn’t favor anything that isn’t worthy? Don’t you know God doesn’t favor anyone He hasn’t already found fit enough to handle the assignment? Haven’t you realized yet the potential you have when you open your mouth for good things? Don’t you see the folks you encourage when you’re not even trying? I bet you don’t even see the places your feet are walking in do you? You don’t even see the doors that are opening that you haven’t even made it too yet, have you? And all you have to do is agree with the favor that has already been poured into your life. Baby, God didn’t need your permission to favor you; He simply needs you to agree with it. No, God doesn’t need your approval but He does need your agreement that you’ll go where He’ll send you even though you might not know the location or the folk. God needs you to talk when He tells you even though you might not like the subject or the crowd. God needs you to move when He tells you too even though you might not like the moves nor the music and He needs you to encourage when He tell you too even though you may not know the people or the circumstance and may not feel like it. But you can’t do it if you’ve yet to agree with the favor that God has appointed to your life. Oh and get this … You also can’t do it if you’re still straddling the fence of the world.

Yea, God has anointed your tongue but you can’t use it for bad on Saturday and then expect God to consecrate it for good on Sunday and then say you agree with your favor. It ain’t happening. It may look like its happening but it ain’t. (Get it together!). God has given us favor that can turn thangs around for us, if we agree with it but we have to first agree with it. Ephesians 1:11 says, “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” Simply saying, we have received favor. [You’ll get it in a minute.] All I am saying is, agree with your favor and watch things start to change for the good. When you agree with your favor, you no longer feel like you’re down and out. When you agree with your favor depression no longer resides in your residence, sickness comes but you’ll wear it well, death will show up in your family but you’ll grieve and not suffer and financial troubles will no longer drown you because you can now swim in the deep end. Oh, when you agree with your favor your story changes because you won’t be able to tell it the same for you are no longer telling it as the victim but as victorious! When you agree with your favor, your praise changes because you won’t be able to worship the same. When you agree with your favor, you won’t even hate your enemy the same because everything about you changes! You don’t have to believe me; try it for yourself. You’ll see! When you agree with your favor, favor removes the labor!

Daily Devotional – 9/24/14 “Wild out Wednesday!”

Yes, today is Wild out Wednesday! I don’t mean wild out for the world but I mean wild out for God. Don’t look at your computer, phone or tablet crazy. If the world can wild out for what they believe in why can’t we wild out for God. Isn’t He worthy enough for us to go crazy over? Isn’t God worthy enough for us to give him a crazy praise every now and then? Should we lose our ever loving mind for God like we do for bae nem? Can we, at least for one day, give God a Wild out Wednesday? Just imagine, if you will, how God would feel if you treated Him how you treated some of the material things you valued more than Him. Yea, some of us value our cars more than we value our relationship with God. We won’t even put miles on our car to drive to church put you’ll drive to the car wash. Some of us value our relationships with folk more than our relationship with God because all boo has to say is stay home with me and you crawl back in bed. Some of us value football more than you value God because you’d rather miss the message for the score of the game but who am I too judge. And yet all I’m asking for is one day, today, Wednesday as Wild out Wednesday for God.

A man who stepped out of nowhere and spoke the world into existence and with his voice He commanded the creation of day and night, the Heavens and the Earth, the seas, grass, herbs, seeds, fruit trees, seasons and signs to tell the difference between the day, years and He even spoke the creation of the living animal. This same man created man out of dust and woman from the man’s rib and blew into them breathe of life. God, Alpha and Omega; healer and restorer, hope and grace, faith and joy, light and darkness. God; who holds better than bread because he doesn’t mold, who keeps better than milk because He doesn’t spoil, who offers better coverage than insurance because He doesn’t lapse, who last better than medicine because He doesn’t expire and who is better than healthcare because His rates never go up! Will you wild out for God today? Will you let the world know whose you are on today? Will you show whose team you represent on today by your praise? Or will you wimp out?