Our Father, in Heaven, Holy is your name; your kingdom come; God may your will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven. Give us, today, God, the daily bread we need and forgive us of our trespasses and then forgive those who trespass against us. God, open our eyes so that we don’t walk into temptations and then oh God deliver us from the evil that so easily surround us daily. God as I stand before your throne petitioning you once again for prayer I have to first thank you. Thank you, God, for trusting me one more time with your anointing, with your word, with your grace and with your gift. God, I must thank you for choosing me to wake this morning, thank you for allowing me to rise to find no link missing from my family chain. Thank you father that you everything I laid down with on last night was still in the same place when I got up this morning. Now, God I come this morning praying, not only for me but for anyone reading or hearing this as I come praying for understanding. Understanding for whatever situation, circumstance, condition, disease, job, marriage, relationship, ministry, finance, sexuality, depression, addiction, sickness, hurt, pain, church, choice, decision, answer, loan, house, car, position, location, form, state, paper, topic, book, paragraph, letter or whatever it is they stand in need of. I am praying today oh God for understanding big or small for whatever we have to face. I am praying for understanding today God for the child who is confused in class and afraid to ask for help. God, I am praying for understanding for the adult who is on their job and ashamed to reach out for assistance. I am praying for the elderly man or woman who doesn’t understand what the doctor is saying to them. I am praying for the children who are being bullied for not understanding, send them someone who cares. I am praying for the lost souls who don’t understand the word of God, send more folk who don’t mind sharing and explaining your word. Oh God, I come to your throne today; praying that you continue to fill me with understanding so that I can continue to be a vessel of your word. God, somebody reading this needs your understanding today regarding a part of their life that is filled with confusion; clear their mind so that they understand. Do it like only you can God. Give them understanding so they stop wandering helplessly alone and find favor in you. I know you can and I believe you will. This prayer I submit to you as if it is already done. Amen.
Daily Devotional – 8/11/14 “Prayer “
Our Father in Heaven, you whose name is Holy, giver and taker of life, beginning and end, restorer of our faith, our joy, light in darkness, joy, hope for tomorrow; our all and all. As I come petitioning your throne; I first come with a mouth of thanksgiving for all the things you’ve done for me. Thank you for waking me up to another day, with the activity of my limbs, the use of my mind, my family still alive and well, with an appetite to eat, a home that’s still livable, a car that’s still drivable and a job that still workable. God, right now I thank you because it could have been me outdoors with no food. God, it could have been me, outdoors with no clothes. God, it could have been me shot by a stray bullet, arrested on false allegations, killed by a drunk driver or carjacked by a drug addict. It could have been me but you spared my life once again so for that alone I’ve got to thank you. Now God, as I petition your throne; I come praying for those who need you this morning. God, I come praying for the mother whose child didn’t come home last night and they don’t know where he or she is; I ask that you surround that child with your protection. God, I come praying for that mother/father who was woke up by the knock of the police officer with the devastating news that we need you to come and identify the body; cover them with your grace. God, I come praying for that mother/father who woke up from the nudge of the doctor who said we got the test results back and the news isn’t good and we don’t have any more tests to run for I know you to be a healer on either side of the dirt. God, I come praying for that daughter/son who has to make the decision to take momma/daddy off of life support for I know you are a comforter. God, I come praying for that son/daughter who is about to walk into the funeral home to make arrangements to lie their parent to rest for I know you to be peace. God, I come praying for that husband/wife who kissed their spouse goodbye without knowing it would be the last time for I know you to be a company keeper. God, I come praying for that child who won’t see their parent anymore and they feel like they don’t have anyone else and they feel like their security is gone for I know you to be everything they need. Oh God, I come right now; before you praying, pleading asking you to strengthen me so that I may be a vessel on this journey for those who may need me. God, somebody needs you and they’ve yet to accept you but they will. Somebody has accepted you but has yet to start working but they will. Someone needs you but is afraid to ask but they will. Someone has heard you calling and afraid to answer but I believe they will. God, here am I; standing before you willing, able and ready; use me. Use me Lord! I don’t know where you are about to take me but I have my bags packed and I am ready to go. God, I don’t know all those who I will come in contact with but I ask that you open my eyes to be able to see those who are for me and those who are against me. Turn my eyes and hearts from evil so that my work will be for you. God, I’m praying for those who need you today. I pray they open their hearts to allow you in. Keep them in your arms oh God. This pray I submit to you. Amen.
“Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” 1 Peter 3:17
Daily Devotional – 8/8/14 “What now?”
Here it is another Friday that you’ve woken up to see. Yea, I know you are tired of folk posting about it being a blessing to be alive when they don’t wake up in pain like you do. Folk keep saying for you to hold on through your storm but they don’t see the sores on your hand from holding so tight. Yea, you’ve heard that trouble don’t last always but he sure has made himself comfortable in your home. Folk keep telling you that joy comes in the morning yet you jump up with the sun and you’ve yet to find it and you’re still asking what now? Well beloved I’ll tell you. Now, you press on. You know just like I know that it could be worse. How? Well I am glad you asked. You could be dead! THE END! You could be brain dead; a vegetable, the responsibility of someone else to take care of to feed and clothe. You could be homeless, rummaging in someone else garbage for food. You could be strung out on drugs walking down the street putting on a show for folk who pass by. You could be in a mental hospital without the knowledge of where you are from one minute to the next. You could be locked up in a prison for a crime you didn’t commit. You could be in an abusive relationship living in pure hell. You could be living in a hospital watching your child suffer through cancer instead of just reading about somebody else child through Facebook. It could be your spouse’s funeral arrangements been shared on social media. It could be your face on the missing posters. It could have been you that died of a heart attack in a cafeteria with children present. It could have been you whose home was destroyed by a fire. It could have been you whose bedside the doctor walked away from after leaving the pamphlet with hospice information because he said there is nothing else they can do. It could be you with an eviction notice attached to your door or the repo man looking for your car. It could be you leaving the office today with your belongings in a box and a termination notice.
What now? Now you get up and get the hell out of the hell you’re in. Get up and make things happen. If you can’t make ends meet with what you have, decrease debt going out and increase the income coming in. If that means a second job, so be it. If that means no more $200 jordan tennis shoes, so be it. If the relationship isn’t working, fix it or let it go. Grandma says either ____ or get off the pot. If the car is costing you more, try the bus. Stop eating out (I’m talking to myself on this one), cut off the cable for a month, stop shopping and fix your own hair and nails for 30 days. Do what you need to do. What now? It’s simple. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” To get the gist of this scripture, you need to read Proverbs 16:1-6 (ISV) so I will share them here. “People do the planning, but the end result is from the LORD. Everything a person does seems pure in his own opinion, but the LORD weighs intentions. Entrust your work to the LORD, and your planning will succeed. The LORD made everything answerable to him, including the wicked at the time of trouble. The LORD detests those who are proud; truly they will not go unpunished. When a person’s ways please the LORD, even his enemies will be at peace with him.”
When a person’s ways please the LORD, even his enemies will be at peace with him.
Daily Devotional – 8/6/14 “Recovery!”
It’s Wednesday and someone, somewhere is wiping your woes on your wrist of weakness. You’re wrestling with wickedness and its winning. You wandered passed the warnings and now you’re weighed down. You’re still wounded because you won’t keep the same wound wrapped long enough to heal. You’re questioning God when He wasn’t the one that got you in the mess you’re in but He said He’d get you out but you have to go through recovery. Yea, if alcoholics can have AA, drug addicts, gamblers and even sex addicts can have a place to go to heal; why can’t God have a recovery program? You do know that recovery means the act of getting something again that was lost, stolen or owed; right? See, you’ve been in that mess you’ve lived in long enough. You’ve been hateful for way too long and it’s sucking the life out of those around you. Yes, I know you’ve tried to do it on your own but it hasn’t worked and today is your intervention. Today you need help. Today you need to check yourself into recovery. No, you don’t have to tell anyone because it’ll be evident by the change in you. No ma’am, no sir; there is no cost; it’s all covered. Yes, it’s all inpatient; meaning it’ll take place on the inside of you. You won’t have to pack a bag but you will have to throw out some stuff. You won’t have to change residents but you may have to change who resides there. You won’t have to change the color of your hair but it might not fit with your new look. Changing your clothes isn’t even a requirement but they may not fit the same.
Are you ready to get started? Great then allow me to give you the list of God’s custom made treatment plans. These plans are for your good so that you can recover.
- Detox program – 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
- Individual therapy – Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
- Group Therapy – Hebrews 10:25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
- Christian based treatment – Bible Study, Sunday School, Worship Service, Prayer Meeting
So you see; there are not a lot of programs involved with God’s Recovery because they all work. There is only one book that you are required to read and it’s called the Bible. You can find it in nearly every store and there are many different versions for you to choose from. There’s no set time on your recovery because it’s at your pace but you must go in with a mind of wanting to be recovered and the faith that you will be. You can start whenever you choose, all you have to do is write the date down and begin. Recovery works because I’ve tried it and I am not ashamed to tell it. I am a recovering addict of self-doubt, self-pity and no encouragement of self but I’ve been through recovery and I am recovered! There are days when I almost slip but I refer back to my study materials for the dose I need to pick me up. It’ll work if you believe. Try recovery for yourself and you’ll see.
Daily Devotional – 8/5/14 “Fresh Wood!”
I absolutely love reading the bible and although I don’t read it as much as I should, I love studying the different scriptures, I love how the same scripture can be used many different ways and I also love the many different interpretations one scripture can have. This is why I am also jotting down notes or pulling up a different version of the bible when I am in church or in bible study. I don’t do it to see if the pastor is wrong but I do it so that I can get an understanding because after all it is my responsibility to know what I am being taught, right? Well in bible study last night, something was said that stirred my spirit. Pastor Letcher said every time you come to the altar, you ought to bring fresh wood referring to the passage he preached from on Sunday, Leviticus 6:12-13. (Hmm…my wheels are turning.) Now, if you’ve never read Leviticus, do so. In Leviticus 6, the Lord is speaking to Moses on how people should make amends for the sins they’ve committed against their neighbors. In the bible days, you had to offer up guilt offerings on the altar. Again, in this particular scripture, God said you had to return whatever it is you’ve stolen, found that wasn’t yours, cheated them out of or even borrowed to never give back and not only did you have to give it back but you had to add a fifth of the value to it and give it all back on the day you present your guilt offering to the priest. A guilt offering, in biblical days, was a ram from your flock, one without a flaw or defect. Then the priest would take the guilt offering to the altar to burn before God. In Leviticus 6:12-13, God gave this command to Aaron and his sons (the priests), “The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.”
Now, these are just my thoughts but go with me for a minute. Could you imagine the amount of fire that would be burning if we had to offer up a guilt offering every time we sinned? Could you imagine folk, now, knowing every time you’ve sinned simply because you had to bring a guilt offering to the altar? Would there be any wood left to keep the fire burning? Oh but now God has given us the authority to build altars inside of worship places for us to bring our mess, our guilt silently and without being seen. God has given the authority to build altars for us to bring our mess to Him without anyone knowing and yet we won’t even bring fresh wood to keep the fire burning. What do you mean by fresh wood? I’m glad you asked. I mean our sins, our mess, our guilt and our wrongdoings. We got the audacity to sin yet we won’t go before the altar to throw it on the fire. We got the nerve to do wrong in the sight of God yet we won’t bring fresh wood to keep the fire burning. How hard is it to do your part especially when none of us are perfect? Using my spiritual imagination, I can see my sins being thrown on the fire of the altar every chance I get to leave them there and when it or they are consumed by the fire, that’s God accepting them and once He accepts them, I can’t get them back which means, my sins have been forgiven AND forgotten. Oh, that’s enough right there for my worship to be better leaving the altar. I don’t know about you but every day I am chopping fresh wood, (that’s sinning whether intentionally or unintentionally, big or small) and I plan on leaving it on the fire of the altar every chance I get. See, when I bring fresh wood to the fire, it makes my worship that much better because I leave restored, renewed and revived which makes my worship real. What about you?
Lakisha, the Author 