Our Father in Heaven holy is thy name and let your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. God, as I come petitioning your throne this morning, I must again thank you. Thank you for allowing these eyes of mine to open and for them to see all the things you gave me back from yesterday with added mercies from today. God, I thank you for a regulated mind, for strengthened limbs, for family who is doing alright, for a job that’s sustaining, for a car that’s holding on and for friends who actually act like friends. God I thank you simply because you are worthy to be thanked. Now, God I come to you on behalf of women today who need your strength to survive on, your grace to go on, your mercy to maintain, your guidance to guide others, your peace to pass on and your joy on their journey. God, there’s a mother reading this who is in pain, one wondering how to make ends meet to feed her children, one praying for healing of her sick child, one who is trying to provide but the days are getting harder and the nights longer, one who is on the verge of giving up and tired of hearing hold on, one who is searching for a job and still being told no, one who is praying for her child who is in jail, one whose child didn’t come home, one whose child is on drugs and one who just doesn’t know what to do anymore; I need you to see about her now. God, for that mother who is preparing to lay her only child to rest, comfort her. For that daughter who is taking care of her ailing parent, strengthen her. For that sister who is providing for their siblings, provide for her. For that preacher’s wife who feels alone yet trying to be strong, be a company keeper. For that woman who is trying to run a business, trying to get promoted on her job, trying to make it in this man’s world; guide them now. For that wife or girlfriend who is being abused, open her eyes to see the way out you’ve already made and then take it. For that girl who is bullying someone else, open her ears so that she may hear her wrongdoing. For the girl who is being bullied, give her courage to run and tell. For that girl/woman who is contemplating suicide, send someone to them now. For that woman dealing with cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, lupus, MS, high blood pressure, sickle cell, fibroids, blood disease, strokes, migraines and any other condition; send healing. For the woman who is trying to carry her baby to term, protect them both now. For my sister who is suffering with Trigeminal Neuralgia, send her healing now. For the woman who has to be the head of her house, the provider, the nurse to the children, the cook, driver, homework helper, punishment giver and personal shopper; give her what she needs to carry on. For that principal, teacher, teacher assistant and guidance counselors; give them the knowledge they need to help our children. For the woman who doesn’t feel loved, increase her self-confidence so that she may first love herself. For the minister, evangelist, prophetess, preacher, missionary and all those who proclaim your word to your people; continually to increase your wisdom in them so that they don’t lead your people astray. God, for every woman reading this I ask you to be all they need. Be the light on their dark path, the joy in their sorrow and their hope for today and tomorrow. Touch them, oh God, so that everything they touch that is in your name is bountifully blessed from their health to their finances. Do it God for the women on today. Do it now because I ask in your name. Continue to bless us God and continue to make us stronger on our Christian walk. These blessings I ask and this prayer I submit in your name. Amen
Book Reviewers and Book Clubs …
My first fiction novel, A Secret Worth Keeping, is now available! Isn’t that great news?? Now, I need your help! If you have a book club or if you are a member of a book club, this is a great book selection for your next available month. If you are a book reviewer, I would love for you to give me your honest feedback. All you have to do is contact me at authorlakisha@gmail.com or download a copy of the book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I am available for book club meetings and/or book discussions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Lakisha
Daily Devotional – 10/21/13 “5 Days of Prayer”
Our Heavenly Father, you whose name is sweet, whose name is healing, whose name brings joy; as I come petitioning your throne this morning I must first thank you. God, I thank you for giving us another opportunity to see daylight, another chance to breath, another chance to do what is right, another chance to live, another chance to defeat the enemy and another chance to praise you. God, I thank you because you’ve allowed our minds to be regulated, our limbs to be strengthened, our hands to find work, our mouth to find words, our heart to beat, veins to pump blood, feet to walk, our spine intact so that we stand up to face the world, our shoulders strong enough to carry the burdens and our knees to bend to pray. God, I thank you for being who you are even though sometimes we act like we don’t know you. Now, Father, I come on behalf of the weary, the sick, the broken spirited, the helpless, the abused, the backsliders, the confused and those who want to give up. God, I come on their behalf praying for your guidance, your help and your healing. Someone has been dealing with something that has them on the verge of suicide even though they look strong; I need you to wrap your arms around them. Someone is about to let go of that rope they’ve been trying so hard to hold on too, give them a safe place to land. Someone is tired of pacing in the hallway after another door has been shut; give them patience to hold out. Someone is tired of going without and is about to do some things they can’t take back; speak to them now. Someone is drowning in debt and tired of fighting the waves to come up for air; be their life jacket. Someone’s heart has been broken so many times and hate is taking over; take it out and fill it with love. Oh God, I need you to mend what is broken, remove what is blocking, take away what is hindering, bind what is trying to destroy and loosen chains. God, I need; we need you and we need you like never before. God, strengthen that mother and father who has buried yet another child. Heal that person that traditional medicine has failed. Snatch the taste of drugs and alcohol from the mouth of those who are addicted. Provide a way for the child who had to step in for their younger siblings. Turn it around for that person who has been hurt by church folk so they won’t give up. Protect our children who are being bullied, abused and attacked. Remove the anger from the hearts, minds and hands of those who abuse. Protect the families who are trying so hard to make it but everyday seems to get harder. Father, I need you to do it now. Do it now like I know you can. Make victims victorious, wanderers into worshippers, drug addicts into devoted advocates, liars into laborers, hypocrites honorable, the battered beautiful, the fallen fearful fighters and the abused abundant. God, do now for your people like only you can. It is this prayer I submit to you, in your name like it is already done. Amen
Daily Devotional – 10/18/13 “Return on your investment!”
I know that somebody reading this is on the verge of giving up, giving in, throwing in the towel, reverting back to your old ways or thinking about doing something strange for change. Yea, it seems like the devil is attacking on every side, wife looking crazy, husband ain’t acting cool, kids acting up in school, doors being shut, you can’t find good luck, job is barely hanging on, can’t pay your bills so you keep ignoring the phone and no matter how you try, your credit just can’t get it. Oh, but hold on! I know you’re mumbling to yourself asking, “What is there left to hold on too?” And you’re probably even talking to the phone or computer but please ma’am, please sir; just hold on. See, why I can probably never truly understand exactly what you’re going through, I can tell you that whatever it is, it’s just you making an investment into God’s business and if you hold on longer enough, you’ll get a return on your investment. Yea, see every time you pace the floor; you’re paying into your investment. Every time you cry yourself to sleep, you’re paying into your investment. Every time you have to endure pain, you’re paying into your investment. Every time folk scandalize your name even when all you’re doing is living, you’re paying into your investment. Every time sickness comes, the enemy shows up or friends walk away; you’re paying into your investment. Every time you get knocked down, stepped on, lied on, pushed out the way, or envied for your blessings; you’re paying into your investment. Every time you have to go to chemo, radiation or dialysis; you’re paying into your investment. Every time you have to take a handful of pills, you’re paying into your investment. Every time you have to weather the storm, you’re paying into your investment. Every time you have to pour water out of your boat that’s sinking in debt, you’re paying into your investment. Every time your way gets dark and you keep walking, you’re paying into your investment. Every time it feels like all hope is lost but you keep on hoping, you’re paying into your investment. Every time someone tries to steal your joy and you keep smiling, you’re paying into your investment. Isn’t that enough?
Don’t you know that investment means contribution of something such as time, energy, or effort to an activity, project, or undertaking, in the expectation of a benefit? You ought to shout right here because after you’ve invested all of this, what are you expecting? If you invest without expecting, then you get nothing in return. Oh but if you invest all of this hell with the expectation of Heaven, then you get a return on your investment. If you invest sickness with an expectation of healing, then you get a return on your investment. Let me break this thang down, if you invest in spiritual rain gear (prayer, fasting, studying) then you’ll be ready to handle the spiritual storm when it comes because after the storm, you’ll be able to take off that rain gear and get a return on your investment by way of the SON that is now shining. Oh, if you invest a broken heart with the expectation of it being mended, then you get a return on your investment. If you invest time into getting out of debt with the expectation of being debt free, then you get a return on your investment. Yea, I know that investing is the hard part but baby, getting that return is even better because can’t nobody take it from you! “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6.”
Daily Devotional – 10/17/13 “After the pain”
After you’ve gone through the pain and been delivered your living is different. Yea, after you’ve been through the pain you realize that God is a man of His word and now you start to actually walk in your destiny. (Now, this is only to those who truly believe in the power of God.) See, after you’ve come through the pain you finally see things and people for what and who they really are and you stop falling for anything. After the pain, you realize that this life may just be worth living and so you do. After the pain, you find out who your true friends are. After the pain, you find out who can be trusted enough to pray for you. Yea, after the pain a lot of things change. So, you see pain isn’t punishment yet its preparation. Pain isn’t permanent yet it’s provisional (that’s temporary). Pain isn’t your persecution yet it’s your purpose. Pain isn’t for pity but it’s for your promotion. Simply summing it up; God has a purpose for your pain. Oh, I know that you’re the one dealing with it, you’re the one going through it and I’m just somebody on the outside looking in but if my prayers could heal you, you’d be restored by now. If my arms could take away the pain, I’d let you have them. If I could share it with you, I would however, God is using your pain for a purpose and I can guarantee that He hasn’t forgotten you for His word says in Deuteronomy 20:4, “For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!” God is only allowing you to struggle to be strengthened, endure pain to proclaim your praise and go through to get to your testimony.
So, go on through this storm but don’t let it shake your spirit. Go on and finish this fight but don’t let it forfeit your faith. Yea, this round is almost over so just hold on a little while longer because you have a shield of protection and it’ll never allow you to fall although you may stumble. God has a purpose for your pain but you’ve got to believe it. Your purpose is bigger than your problem, so believe in yourself to come through it. I’ll share this again, “Although your problems come with pain, the pain is proving that you’re not perfect but yet a person who God has picked to be placed at this point and through prayer you’ll be prescribed a promise of praise that allows you to be purified and through this purification process you’ll prosper and through your prosperity you’ll get power and with this power you get God’s protection that allows you to prevail and once you prevail, you’ll have the patience, peace and perseverance to proudly pursue your purpose!” Oh, somebody needed to know today that although that pain makes it seems like your good days are all gone, they aren’t and God is allowing this to happen because soon you’ll be able to say, remember when I used to …. Oh, that’s enough to shout about!
Lakisha, the Author 