Daily Devotional – 11/28/12 “I’m still thankful for … “

Yea, I’m still in my feelings today so I’m going to continue on in my thankful series…Now, I may be saying I and me but this here is for you too because we all have to get in our feelings sometimes to see exactly what it is God is trying to get us to see. We have to sometime stand in front of the mirror to look at ourselves to see that although it feels like you’re going through hell, you’re still alive. So, yea I’ve got to continue on.

Why? Glad you asked, because I’m blessed like that. See, when I don’t see a way in my dark situation, God works this thang right on out. When I think I won’t have a dollar to my name, I get an unexpected check in the mail. When I think that nothing is going right, God shows me that my blessing was in me going left. Yea, when I know I shouldn’t have gotten that promotion on my job, I did anyway. When I know I should have been dead from cancer, high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart problems, lupus, sickle cell, brain tumors, aneurisms, stroke, heart attacks and even at the hands of folks who mean me harm, I survive! When I shouldn’t have the energy to get up, I do. When I shouldn’t have the strength to go on, I do. When I shouldn’t have a regulated mind to know right from wrong, I do. When I shouldn’t have a mouth to repent with, I do. When I shouldn’t have a heart to love with, I do. When I shouldn’t have unwavering trust for folks who’ve hurt me in the past, I do. When I shouldn’t have hope for the future because I can’t see it clearly, I do. When I should want to give up, I can’t! When I should want to give in, I don’t. When I should want to throw in the towel, it never happens! Oh, when I think about all the hell I go through, I rejoice knowing that Heaven is my final destination and this is simply a stop along the way. Oh, when I think about all the times I’ve fallen, I know that it’s just a temporary stumbling situation to strengthen me. Oh, when I think about all the nights I’ve cried myself to sleep; I realized that it’s just a current circumstance that’ll change! Oh, when I have a momentary memory loss and I start to doubt, I see that it’s just a minor detour to my destiny! Oh, when I have to pace the floor at night dealing with my problems, I know that it’s just the position that God has placed me in to get my purpose! When it seems like the storm will never end, the dark clouds will never roll away and the rain never stops; I see God working by washing away all the stuff that has separated me from His salvation and tried to defeat me in my fight. Oh, I thank you Lord because when I feel like I’m nothing, You tell me that I’m necessary! When I feel undeserving of my gift, God, you enlarge my territory, which lets me know that I am. When I feel like I’ve always been last, God, you turn everything around and make me first. And when it seems like my race is almost over and I won’t reach the finish line, God, you simply reach back and take the baton and keep running in my place and that’s what I’m still thankful for!

Daily Devotional – 11/27/12 “I’m thankful for …”

Oh Lord, I thank you for my struggles because they make me stronger. I thank you for my problems because they show me my purpose. I thank you for my burdens because then I appreciate my blessings. I thank you, Lord, for my grief because then I know what your grace feels like. I thank you for my afflictions because they don’t stop my anointing. I thank you for my debt because it doesn’t discourage me. I thank you for my dark days because they won’t make me doubt. I thank you for allowing me to be judged by folk because it helps on my journey. I thank you for my groans because they make my gift better. I thank you for trials because they build my trust. I thank you for folks leaving because its then I see your true love. I thank you, God, for the times I’ve fallen because it makes me faithful to you. I thank you for my test because they give me my testimony. I thank you for my weeping because it washes away my woes. I thank you for not allowing me to be a victim because you’ve made me victorious and I thank you for always believing in me to make me somebody!

Oh, I’m in my feelings this morning because I’m thankful. See, even when I feel like giving up, God simply wakes me out my sleep to tell me to keep going. Even when I feel like I have no strength to go on, God simply sends somebody by with a word of encouragement. Even when I feel like crying, God wipes my tears before they even fall. Even when I know I shouldn’t be surviving, I am; when I shouldn’t have any money, I do; when I could be mad and angry and taking it out on my family, I don’t. When I … hmph … When I feel like a nobody, God tells me that I’m His somebody. When I feel unworthy, God intensifies my gift which lets me know that I am. When it seems like I’ve done all I can do, I simply bow out gracefully, wave the white flag and concede with my head held high because it is then that God takes over to fight my battles and that’s what I’m thankful for!

Daily Devotional – 11/26/12 “It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving …”

Are you still thankful? You know how you were so thankful for everything and everybody that is in your life on Thursday but is it still true today or was that all a show? See, we tend to put on an act for folks instead of being who we really are. You know that you’ve never liked your brother’s girlfriend but on Thanksgiving you acted like you all were BFFs but today you’re posting negative stuff on her Facebook wall. You haven’t spoken to your daddy since he refused to co-sign for a car that you knew you couldn’t afford; yet on thanksgiving you acted like he was the best thing since sliced bread but on today you’re declining his calls. You barely see momma because you’re always “busy” yet you spent the whole day at her house, eating and sleeping on Thursday but today you won’t even stop by nor call. I mean, it’s only been a few days and your thanks is already gone? Thursday you tweeted how thankful you were to God for all that He has done for you but today, you got more curse words than nouns being used. Thursday you dressed like you had sense and now today you’re dressing like you’re worth cents. Is that all the difference a day makes? Why can’t you be thankful everyday of your life that you’ve lived to see? Why can’t you rejoice in your struggles and praise in your pain? Why can’t you be thankful for your storms and your blessings? They are one in the same, you know? Yea, see your storm is just a temporary situation that strengthens you to stand when the stuff heats the fan but after going through and enduring the storm you become a stronger believer and it is then that God bestows upon you a bountiful blessing that will bury your burdens and build up your broken heart. All I am saying is, don’t choose the day to be thankful because Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Daily Devotional – 11/21/12 “Pre-Thanksgiving”


Pre is defined as earlier than or prior too
Thanks is defined as an expression of gratitude
Giving is defined as to communicate or to convey something

So, in Lakisha’s terms pre-thanksgiving is simply saying, communicate your thanks prior to. Now, you may be asking prior to what? Well, I’m glad you asked. Prior to going through, prior to getting what you want, prior to getting what you need, prior to tomorrow, prior to your promotion, prior to your healing, prior to your deliverance, prior to being debt free, prior to finding your soul mate, prior to getting the career, house, job or car you wanted and even prior to you waking up in the morning. Yea, I need you to give thanks on Wednesday even though Thanksgiving is tomorrow because you may not be here to see it. Yea, I need you to give thanks right now because your name can be called in the next hour. Yea, I need you to be thankful right now because you didn’t have to be blessed like you are. Yea, I need you to be thankful at this very moment simply because you are yet alive! So what, if you don’t have all the things you wanted to cook for tomorrow and no means of getting them; you still have food to eat don’t you? Stop looking at what you don’t have and be thankful for what you do have and then thank God for what He will do because you do know that He will, don’t you? Give thanks every day and don’t wait for tomorrow because even though tomorrow may come, your eyes may not open to see it.

Daily Devotional – 11/20/12 “You say … “

You’re struggling in your marriage because the person you’re telling your business to is the one keeping up mess in your house! You’re struggling on your job because your mouth keeps putting you in a place you can’t get yourself out off. (You know, writing a check …) You say you’re worried about how you’re going to pay your bills but you’re still shopping. You got problems but you won’t turn to the problem solver. You got pain but you won’t turn to the healer! Your heart is broke but you won’t turn to the best heart surgeon who can give you a new heart without leaving a scar. You’re drinking tears for water but you won’t turn to the one man who will wipe your tears. You say you need a provider when God is always there. You say you need someone to talk to when God is always listening. You say you’re depressed when God is saying, “Cast all your burdens on me and I’ll sustain you (Psalm 55:22)”. You say you can’t sleep when God is saying, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)”. God has given you the Holy Spirit that abides in you yet you say you have no joy when Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things.” Yea, you ask, no you beg God to bind your enemies, and then you have the nerve to get mad when so-called friends walk off. You worry the Heaven out of God for an increase in money, and then your unappreciative butt complains when overtime is offered. You ask for a car because you’re tired of asking for a ride or walking and then you complain about the gas prices or you’re too selfish to help somebody else. You even have the audacity to ask for a mate and then complain because they call too much. Baby, make up your mind! Even God is confused! All I am saying is, stop asking if you aren’t ready to receive. Stop begging if you aren’t ready for the battle it’s going to take to get your blessing. Stop asking if you’re not ready to handle the struggle you’ll have to sometime go through to keep what you’ve been blessed with. Yea, you are meant to be blessed, you are meant to be the lender and not the borrower, you are meant to be first and not last and you are meant to be up and not down but you STILL have to go through to get there. It’s simple; you can’t get to the top of the tree without climbing and along the way, you may get a few scrapes and bruises but it’ll be worth it when you’re able to stand and look out over the world who was trying to tear you down. However, once you get there; reach down and help somebody else up!