Daily Devotional – 11/19/12 “Encourage the encourager”

As Pastors, Apostles, Bishops, Ministers, Evangelists, Missionaries and ordinary people that God has chosen to spread His gospel; the road sometime gets hard. I mean, really hard! But you know what makes it even harder? It’s the constant negative criticism by folk who are supposed to love them. Yea, I said it. Folks think that the life of the man or woman who has been chosen by God is easy and that they have all the answers but baby, you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Folk are quick to say, “I ain’t paying my tithes because it’s going straight to their pocket!” No, honey the money that’s providing for their lavish lifestyle is the money they make from their other full time job (if they have one) and from the other folks who CHOOSE to pay their money on love days, pastor aid, special offering and etc. The tithe money is used for the building on and the keeping up God’s worship place. But yet, you don’t stop to think about that when the “Passa” is being called to sit next to the bed of every sick member, pray for every wayward member, being lied on from folks who want what they have, being judged for their past mistakes and even been talked about by folks who say they have their back. Now, please don’t get me wrong because I am in no way upholding any man or woman of God who abuse their position but I am talking about the true leaders who actually care about their flock. You know those who never have to get approval to pay their member’s light bill when they come asking, those who are always willing to stop what they are doing and have prayer with you when you call, those who don’t have to be called when your momma or daddy is in the hospital and they aren’t even his members, those who truly care about the youth & young adults under them, those who don’t consider themselves to be big I’s because they know their true calling, those who are willing to go even when they’ve already gone enough and those who never stop even when they keep getting pushed down. So, stop acting like it is the end of the world when you see the Pastor having a drink because dealing with Christians they need it. Oh, they aren’t less than their title either when a curse word slips through their lips because I can promise that you say a few words when you stomp your toe!

Yea, I’m standing in the gap for those folk today because they need it. How do I know? Because I need it! Yea, I’ll pray for you when you ask but pray for me sometime. Yes, I give you an encouraging word when you need it but encourage me sometime. Just because it may look like we, as God’s messengers, have it all together; we don’t all the time and sometimes we just need to hear that it’s alright and that it’ll be ok. Don’t always think that your Pastor doesn’t need encouragement because they do. This Christian walk is harder but it’s especially harder for those who’ve accepted the calling that God has placed over their life. So, yes they will make mistakes because they are still human. So, sometime, encourage the encourager.

Daily Devotional – 11/16/12 “You won’t struggle forever!”

I got up this morning thinking I had it all figured out, I had all the answers and that I could solve my own problems but I quickly realized that this isn’t the case. I mean, if it was as easy as me figuring it out on my own, why would I need God? Seriously, if life was so easy that we could solve all of our own problems, would most of us be unemployed, sitting at home crying over a broken heart, robbing Peter to pay Paul, constantly being sick and not being able to afford your medicine, working and still got a negative checking account and dealing with this cruel, mean world? Really?? If life was so easy would we really appreciate the things that we work so hard for? If you’ve never been sick, would you appreciate every day you’re healthy? If you’ve never been down to your last dollar, with no way of getting another one; would you appreciate always having money in the bank? If you’ve never experienced being hurt by folks who claim to love you, let down by folks you never thought would abuse you and walked over by family who only wanted to use you; would you really appreciate true, honest love? I mean, just think about it. I know this is going to sound crazy but sometimes a little stress is necessary, a storm is needed and a battle is worth fighting in order to make you appreciative of all the things that you have. God doesn’t have to bless you daily but He does. He doesn’t even have to wake you up to see each new day but He does. And He does this because He has a purpose for your living otherwise you’d be buried under the dirt instead of walking on top of it. Yes, this struggle is real and it’s even harder but don’t give up in the midst of it. I won’t tell you to stop crying because sometimes they are the liquid prayers you can’t speak but don’t drown in them. You won’t always struggle, you won’t always have to fight hard, you won’t always have to beg or borrow and you won’t always be the last because Matthew 20:16 says, “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” That alone should be enough to make you glad! This alone should be enough for you to know that you won’t struggle forever!

Daily Devotional – 11/15/12 “I’m not worthy but you still!”

God, you don’t have to love me but you do! You don’t have to keep me, but you do. In spite of my wrongdoings, you are here. In spite of my lying tongue, you’re still here. In spite of my mean ways, you’re still here. When I’m too selfish to give thanks, you still put breath in my body. When I’m too lazy to give you praise on Sunday morning, you still give me strength in my body. When folk do me wrong, you give me peace. When they speak death over me, you give me life. When I don’t feel worthy, you bless me still. When am I bound by the troubles of this world, you release the shackles. When my tears won’t stop falling, you give me joy. When my body aches with pain & sickness, you send healing! When my flesh is weak, you make me strong. When temptation comes, you give me courage to resist it! When I’m broke, you’re still God! When I’m down, you’re still God! When I’m alone, you’re still God! When I’m up, you’re God! When I don’t take the time to pray, you’re still here. When I’m too busy to hear your voice, you are still here. When I’m judged by the world, you remove the burdens from my shoulders. When I can’t see my way, you’ll place a light on my path. When I feel like I can’t go on, you carry me! Lord, you don’t ever leave me. Oh, what joy I get from calling your name! JESUS! JESUS! Power in the name! Jesus, healing in the name! Jesus, deliverance in the name! Jesus, I’m not worthy of your grace but you still! I’m not worthy of your mercy but you still! I’m not worthy of your healing, but you still! I’m not worthy of your blessings, but you still! Jesus! Thank you for washing me in your blood! Thank you for making me new! Thank you for bringing me through my storm! Thank you for loving me! Thank you for covering me! Thank you for wiping my tears, for giving me sleep on my restless nights, for giving me food when I’m hungry! Lord, I know I’m not worthy but you still!

“Heavenly Father, I thank you today. God, someone is reading this and their heart is troubled. I don’t know why, but I know that you do. God, I ask that you touch them right now and send deliverance into their life. God someone is looking for confirmation to a decision or situation, send deliverance now! Someone is dealing with some things that seem hopeless, but Oh God I know that you are able to send calm in the midst of a storm. God, someone got bad news from a doctor but you can send healing before any medicine is given. God, someone got fired or laid off from their job, but I know that you are a provider. God, someone is dealing with the death of a love one, send rest to their weary mind today. God, do it right now. I know that I am just a vessel sharing your word but I ask that you touch my head, heart, mind, body & soul, so that I may continue to be a vessel for you. God anoint me with your blood; have your way in my life and whatever path you’ve set before me, I am ready to walk it! God bless the person reading this so that they may share your word with others, so that the work their hands find to do is blessed and the path that the walk is protected from their enemies. In your name I pray, Amen!”

Daily Devotional – 11/14/12 “I just thought I’d let you know that …”

You are worthy of every blessing that you have and even those you’ve get to get! It doesn’t matter what folks say or even what they think because God saw fit for you to have everything that you’ve worked hard to get! So, stop explaining yourself to folk who really don’t matter. If they don’t pay a bill in your house, can’t heal you when you’re sick, raise you up when you’re down, comfort you in the midnight hour when you’re all by yourself and make a way when you didn’t see a way out; then they shouldn’t be worth the tears you cry over them! Stop allowing folks to walk out with your happiness and your joy when they weren’t the one who gave it to you in the first place. I’ll say this again, YOU ARE WORTHY OF EVERY BLESSING YOU HAVE! If you weren’t meant to have everything you have now, you wouldn’t have it. Stop feeling guilty because of how you dress, the car you drive or where you live, each time you go around family or friends who won’t get up off their butts to get their own. If you planted the seeds of toiling, tears, pain, being lied on, being stabbed in the back, sickness, diseases, being hurt and walked over while you were in your storm season; you deserve to reap the benefits of it now that your storm is over and this is done through utilizing your blessings! Use your blessings because they are yours and be a blessing because that’s your responsibility.

PS .. Happy 16th Birthday to my beautiful daughter, Gabrielle Jamea and Happy 11th birthday to my beautiful niece Naiya! God has blessed each of them and I pray that His blessings and covering will continually be over their lives as they journey into the rest of their life and their purpose!

Daily Devotional – 11/13/12 “So you’re depressed …”

Now what? Please don’t take this the wrong way because I am not saying that folks who are clinically depressed are simply acting but what I am saying is that you can get out of your depressed state, if you try. See, depression is defined as a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. In other words, it’s a feeling that you’ve been carrying around longer than you should allow it to be. Let me break this down in Kisha’s terms. (Now, these are just my thoughts and I am not trying to take anything away from anybody) But depress means to make sad or gloomy; lower in spirits; deject; dispirit but did you know that de and di means from or of? So, if this is the case then instead of being down and out during your depressed stated you should be getting out OF your sad state, learning FROM your gloomy situation, coming out OF your heartache, learning FROM being rejected, coming out OF your misery, rejoicing FROM your troubles, shouting out OF your storm, dancing FROM being down and praising out OF your pit! Yea, just because you may be a little depressed right now, you don’t have to stay that way. Press means to move by weight or force in a certain direction or into a certain position so press down that depression until you have moved it under your feet and then shout all over it. Press down that hurt you felt when friends walked off and left you and see your true friends that have always been there. Press down that anger you still have from daddy not being in your life and live on. Press down that jealousy you have for other folks blessings and get your own. Press down that gossiping spirit you have to talk about folk and pray for them instead. Press down the thoughts from folks who said you wouldn’t be anything and prove them wrong. Press down the weeping you still have over momma/daddy being gone and live on in their memory. Press down those things folks said you used to be and show them who you are now! Press down sickness and get your healing. Press down debt, fake friends, lying /cheating spouses, unemployment, sickness and all those things the enemy uses to knock you down and get up renewed. Yea, depression is real and it can consume your life, if you let it, for God’s word says in Psalm 34:17-18, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Yes, this world is mean and the folks in it are even meaner but God says in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God hasn’t left you because He never leaves; however, He can only take from you what you give Him because 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you.”