Daily Devotional – 3/28/19 “You’ve come too far!”

I’ve been writing or I’ve been published now for over seven years yet, would you believe, it wasn’t until 2018 that I saw a return on my investment. I haven’t met my goal of one million pages read on Kindle Unlimited, yet. I haven’t doubled my income, yet, I haven’t been able to pay off all our debt, yet. I haven’t won any book awards, yet but here’s the thing though … I will. You want to know how? I will not stop. Not as long as God keeps waking me, using me and gracing me for this … I will not stop. Why am I sharing this? For somebody who is thinking about giving up because things haven’t been what you were expecting. For somebody who is looking at their vision board and nothing has manifested, no matter what you do. For somebody who is feeling discouraged with everybody and everything. I get it. You have a gift but it hasn’t made room for you. You’ve been called to preach but nobody is calling you to preach. You have talents, pouring from your belly but they will not feed your family. You’ve gone when you didn’t feel like it, supported folk with your last who didn’t return the favor and been faithful yet every time you turn it feels like you’ve got to fight to keep from drowning. Well beloved, don’t stop. Yeah, yeah; I know you’re probably asking … how can I keep going when I’m doggone tired, why would I keep going when I doggone tired and what sense does it make to keep going when I’m doggone tired? Here’s the short answer. BECAUSE YOU HAVE COME TO FAR TO QUIT!

Let’s say you’re on a roller coaster, call life. It’s one of the big, scary ones that has dips and turns that will snatch your wig. However, you’re strapped in and the only way you can potentially fall, to your death, is by unfastening your safety equipment (God). The ride begins and although you’ve seen the roller coaster from the ground, it means nothing once it starts to move because everything you thought you knew, left your mind. Now, you’re being tossed and shaken, turned upside down and zipped through dark tunnels but here’s the blessing. There’s an end, although you can’t see it. Would you rather the ride stop in the middle and take you back to the beginning, through all the stuff you’ve already made it pass or get you to the end? What I’m saying is, you’ve come too far to quit. Beloved, I don’t know what you’re waiting on, what basket you’ve put all your eggs in, what you’re praying will pay off or what you’ve been praying for but don’t quit. We serve a God who is able to do all we need, when we trust Him. Don’t give up because bible shares in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up,” or 2 Chronicles 15:7, “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

Daily Devotional – 3/26/19 “It may be the weight!”

For the past few months, I’ve been dealing with pain in my thighs and legs. Unexplained pain so, I’ve been going back and forth to my primary doctor who tries this medicine and that medicine while doing blood work. Afterwards, the results showed inflammation but couldn’t determine where it was coming from. He refers me to a rheumatologist to rule out arthritis, lupus and etc. (I’m sighing writing this because more doctors.) However, this doctor was really cool and he did what was within his specialized field of study and nothing. All of my tests came back normal. Read this carefully because it’ll make sense in a minute. ALL OF MY TESTS ARE NORMAL and he checked everything. He said, maybe you need to have a nerve study of your legs. Did that a year or so ago and it was normal. Anyway, I go back to my primary doctor who says … Lakisha, all of your tests are normal and there’s nothing we can find. I can do so more tests but I really believe you’ll see some benefit if you lose weight. Sitting in that cold room, looking in the face of a doctor I’ve seen more than I like, I was incline to agree because I’d also come to the same conclusion, it’s the weight.

Why am I sharing this? For somebody who, like me, is facing some unexplained pain whether in your physical or spiritual. For somebody who can’t understand why your life is seemingly unstable and for somebody who is feeling the pressure. Beloved, it may be the weight. The weight of being immobile and unhealthy eating habits. The weight of him or her who you’ve been dragging around too long. The weight of burdens you’ve been carrying on your own. The weight of being the only provider. The weight of caring for a sick love one. The weight of a job that keeps ignoring your potential. The weight of the mantle God called you to carry. The weight of being for everybody, what nobody can be for you. Beloved, it may be time to lose the unnecessary weight. For the bible shares in Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Here’s how you do it. Get up, get active, get vocal and get to cutting. A dietitian will tell you to cut out bad carbs, sweets and fats and Lakisha is advising you to lose bad carbs, fats, sweets along with bad choices, settling for anything and fickle folk. When you do that, you’ll start to see the benefit of losing the weight.

Daily Devotional – 3/25/19 “Strengthen thy brethren!”

I share this for somebody who woke up, fed up, messed up and tired. I am sharing this for you who feel as if nothing you do, works and no matter how you pray, you cannot seem to get ahead. You’re staring at your vision board and the anger coursing through you, wants to rip it up. You’re reading over your book, for the tenth time, and it still doesn’t feel right. You’re counting the ticket sales, of your event, and they’re still at the same low as when you counted them ten minutes ago. You’ve paid for advertisements, you’ve shared the plans, you’ve spent the money and still nothing. You stepped out on faith and the enemy wants to make you believe, it was a mistake. You’ve given up the alcohol and now you’re contemplating taking one drink. You’ve deleted all the folk in your phone but the mindset, you’re currently in, has you thinking about calling somebody to take the pain away; only if it is temporary. Don’t do it. Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t stop believing in the purpose God has placed on the inside of you. Why not? Because I’m praying for you.

And beloved, my prayer for you today is simple … As you stand under an open Heaven, may you receive a fresh wind of anointing that shall hit your house, so heavy the windows shake. May the grace of a living God, saturate you like you’ve been caught in the thunderstorm without an umbrella. May God’s will for your life, be so clear, you’ll think it’s your new glasses when it’s all God. May this week be the beginning of everything your faith has worked for. May God show up, in your life, so fast and on time, it’ll have you speaking in tongue; for the first time. May God allow the blessing, only He could perform, be so big that it’ll feel like an earthquake that shifted your house. May this minute, for all that are in your rightful place, be your last minute of minimum. May this Monday, be the last Monday you find yourself missing out. May this be your last memory of having to ask people to borrow. May this be your last time going to bed hungry, unless it’s by choice. May this be your last time ever thinking God doesn’t hear the cry of the righteous. May this be the moment you walk, boldly, into the open door of your harvest. I’m praying for you, my brother and my sister because there shall be no soul left behind. “..But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:32″

Daily Devotional – 3/12/19 “Temptations!”

My husband and I have been watching the show #TemptationIsland. For those of you who don’t know about it, quick overview. The show features 4 couples, who are between the ages of 25-40. None of them are married but they’ve been together for some years. One couple, has trust issues from things that happened in the past. One couple, she was being pressured by her family to get married so she was pressuring him. One couple, although they’ve been together for years, they don’t deeply love each other. And the last one, he wants a commitment and she doesn’t. Now, take these couples, split them up and put them into houses with single men and women. What do you think will happen? I’ll tell you, less resisting and more giving in to temptations. You want to know why? The relationships were already on shaky ground and bound to explode, all it needed was the match. I don’t care how long you’ve been with a person, when there is a crack in the ship of your relationship, one you aren’t willing to repair, adding weight can cause it to sink. This is why, you are bound to give in to temptation, when it presents itself. This is why your work boo can get you to smile when your spouse can’t. This is why you’ll leave the house and sin, when there is an argument, instead of sitting your butt down, cooling off and staying in.

Beloved, lookahere, y’all have to stop investing all of your money in the wedding and overlooking the marriage. Sure, y’all look real cute in your wedding photos but what good is it, if you have to decide who gets them in the divorce? Yeah, your reception was lit but now, the only thing burning is your vows. Where is the premarital and marriage counseling? Who is teaching y’all how to be husbands, wives, mothers and fathers? Where are your morals and values? Understand, the couples above aren’t married but they made a commitment to each other that could be easily broken by temptation. The same as your wedding vows. And please, stop comparing your relationship to grandma and grandpa’s 65 year marriage. YOU AIN’T BUILT THE SAME! Then, they were married at 15, raising ten and twenty children off one income, in a 3 bedroom house, they stuck and stayed through problems, they held on for better and worse, they bought hogs and had them cut up for the meat to last months, Grams washed and ironed and had dinner on the table when granddaddy got home, she taught the boys & girls how to take care of a house while he instilled a strong work ethic and they took care of each other when sickness showed up until death did they part. Y’all, though, you give up too easy. And you got the mitigated gall to blame temptations. Nawl baby, it’s you because the enemy will only tempt you with what you’re craving. However, you got the power to resist and when you don’t, it’s your fault. Bible shares in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” God shows you the way out but you’ll miss it when your eyes are of the flesh and not the Father. Don’t give in, instead stay, be willing to fix it while praying, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, Matthew 6:13.”

Daily Devotional – 3/11/19 “Here’s what you do!”

You see the outcome of my situation and think it’s been easy. Nawl, baby, you just happened to walk in on the celebration. The game, the storm, the sickness, the repossession, the bankruptcies, the lies, the broken promises, the sins committed, the depression, the failed businesses, the negative check accounts, the abuse, the misuse, the nightmares …. they almost took me out! You just happened to miss those moments. What you see is the result but you missed the rebuke. You see me reaping from my harvest but what you didn’t see was the harshness of the season. You see me living but you didn’t see the moments it felt like I was dying. What I’m trying to tell you is, don’t wish for this. In fact, don’t even pray for this because there’s a cost to this anointing and you might not survive what I have. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not speaking of me, in general but I’m referring to the times you’ve dreamed of having what somebody else got because their life looks good, playing out on social media. Ma’am/sir, do you not realize how many times somebody has to retake a selfie before the actual one is posted? Yeah, you see the polished brass but you didn’t see what it took to remove the tarnish. You see the smile but not the suicide attempts. You see the happiness but not the hell. You see the miracle of the birth but you didn’t see the miscarriages, beforehand.

Beloved, there’s a cost to what you see. Let me make this thang personal, for a line or three. I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask to carry this mantle but I do because God trust me with it. I didn’t ask for the gifts, however, God planted them in my belly while I was forming in my mother’s womb. Sure, it’s easy to look at Lakisha and think she has it all together, when the truth of it is, I fail too. Truth is, I hurt, I make mistakes and I’m sometimes fearful. However, I get up, every day, put on my body armor of righteousness, shoes of peace, belt of truth and helmet of salvation. Then I grab my shield of faith and my sword of God’s words and I prepare to fight. Not just for me, though, but for you too. When I fight, I’m fighting for my family, friends, church family and those of you who look to me for encouragement. My fight isn’t just for me, it’s for you too but it isn’t easy. Some days, it hurts more than I think I can handle but I press because I was anointed for this, it’s my calling. But don’t you wish for it. Here’s what you do, as bible shares in Ephesians 6:18-20, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”