Daily Devotional – 9/4/18 “God’s plan concerning me!”

I have not written a devotional in a few days. Personal disclosure: I pray every day to never preach, pray, serve and even write a devotional, in my flesh. This is the reason there are some days when I do not publish a devotional and/or post on social media. Sure, Lakisha has plenty she can say but this thang is not about me. See, today, you could be going through the worse storm of your life and here I am posting something, from my flesh that pushes you further from God. Nope, I am not about that life. My anointing is not for me but it is for you and this is why, I had to stop by and let you all know. Understand I am not saying there will not be a devotional shared tomorrow but just in case, I needed you to know there is nothing physically wrong.

Yes, God has been working on me lately and although I do not know what He has planned, I trust Him. This is my fourth year in ministry and my seventh year blogging and I believe God is preparing me for even greater. Why? I simply believe. On the fourth day of creation, God created light, dividing day from night, marking time. Seven signifies completeness, perfection and the foundation of God’s word. Could it be, God is about to shift me, spiritually by completing some stuff within me concerning Him? Baby, I do not know but I trust Him. Anyway, I wanted to stop through and let you all know and when the time comes and He gives me a word for you, I will share it. Until then, please look back at some of my previously shared devotionals and if you need prayer, email me.

Also, check out my book, Bible Chicks: Book 2. It is the stories of Hannah, Gomer and Jezebel. As well as Bible Chicks: Book 1, written by Khara Campbell, with the stories of Woman with the issue of blood, Rehab, Leah and Tamar.

Blessings.
Lakisha ♥

Daily Devotional – 8/29/18 “Four years + one day!”

I tried to write this on yesterday but God would not release it until today. A day whose date deemed worthy of displaying on my right wrist. See, it was four years + one day ago, on 8/28/2014, I stopped running from God’s call on my life but it would be the day after that my life begin to align with God’s will. I have shared this testimony before but I could not let this day pass without giving somebody hope for today. No, I am not about to sell you a fairy tale because I need you to sow into me. I am not about to convince you that saying yes to God will erase all your troubles. What I will share is how ME saying yes, restored what I did not even realize was broken. I spoke yes and it stitched me when I could not see I was bleeding. I stood in the bathroom stall at work, crying and apologizing to God for all the time I had wasted while giving Him my yes. I knew I was tired but still trying to fight. Weighed down and wounded yet still trying to act like all was good. I was at the edge. Then I said yes. Has it always been good? No because I am attacked more today. Has it always been easy? No because there are days, I do not feel like being holy. Has it always been fair? No, but it has been all God. It was four years + one day ago, everything shifted in my life for the better. What does this mean today? Truth is, I do not know. Bible shares, it was on the fourth day God divided day and night. There are four seasons and four synoptic gospels. Four signifies stability, order and completion. While I wish I could say what this fourth year will bring, I cannot but I will say, I am still trusting God with my yes. Why? Because He has not failed me yet. Although I have seen some deaths, experienced some sickness and some losses; I still trust God with my yes. Why? Because these last four years have nothing on the times, I was playing with God.

See, the times before the yes, I had religion but no relationship with God. The times before the yes, I had become good at wearing my mask. The times before the yes, we were barely surviving but I dare not show you my struggle. Oh but four years + one day later! Four, my marked sacred time, my year of completeness after God has worked out all the residue of my past hurts, scar tissue, unhealed wounds and unsaid words of forgiveness. Four, the year God thrusts me into the fullness of His anointing and I do not even know what it means yet I trust Him. Four, when God separates me from the darkness. Four years + one day marks the year I stopped playing and started, for real, praying. Four years + one day signifies the year I walked into the light of God’s word and for real started trusting Him. Some of you have read my testimony but it was four years + one day ago that we packed up our apartment and moved without a destination because God said it. It was four years + one day ago that we struck out on faith without knowing where we were stepping. I trusted God with my yes then and I trust Him with my yes now. What about you? Sure, you could have already given God your yes and it still feels like the enemy has made your house, his home. You could be in your 14th year and still dealing with temptations, being overlooked, overworked and underpaid. This could be your 24th year and the worst of them all, I do not know but trust God. Because I hear God saying, “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.” It has been four years + one day for me and I am still saying yes, what about you?

Daily Devotional – 8/27/18 “Worship when it doesn’t make sense!”

August 27, 2018 and somebody, somewhere is thinking over the toils of your life. You tried writing your troubles but your hand got tired and paper ran out. You’ve tried to budget your money but it still runs out before the month. You’ve been faithful to worship but worrying is still keeping you up. You stood at the altar, cast all your burdens on the Lord and you’re still being weighed down by the woes of life. Tithing and still being terrorized by the enemy. When will it get better? When will the pain stop? When will people stop misusing and abusing me? When will something, anything, change in my favor? All questions you have pondered night after night and in the midst of day. Well, I wish I had the solution to your situation, the cure to your calamity, the answer to your affliction, the fix to your fight and the therapy to your troubles but I don’t. What I can tell you is this … do not stop worshipping! I don’t care what it looks like, worship when you cannot understand. When bills are due and you don’t have the money; worship. When sickness attacks your body and the news is grim, worship. When your name is being lied on, worship. When children acting out, worship. When death has shown up more times than you can handle, worship. When the car been repossessed, calls of foreclosure, cut-off notices and overdue bills; worship. Car will not start after putting your last into it, worship. When it seems like depression has a death grip on your life, worship. Worship, even when it does not make sense. Why? Because worship + faith has the ability to work some things in your favor.

Come here Canaanite woman. She goes to Jesus because her daughter is possessed by a demon. She cries but Jesus ignores her. Disciples saying send her away because she is bothering us and Jesus replying, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In which she, Bible shares in Matthew 15:25, “Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.” She knelt down in worship only to be called a dog. An unpleasant name that should have offended her but while she is still on her knees before Him, she replies, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Matthew 15:28, “Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” This woman worshipped even when it did not make sense. What didn’t make sense? Number one, her ask of Jesus because Canaanites claimed to not believe in Him and what He preached. Number two, her ability to worship Him in the open where folk could see her and despite the disciples talking about her. Number three, her willingness to stay in the worship position after being called a dog. It did not make sense but she had a need. Are you willing to worship, even when you do not understand, to get what you need from God? Can I get you to worship God, even when folk are telling you to curse God and die? Can I get you to worship while in your storm when folk are saying you should be taking cover? Can I just get you to worship? Because worship + faith has the ability to change the outcome.

Daily Devotional – 8/24/18 “Shutdown for the Shift!”

Sometimes, on this spiritual journey, you may find yourself in a place of feeling as if nothing is working out in your favor. It does not matter the amount of time you spend in prayer, you are still being passed over for promotion. It matters not your faithfulness to fellowship, you still have to fight folk who look familiar. You make the plans and do the research and business still fails. Everywhere you turn, no is all you hear and you cannot understand why. Leaving you to wonder, why is nothing working in my favor? Why is nothing going right? Why am I spiritually stagnant when I know God has called me? Well, maybe you been powered down to revive. Maybe this period of your life is a restart and not a rebuke. Think about electronic devices like cable boxes, phones and computers; things we rely on. Occasionally, these devices mess up and in order to get them to function properly, you have to restart them. Most times, it is an easy restart by choosing the option and other times some stuff happens that calls for a “hard restart” by pressing and holding down the power button and it was not your choice. Beloved, maybe the very thing you are going through, right now, is simply to get you back on track and God had to do a hard restart. It was not your choice but take it as God’s way of shutting you down to restart you. Does it feel good? Heck no but after it is over, you will realize it had to happen.

For most of 2017, I tried to finish my book, Dear God: Hear My Prayer. No matter what I tried, the many things I have written before or even the talks I had with God, no book. It did not matter that I had the book cover and the story line because I was stagnant. Truth is, I got mad at God and even contemplated taking a break from releasing anything because it seemed nothing was working, anyway. Why bother, right? Yet, I stayed in and under God. Everything He would give me, I jotted it down in my notes. I did not know it then but I was being restarted for the shifting that was about to take place. God had shut me down in order for Him to restart something new within me and when 2018 showed up, so did I. Dear God was released and it has been one of my best sellers. All because God shut me down to restart me. Why is a restart necessary? Here is what I realized with my work computer. If I never shut it down to restart it, I may miss necessary updates from the network that can only take effect AFTER the restart. Therefore, to you my brother or sister who is in an unexplainable time in your journey, maybe you are in shut down mode because God needs to update what He installed on the inside of you. You do realize things need updating, right? Then you should know if you never allow God to shut you down, you might miss necessary updates from the Master that can only take effect AFTER the restart. Your gift(s) is good but now God has an update that is about to make it greater for the places and people you are about to encounter. Allow the shutdown for the shift!

Daily Devotional – 8/23/18 “The time will come …”

Do you remember what I shared yesterday? For those of you who do not, I shared that not every season is a season to reap. This is still true today but I need to speak to those of you who are in a season of little to no return. Today, I come to speak to those of you who are in a season of feeling defeated because there has been no return on your investment. I am speaking to those of you who are feeling like it’s time to throw in the towel, close the business, tear up the vision, destroy the plans or shut up the blinds and die. I only have four words for you … THE TIME WILL COME! However, here is something I need to ask. What has God told you to do that you are ignoring? Yes, you might be in a dry season but is it because God has retracted His hand or it is simply your season? Speak to yourself for a moment so we can figure this thang out. If it is your season, then you have to work and wait until the season change. On the other hand, if your field is dry and storehouse is empty because God has shut up the heavens, what are you not doing? Are you harboring un-forgiveness, hatred or anger when God has told you to forgive? Are you idolizing something or someone you should have longed gotten rid of? Are you out of God’s will due to your pride? Are you working in iniquity because it is easier than salvation? What are you doing or not doing?

I am only asking because you just might be holding the ability to change your season with the words of repentance from your mouth. I am only inquiring because I know you have to be tired of lugging water to a place that does not have the ability to grow the very thing you are watering. I am concerned because I need you to come out of that desolate place but I cannot do it for you. Please understand, I can feed you from my harvest but at some point, you should want your own and it can happen because THE TIME WILL COME. You don’t have to believe me but take God’s word. In Amos 9, starting at verse 11, God promises restoration to Israel after He had removed His judgment for things they did. Even after warnings, Israel still did what they knew was not right and although it seemed like God had forsaken them, He was still there. Still lingering around waiting on the day, His people repented. Still holding onto the wings of the air, waiting for them to return to Him. Is that you? Is God waiting on you to repent and return? Because when you do, God will say like He did in the prophecy given to Amos in Amos 9:13-15, ““The time will come,” says the LORD, “when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine! I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine. I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.” The time will come but you have to be ready to receive it?