Daily Devotional – 4/16/18 “You didn’t win!”

I used to wonder, no; if I can be honest, I used to question God about folk who’ve done me wrong. I mean, how can they be prospering when they owe me? How can they be happy when they know they’ve done me and others wrong? God, how can they be receiving blessings when they know they haven’t acted accordingly? I felt some type of way but then God checked me. He asked me some questions, hard questions that hushed me. He asked, “Have you missed a meal?” “Have you not been happy?” “Have you not been blessed in spite of?” “Have you suffered because of what they didn’t do?” Then He went a little bit deeper. He asked, “How do you know I’m the one blessing them?” “How do you know if they are really prospering?” “How do you really know?” Truth is, I didn’t know but I assumed because people have become great at pretending. See, while I may see their smiles, what I don’t see is their secret suffering. While I may see their “posted” blessings, I don’t see their private pain. Yes, they look prosperous, outwardly but inwardly, they need pills to give them peace.

Understand; their suffering, pain, midnight crying sessions, doubts and etc. is not due to their misuse of me but it’s due to the abuse of God’s commandments. Furthermore, I had to understand something else; their mistreatment of me (and others) is just who they are and this is why you have to take people at face value. Yet, I have come to understand that while you thought you were hurting me; you were in fact teaching me, growing me and giving me room to be blessed. So thank you! Now, instead of questioning God or worrying about them; I thank them for the lessons. Instead of praying for their downfall, I pray for them to find what they need to treat people better. Instead of wishing them hard, I ask God to give them the best of everything because what they took from me, God gave back double. I’m not bragging, I’m simply letting them know, you didn’t win but I thank you for the lesson. For the bible tells me, in Exodus 23:22, “But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”

Daily Devotional – 4/12/18 “Show up when I need you, pray when I don’t!”

I love the Lord, I really do. He heard my cry, pitied every groan, snatched me out my mess, kept my mind, healed my body, stood me on solid ground and all that good stuff so please don’t misinterpret what I am about to share. But look beloved, not everything can be fixed and/or resolved with just “Pray” or “I’m praying for you.” Know this, I am not talking about me in general but I need you to understand something. If I happen to have a moment on Monday and I post something that is unusual, don’t tell me to pray. Call me, talk me off the ledge and then I’ll be able to pray and/or hear you when you do. When someone is fighting mental illness and disease and you see them acting out on social media; call or message them or somebody they know and stop commenting 212 times, “I’m praying for you.” When a friend is going through, call them AND then pray. If I post, I’m cutting off folk who only call when they want something, don’t tell me to pray about it because I will, after I cut their using butts off. Let’s be real, there are some people and relationships that have to end, for your sanity and your prayer life.

Yes, I’ll pray for you but sometimes this isn’t what is needed at the moment. If I’m in pain, I need some pills then prayer. If I’m homeless, I need help and prayer. If I’m depressed, addicted, suicidal, without a job, heartbroken and etc., I am looking for assistance then prayer. Hear me well … There are some times when all folk need is prayer but this isn’t what I’m talking about. Posting, “Pray for me” is totally different from “I’m at my wit’s end and about to say f it.” But see, the real issue is, if I tell you I’m praying for you then maybe I don’t have to show up for you. I mean, I was there for you because I commented on your status on Facebook. Nawl baby. Where were you when I drove up and found all my stuff on the curb because I was being evicted? Where were you when I was hungry without a dime to my name? Where were you when I was so low in grief that I contemplated taking my life? Where were you when I was in the abusive relationship and needed somebody to support me and not judge me? Where were YOU? Oh, I got the notification of your comment but where were you? Yes, I saw you liked my Instagram post but where were you? I see you looked at my Snap Chat video but where we you? Show up sometimes because you’ll never know when your presence could be the very thing that keeps a person from losing their mind. Friend, show up when I need you but pray for me when I don’t.

Daily Devotional – 4/11/18 “And so it shall be …”

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, let your kingdom come so your will shall be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us today, daily bread and forgive us of our sins as we forgive others. God, don’t allow us to be overtaken by temptation and deliver us from evil because we will live and not die. This is why, oh God, I petition you to hear this prayer because I have need to ask of you today. Not for me, Master but for that mother. Not for me, Jehovah, but for that father. Not for me, El Shaddai, but for my sisters and my brothers. God, they stand in need of your touch for we know your touch can make everything alright. They have need of your hands because in your hands is peace. God, I am not asking you to remove the pain but give them power to press until you say it’s pleased. I’m not asking you to stop the suffering but give strength until their sorrow is satisfied. I’m not asking you to stop their tears but comfort until you wipe them away. God, I’m not even asking you to remove the darkness but will you give them night-time vision until morning shows up. And while I have your ear, I just want to thank you. Thank you for the miracles that will be manifested. Thank you for the testimonies that will be told. Thank you for the healings, the deliverances, the marriages, the babies and for the financial blessings. Thank you for the seeds that are being sown, may they reap harvests, doubled in size. Thank you, in advance, for the cancers that are about to go into remission and the organs that will show up for transplant. Thank you oh God for it shall be, not just by my faith but connected with the faith of all those who stand in agreement. It is so, by the blood of our crucified Savior. It is so. Amen.

Daily Devotional – 4/10/18 “Offer God!”

Church hurt is something that has become a popular conversation of an unpopular topic. The sad reality is, it’s not only church hurt that is keeping so many millennials and older folk from not being connected to a church. Do you ‘carest’ not the number of people who are longing to be in fellowship with God yet they will not set foot in the church? Do you ‘carest’ not the magnitude of young people dying without giving their life to Christ because momma didn’t know Jesus either? Do you ‘carest’ not the many who are being led astray by the Facebook Live preachers and prophets? Sure, we open the doors of the church at the funeral of a young person when we know most of them aren’t coming back on Sunday. How many times have you reached out to them, afterwards? How many meetings have you held to ask them their thoughts? And how many times have you taken action and not just notes? Look, I don’t mean to be the bearer of this heavy news but the same church you did back in 1992, isn’t sufficient in 2018. Hear me well! I didn’t say God or His word isn’t the same but if you are standing before a congregation of people, reading from the King James Version and the majority of them cannot understand it; there is a problem.

If all you do is condemn folk based on what they are wearing, there is a problem. If you consistently chastise the younger men for their tattoos, while yours are covered up and faded; there is a problem. If you berate the young women for the children they’ve had out-of-wedlock, when most of yours are too, there is a problem. If your sermons solely consist of homosexuality, brimstone and fire; there is a problem. Let’s face it, you got away with a lot of stuff back in the day because social media wasn’t as popular as it is now. Because baby, if we saw some of the videos from the ‘Freaknik’ in Atlanta, Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Sunday or the drive-in movie theater; some of those demons you’ve since hidden would be public. Yes, I get it; you’ve turned over a new leaf, you’re walking in line with the word of God and you’re for real saved but don’t you remember when you weren’t? Do you not remember grandma’s prayers that saved you those nights you stood on the streets dealing drugs or bed hopped? Do you not remember those times you walked the streets out your mind and somebody prayed your healing? Do you not remember the times your marriage was on the verge of ending and someone prayed for your tail to go home? Do you not remember the depression, the cheating, the alcohol and the drugs? Do you not remember the times you stole and lied? Do you not remember praying for forgiveness a few minutes ago? All I am saying is, we have to offer God to folk, by any means necessary because I’d rather have Him and not need Him than to need Him and not have Him. Offer God and not your cash app name for a seed. Offer Jesus instead of your cute flyer. Offer them God and not your opinions.