Sunday Mornings

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." Psalm 127:1, KJV

Putting God first in all of you plans is the ultimate way to go. If you want success, seek God's kingdom first and all those things will be added unto you (see Matthew 6:33).

If the Lord is not the solid ground on which your business, relationship, friendship, etc is based on, you are in for a hard time. We must involve God in every aspect of our lives...not just in our worship at the local church. You must take Him everywhere.

If a friendship, relationship, etc. that you have is causing you to sin, then you need to cut that person off. If you have to explain anything to them, let them know that they are hindering your progress with the Lord. Be honest. C You are not required to submit to them.

Your Heavenly Father wants what is best for you. Hanging out with someone who is going to cause you to sin is no good for your witness.

For those of you starting a business, you must pray over your business daily. Plead the Blood of Jesus over any avenues you plan to take with your business. Dedicate your business to the Lord. Watch Him bless it!

God must be first in everything. Otherwise, you are just building an idol.

Lately, I’ve been hearing  many people say that they are “self-made millionaires.” God is not in that! The fruit from being “self-made” does not comes from the Father. Always check your heart and your motives. Ask yourself, “Does this glorify Jesus or me?”

I want the Lord to cover me and all that I come in contact with. Therefore, I am honored to put the Father first in my ministry to women, as well as in my ability to create resources to exalt Him.

Today, let's put God first, and then make our plans. Let's seek His face about the matter, and then go from there. It makes no sense to labor in vain.

Coping with Anxiety: 3 Surefire Ways to Combat Anxiety

For years, I suffered with social anxiety. I was afraid others would not like being around me. When in small groups, I would panic. Scary thoughts would run through my head, and I'd break out into a cold sweat. Thoughts of me stuttering all over my words haunted me. Oh Lord, why did I have to be the insecure one in the bunch?

Throughout my teen and early adult years, I panicked whenever I had to go out in public. The spirits of fear and anxiety had latched themselves onto me tightly. I desperately wanted to be like everyone else, but there was always some sort of blockage. Everything I said or did would result in me being uncomfortable. I was very self-conscious because I was never able to my true self; everything was a performance. My insecurities ate away at me, and I became a recluse. I would lie and say, “Oh, I keep to myself.” or “I am an introvert.” Later on I discovered the verse, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7, KJV. Nothing about me was sound! I was a total wreck!!!! 

God begin to deal with me concerning anxiety. My anxiety was rooted in fear and depression. He revealed to me that He was never involved in any of the anxiety and panic attacks that I had gone through. It was the enemy of my soul, Satan. The main goal of Satan was to stop me from reaching others for the Kingdom of God. I knew God had a calling on my life, but my anxiety prevented me from pursuing ministry. For years, I would shrink back when asked to speak or teach. I knew the answers, but I was afraid that others would not accept me. All of my talents were going to waste. I knew there was something I had to do.  As a result of this revelation, I came up with three simple ways to overcome fear. 

1. Pray. When faced with anxiety, immediately start praying. Pray for peace and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will start to soothe you and calm your anxious heart. Whenever I would get upset or full of fear, my heart would beat so fast that I thought I was having a heart attack. I would break out into a cold sweat and immediately seek cover. The Lord did not give any of us a spirit of fear. So immediately, start praying. Ask the Lord to give you peace.

2. Analyze.  Ask the Lord to show you the situation from His perspective. What exactly is going on? Are you in any immediate danger? Is there any help readily available to you? Calm down, and take a deep breath. Monitor your surrounding, and pace yourself. The Lord is right there by your side. He said that He would never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5); therefore, you need to trust that He is a Present Help in your time of troubles. Analyze the situation. Are you overreacting? Did you drink too much coffee or have too many sweets? Did you get enough rest last night? Many times, our habits can cause us to become jittery. 

3. Retreat Remove yourself from the situation if it seems too overwhelming for you. I have had to remove myself from social gatherings on several occasions because I could not deal with the my anxiety. At the time, I had not been taught how to deal with fear. I was simply going through the motions, and allowing my emotions to control me. If you do not feel the need to remove yourself from the situation, give yourself a quick motivational pep talk. Tell yourself that you are an amazing person. There's nothing wrong with boosting your own self-esteem. Now when I am faced with fear of being around others, I smile to myself and say, "Hey, how can they not like me? I have the favor of God all over me!" 

Practice speaking positively to yourself daily. Write Scripture, affirmations, and pep talks on sticky notes. Place them around the house, in your purse, locker, and/desk. When faced with fear, pull out a note and say it to yourself over and over again. Repetition is key to getting these thoughts and Scripture in your head. Once you realize how special you are to the Father, you will be less fearful and more wonderful than ever.

*Anxiety can be caused by a medical issue, also. Please check with licensed professional. 

How to Forgive When It Seems Impossible

Scripture: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25, ESV

Forgive? Really! I had to read the passage several times. I knew deep down in my heart I was becoming bitter about a situation that had drastically changed my life. Had I really forgiven the person who hurt me? Was this person truly sorry for what they had done to me? I honestly could say NO…at least on my end.

Every time I thought of this person, my chest would burn, my heart would race, and I would begin to sweat. If I happened to see the person out in public, I would feel as though I was being pricked by a thousand needles. A literal panic attack would occur. The anger begin to build up inside of me, and my blood would boil. How could they smile and enjoy life, while I was broken into millions of pieces. Tears would form in my eyes, but the courage to cry would never be there. so, I held the pain inside, and carried the burden for years. Now, God was requiring more of me than I was willing to give.

Psalm 34:18 states, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in the spirit.” I was shattered, and my life had come to a complete halt. My joy had disappeared, and the stress from holding in all of the hurt was consuming me. How dare God ask me to forgive a person who caused me so much pain!

Gently, the Father spoke to me. He reminded me that He collected all of my tears in a bottle and kept track of all of my sorrows (Psalm 56:8). Nothing I had gone through was hidden from Him. However, He meant what He said about forgiving others. There would be no special treatment; therefore, if I did not forgive, He could not forgive me. My relationship with the Lord was, and will always be, the best thing that has ever happened to me. I was not about to spend an eternity in Hell…so there was nothing left to do but forgive.

If you are struggling to forgive, there is a way out. You can be free from the pain and restored. Below, I have listed the steps I took to forgive, as well as a prayer for restoration.

1. Create a forgiveness List. Make a list of the people who you need to forgive. This list could include your parent, spouse, significant other, former friends, etc. Ask the Lord to bring to remembrance anyone you may have forgotten.

2. List the offense(s). Beside each person’s name, write out in detail what he or she did to you. Try to be as specific as you can. Reflect and write how the offense(s) made you feel.

3. Pray. Pray this prayer for each person on your list. “Father, I forgive _____ for _____. What they did to me made me feel ______ and caused me to _____. Heal and restore me, Lord. Right now, I choose to forgive _____ and set them free. I break all soul ties with _____ in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.

4. Give it to God. Pray, “Father, I know you are requiring me to forgive. This painful for me, but I must be obedient. Please forgive me for holding on to unforgiveness for so long. I surrender all to You. Your Word says will save those who are crushed in the spirit. You favor the brokenhearted, and know every tear I have shed. The pain is overwhelming, and I need You now more than ever. Father, send Your Holy Spirit to comfort me. Reassure me that everything is going to be alright. I know You are faithful to Your promises. Restore my joy, give me peace, and calm the storm raging in my heart. In Jesus’ name, I ask this of You. amen.”

5. Walk in forgiveness and freedom. Just because you forgave the person(s), that does not mean the memories will not come to surface from time to time. It is almost impossible to “forgive and forget.” You must choose to walk in forgiveness and freedom daily. When the enemy reminds you of the offense(s), rebuke him in the Name of Jesus. Verbally declare that you have forgiven the person(s). You are no longer bound to the person(s) or what was done to you.

Choosing to remain in bitterness equals bondage. Instead, be willing to experience true freedom through forgiveness. When we forgive, our joy returns and our burdens are lifted. Life seems so much brighter. Once I was able to let it all go, I was able to experience God’s love on a deeper level. If you are ready to move forward in life and be restored, forgive.

Never Far from Home

Are you listening to God? There was a time when I felt the Lord was far away from me. I honestly could not hear His voice. Day by day, it seemed as though He was getting further and further away from me. I would see other believers prospering and living victoriously, and this only made me envious. Seriously, I became jealous of all God was doing for others. He was actually using them to spread the Gospel and set captives free. Unfortunately, He was not using me (or so I thought).

Feeling unwanted broke my heart into a million pieces. I began to withdraw. I became a recluse, and backslid into depression. I had previously been delivered from the spirit of depression, but now it was back—full force! Satan was deceiving me and planning to ultimately destroy me this time. My passion, my zealous, my purpose, my love for all things holy was gone. The enemy was literally robbing me right before my eyes (John 10:10). Cluelessly, I wondered if God’s anointing had left me, and if I was on my way to hell? It certainly felt like it.

Finally, I found the courage to cry out to the Lord. In a fit of rage, I questioned His love for me. I asked Him why He was ignoring me and why things were not going as I had planned. IMMEDIATELY, He replied back with, “I’m not ignoring you. I’ve always been here. YOU were the one who strayed far from me. You chased the blessings instead of ME. YOU focused on what everyone else had or was doing instead of your own assignment. I’m still here.”

Oh...my...goodness! Can we please NOT discuss how foolish I looked! All this time...He was right there. It was ME! I caused the rift in the relationship. I was the toxic problem! I repented quickly and started back over. I did beat myself up mentally for a while because I wasted so much valuable time. However, the Holy Spirit reminded me that in Christ, there’s no condemnation (Romans 8:1), and that He could restore what I lost (Joel 2:25-26). The Lord forgave me and gave me a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). He knew I would do all of this before He created me, yet, He still sent His only Son to die for me (Jeremiah 1:5, John 3:16).

Maybe you are struggling with a similar issue. Or maybe you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. All you have to do is lay it all at His feet. He’s waiting for you right now! Come back to Him. He loves you. Do not waste another moment. Repent of your sins, and ask Jesus to come into your heart right now. He loves you so much. Only He can restore what you have lost and make everything brand new. Only trust Him.