Aim At And Strive After His Word

I wanted to do a follow up to my last posting 'Direction for 2010’. I want to take some time to reflect on applying Matthew 6:33 to our every day lives. I really like the way the Amplified bible translates it.

“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”

The Holy Spirit is telling us here that every day we should strive (to exert much effort or energy; endeavor) after God’s way of doing things. He is saying clearly that our aim (determined course or direct, our effort) should be to seek His will and His way in everything we do. Our daily focus should be on what God has for us to do that day. How does He want to use us? Who does He wants us to speak to? How does He want us to handle certain situations?

When we put our focus on doing things His ways, the right way, we don’t have to worry about anything because we KNOW that He WILL take care of everything. He will work EVERY situation out for our good. No matter what the situation is. (Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20)

To seek His way of doing things is to apply His Word to our life, living it out loud and being a doer of the Word. In order to be a doer of the Word we have to know what His Word says about whatever it is that we are facing.

If we are battling worry, fear, & anxiety His Words says,

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

“Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” Psalm 55:22

If we are angry, bitter, or harboring unforgiveness His Word says,

“Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:12-13

His Word can be applied to every area of our life (raising children,managing money, marriage,business,etc.). That’s why He had His prophets and apostles write His Words down. To lead us to Christ who is the Word made flesh. Today He uses the Word through the power of the Holy Spirit to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. He empowers us to do His will. He uses the bible to prepare and equip us to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So if we want to know what we should do, when we need direction and wisdom we can find it in the Word of God. (James 1:5) I love what Proverbs 2:6-11 says, especially verses 9-10:

“6 For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. 8 He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. 9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. 11 Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.”

Brothers and sisters when we know the Truth of God’s Word we find direction, hope, and freedom! If we don’t know His Word then we will be consumed by our troubles and situations, we will be destroyed because of lack of knowledge. (James 1:22, Hosea 4:6) His Word grants wisdom and it is has the answer for every situation. We just have to study this Book of Instruction continually. We need to meditate on it day and night so that we will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will we prosper and succeed in all that we do because we are seeking HIS WAY of doing and being right instead of our own way. (Joshua 1:9)

Lord we want to seek You first in every area of our life. We want to do Your will. Guide us and led us daily. Give us confirmation and affirmation through Your Word. We trust you with our daily lives. In Jesus name. Amen!

Direction For 2010

At the beginning of this year I decided to take the first 21 days and commit them to seeking the Lord’s direction for the beginning of 2010. I was resting from ministry work and spent more quality time with my family. Of course I also reflected on 2009 and all that our Lord had done in me, through me, and in my friends and family. The past couple of years have been full of change and restructuring in my finances, friendships, and ministry partners. I have seen the Lord making my crooked paths straight and leading me the way that HE WANTS me to go. Every day I realize that I am far from perfection but in the words of the Apostle Paul,

“I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

In 2009 many of us saw wonderful break throughs and victories but now it is time to keep pressing forward to what lies ahead. We should not be living on the accomplishments and victories of 2009. This is a new year with brand new opportunties to help the helpless, to extend mercy, grace, and forgiveness, to love the unlovable, and to share the Good News that Jesus loves us and died for our sins. There WILL BE be new tests, struggles, and trials that we will have to overcome not by our own might, but by the Spirit of the Lord who will strengthen us, sustain us, and move us according to His will. (Zechariah 4:6, Philippians 4:13)

2010 is a new year full of new hope and expectation. We don’t have to look back or dwell o all the mistakes of 2009. It’s a new season! The old has gone and new things are coming. We should be excited knowing that our Lord has wonderful plans for each of us! We should be excited knowing without a shadow of a doubt that HE IS working everything out for our good! We should be excited as we watch how the Lord brings restoration, deliverance, and expansion of territory in our lives! (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28)

The Word that the Lord has placed on my heart since the end of 2009 for 2010 is Matthew 6:33

“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”

But truly this is not a Word for 2010. It is a Word for every day of our life. He wants us to seek Him first and His way of doing things, then everything else that we are worried about will be taken care of. He put it simply to me a couple of years ago. The Spirit of the Lord said to me, “Lisa, you take care of My business and I will take care of your business”. He has been faithful to keep His promise to me. I have seen Him constantly working everything out in my life for the good of our family. There is nothing that comes against me that I really need to fear because I KNOW that I am in His hands and He cares for me. All my fear and doubts are no more because I KNOW that HE IS in control. When I truly began to put my focus on seeking Him and what He wanted me to do on a daily basis, instead of doing what I thought was right do in my own eyes, my life was transformed.

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

I remember being on that path. That path is the broad road that Jesus said many take which leads to hell. (Matthew 7:13-14) Doing things our own way, being lead by our fickle and selfish emotions, and submitting to our sin-ful desires leads to destruction and turmoil in our lives as well as those around us. Our way is not the right way. If we want to know which way God wants us to go then we must seek the One who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. Jesus is the Way. His way is found in the Word of God, the Holy Bible. It will be the lamp to our feet and a light for our path in this dark world.

I pray that each of us would committ to seeking God’s way and will for our life everyday of 2010 and for whatever remaining years we have left here before Jesus Christ comes back for His Church.

Blessings to you all in Christ Jesus name,

"All I Can Do Is Pray"

Why is it that when situations get extremely difficult, or seem hopeless, or out of our control do many of us respond by telling ourselves and others, “All I can do is pray.” What do we really mean anyways? What are we really saying? Is it a statement of faith? I don’t think so..It’s almost like when say that it’s as if prayer is our last resort to our tiresome efforts of trying to resolve our own problems. In some cases some of us have made prayer exactly that..our last resort. This statement, “ALL I CAN DO IS PRAY..” usually follows a statement like this:

“I’ve tried everything I can think of to change or fix this situation now..”
“My hands are tied. It’s out of my control now...”
“I just don’t know what else to do...”

Seeking God’s will and direction for our problems, concerns, and decisions should be our very first reaction. We should pray and never give up. Prayer should not be the last resort. Just think of how many times we have only made our circumstances worse by moving ahead with our own ideas of how to resolve our situation without seeking God’s face, without praying first. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Luke 18:1, Proverbs 16:25)

When we are facing troubles or when we are at a fork in the road that is when we need to tune our ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding even more. We need to cry out for insight and ask the Lord for help. We need to recognize and remember immediately that our hope should always be in the Lord. Our hope is in knowing that He leads us down the right path for our lives. He is our lamp. He lights up our darkness. He does not leave us or forsake us in our troubles. He is the answer to every situation. He gives us wisdom and counsel. We don’t have to fix everything on our own and we definitely should not make important decisions in our lives without praying and even fasting first. (Proverbs 2:2-3, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 23:3, Psalm 18:28)

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)

I love how Queen Ester handled the horrific news that was brought to her via messenger from her mentor and cousin Mordecai. She was told that there had been a decree of death pronounced by the king and his prime minister, Haman. They planned to kill millions of people-including women and children. Mordecai directed her to go before the king and beg for mercy and to plead for her people. They both knew that if anyone appeared before the king in his inner court without being invited they were doomed to die unless the king held out his gold scepter. Even the queen had to be summoned. This was a terrible dilemma, but she was determined to lay down her life if she needed to, but first she determined to seek God’s will and direction. Queen Ester proclaimed a three day fast for her and her people. They all got on their faces before the Lord asking for God’s help and favor. They prayed for the queen and for their own lives to be spared. (Ester 4)

After those three days and nights of fasting and prayer she got up, cleaned up, and put on her royal robes. She was prepared to go before the king prayed up and trusting the Lord to go before her. Many of you know the story. The Lord gave her great wisdom as to how to tactfully approach the situation. The outcome was that the truth of the plot against her people was revealed to the king and their enemies were defeated. It’s an awesome story! (Ester 5-9)

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16

With every situation that presents it’s self we need to go boldly into the throne room giving thanks immediately to our Lord for the answer and direction that He will provide, because He WILL direct our steps, we just need to seek his face. We don’t have to be afraid or over burdened with troublesome feelings or emotions, confusion, or fear over our circumstances. We need to rise up with the Spirit of power and love, trusting Him and immediately drawing close to the Lord knowing that He will draw close to us.

Let us be determined to seek God first, His will, and His way of handling this life’s troubles. May prayer be our first reaction instead of our last resort. In Jesus name amen…

Journaling Your Journey With Christ

As you can see the last two postings are from the archives. As many of you know I have been really busy lately. I have not been able to write as frequently for Consecrated to Him. I have been praying about it and I have asked the Lord to help me restructure my schedule where I can get back to sharing and teaching here. Writing on this blog has helped me to grow tremendously. Many times what I share on Consecrated to Him are things that the Lord is taking me through and teaching me personally through my study with the Holy Spirit. Other times He gives me a Word for some of the Consecrated To Him readers. Whatever the situation I have found this blog to be a personal journey for me.

The Lord reminded me to do postings from the archives while I try to implement my new schedule and finish up some projects. I agreed because I love going through the archives to see what the Lord has been saying through Consecrated to Him. So I went to the articles listed by title page. The first two postings I felt lead to revisit I believe were postings that the Lord wanted specific readers to see that are still struggling in those areas. I don’t know who they are but I know that I felt lead to share those postings again. May the Lord give you a heart to receive His Word and not reject His correction.

I prayed and said Lord lead me to the right articles for ME to read. I wanted to know what the Lord wanted to show me. The third posting was exactly what I needed to hear. The next one encouraged me even more. Then on to the next title and again I saw another title that caught my attention. Once I read it I began to realize that the Holy Spirit was truly leading me through each article. By the time I was done scheduling the postings I was filled with emotion because I knew that our Lord cares so much about my need for affirmation from Him that He is willing to quickly give it to me. He confirmed what He has already said to me. He stuck by His Word and once again reminded me that this is nothing, He has already spoken it to me. How could I forget? Thank God I was lead to write these postings.

It was at that moment that I truly began to realize how important it is to journal. Consecrated to Him is very much like a journal to me. I can look back and see what the Lord was teaching me during different seasons in my life. I see His faithfulness and His compassion towards me and others. I see His consistent love. I even see his correction and rebuke, but for some reason it brings me comfort. Maybe because I know that He corrects me because He loves me.

I have private journals also. This is where I write my prayers, complaints, petitions, poems, concerns, notes from private bible studies with the Holy Spirit, and even written worship is there. My journals have become ministry tools of God. He uses them to show me that He has been with me all along. It’s amazing to see the changes that He has taken me through or too see my prayers answered in writing. I love it! I love Him for putting it on my heart to journal.

I want to encourage you to get a note book and start journaling your prayers, studies, and whatever else the Lord lays on your heart to write. You will see how the Holy Spirit will speak to you and your spirit will be encouraged and your faith in the Lord will increase.

Your journal will be a record of:

• How the Lord has instructed you. You will be recording His Words for your life. (Exodus 24:4)
• The history of Jesus Christ in your life, your own accounts and revelations, testimonies, stories of deliverance in your own words inspired by God. (Luke 1:23)
• Dictation from the Lord. Don’t think that for a minute that the Lord won’t speak a Word to you and through you. He will use anyone who is willing to be used by Him. It doesn’t matter if you are a trained prophet or not. Just be prepared to write whatever He dictates to you. (Amos 7:14-15, Jeremiah 36:2, 27, 28)
• Your God given visions of the future things that He has called you to do. Written plainly for you to see and remember to help you stay on track. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)
• Songs and poems expressing your deepest emotions both in good times and bad. Words of encouragement and praise to our Lord. (All the Psalms)

I challenge you to do this faithfully and you will see how the Word of God will rise up in you when you sit down to write. It will be amazing! Your journal will become a treasure full of wisdom from God. Don’t hesitate start journaling your journey with Christ right away!

It'll Be Ok!!

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

It’ll be ok I promise. Sometimes we allow ourselves to get so caught up in trying to figure things out; contemplating all the what ifs, that we lose our peace and joy. We begin to meditate on the dilemma so much that we have forgotten to take it to our Lord in prayer. If we get into trying to fix our problems on our own in our own strength we most certainly will complicate things even further. We have to learn to instinctively run to the throne room full of humility and a willingness to listen and obey. Then we can make our supplications known to God, lay down our will at His feet and accept His Wisdom thankfully. Then His peace will most certainly guard our minds and hearts from worry, fear, and anxiety as we meditate and trust in His Word, Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

James 1:5-8 says “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Our Lord is our source of wisdom and direction. Through prayer and reading of the Word the Holy Spirit reveals which way to go. He is always going to be faithful to lead us down the right path when we ask Him for direction. However, we must be willing to accept His divine counsel. It is foolish to seek God’s face and present our problems to Him to only do the exact opposite of what He has shown us to do. Don’t allow fear, doubt, confusion, and especially compromise to deter you from following the Lord’s will and way.

I have learned that sometimes our Lord’s response is far from what I expected and then others time it is confirming and clarifying the vision that He has already given me. However, when His response is totally opposite of what I thought and most certainly not the way the world would handle my situation I remember the words in Isaiah 55:8-9. It says:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Let us remember that our Lord is faithful and He always works everything out for our good because He loves us so much. He is our Faithful Father carefully watching over us guiding and protecting because He has promised to. Our hope and faith has to be so devoted to Him that we trust Him at His Word. We have to trust him with all of our hearts, and not depend on our own understanding. If we seek His will in all that we do, He will show us which way to go. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Remember that you do not have to be under the yoke of worry or confusion. Get on your face before God and give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22)

Trust Him and it’ll be ok!!!!

Starting Your Day Off Right

“I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in Your words.” Psalm 119:147

Good morning! Today you may be off to work or school, or perhaps it’s your day off. Maybe you’re a stay at home my like me or perhaps you are searching for a job. Whatever your situation today you will be faced with scheduled tasks, unforeseen or unexpected events, different personalities, opportunities to share your faith, persecution, blessings, and so on. How did you prepare for today’s events?

Our Lord Jesus would wake up before daybreak and go to an isolated place to pray and spend time with the Father. This is how He prepared for His day and this is the example that we too should follow. We have to be prayed up and have a fresh intake of the Word early in the morning if we want to have a truly fruitful day in Christ Jesus. (Mark 1:35)

Jesus said, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:34

Everyday has its own troubles and obstacles. Don’t be in such a hurry to start your day. Take time early in the morning to prepare for the day ahead of you. Sacrifice and present the first hour of the day to the Lord, this is your first fruit offering. Set your alarm an hour earlier and go to bed an hour earlier if you need to. This will help you remember that each day is a day that the Lord has made and you are alive and here in this world for such a time as this for His plans and purpose.

Here is a prayer I found it says:

“Dear God…So far today, I’ve done ok. I haven’t gossiped or lost my temper. I haven’t been greedy, crabby, mean, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. And I’m very grateful for that. But dear God, in a few minutes I’m gonna get out of bed, and then probably gonna need a lot more help. Amen..

When I first read this I thought it was funny but I also knew that it is so true. It’s all good while we’re still in bed and haven’t faced the world. If you are starting your day off without seeking God’s face in prayer and without a word of encouragement and instruction from the Word of God then do not be surprised when your attitude is not right or you feel like your day is a little off. You will also find that you will be more susceptible for an attack from our enemy whom we know is roaming around like a lion seeking who he may devour. Don’t forget that you are a soldier in the army of God. We are in battle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So we have to start our day of seeking counsel and direction from The Commander of our army Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:12)

“Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

“The Sovereign Lord has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to His will.” Isaiah 50:4

If we wake up and commit the first hour of our day to praying, reading the Word, and worshipping Him we will be better prepared to face our day. He wants to have that time with us. He wants us to give Him our concerns, worries, and burdens first thing in the morning so that we don’t have to carry them around all day. The only thing he wants us to carry on us is the armor of God that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6. Our Lord just wants you to know and remember that He is waiting daily each morning to talk to you and help you through each day. So seek His face early in the morning.

p.s.

I would just like to add that during the writing of this article my 22 month old twins are the crankiest they have been in weeks. They have been screaming and fighting like crazy for the past hour. You can imagine what it’s like. If I had not gotten up early prayed, exercised, and done this study I would have already lost my mind and it is only 8:39am…lol O and did I mention that my two dogs escaped out the back door again! Lol..Have a good day!!

A Proverb A Day

My hearts desire this year and my prayer to our Lord was for Him to draw me even closer, to reveal Himself more to me, and to impart His wisdom in me. In fact God’s wisdom is something I have been praying for and seeking ever since I read the story of Solomon in 1 Kings.

When the Lord appointed Solomon as king he visited him in a dream and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon humbly saw the need for greater wisdom to rule and lead God’s people so instead of riches or a long life he asked God for wisdom to govern His people. Solomon desired to have an understanding heart and to know the difference between right and wrong. This greatly pleased our Lord so He gave him the desire of his heart. King Solomon had a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have. (1 Kings 3:5-15)

At the beginning of this year the Lord reminded me of when I used to meditate on Solomon’s teachings daily found in the book of Proverbs. I felt inspired to get back to reading a chapter of the book of Proverbs daily as part of my morning devotionals. I also felt lead to teach my children to use this as their daily devotions. We have been sharing with each other the revelations, corrections, and directions that we have been receiving through our daily readings.

When I read Proverbs 1:1-6 I realized immediately why the Holy Spirit wanted us to meditate on these nuggets of wisdom daily. Verses 1- 4 says that the purpose of the Proverbs is to:

• Teach people wisdom and discipline
• Help them understand the insights of the wise.
• Teach people to live disciplined and successful lives
• Help them do what is right, just, and fair.
• Give insight to the simple
• Give knowledge and discernment to the young

“Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.” Proverbs 1:5-6
The book of Proverbs is a book that imparts skills for living wisely in this fallen world. The instructions and advice given in this book if applied to our lives will result in humility, fruitful relationships, sound financial practices, and gainful vocations.
I encourage you to read a chapter a day based on the date. Today is the 13th so read the 13th chapter and then tomorrow read the 14th and so on. I promise you will receive confirmation and clear instructions for daily living.

Below are some nuggets of wisdom from the book of Proverbs that I have recently read.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23

“Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-5

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

“All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.” Proverbs 8:13

“So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” Proverbs 9: 8-9

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” Proverbs 9:10

“A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays clam when insulted.” Proverbs 12:16

“Those who control their tongue will have a long-life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” Proverbs 13:3