The Power of Testimony & Prayer.

On some Saturday nights I feel very anxious.
I'm usually anxious about the approaching Sunday service that I will have to attend.
On Sundays I feel very refreshed in God's presence because, throughout the week the "busyness" of life seems to just take over.
So, on Saturdays I try to ease my anxiety by evaluating and recalling all the things I had done during the week.
I use my Saturday nights to commit all the pastors in my local church congregation into God's hands.
I ask God to allow the preacher's message to be directly influenced by the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is that God may need to say to someone in the church or even myself...I ask God to send down a rhema word from heaven!

Now...Ever since I admitted to God that I was lost and declared my Declaration of Dependence, God sent me a word through the testimony of a very loved sister in the church. The Lord answered my prayers.....

I  really shouldn't be shocked that God answered my prayers but, sometimes I just feel that I don't measure up and that God may not even want to answer my prayers...

Well...That is a lie from the devil!

It's never wrong to pray..In fact, the scriptures say that men should always be praying! (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Anyway, the Sister's testimony was about direction and how God had pulled her out of the wrong direction and into the pathway of His divine plan for her life.

I was stunned because this was exactly the testimony that I needed to hear!

My number one plea in this season of my life is divine direction from God. I want to follow after His leading and I want to stay in faith...

I had thoughts of giving up on God answering my prayers and I noticed that my love for Him seems to be growing cold...

I thought my eyes were opened up to the love of God and now it seems like I never knew it.

Reading the scriptures nowadays feels like I'm reading an old magazine...When in fact the word of God carries mighty power. The words of God are spirit and life! (John 6:33)

Lo and behold, my pastor preached a message on love...

But, I've realized that I don't need just preaching on love...I need to experience it, for myself.

I need to ask God to open my eyes so I can understand His love for me!
Why David was a man after God's heart?
Why was Stephen so joyful as he was being stoned for his belief in Christ?
Why was Paul so passionate about preaching about God's love and grace, even from prison?!
Why are martyrs (even present day martyrs) so willing to die for Christ?

The love of God is very powerful!

In fact the scriptures say that love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

In 1 Corinthians 13:13 it says:

"Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love."


Love is the greatest. Love should be the force that drives a believer's faith and hope in God. Because, God is love (1 John 4:8).


On this journey, I want to increase my faith in God but most importantly, I want my love for God to be stronger with each passing day.

Where Am I Going?

As of right now, my main struggle has been direction. For most of my life, the places I've gone have usually been determined by some source of authority (i.e. parents). I entered college with the pressure to pursue a career in which I had the slightest interest in. However, because I had no idea where I was exactly going, I decided to stay in the course even though I was failing. There was also a huge lack of motivation and NO peace. If I'm placed into a situation in which I lack peace then I know that I am out of God's will. For the believer that is Christ, peace is ALWAYS available no matter the situation (John 16:33). A person could be going through a hard season in life but, if it is God's will, then unexplained peace will almost always be available.

   Unfortunately, I ignored my feelings of peace, despair and lack of motivation and continued on in this major. After I received my results, I was most defiantly devastated. I realized that I was on the wrong course of the life God had planned out for me. And now I feel lost. I felt more lost than I ever had in life. I don't know where I am going. And I know that this feeling of being lost and insecure is not an accident. My Heavenly Father knows exactly what He's about to do and this season of my life is not a surprise to Him!

   I've realized that in my relationship with Christ, I've called Him my Lord and Saviour and sang all the hymns proclaiming it. But did I really surrender everything to Christ? Did I really depend on Jesus?
  I think God had to take me to this point of my life to test my trust in Him. To show me the areas in which I have not given Christ Lordship over. It's funny how I was oblivious to the fact that I have blocked Christ's Lordship over certain areas of my life!
  When we say we surrendered all to Christ.....Do we really mean that?
  When we say that Jesus Christ is our LORD and Savior.....Is He LORD every everything?
Let's examine ourselves and totally dig down within ourselves to see the areas that we are blocking God's presence from entering. You may be surprised at what you discover....

Throughout this process of trying to figure out where God is taking me...I have struggled.

I've struggled with identity, and I've struggled with my faith.

I've been frustrated, and frustration occurs when we decide to plan out our lives without the help of God when He is the author of our lives.

It's been a struggle. In the struggle my faith began to get shaky, my future seemed dark, and I stared to slip up as a believer.

In the midst of all this frustration and lack of peace, I turned to the Word and to music.

One of my favorite bands, Kings of Convenience have this beautifully crafted album titled, "Declaration of Dependence."

I never noticed the title before but, this time it really stuck out to me!

This season of my life is my Declaration of Dependence to God, my Father.

I'm lost and God knows that exact path I need to take in order to be found.

I need not rely on any man and place my TOTAL faith in God alone.

No one has the right to tell me how to live my life except for God. I cannot continue to live under the fear of man and the conformity of this world.

NO.

As followers of Christ, we are not called to conform but be transformed! (Romans 12:2)

I have to live out in faith no matter how crazy I may look.
Most of the people who lived their lives out in faith were looked at like fools, when in fact, they were teh true geniuses!

My prayer to my Heavenly Father is:

Heavenly Father,

Save me from myself!
Don't let me walk in my own way but, guide my steps.
Allow your glory to be lived out through me.
Let all fear be cast out as you perfect me in your love through the Holy Spirit's work.
Give me a discerning heart to know when I've stepped out of your will.
Allow the Holy Spirit to give me courage and boldness to do things in faith.
Help me to to see the glorious future you have in store for me no matter how dark things may seem.
keep me surrounded by those who trust in you and have surrendered their all to the cause of the Kingdom.
Give me a heart that loves YOU more than anything in this world.
Allow me to accept the person you have made me and to accept the people you have created.
Strengthen me on this journey of life and allow my life to be a testimony of your amazing grace and mercy.
In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Proverbs 3: 5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."  

              

                NKJV