Scripture: “Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts!” -Colossians 3:16
/หjษrnฤ/: an act of traveling from one place to another. To travel somewhere.
For a few moments, think back on that day when you gave your life to God. How did you feel? Who did you tell after you dedicated your life to God? Looking right now at your life, how would you say that your relationship with God has changed?
Questions From Me To You:
1. When was the last time you prayed?
2. When was the last time you came into the presence of God without wanting anything selfishly? Ex: Lord, I want a car. If you bless me with a car, I will do whatever you ask of me.
3. When was the last time you attended church?
4. Who are your friends? Are you growing spiritually, emotionally, mentally together or are they just filled with so much drama? Can you reach out to them when you are going through your hardships or do you find yourself always being the one who stretches your hands for them?
5. When was the last time you opened your Bible to really learn and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you something new?
6. Do you find yourself rushing when you come into the presence of God?
7. What can you do to be more intentional when you come into the presence of God?
Bread For Your Soul:
You were created by a God who loves you. The same God who knew you in your mother’s womb before her first sonogram test. This same God longs for more of you. In the beginning, God created man in His own image (See Genesis 1:27). God made no mistake when He created each of us. He had a purpose but the truth is we will never know our purpose if we don’t walk with God. Walking with the Lord is a choice. God doesn’t force us but he reminds us that we should “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” How does one draw near to God when they are clinging unto worldly possessions? You can sit at the table to break bread with the Lord and choose to hold hands with the enemy. You have to pick one. God gives us free will daily. When we choose to walk with the Lord, our hearts, minds and soul become one with Him. Our desire for worldly things diminishes. We grow to have a deeper fellowship with God. We desire to be transformed in the presence of God. We become doers of the word instead of just hearers. We walk by faith despite what we see say but most importantly we surrender and say Yes to God because He is Our Heavenly Father, Friend, Lord and Personal Savior. The Ultimate Ruler of Our lives.
How can I grow in my walk with God?
1. Make God a priority in your life. Set a time for God. Make room for your Creator. Take time to pray and fast. (It’s one thing to say that God is #1 on your Bio on Instagram but is God really a priority in your life? What are the three things you do when you wake up? How is your life a reflection of God? What does your conversation consist of throughout the day?)
2. Open Your Bible. (You must learn to be intentional when it comes to spending time with God. Before opening your Bible, pray and invite the Holy Spirit in every session. Don’t just read the Bible like it’s a story book. Allow God to teach you. He is the greatest teacher but you have to willing to learn.)
3. Spend time in worship. ( Worship the Lord. When you are praying, you can play some worship music in the background. Worship the Lord. He alone is worthy of all the praise. No one deserves the praise more than He does. A few weeks back, before service started, the worship Leader at my church said something profound. She said “You cannot worship past your understanding of what God has done and what He will do for you.” Many times in the church, when someone sees another person worshipping, it is so easy for someone to say “She’s doing too much. She’s not the only one who knows the Lord.” You see, that kind of talk will never get you that far. You cannot worship God past your understanding of who is to you. When you see someone worshipping and all you do is criticize, maybe their service to the Lord will also move you into that place of worship. You never know what the Lord can do in His presence if only you will learn to be present. So worship the King of Kings. Let your praise rise and may it be a sweet fragrance unto the Lord. Don’t let anyone get in the way of you worshipping the Lord. There’s no time or place to worship the Lord, just worship your Maker.
4. Stop being lazy. It is easy to plant a seed but the hardest part is watering it and doing the work required. You see, the gift of salvation is free but the hardest part is learning to work out your salvation. (Philippians 2:12). How do you work out your salvation? You work it out by walking with the Lord. Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary. The blood has already been shed. You don’t have to crucified. You have been resurrected with Christ. The gift was free but you still have to put the gift into use. You don’t just unravel a gift and let it collect dust, you use it. You don’t just confess with with your mouth that you believe in Jesus Christ, you believe in your heart. In the same way as believers, God wants us to grow but we must be willing to take those steps whether little or big into His presence. If a mother was lazy, in teaching her child how to walk, the child will crawl forever.
5. Have community. You see, Jesus had 12 disciples. He didn’t need them but He had them for a purpose. In Hebrews 10:12-13, we are reminded that we should not forsake the gathering of believers. It reads “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.” How can we grow when we refuse to be surrounded by Christ-like minded people? We are a body belonging to Christ. None of us are perfect but we need each other. We have blemishes but God is still working in each one of us. Having community is important because you learn, exchange thoughts/ideas and grow together deeper in our walk with God.
6. Wait well. Throughout this journey, there are going to be many times where we must wait on the Lord. Even in the waiting, God is teaching us something. He is preparing us for the journey ahead but let’s be honest, many times the waiting season isn’t easy. It’s harder in the flesh but when the Holy Spirit is involved, what is impossible will be made possible. It’s extremely hard for those who don’t dwell in the presence of God to wait. Waiting is not easy but when you learn to spend time with God, you have a renewed perspective even through the waiting period. Waiting requires patience and the help of the Holy Spirit. Whether your waiting for a job, marriage, and so forth, you must learn to rely on God. A waiter doesn’t stop serving others because one customer isn’t ready. He or she continues until that customer is ready. Even in the waiting reason, God requires us to be doing something. Not just anything. It’s the reason why we must seek Him in all our ways.
7. You must learn to have faith/trust in the Lord. In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are reminded of this truth, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” The key verse is trust. How can you trust when you don’t acknowledge God? You will put your trust somewhere else other than God. It’s in God’s presence that we learn to trust Him. When it comes to faith, the Bible reminds us that “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6). You must believe that God exists. If you don’t believe, then who are you putting your faith in? Faith in the world equals disappointment. Faith in God equals sufficiency in everything that I need. Faith is huge component in our walk with God.
8. Know your friends/environment. Earlier in this post, we took a look at a few questions and I asked you all about who your friends were? Believe me, this is very important when it comes to your walk with God. You can’t be friends with everyone. There are some people who will be around during your planting season but they are not meant to be there when you blossom. Many times, we want the entire tribe to be there but when you walk with the Lord, He will bring and remove those who aren’t meant to be there. At times, God allows you to make the decision. I was once that person who clung unto friends. When you hurt me, I forgave you and carried on. It got to a point where I became so broken. I cried a lot and it always circled around friendships but I’m grateful to God that He has healed me and has given me a renewed perspective on life. So please check your circle. People’s actions speak louder than their words. Forgive but understand that forgiveness doesn’t mean re-entry. It’s not about who started with you. Sometimes, you have to let go of those who started with you because they are not heading in the same direction. No, by no means are you better than them but understand that some people can be a hindrance to where God is taking you. Surround yourself with quality. Allow God to bring those people necessary into your life. Those who challenge, love and bring out the best in you.
9. Take time to read books that enlighten you. (Faith based books). There are so many books out there but if there’s anything I can tell you, I would say, pray about it. Before ordering a faith based book, pray and ask God to lead you in making the choice. Also read the synopsis and if you can, read about the author.
*Get a journal. Write your prayers to God ๐๐ฟ. Get a jar, write down your prayer requests/praise reports to God.
10. Attend conferences, get a devotional, listen to podcasts and watch sermons but remember that these tools must never be a substitution to reading your Bible. Attending conferences, reading a devotional, listening to a podcast are just icing on a cake. They are not the bread of life. They can aid in your growth but never forsake God to worship these things He created to be used for His Glory.
Verses To Ponder:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” -Matthew 6:33
“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.
I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” -1 Corinthians 3:1-3
“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.” -Hebrews 6:1
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” – 1 Peter 2:2-3
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.” -Psalm 27:14
With love,
Karen ๐ป
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. God bless you. May you continue to grow in your walk with God. Until next time, stay blessed & rooted in Christ ๐๐ฟ๐
It’s that time of the month again when we take the time to reflect. As we all can see, the days are passing by. The month of April just begun and we are already drawing to the end of it. I hope that this month has served you well and that you were able to accomplish your goals. If not, by God’s grace, we have a few more days before we embark into the month of May. Keep pressing and don’t give up. God is your strength. Stay focused. Lean not on your own understanding but acknowledge God in all your ways. With Him, all things are possible. Until next time, stay blessed & rooted in Christ ๐๐ฟ
Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. The one who believes in me, will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” -John 11:25
You are loved even on on days when you feel unlovable. You are the heartbeat of a God who has loved you from the beginning.
When you think of the word position and purpose, what comes to mind? Personally, when I think of the word position and purpose, the word alignment and reason comes to mind. In today’s blog post, I will be sharing with you all about what is means to be purposefully positioned. We are going to be taking a look at scriptures in regards to being positioned for a purpose.
“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it will be well with you.”