And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices,
    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to listen than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22

So much of my early life, I was disobedient to the Lord. Often, I was afraid of man and what he may think of me like Saul alluded to in 1 Samuel 15:24. Other times I was disobedient for my selfish reasons; I realize that the loss has been mine. Obedience is so that God can elevate our lives and increase our trust with Him and prepare us for work in the Kingdom. It ultimately blesses us. 

God regretted ever making Saul king (15:35), because he disobeyed and justified it, by saying he would offer a sacrifice from the spoils he brought back. God told him to completely destroy those wicked people, and war against them until you have wiped them out (15:18).
When God has regret, there are consequences. God then used Samuel to finish what Saul started and then He lifted the anointing off of Saul and chose another King.  

What area in your life is God clearly giving you instruction. Be courageous & obey! He will move on your behalf when you surrender and obey. 

                          Obedience synchronizes acceleration in the waiting process.                                                                                              

It is more delightful to flourish and be lifted up in the blessing than to walk in correction and repair.
God desires to bless you and increase you - it's up to you the direction you take.

In my quiet time this morning, God showed me something. He said to me:
             “Oh, that you would call Me King.”
Kingdoms operate with a King. The King has full authority of that Kingdom. We are living in this temporal world, but we can CHOOSE to be in it, but not “of it”.
When we declare God as our King; that puts us in His Kingdom. Being in His Kingdom allows Him to operate on our behalf and our will and world starts lining up with His will and His Kingdom. 

             Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Matthew 6:10

God gives us a command, which is a clue, to:
              Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, 
              and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, 
              and bless his name. (Psalms 100:4)

When we praise and bless His name in the spirit of thanksgiving, it signifies Him as our King. It is an act of submission and postures us for the principles of HIS KINGDOM to operate!

WOW!! Are you getting this?? 

By calling Him King, His Word has the power to manifest itself. It is in His spiritual kingdom that His Word and His principles do not return void!! 
              So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that                          
              which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11). 
If your are thinking, the scripture says the word that goes out of GODS mouth…. 

Well, His word is the sword (Eph 6:17). It becomes the two-edged sword when we speak His word a second time from our mouth.
The two-edged sword, in Hebrews 4:12,  has two mouths on the handle; one for when God spoke it and the second is when you speak it.
When you speak His Word, it goes forth, in faith, into the spirit realm, and returns with what you spoke forth from Heaven. The Word manifests itself into this temporal natural world!!
              Scripture Happens!

God gave us dominion over this earth and our lives. But, we have to enter our lives into His Kingdom or proclaim He is Our King. That was the secret he gave me this morning. 
        “Oh, that you would call me King”.

Prayer:
King Jesus, I enter into your courts with praise and thanksgiving . I bless your holy name! You are my King. Holy Spirit I give you permission to move in my life. 
I declare:  (Speak out loud a promise from His Word). Amen

Often we clean out the old and don’t replace it with the new.

Even our thoughts and behavior need to be replaced with new patterns and new healthy behavior; if not, the old ways slip back in and often they are seven times worse.

Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” Luke 11:26

I am convinced that addiction works this way. Once you lay down the addiction, you must be INTENTIONAL and ACTIVE with implementing a stronger replacement. Just going to church on Sunday is not enough. You must be intentional & active with shameless audacity (v. 8-10) about replacing old ways with stronger ways: The words and ways of Jesus.

ASK- (Luke 11:9-10)   Action / obedience steps:
Ask-for what you need; ask for a mentor. (You will receive)
Seek- new ways of doing things & learn and apply new patterns. (You will find)
Knock- at new doors! (They will be opened)

Earlier, Jesus was explaining that whatever is stronger takes over. If a strong man guards his house (his mind, his possessions…) then they are safe but should someone stronger come along, they are able to take over. (v. 21-22).

Whatever is not working in your life, get rid of it. Replace it with something stronger: The words and ways of Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that
 no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

Confession is the first step of many, in the healing process. This act of owning your feelings is where most people stay STUCK!
The act of confession is often the step that is skipped. We don’t, by nature, want to talk about our sin or our feelings toward it. Adam and Eve hid from God, after they had sinned. They became self -aware and not God focused; this made their feelings of shame and guilt unbearable. We do the same thing, we hide our feelings of shame inside and they manifest in sickness and toxic behavior. This is damaging to our health and our relationships.

I coach people every day that are stuck in the pain. The pain can manifest in: fibromyalgia, depression, hopelessness, cancer, communication issues in key relationships causing feelings of rejection, insecurity, defensiveness; the list goes on and on!

They may even talk about the incident or the problem that caused the “stuck-ness” but never do the healing work and own the feelings connected to the issue. If we keep those toxic feelings and emotions in our body, they manifest in reactive volatile behavior, eating disorders, cutting, drinking, drugs, acting out sexually, the list is endless, we will do whatever comforts or makes the pain subside. This then adds another layer of guilt; often the things we do to medicate the pain, we know are also wrong. It becomes an endless cycle.
Until we own the feelings we have about the ORIGINAL issue, we stay stuck there emotionally.

                              One step in healing those bitter roots is the act of confession.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other
 so that you may be healed.  James 5:6


For with the heart man believes unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (wholeness, completely healed). Romans 10:10

The sin is not just the violation or “the issue”.

The sin is also the harboring of toxic feelings you are allowing to take root and grow.                                                                   These feelings grow into resentment and keep your heart sick (hopeless).

DON”T LET the enemy steel your joy and hope and keep you "stuck"!
Jesus came to set you free. You get to make the choice.

Many want to skip this step and move on to forgiveness. Often, we can feel more guilty by feeling the way we do, since the Bible tells us to love one another, and honor our parents; feeling hate towards our offender for abusing us or being angry and blaming a parent for allowing something horrible to happen, like rape or incest; makes us FEEL worse; the feelings of guilt and shame become worse. Many times our bitterness is towards God for not stopping the problem from happening; And that’s certainly NOT ok since God tells us to love Him with all our heart. The idea of giving that feeling a voice is unbearable. But this is exactly what needs to happen.  If you don’t own the feelings, they will own you!

These feelings are sinful and they are killing you and causing division from God. 

I am giving you permission to have a VOICE!
Own your feelings so they don’t own you!   Confess your sin, so that you may be healed.

God already knows your thoughts and feelings; He loves you so much He wants you freed from the captivity! (Luke 4:18)

The act of confession releases the toxic emotions so you can then do the forgiveness work. I counsel people that will say, “ I have already forgiven them, so I don’t know why this still “haunts” me.

Until you own the feelings ABOUT THE ORIGINAL ISSUE, they often manifest in sickness and toxic behavior to yourself and key relationships.

Have you ever thought, while in a heated discussion, where did that come from?
It can be from a bitter root, years ago that has been allowed to grow.

It is like a weed in a garden; if you don’t take it out when it’s little,
it will “take over” the whole garden.

         HINT: The weed is the bitter root (hatred, jealousy, resentment, offense….)and the garden is “your life”

When you allow toxic emotions to take root, they grow into all areas of your life!

         What bitter root needs addressing in your life?
Prayer:
Father, please reveal the root of bitterness that is holding me captive. Help me with the step of confession. 
I confess: I have a bitter root of _______________________________.
I feel _____________________________about__________________________.                   
Heal my broken heart and set me free from this bitter root that has held me captive. Amen.


In the act of confession, it is important that we confess to a safe person:
*A friend (IF THEY CAN BE TRUSTED not to share or condemn)
*A counselor.
* If these aren’t available, share it with God-
Write a letter, saying how you feel, to the people involved in the original issue. (The first time you felt the way you do now). DO NOT give them the letter, which may not be necessary. Read it out loud to God; then burn it and see, in your imagination, the sin hanging on Jesus at the cross and release it to Him. He hung on the cross for that exact sin. Jesus binds up your wounds and heals your broken heart (Psalms 147:3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Psalms 91 has been a scripture I have stood on many times in my life, when I could not see the outcome of a situation and felt fearful. There are so many promises in this passage.

I want to focus on two things.
                            When we dwell in Him, He protects us.

To dwell means to remain and abide in him, scripture says to do it daily. It also means to be inhabited. So, when we abide in Him, He inhabits or lives in us, through the Holy Spirit.

The word secret here means: covering, shelter or protection.

                            As we abide in Him, protection comes upon us.

Spend time with Him and read Psalms 91 out loud;
Receive His protection for yourself.

Psalms 91- NIV
1 Whoever (YOU) dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

Have you ever heard the saying, “Things will look better in the morning”?

Some days are just hard days. Whether we had a sleepless night or we are in a season of very little time or perhaps our hormones out of whack.
Hum, maybe, there are unresolved issues.

God is always teaching and growing us, and often the tests come during the “bad days”. The days we feel irritated and feel life is unfair; the days we are so tired our bones hurt!

This is the crucial time where our flesh wants to take over our spirit.
But God wants to turn it into something good!

         Matthew 1:20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream.

God will give you direction and peace if you allow Him to enter into your thoughts. 
When we are weak and weary but choose to rest in God and trust Him with our whole life, The Holy Spirit does the work and God is made strong in us.

         What in your life is overtaking your joy and your thoughts?
This is a clue; that God is working something out, that does not line up with His Word?

God speaks to us in many ways: through His Word, a circumstance, wise counsel, dreams, visions… But often He speaks through a thought. We have the mind of Christ but have to renew it with His word and line our thoughts up with His and listen for His direction. The enemy delights in alienating us from our Father and often does it through our thoughts.

Rest and rejoice in Him, especially on the hard, trying days and it will be better tomorrow.

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalms 30:15

Prayer:
Father, I cry out for your help and I praise your name.
I give you ­­­­­­­­____________________. Line my thoughts up with yours.
Teach me. Speak to me. Restore my “JOY”! Amen

“Be still, and know that I am God;

 I will be exalted among the nations,
 I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV

Let’s breakdown the Word:
This is a command, and is God’s ultimate purpose in the earth.

In Strong’s concordance,
be still means : to relax, to withdraw, to let go, to let alone or be quite.

know means: to learn to know, to perceive, to discern, to declare  or confess, to be revealed, to have knowledge of.

exalted means: to be lifted up, to raise, to grow up, be magnified.

This passage reminds me of some dear friends that have claimed this scripture over and over for the past few years. This is a word for all of us. God promises in the big picture:

Relax, confess and come to know; As your God, I will be magnified- I WIN!

He wants you to apply this to your personal life situations.
 
Pray the WORD:

Father, I heed your command to let go of  (this situation).
I confess that you are in control and I will come to know that you are my God in this area. I thank you that as I relax in you, You cause me to win! Amen