I have come to the conclusion that we [believers] do not love God enough.
Honestly, I cannot think of one person that is willing to die for me. Nor can I think of anyone who would promise to supply all of my needs for my entire life. And who can I talk to twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week? Even my best friend would get tired of hearing my voice after a while. This is the whole conclusion of the matter: I am ready to LOVE God with all of my heart, soul, and mind.
Bible verse: Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Humanity shares a common trait, and that is to aggressively pursue the desires of the heart. We desire the dream house, career, vehicle, lifestyle, and above all, the forever relationship with the perfect soul-mate who will help us achieve our goals. So what is wrong with wholeheartedly pursuing your dreams? Nothing at all! But there are exceptions.
When I decided to start a tutoring business for nursing students, I had a firm knowledge base of nursing theory and clinical practice. Even so, I had to teach entry-level students critical thinking skills and nursing judgment who were unable to choose the correct nursing action for the given patient scenario. On the exams, they were presented with four possible answers [with two being distractors], yet, they always chose the incorrect answer. Nursing programs are based on guided study, lectures, textbooks, and clinical practice. But the root of the problem was their lack of reasoning skills. Please know that Nurses do not have leeway. The wrong decision always compromises the patient’s safety.
Following the desires of the heart:
The Reality: The primary issue is not our desire to dream or developing strategies to achieve a fulfilling life. What happens when Plan A hits roadblocks? Most of us have not developed Plan B because we never anticipated failure of our initial plans. You may think, “that is a pessimistic outlook to develop short and long-term goals, and also think of developing alternate plans just in case things don’t work out.” Whether we choose to embrace this concept or to disregard it, the uncertainties of life are sure to happen.
Teaching the common sense of nursing was challenging, but I was confident that I could complete the task. However, after extended research, I realized that I was not equipped to tutor anyone but myself. So, I changed my short-term goal of immediately registering my business. I became a full-time student, enrolled in online courses for teaching adult learners and Business Management classes. Plan A was developed with immediately following the desire of my heart, which left me without the necessary skills. Developing Plan B was worth it. I enjoyed 12 years of helping others to reach their goal of becoming a nurse.
Anticipate and prepare for the roadblocks or the detours when pursuing your dreams. Our excitement often prevents us from seeking much-needed professional advice, completing the necessary research, and gaining additional knowledge. We can never know enough! Approaching our goals with the mindset that we are on a life-long learning curve equips us to meet and overcome the challenges of achieving our goals.
The consequences of following the heart and disregarding professional advice:
One of my worst experiences happened because I did not listen to the physician who told me not to accept the Branch Manager position at a Home Health agency. His main concern was regarding the business operations of that particular company because it was well-known for its shady reputation of cover-ups and manipulation of actual circumstances. I will never forget these words, “Sonya, you are a Christian, I cannot imagine you compromising your belief in God to participate in illegal activity.”
Two months into the job, I knew that I had to get out. After the management conference call with the corporate office, the words of warning echoed in my mind. Divine intervention to the rescue! God helped me in a time of trouble. The regional Nursing Director visited my branch a couple days after the call to relay a corporate decision. Since I was a Registered Nurse, I would have to assume the dual role of Branch Manager and Clinical Director effective immediately. As she walked out of my office, I closed the door, asked a prayer of forgiveness [for disobedience], and gave my resignation letter.
Truthfully, we cannot anticipate most of life’s detours. But when we refuse to acknowledge that our plans may not work out, then the D’s hit hard: The fruits of Disappointment are Discouragement, Distress, and Defeat. Some individuals are resilient and bounce back by immediately developing new and improved strategies, but that is not typical. Our emotions can easily tilt to an unhealthy place when facing adversity. But we have a solution: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
It has taken most of my life to give in and present my plans to God first. Finally, I realize that I need to have faith and believe in God’s promises. My prayer has changed to “Not my will, but your will be done” because I have surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. The trials and sorrows still happen, but not due to failed plans. When God reveals His plans for you, there is no Plan B! God can never fail, nor does He change. His Word is Absolute!
Bible verses: Still, I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD! Psalm 27:13-14
One of the hardest things that you will ever do is maintain the courage to keep your covenant vow with God. You will be tested by Satan, who will use your closest friends, family, and your desires to test your convictions to serve God. Our desires indicate whether or not we are serving God with unwavering faith, trust, and obedience. Often we fall into the temptations of sin, still, you must pray and stand against the deceptions of spiritual wickedness. Human Effort + Divine Intervention = A Victorious Outcome!
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24
Yesterday, I reached the crossroads of Obedience and Disobedience. God has spoken to me through my Pastor and several other individuals to stop all communication with an individual who no longer served God and did not have my best interest in mind. You know what? I prayed and asked God to give me the courage and strength to completely sever this relationship. God answered my prayer immediately. It happened yesterday. The relationship is over!
What made the difference? Divine intervention! God knows that I love Him with all of my heart, soul, and mind. Before the 30 days of Prayer, I identified deficits in my character that required change. I prayed for spiritual growth and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, God reached down from heaven and manifested His power to eliminate a huge problem that I struggled with for a long time.
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33
We can agree that life is tough! Even so, obedience to God places us in the position to receive the blessings of peace and inner joy. When we do our part: Having courage [standing our ground] against all deceptions [people, places, and things] that Satan uses to lead us down the “Road of Disobedience,” then our Warrior God steps in, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14.
Choose to always obey God! Our reward of eternal life depends on the humility to be an obedient servant of the Most-High God.
Scripture: But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.” Exodus 14:13
Prayer: God, we ask for forgiveness of the sin of disobedience. We desire to serve you wholeheartedly. Please help us have the courage to give up the people and the desires that separate us from you. Thank you for your divine intervention. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
SHOUT the Cry of Victory 30 Days of Prayer, Day 12
The dilemma of humanity: This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!'” Jeremiah 6:16
To serve God is a choice. Even so, once we make the covenant vow to serve God our choices end.
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? Romans 6:16
2. Jesus tells us that obedience is required to serve God:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
3. God clears up our confusion about our former lifestyle:
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance… 1 Peter 1:14
4. Disobedience ends in God’s rejection:
but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. Genesis 4:5
5. God knows that we struggle to obey Him:
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:14
Our Reward for Obedience to God:
He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21 AMP
Bible Study: Genesis 4
Prayer: God, we ask you to forgive us for our willful disobedience. We desire to obey you and to receive our reward of eternal life. Please give us the strength to overcome as we continue to serve you. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
God is not a religion or denomination. He uses peop,e from all walks of life to spread His message of truth. Just make certain that what you read or listen to is Bible-based truth. Be blessed.
So Jesus, after raising His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?” But He was stating this only to test him, for He Himself knew what He intended to do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, for each to receive just a little!” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?” John 6:2-9 NASB
The miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand men plus women and children reflects His love and compassion for humanity, and His Omnipotence–being all powerful. Two disciples reacted to the situation in the same way that many of us react to our problems: Either we see Jesus as having limited power or we focus on our circumstances more than the Problem-Solver.
Interestingly, Jesus’ disciples had so little faith in Him even though they were constantly in the physical presence of Jesus. Phillip took no action. He focused on the lack of money and gave Jesus the pessimistic reality of the situation. Andrew’s optimism sparked his desire to search among the crowd for food, but he returned with deflated faith. Yes, Andrew took action, but he did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God.
Either we have faith or we do not have faith: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1. Faith says: I know that my God will take care of this according to His will.
Jesus was testing His disciples on two points: First, acknowledging Him as the Son of God, and testing them to reveal their lack of faith.
Many times we pray and become despondent when God does not answer our prayers. But God always answers our prayers.It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen. Isaiah 65:24.
Asking God to take action, but not believing He can solve our problems, prevents God from taking action. And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
When we see that God is BIGGER than our problems, we approach Him reverently, boldly, and with great faith!
Bible study: John 6
Prayer: God, please forgive our doubt and unbelief. Thank you for loving and taking care of us. We come to you asking in faith to alleviate our burdens and provide for our needs according to your will. In Jesus’ Worthy Name, we pray. Amen.
I awaken around 5 am every morning and give God a big hug of gratitude by thanking Him for new mercies. As my challenges increase throughout the day, I plead for His strength to enable me to have victorious outcomes. Finally, as the sun rests and the moon emerges, from tired lips, I offer God my song of praise. I love you Lord. Please protect us while we sleep. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
I have been eating vegan, plant-based for two years. The physical transformation and healing of my body have been unbelievable. But within the past couple of months, I have experienced increasing fatigue. Why? This week, I had an annual physical with a new primary care provider [I relocated to Florida]. Much to my surprise, she also specializes in weight loss, no surgical bariatric procedures. All of my lab work was normal, except for Vitamin D [found a vegan supplement].
As I relayed reaching a weight loss plateau and feeling more fatigued since relocating, my Dr. began to ask about my dietary intake. When I responded that I was vegan, plant-based, we explored my sources of protein. I eat legumes, nuts, my own recipes for veggie burgers, and nut-loafs. However, when looking up the nutritional value of the legumes and nuts, I was amazed at the low count of grams of protein in a serving.
The question, “What changes have you made this year in your diet? I gave up all prepared veggie meat substitutes…too high in sodium, and reading the last five or six ingredients, I am not interested in feeding my body with things that I cannot pronounce. Still, my protein intake was only 25% of what my body required.
And over time, a lack of protein can make you lose muscle mass, which in turn cuts your strength, makes it harder to keep your balance, and slows your metabolism. It can also lead to anemia when your cells don’t get enough oxygen, which makes you tired. WebMD.
Adding to the equation of increasing my protein intake is my pre-diabetes diagnosis. Nope, I did not care for my body for five decades, and now my pancreas will not secrete enough insulin for a carb overload.
Last year, through research of credible resources, I have changed my lifestyle to lose additional weight and develop discipline. I have incorporated daily intermittent fasting for the past year, which means I only eat two meals a day with a fruit snack. If I am not hungry, then I can’t eat.
But my physician is impressive. She does not take the cookie-cutter approach with her patients. Instead, we developed a patient-focused life plan to increase my protein intake, eliminate fatigue, incorporate daily exercise, and facilitate further weight loss.
Goal: 100 grams of protein and limit carb intake to 100 grams daily.
Plan: Incorporate a plant-based, no-whey protein shake 1-2 times a day made with almond milk. Choose legumes and nuts that have the lowest carb intake–still exploring my options. So far, almonds, avocados [she is a fruit], and black beans are at the top of the list. Also, use an app (Lose it) that identifies the nutritional value of the foods that you eat.
Outcome: Within four days, I have lost four lbs, and I have my energy level back. Awakened, ready to take on the world and did an early morning walk.
I have been asked the question, “What does one eat when following a plant-based diet?” There are endless possibilities. I can assure you that my food intake is not mundane. I never eat food prepared the same way. You do not have to have the skills of a chef, but you have to have an open mind and explore your creativity.
Today, I intentionally paid attention to the many people that were at the beach. The sun’s dancing rays highlighted the pale blue waves, still, there were no smiles or laughter even among the children playing. As I contemplated on the reason for the somber mood, our time watching the Atlantic’s waves by Patrick AFB was abruptly cut short. The sirens blared as a robotic voice gave warnings of a pending storm with severe activity including lightning strikes.
I folded my chair and walked slowly down the walkway when a young woman turned her head to the left. As our eyes met, the sadness of her soul was reflected in her eyes. Yes, the same brokenness that I saw in my patients on the Behavioral Health Unit was evidenced in another victim to their circumstances. I decided to interrupt the melancholy mood that was prevalent among the beachgoers packing up to leave. I stopped, looked at the ocean and said, “Isn’t she beautiful?” to which she replied, “Yes, and the breeze makes it perfect.”
We smiled. But, before we could continue our conversation, again the siren sounded loud, ending all thoughts of watching the serene waves become angry and forceful. The young woman left quickly with tears streaming down her face, entered her vehicle, held the steering wheel with both hands, placing her head into her arms. As my friends and I drove away, I whispered a prayer asking God to heal the stranger’s broken heart.
We live in a time where advancements in technology have soared along with the statistics for suicide, depression, anxiety, and worries because love is running on empty. I invite you to look outside of yourself and speak to someone with eyes that reveal “all is not well.” Just a simple “How are you ?” may provide a calm moment in their stormy sea of mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish.
Prayer: God, we pray for the broken hearted, for the weary, and the individuals who feel life is not worth living. We ask you, Holy Spirit to provide comfort for those who are grieving and provide a way of escape for the abused, and the neglected. Help us to pay attention to the people surrounding us that know nothing about your love. Jesus, fill our hearts with the love and compassion that you have for all of humanity. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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