Are You In Need Of Pruning?

Being a teenager, I had a desire to clean my life up. I made mental notes on the things that needed to be changed such as my temper, my tongue, and a desire to love my family more. Growing up, my parents bought me an organ and every day I would play it for the Lord. I didn't care what song I was playing, it was for Jesus.

So by the time I reached high school, the Lord was speaking to my heart and one dayI gave my life over to Him. But when it came to living out my faith, I failed miserably. I was like a yo-yo. I would read my Bible one day, but not the next. My prayer life was in shambles, but I still had this aching desire to know the Lord more. And my relationship with my father became very strained. I was a mess and didn't know why.

Now, as I look back, I see the issue. I wasn't keeping my eyes on the Lord. I was still rebellious and a perfectionist. My life, my heart, needed pruning. 

 John 15:4-5 ESV [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. [5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

We weren't meant to live life alone. As humans, we crave community to share the good and the bad days with and to get advice. We wrestle with questions, doubts, etc. together. So why not with God? Deep inside our hearts, we experience an emptiness that we fill up with worldly things and desires. These things feel good at the time, but they are just distractions. We need something more. 

I believe deep down inside we all crave Jesus. That desire to search for more meaning in our lives or our main purpose to being born.  I believe this is the Lord reminding us that we need Him. 

He wants us to talk to Him and tell Him why we don't believe in Jesus. What our doubts, fears, and dreams are even though He already knows them. I can't stress this enough. We are His creation and God enjoys seeing us live for Him. It's a life-long lesson to learn and a very important one.

"Apart from me you can do nothing." We can try to make ourselves better, even reading all the self-help books, but to have true peace in our lives, Jesus is the only way. Through our relationship with Him, we learn to trust the Lord and to grow fruit in our lives. So what is this fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Have you ever tried to be patient with difficult people on your own? It's the most frustrating thing. Or how about being joyful in a situation where you are the one being taken advantage of or where everything is going wrong? Although your intentions may be good, you end up giving up and avoiding God all together. I've been there and it's a horrible place to be. This is why, as Christians, we need God to prune the bad fruit from our lives. To mold us into the type of person we need to be. 

Dear Lord, I want to believe in you, but I have issues that I struggle with that get in the way. Please speak to my heart and help me overcome the doubts, fears, and sins that are holding me back from giving you my whole heart. Prune my life Lord. I need you. In Jesus name, Amen.

God Still Heals

 "Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my right hand." Isaiah 41:10

I have read this verse many times over the years and it has been my go-to when life slapped me upside my head. It speaks many things to me, such as healing when I'm sick, never letting me go when I am doubting God's presence in my life, etc. For Christmas, I needed physical healing.

On December 23rd, I woke up with intense pain in my mouth and facial/neck glands. I thought it was another gland infection. I've had them before. I just take mucinex, drink lots of water, and vitamins. It does go away in a few days. 

But by the next day, I felt so sick and beat myself up for not calling a dentist the day before. At night the gland pain would hit harder. But during this time, I gave it over to the Lord because I know that He has always taken care of me.

When I got my lower wisdom teeth extracted, the Lord told me He would take care of me and He did. It was a tough road to recovery, but I made it with His grace. When my right kidney was experiencing pain and infections, I asked the Lord for help and He was with me when four huge kidney stones crumbled out of my kidney more than a week later. God was also with me when my gall bladder was at its worst. I was able to expel the stones with God's help. So, knowing this, I called on the Lord again and surrendered all this to Him and Isaiah 41:10 says it all. 

When we are at our weakest and call on the Lord, He holds our hand and walks us through our trial. He wants to take care of us. He wants us to lean on Him like we would our parents. It's about a relationship with the Lord - that is what this life is all about - a relationship with God through the sacrifice on the cross by Jesus. And this relationship is supposed to grow each day if we keep at it.

What gets me through times like this is praising God. Not just when things are good, but also when things go bad. Praising God in the midst of a storm is a sacrifice. Even though we are sick and can't get out of bed because of weakness, we sacrifice that little bit of strength to praise God for the blessings He's given us. That's what has gotten me through this life.

I made it through Christmas and found a doctor the next day. As of December 29, the swelling is down and I'm feeling better. 

God is amazing people and He still comforts His people and gives the right amount of healing to boost our faith in Him. Keep looking up and keep praying. That is the backbone of your walk with the Lord. Keep talking to Him. He wants to hear from you. 

Don't Give Up On Hope

NOTE: Written in October. It's still relevant. Trump is still in a fight and the Lord needs His people praying for him and for the heart of this country. That's what is still at stake - The Heart of this Nation. 

I am also in awe at the message God gave me here. He kept His word and never stopped telling me that Trump would win. But it's up to us, church, to keep praying for our leaders - and I believe both foreign and domestic. God is still on His throne and is still in control.

Don't Give Up On Hope

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV

[7] So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

I woke up today discouraged and depressed. I felt stuck in a hole that I couldn't get out of. Like something pressing in on me. I just wanted to give up. Thoughts going through my head crying out, "failure".  Because I haven't been able to do anything lately. 

The Lord encouraged me to read His word. But I couldn't shake this feeling. I can't describe it other than a heavy depression. I didn't know if I was still grieving for my dad since October 31st will mark a year that he's been gone. 

So I began to pray and rebuke the enemy because I've learned that sometimes when we feel this low, its the spirit of witchcraft or some kind of demonic attack. And lately, we know there is a spiritual battle taking place with this election coming up. It has been so fierce that it's escalating into the natural world and we can see it all around us. The thought came to mind that with November 5 being so close, this could be escalating into a full-on spiritual assault on the church. Designed to make us give up.

So I began to read my Bible. The Book of Revelation. The Lord knows that I will find something to study and it will lead me away from dwelling on how I'm feeling. Then I heard the Lord say:

IT IS AT THAT MOMENT (at the moment we're feeling attacked with discouragement and depression or just feel like giving up) YOU NEED TO READ MY WORD AND PRAISE ME FOR I'M THE ONE WHO SUSTAINS YOU.

Then I played this song.

When I played this song in the past, I'm telling you I could see a glimpse of heaven and my depression lifted off of me. I praised God while listening to this song. I thought of all Gods people and how they must be under attack also and prayed for them. I prayed for a breakthrough for us, for this election, and surrendered this battle to the Lord.

Then the Lord spoke to me as the song was ending:

I WILL GO BEFORE YOU, I WILL FIGHT THIS BATTLE. YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT, YOUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD. TRUMP WILL WIN AND WILL BE BACK IN THE WHITEHOUSE. I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE ENEMY AND THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE ONE WHO FIGHTS THIS BATTLE.

I was reminded of how the Lord made a way through the wilderness for Moses and the Israelites. He appeared as a pillar of cloud during the day and by night, a pillar of fire. They saw the physical manifestation of God walking before them, clearing the way to the promised land. Just because we don't see God working like this, doesn't mean He's not doing anything. He is still there. He still works miracles in people's lives and He still answers prayer. 

Sometimes when the battle is gaining momentum and all hope seems lost, praising God is what is needed. Because when we praise God, we are making a sacrifice. We are choosing to focus on God's glory and power instead of the battle going on around us. That is when God acts. 

Don't give up on hope. God knows it's been hard. God hears His people crying out to Him. Keep your eyes on the Lord and praise Him even when you don't feel like it. Play the song I linked above as a start. Give everything over to Him so He can take over. 

God loves you and wants to see you succeed in what He gave you to do. He wants to tell you things you don't know and show you things you've never seen. 

Don't give up church. God is there in the storm. AND KEEP PRAYING FOR TRUMP. He is in the fight of his life and so are all those on the front lines exposing Kamala and the other democrats ... exposing their lies and their plans to destroy us and tear down everything God and our forefathers gave us. Keep praying. Keep giving God all the glory and honor because He is worthy of it. 

I Heard A Word From The Lord Concerning Kamala and God's Justice

The Lord and I have been talking for years. This is a word I heard from the Lord yesterday. Please pray about this and ask for confirmation. 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.  1 John 4:1-3

The Lord said: Kamala is not who she seems to be. Everything about her is fake. Her background, her family - Everything! She is meant to be a diversion while the left destroys the country with its policies.

Walz is evil. They make a good pair. He backs up everything she says and she gives him handouts like a dog. Empty promises and lies bind them together.

I will open your eyes to it and you will see.

She's (Kamala's) not running the country. A fake leader. Others are running the country. Evil leaders exploiting America to its evil agenda.

I will tear it down and they will know that I am the Lord. Tear down the walls that divide you from me. Tear down  the walls that divide the people from freedom. The enemy will not be able to stand nor will he be able to see what is coming to him. I have declared and thus I will do this, declares the Lord.

A lot of this has been coming out on social media, youtube, mainstream news, etc. 

Candace Owens has been searching out Kamala's family tree. I recommend you go to her channel and check out the livestreams tab. From episode #70 on up she goes into detail on how Kamala's family doesn't make sense. But it's interesting. Janet Jackson came out and said that Kamala's father was white. 

Walz panicked during the VP debate and wrote notes like crazy while Vance pointed out things about this man's evil policies. For instance, his abortion policy gives doctors the right to allow a baby, still alive after a botched abortion, to lay there and die. To torture a baby like this is inhuman. 

God is a God of life, not death. Every unborn baby is its own separate life. No mother has the right to kill that baby. EVERY LIFE IS PRECIOUS TO THE LORD. So many women who have had abortions are coming to the Lord for forgiveness and He is resurrecting them. Bringing their lives back to life. When one gets an abortion, their womb becomes a grave. And many women over the years have felt called to the Lord for this very purpose. To repent. It's amazing what the Lord is doing in people's lives. He litterally brings them back to life. 

Pray that you can see what the Lord is trying to show people and pray for the wisdom and discernment to understand it. 

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3

The last part is what shocked me.. God will tear down walls of division. And the enemy won't see what's coming to them. They'll be so absorbed in what they're doing to destroy us they will be blinsided. 

I believe we are in the time of the Red horse of Revelation. The time of war. Remember, Israel is at the center of end-times prophecy. That's how I see everything by where Israel is and what they do. 

Right now God is hearing those crying out for justice and He is bringing it in the form of judgment.  I know I've been crying out for justice on behalf of people who have been wronged or ignored. Especially by the government. An interesting video to watch on this is:  Iran Strikes - Israel At War, by Pastor Cioccolanti on YouTube. It goes into how we are in the time of war and how God is using war to bring about justice. Very interesting video. 

I hope all of this makes sense. I wanted to tell you exactly what the Lord told me and then give you my opinion as I have watched things come out online. I would love to read your comments on this. Once again pray about this. 

Now is the time to get right with the Lord. And to the church, judgment comes to the house of God first. 

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17

If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, reach out to Him now while you still can. There is no purgatory, no way to accept Him once you are gone from this earth. And God doesn't want anyone to have to go to hell when they die. He wants everyone to repent. That's why He says many are called, but few are accepted (Matthew 22:14). If you feel you're being led to accept Christ, please pray this prayer.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for bringing Jesus to this earth and having Him die for my sins. Thank you, Lord that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive in heaven. Please forgive me for my many sins. And I pray that you take over my heart, and my life, and guide my steps Holy Spirit. I want you, Lord, and no one else to be with me. You are my God. You are my King. You are my Father. I give you everything in me, everything you have given me, back over to you. Guide me, Lord. Let your will be done in my life so I can lead others back to you. Thank you, again, Lord for what you have done for me. For you alone deserve all the glory and honor. Amen. 

If you have prayed this prayer, then angels are celebrating in heaven.

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

If you are still doubting that God is real or doubting that you need Jesus, I challenge you to ask God himself your questions. He will answer you. 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

The Lord does love you and because of this, Jesus was sent into this world and remains the only true hope that we have. The only true way to heaven.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

"If I had not spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin." John 15:22

Breaking The Chains That Bind Us

I always begin my day listening to Grace For Purpose Prayers on YouTube. I find they help me focus on the Lord every morning and get me into the Word. The prayer this morning made me think of all the things that are holding me back from my writing - the very thing I want to honor the Lord with.  It really hit me hard and has been a struggle for years to break free from.  (Link to video at end of the post.)

So the questions that hit me were: What sin clings so closely that it has become a hindrance in my life? What has become like a weight over me I can't fight?  This could also be an idol in our lives. Something we hold very dear, or a habit we can't let go of, that goes above what the Lord wants us to be doing instead.

A flood of things hit me. In particular, there are a few games I like to end my day by playing. Sometimes I can lose track of time and hours have gone by and instead of ending my day with my Bible, I end up tired and go straight to bed. Another thing is watching movies or listening to YouTube with my husband instead of studying God's word or journaling my thoughts for a devotional. This has been holding us both back and made us lazy, which has been another struggle I deal with.

But the biggest weight I have will shut me down completely and cause me to shut out everything and everyone if I'm not careful.  It's my husband's attitude toward my writing. My one love in the world is words and crafting them for the Lord. Learning how to take my stories and scripture and bless people in order to draw them closer to the Lord.  

The anger my husband has when I tell him I need to focus on my writing instead of going out with him. Losing his support for my writing has devastated my life. It has made my marriage uncomfortable at times and can paralyze me in my walk with the Lord if I let it.

I love going out with my husband and spending time with him, but when I designate a day to do nothing but write or work on a project, my husband doesn't understand this. And I end up putting off my writing for him and feel like I wasted an opportunity to write.

Have you ever let grief and struggles paralyze you from moving forward with the Lord? It is the most traumatizing place to be.

In Hebrews 12:1, Paul describes our life's path as a race that we must run with endurance to the end. But we all know that we have an enemy who will throw things in our path to stop us from sharing God's word with others. What strikes me is that in order to run our race we must "lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely". Underline that in your Bibles or make a note of it. We need to get rid of everything that doesn't line up with God's word, the idols in our lives, the habits that make us struggle with reading our Bibles, or even praying every day. Why? Because of the great cloud of witnesses, we have around us. People are watching us. Watching how we live, how we treat people, and whether we are living up to what a Christian should be.

When we accept Christ in our lives, we accept getting to know Him and His word by studying it, praying/talking things over with the Lord, putting Him first in our lives in order to help others. This is our task. So how can we do this when we are still struggling with sin in our lives? 

PRAY. Start off by praying for the Holy Spirit to show you the sins that cling too closely and make note of them.  Journal your journey or get a prayer journal to keep track of your requests and answers the Lord gives/shows you. 

REPENT. Repent of these things and give them over to the Lord. Even family members that may have hurt you. Please don't let the pain turn into bitterness. Go to them if you can and forgive them or pray for them. This has helped me so much with forgiving others including my husband.  In praying for them, God changes our hearts and gives us a heart of love towards them instead of pain. I want to stress, you may need counseling services in some situations. Please pray for guidance and wisdom in how to deal with a difficult situation.

Ephesians 4:26 - " Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil."

James 5:16 - "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person may has great power as it is working."

Mark 11:25 - "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespass."

2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

ASK. Ask the Lord to give you the strength to persevere through the withdrawals or temptation to go back to these bad habits and idols. Fill the emptiness with more of God's word and wisdom in your life and other people who won't bring you back down. Fill your life with God's treasure and adventure. 

This takes time, but if you make this a habit and go to the Lord first every day, you will eventually crave more and more of Jesus in your life and less of your old self. Then you will move forward, one day at a time, to the goal of your calling. Don't get impatient either. Having others pray for you is awesome. 

Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Share below in the comments what you have struggled with and whether you are healing or are still struggling. What worked for you to help you move on or what is the Lord putting on your heart in order for you to move closer to Him?

CHALLENGE: Write your struggles, what weighs you down, even the lies that the enemy has told you, etc.  Then look up Bible verses to counter them.  Write them down and put them in a place where you can see them and memorize them. Then turn the verses into a prayer you can pray when these things tempt you. 

Lord, thank you for opening our eyes to the things that have been holding us back from you. Forgive us and teach us what we need to do in order to let go of these things and move on. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us and give us a heart of love towards them. Let your love heal the wounds that are causing us to struggle in our walk with you. May you always be Lord of our lives. In Jesus name, Amen. 

The Lord is My Hope

In all the years I have known the Lord, He has never left me.  He has protected my house, husband, dogs, family & friends from evil.  He shows me treasures, that abound in His Word.  He tells me He loves me with an everlasting love & that I am His. 

But I know there are things the Lord wants me to deal with  so the healing process can begin... my addictions, failures & many mistakes especially in my marriage.  And He does forgive me and help me to move on.

The Lord is the light that shines along the dark path of life. He is my shelter and He calms the  storms that try to overwhelm me.  He is my King, the only One I will bow to, for men can't provide like God can.

I prefer my God because He is the only One who makes sense in this crazy, horrible world.  He keeps my mind focused & shows me the plans His enemies make against Him. Those who choose the darkness can't bear to stand in the light of God's truth. It shows their sin... they would rather deny the truth and God instead.

O Lord, you have brought me through many battles and have healed me from deep wounds that have left scars.  I have never forgotten you and you have never left me. Always molding me...always changing me.

Praise you Lord God! You are more powerful than your enemies!  More powerful than me!  I am weak & mortal... you are great & worthy of respect and praise.

For you created the universe and all things.  You are God! Elohim! Yahweh! Emmanuel! Jesus! You are Spirit! The Great I Am! All of creation bows before you and exalts your name. And you are STILL on the throne!

You Are God!