During this season, I’d been seeking the Lord about my business and ministry more often than usual. I’d been asking God what He wanted me to do. Does He want me to continue or do something else? I believe God’s response to me was to keep going.
Intercession for A Generation was started on a word from the Lord. God told me to put up the website in 2013. I discussed it with my friend, who is also one of my prayer partners. She encouraged me to obey the Lord and provided me with some practical steps to get started. Not long afterward, the site was up.

7 years later, I’ve had some progress, but doing this type of work doesn’t always allow us to see the fruit produced in the lives of others because of my obedience. I know God can move in seasons with things including ministry, so I wanted to make sure I was still in line with his will. Perhaps, it was a season for me to do something else instead, but God is saying otherwise, so I will keep going.
I think it is only normal at some point to question if we should continue in an endeavor after having done it for so long and still, everything seems almost the same. Where is the progress? Is God still with me? Maybe I missed it? This can be normal when we’re building as entrepreneurs who use our businesses as ministries to others.

During my devotion time with the Lord last week; I just so happened to be in the book of Haggai, which gave me the answer I needed. Haggai was a prophet in the old testament, who’s name means festive. That is just how the Israelites were living at the time. The Israelites had recently gotten from under the Babylonian bondage and lived under King Darius. Every Israelite minded their own business in their own homes. They became selfish dealing with only their individual needs while leaving the temple of God in ruins.

God had previously dealt with them about rebuilding the temple, but because the Israelites faced opposition from those around them; they stopped the work. They became lackadaisical only seeking what made them comfortable.

God sent the prophet Haggai to his people to get them out of that slump and to put fire to flame causing them to go back into completing the work of building the temple. The below scripture was clear in its message that the Israelites in this scenario needed to simply work:

But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. – Haggai 2:4

Not only did God command the Israelites to work, but He planted a seed within them of what to expect upon completion. He shared that once complete the glory that was previously experienced in the former temple would be nothing in comparison to what will be experienced in the new temple. I think we can have a tendency to get complacent and think to ourselves, “well God used me back then or I’ve had some good times with the Lord.” However, God is setting an expectation that our good times we’ve had with the Lord aren’t all there is. God is saying this isn’t all there is. There is more that He has for us and that is why we have to keep building. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED! CONTINUE THE WORK GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO NO MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW. GOD IS WITH YOU. KEEP GOING!

Watch video snippet below re-interating the encouraging word:

This is the final blog in our series, “Are You Read to Date Quiz & Discussion.” Please, review the previous blogs in this series to take advantage of the information. This series was done to introduce my latest book, Patterns of the Heart Discernment in Choosing a Potential Spouse. The book helps people who desire godly relationships to ask the right questions during the dating and pre-dating stage. Asking and observing patterns related to these questions will help determine who is suitable and who is not. The quiz was designed to help a person to see if they are ready to date now or if they should wait some time while allowing the Lord to work in them to bring about the maturity, resolve, and the whole approach to life needed to build a solid relationship. Below are the last three questions in the quiz broken down.

Question #7
Do you have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?

1. Yes, 81%
2. No, 19%

I was a bit grieved to see that 19% of those who took the quiz do not have a relationship with God. My sincere prayers go out to all who do not know the Lord. Especially, during a season like we are in now with the Coveid-19 crisis. I’m so glad and thankful that my faith, trust, and hope for my future is founded upon the Lord. He is our solid foundation. Whatever is built on him will be stable, grow, and flourish.

As mentioned, in my first book, “The Single Christian Woman’s Guide,” everything begins and ends with the Lord. Our identity, which is how we view ourselves comes from God–if we are to view ourselves from a healthy manner. Many rush to the idea of simply getting into a relationship hoping it will help them to feel accepted, valuable, or to give them purpose. This may work temporarily, but if we place our worth on people who are fickle and who often change their minds, what stability will we have about our worth when those things are taken away. Our stability, clarity, and purpose for our future cannot be based on a circumstance. It has to be founded on the Lord.

It’s almost like chasing a high. A high only lasts for so long, and then a person will have to get high again. However, those who allow the Lord to fill every void will be full. They will be satisfied. They will not make choices for a relationship out of desperation, but out of the wisdom that comes from God. I invite anyone who doesn’t know the Lord to try him today. God is more than a religion. He is the Sovereign God of the whole world and he desires to have a relationship with each of us. Try him for yourself and see. Pray to Him in sincerity and humility. If you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross for your sins; and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved according to scripture.

That’s only step number one. Step number two is to live the rest of your life in pursuit of him praying, reading the Bible and growing in knowledge about who he is. Connect with a church that teaches the Word of God and operates in love. I promise when you seek God for yourself.
Out of the healthy view of ourselves comes our purpose and passion. Without those two things, we will not be able to properly operate in healthy relationships. Without them, we invite instability. Marriage is also to point back to Christ. Without Christ we have nothing. Without Christ, we cease to properly exist. It’s God, who breathed into us his breath in the beginning that enables us to live. We must learn to walk with him and submit to him daily.

Question #8
Are you secure in your identity in Christ?

1. Yes, 80%
2. No, 20%

Becoming secure in our identity in Christ is the foundation of a healthy individual. Healthy individuals make healthy marriage partners. I recently spoke with a married woman who complained about her husband but could not see any contribution from herself to the problems they were having in their marriage. She consistently deflected about what he was not doing and his behavior. It’s easy to allow a partner to distract us from taking responsibility for our personal growth and development. Sometimes, it’s easier to get caught up in a relationship than to take responsibility because that means looking at ourselves saying, you know, I am a bit of a mess, but God still loves me. Or wow, I understand why Jesus had to die for me, I’m a bit much. Lord, have mercy on me. We begin to accept God’s grace and mercy for ourselves, thus we show that same mercy to ourselves and others. People who are harsh, mean, and judgmental have forgotten this. They are probably on some self-righteous trip looking at everyone else but themselves.

Self-rejected people easily reject others. A person who has not accepted who she is in Christ will be hard to live with and should study Ephesians, Psalms 139, and Philippians praying and asking God to cause them to accept their identity in Christ. I learned this by going through various trials and tribulations. Those trials can bring us to such a low place that we are ready to hear and receive all God has for us. When we are prideful and not willing to look at ourselves; it can be hard for God and others to get through to us. The Wholeness Action Plan book can help with this process because it will not be easy, but it is possible.

Question #9
Do you believe you are worth it?

1. Yes, 79%
2. Still working on it, 21%

If you are not settled on your value and worth; you should not be dating. Study the above and allow yourself the freedom of wholeness before pursuing a relationship. Feel free to read my book, “Patterns of the Heart: Discernment in Choosing a Potential Spouse” to ask yourself the questions at the beginning of the book that addresses wholeness and allow the Holy Spirit to process you until you begin to see and value yourself as he sees you.

Continuing from last week, this is part 3 out of 5 for our are you ready to date quiz and discussion. This discussion is in relation to the new book, “Patterns of the Heart: Discernment in Choosing a Potential Spouse.” Take a look at question # 4 below and it’s explanation. Leave your comments or take the quiz yourself at the end of this article.

Question # 4
Have you embraced yourself for who you are allowing yourself to feel like an asset to yourself and others?

1. Yes, 67%
2. Still Struggling with This, 22 %
3. No, 11%

Let’s be real. We all struggle with various perspectives concerning ourselves and sometimes it takes us a while to accept them. Something I’ve learned more and more as I’ve gotten older is to continue to accept myself over and over again. That means whenever a question arises about who I am whether it’s something I need to take personal responsibility on saying I was wrong or if it’s good but may annoy other people. I have a commitment to myself to accept myself based on God’s acceptance of me, and his intentional development of how he wants me to be for his purpose.

For example, I have somewhat of a deep view of things. I don’t look at a lot of things for face value. I enjoy going beneath the surface seeing things others may not see. I look for the good in every situation. I’m solution-oriented. I don’t like to hear negativity or complaining from others for the sake of being negative or complaining. I’m the type that looks to reshape the conversation. I ask questions like how can we get to the bottom of this to address the real issue. I’ve found that everyone doesn’t like that. Some people just want to complain and dump on others. Don’t get me wrong sometimes we have to vent, but sometimes venting just for venting’s sake can lead to feeling negative and gloomy.

If I’m going to deal with certain things I want to work through it to get to the positive aspects. Everyone isn’t always ready for that and I’ve gotten push back and snapped on. In those moments, I’ve had to still say to myself, it’s okay. You are the way you are for a purpose. You do not have to change who you are to fit in with everyone. Continue to be you.

And God saw everything that he had made and, behold, it was very good. – Genesis 1:31

The Greek word for good is tob. It means: Good, pleasant, agreeable, excellent, rich, valuable in estimation, appropriate, and becoming. (Strong-Lite Dictionary)

Without the basic estimation of who we are and our value; we place ourselves at risk for instability in dating relationships. We can become easily moved by the opposition of those who just weren’t meant for us. Everyone isn’t meant for us. This is why God told Adam that he needed a suitable partner. Someone, who would complement how God made him. Also, someone who would not set him off course from his God-given purpose. Our suitable partner will not be perfect. We see that Eve was not perfect, but immediately began making mistakes in her partnership with Adam, but she was suitable enough to remain committed to him and who God called Adam to be. This is why we need to be resolved in accepting ourselves before entering a relationship.

The above is simply an example of owning who I am. I realized the things God’s invested in me are good and purposeful. Thus, I carry myself like I am good and purposeful. Where I fall short, I address it. Similar to Adam and Even in the garden. God made men and women and called them good, not bad.

Continuing from last week, we are reviewing a quiz inspired by my new book, Patterns of the Heart. The quiz helps those who participate in it to see if they are truly ready to date or if they need to still do some individual work as a single person. Last week, we looked at questions 1-2. This week we will look at question number three below. Remember, the book, Patterns of the Heart was written for those who are ready to date. It is packed with questions we can ask during the dating and talking stage to see if we should move forward with a suitor or not.

Question # 3
Do you operate out of fear and control or faith when communicating with the opposite sex?

1. I operate out of faith, 40%
2. I operate out of fear and control, 20%
3. Other, 40%

The above is very important to know when we are communicating with the opposite sex to form a romantic relationship. If we’re operating out of fear and control; we may not be resolved yet in the belief that we are good enough for a romantic relationship. We may still have a broken perspective in that area where we are subconsciously trying to prove to ourselves that we are good enough. We may be motivated by fear of not having what we genuinely desire. Thus, control can come into play causing us to attempt to force a relationship to work that just isn’t it.

This can be seen when only one party is showing interest in the relationship, but the interested party doesn’t take the clue that the other person isn’t interested and continues to press, pursue, or give clues of interest. The other party may take advantage of the weakness of the one acting out of control or fear to get what he/she can. This is an unhealthy imbalance that should be resolved before attempting to get into a relationship.

The person operating out of fear will need to continue to be processed by God allowing the Holy Spirit to teach him/her through trials, tribulations, and circumstances in life that God has him/her no matter what. Thus, there is no need to fear. Once trust is fully grown in this area and a person has fully embraced him/herself; they will be ready to react in a healthy manner when communicating and attempting to build relationships with the opposite sex. The person who deals healthily with attempting to build a relationship with the opposite sex; will not seek to control or force a relationship because he/she is busy trusting in the Lord to lead and guide them to the right relationship.

He will have enough self-respect to know when a relationship isn’t it and when someone isn’t serious about him. He’ll walk away waiting for better knowing that he is worth it.

The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. – Proverbs 10:22

Can I be real about some of the things that tempt us to turn away from the living God? There is this battle of questioning that we can sometimes experience after a loss. We may ask ourselves have we been walking in faith or denial?

Namely, this applies to when we are believing God for something in faith that does not happen. What do we do and what do we believe when we’ve believed God for something that it’s become clear to us just isn’t going to happen? Should we turn away from God and believe His Word isn’t true? Should we question whether God loves us because maybe He’s done what we were believing for someone else, but not us?

These are normal questions that come up in the human experience of life. In this life, we face serious and very real difficulties where we lose something. Yes, I said it, and it’s okay to realize that we’ve lost something whether a loved one, loss of use of our fully functioning due to illness, or other things, but life and faith isn’t over at our point of loss.

In the over-spiritualized name it and claim it culture, we sometimes live in denial of what’s really going on. Yes, I believe in living in faith, but I also believe in walking in humility in the circumstance that I am in.

The reality is God wants us to walk in faith, but sometimes we have to walk in a lower place of humility on our way to seeing what faith will produce in our lives. Faith, biblically defined, is the substance of what we hope for and the evidence of things unseen.

In other words, we can have hope, and believe God for a thing, but there is still an element of the unknown to our faith. We aren’t guaranteed that a thing will happen unless God specifically spoke on it. The unseen is just that unseen. We don’t know. There is a humility that is produced within us that comes from the unknown and the crushing of things not happening as we expected.

What we do know is that we are to live our lives trusting in God, depending and relying on God. In this trust, dependence and relying on God, what’s unseen will be manifested. It could be healing, stewardship over something greater than we imagined, or a disappointment. Things may go in a totally different direction than what we were believing for. It’s okay to admit and say that we don’t know, are disheveled, or confused when we are.

God forbid, those who once were believers would begin to turn their hearts against the Lord in hardness of heart because they named and claimed something where God said no. God’s promises are yes and amen. These are things he has promised personally. He promised Joseph personally that he would be in a position of authority over his brothers and He bought it to pass. Things God has not promised specifically to us; He can say no on―whether we name and claim it or not.

God watches over what He’s promised to perform it. That’s his Word. Anything else is unseen and unknown. I myself walked in denial believing God until the end to heal my father when God had already revealed that he would not live any further. Of course, I continued to believe in case the Lord changed his mind as he did with Hezekiah. God’s word stood however and I had to submit to it.

When God says no. We have to submit to it in humility continuing to believe in the Lord. We have to believe that all things work together for our good and that something good will come out of it. I recently heard an awesome message taught by Michael Todd on fading faith for those who’ve experienced loss while trying to believe. He shared how those people needed a personal tangible touch from God. That has been a personal prayer I’d shared with the Lord after my real loss.

I can say that I’ve experienced the Lord walking with me and reassuring me of his presence during this time in such a real way. I believe that it’s helped me not to walk in denial of how I feel, or what I’ve experienced that allows me to continue to walk in faith.

Don’t allow anyone to make you feel ashamed, unspiritual, or lacking in faith for being real about the genuine loss you’ve experienced. God cares about your loss and how you feel. Most importantly, God cares about how we see him because this determines if we’ll be able to believe in him. God isn’t afraid of your honesty as you express the real emotions of your loss. If you feel frustrated, let down, or confused, let God know. Reach out to him so you too can continue to walk in faith over denying him.

It seems that the culture places men on a pedal stool to a degree when it comes to fatherhood. Men are expected to be perfect or they are only considered effective if they’re more on the perfect side. Case and point, recently with the TI conversation about his daughter’s pap-smear appointments. Many were ready to throw TI under the bus because he has a level of fear that he’s been operating in by seeking to control his daughter and his daughter’s sexuality. Yes, I agree that it is a bit overboard, but at least TI is there.

At least, he did not leave. At least, he realizes a need for his daughter to be protected even though that isn’t the best way to go about. At least, he is trying. I’ve never experienced anything like what TI and his daughter are going through, but I did grow up with a controlling father who did things out of fear, and he was a good dad. I turned out amazing not because he was perfect, but because he was there.
Too often in culture, we act as if kids can only turn out well if they’ve grown up in a home similar to Joel Osteen or others that we assume had perfect childhoods, but God can use the imperfections of our fathers to demonstrate his grace, power of redemption and sustainability, and his great love.

I am so extremely thankful for the fact that the Lord allowed me to grow up with my father and all of his imperfections as well as strong suits. When we look at our parents through the eyes of honor being thankful for the fact that they are there, they’ve stepped up to the challenge, and they are willing to learn and grow to some degree; we without realizing it encourage them to be better.

The opposite is beating them down about their imperfections and throwing them away because they do not meet our pedal stool expectations. The reality is none of us can be a pedal stool. We all need the grace to be ourselves as we grow. If TI is at a point of control to attempt to protect his daughter right now; then that’s where he is at. He should not be condemned for not fathering in a way that we expect him to. He is only human and has to grow and develop himself.

When God deals with us, he doesn’t throw us away until we get over our weaknesses. He used Joshua when Joshua was afraid. How did God do that? He encouraged Joshua to be strong and to have good courage despite the frightful circumstance of having to lead the children of Israel to the land of Canaan. Joshua took on the opportunity. He stepped up to the challenge. He may have made some mistakes along the way, but he ultimately did it. He did it through Christ.

This is how we all overcome through leaning on Christ and not ourselves, nor our record of perfectionism and self-righteousness. Finally, when we only focus on the bad of a person and the fact they did not meet our standard for them; we can make them feel like a failure in our eyes and that may make a person want to distance themselves from us. I know I would not want to be around someone who only pointed out my weaknesses.

Something my dad shared with me a few years before he passed was that he could always see the respect that I had for him. That meant a lot to me because I’d always tried to carry myself in that way. It’s important to make sure we are appreciating and honoring our fathers right where they are and this will encourage them to do better.

We should not just be trusting God for one thing, but trusting in the Lord should be our daily lifestyle. I believe one of the things God has been dealing with me about is a daily trust in the Lord. Daily trust in the Lord is one of the benefits of resting in God. Resting in God is birthed through journeying through various trials and tribulations and coming out as victorious. This is our inheritance in Christ Jesus.

God’s word provides specific encouragement in enduring through daily life challenges by faith. This restful faith ensures that everything God has promised us will come to pass. We should not be anxious about what God’s promised but instead live in a daily trust. We should not become angry, resentful or rebellious because God’s promise hasn’t come to pass yet.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. – 2 Peter 3:8

The above scripture reminds us that God and humans do not think on the same wavelength as it pertains to time. God is extraordinarily patient when it comes to his promise to return to earth and judge the world. Why? Because he is waiting for other people to come into the kingdom of God. That’s his purpose in being so patient. He wants to make sure everyone he died to save will come to him and receive his salvation.

However, the same chapter in 2 Peter warns against those turning away from God in rebellion as if God’s promise is no longer relevant to them because things have been the same for so long. God wants us to know even though things may be the same for a long time; His word is still true and his promise still stands. We will discover his promise one day in daily faith or if we fall away as the rebellious; we will discover his promise one day in judgment and wrath. We have a choice. What will your decision be?

I’m choosing to continue to rest in daily faith and trust toward the Lord. When we are in this place, we will notice that things that happen that may have been seen as negative or disappointing by others will not affect us as much. Not because we are superhuman, but because our trust has become more firmly rooted in Christ Jesus. This is an amazing place to live in.

The show is winding down and this week we’ll see who stays together and who does not. Below I’ve given my synopsis of who I think will stay together and why along with some lessons to be noted for those who wish to have an awesome relationship one day.

Matt and Amber
I saw the error in picking these two to be together from day one. Matt has too many unresolved issues and a pattern of running away from things that appear to be difficult or uncomfortable. So, his parents got a divorce and he was disappointed. Through his disappointment, he has not communicated with his parents in years. This was noted in the first episode.

My first question was why has he not communicated with his family? Why hasn’t he reached out even if they don’t want to talk with him? That is family. His family did not even know he was getting married, so his parents weren’t at his wedding. Matt has some real communication issues, and perhaps some hurt and bitterness toward his parents that he refuses to address. Instead, he runs. He ran to Married at First Sight hoping his marriage would fix his issues, but it didn’t. It only showed him that he wasn’t ready for the real work that marriage required.

His lack of ability to address his issues causes him to project on other people. This is why Amber is the problem in his eyes. This was shared when he said she was too clingy and how he just needed to getaway. Perhaps she is, but that doesn’t negate him taking his responsibility as a man. He just simply was not ready and thus, I do not believe he and Amber will stay together.

Matt should be working on the relationships God has already given him such as with his parents. He needs to find a way to honor his parents and love them and to be present in their lives in spite of their mistakes. He needs personal healing for himself and it will only be found in him facing his issues and taking responsibility. Only after he’s done that can he look toward marriage or else he’ll continue not to take it seriously as he’s been doing.

Iris and Keith
Big-ups to Iris and Keith! Did you all see the cute hug and multiple kisses where each one of them came back for more of each other? That’s what I am talking about! It seems like what they have is genuine, which means that since this show is pre-recorded and we’re just now seeing it; Iris more than likely has already popped open that cookie jar.

I’m proud of these two for actually not just jumping right in focusing on the physical only. They seem to have taken the time to get to know each other. After all, they were just strangers meeting at the altar. I’m proud of Keith for verbalizing that he wanted to honor Iris and wait until she was ready and share that he was not ready. He seemed to take this exercise very seriously and Iris too. She did not allow the peer pressure from others telling her to just give in and be sexual immediately so she would not lose Keith. Because what Iris seemed to place value on was real love and genuine connection, she was not willing to compromise and play the game of changing who she is to avoid losing someone.

That shows her strength and confidence in who she is as a person. That’s a great quality for Keith or any man to have. Many women are too afraid to take the stand she has and they simply play the game of changing who they are to be “loved.” When you know you’re already loved and you’re worthy of real love; you simply do not settle. If her being herself meant she may have lost this awesome man; it would have meant he just wasn’t for her. Iris realized that if Keith was really into her as she seemed to be into him; he would not leave her because she did not have sex with him within 8 weeks. Marriage means the rest of their lives or at least it’s supposed to.

I believe that both Iris and Keith were looking for more than just sex. I believe they were looking for life-partners. They have a lot of the same values, as shared by Keith on last week’s episode, and desires. They seem to also share the same purpose, as well as both of them, work with kids. Finally, they seem to have mutual respect for one another. I believe with these foundational things in place; they’ll be just fine and that they will stay together.

Greg & Deonna
Greg & Deonna are super lovely! Deonna has some obvious walls up. Sometimes she seems as if she can do with or without her husband, but her husband seems to love her. No matter what she throws at him in the form of her walls; his love breaks those walls right on down.

I love the way he looks at her, values, and respects her. That is everything to a woman. I’m pretty sure Deonna will say yes to staying married to him. Greg seems to be every woman’s dream. Perhaps Deonna just isn’t used to being loved like many of us, and thus it’s taking her some time to believe that her experience with Greg is really true. Well, this is a scenario where Deonna will have to become more open in showing Greg how much she appreciates him. As women, we do not want to take the awesome men God’s placed in our lives for granted.

Jamie & Beth
Hmm, what can I say about this couple? When two people just aren’t good for each other; they need to realize that and move forward. Everyone we date or seek to have a romantic relationship with will not be a perfect match, and that is okay. It doesn’t mean that one person isn’t worth love or vice versa. It just simply means; it isn’t a good match. I believe this sums up Jamie and Beth. They aren’t a good match. While Beth is a bit weird into her moon water and such; I don’t believe Jamie takes her seriously unless it comes to them having sex. That seems to be the main bonding point for Jamie.

While Beth wants everything. She wants a man to adore her. I feel like watching them together that Jamie sometimes appears to be speaking to a child when he argues with Beth. He said he wanted someone who was somewhat spontaneous and a bit of a wildflower, but it seems he cannot handle that. He seems to need a woman who is more reserved, laid-back, and quiet. He seems to want someone who also just wants to have a lot of sex while making him feel comfortable. I do not believe they will stay together, and thus they need to accept that they just aren’t a good match.

I’ve talked about this before, but I want to reiterate because I’ve noticed some of my sisters and brothers in Christ causing themselves to be stuck by not leaning on the Lord when it comes to dealing with their insecurities of self-worth and worthiness of an appropriate spouse.

Instead of going through the uncomfortable faze of being single and unattached; some invite others into the space of a potential to hang out with no definition of being there. It isn’t a friendship, but a user-ship of men and women they have no business with. These men and women validate the questions of self-worth within a person; rather than that person relying on Christ for that worthiness.
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Yes, it’s uncomfortable to not have a potential that is qualified by God’s standard insight, but it is necessary to develop our trust in God and our character as we wait for what God has for us. If we genuinely trust God; we will be willing to trust God through the uncomfortable. This applies to any part of life where growth is needed.

If you are single and your hormones are burning up. Don’t rely on cheap fixes such as masturbation, air-humping, or porn. Go through it leaning on the Lord for his grace. If you are having problems dealing with difficult people at your job, in your family, or at church; go through it.

If you have a vision or dream God is directing you on, and it isn’t comfortable right now; go through it. If you are trusting God for something that has not panned out yet, and others simply do not understand; go through it.

In the below video, I share the benefits of continuing in an uncomfortable situation in trust, faith, and obedience to God. I share how God uses it to develop us; and those who choose to run from the hard places end up stuck, underdeveloped and in the same place.
Many who run from what’s uncomfortable never confront the real issues of what’s going on underneath their insecurity because their so busy covering their insecurity with distractions; while God is seeking to expose those insecurities for deliverance and reliance on him. Reliance on God is the precursor to miracles in our lives.

Running from discomfort results in resentment for staying in the same place when it’s our responsibility to do what’s necessary to move forward in life. Watch the video below to hear more about remaining in uncomfortable spaces to grow and develop and to also become more reliant upon God.

The more life hits, the greater the value we place on resting in that secret place with the Lord. It’s easy for us just to move with the business of life when things are level. We celebrate, adorn ourselves, and focus on living that good life. That’s all fine and well, but sometimes life calls us deeper into the secret place and focusing more on the inner man or as the Bible states the hidden man of the heart.

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1 Peter 3:3-4 (KJV)

This is a scripture God takes me to often to remind me to be still and quiet before him. I’ve recently been going through grief and other things and sometimes it causes me to feel a bit behind with the pursuit of purpose, ambition and plans I’d previously been working on, but I know its important for me to heal so I pace myself.
However, God was letting me know it isn’t about those things so much right now anyway. It’s about my inner man. God wants my inner man rested and secure in him. He wants my inner man quiet no matter the challenges that come my way. He’s been inviting me to rest more in that secret place with him not worrying about falling behind or keeping up the things that others can see. He wants me centered on him.
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During the centering on him, God provides wisdom, instruction, rest, assurance, healing, and everything that comes with his presence. I love this place. I love that the Lord draws me nearer to him when I am facing challenges, and he carefully instructs me on how to get through them.
Recently, God had given me Psalms 27 as a road map and confirmation of how he’s been calling me deeper into him:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. – Psalms 27:1-6

David was reiterating that no matter what came up against him; he’d be okay if he focused on what was most important and that is the one thing he desired from the Lord. He desired to dwell with the Lord and to behold the Lord. That is when he saw himself as hidden in God’s place of safety at rest and lifted up far above his enemies. That is the most important thing. It’s more important than keeping up in ministry, appearing to have it all together or anything else we could desire. Maintaining our seek for God and allowing ourselves to be quiet enough to gaze on him helps us to remain hidden in his rest. When life hits hard; we should go deeper in God into that secret place. God is so good that he will be patient with us and coach us there no matter where we find ourselves.