Tuesday, December 31, 2013

FOCUS

I was watching TV and a commercial came on last night for a 5 hour energy drink that talked about the word FOCUS. While I'm not necessarily a fan of energy drinks, I did find the commercial very inspiring. Click here to watch the video http://ispot.tv/a/7ftV It said Focus=clarity + alertness. As we are about to turn the page on 2014 and start 21 days of prayer on Jan. 5th, I am reminded that we should start the year with a focus. A focus to keep my prayers aligned.  A  focus to prioritize what gets my attention. A focus to determine where I want to spend my time and energy.  Lets look at the creative definition of focus.  Clarity=clearness of appearance and Alertness=a condition of heightened watchfulness or preparation for action.  So basically focus allows us to take a clear next step by looking at everything through that filter.  When we focus our prayers on what God wants for our lives, He will give us a clear next step.  When we seek to stay in His presence, He will guide us and provide revelation.  When we seek Him with clarity, He will reveal visions and dreams and when we seek Him with alertness, we are prepared for our next steps with a heightened awareness of what the enemy will try to bring against us.  If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18 MSG) 

Prepare for 2014. Be intentional with your goals.  Dream big.  Be alert.  Be clear.  Take next steps.  God has a specific purpose for you and He wants to carry it out.  You just have to focus! What will you be focusing on in 2014?  Bring it 2014! 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Surrender Comfort- part 3

Had First Wednesday at church last night. What an incredible time of worship and the message was so timely! We are preparing for 21 days of prayer and fasting  in January and this is such a needed time!  It's so easy to get busy, to get distracted, to let the things of the world be louder than the voice of God.  I am reflecting on the last few months and realize its easy to get in a routine. Almost like a rut.  A place where you are pretty comfortable. Your prayer life begins to look the same.  Your daily time with God looks the same.  Your time with your spouse, your children, your job.  We get settled into our lives where things feel pretty content. A comfort zone. And before you know it, we've let our body and soul become more powerful than our Spirit. I, for one, am excited about this prayer and fasting time. A time of connecting and re-connecting to God and disconnecting from the world.  Act 3:19 says So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19 AMP)

The effects of heat can be exhaustion, dehydration and weakness. We can experience this heat either knowingly or unknowingly.  When we know we are in "the heat", we feel it.  We walk in it and others know when we are in it. Yet, I think there's another time that we may be in it and not even realize. When we are in our comfort zone, "the heat" is slowly being turned up. We don't even realize what's happening.  We let the world settle us into a place of comfort and that's where we stay, parched and dry.
God, I surrender my place of comfort. My settled routine. My life of normal. I repent for staying in a comfort zone because that's where it is easiest. I pray that I keep my eyes toward you so that passion and purpose can continue to burn inside me. I pray that "the heat" used now is used to revive and fan the flame of desire that you put inside of me.  A desire to walk closer and more intimate with God so that I can fulfill His purpose for me while I am on this earth. May we all experience a time of refreshing (recovering, reviving) that gets us back on track and moving forward!