Day 11 of This Is Personal (TIP) 21 Day Fast: Obedience Formula

 Hey Reader!

How are you? How are you doing on this fast? Are you feeling like things are happening and you don't know what? I know I am. It has been a strange week for me. I have been in my emotions, feeling heavy and overwhelmed, and I still don't know what I really preached about on Sunday. I feel out of it. I want to be a better person this week, but I feel so drained. With all these things I am encouraged that GOD is about to do something BIG. Being Obedient can cause these things. Being in the position of choosing to write your blog over getting so much-needed sleep can be taxing; however, worth it when you do it because you love GOD and do not see Him as the judge only. Check out today's video as we dive into the obedience formula.

This Is Personal (TIP)  is a 21-day fast and journey. During this journey, we will move from seeing the Word of GOD as a guidebook to seeing it as a space for personal encounters with GOD! We will explore three focus scriptures and create space for us to reflect and journal about: How to create our own record book with GOD,  How to move from who we are to who GOD has called us to be, and How to stand firm in the process during the difficult times.  Though the journey is individualized and personal, it allows for collective accountability and discussion. 

You can send your prayer request and answers to the homework assignments to: thisispersonaldevotional@gmail.com

Also, join us for prayer on Mondays and Thursdays during the fast:

Mondays at 6 am cst (starting January 29, 2024)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86178915186?pwd=Q1JKMFlpMENaeFZNaHZXLzB4QUROdz09

Meeting ID: 861 7891 5186

Passcode: TIP2124

Thursdays at 7 pm cst (starting February 1, 2024)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84134169890?pwd=Z2xQallweWQ4NTBnSTlZeWpXN3cydz09

Meeting ID: 841 3416 9890

Passcode: TIP2124!

I Expect The New Now

DDC Readers,

We are weeks away from 2019 and I am still trying to get into 2018. I know that's bad, but I still feel like Daddy has something that He needs to do in 2018. With everything going on in the world, I really feel like He is waiting for someone to expect something from Him without waiting for the new year to arrive. I am that someone. In a message that I ministered at my church, I told the people that we get so caught up in waiting for the words "Happy New Year", that we missed the newness that Daddy is doing in our present. I love how he put it in Isaiah 43:18-19 (I am paraphrasing) He says. "forget all that I have done because I am doing a new thing"... Then He asked the question, "Don't you see it"? So let me go back, to give you the background of what is going on before we get to verses 18 and 19. So, in verses, 1-17 Daddy is telling the children or Israel what He has done for them, what they have done to Him, and the consequences of their actions. In other words, He is listing the history of their relationship with each other. By verse 18, He tells them to not dwell on the past because, in verse 19,  He is about to show them something new. From verse 19 until the end of the chapter He speaks of the new things that He is going to do and how they should be in a place of expecting, preparing, and experiencing the new now.

That's where I am when I say I am trying to get into 2018. I want to leave the first part of 2018 behind and enjoy the new that Daddy is doing now. I want to be in a place where I am not stuck on what He did that I miss what He is doing. But, can I be honest that's where a lot of us are. We love the fact that we have a track record with Daddy, but we forget that He is just like the energizer bunny... "He keeps going and going".  I know you are wondering... What's the moral of this blog? Well, good Question... The Moral of this blog is this: Dwelling on what He did will place us in three positions: 1) The looking back position. Looking back causes paralyzation. Genesis 19:26 we see that Lot's wife turn into a pillar of salt when she looked back. Which resulted in her being paralyzed in that position for life. 2) The Reminder position. This position tells us to remember what GOD has done but never expecting Him to do anything else. That's why in Isiaih 43:19 He says, "Do you not see it"? which brings me to the last position 3) The blind position. There are times where we can be so blinded by the new that we can't see the now. When it comes to this position I am reminded of Sarah and Abraham.  How when Sarah got the word that they would be pregnant and it did not happen when she wanted it too, she took matters into her own hands and created something new.  But, she missed the opportunity to trust Daddy and  His timing. Had Sarah not been so blinded by timing then she would have enjoyed the process of the new.

Prayer:  Daddy, thank you that you allow us the opportunity to enjoy the new things that you are doing in our lives. We pray that you will help us to never look back on your past track record with us that we aren't able to move forward in what you doing through, too, and for us. We pray that you will help us to remember that you do something new daily and we can't get stuck on yesterday's new in our now. We pray that you will help us to wait and enjoy the process of the now, that we don't become blinded by the new things we are expected from you later. In JESUS Name...AMEN!!


P.S.  I flunked #bloglikecrazy2018. Between motivation and schedule, it was not going to work. But guess what? It taught me that I need to pass myself and maybe even start my blogs in October and have them ready in November... I don't know but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe next year!

I Just Want To Be Obedient

Today start a new journey! Today, I join with bloggers across the world in a challenge that can seem intimidating, dishearting, and frustrating. Today, I start my day 1 of #bloglikecrazy.

What is #bloglikecrazy? #bloglikecrazy is a 30-day challenge of blogging your heart out. It was created by writer, CEO, and blogger Javacia Harris Bowser the founder "See Jane Write". (Check out her page on seejanewritebrham.com.) So, for the next 30days, I will be posting blogs on here for the first two weeks and the last 2 weeks I will post on my other blog page... DearFutureHusband365 blog (which you can follow and subscribe to by going to: dearfuturehusbad365.wordpress.com)

Enough with the chit-chat, let's get down to business, shall we!!

I thought it was only bidding that I start my first day of #bloglikecrazy with the topic of obedience because this is what this challenge is truly going to pull out of me. When I thought about this topic I thought about how many times I was delayed in my obedience. How many times Daddy gave me the opportunity to be obedient and I found myself more in tune with questioning the assignment than doing what I was supposed to do.  I am sure I am not alone in this action. Questioning something that we know Daddy told us to do.  In doing this routine of questioning I found myself singing this song (yes I made it up) "I just want to be obedient.  Be obedient.  Obedient. Daddy, I just want to be obedient without the questions".  Now this song is not a one-hit wonder, it is a tune that I sing daily because Daddy is requiring something new for me to do daily. Something out the box. Something out of my comfort zone and knowledge. Something that requires me to sacrifice sleep or submit myself to someone. So, the struggle of obedience is real to me.  But, in the midst of the struggle, I am reminded of the scripture found in 1 Samuel 15:22 part b of that verse that says, "Obedience is better than sacrifice". (NLT)

I am sure some of looked at that scripture and wondered what are we truly sacrificing? Especially, when what Daddy is calling us to do is something so simple as praying for someone at 5 am in the morning and we just went to sleep at 2am. Surely, Daddy would understand that you need your sleep to function... RIGHT?!? That if you still pray once you were at least coherent,  that it would be better than struggling with your sleep. But can I tell you that Daddy would not understand! Because as HIS children we are to submit to HIM daily and, that submission requires consistent and total obedience.
That we may not be sacrificing anything personally, but we may be sacrificing saving someone's life. Now, I know you are thinking it's not that deep. But, can I tell you that it is!! I have had to wake up out my good sleep because, my dreams where consist of me dreaming of a person that Daddy told me to pray for. I love the fact that Daddy gives us a chance to correct our disobedience so we can be in a place of obedience, even if mean disrupting something we enjoy.

Today, I want to challenge us to never be in a place of delaying in our obedience. That when Daddy tells us to do something, we will do it without hesitation. That we will be open to the process and instructions that HE is requiring of us. That we will not question the task, but with boldness, bravery, and humility complete it in the spirit of excellence.

Prayer: Daddy, we come now repenting for being disobedient. Whether if it was in our delayed obedience, or not completing the task at all. We ask that you forgive us for our obedience. Today, we take a stand saying we will do, go, say, and obey. We realize that though we may not be sacrificing something, something is being sacrificed when we don't obey. So, we ask for Your grace and mercy and we thank you for giving us a chance to get it right. In Jesus Name...AMEN!!