BE and DO ALL that GOD Has Given To You

In one of my devotions, I ran across this paragraph and it spoke to me, as I believe it will you.

Many of us God has given lofty visions; thus HE has blessed us with multiple gifts, talents and abilities. Often making it difficult to focus on, build on, only do or be one thing. The world has a saying, "jack of all trades master of none." I would like to dispel and cast this saying out of and from the mind of Children of God. The truth is, you may not be a jack of all trades but you can and may be a person of many (talents, abilities & gifts) and be a master of all that (the ones) He has given you!

The article states:

"The Bible has more than 1,000 names, titles and metaphors for God: El Shaddai, Shepherd, King, Father, Son and Prophet are only a few of them. Each name and title of God represents one aspect of who He is, what He does, and how He functions. As a person, you are known by your given name in addition to titles, such as parent, spouse and friend. The more you are and do, the more names and titles you have. God, the creator of the universe and every living creature therein, has facets to His nature that extend beyond our imaginings, and countless names to describe each of His attributes (functions and abilities)." (Excerpt from "365 Ways To Know God: Devotional ReadingsoOn the Names of God" by Elmer L. Towns)

What I gleaned from this article was something I have always thought, believed and tried to live by...Do not allow people to limit you or tell you your vision or dream is too big, or that you cannot be or do all that - all that He has given to you.  HE gave it (all) to you and HE expects you to use it all AND be all that comes with every gift, talent, and ability! Ask Him for His plan, will, and way for your life. The challenge may be what  part to do when and how to do it.  Pray and ask Him.  He will reveal. What HE tells you to do may not be the way others have or would do it. Be open to doing things a new way or an old way with a twist.  Trust Him to release you into "it" and "it" to you; whatever HE has created and formed you to do and be...Just do it!  And yes, that may be multiple things.

However, HE releases you into it or it to you; whether it is little by little, some (more) now some (more) later or ALL at the same time, trust and rest in Him.  Simply remember that your job is to be found ready and faithful over the little that is for now.  DO NOT LIMIT GOD!  No, you may not be a jack of all trades but you can be a person that masters of all that He has given and placed in you to do and be!  It is your vision and His plan for you...Why not and why can't you master it and be a master of it!  Better a master of it than a slave to it!

A War Room Strategy - A 12 Step Strategic Approach to Spiritual Life Transformation

As many of us have had the privilege of seeing, I too set out on opening day to see the movie "War Room". I knew it was a Christian movie about prayer but what I did not know was the focus of the movie was about relationships, marriage, and family.  As I sat through the movie, I was convicted by the fact that my prayer life was not hot. It wasn't cold, nor was it lukewarm, but it certainly was not on fire. What happened? When did I stop praying for hours and studying equally that same amount of time? My prayer and study life use to be such that I could and would be in prayer and study for so long that I would lose track of time and appointments. It was a wonderful time, place, and season in my life. I saw the power and epic flow of God in my life and others and in my gifts.  Yet, on in reality I knew; so I thought, I could not continue like that. And so I deceived myself and over time allowed other tasks, goals, responsibilities (including God responsibilities) to pull me out of my place and space. Knowing that it was (is) the very thing I needed to see purpose, vision, success, accomplishment, victory.  I knew and know is found in prayer, my time with God. 

It was in and through prayer at the height of my suicidal season, God gave me a strategy, an approach to my deliverance.  This strategy allowed me to regain and retain my peace...really, my life. I cannot say I found the approach or strategy in a book or that it was what anyone (a person) told me. It was what HE (The Holy Spirit) gave me as I lived through a diagnosis that brought many mental, physically, and emotional struggles. A weakness that gave way for the enemy to come in and torment me daily.

Before the movie and our Church dedicated Bible Study to look at and discuss/study the topic of War Room and Prayer Strategies, I had never really considered the approach or strategy HE gave me. Nor had I ever taken the time to write it down until now.  Last night as I wrote these steps to share with someone, I realized there were 12 strategies that God allowed me to gain control over and use to find a breakthrough, deliverance, and freedom from my struggle and torment. Interestingly, 12 is the Biblical number of government, administration, order, rule, strategy, victory, the Angel Armies! Glory to God!!!  I love me some Jesus.  As the person said who I shared it with, "Pretty in-depth and detailed...but clear and necessary."  I agree.  For our mind to be renewed, we must be transformed in how we do and approach things and in the way of thinking about ourselves, God and the situation.  It requires a taring down or away to build back up.  I believe these steps will help you, me, us in our journey to Spiritual Life Transformation.  So to share it with you!

The truth is, this is not new or unfamiliar to any of us who have been in or through a spiritual war or battle; a battle for our mind and our soul.  We just may not have recorded the process for ourselves to remember and reflect on or revisit later or share with others.  In all honesty, we may have to use again in a future declared war/test/struggle, etc. The battle may not be our's (2 Chronicles 20:15) but the war we must be strategic and prepared to stand against (Ephesians 6:10-18).  

I am grateful for this focus that has reignited my place, position, and assignment in prayer. I have known and wrestled for months on how to get back to my place in prayer and time with God. Through this exercise (the movie, the War Room Bible Study focus and writing this out), HE has shown me. It doesn't have to look or be like how I approached it in the past. My time with Him doesn't have to be how it was or the way it was, but IT ABSOLUTELY HAS TO BE! IT IS A MUST!!! TELL ZION HER WARFARE - THE STRUGGLE IS OVER!!!