Over the summer, I found myself being taught a lot of new things about spiritual warfare.  Our family has been in a long wilderness season.  This season has lasted for many years now, with only brief respites of relief.  The last 3 years, that season has greatly intensified.  The longevity of this walk has led us to many ends.  Pride has been sacrificed on the table to receive greater servings of grace.  All of our expectations about what life would look like were laid down, and every dream was released to seed.  From that place of being laid bare, from the humility that comes with losing so much, I found myself hearing, seeing, and feeling God so much more.  When life is stripped away and there is nothing left but Him, that’s when we find truth.

God led me to listen to a certain person who does daily Spirit led prayer times.  Every day while exercising, I began to listen to her.  I immediately felt stirred by her passionate prayers.  Much warfare was happening in these broadcasts and my eyes became open to some things I had not yet known.  There are days when the Spirit falls on me so intensely during these prayers that I am no longer listening to her at all, but find myself sometimes yelling out prayers as I walk.  Other days, I forget that I’m outside and I find myself weeping through these prayers.  It’s been such a blessing and release to me.

On one such morning, she was leading prayers to break off word curses that have been spoken over us. 

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  Proverbs 18:21

She spoke of breaking curses that we knew were spoken over us… but then she began talking about breaking those that we didn’t know had even been spoken.  This was the moment heaven came crashing over me.  I had been victim to many word curses spoken over me, yet away from my physical ears.  I didn’t hear them, but I was still living under their attack.  Wow!!

I found myself so stirred that I began to pray in the Spirit passionately.  Suddenly I saw a person I know.  That person was standing over me as I laid on the ground, and they had their foot on my throat.  In essence, they were choking out my voice.  As I continued to pray in the Spirit, I broke the curse and saw the person’s ankle break.  Then I felt Holy Spirit guiding me to release a blessing over that person.  That was definitely God because, I’ll be honest, that’s not what I felt like doing.  Yet such release happened when I did.  I continued to pray in the Spirit because I felt something wasn’t finished, and then I saw another person that I know.  This person was speaking and as they did I could see the words coming out of their mouth almost like a ribbon and they were cursing me.  So, I pressed into the Spirit further and then I saw the person’s neck jerk sideways and when that happened the curse broke, and I released a blessing over the person.  Again, Holy Spirit kept me tethered to forgiveness and blessing those who cursed me. 

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  Luke 6:28

I continued on my walk and was so shaken and excited about what had happened.  Suddenly, I saw a snake on the ground at the bottom of the hill.  Startled, I jumped.  But then I realized the snake was not only dead, but it’s head was cut off.  I felt the spiritual connotations of this moment and as they were still sinking in, I arrived at the top of the hill and saw a beautiful white horse that I had never seen before.  I felt God’s presence all over this.  Think of it, a dead snake at the bottom of the hill and a beautiful white horse at the top!! If that wasn’t a message from God, then I don’t know what is.

Word curses are real, whether we want to admit it or not, but we do NOT have to live a life subject to them.  Ever since this happened, I have prayed for God to break any and all word curses spoken over me.  And I intentionally bless myself daily.  Many years ago, I discovered the importance of speaking blessings over my own self…it’s easy to bless others, but something special occurs when we learn to also bless ourselves!  From that place of blessing, we can then bless others more!!  When we live life from a position of knowing we are blessed, then we have much more mercy and grace with the world.

Before you head into this day, I want to leave you with a blessing.  So ,as you read this, I hope you will speak it out loud. Really hear and experience the words and bring you heart into a position to receive.

God, I release blessing over myself.  Thank You for creating me.  Thank You for giving me a unique purpose.  Thank You for loving me.  Thank You for wanting to know me.  I receive every blessing You have laid aside for my life now, in Jesus’ name.  I choose today, to walk as if I am certain that I am blessed, and my life is a blessing to others.  As I share You with the world, I know my blessed life will draw others to You.  I choose to soak in the blessings of heaven right now, Abba.  Release the full measure of blessing over my life and let it spill over into the lives of my family.  Let us drip with Your blessing and teach me how to be a greater blessing to You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:16-19

We are to be rooted and established (grounded) in love.  This thought dances through my mind a lot.  I root myself to receive the power to grasp God’s love (as the scripture above states)…Power comes from grasping the enormity of God’s love for us, and it leads to all the fullness of God.

As I stretch into the day, I consider this.  Sometimes, I will kick off my shoes and let my feet fully feel the ground beneath me and I imagine myself being rooted and grounded in love.  God is love, so when I root myself in love, I am rooting myself in Him. 

Oftentimes, I feel God intensely when I am outside, not a building in sight.  Only the trees and flowers surround me.  Watching birds and butterflies skirt through the sky.  Looking out at the horizon.  Noticing the clouds in the sky.  Admiring the many shades of every color.  There is a stillness in the bustle of nature.  There is a knowing.  A knowing that God is God.  I become acutely aware of His magnitude when I gaze upon His handiwork.  It’s a feast for my eyes and I’m so hungry that I gobble it up.  Oh, the beauty of this place.  And just imagine, Heaven is so much more beautiful!

Look!  There He is.  The butterfly that keeps flitting so close to your shoulder.  Can you feel His presence as you watch it fly?  He has promised to meet us when we seek after Him with our whole heart.  I just love it when He uses something like a bird, dragonfly or butterfly to remind me of His presence.  Like a kiss from Heaven He comes, just hoping we notice Him. 

Stop today and kick off your shoes for a moment.  Let yourself feel.  I love the way the rug in our living room tickles the bottoms of my feet.  I rub my feet on it and allow myself to simply feel.  I love walking outside and letting my feet feel the ground underneath.  It’s almost as if it has a heartbeat.  It like you can feel the roots of everything under the ground, growing and stretching deeper.  Or maybe that’s just God reminding us that He is alive.  The Giver of life creates all living things.    The Heavens declare His glory, the earth and everything in it.

Take a moment and enjoy the word pictures painted by the following scriptures. 

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.  Psalm 19:1-6

Doesn’t that just stir you heart?!  I don’t know how I could ever read that and not be in awe of His glorious splendor.  As you enter this day, hold onto this perspective and I guarantee you will find God in many places!!

There are moments in life when it is necessary to “circle the wagons”.

Do you know what this means?

When the pioneers set out to discover new land, they were most often in large wagon trains.  When those wagon trains would stop for a rest or for the night, they would make a circle.  This created protection for the group.  Protection from predators.  Protection from thieves.  It made a safe space for the children to play and the mommas to prepare dinner, while the men could rest after the long day of travel.

In a different way, we still do this.  Our family has been in a season of circling our wagons.  We’ve pulled back from most distractions.  We recently transitioned into homeschooling and started having home church again.  When we travel to my parents, we go to church at a small local church that we absolutely love.

The word I had been hearing from God for months before these transitions was, “Small”.

The world is seemingly obsessed with being famous and being an influencer.  But how can we apart from God?  I don’t follow God so I will gain influence on the earth.  I follow Him because I am in love with Him.  There’s nothing I want more than to be in Heaven.  God has been taking away all distractions and false pretense and restoring me to myself, and my family to ourselves and refocusing us on what matters most.  Him.  He alone is where our focus should lie. 

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God.  Psalm 42:1

Take a moment today and close your eyes.  Focus your mind and heart on Jesus.  Can you see Him?  Do you feel His delight over you?  Can you feel His peace?  He is the Prince of Peace.  Invite Him into today.  As you circle your wagons, ask Him to be in the center.  As you draw your focus to a smaller scope, ask Him to simplify your life.  What should you release?  What should you hold dear?  What should you press into more intensely? 

Oh Jesus, be the center.

I am the Vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  John 5:15

God, I relinquish control to You.  You alone know my heart and the path that I should take.  Help me to be unafraid of being different.  Help me to resist simply following the flow of the world around me.  I long to be ever mindful of where You are and what You are doing.  I am okay with being different.  I know You’ve made me to be unique.  If that means I travel alone more often than others, then I accept that.  Draw me further into the secret place and hold me close.  I only want more of You.  Let the desires and expectations of the world fall away and lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.  I belong to You and none other.  I willingly give all my days to You and Your plans.  May my life serve to even slightly advance the Kingdom of Heaven.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I’m feeling the Spirit move deeper in me every day.  And as I learn more about God and His ways, I become more willing to allow for the in between time, because that time strengthens my character and makes me unbreakable. 

Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.  Psalm 105:19

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:1-4

I am forged in the fire.  As the flames of disappointment flare up around me and my heart moans in discomfort, I am held.  I become re-focused on the Giver of the promise.  I become further enamored with His presence.  It’s all about Him.  It always has been.  It’s us that sometimes forget. 

He is worthy of it all!  The Lamb that was slain and rose again as the Lion of Judah! 

He roars over us, stirring our passions and igniting our very souls.  He is.  He will be.  He is yet to come.  All glory, honor and power is His forever.

So why would I fear tomorrow?  Why fear any weapon formed against me? 

His power shaped the world.  His breath is in every lung.  His wonders never cease, and I belong to Him.  That’s enough for me.

Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.  Proverbs 27:1

We are called to live with a spirit of humility.  Not worrying about and not bragging about tomorrow.  A beautiful balance of living content with this day.

I have let go of the “more” of the world and embraced the “more” found in the simple.  Making space for Your voice.  Making room for change. Being more aware of Your Spirit.  You make wise the simple…Bring wisdom into my simplicity.  Bring fullness into it.  Make full use of the space created when I step away from the busyness of the world and linger in the simple.  Come rest on me today, Lord.

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  Psalm 19:7

Today, I encourage you to take a moment and breathe.  Stop in the midst of your daily tasks and simply be.  Be still and know fully that He is God.  Thank Him for this day.  Breathe again and let go of any worry you have in your heart.  Will you give Him today and let Him make of it what He will?  He is capable. 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46:10

Welcome friend!  I am so excited to begin our journey to the Fountain.  A place of God’s refreshing, healing, and release in your life.

Follow me, it’s this way!  See it there in the distance?  Like an oasis in the desert, it stands.  The Fount that never runs dry.  Like the woman at the well, will you go with me there so we can meet with Jesus?  There, He’ll stir the waters like the Pool of Bethesda and healing will come.  There, He will sit with us and spend time just being together.  There, we will find refreshing that lasts, unlike earthly pleasures. 

We’re coming, Lord.  Coming to the Fountain of Your presence.  We invite You to speak to us and fill us, change us and renew our minds with Your truth.  The Truth.  Spirit of Truth, would You breathe on these devotionals.  Bring them to life.  Bring us to life.  We are hungry and thirsty for You.

As we embark on the new year, I encourage you to really take hold of each day.  Hold every thought captive and allow God to shine His light on them.  Come to the Fountain each day and let Him pour over you, and then enter the day ready to pour into others.

I have felt such a stirring over this year of devotionals.  I am confident we will meet with Him in new ways and discover new things as we walk out this year together. 

Come with me, I’ve found the Fountain! 

And He also said, “It is finished!  I am the Alpha and the Omega- the Beginning and the End.  To all who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.  All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.  Revelation 21:6-7

While walking recently, I saw God reach into my chest and pull out my heart. When it came out it was on fire. I have a heart on fire. On fire with the Holy Spirit. A fire that nothing and nobody can quench. I feel a holy fire burning within me. I feel the truth burning within me. Justice. All things righteous.

As I observe so much injustice in my life and the world, I feel like I’m on fire all the time.

What do I do with this burning? How do I manage it properly?

Certainly not by lashing out at others. Absolutely not by throwing a fit and flailing around. That’s all counterproductive and not at all like Jesus.

So, what does Jesus think about such things? Well, as I read of His walk, I noticed a couple of things…

Jesus never wavered. When faced with accusations and lies, He simply stood firm and didn’t become faint. He stood. He didn’t force or fight, He stood.

Jesus always went away to pray. He made regular practice of getting away from others so He could spend time talking to and listening to God.

Jesus knew Who He was, so it didn’t matter who He was around. He wasn’t afraid of the leper or the prostitute. He didn’t fear the faithless or the tax collector. He knew His identity so others couldn’t influence Him or make Him feel anything less than powerful. He had a solid identity that was grounded and rooted in God alone. He knew Whose image He was made in. He knew Who He was and where He was going (heaven).

I certainly want to be like this image of Jesus.

Power held in truth is a quiet and gentle strength. It moves mountains and can shape futures, all with a whisper. The voice of God over our lives isn’t condescending. It’s not demanding. It’s Fatherly. It comforts and encourages. It brings joy and peace. It builds, even when it’s renovating. It fashions us into more solid individuals.

Prayer Moment: God, thank You for giving us Jesus. Thank You Jesus for coming to earth to not only build a bridge between us and heaven, but to also show us how to walk out this life. Help me to cling to Your example. Help me to walk in a way that honors Your sacrifice. I adore You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased. My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue. Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You. Psalm 39:2-7

Ramrod: A rod for ramming down the charge of a muzzleloading firearm. To force a proposed measure to be accepted or completed quickly.

Right now, the enemy is trying to ramrod his agenda into our lives. The onslaught of lying and manipulation is extreme. As we hear lie after lie, even when a retraction occurs, who cares because the damage is already done.

I am reminded today of some characteristics of God as I consider the ramrod method of the enemy.

God is always gentle…even when the Spirit comes with fierceness, there is always an accompanying gentleness.

God is always peaceful…that means even when a word is hard or a time is difficult, you can find peace within it when God is behind it. The enemy leaves us feeling fear and anxiety. God’s words and actions are always tempered with peace.

God is truth…There is no such thing as “my truth” or “your truth”. There is only the Truth. All truth comes straight from God. There is no gray in God. It’s black and white truth.

God stays the same…While everything else on earth changes, we can count on the character of God to remain the same. Unchanging. Unchangeable. Unshaken. Unshakeable. All other things may fall away, but God will remain.

God never has to force anything…you won’t find an instance of God forcing people. He gifted us with free will, so all life is a choice. Following Him and loving Him is a choice. Perhaps the most important choice you’ll ever make. I believe it is. The Spirit bears witness to Himself, so there is never a need to force anything.

The moral of the story is this…have you noticed anything that must be screamed, forced, demanded and controlled to be bought into by the mass public? Then that, my friend, is the enemy ramrod and not God.

Prayer Moment: God, help me to be so familiar with You and Your character that I immediately know when something is You and when it isn’t. Fill my heart with Your affirming presence. Guide my every step and never let me be led astray. I place all of my hope firmly and securely in You. I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone- an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:28-31

I don’t know about you, but so much of my life has been feeling gridlocked lately.  It can sometimes feel like I’m stuck in the middle of a giant traffic jam and have no way out. Not there of my own accord, I’m just stuck in the midst of a mass of cars and have no way to get out on my own. I am simply forced to wait until they begin to untangle the mess from the outskirts first. As layer after layer of cars is released and allowed to begin to travel on its own course again, I then feel a mixture of relief and impatience, as I still await my turn.

Watching all things in life feels this way for me right now.

I am in a waiting game. Only God determines the tempo. My only recourse is to relax and lean into His timing. To surrender. Yesterday, as I considered some of these things, I saw myself in the process of delivering a baby. The head had crowned and the baby was coming, but I was enduring, in that moment, the greatest amount of pain. We all (women who have given birth) know that the greatest pain comes as the baby comes out. Everything that previously happened pales in comparison to that hopefully quick moment when the baby finally makes its entrance into the world.

This is not a moment to give up. No mother would stop at this point in delivery. On the contrary, every birthing mother hits this point and feels the readiness to fully deliver the baby.

God, come and fully deliver the promise to us today, in Jesus’ name.

This is our moment, the labor has been longer than expected, the pain has been greater than we believed we could endure. We have labored through this extended night. We are here. We may be exhausted and poured out from all the gridlock and waiting, but we are here!

I have never given up God. I have never denied Your promises. I have partnered with You at every step. I have leaned into You with every burning contraction. I have learned to rest in the gridlock. Now is Your moment to step in and deliver this “baby” holy Physician.

Come. Release us from this gridlock. Remove every obstacle in our path. You are our only hope, but You are more than capable to deliver us.

Prayer Moment: God, I will trust in You. I lean into You now, to receive the release of the promise. You are Hope. You are Deliverer. I will trust in You. No matter what I see with my earthly eyes, I will still trust my spiritual eyes more. I look toward heaven and receive the dove of promise today. You are the Foundation of my hope and strength, and I know, with full confidence, that You never fail. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, and I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.” Exodus 6:6-8

Last week when I was leading worship for a group at our church, I heard a new song at the end of the song I had just led. We had just sung “Lord, I Need You” and I was rotating through the chords and praying out loud when I began to hear these words,

You make all things good. You make all things good. You make all things good, and beautiful in Your time.

This simple chorus has sung through my head for a week now. I can’t get away from it, and honestly, I don’t want to. Over the last week, when things have felt stretching, I’ve sung it. As I prepared to lead worship for our main church service yesterday and our sound system was having hiccups, I sang it. As I’ve read and processed headlines and real news stories, I’ve sung it.

It is God’s chorus over the earth right now. More specifically, America.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

The chorus is a mash-up of these two scriptures and I don’t think it could be more relevant. It’s been a centering chorus. It’s been stabilizing, and that’s why I wanted to share it with you. Now, I know you don’t hear the chords and melody that it is accompanied with, but let the words drift over your heart. Let them stoke that home fire in your belly. The place within you that truly believes in the goodness of God. Let the words be like nectar to your fasting soul. Like the sun rising after a dark and stormy night.

God makes all things beautiful in their time.

He is still a good God today. The coronavirus didn’t change Who He is, and neither does the election struggle. Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said…

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your god’s or worship the image of gold you have set up. Daniel 3:16-18

This is where I stand. My God is able to deliver us from the evil that is attempting to steal our country, and He will, but even if He doesn’t, I will not serve other god’s or worship what they demand.

Prayer Moment: God, grant us each the strength to walk out this day. Infuse us with Your presence. Fill our hearts and minds with truth. The truth, not a version of it. The actual truth. Give us discernment. Establish Your kingdom in our hearts and minds and keep us tethered so closely to heaven that we know who we are, Who You are, and what is real. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I keep reading this verse from Proverbs…it’s circled in my Bible and I can’t seem to open it without laying eyes on it.

Those living far away fear Your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades You call forth songs of joy. Proverbs 65:8

When I walk on the dirt roads around our neighborhood, there are many times when I can see both the sun and moon adorning the sky at the same time. It has caused a lot of awe and wonder in my heart. It always seems significant, but it wasn’t until I read these words in Proverbs, yet again, that I immediately saw this wonder.

Where morning dawns and evening fades, is the space where I go walking. In that space, He calls forth my songs of joy! How amazing is this?!

Continually, God is bringing me back to joy. He is infusing within my heart a capacity to remain joyful in all things. This time in history is an opponent of joy. So many things hang in the balance. So much seems lost. Lives are being destroyed by terrible lockdowns in many states, and for what? People’s health is being negatively affected by wearing masks all the time, and why?

Instead of cowering away and living in fear, what if we burst forth in songs of joy. Deliberate acts of joyfulness are most useful right now. Thinking of ways to spread joy to others could be life altering. The joy of the Lord is our strength, never forget that. Don’t ever let those words lose their power. The JOY of the Lord is our strength.

I encourage you to take today to purposefully be joyful. I encourage you to reach out to others in ways that you know will cause joy to abound within them. Don’t be so distracted by the troubles of this world that you forget how to be a blessing to others.

Today, I encourage you to live out this verse…

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Allow that blessing to fall upon you, but also determine to release that blessing over others today. Let’s be the light we hope to see. Let’s live the change we long to see.

Prayer Moment: God, I ask that today You would give me creative and simple ways to bless others. Place in my path those who You desire me to bless. Give me wisdom and courage to reach out. Anoint my actions so they will bring peace to others. I am Yours completely, and in Your peace, I find my rest. I adore You. In Jesus’ name, amen.