Day 12 - 40 Day Prayer & Empowerment Challenge

What is it?  What did you do?  What has you so ticked off at yourself that you cannot let it go?  You know, we have all done that one thing in life that causes us to think, “If only I knew then what I know now.”  Some of us have taken it unhealthy levels, however, where we just keep trying to fix it and make it right.  Please hear me, a mistake is just that, a mistake – something you did that could have been done differently or better. At some point, you have to accept that you did what you did, and move on.  We cannot change our yesterdays, we can only learn from them.  Therefore, we must not dwell there or we lose the precious moments of the here and now and miss new opportunities and blessings.  Staying stuck in the past hinders our dreams and plans for a solid and beautiful future.

Think about putting a car in drive with intent of driving forward for a mile or even 500 feet while you are looking backwards as to go in reverse.  It would not work, you’d wreck everything, your own vehicle and everything within its proximity.  The same is true when we try to move forward in our lives but our focus is in the review mirror.  It will not work.  At some point we have to make peace with our past and forgive ourselves for that mishap or unwise choice, learn from it and move forward.  You cannot go forward and backward at the same time.  It’s not physically, mentally, spiritually, literally, or figuratively possible.  Please do me and you a favor: Stop right where you are, do an about-face, take an empathetic look in the mirror and say, “I forgive you! Yesterday is gone, my future is bright, and today, the present, I accept as a gift to create new and better experiences.  I am worthy in God’s eyes. He’s forgive me.  So, today, I forgive me!” Then, forward! March!!!!

Lord, I pray for my sister soldier right now as she turns her back on the past, armors up, and marches forward.   I know life hasn’t been easy, and she has not always made the best choices; but, let her know of your unfailing love and your everlasting forgiveness towards her.  Father, please whisper in her ear, “Daughter, forgive yourself: I find no fault in you!”  I pray she believes it, Father.  Strengthen her faith!  Let every encounter she has today remind her that she is worthy of new mercies and blessings this day.  If it necessary Father, remove her past mistakes from her memory if that will cause her to walk in the freedom that you desire for her and that she so desperately needs to live a fulfilled life and the abundant life in which Christ came to give us all. Amen!

My sister, please know you are forgiven.  Forgive yourself!  I love you, but God love you more than you could ever imagine!

 #IAmMySistersKeeper

Day 11 - 40 Day Prayer & Empowerment Challenge

I’ve heard it said that forgiveness is for the forgiver more than it is for the forgiven.  I did not understand that for a while but today I get it.  I’ve learned that when we do not forgive, we carry a weight that is much too heavy for us to carry.  When we are burdened with holding on to offenses, we can find ourselves seeking vengeance even if it is just wishing for the demise of the one who has wronged us; and, we are qualified or capable of making others pay for their wrongdoing.  Refusing to forgive wraps us up in our pain so much that it’s not possible for us to think logically or spiritually.  If we were, we’d remember that what we desire for others, we bring to ourselves.  So, yes, forgiveness is more for the forgiver that it is for the forgiven.

I am reminded of the saying, “there’s a thin line between love and hate.”  I say to you that there is contrast to all good and evil.  Therefore, for love there’s hate, for courage there is debilitating fear, for peace there is angst, for happiness there is sadness, for forgiveness there’s resentment; and, there’s a thin line between them all.  Why not step back over the line to love, peace, happiness, and forgiveness?  Life events will sometime pull us back and forth, but it is ultimately our choice to determine where we will reside most of the time, in misery or in joy.  My hope is that you choose joy; but, you must forgive in order to get there.

Forgiveness is for you!  It may appear that you are letting the other person off the hook, but what’s most important is that you are letting yourself off the hook.  Doesn’t it feel good to know that you can just let it go?  Let it go or let it continually rob you of life, love, and happiness.  Don’t let it go just for you, but let go for all the people you love. When we harbor unforgiveness, it’s like carrying poison that is not labeled hazardous substance and it cannot be contained; therefore, it is spewed out upon the people closest to you.  I bet if they knew where your anger and frustration were really coming from, they would say, “Please, let it go!”

Lord, I pray that you bless my sister right now and bless her indeed!  Open her cell and beckon her to come. Help her make the decision to walk out of bondage and into freedom, today!  Lord, you’ve given her your Spirit in every breath she takes, please remind her to breathe and release and do not to take that breath for granted, because you are the giver of life. I pray she accepts that gift every time she exhales. In those moments may she blow out the negative feelings towards others, for they are your children, too. May she inhale the fruits of your Spirit, like joy, peace, gentleness, self-control, and love as she remembers that she too have wronged others and need forgiveness.  Give my sister the strength, courage, and determination to let it go, TODAY!!!! Amen!!!  

#IAmMySistersKeeper

Day 10 - 40 Day Prayer and Empowerment Challenge

Growing up in love can be one of the most challenging actions.  I love seeing a new born baby cry because she want to feel the warmth of her mother’s touch.  She calms as she nestled tightly between mommy’s breast and forearms and rocked gently.  Then, she matures to a low level of independence, where she wants to walk without guidance, yet she wants to be hugged and hummed to sleep.  She continues to grow and grown and eventually desires to mimic what she’s witnessed as love between mother and father or simply man and woman.  Only, one day she wakes up and suddenly feels like she’s been improperly trained because this “love thing” doesn’t always feel so good and often times seems to go wrong.  Sounds familiar?

What if it could be as easy as when we were babies?  That’s a wonderful thought, but it will never be because we are not babies, we are teenagers, and we are not college students: We are women and just like our bodies mature, our minds, emotions, and our love must mature.  The body matures naturally, but the rest of our maturity takes effort.  We must be intentional about our mental and emotional development and open ourselves to the wisdom of other women with loving spirits to help guide us.  That woman may be your mother, a mentor, a friend, or even a role model. It really doesn’t matter.  What matters is that we realize even as grown women we need someone in which to glean knowledge to help us grow wiser and more loving with time.

We must also be willing to share what we’ve learned with other women, young and old, who are not at the level of maturity in which we’ve reached.  The mind and heart are so sensitive that this work cannot be taken lightly. We must be handled with velvet gloves and we should be careful to do the same when helping others reach higher ground.  It’s every woman’s responsibility to help another sister know true love, IF she knows it.  It’s every woman’s responsibility to share the wisdom and knowledge with other women, IF she has is.  It’s every woman’s responsibility to first examine herself to determine if she should share anything yet or just keep learning as to not cause more harm to other women than is already done.  No matter which woman you are, to do what’s best for the next woman is to be your sister’s keeper; and, that’s the woman’s responsibility.

My prayer today is that you commit to your own personal development and growth.  Know that no matter what you’ve achieved, you have not arrived.  Father, always keep us at a place that we desire to press in closer to you, to learn more about your love, and convict us until we are obedient and living by what you share and passing those wisdom nuggets on to other women.  Lord, give us some sense of responsibility to every woman you entrust in our care, to love her, nurture her, encourage her, uplift her, and give to her!  Remove all envy, jealousy, backbiting, two-facedness, anger, resentment, and pretense that we may have against all women, but especially ones you’ve given to us as assignments. Let us support our sisters, because we so desperately want and need their support.  Help us, Heavenly One, to be our sisters’ keeper! Amen!

#IAmMySistersKeeper

Day 9 - 40 Day Prayer & Empowerment Challenge

I am looking forward to the day that the term “I LOVE YOU!” becomes real again.  With the blast of information that’s transposed through the waves of today’s internet era and utilization of innumerable social media sites, people are now sending out messages and warm sentiments to thousands of others they know and don’t know grounded on cyber relationships.  Most of these people never meet each other, never to get to know the other’s true character, don’t know to whom they are related, or even what’s in their hearts; yet, they are saying, “I love you” And “I love you more” to complete strangers.

I am not suggesting that this is not a true sentiment for all who are saying it; but, what I am implying is that there’s an overuse and watering down of such a profound statement that when used properly has the capability to shape a family, inspire a nation, and change the world; and, I personally never want it lose its power due to the lack of meaning associated with it.  Words have creative power, PERIOD!!!! Therefore, we must be careful what we create and with whom.  We must be aware of intentions and motives behind that which we speak.  Furthermore, we should always choose our words carefully by saying what is true, uplifting, and meaningful!

So many hurtful events have happened in the lives of women, while the offenders said, “I love you” to them as to associate the term with cause of incident.  Many of us really have no idea about true relational love with a man or with others.   Thus, It is time for us, as women, to learn the true meaning of love again, to show love to others which is not based on past trauma and present conditions, to use the phrase only when we mean it (not just because it’s popular), to the possess the power of the same love for ourselves that we desire others to show us, and to stop contradicting what we say by what we do.  Simply put, “Love is as Love does!”

Father, I pray that every woman will know herself, be true to herself, and love herself first before frivolously pouring out her leftovers on others and calling it love.  I ask that you empower us, Holy Spirit, to be obedient to the purity of love and not to contaminate it with control, manipulation, and false desires to be known and popular.  Show us self-control, temperance, modesty, honesty, and show us how to conduct ourselves in the Spirit of Sisterly love!  Help us remember Christ’s action model of love, for He showed us more than He told us! Amen!

#IAmMySistersKeeper

Day 8 - 40 Day Prayer & Empowerment Challenge

How many times have you allowed a relationship gone bad deter you from engaging new opportunities? It could have been a relationship at work, a childhood friendship, a childhood crush, a family relationship, a short term friendship, or long term love affair but its end was so devastating that you vowed not to let anyone else in.  This happens all too often and without knowing it, we cut off our flow to the endless potentials of newness, of excitement, of fun, of friendships, and love unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.

I’ve witnessed people put a pin in a life event with someone else and stick it to the wall as if to say, “You stay right here and I’ll stay right where I am” like they can actually have control over whether they’ll ever feel attraction, love, or warm feelings again.  We can rebuff those feelings as much as we want, but denial does not prevent them.  Besides, why would we allow one person out of the billions on this planet dictate whether we will find happiness with another?  That’s absurd, but we do it.  Imagine if you are destined to meet the best friend you could ever have when you are 70 years old, why would you allow a relationship gone bad at age 20 hinder your happiness and freedom for 50 years of your glorious life? Ponder this for a minute and then take the challenge!

The challenge:   Let us begin to challenge ourselves to try and grasp just how vast love is.  We can never wrap our minds around its immensity, but visualize that it surrounds you, envelops, shadows you, fills you, and holds you up.  I know someone may think, “But, you don’t know what I’ve been through.  The hole in my heart is too enormous, how am I supposed to trust and love again?” I say, “Love is still there!  It is there to fill the hole and make your heart whole again.” Choose not allow someone who was not supposed to be in your life forever, remain there forever; because, when we allow that pain to keep us from newness, possibilities, and other potential relationships, they still hold us captive and we’ve given them dominion over our lives.  We lose our focus on what we want and what deserve when our focus is on the pain of the past and those things we don’t want.  Let us challenge ourselves to be fearless and free! Let us challenge ourselves to love again.  Let us challenge ourselves to befriend someone new.  Let us challenge ourselves to not allow every imperfect act of another create so much pain for us.  Let us challenge ourselves to see ourselves, our shortcomings and our beauty in our relationships and become more accepting of our loved ones when they don’t behave like we want them to.  Let us allow them to stay without our control or leave without our resentment.  Love is freeing!  Let us love freely.  Let us allow others their freedom.  Allow yourself the freedom to love now and love again when that time comes.  Let us allow our future relationships to take place in their perfect timing without thoughts of the past.

My prayer for the woman reading this right now is that she drops her boxing stance.  The fight is over.  Lord, help her see that it is your desire for her to be in freedom and flow not fear and oppression.  Set her free now from the pain of past relationships and open her to the beautiful future and faithful friends which await her.  Give her peace and contentment when she’s alone and defy any illusion of loneliness, and remind her she’s never alone.  You are always there!!! Amen!

#IAmMySistersKeeper

 

 

Day 7 - 40 Day Prayer Journal & Empowerment Challenge

Love is always being tested.  Don’t ever discount love, because you don’t feel the emotion.  Love is mostly action.  Emotions come and go much without our permission or acknowledgement; but, our actions are always our choice.  I’ve found that when we are intentional about holding love in our hearts for someone or people in general, that the lost feeling can easily be found again.  Frankly, it’s usually not lost at all, but perhaps covered with busyness, selfishness, fear, un-forgiveness, hard-heartedness, and many other things.  These effects are simply tests of our love.

My husband and I had a heated argument once; and, I was so angry, I could remember thinking, “I hate you!!!” and, instantly, I thought “Where ‘in hell’ did that come from?” I did not utter it, because I knew it was not true; but, if I had allowed myself to be controlled by my feeling of anger in that moment, I could have blurted it out and never been able to take it back.  Knowing my husband, he would have forgiven me but that would have been forever sketched in his mind.  Our love was being tested by and from the pits of hell. Fortunately for us, we passed the test and I am so thankful!

It is imperative that we know what love is and what it is not.  It is just as important that when we find love that we never allow how we feel in a moment control what we say and how we treat each other.  When we find love, it can never be lost; even if you decide that being apart is better than being together, separating for the sake of each other’s wellbeing is still an act of love.  So, again, love isn’t lost.  Love is everywhere, it’s all knowing, and it’s the most powerful emotion.  Therefore, never give the forces of evil permission to gain entry to your heart and mind and tell you that it doesn’t exist.  Love is in you, all around you and all over you.  If you make your bed in hell, love is there, because God is Love and he is there with you.  He’s everywhere.  Just embrace that overwhelming Love, hold it in your arms and just imagine that you cannot escape it.  Then, be intentional about your feelings and actions and stand guard against any thief that seeks to rob you of it.

Our Father, please guard our hearts! We know that the line between of love and hate has been crossed by many.  We asked that you guide us so that we will never go there ourselves and that we don’t fall prey to the enemy of our souls, believe the lies he whispers to us, nor be a conduit for him to hurt our loved ones through our words and deeds.  Help us remember that Jesus sweat drops of blood and prayed earnestly to you before he was captured by the soldiers who were to later take his life.  We are more than sure Jesus did not “feel” like dying, but His love purposed Him to endure an excruciating death for us.  “There’s no greater love than for a man to lay down His life for friends.” Just like Jesus, show us how to love more perfectly, to hold love in our hearts for others even when they don’t love themselves or know how to love us back.  We are willing vessels for you right now. Use us as you will, Father, we pray! Amen!

#IAmMySistersKeeper

 

 

Day 6 - 40 Day Prayer and Empowerment Challege

The power of loving energy! Have you have ever entered a room full of people and it felt so warm, positive, and loving?  Have you have ever entered a room full of people and experienced the opposite?  I am sure the answer is “yes” to both questions.  We often take for granted the energy we exude when we enter into a place.  So, when there’s a room full of people who are unaware or unintentional about their subconscious emotions and attitudes, then any great event, occasion, or gathering could quickly take a downward turn. 

Loving energy, however, can bring sunshine to a rainy day, bring life to a dead dream, and light to a dark situation, and awesomeness to a party.  It is so important that we remain conscious of how we feel, our body language, the frequency of our vibrations, the look on our faces, and anything that’s driving our outward display of happiness or displeasure at all times.  As women, we can carry so much baggage like anger, sadness, frustration, misery, offensiveness, jealousy around with us and not even know it. It is during these times, we miss opportunity after opportunity to give love to others.  Conversely, when we make it a practice to stop and make a mental note of how we are feeling and then shift our energy when we realize we are in the dumps, we can become more enlightened about the possibilities of chance encounters to show love.

Jesus attracted these occurrences, often, because of his loving energy.  It was loving energy that healed the woman with an issue of blood.  It was loving energy that made stone throwers drop their rocks and walk away from the woman caught in adultery.  It was loving energy that performed miracle after miracle, like feeding thousands with a couple pieces of fish and a few loaves of bread.  It was Christ’s loving energy that healed the sick and raised the dead.

Father, I pray today for women to consciously open their hearts and minds to the ways of Christs, not just to learn of them but to employ them.  You’ve made us to be loving creatures, because we are created in your image, and You are Love.  You’ve given us an example of how to love through Christ; and, You’ve given us the power to Love through your Holy Spirit, which lives inside of us.  You have equipped us Father.  Please convict us time and time again until we continue to love others the way you’ve commanded us.  May your Spirit quicken our thoughts and memory and awaken us to an awareness like no other to be mindful of the sensation of our energies and empower us to shift it when we need to. I pray that we will be obedient, so that we will find the peace we need and the love and happiness we desire.  Amen!

#IAmMySistersKeeper