BeyondSeeLevel

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

As simple as this formula is, it’s often the last resort for the children of God. We may vent to the Lord, but are we praying to Him? We vent lacking faith and hope that God can or will do anything about what we bring to Him. He’s just a listening ear, a sounding board. We don’t really expect Him to do anything. So we remain in a state of panic, confusion, faithlessness, anxiousness and despair. In other words, we act like the world–without hope.

But every now and then, we approach God full of faith and hope trusting Him to intercede. We have this trust not even knowing what God will do. But we know that He can do. There’s a reason God instructs us to approach anxiousness, initially with Thanksgiving. It’s a reminder that if God did it before, He can do it again. It helps us shift our focus from trouble to having hopeful anticipation of triumph. It shocks us back into the truthful reality that we’re not even in a fight FOR the victory. We’re actually fighting FROM the victory. We’ve already won!

Being consumed with what our outer man is experiencing paralyzes us from being able to connect to and rely on what our inner man has already confirmed. We’re going to be alright! God has us! We must remember that even when we’re fearful, intimidated, nervous or unsure, nothing has the ability to take God by surprise, shake Him up or intimidate Him. He’s all powerful!

Soooo, discipline your thoughts today. Don’t allow the enemy to consume you with what he’s trying to consume you with. He’s a bully! His bark is a lot bigger than his bite. And he knows it. Focus on what you’re thankful for. Bring those things to God that the enemy is trying to use to rob you of your faith. Trust and believe that God has you and is still in control. Then experience His blessed peace. That peace will be so amazing that you have to shake your own head at yourself and wonder why you’ve wasted all this time worrying when you have a God so powerful.

People of God, there’s a lot of stuff going on around us. And for many, there’s a lot of stuff going on in us. Truly take it to God and know that it’s going to be alright.

*Tressa Jo

As a mother, I pray for my children. I pray a lot!! Recently, my first born got her first apartment. She’s been on her own for a few years, but this is her first place by herself. Of course my heart is full of emotions. She’s always been very independent. I’ve always said, “I can send her out of this country and she’ll be alright.” If she doesn’t know something, she’ll figure it out. Knowing that she’s not afraid to go for what she wants in life brings me a great joy and a peace of mind.

I can admit, that at her age, I wasn’t so sure of myself or what I wanted in life. My life’s journey looks quite differently than hers. I’m proud of her and her accomplishments. And I continue to encourage and support her in her endeavors. But more than anything, my prayer, my encouragement and my counsel is that she pursues her relationship with God, as diligently as she pursues her goals in life.

I often remind her that she can gain the whole world and still lose her soul. And as much as it grieves me to think about it, I’d much rather her be a worldly failure and be a godly success. I want my child so see God in heaven above anything else in life. I love her enough, to not only want what’s best for her, but I want what’s blessed for her. She doesn’t have to have the Midas touch. I want her to have God’s touch. I want her life to manifest His glory.

I wanted to bless her and her new apartment, so I decided to give her these words of encouragement:

“I’m proud of you. Cooking and stuff. Got your own official 1st place. Make sure you keep your home a holy place and don’t allow demonic forces to dwell there. That’s always been one of my biggest missions for my home. We had/have peace! The only time we didn’t was when I allowed XXX into our lives. Him and all of his demons wreaked havoc in our home/lives. You make sure that you steward your life and your home in a way that pleases God. In the privacy of our own homes and behind closed doors is what separates many people from God and His covering. And make sure anyone you have in your home respect your standards and your values.”

I’m still her mother. And I’m still praying.

*Tressa Jo