Tag Archives: guidance

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

prayn-and-fasting-pic

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

GOOD MORNING FAM! GOTTA MOMENT? WOW!
Once again, we’re delighted that you’ve joined us in Thursdays’ Corporate Prayer and Fasting! We count it an honor and a privilege that the Creator of Heavens and Earth has stretched out His Scepter, inclining His Ear and welcoming us to enter into His Gates with thanksgiving and His Courts with praise! We run boldly and joyfully to The Rock that covers even the most timid of souls, casting our cares at His Feet! Shall we pray…
I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses, And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has everrrrrr known!

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place, And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord; There are sweet expressions on each face, And I know they feel the presence of the Lord…

Good Morning Abba Father! Good Morning Jesus! Good morning Holy Spirit! We’ve come to say thank You for one more day! We’re grateful for such Faithful Loving-kindness that You’ve extended to us allowing us rest under the surveillance of Your watchful Eyes. As the gross darkness hovered around us, You shielded us from death and destruction and at the designated moment You awakened us to a brand new day, flooded with rays of Glorious Mercy and lavished with Your Amazing Unmerited Grace to overcome any challenges that we might incur during the journey of today!

Holy Father, as we embrace this day, we first want to ask You to forgive us for any deed, thought or word that was spoken that was not pleasing in Your sight. As we pray, according to Your Word, that if we would confess our sins from a sincere repentant heart, You will forgive us, cleanse us by The Precious Blood of Jesus and restore us back to right-standing in The Kingdom of Your Son! By Faith,we believe and now receive the Cleansing Flood of Christ’s Atonement in Jesus Name! Amen 3x!

Father, we know that nothing will ever happen in our lives that will escape Your Dominion! However, You know that the frailness of our flawed, fickleness and finite frame often causes us to fall prey to the intimidating turbulence that is erupting around us resulting from those who deny, defy and reject Your Lordship! You also know how easily we tend to forget that You have committed Yourself to never leave nor forsake us! We beseech You now, Sweet Jesus, to open our hearts, our minds that we might understand that You are our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God Who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities and responds faithfully, patiently and compassionately to our every moan to calm our doubts and console our fears!

Lord Jesus,  we lift up Your children who are holding on to Your Hand today, by faith, trusting You to release a double-portion of Your Divine Peace, Power, Supernatural Strength, Health, Provision, Prosperity and Protection into their lives even as we pray! In Jesus Name, Amen 3x!
Heavenly Father, we pray that You will continue to preserve us thru the tests, trials and sometimes tragedies that we go thru! Keep us, Holy Spirit, constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE and fully-confident that You only allow these seasons to prepare us for promotion in Your Kingdom. Assure us that this momentary light affliction will not compare to the Glory that shall be revealed in our lives as You bring us out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with every reward You have promised in Your Word!

Abba Father, we pray, because no man can come to the Father except You draw them, that as Your Eyes continue to search the hearts of mankind that You draw and save the lost, reclaim every back-slider and direct their footsteps to their local church home today that they might be nurtured, encouraged and committed to live out the rest of their lives pleasing and magnifying Your Name! We declare and decree that all of our unsaved loved ones and friends will be saved in the year 2017 and join our Eternal Royal Family!

Father, we ask You to touch our brother, touch our sister whose body has been afflicted by sickness and disease, especially the spirit of cancer, high/low blood pressure, heart disease, kidney, lung failure, satanically induced depression/oppression/addictions and rebuke and cast it out at the root, for Your Name Sake!  Lord, Your Word declares that Your stripes have redeemed and healed us and we’re yet standing on your promises that the prayer of faith shall save the sick and raise them up, In Jesus Name, It Is So!

Lord Jesus, we lift up every political, social, judicial, business, religious leaders, asking a special blessing upon each one! We pray that you will visit them in the night with dreams and visions that will break and convict their hearts so that the morning’s light will spread Your Grace upon them to be the examples in their homes, communities, church and the marketplace that will cause those who are in their sphere of influence to love, trust and live their lives fully devoted to serving and glorifying You, Our Heavenly Father!

Father God, we pray that every demonic-induced spirit of fear, failure, hopelessness and disappointment be defeated by Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Power, Love and a Sound-mind be released now, in Jesus Name! We’re trusting that each morning of this new year Your children will awaken, armed with Grace to accomplish every assignment and earnest hope-filled tomorrows!

Father, we wait in confidence and quietness, trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are suddenly trembling, retreating in shameful defeat, acknowledging that You have heard the voice of our weepings and our supplications and You have received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

Heavenly Father, we seal this prayer with gratitude, honor and praise. Believing that it is done, In The Exalted Name of Jesus we shout Halleleujahhhh!!!! Amen 3x!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

JESUS CARES!

jesus-cares

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who knows my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. Psalm 142:3-4,7

 

LIFE happens!  Whether we embrace it or ignore it, time is spiraling into eternity at the speed of life. Most of us do our best to respond to the inevitable uncertainties maintaining an assemblance of confidence and control! Amen? Howevvrrrr, there are those uninvited episodes when the roof just comes crashing down and the very foundation of your being quakes uncontrollably leaving you traumatized by tragedy and utterly destroying every ounce of normalcy!

The subscript of today’s scriptures says this text was penned by David finding himself victimized by Saul’s inner insecurities and covetousness, hiding in a cave, imprisoned by the hopelessness of circumstances beyond his control! I know it’s socially inappropriate for us to discuss such matters publicly, BUT! Since it’s jus us, have you ever been ensnared by a state of desperation, despair and hopelessness, and try as you might, couldn’t muster up enough strength to pull yourself up out of a pit full of depression?

I realize that this might be a stretch,  BUT! Have you ever been surrounded by a crowd of people, simultaneously isolated and paralyzed by inner fears, feeling as if no one really cared about you? Of course, we realize who the originator of these irrational thoughts and conflicting emotions is, that ly’n devil, right? ‘Cuse me, may I submit this thought for your consideration, right here? I believe that the same God who Divinely orchestrates our mountaintop experiences also schedules sporadic excursions through death-valleys! Yet, you must understand that everybody is not assigned to your hardships and struggles! Hence, you have to be careful who is privy to your vulnerabilities!  Uuuh, remember, Job’s frienemies?

It’s during these times that we need a freedom that’s only accessible through a personal intimate relationship with The Overseer of your soul! Isn’t it just good to know that when the Bible invites us to take it to the Lawd in prayer, that it includes the bad, ugly and indifferent as well as the good and wonderful! Why waste time acting as if You need Jesus to meet you in the penthouse, when you’re stuck in the cellar?#ijs, God already knows everything about everything! He’s jus waiting for you to speak up!

It just delights our Heavenly Father’s heart, knowing that we trust Him to BE GOD in, through and over our lives!  Didjaheardat? DATZ JUS HOW MUCH HE REALLY LOVES AND CARES ! #AWEMAAZIN, huh? I KNOW HE CARES 4 U & ME! GIVE YOUR ALL 2 JESUS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

YOUR ANSWER IS AT THE DOOR!

UR ANSWER IS AT THE DOOR

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she wa so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” Acts 12:13-14

 

According to Acts Chapter 12, the 1st Century Church was experiencing phenomenal growth as the Gospel spread. Not surprisingly, everybody was not excited about what God was doing! The people were leaving the synagogue in droves to follow the Message of this relatively new (and suspect prophet) Jesus Christ. The religious leaders were quite upset because their social and economic status was diminishing as the offerings were declining with so many of their big time supporters leaving the Temple. In order to gain political clout, recognition and favor within the Jewish community, King Herod Agrippa launched an all hands on deck campaign to quench the fire of this Gospel preaching by killing as many leaders of this so call “Christ Ones’ Movement”. Now, it’s Peter who was locked up awaiting execution. BUT GOD BLOCKED IT!

God sent an angel into the Maximum-Security Detention Center, where Peer was chained hand and feet in stocks under the watch of 16 armed guards assigned to secure one unarmed Preacha! WOW! I must point out that (unlike a lot of us) Peter was not up pacing the floor crying, ‘Why me, Lord’ or accusing God for letting this happen to him, but according to the text, Peter was sleeping so hard that the angel had to hit him forcefully just to wake him up! The Bible says, immediately the chains fell off of him. Everything happened so fast, Peter thought he was having a dream or a vision!

Once he came to himself and realized that he was free, Peter decided to catch up with his boys (who were most likely at John Mark’s Mother’s house) and let the know what The Lord had done. Unbeknownst to Peter, while he was locked up in prison, they were having a shut-in (all night prayer meeting)! While they were ernestly seeking God’s help on behalf of their brother, Peter knocked on the door! Rhoda, the servant girl, went to the door, seeing Peter, got so excited that she ran to tell the others and she forgot to open the door to let Peter in. When they finally opened the door and saw Peter standing there, the scripture say they were utterly astonished. Didjaheardat? They were praying to God, but not really expecting their prayers to be answered. #OUCH! Sounds like some of us, huh?

How many times have you, with your sanctimonious self, taken the time to pray for something not really expecting God to answer your prayer? Or worse yet, failed to recognize the answer when it came knocking at your door? Yall know, we have a tendency to allow what we’ve experiences in the past to get in our present circumstances and rob us of now faith!

God is Sovereign! Hence, His Ways are not our ways! We must remember that when we pray, we’re not praying to a mere mortal or some distant-disinterested,-sub-dietyBUT THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD WHO CAN DO ANY AND EVERYTHING! In fact, it grieves the Holy Spirit when He sends answers to our prayers and they’re returned to Him stamped ‘unclaimed’! When we pray we must know not only does God care about everything you care about, but He is willing and able to give you those things that you desire of Him, that’s according to His Word!

Precious Ones, don’t miss your breakthrough because it doesn’t look like what you were expecting. Don’t give up! Keep on praying; keep on knocking! Keep on believing! God’s listening and any moment now expect to be blessed! TRUST2KNOW; YOUR ANSWER WILL SOON BE AT THE DOOR!  SSHHHH! What’s dat?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

IT’S TIME 2 PRODUCE

IT'S TIME 2 PRODUCE

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Isaiah. 54:1

 

When I think of the word ‘barren’ I get an image of a desert, a wilderness, dry, desolate, unfruitful place. Obviously, The Prophet Isaiah could not be talking to God’s Chosen Ones. Or could he? I know this doesn’t quite fit in the New Millennium Church Prosperity Theology. After all, aren’t we the head and not the tail, above not beneath. Aren’t we the blessed coming in, and blessed going out, right?

Well, I don’t mean to intrude into your celestial comfort zone and burst your balloon, but for those of us who’ve been walking with The Lord for more than a week, can testify that sometimes real-life contradicts everything that we’ve ever heard, studied and believed about what it means to be “saved”.

Many times the saints believe because we love God and know that God loves us, the favor of God automatically guarantees a life of levitating thru this world on a flowery bed of ease; that is until life doesn’t produce the fruit of righteousness that we expect! That’s Barrenness! I’m talking about even after, we’ve made all of our faith confessions, planted faith seeds all across the nations; only to end up broker, busted and even more disgusted. Don’t shout me down, nah? #ijs!

What about when Prophet Lightning Buzz told you that your soul mate was on his way to you and up pops Sis. Rahab or Bro. Bozo and she or he snags the very one you just knew God said was yours? I’d call that a barren place!  #4REAL!!!

And what about this one, you make up your mind to stop robbing God and start paying your tithes and giving your offerings faithfully and consistently, and you still can’t make ends meet? Okay! Now you see what I’m talking about, huh?

Sometimes it appears as if God brought you into the L&D room, watched you suffer the pain, exposing you for everyone to see and then stitched up your womb and left the building!

O YE BARREN, HEAR YE THE WORDS OF THE LORD! “It ain’t what it looks like!” God uses our barrenness, to mature us and to prepare us to take possession of our heritage!

Perhaps, some of you have been wandering around the desert for quite a while, aimlessly drifting without direction or purpose. Have you considered that God’s been trying to bring you out, howevvrrrr, because you’ve refused to trust Him and keep trying to deliver yourself, you continue to go round and round in circles!  Beloved, might I offer an alternative perspective,  God had to make the brook dry up just to get you in position for your miracle!

Stop It! It’s time to go in and to take possession of everything that God has promised you.

Remember, your  next blessing is never in what you’ve lost, but it’s always in what you’ve got left! God can produce more in a famine than the wicked can in his wealth. It’s time for you to stop trying and start trusting.

O Ye barren; get ready to enlarge your tent! TRUST2KNO, IT’S TIME TO PRODUCE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SHALLOW CHRISTIANITY

SHALLOW CHRISTIANITY

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for HIM when HE appears, ready to receive Him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when He arrives. Once you’re convinced that he is right and righteous, you’ll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God’s true children. 1 JOHN 2:28-29 THE MESSAGE

 
It might surprise you! One of the greatest deterrents to advancing The Kingdom of God in the earth is not ‘da devil’ BUT ‘Shallow Christians’! What is that, you ask. Well they’re not that hard to recognize. In fact, they’re probably your pew partners. Whhhaaaa? #ikr! While they confess their faith in The Lord Jesus, their walk does not line up with their talk, and as a result, most likely they’re confusing many who’ve yet to invite Christ into their lives as Savior and Lord!

OOOHHH Yessss I did go there! I know how churrch-folk are adamant about not judging, right? But, for your own safety, the Bible says a tree is known by the fruit it bears! More importantly, God knows those who are His! (Ref. 2 Timothy 2:19)

The preaching and teaching of this Gospel of Christ is still the best way to get souls saved, but sometimes His PR staff could use a refreshers course on what it means to live deeply in Christ!

Rest assured, God is not mocked! (Ref. Galatians 6:7) While we might impress some people with our 11:00 A.M. Sunday morning tongue-talking, pew hopping, propha-lyin, shout’n and danc’n, GOD KNOWS the difference between those who are faking it ’till they make it and those who freely rejoice in the mercy, compassionate, longsuffering, unconditional Love of The Heavenly Father, yet acknowledge that sometimes they miss the mark and have yet to reach perfection!

Shallow christians hide behind shameless excuses to continue to satisfy their ungodly cravings, but a true child of God will be quick to repent. GOD KNOWS those who are genuinely striving everyday to mortify the wickness of their flesh and live a life that pleases HIM even at their own hurt! After all, we are living epistles! It’s our holy lifestyle  that will advertise and promote the True Answer to mankinds’ most dire and desperate need–THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, JESUS CHRIST!

I am by no means suggesting that this is easy nor is it a one and done thang! But God already took care of that too. He sent your Guardian, Holy Spirit, to live inside of you to teach and empower you to say no to sin and yes to righteousness!

Sometimes, it looks like Satan is gaining the upper hand, huh?  Beloved, don’t fall for the devil’s tricks and please don’t blame God! Trust 2 know, God ain’t scarred! Remember what happened when Jesus went to Hell, snatched the keys from his puny hands and got up proclaiming, ALL POWER IS IN MY HANDS?

God is raising up an army of disciples that no man can number; building a new nation of trusting believers who will obey His Voice; hewing out a courageous People who’re not ashamed to live righteously in the midst of darkness as a monument to HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, POWER AND MAJESTY!

Examine yourself? REPRSENT JESUS? LIVE DEEPLY?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

PRAYN AND FASTING PIC

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Good Morning Family! GOTTA MOMENT? GREAT! LET’S PRAY…

 

BECAUSE OF WHO U R, WE GIVE U GLORAAA…BCUZ OF WHO U R, WE GIVE U PRAIZ! BECAUSE OF WHO U R, I WILL LIFT MY VOICE AND SAY, LORD, I WORSHIP U, BCUZ OF WHO U R…HERE WE ARE TO WORSHIP, HERE WE ARE TO BOW DOWN, HERE WE ARE TO SAY THAT YOU’RE OUR KING! YOU’RE ALTOGETHER LOVELY, ALTOGETHER WORTHY, ALTOGETER WONDERFUL 2 me…

Father in Heaven, here we are before you once again. We come today with outstretched arms, open hands and grateful hearts, for this is the day that You have made! Therefore we’re rejoicing in The Splendor of Your Magnificent Glory! We know that it’s only because of Your Grace and Mercy, that we’re yet here! It’z because of Your love for us, You have allowed us one more day to enjoy life, health and strength. We’re thankful for another opportunity to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto you.

From our Mother’s womb, You’ve proven Yourself to be Faithful and True; therfore, we’re trusting You to provide everything that we need today to sustain us thru whatever challenges that unfold during the course of this day! Abba Father, we know that You Alone are our God, Guard and Guide!

Father, with eternal gratitude we bless You for allowing us to enter into Your Throne Room, with hope-filed expectation that you will entreat us graciously as we pour out the burdens that seem to overwhelm our hearts, releasing everything that concerns us to you! Lord Jesus, because we know that You are Omniscient, Omnipresent, You see and You already know everything about everyone of us, yet you have welcomed us to come to you, to find Grace and Mercy to comfort, strengthen and encourage us to hold on to every Word that You have spoken over our lives, before we were born.

Daddy, as we stand humbly before Your Sovereignty, before we go any further, we’re asking You to forgive us for everything that we, your children, have spoken, done and even thought that was not pleasing in Your sight. We thank You now because You have assured us that if we would confess our sins, You, Heavenly being Faithful and Just, will forgive us, and wash us in The Precious Blood of Jesus, cleansing us from all unrighteousness, and restoring the breach that our disobedience has caused between our poor souls and our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

Now, we ask Holy Spirit to intercede for us, on our behalf, our family, our friends, even our enemies, as we know that Your love is the same to each and everyone of us!

Abba, we know that You have instructed us, to look not at the temporary things, but to the eternal, yet You know the frailness of our flesh, and how easily we’re provoked and tempted to become overwhelmed by the cares of this world, that our hearts are burdened with the pressures of this life, that some of us are wearied with fear, doubt, unbelief, sickness and disease, financial debt, broken relationships, unprovoked threats, depression, addictions, insecurities.

Lord you know that sometimes we lose our focus on You causing our days to be spent beneath clouds of evil foreboding, while our nites are plagued with restlessness, despondency and hopelessness! Lord, keep us in Your Will, as only You can!

Lord we pray that you will save, heal and deliver speedily by Your Mighty Hand,all those who are crying out to you, seeking Your Face at the very moment! Give us to know that because we belong to You, we are never too far that You can’t see us, reach us, and shield us from anything that the devil would rail against us. Help us to understand that Your Name, Jesus is a Strong Tower, and those that You hve declared the righteous run into it and are saved.

Open up our minds and our hearts, filling us with Your Assurance, and confidence that at The Name of Jesus, every knee must bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord! Grace your children with hope-filled trust that You, Father have committed Your Word towards us that no weapon that’s formed us shall ever prosper and except You allow it, no trouble, test or trial can come near us. We thank you Lord, for fully persuading us our of Providential Presence and Power to turn everything around to work in our favor and to bring about exuberant testimonies and praizes of Your Eternal Magnificence, Honor and Glory!

Father, we thank you now for listening to the hearts of everyone reading and praying with us. We thank you for hearing the hearts of those who have never trusted and accepted Your Son Jesus as Savior and Lord! We are thankful that Holy Spirit is quickening that stony heart now and that they shall come to You humbled by Your Lovingkindness, in obedient to Your call and are now receving your Mercy and Grace to Save. We pray now that You are leading and guiding them to the local church, planting them inYour Vineyard, where they shall be taught and transformed by Your Word of Life to take their position in The Kingdom of Heaven.

Father, we pray for those who are distraught by grief and fear, the elderly, the widows, the downcast who have born the heat of the day, especially those who pushed and prayed us through! Father, give them sweet peace. Lord, we pray for the leaders of governments world-wide, their hearts are in Your Hands, visit them in the night season and command them to do Your Will.

Lord, I pray for every believer who is yet holding on to Your Hand by faith today, that You are releasing Divine power, Supernatural strength and health, provision, prosperity and protection. Father, we’re trusting that You shall preserve them thru the tests that they must go thru and keep them constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE and fully-confident that You will bring them out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward as You have promised them in Your Word!

Father, we thanking You for an outpouring of Your Divine Favor upon each and every one of your children who are seeking employment, promotion, prompt approval for student/car/home loans and assure them that YOU are YET HE, Jehovah Jareh, who shall supply all of their need according to Your Riches in Glory!

Father we decree and declare that every demonic-induced spirit of addiction and fear is defeated NOW because of Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power and Sound-mindness and Purpose is being released into the lives of Your people now, in Jesus Name!

Abba, we lift up every Bishop, Pastor, Overseer, Apostle, Evangelist, Preacher and Teacher. Undergird them with Your Anointing to carry out their assignment, under the direction of Holy Spirit. Cover them as they go in and out amongst Your people and those who would seek to discredit, hinder and even destroy their faith, faithfulness and the ministryYou have ordained.

Lord, there are so many other things, that we have yet to mention, but we’re trusting, believing you to fix it, Jesus, as only You can! Lord, we know that You are not just able, but willing to do anything that we ask, in accorance to Your Word, in Jesus Name!

As we offer us this prayer, Father we wait in confidence and quietness, rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in shame, turning their backs from Your people, because You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

Father, we thank You NOW, for WE believe that it is done! In The Exalted Name of Jesus. Amen 3X

Now every child of God who is standing in agreement with this prayer, GO TELL SOMEBODY THAT JESUS LOVES EVERYBODY!

DON’T LOOK BACK!

DON'T LOOK BACK

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

How oft did they provoke Him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel Psalm 78:40-41

Ever notice how memories have a way of distorting reality.  Somehow, once we’re no longer ‘there’  WE  have this proclivity  to delete all of the bad and ugly stuff that happened to us?

Have you ever wondered why in the midst of our tests and trials, how easily our minds revert back to an earlier time and subconsciously embellishes those former times as ‘the good ol days’?

Today’s scripture text, ‘them’ Israelites illustrate this innately human response to selectively reminisce over the episodes of history, particularly whenever we’re faced with the fear of the unknown.  Hence, the grass always looks greener and better on the other side, right?

It was only about a month after God had miraculously delivered over a million former slaves out from the cruelty of Egyptian bondage, when they began to feel differently about their utterly hopelessly distressful past circumstances.  The moment they were faced with a challenge, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron and to make matters even worse, they accused God of bringing them out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness!  

‘We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.’ (Numbers 11:5-6)

…Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:1-3) 

Somehow, they dismissed the reality, like we often do, that God had just lead His Chosen People to freedom, faithfully, supernaturally supplying everything they needed, yet they failed to appropriately appraise God’s Eternal Presence and Divine Favor based on unfamiliar temporary circumstances.

Saints, the truth is, nothing that you’ve been thru; nothing you’re going thru NOW should make you want to turn back. Remember what happened to Lots’ wife? (Ref. Luke 17:32)

Don’t make the same mistake that our forefathers made. Don’t limit your expectations of God to your former experiences! We forget that God has a panoramic view of our lives! What God has for you is always in front of you!!  Don’t worry about what you can’t see, remember GOD’s guiding us by His Eyes! So keep moving forward!  If He ever did it before, trust Him to do it again!

Our God “is well able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or thing, according to the power that works in us”. (Ephesians 3:20). 

Beloved, trust 2 Know…your future won’t  even fit in your past!  What God has prepared for you is always greater than anything you’ve been thru! 

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Check the end of the Book–YOU WIN! DON’T LOOK BACK! 

SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!
 
Ann Caffee

 

STAY N IT 2 WIN IT!

STAY IN IT 2 WIN IT!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

 

Apparently, somewhere along the way, many of today’s contemporary Christians have picked up the erroneous impression, that The Road of Salvation is a meticulously manicured lawnscape—free of sticks and stones, crabgrass and weeds, lumps and humps and especially parasital insects.

Now! Given my extreme paranoia of bugs, I certainly don’t profess to be no expert in the science of horticulture, however I don’t think it would be going too far out on a limb to suggest that our neighbor’s lusciously green tarp (that we so yearn for) involved a certain moderate-to hard-working-up-sweat-hands-dirty-knee-dropping-diligence and discipline. Right?

So what makes us think that the most important road-trip we’ll ever take, our journey from Earth to Glory, would be a choreographed Boogaloo-Down-Broadway?

I can’t tell you how many times I find myself reminding myself that all of those ‘cheering witnesses’ we stagger at in Hebrews 11’s Hall of Faith, were just plain ordinary everyday folk, just like you and me, who faced the same struggles, tests and trails that we confront. Yet, because they kept their eyes focused on the prize, they overcame their life’s challenges, successfully!

While we understand, at least on some level, the reason that The Apostle Paul compares our walk with Jesus to a race, we have a tendency to think of it as a sprint, rather than a marathon! Okay, here’s how it is—it ain’t a one and done thing! The Master Husbandman, The Sovereign Creator, GOD, has allowed certain interruptions, along our way, that are strategically designed to develop and grow us up into perfect spiritual maturity.

The scriptures reveal that our forerunner, God’s Son, JESUS, learned obedience through his sufferings. (Ref. Hebrews 5:8)

Now, don’t get it twisted; this doesn’t mean that Jesus was ever disobedient to His Father, but rather, His suffering enabled him to intimately-identify with what we endure in our wilderness experiences!

Paul instructs us to study how Jesus did it and follow His lead. Begin with stripping down—laying aside anything that would slow us down—like un-repented sin, unrealized fears, unspoken doubts and worries  and concentrating on the Joy at the completion of the mission.

The mission for which HE was SENT, Salvation, Redemption and Restoration of God’s  most precious creation—us—empowered Our Lord to look past the pain and the shame of The Cross and not quit until He’d Won our Victory!

My brothers and sisters, seeing we have such A Great High Priest, who promised to be with us all the way, don’t give in to that lying Accuser, Satan.! 

Take a big whist of that ‘second wind’  (GRACE) and discipline your mind, body and spirit and keep it movin’. After all, we’re not just hurling aimlessly toward a phantom mirage; this is a sure thing we’re running after! 
God has planned a Great Celebration at the finish line for us! STAY IN IT TO WIN IT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

REST-DIRECTION!

REST-DIRECTION 3

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 25:1)

 

Sometimes, we find ourselves oscillating by the turbulent waves of adversity, drowning in the depths of desperation and despair. While we all know that trouble doesn’t discriminate, harassing the just as much as the unjust, somehow knowing doesn’t make suffering any less traumatic, especially to those of us who intentionally strive to live circumspect fully according to teaching of The Bible.

Perhaps this explains why many believers prefer to deny rather than acknowledge that occasionally they experience a wrath of depression that causes you to shrink back into self-imposed exile, shrouded by terror, isolation and false humility! But today, allow the WORD OF GOD to emancipate you from the burden of secretcy and shame!

Remember David?  Well, on several occasions, we find The Psalmist , crying out of the hub of his soul to his True Source of Salvation, The Living God?

As we follow The King in The Scriptures,  we see David relentlessly bellowing out his distress before his Friend, The Lord Adonai, uninhibited by reputation, shame nor guilt, but fully persuaded that this was indeed what pleases God the most, trusting honesty.

David’s intimacy with his God, was the foundation of his every prayer!

Beloved, during seasons of overwhelming circumstances, instead of running away from God, The Psalmist recognized the value and privilege afforded to him  and entreated God’s Compassionate Heart with the same hope-filled tenacity that he embraced during moments of ease.

We do well to understand that earnest sincere-honest-heart prayer stirs-up the atmosphere of Heaven releasing favor, and guaranteeing Divine Intervention.

Don’t insult God’s Omniscience with phony, fake emotional repetitions, as if He doesn’t already know your heart. Just follow the ‘man after God’s own heart’  and expose the nakedness of your heart, own your emotions and confess “But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?”  Psalm 88:13

GO ‘HEAD; GOD CAN TAKE IT!

Don’t just wallow in the muck and mire of fear, dread and desolation. Take full-advantage of the situation by reconnecting to The Shepherd! Recommit your life afresh to new purpose, focus and strength. Reaffirm the Foundation of God’s Inseparable Love, entrusting your heart to The Faithful Eternal Lord of Glory!

Truthfully, God orchestrates these momentary afflictions to set you up for Triumphant Victory. WHAA? #didjaheardat?

AAAAWWW! Rest-DIRECTION!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

I CHANGED MY MIND!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3:19

I am straight Holiness/Pentecostal todabone; jus ask anybody who knows me in church! I mean, I’ll shout you down in a heartbeat! But guess what? The devil ain’t stud’n you getting your praise on shoutin’ and dancin’, flip’n over pews, in the church house, as long as you don’t change! That’s right, I’m talking about repentance! Don’t touch dat button!

I know repentance still carries a negative connotation, generally provoking feelings of fear and condemnation. I totally get! However, what we need to realize is that none of us  have the power or responsibility to make a person repent by threatening them that they’re going to Hell!  BUT!!!! IF  you let them know how good The Lord is and what He’s ALREADY done for US to make us right with God, there a good chance that they’ll want to know Him for themselves!

Before the days of name it and claim it, and blab it and grab it, when a true prophet spoke, the only thing he promised was the WORD OF GOD! Really, check your Bible? John the Baptist preached the same message every day, “prepare ye the way, repent and be baptized, for the Lord is at hand”. When The Apostle Peter left the upper room, filled with the Holy Ghost, he came preaching the same message, “repent”. Yall ain’t liking me, huh?

Some folk still believe repentance means going to the altar, echoing a confession and shaking the pastor’s hand. But my beloved, genuine repentance is a matter of the heart and I don’t mean just feeling sorry. If you really want to experience authentic fellowship with Jesus, you have to sanctify yourself through repenting from your heart.

2 Corinthians 7:10 explains, when a person truly repents, they’ll admit that they’re sincerely sorry for rebelling against God and living a sinful life; make a conscious commitment to change the way they live, turn their back AWAY FROM the devil, and TURN 2 JESUS!

One of the best parts of repentance is taking back the personal power that we’ve allowed Satan to rule over our lives! Godly sorrow will make you stare the devil down and tell him in no uncertain terms, “No thank you, I don’t want to live like this anymore, it’s over! I DON’T BELONG 2 U, I BELONG TO JESUS! MY PAST IS COVERED IN THE BLOOD AND MY NEW LIFE IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! NOW , GET OUTTA MY FACE OR I’M GONNA CALL MY DADDY!

Beloved, don’t allow another moment of doubt, unbelief or fear cause you to forfeit the blessings that God has prepared for us. (Ref. Jeremiah 29:11) The Bible says, the day you hear His Voice calling–just come! Didjaheardat? Can you hear HIM now?

Somebody quick, please tell the devil, “ I CHANGED MY MIND!”

SELAH!

PAUSE, PONDER, PRAY & PRAIZ!

Ann Caffee