Push and Praise

(Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash)

Sometimes we need to push and praise simultaneously. This is one way we ACTIVATE our faith. Faith means we push with our prayers all the way for the breakthrough. We praise in the middle of the pressing in, and then no matter what the outcome is…we keep praising.

Push and Praise. Start doing this is your everyday life, and you'll start to see your prayers and intimacy with the Lord come to life. Why? Because faith always pleases God. He actually likes it when you push, when you press in. He tells us to come boldly before the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)

No more weak-willed prayers asking only once. Be persistent, believing that what you are pressing-in for matters to Him, and it honors Him. If it's in His Word, and it's how He teaches us to pray, and we know it's His will…there's nothing holding you back. Nothing. Press in for that request. Press in for that healing. Press in for that financial breakthrough. Press in for that acceptance letter. Press in for that new job or career.

I think we often miss out because of two reasons.

• We don't get certainty about God’s will. We’re afraid to pray the wrong thing. But God’s will is not a mystery anymore. It’s revealed through Jesus in His Word. The Scriptures are full of descriptions of His will and ways. You can learn the ways of God, and know how He moves. His will is revealed through the actual life of Jesus and the pages of Scripture. Go find the clues. Go find the heart and principle behind it. It will make your prayers have exponential impact because you'll begin to pray in partnership with God.

• We don't pray through. We quit before the finish line. I wonder how many outcomes we might exchange if we just had a faith that went all the way to the finish line. Pray through for the breakthrough.

Friend, I encourage you today to push. Push and praise all the way. Press in to God with your prayers. Press in to agreement with His will and Kingdom. Press in for the things that have not yet come to pass.

Did you know that the Holy Spirit is praying for you? This means your prayer life is actually a partnership-life. You are co-operating with the Holy Spirit when you pray. Press in.

You're not only pressing in TO the heart of God, you're pressing in WITH the heart of God.

 

And always: praise, praise praise. When you praise, you raise your expectation and perspective in Christ.

Praise gives you a raise.

So…get your worship on. Celebrate, thank, and sing of God's worth in your home, car, and spheres of influence.

Push and Praise. This is God's heart and way for you. And it will empower you to “live above the line.”

Joyfully,

Rachel B.

PS - when you pray, you’re not up against a wall. You’re partnering with a God who can collapse walls with the sound of an obedient shout. (Remember Jericho?) #boom.

To Defend or Repent...

(Photo by Icons8 team on Unsplash)

Repentance tends to get a bad rap. I think it is one of life's greatest gifts. This week I bit my husband's head off. His brain is mostly still attached, but I was mean. I was angry, short-tempered, and totally exhausted. It wasn't cool. It wasn't ok. It was sin. So I won't try to defend or justify it. Why do I still act like this? It makes no sense to me how I can be writing blogs and songs telling about my great love for Jesus and then…BOOM: Ugly Rachel shows up to poop on the party. #boo.

Rather than defend myself or my poor actions, I apologized to my husband. The next morning I repented before God and agreed with Him about my sinful behavior (not identity), and we were back online together. He made it all good. The "ugly" stuff is not really who I am. Not anymore. It was my old nature, the dead nature, trying to resurrect itself and be a nuisance! It was time to put that dead guy back into the coffin; and quick repentance does just that.

How often do we choose defense though instead of repentance? Eek.

God would rather we just repent

than defend our actions.

Defense puts up walls. Repentance tears them down.

Defense is self-protection. Repentance is self-disclosing.

Defense says "I have to be perfect." Repentance says, "I made a mistake."

Defense says, "You're hurting me. It's not safe." Repentance says, "I need surgery, and this will bring healing."

What if the real you was actually patient, kind, generous, and open to feedback? What if feedback was your greatest resource for growth? What if you could take a breath and respond, rather than overreact and blow up?

Life would get better.

Sometimes it's good to do a check in with yourself. If you're willing, here's a couple of brave questions to ask yourself:

1. What kind of fruit am I bearing? (Would my family, friends, coworkers, or people I encounter, agree with me?)

2. Is my fruit good? Does it reflect the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness…etc.?

If the fruit you are primarily characterized by is not the above, you're either in denial, deceived, disconnected from the Holy Spirit, or under the influence of a different spirit.

(Photo by Karly Gomez on Unsplash)

Head knowledge about the Word of God is not enough to bear fruit in your life. It must get into the deeper places of your heart and spirit-man. It's not about how much you know in your head, it's about the actual connection and relationship with God Himself; Heart to heart, Spirit to spirit. And the proof is in the fruit pudding. And the fruit pudding should taste good.

If you're feeling a specific conviction in your spirit as you read this -- GOOD! That means the Holy Spirit is talking to you and you are sensitive enough to hear His voice. Throw a party and listen!

If you're feeling condemned, ashamed, and like a loser…then you need to tell those voices to be quiet, because they are lying to you, and they are not from God. Any voice that shames, condemns, and belittles you is not from God. Period.

God always has specific areas of correction. His voice is always full of hope. He always has solutions to our problem areas. He always responds to repentance. God convicts and corrects, but never condemns the believer. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Those are His words, so we can bank on them.

I'm still on a journey friend. I make mistakes and sin. But I hope you'll join me in becoming a quick repenter, a first responder. Sometimes everything in us wants to defend our remark, attitude, or action…but we both know it's just better to repent.

Joyfully, (and back to my true self)

Rachel B.

PS - Be like Denver the dog…a perfect picture of repentance. <wink> Enjoy this funny video.

My Confidence

Hi friends! It's been a while since I've posted on this site. But just wanted to share a new song I penned this week. It's simple and I invite you to enjoy the lyric video and sing along. 

Joyfully,

Rachel B.