Are you in a place where you are seeking God for what to do next? Seeking his guidance on your journey? Waiting for him to show you where to go from here … well maybe it’s not as much about WHERE you go, as it is HOW you go.

How are you showing up today?

In the book of Judges we read about a group of people who were guided and protected by God, yet they failed to remain faithful. They got lost along the way, caught up in the details, and didn’t do their part. I wonder where God has guided and protected us, but we haven’t done our part?

Judges chapter 2 verses 1 and 2, an Angel of the Lord came and spoke to the Israelites and said “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land …’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?”

God made a deal. I will rescue you, now you don’t break my covenant. A covenant is an agreement. An agreement to follow God and trust him. And these people failed. They failed to do their part.

Have you failed to do your part? Could this be why you’re still waiting? Could this be why things aren’t happening for you? Could this be the source of your problem, your stress, your mess? A failure to do your part? I can’t answer that question for you, so you will need to seek God in your answer. HAVE YOU DONE YOUR PART?

Sadly I must admit there are a few areas of my life where I became a little lax. I coasted, and as a result I drifted. I stopped doing all I could do and as a result I was not experiencing all I could experience. That’s just the cold hard truth.

When we stop doing all we can do, we will not experience all we could experience. We’re in a partnership with God. God does his part without fail, but when we fail to do our part there is a break in the covenant. And God says “Hey, you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?”

We made a deal. God gave us this life to live, now we’re supposed to be living it well. We’re supposed to take everything we have and do something with it. We’re supposed to be showing up with our best effort every single day. We’re supposed to multiply what he has provided. BUT ARE WE?

How about let’s get real clear on what God is expecting us to do today. 1 Peter 1: 5 reading from the Message translation:

“Don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given …”

Are you building on what you already have, or are you just skimming the top? Oh dang we fall into the trap of just skimming. We’re just barely using what we have. We’re just barely trying. Barely showing up. And as a result we’re doing exactly what this scripture warns us about, we’re losing our minutes. Translation, we’re wasting time. You’ve only been given so many days to walk this earth and make your impact, sister you can’t afford to waste a single one. But if you’re not building on what you’ve been given, you are wasting time. You’re wasting opportunities. You’re not doing your part and God is saying, YOU ARE DISOBEYING ME. WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS?

You have faith. You believe God will provide. You believe God will make a way. That’s great. Faith is your foundation, but girl you can’t just sit around with a foundation and not build on it.

1 Peter 1: 5-10 goes on to break down our part in 7 simple steps. 7 things you can do today to ensure you’re doing your part, which then unleashes God to do his.

Jesus says we will be known by our love, and our love is to make him known. So, every day, we show up and we try to love. Darn, we try. Y’all know, some people are easier to love than others. Some just test the Jesus in you. I bet you can think of a very specific person that is really hard to love. Someone you work with, someone you live with, someone you share a circle with. Whew, Jesus wants you to love them, but it’s stretching you to your limits.

Who is it that is most hard for you to love?

Oh, I know exactly who it is. Let me hit the nail on the head and give you your ah-ha moment early. It’s someone you live with. It’s someone you work with. And it’s someone in every one of your circles. It’s YOU. You are most hard for you to love. You have become self-critical and judgmental of yourself. And of course you have, because you spend a whole lot of time with you.

I’m a fan of long distance relationships. Our time together is short and sweet. It is savored and precious, then you go home. I don’t have to deal with your quirky self on the daily, and let me tell you, girl, you are quirky! You’ve got some weird things you do. Some of y’all label crap and alphabetize it. Some of y’all can’t sit and keep your hands still. Some of y’all eat popcorn really loud. And some of y’all come up with the craziest cock-a-mamey ideas that no one understands (oh wait, that’s me.) It’s cute for a short amount of time, but then we need some space.

And that’s the problem, wherever you go, THERE YOU ARE! You can’t get space from you! You intimately know your struggles. You have to put up with your own darn quirkiness 24/7. You had a front row seat to every one of your failures. You don’t even like the sound of your own voice. And let’s not talk about looking in the mirror or seeing yourself in photos. Oh mercy. It’s a real issue.

Do you have a hard time loving you?

Let’s make this real clear … this is a problem. And it’s a problem for Jesus!

You will be known by your love and your love is to make him known, but you refuse to fully love the one person you can simply never get away from … YOU!

I promise you this, you hating you is not an honorable representation of your Creator. You may cover it up as humility, but at its core, it’s hateful. You’re hateful to you. And you being hateful to you doesn’t make a single soul say, “Wow, I just gotta know what that girl is doing! I gotta know about the one who helps her hate herself so well. I just gotta know where she gets this deep critical spirit for herself from, because I really want some of that too.” Nobody ever says that.

Do you want to know why loving others exhausts you so much sometimes? Because you show up already worn out from the battle you’re fighting with yourself. Before you ever greet your family in the morning, you’ve already beat yourself up for how your body is aging, how your energy is never enough, and how you’ve secretly failed yourself. And maybe you put on a good show so no one else sees it, but you hear it. That little voice in your head just never stops.

It’s why we struggle with relationships. We’re looking for someone to fill that empty hole within us, but no matter how much they pour into us, it’s never enough because, girl, you keep poking at the hole. God wants to heal that hole in you. He wants to help you calm the voices. He wants to help you love yourself so you can show up in this world in a way that glorifies your Creator.

What’s your current favorite product?

What has the enemy taken from you? Has he taken your ability to dream? I mean straight up stolen the things you used to get excited about for your future!

Has the enemy taken your energy and left you dreading the day and wishing away the hours until you can go back to bed?

Has the enemy taken your joy? There was once a sparkle in your eye and a pep in your step, now you’re only half way present and mostly checked-out.

Has the enemy taken your confidence? You’re a shell of who you once were, now you question if you can ever get back who you used to be.

Has the enemy taken your peace? You’re all stirred up, filled with worry and anxiety, hiding in dark corners where your thoughts hold you captive.

Has the enemy taken your marriage? Your child? Your family? Your health? Your purpose?

Girl, it’s time to boldly march to the gates of Hell, and with the power of God inside of you, demand back what the enemy has taken from you! This is the year YOU TAKE IT BACK!

I have a song and a story to awaken the fight within you. Which do you want first?

Okay, the story. The story of showing up with the power of God and taking back what the enemy stole.

1 Samuel 30: 1-20, “When David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into Ziklag and they had crushed and burned it to the ground. They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more. But David found strength in the Lord his God.Then David asked the Lord, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?”And the Lord told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

They found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah. David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. David got back everything the Amalekites had taken. Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back. He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. “This plunder belongs to David!” they said.”

You’ve been crying long enough over what the enemy has stolen from you. Now, find your strength in the Lord! I challenge you to ask God, just as David did. “Lord, should I chase after the enemy who has stolen from me and take it back?” Ask God about your joy. Ask God about your passion. Ask God about your energy. Ask God about your dreams. Ask God about your relationships. Ask God about your future. God, should I just let the enemy take it, or should I fight to get it back?

And the Lord says, “Yes, go after it! You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

David hunted down the enemy and fought. He didn’t get back just some of what had been taken from him. No, he got back ALL of what had been taken. All of it. Every great thing and every small thing. Every son, every daughter, every cow, every tool, every weapon. It was all there and he took it all back.

But not only that, he took the enemy’s flocks and herds as well.

Will you be the girl that not only fights to get back what the enemy has stolen from you,

What you’re going through doesn’t have to change who you are. Don’t let these circumstances get in your head. Don’t let this situation change what you believe about yourself.

What you believe about you must be non-circumstantial. No matter where you are, no matter what is going on around you, who you are must be grounded in the truths of God. It’s not your success. It’s not your failure. It’s who you carry in you that makes you who you are. Romans 8:37, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

You are more than a conqueror. That’s who you are. And it’s not because you have a track record of winning. It’s not because you always get it right. It’s solely because of the power of Jesus that dwells within you through all circumstances. This is how you get up again after you’ve been knocked down. This is how you overcome that big setback. This is how you look yourself in the mirror after that disappointment … you remember who you are and the power in you.

But it’s also how you handle winning. It’s how you show up after a big breakthrough. It’s how you see yourself in the mirror after your greatest success. You are more than a conqueror through Jesus, and Jesus alone. Girl, that wasn’t all you. The good you did is because of the good God put in you. The win was first made possible by God. He did the biggest part, honey, you just showed up believing it. Good for you for showing up because not everyone would. But keep yourself in the rightful position here.

Oh the balance of humility and confidence. Knowing who to praise for the win and who not to hate because of the loss. When it’s good, God gets the praise, not you. When it’s bad, Jesus took the shame, so you wouldn’t have to.

The problem is, we let our circumstances get in our head. When it’s good, it’s because we’re good. When it’s bad, it’s because we’re bad. Girl, you take this all so personal. But it’s hard not to, because after all, this is your life. It feels personal. Those problems feel personal. Those successes feel personal too. But when it changes what you believe about yourself, then it becomes a problem.

Charles Swindoll said, “Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it.” I’ve spent the past 15 years of my life doing the math and keeping my thoughts right. I’m telling you, it makes all the difference when you do the math right.

Your response to the things that happen in life originate in this place of what you believe about you. If you believe you’re a loser, then you respond to the things that happen to you with disappointment, anger, disgust, and self-hate. If you believe you are a self-made success, then you respond to the things that happen to you with pride, arrogance and entitlement.

However, if you believe you’re a beloved daughter of a mighty God who is forever watched by his eye, held by his hand, and guided to his good plans, then you respond to the thing that happen to you with faith and trust.

If you want to change one thing this year, work on changing what you believe about yourself. Changing what you believe about yourself won’t change your entire life, because 10% is still just going to happen no matter what, but it changes the 90%. How you respond to the things that are happening to you, both good and bad, is the major factor in how your life works out. You respond according to what you believe about yourself and this life you’re living.

Psalm 23 is the perfect example of the 10% and the 90%.

It’s day 3 of this brand new year of life, and there’s a large percentage of us already disappointed in our choices and progress. We wanted to be better this year, but so far, we’re still struggling. We wanted to make changes, but dang if those old ways don’t hold on tight. And for those who are doing well, you have to question how much longer you can keep up this level of effort. Can you really do this ALL year long? How long will that new willpower stay this strong? How many days, weeks, months can you force yourself to keep doing this?

Making a change is not easy. But what’s even harder is making that change stick.

I remember my very first attempt at change. It’s actually one of my earliest memories. I was 6 years old. My family had started going to a little country church, and my brother, who was 3 years older than me, had accepted Jesus. The whole church went down to Cowskin Creek for a baptism. I watched my brother, my best friend, my hero, be baptized as the pastor quoted 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” In my 6 year old brain, I had just received a brand new brother.

He was walking 6 inches taller that day. He was so proud, and everyone was so proud of him. So, that day, I decided I too wanted to be a new person. I went home and made my bed. But, I not only made my bed, I made my brother’s bed, then I made my parents bed. Y’all these were waterbeds. This was not an easy task for a 6 year old. But I was determined to change and be this new person, and the new little Pamela was going to make everyone’s bed.

Strangely enough, no one seemed to notice. All eyes were still on my brother. So, I decided I would be the best little girl anyone had ever seen. But the problem was, I was a wild little barefoot country girl with an afro, and I preferred to be like my brother and not wear a shirt on most summer days. By the end of the day, I had gotten a spanking from my mom. And it was there in that moment, I realized, I hadn’t changed. I wasn’t a new person at all. The next day, I didn’t make anyone’s bed.

Isn’t it funny how we’re still doing the same thing? We’re trying to convince ourselves and everyone else that we have changed and we’re now doing this new thing, but when we fail, we come to the realization we haven’t changed at all. We’re not anyone different. And in frustration, we give up.

What I had missed then as a 6 year old, and what I often continue to miss over 40 years later, is true change comes through Jesus. I can’t do this on my own, but with Jesus I sure can!

Do you remember Jesus teaching about the camel and the needle? He said in Matthew 19: 24-26, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

How in the world could a camel go through the eye of a needle? Jesus chose the camel as an example because it was the largest animal in Israel. And the needle, well the eye of a needle was the tiniest practical example in that day. So the tall camel going through this tiny needle, well that’s impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.How can someone who has so much in this life hold it loosely and keep their hands open to God? Nearly impossible. Highly unlikely. Totally not normal. But with God’s grace and mercy, it is possible.How can me and you make the changes we need to m...

This year, God wants to help you see things you’ve never seen before. He wants to give you the clarity and focus you have lacked in the past. This time, he wants you to get it, truly get it, then run with it!

If you want this year of life to be different, be open to all God has for you. All he asks is that you be fully available and trust him. Tell him now. God, I trust you and I’m available. I’m making time for you. I’m seeking you. I’m surrendering to you. Show me what you want to show me. Guide me where you want me to go. My life is available, Lord, lead the way!

Where could God take you if you follow him faithfully? Gosh, I don’t even know! What could his power at work within you make possible? My mind can’t even imagine! What breakthroughs could he orchestrate, what generational curses could he break, what prison doors could he tear down … all of them! He could have every single breakthrough you need, right here this year. He could take every generational curse that has run in your family, and he could break them all with you so they are never passed down to your children and your children’s children. He could demolish every prison that has held you back and set you free. And it could happen this year!

Isn’t that what you want? Truly, don’t you want to be able to move forward in freedom? Don’t you want to overcome everything that has been blocking you? Don’t you want the changes to last?

It’s here for you. It’s been divinely aligned specifically for you by the hand of the Almighty. Your available life faithfully following his lead will experience it all. Receive it and run with it!

Ephesians 1: 17-18 MSG, “I ask God to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!”

My sister, God doesn’t just want to do a little work in you, he wants to do EXTRAVAGANT work in you! Do you know what extravagant means? It means exceeding anything that is reasonable. It is totally over the top. And that’s the kind of work God wants to do in your life. The kind of work that only he can do. The kind of work you could never afford. It’s extravagant.

God’s not interested in helping you just enough to get through. He’s not planning a future for you that is just kinda okay. He’s not going to put a bandaid on that wound. No, he wants to do EXTRAVAGANT WORK in the life surrendered to him in complete trust. He wants to heal you to your core. He wants to show you a future you could have never dreamed up on your own. He wants to give you energy that doesn’t run out and strength without limits.

Ephesians 1:20, speaks of “God’s incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

That’s ground shaking, dead raising, life giving power. And God gives YOU that power.

Girl, you can’t be playing little with your life when you have been given that kind of power!

There are no limits to this strength which God wants to give you. The energy God provides simply doesn’t run out. When you receive what God is offering, there’s absolutely zero reason to hold back, play little, and assume where you are is where you will always be.

All good will come under attack. In a garden of beautiful potential, there will be weeds. To assume otherwise would be naive.

You woke up this morning in a garden of beautiful potential. Here, in this year, supernatural things can happen in your life. Things you have been waiting YEARS for have the potential of happening here. Seeds you thought were dead are about to breakthrough the ground. Yes, breakthroughs are here. Growth is here. Proof of all you have been praying for, working for, waiting for, is about to be seen.

And my sister, it’s all under attack!

Why? Because it’s good!

God is doing something sooooo good in you. He’s been moving in your life, working in the details, preparing you for this new year. You’ve felt it. You’ve felt dreams being whispered again, hope being stirred, strength being received. And now … things get noisy!

Your adversary, the devil, he is loud. 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” He roars! He creates noise. What does the noise do? It distracts us. It creates fear.

If you were on the Goal Setting Broadcast live with me this past Saturday, we had a front row seat to the noise of our enemy. As we are discussing the potential God has placed within you, along with the power, love and self-disciple to make the changes you desire and live in the fullness of the BIG Life you were created for, suddenly there was noise. Literal noise. Noise that drown me out. Noise that created chaos and confusion.

Our live Zoom broadcast was hijacked, and let me make this very clear, it was hijacked by evil. They flooded our screen with images of absolute evil in the chat. If you ever questioned if the devil is real and actively on the prowl, question no more. We saw him. And we heard him.

Why did this happen? Because you are on the cusp of breakthrough. You are daring to believe the promises which God has spoken over your life. You are claiming the power, the love, and the self-discipline God’s spirit has offered you. And if the enemy of your soul can’t rob you of that offering, he will certainly try to distract you from it.

There is noise! Oh, you will probably hear the noise today. Sometimes it shows up in loud, chaotic roars that send shivers down your spine. But most times it shows up as the little voice in your head that tries to talk you down. The voice that says you can’t. The voice that says you’re not good enough. The voice that says you’re not worthy of the changes you desire. The voice that says it will never happen for you. The voice that says it’s too late. That is NOT the voice of God. That is the voice of darkness. That is goodness under attack.

After this jarring experience and encounter with evil, God led me to a story in scripture to serve as a guide for each of us encountering the distractions of the enemy as we step into our new year of life.

The story is of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was charged by God to rebuild the destroyed wall of Jerusalem. This was good, and remember, all good comes under attack. His enemies did not want him to rebuilt the wall and they tried to discourage him. But Nehemiah would not be discouraged. Say that with me, “I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED!”

Nehemiah 6:1-4, “When word came to our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it, my enemy sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great proje...

Today, we ask the final question before we begin writing our goals for the New Year. Remember, if you want God-inspired goals, you have to invite God into the process, ask him questions, then listen for his answers. Each episode this week, we’ve spent time doing exactly that. So far, we’ve asked 6 questions to open the flow of the Holy Spirit to prompt us in writing our goals. But, we’ve saved the best for last!

Today, we dream! But, we don’t dream alone, we dream with God Almighty!

Question #7 to ask God before writing 2024 goals: God, what awesome things can we do together?

Ephesians 3:20 TPT, “Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.”

14 years ago I read a book that radically changed my perspective on life. The book is titled “A Million Miles In a Thousand Years” by Donald Miller. Strangely enough, it’s a book about a writer writing a book. He says, “a good storyteller doesn’t just tell a better story – they invite other people into the story, giving them a better story too.” Wow. Isn’t God the perfect storyteller? He tells the greatest story every told, but it’s not just for us to hear, it’s for us to jump into, be in the middle of, and within his story, give us a better story.

Think about this: God created the entire universe in all of its mystery and majesty, then he invited you to come create with him. The divine creator gave you the ability to create too! You can create something. You can build something. You can grow something. You can change something. You can direct something. You can impact something. But get this, not only CAN you do this, but God DESIRES you do this!

Accept your divine invitation to do awesome things with God in 2024!

What could it be? Well, Sis, go ahead and dream your wildest dreams. No, bigger. Still bigger. And God says, “Yes, but even better!”

God is not against you. Oh, the enemy wants you to believe God is the gray bearded old guy on a throne with angry eyebrows and a big stick just waiting to strike you over the head, but that’s not our God! That’s Satan’s version of God. That’s the unapproachable, untouchable, unloving God dreamed up in the pits of Hell. Our God, the true God, sends angels to fight for us, he extends his hand to guide us, and he covers us with unending mercy and grace through the redeeming blood of his son Jesus.

Please, please, please know this. When God created you, he didn’t say, “Gosh, I hope she will just settle for a little life.” Honey, that’s not the purpose for your lifetime. You’re not here to “just get through this” and make it to Heaven. No! Think about how Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” God wants his kingdom to come and his will to be done here on Earth, and how it comes is through YOU! You carry Heaven within you, and you are here to partner with God in bringing Heaven and his will to his people here.

Being on a mission to bring a piece of Heaven to Earth requires you to be energized! And that’s really perfect because let’s go back to Ephesians 3:20 in the Passion Translation again and it says, “his miraculous power constantly energizes you.” You don’t have to manufacture this energy on your own, that’s exhausting!

Our Big Life Goal Setting Broadcast is this Saturday! And you can watch for FREE!!!! I’ll send you the zoom link, the goal sheets, and reminders all leading up to the live event this weekend, and yes, it will all come personally and directly from me! I would absolutely LOVE to connect with you and help you write goals for 2024! To receive everything, text the word GOALS to me at 205-709-2582. (If you’re not in the US, please find me on social media links below)

It’s FREE, it’s personally from me, and it is powerful! Let me teach you the goal setting system I’ve worked on for the past 15 years that has radically changed my life, and it could change yours too!

Before 2024 Goals – Questions 5 & 6

When God created you, he did so with tremendous purpose. Every detail of you was meticulously chosen with intention. Who you are, what makes you tick, how you think, what interests you, what you’re good at … none of that is random. It’s all what makes you a unique masterpiece of the Almighty.

Now, what God desires of you in 2024 is to step fully into who he created you to be. To use your gifts for his glory. To live in a way that points to a supernatural power working within you. And how God wants to work in you is different than how he wants to work in me. We all represent a different aspect of the same great big God, so let’s represent him well in our own unique way as we were designed to.

I love people. Like seriously, I LOVE people. I love being with people. I love sharing life. I love being close. And I really love learning about people and coming to understand how they uniquely represent the character of God. I study all of the personality tests. The love languages, the tendencies, the colors, the enneagram. And here’s what I’ve found, with all of our differences, we’re all equal. One is not better than another, it’s just different.

But here’s what has become very clear to me in loving people and studying our unique design … all strengths become a weakness when out of balance. God may have created you to be a giver. But an out of balance giver is a person who secretly feels used and taken for granted and becomes bitter. God may have created you to be a leader. But an out of balance leader is a person who pushes too hard and becomes a bossy tyrant. God may have created you to be an organized, disciplined person. But an out of balance disciplined person completely misses the point of what they’re doing and they become miserable. And out of balance organized person becomes stuck in the details and overwhelmed in the process.

What God created for absolute goodness in your life can wreck havoc and spin you completely out of control.

Me … well, if you haven’t figured me out, I’m a flaming 7 on the enneagram. I’m the enthusiast, the adventurer. I make everything more fun and more exciting. It’s more, then more, and even more! That’s absolutely fantastic, until it’s out of balance. An out of balance enthusiast will hang party streamers in a house that is burning down. An out of balance adventurer will never enjoy the moment they’re in and always rush to the next, bigger, more exciting thing. Y’all, if I’m out of balance, I’m a flaming hot mess that lights everything I touch on fire. If I’m in balance, I’m a girl on fire for Jesus who invites everyone else to come in close for a life changing experience.

GOD WANTS YOU IN BALANCE! He doesn’t want to change you into someone else. God likes who he created you to be. I think you really need to hear that because you may still be focused on the fact that you wish you were someone...

Tapping into the guidance of the Holy Spirit is much like using the GPS in your car. The GPS knows precisely where you are, and where all other things are. However, for it to guide you to your destination, you have to make your request. GPS, I want to go to the TJ Maxx. GPS, I want to go to the closest coffee shop. Once you make your request, roads to take you to your destination are highlighted.

That’s a drastic simplification of the holy power of God’s Spirit dwelling within you, but it’s a pretty darn good picture. Within you is a divine guidance system. Your location is always known, as well as all possible paths around you. It’s literally awaiting your request for assistance. If you never ask, you never receive. Literally, isn’t that what Jesus said? Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find.”

If you don’t tell the GPS where you want to go, how is it ever supposed to get you there? If you don’t ask God for directions, honey, it’s no surprise you feel so lost.

James 4:2, “You do not have because you do not ask God.” Don’t let that be you! Maybe that’s been you in the past, but don’t let that be you again in 2024. The Holy Spirit is your guide and it knows all possible paths to get you to your destination. But, you do have to ask.

That’s what we’re doing together this week in our series leading up to our Goal Setting Broadcast. We’re asking. We’re asking very specific questions. We have 7 questions we’re asking God before we write goals for 2024. We’re seeking him and his guidance for our lives in this New Year.

In yesterday’s episode, we looked at questions 1 & 2. God, who did you create me to be – and – God, where am I living below my potential. Did you plug those questions in like a destination in your GPS to find the answers? Did you bring those questions to God and let him show you the answers? You have to actually seek him in this process. If you seek him, you will find him. Let him guide you in finding the answers. His answers will reveal your deepest goals for 2024.

Now, we’re ready for the next questions.

Question #3 to ask your Creator before you write your 2024 goals: God, what do you have available for me?

James 4:2, “You do not have because you do not ask God.” Now, verse 3, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.”

What is it you want from God here? Are you wanting to just take what he has available and use it for your own fun, fame and glory? Are you looking to build his kingdom, or build your own kingdom? Really, why do you want what you want? That’s what God is interested in.

No doubt, God has everything. Literally everything. There’s nothing too big, too hard, out of reach, or impossible for our God. He could give me my very own exotic island and a jet plane to fly me there. The question is, who’s kingdom would that build? If I asked for my very own exotic island in the middle of turquoise waters, God would immediately respond with “okay, but why”? Oh he has it. He can give it, it’s all his, but he gives according to motive. Wrong motives bring hardship, chaos, stress and messes. God doesn’t want any of that for his girls, so as long as our motives are wrong, he lovingly says no.

Honey, get your motives right, and the whole world opens up to you. But isn’t it funny when you get your motives right, you no longer want the whole world?

So, with the right heart and intentions, we ask, God,