Have you ever been so afraid to make a choice because you don’t want to make the wrong one? So afraid to take the next step because you’re unsure of the step to take? Maybe that’s you right now. You have a decision to make. Stay or leave. Do this or do that. Go here or go there. And because you really don’t want to screw this up by doing the wrong thing, you’re stuck in indecision and overwhelm. And … you’re doing nothing.

Don’t you wish God was into flashing lights and billboards? Wouldn’t it be great if he would just make this so clear you couldn’t miss it? Even better, wouldn’t it make your life a whole lot easier if he would just make this choice for you? Is that what you’ve been waiting on … waiting for God to make the choice? Waiting for all other options to eliminate themselves so you don’t have to choose for yourself?

May I be completely honest with you? This is what God showed me today about our tendency to dismiss ourselves from the responsibility of making hard decisions and taking uncertain next steps. Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.”

If you knew the choice to make for certain, faith would not be required. If you had a clear sign and guaranteed outcome, faith would not be required. If God did it all for you and you were dismissed of any steps on your own, faith would not be required. And it’s impossible to please God without faith. God isn’t pleased with your waiting until the decision is made for you. God isn’t pleased with your refusal to take the next step until you are 100% certain.

Faith is required here. What is faith? According to Hebrews 11:1, It is confidence in what we hope for, but are not guaranteed. It is assurance in what we do not see, but believe it will be there when it needs to be there.

God is asking you to live with confidence! He’s asking you to trust the unseen and take the next step. Yes, even when you’re unsure. Yes, even when it could go wrong. Yes, even when there are no guarantees how it will turn out. This is living in faith, and this is what pleases God.

Here’s what I’ve learned in my journey of faith: Even when I take a misstep in faith, God honors my faith and blesses that step. Even when I do it wrong, my faith is rewarded. My God is so big, he can take my wrong steps made in faith and guide me to the right place. He can take steps that should have never ever led to a beautiful destiny, and mysteriously turn them into an unfolding journey to that divine destiny. How? Why? Because he is the God of making a way when there is no way.

So, if he is who he says he is and he does what he says he does in Isaiah 43:19, “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”, then doesn’t that mean he is making a way for you?

Doesn’t this mean you can trust him to guide your steps and even use your missteps?

Doesn’t this mean nothing is too hard for him? Nothing is impossible. And there’s absolutely no reason for you to feel stuck, overwhelmed, or discouraged here?

Doesn’t this mean you can take a step in faith, trusting God will use it no matter what?

Doesn’t this mean God will honor your faith filled step into the unknowing and he will make it right?

It takes zero faith to sit in indecision and do nothing. It requires no faith to pull the covers up over your head and refuse to face reality. Faith isn’t necessary when you continually delay next steps and decisions. It requires absolutely nothing of you to sit until all options are removed from you ...

Are you playing it safe? Eliminating the risk so failure isn’t a threat? What have you sacrificed for this safe life where you’re just trying to keep everything the same?

Understand this, safe is just another word for regret. God is calling you into a life of full surrender, of bold decisions and BIG living. This is what you were created for. You were never created for safe. A life played safe is a life half-lived. A life played safe will be filled with regret in the end.

A study was done on those nearing the end of their life and you know what they regretted most? They regretted the things they didn’t do. They regretted all the times they played it safe, sat it out, let the moment pass without jumping in. They dismissed the prompting. They said no when a big ol’ hearty yes was available, and in the end they regretted it.Every day I meet you here with a new devotional to encourage, inspire and equip you to live up to your God-given potential, and at the core of it all is this one message … your life is passing you by, don’t regret it. Get in the middle of your life. Jump in this. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 says “May our God make you worthy of his calling. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.”

May you be worthy of his calling. He is calling you to live this big, beautiful life in the way only you can. May you be worthy of that calling. Here’s the thing, God thinks you are worthy. He knows you have the potential in you because he placed it in you. Now it’s just up to you to live up to it, to step into it, to claim it as your own. Will you live today in a way that is worthy of what God has given you? Or, will you play it safe?

If your passion has gone out in your life, recognize this … it’s likely because you’ve played it safe for so long.I’m glad Jesus didn’t play it safe. I’m glad he didn’t sit it out. Think about that. What has been done for you was anything but safe. And what’s being asked of you is to dive into the life he died to give you.

This very day and the decisions you make today will one day flash before your eyes and you will see your entire life from a perspective of all that could have been. DON’T REGRET TODAY. Don’t miss a single opportunity. When life asks if you’ll play, say yes. When life presents an opportunity, jump in. When faith prompts you to do something, go for it! Get out of your head, and get into this one, precious life you have been given.

Yesterday, I sat on an airplane flying from Dallas to Miami for 3 hours with 180 complete strangers. One such stranger was a man in a red white and blue Texas hoodie who somewhat randomly chose the seat next to mine. I came to learn this wasn’t just some random man flying into Miami for a beach day. His name was Peter, and he was on a mission to save the life of a young woman named Rosie who found herself in a pit of despair and planned to commit suicide. Peter had learned of her desperate situation by text the night before, so here he was on a plane flying to Miami, prompted by his faith to do something. He didn’t know how he was going to find her, he was just praying he wasn’t too late.

This man wasn’t a preacher. He wasn’t a missionary. He was just an ordinary 70 year old man who had retired from his job and decided to use the money God had given him to help everyone he could. Within the past few weeks, he had also bought the freedom of a complete stranger who had been trafficked while trying to escape Cuba. The ransom was $15,000. Peter told me he just couldn’t sleep when he knew he had $15,

You are being called out of the boat, into the water and into your next place of promise. Yes, you are being called to a place of promise. A place God has been preparing you for. A place of full circle, meaning, purpose and destiny.

Do you want to go there? Do you want to experience the life God created you for, to it’s fullest? Great, because today you take the next step.

Time and time again throughout scripture we see God calling his people out of their place of comfort and safety, to go on a journey that will change everything. Let me tell you, God’s still in the business of leading this kind of journey.

Peter was a fisherman. There was no where Peter was more comfortable than on a boat. And Jesus called him right out of the boat, literally. He said drop your nets and follow me. He also invited Peter to do the impossible with him, walk on water.

Now imagine this scene laid out of us in Matthew 14: 22-34. Jesus’ disciples are out on a boat and they are far from shore. Jesus has gone up on top of a mountain to pray. The disciples get themselves into some trouble with a wild storm at sea. All the while Jesus is watching them.

Now this alone should give us some confidence. It’s the middle of the night which means what … it means it was dark. The disciples are far from shore on a boat with no lights. I mean ya’ll it’s not like they were on a party barge with a disco light. And it’s not like Jesus had binoculars or a spotlight. They were out of sight. But Jesus had his eye on them. Through the distance and the darkness he could see them.

Girl, he sees you. He sees the storm you’re in. He knows the trouble you face. His eye has been on you the entire time. In Psalm 32:8 God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” His loving eye is on YOU. In Genesis 28:15 God says “”I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” HE SEES YOU. He knows right where you are, he knows the doubts the enemy has placed in your mind, he knows the very things that threaten you and your family. Nothing has gone unnoticed here. Nothing. Every detail is seen and known by our almighty and powerful God.

Now, the question is, if he sees us, if he knows what’s happening, what is he going to do? Let’s go back to our story in Matthew 14. When they were in trouble, he went out to them. How did he get there? Oh, he did the impossible. He walked on water, because that’s what Jesus does.

And that’s what Jesus does today to get to you. He does the impossible. Perhaps you’re listening and your heart is burdened for someone who you fear is too far gone. You can’t reach them and their situation is hopeless. Here’s what you do, you continually bring them to the foot of the cross. You relentlessly pray for them. There’s nothing more you can do here, and it may seem impossible at this point, but we have a savior who specializes in the impossible! Watch Jesus do the impossible to reach them. Whatever their storm is, he will walk right through it.

The storm of addiction. The storm of rebellion. The storm of lies and darkness, depression, self-harm, hopelessness, deceit, and evil. The storm of adultery. The storm of bad thoughts, bad choices, and bad actions. Jesus is walking right through it all to get to you … to get to them.

We pick up in Matthew chapter 14, verse 25 & 26: “About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

My facebook feed is currently flooded with those priceless back to school photos. Just yesterday I saw Breckyn’s first day of kindergarten and Kiley’s first day of college. And while it seems a lifetime will separate those two photos, us older moms know just how fast it all goes. We only have these kids home with us for a short time, then they’re gone.

The year will come when there are no back to school shoes to buy. No school supplies to stress over. No first day send offs. And please, listen to me … that’s the goal. The goal is to raise those babies and watch them fly right out of the nest. The goal isn’t to keep them home forever. Mama, you’ve got to let them go. This is success.

All too often I hear from mom’s who are struggling to let their grown man child be a man. They’re holding on to this fully capable young woman as if she’s still a little girl who needs her pigtails tightened. You’re only holding them back! They aren’t mean to live with you forever, that’s why battles ensue when they become teenagers. This is them separating from your home. This is natural.

Proverbs 22:6 MSG, “Point your kids in the right direction – when they’re old they won’t be lost.” But guess what, there will likely be some stupid wandering years before they’re old.

You have a job here. Your job is to point them in the right direction. You can’t force them, and you can’t do it for them. And you can’t hold on so tightly to them that they can’t take a step without you.

Mama, if you’re in the “wandering years” with your child, please know this:

* You’re not alone.* This is somewhat normal.* This won’t last forever.

And I believe there are two things you absolutely must do.

* Let life be their teacher.* Pray circles around them.

I’ve raised three kids, somewhat successfully. I was not perfect, and neither were they. Their wandering years lasted longer than I had wished and sometimes went a lot further off track than I ever imagined. BUT GOD!

Let me tell you, our God is faithful and he loves our kids even more than us. God is big enough to point and not force. Guide and not steer. And he is so patient through those wandering years because he already knows they will come back. And God lets life touch them. God doesn’t run in and rescue every time and make all the consequences go away. But he never leaves. He never turns away. He is always there.

And this is our guide to parenting.

We don’t make consequences go away. We don’t shield them from life. We don’t fix it for them, just as God doesn’t fix it all for us. We are simply present. We are faithful. We listen. We offer strength. We offer guidance. We are steady.

And if you really want to help your child, you pray!

James 5:16, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” And before you disqualify yourself thinking you could never be a righteous person, remember it is your belief and trust in Jesus that makes you righteous, not your works. As a believer, you are that righteous person, and your prayers have great power to produce wonderful results.

Don’t you want wonderful results in the life of your child? Of course you do. Then Mama, earnestly pray for them! It is your “earnest” prayer that has great power and produces these wonderful results. What is an earnest prayer? Simply persistent. Again, and again. Daily. Continual.

What if God could help you forget? What if you don’t have to carry this pain with you into your future? What if your wounds could be completely healed and every ounce of hurt redeemed? What if you don’t have to replay the story one more time? What if all that happened to you in the past, all the wrong that was done, all the harm inflicted, what if God could help you just forget it?

Would you want to? Would you be willing to receive that level of healing?

There’s a story in the bible of that level of healing from past hurts. And, Sis, it’s recorded in the Bible because God wants us to know of his power then that’s still available now! I believe today God is asking if you’re ready to forget. Are you ready to be completely healed from that hurt? Are you ready for total restoration of what happened in the past?

Some aren’t ready. Some simply aren’t ready to let go of the story. Some aren’t ready to turn over the hurt. Some want to hold on to that suitcase of packed up pain and drag it around into every new season of life that comes. There’s no judgement here. That’s what pain makes us do. It makes us carry baggage that weighs us down. It fills our hands so we aren’t available to receive anything new or different. It causes us to get stuck in the past because it’s too heavy to continue into the future. But God wants his girl HEALED! He wants your hands free.

Matthew 11: 28-30, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

To understand fully what Jesus is offering you, you must understand what a yoke is. A yoke is a curved piece of wood that fits around a large animal’s neck. This wood connects two animals, such as cows, and allows them to share a load and pull together. This harness eases the work of each animal in carrying a load. And Jesus is saying, let’s connect. Let me help you carry this burden. I will make your burden light. You will not get stuck here. Together, we will move forward.

You are not meant to carry this burden, my sister. This pain you feel is too heavy. This story that hurts you cannot continue to replay. You will get stuck here. You will lose your joy here. You will become a shell of the vibrant person God created you to be. So, God wants you to know about Manasseh.

Yes, that’s your answer here. Manasseh.

Even if you don’t yet know what that word means, can’t you feel the effects of it over your burdened spirit? Manasseh.Can’t you feel you ache of what happened and the pain of what they did lighten? Manasseh.Manasseh over your broken heart.Manasseh over all that wasn’t fair to you.Manasseh over your shattered dreams.Manasseh over what was stolen from you.Manasseh over your deepest hurt.Manasseh.

What does Manasseh mean? To understand fully, you must first remember the story of Joseph. Joseph was the highly favored son of Jacob, but the despised one of his jealous brothers. Joseph’s brothers took him out to kill him, and ended up selling him into slavery. This started a series of the most unfortunate events for Joseph. One thing after another happened to Joseph that was totally unfair. He was a slave, then he was a prisoner. He was accused of doing things he didn’t do. He was used. He was forgotten. For over 20 years, Joseph was punished for things he didn’t do, and it all started with his jealous brothers.

But, through it all, Joseph remained faithful.

When God created the world, he would pause and see that it was good. For six days, he created. He formed the mountains. He filled the seas. He breathed life into all living creatures. And the final verse of the first chapter of the Bible says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.” What did God do the next day? He rested.

Do you know why God rested? Because he was absolutely confident in his creation. He knew it was good. God held the power to make everything precisely as he wanted, and that’s exactly what he did.

Now, you have to know that’s what he did when he created you! He made you precisely as he wanted, then he looked at you and all your life could become, and he said, “that’s very good.” So, why don’t you see yourself in this way?

This past weekend while hosting our BIG Life Retreat in Colorado, one woman said these words, “God, now that I’ve gotten out of your way, I can see you created a really cool person.” It was such a powerful statement, the whole room took a deep breath. What a life changing realization! And this is what God has been trying to show each of us! If we will just get out of the way, we will see God knew exactly what he was doing when he created us, and it was in fact, VERY GOOD.

But goodness gracious, we get in our own way, don’t we? We’re detoured by roadblocks, then we realize we’re the ones building the roadblocks brick by brick. We’re the ones talking ourselves out of great things. We’re the ones playing little. We’re the ones tying the knots that keep us bound. All while missing the fact that what God started in us was really good.

Philippians 1:6, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

God is working in you, on you, and through you. He knows what he started in you on the day he imagined you and all your life could become, and he knows it was undeniably good. And here’s the promise … he’s going to continue his good work in you until it is finally finished. When will he be finished with you? When Jesus comes back! What does that mean? That means, God’s not done with you yet, girlfriend. His good work continues in you.

He hasn’t given up on you. He hasn’t cancelled his good plans for you. He looks at you and sees exactly the life he created you for, and he’s patiently waiting for you to get out of the way!

How have you been in the way of who God created you to be? Is it your negative self talk? Oh, the stories you tell yourself about yourself. The layers of lies and insults you accept as your truth? Is it the habits you’ve picked up along the way that have stolen your value and worth? And now, you feel powerless to change those habits? Is it the regrets of who you’ve been and what you’ve done? The years you’ve wasted? The holes you’ve dug? Now you feel stuck living this life you don’t even want?

Your confidence has taken a hit. Your God-given dreams have been watered down. Your holy potential has been locked away. You’ve been held back.

Who is behind all of that? THE ENEMY OF YOUR SOUL. Yes, the one who sits in Hell and schemes his attacks aimed at you and the good plans God has for your life. And who exactly does the enemy of your soul use most often in his attack against you? YOU. You, yourself. You and your thoughts. You and your worries. You and your overwhelm. You and your relentless ambush against your own self.

God is here offering you a life beyond your wildest imagination. He’s already placed everything within you required, confidently believing you would accept the invitation. Don’t let it go to waste. Don’t miss your opportunity. Show up and participate!

How do you do you do this? Really, how do you live this life God says we can’t even dare to imagine? It’s actually quite simple. Sis, you just get to know Jesus. As you get to know Jesus, you will be guided. He will reveal the next steps to you. He will show you miraculous and mysterious things you’ve never known before along this journey.

This is your life – your one and only precious life. Go all-in with your yes. Jesus wants to help you with everything, always. Your ticket is simply knowing him.2 Peter 1: 3-4 “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God …” MSG

You have been invited to live a life only God could create. The one who created the majestic mountains, the mysterious jellyfish, the rainforest, the firefly, the bald eagle, waterfalls and the perfectly painted sunsets also created YOU. He created a life for you that could compare to the beauty of all his creation. Your ticket to living this life and participating in all he has available for you is getting to know His son.

That’s it. It really is that simple. Because here’s the thing, the more you know about Jesus, the more it changes you. The more you know Jesus, the more you’re molded into who you were created to be. You don’t have to bend and contort yourself into someone you’re not, you just need to know Jesus and the transformation begins naturally. And where does this transformation lead? It leads us to a default of YES. YES, we will participate in the life of God. Yes, we will accept the ultimate invitation. Yes, we will step up and live this miraculous thing called life, given to us by God.

Let your default be set to YES.

Jesus shows us how to set our default to yes. Jesus went to the wedding, he showed up at stranger’s homes for dinner, he went, he did, he saw, he was there. He said yes. Yes I’ll go. Yes I’ll help. Yes I’ll be there. Yes I’ll give. Yes I’ll love. And the more we get to know Jesus, the more we’re called into a life of doing the same. Yes.

My answer is yes. I’ll take the chance. I’ll show up for the opportunity. I’ll go and be the one. I will participate in the life God has created me for.

Why would you ever sit this out? Why would you willingly miss one thing your creator intended for you? You can trust his plan. You can trust that everything required to live a ridiculously good life has already been given to you. The secret is unleashing what’s already inside of you … the only way you do that is getting to know the One who has invited you to God, that is Jesus.

How do you get to know Jesus? I mean I’ve never once seen him. I’ve never heard his voice. I see a bearded robed man wearing sandals in the movies, but is that my Jesus? There’s only one way to get to know Jesus, seek him. Look for him. Look for him in your every day life. See evidence of his love for you. Watch for proof of his provision and protection over you. It’s all around you today. Scripture says seek and ye shall find. If you’re looking for Jesus, you will find him. Evidence of his works and power has surrounded you.

You’ve heard the phrase “hell no.” That’s when it’s not just a no, but it’s a definite, certain, undeniable, unshakable no. Hell no. What if that’s exactly what you need to be saying, but you forgot one thing. You forgot the comma.

You see, when you place a comma, the entire sentence changes. Here’s an example, notice the difference in this sentence: Let’s eat, grandma. The comma between eat and grandma makes this a friendly invitation for grandma to join the meal. Now, drop the comma. Let’s eat grandma. Woah … totally different. Now this is a threat to grandma, she’s dinner. See what I mean?

Now watch what happens to the phrase “hell no” when we put in the comma. Hell, no. Now you’re not just giving a definite no, you’re specifically telling hell, NO. You’re acknowledging where the temptation comes from, and you’re directly addressing the source. Yes, we’re talking about the temptation to settle. The temptation to lessen your commitment. The temptation to give in. The temptation to go back to where you were so desperate to leave before. The temptation to play the victim. The temptation to be pitiful. The temptation to play little. What’s the source? That comes from the pits of hell where the enemy of your soul schemes to defeat you. And to that, we say, HELL, NO.

No, hell, you don’t get to tell me I’m unworthy. No, hell, you don’t get to whisper your lies to me. No, hell, you don’t get to sideline me again. No, hell, I won’t believe this can never change for me. No, hell, you don’t get space in my mind. No, hell, you have no place in my life. I’m a blood bought, battle fought, made new child of the King. I’m an amen, testify, holy water baptized, went down and came up clean. No, hell, you don’t get to tell me what I’m worth here. I’ve listened to you for long enough. You’ve overwhelmed me, discouraged me, distracted me, and held me back for the last time.

And here’s why it all changes here … because now I know my power. I now know I can tell hell NO. I don’t have to play the pitiful victim to the attacks of an enemy who is bigger than me. Girl, if you are a follower of Jesus, if you have confessed him as your savior, then you have the Spirit of God living in you. That Spirit has already defeated hell. Hell has now power over you.

James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

What does it mean to submit yourself to God? This is a simple surrender. Have you surrendered this to God? Yes, this. This burden you carry. This messy problem that steals your peace. This next step that you’re so darn scared of. This habit. Those thoughts. Those fears. Have you surrendered this to God?

I promise you this, God is trustworthy. I’m 100% confident God can handle what you’ve been trying to carry. And here’s the thing, you really suck at trying to carry this on your own. Your pride and ego tell you you’re the only one who can handle this, but girl, you are failing miserably on your own. Hell tells you this is the way it’s always been, and this is just the way it will always be for you. This is your burden to carry. Just stop wishing for something better or different. This is all there is for you. And to that, we say, HELL, NO! (Remember the comma.)

Surrender this fully to God. Turn it over to him. Seek him here. No matter how big or how small it is, God wants to carry this for you. He wants to make a way through this. He wants to use this, with a whole bunch of other things you don’t understand,

God is not done with your story. This is not the end of what he’s doing in you, through you and for you. Oh honey, there is soooooo much more. More than you have dared to dream. More than you can imagine. Your story is MORE.

Yesterday was the ribbon cutting ceremony for the 99+1 Coffee House in Stratford, Oklahoma. This is the ministry BIG Life partnered with a year ago to turn an old abandoned, condemned nursing home into a beautiful, sacred space for girls who have aged out of foster care or been rescued from horrific situations like sex trafficking. Those old rooms with broken windows and holes in cement walls became designer rooms straight out of a magazine. Literally the things dreams are made of. And these girls, the ones once not chosen, the ones once used and discarded, the ones deemed broken beyond repair … they now call this their home.

But wait, there’s more.

As if that weren’t enough, God went and did MORE. He turned the huge lobby space of the old unsightly nursing home into the most perfect coffee shop for the girls of the home to be able to have jobs, build their futures, and serve their community. And yesterday, the big golden ribbon stretched across what was once abandoned and condemned, to declare the space has been restored, remade, redeemed, and reopened for so much more.

Where life had once ended, now life overflows. Where hope had been lost, joy now abounds. Coffee was officially shared in this space for the first time. The velvet couch held conversations of restoration and God’s glory. People walked into that space and saw in neon lights on the wall a sign that says, “Look and see what God has done.” What has God done? MORE THAN WE COULD EVER ASK, THINK OR IMAGINE.

What’s God doing next? Even more!

And this is precisely the picture of what God desires to do in your life! Indeed, he wants to step right into what is too far gone, undesirable, shameful, and totally given up on, and do his miraculous work. God doesn’t just make it ‘good enough’. He doesn’t just make it suitable for the basics again. No, God goes exceedingly and abundantly above anything we could ask, think or imagine.

You’re willing to settle for a tent in your wilderness at this point. Lord, just give me something, anything. But, God says, keep moving my girl, I have a Promised Land waiting for you, and when you get there, it will be so much more than you could have ever dreamed of on your own. There’s a gold ribbon to cut in your future. A reopening of what was walked away from. A restoration of what was too far gone. A redeeming work within your life that leads you to so much more. A reopening of your great big, beautiful, destined and purpose filled life.

So, here’s what you can’t do here … you can’t give up.

Restoration work is ugly and messy. It’s overwhelming at times. That’s why we’re willing to settle for a fresh coat of paint to cover up the damage and move on quickly. Yes, we’re willing to settle for fixing up our tents in the wilderness over taking another step on a journey that feels impossible. But, Sis, when we settle here, when we don’t take our next steps, when we opt for quick and easy new paint rather than complete restoration, we miss the divine opportunity to experience so much more in our lives.

Don’t you pitch your tent here. This is not the end of your journey. Don’t you settle for fresh paint on crumbling walls, there’s demo work to be done here first. Dare to believe things that are far beyond your reach, things that are above your abilities, things that are infinitely bigger than just you,

Do you need God to come down like ASAP and get in the middle of your situation? Do you need him to show up and do something? Well, I know his call card. I know the guaranteed way to get his attention and move to action. Here it is … it is your praise.

Psalm 22:3 says “You are holy, enthroned on praises.”

Enthroned on also means “dwelling in.” God is dwelling in our praises.

Our praise of God causes him to come down in our midst and inhabit our praises. Your praise is like a magnet to God. He can’t resist your praise and worship of him. If you are seeking guidance, if you’re seeking answers, if you’re seeking healing, if you’re seeking a breakthrough, your answer is to praise him.

You praise God with your offering of gratitude through word or song. What do you have to be grateful for today? Tell God about it! This is praise. And when you praise him, he comes down and dwells in your praise. And I know this for sure, when God is invited to front and center of your life like this, he starts making things happen. He just can’t help but move on your behalf. Your praise moves him to action.

Yes, this is your answer today. Praise him. Offer your gratitude through word and song.

Have you gotten into the habit of only talking to God when you need something? Do you only bow your head or hit your knees when there’s nothing else you can do? Hey, this isn’t a guilt trip. God will take your prayers any way he can get them, but what if the very reason you’re going through a crisis is because you wouldn’t come to him without it? Hey, I’ve been there. I’ve been brought to my knees because for one reason or another I was just too busy and distracted to do it without the crisis.

Today, whether you feel you’re in desperate need of God’s guidance or not, won’t you praise him? Won’t you offer him your gratitude through word or song? He can’t resist your praise.

Understand this, when you intentionally choose to praise God, you are breaking strongholds. The enemy works in your mind. He plays with your thoughts. The very things you are thinking come out of your mouth. When you fill your thoughts with gratitude for all God has done, is doing, and will do in your life, the enemy is pushed right out. When praise flows from your lips, the very things which have been holding you back are diminished. The work the enemy has been doing in your mind comes to a screeching halt and God’s power is unleashed. How? All through praise.

Could it really be that simple? Why wouldn’t it be? Why wouldn’t God’s power be drawn to the one who is praising him? Why wouldn’t he want to come sit a while in your presence while you talk to him and sing to him? Why wouldn’t he draw close to his girl who is focusing on him instead of the storm?

And I’ll tell you this, the bigger your storm, the more valuable your praise. Call God’s presence down into your storm today with your words and song of gratitude to him. If you don’t know any specific songs, I encourage you to try my playlist on Spotify called “BIG Life Mornings”. Start there.

Every bit of beauty your eyes fall upon, whisper a “thank you” to the one who created it and blessed you with it.

Each time you do, you’re calling the Almighty’s presence down into this ordinary Tuesday. You don’t have to wait until Sunday to praise him. You don’t have to be in a church building, don’t you know God has just been waiting for an invitation to dwell in your house.