We have reached day 7! And if you have not yet done so, make TODAY the day you dethrone timidity and allow God to work freely in your life. Timidity, like conceit and all other prideful enemies of God, works to bind us and prevent us from becoming our authentic selves. Timidity is a work of the flesh, and we must tell our flesh to bow to the will of God. We must tell our flesh to decrease so that God can increase in our lives, because living for God is never about our abilities or lack of, but it’s about what He wants to do in us. It’s God’s show, and His light is in us. We must courageously shine our Unprideful Light.

Say this affirmation:

The season of hiding in timidity is over.

Now is the time to press play on my life and allow God to work in me!

God bless you, dear sisters and brothers. Please visit me at chontalikirk.com and learn more about what we are doing. We will have prayer and fasting groups. We want to commit to decreasing our flesh so we can see greater works in our land. God says: Now is the time, and I know You hear and feel it to. So don’t miss it. See you soon.

Scriptures:

Matthew 5:16

John 3:30

John 15:5

Ephesians 2:10

Isaiah 43:6-7

Visit www.chontalikirk.com for more information on the new book, Unprideful Light: Winning the Battle Against Timidity.

When believers of God disciple and mentor the next generation, great things happen. This is the story of Timothy, who came from a natural and spiritual family of believers. Timothy’s Jewish mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, passed on to him the tradition of following Christ. As a young man, Timothy also received instruction to follow Christ from his mentor and spiritual father, Paul.

Paul wrote letters to Timothy to encourage him to assist the Ephesus church in his absence, and to be bold at a time when spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ was dangerous.

There were many problems in the Ephesus church, and Paul gave Timothy guidance on how to solve these problems. Timothy had to organize prayer meetings, dispel disagreements, and teach people how to preach sound doctrine. There were men and women of all ages in this church, and he had to correct and preach to them all.

It must have been intimidating to take over an entire church in Paul’s absence, but Timothy had to do it. Paul wrote these letters as a way of transferring courage to Timothy, and reminding him how noble it was to stand up for the gospel of Jesus. Paul knew what it was like to be persecuted and imprisoned for his faith, and he also knew that he owed Christ his life. Paul was a warrior for Christ, who humbly gave his life to the cause of spreading the gospel of Jesus. He was a perfect example of courage to Timothy.

In his letters, Paul warned Timothy that some would leave the church after being influenced by the world. He warned Timothy to not give up, even when others would. Paul told Timothy to never allow anyone to despise him for being young and preaching the gospel. He reassured Timothy that he had a God-given gift to speak and build up the church, and he reminded him that his gift was prayed over and nurtured by his mother, grandmother, and Paul himself. Paul told Timothy to combat timidity by remembering who he was and knowing he had power, love, and a sound mind. We can imagine Paul telling Timothy something like this:

Remember who you are and where you come from. You are the son of Eunice and the grandson of Lois. You have my mantle of leadership, and the spirit of God is in you. I laid my own hands on you and prayed for you. You are called by God and are empowered by the Spirit of God to do this work. You can do this. You can help this church. “Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God has not given you a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”

All Christians are called to impact others around them for Jesus. Every believer’s mantle is to be an empathetic, unprideful light that draws people to Christ. Our goal is to live abundantly, and to pursue greater works than seen in the days of Jesus, by way of His Spirit, which lives inside of us. So, it’s time to rekindle the gift of God that is in us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we come before you in this exciting hour. We thank You for the great deposit of the Holy Spirit in us. We thank You for every hand that was laid on us, and for every prayer aligned with Your will that was spoken over us. We stir up the gifts in this hour. We rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit that lives in us and works through us. Holy Spirit, lead your people to bring repentance, salvation, recommitment, healing, justice, true jubilee. Holy Spirit, break every stronghold and bind every strongman. Bring every high man low, and subjected to Your power. Let us see works that are even more powerful than in the days of our ancestors, because Your word says Greater works shall we do because You are now with the Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures: Acts 16:1, 2 Tim. 1:5-6, 2 Tim. 4:5, 1 Tim. 4:11-14

Visit www.chontalikirk.com for more information on the new book, Unprideful Light: Winning the Battle Against Timidity.

There was a woman who had an issue of blood, and the Bible said her faith made her whole. We know that faith is believing in the Lord, but there is also an active component to faith. Our faith should compel us to do something.

Mark 5:21-43 tells us that Jesus was called on by a church ruler named Jairus to raise his daughter from the dead. Jesus was on his way to heal the girl, when he was interrupted by a woman who was ill and who had touched his robe. Only Jesus noticed her.

This woman had been living like a hermit, staying inside and remaining insecure about her position and standing in society. The doctors could not heal her, and society had rejected her.

But when Jesus came to town, she left her house and pursued her healing. I imagine her thoughts were, This may be my last chance to receive my healing! It was a tough pursuit to get close to Jesus, and the woman pressed through a lot of resistance.

In that moment, she was determined to break out of her timidity and get what she needed from the Lord.

No one but the most powerful Healer Jesus noticed her. He asked the woman who touched Him to identify herself. Once hidden and shunned, the woman was now given the opportunity to testify in the open. Trembling with fear, this woman still demonstrated faith by stepping forward to speak truth about her touching Jesus’ robe and receiving her healing.

Her faith had made her whole and healed. Not only that, but Jesus still had time to heal Jairus’ daughter too.

To Jesus, it does not matter if you are a ruler or follower, or if your upbringing or previous experiences were favorable or unfortunate. God still claims you and calls you His own. He has called you to be full and overflowing with His powerful light that shines brightly for Him. May you be hidden no more. Even if your voice shakes because of fear, speak truth and shine brightly for God!

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, just as this woman was desperate to get her healing from You, we are desperate to see You move like only You can in this day and age. Many of us have been rejected and written off, and have retreated as a result of the rejection But now we feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit who is telling us to come out of hiding and pursue You like never before. We are ready to use the voice that You have given us. We are ready to use the strength from the experiences that You have taken us through to come out of hiding. Give us the platform, so we can speak truth! Even if our voice shakes, let us speak and shine brightly for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures: Mark 5:21-43, Matthew 5:16

Visit www.chontalikirk.com for more information on the new book, Unprideful Light: Winning the Battle Against Timidity.

When I think of the book of Jonah, I think of the story of God’s plan to save and redeem His people. God wanted Jonah to warn Nineveh, a city of sinners, that they had forty days to repent, or their city would be destroyed. But Jonah felt intimidated by the role he was given, because he knew this city was powerful and could harm him if they didn’t like what he said.

Jonah was instructed by God to go east to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, but instead he booked a ride headed west to Tarshish. Because Jonah was on the ship to Tarshish when he should have been in transit to Nineveh, God caused wind to stir so strongly that it nearly ripped the ship apart.

On the way to Tarshish, Jonah was found sleeping, but then a storm hit and alarmed the sailors. When the sailors learned that Jonah was the cause of the storm, they confronted him. Jonah’s disobedience to God not only put himself in danger, but it also risked the safety of the others on the ship. Jonah told the sailors that since he was the problem, they could throw him off the boat and into the sea. The sailors were reluctant to do this, but finally they threw him off of the boat and the storm calmed.

Though Jonah was thrown into the sea, he didn’t get the death he seemingly wanted. Instead, he was swallowed by a big fish and was trapped inside its belly for three days.

Again, Jonah was forced to face his disobedience. In the belly of the whale, he prayed for God to save him. He gave God a psalm of surrender: “I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the Lord.” And with that, God caused the fish to spit Jonah out; God saved Jonah and gave him a second chance to do His will.

Finally, Jonah went to the city of Nineveh and spoke what the Lord told him to speak. The people actually listened and obeyed.

But Jonah was unforgiving. He was upset that the Ninevites turned from their wicked ways and repented. Jonah felt like they deserved to die. He didn’t think they were worthy of receiving God’s grace. That quickly, Jonah had forgotten how God rescued him from the fish’s stomach. That quickly, he forgot that he himself was a beneficiary of God’s redemption and grace.

The Bible says that we are to rejoice when a sinner repents. Jonah did not rejoice when the Ninevites turned to God, but instead he maintained that they were not worthy to receive God’s mercy. He sheltered himself just outside the city of Nineveh to look at them from afar, perhaps hoping they’d fall in sin again.

In our own righteousness, we can feel so timid to speak out against mighty people. We can also be judgmental against them, and think that powerful sinners are not worthy of God’s goodness.

God doesn’t desire for anyone to perish or live in sin, and if we want to banish our timidity, we must reflect this same passion in our hearts.

In loving God and ourselves, we must love others enough to pray that they turn away from their sin. We are to pray for their repentance. And when they accept Jesus, we are to rejoice. Salvation belongs to God and is free for all who repent and receive Him. This is the unprideful light we must carry inside of us.

Pray: God, help us to be mindful that You are not just our God, but you are the God and Creator of all, and You love us the same. Help us to remember how salvation costed you your son’s life, but it was a free gift for us. We can never boast or say we deserve Your goodness. Thank You for loving us in our sin. Help us to reflect Your love when dealing with others. We can never withhold salvation from others, because salvation is not ours to give. Salvation belongs to You. We thank You and praise You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures: Luke 15:10, John 14:15, Prov. 16:9, Ps. 3:8, Jonah 2

Visit www.chontalikirk.com for more information on Unprideful Light: Winning the Battle Against Timidity.

The prophet Elijah was as bold and powerful as a lion. He was known to be anything but timid. So why mention Elijah, a man who challenged evil kings and false gods, when discussing timidity?

1 Kings 17-19 recounts the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, a couple who seduced the Israelites with idol worship. People worshipped the idols of Asherah and Baal in hopes that dew and rain would multiply their crops. Queen Jezebel ordered the deaths of all prophets of the true and living God. She wanted none of them alive and tried to make the Israelites forget their God forever.

God sent the prophet Elijah to tell King Ahab that no rain would fall on the land for years because of their idolatry. Because this word was dangerous and unpopular, and because Jezebel ordered all prophets of God to be killed, God sent Elijah out of town to retreat to safety and be nourished. On his retreat, Elijah experienced many miracles, such as a raven feeding him, and being able to multiple the resources of a poor widow so she could have enough food for her household. When the widow’s son became sick and died, Elijah brought the boy back to life. After all of these miracles, Elijah returned to King Ahab to participate in a showdown, that is, to prove that God was real and Baal was not.

At the showdown, the people offered sacrifices to Baal and worshipped him, but there was no response. Elijah made fun of them by asking if Baal was sleeping or had gone on vacation. Then, Elijah called on the true God, who responded with fire and burned not only the offering, but the wood, stones, and dust too. Immediately the people fell on their faces and worshipped the true and living God. Rain finally fell to water their crops, but this made King Ahab and Queen Jezebel angry, and they sought to kill Elijah. Elijah, now intimidated by Ahab and Jezebel, fled for his life.

Elijah ran so long on an empty stomach and with nothing to drink, that he became exhausted and prayed for death until he fell asleep. How could Elijah be afraid of anything when he witnessed God perform powerful miracles through him? Where did Elijah’s boldness and faith go?

Ministry can be strenuous. The work God calls us to do can lead even the strongest to situations of fear and timidity. This timidity may show up in settings where you don’t feel free to be yourself or act as you normally do. That is why we must live a life that sustains our callings. It makes no sense to lead a life of doing God’s work, only to have it cut short because of poor health and a lean soul. Soul care looks like rest; exercise; healthy eating; reading God’s word; praying and fasting; wise counsel; and community. Let us not allow health issues to stand in the way of fulfilling God’s plan for our lives.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we worship You alone and honor You as the one true God of our lives. We thank You for truth. We thank you for practicality. We thank You that as mighty and as powerful as we are in You, we must live a life that sustains our callings. Give us wisdom to adapt to healthy lifestyle changes that will add to the number of our days. We know that our chief concern is to care for our spiritual being, which is eternal. However, in these days, our physical beings house the spiritual, and so help us to commit to taking care of our bodies to live long enough to bring Your purpose here on earth. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Be blessed.

Scriptures: Mark 8:36-37, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 17:21, Proverbs 11:14, 1 Kings 17-19

Visit www.chontalikirk.com for more information on the new book, Unprideful Light: Winning the Battle Against Timidity.

Have you found yourself doing things the same way for so long but expecting different results? When fear tries to overcome you, do you remain frozen, hidden, or silent?

To Gideon, fear was a way of life. His people were terrorized by the Midianites and were forced to live in hiding. It was a huge slap in the face to their ancestors who had gone through so much to reach liberation; now Gideon and his people were in bondage all over again –– the bondage of fear.

How did life get this way? This is how. Gideon’s ancestors neglected to teach them about God and what He had done for them in the past. What happens when a generation does not teach their children about God? It means that the next generation will be left in a vulnerable, unprotected state. It means they will be left to turn toward other things to worship. And to the timid, not having strong faith in God can make it seem like life lacks purpose or will never improve.

In Gideon’s day, the way of life was to worship false gods like Asherah and Baal––gods of fertility they believed would bless their land and rescue them from poverty. But the poverty never lifted. So, God sent an angel to tell Gideon that he was chosen to rescue his people from the terrorism of the Midianites.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he found him hiding in a winepress threshing wheat. The angel said to Gideon: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Isn’t it interesting that Gideon was called mighty before he demonstrated it? He was called mighty while hiding. God wanted Gideon to know that he would always be mighty when he partnered with God.

And mighty Gideon became. So much so that he not only crushed false idols in God’s name, but he also rescued his people from the terrorism of the Midianites.

When God called Gideon forth to save his people, he was found hiding. Still, God considered him mighty, because with God, Gideon would do great things.

When God calls us forth, we don’t always get to show up confident and strong. Being willing to fight, afraid and all, is enough for God to be strong in us. When we choose to take on God’s strength, our timid persona begins to diminish.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, we come before you with praise and thanksgiving. Even before we voice our concerns to You, we worship You, and acknowledge that You are greater than the evil one operating in this world. We pray for protection, and know that we are not safe without You. Even in our hiding, we know that the safest place is where You lead us. Thank You for calling us mighty before we believe that we are. Thank You for seeing more in us than we can see in ourselves. We are Your creation, and are created for Your purpose. Help us to live out our days as You see fit, and empower us to do so with the wisdom and the power of Your Holy Spirit. Where You lead us, we will follow. We are willing to go. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Be Blessed.

Scriptures:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

1 John 4:4

Psalm 24:8

1 John 5:4

Judges 6-7

Visit www.chontalikirk.com for more information on the upcoming book, Unprideful Light: Winning the Battle Against Timidity.

Do you ever find yourself asking God, what happened to your life? Do you remember when you were once bold, but then a tragic experience occurred that made you lose confidence in your abilities and purpose?

The book of Exodus describes Moses in a similar situation. Moses was the adopted Hebrew son of pharaoh’s daughter, and at one point he was trained to speak and act powerfully. Moses’ relatives were enslaved, and when he saw an Egyptian beating an enslaved Hebrew person, Moses killed the Egyptian in retaliation.

The Egyptian pharaoh learned of Moses’ deed and sought to kill him, and so Moses had to skip town to safety. He lost his prestige, power, and perhaps even his courage. But many years later he was tasked with empowering God’s people once again.

When God called Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egyptian bondage, Moses told God that He did not feel qualified to do the job. All of a sudden, this man who was once trained to speak powerfully said he could not speak well. What happened to Moses?

God’s plan is that we never lose our courage. He never desires for trauma to cause us to lose our abilities and our confidence. God’s plan is to be strong in our weakness. He wants to perform His word in and through our lives.

We will always be more powerful when we move in God’s confidence and strength rather than just our own limited abilities. Today, ask God to be strong and courageous in you.

Let’s pray:

Father God in the name of Jesus, we thank you and praise you for this day you have given us to make a difference in Your kingdom. Lord, we stand on Your word that says that when we are weak you will be strong for us. Help us to stand strong and courageous in You, and to speak when injustice is happening in our land. Help us to move on behalf of your people, being empowered by the great deposit you have given us, which is Your Holy Spirit. We thank you and praise you on this day. It is so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Be Blessed.

Scriptures: Acts 7:22, Exodus 4:10-13, Revelations 12:11, Exodus 1-3.

Visit www.chontalikirk.com for more information on the upcoming book, Unprideful Light: Winning the Battle Against Timidity.