Purify Your Passions

Psalm 62:8  "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah."

Are you a passionate person? Generally, women are more passionate then men. We can be full of fire, life and emotion. We FEEL things intensely. We LOVE with fervency. Sometimes our passion can get the best of us. Our passion and zeal can sometimes lead us to depression, anger or gossip. We desire to pour out the fervency inside of us but the key is that we first need to pour out all that is in our hearts in PRAYER. That is the secret!
When we take our hearts that are filled with passion and emotion and pour it out DAILY before the Lord in prayer we are able to then be emptied of ourselves and filled with His Spirit. Intimacy with Him FIRST will put our emotions and passions in their proper place and we can be free of the bondage our passions can sometimes bring.

Loneliness

Loneliness is a funny thing. In one aspect you feel angry at maybe a particular person who isn't "meeting the need." In another aspect you feel guilty that you even feel lonely because you should be thankful for the wonderful people you have in your life and you can think of quite a few people who are REALLY lonely.
While being thankful will give you a proper perspective of lonely emotions...sometimes the feeling of loneliness just settles in the bottom of your gut and just won't go away. I can relate! We can have the most to be thankful for...yet as much as we have and as blessed as we can be, we can still feel lonely.
Please understand this. We aren't in heaven in our new glorified bodies and in the splendor of eternity. That's why we feel lonely. And you know what? God wants us to. Yes! He WANTS us to feel lonely. Because that's when we turn to Him and then He has the CHANCE to show us His presence and company. Let me make it CLEAR to you that it is a lie from the pit of hell that "if you only had" a husband, children, a better friend, a sister or brother, a mentor, etc. that you wouldn't feel so lonely. It's NOT true. You can have all these things in abundance and still feel lonely. I can testify! Now of course our relationships with all these people may meet practical needs but we ALL can admit there's a loneliness that resides. For some of us it may be very intense at times (all the "blessed" people included!) but rest assure, after the fall of man that is the condition we were left in. Until we are free from our flesh completely, our bodies, emotions and hearts will scream "LONELY!"...some days you won't notice it, other days it seems like a siren ringing in your ears...but there will be a day when we will feel lonely no more. Let your loneliness drive you into a more POWERFUL and INTIMATE relationship with a very REAL and ALIVE God who wants you to know Him.

Thank You

Hebrews 13:15

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

There is power in praise. Do you praise God? Besides attending church, I mean. Set aside a moment today to write down all you have to thank God for. Then, open your mouth in prayer and praise! Spend precious time thanking the Lord for who He is, what He has done and what He has given. This is a powerful practice that will pull you out of a pit of ungratefulness and depression!

Here’s an example of what your list may look like:

·        Thank you God for being –loving toward me, patient with me, abundant in forgiveness, gentle and kind in your dealings with me

·        Thank you God for –making a way for a sinful being like me to have a relationship with a holy and pure God like You, saving my soul and choosing me, restoring my mind and thinking process, always providing for me

·        Thank you God for giving me –a beautiful family, shelter, food, clothing, friends and fellowship, safety

How Do I Hear God?

"How do I hear God?"

"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 NKJV

That is a common question. A good one too! We want to hear from God. We need His direction, wisdom and intimacy; but sometimes it can feel like He is far away. We second guess and question what we thought we heard from Him. 

Feel at peace. Hearing from the Lord is developed. Yes there are things that He will speak to you because He chooses to reveal something to you clearly and there is no question about it in your mind. However, the ability to really hear Him is part of the natural process of your maturity in your walk. The deeper you go in your true knowledge of Him, the more you will be able to discern His voice. 

True knowledge of God consists of: correct Biblical understanding, familiarity of His presence and an effective prayer life. Have you broken through the walls and barriers that keep you from effective time in God's presence? Has your prayer life taken you into the reality of the spiritual realm? Do you have daily consistent time in God's LIVING and ACTIVE Word where each day you learn more and have clearer biblical understanding? 

Not only do we need more biblical understanding but we also need to hear a fresh Word from the Lord each morning through our daily reading (meaning, a verse jumps off the page into your heart and you know God is speaking to you).

The more you mature in your intimacy and relationship with Jesus through these things, the more clearly and easily you will hear from the Lord....day-by-day. Journal what verses He speaks to you each day. When you look over the month....you will see how God is leading you!

He Shall Sustain You

"Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." -Psalm 55:22 NKJV

To "cast" is the word "shalak" in the Hebrew and it means "to throw, cast, hurl, fling". When is the last time you have done that? Are you burdened? Have you gotten into the presence of God and "threw" it on Him? He wants you to. He desires you come to Him and with every ounce of your focus and attention...pray. 

Do you flippantly pray? Then you are probably burdened. Do you only whine and complain in prayer...with an ungrateful heart? Then you are probably overwhelmed. Are your prayers scattered and distracted? Then you are probably still anxious and worried about many things. 

Prayerlessness is a symptom of pride. Pride says you can live your day in your own strength and carry all the burdens that it comes with. A humble heart casts the burdens and cares of this life on the Lord. It is His to hold. When you learn how to cast your cares on the Lord in prayer, you will be sustained.

Hello Again!

Magnify Him Ministries Blog is back up and running!!!!! After a few months off this blog being off the radar... we are going to be back in business! Praise God... I have had a season of moving to a new area, recording an entire album from start to finish and establishing the initial process of a church plant! Not only that, but I am excited to start getting the women together on a regular basis to develop a sweet "sisterhood" among us. And that is where this blog comes in. This is a place where we can daily connect. As we log on to check our email, Facebook and whatever else we do daily online, we can add this sweet sister connection to the list. Let the encouragement begin!




Women's Breakfast for Calvary Grace Fellowship is March 19th at the:
Montebello Community Center
350 Haverstraw Road
Montebello, NY, 10901

Time is 9:30-11:30am.  Bring your favorite breakfast dish and contact Rachel Penna to let her know what you are bringing! Email me at rach@calvarygracefellowship.org