Category: Prayer

P.U.S.H. Chapter One

On March 7, 2017

As you continue on your journey in 2017, I encourage you to P.U.S.H.!

Yep! That’s right!

P.U.S.H.!

Pray…Until…Something…Happens!
I love that phrase! To some it may seem like a cliche, but to me it’s the truth! The first time I heard that phrase, it truly resonated with me! I find that as children of God sometimes we give up on God AND on ourselves too easily! However, what we must understand is that some blessings take more time to manifest than others. We’re on God’s schedule, not our own.

2 Peter 3:8-9:

“8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake.”

So, we may think God is taking too long, but He says He’s right on schedule!

PRAY
The first word in the acronym (P.U.S.H.) is pray.
What does prayer mean to you personally? In other words, in your heart, what does it mean for you to be able to pray to God? Personally speaking, to be able to pray to God means I’m not alone. I can always talk to Him, day or night. How do I know?

Psalms 121:4:

“Indeed, He [God] who watches over Israel [God’s people] never slumbers or sleeps.”

So, I don’t have to feel bad about disturbing God’s sleep when I need to talk. He’s already alert, watching over me.

To be able to pray to God also means I have someone with whom I can share my deepest secrets. How important is that?! And when I share my secrets, I don’t have to worry about being judged or ridiculed. More importantly, when I share my secrets with God I know without any doubt that He won’t tell my business. He won’t get angry with me one day and broadcast what I shared with Him to the entire neighborhood! I can trust Him completely. With God I feel safe.

Let’s consider the dictionary definition of the word pray. I think it’s safe to assume that many people know that to pray means “to communicate with God; to make our petitions (our needs and desires) known to Him.” To take it a step further, as Christians, prayer is part of our covenant relationship with God. In the beginning, we see that God created the first man Adam to have open communication with Him.

Genesis 3:7-10 (This scene takes place after Adam and Eve chose to disobey God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil):

“7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the VOICE of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard Thy VOICE in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

When God created Adam and Eve, they automatically had an intimate connection with God. So, when they disobeyed God, they felt compelled to hide once they heard God’s voice. They recognized God’s voice because of their relationship and because they had spent time talking with Him. I compare it to a mother who knows her baby’s cry in the midst of other crying babies or a husband who recognizes his wife’s voice in the crowd.

When Adam and Eve sinned, it caused a rift between God and man and brought sin and death into the world. Nevertheless, we can be thankful for Jesus coming to this earth to serve as our Mediator and for bringing us back in right relationship with God our Father!

A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
II Corinthians 5:17-18a:

“17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18a And all of this is a gift from God, Who brought us back to Himself through Christ.”

For those of us who now have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus, we have direct access to God. Therefore, God expects and WANTS to hear from us. In fact, He loves it when we spend time with Him.

John 10:27:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

In order for any of us to KNOW the voice of God, we must spend considerable time with Him in worship, in studying His Word, and in prayer. If we know God and His voice, then when another voice (like the serpent or Satan ) tries to speak to us, even just through our thoughts, we’ll know it’s not God! That’s why spending time with God in prayer must include LISTENING! Prayer is not a time to present a Christmas list to God as if He’s Santa Claus.

EVEN JESUS PRAYED
Matthew 14:22-23:

“22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”

Just like in the above verses, throughout the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, even JESUS spent time alone praying to God. He always acknowledged His Father and never did anything without His consent. As believers, we should follow His example. We must never get to a place where we think we don’t need to pray all the time or pray at all. Even if everything is going well, we should still honor God in prayer because, again, prayer goes beyond just asking God to bless us. Rather, prayer is a time to also listen to God. I believe Jesus spent time alone with God sometimes just listening. That’s how He stayed connected and in tune with God.

SHARPEN THOSE SPIRITUAL EARS
I know from personal experience that spending time with God in prayer sharpens our spiritual ears. For instance, several years ago I was informed by my doctor that I had to have surgery, which included a six week recovery period. However, there was one problem! I had just started a Statistics course as part of my Masters program. In fact, it was my FINAL class! There was no way I was going to be able to attend class, if I had to be on bed rest! The only logical explanation was to drop the course and pick it up the next quarter which would delay graduation. I didn’t want to delay things, but I couldn’t prolong the surgery. The night before I was going to drop the class, I asked God to tell me what to do. If there was any possible way I could stay in the class, GOD would know! That night as I slept I heard the voice of God say, “Stay in the class. There will be people who will help you.”

When I attended the Statistics class the next day, I informed my professor of my situation. He was extremely understanding and suggested I collect email addresses from some of my classmates, so they could assist me while I was out recovering. Not only were they willing to help me, but the professor decided to allow the class to take the midterm and final exams at home, which meant that I could use my books, notes and receive help from classmates.

I’ll never forget that experience! It blew me away to know that I heard God’s voice that clearly! More importantly, not only did I hear His voice, I obeyed Him. Although I didn’t know how things were going to initially work out, I had to trust Him anyway!

KEEP LEARNING
Furthermore, how do you build solid relationships and friendships? You spend time together engaging in meaningful conversations. That’s how you learn each other.

Just like in human relationships, when we spend time with God, we learn Him! To learn God is to know God, and to know God is to love Him even more!

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens”)

If you find value in this blog post, please share.

To subscribe to The Kimberly Joy Blog and receive new posts by email, please leave your email address in the box marked SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL provided at the end of this post.

PUSH! Your Blessing Is on the Other Side of the Door!

By Kimberly Joy

On September 26, 2016

In Prayer

open-doors-1518244_1280
PUSH! Your blessing is on the other side of the door! Yes! That’s right! P.U.S.H! Pray Until Something Happens! The first time I heard that phrase, it truly resonated with me! Oftentimes, we give up on God AND on ourselves too quickly! However, some blessings take time. We’re on God’s schedule, not our own. Recently, I was afforded the opportunity to minister on this topic at my church. This is some of what God had me share with the congregation.

P(ray)USH
It’s safe to assume that many people, at least, know the dictionary definition of prayer. To pray means “to communicate with God; to make our petitions (our needs and desires) known to Him.” To take it a step further, as Christians prayer is part of our covenant relationship with God. If we go back to the beginning, we see that God created the first man Adam to have open communication with Him. Adam’s bond with God was so tight that when he and his wife Eve chose to disobey God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they felt compelled to hide once they heard God’s voice. They recognized God’s voice because of the relationship.

Genesis 3:7-10:
“7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

When Adam and Eve sinned, it caused a rift between God and man and brought sin and death into the world. Nevertheless, we can be thankful for Jesus coming to this earth to serve as our Mediator!

II Corinthians 5:17-18a:
“17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18a And all of this is a gift from God, Who brought us back to Himself through Christ.”

For those of us who now have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus, we have direct access to Him. Therefore, God expects and WANTS to hear from us. John 10:27 states, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” However, in order for any of us to KNOW the voice of God (like Adam and Eve did), we must spend considerable time with Him in prayer, worship, and studying His Word. Throughout the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we see how even JESUS spent time alone praying to God. He acknowledged His Father and never did anything without His consent. So just like the Savior of the world, God EXPECTS us to talk to Him. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” God always wants to be the FIRST one we consult.

PU(ntil)SH
Now that we understand that we must pray, how long should we pray, perhaps about a particular situation or person? We pray UNTIL! Until is defined as “up to (a particular time); used as a function word to indicate continuance (as of an action or condition) to a specified time.” In other words, the Bible says that we are to “pray without ceasing,” (I Thessalonians 5:17). As I stated earlier, some blessings take more time than others, or a greater PUSH!!! For instance, my brother and his wife have three children who are all blessings! In fact, I was fortunate to be present at the hospital the day each of their two sons were born. Although both sons are indeed blessings to their parents, the oldest required a greater PUSH. My sister-in-law went into labor on a Friday afternoon. However, the baby didn’t make his entrance into the world until approximately 4 AM Saturday morning. When she went into labor with their second son three years later, I assumed it would be a similar experience. Upon arriving at the hospital soon after receiving the call that my brother was taking her there, I was shocked to discover my sister-in-law already holding the newly born infant. So again, even though both of my nephews are a tremendous blessing, one required a longer wait and a greater PUSH. This doesn’t imply that the eldest child is more special than his brother and sister; it’s just the way God set it up. We don’t always understand everything God does. But, we don’t have to understand, we just have to TRUST Him!

PUS(omething)H
That “something” is whatever we’re believing God to do. Now, if that “something” is not in God’s plan, He’ll let us know. If and when He does, we shouldn’t fight it! Stepping outside of God’s will is a risk none of us should take. Rather, we should trust that the Creator of all mankind knows what’s best. He assures us of that truth in Jeremiah 29:11. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” However, if God confirms that what we’re praying for is in His will, then we dare not give up!

PUSH(appens)
Why do we sometimes have to wait for the blessing? In the process of waiting, God is building and preparing us inwardly for what is on the other side of the door. Just because we strongly desire a particular blessing doesn’t mean we’re ready to receive it. For example, I may have a vision to own my own business and be my own boss. However, God may not allow that door to open yet because He knows I need a little more knowledge and patience. If He let’s me start a business prematurely, I may lose it due to a lack of preparation. God loves us so much that He’s willing to cause a delay to insure our protection and future successes! Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” So, keep praying! Keep praising! Keep declaring God’s Word and promises! Keep persevering! Keep preparing! Keep obeying! Keep BELIEVING……until you PUSH the door OPEN!!!!!

The following video clip is an excerpt from the message I preached “PUSH! Pray Until Something Happens!” You may visit my youtube channel to hear more of the message.

If you find value in this blog post, please share.

If you would like to subscribe to The Kimberly Joy Blog and receive new posts by email, please leave your email address in the box marked SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL provided at the end of this post.

Thank you for your support!

Crime…Violence…Death…Presidential Election! What’s the Answer?

By Kimberly Joy

On August 14, 2016

In Prayer

Whenever I turn on the TV or browse the internet, every news story involves crime, violence, death and this year’s Presidential election! Ok…..maybe not EVERY news story, but the media definitely devotes a considerable amount of time to sharing these reports. Although it is necessary to stay informed on what’s going on in the world, constantly hearing such news can become wearisome and discouraging. So in that case, is it better to turn off the television, shut down the internet and escape into oblivion? That may sound good and even work for a minute, but pretending these serious issues don’t exist won’t make them disappear.

So, what do we do? How do we move forward? What is the answer?

FB_IMG_1471211227345-1

PRAYER!!!!!!!!

Now, I know some may not agree with me. They may even say, “Prayer?! That’s so cliche! That’s not the answer! Time out for praying! Time out for talking! It’s time to DO something!” And for anyone who feels that way, I completely understand where you’re coming from. It’s easy to sit back, pray and, even, talk, so long as it keeps us in our comfort zones. However, the Bible says in James 2:26, that “… faith without works is dead…” In other words, our faith that things will change is activated when we ACT!

So again, what do we do? For instance, how do we end the cycle of wrongful deaths at the hands of law enforcement? The answer is indeed PRAYER! Is that the only action that should be taken? No, but it should be the FIRST step! In fact, prayer should always be the first step. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Notice it says to pray to God “in every situation.” Why should we go to God in EVERY situation? Isaiah 55:8-9 states, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'” Not even the most skilled and educated individual can surpass God’s wisdom. How to end police brutality, reduce the crime rate and select the best candidate for President are all serious issues that should be presented to the all-knowing, all-powerful God! When we sincerely and faithfully go to Him with our concerns and LISTEN, He provides us with the answers we need in His timing. In some instances, He tells us to be still, while in others, He gives us knowledge, resources and strategies.

Throughout the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus is recorded spending time in prayer regularly. He never allowed His title or popularity to convince Him that he no longer needed to pray. In fact, in the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly to God regarding his assignment of being crucified. While on earth, Jesus was a human who felt pain like you and me. So, one can only imagine that Jesus was not looking forward to an agonizing death. Jesus pleaded with His Father to alter the assignment. However, by the end of the prayer, Jesus knew that God still expected Him to sacrifice His life for all humanity! Rather than taking matters into His own hands, Jesus presented His concern to God the Father, listened and obeyed. Because of His sacrificial death, we all have a chance to be redeemed! I am truly thankful for that prayer in the garden!

If you find value in this blog post, please share.

If you would like to subscribe to The Kimberly Joy Blog and receive new posts by email, please leave your email address in the box marked SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL provided at the end of this post.

Thank you for your support!