Lesson 5 of 6

April 6, 2022

The Asherites were the most blessed among the tribes of Israel and settled in the western and coastal lands of Galilee. Their rich and fertile land was filled with wooded hills and orchards, and they were known for their olive oil which they provided to Israel in times of scarcity. Think about it–this one tribe had the capacity to fulfill all of Israel’s need for olive oil. This little bible nugget won’t mean much to you unless you know how many Israelites crossed the Jordan River into Canaan. There were 600,000 fighting men, excluding women and children. And they didn’t settle in one place; they were stretched far north as Asher to as far south as Kadesh-barnea.

Like most Jews in the Babylonian era, in the days of the Assyrian king, they were taken captive. But not all were enslaved. The Assyrians weren’t blind. They saw how fertile the land was and took full advantage of it by leaving thousands of Israelites behind to farm it. Over time, after those in captivity were released, many scattered across the globe. Several tribes can be traced from Ethiopia to India. Others returned to Jerusalem. And that’s where we find Anna, the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Asher, the eighth son of Jacob and Leah’s maidservant, Zilpah.

During the time of Jesus, life was not favorable to widows. Some were destitute and left to beg in the streets. After reading Anna’s tribal history, I don’t get the feeling she was in this same predicament.

Being from the tribe of Asher … being a faithful and godly woman, I would caution you about looking upon Anna as someone in financial duress. This was an exceptional woman, spiritually and physically. If you will keep her story in context with the miraculous birth of Jesus and John the Baptist, it’s not too farfetched to conclude God’s miracles extended to Anna–and not only to Anna, but Simeon as well. Simeon is the righteous man who after proclaiming he had finally seen and held the Christ-child, he said, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: …” (Luke 2:29-30)

Think of what this proclamation meant to them.

You have any idea how long God has been silent? Do you have a clue how long the people of Israel have been waiting for the Savior?

It’s been 400 years of silence from the end of Old Testament to the beginning of the New Testament writings. And from 63 BC to 476 AD the Roman Empire entered and ruled over the Israelites.

When you’ve been oppressed that long, you are in dire need of a Savior.

If we read the Bible without researching, we miss the significance of these silent years. We tend to gloss over these years because we anxiously want to move on to more profound events in the Bible. We don’t realize these silent years are powerful moments in time. We don’t understand a change is about to take place.

After being under the mighty rule of Rome for many centuries, and growing accustomed to God’s agonizing silence, the people are desperate for relief. It’s not because they are being taxed in astronomical proportions, or weighed down with heavy rules and regulations. It’s because they are enslaved, their God is silent, their freedom gone, and nothing they own is really theirs anymore.

To complicate this time period in which they lived, the Jews are bombarded with soothsayers, false prophets, witchcraft, sickness, diseases, schizophrenia, demonic possession, theft, and disloyalty. (This is the result of disobedience.) Like our street-corner evangelists who preach “the end is near,” the Israelites had their fair share of fake prophets shouting promises of the coming Savior, and emboldened and arrogant enough to claim to be the Savior himself.

During this dreadful spiritual drought, the chief priests added laws to Torah and required more than the people could bear. Oppressed on all sides, the Jews are worshiping without their heart and soul spiritually connected to the Father. They are faint of heart, feeling like a desperate people with no hope. Those in control have no qualms about selling their pigeons and lambs and doves at a high price to the poor. They, too, have lost their spiritual connection to the Head and feel no shame or guilt.

This was the era in which Jesus had arrived.

Imagine how chaotic their place of worship had become–filled with people coming and going–rarely anyone sitting in a peaceful state to absorb the meaning of Torah. Romans ruled. Jews constantly on guard. Unrest, prevalent. People scared. Watchful. Nervous. Rebels angry. Itching for a fight to take matters into their own hands and rescue their people from slavery.

Anna was brave. Amid all this chaos–Roman soldiers lurking nearby … Pharisees and Sadducees correcting … scolding … taxing … working both sides of the political spectrum–Anna was focused. A lot of things were against her. To stand up in the temple was a no-no for a woman of any age, but she did it. To be such a loudmouth in the temple, near the temple, would draw attention to herself and the Roman soldiers might inquire, possibly have her locked up, thrown out, or beheaded. They were touchy — these Roman soldiers — they didn’t like the Jews stirring up trouble. The Jews outnumbered them. The Jews might band together and overtake the Roman soldiers. Any skirmish, any sign of trouble, would make these sensitive and skittish Romans over-react.

Still, Anna stood up and proclaimed the Lord’s arrival.

In the midst of adversity, have you ever stood up for the weak? Have you dared to shut down negative talk and gossip? If you didn’t, what does your silence indicate? What does your silence say about you?

What if the Roman soldiers had heard Anna’s proclamation?

Jesus to rule Jerusalem? You mean, this baby will grow up and some day rule Israel?

Any of the Roman Emperors would have rushed to the scene, snatched the child, and not hesitate to kill him on the spot. Even hundreds of years earlier, had the Roman rulers heard of such a king, they would have bribed the chief priests and given them anything they wanted just to know Jesus’ lineage so they could wipe the tribe out.

But that didn’t happen. That wasn’t Jesus’ story. His death would come later, at a time he, and he alone would dictate.

Here is a woman who is not only spiritually knowledgeable but physically ept–with enough stamina to preach with enthusiasm about the Christ that out-bolstered any man alive at the time. In this era, healthcare was limited to the very rich, and in a worse-case scenario she should be on her deathbed. If we were to read the text without knowing Anna’s age, we’d see a vigorous, dedicated, and healthy woman. But seeing that she is old, there’s no doubt Anna is challenging us to preach the Word of God no matter our circumstances.

If an old woman can stand up and proclaim the Lord, what’s wrong with you? What’s keeping my mouth clamped shut? Age has nothing to do with it. Dedication and Devotion does.

Speaking of age — let’s address Anna’s age.

Calculating her age may have a great deal to do with the Bible translation you use. For our purposes today, I want you to take as many translations into account as possible because the language, the punctuation, and the wording can make a huge difference in the way we interpret Anna’s age. If you disagree with my assessment, please don’t let it overwork you. This isn’t extremely important. Just keep in mind that Anna, no matter what her age, was very old. (See commentary: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/anna-in-the-bible/ )

Luke 2:36-38 says Anna had been widowed for 84 years. If Anna married at the young age of 17 and had been married for seven years at the time her husband died, then she is estimated to be 24 years of age. When you add the 84 years she’s been widowed to her 24 years, that would make her approximately 108 years old when she sees Jesus. If Anna was 12 years of age when she married she would be approximately 103 years old.

That’s a lot of alone time.

Take a closer look at Luke 2:36-38 one more time and let’s examine seven things that stand out about Anna.

• 1. First of all, she’s a prophetess (a rare position for a woman as compared to the number of men who held this role; I can account for only two others that the Bible specifically addresses as prophetesses)
• 2. Anna is also a young widow who has committed herself to the Lord, and her commitment only gets stronger with time
• 3. Anna also never leaves the temple
• 4. She worships day and night
• 5. She fasts and prays all the time
• 6. She doesn’t fail to give thanks upon seeing the Holy One of God
• 7. Finally, Anna speaks about Jesus to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem–in other words, she prophesies about the coming Redeemer.

FIRST, let’s address Anna’s status as a prophetess.

If someone stood in this room and prophesied, the first thing all of us would say, “Well, my goodness. Where did she come from? What was that all about?”

It would be so out of the ordinary, we would have a hard time believing the prophetess wasn’t drunk, or out of her mind. Reminds you of which story in the Bible?

… like Eli supposed Hanna was drunk. (I Samuel 1:13)

And yet, the Bible clearly tells us in I Corinthians 14:1-5:

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For the one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”

Why is accepting the spiritual gift of prophesy so hard?

For way too long we have been exposed to so-called prophets who are not prophets. We’ve been led to believe profound utterances and noises–which have turned out to be just that, noises–are signs of prophesy, when they are, in fact, not. There is no edification of the church through noises. There are no words of encouragement to lift us up through noises. What we’ve received instead is division, not a spurring to worship and glorify God in spirit and in truth.

Yet, the Bible calls us to be open and accept prophesy. As intelligent people, we need to constantly remind ourselves what the Bible means by prophesy. In I Corinthians 14:1-5, prophesy is understood, it’s encouraging, and it offers consolation. Those familiar with scripture are hesitant to accept the spiritual gift of prophesy. In order to get to a spiritual place where we can accept prophesy, I must ask an important question. Are we so anchored deep in tradition that we cannot be obedient in this spiritual area of our lives?

I dare say there’s not a person in this room who would have accepted the likes of John the Baptist. Can you hear him? A loudmouth shouting from the hills. Dressed in animal skin. Wild, wooly hair. Looking like he needs a bath. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, you and I would have stood at a distance, arms folded, wagging our heads, and mumbling, “How ridiculous,” under our breaths.

Here it is 2022, and we can hardly stand looking at a woman walking down the aisles of our congregation covered in tattoos. How can we expect to accept John the Baptist sitting next to us today with half of his wild hair brushing against our shoulders, or his locust breath preaching repentance?

As you sit there self-reflecting, are you not liking your reflection? You shouldn’t.

I’m not liking what I’m seeing either. But I must ask myself …

What’s the opportunity here?

Let go of religious tradition and change your heart to one of submission and repentance. (And by the way, I have no idea what that will look like for you.) But if you let go of your tradition, that would mean we would need to be open to God’s direction. If I’m open to him, he might pull me away from my comfort zone. On the other hand, if I don’t follow his lead, it might be harder to purify and refine me pure as gold.

Here’s an important question for you: Do you want to grow, or do you want to stay comfortable? Do you want a close relationship with God, or do you want to hold on to tradition and have everything remain the same, sound the same, and people act the same?

I know. You don’t want to change. You like things just fine the way they are. I get it. You don’t want to work that hard. I hate change, too. I HATE IT!!!! I don’t like to move from place to place, house to house. I don’t like anyone moving my furniture. I don’t like things out of place. I. DON’T. LIKE. CHANGE. — HATE. IT!

But here’s the thing: The word “grow” is in direct contradiction to the word “tradition.”

Keep that in mind.

Babies don’t remain babies. They grow. They change. They mature. They age. They die. They spiritually live again. Keeping your world the same as it was in yester years is a lot like asking your spiritual self to remain in its infant state. Is that what you really want? Do I honestly want to stifle my spiritual growth by remaining in a state of infancy, or should I feed on the “meat” of the Word and grow spiritually healthy?

What if Anna had made the choice to remain in an infant state and not proclaim Christ? What if Anna had not taken a risk, stepped out in faith, go against the grain to proclaim, “Folks, Christ is here?”

SECOND, Anna dedicated herself to worshiping God.

It’s hard for some of us to get up at 6:15 for Sunday morning worship. I mean, “Who gets up this early–besides Grandmother.” Can’t I sleep another 45 minutes? I do. Guess what happens. I wake at 9:50. Hurry about. Then remember, “Oh, I can watch service on Youtube.”

That is “NOT” dedication.

I am convicted by Hebrews 10:24-25:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Notices what sticks out the most in this verse.

“… and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Planning is involved for the first day of the week.

I need to plan to worship.

I need to go to bed earlier.

I need to pray for a peaceful night’s sleep.

I need to be diligent about getting up at the appointed time so I can prepare my heart and mind and soul to worship–on purpose.

You see how we can turn something as simple as going to worship into an arduous task? Our struggles with obedience are endless. Let’s fix this.

Personal Story —

We were led and baptized into Christ on April 1, 1975. After we became Christians, we were on fire for the Lord. My husband and I stood on OU street-corners preaching the word; grabbed hold of fellow students and opened up scriptures; set up Bible studies; called our local preacher in Norman, Oklahoma, at two and three in the morning in search of scriptural answers to our questions, or to appease our curious minds and thirsty souls for more of God’s Word.

Sometimes we’d miss morning worship because we were too tired. (Probably because we stayed up too late playing cards.)

We’d get together for cards again, and during our fun times, we’d discuss the error of our ways. So, we came up with a plan. We called each other every Sunday morning and encouraged one another to get out of bed. If we stayed up late playing cards, we agreed we’d get up and go to church no matter how tired we felt. We were submissive toward one another during those phone calls, heeding the call to get up and stay true to our word. After a year past, those phone calls were unnecessary.

It helps to have spiritual relationships with people who love the Lord.

It helps more to love God Almighty.

To be enslaved to my friendship with this couple is good in the beginning, but it would not sustain me over a long period of time. I would need to grow up and stand on my own two spiritual feet and ante up. God needed to be my anchor. Not my friends.

The Bible should convict you. It should trouble you. It should lead you to admit your failures. And if you allow it, it will help you confess your sins before God. If you ask, God will help you develop a plan to address your issues. Follow the plan.

My spirit is so filled with conviction when the Holy Scriptures reveal the error of my ways that all I can do is shake my hands like they’re on fire.

The truth hurts.

And it saves.

I thank God for his Word because it makes me aware of my failings; makes me desire to be a better servant; places me in a submissive posture.

And though it hurts … though it is convicting … though it is uncomfortable, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Why?

Because God is near during my moments of conviction. Where else would he be? He’s the one convicting us. He’s the one giving us the answers to our questions. He’s the one providing help for our infirmities.

What’s the opportunity here?

Stop running from your convictions and sit still before the Holy One and recommit to serve him in whatever area of your life that lacks attention. Don’t avoid repentance. Don’t avoid confession. Don’t run from correction. God disciplines those he loves. It is truly love when God calls you out. He’s saving you a lot of heartache.

THIRD, Anna never leaves the temple.

The temple was a holy place for the people of God to gather and worship him. Over time, this holy place became no more than brick and mortar. New Testament Christians are members of the spiritual body of Jesus Christ of which Christ is the head. When we look at Jesus’ body being the holy temple that embodies his sisters and brothers, how can we possibly leave it?

In many ways.

Recently, I had a conversation with a dear sister in the Lord that disturbed me. Years ago, she remarried outside the body of Christ. Somewhere along her new journey, she decided to leave the church for the growing affection of another.

How did this happen?

Could have been a need to please her husband.

Could have been a matter of convenience–separate cars going in separate directions; two people never able to worship together, but want to.

What’s my point?

Jesus is at the bow … guiding your spiritual journey … giving directions … telling you where to turn … how fast to go … when to slow down and wait … what to say or not say.

If you fail to follow his instructions, you will be left behind or possibly fall out the boat.

Watch yourself!!!! Your first responsibility is to keep yourself blameless. Faultless.

I Timothy 4:14-16, reads:

“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery (body of elders – definition mine). Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” (emphasis mine)

What’s your opportunity here?

Listen and follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. He was given to you as a guide, a comforter, a teacher, an interpreter, and as an intercessor for your prayers. Listening to him will lighten your load and cause the world to ponder, and perhaps envy the hope within you. Do not forget what the scripture says in John 16:12-15:

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore, I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

What peace there is for those who belong to God and obey him from the heart.

FOURTH, Anna worshiped day and night.

Okay, I will confess. When I first read this, I envisioned Anna on her hands and knees all day and all night. I immediately rubbed my arthritic knees and back, and thought, “How in the world did she do this?”

Spiritual reality set in and I later understood the commitment it takes to focus on sincere worship. The fruit in this pudding is not time. It’s quality. When the Bible says, “all day and all night,” I get all bent out of shape. My mind goes ballistic! I think about my valuable time. I’m important. I can’t possibly stay on my hands and knees all day. I’ve got things to do. Who will do the washing? The cooking? The ironing? The grocery shopping? I’ve got to have some ME TIME, right?

If you think Anna was exempt from taking care of herself, think again. At 84 or 103–depending how you calculate her age–most, if not all of her family is dead. She would need to rely on the kindness of neighbors for most of what she needed. Let’s face it, Anna had to bathe, eat, and interface with neighbors, even if it were for only a moment.

Because of her dedication to serve God, and him only, I suspect there wasn’t much time for frivolous talk. That’s one way to stay clear of gossip, isn’t it?

There are too many examples in God’s Word of people who have dedicated themselves to service and worship for me to declare I can’t do the same.

Amid much adversity, Nehemiah rebuilt the City of Jerusalem. People plotted against him. Wanted to kill him. Nehemiah not only rebuilt Jerusalem despite hardship, he also stood before the people of Israel and reminded them of their sin against God, urging them to turn to God and worship him only.

Barren and without an heir, Hannah prayed continuously for a son and promised to dedicate him to God. And she did. From Hannah’s womb, came the prophet Samuel.

Abraham, son of Terah, was 75 years old when God commanded he leave Harran for the land of Canaan. Abraham served and worshipped God until he died … through ALL adversities, especially when asked to sacrifice his only son.

These commitments took discipline. And discipline never fails to produce perseverance; and when perseverance perfects its work in you, you will lack nothing. (James 1:4)

In Hebrews 12:10-13:

“For they disciplined (speaking of our parents – my explanation) us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.”

What’s your opportunity here? What’s your challenge?

Regardless of your struggle, I suggest you begin with prayer.

You might say, Anna didn’t have the distractions we have today. It’s not possible to spend that much time in prayer.

Who’s telling you that?

Where you get the idea that you cannot devote your life and time to the Heavenly Father?

Think it’s ridiculous?

Okay. Let’s say it’s ridiculous. Then why are you here? Why pick up your Bible and bring it to worship if you don’t plan to use it, place notations in it, or highlight it?

I tell you what’s ridiculous — Playing church is ridiculous! It’s a waste of time.

But you can’t deny that I’ve now placed you in a precarious position. You are confronted with the choice to improve your worship and prayer time, or you will choose to harden your hearts and do the exact opposite, remaining in the same lifeless rhythm as before.

Too often we read about Abraham, Joseph, Mary, Samuel, Hannah, Nehemiah, and Anna and sit back and “wish” we could be as dedicated.

YOU CAN BE! God says you can. Anytime God commands you to do something, he’s commanding what you “CAN” do. He NEVER asks you for the impossible. NEVER!!

If this is true, how will you go about retracing where you’ve been so you can plot the error of your ways? How will you set out (like Abraham) to change and be obedient to our Heavenly Father?

HOW will you do that?

You know you need to make a change.

HOW. WILL. YOU. DO. IT?

Begin with prayer.

Why?

Because no one knows YOU better than the Father. I can encourage you, but I can’t be with you every day to hold you accountable. I don’t know your weaknesses. And I won’t always be able to know when you’re lying to me. The church can pray for you, but they can’t make you do anything. You, and only you, can change you. God offers and leaves the door open, but you must walk through it.

You may stumble through the doorway. You will sometimes bump the wall. But only you can choose to get up again and start fresh “every” morning. Every morning, for the rest of your life, the Word of God can produce in you the godliness God intended.

Make the choice. Make the change. Pray for it. Follow God’s lead.

FIVE and SIX — Anna fasted and prayed and gave thanks for the Holy One of God.

You have probably heard me say it before — we get so caught up with asking God for what we want that we don’t take enough time to ADORE him for who he is–the GREAT I AM.

Please don’t hear me say that you shouldn’t make your requests and petitions known before God. You should tell God whatever you want to tell him. You serve Him. Not me. But I encourage you to spend just as much time, if not more, ADORING GOD.

In the COMMENT section of this lecture, request a copy of scriptures devoted to ADORING GOD and I’ll send it to you. When you receive them, read them during your prayer time.

SEVEN, Anna can’t shut up about the Lord.

How powerful!!

This gets me excited.

When was the last time you met someone on fire for the Lord? Do you wake up at 10 o’clock on a Wednesday morning and go, “Woo-Hoo! The Lord is here!”

Isn’t that exactly the way we should feel in the early morning hours? There needs to be a thanksgiving on our lips and a song in our heart from the moment we rise until we lie down in the evening.

God is gracious enough to allow me to see one more glorious day, so we should sing songs of PRAISE!

I admire Anna’s boldness.

Think she cared what people thought of her?

Oh, my goodness, she was probably antique as the pillars holding up the temple, people walking by her as if she was one of them. Only sojourners thought she was insane. Everyone else was accustomed to such outbursts, for there were many who proclaimed the coming of the Christ just like there are those today proclaiming the end of the world. These sojourners probably looked in amazement–because of her excitement … because of her boldness–not because of her proclamation.

Soon, they would come to know the Truth when he walked the earth, going from village to village, painstakingly preaching “he is the living water.” Only those anxiously looking for the Lord, who have faith, believe he is the Christ–the Son of God.

To everyone else, he’s another prophet who is about to get what is coming to him. He’s another prophet who will fizzle away in time, leaving them with nothing but a shattered faith, and dwindling hope.

None of this dampens the Truth. The Truth is herald throughout the countryside on a swift wind. Everyone hears about Jesus. Some believe. Some don’t. Some are healed. Some are not. Some see. Some remain blind. Some rejoice. Some look upon him with disdain.

Isn’t it the same way today? Some landing on fertile soil. Some landing on rocky soil, never taking root.

Anna was a prophetess. A bold one. A woman with a one-track mind. GOD was on her mind day in and day out. She spent every waking moment serving and giving thanks to him. He was her mission. He was her goal. He was her salvation. He was her food. He was her strength.

She didn’t have time to criticize, patronize, ostracize, horrify, desensitize, and marginalize those who preach the Word of God.

No one had to tell Anna how, when, or where to serve God. She served him everywhere, all the time. Her service to God meant more than the title, PROPHETESS. To be in his service was who she was from a young age until she was an old woman. Nothing … Nothing knocked her off course.

If fills me with great joy to know Anna left us an example of how to persevere through arthritic conditions, feeble knees, political and social unrest, and still serve the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and soul. Circumstances shouldn’t determine our faith. Our faith should determine how we handle our circumstances.

Spiritually handle your circumstances with the Sword of Truth!

This is the freedom our Father talks about. His yoke is easy. He’s laid it out for you. He’s drawn you a roadmap. He’s given you an instruction manual. Read it. Do it his way. Because … in Christ … when you read and follow his instructions, love his decrees, magnify his name, pray in ADORATION of Him, sing in the Spirit, testify, prophesy, understand his glorious nature, ENJOY his bountiful love, and ACCEPT with all thanksgiving his endless mercy and grace, FREEDOM IS YOUR!!

With this FREEDOM, we can’t help but shout … PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY IN THE HEAVENS!!

Today, you can become a woman like Anna. Someone who worships God no matter what anyone tells you, what they accuse you of … if your skin is darker, lighter, or you’re pale as a ghost … no matter your financial status, education, political affiliation, or if you live in a rent house, townhouse, boathouse, three-story house, or a $3B mansion.

You see … that hardworking machine pumping inside your chest … that large mass inside your head … Your heart and mind is what God examines. He doesn’t give two figs about earthly wealth. HE CARES ABOUT YOU!

What we need to do right here and right now is examine ourselves to make sure we’re in the will of the Father. Every word you utter matters. Every thought you have matters. The way you treat your sisters matter. The words out your mouth; the way you treat the brotherhood is a reflection of your relationship with the Father. If there’s spiritual interference between you and the Father, there will be division and skirmishes within the body of Christ. And when that happens, you can almost assuredly trace it back to selfishness, self-centeredness, and pride.

So, gather your pencil and paper and map out your day, putting God at the top of your list. Set your mind on him and be dedicated and committed to the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

MAKE TODAY A DAY OF CHANGE.

Pray without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:17)

BE OBEDIENT!! Even when it hurts. Even when it’s uncomfortable.

Worship. Every. Day. Live it. Be Holy.

So, what have we learned?

• Be Discipline
• Be Deliberate and Worship on purpose
• Create a plan
• Ask God’s blessings over your plans
• Give thanks and ADORATION
• Live out the Word even when it’s uncomfortable

Serving him with every fiber of your being is of utmost importance, because by doing so, we not only build a close relationship with the Father, but we encourage others to do the same.

May our God who knows all things grant you peace.

Amen!

by Donna B. Comeaux

My only credentials: one in a billion women who love the Lord our God