Barriers into Breakthrough
“Don’t wait for the blessing, be the blessing”
Those were the first words I heard on my heart as my eyes greeted 2024.
The beginning of the year is a common season of making resolutions or making changes. It is one of being intentional and leaving old ways to cultivate the new ones. However, I’m sure you have heard the statistics too, those numbers of how many resolutions and goals actually turn into lifestyle shifts and adapted healthy habits. While I am not one to hold fast to statistics, I do believe they open our eyes to the often harsh realities of this world or even the temptations. We must be sobered minded and ready. We must be honest and real.
As someone who was once labeled as a statistic by doctors who knew me and those who barely did, I know that statistics are flawed and they are NOT facts.
For example, I was told, “You will always have anxiety. It is part of who you were.” And even “It is impossible to overcome an eating disorder fully. You just learn to live with it in a more positive manner.”
But Jesus came and He overcame it ALL.
Therefore, praise Him that those comments and discouraging declarations over my life are now just remnants of the past and powerful pieces of my testimony.
Praise Jesus!
They are not and were not who I was. They were what I faced and by the blood of Jesus I was fully healed of both. Praise Jesus!
The same is true for all of us. What words or depleting declarations have been made over your life? Whatever they are let’s PAUSE to rebuke them in the name of Jesus.
“We are not what or who others say about us. We are children of God. We are what and who He calls us. We are healed. We are redeemed. We are loved.”
Statistics are based on current circumstances and studies but circumstances change and so do studies. As a psychology major who participated in experimental psychology courses too, there are biases and flaws in them all due to human error.
And while that sounds negative, it is not. It is quite the opposite. In fact, I find that to be an encouragement.
In a world of flaws and imperfections…
there is a perfect God.
In a world that puts people in a box…
God cannot be put into a box.
In a world where impossible is a word…
We serve a God with Whom all things are possible.
So that goal…
that dream…
that desire…
that prayer…
talk to God about it.
What do you want me to know and do about this Lord?
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42 NIV)
Come boldly and ask God.
Look to God. Look to Love.
Discipline does turn into desire. Our prayers are honorable and acceptable to the Lord. Come humbly and honestly and continuously.
Come boldly.
Let’s reflect:
Is there anything holding us back from boldly praying?
When I started to do a study with my life group and church based off of Mark Batterson’s book “The Circle Maker,” right from the start, this question came to me…
Is there anything holding us back from boldly praying?
I pray boldly for others but why do I stop myself from the bold prayers for myself sometimes? For me, I reflected back on how the feeling of being selfish has often stopped me. I am blessed. I don’t want to sound greedy or ungrateful.
Therefore, I started to talk honestly about it with God, praying for wisdom, clarity, direction and even freedom from it. I laid down the feelings and prayed boldly. And in doing so, just a few mornings after this realization and reflection, the following scripture was placed before me and this message was placed on my heart.
In 1 Chronicles 4, it states, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NIV)
And then…
”They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.” (1 Chronicles 5:20 NIV)
Then, while continuing to read through 1 Chronicles 3-5, I was reminded to stop listening to the lies that are holding me back from bold prayers.
We must confess the lies to God.
Is there something you want to ask God about or for?
Come boldly to Him.
Talk honestly about it.
Let’s ask Him to tune and even retune our hearts to Heaven. He hears and loves to hear from us. He knows our hearts. He loves to hear from us. He hears our prayers and He answers. Of course, the answer is not always yes. Sometimes, we will get a no or a wait. But He hears and knows best.
So let’s not let the doubt, fear, the feelings of sounding selfish or whatever it is hold us back. Instead, let us pray boldly and honestly to the Lord about whatever it is, asking and confessing it to Him honestly. Bringing those prayers are both honorable and acceptable to Him. God knows our hearts. He is the Source of all good things and goodness. When we pray, we harmonize with Heaven.
Thank You Lord for Your wisdom, grace, and provision too. You are good. Connect my heart to Heaven and to Your heart. I pray for the desires of my heart to align with Yours. James 4:3 states, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” If there is anything we are seeking and praying for with wrong motives Lord, redirect us and retune our hearts. We come humbly before You. We come boldly too. While that sounds conflicting, we know when we surrender it to You, You guide us in Your strength. You make ways out of walls and blessings from barriers. May the walls and chains break. May they crumble in the name of Jesus. Lead our way step by step. Thank You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
What a gift! What a gracious and loving Father who listens and sees. ♡
“Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13 NLT)
El Roi ~ “the God who sees me.”
God sees. God knows our hearts too.
The Art of a Messy House reflection is this: Have you ever stopped yourself from praying the bold prayer or asking the Lord for or about something? If so, what has stopped you? What holds you back from boldly praying?
I pray that this message encourages you as it did for me.
The guidance and provision will often only come when my eyes are fixed on God. It is when He often directs my eyes and fixes my heart on serving and loving instead of wasting away in the waiting.
There are opportunities every day.
In a “me me me” world or even
“What have you done for me lately” world, we can easily get sucked in.
However, we are called to be different.
The world or even others we know may judge our intention while the devil may try to get us riddled with guilt and shame too. However, God sees our hearts and when we stay seeking Him, He changes our hearts too to match His.
May we be people who follow Jesus with a resolute heart. ♡
In a world of “waiting for someone else to do it first,” may we be people who walk in love, bringing the blessings and shining the light. We must NOT wait.
So back to that first day of this new year when my heart woke up thinking…
“Don’t wait for the blessing, BE the blessing.”
While I do believe the Lord was helping me through something personally, I also believe He was teaching an important lesson relevant to us all…
Do not wait to love, to bless, to live in the moments before us.
No matter what hasn’t been done for us, let’s stand on His truth… in what Jesus did for us.
When we live with hearts that are resolute and determined to seek after Him, we live in that gift.
We live in the blessing of what He already did for us.
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18 NLT)
Resolute hearts live in unwavering hope and anticipation for what God is doing. And right now friends, the world needs that hope more than ever. Let’s not wait to send the text, say the “I love you” and let’s certainly not take tabs on what was done for us first by others or even what has not been done.
Seek God. Give it to Him. Forgive. Love.
Come boldly before Him with
a resolute heart,
not just a resolution.
We have a gift.
Yes, a new year but honestly … it’s every new moment.
Listen, on that same morning, I woke up with an eye that looked like pink eye. That’s not a great way to start the year is what I started to think until I was reminded of Truth.
Every moment is a blessing.
Every moment is a moment God can work a miracle or bring a breakthrough.
Every moment is the chance to be a blessing.
Let’s leave any lingering bitterness behind in 2023 or even right now, and live to love and bless, while also praying for resolute hearts that live like Paul teaches us to in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 MSG,”Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping.”
Maybe we really should get away from saying happy new year each year and stay celebrating this instead…
Happy new moment!
Be blessed friends. You are so loved. ♡
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42 NIV)
Let’s pray…
Dear God,
You are Love. Today, I am leaving any lingering bitterness, unforgiveness, doubt and fear behind and living to love and bless. I pray for a resolute heart and to keep my eyes open, holding tight to You. I’m clinging to Jesus. Help me give it all I got. Embolden me to come boldly, honestly and humbly to You in prayer. Empower me with the Holy Spirit to be resolute and to love without stopping. Lord, break down the barriers or anything that is blocking the blessing. We love You and give You all the glory always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Coming soon…
♡ Season 2 of the podcast starts up again on Monday, February 19.
♡ Practice the Pause challenges #3 and 4 (March and April)
♡ Book 6 in the children’s series will be released this spring too!
Be blessed ♡
