by Tracy | Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-27, NKJ
Can you imagine how those in the New Testament felt when God called Saul, the killer of Christians to salvation? Saul repented, turned from his wicked ways and became Paul – one of the most dynamic leaders for Christ in his time. Who are we to judge whom God will use in such a time as this?
The truth is, God does not need our opinion. He will use whomever He chooses. There has been a lot of media discussion lately about certain people claiming to “find Jesus” or “falling away due to sin.” But, I have come to this conclusion: I am not the judge and God will use whomever He chooses.
The only difference between those in the media spotlight and me is that my past sin was never plastered on the front page of a newspaper. And my public declaration of faith and repentance was never reported on prime-time news. I am truly a sinner saved by grace. I once was lost, but now I am found. I was the least likely to be used by God, but God saved me, healed me and transformed my life. My greatest prayer is that He will choose to use my life for His glory.
We must be careful to not judge, lest we be judged. We must in turn, pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God responded by covering them. We too need not forsake our brothers in Christ, but COVER them in prayer. How would our world be impacted if we as the body of Christ COVERED our brothers and sisters in prayer rather than slaughtering them with our words of criticism? God is a God of forgiveness, healing and restoration. And God will use whomever He chooses. Who knows, maybe today that “whomever” will be you…
Prayer:
“Lord, forgive me for judging and criticizing my brother and sister in Christ. You are God and I am not. Your opinion is the only one that matters. I choose this day to cover the body of Christ and those in need of prayer rather than pick them apart with my words. I choose to use my energy to build up rather than tear down. I choose to bless rather than curse. I choose to love rather than hate. I bless the body of Christ. I bless those whom YOU have called for such a time as this.” Amen.
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy, Warfare
Alyssa in her little green Crocs:)
“Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received the promise.” Hebrews 6:15
“For you have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:36
Patience…it’s a word that most of us do not like. But, today I want to show you how vital the fruit of patience is to receive the promises of God in your life. Did you know that patience is also defined as endurance and perseverance? The Greek word for endurance is “hupomone.” (Please stay with me for a moment as we define the Greek word, “hupomone” and get a clearer picture of why patience is so imperative to our spiritual life). “Hupomone” means, “constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out and patient endurance”. “Hupo” literally means, “under,” and “mone” literally means, “to remain.”
Therefore, we can define patience as: “The ability to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful staying power that actively resists weariness and defeat.”
This is good news, because most of us give up too soon. Once we receive a promise from the Word of God we want an immediate manifestation of that promise – like NOW! But it usually does not work that way. Just as Abraham had to wait patiently before he received his promise – so do we. There is a slice of time between the PROMISE and the PROVISION where the POWER of PATIENCE is vital. You see, during this in-between time is when the enemy attacks you the most. The devil will do everything within his power to distract, discourage and pull you off track. When the attack comes – you will need the power of patience. You need the supernatural power of endurance to bear up under the trials of this life and ACTIVELY resist weariness and defeat. The truth is YOU WIN – if you do not lose hope!
I encourage you today to ask God for the power of patience to manifest in your life. Whether you need it now or sometime in the near future – the “hupomone” power of God will help you to wait patiently and receive your promise!
Prayer:
Lord, I need the power of patience in my life. Help me to bear up under difficult circumstances with a hopeful resilience that actively resists weariness and defeat. When the enemy comes like a roaring lion, I declare the supernatural power of endurance is manifested in my life. I will not give up. I will not lose sight. I will be victorious and receive ALL the promises of God in my life. Amen.
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS leads us in TRIUMPH in Christ, and through us manifests the fragrance of His knowledge in EVERY PLACE. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
Are there days when you feel totally defeated? Do your circumstances sometimes pile on you to the point that you can barely breathe? Well, no matter what you are facing – God ALWAYS leads us in triumph in EVERY PLACE!
Let me encourage you today: Do not give up. Do not lose sight of who you are and to whom you belong. You are the righteousness of God. You are His beloved child. You are an over-comer in Christ Jesus. No weapon formed against you can prosper. Every idle and dishonest word that is spoken against you, God will condemn! You are the apple of God’s eye. He formed you in your mother’s womb. You are not forgotten and never forsaken. You are above and not beneath. You are the head and not the tail. The blessings of the Lord will chase you and overtake you. What the enemy meant for evil, God will turn it around and use it for your good. Our God is willing and able. He is your healer. He is your Abba Father. He is your provider. He is your vindicator. He is mercy. He is grace. He is love. He is EVERYTHING you need!
What is that “place” you need victory in today? Christ is leading you to triumph in that very place. As you walk out your victory, God’s fragrance is manifesting around you. People are watching you and noticing something different about you. They see a smile on your face even through you are walking through the greatest trial of your life. They see a peace resting over you that no words can describe. And according to the scripture above – they will see you triumph in EVERY PLACE!
Prayer:
“Lord, You lead me in triumph in every place of my life. You will not leave me in the valley of the shadow of death. You send your rod and staff to comfort me and you will pull me out of the pit of destruction. Many will see my life and give praise to Your Name. You are Jesus. Your Name is above every name. This situation that I am walking through must bow its knee at your Word. I declare triumph. I declare Your fragrance be manifest in my life. Thank You for your love and mercy. I worship You Jesus. You are everything I need.” Amen.
by Tracy | Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy, Warfare
Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7, New Living Translation
Do you find yourself battling anxiety and fear over various issues in your life? If so, I have good news for you! You no longer have to worry about anything. I realize that you may have trouble believing that worry-free living is possible, but I was once a “professional worry-wart.” I will never forget the day I read the scripture above. I also didn’t think this was possible. I meditated on Philippians 4:6-7 for years (yes, I said years). Today I want us to take a deeper look into Philippians 4:6-7:
First, notice that Paul did not just tell us to “not worry.” Paul proceeded to tell us what to do in its place. He gave us the following steps for worry-free living:
1. Paul tells us to: Do not worry.
When worry begins to fill my mind, I try and catch myself and make myself STOP! In the beginning it took me hours to stop my worrisome thoughts because worry was a normal part of my day. However, by just simply recognizing these thoughts and choosing to STOP – I began to break the cycle. In order to STOP worrying, we must choose to STOP the thoughts and do the next step in its place.
2. Paul tells us to: Pray and tell God what you need.
What is it that you need in this particular situation? Instead of focusing on all the negative aspects and allow fear to take over – focus on the solution. Do you need Godly wisdom? Peace within your relationships? Do you need protection from the enemy? A raise to pay your bills? What is it that you really need to overcome this situation and then “tell God.” Be specific with God. If you are unsure of what you need, simply ask God for wisdom. He will show you exactly what you need in this particular situation. Ultimately, Jesus is our solution to every problem in this world!
3. Paul tells us to: Thank God for all that He has done.
What exactly has God done for you? Has He saved you? Rescued you? Loved you when you were still deep in sin? Healed you? What exactly has God done for you? Once you answer that question, begin to thank Him. When you begin to thank and praise God, your problems gets smaller and your God gets bigger! He is the same God that saved you, healed you, rescued you from hell and loved you when you were unlovable. He is the God who will take care of you and the situation you are facing today. Begin to thank Him for victory in that trial you are currently facing. He is a God who promises in Psalm 138:8, to perfect that thing which concerns you.
4. The result:
Peace, peace and more peace. Peace for your mind and heart that is more wonderful than you can even comprehend! It’s a peace that surpasses all understanding! You do not have to live the rest of your life in worry and fear. You can live in God’s peace. I encourage you to walk out this scripture everyday. If you do – you will daily walk in the peace of God! It may take time (from one former worry-wart to another – it took me a few years to totally conquer this) but praise God I am free as long as I choose to stop my fearful thoughts, tell God what I need and thank Him for ALL that He has done!
The result: Worry-free Living!
Prayer:
Lord, please help me to recognize when I am entertaining worry and fear in my mind. I want to live worry-free and experience Your peace. Give me the discernment to stop anxious thoughts and to tell you what I need. I long to be focused on The Solution: YOU! I recognize that when I tell You what I need and thank you for Your answers, that I will experience a peace that surpasses all understanding. I know this may take some time Lord, but I want to live my life worry free! Thank you Jesus for providing these steps to receive Your wonderful peace! Amen.
by Tracy | Inspirational, Life With Alyssa, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” -Ephesians 4:20, NKJV
Believe it or not – this is a picture of my daughter’s closet before she was even born! Not to mention that all of her drawers were completely full and I still had one more shower to go! My husband and I laugh because Alyssa still owns more clothes than us even to this day! I have found since becoming a Christian that Alyssa’s bountiful closet is a beautiful picture of God’s goodness. God not only meets our needs, He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ever ask, think or even imagine!
What is it that you are in need of today? Peace? Health? Joy? Provision? I promise you that your Heavenly Father will move heaven and earth to bless you this very day. He is a God of more than enough! When it appears that your prayers are going unanswered – you can trust in the nature of God. Even though life may be hard right now, God is good and He is moving on your behalf today. I encourage you to go ahead and thank Him in advance for meeting your needs. Go ahead and praise Him before the provision arrives. He is worthy of all praise. Our Lord is willing and able to provide abundantly for us this day.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank you for being more than enough. I come before you today and ask that you move on my behalf. Please touch me today, heal my body, restore my relationships, provide for me financially and fill me to overflowing with Your joy. No matter what the circumstances may look like in the natural, I declare that You are more than enough! I choose to praise You during the storms of life. You are the Almighty God. I worship You and thank You in advance for moving on my behalf this day. I rest in You, Jesus. You are worthy of all my praise! Amen.
by Tracy | Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
Show and Tell…
Hearing the voice of God and putting a contract on our land was just one of the many miracles God has done on our behalf. Just as God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, He also fed them manna from Heaven. He quenched their thirst by causing water to flow from a rock and their feet did not swell for forty years. And yet He did so much more! God loves to show up and show off on behalf of His people!
He is a God of miracles and it is time that we SHOW and TELL of His wonderful works. I am tired of staying silent of God’s goodness in my life for fear of what others may think. Recently, I heard an evangelist state, “It is our responsibility as God’s children to “show and tell” of God’s goodness and He will deal with those who judge us as boastful or prideful.” The truth is: it gives God great pleasure to hear His children brag about His goodness.
As I shared with you last week, God Himself led us to our new home and when the Spirit spoke, we knew to obey. We put a contract on our new home with an agreement to close in 19 days and we needed the miracle power of God to sell our town home fast! And did I mention that fact that we did not even have our town home on the market yet? Ha! Also our agent informed us that over 800 town homes were for sale and that it would take up to 3 1/2 years to sell all the inventory of town homes in our area! Ha-Ha! Plus, there was a town home across the street from us that had been on the market for 10 months! Ha-Ha-Ha! I remember walking around my neighborhood and fear would try and torment me by saying, “You didn’t hear the voice of God,” “Your town home will never sell – just look around you – seven other town homes are also on the market,” “You are a fool to believe that God will sell your home.” When these thoughts filled my mind, I would declare out loud, “Jesus, you did not give me the spirit of fear. We know that we heard Your voice to buy that property and therefore I trust that You to lead the buyer to my town home and tell them that this is their home!”
The Listing: We placed our home on the market on a Sunday afternoon and we (our realtor- Leigh Mitchell, Mike & I) prayed that our home would sell within 14 days. We had done everything our agent encouraged us to do: priced it to sell, cleared out the clutter, put new mulch in the front yard, flowers by the front door, etc. The following Sunday we had our open house. I anointed our front door with anointing oil and prayed that the buyer of our home would hear the SPIRIT speak and bring them to buy our home that day.
NOW IT’S TIME TO SHOW AND TELL:
The buyer not only came to the open house, but they placed a contract on our home that very afternoon. Our town home sold in 7 days! Glory to God! Believe it or not, there are still more miracles to share with you next week…Part III is coming up next week…Stay tuned!
So, Let me ask you friend: When was the last time you told someone of God’s goodness to you? I encourage you today to “Show and Tell” of God’s miracles in your life! Do not be concerned about what others think – God will take care of it and He loves it when you brag on Him!
Prayer:
Lord, I will “show and tell” of your goodness today. Please give me the opportunity everyday to share a testimony of what you have done in my life. I will not let what others think hinder my praise! May the goodness of God be so apparent in my life that it brings many to salvation! My relationship with You is priceless God. I will no longer be a closet Christian. No matter the persecution, judgment or consequence – I will “show and tell” of Your Greatness this day! Amen
