Encouragement Ink

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First Of All...


God’s Word

WHAT DID GOD SAY TO ME THIS MORNING

Y’all I woke up this morning ready to pray! It’s something about waking up on Saturday morning to pray. Even though I am still bound by the publishing time limits of 8:59 a.m., I feel like I have more time on Saturdays. Maybe it’s because I am not having to get the kids off to school? I don’t know what it is, but I love when I wake up fully rested on a Saturday morning, ready to be On Assignment By God!!

This morning I heard some instructions from God on how to proceed with something I have been wanting to do. At first I saw this whole separate vision of how it would work out, and it was a pretty cool vision. Then I started asking questions on how this part would work and how that part would work. As I kept praying, God worked it ALL OUT and gave me the actual vision He wanted me to move on, and it got me even more excited!! THAT WAS IT!! Part of this vision is a surprise so I won’t share all the details here right now, but I want y’all to see how putting God first works, because that’s the conversation we had before I got the vision that gave me ultimate peace with no follow up questions.

Here’s my convo with the Holy Spirit this morning:

  • Put your money on paper. I want to show you some things (If you keep hearing the same thing from God like I do, just be obedient).

  • I’m your first things first.

  • Start everything with Me being first:

    • FIRST in your time (this is morning prayer time).

    • FIRST in your money (this is paying your tithes first as soon as you get your check, to whatever ministry is feeding you, even it’s an online church. Tithes don’t belong to you so the quicker you can get them out of your hands, the better for you. Pay your first fruit FIRST).

    • FIRST in your relationships (bring me into every conversation in your marriage, your dating life, your family, your friendships, and your business relationships. Invite me in first before you SAY or DO anything in all of these relationships).

    • FIRST in your work (before you start working, invite me in. Ask me what I want you to accomplish at your job, in your business, for your career).

    • FIRST in your church (even though you’re in the church, still make sure I am first in all your serving; in your decisions; and in your thoughts. You are to ENTER into the church with praise and thanksgiving on your lips first before anything else!)

    • FIRST FIRST FIRST FIRST FIRST

    • I AM FIRST!

This conversation totally blessed me and helped me to see that by putting God in first place, everything else will fall RIGHT into place!

Now you know where I am about to go right? Yup, you guessed it. The Scriptural Surprise. Today I read John 6:22-59. You already know I love my new Tony Evans Study Bible. Why? Because of the study notes. I highlighted so much today because it was SOOOOO GOOD!!! And I don’t want to reproduce his Bible on my blog, so I suggest you go ahead and get you one (wink wink). But the part that hit me this morning was in chapter 6, verses 26. Here’s what the verse says:

Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.” John 6:26-27 Christian Standard Bible

Now here’s what the Tony Evans Study Bible said in the study notes about that specific verse. You’re gonna see why I get so excited!!!

They hadn’t sought him for who he was. The sought him for what he could give them. They didn’t want him, but his blessings. God isn’t opposed to blessing people. He is opposed, however, to people who simply want to use him for his blessings — people who only want him for the stuff he can provide. He’s looking for those who don’t want his blessings without him. (Tony Evans Study Bible Notes)

Now if that doesn’t make you run to lifeway.com and order this Bible, I don’t know what will! LOL!! But seriously though, earlier this week, I wrote a blog entitled, I Will Do Anything, and in the blog, I just couldn’t stop praising God to that Tasha Cobbs Leonard song, For Your Glory. In this song, she says, I just wanna be where you are. We can’t be putting God first just to get stuff from God. I don’t want just the gift, I want the gift giver!!! That’s a word right there!! And look…as I am writing, my mind immediately went to a marriage proposal. I don’t just want the ring, I want the man giving me the ring!!! And he don’t just want you to accept the ring ladies, he wants you to say YES to being with him for life!

That’s what God wants. He doesn’t just want to you to accept Him as your Lord and Savior and receive salvation and that’s it! (That’s definitely the big thing of course), but He wants you to pursue more of Him even after you accept Him. He wants you to receive Him, trust Him, believe in Him, have faith in Him, partake of Him, study Him, and always keep Him FIRST in everything you do…for life eternally!

I am so glad that my Lord and Savior is first place in my life now. All it took was me making that decision to put Him first with prayer in the morning. Are you willing to do that? Will you give Him your first minutes in the morning? Even if you don’t wake up super early, give Him the first minutes of whatever time you wake up. And get out of the bed to give it to Him. I know from experience (yesterday morning) that trying to give Him first minutes laying down will only equate to giving Him mere seconds, because you know good and doggone well, your butt is gonna fall back asleep. LOL!

Hearts and Saturday Morning Hugs!!

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SALVATION PRAYER

If you’re not a believer and have a desire to be, openly confess and declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). When you pray that prayer out loud, you are saved. Get connected with a good, bible-based church in your community and start having a conversation through prayer with God every day. And let me be the first to welcome you to your new life with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. YAAAAY!!!!! You made the best decision you could ever make! Feel free to email me at info@onassignmentbyGod.com and let me know about your newfound life or if you need prayer for anything.


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