4 Words in 1

 

The Art of Being Authentic

Being authentic cannot be studied or “patterned”.

You can never figure out a man or woman who is genuinely depending and following after God for leading and direction.

Though premeditated or calculated, their steps can never be figured out because their steps are being ordered by God.

Understand, the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God and not man. This is something bigger and goes beyond man.

Listen, it does not matter the witchcraft people try to place over your steps to disguise your true heart or prevent you from walking in your purpose or step into your destiny.

It will never work. God will always have a way to reveal who you are and who He has made you.

Be authentic. Be who God has called and made you to be.

Yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to flow through you.

Allow Him to be the standard from which you live your life. You do not need to prove yourself to anyone.

There are times you may fail but this is where Christ steps in. It is at your place of weakness that you need the help of The LORD.

When you acknowledge and recognize your failures you will begin to understand your genuine need for Him.

You see we are an imperfect people created by a perfect God. He knows us inside out.

He knows what is on your mind and in your heart. He knows what you may feel but act out differently.

He sees what man cannot. He knows what astrologers and soothsayers will never know or be able to figure out about you.

God knows and understands you better than anyone else. Rest knowing that the One who created you understand you and will get you though whatever it is that you need to get through.

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Pray for Their Family Too!

While in prayer this evening, it rested on my heart so heavily that very often we pray for the strength of a man or woman of God to stand, but very rarely do we pray for the strength of the family of that man or woman to stand.

Even though they may very well be the center of attention and the calling may be on them particularly, whatever the function or the capacity; their families are often the ones who face and deals with the effects of whatever they are and have been hit with.

It may be a son, a daughter, a wife or a husband; understand they are always that pillow and number one support system that keeps the man or woman of God stable and going.

The warfare that comes with the calling on a man or woman of God to ministry can be very intense.

The intensity of the warfare will reach those he or she is connected to and since he or she is first connected and closest to his or her family they are the ones who have to endure the heat.

It is so important that their family be supported and covered as much in prayer especially their children.

Very often I hear people say, “pastor pickney a di baddest”, for those who may not understand the Jamaican dialect or patwah used, the sentence quoted can be translated in the English Language as “pastors children are often considered the worst”.

This is often said, but it is very far from the truth.

When the enemy cannot get to a man or woman of God, he will go after the ones closest to them and very often it happens to be their children.

Because of the expectation people have for pastors and those called to ministry people sometimes have the same expectation of their children which can be very dangerous to their development.

The only reason why the children of those called to ministry are considered the worst is because they are often rebels.

They rebel because they are not given enough space to grow, find and discover themselves or just be themselves and enjoy their childhood.

Like any other child, pastor’s children are no different from any other except they tend to be more sheltered.

Naturally, children who are sheltered or more protected will often grow up and become rebellious and sneaky.

The scrutiny and pressure that comes with ministry is real and this is why the need of the family is great.

God loves marriages and families and He will do whatever to protect them. Let us continue to pray for the marital unions and families The LORD has ordained and called to stand especially in this time.

Family is the bedrock of society and for this reason the enemy attacks families.

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The Rising Generation

My prayer and hope is for the rising of a generation of young men and women who have been in the presence of God so long that they have become radical fire brands for Christ.

A generation that has become so dead to self that Christ alone is seen.

A generation committed to a lifestyle of holiness and righteousness.

A generation who refuses to compromise for the sake of platforms, monetary gains or influence.

A generation who knows who they are and who their God is.

A generation that has been processed and birthed through prayer.

A generation that upholds and lift the name of Jesus Christ above self and everyone else.

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Never Back Down!

You will understand the value and the power of a fight when you allow it to shape you and not destroy you.

When you can allow a fight to bring out the best in you, and not destroy you, that is the power of a real fight.

Some years ago I watched the movie “Never Back Down.”

The movie was about a few college guys who wrestled and sparred with each other.

Even though they faced challenges individually, their determination was to never back down or quit.

From the movie these powerful words were left with me, “Everybody has a fight and nobody can fight your fight”.

You see, life is a fight itself.

You have to be determined to fight back no matter the bruises you get and the punches aimed at you.

It is about being determined to get back up no matter how many times you fall.

We all have a fight; you just have to know which fight is your fight. You are not fighting your fight until you are walking in your purpose.

Your purpose is what causes the fight. It is your purpose that threatens the enemy to fight you.

You are merely existing and just wasting time if you are only busy fighting someone else’s fight. You will not gain much from fighting another’s fight.

Young David had a fight with Goliath, yet David was only a youth.

Great men rose up against Goliath but it only took young David to take Goliath out.

You see, David fought with Goliath and he won because that was his fight. Nobody could have taken Goliath out except for David, because that was just purpose and destiny.

Understand that sometimes a fight will weary you. Sometimes a fight will wound you.

Sometimes a fight will bruise you but it does not mean you are any less or a loser, it just means you are fighting.

Sometimes we may lose a round but losing a round does not always mean defeat. You learn from the mistakes and the lessons and you come back even stronger.

You have to choose to be a fighter if you are going to win in life. You may look a total mess, bloody, battered and smelly but even in your mess and not so pleasant situation you are a threat to the enemy.

You may have waged war and it has caused you to look deformed but what the critics and onlookers do not know is that you look nothing like what you have been through.

The enemy might have laughed at you, mocked you and rejoiced at your down fall but when God gets ready and begins to clean you up and begins to use you for His Glory the devil will regret ever messing with you.

Today I encourage you to keep fighting.

Those who stood with you might have left; you might be feeling discouraged and tired but keep fighting.

If you are not fighting you are not living because life itself is a fight.

The enemy is always raging war so we must be a people who learn to never to put down our swords.

Yes the enemy’s intent is for your destruction but when you are purposed and positioned by God He will always use it for your good.

The Word of God assures us that all things work together for the good of them that love God and are called according to His purpose.

Keep fighting no matter what. God stands with you and that makes it a sure victory. You are almost there!
 

~ Shelly-Ann Powell

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Shelly-Ann Powell is a woman after God’s heart, founder and director of the Impact Nations For Christ organization whose mission is to empower, strengthen and point humanity to the Savior Jesus Christ.

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