WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.960 Hey guys, and welcome back to the Salt Not Sweetener 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:07.480 podcast. I'm your host Danielle Townsend and 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:11.980 this is episode 20. And y 'all, today we're gonna 00:00:11.980 --> 00:00:15.880 get real. I mean, I think we try to always be 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:21.019 real here, but this is a topic that might be 00:00:21.019 --> 00:00:24.390 a little touchy for some people. that, you know, 00:00:24.589 --> 00:00:27.390 they're under a couple people's skin. I know 00:00:27.390 --> 00:00:30.070 that someone is needing to hear this today, and 00:00:30.070 --> 00:00:32.609 I know that this is a word that I needed to hear, 00:00:33.109 --> 00:00:36.030 and I probably still need to hear every once 00:00:36.030 --> 00:00:39.289 in a while. I think all of us as Christians on 00:00:39.289 --> 00:00:42.310 our walk with Christ can honestly hear this. 00:00:42.729 --> 00:00:47.670 Now, what we're going to focus on today is when 00:00:47.670 --> 00:00:51.979 God answers your prayers. But there's even gonna 00:00:51.979 --> 00:00:53.979 be a little bit more of a focus on this and it's 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:56.479 about when God is answering our prayers But we're 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:59.079 choosing not to listen, but we're choosing not 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:01.479 to hear him when we're choosing to look in the 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:05.180 other direction When we're choosing to reject 00:01:05.180 --> 00:01:08.239 it because we don't like the vessel or maybe 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:11.019 because it's not the way that we were expecting 00:01:11.019 --> 00:01:14.840 Or maybe it offends our flesh We're gonna talk 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:18.250 about that today and y 'all I was Started thinking 00:01:18.250 --> 00:01:20.890 about that when I was reading. There's this book. 00:01:20.890 --> 00:01:22.609 I've picked up recently at the thrift store. 00:01:23.450 --> 00:01:26.930 That's called Becoming a woman who listens to 00:01:26.930 --> 00:01:30.370 God by Sharon James, but this is not just for 00:01:30.370 --> 00:01:32.670 women. I want to make that very clear what this 00:01:32.670 --> 00:01:35.209 Story that I'm about to share and this topic 00:01:35.209 --> 00:01:38.870 we have today is for everybody because everybody 00:01:38.870 --> 00:01:44.569 Has witnessed this has experienced this okay? 00:01:45.010 --> 00:01:48.969 No, she shared this book she shared the story 00:01:48.969 --> 00:01:52.090 that always resonated with her about a man who 00:01:52.090 --> 00:01:54.650 Climbed to the it was during a hurricane season 00:01:54.650 --> 00:01:59.370 this man climbed to his roof the roof of his 00:01:59.370 --> 00:02:02.829 house to escape the flood waters and while he 00:02:02.829 --> 00:02:05.230 was on his roof he was praying to the Lord saying 00:02:05.230 --> 00:02:09.229 Lord, please save me and There is a man on a 00:02:09.229 --> 00:02:11.050 boat that came by to offer take and I put you 00:02:11.050 --> 00:02:12.590 on my boat and take you to safety And let me 00:02:12.590 --> 00:02:14.530 and said no, I'm waiting on God. I'm praying 00:02:14.530 --> 00:02:18.199 to him and sent the man away and then he continued 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:22.500 to pray and the helicopter flew overhead and 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:24.400 offered to throw down a rope and lift him to 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:26.719 safety and he said no I don't want your help 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:31.520 I'm waiting on God and sent the man away and 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.240 then he continued to pray and a family on a raft 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:39.080 came by and they said we have one spot left and 00:02:39.080 --> 00:02:41.759 we can put you on our raft we can paddle to you 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.319 do you want us to like help you? And the man 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:48.180 said, no, I'm waiting on God. I'm waiting on 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:50.439 God's hand. I'm waiting on God's help. I'm praying 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:55.159 to God. And sent them away. And after he sent 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:58.759 people away these three different times that, 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:00.659 you know, when we look at it, those look like 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:03.759 miraculous answered prayers from outside perspective. 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:05.620 When I was reading that, I immediately saw that 00:03:05.620 --> 00:03:08.919 God is answering his prayer. God is sending him 00:03:08.919 --> 00:03:11.520 people offering to bring him the safety that 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:14.159 is God moving through people that is God moving 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:18.180 through his children that is God answering but 00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:20.439 see in the story the man didn't see it that way 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:24.039 in the story the floodwaters began to rise and 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:26.500 as the man was starting to be overcome by these 00:03:26.500 --> 00:03:29.180 floodwaters he started crying out to the Lord 00:03:29.180 --> 00:03:32.099 saying like Lord why why didn't you answer my 00:03:32.099 --> 00:03:36.759 prayer why didn't you save me And the Lord responded 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:41.080 to him. I tried But you're not listening to my 00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:46.020 answers And man that that had me really thinking 00:03:46.020 --> 00:03:48.120 reflecting how many times are we praying to the 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:52.599 Lord saying Lord Show me show me the truth Lord 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:56.139 give me clarity Lord strengthen my discernment 00:03:56.139 --> 00:03:59.500 Lord get Show me what to do Lord. Give me an 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:02.639 answer. Give me a way out. Give me and when God 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:07.050 delivers that answered prayer. When God answers 00:04:07.050 --> 00:04:09.710 that prayer, how many times will we say, that's 00:04:09.710 --> 00:04:13.650 not from God? Or we say, I'm waiting on something 00:04:13.650 --> 00:04:15.969 else. I'm waiting on something better. How many 00:04:15.969 --> 00:04:18.670 times we find a way to reject? How many times 00:04:18.670 --> 00:04:22.050 we choose not to listen to what God is saying? 00:04:24.829 --> 00:04:26.410 You know, I was, the more I was thinking about 00:04:26.410 --> 00:04:28.350 that story, I was like, what did this man expect? 00:04:29.389 --> 00:04:32.310 He was praying on God to save him. God sent three 00:04:32.310 --> 00:04:35.509 different people coming and offering him right 00:04:35.509 --> 00:04:39.129 there, ways out of his problems, ways out of 00:04:39.129 --> 00:04:42.730 what he's going through. Was he expecting Jesus 00:04:42.730 --> 00:04:45.149 to descend from heaven and to come through the 00:04:45.149 --> 00:04:47.750 clouds at that very moment and pluck him up himself? 00:04:48.670 --> 00:04:50.850 I mean, I'm a firm believer, obviously, that 00:04:50.850 --> 00:04:55.069 Jesus will be descending one day again, you know. 00:04:55.290 --> 00:04:57.449 I'm a firm believer that Jesus Christ was making 00:04:57.449 --> 00:05:00.089 a return but you know I was reading this thinking 00:05:00.089 --> 00:05:03.730 is he expecting Jesus to return right now and 00:05:03.730 --> 00:05:08.069 with his own hand lift him up? Was he expecting 00:05:08.069 --> 00:05:11.649 God to give him wings and he flies away? Was 00:05:11.649 --> 00:05:13.889 he expecting all the sudden all the flood waters 00:05:13.889 --> 00:05:16.410 to just go all the way down and he's downstairs 00:05:16.410 --> 00:05:18.670 sitting on his couch eating potato chips in 10 00:05:18.670 --> 00:05:23.629 minutes? He was praying for salvation. He was 00:05:23.629 --> 00:05:28.069 praying to be saved in the situation. And God 00:05:28.069 --> 00:05:31.870 sent him a boat, a raft, and a helicopter, and 00:05:31.870 --> 00:05:35.329 people offering help. But he rejected it and 00:05:35.329 --> 00:05:37.730 said, no, I'm waiting on God. And that's, you 00:05:37.730 --> 00:05:39.370 know, again, I was picking apart, like, what 00:05:39.370 --> 00:05:42.670 was he expecting? I saw that clearly as this 00:05:42.670 --> 00:05:46.129 is an answered prayer. Was he expecting something 00:05:46.129 --> 00:05:49.310 that looked even more miraculous? Something that 00:05:49.310 --> 00:05:52.459 looked even more... unbelievable I would always 00:05:52.459 --> 00:05:55.079 say those are some miraculous offers people coming 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:58.139 by because in times of stress a lot of people 00:05:58.139 --> 00:06:00.420 tend to focus on themselves so the fact that 00:06:00.420 --> 00:06:03.160 you know in the story there are three different 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:05.899 people who while trying to save themselves they 00:06:05.899 --> 00:06:09.240 took time out to try to help him that's already 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:15.259 miraculous enough and y 'all I'm speaking from 00:06:15.259 --> 00:06:19.120 experience because I know that especially like 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:24.079 When I gave my fully surrendered my life to Christ 00:06:24.079 --> 00:06:27.579 I Say that as a monumental moment because that 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:29.959 was the moment where I finally recognized that 00:06:29.959 --> 00:06:34.420 was like my ways You know, I prayed to the Lord 00:06:34.420 --> 00:06:37.180 when I gave my life to Christ saying like at 00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:41.600 the at that time was freshly 25 and I had said 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:45.860 Lord for 25 years. I have tried it my way I have 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:48.949 found reasons to hold on to my sins. I have found 00:06:48.949 --> 00:06:51.509 reasons to keep these doors open. I have tried 00:06:51.509 --> 00:06:53.730 to control situations. I've tried to make things 00:06:53.730 --> 00:06:57.350 work my way. I have tried to speed things up. 00:06:57.350 --> 00:07:00.189 I've tried to slow things down. I have put my 00:07:00.189 --> 00:07:02.410 hand in every step of the way. I've leaned on 00:07:02.410 --> 00:07:05.470 my own understanding and my own ways. And my, 00:07:05.910 --> 00:07:08.449 the reason why when I say like my surrendering 00:07:08.449 --> 00:07:10.550 moment was because that was the moment where 00:07:10.550 --> 00:07:13.029 I said, and none of it has worked because here 00:07:13.029 --> 00:07:18.430 I still am. and I know that Lord what you are 00:07:18.430 --> 00:07:20.870 calling me to do might not be the easiest way 00:07:20.870 --> 00:07:23.029 but I am understanding that you are trying to 00:07:23.029 --> 00:07:25.430 build a firm foundation and what is from you 00:07:25.430 --> 00:07:27.430 will not be shaken what is from you will last 00:07:27.430 --> 00:07:29.970 and what is from you is good and what is of my 00:07:29.970 --> 00:07:33.029 own creation is not and my own ways have not 00:07:33.029 --> 00:07:34.850 worked to this point my own ways have gotten 00:07:34.850 --> 00:07:38.230 me knee -deep in my own crap I'm gonna fully 00:07:38.230 --> 00:07:41.930 submit and try your way And that was my way of 00:07:41.930 --> 00:07:44.149 saying so Lord you want me to at that point I'd 00:07:44.149 --> 00:07:45.769 already quit being a tarot card reader because 00:07:45.769 --> 00:07:48.029 I had already felt the conviction But at that 00:07:48.029 --> 00:07:50.250 point I threw out the cards where I was like 00:07:50.250 --> 00:07:52.110 if your hand causes you to send cut it off I'm 00:07:52.110 --> 00:07:53.610 gonna throw out the possibility of me ever being 00:07:53.610 --> 00:07:56.689 able to go back to that I Had submitted in that 00:07:56.689 --> 00:07:58.430 moment like Lord if you want me to be single 00:07:58.430 --> 00:08:00.850 my entire life will be single my entire life 00:08:00.850 --> 00:08:03.490 Lord if you want me to 100 % be off social media 00:08:03.490 --> 00:08:05.509 Because I used it to lead people straight at 00:08:05.509 --> 00:08:07.709 one point in my life. I will never get on again 00:08:08.029 --> 00:08:10.930 Like I was ready to submit all of my desires 00:08:10.930 --> 00:08:12.949 to the Lord in that moment and that's when I 00:08:12.949 --> 00:08:15.069 called out my surrendering my life to Christ 00:08:15.069 --> 00:08:19.610 is when it was my true like all of my desires 00:08:19.610 --> 00:08:23.569 and all of my thoughts and my wants and my needs 00:08:23.569 --> 00:08:26.709 have gotten me to this point. I'm giving them 00:08:26.709 --> 00:08:29.129 to you and I want you to guide my life. I want 00:08:29.129 --> 00:08:32.230 you Lord to pick my partner. I want you Lord 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:34.620 to lead me to the right job. I want you, Lord, 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:36.519 to pick my friends. I want you, Lord, to pick 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:40.679 my environment. I want you, Lord, to show me 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:45.399 the way. I don't want my own way. So when I tell 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:47.639 y 'all my surrender in my life to Christ moment 00:08:47.639 --> 00:08:51.299 was because that was a moment that was so pivotal 00:08:51.299 --> 00:08:54.019 for me. You know, growing up in the church, I 00:08:54.019 --> 00:08:58.559 never submitted or surrendered in that way. And 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:02.669 that's why it was so impactful for me. But in 00:09:02.669 --> 00:09:05.230 the years leading up to that time, I got into 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:06.850 New Age spirituality where I was listening to 00:09:06.850 --> 00:09:09.809 a lot of voices that weren't from the Lord. A 00:09:09.809 --> 00:09:12.049 lot of the voices I was listening to were validating 00:09:12.049 --> 00:09:15.370 my sin, and were validating me having open doors, 00:09:15.730 --> 00:09:18.730 and were actually feeding into a lot of my open 00:09:18.730 --> 00:09:21.370 doors I've shared in the last podcast were unforgiveness, 00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:26.320 mistrust, resentment. You know, not truly loving 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:29.039 people unconditionally, not having the love of 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:32.299 Christ, a lack of identity in Christ. I had a 00:09:32.299 --> 00:09:34.120 real desire to be impervious, but I was trying 00:09:34.120 --> 00:09:36.279 to figure it out my own way. And I'm telling 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:39.720 y 'all, a lot of the life decisions I made and 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:43.019 a lot of the problems I had in my life stemmed 00:09:43.019 --> 00:09:45.620 from unforgiveness because my unforgiveness led 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:49.139 me to a lot of trauma responses. and led me to 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:51.259 a lot of decisions and a lot of reactions and 00:09:51.259 --> 00:09:53.440 a lot of ways of thinking and ways of operating 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.019 that were not Christ -like. If I held up like 00:09:57.019 --> 00:09:59.259 90 % of what I was doing or what was going on 00:09:59.259 --> 00:10:01.919 in my mind, no matter my intention, because I 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:03.679 thought what mattered was as long as I have good 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:07.899 intent, God knows my heart. No, like that's not 00:10:07.899 --> 00:10:12.000 all that matters. That was how I was really defending 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.500 things at the time. If I would have held up... 00:10:14.549 --> 00:10:17.970 my thoughts and what I was doing and what I was 00:10:17.970 --> 00:10:20.429 defending and open doors, I would have seen that 00:10:20.429 --> 00:10:23.769 a lot of them did not align with scripture. They 00:10:23.769 --> 00:10:26.429 aligned with fleshly desires and worldly desires. 00:10:26.950 --> 00:10:28.909 They aligned with lies of the enemy, lies of 00:10:28.909 --> 00:10:30.470 the devil, but they didn't align with the Lord 00:10:30.470 --> 00:10:35.240 of the Lord. But I was listening to so many voices 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.299 especially online like I would go online I would 00:10:37.299 --> 00:10:39.700 scroll on the algorithms and I would be hearing 00:10:39.700 --> 00:10:42.600 constantly from terror readers and Oracle readers 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.480 and psychic mediums and people that were passing 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:48.360 off prophetic words but if you held them up to 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:50.580 the Bible and you prayed to the Lord I would 00:10:50.580 --> 00:10:52.240 see that those were not words from the Lord. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:57.059 I wasn't testing them like I should. A lot of 00:10:57.059 --> 00:10:58.840 things I was receiving I wasn't testing them 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:01.340 like I should have been. And it would have been 00:11:01.340 --> 00:11:02.899 very clear that they were from the enemy, but 00:11:02.899 --> 00:11:04.779 I wasn't testing them because it was telling 00:11:04.779 --> 00:11:07.120 me what I wanted to hear and it was feeding further 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:10.759 into my delusions. It was feeding further, and 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:13.799 what I mean by delusions is me believing that 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:16.440 my sin was justified, and me believing that my 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:18.679 disobedience to the Lord was justified, me believing, 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:23.019 you know, once you have those roots, you're willing 00:11:23.019 --> 00:11:26.279 to accept what a lot of voices are saying. And 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:28.200 we know that the devil, the enemy, is the father 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:32.100 of lies. And when I talk about deception, deception 00:11:32.100 --> 00:11:35.519 isn't just lies, because it's a lot easier to 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.299 believe lies when there's truth sprinkled in. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:39.659 Deception is truth with lies sprinkled in, or 00:11:39.659 --> 00:11:42.379 lies with some truth sprinkled in. The devil 00:11:42.379 --> 00:11:44.159 masquerades as an angel of light, and it's a 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:46.519 lot easier for him to get you to believe lies 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:49.000 and deception if there's some truth that you 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.440 can like, okay, yeah, this aligns, or okay, yeah, 00:11:52.220 --> 00:11:58.129 like, I can prove this. He's able to... add on 00:11:58.129 --> 00:11:59.750 a lot of other things. I can't tell y 'all how 00:11:59.750 --> 00:12:01.850 many times that like I would be scrolling in 00:12:01.850 --> 00:12:04.549 the past when I was a new age and I would hear, 00:12:04.549 --> 00:12:09.250 you know, a reading or hear a message from a 00:12:09.250 --> 00:12:10.889 medium and like they would say a couple things 00:12:10.889 --> 00:12:13.230 where I'd be like, oh my gosh, that resonates 00:12:13.230 --> 00:12:15.649 so heavily that then they would start saying 00:12:15.649 --> 00:12:19.919 some like really kind of crazy stuff. Some really 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:21.980 kind of like out -of -pocket out there stuff 00:12:21.980 --> 00:12:24.279 that I immediately was like, okay Yeah, I'll 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:26.500 100 % even though I don't have any like actual 00:12:26.500 --> 00:12:28.879 evidence to back that up or to align with that 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.279 or to believe that I'm just gonna buy into it 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:34.419 100 % Because of these other things that they 00:12:34.419 --> 00:12:38.039 said they're seemingly truths like that is That's 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:42.440 deception at its finest And yeah, so I I was 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:45.799 led astray for a long time. I continued in my 00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:47.779 sin, and I continued doing the things I was doing, 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:49.759 keeping open doors, because I had voices that 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:52.100 validated me doing that. And there were many 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:54.440 times I looked back and see that the Lord sent 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:57.279 voices trying to path correct me, especially 00:12:57.279 --> 00:12:58.980 in regards to forgiveness. There were a lot of 00:12:58.980 --> 00:13:00.639 people coming at me and telling me I need to 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:02.899 work on my forgiveness, and I need to let people 00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:04.799 go, and I need to turn people over to the Lord, 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:07.559 and things like that, and I in one ear and out 00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:09.909 the other. I rejected these people very quickly. 00:13:10.350 --> 00:13:12.350 And my reaction to a lot of these people was 00:13:12.350 --> 00:13:15.169 kind of like, how dare you point out the splinter 00:13:15.169 --> 00:13:17.610 I have when you have a log in your own eye? Like 00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:18.929 I would look at a lot of these people and be 00:13:18.929 --> 00:13:22.169 like, well, I believe you're sitting in this 00:13:22.169 --> 00:13:24.149 area, or I believe you're doing this. How dare 00:13:24.149 --> 00:13:26.309 you point this out at me? And I would immediately 00:13:26.309 --> 00:13:28.429 say, I'm not listening to them. I'll listen to 00:13:28.429 --> 00:13:31.909 Jesus. I won't listen to them. I'll listen to 00:13:31.909 --> 00:13:33.389 God, but I won't listen to them, but I wasn't 00:13:33.389 --> 00:13:35.289 listening to the messengers that God was sending. 00:13:35.350 --> 00:13:37.629 It's funny how I was saying, well, I'll listen 00:13:37.629 --> 00:13:39.529 to God, and when he spoke, I didn't listen to 00:13:39.529 --> 00:13:42.450 him because I didn't like the vessel. And that's 00:13:42.450 --> 00:13:44.129 kind of the root, I think, of what we're getting 00:13:44.129 --> 00:13:47.590 at today is, are you rejecting God's word because 00:13:47.590 --> 00:13:53.669 you don't like the vessel? Are you rejecting 00:13:53.669 --> 00:13:59.350 God's answered prayer because you don't like 00:14:00.060 --> 00:14:05.379 Who he's speaking through I'm gonna be so real 00:14:05.379 --> 00:14:08.539 with y 'all that is a pride that's an ego thing 00:14:08.539 --> 00:14:09.919 and that's something that you're gonna need a 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.320 dose of humility from the Lord and speaking from 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.879 experience Because who are you to think you're 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:17.559 better than the person that the Lord chose as 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:22.659 a vessel in that moment? You know that that's 00:14:22.659 --> 00:14:25.259 a pride that's an ego thing Not saying that the 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:26.759 Lord picked these people because they're better 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:28.559 than you or because they're perfect or anything 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:30.940 like that But the Lord chose them as a vessel, 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:35.000 point blank, period. And when you start saying, 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:37.399 I'm not going to listen to the Lord, and I'm 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:39.360 not going to accept the way that He chose to 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:41.080 answer my prayer, simply because I think I'm 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:44.120 better than them, or because, you know, I think 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:46.759 that they have no right to speak to me or talk 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:51.639 to me. Why though? What prideful space, what 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.740 ego space are you coming from in that moment 00:14:54.740 --> 00:14:59.019 to reject what God is doing? I'm speaking from 00:14:59.019 --> 00:15:00.919 experience y 'all there is a couple of those 00:15:00.919 --> 00:15:03.200 vessels I Even if you would have said that to 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.360 me at the time I would have found reasons There's 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.559 one person who you know I want to be I'm always 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:10.220 trying to be very careful not to disclose identities 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:12.960 or say things that like You know, it's so obvious 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:16.159 that's the person There is a person years ago 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.379 when I was in new age way before I gave my life 00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:21.000 to Christ He was trying to talk to me about forgiveness 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:23.259 and I didn't want to hear them say diddly squat 00:15:23.690 --> 00:15:25.909 because just 20 minutes ago they were gossiping 00:15:25.909 --> 00:15:28.370 and talking bad about another person. to me they 00:15:28.370 --> 00:15:31.129 were dealing really badly with the sum of gossip. 00:15:31.529 --> 00:15:34.330 they were dealing really badly with competitiveness 00:15:34.330 --> 00:15:36.330 and like envy and jealousy. so i was like who 00:15:36.330 --> 00:15:37.809 are you to tell me about forgiveness when you're 00:15:37.809 --> 00:15:40.590 dealing with these other things? so i immediately 00:15:40.590 --> 00:15:51.029 wrote them off. are you ignoring god's answer 00:15:51.029 --> 00:15:57.950 because you don't like the vessel? And I'm telling 00:15:57.950 --> 00:15:59.649 y 'all that like that wasn't the only person 00:15:59.649 --> 00:16:01.509 that God tried to speak to me through and God 00:16:01.509 --> 00:16:08.389 tried to speak to me for years That's funny when 00:16:08.389 --> 00:16:10.950 I look back every vessel he said I found a reason 00:16:10.950 --> 00:16:13.570 to like say well, no, I shouldn't listen tonight 00:16:13.570 --> 00:16:21.220 There were there were two vessels And I believe 00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:22.899 them to be like kind of like the final people 00:16:22.899 --> 00:16:24.559 who were trying to speak life into me before 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:26.440 the Lord allowed me to really be turned over 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:29.360 and just like Broken down to where I would turn 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.220 to him And they were showing fruits in a lot 00:16:32.220 --> 00:16:35.980 of areas of their life love Self -control patience 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:37.919 peace these people were very giving and very 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:40.419 loving and very caring and they had some wonderful 00:16:40.419 --> 00:16:43.879 advice But when they started speaking to me about 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:45.580 forgiving, it was funny, it was that same person 00:16:45.580 --> 00:16:47.100 that they were trying to speak to me forgiveness 00:16:47.100 --> 00:16:48.759 about that this other person was trying to tell 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:51.220 me about years ago. I started closing up and 00:16:51.220 --> 00:16:54.240 walling off. And I started finding things about 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:55.940 them. I start picking out of like, well, this 00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:58.179 isn't Christ -like, and this isn't good, and 00:16:58.179 --> 00:17:00.519 this isn't, and this isn't. So I was kind of 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:02.019 like, why would I listen to them? They're not 00:17:02.019 --> 00:17:06.160 perfect. God never said he would pick perfect 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.279 vessels. There's so many times over when God 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:14.420 said to people that they were not perfect. So 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:21.119 many times I think back to Paul. Paul was God's 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:23.240 chosen vessel to go through and clock a lot of 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:26.960 things. You see a lot of the letters he was writing 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.180 to people were correcting and redirecting and 00:17:31.180 --> 00:17:33.500 clarifying. He was a mouthpiece for the Holy 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:37.200 Spirit. He was a mouthpiece for God. But that 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:42.079 wasn't always his past. We see that he actually 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:46.099 had a pretty crazy conversion. This man was blind. 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:50.059 He was blinded after having a really rough history 00:17:50.059 --> 00:17:52.779 of doing some really messy things. I wonder how 00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:56.880 many people heard about the letters he wrote 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.259 or reading the letters he wrote. They're like, 00:17:59.299 --> 00:18:01.380 who's he? Talk, wasn't he the one that once persecuted 00:18:01.380 --> 00:18:06.619 Christians? I think about that sometimes with 00:18:06.619 --> 00:18:09.059 like how many people read from Paul and were 00:18:09.059 --> 00:18:11.619 like, who's Paul to say anything else? Wasn't 00:18:11.619 --> 00:18:16.480 he once Saul? Yes, he was and God still used 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:18.940 him. Yes, he was and God still chose to use him 00:18:18.940 --> 00:18:21.640 as a vessel. I've seen both sides of it, y 'all, 00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:23.519 because there have been some times where I know 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:26.299 that the Lord has called me to plant seeds and 00:18:26.299 --> 00:18:29.180 speak things to people and I've been rejected. 00:18:30.939 --> 00:18:33.160 And there are sometimes when I really felt the 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:34.619 Lord called me to do it in that verse, I've said, 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:37.559 no Lord, they're going to... I already have a 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:39.900 feeling of how this is going to go. I don't want 00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:43.279 to do it. And he's given me supernatural strength 00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:46.960 and boldness to do it. Because we actually see 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:49.299 with Saul, right? When Saul is about to be cured 00:18:49.299 --> 00:18:53.900 of his blindness, he's praying to the Lord. You 00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:55.660 know, there's an angel that comes and speaks 00:18:55.660 --> 00:18:58.140 to, and I don't remember the name, it's been 00:18:58.140 --> 00:19:00.059 a while since I read the story, but he speaks 00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:01.819 to another, angel comes and speaks to another 00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:03.960 man that says, hey, I need you to go and lay 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:07.119 hands on Saul. Like, I need you to go pray for 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:09.700 Saul. And he's gonna be healed of the blindness, 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:11.720 and he already knows you're coming. But that 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:14.019 man at first is like, you mean like Saul, like, 00:19:14.220 --> 00:19:16.400 that persecutes people, Saul? He was scared, 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:18.880 he was fearful. He seemed like at first he wanted 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:21.019 to be like, nah, I'm good. Like, pick someone 00:19:21.019 --> 00:19:24.450 else. What if I walk in there and he kills me? 00:19:24.609 --> 00:19:26.589 It's probably the energy that guy had. When I 00:19:26.589 --> 00:19:29.269 think about it, like, he's used to seeing Saul 00:19:29.269 --> 00:19:32.589 as the man who persecutes the people who believe 00:19:32.589 --> 00:19:36.049 in Jesus. You know? Anything you'd want to run 00:19:36.049 --> 00:19:39.569 away, you wouldn't want to walk into that. But 00:19:39.569 --> 00:19:43.869 he received the boldness and the wisdom and the 00:19:43.869 --> 00:19:47.589 anointing to go into that situation and was an 00:19:47.589 --> 00:19:53.960 answer to Saul's prayer. Do not reject what the 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:55.819 Lord is doing in your life simply because you 00:19:55.819 --> 00:19:57.619 don't like the vessel or simply because you're 00:19:57.619 --> 00:20:04.000 offended by the vessel. Y 'all there have been 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.720 some times when like honestly I really broke 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:08.019 down kind of crying to the Lord where it's like 00:20:08.019 --> 00:20:11.579 Lord why do you keep sending me into places where 00:20:11.579 --> 00:20:13.519 they don't want to hear what I have to say because 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:15.640 I found that a lot of the people that the Lord 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:18.279 called me to plant seeds for or speak life into 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:22.519 are people who knew my past. or my history. So 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:25.119 they were more people that I had past experiences 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:29.119 with. Or they knew that I wasn't a perfect person 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:31.119 in the past. I'm obviously not a perfect person 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:33.319 now either. But they knew I had a sinful life 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:37.279 in the past. And I remember a couple times breaking 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:39.680 down to Lord where it's like, why are you sending 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:42.440 me knowing that they're gonna reject me? And 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:44.079 the Lord had shown me that that was a lesson 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:46.380 for me in itself. There were a lot of things 00:20:46.380 --> 00:20:53.180 for me to take out in that. And if you need some 00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:57.599 biblical background that this is the thing that 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:01.299 happens, look in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah 00:21:01.299 --> 00:21:07.579 the prophet was sent by God to God's people to 00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:09.299 warn them and he warned them time and time again. 00:21:09.339 --> 00:21:12.000 It's like the first 30 chapters in the book of 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:15.019 Jeremiah are just warnings of like if you don't 00:21:15.019 --> 00:21:17.740 turn from idolatry, if you don't turn from the 00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:19.900 sin, if you don't close these open doors to the 00:21:19.900 --> 00:21:23.220 devil that you have open. if you don't stop doing 00:21:23.220 --> 00:21:25.140 this lukewarm back and forth behavior because 00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:27.319 there were a lot of people who had lukewarm behavior 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:29.420 of like they would do a lot of things that they 00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:32.599 knew were displeasing to the Lord fleshly things 00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:35.019 sinful things and then every once in a while 00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:38.680 ask the Lord for forgiveness and you know once 00:21:38.680 --> 00:21:40.240 they feel like they're in a good space they would 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:42.220 go back and do it again they didn't have true 00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:45.660 repentance they didn't have a true fear of the 00:21:45.660 --> 00:21:47.539 Lord because if they truly feared the Lord they 00:21:47.539 --> 00:21:52.640 wouldn't go back freely to that thing you know 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:56.619 and god had sent not only jeremiah he had sent 00:21:56.619 --> 00:21:59.759 many other people many other prophets from the 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:02.559 lord to speak to them and to say turn from what 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:04.480 you're doing if you don't there's destruction 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:07.420 ahead and prophesying that they would be overtaken 00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:09.579 by their enemy that they would be made to serve 00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:12.160 their enemy that they would have scattered land 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:15.180 they'd be scattered you know that the temples 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:19.059 would be torn down like God sent warning and 00:22:19.059 --> 00:22:21.859 warning and warning and redirection through all 00:22:21.859 --> 00:22:23.539 these different people, but the people in the 00:22:23.539 --> 00:22:25.480 book of Jeremiah did not want to hear it. They 00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:29.099 turned away God's prophets, killed God's prophets, 00:22:29.619 --> 00:22:36.259 silenced his prophets, and they listened. Their 00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:38.660 itchy ears listened to the voices that affirmed 00:22:38.660 --> 00:22:40.640 their sin and affirmed what they were doing and 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:43.440 comforted them. They turned to the false prophets. 00:22:43.539 --> 00:22:46.509 They listened to the people that said, No, the 00:22:46.509 --> 00:22:49.009 temples won't fall down. No, God will deliver 00:22:49.009 --> 00:22:50.990 you. He'll deliver you out of this situation. 00:22:51.069 --> 00:22:53.769 He's pleased with you. Totally fine with what 00:22:53.769 --> 00:23:00.130 you're doing. They listened to those voices that 00:23:00.130 --> 00:23:02.890 affirmed what they were doing and made them feel 00:23:02.890 --> 00:23:04.509 comfortable continuing what they were doing and 00:23:04.509 --> 00:23:07.869 they tuned out and shut down the voices that 00:23:07.869 --> 00:23:11.309 told them that they needed correction. The voices 00:23:11.309 --> 00:23:14.250 that made them uncomfortable. The voices that 00:23:14.250 --> 00:23:17.779 were convicting. And how many times do we see 00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:22.640 that happening? Nowadays. You know, this is actually 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:24.759 something that's been following me. It feels 00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:28.200 like when I look on social media or when I have 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:30.539 conversations with people or when I'm watching 00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:34.539 TV or even just having private, like, reflection 00:23:34.539 --> 00:23:37.420 time, this is something that has been coming 00:23:37.420 --> 00:23:40.279 back to me a lot recently. That a lot of people 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:45.509 that... You know, do wicked things, defend these 00:23:45.509 --> 00:23:48.230 sins, defend these open doors to the devil that 00:23:48.230 --> 00:23:51.190 are continuing to do it. Oftentimes, it's they 00:23:51.190 --> 00:23:55.329 have affirming voices. They have other people 00:23:55.329 --> 00:23:58.150 around them that do the same thing, so they affirm 00:23:58.150 --> 00:24:00.289 each other. Other people around them that don't 00:24:00.289 --> 00:24:03.029 feel convicted. So since they don't feel that 00:24:03.029 --> 00:24:05.309 conviction, they don't convict them. People feel 00:24:05.309 --> 00:24:07.569 comfortable to do it when they have another voice 00:24:07.569 --> 00:24:10.920 telling them it's okay to continue. Oh, it's 00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:14.119 okay since you reacted that way. You have a trigger. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:18.240 You have a this. That feed into the delusions. 00:24:19.059 --> 00:24:21.880 That feed into the deception. And they have voices 00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:25.940 that feed into anger, feed into animosity, feed 00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:33.039 into whatever it is. The voices are telling them... 00:24:33.049 --> 00:24:35.150 it's understandable why you're doing what you're 00:24:35.150 --> 00:24:37.230 doing continue doing what you're doing are the 00:24:37.230 --> 00:24:39.549 reason why they still are one of the big reasons 00:24:39.549 --> 00:24:42.589 why they still feel comfortable doing what they're 00:24:42.589 --> 00:24:48.910 doing and i'm speaking from personal experience 00:24:48.910 --> 00:24:52.349 y 'all when i When the Lord was trying to send 00:24:52.349 --> 00:24:55.549 people to me to talk to me, and I chose not to 00:24:55.549 --> 00:24:57.250 listen to them, I was listening to the false 00:24:57.250 --> 00:24:59.210 voices. At that time in my life, anytime I opened 00:24:59.210 --> 00:25:01.170 up social media, I would hear tarot card readings, 00:25:01.829 --> 00:25:03.970 I would hear mediums, I would hear all these 00:25:03.970 --> 00:25:06.130 other people that would be saying things that 00:25:06.130 --> 00:25:08.509 affirm my sin, that would be saying things that 00:25:08.509 --> 00:25:11.089 made me feel comfortable being a victim, that 00:25:11.089 --> 00:25:13.049 made me feel comfortable reacting the way I was 00:25:13.049 --> 00:25:15.009 reacting, thinking the way I was thinking, doing 00:25:15.009 --> 00:25:19.609 what I was doing. And I was so listening into 00:25:19.609 --> 00:25:22.990 those voices that were affirming it that anytime 00:25:22.990 --> 00:25:25.690 Because those voices were more frequent than 00:25:25.690 --> 00:25:27.450 the voices that were coming and telling me to 00:25:27.450 --> 00:25:30.250 turn away from what I was doing And once those 00:25:30.250 --> 00:25:32.630 voices would start coming in I would immediately 00:25:32.630 --> 00:25:34.769 shut those down and tune those out the voices 00:25:34.769 --> 00:25:38.190 from the Lord I Would say oh, no, these are the 00:25:38.190 --> 00:25:40.390 deception. These are the lies. These are the 00:25:40.390 --> 00:25:44.619 things that are trying to push me off Like if 00:25:44.619 --> 00:25:46.299 that was true, I would be hearing a lot more, 00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:49.519 you know, but in my head I was saying well that 00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:51.299 was really true That was what I would be hearing 00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:53.839 a lot of and not the other way around which wasn't 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:59.000 true. That's not true Because I surround it it 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:00.960 really is what you welcome in and what you surround 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:05.119 yourself with If you are making it a point to 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:07.559 surround yourself with people who fear the Lord 00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:11.940 And to put yourself in environments that welcome 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:14.259 other people that fear the Lord. You put yourself 00:26:14.259 --> 00:26:16.140 in God -fearing environments with God -fearing 00:26:16.140 --> 00:26:19.279 people. If you are listening to scripture, if 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.680 you are listening to all these other things, 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:22.539 that is more the voices you hear. But if you 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:24.740 are purposely putting yourself in situations 00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:27.819 where every day you are hearing and you are surrounded 00:26:27.819 --> 00:26:30.440 with things that are un -Christ -like and voices 00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:32.420 that are un -Christ -like, that is what you're 00:26:32.420 --> 00:26:34.880 going to hear more of. At that time in my life, 00:26:35.140 --> 00:26:37.829 like everything I was looking up, My algorithm 00:26:37.829 --> 00:26:40.710 was built on New Age spirituality, so everything 00:26:40.710 --> 00:26:43.609 I was hearing was horoscopes and reiki healers 00:26:43.609 --> 00:26:47.170 and things that feed in delusions about spiritual 00:26:47.170 --> 00:26:49.950 warfare. I understand spiritual warfare now as 00:26:49.950 --> 00:26:52.549 a Christian, but when I didn't understand it 00:26:52.549 --> 00:26:54.230 from a Christian standpoint, when I was in New 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:56.970 Age spirituality, the devil really manipulated 00:26:56.970 --> 00:27:00.309 my mind on a lot of things and got me to believe 00:27:00.309 --> 00:27:03.210 a lot of things that weren't true, in all honesty. 00:27:05.220 --> 00:27:07.059 But at that time in my life, those were all the 00:27:07.059 --> 00:27:08.700 voices I was listening to. Every time I turned, 00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:10.859 I was hearing voices of people who were defending 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:13.940 new age, who were defending horoscopes, defending 00:27:13.940 --> 00:27:17.319 all these things. Defending hatred and animosity 00:27:17.319 --> 00:27:19.980 and anger and frustration and, you know, the 00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:23.200 root of new age and especially witchcraft and 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:26.980 everything that stems out of that is wanting 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:31.220 to be in control. and wanting to be the center 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:33.720 of everything. And the Lord was really calling 00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:35.680 me to release control, but every voice I was 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:37.819 listening to was telling me different ways to 00:27:37.819 --> 00:27:40.079 take control and how I should continue taking 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:43.920 control. So of course, if that is all I'm looking 00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:48.619 up, if that is all I'm focused on, if that is 00:27:48.619 --> 00:27:50.740 what I have already decided is correct and that's 00:27:50.740 --> 00:27:52.759 all I'm choosing to surround myself with, of 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:54.539 course it's going to be the majority of the voices 00:27:54.539 --> 00:28:02.829 I hear. And glory be to God. I would say especially 00:28:02.829 --> 00:28:08.190 like six months leading up to Six months to a 00:28:08.190 --> 00:28:09.970 year leading up to when I gave my life to Christ. 00:28:09.970 --> 00:28:11.990 He started stripping out every voice out of my 00:28:11.990 --> 00:28:14.769 life That was not from him like every person 00:28:14.769 --> 00:28:18.430 place thing. I Didn't have the ability to school 00:28:18.430 --> 00:28:20.410 on my social media as much glory be to God He 00:28:20.410 --> 00:28:23.190 took out my ability to listen to the false voices 00:28:23.190 --> 00:28:26.450 He he pulled away every voice to where I could 00:28:26.450 --> 00:28:29.269 hear him loud and clear when he was speaking. 00:28:30.549 --> 00:28:35.390 And that was my Book of Jeremiah moment. You 00:28:35.390 --> 00:28:37.309 know, the Lord stripped me to a point where I 00:28:37.309 --> 00:28:39.410 had nothing else to rely on except for him. I 00:28:39.410 --> 00:28:43.289 had no voices to listen to except for him. And 00:28:43.289 --> 00:28:45.329 then he built me from the ground up because I 00:28:45.329 --> 00:28:47.089 didn't listen to him. That was, you know, kind 00:28:47.089 --> 00:28:49.269 of destruction I fell into was losing everything. 00:28:49.569 --> 00:28:51.589 But it was the biggest blessing in a way because 00:28:51.589 --> 00:28:54.950 it gave me the opportunity to lean into him and 00:28:54.950 --> 00:28:57.980 lean on him instead of myself. and I got to see 00:28:57.980 --> 00:29:02.579 how great God is and what he can do. And there 00:29:02.579 --> 00:29:04.779 was a gratitude and appreciation and a purpose 00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:07.700 I've never felt in my life. God will use anything 00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:10.339 for your good and although I see like that New 00:29:10.339 --> 00:29:14.900 Age time and all that as the biggest like disobedience 00:29:14.900 --> 00:29:17.740 kind of moment in my life and like the drifting 00:29:17.740 --> 00:29:22.279 so far away and where I actually was like the 00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:26.349 lowest. in worldly things and finances and social 00:29:26.349 --> 00:29:29.250 I have no friends as I have no anything like 00:29:29.250 --> 00:29:32.869 the Lord due to my disobedience strict all of 00:29:32.869 --> 00:29:35.630 those things out and you know some people would 00:29:35.630 --> 00:29:38.170 see that as a curse or as like the biggest mistake 00:29:38.170 --> 00:29:40.509 but I actually see that as kind of the biggest 00:29:40.509 --> 00:29:43.829 blessing from the Lord at the same time because 00:29:43.829 --> 00:29:49.390 he used that to finally get me to focus on him 00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:54.960 But I also had to make the active choice to surrender 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:57.119 and focus on him I could have leaned into my 00:29:57.119 --> 00:30:00.240 flesh and gone the other way And stayed hard 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:04.319 -headed but glory be to God my heart was softened 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:09.700 And there are some people there are some people 00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:14.160 many people Who that is their story and that 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:18.640 is going to be their story and if you or the 00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:21.559 friend, family member, loved one, or a spectator, 00:30:21.700 --> 00:30:23.640 someone that you believe is going through something 00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:26.059 like that, where they're being stripped down, 00:30:26.940 --> 00:30:28.960 because that's the only way the Lord is going 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:30.960 to be able to get through to them, pray for them, 00:30:31.579 --> 00:30:33.480 and pray for the softening of their heart, and 00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:35.140 pray that they have eyes to see and ears to hear 00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:39.720 what God is doing, and pray that they lean on 00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:43.140 the Lord, and that they finally lean into Him. 00:30:44.659 --> 00:30:46.680 And someone needs to hear today pray to God for 00:30:46.680 --> 00:30:50.579 guidance on what to do and how to handle it Because 00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:52.940 there's sometimes that we so heavily want to 00:30:52.940 --> 00:30:55.539 and reject and come in and save the day and try 00:30:55.539 --> 00:30:58.440 to be the helper when God is calling us not to 00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:02.960 and That is a hard pill to swallow Yeah, because 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:04.819 when I was going through what I was going through 00:31:04.819 --> 00:31:07.200 I was so angry and upset that there weren't other 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:10.359 people that didn't offer me more help and then 00:31:10.359 --> 00:31:13.019 try to do extra things and try to say extra things 00:31:13.019 --> 00:31:15.180 and do all these extra things then I also recognize 00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:17.099 if they would have it would have prolonged my 00:31:17.099 --> 00:31:19.119 leaning on the Lord because I would have just 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:21.359 started leaning on them and leaning into them 00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:24.700 I saw it actually in the past when I was going 00:31:24.700 --> 00:31:26.380 through things the people who would offer me 00:31:26.380 --> 00:31:31.819 help I would start leaning on them I was not 00:31:31.819 --> 00:31:37.970 leaning towards the Lord so honestly As much 00:31:37.970 --> 00:31:40.329 as I would I would love to say sometimes like 00:31:40.329 --> 00:31:42.089 oh I wish I would have gotten more help and more 00:31:42.089 --> 00:31:44.190 comfort and more if I would have it would have 00:31:44.190 --> 00:31:47.369 prolonged my surrender into the Lord Because 00:31:47.369 --> 00:31:49.150 that would have just been another thing for me 00:31:49.150 --> 00:31:51.769 to put above him another thing will lean on instead 00:31:51.769 --> 00:31:54.630 of him So someone needs to hear today to pray 00:31:54.630 --> 00:31:58.609 to the Lord. Are you even supposed to be intervening? 00:31:59.130 --> 00:32:02.009 Pray for them pray for them every day pray for 00:32:02.009 --> 00:32:04.490 them to the Lord but ask the Lord if this is 00:32:04.490 --> 00:32:08.970 your thing to get involved in Is this your thing 00:32:08.970 --> 00:32:16.029 to put your hand in or are you stopping or delaying? 00:32:16.450 --> 00:32:21.170 God's lesson then turning to the Lord and it's 00:32:21.170 --> 00:32:24.869 really hard Because we like to say that like, 00:32:25.089 --> 00:32:28.130 you know, well love is self -sacrifice and love 00:32:28.130 --> 00:32:30.960 is you know, taking care of them even when they're 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:32.619 down at their lowest and everything like that. 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:34.460 But the Lord has really shown me, and I used 00:32:34.460 --> 00:32:35.960 to say that too, but the Lord has really shown 00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:39.240 me the past couple years that love, the biggest 00:32:39.240 --> 00:32:42.200 act of love you can do, is releasing your control 00:32:42.200 --> 00:32:46.660 and giving them to the Lord. And that's also 00:32:46.660 --> 00:32:49.700 a big act of faith, is entrusting them to the 00:32:49.700 --> 00:32:54.359 Lord. Remember that just as much as God is your 00:32:54.359 --> 00:33:00.059 Heavenly Father and He loves you, He loves them 00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:03.599 just as much I Think sometimes we forget about 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:06.799 that You know cuz we're like no, I don't I don't 00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:09.039 want to allow this person to suffer I don't allow 00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:10.339 them to go through what they're going through. 00:33:10.339 --> 00:33:12.920 I love them. It's like but God loves them, too 00:33:12.920 --> 00:33:15.579 Just as much as God loves you God loves them 00:33:15.579 --> 00:33:19.519 not much He doesn't love someone more than the 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:22.599 other it's heartbreaking every time someone dies 00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:26.680 and They go to separation instead of heaven cut 00:33:26.680 --> 00:33:29.720 once all of us with Him. And I know it's the 00:33:29.720 --> 00:33:32.519 reality and it's been spoken of that not everybody 00:33:32.519 --> 00:33:36.880 is going to go with the Heavenly Father. Just 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:38.859 as Jesus Christ spilt His blood on the cross 00:33:38.859 --> 00:33:40.859 for you, He did it for them too. Just as much 00:33:40.859 --> 00:33:42.960 as Jesus Christ loved you before you were even 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:47.960 born, He loves them. So when you are giving this 00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:49.660 person over to God, it's not that you're just 00:33:49.660 --> 00:33:51.420 giving them to your Heavenly Father, you're giving 00:33:51.420 --> 00:33:54.279 them to their Heavenly Father. Trust that He 00:33:54.279 --> 00:33:55.980 is going to take care of them just as He took 00:33:55.980 --> 00:34:06.640 care of you. I'll be honest too that I had a 00:34:06.640 --> 00:34:09.460 lot of animosity and anger for a while at people 00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:12.480 who kicked me when I was down. Because also when 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:15.059 I was at that point in my life, there were some 00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:18.280 people who were rejoicing that I was lacking. 00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:21.059 There were people who were trying to contribute 00:34:21.059 --> 00:34:23.500 to that suffering, who were actually trying to 00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:25.880 make it worse. You know, the knife was already 00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:28.159 in me and they were trying to twist it and make 00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:31.000 it even harsher. make the hurt even worse, make 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:32.760 the recovery time even longer, there were some 00:34:32.760 --> 00:34:35.199 people who were taking serious advantage of me 00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:39.579 being at that low point in my life. And that 00:34:39.579 --> 00:34:41.559 was an unforgiveness that the Lord had to work 00:34:41.559 --> 00:34:45.340 on me in. I didn't think we were being led into 00:34:45.340 --> 00:34:47.579 this topic, but I guess recovering this in the 00:34:47.579 --> 00:34:50.309 podcast did too. when we talk a little bit more 00:34:50.309 --> 00:34:52.929 about forgiveness because I had to forgive people 00:34:52.929 --> 00:34:55.530 that didn't help me out of a loving place and 00:34:55.530 --> 00:34:57.489 out of a place of self -conservation for them 00:34:57.489 --> 00:34:59.110 and them understanding that helping me would 00:34:59.110 --> 00:35:02.670 have just dropped them down and I pray for those 00:35:02.670 --> 00:35:05.730 people that they you know that God really moves 00:35:05.730 --> 00:35:07.750 in their lives and touches their lives and I 00:35:07.750 --> 00:35:10.630 wholeheartedly now like understand why they didn't 00:35:10.630 --> 00:35:16.309 get me out um but there were those people that 00:35:16.309 --> 00:35:20.179 tried to make it worse than what it was already. 00:35:20.980 --> 00:35:22.500 I don't know how to explain it other than kicking 00:35:22.500 --> 00:35:27.579 me when I'm already down and that was actually 00:35:27.579 --> 00:35:32.900 God. God taught me so much in that time and honestly 00:35:32.900 --> 00:35:34.440 I think one of the biggest things God taught 00:35:34.440 --> 00:35:38.159 me in that time was empathy because for a long 00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:40.739 time in my life I had like detached emotionally. 00:35:41.380 --> 00:35:45.090 It was a coping mechanism like I had throughout 00:35:45.090 --> 00:35:47.030 my life had so many relationships with people 00:35:47.030 --> 00:35:52.050 where I would just get so hurt and like Really 00:35:52.050 --> 00:35:54.710 backstabbed, you know, I had a cycle of there 00:35:54.710 --> 00:35:57.230 were a lot of people in my life that have addictions 00:35:57.230 --> 00:36:01.789 Or had really unhealthy coping mechanisms and 00:36:01.789 --> 00:36:03.929 they didn't know how to love people correctly 00:36:03.929 --> 00:36:07.610 and I would get hurt a lot I had a thing of like 00:36:07.610 --> 00:36:12.510 actually over giving myself to people Loved ones 00:36:14.159 --> 00:36:18.079 romantic partners friends and when I would get 00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:20.760 hurt and I would have to detach from these people 00:36:20.760 --> 00:36:22.539 like I would realize okay if I keep letting them 00:36:22.539 --> 00:36:26.300 in they're gonna keep hurting I and I remember 00:36:26.300 --> 00:36:28.059 the first time talking about when I was like 00:36:28.059 --> 00:36:31.539 14 years old to like a trusted adult saying that 00:36:31.539 --> 00:36:36.239 I could turn my emotions off and explaining that 00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:40.440 was like I When I was younger like that I wouldn't 00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:43.119 call exactly turn my emotions off because I would 00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:45.340 think I could But there would always end up being 00:36:45.340 --> 00:36:48.159 some kind of later on like emotional implosion 00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:51.260 from not dealing with my emotions So it was more 00:36:51.260 --> 00:36:53.659 like I was able to compartmentalize really well 00:36:53.659 --> 00:36:55.619 was how a therapist explained it to me later 00:36:55.619 --> 00:37:00.320 on I realized someone was really hurtful for 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:03.079 me. I'd go into like a survival mode where I'd 00:37:03.079 --> 00:37:06.260 able to say, okay, my need to get away from them 00:37:06.260 --> 00:37:09.679 and survive is stronger than my love or my compassion 00:37:09.679 --> 00:37:12.619 for them. So I'm going to move them out of the 00:37:12.619 --> 00:37:15.300 love and compassion box and move them into it. 00:37:15.300 --> 00:37:18.719 They're a danger for me emotionally, mentally, 00:37:18.900 --> 00:37:22.420 whatever. And I would be able to like just block 00:37:22.420 --> 00:37:25.489 them and never speak to them again. and like 00:37:25.489 --> 00:37:27.210 if anyone brought them up or anything like I 00:37:27.210 --> 00:37:30.050 don't know how to explain it but it was like 00:37:30.050 --> 00:37:33.610 something like they they were like removed from 00:37:33.610 --> 00:37:37.610 a space in my heart where like I I would forget 00:37:37.610 --> 00:37:40.489 that they exist and that was a dissociation and 00:37:40.489 --> 00:37:42.730 I used to call that turning my emotions off when 00:37:42.730 --> 00:37:45.289 I was younger and I'd realize that I couldn't 00:37:45.289 --> 00:37:47.030 actually do that because I was still feeling 00:37:47.030 --> 00:37:49.110 everything and I would still have nights where 00:37:49.110 --> 00:37:53.280 I would just cry for hours and it would just 00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:57.079 be from that space of like missing these people 00:37:57.079 --> 00:38:00.300 but also feeling hurt by these people and so 00:38:00.300 --> 00:38:03.860 much but like it was a survival tactic and a 00:38:03.860 --> 00:38:06.519 survival mode that in the moment and for a time 00:38:06.519 --> 00:38:08.880 I could split them into different compartments 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:11.360 and if I split them up for long enough just not 00:38:11.360 --> 00:38:12.960 having them in my life not thinking about them 00:38:12.960 --> 00:38:19.500 I could kind of move on in a survival way. And 00:38:19.500 --> 00:38:22.000 along the lines, doing that, I really kind of 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:25.179 detached with empathy, where I stopped empathizing 00:38:25.179 --> 00:38:26.980 for people as much, and I wasn't really able 00:38:26.980 --> 00:38:31.039 to put myself in other people's shoes. And the 00:38:31.039 --> 00:38:32.800 Lord took me through a time period where it was 00:38:32.800 --> 00:38:36.519 like, when people were kicking me while I was 00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:38.739 down, and when people were hurting me like that, 00:38:38.739 --> 00:38:39.980 and I was crying out to the Lord, where I was 00:38:39.980 --> 00:38:41.699 like, Lord, don't these people feel guilty? I 00:38:41.699 --> 00:38:45.000 never did anything to them. Some of these were 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:48.389 people that I... I couldn't understand why why 00:38:48.389 --> 00:38:50.369 they were participating in it when I was like 00:38:50.369 --> 00:38:53.730 I don't know these people in real life like these 00:38:53.730 --> 00:38:57.949 people know me from online I haven't done these 00:38:57.949 --> 00:38:59.929 things these people are believing lies these 00:38:59.929 --> 00:39:05.789 people like why who could bring themselves to 00:39:05.789 --> 00:39:08.590 do that because even when I was detached I couldn't 00:39:08.590 --> 00:39:14.000 find myself to go out of my way to like Especially 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:17.619 when I got into my adult years, there was what 00:39:17.619 --> 00:39:20.139 I didn't realize as an empathy that was starting 00:39:20.139 --> 00:39:22.559 to be developed again. You know, once I was an 00:39:22.559 --> 00:39:25.099 adult living my own life and developing kind 00:39:25.099 --> 00:39:28.559 of new connections and stuff, some of those survival 00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:33.300 tactics slowly started melting off. And I remember 00:39:33.300 --> 00:39:34.739 praying to Lord, it was like, Lord, like I've 00:39:34.739 --> 00:39:36.679 done some really wicked things and I've been 00:39:36.679 --> 00:39:39.559 a really wicked person, but like... I wouldn't 00:39:39.559 --> 00:39:42.019 have ever even done this like any time I did 00:39:42.019 --> 00:39:43.679 something to someone I at least really felt like 00:39:43.679 --> 00:39:49.880 I could justify it and I just couldn't understand 00:39:49.880 --> 00:39:51.880 the like kicking someone when they were down 00:39:51.880 --> 00:39:58.139 and the Lord used this as an opportunity to really 00:39:58.139 --> 00:40:00.920 instill an empathy in me where I was able to 00:40:00.920 --> 00:40:04.480 put myself in other people's shoes and the people 00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:06.800 who were kicking me while I was down I started 00:40:06.800 --> 00:40:10.340 putting myself in their shoes and thinking, okay, 00:40:10.440 --> 00:40:12.019 well, these people are believing these certain 00:40:12.019 --> 00:40:15.440 things. Some of these people need money, which 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:17.039 is why they're doing it. Some of these people 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:18.820 believe that they've sold their soul to the devil 00:40:18.820 --> 00:40:20.980 and that there is no way out with Jesus. Like, 00:40:20.980 --> 00:40:23.940 I've really started empathizing with a lot of 00:40:23.940 --> 00:40:25.960 these people. But I've also placed an empathy 00:40:25.960 --> 00:40:28.960 in me when, like, when I see other people going 00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:31.380 through, getting kicked while they're down or 00:40:31.380 --> 00:40:33.480 being falsely accused or things like that. There's 00:40:33.480 --> 00:40:35.800 a new level of empathy I can feel for them because 00:40:35.800 --> 00:40:39.809 I've been in that position. and I have to forgive 00:40:39.809 --> 00:40:43.750 those people just as much as I forgave the other 00:40:43.750 --> 00:40:46.269 people I found myself especially the first couple 00:40:46.269 --> 00:40:48.489 months after I gave my life for Christ constantly 00:40:48.489 --> 00:40:50.849 praying for those people and praying that they 00:40:50.849 --> 00:40:53.349 turn to the Lord and pray that they get their 00:40:53.349 --> 00:40:55.590 lives to Christ and pray that they feel conviction 00:40:55.590 --> 00:40:58.730 and pray that they see that Jesus Christ is the 00:40:58.730 --> 00:41:02.010 way, the truth, the life so I'm telling you all 00:41:02.010 --> 00:41:05.210 that like any attack that the enemy means to 00:41:05.210 --> 00:41:06.750 harm me I believe this is the direction we're 00:41:06.750 --> 00:41:09.579 going in God will use it for your good even if 00:41:09.579 --> 00:41:12.820 they're laughing and mocking in that time because 00:41:12.820 --> 00:41:16.260 some of these people still laugh and mock me 00:41:16.260 --> 00:41:19.000 to this day, you know, like still make fun of 00:41:19.000 --> 00:41:22.980 Jesus and make fun of Christians and I believe 00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:25.579 that God is working in their hearts and working 00:41:25.579 --> 00:41:28.460 in their lives anyway. I'm gonna continue to 00:41:28.460 --> 00:41:31.860 pray for them and that was the thing that the 00:41:31.860 --> 00:41:34.530 Lord taught me is like Forgiveness isn't dependent 00:41:34.530 --> 00:41:37.090 on whether or not people shift or change, because 00:41:37.090 --> 00:41:39.230 I was required to forgive these people even though 00:41:39.230 --> 00:41:41.630 they didn't stop doing what they're doing. They 00:41:41.630 --> 00:41:43.909 didn't stop mocking, they didn't stop laughing, 00:41:44.150 --> 00:41:46.989 they didn't stop lying, they didn't stop participating 00:41:46.989 --> 00:41:48.530 in things they were participating in, but I was 00:41:48.530 --> 00:41:50.510 called to forgive them anyway, and turn them 00:41:50.510 --> 00:41:53.570 over to the Lord anyway. Not my own will, not 00:41:53.570 --> 00:41:56.130 my own desires, not my own intent, but turn them 00:41:56.130 --> 00:42:00.280 over to the Lord. and trust that he can reveal 00:42:00.280 --> 00:42:02.519 a lot more and do a lot more than I ever could 00:42:02.519 --> 00:42:04.920 and that it will work out for all of our goods. 00:42:06.099 --> 00:42:07.760 So someone needs to hear this today that any 00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:10.739 attack of the enemy, anything God can use for 00:42:10.739 --> 00:42:12.780 your good when you humble yourself and you release 00:42:12.780 --> 00:42:15.699 off in your heart. Because God wouldn't have 00:42:15.699 --> 00:42:19.239 been able to develop empathy in me and understanding 00:42:19.239 --> 00:42:24.099 and patience and long suffering. God used the 00:42:24.099 --> 00:42:28.360 attacks of these people. To produce fruits of 00:42:28.360 --> 00:42:30.920 the spirit and although they were meant to destroy 00:42:30.920 --> 00:42:36.519 me. God used them to bring me closer to him So 00:42:36.519 --> 00:42:40.079 someone needs to hear that today to like understand 00:42:40.079 --> 00:42:44.320 that God allows all of these Attacks of the enemy 00:42:44.320 --> 00:42:46.219 we see that in the book of Job, and I want to 00:42:46.219 --> 00:42:49.139 be thoughtful with the way I worth us When I 00:42:49.139 --> 00:42:54.519 mentioned us in the last podcast When the devil 00:42:55.710 --> 00:42:59.130 wanted to attack Job in the ways that he did. 00:42:59.150 --> 00:43:02.289 He had to get clearance from God, meaning God 00:43:02.289 --> 00:43:05.849 had a plan for it all along. And someone needs 00:43:05.849 --> 00:43:10.510 to hear today that God has a plan for your life 00:43:10.510 --> 00:43:13.409 and God can use all of these things that have 00:43:13.409 --> 00:43:15.389 been meant to harm you and use them for your 00:43:15.389 --> 00:43:18.090 good and put your faith in that. And if you believe 00:43:18.090 --> 00:43:20.550 that God can turn any of these things around, 00:43:21.150 --> 00:43:23.760 submit to him. because that's the thing is like 00:43:23.760 --> 00:43:25.519 yes god can do all these things but if you're 00:43:25.519 --> 00:43:27.440 not submitting to his ways if you're executing 00:43:27.440 --> 00:43:29.659 your will and your understanding and your flesh 00:43:29.659 --> 00:43:32.420 above him you're not going to see these promises 00:43:32.420 --> 00:43:36.460 come to their full fruition you're waiting on 00:43:36.460 --> 00:43:38.420 god this is just an example that someone needs 00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:41.139 to hear today you've been waiting on god to deliver 00:43:41.139 --> 00:43:42.900 justice and you feel like he's not delivering 00:43:42.900 --> 00:43:46.460 justice but what areas in your life right now 00:43:46.460 --> 00:43:48.960 have you been trying to secure justice for yourself 00:43:50.679 --> 00:43:55.159 I know back when I was in new age there was a 00:43:55.159 --> 00:43:57.239 couple things that I felt were going on that 00:43:57.239 --> 00:44:01.199 I really wanted justice in and I wanted the truth 00:44:01.199 --> 00:44:03.440 to be revealed and I really just wanted things 00:44:03.440 --> 00:44:06.599 to be exposed and it to be shown that like I 00:44:06.599 --> 00:44:10.820 truly felt like I was being attacked and that 00:44:10.820 --> 00:44:14.519 I hadn't done anything number one deserving of 00:44:14.519 --> 00:44:17.360 the attack ball so I wasn't doing anything retaliatory 00:44:18.570 --> 00:44:21.590 Like, meaning I wasn't trying to get them back 00:44:21.590 --> 00:44:25.150 harmfully or executing my own, like, I wasn't 00:44:25.150 --> 00:44:27.989 trying to play tit for tat with them. And I was 00:44:27.989 --> 00:44:29.929 getting really impatient of, like, why isn't 00:44:29.929 --> 00:44:31.769 justice being delivered? Because when you're 00:44:31.769 --> 00:44:33.650 in New Age patriarchy, you're relying on relative 00:44:33.650 --> 00:44:37.409 truths, not full truths. And so, you know, I 00:44:37.409 --> 00:44:39.929 wasn't, I just believed, okay, justice would 00:44:39.929 --> 00:44:42.250 be served point blank, period. What goes around 00:44:42.250 --> 00:44:45.590 comes around. I left out the part of submit your 00:44:45.590 --> 00:44:47.449 will to the Lord, the Lord's will over yours. 00:44:47.610 --> 00:44:49.730 It's a thing of I was buying into the half seas. 00:44:50.670 --> 00:44:52.530 You know, you can't have the full promise with 00:44:52.530 --> 00:44:54.510 only believing half of the word of the Lord. 00:44:55.449 --> 00:44:57.829 And it was much later on that the Lord told me 00:44:57.829 --> 00:45:00.690 that justice is the Lord's. And he revealed me 00:45:00.690 --> 00:45:04.150 that, you know, turning people over to him, vengeance 00:45:04.150 --> 00:45:06.889 is the Lord's. He will deliver it. But that's 00:45:06.889 --> 00:45:11.219 also can I have to submit my will to him. And 00:45:11.219 --> 00:45:13.360 I realized that I had been waiting on justice 00:45:13.360 --> 00:45:15.679 in the past, but every step of the way, I had 00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:17.599 been going out of my way on social media trying 00:45:17.599 --> 00:45:20.760 to expose, trying to say, hey, just, you know, 00:45:20.760 --> 00:45:22.760 there were different ways where I was trying 00:45:22.760 --> 00:45:26.440 to show my innocence and trying to reveal other 00:45:26.440 --> 00:45:29.039 people's guilt, which was me taking vengeance 00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:31.460 and justice into my own hands. And the Lord had 00:45:31.460 --> 00:45:33.719 heavily convicted me of that. He had revealed 00:45:33.719 --> 00:45:37.019 to me that I actually delayed justice in a lot 00:45:37.019 --> 00:45:39.559 of ways by doing that. and actually kind of made 00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:43.920 myself look worse than I should have been and 00:45:43.920 --> 00:45:45.780 actually kind of played into the double's hand 00:45:45.780 --> 00:45:49.699 a lot of times by trying to do it myself, getting 00:45:49.699 --> 00:45:51.639 tired of laying on the Lord. But someone needs 00:45:51.639 --> 00:45:54.820 to hear that today that God's promises, if you 00:45:54.820 --> 00:45:56.539 want to see the full fruition of them, you need 00:45:56.539 --> 00:45:59.559 to submit your will to the Lord. You need to 00:45:59.559 --> 00:46:02.340 obey him. And that means closing those doors. 00:46:02.500 --> 00:46:04.900 I feel like this is us kind of coming full circle. 00:46:05.039 --> 00:46:08.030 It's the beginning of our topic today of You 00:46:08.030 --> 00:46:10.190 know, when we reject the vessels and we reject 00:46:10.190 --> 00:46:13.929 the promises from the Lord, it's oftentimes rooted 00:46:13.929 --> 00:46:18.929 in ego and pride and a lack of humility. And 00:46:18.929 --> 00:46:23.110 I know for me, that was right there. You can 00:46:23.110 --> 00:46:24.889 see that area in my life. I didn't want to wait 00:46:24.889 --> 00:46:28.750 on God, because I felt like waiting on him was 00:46:28.750 --> 00:46:32.510 taking too long. And also, I was only doing half 00:46:32.510 --> 00:46:37.039 of what he called me to do. I was waiting. But 00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:40.039 I wasn't submitting I wasn't surrendering, right? 00:46:41.820 --> 00:46:44.500 So yeah, so submitting to the Lord is very very 00:46:44.500 --> 00:46:47.380 necessary if you want to see the promises if 00:46:47.380 --> 00:46:50.320 you want to see these things come to their full 00:46:50.320 --> 00:46:55.960 fruition obedience and submission is key Now 00:46:55.960 --> 00:46:58.039 I pray that the Holy Spirit has spoken to you 00:46:58.039 --> 00:47:04.019 today I pray that the Lord has used me to give 00:47:04.019 --> 00:47:06.300 you some kind of revelation and some kind of 00:47:06.300 --> 00:47:10.500 clarity and I just want to pray for whoever you 00:47:10.500 --> 00:47:13.300 are listening to this today Dear Lord Heavenly 00:47:13.300 --> 00:47:16.000 Father, I pray that each of those listening today 00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:18.539 has eyes to see and ears to hear Lord if you're 00:47:18.539 --> 00:47:20.300 putting on their heart to re -listen to this 00:47:20.300 --> 00:47:25.170 again to pick something else up If there is something 00:47:25.170 --> 00:47:27.329 that they're missing, if there's something that 00:47:27.329 --> 00:47:29.070 they have misheard, something that they've misunderstood, 00:47:29.230 --> 00:47:31.690 please illuminate it to them, Lord, and clarify 00:47:31.690 --> 00:47:34.630 it for them. I pray, Heavenly Father, that there 00:47:34.630 --> 00:47:37.489 is a humility that they receive. I pray, Heavenly 00:47:37.489 --> 00:47:39.769 Father, that there is a softening of their hearts. 00:47:40.110 --> 00:47:42.010 I pray that those who are listening to us today 00:47:42.010 --> 00:47:44.090 with hardened hearts have softened hearts and 00:47:44.090 --> 00:47:46.030 are receptive and open to what you are trying 00:47:46.030 --> 00:47:47.590 to do in their life and what you are trying to 00:47:47.590 --> 00:47:49.469 reveal to them. I pray, Heavenly Father, that 00:47:49.469 --> 00:47:51.610 there is a conviction but not a condemnation 00:47:51.610 --> 00:47:55.119 when it comes to rejecting. your answered prayers 00:47:55.119 --> 00:47:58.079 i pray heavenly father that people welcome you 00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:00.699 and receive your words i pray heavenly father 00:48:00.699 --> 00:48:05.639 that the people who are dealing with the people 00:48:05.639 --> 00:48:10.320 who are currently being affected by others in 00:48:10.320 --> 00:48:13.320 their lives that are not hearing you and not 00:48:13.320 --> 00:48:14.900 listening to your answered prayers that they 00:48:14.900 --> 00:48:17.699 handle those people well and that they handle 00:48:17.699 --> 00:48:20.079 those people correctly i pray that they seek 00:48:20.079 --> 00:48:23.599 you for guidance and that they seek you for deliverance 00:48:23.599 --> 00:48:25.500 and that they submit and they obey to what you 00:48:25.500 --> 00:48:27.860 are calling them to do Heavenly Father. I pray 00:48:27.860 --> 00:48:30.199 that they have a peace that surpasses all understanding 00:48:30.199 --> 00:48:32.260 and the boldness of what you are calling them 00:48:32.260 --> 00:48:35.780 to. I pray Heavenly Father that each of the people 00:48:35.780 --> 00:48:37.739 listening to this podcast today know that they 00:48:37.739 --> 00:48:41.360 are loved by you and that they have private moments 00:48:41.360 --> 00:48:43.679 where they can just feel your love, and they 00:48:43.679 --> 00:48:45.940 can feel your embrace. I pray, Heavenly Father, 00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:47.800 that they hear you more clearly than they ever 00:48:47.800 --> 00:48:49.340 have before, and I pray, Heavenly Father, that 00:48:49.340 --> 00:48:51.000 they have strengthening in their discernment. 00:48:51.400 --> 00:48:54.219 I pray, Lord Jesus, that you bring in voices 00:48:54.219 --> 00:48:56.639 that are more Christ -like. I pray, Heavenly 00:48:56.639 --> 00:48:59.059 Father, that you really start to work on their 00:48:59.059 --> 00:49:01.039 surroundings, their environment, and their communities. 00:49:01.420 --> 00:49:04.519 Remove the people, Lord Jesus, in their lives 00:49:04.519 --> 00:49:06.280 that are not leading them towards you and are 00:49:06.280 --> 00:49:09.139 leading them away from you. Remove the voices. 00:49:10.460 --> 00:49:12.699 That are keeping them comfortable in their sin 00:49:12.699 --> 00:49:14.400 that are affirming their sin. I pray Heavenly 00:49:14.400 --> 00:49:18.579 Father that you bring in more voices That lead 00:49:18.579 --> 00:49:21.099 them closer to you and lead them away from their 00:49:21.099 --> 00:49:23.400 sin I pray Heavenly Father that they feel a conviction 00:49:23.400 --> 00:49:26.719 To step away from these people and from these 00:49:26.719 --> 00:49:28.400 environments that are leading the mystery and 00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:30.679 leading them away that they feel a conviction 00:49:30.679 --> 00:49:35.960 To seek you more and to seek your presence in 00:49:35.960 --> 00:49:38.800 Jesus name. I pray amen Thank y 'all so much 00:49:38.800 --> 00:49:42.179 for listening to this podcast episode. Please 00:49:42.179 --> 00:49:44.860 hit the subscribe button so you don't miss the 00:49:44.860 --> 00:49:47.099 next upload. And please send this to someone. 00:49:47.300 --> 00:49:49.760 Send this to a friend, a family member. Re -share 00:49:49.760 --> 00:49:52.320 this on social media. Share this with someone 00:49:52.320 --> 00:49:56.179 that you feel could benefit from hearing this 00:49:56.179 --> 00:49:58.739 today. If you feel the Holy Spirit placing it 00:49:58.739 --> 00:50:01.800 on you, to share this with someone, share this 00:50:01.800 --> 00:50:05.119 with that person. I pray that you have a blessed 00:50:05.119 --> 00:50:08.519 weekend. Thank you so much for listening. I am 00:50:08.519 --> 00:50:11.840 your host Danielle Townsend. Have a wonderful 00:50:11.840 --> 00:50:12.199 day.