Seek HIM, Volume 2: Going Beyond Your Spiritual Comfort Zone

By Natasha L Foreman

Seek HIM, Volume 2: Going Beyond Your Spiritual Comfort Zone is part of a three-book series. In Volume 2, you are pushing yourself beyond your perceived limits, seeing your fears and pushing past them, and acknowledging your role in blocking your blessings and growth. Volume 2 is more intense than Volume 1, as more is expected of you through this m

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.O.M.E. Life Publishing
• Release date: Jun 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781735545042

Natasha L Foreman

Natasha L. Foreman is a consultant, professor, blogger, podcaster, and the author of the SEEK HIM book series. She is a servant leader and follower of Christ, who boldly shares her stories, testimonies, and love for her Creator. For Natasha, the purpose of her service in this world is to glorify God, and she prays that each person who reads her writings feels her love for, commitment to, and faith in God. Read her blog at BreakingBreadWithNatasha.com.

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Seek HIM, Volume 2

Seek HIM, Volume 2

Seek HIM, Volume 2

Going Beyond Your Spiritual Comfort Zone

Natasha L. Foreman

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D.O.M.E. Life Publishing an Imprint of Foreman & Associates, LLC DomeLifePublishing.com

Copyright © 2021 by Natasha L. Foreman

D.O.M.E. Life Publishing

Foreman & Associates, LLC

Post Office Box 1912, Mableton, GA 30126

First Edition, 2021

Author Image: Laquanda Bruce, photographer for lalaphotography.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

D.O.M.E. Life Publishing, Imprint of Foreman & Associates, LLC

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For information, please email [e-mail]

Library of Congress Control Number 2020916673

ISBN 13:9781735545035

ISBN 13:9781735545042

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. www.lockman.org.  Scripture quotations marked (ASV) are taken from the American Standard Version, published in 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons; public domain. Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are taken from the CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION, Copyright© 1995 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (CSB) have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture quotations marked (CJB) are taken from the COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE, Copyright© 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int’l. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (Dar) are taken from the DARBY BIBLE, published in 1867, 1872, 1884, 1890; public domain. Scripture quotations marked (DRC1752) are taken from the Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision, public domain. Edited by Richard Challoner, 1749-1752, translated by English College at Douai and Rheims. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked HCSB are been taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.0. Copyright © 1996-2013 by the ISV Foundation. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. KJV: King James Version Used by Public Domain worldwide with the exception of the United Kingdom. In that regard: Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press. Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from The Orthodox Jewish Bible Copyright 2011 by AFI International. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version. Copyright © 2014, 2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society.  Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.

This is dedicated to my loyal and loving labrador retriever, Bishop Milo Bryant, who transitioned from this life on November 14, 2020, only a few weeks after celebrating the release of my first book, and almost two weeks before his ninth birthday. He spent countless hours sitting and laying next to me as I researched, typed, and edited these books. He was always more than excited to take walks with me when I needed breaks from writing. Not having him here makes this process awkward. He taught me so much about unconditional love, patience, facing fear, enduring uncertainty, and being consistent.

To my nephew Logan, I pray that our time together leaves an indelible impression on you and that you will grow to believe and know that you can do anything with God!

I also dedicate this to those of you who are determined to push through and go beyond your comfort zone. Once you break through, never turn back!

Guiding Scripture

(3:1) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Ruach [Hakodesh] upon all basar; and your banim and your banot shall prophesy, your zekenim shall dream chalomot, your bochurim shall see chezyonot (visions):

(3:2) And also upon the avadim and upon the shefachot in those days will I pour out My Ruach [Hakodesh, see Ac 2:1-42].

—Yoel 2:28-29 OJB [Yoel 3:1-3:2 in Hebrew texts]

"It shall come about after this

That I shall pour out My Spirit on all mankind;

And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

Your old men will dream dreams,

Your young men will see visions.

"Even on the male and female servants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

—Joel 2:28-29 AMP

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

—Joel 2:28-29 KJV

Contents

Acknowledgment

Welcome Prayer

Introduction

MONTH FIVE: Surveying Your World

PONDER THIS: Month 5

CONSIDER THIS: Month 5

Day 125: Serve God. Period.

Day 126: Share Your Testimony Without Expectations

Day 127: Don't Be a Scrooge

Day 128: You Possess The Power to Heal

Day 129: Be a Child of The Light

Day 130: It’s Your Relationship. Embrace it!

Day 131: He Doesn’t Need You, How Special Is That?!?

Day 132: Walk Like Daniel

Day 133: Would Jesus???

Day 134: Know No Stranger

Day 135: We Are All Tested

Day 136: He Is Where You Are

Day 137: Stop Judging Others

Day 138 Deception Strangles

Day 139: Choose Wisely The Company You Keep

Day 140: You Could Lose it All

Day 141: Rooted in Love

Day 142: God’s Serious, Honor Your Parents

Day 143: Mold Me

Day 144: A Woman’s Place?

Day 145: God's Exit Strategy

Day 146: The Same Spirit

Day 147: Jesus Is Our Grapevine

Day 148: God Is All in All

Day 149: Temptation in Marriage

Day 150: Getting in God’s Way

Day 151: Obedience

Day 152: Membership, Ministry, and Mission

Day 153: What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Day 154: How Do You Feel About Your Life?

GO BEYOND: Month 5

MONTH SIX: Challenging the Status Quo

PONDER THIS: Month 6

CONSIDER THIS: Month 6

Day 155: Grace

Day 156: Jesus As Our Wayshower

Day 157: Temptation Costs More Than You Can Afford

Day 158: It Isn’t About You

Day 159: Thank God in Advance

Day 160: Live in Your Situation

Day 161: Power In Words

Day 162: God’s Wisdom

Day 163: What Will It Take?

Day 164: Our Tests

Day 165: It May Not Be As Soon As You Want

Day 166: Fight the Liar

Day 167: Pray, Study, and Meditate Daily

Day 168: No Limits

Day 169: Good For You

Day 170: Speak For Others

Day 171: Imagine Your Life

Day 172: Clarity

Day 173: You May Know Him, But Do You Glorify Him?

Day 174:Truth, Always Revealed

Day 175: May Your Pain Still Be Your Blessing

Day 176: Rejoice in His Work

Day 177: God Is the Solution

Day 178: Endurance

Day 179: Steer Me Clear

Day 180: Impatience

Day 181: In God’s Sight

Day 182: Is This Global Karma?

Day 183: Let Hate Motivate You to Love

Day 184: Goodness From Within

GO BEYOND: Month 6

MONTH SEVEN: Challenging The Discomfort

PONDER THIS: Month 7

CONSIDER THIS: Month 7

Day 185: Rethink Christmas

Day 186: Don’t Test God

Day 187: Absolution

Day 188: Righteous Like Noah

Day 189: Why Not?

Day 190: He Heals

Day 191: Will You Be The Redeemed?

Day 192: Worthy of His Calling

Day 193: Don’t Be Deceived

Day 194: Control Your Heart

Day 195: Spiritual Maturity

Day 196: Reconciliation to God

Day 197: Circumcised in Him

Day 198: Be Steadfast

Day 199: First Adam to Last

Day 200: Faithful Over The Household

Day 201: One Flesh in Marriage

Day 202: Women Builders

Day 203: A Confident Heart

Day 204: Selfless Service

Day 205: Seeing God Everywhere

Day 206: What Will You Do For Your Friend?

Day 207: Never Ever Give Up

Day 208: Fools Make More Fools

Day 209: Mouth Full of What?

Day 210: Setting The Example For Your Household

Day 211: Your Obligation

Day 212: Supporting God Is Faith

Day 213: Death Is No Master

Day 214: Feed My Sheep

GO BEYOND: Month 7

MONTH EIGHT: Challenging the Lies

PONDER THIS: Month 8

CONSIDER THIS: Month 8

Day 215: Your Lying Words

Day 216: Hijacking The Church

Day 217: Charged With a Calling

Day 218: The Marys’

Day 219: Bribed to Keep a Lie

Day 220: Backstabbers

Day 221: Death Didn’t Stop Him

Day 222: Time to Clean House

Day 223: Jesus’ RoadShow

Day 224: Choose Life

Day 225: Rooted in God's Love

Day 226: Sabbath Hypocrite

Day 227: You Are the Light

Day 228: Without Hesitation

Day 229: Apart From God

Day 230: Value in Your Giving

Day 231: Truth Needs No Force

Day 232: Only Believe

Day 233: Don’t Let FOMO Get You Caught Up

Day 234: Reach Out In Obedience

Day 235: Throw Stones Your Way

Day 236: His Faithfulness Endures Forever

Day 237: Hope Defined

Day 238: Growing in God’s Grace

Day 239: What Prophecy Is NOT

Day 240: Supplement Faith

Day 241: Your Protector Never Sleeps

Day 242: Fact-Checking and Truth Speaking

Day 243: Death Destroyed

Day 244: What Is Most Important In Your Life?

GO BEYOND: Month 8

Next Steps

NOTES

About The Author

Acknowledgment

I want to start by thanking my Heavenly Father for blessing me in ways that are unimaginable and indescribable. I’m grateful for our prayer sessions, His guidance in my research, and for pouring into me as I wrote this book. Just like in Volume 1, I am utterly amazed at what has come of this book, and I give Him all of the glory. Without Him, this would not be possible. El Shaddai has been my writing partner and more. I am forever grateful!

I would like to thank my mother, Gwendolyn Foreman, and my sister Alexandra Foreman, for their love and support, and for understanding that some days I had to drill down and focus squarely on this book. They knew that this book was to challenge me more than the last, and I’m grateful for their understanding—because boy howdy this book was definitely a challenge!

To my aunts, Debborah Foreman and Valerie Stephens thank you for your prayers, counsel, and listening ears. Thank you for allowing me to share with you my thoughts, visions, and more. To Kerric Bennett, once again thank you for letting me share concepts, questions, and breakthroughs with you. Thank you to Earl and Kathy Cooper for investing in me and this project. I appreciate you. I also want to thank every family member, friend, and social media follower for the encouragement, support, and for telling me that you’re looking forward to reading this book. I appreciate it and I hope that it meets, or better yet, exceeds your expectations. It has been a labor of love and I wouldn’t change the moments that went into making this book.

Welcome Prayer

Father, only You know what You intend to come from this book. Only You know the plans that you have for each person that reads the words on this page and the pages that follow. Only You know our hearts. I pray that You comfort us through those moments of discomfort, when we feel challenged, vulnerable, and exposed. Help us to peel back the layers that block us and keep us spiritually dead. Help us to reveal our nakedness and be free in who we are, what we are, and to Whom we belong. We are so caught up and bounded by our flesh and the mirages within this world, that we don’t see our enslavement. Within us is Your Spirit. Within us are the keys to the scriptures, the answers to the unsolved mysteries, and the way to You. I pray for our realignment and that we are fully reconciled by and in You.

Father, touch each person’s heart that reads this. Help them to hear, see, feel, and know all that they are unaware of, so that they can gain a better understanding of their true purpose, role, function, and place. Redirect us to the tools and resources that we need to crush the walls that we keep putting up and reinforcing. This world is a lie. Your Vision for a better world is the Truth. I pray for our discernment, clarity, strength, courage, trust, and faith. Let us learn to lean on You and stop feeling as though this is all on us. I pray that each person reading this grows closer to You, works to strengthen their relationship with You, and praises You every day—through the good times and especially through the bad times. You’re not a fairweather God and we shouldn’t be fairweather servants.

I pray these things with gratitude in my heart knowing that with You and through You there are no limits. I know there’s nothing that You can’t do. So I thank You now for all that You will do. Thank You for loving, guiding, protecting, disciplining, and nurturing us. You are El Shaddai, the First and the Last, the all-encompassing, and Promiser of new beginnings. I look forward to our journey together!

Introduction

By now, you should know that this book picks up where Seek Him, Volume 1, left off. If you haven’t read that book, then bookmark this page, and return here after you finish the four months of the Seek Him, Volume 1 journey. It’s the only way to fully grasp what we will be doing over the next four months. For the rest of you who completed Volume 1 and you’re pumped up and ready to dive into this book, let me share what you can expect on this leg of the journey.

We’re starting on Day 125 and ending month eight on Day 244. Unlike the first book, this book has 30 calendar days per month. This allows for greater flexibility when you face the Go Beyond activities at the end of each month. Did you just shudder when you read the words when you face the Go Beyond activities? Don’t be afraid. I didn’t throw the kitchen sink at you. I think you will embrace and appreciate the activities. I’m looking forward to trying them out and seeing my growth over time.

Another change you will find in this book is that I decided to move the Consider This monthly responses immediately after the Ponder This trivia. Then you don’t have to flip or scroll all the way to the back of the book, and risk getting distracted. Now it is conveniently located at the beginning of each month.

You will also find some slight modifications with the Speak Your Truth daily activities. As we challenge ourselves we have to switch things up with our workouts so we don’t plateau. Here’s what this activity has transformed to:

When I See Myself I See…

When I Think About Myself I Think Of…

I Feel...

I Want To Improve My...

I Fear...

I Want to Overcome This Fear Because…

I Will Show My Support Of God Today By...

Today, I Tell The Enemy...

I Am…

I Thank God For...

I've also provided some bonus materials which are available for free at: DomeLifePublishing.com Hopefully, you like the upgrades. I’m excited to challenge myself with these new changes. It should help us to redefine how we see ourselves, how we speak to and about ourselves, how we invest in our relationship with God, and how we approach our days as His servants and ambassadors. If you’re ready to begin Month 5, I’m ready. Let’s do this!

MONTH FIVE: Surveying Your World

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

—Colossians 3:12 NIV

PONDER THIS: Month 5

WOMEN CAN'T...

"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." —1 Timothy 2:12 NIV

"I do not allow an isha (wife) either to have teaching authority over or to have hishtaltut (domination, taking control) over [her] man, but to be in silence." —Timotiyos I 2:12 OJB

"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."

—1 Corinthians 14:32-35 NIV

"Let the nashim (wives) in the kehillot (congregations) be silent, for it is not permitted for them to blurt out, but let them become submissive, as it says in the Torah" (BERESHIS 3:16).

"And if the nashim (wives) wish to inquire about something, let them inquire of their own be’alim b’bayis (husbands homes), for it is a bushah (shame) for an isha (woman) to blurt out in the kehillah (congregation)" (BERESHIS 3:2). —Kehillah in Corinth I 14:34-35 OJB  

[Note: Bereshis is the Book of Genesis]

Women Can’t Preach, Prophesy, or Speak in the Church

Have you read these passages from Paul’s letters to the churches of Ephesus and Corinth? Have you listened to pastors, deacons, or other religious leaders, maybe even your family members, say that God doesn’t want women teaching and preaching in the church? Have you heard that It’s a sin for women to teach and preach in the church; they can teach other women and children, but not men? The verses above are cited frequently in opposition to women being trained and ordained in ministry, or serving in leadership positions in the church.

Roman Catholics, the Southern Baptist Convention, conservative evangelical Protestants, and other religious groups have historically opposed women holding positions as high-ranking leaders in the church, especially as a pastor, priest, deacon, bishop, etc. Roman Catholics believe that only men can serve in these capacities because they are the only ones who can receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders to become clergy. Do you believe that this is what Paul was saying in his letter to Timothy? Was Paul silencing the women in the church? Was Paul saying that women had no place in the church, except as laypersons? Read this month’s CONSIDER THIS that follows.

CONSIDER THIS: Month 5

The interesting thing about people who quote from the Bible is that they often focus on one or two lines, but they leave out the context that is needed to make better sense of things. The context usually comes from reading the lines before and after the quoted text. They also often have a bad habit of not considering the time period, what was happening at that time, the culture, customs, and norms. Let’s look a little deeper and put things into perspective. Paul’s letter to the church was in response to a verbal report from Chloe’s people [1 Cor. 1:11] and the church had written Paul asking for advice [1 Cor. 7:1].

Think about how you respond to written letters or emails. Do you not practice quoting the writer and then responding? Consider Paul’s letter from that perspective. Paul was addressing issues and concerns that the church had, and