Transformation from Religion to Relationship: for Those Seeking A Closer Walk with God

By Barbara Frankson

In life, we are either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or approaching a storm. Where in life are you? The author's writings are 365 days of personal transparent testimonies of her life and her walk with God from religion to relationship backed up with scriptures, daily challenges, and instructions to help you have a closer walk with God and encourage you to seek him daily. Transformation from Religion to Relationship emphasizes the need to be mentored by the Holy Spirit, and walking in obedience to God. Anyone can be religious and walk through the motions of being a Christian, and wearing the tittle 'Christian'; however, one must make a conscious decision to intentionally seek after God and have a one on one relationship with him. This book is a daily blueprint on building a stronger relationship with God. Unlike traditional devotionals there are no months or dates. The first day you start your journey becomes your day 1. Do you desire a closer walk with God? Step out on faith and let your journey begin. Your Day 1 awaits you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644160473

Book preview

Day 1 The Lord Is a Delight

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

—Psalm 37:4–5 (KJV)

I remember when I was in the world doing things of the world, I would still expect God to give me the desires of my heart. Not understanding unless my desires lined up with his will, I could seek, ask, and knock on those things, and I still would not have it if it was not lined up with God’s will. In order for us to delight ourselves in the Lord, we have to be walking in his will for our lives. There is no way that we will know God’s will if we don’t spend time with him praying, reading his Word, fasting, and asking for guidance and direction. How can you obey his laws if you don’t know what the laws are. I once had a sister in Christ come to me showing me her new tattoos. Well, if she was spending time with God and truly trying to walk in his precepts, she would have understood what he said about tattoos. God’s temple should in no way be defiled, and tattoos are permanent markings on our temples. Our desires have to be lined up to God’s Word, and we should be living a life that is pleasing to God. If you are single, then you have more time to devote to God and his kingdom because of marriage ministry (yes, to be married is a ministry), and even if we have children, we have more time to give to do kingdom work than someone who is married. We have to make a commitment to seek God first and spend time with him daily.

I started writing letters to God every morning before I got out of bed, and by me making that commitment to him (and I did fall short some days), he gave me this vision of writing this book for those seeking a closer relationship with him. We look for commitment with people that we meet and want to establish a relationship with; however, God is waiting for us to establish a relationship with him, and that requires more than going to church and Bible studies. In order for you to reach your God-given purpose and potential, you must move from religion to relationship, and that requires commitment and time. Every single one of us has a purpose in life; however, unless we make a commitment to God, we will never know what that purpose is. Before we were in our mother’s womb, he knew us, and now it is time for us to commit to seeking a relationship with our heavenly Father.

Commit today: Spend more time today with God than you did yesterday. You choose which way: praying, reading his Word, fasting, writing a letter to him, or by simply having a talk with him while you’re driving or walking. Whichever way you choose, God will be waiting for you as the old folks used to say, Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.

Day 2 Lord, I Trust You!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

—Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV)

I remember when I was younger, they had us do a trust exercise in school. We had to fall back and trust that the person behind us would catch us. Trust in the Lord that not only does he have your back but also he has you covered in all directions. Life is always going to be happening around you, and that is why you have to keep your focus on God. Do not look to the left or the right; you have to look straight ahead and let him lead the way. In life, 99.9% of the things that happen to us is not about us. We are all living testimonies, and we cannot control what a person does, says, or thinks. However, what we can control is how we react to it. You must never react in a way that will take you out of the path that God is trying to lead you or affect your peace. Whatever is going on in your life today, give it to God, and trust that he sees and knows everything, and he is working it out for your good. Continue to praise God through the pain, and if you trust him, he will never let you fall. A person once told me, If you pray, why worry, and if you worry, why pray.

Trust God today: Give God one issue that is going on in your life, and surrender it totally to him, and once you are at a place of total surrender, ask God to help you not to pick it up again. I also want you to write that issue someplace with a date and be still and wait on God. He might not come when you want him, but he’s always right on time!

Day 3 Meditate on the Lord Laws

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

—Psalm 1:1–2 (KJV)

When I used to go out clubbing on Saturday nights and church on Sunday mornings, I surrounded myself with people who were walking talking and thinking like me. The people I hung out with were religious. They sinned all week and went to church on Sundays to make themselves feel better myself included. Well, The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I had an out of body experience in the middle of intimacy with someone that convicted me and vexed my spirit. This incident made me want to stop the insanity, and the pain propelled me into seeking a relationship with God instead of going through the religious motions. The people, places, and things in my life started to change. It is so important if you are single to surround yourself with other singles who are truly seeking after God and his will for their life by trying to have a relationship with God instead of just being religious. God cannot be mocked, he knows your heart. If you surround yourself with individuals who are worldly instead of godly, then more than likely, you will be taking advise from the ungodly, and all they do is speak to your flesh. This leaves you open for the enemy to have access and wreak havoc in your life. A true friend always tells you the truth, and if that fried is walking with the Lord, they will also tell you the truth according to the Word of God. When we meditate on God’s Word day and night and live our lives accordingly, it will attract like-minded individuals, which will help our relationship grow with God instead of pulling us away from God and feeding our flesh instead of our spirit. Light and darkness have nothing in common.

Meditate today: Find a scripture pertaining to an issue you are facing or a scripture giving thanks and praise to God. Challenge yourself to meditate on that scripture throughout your day. This exercise will help you to be led by the spirit instead of your own fleshly desires. Every action starts with a thought, and God tells us that what we think becomes our reality.

Day 4 Jesus Will Calm the Storm

And, behold there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.

—Matthew 8:24–26 (KJV)

In life, a person is one of three places in their lives: in a storm, coming out of a storm, or approaching a storm. I remember when my soon-to-be husband disappeared one month before our wedding without a phone call, a text, a Dear Jane letter—nothing. I felt the boat rocking so hard at times, I thought it was going to tip over and the boat was going to crash so hard that I would break into pieces. I would wake up at night having that queasy feeling as if I was seasick and the boat was just rocking too hard. During those dark hours, I would start talking to God in the boat and telling him that the boat was rocking really hard, the waters and waves were rough, and I felt as if I was going to tip over and die. I would then realize at the point of impact that God was there. I could see him in the boat with me, and then the boat would stop rocking, the waves would subside, and the boat was back on course. I could feel God’s comfort and hear him say to me, This too shall pass. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. It is in these times that you will have to dig deep into your inner spirit through God’s words that have been imbedded in your spirit and start to encourage yourself.

You must speak life into your circumstances, always remembering that life and death are in the tongue. I am more than a conqueror. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In my weakness, you are strong God. I know God that all things work together for them who love the Lord and are called to his purpose. The words do not have to be exactly as quoted in the Bible because now you are making it your own and personalizing it. The relationship process is taking place. I guarantee you that none of your friends will stay up with you all night, every night, until the storms in your life has calmed, but God will. I am so thankful that he and I have established a strong relationship. We have a bond that no one or nothing can separate. In my singleness, I might have times of loneliness, but I am never alone because God is always walking with me giving me guidance and instructions at all times.

Reflect: Are you in a storm, coming out of a storm, or approaching a storm? Wherever you are, God is with you. God is processing you for the purpose he created you for, and that process can only be completed if you have a relationship with him.

Day 5 My Body A Living Sacrifice

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.

—Romans 12:1 (KJV)

Wow! God says we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable onto him. You should read this scripture, meditate on this scripture, and live this scripture. It is imperative if you are single that you understand that your Holy Spirit dwells within and that you are to honor it, and when you sin by not honoring your body, which is the temple where our Holy Spirit dwells, then you are going in the wrong direction, and you are not walking in the spirit but being led by your flesh. You have to honor yourself by walking in a life that is pleasing to God. You cannot pray and ask God to bless something that goes against his will for your life and is not pleasing to him.

Ladies, understand that you don’t have to use your bodies to get the love you so very much deserve because you are made in God’s image and if you walk, talk, and meditate on his Word and honor God and live a life that is pleasing onto him, he is preparing you for the man he has made you for. Please do not settle for someone who you were not made for and definitely don’t use your body to get that love because the man you are designed for will not require that of you and each relationship that ends and you have not honored your temple will leave you feeling more lonely. I am speaking from personal experience.

Gentlemen, always remember to honor not only your temple but also a woman’s temple because God is watching and will not only hold her accountable but you as well. A definition of holy is a place of worship, sacred place sanctuary. In our bodies, our Holy Spirit dwells; therefore, you should always do whatever it takes to honor your body, and in doing so, you are honoring God.

Today, honor your body: Give up someone or something that does not honor the Holy Spirit that dwells in you. Remember, there is no secret that you can hide from God. Do not concern yourself with what a person thinks, but live a life that is pleasing to God and honors him in all you do.

Day 6 A Good Thing

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord.

—Proverbs 18:22 (KJV)

Ladies, are you living your life in singleness trying to find a husband or asking God why your husband is not here yet, or simply just focusing on having a husband? Gentlemen, are you living your life pursuing the wrong women, without asking the heavenly Father for guidance? Singleness might have you craving so much to be married that it might be causing you to walk in envy of married couples without realizing this. Marriage according to God’s laws is a lifetime commitment, a covenant between God, a husband, and his wife. The only way that God releases you from that covenant for one reason and one reason only and that is adultery. Marriage is also the only license that you can get without studying and passing a test even though it is the only position you will ever obtain that does not have an expiration date. If you aspire to be an attorney, nurse, doctor, pastor, etc., you must study and then there is also a final test that you must pass to be certified for that particular position. In order for single women to become a good thing, they must prepare by studying the Word of God on what it says regarding living a holy life and know the laws and regulations pertaining to marriage in preparation for the test, which does not come before the marriage; it comes during the marriage. There are so many couples that fail that test as evident in the statistics of divorces in our society. The time you are spending thinking about a husband that is not here yet and trying to find a husband (which is not biblical because a husband must find you) or coveting your friend’s marriage should be time spent in the Word of God studying to be a wife according to God’s laws.

Please remember, ladies, that the scripture does not say that whosoever finds a girlfriend, a living partner, a friend with benefits, or a fiancé finds a good thing. God prepares you to be a wife. Once you are a good thing, God will allow your husband to find you.

Gentlemen, seek God’s guidance first to ensure you do not pursue a wife he did not ordain for you. I write this entry today at exactly the hour I was to have my gown on walking to the husband I believed God had prepared me for and it did not happen. God showed me that I am still going through the process of becoming a good thing and the husband he is preparing me for will only find me when I am a good thing. I will continue to study and surrender to God’s process for my life to ensure that I am walking in God’s will for my life, and when my husband finds me and we are married, I will pass the test because I now know that divorce is not an option when you make a covenant with God.

Preparation: Study God’s Word and walk in faith and patience knowing that God’s will for your life is so much better than what your will could possibly be.

Day 7 Wait on the Lord

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say on the Lord.

—Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

In life, you are going to come into situations where you have been dealt a hard blow and it has knocked you down sending you into the valley to heal. Human nature does not have patience and wants to get up immediately even though you don’t have the strength or equipped to deal with the issues to deal with the hand you were dealt. It is during these times that you need to simply wait. God wants to use your valley experience to bring you closer to him; therefore, you need to be still and wait on God to heal you and strengthen your heart. In doing so, you are ensured that you will not be walking in your flesh but being led by the spirit. When I was younger and sometimes even now, I get out of one relationship and want to jump immediately into another because I can’t stand the pain. I don’t want to deal with the emptiness inside, and the best way to deal with it is to have a right-now man in my life to help ease the pain. If you want something different, then do something different. You must understand that you are never alone because God is with you all the time even if you feel as if he is not. The moments when you want to run away the most are the moments you should be still and allow God to strengthen your heart by guiding you. Get in tuned with your spirit. Stop! Wait! Listen! And follow his instructions!

Today: Be still and reflect on an issue that exists now or in the past that has knocked you down or that you are having a hard time dealing with emotionally and go to God in prayers asking him to help you be still. During the stillness, you will be able to hear him speak to you in a way that if you had moved, you would not have heard his voice and missed his instructions.

Day 8 Faith Pleases God

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

—Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

Christians and non-Christians alike believe that they can work their way into heaven by doing good deeds such as volunteering their time or donating their money to charities. You can be a faithful tither, volunteer every day of your life, and do a variety of good deeds; however, if you do not have faith, you cannot please God. We have to have faith that if we earnestly seek God, we are spending time in prayer, his Word, fasting, and being a disciple, then he will reward us even though we don’t deserve it. Our faith should be increasing because faith comes from hearing God, and in order to hear God, we have to spend time with God in prayers, worship, reading his Word, and listening to his instructions. Don’t be so busy with life schedules and work we deem to be kingdom work that we forget to spend time with God much less seek after him earnestly. We know he exists because if we did not, we would not be so busy doing work that we believe he has called us to do. If you want to increase your faith, then it is imperative you increase your time spent seeking him and developing your personal relationship with your Lord and Savior. Sometimes, the person who spends the most time being busy for God has less time to give him quality time and earnestly seek him because their schedule has no room for God or he is scheduled in their tired time. When God is finally on their schedule, they fall asleep on him because they have given so much to everyone and everything that they have no quality time left to spend in his presence.

Step out in faith: Spend more time today with God than you did yesterday either in his Word, prayer, fasting, or listening to instructions. If you spend time each day seeking God, your faith will increase, and God will be pleased. A relationship with God requires more than the name Christian for religious reasons but the action of seeking him with all your heart, mind, and spirit.

Day 9 Double for Your Trouble

For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

—Isaiah 61:7 (KJV)

I got married on July 21, and my ex-husband left October 30 of the same year. God showed me the above scripture when he instructed me to put my house on the market; even though the market was bad and everyone thought I was crazy to do so, I listened to God. I was embarrassed that my marriage only lasted a little over three months; however, I was standing on the word of God, and following his instructions. In a market where houses had been listed for over a year—and when they finally sold was way below the asking price. My house sold after twelve days on the market for the asking price. I had not found a house to buy when it sold, and I stayed up that night and told God that I was not going to move from in front of my computer until he shows me the house I am to move into. I am now writing this book in my office of that house. I was able to buy the house for forty thousand dollars less than its original price. It was sitting on the market for six months. God confirmed that this was the house he wanted me to move in with a sticker that was in the dishwasher that had a picture of a butterfly on one side and the word God on the other. For my shame, suffering, and valley moment, he gave me double and placed my house on top of the hill to symbolize me moving out of my valley season to the mountain.

Double expectation: Go to God this day with whatever suffering you have had to go through and meditate on this scriptures. Stand on it in faith, and watch God meet you where you are.

Day 10 Trials Bring Perseverance

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

—James 1:2–3 (NIV)

Trials and temptations of every kind are going to hit you from different angles, and sometimes, they will come together. The only way to succeed not to succumb to the trials is God and God alone. It is imperative that from the time you wake up in your quiet time with God and in prayer time that you ask him to help you to walk in the spirit and not the flesh. The trials in life come to teach you patience, to make you strong, and to use your mess as a message for someone. Once you have made it through the trial, you have persevered, and God deserves the praise. The Bible tells us we are living testimonies; therefore, we are going to go through trials and tribulations because this is a part of life. However, when God is the head and foundation in which your life is built, you can go through it with joy and peace. While going through a divorce, my son and I took a twenty-three-hour train ride to Disney Land. At the time I booked the trip, it was my belief that the only reason we were taking the train, not the plane, is because the airplane tickets were priced too high and I could not afford it; however, God had another purpose. At dinner, I was placed at a table with a gentleman who also was going through a divorce; however, he stated to me if he could figure out a way to kill himself without it causing great pain, he would. God allowed me to minister to that man for six hours of that ride, and I forgot all about my circumstances and allowed God to use me as a vessel to move him out of the pain that was trying to consume him and take his life. After examining the occurrences of that train ride, I knew that God had orchestrated it, and if I too was not going through a divorce, the words God gave me to minister to the gentleman would not have had the effect it did. God allowed him to see through me that although we were both going through a divorce, I still had peace and joy because of God. He used me not only to minister to him but also to be a living testimony that God will give you peace even in a storm after all. I was on my way to Disney with my son in the midst of the storm. The gentleman that day reacquainted himself to the God he once knew but had walked away from.

From trial to perseverance: Take a moment to talk to God about your trials and to thank him for it because at the end of the day, you still have joy because you know that this too has come to increase your faith and you will persevere. If your joy and peace is nonexistent, reacquaint yourself with your heavenly Father who will give you peace in the storms of life.

Day 11 Obedience Honors God

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

—Colossians 3:5–7 (NIV)

When you were of the world, you did worldly things; however, now that you are walking with God and in the light in Spirit and in truth, the things you used to do, you can no longer do. People, places, and things must change, or you will not be able to grow in Christ, and you might be pulled back into the world if your foundation is not strong. For years when I was simply religious, I could go to the clubs, dance, give in to my fleshly desires, drink, and wake up Sunday morning to go to church. It was as routine as brushing my teeth in the mornings. That is why this scripture tells us that we should put to death those things in our lives because now that we know God’s Word, we are accountable to God and are open to God’s wrath and the consequences for our actions. When you know better, you must do better, and it is better to not have known and walked according to the world as opposed to knowing and still choosing to walk in darkness instead of the light. To be born again in Christ, we have to leave the worldly ways behind us, or we will never be able to walk in God’s purpose for our lives. You cannot have two masters choose this day to walk in obedience to God and let his will be done in your life instead of yours.

Are you walking in God’s ways or the world? Evaluate your walk with God. Are there people, places, or things that need to be put to death in your life? If yes, take steps to do what needs to be done to put that person, place, or thing behind you. Ask God for his help and guidance, and where he leads, choose to follow.

Day 12 Being Fed Spiritually

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

—Matthew 4:4 (KJV)

When is the last time you have hungered to be fed spiritually in the way you hunger daily for food for the body? Each day as Christians, we should crave food for our soul on a daily basis even more than we crave food for our bodies. I remember my first fast. I did not read the Word, pray, or even talk to God. What I did was watch the clock and counted down the time remaining before I could eat. I concentrated more on not eating than feeding myself spiritually. When you fast, you should be seeking God in all aspects of your life. When you open the Bible, God speaks to you; when you close the Bible, he stops speaking unless you are tuned into your Holy Spirit, seeking him even when we put our Bibles down. In order for our faith to grow, we must be fed spiritually because faith comes from hearing the Word of God and part of hearing the Word of God is when you spend time reading God’s Word for him to guide you, instruct you, and educate you on his laws. He will also encourage you, and when you ask for understanding, the mystery of the Bible will be revealed to you. Seeking God with your whole heart means spending time in his Word because how can you be obedient to God’s laws if you don’t know what they are? Therefore, it is up to you to spend time in God’s Word to a point that you are so filled when you are done reading that your spirit feels as if you went to an all-you-can-eat buffet except that this buffet fed your soul, not your body.

Feeding your spirit today: Challenge yourself to spend time in God’s Word until your spirit is totally full to the point when you close the Bible, you are still meditating on his Word. Strive to have a huger to feed your spirit daily just as you have huger to feed your body and even more so your spirit.

Day 13 Spirit Consumes Flesh

My dear brothers and sisters take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

—James 1:19 (NIV)

Walking in the spirit and not the flesh is a hard thing for us to do especially if you are single because singles have no one at home to share their day with when they go home. No matter what your status is—single, married, divorced, separated, or widowed—always remember God is with you every second of your day and not only is he at home waiting for you but also he travels with you on your way home. I remember when my youngest son was in the seventh grade, I was always getting calls to his school because of the bad choices he continued to make, and it made me angry. One day, while driving to my son’s school, God spoke to me and told me that these calls were not about me or even my son but about God getting the glory and using me to bless the students who did not have parents who were blessed with a job that gave them the freedom to leave work and go to their kids’ school. I then started taking the focus off myself, my son, and even the school and started ministering to the kids that were in the office while I was waiting to be seen and they were always angry. I quoted this scripture to them, and God was able use me to help those kids. When I took the focus off myself and my son and focused on God and the other children in need, before I knew it, the calls stopped coming. When we allow our spirit to be in control, our flesh has no choice but to come under submission.

Meditate on these words: Slow to anger, quick to listen, slow to speak. Once you have internalized this message any situation where your flesh appears to be out of control, meditate on these words, and if need be, speak it out loud, and the Spirit that dwells within will bring your flesh into complete submission and back into the light. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak; therefore, you must eat spiritual food to ensure that your spirit will be stronger than your flesh. You are what you eat!

Day 14 Give Your Burden to God

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

—Matthew 11:30 (NIV)

Why do we continually try to carry our burdens ourselves instead of giving them to the Lord? I believe one of the reasons is because we are control freaks and want what we want when we want it. Being a single parent was so hard at the beginning of my journey because I was prideful, didn’t want help, and believed I didn’t need help because I could do it by myself for my children alone. Wrong! Being a single parent became so much easier when I realized that my children’s biological father might not be assisting me in raising our children but my heavenly Father was there all along. I realized as much as I loved my children that God loved them more. I started giving him the burdens, the struggles, and the pains because I was emotionally, physically, and—most importantly—spiritually exhausted. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have had many people tell me there should be a manual on how to raise children. I was in agreement with them because I was exactly where they were, which was in the dark. I now know for a fact that there is a manual and it is the oldest book: the Bible. If you don’t believe me, check out the book of Proverbs alone, and you will see for yourself. God’s yoke is easy, and he will carry your burdens. All you have to do is three things: surrender your burdens to God, believe he will work it out, and no matter what it looks like in the natural, don’t pick them back up. Once you have done those three things, praise him in advance.

Surrender to God all your burdens: Bring them to God today because he is your heavenly Father and he will work it out, claim it, believe it, and receive it in Jesus’s name. Do not be prideful, and think you can do it, give it to God.

Day 15 Kingdom Living

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

—Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

When you take care of God’s business, you do not have to worry about your needs being met because God will bless you more than you could ever dream, imagine, or expect. My grandmother had eleven children, and her husband died when he was young. However, because she was constantly seeking God, he took care of her needs and even her wants. My grandmother did not have a job. She lived off her land, and God allowed it to flourish in such a way that her household and several households were fed. My grandmother taught herself to read, and the first and only book she ever read was the Bible. The Bible to most of us is very difficult to read and comprehend; however, God revealed himself to my grandmother because she would seek God wholeheartedly. I watched my grandmother walk with God in all that she did. My grandmother was a blessing to others, and God allowed her blessings to overflow. I do not believe there was one day of her 105 years on earth that she worried about her needs or wants because she understood, trust, and believed that God was going to take care of all her needs and wants. She planted good seeds, and the foundation was based on God; therefore, her harvest was plentiful.

Seek God’s kingdom: Today, concentrate on seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and don’t worry about your needs and wants, and watch God show up and provide all your needs.

Day 16 God Reveals Our Future by His Spirit

However; as it is written: What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

—1 Corinthians 2:9–10 (NIV)

In pursuing a deeper relationship with God, it is imperative that you connect with your inner spirit because God will reveal things to you through your spirit. You must try to earnestly seek God on a daily basis. Sometimes seek him hourly, minutes, and at times, you might need to seek him every second. There are times in your life in which the only way you will be able to communicate in the way that God needs you to will require you going to a higher level in Christ. In order for you to truly love God, you have to seek him with your whole heart, mind, and soul in order to get a deeper revelation. When I was selling my home, it was my connection to the Lord and him revealing things to my spirit that allowed me to step out in faith. If I was only picking my Bible up on Sundays and maybe during Bible Studies, he would not have been able to reveal my future to me in such a way that I received instructions and would not let anyone interfere with what I needed to do. You must get to a place with God that you can hear and recognize his voice even in life’s chaos. The night before the sale of my house took place, I was able to go to God in prayer and make my request known and specified that before the sun would set the next day, that my house would be under contract for the asking price and also asked that the buyer would be a Christian. God answered my prayers, and my house was sold and under contract for the asking price to a Christian the next day at 5:00 p.m.

Connect with your spirit: Today, spend some time connecting spiritually with God asking him to reveal to your spirit the plans he has for you and to give you instructions, and if he has already given you instructions, then step out in faith, and continually have him guide you through the process on your way to your God-given purpose in life.

Day 17 God’s Laws for Wives

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

—Ephesians 5:22–24 (NIV)

In preparing to be a wife, this is one of the scriptures God showed me. I studied the Scripture and decided when God has finished preparing me for my husband and he finds me on our wedding day, I want obey to be put back into my marriage vows. God is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore; therefore, he told us in his Word that we are to be submissive to our husband as we are to our Lord. We are obedient to our Lord. This is not about woman’s lib; it’s not about pride or feeling that you are equal to your husband. It is about being obedient to God and God is about order. The order is God, Jesus, husband, and wife that will never change because God’s Word is the only constant in this changing world and you have to remember that it is not about you but it is about God. You are in the world but not of the world. I truly believe that there are so many divorces today because God was taken out of marriages, even Christian marriages. It is time for you to separate yourself from the world by standing on God’s Word. You cannot pick and choose what you will follow in the Bible. Each day, you must ask God to help you to follow all that has been revealed to you. Each day is a new opportunity to walk with God greater than the day before.

Preparation: Today, sit down and ask God to help prepare you for your future or current relationships to become a good thing—a wife that is obedient to God’s laws and a husband that loves his wife the way Christ loved the church. At the end of the day, it’s not about you or any of your relationships; it is all about walking in obedience to God and for God’s glory. Obedience is greater than sacrifice; however, you cannot have one without the other.

Day 18 Be Anxious for Nothing

Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

—Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

The dictionary’s definition of anxious is to be full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune, greatly worried. When you are anxious, it is an emotion that should trigger you to know that you are walking in the flesh and not the Spirit. Anxiety comes from fear, and fear does not come from the Lord. The acronym for FEAR is false evidence appearing real. The fear appears so real that you will allow it to control you and the only way to get rid of that anxiety is to praise your way through it. The Scripture says with every situation that makes us anxious, we are to go to God with thanksgiving and his peace that which exceeds all understanding and will protect your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Translation: it means once you give the anxiety of any situation to him with thanksgiving, he will give you a peace that you or anyone around you will not be able to understand because he will stop the enemy from cluttering your mind and heart with lies that makes you anxious. God is always with you twenty-four hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and 366 when it’s a leap year. God is never too busy to come see about you.

Surrender: Go into your prayer closet, and start praising God for the trials and tribulations that is in your life that are making you anxious today. Surrender it all to him, and he will guard your heart and mind and give you a peace that passes all understanding. If you have no trials and tribulations, what a blessing that is, and that deserves a praise break. So go ahead