Tidbits

Phillipians 4-7
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Prayer & Fasting, prayer & fasting, prayer & fasting!!! I have to admit during this fast, I have had times that I have just done without. I gave up but I didn't pray. Those times have been my worse because quickly my focus jumped from the reasons why I am sacrificing to justifying my reasons why I can have my own way. Battling the flesh, battling my way, especially in my fast this year, has really opened my eyes to how much I justify my way instead of conforming to HIS way.
I am so thankful for the little tidbits! God gives them to us in so many ways, I think sometimes God gives them to us through the revelation of others. Last week, I got one from my Pastor, Freddie Brown, and I replays in my mind in the very most perfect moment, in the midst of my weakness. I get them from songs, sometimes it's just 4 little words(WE Delare Your Glory), I get them from my husband, from my children and my soul gets refreshed daily because I know that they are from God.
I don't think my Pastor would care if I shared what God spoke to him, of which God used to speak to me. This is coming during our Fast with God. Brother Freddie is working on aligning his body up with Gods plan for it. He said before he eats or is hungry, he says, "God I am submitting my body to you". Those 8 words, are words that I use, true enough, it's words but more than that, it's a prayer, it's a declaration, it's declaring HIS Glory over my physical body. I believe God wanted me to hear this, coming from a man that I is bold enough to share, obey and submit, therefore in that, I am encouraged to let God conform my old ways of thinking into a new way. At times, I have to say these words, this prayer of declaration and sometimes plea for strength and recite Phillipians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. I am not sure but I think, every time that I say these words, I have victory. I know for sure that I can think of times that I have failed in my fast and when I didn't pray, I have lost. Why? Because I didn't choose to pray, submit and obey the Lord.
Last week I also got a tidbit from a Bible study that is being led by Janine Mangum. In the study it said, start where you are, that means taking the next positive step that is right in front of you & take it, in other words, do the next right thing. The last 5 words have encouraged me all week, DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING! Can't I do the next right thing? NO, not if I don't pray and submit. Sure the Lord gives us strength & I don't think that I have to stop before every daily decision to pray because the Lord gives us Wisdom and our Holy Spirit helps guide us but until our strongholds are broken, we have to rely on him. If we fail to fully say, this is a weakness of mine, this is an area in my life that I can not rely on myself, I can not make the right choice on my own, until we have had a break through, we have to stop and pray!
Last but not least, rejoice!! Ack!! No, I don't think rejoicing is bad, it's fun but ackkkk at the fact that I have not been rejoicing in my victories!! I have moaned and had the "I can't have this blues, or gosh I want one of those blues". Instead, can't I say, Oh thank you Lord for the life that you are adding life to my years by showing me how my physical health needs to be changed. Can't I say, Thank you Lord for showing me that with you, I can fight and win the biggest stronghold that had put it's claim on my body? From this day forward, I am changing my blues to praises!! I will sing his praises!!! Can't I walk around singing this song?
Look what the Lord has done
Look what the Lord has done
He healed my body, He touched my mind
He saved me just in time
I'm gonna praise His name
Each day is just the same
Come on and praise Him
Look what the Lord has done.