influence
A Prayer for Sharing the Good News::
God, thank You for Your promise and thank You for sending Jesus to fulfill that promise. I believe that every promise is “yes and Amen in Christ Jesus.” The world is so desperate to know You, and I want to give others the opportunity to experience Your love. Guide me to those who are open to You and please give me the courage to share with them my experiences with You. Holy Spirit, lead me today to prepare and live each day with expectation and belief. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!” Isaiah 40:3 NLT
Let’s Make The Most Of It
God created us with unique gifts, abilities, and experiences. Today, we will have a chance to serve others in Jesus’ name. Let’s make the most of that opportunity.
Remember, it is a privilege, not a punishment. It’s not that we “have to,” it’s that we “get to” live out a purpose and life significance that we were uniquely created to do.
Have a blessed day ❤️
A Prayer for the Followers of Jesus::
A Prayer to Remain in the Lord::
Jesus, I want to be in Your presence at all times. Thank You for promising to remain in me as I remain in You. I want to be as close to You as possible—to hear how Your heart beats for those who love You. I want to feel Your very breath on my face. I want a soft heart and mind to hear Your tiniest whispers to me and bold feet to obey quickly as You send me. As I grow closer to You, please use me for Your purposes—to serve and love those around me each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4
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A Prayer of Belief :: Save Me Now
Jesus, I believe that only You are Lord and Savior of the world. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins. I believe that our Heavenly Father raised You from the dead, and that You are alive and in Heaven right now. And I know that You alone are powerful enough to save me from an eternity without You and from an eternity in the pits of hell. I believe that You are King and Lord over all of creation—and I want to surrender every inch my life to You. All of me. Take me , Lord. I am Yours. You alone are my Savior and You alone are the Lord of my life and worthy of following every step of the way. So please take my life, and give me Yours. In Jesus name, Amen.
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 NLT
A Prayer for My Role in the Church
Prayer point:
Jesus, because of Your death and resurrection, I am part of Your body—the global Church. Help me to take the role I play in it seriously. The choices I make reflect the way Your Church is perceived. So use me to bring Your hope, love, and joy to the world. Use me to build others up. Bring revival to Your people, so that way Your Body represents You authentically and powerfully. In Jesus name. Amen.
This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:25-27
Be blessed and be a blessing today, friends.
XOXO
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I can’t stop thinking about it
Are You Next?
But when they cried out to the Lord, He raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.” Judges 3:9
Have you ever heard of a man named Othniel? Probably not. He was Caleb’s nephew. When the people of Israel went into the Promised Land, they were victorious through the courageous efforts of Joshua and Caleb. As this generation grew older, a new generation began to emerge. Israel again fell into sin by worshiping idols and once more they were enslaved by their enemies. However, the people again cried out to the Lord and God heard them.
Whenever God’s people cry out to the Lord, He hears them. When they are truly repentant, He responds. He responds by rising up those whom He has prepared for such a time. Every soldier looks forward to the day he can use the training he has received. God had been preparing a nephew for such a time as this. He had the same Spirit as his uncle, Caleb.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.
Has God been preparing you for a time when you will be called upon to deliver God’s people? Many are enslaved to sin. Has He placed you here to be a deliverer? Pray that you will have the same Spirit as Joshua, Caleb, and Othniel.
O Hillman
Let’s don’t let up, slow up or back up until Christ returns
Dear God,
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Prep and Plan
“just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ ” This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.”
Mark 1:2-4
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Trade
Let’s make a trade today, Friends:
Instead of belittling…uplift.
Instead of demolishing…rebuild.
Instead of misleading…light the way so that all of us can stand on higher ground.
The Word is our weapon
Go ahead and talk to God about how big your giants are, but don’t forget to TELL YOUR GIANTS HOW BIG YOUR GOD IS!! Never let the size of your giant determine the size of your God.
And me? I’m singing your prowess, shouting at cockcrow your largesse, For you’ve been a safe place for me, a good place to hide.
Strong God, I’m watching you do it, I can always count on you— God, my dependable love.” Ps 59:16 MSG
“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” Psalms 59:16 NIV
Success isn’t what we’ve done compared to what others have done. Success is what we’ve done according to what God has called us to do. That’s what walking humbly with our Lord is: claiming, accepting, and serving in the place God has for us. Nothing more. Nothing less.
So, what if, just for today, we resolve to taking up just the space that God has called us to occupy? Nothing more. Nothing less.
Christ follower—whatever political party you are choosing to stand on right now, pause a second with me and pray. Let’s remember why we are here. The battle we fight isn’t with people at all. It’s a spiritual battle. We are here to share Gospel. We are here to lead people to Jesus. We must know, live, stand on, and share God’s truth. May we all stop looking past the faces and souls of people and remember they are people that need Jesus. We have Him. Share Him. Tell them.
As for me, I’m living like the Bible is true, Jesus is alive, people’s eternity is at stake, prayer makes a difference, and life is for living!
There is no other name under heaven by which you can be saved: Jesus Christ.
The fastest way to be used by God is to go love and encourage someone else.
A Day is coming when evil is conquered. Until then we overcome evil with good. Let’s find people we can do some good with/for today. We’re not powerless.
#God #salvation #calling #Bible
Truth is a Person
Be Yourself and You’ll Find Your Tribe
God, Thank You
Grateful
Different is good!
Different is good!
Be the one God created you to be! Be YOU! Don’t hand over your “you” to anyone! We all need you!! We aren’t supposed to be the same, but we can live in unity and purpose with our differences and glorify God
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
1 Corinthians 12:14-20
Love+Wisdom+Grace
“If you didn’t teach your child something then don’t assume he knows or understands it.” ~Dr. Karyn Purvis
Don’t be afraid to go backwards to move forward.
Bringing balance in our conversations
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4: 5-6
Imagine you are getting out the ingredients to bake a batch of cookies, but you have unknowingly mixed up the salt and the sugar. You end up putting in a dash of sugar and a cup of salt.
Now, picture a little child taking a big bite of one of those cookies. How long will it take the child to realize something is wrong? Do you think he or she will ask for another cookie? Of course not!
The art of seasoning is a matter of balance. Just enough salt to notice, but not too much salt to overwhelm. Salt creates a thirst, a desire for more. As Christians, we sprinkle the salt of God’s grace and gospel into our daily conversations. We don’t saturate every conversations in a way that drives others away. The artful seasoning of God’s loving grace into our conversations will create a thirst and a desire in the lives of others. They will long to know more of Jesus. This is how you “make the most of every opportunity.”
Waiting to Exhale: Forgiveness = Freedom
Hurt people hurt people
We’ve all heard it said a million times. I’ve said it a million times. It’s true, hurt people do hurt people. However, not all hurt people hurt people. The cycle can be broken. How? One word: forgiveness.
Forgiveness brings freedom. Yes, hurt people hurt people but free people free people. Forgiveness isn’t always for their sake, it’s for your own freedom.
As free, forgiven people we should free people.
Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him MILLIONS OF DOLLARS He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold – along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned – to pay the debt. But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and released him and forgave his debt. (Matt 18:23-27, emphasis mine)
Authentic forgiveness is never cheap. When the owner forgives the debt, the debt didn’t just disappear. Just like us with Jesus, the master had to absorb it.
Our moral debt was paid on the cross.
How does this servant love differently after receiving such grace?
But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. (Matt 18:28-30, emphasis mine)
Human nature is to retaliate
Three common obstacles to forgiveness:
1) Forgiveness is not condoning. To forgive someone isn’t condoning or excusing what they did. Because Christ has forgiven me, I’m going to forgive you
2) Forgivenss is not always reconciling. There are people you need to forgive, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will reconcile with them. There are some people you don’t need to reconcile with if they can’t be honest with what they did to you. Without truth there can’t be trust.
3) Forgiveness is not forgetting. Just because you can’t forget doesn’t mean you aren’t forgiving. Time doesn’t heal all wounds but GOD does. When you forgive someone it doesn’t erase what they’ve done but it does erase the hurt from what they’ve done. Forgiveness is expensive. Sometimes we don’t have the power to forgive people the way they need to be forgiven. It’s not in you on your own. You’re able to offer it because you have received it.
Christ forgave this massive debt you had. Go and do likewise:
Be kind and compassionate to one another, FORGIVING EACH OTHER, just as in Christ God FORGAVE YOU (Ephesians 4:32, emphasis mine)
But, you cannot exhale what you haven’t inhaled. Go ahead, take a good deep breath and then let it out. Until you have inhaled that magnificent Grace and Goodness of GOD, you cannot exhale or extend that to others. Don’t hold on…just breathe and let go.
The letters of the name of God in Hebrew… are infrequently pronounced Yahweh. But in truth they are inutterable….
This word {YHWH} is the sound of breathing. In Hebrew “Yah” is an action word that means to breathe in and “Weh” means to breathe out. So God’s very name means our very inhales and exhales of our life, His name is and gives life
The holiest name in the world, the Name of Creator, is the sound of your own breathing. That these letters are unpronounceable is no accident. Just as it is no accident that they are also the root letters of the Hebrew verb ‘to be’… God’s name is name of Being itself.
Some of us have breathed in GOD, but aren’t exhaling Him into our lives.
Some of us are waiting to exhale….
Don’t hold on… Just breathe and let go.
You are the most influential person in your life and you have the power to say: “This is not how my life is going to be. I’m going to inhale the Goodness and Grace GOD has given me and exhale it to others”.
Breathe — and call the name of Being Himself. Keep breathing — and pray without ceasing.
Don’t let the hard things in life silence you. Put it down or it will bring you down. Break the cycle and let freedom reign in your life.
Say to yourself: “GOD loves me NOW”
“Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. ~2 Corinthians 2:14 (MSG)
#forgiveness #freedom #choice #Yahweh #influence #hurt #hurtpeoplehurtpeople #freepeoplefreepeople #free #life #pain
Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence – Jenni Catron
Clout.
We all have it.
Your clout is your God-given power and influence. You are uniquely made by God. When we discover and unleash our God-given influence – our clout – we position ourselves to lead with passion and purpose that DEFY our personal limitations. Defies it. Goes beyond. Soars way past anything we could ever imagine in our finite minds! Whew! That’s exciting!
I’m thrilled about a book that came out this week called Clout by Jenni Catron:
Jenni’s leadership is outstanding. She is the Executive Director at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee where she leads the staff and ministries of 5 churches that has grown exponentially under her leadership. Her writing is full of heart and shows her desire to help us all grow exponentially! I was deeply encouraged. My book is covered in highlights.
I love what Jenni said here: “One of the most important lessons we have to learn about unleashing our God-given influence is that it is not simply for our benefit. It is for God’s plan and purpose to be accomplished through us for the blessing of others.”
Right. On.
Each of us has the ability to change the world around us.
We all are capable in influencing others.
We all want to matter. We all want to know that our lives are making a positive impact on the world around us.
There are some common traps which short-circuit our clout. Jenni discusses seven clout killers and teaches us through scripture how to avoid these traps:
- Confronting Fear
- Understanding the Impact of Jealousy
- Squeezing Out Scarcity
- Identifying Insecurity
- Purging Pride
- Relinquishing Control
She doesn’t stop there. She goes on to share how we can cultivate our clout, making the most impact in our area of influence:
- Discovering Your Identity
- Developing Your Confidence
- Defining Your Mission
- Determining Your Passion
Thomas Nelson Books has graciously offered me a copy to give to one of you! And trust me, you will want to get in on this. The offer will end on Tuesday, January 28. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Wednesday, January 29. Enter to win by leaving a comment below. The book will be shipped directly from Thomas Nelson.
The Thomas Nelson Books team are amazing and they are giving away an iPad mini in celebration of Clout’s release! Here’s the link to the offer on the Clout website: go here
Don’t forget to leave a comment to win the book!
#discoverCLOUT #JenniCatron #Influence
Sticks and Stones
Words.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Big.Lies.
Great.Big.Fat.Lies.
Ever said something in the heat of the moment and then instantly regretted it? Yeah, me too. You know exactly what I’m talking about. That crazy moment when you’ve lost all good senses and out it comes. And there it sits….looking just as ugly as it felt coming out. We’ve all done it.
*sigh*
Or, have you ever said something carelessly and had no idea the impact your words had?
Yep.
Words are important to God. God spoke all of creation into existence. God spoke. That’s all. And whatever He said, it happened.
God is serious about our words and how we use them, and we should be too. Our words have the power to influence and shape the world around us – physically and virtually- in a good and bad ways.
James talks about how our tongue is used for evil:
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue is a fire. A world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed or have been tamed by man. But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men , who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth, come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (James 3:5-12 NIV) “
But in Proverbs, we get to see how our words can bring light and a future!
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:11 NIV)
The lips of the righteous nourish many, but the fools die for lack of judgement. (Proverbs 10:21 NIV)
An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (Proverbs 12:25 NIV)
Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body. (Proverbs 16:24 HCSB)
Before you speak – think:
Is it uplifting? Is it beneficial? Will it strengthen and encourage? Will it bring glory and honor to God? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then it’s not something that should be voiced.
Let’s taste our words before we spit them out, shall we? Me and you. Deal? Deal.
There are SO many more verses on our words and how we can use them. I would encourage you to look them up! It’s so rewarding.
I just can’t believe the people that GOD has blessed me with. Incredible. I had so much fun writing this with our dear, sweet Morgan. I’ve had a peek at a few ideas she has. You guys, I can’t even. You will be blessed. Can’t wait for you to see what’s coming.
Our writing team is growing. There’s room for you. Contact me with what you have and let’s talk.
Two Steps To Begin Using Influence Wisely
Influence.
We all have it. We are impacting those around us all the time. This is a great thing when we learn to use the influence God has given us wisely. We start by learning the art of speaking and listening with these two steps:
1. We must listen in such a way that others love to speak to us.
Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue..(James 1:19-21 MSG
How significant is listening? Listening is the fullness of hearing. It is possible to hear someone talk and not listen. In order to hear and listen, one must be paying attention. It’s so unnerving to talk to someone who isn’t listening. It quickly turns people off and turns them away. People love to talk to good listeners. James 1:19 in the NIV version says it this way: My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Don’t make snap judgements. Don’t assume. First, listen well.
The world is in need of a Savior and there is only One. We must carry the Gospel message out to the world. We must hear those who are asking for help, we must listen to them to give them what they need. You have the Source of help. Are you listening?
2. We must speak in such a way that others love to listen to us.
She opens her mouth with wisdom and loving instruction is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26 HCSB
Her words are wise, gentle, and dripping with love. Wise words (not a smart mouth), spoken and motivated by the greatest gift of all (Love) is exactly the way Christ teaches us. The best way to do that is through compassion. If we first place ourselves in their shoes for a moment and think of all the ways God is loving and patient with us, how could we be any less with others? After all, it is only by the grace of God that we aren’t struggling in their area……. or that we once were and are no more.
God drove this truth home for me this week in a big way. Let’s word that in another way: God taught me a lesson this week. I was in the middle of several sticky situations and with some people who were dropping the ball in a big way. I was tempted to lose patience with them when I got that Holy tap on the shoulder that reminded me: God meets us ALL where we are. These people aren’t mature enough to handle this well, but they could be one day. Teach. Don’t preach. Once I walked that out, things ran more smoothly, and they walked away encouraged.
She delights to talk of the Word of God and does so motivated by love: the greatest gift. She is careful in WHAT she says and HOW she says it.
How, when, what, and to whom I speak matters. Truth spoken in the wrong spirit of things can repel people AWAY from God rather than TO Him. Remember Job’s friends? This is where they went wrong. Overwhelmed and in agony with all he was suffering, Job was not comforted but rather condemned by his friends. While there were elements of truth in some of what they said, it was based on wrong assumptions. We must be careful of what we assume to be true in the lives of others. Be very careful of making snap judgments (I know I’ve made this point twice. It’s double important!)
The influence God has gifted us with should always be one that praises God and builds up people for His Kingdom.
POINTS TO PONDER: Influence is a gift. Am I faithful with my influence with those around me? Is my influence being used for HIS glory? Who am I being influenced by? Am I careful in what I say and how I say it…..when I say it, and to whom? Am I speaking words into people’s lives that are wise, gentle, and dripping with Love? Am I also doing this with my family?
May we all listen in such a way that others love to speak to us, and speak in such a way that others love to listen to us. May we be an influence on all those around us as our Jesus is. Let’s make an impact for HIM. Let’s make much of Jesus.
Christy Rawls :: Encouraging, Equipping, Empowering Others 