Hello 2018!

Like many, I'm sure you are happy to say goodbye to 2017. It was a hard year for some, but for others, it may have been a time to be alive and saved. The end of the year is always a great time to REFLECT spiritually to release and prepare for the new year.

Reflection should consist of prayer and fasting to help drain your spirit and open it up to what God is saying. When you pray you are telling God everything and don't hold back. Thank him for all the things he did this year, then confess to him about all the things that hurt you or made you angry this year. Express to him your fears and doubts you may have and tell him the things you need him to do. Share with him your heart and then WAIT and LISTEN.

After you have waited, listen to the word that God speaks because that is your key to the what lies ahead. The next step is declaring the word of God for this new year whether it be over your life in general or your home, finances, marriage, or relationships but you have to SPEAK! Not only will you have to speak those things into existence, but as we heard many times over the year, God is looking for a return and we have to put EFFORT into our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ; how bad do you want it? The Lord wants to see what we are going to do, faith without works are dead. Your effort is in your press to continue doing what God has for you and it is in your praise. No matter what it looks like and if it has not manifested yet, keep praising. When it gets hard you have to SEE yourself at the finish line. The song says "I see you in the future and you look better, I see you walking in favor and prosperity too...". Like the old Patriarchs of Faith (Hebrews 11), they never saw the promise, but they had faith enough to believe that one day it would be all worth it. Their faith allowed them to see the finished product when the plan was still in motion.

As we come to the end of the year, it is good to reflect on all the good, the bad and even the ugly to try to see what God was doing or is still trying to do in some cases. Let's think about what did the Lord do for you? and even think on what didn't happen this year and why should you thank God for that? Either way, get your mind on Christ so he can give you a new vision, help refocus you to find your purpose or elevate you to a deeper walk with him; as Pastor says "higher levels, higher devils". So, you will need your heart and mind clear of all that happened in the past to move forward to the new that is coming.

2018 will be what you make it. So, get to your secret closet to reflect, then wait for the still small voice and listen to what it says so you can speak that over you and your family. Don't stop there keep walking in God's promises and when the going gets tough have enough faith to see that it is already done.

Have faith friends.

Happy New Year!