Today we are going to take a posture of peace and I am going to cover you with prayer.
Posture is a short audible fist bump to remind you God is with you in everything.
Together we're going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect peace.
Okay, I am hoping that I can model something today by giving you just a little bit of
background on the preparation of this episode. I'm going to try to keep a long story short.
I really hope I don't bore you with sharing all the details. I'm hoping that it's helpful,
especially if you've ever felt discouraged about stepping up and speaking out as a kingdom
communicator or just, you know, showing up as a kingdom ambassador. You know, the reality is
we have, we all, we all have spheres of influence. Homes, classrooms, businesses, neighborhoods,
social media platforms, and there are just going to be days when it feels easier to shut down and
shut up or show up and just explode instead of bringing life and light through our words and
actions. And so, you know, as I was preparing for today's episode, I felt like I had a lot to say
about a lot of things. I mean, I was pretty lit up this morning thinking through this episode
and preparing, but then all of a sudden there was a shift and it felt like my words were inadequate
and showing up was not even necessary. It's like, I don't even want to do an episode. I just felt
like the wind was taken out of my sails. And you know, sometimes that feeling of blah, it's just
the enemy trying to discourage you from stepping out and speaking up. But I am learning and practicing
every day to be sensitive only to the Holy Spirit's leading, only to what God is saying.
Jesus shared in John 10 about the good shepherd and he said, my sheep know my voice and they
follow me and the voice of a stranger they do not follow. And you know, I want to get to a point
personally where I don't even hear the voice of a stranger. I don't even hear the voice of the
enemy. And so that's what I've been practicing. I've been practicing hearing only God's voice.
And it is a practice. It is not an instantaneous thing, but practice, though it is a process,
makes permanent. So it is totally worth it. And so when I felt like the wind was taken out of my
words today, when I was preparing, you know, I had a choice to make. I could follow the voice
of the accuser into full blown discouragement and doubt and despair, or I could ask the Holy
Spirit for his help to guide me into all truth. And I chose the latter. And the Holy Spirit reminded
me, you know, the truth is my words are not inadequate. I am not inadequate. I know that,
you know, my feelings, though they may feel real, are not my highest level of truth, period. He also
revealed to me that what I was feeling emotionally about all the episode prep was actually rooted in
what I was feeling physically. I was just tired. I'm a little bit tired, guys. And so I was feeling
physically drained and therefore I was dragging mentally and emotionally and getting frustrated
with myself. And I'm sure you can relate to that because, you know, we've all been tired before.
And sometimes when we're tired, we forget we have a helper and we feel alone and therefore we work
out of our own strength. And that is exhausting. And so the feeling of my words being, you know,
that feeling of just being unnecessary and adequate, I believe it wasn't even the enemy. I
believe it was my helper giving me a gentle warning. And he was saying, hey, you are trying
to do all this right now out of your own strength. And our agendas for this episode are no longer
aligned. And so I received that gentle warning. I received that conviction. And I asked the Holy
Spirit, OK, what is your agenda? And I felt led, honestly, to just trash the episode I had planned
and pray over you instead today. The sense I got from the Holy Spirit, I believe that there are
many of you listening and watching who have not heard someone pray specifically over you in a
while. And the Lord is eager to breathe his words of life over you today. And he wants you to hear
the words of his truth. So I'm going to just I'm going to pray over you guys. And I encourage you
to close your eyes and soak it in as if it were a specific prayer, as if I were standing in the
room right now with you praying over you. Father God, great is your faithfulness. I thank you that
you are rich in mercy and abounding in love. I thank you that the words you speak, Father,
do not return to you unfulfilled, that your word performs your purpose and fulfills the mission
you sent for it to accomplish. Lord, we will not take your words for granted. We receive.
your words of life today and Lord you say in Isaiah 41 10, fear not for I am
with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will
help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Father I pray for
those whose hearts are feeling tenderized by doubts or rejection, fears,
grief, lack, accusations, or pressures. Lord you are the God who heals hearts and
sets people free so I declare according to who you are Lord that those listening
to this prayer right now will be healed and set free. I pray that the oil of joy
would be applied to their hearts and minds right now. I pray that you will
develop an unshakable trust in you in their hearts right now and that they
will be kept in perfect peace. I pray that the desolation that their enemy
Satan has sent to discourage them and harm them you will redeem for their
benefit. I pray that what is hidden will be brought to light. I pray that they
will rise up in the authority and the power that you have given them and that
they will be restorers of desolate people and places. I pray that they will
partner with the testimony of what you have redeemed in them and
bring restoration to those around them. Holy Spirit thank you for your help and
your comfort. I pray that you will lead them in truth. I pray that the voice of a
stranger, the voice of the enemy, they will not even hear. May they see
themselves as heaven sees them. And Jesus we thank you for your empowering grace
in our lives. It's because of you that we can pray with such boldness and
authority and so we pray all of these things in your name. Amen.
The promise of perfect peace is found in Isaiah 26 3. In Hebrew it is Shalom
Shalom meaning complete wholeness. Nothing missing, nothing broken. This is
who you are in Jesus because of Jesus. You are a living testimony of Jesus's
ultimate win. With every step you take today you're putting Jesus's victory on
display and Satan's defeat on replay.