Stephanie Ike - Claim Your Freedom

Family, you may be see that we're gonna go on a journey with the word of God today. My message for those that may be taking notes is claim your freedom. Claim your freedom. And I'm gonna be speaking from the passage or the scripture two Timothy one seven, and it says, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. You see, family, One thing that I've understood about fear is that the outcome of fear is always bondage. Anytime and fear has rulership in your life, it's to limit your progress. And so I find this is one scripture that is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible because I always find it so fascinating the words that the apostle Paul use to almost show us what conquers fear. And he speaks of power, he speaks of love, and he speaks of a sound mind. But today, in particular, I want us to focus really on a sound mind. You see, a sound mind in the scriptures is really referring to and there are different layers to it. But the layers that I want us to focus on is in the area of discipline and self control. You see, family. I'm learning that even through my own life, that the areas that we like discipline, that the areas will experience some form. Of bondage and bondage. What bondage looks like could very Bondage, could look like having a victim mentality. Bondage could look like shame and guilt. Bondage could look like people pleasing. Bondage could look like a lack mentality. All of this keeps us from experiencing true freedom now in our culture and in our society. When we talk about freedom, we think about yola, you only live once to do everything you want to do. But freedom honestly speaks to the real you being set free, that there is someone that God spoke into existence, that your God given identity being set free. Freedom is not doing whatever you want to do. Freedom is the ability for the fullness of your God given identity to be manifested on the earth. And so there are four things that as I studied this, that the Lord spoke to me about four areas that every believer there is like almost like four identities to every believer, and how we have to claim our. Freedom in these areas. The first area, family is your identity as a conqueror. You see, the. Bible tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him. And the interesting thing about that passage is through Him, you see. Oftentimes you can tell. How invested a person is in the secret Place, how invested a person is in their time with God, according to how they respond to warfare. The secret place, obviously, that is our prayer time. This is our time of devotion. This is the place where the battle really begins. And this is a place that we have to be intentional about how we create time with God because family, you see prayer. What is fascinating about prayer is that what happens in prayer is very progressive and very powerful because oftentimes when we come into the presence of God, we start by conversations, right, we start telling God about our day and what is taking place. But your prayer should not end with conversations. I mean, it should not end with you just talking to God. It should continue with you receiving from God. Because conversation of prayer is really where you are making yourself available for divine download. And so in that place of prayer, we're not just we okay, we talk to God about our day and now it's time to receive from God. And sometimes we have this difficulty about how do we receive from God. One of the ways is to study the Word, because when you begin to study the Word, the Holy Spirit starts having a conversation with you. You say, for example, I remember when I started studying about Joshua, and when I studied about him, it opened different layers to the character of God. And when you see the character of God in the life of another person, it starts speaking to your circumstances. And then as you can to study, you begin to meditate on the Word. The Bible tells us to meditate on the Word day and night. But what does meditation really mean? Is it like now, mistake with the Word of God. Family. What I believe meditation is is that meditation is when you build upon what you study, is when you add layers to what you study. You see, for example, I remember when I studied. About Joshua when he told the son to stand still. So that was one layer. I'm like, wow, God, this is fascinating that a man could tell the sun to stand still. But meditation now continues when you say, but God, why did the earth obey his command, Why was his command effective? And then you go deeper and all of this is your prayer time with God, is your devotional time. And as you go deeper into this, all of a sudden you start to read. I remember when I started reading this, and I found that I was like wow. In Joshua chapter one, there was a promise that God gave him, and he said no man would ever be able to stand before you all the days of your life. And so when Joshua speaks to the son and tells the son to stand still, the son had to obey him because what he was doing in that moment was to kill his enemies, and that was manifesting the promise of God. And so as I'm. Reading it as a meditating on the world of God, all of a sudden, it's speaking to me, and the Holy Spirit starts speaking to me. Stephanie, you serve the same God that Joshua served. If you do what he did, you would get the same results. If you stand in the place of boldness and begin to declare and decreed that when something is coming against you, to not make yourself the victim, but to understand that because God gave you a promise, you have authority to create opportunities for that promise to happen. But you see, family, this is all good and it's exciting, but this place of living in the power of God, it has to be cultivated. You have to you see, we've all heard that prayer is not a discipline, and it's not. Prayer is an opportunity to invite God into everything that concerns you. Pray is an opportunity to engage the resource of Heaven on the earth. But we've also heard that where if opportunity does not make preparation, there is no success. And so although prayer is not a discipline, but it's an opportunity, if you do not prepare a place to meet with God, then you would there. It would almost be that you become more reactive to life rather than proactive. You see, we have to learn how to set a time and may. Be a place where we meet with God, maybe your closet, maybe you're living when, whatever it is. But you have to learn how to be disciplined with a time and perhaps a place if you can, because if you live your prayer life up to chance, the enemy will distract you. If you live your prayer life up to chance that, you know what, let me just get a few things, and I know I isn't able to pray. The enemy will distract you, And the funny thing is that he will distract you with good things. You would be like, oh, I'm just you know, I'm gonna I'll be home and I just need to spend some time with God. And someone calls you and they're having a crisis, and you're like, God, I'm over here trying to do the right thing. So you're not. You don't see it as a distraction, but it actually is. I remember one time in college this was really funny, more funny to me. It might not be funny to you. But I used to do. I was I was with a church and we were doing evangelisms during the weekend. So we will go to the park and then we'll talk to people like have you met the Lord Jesus? Do you know the Lord Jesus? Would you like to meet the Lord Jesus? And I thought I was doing the fantastic. Then I said, God during the weekends. You know, this was during the the the better times in my life in college, when I was more you know, following the will of the Lord, and so and I thought, I was like, God, this, we're just on the road. I'm on you know, just eveng you know, just doing some evangelism. And I remember one day the Lord said to me, he said, do not allow the enemy to distract you with what you know, because although what you're doing is for me, I have not called you to evangelize in those places. I need you somewhere else, actually, And so if you live things up to chance, if you live randomly, you would allow other people to direct your time. You would allow other people to tell. You when to do what you need to do, and the enemy would distract you from cultivating a powerful prayer life. You see, there was a man in the scriptures by the name of Daniel. Daniel was a man known to have an excellent spirit, such an excellent spirit that the king at the time wanted to promote him to be to He wanted to set him over the whole kingdom. There were people that didn't like this plan. They didn't like this idea, and they wanted to find something against Daniel. And the Bible tells us that they search for things against Daniel, and they could not find anything. And the only thing they could use against him was his faith. Because they know this, and they had witness that three times a day, every single day, Daniel would be in the same position praying to the Father. And they said, you know what, this is what we can use against him. And so they had the king. They brought the law before the king, and they told the King, for thirty days, let no man seek petition to any man or God except to you, and if somebody does that, throw him in the lions den. The king signed this petition. The funny thing is that in the Bible it tells us that when Daniel heard this, he did as he usually had done. He went back to his place, and he prayed three times a day as he usually did. You see, the funny thing is that the people did not realize that what they were attacking Daniel from was the place of his strength. That the moment, perhaps the moment that Daniel even heard about what was going on, he already fought the battle on his knees. He was not worried about what the people. Were setting against him, because you see. Family in a place. When you cultivate a consistent prayer time with God, there is intimacy that you begin to develop. You begin knowing things about God that becomes so natural to you. It's not about your reciting script The reality of who God is becomes real. In your life. And so when Daniel is unbothered, he has everything. He's not pretending to be unbothered. He has recognized certain things about God that has become his norm. He understands that God is my deliverer. God will save me. And even if he does, and I'm good, I'm gonna meet with him anyway. But you see this speaks to you have to we have to examine our lives. How do we respond to warfare? And we have to look at that and look at what our prayer life looks like. Daniel was consistent. And the funny thing is that when they threw him in the lions, then and he came out of the lions, then he told the king, he said, the Lord sends an angel that shut the mouth of the lion. But you see, when I read that scripture, I said, this is fascinating because it's not that the lion, you know, was fasting or was not hungry, but an angel has shut his mouth. And for an angel to have shut his head, that means even before Daniel got's in the lions den. Then the angel went before him to shut the mouth of the lion. And this family is proactivity. He was not. Reactive and made himself look like the victim and say, oh my gosh, because because you see, family, these are the times where a victim mentality would look like this. God, all I'm doing is trying to serve you. Now look they're trying to me in the lions. Then I'm about to die because all I'm doing is trying to serve you. Ain't this, sir, you know, but. You see, that's what a victim mentality looks like. And Heaven does not respond to frustrations. Heaven responds to your identity. When Daniel is in. The place of prayer, he released an angel before he was even sent there, so he was not bothered about it because he knew where the battle starts, and the battle starts in the spiritual room. Before it ever manifests in the natural. And so family, if you're gonna live in the freedom of who God has called you to be as a conqueror, you have to know how to cultivate a consistent and committed prayer life. You say, I remember one time the Lord had given me a particular time to meet him every day, and one particular day, I woke up and then I looked at the time and I. Said, wow, God, it's really early today. It seems earlier than usual, and I just feel more tired than usual, and it just seems darker than usual. So I went back to bed, and when I went back to bed, I had a dream. And in the dream, there was a table that was in front of me, and the table had all kinds of food and there were people sitting down in the way eating, and so I walk up to the table and I was like, oh, you know, almost like Oliver Twist. Sir, can I have some more? But I go up to the table and I'm trying to get some food, and a man comes up to me and he says, there's no food for you. And I said, but there are other people eating at the table. There's obviously enough foods for Everybody's said they came at their appointed time. You did not. There is no food for you. And immediately he said that I woke up. You see, this is a side of God that doesn't really play with great areas, because the more you grow in God, the more he requires of you because he recognizes that you're not a child anymore. You're not a child that you can you know, you know, there's a time when you're a child you can get away with childish things. But when the more you mature in God, he places a different demand on you. And so in that moment I woke up and I was like, God, what kind of dream is this? I rebuked the devil and. He looked and he said to me that because the food on the table, it was like different, like assortments of bread. And he said that bread represents the bread of life. The word that I was going to give you concerning your day if you met me at the time that we appointed you. See what this. Taught me is that God honors the appointed times. That if you were willing to sacrifice and say Lord that on this day, at this time every day, I want to meet with you. God would honor that time. And he desires. One thing I've learned about the Lord is that he desires to give you revelation. He desires to show you things concerning your day. He desires to equip you, get to make you powerful to conquer your day, because at the end of the day, heaven does not need all that revelation. We need it on the earth. They don't need it. They already know it up there. We need it on the earth. But who is willing to be in a position of sacrifice to say, Lord, here I am. And the truth family. Is that some days it might just feel like ain't nothing happening. But sometimes that is also God watching your commitment. That is God watching that. Would you wait on me? Would you wait for me? Would you be consistent? Even if you study the world and you don't know a thing, it's saying one day you might just wake up in the middle of the night and the Holy Spirit starts to download and start to bring to your memory things that you say, study and you have no idea. And I'm not speaking of religion, because we have to be very careful. There's a very fine line. But we're doing things religiously. I'm talking about doing things with an understanding. I'm not talking about doing things religiously to say God, okay, I'm. Here, you know, kumbaya. No, I'm talking about doing things without understanding that God. The place of prayer is the place of power. And because that is a place that the enemy will always try to attack, because that is the place that you defeat him. You have to know, Okay, God, how do I start building? How does this become? How does this become a natural desire of mind? Sometimes you have to build that muscle, and you build that muscle through discipline, you see. Family. The second thing that the Lord put on my heart is your identity as a ruler. You see, there's a scripture in Genesis once t when he sixs the Bible talks about that. Let me truly read it, because I'm gonna give you my version. And he says, and God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness, and let them rule, let them have dominion. You see, dominion and rulership is about. This is a place where God begins to give you authority and influence. This is what God desires of you because there is a place that God has called you to conquer. There is a place that God has called you to have rulership over, and in order to be effective, you need authority and influence. But one thing I'm learning is that God is more concerned about you having inner dominion before you have earthly dominion. Because the one thing that. Keeps people away from their authority and the influence that God has called them to is the inability to rule over their own spirit, to rule over their own mind, their own emotions, their own will. You see, the enemy is not worried about you having leadership if you do not know how to lead yourself. You see, there's a scripture I want us to look at two scriptures in the Book of Proverbs. One is in Proverbs sixteen thirty two, and it's as he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. And in Proverbs twenty five twenty eight says, whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls. You see, Family, when you don't have the ability to rule over your spirit, you become vulnerable to things that could be destructive to you. You become vulnerable to the enemy. The enemy. Actually sometimes he wants you to have fame. He doesn't care if. You have fame, if you don't have this in check, because he wants you to be lifted so high so that he can make a mockery of God through you. And so sometimes when God is keeping you from things and you feel like God is actually causing a delay. No, God is concerned that you have inner dominion before he gives you earthly dominion. You see Jesus Jesus when he in the wilderness, when we see that Jesus had rulership over his will, when he conquered every temptation that the enemy tried to throw his way. But what is interesting about that passage, family, is that the passage tells us that when you know, I believe this is in Luke, I know that it's here for those taken notes, this is in Luke four thirteen. It talked about that when the devil was done with every temptation, that he waited to come back, and that opportune time he said, I need to find another opportunity. I need to find you again, maybe when you're weak. I need to see if I can, if I can get a hold of you, Because if you don't know how to rule your own spirit, then the enemy knows that I can manipulate your emotions and have it work against you, that I could catch you in the place of anger and the place of pride and the place of lust and use that against you to take away from you everything that. God has given you. But you see, family, for some of us in this house or listening, that might actually speak to where we are. We were at a place where we knew that God, you were bringing me to this high level, and all of a sudden a mistake stripped it all away. But the beautiful thing and the good news, which is a gospel, is that God is a redeemer and God is a restorer, and there is no good thing that He will not withhold from you. But you see, family, we have to come to the place of saying, Lord, help me. I recognize that maybe I'm a bit hot tempered. Help me in this area. God, I recognize that maybe I'm dealing with lust. Let me not be so focused on a platform because I don't want to get on the platform and show something that does not glorify You. Help me with this area of self control. You see. Ultimately, Family, the way that God helps us is by recognizing, Okay, when I'm in this position, I need to learn how to listen to the spirit of God. And the example is when Jesus. I believe that when the opportune time that the enemy was looking for in regards to our Lord Jesus was when he was in the garden of Gadseemony, because in the Garden of Gethseemony we see him in a in a moment of prayer and he's asking the Lord. He's he's basically saying that Lord, if there is another way outside of the cross, give me that. But then he says, but not my will, by yours be done. You see, this very statement shows us that there was an internal battle, that perhaps in that moment the enemy was taunting him, that there was a moment of weakness when he recognized the fullness, and maybe it was We don't know exactly. What was going on in his mind, but when you read that. Scripture, you can see that he was dealing with really high sorrow. But the beautiful thing is that he still comes to say, Lord, not my will, by yours be done, And that speaks that Jesus put his weakness in the hand of the Father. And in the scripture in the in. Look, we actually read that an angel was sent to the Lord Jesus to strengthen him. In response to him trusting God with his weakness, the Lord strengthened him. You see, I was watching something that my friend posted that it was a Pastor Mike Todd, and he was speaking about worship, and he was saying that worship is actually a weapon against pride. Worship is actually a weapon against the very things that the enemy can use to try to destroy you. That the moments that you come into this place of maybe pride, may be lust, maybe anger, maybe onforgiveness, worship God, because when you worship God, you invite his presence, and his presence cannot live in the same place with pride. It cannot live in the same place with a fense, it cannot live in that same place. And what I've learned about worship is that worship allows us to release things. The same way that when Jesus said, even though he's saying that if there is another way, when he still says not my will, but yours be done, he's releasing his weakness and putting it in the hands of the Father. And in that moment, the Lord was able to send an angel to strengthen him. Family, we have to be. Open to say God, in this moment, I recognize that yes I'm offended, and yes I'm upset, and there is something I I feel there's and something that is trying to push me to do something. I feel an impulse to do something that could be very destructive. But worship be intentional about saying God, it's not worth it. Teach me how to rule over my spirit, teach me self control, and God will test you. And you want to be tested. You want those are the areas when you want to say, God, test me in this. And you know you can test me in the hidden place, but test me, test me in this. Because in this process God will teach you that. Sometimes you learn you need to learn how to walk away some of some of us in this house, we may be struggling in areas of anger and areas of lust and areas of pride, and it's gonna come up again. But in that moment, you have to learn how to make a decision to walk away in some of your conversations that lead to something that could be destructive. Learn how to not have the final say. Because when you recognize yourself, because mastery of self begins with the awareness of self. I know the things that go round me up. I know the very things. That I'm like it would just it's like, I mean, it really happens, But when it does, I know what's happening. Inside of me, and I know what my impulse wants me to do, because it might be something that is very you know, not pastoral. But in those moments, if I cannot walk aw, if it's not that, if it's hard for me to walk away, then in that moment, I'm speaking to God about that. Like God, I need to release this because I can feel, I can feel something staring up in me that is not a view, and I start speaking to Him about it. And even in those moments of speaking to him about it, I'm asking him, Lord. Why did this? Why did this person do this? I'm seeking his understanding and sometimes he doesn't have to explain anything. But in that moment, I'm trusting God with pain, I'm trusting God with offense. I'm trusting God with whatever could be true to want to stir up in me to make me stand against my truth. And so we have to be aware of ourselves. We have to be aware of our triggers. And when a trigger comes, Lord, I'm going to release this in your hand. God will test you in this. It's easier now because one thing, one area that the Lord really has trained me in has been forgiveness. And sometimes the Lord will train you in the area that will challenge you the most, in the area that will that will come against you the most, where you have to deal with people that you're just like, I really don't want to, but I'm going to, and it's going to be from a genuine place because it's not worth it. It's not worth it to walk around in angry. It's not worth it to gossip about somebody then smiling their face. It's not worth it. It's not worth it because what that does, even though you're smiling in their face, what that does is stirs up hate in you. Because there is a place that feeds that hate. There's something that feeds it. Every time you smile on the person's face and you walk away and you gossip about them, you're feeding what is not of God. And so even though you might be a good actress or an actor, in your heart, God is not pleased because there is something that you're doing and the enemy is cheering you on and you have no idea, because what that means is that you are yet to have rulership over your spirit. Because imagine, imagine if some of the conversations you had about people you called your friends came out. What would your relationships look like. Rulership over your. Spirit because you want to make no room for the enemy in your life, no room for the enemy. The third thing that the Lord spoke to me about is your identity as a giver. Your identity as a giver. And actually, before I speak into that, there's one particular thing that just keeps coming. Up to me. You see, even in rules ship, thank you Jesus, even in rulership over your spirit. Wow. Wow, Wow. I'm trying to see if I should wait for this so I should share this later. Amen, Amen, Amen, Wow, I was not expecting for this particular thing. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus. You see what I keep sensing that the Lord is even speaking to me now, is that that there are some of us in this house. Because as this word started to go forth, it began to challenge. There's some of you, and it's challenging something in you right now. There was certain words that began to challenge you. And what the Lord is showing me is that you see, family relationships are one of your biggest assets. Your relationships would always be one of your biggest assets, because that is how God moves through your life. The Lord is not gonna come down on a sleigh even though it's Christmas. And do things personally for you. He moves through people, But the way he moves through people, it would be so clear that that was what the Lord did, not you or the person. But the thing is that because the Lord is so big on relationships, because he uses relationships in your lives, the enemy also wants to destroy the relationships in your life. And there are some of you and I just keep seeing where a fence has taken place, and if it comes out the way it is, it would destroy I don't know who I'm speaking to in particular, it would destroy something very powerful that the Lord is actually in. And you know that there are people in your life, and you. Know that actually God positioned these people there, and you are pretending about how you feel. You are pretending either. If I'm speaking to you, please. Stand up because this is really heavy on my spirit, and I will continue my message. As we go on. You are pretending about your emotions. You are pretending in front of them. It's almost like you are living two lives, because the moment you walk away, you are feeding hate. And the crazy thing is that family. This is actually keeping you from your platform. This is keeping you from where God is sending you because God cannot bless that. And what the Lord is speaking to me about now is that even before the end of this day, that even as as we leave. Service, because you don't want to text during the message, Okay, it's a little rude, okay. But before we leave the House of God, you need to contact that person and you need to be open and say, you know what, there were things that were in my heart that were bid against you, and perhaps. I assumed wrongly. You see past a few Monthsy who gave a powerful message this past Sunday, there was something he said once and that thing has stuck with me. He said, the greatest respect you can give a human is to listen to them. And perhaps some of you just need to hear the other person's side out, because if you continue to harbor this offense and you continue to pretend like everything is good, you're gonna miss out on what God assigned them to do in your life, because if some of the things that you have said comes out, it will be more destructive than good. And so I just sense that right now, as the Lord is interrupting this message that it is time to release offense. Lord, have you. Have your way, Lord, have your way. Lord, have your way. Lord, have your way. Lord and family, what we're gonna do in a brief moment is pray for that person right now, whoever the name is that came to your mind, whoever these people are. I want you to pray for them right now. Speak a prayer, Speak a blessing over them, because you cannot be against who you bless. Speak a blessing over them because family, let this be a sign to you that it is not what. It looks like. I understand that something may have happened, but it is not what it looks like. The enemy wants to attack your relationships, because your relationships is how God purpose is to bless you. You see, Family, There was something interesting that happened in Egypt. When the Israelites have come out of slavery. The Lord said to them to ask the Egyptians for their gold. He had caused the Egyptians, the very people that put them in slavery, to favor them with gold. If someone else carried a fence and said, you know what, I don't want to talk to these people I'm out of here. I'm done with all the nonsense they did to me. I don't want one thing from them. Guess what they would have missed out on a place that would have blessed them. That God said, I have a signed favor and a release unto you. But it is your choice because we don't even know the full story. Some of them could have done what they did because that was how they were raised. And so you need to hear the full story out. Family in this moment and want to take We want just a few minutes and begin to pray. For these people. And I'm going to join you in prayer, and every family, everyone's sitting down, just begin to pray for anyone that may have it, may even be offended by you. Begin to pray. Just say God touch their hearts. Father God, we thank you for this moment of interruption because you are concerned about your people. You are concerned that they would have ignorant dominion. Lord God, I thank you that as they begin to release prayers, Lord God, over the very people that they may feel a certain way about and they're pretending like everything is okay. As they begin to release prayers made the words of their mouth begin to change their hearts. I thank you, Lord, that. No relationship that you have put together, whether in the form of a business partnership, whether in whatever form that it may be, Lord God, it will not be. Destroyed by the enemy. I counsel every attack and every assignment of the enemy against your people in the very realms that you have called them to conquer, in the very places that you have called them to have rulership, Lord God, that every divine, every every destiny advocates every divine appointment that you have called them to and the people that you have called to meet them there, Lord Jesus, I cancel anything that would stand against it. I come against the flesh, Lord. God, that if the flesh would try to stand against it because of pride or ego, Lord, in this moment, begin to reveal it. Reveal to your people where they're moving in pride, where they're moving from their ego, and cancel it. Lord God. May their prayers be a moment of worship unto you. And as they begin to release it, Lord God, I thank you Jesus that you would move them forward. You would move them forward, because some even sense that it seems like something needs to happen, and nothing is happening. But inner dominion is the answer. And so I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. Change their hearts, change their hearts in Jesus' name. Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord. Wow, it's beautiful. Thank you Lord. Family. Let's continue as we go over the few things that was put in my heart. Actually, before we go into your identity as a gift, I want to speak about your identity as a creator. You see, we are creative beings. One passage I love so much is in the in the Book of Deuteronomy twenty eight twelve, and the word says that the Lord will open to you his good treasury the heavens, to give the rein to your landing at seas, and to bless the work of your hands. I want to stop there really quick. You see, the work of your hands mean the things that you bring about, the things that you execute, the things. That you can produce. And one reason that I've noticed that oftentimes is the reason behind that our excuses has always been. With time, that I don't have enough time to get this done. That their desires that the Lord has put in your heart, and the reason that you've been holding it off for so long. Your excuse is about time. But there was a quote I heard recently and it was so fascinating to me, and he said that it is the lack of direction, not the lack of time that is the problem. And why that was fascinating to me is because. He mentioned we all have the same twenty four hours in the day, and I know sometimes when we hear that, we're just like, yeah, about twenty four. Hours are different. Okay, you know your twenty four hours looks like vacation. Mine. Just listen. But what is fascinating about this family is that time. One thing in particular, as I studied, is that the Lord spoke to me in regards to time management and in regards to producing the things that the Lord has spoken to you, because you need time to actually do that. But one thing in particular was the fact that you see sometimes if we are if listen, for instance, you know something glamorous is happening. We have we are more bold to say no to someone's invitation or something that could be a distraction. When it is something. That maybe our friends or family recognizes as remarkable. You know, like, imagine if Michelle Obama called you to go so cycling with her, and your friend is like, hey, you know, can you make it to my birthday party? Oh? Man, Michelle Obama this asked me to go so pslacking. They're like, girl, I understand, go ahead, you know, just do that. If you had to go to France for a business trip, everybody understands, Oh go to France, get a croissant and put the accents in it. You know, if you had if you had something that seems remarkable and admirable, you feel like you are so bold to say, oh, I can't make it, you know, because this is coming up. I have to go to Atlanta to shoot this movie and then zel is starring in and oh go ahead. But this is where the kicker is. When we're doing something that other people will not understand, we're more inclined to hide it and say yeah, yea, I'll be there when we make time for the things. Because it's still in a small stage, you don't know how to tell your friends that, hey, I can I can't make it because I have to read tonight. Read for real, you gotta read. This is the only day you got to do some reading, and then you're just like, oh, man, I don't want them to feel like I don't I'm not there, and da da da dad. You see. The crazy thing is that if you do. Not put value on what you're supposed to do, other people will direct your time for you. You see. The fascinating thing about Jesus was that when you study the Walk of Jesus, Jesus had a sense of direction. He had a sense of direction about his day. He was aware about what he needed to do. But I believe that the. Power of his awareness was coupled with understanding. The value of what he needed to do. Because when you recognize the value, you would recognize that if what you want me to do may not be that important and it conflicts with something I need to do in this stage, I should value it enough to see the tree and see form. I should valueate enough to see what God is doing, even when it looks obscure to people. I should valuate enough to know that, yes, it may just sound like I'm reading, but I need to read to understand this everything that God is calling me into and maybe this is the only time I have in. The day to allocate to this very thing. We have to place value on the things that God has assigned to us. You see, because the very word of God says, do not despise small beginnings, because the Lord rejoices to see a thing begin. The Lord finds pleasure when you start. But if you look at your small beginning as something that is insignificant, you will allow other people to direct your time. And trust me, sometimes there will be they would not even have anything going on. But because really the enemy is after your time. All of a sudden, so on is calling you about something insignificant. But because you have. Not placed value on your thing, you allow that to be directed. Because now you become. A slave to people pleasing, and that has to be broken up if you are gonna live in your identity as a creator, because in order to produce something, you have to allocate time to do it, you see. And lastly, your identity as a giver. Jesus said, it is more blessed. Is it is more blessed to give than to receive. The beautiful thing about that is that it is more blessed speaks to literally identity, that it is more of your identity to give. Than it is to receive. And what I'm learning, family, is that God desires us to prosper financially. God desires us to be financially stable and financially just. You know, you know crazy, you know, because if you see the Temple of God, you will know what he's talking about. If the Temple of God is layered in gold, if the streets of God is gold. I mean, this is what I'm walking on. I mean, child, if I'm walking on it, I think it could be on my arm. You know, I could put more value on it that way. But what I'm saying, family, is that God desires us to prosper. And one thing with prosperity is that sometimes as believers, we only invest in books that deal with spiritual warfare, and it's okay to invest in books that deal with building wealth. You see, one thing I love about our churches that we offer different, different programs and different things that build us in every area. And we have to start taking advantage of these things. I know that next month we have a depth cancelation workshop coming up. Take advantage of it and increase your wisdom in these areas. You see, one thing that tithing has taught me and as you as we all know tithing, and for some that don't know, tithing is when we come in covenant with God over our finances because we recognize the source. But one thing that tithen has taught me, because tithe is a ten percent of your income, is that I tied faithfully, and so because I do in good times and in bad times, I'm tithing, but somehow I'm still okay, whether it was in a bad time. So if God was able to keep me, if I'm giving the way ten percent of my income when I felt like I didn't even have much, what that taught me is that God, I can come in covenant with you about my ability to start investing knowing that I can take a percentage of my income in good times and in bad times and invest it knowing that you would keep me. Because I've seen you do it with a tithe, and I believe that you would bless this very agreement, because Lord, it is your will that I prosper. It is your promise to me that I prosper. And so I can come boldly before you and start and say, the Lord, I'm presenting this to you. Can you would you bless it? Because it is already your will and so sometimes we have to start taking initiative and understanding the promises of God that God you have called me to be a giver, and so I want to start cultivating you see, eLAC mentality is not the result of lack. A lac mentality. Is really, honestly the inability to manage your resources at whatever level you are on. I heard a man say something that I found so profound. He said that if you do not save when you have a dollar, you will not save when you make a billion dollars. And so there are disciplines that we have to start incorporating that. Maybe you have to be more aware of where your money is going to know how you can turn things around. That if you were to ask yourself last. You know, I wonder how much I at what range did I spend on eating out? For example? This should be a number of figure an idea, So you know, okay, Lord help me in this area. And Family, I found this so fascinating that these were the things that the Lord put on my heart. Because Family, I believe that God is and not even I believe it's a fact God is interested and invested in every area of our lives. Because even in being a giver, you can push the things of the kingdom forward. This is actually it's actually for God too, not just about us. It's for God because you get to push kingdom agendas, kingdom ideas, king theo, movies, things that show the kingdom. You get to push it forward. It is God's desire for you to prosper. You see, I'm so excited our pastor release the word for twenty nineteen, and he'd released that it's. Gonna be the year who knows it? Come on, somebody oving on social media the year of perspective, and what I love about that. I'm so excited. Amen's sister. I'm so excited to hear the message behind this word because I believe that these very things that the Lord has highlighted today. You see, when the Lord starts speaking to me about this, I'm not just here to give you a word. He was speaking to me too. There were areas that he showed me that oh you need to. Okay, all right, now check yourself out. Okay. It spoke to me to and I understood that God, Oh these are areas that you know what this is all of us, all all three of us. Are in here, and so what is fascinating. Family, that as we're looking into a year of perspective that I believe that we ought to put all these areas into perspective. We also look into our prayer life. We aught to look into. How we deal with conflict, how we deal with the fans, how we deal with unforgiveness. We ought to look into. Every single area we have to look at the very things that God has called us to create. Is really is time our issue? Or is the lack of managing our time that's the issue. We all to look at our finances. Let's put everything into a perspective. Amen, Family, stand with me. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus. This is so beautiful. Amen. Amen. Amen. I just keep sensing that there is a shift coming, There's a shift God purposes, There's a there's a there's elevation coming. And if you become intentional about these areas in your life, if you become intentional about. The very things that God is highlighting. You see what I love about this house and what I love about being under the leadership that among ther is that literally we we do not say anything except is what the Lord has said. I will not come before you. If I was gonna preach to you my message, I will not do it. I would rather be have a worship night. If the Lord has not given me a word to speak, I would honestly just say I don't know what's happening. I WI. It's not like we have like a reservoir to say, ooh wow, what is in here? I'm'a pick this for tonight. No, because oftentimes, if not every time, when the Lord releases a message, I'm receiving that too. It's like a fresh word for me. And so if we pay attention. To what the Spirit of God is saying and why I'm sharing this. Is because under our leadership, anytime that our pastors have spoken a word and I've taken that word and I've ran with it, and I'm like, Lord, I go home. I just don't make take notes just to take notes. I go home and I sit with the Lord. Lord, how does this speak to me? And I've built on that. I have seen how it changed my life. I have seen how it opened doors that I would not have thought would be open. Because I'm not just coming here just to This is not religion. This is not because our life is hidden in Christ. We need his word for tomorrow. We need his word to understand the very things that He's called us to do. And so sometimes when the word is released. Family, I'm telling you, if you begin to be intentional about these areas, and for some of you, God will reveal more areas to you. But if you begin to exercise discipline, because nothing just happens randomly, Nothing just happens just because, like you know, caple No does not if you begin to exercise discipline, if you begin because see there was a quote I heard and I love that so much, and it says that discipline is when you plan your pain and your pleasure. We are so used to planning pleasure that we don't plan pain. And pain does not mean something that is against you. It just means it's sacrifice. It's what your flesh does not like because you like to do whatever you want to do. And in order for. You to really start moving in the things of God, when God wants to give you authority and dominion, you think Abraham wanted to kill his son. You think God told Abraham Abraham killed your only son, and he's like, Wow, God, I've been waiting all day for you. To tell me that it's about time you told me to put a knife to my son's neck. No, it's really not. Do you think that David wanted to be on the wrong for years of his life? But these are the times where God begins to cultivate us. And so if we begin to be disciplined about these areas of our lives, we start to recognize God in ways that it becomes our norm. How we respond to warfare is not like a child anymore. We see it coming and we laugh. Yes, it may be difficult because we're human, and you know you still got emotions, but you are not moved like you would normally be moved. And even in moments of weakness, you can put your weakness in the hand of the Father. You can say, God, I just don't understand, but I'm not gonna let my weakness rule my life. I'm gonna put it in your hands. You lead me, You be my strength. In every area of our lives. Family. I just see that God is I just kept seeing as I study this word seen elevation. But when we are stewards with what, when we are faithful over little God will make us ruler over much. When we are faithful. Yes, we may not have enough time that we would like to have. But then can you even if all you have is thirty minutes that you have free time, can you give God twenty? Can you give God some of that? Whatever it is that may seem small, God will honor it. It's not about doing something, it's not about killing yourself. But if you can sacrifice, God will honor it. I remember I was asking the Lord. I said, why is it that sacrifice? It's often the key to greater because when I think a fast and faster than it is really a sacrifice. Nobody wakes up in the morning saying wow, just can't wait to not eat for the rest. Of the day. No, no, no, And if you do, you know, come over after your service. But a lot of things that releases a different you know, a different I mention of power. It's really connected to sacrifice. And I always wondered, God, why is it that on the other side of sacrifice is where power is released. But what I understood too, is that it's not just random sacrifice and sacrifice and obedience to God. But one of the things that I understood about that is that it was the very sacrifice of Jesus that released the Holy Spirit. And so when we are willing to obey God, even in the place of sacrifice, it releases even a greater. Dimension of His power in your life. Because the way it was released is the way it would increase. And so we may the air heard yes, is that we may have to give to God. But I believe family that we have grown from. There are things that were like you know, we did as a child in the faith. And God has called us higher. And the higher God keeps calling you, the more He's going to require of you, and the herder the yeses might be. But every heart yes leads. To more of Him, and it leads to more of who you are. And the lie that the enemy tries to tell us is that the heart yes means loss. It does not mean lost, cause God is not a waster. God is not God. God would not keep things from you. He doesn't need it. In heaven, he wants you to have every good thing, but he doesn't want those things to have you, and so he wants to It's paced by pace. Thank you, Jesus, Thank you, Jesus, thank you Jesus. Wow, Lord, I just wanna I just want us to have a moment of just personal intimate time with the Holy Spirit, because I just keep sensing that for many of you, the Lord is speaking to you about specific areas in your life, and some of those areas actually are coupled with instruction. And I just want us to all have a moment if we could just bow our heads just to avoid distraction. And let the Lord speak to you. Thank you, Thank you, oh Louliah. Family. That peace, that joy, that center is what the Holy Spirit desires to always have with us. I just sense that there's some people in this house, and even as we pray and as we close out, there's some people you're believing for healing, and it seems like whatever the illness has been has felt like it has put you in some form of bondage. To certain things that you believe that you need to do. And whatever that illness is, or if you are believing that for someone in your family, I just want you to touch that part in your body, or touch that part that represents the party in their body, if. It's in multiple places. I just want you to place your hand on your head as we close out, as we pray, Father. God, I thank you for your spirit is here. And we thank you, Lord for that which you have purpose to do. Have your way, Lord God, have your way, Lord God. We thank you for your word that has spoken into the hearts of your people. And I thank you, Lord God that even in this very moment, that healing is flowing. Lord, that healing is flowing in the bodies of your people. Healing is flowing. I thank you for testimonies that will spring forth, Lord God, because healing is flowing. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you. Jesus that what is impossible with man is possible with you. And I thank you Lord. I thank you Lord. I even stay thought, I thank you. Wow. I don't know who may be standing. In the gap for a young girl who is dealing, who has been battling with cancer. And has been feeling a certain way out. And if you're here or you're watching, because of the loss of her hair, and this may speak to other people in different ways, but because of the loss of her hair, the little girl has been it's almost like she's been questioning her beauty and she's been questioning. And I just see the Lord placing his hand on her chest and he's healing her of anything any lie the enemy wants to speak into her life. If that is you, I don't know if you're in this house, but if you're in this house, I would love for you to come to the altar if you're watching this, because I just see the Lord placing his hand. His hand is on her chest, and his hand is on her head, and. Every lie that the enemy has been trying to speak to her, not only is he healing her, but he's also healing her sense of identity. And so, Lord God, we thank you for the little child. We thank you Lord for what you're doing in her life, and Lord that use her as a point of contact to everyone here who is believing you for healing and believe in you, whether healing in their lives or healing in the life of a family member or. A loved one. I thank you Lord that. You are moving and you would heal, Lord God, not just their physical body, but any emotional trauma. Lord God, you would heal it in the name of Jesus. And I thank you that you would restore like it was never there. You would restore. Lord God, you will strengthen, You will give them courage, you will give them boldness, and Lord God, you will give them their sense of identity back, that they will know they're not identified just by the natural, Lord God, they will know they are identified by you. Have your way, Lord God, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen eight.