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My beautiful princess and bride,

Yes, it is really me. Me speaking to you- the one I love! You are mine and you do hear my voice. The thoughts you have had today. That was me. The pictures in your head. That was me. Embrace them. Write them down. Call them “yours". Better yet call them "ours". I died for you not just to get you to heaven someday but that I could live big and loud in you today and every day throughout all of eternity.

There are ideas in your head and dreams in your heart still waiting to be unlocked. My words are the key. Hear them. Take them in and treat them like new found treasure. For truly there is nothing more valuable or life-giving in this world than my words of Love for you.

There are veins of creativity that run through your blood. Don't compare yourself to others only gaze into the face of your papa God and then and only then will you see yourself for who you really are. He is the Creator! You, my beautiful one, are created in His image. How can you not be creative? You are a "chip off the old block" as they say. You are the bride He created and is still creating for me. I love what I see in you now and what I know is still to come.

Ours really is a true love story. No one else's story is just like ours. Remember our times. Think about them. Write them down. Paint a picture. Write a song. Don't hold back. Others need to hear our story. What if our story is the key that will unlock their heart. Co-labor with me in these last hours. I desire a helpmate. I enjoy reaching others through you. You play a part in my plan that no one else can fill. Come away with me. Completely give yourself over to me and where I'm taking you. Trust me. You are created to run with me to the harvest field. Come, my bride, let's do this thing together. Let's run...

Your loving Bridegroom King,

Lord of the Harvest!

Jesus, help us when we get distracted and our faith waivers. Holy Spirit, guide us into truth. Soften our hearts so that we are fully obedient to you. Thank you for Your great lovingkindness towards us - you always pick us up and dust us off. Highest praise to Your Great Name!

Devotion: I Have Given You My Words

Scripture: Psalm 119:65-66 TPT

Your extravagant kindness to me makes me want to follow your words even more! Teach me how to make good decisions, and give me revelation-light, for I believe in your commands.

My beloved, I have given you my words so that you may appropriate them and triumph in every aspect of your life. My words are powerful and alive, able to revive anything in your life that is dead. My words have the power to heal the sickness and disease that afflicts the body. My words are full of peace to silence any storm. My words are full of light, causing darkness to flee. If you listen to my voice and confidently believe, I promise that my words will come to pass. Feast on my promises. Let my Word be your daily source of life. Only in me will you find joy and abundance. Only in truth will you experience breakthrough. Take time each day to search my Word and know my heart. When you listen and position yourself in trust, faith, and love, you can expect to see my words come to pass. Your love moves my heart, and I long for you to enter into your inheritance today. My Word has the final say.

Simmons, Brian. I Hear His Whisper: Encounter God's Heart for You (365 Daily Devotions) (The Passion Translation) (p. 222). BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. Kindle Edition.

In June, our church learned to focus on hearing & obeying the voice of God. As we spend time with Jesus and in His word, we WILL BE TRANSFORMED. New pathways of thought will form. We will learn that it's not possible to be "too heavenly minded". If we follow Jesus, He is the one who takes care of the hard work of transformation.

The change in us, the process is what people will be astonished by, knowing that we didn't do it alone. It's our chance to give Him all the glory and praise!

Scripture - Psalm 84:7 TPT

They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward

until they find all their strength in you, and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion.

Devotion - Transformed

Every moment with you is a like a moment of truth. Each time I turn my heart to you, ponder your Word, or think about your holiness, I am changed. With each choice I make to walk in righteousness, I grow stronger. As I behold your face, I am transformed—taking steps that take me from glory to glory.

Regardless of what comes against me, you find a way to use it for my good. Even my light afflictions will result in eternal glory. Your power has no limits. It can be seen in the smallest atom or heard in the fiercest wind. I’m humbled by your greatness. Without you, I am nothing. With you, I live a life of continual triumph.

I resign myself to do your will. By your grace, I will never stop pursuing you. Your presence is the secret to everlasting strength.

Simmons, B., & Rodriguez, G. (2017). Prayers on fire: 365 days praying the psalms. Road Racine, WI: Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC.

When Jesus calls attention to something in scripture, it’s time to really dig in!

Here he’s been explaining that there is more to listening than hearing(v10). Then He gives us a beautiful picture of what obedience looks like. That if we’ve truly heard Him, it will make us want to obey Him. As we’ve been in the study on the discipline of meditation, we’ve learned that meditation is hearing and obeying the voice of God. I encourage you to analyze your heart. Is is open to receive all that He’s saying, or is it full of other frivolous things? You won’t regret dumping all that in favor of more of Him!

Scripture - Luke 8:18 TPT

“Pay careful attention to your hearts as you hear my teaching, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows. And for those who do not listen with open hearts, what little light they imagine to have will be taken away.” 

Devotion - Pay attention to my gentle nudge. 

Beloved, I am teaching you how to discern my voice. Many seek for an outward sound when what they need is to tap into the reality of my Spirit within. My voice doesn’t always come in the way you expect it. It often alights upon your thoughts as an idea or image. At times, it is random and spontaneous. It never contradicts my Word but flows in perfect synchronicity with it. It leads you to do the seemingly impossible. It flows with compassion, love, and forgiveness. It is wisdom that defies reasoning. It is sometimes outrageous—filled with faith that beckons you to act. Or to rest. When you pay attention to these gentle nudges that rise within you, miracles have the chance to greet your day. Impossible situations find solutions. Those needing prayer have immediate covering, because you sense me asking you to pray. Favor surprises you, because you followed the leading of my Spirit and ran into that person I needed you to meet. Never dismiss the random thoughts, it very often is a breakthrough waiting to happen!

Simmons, Brian. I Hear His Whisper: Encounter God's Heart for You (365 Daily Devotions) (The Passion Translation) (p. 165). BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. Kindle Edition.

A recurring theme/thought/phrase that has been on my mind are the lyrics -

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace"

Are you seeing what He sees? What are you focused on? I pray that we all accept the true vision only He can give. It comes from the place of intimacy with Him. You won't leave His presence the same way you entered!

Scripture - Luke 8:17 TPT

“Because this revelation lamp now shines within you, nothing will be hidden from you—it will all be revealed. Every secret of the kingdom will be unveiled and out in the open, made known by the revelation-light.”

Devotion- Look Through My Eyes

Look through my eyes. Come and look on my face. Gaze into my glory until you are transformed. I will give you new eyes, my eyes, which give you true understanding. When you look through my eyes, the world around you changes. When you see the sick, I see them healed. When you see the lost, I see them asleep and ready to be awakened.

When you see darkness approaching, I see the enemy defeated. And when I look at you, I see you completed. Whole. Beautiful. Lacking nothing. I call you into true vision, so that you might see. Partake of my healing eye salve, and your vision will be clear. I will heal your eyes and cause you to clearly evaluate and discern the day in which you are living. Many see doom; I see glory. Many see devastation; I see my kingdom increasing and having no end. I see the end from the beginning. When you come before my throne, you will see what my prophet Isaiah saw—the whole earth is full of my glory!

Simmons, Brian. I Hear His Whisper: Encounter God's Heart for You (365 Daily Devotions) (The Passion Translation) (p. 164). BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. Kindle Edition.

Have you realized how blessed you are? Jesus gave His life so that our relationship with the Father could be restored. He's drawn us close and by the power of the Holy Spirit we've been raised to life with Him. That's Good News, so, tell someone! Shout it from the rooftops, that all may hear this Good News. Be the light and love in the areas that He has called you to as His ambassadors. That all may know...

Psalm 96:2-3 TPT

Don’t stop! Keep on singing! Make his name famous!

Tell everyone every day how wonderful he is!

Give them the good news of our great Savior.

Take the message of his glory and miracles to every nation.

Tell them about all the amazing things he has done.

Devotion - That All May Know

Lord, everywhere I go I want to be an example of your compassion and power. It isn’t enough for me to shout your praises—I must live life in a way that demonstrates your love for all of creation. You don’t hold back the tender mercy that cost you so dearly, and I won’t hold back from telling nations what you have done.

Your beauty and awe-inspiring majesty deserve the greatest of honors. You are the Creator who fills the earth with glory. Oceans thunder and fields echo ecstatic praise. It’s time for the world to do the same. May thirsty souls be satisfied in your presence, as they come to know this One whose brilliance illuminates the sky.

Tear the veils from blinded eyes, so all will know your greatness that is beyond description. When the multitude of the earth surrenders pride and runs to you dressed in dirty garments and carrying heavy burdens, we will welcome them with open arms. Teach me to love them well.

 Simmons, B., & Rodriguez, G. (2017). Prayers on fire: 365 days praying the psalms. Road Racine, WI: Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC.

Whatever is holding you back, I encourage you to let it go, in Jesus' name. Break the mold and step out into the plan He has prepared for you. He knows what He's doing. To quote another kid's movie, "Remember who you are" or better yet - whose you are!

Ephesians 3:20 TPT

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. 

Devotion - I am alive within you. 

You put too much pressure on yourself. Too much focus on your ability to hear, to heal, to speak, to do what I ask you to do, as if any of it is contingent upon your ability. What is in your heart to do has been placed there by me. Breathed upon by my Spirit. And it’s my Spirit in you that releases miracles. It isn’t based on whether you have faith for what you can do. It’s based on faith that I—the living God—truly abide within you. If I am within you, I will manifest through you with very little effort on your part. All that’s needed is simple obedience to step beyond the boundaries you have created. Boundaries that set limits on what you believe I can and cannot do through you. Don’t look to yourself when I ask you to do something, checking to see if you have the faith for it, look to me—the One who is the embodiment of faith. It has never been, nor will it ever be about what you can do. It is about me. All-powerful. Alive within you.

Simmons, Brian. I Hear His Whisper: Encounter God's Heart for You (365 Daily Devotions) (The Passion Translation) (p. 168). BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. Kindle Edition.

Is He all you need or are you still trying to take control of things? It's enough just to be with Him, He knows the best pathway for our lives anyways. When I think about this, I am reminded of the story of the woman in Luke ch. 7. She was forgiven of many sins and showed Him great love.

I encourage you to take time to pause in His presence, relinquish control of everything and just worship Him for His great faithfulness and forgiveness. He is Worthy!

- All I Need -

You lead me with your secret wisdom. And following you brings me into

your brightness and glory!

Psalm 73:24

Lord, thank you for your infinite mercy and grace. So often I get stuck in my head, wasting time trying to understand matters that are too difficult for me—things which only make sense with your wisdom. It’s not possible to be led by my spirit when I let my mind take control. I only end up complaining about things and feeling miserable. If it weren’t for your compassion, I’d never find peace.

Yet, in spite of my whining, you draw me close and comfort me with your counsel. Your kindness opens my eyes, so I can see again. Forgive me for trying to analyze every finite detail of life instead of trusting you with the sheer abandon of a child. Nothing in the whole world compares to you. Your love is all I ever need.

The glory of your presence protects me. You whisper secrets that calm my raging thoughts. You anoint me with peace. I don’t have to understand everything. I only have to stay near you—coming closer and closer until imaginations are illuminated by your truth. This is the place of joy. This is life with you.

 Simmons, B., & Rodriguez, G. (2017). Prayers on fire: 365 days praying the psalms. Road Racine, WI: Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC.