Bi-weekly column by Dr. Deana Murphy
Earlier this year I felt led to start a prayer team call that would cover God’s marketplace daughters. He gave me the title “Circle of Prayer.” I asked the Lord to reveal who should be included in the circle. We were to take turns to pray as the Spirit would lead. All of the ladies were Believers and entrepreneurs and did show much interest and excitement; however, only two actually participated. I’d planned the perfect theme song and was piping it from my computer on every call. Within weeks each of these two ladies had commitments that would periodically come up and could not make the call. Becoming annoyed and frustrated, of course, I soon ended Circle of Prayer that had lasted a little under two months.
I’m sure I’d heard from God, I thought. My flesh was telling me that God never told me to do this; I was stepping out in arrogance which is why it wasn’t fruitful. But recently, I felt the urge to pick it up again. I didn’t move on it right away, but low and behold one of the two ladies contacted me about her Circle of Prayer team and asked if I wanted to participate. Ugh! God gave me the title Circle of Prayer! Why didn’t she call it something different? And besides, she hadn’t been available before. I became momentarily submerged under feelings of betrayal and bewilderment while thinking, “What do I do or say?”
“Prayer is prayer no matter who initiates it,” I thought!
I could share more about this story, which by the way, turned out wonderfully well, but here’s the point to all of this. Many times we become frustrated when an assignment doesn’t turn out anything like we hoped. And then we sheepishly move away from it. Know this well: when God gives you an assignment, most of the time it will involve other people. However, your responsibility is to be obedient to what he told you to do whether or not others will comply. Don’t let the disobedience or circumstances surrounding others cause you to miss your appointment with destiny. Be unstoppable!
What’s holding you back? I believe many people, perhaps this includes you, are afraid to move out with what God is telling them to do. I also believe many of your cares and concerns about what’s happening in your life right now could be a result of disobedience to God. If you would seek solitude and ask him what is the last thing he has told you to do that you haven’t done, I believe he will show it to you. Then earnestly repent, accept the assignment and move forward with your life. As I’m writing this I am feeling strongly that someone is in a dry place right now and is uncertain of what to do. God has not forgotten you, but he works on principles as well as promises, but not on pride. You simply have to align yourself first with his written word and then with what he has quickened in your spirit to do.
Do it afraid! If you do this, you will shame the devil. He’s probably sitting on your shoulders telling you that you can’t do it. Here’s something that has set me free and I believe it will do the same for you. I heard an evangelist say this: “Always doubt the doubt. “ Doubt is merely a first cousin to fear, and God didn’t give you the spirit of fear so don’t you take it! We all get those butterfly gushes in our bellies when we embark on new territory. That’s okay. How do you think Abraham felt when God told him to leave his country and his kinship go to a place where he would show him? A few butterflies? I’m sure Abraham was downright scared! But he did it afraid. He trusted God in spite of his own fear and became the Father of Many Nations just as God promised. Throughout the Bible you will hear God saying, “Fear not.” He wasn’t only talking to the men and women of old, but to us today. Don’t wait until you’re no longer afraid to step out and do something. If you do, you won’t accomplish much for yourself, your family and even for God. Do it afraid if you have to. Be unstoppable!
Mountain moving motivation! When you tap into the life God designed for you, you will wake up everyday motivated. Don’t watch the economy. Don’t look at what you don’t have. Make decisions based on your calling and not your circumstances. Then you will be moved to manage what God has given you to do. Here’s how to design your life and tap into your personal motivations so you can be quick to walk in obedience to God:
1. Tune in to the Holy Spirit. God placed his Spirit within you to cause you to be sensitive to motivations that will lead you into God’s perfect plan for your life. As you tune in to the Holy Spirit, you will begin to notice simple, subtle nuances and clues to things you enjoy. The Holy Spirit will reveal the deep things of God (See 1 Cor. 2:10).
2. Fuel your fascinations. God said he gives us richly all things to enjoy. (See 1 Tim. 6:17) Nurture those ideas, insights and attractions that catch your attention. Pay close attention to what intrigues you and the skills that naturally come to you. God is speaking and directing you through these gifts and talents that he richly gave you to enjoy.
3. Justify by journaling. Once you’ve captured your insights, ideas and inspirations, put them in a journal. Create a motivational map to lead you to your personal motivating triggers by noting:
a. What stood out to you today?
b. What moved you emotionally and spiritually?
c. What seed of an idea was sparked in you?
d. Was there an “aha” moment in your day?
Remember, God doesn’t speak in the whirlwind, but by the still small voice. Keep watch for those simple subtleties. And don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t completed a God assignment. I know now I was supposed to be on that prayer call even if I was there alone. I allowed outside conditions to stop me! Your spiritual mandate is to obey what God tells you to do. If he has spoken to others to assist you, and they fall back, you continue to move forward. Be unstoppable!
I would love to hear if this article has ministered to you. You can email me directly at dmurphy@eewmagazine.com.
Dr. Deana Murphy is a speaker, educator, blogger, award winning author and founder and CEO of the LivingDesigns360 brand. She specializes in showing over-shadowed women how to renovate their lives and break-free of self-imposed barriers so they can own their power, reclaim their identity and live a blessed life. She helps women confidently change their lives and grow to master the habits of self-esteem, self-confidence and well-being functional in four core areas of life including life improvement, spiritual growth, professional achievement and home and family management. Her holistic methodology to life-improvement engages the unique approach of designing your internal self as one would design their house; room to room meaning from the attic to basement; head to toe. She’s your go-to resource for empowering life makeovers, whether you seek one-on-one consulting, group trainings, workshops or lifestyle makeover events.
Visit Dr. Deana at deanamurphyglobal.com
Email Deana:
dmurphy@eewmagazine.com
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