Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Don't Worry, Pray and Give Thanks!


How many of you can agree there are passages of scriptures you come across many many times? But, there are times with the same passage it appears as though it leaps off the pages and you grab a hold of it for dear life thanking God for reminding you He got you! My dear friends this is what I call a Rhema Word. It is a seed God has planted in your soul to activate your faith to believe whatever He has promised you shall come to pass.

In light of this Thanksgiving season, I wanted to offer a word encourage to you through Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

It's good to never worry about anything! It seems impossible – we all have worries on the job, in our homes, at school. But Paul’s advice is to turn your worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! See whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.

Jesus said in John 14:27 (NLT),I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Jesus said He will give us that peace if we are willing to accept it from Him. Therefore, enjoy your family and friends this Thanksgiving you deserve it!

Cynthia A. Patterson is the author of the forthcoming book, It Had to Happen – Understanding that everything you go through in life is for God’s Purpose. A sought-after conference speaker, teacher, and powerful prayer warrior who has a passion to inspire and encourage women. She is dedicated and sold out for the cause of teaching young adult women their significant purpose and worth is found in Christ alone. Her message of faith and wholeness is raising the awareness of God’s purpose and exposing each woman to the reality of His never-ending, love, mercy, and grace. Cynthia lives in Houston, Texas with son Michael who she calls her “mighty man of valor” as he is her first ministry.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Create a Plan Providentially


For most of us organization is very important. We plan everything. We plan where we will go to school, what we will study, and our future occupation. We must understand, however planning is not merely a matter of following the principles in some book, but recognizing our God has something to say about our plans. When you plan, you must biblically think about what you are doing. Will what I am doing bring Glory to God? Will my endeavors make me a better follower of Christ? When you can answer yes to these questions, only then can you plan with an attitude that God is pleased with. Your hardest work and best plans won’t please Him or garner success unless they are sanctified by Him. Proverbs 16:3-4, 9, is the perfect guide for ANY planning session, whether spiritual or otherwise: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends, even the wicked for a day of disaster. In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

I would like to encourage you to know the decision to change must be accompanied by changed behavior. Just as you cannot be a reformed burglar if you are still stealing, likewise you cannot be a child of the King unless you are living as though you are one of His chosen. The way you live, whether you are upholding God’s precepts or not, have serious implications for the success of any of your endeavors. If you are not living right, you should not be asking why you are not experiencing success in your endeavors. Proverbs 12:5 says, “The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.” No matter how you twist and change this verse, we all have to admit one honest to God truth: If you are not living righteously, DO NOT expect God to bless your efforts. Our God is a loving God, not blind or foolish.

Jay E. Adams says “Your life is short, your life is unpredictable, your life is feeble, and your life is entirely in God’s hand.” I truly believe this to be the case. We must come into the realization we are no longer going to live in the same state of despair anymore and put a plan together to make something happen. Viktor Frankl put it best: “Those who have a why to live, can bear with almost any how.” How we plan deliverance is the answer to becoming whole again.

Cynthia A. Patterson is the author of the forthcoming book, It Had to Happen – Understanding that everything you go through in life is for God’s Purpose. A sought-after conference speaker, teacher, and powerful prayer warrior who has a passion to inspire and encourage women. She is dedicated and sold out for the cause of teaching young adult women their significant purpose and worth is found in Christ alone. Her message of faith and wholeness is raising the awareness of God’s purpose and exposing each woman to the reality of His never-ending, love, mercy, and grace. Cynthia lives in Houston, Texas with son Michael who she calls her “mighty man of valor” as he is her first ministry

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

No Is Not An Option!




For the past few weeks I have noticed on the local and national news, story after story and number after number shocking disparities in women lives. These messages have been clear and consistent that some women have become discouraged and frustrated. They are giving up on looking for jobs. They are giving up on their marriages. They are giving up on church. They have even given up on life.

What I’ve discovered so far is that there are a lot of broken women. Women who are broken physically, mentally and financially. They can’t see past where they are and have lost hope on what’s ahead. They have lost the zeal of experiencing what we’ve heard so often called “The American” dream. I mean from the best neighborhoods to worst across America, everyone is experiencing the turbulence of troubled times causing us to say no I just give up. I quit.


I believe positioning yourself for purpose is predicated on your next decision. In the book of Ruth, we can see an example of this type of determination through two devoted friends Ruth and Naomi. I am encouraged through Ruth because here we have a young woman who was a princess. She is the great grand-daughter of King Eglon of Moab. She was married to Mahlon who later died and now she is a young widow. She is faced with a situation that is hopeless. She has no husband, no money and no means to take care of herself.

I don’t know if you are aware of this. But in those days widows had no standing in the community and were totally dependent upon the good will of their families and friends for survival. It was the duty of the Priests to look after widows and orphans, but there was no such provision in Moab; because there was famine in the land.

But something happens to change her destiny through the wisdom of her mother-in-law Naomi. In chapter 1 verses 6-7 says, One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah. (Message Bible)


Sisters, feeling sorry for ourselves or continuing to wallow in our pity parties is not going to help us. Naomi’s action is what I call Decisive Faith – Faith that says, “I have to make the decision and get myself together”. She received a word God was blessing the people and decided it is time to take a step of faith towards her destiny.

This is the problem we face as women, when we have things that block our perspective on what is going on. We can be so close to God, but yet so far away. We can avoid the consequences of poor decisions by taking God’s word seriously. You may think you have been rejected, excluded, cutoff, and shutout, but, I want to encourage you that God wants to put a word down in your spirit that will enable you to get up and make a decision to begin moving toward your deliverance.

After examining her situation, Ruth refuses to take “no” as her final answer decides to leave her current state and go. She decided to go with Naomi to Bethlehem. Ruth did not allow herself to be paralyzed by her lack of a husband. She understood God’s promised provision and was willing to position herself for purpose. She understood it would take act of obedience, diligence and was able to receive the blessings of God.

Ruth was able to discern when her season was up. In chapter 1 verse 16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God”. She realized she was in a difficult place because there was a famine. Sisters, shift your focus. Quit looking at your situation and start anticipating your blessings. Don’t be so preoccupied with your current situation that you don’t see beyond it. For example, if you’re having problems with your job, look beyond it. If you are having difficulties in a relationship, get past it.



Or are you like Orpah? Who was so preoccupied with her situation she could not discern the blessings ahead. Orpah made a decision to turn and go back. Orpah was a woman full of unbelief and empty of wisdom. She made a mistake on making a now decision on a then experience. She was limiting her future to her past. She had more faith in her lack than she had in the promise. Sisters when you do that, you are limiting on what you could be based upon what you have been. Just like our sister Orpah, you become preoccupied with problems and situations, when you should be looking at opportunities.


Instead of focusing on negative, develop an attitude of expectancy. To say you were born this way and you will never change -- negative. To say this is how I am and it is what it is -- negative. To say, I don’t have enough education – negative. To say I am too fat – negative. To say I will never get married – negative. Your current situation isn’t the destination, but a chance to alter the course to get there. You have to take a stand and be bold enough to say like Ruth, “no is not an option”, I’m going all the way. I am moving forward!

Peace and blessings to you,
Cynthia A. Patterson
www.dove-ministries.org
"Author of the forthcoming book, It Had to Happen - Understanding that everything you go through in life is for God's Purpose."