Grace

A New Flow Is Here

~ Patrice A London ~ Leave a comment

Today is my sweet sister Karina’s birthday.  She is an amazing gift to me in so many ways.  Just before my (biological) sister and friend Kerina went home to be with the Lord at 40 years old, the Lord gave me another sister with a very similar name and gifting.  Karina is a constant reminder that God loves me dearly.

Karina was talking to a few of us today about how God has instilled a greater amount of patience in us over this last season, and she declared no more delays over us.  I feel wholeheartedly that she is on to something as I sit and consider various circumstances in my life that seemed to be put on pause, some at what felt like, the worst moments.

You know how, when difficult situations arise and then pass, once you’re on the other side, you see clearly how you could have done things differently?  This is one time where I can say that I did a lot better than ever before.  In the midst of my “great pause”, I did some lamenting, but primarily, it was out to God.  The lamenting I did to the few people that I did, proved to be amazing choices too, as I became surrounded and engulfed in prayer and godly counsel.

The most important thing I believe I did right this go ’round, is that I although I felt circumstances in my life were on pause at horrible moments, I kept moving forward, sometimes crying, but praising and worshiping God the whole way through.

When and where there was something I could do to help, I did it, and continued on, even seeing little to no changes. When I wasn’t seeing much progress in my post partum weightloss journey,  I kept right on running- literally.  When I couldn’t seem to write, when my ability to flow with my writing seemed to have packed up and moved away, I would write just a word.  I literally have a document with a list of words. When I experienced marital issues, I did my part and pressed onward, in love, because ultimately, I love my husband and want to stay married to him for the rest of my life.

Now, I am seeing steady, small changes for the better in my marriage and weight loss journey.  Today, I did not write mere words, I wrote paragraphs.  I flowed with Holy Spirit and wrote what the Lord gave me to write.  I finally feel like I am truly working on one of my books!

My prayer for you is that you would experience this flow of movement in a wonderful direction.  I declare that what was stopped up and blocked off, is now open. My prayer is that you don’t despise the difficulties you have experienced.  I pray that you see how they have helped you to grow. I speak a holy release over you.  May you always flow with the Lord and be productive, producing a harvest far greater than anything in your wildest imagination!

 

 

Done With “Do Do”

~ Patrice A London ~ Leave a comment

A few months ago, in a meeting, a dear friend challenged a small group of us to find our life verse. I loved the idea, but I definitely felt it would not be an easy feat to choose one verse from the entire Bible that would be the verse that stood out so much to me that I would feel comfortable saying, “Here. This is the one right here.”  I prayed about it and forgot about it, well not completely, but I didn’t pressure myself to figure it out.

Wouldn’t you know, God has given me my verse!  So here’s the thing, I will share my verse with you of course but don’t be all anticipating that it will end up being yours too, it may very well be, but I know now, it’s mine.  This is not to say that I’m throwing out the rest of the Bible, that would be stupid, but this verse really speaks to a place deep in my being and just strikes me.

My verse is John 6:29 but I have to include at least John 6:28 as well. The New Living Translation of these two verses says, “28. They replied, ‘We want to perform God’s works, too.  What should we do?’ 29. Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.'”

The Amplified says 28. Then they asked Him, “What are we to do, so that we may habitually be doing the works of God?” 29. Jesus answered, “This is the work of God: that you believe [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.”

The Mirror says, 28. They immediately wanted the recipe! Tell us then what we must do in order to accomplish God’s work? 29. This is the work of God; your belief in the One whom he has sent! Then it goes on to say, “Even your ability to believe is God’s work!  Realizing your authentic sonship on exhibit in Jesus is God’s gift to you and cannot be earned! How can your labor compete with what God’s rest celebrates as complete!”

In all three translations, the idea was that there had to be some formula, some plan or recipe that we must follow and execute in order to do the works of God.  Jesus’ answer was that we are to simply believe.  He didn’t rattle off a to do list or anything of the sort.  Even in believing, Jesus referred to this too, as God’s work.

As I sat for a moment and considered different situations others I know are dealing with, and my own, I kept hearing, “Be still.  Be still. Be still.”  Then, I heard Godfrey Birthill singing, “Living in the unforced rhythms of grace” and the light bulb turned on.  When I first heard the song, probably a year ago, I loved the words.  I didn’t understand the line, “living in the unforced rhythms of grace” but my spirit loved it immediately.  When I say loved it, I mean loved it.  Admittedly, my mind had no idea though. I’d just sing happily, along with my children who also love the song.

Now, I get it.  Grace is free, unearned, a gift, and I can live from that state of being.  I don’t have to pull out formulas, hoping something will work.  I don’t need to say this special prayer or do this special thing or that, I can simply trust.  I can just believe.  I can truly live in the unforced rhythms of grace and receive all my Abba has for me.

I get that not everyone will understand this just yet or experience the “Aha” moment I have, that’s OK. My prayer though, is that we would simply trust Him and stop trying to conjure up whatever we are believing Him for, by trying this “recipe” or that.  If He said it, it is so, and I for one am going to believe, because Jesus himself said to do so.  If we could do all the work ourselves, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to come.  Thank God, Jesus did come, and, he said it was finished.  He did all the work, even that of enabling us to believe as he chose us first.  So, I’m done, friends.  Done with the do do’s. I will simply trust, as Jesus said.  Hope you will too.

An Unconscionable Love

~ Patrice A London ~ Leave a comment

All five of my children have gone to the library, which has afforded me a very rare moment to be (physically) alone.  Naturally, I immediately set out to cleaning and straightening a few things, and, talking to God.  These days, I sometimes don’t feel able to do much more than ask Him to help me.  I need help loving people when they are at their worst.  I need help in being gracious when I want to go completely ballistic, telling people off in a manner that I feel they are so deserving. I need help in having compassion for those who are oblivious to their need to change destructive behaviors and patterns.  I need help minding my life, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts and business, instead of concerning myself with that of others around me.  My stuff is a lot, all on it’s own.

All this led me to consider Jesus.  Seriously, how did Jesus do this?  How could he look with love and compassion, blessing and healing those who would later scream, “Crucify him!!!”  How did he do that?  How could he smile, eat, drink, laugh and hang out with people who were utterly selfish, self serving, cruel, rude and more?  How could he hand over the money bag to a man that he knew would steal from them all and eventually, literally sell him out?  How could he not look at Judas, in this case, and not punch him square in the face?  My God! How did Jesus do all this?!

I sit here and consider myself and others, and how when we are betrayed or hurt, we feel as if we are the only ones who have these feelings.  We feel justified and sometimes go to great lengths to ensure that justice is served in one way or another.  We hope they pay for what they did to us, all the while, we are blind to our own offenses against others and God.

We want to see everyone “pay the piper”, except us, of course.  We want that ‘get out of jail free’ card. When it comes to us, we want mercy and compassion.  The same mercy and compassion we deem others unfit to receive, from us, and God.  Lord help us.  My prayer is that we truly learn to love as Jesus loves.  To seek after the best for others, not just ourselves.  The Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  We weren’t looking for him.  We didn’t want or choose him.  He chose and still chooses us.  Good and bad.  Ugly and pretty.  Nice and nasty.  We are immeasurably, irrevocably, and deeply loved.  Abba, help us to love as you do- with no limits or conditions.

For You Dear Reader, With Love

~ Patrice A London ~ Leave a comment

Last week, before I traveled to spend a few days with family and friends in DC and Maryland, I told the Lord that I wanted my next blog post to be centered around you.  I asked Him to give me ideas and thought naively that I would write this blog post while I was down there visiting.  Of course, that didn’t happen.  Here’s what has happened…  This morning, I looked at my Facebook newsfeed’s, “On This Day” section and saw the memories I made on this day, last year and years before, and I found the perfect thing for you!  It’s a prayer that I wrote.  Instead of just writing word for word though, I’m adding to it and changing it a bit, as I want to make it more of a declaration for you than a mere “wish list”. So, here it is, for you, with lots of love, my dear reader.

I speak peace and joy over you. No matter what is going on in your life and around you, may you always remember that you are never alone, never without options, fully surrounded, and deeply loved.  May every trial you face, push you further into the arms of your Father until the enemy refuses to waste any effort and/or resources targeting you.

I command healing over your body, from top to bottom.  His blood flows through your veins.  You are His family and because healing is the children’s bread, eat up and savor every morsel, dear one.  I decree that not only are you healed, but you are transitioning to walking in divine health because as a child of God, it is your right, your inheritance.  Jesus left no one sick.  His will is always that you be healed, so I declare that over you, in Jesus name.

I speak encounters with the Person of Love over you, knowing that perfect love casts out all fear and I pray that you would give the enemy nothing to agree with in your life, thereby giving him no room to enter in and run rampant.

I decree that all chains and strongholds over your life are broken and destroyed.  You are free.  You are free to be you without apology, fully being who you were called to be before the foundations of the earth.

I decree that your mind is being daily renewed in such a way that you don’t suffer from that old, ugly orphan spirit.  I decree that you walk in an ever increasing measure of revelation regarding who you are and Whose you are, so that you are free from being critical, bitter, depressed, worn down and out and lonely.  The truth is, you are loved with an everlasting love, fully surrounded and cherished, just for being.  There is nothing you can do to make God love or value you any more or less, so I declare that the religious spirit is not a part of your life, making you think you must do something in order to get something from the Lord.  Before you knew Him, He loved you, chose you, appointed and called you.  Before you were born, He died for you and gave you His all.  You did nothing to deserve or earn it, He did it because He loves you.

I declare that you are wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove.  You don’t easily fall for the enemy’s tricks to get your focus off God and onto yourself and your faults.  If your focus shifts to your faults and makes you feel like you are back to square one, “Just a sinner, saved by grace”,  I ask that Holy Spirit would pull you back from that religious way of thinking.  You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus now, no longer a sinner, no longer a slave to sin.  Your focus is ever on your Father and His immense love for you.  No distractions.  When you focus on you in this way, you’re missing out on what God has for you and what you are to give others around you. This is self-centered, not at all as holy as it seems.  The Father does not want us beating each other or ourselves up over sin.  He doesn’t do this to us.  He paid for every single one of our sins long before we were born.  Focusing on your shortcomings does not help you to get better, as what you focus on is what will grow in your life.  Focus on the Father, confess all to Him and allow Him to change your focus. Be filled and stay filled with all that He has for you.

I declare that wisdom and understanding be your closest companions.  I ask that you become adept in stepping back, outside of yourself, when things happen.  That you would climb into your Heavenly Father’s lap and see from a higher perspective, what is truly going on and behind every situation you face.  I pray that you take to heart the fact that we wrestle not against flesh and blood.  I declare that you see with greater clarity than ever before and can have compassion and wisdom in every circumstance.  May your eyes be opened to the enemy at work so that you don’t fall for his tactics.  I speak a constant flow of Holy Intel over you, straight from Holy Spirit.  You won’t miss a thing.  You have the mind of Christ.

I declare that you are filled to overflowing with every good thing- so much that you can’t help but affect and infect others with the goodness of God.

I declare that you live, truly live, not just exist. You will not just reach your destiny, but you will enjoy the journey and help others do the same.

I declare a holy unrest over you that causes you to refuse to stay where you are forever, that you would be both content but also rise ever higher in life.

I declare all the best for you, as I want for myself. Let’s rise together. There’s no ceiling. There are no walls. If you have built any for yourself, my prayer is that you would break through them and be free.  I love you, dear reader.