We have moved into 2023, another year of God’s Favor, but we must be careful not to pray away the mountains that the Lord may send our way. We must understand that the Lord is always strengthening us for this journey.  So, there will be times that the mountains just won’t move, so we may have to go around them or maybe even over them. As we are being strengthened, He will show us how to flex our muscles of faith, strength, hope and courage. We can’t afford to allow our mind, heart, or soul to become cluttered with thoughts of discontent and defeat.  However, it may require us to flip our thinking on its head and rather than fighting the storms, avoiding the deserts, patching ourselves up, and fixing the cracks, we must embrace the ideas that the Lord will use every method that He can to make us more like Him and He is not going to give up!   

Although it may get tough, the Lord is always on our side, especially when adversity comes. I read that “it is impossible to succeed on this journey without going through adversity. Impossible! If we are successful and have not experienced adversity, we can be sure that someone else has experienced it for us. If we are experiencing it without succeeding, there is a good chance somebody else will succeed one day because of us. Either way, there is no success without adversity.”  Winston Churchill wisely stated, “Success is never final; failure is never fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts,” [especially when the journey gets tough and the mountains are high].

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 40:4-5 KJV

We’ve entered a New Year, 365 days of endless possibilities with God’s Grace and Favor. 

 “This is a time to get organized and to tie up loose ends. [We] need to be clear and unencumbered for the next leg of our journey. [We] have already come a long way. Pause and consider where [we} were a year ago and put it behind you. This is a new day with new possibilities”. 

Spirit of Prophecy by Marsha burns

As we continue to listen to the Holy Spirit, we will not only hear His instructions and directions for our journey, but we will hear the answers to our many prayers.  The Lord promises that:

 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

As I give you the first post of 2023, I am asking for your continued prayers as the Lord extends my territory.  I pray that I hunger for His Word like never before and I remain humble and obedient to His voice.