Deborah Perkins's Blog, page 24

2018: The Year of the Impossible!

Dear Friends,

There are so many wonderful promises from the Lord for the coming year that I found it nearly impossible to title this week’s post. In the end, the most significant of these promises is the one I chose: 2018 is to be the YEAR OF THE IMPOSSIBLE COMING TRUE.


​The Year of the Impossible
​Many of you have dreams that have never been realized, and 2018 is the year those dreams will come true. It is a year of joy, a year to hit your targets; a time when doors open for you and God restores family relationships that have been strained.

The Lord says, “What you had previously considered out of reach or beyond achievement is exactly what I will do! Nothing is too hard for Me; nothing is impossible! I will open up ways in the Spirit, rivers in the desert, dry land in the swampy undergrowth, and highways in the bush.”

He showed me Isaiah 35 as a key scriptural “picture” for us this year. Isaiah 35 describes a “highway of holiness,” an open road through the wilderness, and a smooth and uninterrupted path into the things of the Kingdom.

I saw in the Spirit this “way” God described. As I looked, the earth’s surface became smooth and glassy all around. I heard the Lord say, “That which has stood in your way in the past will now be flattened, the rough places made smooth, so that you can pass by easily.”

The road I saw was glossy; silky. I heard Him speak of the “Silk Road,” that ancient trade route from Asia to Africa. In the same way, God is reopening ancient “Silk Road” routes in the Spirit. These routes are so well-traveled that they are easily traversed, having already been forged. (See note 1, below)

I saw that this year’s work was not a heavy, groundbreaking work with great difficulties, but an easier revisiting of previous routes in the Spirit that have worked before. A returning to some of the ancient ways that will accelerate you in the present. You may find that discarded practices such as meditation or the singing of hymns have greater meaning and propel you into greater movement as you revisit them.
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I saw that trade in God’s Kingdom was now possible along these “Silk Roads” – the wealth of the wicked has been laid up for the just, and there is a mercenary aspect to the Kingdom this year that will enable those who need resources to receive them; an increased sharing of our resources.


A Year of Recompense
In addition, the Lord woke me in the middle of the night several weeks ago and said, “This is the time of recompense.” Recompense (according to Google) means “compensation or reward given for loss or harm suffered or effort made.” Synonyms include: reparation, restitution, restoration, and indemnification.
God has not forgotten the things that have been stolen from you, or the ways people have wounded you. He intends to restore the years the locusts have eaten! (2)

The Hordes of Hell Will Not Detain You!
​As I prayed, I saw a giant cross hovering in the air above us; not upright as at Gethsemane, but flat and horizontal, as if suspended like a covering. I heard the Lord say that He is holding back the hordes of hell right now, restraining all that would seek to oppose us, so that we are free to move, free to advance and free to reposition ourselves as needed. I saw that this freedom was intended for the reaping and gathering-in of the great harvest. God is holding back our tormentors in order to give us time to bring in the lost and sanctify what is unholy.

I saw believers working with a happy urgency in the harvest fields, as if in a relay race in which one runs, but the others all yell, cheer, and urge him on quickly so that they, too, can run and fulfill their parts. Great JOY! (3)

Envision Expansion!
​2018 is also to be a year of increased ACCELERATION and EXPANSION for the Body of Christ. I hear the Lord saying, “ENVISION EXPANSION!” Having birthed the promises of God in your breakthroughs this past year, you will now begin to move forward and advance in them. Corporately, not just individually, the Lord is placing His hand upon His flock to guide us gently into greener pastures and cleaner waters. What has become muddied and sullen is no longer fit for drinking or eating. God is releasing fresh revelation of who He is, revelation that will sustain us like good food in the days to come.

"Acceleration cannot happen without activation. You must be positioned to move and in motion already in order to accelerate. You must be ready!" 

"New enterprises will spring forth, new ideas will take root, and though at first you will not notice the rooting, yet in time you will see the growing. Expect green seedlings to be popping up and emerging everywhere around you, like Dorothy’s poppy field in the Wizard of Oz! Yet the effect of this new growth will not be sleepy or deadly inaction, but peace and satisfaction on the part of God’s “gardeners,” the ones who have sown freely and prayed for increase."

I hear the Lord saying: “A great JOY is coming to My people, JOY at the protection I have offered them and the boundaries I have set, to create a “garden of renown.” (Ezekiel 34:29.) This joy and rejoicing will have the secondary benefit of drawing people together as family, as co-laborers and fellow “gardeners” in My Kingdom, delighting to both show and share the blessings they can now see.

“For what has been hidden is now apparent, and the eyes have been opened to My wonders. Previously there was a blindness of foggy confusion over My people, but I am leading you now to sunnier shores where all is in plain sight. (Isaiah 35:5)

“This year is not the time to fear, but to go forth boldly in the power and anointing of My Spirit. Rejoice in the new growth you can see, and encourage those near to you as you help cultivate the gardens of their dreams also.

“I am building community where once individuality reigned. I am restoring families where once independence separated. I am calling people home, like prodigals, to the goodness and richness of the Father’s land and Kingdom, something they once rejected but now can receive.

“My door is open; in fact, ALL the windows and doors have been thrown open in the Spirit, to allow full access to My delights. I would prohibit NO ONE in My Kingdom from having full access to My treasures, because I am a trusting Father who builds His Kingdom on the basis of trust. Those who trust Me in return are blessed.

“Pull out of My storehouses all that you need to cultivate your dreams and expand My Kingdom! Envision the expansion you would like to see, even to the farthest boundaries of the Kingdom! For I am limitless, and My children will learn to operate under a “limitless” anointing this year. Is it not My Spirit who directs you, who dreams within you? Together, all things are possible. Together, we can conquer the world with the goodness and love of a Father whose love knows no bounds.

“Ask Me for EXPANSION this year. Expand your vision so you can stretch beyond your previous limitations.” (4)

“Expansion will happen first in your mind, then in your world. The desire for expansion will drive you to break out of previous limitations and pioneer new frontiers. Think of the Kingdom as a vast, unexplored territory that knows no limits and is therefore INFINITELY discoverable. There can be no “superstars” in this Kingdom, since daily new realms are being discovered, each as vast and great as the other. And each as necessary to growth and sustainable life as the others have been. Your frustration and lack will drive you to explore and expand, because discovery is often born out of need.

“Stay within the boundaries I have given you, but see your life as limitless and unconstrained, for in the power of My Spirit, IT IS. Work together with Me to open up new realms of glory, provision, truth, and testimonies for others who will follow behind you. They will then advance farther; from your end point will come their beginning.

“Rejoice in the promise of spring, of new life and growth happening all around you, and revel in the joy of knowing that I am the Author and Founder of all these wonderful things. Go freely into 2018!”

Apply this Word: Click Here for Follow Up Post with FREE 2018 Planning Worksheet
Notes:
1: After hearing this word, I researched the Silk Road and found that there is, at the present time, an opening of what is now being called the “Silk Road” between China and Russia, for the transmission of oil and metals back and forth. It is a natural confirmation of what is happening in the Spirit.

2 : How important is recompense, or restoration, to God? When the Jewish nation abused the land by failing to observe the Sabbath for literally hundreds of years, God drove them into exile in order to give the land itself rest and restore its fertility. God cares for land, animals and most importantly, you! (See Jonah 4:11 and Leviticus 26:34-35.)
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3: When you compare this vision with Isaiah 35, you see that unclean people and ravenous animals are prohibited from walking the “Highway of Holiness.” There is an unhindered freedom for God’s people and a protection from that which would draw God’s children astray (Isaiah 35:8-10)

4: There is a difference between a boundary and a limitation. God sets boundaries, but man often imposes limitations. It is not God who limits us, but our own paltry thinking! God is removing our “stinking thinking” and releasing a limitless anointing.

© Deborah Perkins /www.HisInscriptions.com Read More Prophecies Order Deborah's book on Amazon today!Sow a Seed Deborah loves to hear from her readers! Use the website's contact form to send a prayer request or ask a question.

Prophetic Word: Strike Your Targets!

God often gives me simple analogies in the Spirit, to help me see what He is doing prophetically. As I prayed about 2018, He surprised me with a bowling analogy to describe some things we need to be doing this coming year. I pray it might help some of you envision what is happening in the Spirit.   

I saw that bowling balls represent the “weight of His glory,” the ammunition He will use to take out the enemy. Bowling pins are flattened by the weight of a ball - in this case, God’s glory - as it strikes them.  This is a symbol of the obstacles of the enemy in your life being broken, coming down, and being flattened by the weight of what God gives you in this season.

​Bowlers engage in this game by placing their fingers into the three holes of our bowling ball – a symbol of the Trinity and our connection with Him. We first hold the “glory” of the Lord in our hands and then prepare to release it.

The only requirement for us to see the “kingpins” of our lives flattened is our own willingness to play. We must step into the lane He calls us to and make a decision to release God’s glory to engage the enemy!

I saw that each bowling lane represented a church or a group of people to whom you are called to play in a kind of spiritual “league.” Your victories and efforts are your own, but your team – your church – can clinch a corporate victory as your scores are all added together and compiled, to make a more powerful impact. The Lord wants us to be working in teams and staying in our lanes to bring about strategic victories in specific locations (or alleys). In this way, we have not just one, but multiple opportunities to swing and release these glory-balls, striking the enemy and hitting our targets. I heard the Spirit crying, “STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!” as each ball hit its mark. There are opportunities for both individual and corporate victories to abound.

I also heard Him say that there are two things necessary in order to hit the mark and score a strike: a willingness to engage, play, or release those glory-balls, and proper positioning. God cannot accelerate what is not already in motion. You must be willing to play the game, to release the things God has given you, to engage in the battle, so to speak. And you must position yourself properly IN HIM: you must be connected to the Trinity, just as your fingers are connected to the ball. Your body must be centered in your lane – you must be aligned and positioned correctly first, and then you can release that ball in the right timing and direction, aimed at your target. As we release our ball there is an acceleration that happens when the ball hits that smooth, uninterrupted surface – a silky pathway to its destination.

I saw God’s people full of JOY as they “played” in the ease of the Spirit, each in his or her own lane, doing the assignments God has called them to do for the moment. I saw their teammates celebrating their victories and encouraging each other to go on. I saw unlimited potential for success at this time.

God is asking, are you willing to play? Are you willing to try? When you pick up that ball, it’s a symbol of your oneness with God and the Trinity, an interacting with all three members of the Trinity yourself as you handle the weight of His glory, and then a releasing of the same towards your assigned targets. Each lane (or church) represented will have different targets and different areas, but the game is the same. Be centered and in motion, willing to accept and then release what God presents to you!
 
I hear the Lord saying: Set your targets, fix your goals. Without a target you will not reach your goal. Determine now, ahead of time, what you would do. Make plans in conjunction with My Spirit. ENVISION EXPANSION, and then work towards it. You must first SEE the goal in order to position yourself correctly, aligning with My purposes. Identify what each of those “kingpins” represents to you. What are the giants that need to be flattened? God’s glory will take them out when you aim for them! What targets do you have to reach your harvest? To whom are you called? If you are a missionary, to which people-group is God sending you? What hopes do you have that you could not see previously, because they were blocked by these obstacles?

AS YOU DEFINE YOUR TARGET AND AIM FOR THE FIRST PIN (THE KINGPIN) THE OTHER PINS WILL ALL FALL IN CONSEQUENCE. They will be forced to move by the impact of the initial hit on your first goal. Have something in mind. Focus and streamline your efforts, for it will not be possible for you to play in more than one lane at a time! Join a team, pick your target, and play! Get in the game! 

© Deborah Perkins / His Inscriptions Make a year-end online donation by clicking here. Donations are tax-deductible. Special Note: On January 1st, I will be releasing a detailed prophetic word the Lord gave our community for 2018. Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas from His Inscriptions

Blessings to each of you this Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ! May you and your families experience great joy in the Presence of the Lord and be reminded of His countless Inscriptions of love on your hearts this year. I am so grateful to know you and share this journey IN HIM together! 

If you have prayer requests for the holidays, or for the coming year, please email me at Deborah@HisInscriptions.com. I am happy to agree with you for all your requests. Merry Christmas! 

New Book: "Life-Giving Prayer" Makes Talking with God Easy

Order on Amazon Today!
At the beginning of this year, the Lord whispered to me, "If you will listen diligently to Me, I will reward you with a book by the end of this year." Well, October came, and then November, and the inspiration for a book just did not appear, no matter how hard I tried!

Then this month, in one of God's "suddenlies," my breakthrough came and I knew what the book was. Within days Life-Giving Prayer was edited and published, which is a real tribute to the work of the Holy Spirit! Then, I remembered a dream the Lord had given me, also near the beginning of the year, in which a shimmering gold angel handed me an equally glorious book. I now know that ​ this is that book!  

Life-Giving Prayer is a 108-page collection of some of the most powerful articles I have written on prayer, along with an appendix which contains several of the resources from our online Subscriber Resource Library, in giftable form. Chapters include: "Is That You, Lord?"  "How To Develop a Lifestyle of Prayer;" "Heaven's Courtroom;" and "Prayers for the End Times."

Who will benefit from this book? Those who are new to prayer and have questions about how to pray.Seasoned believers who desire deeper intimacy in individual prayer.Neighbors and friends who consider themselves "spiritual" but may not know how to communicate with a personal God.Those who find prayer dry or uninspiring and need ideas for how to invigorate their devotional times. 
Life-Giving Prayer can be ordered directly from Amazon.com. Click on the photo for a preview or to order today! 
View Deborah's books on Amazon
​Special Holiday Pricing Dec 15-21: How to Inherit Your Spiritual Promises is just $0.99 on Kindle! 
Author, Speaker, and Christian Ministry leader  Deborah Perkins  inspires people worldwide to discover "Life-Giving Communication with God." Join her daily on social media, or visit her  website  for prophetic words, Bible teaching, and a free weekly  blog . Need more direction in your spiritual life? Find her books on  Amazon.com!
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Knowing Jesus Through Communion

Dear Friends, 

One of the secrets about communion is that you don't need to be in church to partake of it! As I've taken communion more frequently in my own personal devotional times, I have discovered that it is a powerful way of knowing Jesus better. Today's post is a YouTube recording of a sermon I preached in a local church on "Knowing Jesus through Holy Communion." I pray it will bless you and open your spiritual eyes so that you, too, know Him better. 

~Deborah                    
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Do You Pray This Powerful Prayer?

Let me be the first to admit that sometimes, my prayers don't get answered. It happens to everyone. We're all on a journey, growing in the knowledge of who God is and how He works. No one - not even the most "spiritual" believer you know - has his prayers answered all the time! 

But in 30+ years of growing in the Lord, I've discovered that there are some prayers that are powerful. More powerful than others. One such prayer is asking God for what we call "Divine Appointments." 
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Prayer in the Produce Aisle
I prayed this prayer for "divine appointments" a few weeks ago. I was on my way to a conference, and needed to make a quick trip to the store to pick up some food for my family. On the way, in the car, I prayed: "Lord, I thank you for your divine appointments today. Put me on YOUR schedule. Rearrange my agenda if need be, so that I do what YOU are doing and bring you glory today. Amen." 

That's it. That was my prayer. I arrived at the store, and had no sooner walked into the produce aisle than I heard someone call my name. "Deborah! Deborah! I'm so glad to see you!" 

I turned around and saw my neighbor from across the street standing there, waving me over. She is what you might call an extreme introvert, spending most of her time inside her house. Despite our proximity, I had not seen this quiet grandmother for several months.

Surprisingly, she was delighted to see me. I know this because for the next 45 minutes - in the apple section - she poured out a story of family trauma so heart-wrenching it brought both of us to tears. She was at wit's end, and did not know how to repair the breaches her family divisions had caused. There seemed to be no solution.

"Have you prayed?" I asked.

"No... I used to pray a lot, a long time ago, when I was a single mom. I really needed God then," she answered.

"So you already know how to talk to Him," I said.

"Yes, I just don't do it that often." 

My neighbor is a non-practicing Catholic who, like many people, reaches out for God more when she's in need. Because I had been transparent with her over the years concerning my faith, she reached eagerly for me, hoping I could help. Unfortunately, I was no more able to solve her family difficulties than she was - but I knew the One who could!

"Perhaps it might be a good idea to bring this issue before God in prayer," I suggested. "There seems to be no human way to intervene, but God is not limited. He may have a solution we have not thought of." 

I was aware that time was running out; I had a conference to attend and I had not finished my shopping. I knew that my neighbor was hurting and needed help, and I promised to pray for her. 

"In fact," I said hesitantly, "If you'd like, we can pray together right now." 

I fully expected a "no" answer. After all, we were standing in the middle of the apple harvest at Shaw's! To my surprise, she readily agreed.

As I prayed for her, tears began streaming down her face. She let me continue, apparently oblivious to the shoppers around us, who probably wondered what could be so terribly wrong with the produce! 

By the time I left the supermarket, I was praising God. My troubled, reclusive neighbor had just had a deep and powerful encounter with God. Truly that was a "divine appointment!"

Power in Your Prayers
I could tell you many stories connected to this one powerful prayer. I pray for divine appointments regularly and have had opportunities to talk with people I never expected to run into during the course of my days. Coincidences? I don't think so. I have bumped into friends, encouraged believers, and even led a stranger to the Lord. One day, because my youngest son begged me for a haircut, I witnessed to an entire  group of stylists in a salon!

​Praying for "divine appointments" is all about giving up your agenda and getting onto God's schedule. It's a powerful prayer because when we lose our life - our way of doing things - we gain His. We align ourselves with God's purposes. Listen to the words of Jesus: "I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38, NKJV). Sometimes we wonder what the will of God is for us, and it's really very simple. John 6:29 spells it out for us: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." 

When we believe in a God who is "working all things together for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28); in a God who is "sustaining all things by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3); and who "directs our footsteps" (Proverbs 16:9), we will have no trouble believing that we can do His work on His timetable. We can confidently pray for "divine appointments" and then watch Him put together a schedule so timely, so fulfilling, so powerful and so fun that we cannot help but worship Him even more! 
​  ​ © Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com About Deborah Read More on Prayer

Thanks-Giveaway!

​Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!
I am thankful for every one of you who has read this blog, commented, prayed, shared posts, and given support to His Inscriptions over the past year. You are amazing. In gratitude, I'd like to make this Thanksgiving more fun for you!

Many of you celebrate with family and friends and then head out to shop. To help keep the focus on Jesus this holiday season, His Inscriptions is holding a Black Friday "Thanks-Giveaway!" 
​ It's FREE! 
This holiday giveaway is completely FREE. (...but you can still go shopping if you want to!) 

Sally Clarkson has written a brand new book called The Life Giving Table . It is a wonderful companion to her previous book, The Life Giving Home . In case you missed it, His Inscriptions is all about "Life Giving Communication with God." And I. Love. This. Book! 

From warm-hearted stories, to home-cooked recipes, to ideas for "teatime discipleship," Sally inspires readers to see their mealtimes as "feast times" with the Lord and each other. A missionary, mom, and world traveler, Sally has plenty of ideas to share. She's been lonely and learned how to be a friend instead of expecting one. She's wanted to find new ways to connect with her kids and discovered that mealtimes were sacred spaces. Best of all, she's longed to share with others the secrets God has showed her about building relationships, and her book is a beautiful tribute to that desire.

If you know someone who would enjoy reading about how to nurture faith through feasting, you need to enter this giveaway. You just might win a copy of Sally's book! (And finish your Black Friday shopping early, too!) Here's how to enter: 

1. Go to our facebook page at www.Facebook.com/HisInscriptions anytime between now and Black Friday (November 24, 2107) at midnight.

2. Leave a comment below the giveaway photo, telling us what topics you'd like to see covered on the His Inscriptions blog for 2018. How to pray on a busy day? How to hear God better for yourself? I want to write articles that are relevant, inspiring and helpful to you in your everyday Christian life. There's no better way to do that than to hear from you directly. So leave a comment, and you will automatically be entered into a random drawing to win Sally's new book!

3. Once you're back from your holiday shopping, check in with us on Facebook to see if you are the blessed winner! Winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, November 25th. Please note: winner will need to provide me with a mailing address to receive the giveaway book prize. :-) Keep the book for yourself or give as a gift. I promise you'll love it! 

Thanks for being such awesome friends and supporters of this ministry. I love that each and every one of you longs to know Jesus more. May your thanksgiving for what HE has done in your life overflow to all your loved ones during this special season. I know I'll be thanking Him for you!
​ ~Deborah
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P.S. ~ Want a copy of the book but don't have time to enter our giveaway? Click photo to order online!
​© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com. All rights reserved. Giveaway prize is graciously provided by Tyndale House Publishers ( www.tyndale.com/) in exchange for the posting of this book review. 
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About Deborah Perkins

Jesus is the Highway, Not the Detour!

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling.
~Isaiah 30:15, ESV   

​If you’re anything like me, you tend to become sidetracked from prayer, on a regular basis, by the “stuff” of life. Work, family, friends in need, and even church obligations pull at us constantly, demanding our immediate attention. It isn’t always easy to pray.

The real power to live life victoriously is found in our consistency. Consistent efforts in any area – professional, religious or otherwise – yield success. We cannot expect to reap a harvest where we have not sown! In fact, it is this law – the law of sowing and reaping – that the Lord says will endure forever. (Genesis 8:22.) Like the law of gravity, its application is timeless, its results guaranteed.

Why, then, do we so easily fail to be disciplined in our prayer lives, when we know that consistency will produce a great harvest for us?

Our reluctance is rooted in a wrong belief: that Jesus is a detour, not the highway. 
​"I  Just Don't Have Time to Pray!"
Think about it. You wake up on Monday morning. You spent yesterday at church, so you are feeling renewed, refreshed, and ready to tackle the week ahead. The pastor’s inspiring sermon is still ringing in your head, and you have plans – big plans – to make an impact for Jesus in your home or workplace. “Change is possible,” you think, “I just need to do what I’ve heard preached all these years.”

Full of ideas and plans for the week ahead, you decide you don’t really need to take the time to sit and pray today. God is with you, you think, and you need to make use of as much of your free time as you can before you get to work. Sitting down for an hour to pray would derail you, slow you down. You don’t have time for “detours” right now.
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So you launch into your list of tasks and get a head start on the day’s events. You plow energetically through Monday, and then Tuesday, and by “hump day” you realize something is off. YOU are off. Off track, that is! In your excitement to “get things done,” you neglected to really listen for the Lord or focus on His Word. Sure, you played some worship music in your car on the way to and from work, but now you’re feeling drained, tired, maybe even overwhelmed because your list is still as long as it was on Monday, but your energy is coming up short. 

"I Think God is Mad At Me..."
At this point, the enemy sees an opportunity. He quietly suggests to you that you have really missed it. “Three days without God!” He chastens. “Tsk, tsk! God must be mad at you.” Suddenly, you feel guilty. You’re not much of a Christian, are you? Why can’t you just maintain a regular quiet time, like everybody else?!
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The truth is, everybody else struggles with this, too, because we all share a common enemy. We all live in the same busy world. And invariably, we all reach the same conclusion: being with Jesus feels more like a detour in our life than a highway.
​ How Do I Change Direction?
I have felt the same way. As I’ve shared in previous posts, I am a strong “type A” personality. I LOVE to-do lists, because I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finish them! To put it simply, I am already consistent and disciplined in my life – but not always in the right areas.

To change direction, I have had to renew my thinking to see things God’s way. People, not tasks, are the priority. Love is the standard of measurement for believers: not whether we finished our lists, evangelized the masses, or raised successful children. It is relationships that are key: with Jesus, first, then with the people around us. Thankfully, I’ve learned to apply the same discipline I have in my “workaholic” personality to maintaining a consistent time of prayer.

It has not been easy. Relationships, with all their messiness, can feel like detours.

Jesus confronted me about this one day. He said, “I am the highway, not the detour!” I saw, in that instant, that I placed a lower value on knowing God than I should. The apostle Paul said his greatest desire was to “know Him [Jesus], and the power of His resurrection…” (Philippians 3:10) Sadly, I could not say at that time that this was true for me.

Many of us feel pressured to hurry through life. We are programmed to avoid detours, or what we perceive as such. Our GPS warns us when something on our route will slow us down. Caller ID notifies us in advance of calls we’d rather avoid.  Often life's “detours” look a lot like people: relationships.  We feel that anything that stands in our way prevents us from reaching our destiny. Or does it?

When Paul was kept under house arrest for two years, was it a detour, or destiny? God used people who opposed Paul to multiply His Word in Rome. In fact, Paul’s boldness while imprisoned empowered many other believers to preach boldly, too.

When Jesus was crucified, was He being prevented from doing His ministry or propelled into the most magnificent ministry of all: the resurrection?

When the believers in the early church (Acts 4) took the time to pray after being threatened by the authorities, were they taking time away from ministry or contributing to it?
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The Bible tells us that after these believers prayed, revival broke out. The building was shaken, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit, and with “great power” and renewed boldness believers testified about the resurrection of Jesus!

Take the Highway!
The time we take to develop our relationship with Jesus is not a detour. It’s a highway. Sowing to the Spirit reaps rewards we cannot manufacture in our own strength. Our minds are renewed. Our energy is restored. Our time is multiplied. And our tasks become easier. After all, look at the community in Acts 4. Is it easier to pray for people one by one to receive the Holy Spirit, or for God to show up and fill everyone at once?! My vote is for the latter!

As you change your mindset to see your relationship with God and His people as a priority, you will see Him change your circumstances so that what needs to happen, happens more effectively. For a “Type A” person like me, there is nothing as exciting as that! I love that when I take care of God’s business, He takes care of mine! We are partners, and partners talk. Partners plan – together. Partners listen to each other, share ideas, and shape and refine their plans into something much greater than what one could do alone.
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My prayer for you today is that you will make a fresh decision to spend consistent quality time with your Lord. Put it on your calendar first. Nothing else compares. In fact, as Jesus told Martha, nothing else really matters! Over time, your diligent sowing will yield a harvest. Your thoughts will become enemy-proof. Your efforts will be more effective. Because when you pray, symbolically giving Jesus your meager loaves of bread, He blesses them, and multiplies them in ways that no mere man can reproduce. 
© Deborah Perkins /www.HisInscriptions.com About Deborah Perkins Give a Gift!