Praise your way to a Breakthrough!

Do you need God to make a way out of no way? The swiftness and surety of your deliverance starts with how you respond to hard times and difficult situations. Hear me when I say, God is not moved by your tears or your complaints….., but He is moved by your Praise! It is not just enough to thank God and honor Him only when you've received a blessing. God wants you to show the extent of your faithfulness and trust in Him even in the midst of going through a challenge. The power of your praise will determine the magnitude of your breakthrough. Not how loud your praise is, but how large your faith is in God! Praise is not just clapping your hands or applauding God. It is showing respect, honor, and gratefulness, by using your whole heart, mind, soul, spirit and body to honor God with the fruit of your lips, despite your circumstances. Paul and Silas didn't wait until they experienced a breakthrough to praise and thank God. In the midst of difficult circumstances, they praised God and received the breakthrough they desired. Let’s look at this text of scripture…… Acts 16:25, 26 (New Living Translation) reveals, "Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!" Paul and Silas praised God even when their backs were bleeding and their feet and hands were in chains. Despite the pain and suffering they were going through, they praised God anyway; and as a result, God shook the very foundations of the prison, setting them free But their praise did even more....everyone who was connected to them in that holding cell was set free too! If you trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; If you believe in the Lord and know that everything is working out for your good; If you refuse to mumble, grumble or complain…: In the midst of your circumstance, situation, test or trial…God will shake the very foundation of your prison; your bondage, your problem...and not only set you free, but those who are connected to you and the circumstances as well! Make a quality decision right now to Praise God and give Him Thanks, no matter what. Praising God should become second-nature for all Believers. Because we know that all things are working together for our good! In Psalms 102:18 it reads, "This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord". We were created to praise God, and it becomes a natural expression of your love for the Father when you spend time in the Word and meditate on His goodness, and Praise Him in advance. Listen, If you don’t cry out and praise Him with your whole heart, God will allow the rocks to cry out! If God can cause water to BREAK FORTH out of a rock, how much more should our Praise cause our blessing to breakout and break free, as it places a demand for the elemental forces and hindering entities to loose and let go the promises of God! Enough is Enough!! When you have a heart for God and you know He loves you, your confidence in His ability to deliver you soars to higher heights. You know help is on the way and you eagerly anticipate it. You know that the answer has been released and the intensity of your praise mixed with the tenacity of your faith causes the angelic host to excel in strength to cause the kingdom to invade your situation. As it is in heaven, it shall be on earth!! Then as it is in heaven it shall be. Listen folks…. Do you hear that sound…. Heaven is coming!!!!! First Thessalonians 5:16-18 encourages, "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (NLT). Do you belong to Christ? Then His will is for you to be joyful; never stop praying; and give Him thanks in ALL things! You cannot be selective if you want or need a breakthrough! That does not mean that God wants you to thank Him for negative circumstances; He says to thank Him while you're in the midst of them. Doing this shows that you trust Him to bring you out. And He will bring you out. Look back at the last insurmountable situation you were in. Did not God bring you out. He is the very same God. He has not forgotten you… and He knows your name!And this time He will bring you out with a Shout! If you want a tough stain out...SHOUT IT OUT!!!Shake it off and Praise your way out! The storms of life are going to come; but don't let them disturb your peace and affect your thoughts and emotions. This will only move you into self-pity and frustration. Instead, maintain an attitude of gratitude and praise. Don’t allow the enemy’s feeble attacks to become effective and shut up your praise. He is like a lion; he is NOT the Lion!! Praise is a weapon of warfare. The devil knows when you mean business by your faith in God; and your Praise simply confirms your faith and trust in a mighty God!That's your roar. And when the enemy hears that sound, he begins to flee, because you have announced that you are resisting his tactics. The kingdom of God suffers violence and we the violent take it by force with our.... PRAISE!!! Your first line of defense is the Word of God. Meditate on it and give it life by speaking it over your circumstances. If you need healing, meditate on scriptures that reveal God's ability to heal. Receive that Word in your spirit and begin praising God for your healing. Then act on it. Do something you could not do. Faith without works does not reveal your faith to the enemy. Likewise, If you need finances, meditate on scriptures that reveal God's ability to bless you in spite of. God wants to prosper you. He wants to heal you. Why? Because John wrote, "Beloved, I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. So as the Word of God declares, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4-7, NIV). When you are in a situation and there seems to be no way out, open your mouth and praise the Lord---and don't stop. Instead of crying and complaining, give God praise because you know He has a plan for you that includes deliverance, restoration, redemption and peace. Thank Him for His goodness because your praise will stop the enemy and move the hand of God. And if God be for you who can be against you! When your deliverance comes, continue to praise Him because He has more in store for you. Thank Him for breakthrough in your home, in your marriage, on your job, in your business or ministry; thank Him for breakthrough in your health, your finances, in your relationships and with your children. Through your authority in Jesus, place a demand on your breakthrough and watch God show up in your life and show out in ways you would have never imagined. So today,let me close with this short prayer for 'Breakthrough'. I want to give you the opportunity right now to exercise your faith and praise God. Praise Him, because you know you have already received the breakthrough you needed for your personal circumstance and situation, for your health, relationships, your finances, your employment, your education, your business, your visions and dreams, ministries…. So at the end of this prayer, right where you are... Praise God from whom ALL blessings Flow! And when the answer you have received arrives or manifest, make sure you testify and tell others about your God who is the Lord of the Breakthrough! Email rfl@rhondaflewis.com and share; Place it on our facebook page or share your testimony on one of our forum lines . So Come …. Let us pray… According to - Psalm 91 for our Breakthrough Confession: right Now in the Mighty name of Jesus, I take authority over this day and the rest of this year, in the name of Jesus. I decree that all the elements of this day and for the rest of this year will cooperate with us. I decree that these elemental forces should refuse to cooperate with our enemies and the hindrances to our breakthrough. I speak unto the sun, the moon and the stars. They must not smite me. I speak dichotomy, acrimony, and segregation into the air, land, sea and fire. I pull down every negative force and energy planning to operate against my life this day and this year. This is the year the Lord has made, We will rejoice and be glad in it. I dismantle any power, witch or warlock uttering incantations trying to capture my breakthroughs for the rest of this year. I render such incantations and satanic prayer null and void. I retrieve this day and the rest of this year out of their hands, in the name of Jesus. Spirits of favor, counsel, might, a fresh anointing and power, come upon us now, in the name of Jesus. We shall excel during the rest of this year and nothing shall defile or stop us. we shall possess the gates of my enemies. This day the Lord shall has anointed us with the oil of gladness. We come against the spirit of heaviness, oppression, depression, worry, stress and anxiety. For what can man do to us? The Joy of the Lord is our strength. The fire of the enemy shall not burn or consume us. Our ears shall hear good news and we shall not hear the voice of the enemy. For we know that our future is secured in Christ, in the name of Jesus. God has created us to do some definite services for and to mankind. We were created for purpose and He has committed into our hands some assignments which He has not committed to anybody else. He has not created us for nothing but for something. Therefore we shall do good. We shall do His will. We shall do His work. We shall be agents of peace. We shall be carriers of His anointing. We shall be disciples of love. We will trust Him in whatever we do and wherever we are and in any situation we are involved in. We can never be cast aside, cast out or seemingly downgraded. It is only a set up for a come back. And when God restores, He restores with benefits. We are ready for an upgrade even now in Jesus mighty name. There will be no poverty of body, soul and spirit in our lives for the rest of this year. The anointing of God upon our lives gives us favor in the eyes of God and man all the days of our lives. We shall not labor in vain. We shall walk into our season.For this is the set time for God's unmerited favor. Breakthrough is upon us and we cannot be refused. So give it up, cough it up, loose it and let it go. Don;t hold back. This is the day and year for victory and liberty of the spirit. We retreated only to advance. We are moving forward and we won’t go back. Therefore we have what we say and we decree and declare breakthrough, breakthrough, breakthrough, In Jesus Mighty name….. Hallelujah!!! This is Rhonda Ferguson-Lewis your Spiritual and Transitional Life Coach, the CEO of 'Soul Sessions' of The Winning Image!

Let Go and Embrace Change!

Every year about this time, I start thinking about what my theme word will be for next year. Then, in December, I will take the last 2 weeks and reflect, review and clean up whatever I need to in order to keep things rolling in the direction I desire. This year has definitely been a year of high-impact change. (many changes in the shortest amount of time) Thank God there remained a few folks that stayed along with me for this bumpy ride that now seems to be leveling out! Coming out on the other side of massive changes in my life this year has been a really wonderful, exciting and sometimes downright terrifying experience. I've learned to love change though through many transitions – lost, death of a love one, breakups to make-ups, illness, course correction and change, to name a few. I've learned to surrender and be in the moment, listen to God in our conversations and be okay " with learning how to be content in whatever state I’m in.Oh, yes, these times they are a changin'! Change is all around us and within us. It's so exciting! And yet, though frightening,It’s all good! Everything seems to be changing.... Our government, our economy, our careers, our residence, our relationships, our selves. What do you do? How do you manage it all? Let go of the old and allow for the new. The old what?? The old that no longer serves you. Old jobs, relationships, friendships, material things, mindsets, beliefs and perceptions. There is so much new awaiting you! So much new to create and embrace. But you have to let go of the old to allow for the new. During this season, You must Let Go… and Let God! Some of these things are happening in your life anyway and without your permission and regardless of your prayers. Many are losing jobs and/ or homes, intimate relationships are ending, friendships are dissolving. It can be very stressful yet believe it or not, it's all for your good. How do you know what is "old"? If something is causing you stress, anxiety or fear, you’re driven to try to hold on even though it is not working anymore, chances are that it reflects the old way of doing things. The cloud has moved!! But, If something generates feelings of peace, love and movement, it represents the new. We are in new era now, so we are no longer aligned with the old. Everything is new and that means that it can be exactly the way you want it to be. For you shall decree a thing and it shall be so! Let the old things go. Just let it go and allow for the new. The new that awaits you is truly all that you want it to be. It is your creation, rooted in your truth, your creativity and your choice. Imagine a life exactly as you want it. One that includes fulfilling and meaningful work. Financial freedom and prosperity from using your gifts and talents. Relationships founded in love, respect and caring for self and others. Residing in a community that truly supports each other. Having a balanced life. Just imagine this and more! It is available to you. It is at your fingertips. You just have to let go of the old so that the new can arrive. You couldn’t stop change if you tried. So why fight the inevitable…. Let Go of the Old and allow the New…… let Go and let God! Let go of patterns in relationships that are unhealthy and don't support what you truly desire. Release yourself from the belief that everything has to happen in a certain way or it won't happen. Don't be attached to what it looks like. The more we hang onto how something is "supposed" to look like or how something is "supposed" to happen, the less we are open to the new ways things can look or happen. The tighter the grip on the old, the more we resist the new. If you are feeling stresses, anxious and fearful, chances are you are gripping the old. Recognize this so that you can begin a welcoming of the new. Releasing attachments to the old will open you up to opportunities you never imagined. Exciting opportunities and perfect solutions you never dreamed of. So why are we so afraid of change - even positive change? Here are some thoughts: 1. We don't know for certain what the endpoint or end-game will be. When new territory is crossed, we can only go one step at a time. Many people find that very unsettling - not knowing their destination. Yet step by step is the ONLY way to make progress. That’s how God teaches us to trust in Him and lean not to our own understanding. 2. Paralysis from fear. Trying to peek into the future with certainty is a clear formula for anxiety, fear, worry, frustration and failure. No one is certain of the future. The bible says that even Prophets Prophecy in part. Tomorrow is not promised and sufficient should be today. For tomorrow may not come. I mean, you don't go to bed every night terrified that the sun won't come up tomorrow, do you? Probably not. Yet, there is still is no guarantee. And for that reason some will subconsciously reject change, because the now to them is all that matters, They live in the NOW, Not realizing that they are somewhere in the future and they look much better than they do right now! 3. We think it's going to hurt. Making positive change in your life is the only way to ensure success and happiness. If you don't make that change, you will be stuck in an unfulfilling, purposeless life filled with regret at the end. No one wants that. Your purpose is to make choices, preferably God-like choices , so if you've got too much or too little of something in your life - something's got to change. Have you started thinking about the changes you want to make - in your relationships, health, career, finances, and life? What might your one word theme be for next year? Mine is going to be FLOW (Flow = Favor, Love & Overflowing Wholeness in every area of my life spirit, soul & body! In order for the Love of God, the Wisdom of God, the favor of God and the Wholeness of God to FLOW in my life, does not mean that I will have to severe myself from everything and everyone that I know. But to Allow for the unhealthy parts of these things to fall away and be open for the situations to become new, however that looks, I Must let go of the Old to embrace the new. You will be surprised at what the Spirit of God reveals when you are open! Because what God reveals he desires to heal! God has given you – US the gift to change. He said to be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…. To RENEW is to change! You can change habits, you can change emotions and life by changing the way you think. Submit to the process of renewing my mind, and expect divine progress and supernatural change. Believe the love that God has for you produces change. Refuse to accept past definitions and limitations. Take the Limits off! Embrace God’s view of you through the mirror of His Word and NOT through the thoughts of the old Man in the Mirror. Embrace the NEW – Get ready, be prepared to walk into your next and new season! You are being changed into His image NOW! So, Welcome to The Winning Image! I’m Pastor Rhonda Ferguson-Lewis and this concludes another Winning Wednesday!