Category:Prayer

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Destiny … via Detours

Trust in The Lord

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

If you’ve read Our Vision, you know Divine Destiny can create some pretty cool concepts.

But if you only look at what’s happening right now – and if you don’t know the Lord’s ways, you might begin to wonder about me and my ability to hear God’s voice.

But if you do know The Lord,
then you totally understand the cool concept of detours.

Right now, I live in Los Angeles.
But my office is still in the OC.
It’s interestingly complicated.

Google Maps helps me find my way to work each day. Depending on the time of day I leave and the current flow of traffic, the mysterious voice (small “v”) coming through my car’s audio system tells me which way to go.

Most of the time, the voice sends me east on the 101, then south on the 405. But some days, the voice tells me to take the 118 to the 5. Which is actually 2 miles longer. But still may be the fastest route.

For today, that is.

Once I’ve heard the instructions and headed in the given direction, the voice (small “v”) reassures me:

You are on the fastest route, and your route is clear.
You will arrive at ____ (the quoted time).

Pretty cool.

GPS > God’s Positioning System

I realize that God is the One Who has put me where I am today – for His purposes. And – just as He’s promised – it will all be for my good. And being on a Detour puts me in Good Company.

  • Remember Joseph? Dr. Tony Evans has an inspiring sermon series called Detours to Destiny, which you can download … or watch on YouTube. Or read a summary here.
    • Joseph was the spoiled, favored son of Israel.
    • And he had a lot to learn on his way to his destiny.
  • Remember the Exodus? Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt toward The Promised Land. It could have been an 11-day walk. But it took them 40 years.
    • The Hebrews had been slaves for 400 years.
    • And they had a lot to learn about how to follow Yahweh.

Learning to Follow

Am I taking the Long Road? Yes. The Scenic Route. I still have a lot to learn. And The Lord is faithful to His Promises. And He is making my path straight. That is, He is in the process of positioning me (physically and relationally) and preparing me (spiritually and emotionally) to fulfill His Purpose in my life.

As I listen to the Lord’s instructions and follow Him – even if it seems illogical, His Voice (Capital “V”) reassures me:

You are on the fastest route, and your route is clear.
You will arrive on time.

Hallelujah!

QUESTIONS: How about you? What is your Destiny?

  • If you don’t know, ask. God will be happy to tell you. (Jeremiah 29:11)
  • If you already know, are you on a Detour? Ask The Lord what He where He wants you and what He wants to teach you during this season of you life. He will be happy to tell you. (Jeremiah 33:3)

How cool is that?

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When it’s more blessed to receive …

If you’ve been following me or have read my most recent book, you know that I grew up without my dad. Back then moms were expected to stay home with their kids. So that’s what my mom did.

She took very good care of my brother and me, but we didn’t have a lot. Christmas meant one gift each … often bought through the genius of my mother’s financial expertise, which could best be described as the Robbing-Peter-to-Pay-Paul method of survival.

On more than one occasion, we were the recipients of Holiday Cheer bestowed on needy families by a local charity. I remember receiving a food basket one year. Literally, it was a bushel basket filled with all kinds of tasty goodies … and some items we’d never seen nor heard of … and never opened.

But the time I remember most was the year of the Shopping Spree. I was in junior high. I don’t know how many kids were involved, but I do know I was one of them. The local discount store was still closed when a bunch of us kids were bused to the front door and turned loose inside to made purchases for ourselves.

What was the limit? I never asked.

I remember a volunteer trying to get me to make a decision about what I wanted. I’m sure we were there for more than an hour. It actually seemed like several hours, though I don’t recall. I ended up with one pair of dark teal slacks – made of lightweight material – and a coordinated printed cotton blouse. Not the warmest choice for a Kansas winter.

The volunteer tried to talk me into other things, but I respectfully declined. It wasn’t that I thought I was above receiving. I was just taught that you should never ask for anything. Never. Not even when something’s freely offered to you.

The enemy still uses that one against me today.

  • He has continually attacked my finances, my relationships … and my identity.
  • He tells me I can’t have what the Lord Himself has promised.
  • All of Heaven’s resources are available to me.
  • Yet – when I fall for the lies, I still opt for my own limitations.

Yes, I have far too often believed the enemy’s lies.

Maybe you have, too. We believe that we must suffer in silence … payment for our mistakes as well as our blatant sins. And we fail to receive the blessings the Lord has stored up for us. Wait! Didn’t Jesus die to pay for all of that?

That’s all a lie! And this means war.

If you’re like me, and you’re still struggling with the same old mindset … and the same problems keep you up at night, you’re probably stuck in some sort of Negative Cycle. We clearly need a new Strategy for Life.

One of my favorite Bible teachers is Priscilla Shirer, author of Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer. She puts it this way:

Strategies? Yes. Because as you may have noticed, the battles your enemy wages against you – especially the most acute, consistent ones – possess a personality to them, an intimate knowledge of who you are and the precise pressure points where you can most easily be taken down. Random accident? Lucky guess? I don’t think so. There areas of greatest fear and anxiety in your life are clues to some important spiritual information. They reveal, among other things, that a personalized strategy has been insidiously put in place to destroy your vibrancy and render you defeated. It’s been drawn up on the blackboard by someone who knows where you live and whom you love, knows your customary tendencies, and knows from long experience how best to exploit every single on of them. And maybe up until now, it’s been working.
(pp. 6-7)

But those days are over! Are you with me?

Théoden: I will not risk open war.
Aragorn: Open war is upon you, whether would risk it or not.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

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My Boldest Prayer

Just over a year ago, I prayed the boldest prayer I’ve ever prayed. And I’ve prayed a lot of prayers. But this one was life-changing in ways I could never have imagined. And I did ask for it.

I’d just boarded a plane headed east to meet my youngest grandson for the first time. Exhausted, I opted for a silent flight. No music. No internet. Not even a book or magazine. Just my earplugs … and 4+ hours of quiet time with the Lord.

What should we talk about?

Prayer changes things. And people.

As you know from reading My Story, my life has been one challenge after another. Many of my lifelong dreams have remained just out of reach. Even now, I consider only a few of my endeavors to have been successful ones.

  • My three amazing sons (grown with their own families)
  • My three psychology degrees (BA, MA, PsyD)

It was July by now, and for several months the Lord had been talking to me about establishing a Christian Couples Retreat Center. [You can read the back story here.] The ideas flooded in as fast as I could write them down. “No one is doing anything like this,” I quickly realized. “The concept is totally unique, Lord! Very romantic and exciting!”

There were just a few problems, however.

Although I certainly have the training for it, I couldn’t help but wonder. Why on earth would the Lord give such An Amazing Vision – such a unique and brilliant concept –

  • to a woman who has been divorced twice,
  • a woman who is clearly no longer a Spring Chick,
  • and who has very little in terms of material resources?

Seriously. No one has that kind of money these days.

But if God wants it, He certainly can make it happen. Right? But why me, Lord? What have I ever done? Yet who am I to question God’s choices for leadership in His Kingdom?

He’s picked a lot of unlikely candidates to advance the Kingdom throughout history.

  • Abraham (an old dude with no kids … at first)
  • Jacob (second-born son who’d been a liar and a cheat)
  • Joseph (a bragger who lived the life of a slave and prisoner)
  • Moses (another old dude … this one with a stick and a stutter)
  • Esther (an orphaned Jewish girl who became Queen of Persia)
  • David (a scrawny shepherd boy who failed to fit the armor, but became King)
  • and Paul (who persecuted Christians … then wrote most of the New Testament)

… just to name just a random few.

So why NOT Dr. Debi (an old dudette)? “Ok, Lord,” I prayed on the plane that day. “I’ve been reminding You of how old I am, and You keep ignoring me.

“Your idea for this Christian Couples Retreat Center is so far beyond anything I’ve ever done. So – assuming You really want me to do this – You’re going to have to put me on The Fast Track.”

“I know I’ve played it safe all my life. But from here on out, you call the shots, Papa. All of them. Let’s make the Second Half of My Life a Real Adventure! You write the script. I’ll follow Your direction and do whatever You ask of me. Whatever You ask.”

At the time, “The Fast Track” I had in mind meant He’d have to start teaching me a ton-at-a-time about how to run the multi-dimensional business that He’d shown me.

Nope. Not even close.

What He’s done is put me on His Fast Track. He’s challenging me like I’d never imagined possible. And refining me in ways I didn’t know I needed to be refined. Here are just a few things I’m learning at a deeper level … so far.

  • Submit to His Lordship. If He’s in charge, then He’s in charge. Follow Him always.
  • Trust in His Goodness. For everything. I mean literally. Everything. Anxious for nothing. I mean literally. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
  • Stand on His Promises. I’m learning to hear His voice best and to take Him at His Word. Always. Because He never lies. Never. And nothing is too hard for Him.

Is this a new thing? I suspect it’s something He’s had planned all along.

I’ve always wanted to make a difference. And that was my goal when I began college as a single mom [and later, graduate school]. I wanted to help at least one person live a better life. But was that a new thought for me at age 40?

No, indeed. I recently recalled a time in junior high school. Yes, that’s when it was. Though I don’t remember the specific context, I’m sure it was during my Youth Group. The passion of it all – still fresh on my mind today – as I eagerly responded – even as Isaiah did – to the voice of the Lord. And I don’t think He’s ever forgotten it either.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

QUESTIONS: What Passionate Pursuit have you had on hold? How long has Your Dream been waiting for you? And what would it take to get you going again?

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