Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

Don't we immediately want to jump into those prosperous plans? 

There are plans that lead up to "those" plans so that God can achieve His will for our lives.

Righteousness means to live a balanced life. And God is always righteous. 

You are/have been on God's heart, and He has plans for you. But He wants your heart to be on His plans. 

The first step is to recognize that God's ultimate goal for you is righteousness. He is all about righteousness. He desires for you to reflect Him. 

God wants to meet us where we are. 

He wants us to think righteously, to have a mindset of righteousness at all times. 

God knows what plans to put in place to get to the "plans" we have our focus on and to achieve His purpose of righteousness. 

We can become restful in the state of acquiring this desired result. Then, knowing the comfort of the...

What is a prayer request? It's us asking God for help. 

Know that God is the God who sees -- He's everywhere. He is the sovereign God. There is nothing too hard for Him. 

How do we bring this into our faith, into asking God for help and showing the glory of God in the midst of it?

God is our Helper. Apart from His help, we cannot walk this sanctified life sufficiently. 

We might even ask: When am I going to see an answer? (Refer to the book of Habakkuk.) 

Step 1: In your specific need, ask God for help. Ask God first. (Be specific to trace the hand of God.) 

When we ask God, we allow Him to speak to us, to give us the Scripture to pray -- how He wants to move and be our Helper. Listen for Him to speak to you. It will take patience. Lean in. 

Step 2: Trust God for that word. Believe that God is your Helper and believe God as you pray that word back to Him. Trust God for that next step. 

* Before you pick up the phone to call a friend to agree with you

Step 3: Keep your heart in...

God is moving and manifesting Himself in response to prayer. 

People are refusing to remain silent. They are willing to get in the fight. They are stepping into the moment. 

Esther didn't just pray; she stepped into the moment. 

"If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise but from someone else." (Esther 4:14a)

Esther was challenged. 

Step 1: Pray. 

Step 2: Step into the action. 

God's response was relief and deliverance. 

Silent means to plow foward; to engrave, to leave a mark. 

Do what God has called you to do - don't miss the moment. Be a willing vessel. 

* Let God lead you to do something where you can make a difference for the Kingdom. 

Pray for spiritual awakening. Why? Because revival is always preceded by prayer. 

   Why spiritual awakening? Because in revival, in the time of spiritual awakening, it's when we come back to God with true repentance -- a godly sorrow that we've turned our backs on God. And during that repentance there's a true ...

- We are on our way to eternity, but while we're passing by, we're going to make this life count for eternity. 

- Stay in the fight. Don't throw in the towel. Don't let this opportunity of life pass us by. 

* Remember we are part of God's inheritance and He is using us to go out and bring in more of His inheritance. 

1) We are to work out our salvation. 

Work out = go out by faith to bring about an accomplishment, to bring about your purpose.

- Use our faith, use our gift, use the power of the Holy Spirit to bring them about

- With fear and trembling...because you've submitted to God, surrendered everything to Him (fear is holy reverence). You're His disciple, used for His purpose, yielding to His call. 

* Remember, we exist for God, to bring Him pleasure, for His name's sake. 

We don't complain so that we can be light so that others will come to salvation, so that others will come back to God. 

If you're in a weak moment, press on because you're not laboring in vain. It will ...

We need all of God to enable us to please Him in our actions, words, attitudes to reflect the heart of righteousness as we set our hearts on God. 

We have been reconciled to God. We have favor with God.

When we received Jesus, we exchanged that old life -- that sinful, habitual life of sin -- we exchanged it for a new life. So, all things about us are from God. That's what it is to live in Christ. 

How do we activate the role of the three persons of God in our everyday lives? 

(1) God the Father > Authority

(Authority is one of our greatest issues in our world today.) 

Before you turn it off, see how good it is. 

As our Authority, He's our protector and provider. 

Calling on Him, submitting to Him, is what helps bring order to your life. 

We can obey Him because we trust Him. And we trust Him because we know how to love Him. We have a love relationship with Him. 

Take the truth that God is your spiritual Father. 

When He speaks, He speaks through His Word and it will be trut...

God is moving to bring us back to Him. 

Why would He linger in bringing a new heaven and new earth? Because of His mercy. Because we are His inheritance. He desires all of us -- all of creation -- to be with Him. 

x Romans 8:17

I believe God would say redemption is the greatest need and spiritual awakening is what moves that into action. 

Action plan to be part of God's Redemption Team (How we prepare ourselves):

#1 - Offer Yourself to God. Pray Romans 12:1-2 and ask the Lord to direct your steps. 

#2 - Be Intentional. Ask God to show you today how to exist for Him and be involved with what is on His heart. 

#3 - Obey. Be careful not be focused on our tasts/to-do list but on the prayer we just prayed. (See #2)

       The key: My heart must first be established on what is on the heart of God. See the need. 

       Do you remember the vision from the previous podcast? God can use the lifelines to save those who are drowning and drifting. Get a heart for them. 

x Psalm 43:4

So,...

When we live bottom side up, we miss so many of the blessings of God -- and even missing our life-fulfilling purpose. 

First Question: What is this life all about? What is this season of my life all about? (Why are we here anyway? At this particular time?)

- The world would say: I exist for my pleasure.

> Pursue your own ambitions, your happiness and satisfaction.

(Red flag) Where is surrender? Where is humility?

 - The Word is clear: Pursue God. We exist for God. 

** I have a purpose, but it's all about God's purpose for me. **

(Generally, it's to obey and worship God.)

(Checkpoint) We see passed ourselves and see others -- passed me but about the Master.

* It's not wrong. . . except if the motive is not right

                        . . . except if it wasn't what God had purposed for me/you

For example: I wanted to help lead others to fall more in love with God. 

Practical Implementation: (1) Pray the Scripture for 21 days. (2) See how the Holy Spirit directs you. 

Secon...

This week's podcast starts from the account of Jesus walking on the sea and calling Peter to Him, which is found in Matthew 14:22-33. 

Here, Peter started walking on "the Word." He responded to what had been breathed out over him. When he took his eyes off the Word (Jesus), he began to sink. 

We have to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, no matter what we are in the midst of. The Word will rescue us. Let the Word hold us up.

The people that I'm praying for -- their greatest need is Jesus. May Jesus be seen by these individuals for a true transformational encounter. 

* Throw a lifeline to them 

> Those that are drowning: Pray the Word -- that they will come to Jesus, they'll see their need for Jesus

> Those that are drifting: Pray the Word -- that they'll grab hold, come up, and walk on the water/ the Word

The lifeline is the Word that reached them in their desperation. 

Step One: Pray the specific Word. Speak it out, like a lifeline. 

Step Two: Pray they will grab hold o...

There are people who really want your passion; they want your zeal; they want to know God the way you are pursuing God; they want to see God in a more dynamic way. 

Ask yourself:

(a) Am I aligned with the Word? (b) Is there peace in my heart? (c) Is my passion for God from the heart of God and not my own agenda or selfish ambition? 

* Remember Esther - She set her heart on pleasing the King. (To please means that the countenance of your face reflects your heart.)

When you encounter opposition...

1. Do not take offense. When you get offended, you respond in the wrong way. The proper response is to forgive them. Ask God for the grace to forgive them.

2. Be real. Be honest how God is maturing you in your faith. Speak in love and humility. The challenges you are walking through are making you better.

3. Give testimony. Love others. People who are hurt or wounded really need for someone to love them. This is a testimony of what God is doing in your heart -- not holding a grudge or un...

- We need to live the truth so that people will see what truth looks like. (And living God's Word can be pretty radical!) We have to be intentional. 

Consider finding someone who will walk with you. 

Why do I challenge you to have this someone?

1) We all need godly relationships -- to keep us moving forward righteously. 

2) We need to be accountable to someone -- to encourage us, to pray with one another. 

This includes sharing your heart and your innermost thoughts. This someone won't judge you, won't laugh at you, will guard their responses, hear you, counsel you with the Word, give room for the Holy Spirit to guide your heart, and just listen to you. 

Caution:  When your someone shares with you, guard your response (even your facial expressions). * Be prayed up when you know you're coming together. You want to be prepared for what is going to happen in the moment. We, not cautious of leaning into someone's heart, could inhibit, make a difference in their life.

3) We need carv...