Day 296

It's Day 296 of  The Red Shoe Project and  I've been in my RED heels all day.   It must have been about midnight when I posted yesterday's blog about the mine fields and "going in to the prayer closet"  regardless.   You know... I felt so good as I clicked "publish"  and posted it on facebook.   But before I even had a chance to shut down my computer for the night...

BAM!

I got spiritually side-swiped!

One evening, when I was a teenager, I was driving down a narrow road in a not so nice part of town.   Swooosh!  I couldn't believe it!  I side-swiped a parked car.  It was dark and no one was around.  I was so freaked out, I just kept going.  Now of course I'm not condoning that in any way, shape or form.  I'm mortified that memory has even resurfaced.  My gosh --  that was over thirty-five years ago!  But after last night, it doesn't surprise me, because that's exactly what it felt like when the mine went off!  One minute I was posting my blog and the next minute someone was pushing:

  "THE  BUTTON."  

Not just any button, mind you...  

It was "THAT" button.  

It was

"MY"  BUTTON!

Everyone's got at least one button.  It's that one thing you're extremely touchy about, and when someone pushes it, it creates total chaos flipping your life upside-down!

Seriously?  How did that happen?  And right after I wrote that particular blog?

To be honest with you, I hate confrontations.  I'm one of those people that likes everyone to be happy if that's possible.  It's not so much that I'm a people pleaser -- I wouldn't go that far, but I like a positive atmosphere where people can grow and thrive!  With that said, I'm by no means "a hot head."  I rarely raise my voice in anger.   I prefer peace.  In fact, many have said that I have "a long fuse."  Arguing -- yelling -- disputing -- I don't like any of that!  And if all it takes is for me to take the high road and say "I'm sorry!"  I'll do it for the sake of peacefulness!

BUT...

There's one exception to all that!  

Once in a blue moon, someone will sneak in under the radar, lift up the flap, and press "THE BUTTON"  When that happens, it's all over -- I just loose it!  Call it a family thing. Actually, it's a "kid"  thing.  There's something about a mother protecting her cubs.  The mom looks like a cute and cuddly kitty cat, but WATCH OUT!  She'll rip you to shreds if you even think about hurting one of her little ones.

My cubs aren't so little any more --  27 - 25 - 23 --  All grown up!  But no matter how old they get, they'll always be  "my kids."  I pray for them continually, and I just want what's best for them.  If anything or anyone tries to jeopardize their life -- including they, themselves -- I will ferociously rise to the occasion to defend them.  

Call it  "Mother's Love"  but... well, sometimes, when you're kids aren't so young anymore, it needs to be restrained a tad.  I had a few words with one of my kids last night.  The few words ended up being a long, drawn out, heated conversation, and although some misunderstandings were resolved on both ends, and everyone said they were sorry and made up,  I was war torn when it was over.  Being the black and white person that I am...

 I just wanted  to "forget everything!" 

-- give up completely -- 

throw the towel in 

and call it a night!  

Yes!  Those thoughts really crossed my mind.  Suddenly I wasn't feeling so good.  I wondered if I could possibly call in sick for The Bonfire.  I didn't want to have lunch with the girls afterwards.  I didn't want to do anything.

It didn't take me long to figure it out.  Hearing those thoughts in my mind, it was so blatant.  I had stepped on a land mine!   So what was I going to do about it?  As I crawled into bed, shut off the light and shut my eyes, I pulled the sheets over my head and whispered,

"Lord, please forgive me of my sins, 

and let me into the prayer closet now."   

I began lifting my family and friends up, one by one to the Lord.  When I didn't know what to say, I just let the Spirit say it for me.  He's really good at that.  

I woke up this morning, bright and early, a little withdrawn after last night's ordeal.  Regardless, I got myself out of bed, into RED shoes, and out the door.  I was going to the Pre-Bonfire Prayer Meeting, no matter what!  Not only that, I was going to arrive early!  I may not have gotten it all right last night, but...

 I can pray and I will pray!

Today's Bonfire was exceptional!  We never made it to the teaching.  The Spirit of God fell upon the group, in great measure, from the very onset.  Oh my gosh, I could barely believe my eyes.  It was glorious!  One gal lay on the floor, wailing and weeping in prayer.  She sounded like she was birthing something in the Spirit, right there.  Another friend, sat in a chair, and all the women prayed over her.  She never got out of the chair for two hours.  She just cried and cried and cried.  God set her free!  Sister Ziva laid her hands on my friend June.  Boom!  Down June went, slain in the Spirit,  and when she got up, she was baptized in the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues!

Hallelujah!  

There had to be twenty plus women in that room, ages 40 - 70.  Corporate women, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, stay at home moms, retirees, grandmas.   People were lying prostrate on the floor, weeping and calling out to God!  Tongues, Interpretations, Prophetic Words made God's presence known.  No one was left doubting that God had moved  powerfully in our midst. Everyone was touched by God!   Praises and prayers went up before the Lord!  Some laughed. Some cried. Some sang.  Some danced.

Everyone was set free 

in one sense or another!  

Talk about Spiritual Gifts!  We never got to the teaching, but God gave us a living illustration of many of them.  All in all, God definitely spoke a Word to us.  Long story, short, He said that...

 He died on the cross for our freedom! 

Freedom from sickness.  Freedom from worry. 

Freedom from pain.  

Freedom from whatever we 

find ourselves in bondage to.  

Now, it's our job to walk in that Truth!  

And to think that I came this close to missing all that.
That would have been such a tragedy!

Can't wait until next week's meeting!

In RED shoes, 
Gail

Day 295

It's  Day 295 of  The Red Shoe Project and although I have been in the prayer closet most of the day, I am still sporting my RED shoes, looking and, perhaps more than ever, listening for God.  What will God say today in prayer?  Will He give some divine direction?  Will He grant revelation of the Scriptures?  Perhaps He will share some divine secret...  Or maybe He will give me a glimpse of what the future holds for me... Who knows?  

There's only one way to find out, 

and that's to go into the prayer room 

and shut the door behind me.  

Oh the devil continues to fight me tooth and nail!  He's forever trying to hold me back.  His goal is to keep me  from getting down on my knees and lifting my voice to God.  I can't seem to stop him from catapulting his lies at me.  (By the way, that's the best he's got:  lies and deception.)  BUT...

I've made up my mind...

I'm going in anyways!

And whether He speaks or not -- it doesn't matter.  I've got a job to do!  I've been commissioned.  God said this will be a season of prayer, and that's all there is to it!  Until God says otherwise, that's my assignment.   The devil can throw down all the bombs, missiles and grenades he wants, that's not going to stop me! 

I'm going in!

After awhile, it's not that difficult to recognize the lies of the devil.  He knows my weak spots well and he targets them continuously.  He doesn't go after the stuff that doesn't bother me.  Heck -- we've been tussling for a long time - 30 years now - he knows what to aim for -- BUT,  so do I.  

I've learned that his bombs are like a mine field.  Step here, step there and BOOM! they go off.  But experience has taught me that...

 as long as I stay focused 

on the truths of God's Word, 

those bombs are merely smoke bombs.

They look like the real thing, but they're counterfeit.  Their effect is minimal.  My job is to push through the mine field while lifting up prayer and praises to God simultaneously.  

Okay... so let me stress this point:  The bombs will go off!  They appear to be the real thing!  But, they're fake!  They don't do much of anything, as long as you trust God's Word and forge ahead. 

 If you listen to the lies, you'll fall back, or even worse, you'll stop in your tracks and he'll shred you to pieces.  His lies will overtake you.  You'll retreat with your tail between your legs and that will be the end of it.  

You must make up your mind in advance

that no matter what mines you step on 

you're going to send up the praise 

and prayers to God regardless!

Paul the Apostle had a job to do.  He had just healed a crippled man, but even still...

"Some jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won 

the crowd over.  They stoned Paul and dragged him outside 

the city, thinking he was dead.  But  after the disciples had 

gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city."  

Acts 14:19-20

I love this portion of scripture!  

When things got rough,

Paul pulled himself together

and went back in!

He's our example, and I'm determined to follow his lead.  I'm going to keep going back into the prayer closet again, and again, and again - because that's what God has called me to do!  

I'm going to go in,

get the job done,

and come out again!

And I'm going to keep doing that

day after day after day!

What has God called you to do?  Are you determined to accomplish that -- No matter what?

I'm going for it, in RED shoes!

Gail

Day 294

It's Day 294 of  The Red Shoe Project and I have had my RED sandals on all day.  Well... they're slip-ons, so if you really want to be accurate, they've been on and off many times.  I love that about slip-ons  --  One minute they're on my feet and then when I'm just sitting around, I slip right out of them.  Regardless of their status, you better believe I've been looking for God today.

First things first... This prayer thing is not easy.  The prayer part is awesome, it's the aftermath that's brutal.  Once I'm out of the prayer closet,  that devil is on my tail continuously.  I hate that!  It's a constant battle, but no matter what, I'm not giving in!  I didn't come all this way --  294 days -- to throw the towel in.  No way!  I will pray in the closet and out of the closet, continuously,  to the glory of God!

Perhaps that's why the Apostle Paul said:

"Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

"I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind..."  
"I speak in tongues more than all of you." (1 Corinthians 14:15, 18)

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  Be on the alert,  and always keep on praying for all the saints."  (Ephesians 6:19)

There's something else on my mind that I want to talk about today.  During the worship service, I found myself melting in the presence of God, tears rolling down my cheeks.  It was wonderful!  Peace surrounded me.  God was near.  Do you know what God said to me?

"You don't always have to be so strong, Gail."

He's said that to me a few times.  Funny thing is, I didn't think I was trying to be strong.  I wonder if I  clothe myself each day with some sort of strength -- toughness -- shield of protection and I'm not even aware of it.  Is that possible?

Remember the blog on "The Holy Ghost Hug?"  (Day 275)  When that woman was holding me in her arms praying for me, I felt like a layer of something melted right off me.  God spoke those same words to me then.  The scary thing is...   Without that layer of protection, I am vulnerable.  I don't know if I like that!    But that day, God caught me off guard.   I felt safe at The Bonfire.  I felt safe in my friend's custody -- in her arms --  actually,  in God's arms.

vulnerable - susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm.

I know that in the natural, we unconsciously put up walls of protection in life, but I'm reminded that although walls keep out what we are afraid of, they can sometimes keep out God as well.  Do you know what I'm saying?  When we shield our heart from the world -- when we say, "No one can come in here!" -- sometimes God gets locked out as well.  We don't mean to lock Him out, but we do it all the same.  

Of course I know that God can break through any obstacle.  But I also know that the Holy Spirit doesn't work that way.  He doesn't barge into our hearts!  Nope!  He's a melter -- He melts things away in His Love.  I bet that's what He did that day, and that's what He did today!

I talked with my friend Jim after church today.  He announced to me,  "I got a breakthrough today! During the worship, God peeled off another layer."   Sound like the same thing!

I've got to wonder, with all this spiritual warfare going on, with all this armor of God, etc. etc.  can I let down my guard, even for a moment? 

The Lord assured me that when 

I'm in His Presence, I am safe. 

So I shall make that a part of my prayer practice from this day on.  I will ask the Lord to melt away barriers that are self-made and I will trust Him to cover me.  I can't tell you that I understand that completely, but I know it's right.  I don't want to be protected by some inadequate covering that I've developed myself, when God is offering something of much greater quality.  I shall trust Him on this!  Yes!  I shall.

"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you 

with power through His Spirit in your inner being 

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." 

Ephesians 3:16  

And so I have left the altar a little lighter, yet more protected all the same -- by Him.  "He is my refuge and my strength."  (Psalm 46:1)

    

I love this closing...

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21

And that is exactly why I trust Him with this -- with me -- with my very  heart.  Because with what little I do understand in this matter, I know that He knows I just want to give it all up for Him!  I just want what He wants.  I just want to be who He has called me to be.  And I don't want to get in the way of that happening.  He's the only one that can take my life and elevate it to a level that I could never have dreamed of. 

Take my life and give me Jesus!

In Red shoes, 

Gail

Day 293

Yikes!  It's Day 293 of  The Red Shoe Project and here I am, standing firm, in my RED shoes, with my shield of faith lifted high!
It has been a challenging day to say the least.  The enemy has been shooting his arrows
in my direction continuously.
But just as God's Word says, I have...

" Taken up the shield of faith 

with which I can extinguish 

all the the flaming arrows."  

Ephesians 6:16

That shield of faith snuffs out the flames.  It removes the sting.  It eliminates the arrow's destructive ability!  All that's left is a little smoke.

I've noticed that the enemy's modus operandi hasn't changed a bit since the beginning of time.  He's a trickster, a cheat, a deceiver, a fraud, a rogue and a scoundrel.  He tricked Eve in the garden and He attempts to do the same to you and me every day.  What is it that he does?  He talks... and he tries his best to draw you into the conversation. 

"Did God really say 

You must not eat 

from any tree 

in the garden?"

Watch out!  Don't fall for it!  He's a sly one! If you can avoid the conversation altogether, you're ahead of the game.  

First, he just gets you to listen.  He throws out phrases that "kind of"  sound right.  Then he snags your emotions.  He hooks you with words and pictures that beat you down.  They make you feel like a loser -- That everyone is out to get you -- That you're not really hearing from God.  Then he offers up a variety of suggestions that he guarantees will produce a better outcome for you.  He's got a bit of a silver tongue, so it's best not to even get to this point.  Otherwise, you'll find yourself eating the apple and regretting it!

That's the secret!  We all know his game. He's a liar and a deciever!  His tactics never change.  We've played and lost time after time, year after year.  Isn't it time to turn the tables?  Nobody says you have to play!  When the invitation comes, you need to shut him down right up front. As the old spiritual says...

"Shut the door!

Keep out the devil!"

The challenge here is that he is relentless.  He'll keep beckoning -- calling to you, until he gets your attention.  Here's three steps for shutting him down on the spot.

1.  Call him out!  "In the name of Jesus, I bind you, you demon spirit and cast you down.  You will not speak, in Jesus Name.  Remove yourself from my presence -- I command it!" Say it loud and say it like you mean it!  Say it two or three times if necessary.  You'll be surprised.  This really works!

2.  Rebut the enemy's lies using God's Word.  Jesus himself did this, during his forty days in the wilderness.  When the enemy throws a lie at you, you counter it with an opposing truth from God's Word and the lie is extinguished.  Keep in mind, however, you have entered into conversation.  Don't tarry there.  Make it a point to snuff out an arrow or two and move on!  

3.  You can choose what conversations you listen to.  Shut the door on him, lock it and get busy on something else.  If you stay idle or intrigued, he'll shout to you through the door.  So you need to get your mind busy. 

This is the perfect time for a 

Praise and Prayer Party! 

If your mind is focused on praising God or talking to God, there's no room for anything else.  You've successfully shut the door!  

Do one, or all three if necessary!

Praising His Name for the Victory!

In Red shoes, 

Gail