Reflect on finding balance and embracing divine guidance through personal experiences of battling procrastination, seeking consistency, and surrendering to God's rhythm. Explore the transformative power of declaring "I am balanced" and the assurance of being called by God. Learn to navigate life's challenges with confidence and trust in God's enduring love and protection.
Reflect on finding balance and embracing divine guidance through personal experiences of battling procrastination, seeking consistency, and surrendering to God's rhythm. Explore the transformative power of declaring "I am balanced" and the assurance of being called by God. Learn to navigate life's challenges with confidence and trust in God's enduring love and protection.
Hello, beautiful people, and welcome back to Faith Focused Prayers, where we allow God to change and transform us into who he has called and created us to be. So in today's episode, we are going to be talking about balance. I feel like that was fitting, because the season I am in in my life is about balance. Many times and I'm sure a lot of you can relate I go through these seasons and these phases and I've always done this. It's a constant cycle that I'm tired of, quite frankly, of starting and stopping and doing and then backing out. I've just always had this toxic cycle with myself, and in today's episode, god kind of revealed to me the mindset that I've been having and the mindset that needs to shift, and so we'll get into that in a little bit. But, for example, I will post every day and then, the moment I stopped posting for a couple days, it's so hard for me to get back into the mood of posting, to shift my mindset on to. This is what you were doing, we took a break and now we're going right back to it. Same thing with the gym or even in high school for the whole quarter I would slack off and then at the end of the quarter, when I know grades are due, when I know report cards are about to come out, then I would crunch and hurry up and get my work done, because I told myself that I worked better under pressure. And that's just not true. You work better consistent, you work better in strength, you work better rested. But for some reason I've always and I don't speak that over myself any longer I no longer have the mindset of procrastination, the mindset of stagnation, the mindset of the lies that the enemy has convinced me to believe about myself as far as my productivity. Like I said, we're talking about balance and so often we always see people say, or I always hear people say finding balance, finding balance in your life. And today, literally just 15 minutes ago, what God told me is stop saying finding balance and start saying you are balanced. So our affirmation for today is I will not find balance, I am balanced. I will not find balance, I am balanced. I will not find balance, I am balanced. I am balanced. Me right now, who I am, justice, you are balanced. Whoever's listening to this, you are balanced. You are not trying to find it, you already are it. God was saying to shift your mind from seeking to being. You know, when you say I'm finding balance, I'm finding balance in my life that just declared right there that you don't have it. You're looking for it, you're trying to grasp it, You're trying to get a hold of it, instead of saying I am balanced, my life is balanced, my soul is balanced, my mind is balanced, everything about me is balanced.
Speaker 1:The scripture I wanted to read with that is Romans 8 and 28. And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. The reason that scripture came to my mind is because when we're talking about balance, we're talking about things being equally beneficial. I believe Balance is you work hard enough to rest well enough. You save your money, so then you can enjoy your money. You make the sacrifices, so then you can have the great things in life. Balance is having not too much of one thing.
Speaker 1:But when you read the scripture Romans 8 and 28, and we know that all things work together for the good of those, that just shifted my mind into knowing that every season of your life will ultimately result in the balanced purpose of God. God knows what season you're in and God knows what season is coming up next and he knows that ultimately it's going to work out for his purpose, for his glory, for his name to be praised. So, even though your life may not seem balanced, now we decree and declare that it is balanced and that in the end, when everything is said and done, my life was balanced. I spent enough time at work, I spent enough time with my family, I spent enough time on myself, I spent enough time with God, I made an impact within the world, I held my loved ones close that in the end, everything would have been balanced for God's purpose and for God's glory. It also says, when I was reading the scripture and it's something that I never caught before it says and we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.
Speaker 1:When most people quote the scripture, they say to those who are called according to God's purpose, it says who are the called? The called is a identity. The called is different from called Right. The called is identity. The called is a community. The call is a covering. So God is saying you are the called, you're not just called, you're the called. And that just was so revelational to me. I hope that is coming across the way that God has spoke it to me. But it's saying you're not just called because you believe in Jesus, but you are the called of God, so you can trust that everything in your life is going to work out because you're a part of something that God is using in the earth for his purpose. That means everything that happens. The reason it works out for your good is because it's for God's purpose.
Speaker 1:I think we water down that scripture and we minimize it and make people think that, oh, just because God created us, you can trust that everything in your life is going to work out for your good. But no, it's saying and we know this is a certainty to know something means you believe it, you trust it, you understand it. To know something, it says and we know all things, everything that you're going through, everything that you've been through, every trial, every tribulation, every high, every low, every person who stayed, every person who left. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. This is just like low-key blew my mind. So the first one is those who love God and those who are the called. Who is the called? Now? I want to know who is the called. I feel like when you're the called, you know you're the called. It's just one of those. If you know, you know. So I hope you know. I know I'm the called. That is that's, that's my identity. I'm the called. That is that's my identity. I'm the called of Christ Okay, the beloved of God, and so are you, and you can trust and you should know, you do know that everything is going to work out. So I am focused, I am balanced, I'm balanced in the way that God needs me to be balanced, and I think that the way that you get this type of balance is by obedience. The moments and I'm working on this the moments when God tells you to do something, you move swiftly, you do it. And then the moments where he tells you to rest, you do it. The moments when he tells you to go, you go. And that's how you have a balanced life by listening and obeying the voice of God.
Speaker 1:I recently went out of town with my husband and, because he works a lot and travels, we went to Iowa and I had this whole plan in my mind that when I get out there, I was going to film, I was going to work, I was going to build my brand, all these things. I set up my camera and God tells me no to rest. Now I'm really trying to be consistent here. Guys, this is a hard thing for me. I'm really trying, and people don't believe me when I stop posting and they think I just stopped posting for the sake of not wanting to post. But it's because God will literally tell me no and it breaks the momentum that I was on. But I'm in Iowa and I pull out my camera and I'm getting ready to film, I'm getting dressed and everything. God tells me no. He says just rest, just spend some time with me. I'm like okay, god, that sounds fine, but you know, I'm really trying to be consistent here. He's like just spend some time with me. He said you're in training, as if I'm putting too much pressure on it and to just know you're in training, we're taking this thing slow, we're walking with one another and maybe right now, you know, god didn't feel like filming the video. He just wanted to spend quality time with me and I did and I laid down in bed and I just talked to God and he gave me things to write and we just spent time together.
Speaker 1:And I remember a while ago I told my husband one day 30 minutes with God is more beneficial than three hours of work 30 minutes in the presence of God can get you further in life than three years of work and to not neglect those moments and to not discredit them for what they are. But God told me to rest and so I didn't end up posting a video that whole trip. I came back from the trip and I went to record a video. I had other plans and I was okay, let me record this video before I go out with my friends. And as I'm in the middle of recording the video, my friend calls me, tells me she's here, so I missed the opportunity.
Speaker 1:My husband been pushing me to post, to do my videos, to record, but sometimes God just tells you just wait, just rest. And then there's other times where God will be like okay, now's the time, but I'm in, I'm in rest mode and God is revealing to me, as I'm speaking, what, what he's doing with me and the cycles in my life that he's helping me break Because, as I said earlier, I have this thing or had this thing, because I'm no longer claiming that I had this thing where I would build momentum and I would do it. And the moment I stopped I had trouble getting back on course. And the moment I stopped I had trouble getting back on course. And I think that's what God has been trying to teach me with the last couple of years that I have been attempting to do videos and do YouTube and do podcasts and things like that that we need to know when to go, when to rest and when to get back on the race, and not to take such long breaks in the moments of I don't even want to say interruption, but in the detour, you know when God decides to take it another way. And so today, like I said, my husband has been pushing me to record and I've been kind of iffy about it just because I've been so tired lately.
Speaker 1:That's another thing. When you're going and going and going, you're waking up early, you're working, you're getting off work and working some more and your body's just in this crunch time mode and then, the moment you have time to relax and to sleep and to rest, it's hard getting that rejuvenation back. It takes a long time for your body to feel fully energized, where you're like okay, now I can go back to living this. Um, lack of sleep life, I guess that's the word. So we're, we're. We're not trying to find balance, we are balanced, everything's going to work out, everything's working.
Speaker 1:God's plan is so much greater than ours. The Bible says that he knew the unformed you Before you were even formed. He knew you, the you that wasn't even a body, just elements. He knew that you Before you were even thought of. He knew that you before you were even thought of. He knew you before you were. Creation like that is just mind-blowing to me. And how he knows all of us, eight billion people. He knows the unformed them. We don't even know who God really is because he's so big.
Speaker 1:I think our minds would literally explode if we knew certain things about God, because we can't even comprehend how amazing and how wonderful and how complex and how extraordinary he really is. It just has me in awe, because how is this God my father? How is this God my creator? How is this God my healer? How is this God my redeemer? How is this the same God who speaks to me, who hears me and responds, who called me and chose me and covers me and protects me. How could it be that me, a girl with so many flaws, who's made so many mistakes, who's messed up so many times, can serve a God who is so mighty and so powerful, and him to be so mindful of me, so mindful of us all? That blows my mind. How is that possible, blows my mind. How is that possible?
Speaker 1:And I don't think people take the time to really look at the identity of God, the functions of God, the functions of God alone will blow your mind. Because who is he? We don't even know and we pretend like we know, but we have no idea. But he's a God who wants us to know. He wants us to know the mysteries of him, the complex and hidden things that he wants us to ask, the questions, that he loves me back and that he loved me first is insane. We're so undeserving and he doesn't see it that way. He doesn't see it that way.
Speaker 1:He literally sent his only begotten son. He sent his son down so that he could know me and I could know him. He watched his son, his perfect son, jesus, come into a world, who betrayed him and beat him and spit on him and accused him and lied on him, and just who did so many wrong things to him. He watched it happen so that I could know him. That lets you know just how important you are to God, that he sent his son, jesus, so that you could know him, so that you could serve him, so that you could run to him in the midst of your pain, so that you could run to him in the midst of your trial, so that you could run to him when you're hurting and run to him when you're tired and run to him when you don't understand. He did all of that so that you could go directly to him yourself. And that's amazing.
Speaker 1:Even the fact that God would tell me just spend some time with me. Like, like God, do you know who you are? Do you know who you are, that you want to spend time with me? Who's nobody, but to him I'm somebody. Oh gosh, I could literally cry right now, but I'm not, and I think that's all I have for today. You are not finding balance. You are balanced. You are balanced because you are the called. You are balanced because God chose you and he's going to make sure his word cannot lie. His word cannot return to him void. He would not allow any word in his bible to come back to him. Void it. And so he said that all things work together for the good of those who love him and who are the called lord.
Speaker 1:I thank you, I praise you, I bless you, I honor you. I thank you, god, for your Holy Spirit. I thank you for the finished work of Jesus. I thank you for revelation. I thank you for being a God who speaks and being a God who listens. I thank you for being a God who knows and who wants us to know. God, I thank you for the communion that I have with you. I thank you for relationship with you, god. I thank you for your mindfulness, for your grace, for your mercy, for your kindness, for your gentleness. God, I thank you for handling me every day with care. I thank you for protecting me. That's another thing I wanted to say. God is a protector, and we don't realize how much he's a protector until you're in a situation where you've been protected the whole time.
Speaker 1:I'm in Iowa, I'm picking up on what's taking place in the city and God is just telling me I'm with you, I'm with you, I'm with you, I have you, I got you. You're covered, you're protected. Don't be afraid, I'm here. I get back to Vegas on Sunday and a tornado hits Iowa A day and a half later from me getting home. I leave Sunday, it's raining already. The tornado was on Tuesday. Four people died, 30 people injured, and it's an hour from where I'm staying. It may even be closer I didn't even put the exact address in but an hour away from where I'm staying and God made sure that it did not hit until I was out of there safe and sound, until me and my husband were home safe. And I'm not saying that to say anything for those people who were there or who got hurt or who died, but all I'm saying is God had a plan for me and God's plan was for me to not be impacted by that tornado.
Speaker 1:But the grace of God, the mercy of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the love of God, I just thank him. I thank him that he was not finished with me yet, that he is not finished with me yet. So, lord, I bless you, I praise you, I honor you. I pray that this episode helps somebody. And if it doesn't, lord, I bless you, I praise you, I honor you. I pray that this episode helps somebody, and if it doesn't, lord, it helps me, and so I thank you for revelation. I thank you that you are a God who speaks and communicates with your people. Lord, I love you, I praise you, I bless you, I honor you. May you forever get glory through me In Jesus' mighty name, amen.
Speaker 1:Also, I want to say that, if you haven't already, go and watch our previous episode talking about relationships, because on there I prayed a prayer for God to reveal and expose, and I don't know what is taking place within my friend group, but people's true intentions are showing and being revealed and exposed. And so God is moving a lot in this season. He's moving in the storms, he's moving in our lives, he's moving in every area you can imagine. God is moving, he is shaking things up, he is revealing things, he is protecting his people. But, most importantly, if you are the called of God, then you trust and believe and know in your heart that God is with you, holding your hand until next time. I love you. God loves you. Bye, thank you for watching. Make sure you share this with somebody.