Day 28 Testimony Tuesday
1 John 5:9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.
Psalm 119:46 I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings
And shall not be ashamed.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
"Isaiah's Song" by Maverick City
Happy Twenty Eighth Day of Thanks Everyone!
I can't believe that we are almost at the end of our 2022 Thirty Days of Thanks Journey! That is a testimony within itself because I didn't even think it would happen or be possible to take this year's journey. (Y'all remember starting on the very last day of November!!!) There were many of days I was behind schedule and asking the Lord what to write because my original plan for this year's journey did not come to fruition like I had hoped. However, it is okay. God knows the right timing for that plan to yield it's fruit.
In our 6 a.m. prayer community, we know Tuesdays as "Testimony Tuesdays." We not only pray the A.C.T.S. prayer which involves Adoring God for Who He is, Confessing our sins, Thanking God for what He has done for us, and Supplicating or petitioning the Lord for our prayer requests, we allow our community to participate in sharing their testimonies with us. It's so beautiful to have people write in the Zoom chat who God is to them as they adore Him. It is also a wonder to hear the amazing miracles that God does for His children.
When we adore God, some say He is their sustainer; some say He is their mind-regulator; some say He is their defender. Some say He is their peace as they are going through a storm in their lives. I love this part because to me God is: provider, peace, deliverer, grand orchestrator and strategist, purifier, redeemer, heart mender, Counselor, strong tower, hiding place and shield; corrector; My Daddy/Abba, my delight, my friend, the Lover of my Soul. At any given moment, I worship God for being one of those attributes to me and God shows up to be just that in my life. I absolutely love Him for that.
Several times this year, I had to "pow-pow" the members of our prayer community because it was like pulling teeth to get folks to testify of the goodness of the Lord in their lives. I don't play around with the Word of God or giving God His due. I tell the community all the time, "if you have breath and life, you have a testimony. If you have use of your 5 senses and the use of your limbs, you have a testimony. If you have shelter, food, clothes, you have a testimony. Give It! Because You owe God some from praise for what He has done, is doing and will do! " I remind them that their testimonies can big or small, don't have to be all pretty and rosy before they tell them, and are seeds planted in another person's life so that they can know/see/understand that God can do for them what He did for you. After all, the words (Bible) says in Revelations 12:11 that we are overcome and victorious by the blood of the Lamb and the words of our testimony.I give glory for Testimony Tuesdays because it allows me to reflect on all the many things God has done for me within a week.
During this year, the testimonies were continuous. Y'all, God has provided and has been a way-maker!!!!!!! In the nick of time, when bills were due, God showed up and brought the "ravens" to feed me. Sometimes, God allowed jobs/contracts to come that would pay me what I needed. And sometimes God sent people to sow financial gifts into my life or bring food. God has been a deliverer too!!!! There were some things in me-- anger, unforgiveness, disappointment, hurt--that I needed to sit at the feet of Jesus to get out of me. God took them out of me completely because He couldn't elevate me in areas of my life or ministry until those demons were dealt with. God exposed my enemies!!!!!! People who weren't trying to do right by me (Judases) were revealed and exposed. God showed me the hearts of many people toward me. It was hurting to see the hatred, jealousy, and envy in their hearts and the warped way in which the enemy had persuaded them to change their perspective about me. (Don't worry, I'm still praying for each of them and asking God to turn their hearts towards Him and to infuse them with His love since "perfect love drives out fear.")
God healed and restored my Lilah this year!!!!! Lilah had some crazy head and facial traumas during seizures that landed us in the ER a few times too many. Each ER visits, God healed her, kept her and restored her from each of those traumas. God protected us with His angels this year!!!! The enemy made so many threats to kill me and tried so many times but EVERY ATTEMPT DID NOT WORK. The enemy tried to kill Lilah so many times this year. EVERY ATTEMPT FAILED!!!!!
God allowed projects that were slow in progress to come to fruition this year. I started writing my first of a series of plays. It's not done yet but I'm going to keep working on it until it is completed. I recorded and narrated my audiobook, which was just released at the beginning of this month. (Shameless plug! But, if you have not bought a copy to support yet, please make sure you do. You are missing out on a serious blessing. I'm not just saying that because of bias either.) The Request for Proposal for the community wellness center, HEArts, for which we have been fighting for decades, was released in October so that we can finally apply and get the building. My research team became Community Based Participatory Research Fellows and submitted a grant proposal to conduct research on the digital divide in the South Bronx. A collaboration with Metropolitan College of NY to bring awareness of Black Maternal Mortality/Black Maternal Health took off and just got funding to expand the work for three more semesters. I can go on and on.
The bottom line is that "God is Good All the Time" and worthy to be praised because there is always a testimony of His goodness that we can regurgitate at any given second.
Today, I invite you to make this a Testimony Tuesday and share what the Lord had done for you during this day, week, month, year so that others can/will know just how good God is and exactly what He can/will do.
Love ya,
Have a Great Day of Thanks!!!!