*BELIEVE When You Pray

Of all of the world's religions...Christianity is the one that encourages a person to actually BELIEVE what they pray. Think about it. When you think of the most devoted religions that boast prayer, who are they? Muslim, Buddhist, Jews and many other religions have very strict rules about when, where and how you pray. They are very rigid and in many of the countries these particular religions are the majority; if someone is viewed as not following the customs, the police get involved.

I've been on an airplane before going to Israel and while I was in the bathroom while unknown to me a prayer time was called by some Rabbi's and I found myself blocked by about 10 people and could barely exit the restroom but couldn't go any further than that. While I didn't want to bother them, there was a whole line of people that were trying to get back to their seats. I actually tapped one on the shoulder so that I could pass and he turned and said to me very sternly, "Don't bother us while we are praying! We should not be disturbed. You will just have to wait!" I will be honest...my eyes stung. I was shocked by what was happening. A young kid even threw up while trying to get past them and they barely stepped aside while the mom was trying to help her son....who was trying to get to the bathroom!

I was appalled because praying to me is a sweet time with my savior. Prayer to me brings me closer to Him and to the "why" that I am called to this Earth....to be the hands and feet of Jesus. How will people come to know Him if I do not reflect the love of my savior? So what were these people doing exactly? What was prayer to them? As I watched for what seemed ETERNITY as they chanted and repeated phrases and even some were wrapping tight bands around their arm in some ritual; I realized that what they were doing to them was obedience. It wasn't some sweet time of communion...it was something they HAD to do. They didn't look happy doing it either.

The act of praying and the act of obedience is so VERY important BUT if we aren't keeping the first thing..the first thing...then it is all for nothing. 1 Corinthians 13 is so very true when it states that if we DO all the right things but do not have LOVE...well we might as well not be doing anything. Love is what matters.

Every time you truly pray and make that heart connection, God is listening. Think about how amazing that is! God has the power to transform your life from the inside out through prayer. It isn't a religious thing that we do just because someone told us to or because custom says to do it. We pray because we want to talk to our Father and we want to hear Him speak to us. The Bible tells us, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16). When we pray, something always happens.

You are what you eat...you have heard that before. Well way more true and important than what you eat...is this, "You are what you pray". Your strength, your resolve, your ability to see things the way God sees thing and believe for the impossible is in direct proportion to your prayer life. What you put into it is exactly what you get out of it. You have seen those people who seem to have this amazing faith and the ability to have such great insight...well...I will guarantee you that they have a wonderful prayer life and relationship with Christ.

BELIEVE when you pray...it isn't a bed time thing or even a dinner table thing...it is YOUR lifeline with God. Sure it is hard to start especially if you have never really prayed before. But like anything wonderful in life....it will take some time to see your results...so don't give up....the enemy loves to put doubts in our mind. Rebuke that and keep going. God more than anything wants to hear from you and there is really NOTHING sweeter in this life.

Do you want to have power like never before? Well...PRAY. Prayer truly will change your life...if you will let it.


You are Graciously Adorned,
❤Jonna Gibson

*What IF

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. --Genesis 1:1-3

I know that we have all read Genesis one. After all it is all about creation of earth and man and the heavens. I dare say that most of us could name all the 7 days of creation and talk about Adam and Eve in the garden. It is such a known story and something most of us have heard a million times. But what does this really mean to you? 

If we know that the God of all created the heavens and earth as well as darkness and light in a day...well...what does that say about what He can really do? We have all been a part of some kind of miracle in our life or someone close to us...or maybe we have just heard about one. Why is it so hard for us to believe that God can do that for us? Why is it so hard for us to believe that God can come through for us? 

Sometimes we look at the Bible as a really good bedtime story or even a fairy tale that we enjoy hearing but we never really get those stories and make them personal. What if God wanted to promote you like He did David? Do you believe that you can come out a dirty job of tending "sheep" and be a King? Of course not...no one even has sheep around here and we don't even have a monarchy in the US. haha. True. BUT what if God had a great destiny for you and you just didn't believe it? What if everything in His plan was waiting for YOU to step out?

We have a limitless God. He has more than a thousand ways of solving your problems...but you have to believe at least one of them. God is a God of unlimited resources and He wants to supply YOU with a way to be victorious and prosper in whatever you put your hands to. What if He was just waiting on you? What if the answer to what you have been praying for is right in front of your face and you haven't even seen it. What if the friend you have been seeking has tried to befriend you several times but you didn't even realize it? What if your healing is waiting and you just haven't asked? What if your marriage hasn't been repaired because you haven't been listening to the voice of wisdom to know how to fix it? What if? 

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.   Proverbs 2: 1-5

Pray this prayer with me: 

Lord, I thank You that You are the God of the impossible. You can do anything. You are truly a limitless God. I want to trust in Your ability and not my own. Teach me to see difficulties in my life from Your perspective. Help me to focus on You and Your power. Teach me to believe in a good report and focus on You even in hard circumstances. My responsibility is to carefully read, trust, and obey Your Word. Today I bring before You this difficulty in my life [Name a hard situation you are facing]. Help me not to fear but to trust You in this situation. Open my eyes to my next step and help me to be strong and courageous in you. Help me to speak your truth in this and bring life to it with your Godly wisdom and anointing. I declare my faith in Your ability to fulfill Your promises to me. You will fight for me and win the battles in my life. You are mighty, powerful, righteous and true. You are truly a limitless God. Amen.

You are Graciously Adorned

❤Jonna

*Approval

No matter how old or young or what stage you are in life...we all want some type of approval from peers, parents and those in authority over us. But what do you do when you never hear those words that you “think” you really need and yearn to hear? 

First of all,  Approval defined is the action of officially agreeing to something or accepting something as satisfactory or the belief that someone or something is good or acceptable. Synonyms to approval are acceptance, agreement, consent or permission. 

Admitting that we desire approval or validation from others is difficult, but recognizing it in ourselves is even more difficult because it is so very subtle. It gets hidden well beneath pride and low self-esteem. When we seek validation, we evaluate ourselves and others based upon external behaviors and choices, not on what Christ has done. 

Second Corinthians tell us, “For the love of Christ compels us . . . and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (5:14-15). We are loved by Christ, as shown in His death and resurrection, therefore we have been given the ultimate validation. This is the only true validation we need, and we have it.

God’s validation teaches us to regard no one according to their spiritual gift, their personality, their likeability factor, their racial or cultural background, or, yes, even their choices on open-ended issues. We regard them according to Christ’s validation. So does that include ourselves? Of Course!

I will admit that it hurts to not get approval in certain situations. There was a time in my life when I thought..."If only THIS person would say this or do that...then everything would be okay in me." What I was doing was putting someone else's opinions and reactions and placing it upon myself. When this person would not "take the bait" and compliment me or even acknowledge me about a certain accomplishment or success then I would be so upset. I put so much on this person to be my approval. I felt like a failure UNLESS they said this "something" and I just knew that when they finally would speak it...that it would just propel my life to another level. Haha. Doesn't that just sound outlandish?? 

It does sound outlandish but we all have been there. Approval from people doesn't come like we would like it. My husband has said for years, "Not everyone will celebrate with you." I had heard that over and over but I never truly understood what that meant for me personally. I had to come to the point that I don't need ANYONE to point me out or give me praise. God knows what I am doing and it isn't for the praise of people anyway. It took me a while to get to this place in my life....and it didn't happen overnight. 

We all want to feel accepted and approved. The desire to fit in somewhere lies within all of us. We try on different identities, seek out different places, and search for our best fit. But if we listen close enough, we will hear a voice inside that tells us that we don’t belong here, because we are not from here. So you will NEVER find totally acceptance or total "completeness" with any human. We belong with God, and until we seek our acceptance and approval from Him, we will always feel just a little bit like an outsider. 

Our true validation is knowing WHO we are in Christ and that means that CHRIST knows exactly who we are. He validates us every single day by speaking to us and loving us unconditionally. His grace and mercy never end and they are renewed to us every single day. Praises from man are temporal and fleeting. God's praises and His validation echos through eternity. 

You Are Graciously Adorned
❤Jonna