by Amanda | Jun 14, 2018 | Faith
A couple of weeks ago, one of my pastors preached a sermon on the life of Abraham. This sermon inspired me to dig a little deeper into the life of Abraham in my own personal devotional time. As I was studying, God revealed something about His character and heart for us that is just so amazing that I have to share it with you.
If you grew up in church, chances are you’ve heard the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. If you aren’t familiar with it, I really recommend refreshing your memory by reading it.
But, for the sake of giving context for what I am going to share with you today, here is a brief summary:
God speaks to Abraham and tells him to go to Mount Moriah and offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. Now, Isaac was Abraham’s only legal son, whom God had promised to give him. Abraham had waited at least 80 years for God to fulfill the promise of giving him a son. Despite this, Abraham chooses to obey God. The very next day, Abraham gets up, packs what he needs, and journeys to Mount Moriah. He climbs the mountain with Isaac, builds an altar, and ties Isaac to it. Then, just as Abraham is about to strike the fatal blow, God stops him. God shows Abraham a ram, and tells him to sacrifice the ram instead.
Abraham’s Faith
This story is always told as an example of what great faith Abraham had and how he trusted God. Generally this story is taught with some sort of a connection made to our lives to the effect of “we too should have that kind of faith”. However, there is an even deeper connection that we can make between Abraham’s actions and our own lives than the exhortation to “have faith like Abraham”.
God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. The son that he had waited over 80 years for. The Bible clearly states that God did this to “test the faith and commitment of Abraham”(AMP, emphasis added). I love how the Amplified version includes the phrase “and commitment”, because I believe that there is something truly deep and profound going on in this passage. The purpose behind God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac was not to mess with Abraham. The purpose was much, much deeper than that. God chose to test Abraham’s heart commitment to Him in a very practical way.
This was a test of where Abraham’s heart was.
Was Abraham in a place of complete surrender to the Lord? In other words, did God have Abraham’s heart completely? That was the point behind this whole situation. God was testing Abraham’s heart. If Abraham was put in a position where he had to choose between God and his most precious possession, what would Abraham choose? Beyond that, He wanted to give Abraham the opportunity to know beyond a shadow of a doubt just how committed he was to the Lord. If God took away the thing that Abraham held most dear, would Abraham still love God and serve him? As we all know, Abraham passed this test and proved that his heart was devoted to God above all else, and God rewarded Abraham’s obedience by providing an alternative sacrifice.
What does all this have to do with me today?
The story of Abraham and Isaac isn’t just some cute Sunday School lesson. It is a real, practical example of the depth of commitment God wants from us.
God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son – which several thousand years later is the very thing that God did for us. If Abraham loved and trusted God so much that he was willing to kill his own son to obey God, and God love us so much that He was willing to torture and kill His own Son to save us, shouldn’t we too be willing to give God our all?
Here is the crucial point of the matter:
God wants our hearts. Our sacrifices mean nothing if our hearts are not in it.
God doesn’t care about our empty words and actions. He cares about the motivation and heart behind the words and actions. God wants our hearts to belong solely to Him. God is a good father. He wants what is best for us. But we can only receive His best when we are willing to let go of what we think is best.
God wants us to have hearts like Abraham’s. More than anything else, God wants our hearts to be so in love, so sold out for him, that we are willing to give up anything and everything to obey Him. We must never forget that the very best thing in the universe is to be in relationship with God.
So where is your heart today?
If you have given your life to God, is He your deepest love? Or is there something (or someone) that you value higher?
If you have never given your life to God, I exhort you to do so now. I would love to talk to you and share all that God has for you if you give your life to Him. Comment below or contact me and I will personally connect with you.
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by Amanda | May 3, 2018 | Faith, Health and Wellness
I recently went through an incredibly challenging experience. And to be completely honest, I still am dealing with the ripple effect.
In March I had a miscarriage.
It would have been my husband’s and my first child, but shortly after finding out that I was pregnant, I miscarried.
My first response when I started miscarrying was to go into an emotional state of shock. It took a week for the reality of what had happened to sink in.
Once it did sink in, it hit me hard. I was “out of it” for close to a month. In that time, pretty much all I did was go to work, prepare and eat meals, and read or nap. I tried to avoid interacting with others as much as I possibly could.
In a word, I introverted.
But in all of that, God was still there. And in my pain, confusion, and doubt, He met me. He comforted me. And He showed me that I was not alone.
Even though I tried to hide, God wouldn’t let me. He kept nudging me, telling me to be honest when friends asked how I was doing.
I didn’t really want to, but I have learned that when God tells me to do something, it’s best to do it. Through my obedience, God blessed me by surrounding me with people who have loved on, encouraged, and prayed for my husband and me in this season.
There have been many people who have come alongside me in this season – family, our small group, church, and friends. And then there’s a group of women who I mostly know virtually.
They are my Mama Bear tribe – a group of women who are ready to kick butt and change the world. They are fellow members of Mom Mastery University, a life coaching program for women – not just moms.
A couple of weeks after losing the baby, I shared what I was going through via a live video in the Mom Mastery University VIP Mama’s group.
The love, prayers, and support I received have been overwhelming.
Each week since sharing, at least one person has reached out to see how I am doing.
Why do I share all of this with you? Because I know that some of you are hurting right now too. And I know that some of you feel incredibly alone in your journey. But you are not. You don’t have to go through whatever you are going through right now alone.
You have family and friends around you who want to love on you. But even if you don’t, you have an amazing tribe of women just waiting for you to join them – Mom Mastery University.
If you need love, support, encouragement, or even a complete life change, join me and my tribe of women who refuse to let anything keep us down.
___________________
If you are interested in learning more about Mom Mastery University, please email me at thesimplyjoyfullife@gmail.com
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Register for a FREE week long trial.
by Amanda | Mar 14, 2018 | Faith
Have you ever heard the quote “Leaders are Readers”? I don’t know who came up with it, but I first heard it on the Jesus Culture Leadership Podcast. When I first heard this quote, I took it to heart because it is so true! Constantly filling your mind with quality content is crucial if you want to grow and prosper in your God-given calling. Over the past several years I have come across some really wonderful books that have helped me grow so much.
Today, I want to share three of them with you.
* This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you choose to purchase a product through my affiliate link, I get a percentage at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy and for more information. *
God has used this book so mightily in my life. I read it for the first time when I was about 18. Because of how it radically altered my view of the world, I read it on a yearly basis. With each fresh reading, it re-inspires me to live a life that is even more sold out for God. If you have ever felt that the mainstream evangelical churches are missing something. If you long to break from the religious status quo into a passionate, authentic faith. Or, if you simply want to know what the Christian faith is really all about, read Crazy Love. You can pick up a copy here.
Have you ever struggled with prayer? I have, and if I’m honest, I still do at times. My brain is so easily distracted that if I’m not intentional, what starts out as a prayer can turn into a twenty minute rabbit trail. In A Praying Life, Miller shares the theology on why we should pray and how we should pray. Additionally, he shares tools and resources to help you cultivate a habit of focused prayer. This book has helped me to learn how to focus better and experience the joy of praying and communing with my Heavenly Father. If you are tired of half-hearted, easily distracted prayer times and are ready to take your prayer life to the next level, pick up your copy of A Praying Life here. .
Girls with Swords is powerful, convicting, and empowering. If you have ever felt like there was a target on your back and had no idea why the Enemy was attacking you so relentlessly, this is the book for you. You see, as women, and as Christians, we do have a target on our back. Whether we choose to believe it or not, moment by moment, we are engaged in a cosmic battle. We have the choice as to what role we play in that battle. We can be an “unarmed civilian, victim, prisoner of war, or hero” (p. 9). This book will convict those who are choosing to live as civilians, POWs, and victims, and equip those who are choosing to live as heroes. If you are ready to be convicted and empowered, pick up your copy here.
These are just three of the books that have influenced my life. I have many more, and I am sure you do, too. Because I am always looking for more books to grow and challenge me as a person, I’d love to hear some of your suggestions! Please comment below with your favorite faith building book.
by Amanda | Sep 6, 2017 | Faith
I recently did something that I wouldn’t have even considered doing a year ago. I took a thirty minute drive to visit a local chapter of the International House of Prayer and Healing Rooms. While I had visited this same Prayer and Healing Rooms chapter a couple of weeks before for a training event, to go and seek prayer in this way was a totally new experience for me. To be completely honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I felt really nervous going. But God had been laying it on my heart for a while, and I knew He wanted me to go, so I did.
And wow, am I so glad that I obeyed His prompting.
How does a Girl who was raised and educated as a Conservative Christian end up in a Charismatic Prayer and Healing Room?
Growing up, groups like The International House of Prayer were labeled “charismatic”. In the conservative Christian movement, this means “heretical and to be avoided at all costs”. However, over the course of the last couple years, I have started digging in to my Bible and soaking in the Word of God on my own. As I have been learning how to hear His voice for myself, I have begun to personally experience just how powerful the Holy Spirit is. I have also begun to see just how much the schools of Christian thought I was raised and educated in are missing by denying the fact that the Holy Spirit is actively working today in the same way He was working in the Biblical book of Acts.
As I have been leaning deeper into Christ, I have begun to experience the joy and victory of the Lord in ways that I had never even imagined possible before. I am learning that it is possible to walk through life and face any circumstance with total joy and peace. The more I study God’s Word, the more drawn I am to groups like the International House of Prayer and Jesus Culture Church. These groups are so good at training and equipping the Christian to live in the freedom, power, and victory we have in the Holy Spirit.
If this is something you are struggling with yourself, or if you have any questions about my journey from legalism into freedom, please feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to share and encourage you.
What I sought Prayers of Healing for
Since I was about 12 years old, I have had a skin condition that manifests in very painful cysts on various areas of my body. These cysts can grow to be large and debilitating. I even had surgery to remove a particularly large one from my back when I was in college. Over the course of the last 12 years I have been to several different doctors to try and find a cure.
For several years I was misdiagnosed, and even after I was properly diagnosed, it didn’t help. The doctor said that there was no way to fully cure the condition. I could only try to manage it with diet and exercise. If I was having a particularly bad outbreak, she would give me antibiotics to fight the infection, but that never gave any lasting relief. Often, the cysts would die down while I was on the medicine, then come back even worse when my prescription ran out.
This condition got a lot more manageable as I’ve gotten older. I started eating a lot healthier, and exercising fairly regularly, and those two actions kept the cysts from getting too large. However, I would still get painful cysts in certain areas of my body. There was one in particular in my armpit that has been there so long I forgot what it felt like to have a healthy armpit. So, when I got to the prayer and healing room and was asked to fill out a form describing what I was there to receive prayer for, I asked for prayer for this skin condition to be healed.
What Actually Happened at the Healing Room
When I arrived at the prayer and healing room, there were quite a few people already there. So, my husband and I sat and waited for about an hour, although it didn’t feel that long. The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. The lights were dim, and there were a few musicians on stage playing very calm worship songs and singing as the Spirit led. It was such a spiritually refreshing thing to sit quietly and listen to gifted musicians worshipping God. As I listened, I quietly prayed and just sat in the presence of the Lord.
After about an hour a sweet lady came to get me and my husband. She took us to a room where there was another lady waiting. They introduced themselves and asked a couple of clarifying questions about my condition, which I answered. Then came the part that I did not expect at all. “What was your childhood like?” One of the ladies asked me.
I hesitated for a moment before answering that question. I have mixed feelings about my childhood, and I’m hesitant to talk about it with people I don’t know. Additionally, I was confused as to how my childhood experiences at all related to my condition. However, after praying for wisdom in how to answer, I responded candidly to the question. I shared a couple of the most pivotal experiences and struggles that I had as a child and teen. Their response to my description of my childhood was: “Ok, that makes sense.
You see, skin diseases like this are linked to self-hatred, insecurity, and suppression.“
I was speechless. I hadn’t even said anything about how as a teen and young adult I struggled with with high-functioning depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts and urges. Yet these women, just from me sharing a few vague sentences about my younger years, identified the thing that I had been struggling with for as long as I can remember.
They explained that they wanted to pray for me to be freed from the oppression of these negative thoughts and beliefs. I agreed, so they laid hands on me, anointed me with oil, and started praying.
What followed was one of the most intense spiritual experiences I have ever had.
They rebuked by name the spirits of self-hatred, worthlessness, insecurity, and depression. As they prayed, I began to literally tremble. My mind and spirit were in agreement with their prayers, but it was as if my body wanted them to stop praying. After a few moments, they asked me what was going on. They could see the struggle that was happening. I responded that I didn’t know, because my heart and spirit were in agreement with them.
They continued praying, then they asked me to pray a guided prayer with them. So, I began praying aloud. I followed along as they guided me first through a prayer of confession and repentance. Then of rebuking and banishing the spirits that have oppressed and tormented me from very young age. Then finally of receiving, accepting, and owning the healing, strength, and power of God’s Holy Spirit.
As we prayed, I could feel release happening. By the time we finished, I felt like a hundred pounds (that I didn’t even know I was carrying) had been lifted off my shoulders. My heart was flooded with a deeper level of joy and peace than I have ever experienced before. I had an intense awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit. The battle was over. Peace has won.
Through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit, for the first time in my memory, I am fully free.
The first few days after my visit to the Healing Rooms I didn’t try to analyze what happened. I was too busy basking in and enjoying my newfound freedom of spirit. It wasn’t until about three days later that I realized just how oppressed I had been previously. I was sitting, chatting with my husband, and it hit me.
For the first time in my life, I don’t have a voice in the back of my mind constantly speaking and listing all the things I’ve done wrong, all the ways I’m screwing up, all the things that make me worthless and unworthy. I had that voice for so long, I thought that it was just a part of my life. I thought that I was forever going to have to battle against the voices in my head that told me that I had no worth or value. But now I know that I don’t. As a child of God, I am able to live in total freedom, peace, and joy.
I went to the Praying and Healing Rooms seeking physical healing. What I received was breakthrough and spiritual healing that I didn’t even realize I needed. Praise God!
If you are dealing with feelings of depression, anxiety, worthlessness, hopelessness, insecurity, or loneliness, you can find freedom! I would love to help you in your journey. Comment below or email me directly and I will connect with you.
*Note: In the weeks since I went to the Healing Rooms, my skin condition has gotten much better. The cyst in my armpit has shrunk down to almost nothing. All the other cysts are clearing up too. Praise God!
