Decisions & Consequences - Part III

How did I arrive at this process? It started with a decision, but then, God and others began to play a role.

I made another conscious decision to follow the Lord no matter what. I decided again - at the end of 2009 to follow God. Emotionally, I didn't feel like it, I didn't feel happy, I just willed myself to follow the Lord.

I recommitted to pursuing the chocolate. This I knew was the thing God had been blessing at this time. This is important - it is always important to do the thing you know to do - especially when you don't know what else to do. This keeps you grounded and allows the Lord to work out things in your life.

Secondly, I received prayer at my local church. This is very important. There are many "Christians" out there who don't believe they should attend a local congregation. They believe that you can still be an "effective" Christian by worshipping God on their own and be a conference of CD/DVD set junkie 0r say that they are getting their spiritual food from national ministries, and trying to serve the Lord by 'helping' their friends, co-workers, etc.

This is deception in its subtlest form. I once took a course that put it this way: an eyeball can see, but if it's not attached to a "body" - what good is it? It can say all it wants "I can see! I can see!" But who hears its voice? No one. And we all know that sometimes appearances, and what we see isn't reality and isn't godly. How is that eyeball going to know the difference?

Even scripture says, "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the custom of some." The apostle Paul said this.

I know from experience what it is like to be an eyeball unconnected to a body. God dealt with me very strongly about it and said I needed to get myself under a spiritual authority that I could be accountable to. That is the way God has set things up here on earth.

The family unit is an example of this. The two-year old child does not tell the father what to do. The father tells the children what to do, teaching them the ways of the Lord, if it's a godly household.

I am a woman under authority. I have a pastor, I have a small group leader. I believe those decisions were also important in what happened.

Third, my oppression/melancholy started breaking off me after I received prayer from my pastor on January 9th. I got enough freedom that night to have faith that the rest of the oppression would be breaking off very soon. I didn't realize how or when, but I believed it would. And how it did!

Six days later, I get a phone call about the largest order I've ever had. The very next night, at church, during ministry time, I received the largest dose of joy I've experienced in a very, very long time. Oppression totally broke off me that night! I had joy!

Fourth, I stay close to the Lord by doing the following:

• daily Bible reading, prayer, journaling (where God speaks to me, I write the scriptures I read and comment on them)


• daily prayer at all times during the day


• staying connected to the Body of Christ at church by serving in three areas of the church, and becoming a member of a small group

Fifth, I received prayer a second time from my pastor and ministry team from my church - and that's the prayer that made all the difference. I do not believe things would have happened as they did, if I had not received the second prayer. Even Jesus prayed for the blind man twice - the one who began to see men as trees walking. The Holy Spirit brought me great joy - and He sealed the deal with the extra prayer.

Next time: As a result of all this - God shows me even something what I feel is more miraculous! How a decision I made as a teenager is still having an effect on me - today!