Day Four Of 8th Annual End Of Summer Fast & Detox: The Fruit

Thank you God for blessing us with this special time with you. Thank you for showing us a mirror of our true selves during this time. Thank you for transforming us from the inside out. Thank you for giving us purpose while here on earth. Lord, I pray that every person that we encounter sees our light. Lord we know a harvest is coming, help us to prepare ourselves for all that you have promised us. Increase our faith, and help our unbelief. Give us strength to stand strong on your promises and believe every word you say. Remove any doubt or fears that may stop us from receiving activating our faith. Help us to walk by faith, and not sight. Lord help us to align what we know to be true with our actions.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen! 

We’ve already explored the root, soil, and seed. I honestly don’t know how we got to this tree analogy, but it’s been flowing. What do you think we’re getting into today? If you guessed the fruit, then you’re right. I want to dig into the harvest, which is your fruit. What are you producing? Now I know this may sound similar to yesterday‘s seed, but a seed is different from fruit. A seed is what you plant, but the fruit is what grows. The question I want you to think about, is are you prepared for your harvest? I hope during this time, you’ve been reading your word, and learning more about who God is. As you read His word, you’ll even explore all the promises He has given us. We are all able to receive God’s promises, if we have faith, be obedient, and have patience. Psalm 37:3-5 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.” As long as your heart is aligned with Gods, He will give you the desires of your heart. Even in the midst of trials and times of uncertainty, you have hold on to God’s promises and know that He will show up for you. I don’t know what seeds you’ve planted, or what you’ve been asking God for, but you have to know that He hears you. We have a Father that cares and loves us, and who wants to give us our desires. 

We are going into a new season, this is uncharted territory. The practices and habits that brought you this far, will not take you to this next season. What used to work is no longer working. If you truly want this new season to be different, you have to be different. Whatever you’ve been seeking God for, have you put them to action? What I mean is, does your faith match your circumstances or what God said? I’ll give you an example, It’s been many times where money has been tight, and I didn’t know how I would pay for a certain things. Rather than believe what my circumstances showed, I had to stand on the promises that God was going to supply all my needs. During those times, I still made sure to give my tithes, because I know He will make a way. Another example is how I was looking at apartments, without having a job or money to afford it. You have to have the faith to prepare for the things that you ask God for. I hope during this fast you have been sharing your desires of your heart with your Father. 

We are officially in preparation time! That means, this is the time to get ready. I was reading my Bible, Joshua chapter 1, and one particular verse stood out to me. Joshua 1:11 says, “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.” In the NKJ version, it says, “Prepare your victuals.” I don’t know why that stood out to me, but I began to go down the rabbit hole, and God revealed in epiphany to me. Joshua was essentially telling them to prepare for what was coming. They couldn’t just sit around and pray for God to bring the land to them, they had to go fight for it. Are you ready to fight for the things that you asked God for? Now, if you don’t know the backstory of Joshua, I’ll sum it up for you. This was after Moses died, and they were headed to the promise land. It goes on to say, “Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan River. But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has given you rest, and until they, too, possess the land the Lord your God is giving them. Only then may you return and settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, assigned to you.” 

You should definitely go read the entire chapter for yourself because it’s really good, Joshua is a great book for new beginnings. One thing I got from these verses is that, they were in preparation for the promises God gave them. The preparation time isn’t the time to be celebrating and resting. Some seasons require work and other seasons can be for play. Preparation requires work and attention. That may mean this isn’t the time to go out and be with friends, we have things to prep for. To get what you asked God for it’s going to require some work on your part. If this is going over your head, let me give you a practical example: My dad loves to cook grilled chicken. The thing that makes his grilled chicken so good, is the prep that he does going into it. My dad will prep his meat by seasoning it and letting it marinate for days. Honestly, I think he spends more time prepping than he does actually cooking the chicken. The reality is prep time is longer than the time it takes to actually cook. If this is true for cooking, why don’t you think it’ll be the same for you?

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Are you really ready for the things that you prayed for? I know you’ve heard the saying, stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. If God gave you the desires of your heart right now, would you have the longevity to sustain them? Whenever I ask God for a thing, I make sure to ask Him to prepare me for the things. Getting prepared for the things you prayed for, is simply bringing structure and strategy to what you believe. If you believe God is going to give you a new house, have you even started looking at the criteria to get the house? God wants to partner with you, but you have to be willing to do some work on your end. I used to always say I’m just waiting on God, but the truth is he was waiting on me. Trust me, I’ve been there, where I was waiting for God to do something big in my life, but I had no idea what it would take. Preparation time, helps you realize what it will take to get the things that you want. I can’t say I want a apartment and not know what I need to get it. I can’t sayI want to write a book, and not even research the steps that it takes to get a book published. I can’t say I want a better job, and not even look at what skills my dream career looks for. Luke 14:28 says, “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” Have you sat and even thought about what the things that you asked for would take? An example would be asking God to bless you with a six pack, and you don’t have the interest in working out ever. 

For today’s activity, I want you to sit and write down what the desires of your heart are. What are the things that you are believing God for? After you sit and discover what those things are, I want you to ask yourself who do I need to be to get these things? For example, I would love for my blog to grow to 1 million subscribers. The person I would need to manage and maintain that, is someone who is consistent and organized. Whatever the things that you’re believing God for, ensure that each thing has some actionable faith behind it. A couple days ago we talked about having an expectant heart, and this goes along with that. Not only do you have to believe that it’s going to happen, you have to put that faith into action. Anticipate and prepare now, as if it’s going to happen. Next on your list, write three things that God has been telling you to do. It can be things from yesterday, or things from eight years ago. In the Bible, Isaiah tells the people of Zion to enlarge the place of their tents. When you have an expectant heart, you prepare different. You have to stretch beyond the familiarity and make room before the blessing shows up. Think about your physical space. Have you made room for what you’re asking for? Are you asking God to bless you with your husband, and entertaining people who are not? Are you asking God for a new house and your current space is a mess? During this time of preparation, I want you to look at every area of your life and check how you are stewarding things that God has blessed you with. You can’t beg for a new car and your current car is filthy. You can’t ask for a better job, when you’re barely giving any effort in your current position. You can’t ask God for better finances, but yet as soon as you get paid, you blow through all the money you get on shoes. It’s time to prepare like never before get ready. Get ready, Get ready, Get ready!

The word “position” means the way in which your life is placed or arranged, so if your present life is a mess, what chance do you have of reaching something greater? Life isn't about faking it until you make it. It's about really doing it, so you don't have to fake it. In order to position yourself for success, you must: 

1. Position Yourself In Your Own Mind. The way you see yourself will shape the way others see you. The way you think about yourself determines how you do everything. It affects the way you live, the way you grow, the way you manage your time. It shapes everything you do. As a result, people will see you the way you perceive yourself. That’s why we dug into the mind on day two.

2. Position Yourself With Your Attitude. You can't walk into a room with your head low and think you'll stand out. Also, you can't say you want a Benz but mope around talking about how poor you are. It all starts with your attitude. Having a positive, optimistic attitude will go a long way. You must believe you deserve whatever you want. You must have confidence. 

3. Position Yourself With Your Appearance. First impressions get set in stone very quickly. And, like it or not, the way you look is the most important factor in shaping those first and lasting impressions. All you have to do to see how vital good appearance is, is to reflect upon your own reactions to people you meet. Don't you pay more attention to people who look important than you do to people who look sloppy? Most crucial, your prospects judge your importance by the way you look. I'm not saying to judge a book by it's cover but that's the world we live in. Dress for success. 

4. Position Yourself With Your Actions. You determine your importance, your intentions, your reliability, and many other critical factors, by what you do daily. Be proactive, rather than reactive. Make sure your actions align with your desires. 

5. Position Yourself With Your Words. Every word you say positions you either as a person to be considered important or as someone to be dismissed as quickly as possible. Don't be the person who says they're going to do something but never do. Your word is all you have. 

6. Position Yourself With Your Focus. What has your attention? Is it something that will help you reach your goals? If not, why are you focused on it? Remember, you get what you focus on, so focus on what you want. 

I hope these tips can help alter your life and help position yourself for success. Prayer is essential, but make sure you're truly prepared and positioned for the blessings God has for you. It’s time to come up with a action plan for the things you say you want. Three days left!