Shout happily to God, all the earth! Make music to praise the glory of His name. Make His praise glorious. Say to God, “How awe-inspiring are Your deeds! Your power is so great that Your enemies will cringe in front of You. The whole earth will worship You. It will make music to praise You. It will make music to praise Your name.” Psalm 66:1-4 GW

Friday’s deserve a shout! It’s typically the last day of the work week, and it’s especially sweet when it’s a payday week. But although I worship and praise God everyday, Friday is my shout day.

This is what this morning held: HEY FATHER! I’M GIVING YOU A SHOUT OUT, LETTING YOU KNOW HOW THANKFUL I AM. I COULDN’T HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THIS WEEK WITHOUT YOU. IT’S EXCITING TO SERVE YOU, TO BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO WORK THROUGH. MAY YOUR PRESENCE CHASE AFTER ME INTO THE WEEKEND SO I WILL BE FRESH AND NEW WHEN MONDAY RETURNS.

I made up a corny sounding song which I sang to Him. I giggled when I sang it and I think I heard Him giggle too. He loves it when I do that. Not for anyone but Him. Ever catch a glimpse of someone looking weird while driving down the road? That’s someone who no longer cares what the world thinks.

Go ahead! Lose yourself on purpose and give a shout out to the Father.

Sandy G

Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1

If you’ve read this story, you’ll be familiar with the fact that God didn’t give Abram a map to guide him to the land He was sending him to. No, God said to get up and go to a place I will show you. God requires our action first, before we get His reaction.

God is a motion sensitive God. When we move, He moves. When we seek Him, we find Him. When we give, its given back to us. When we raise our hands and praise Him, He responds by coming into our midst. That’s why they sent singers into battle first, because they knew it would evoke the presence of God and assure the victory.

He expects us to do what He asks. Go figure! Just like we expect our children to do what we ask when we ask. We tend to get frustrated when they don’t. It’s a wonder He doesn’t get frustrated with us! We need to move it, move it!

And when we’re still, we get His direction. Don’t move without it!

Oh Astounding God, if I stand, you’re there. When I’m asleep, You watch over me. When I move, You direct my steps. Is anything too hard for You?

So I will wait in Your presence until I’m clear in Your direction and move till You show me where to stop.

Sandy G

But the Lord will be the Savior of all who love Him. Even in their time of trouble, God will live in them as strength. Because of their faith in Him, their daily portion will be a Father’s help and deliverance from evil. This is true for all who turn to hide themselves in Him! Psalm 37:39-40 TPT

I’m thankful that the Lord is my Savior. He is my strength in my time of weakness and in times of trouble, I can run and take refuge in Him.

When I feel I’m a target for the enemy and feel his arrows whizzing by my head, I can call out to God, “Father, hide me!” and just as quick as that, I feel myself being pulled aside in the shelter of a Rock, hidden from persistent pursuit of evil forces. I see them pass by, but they are no longer a threat to my safety and peace.

Turn aside today. Sit with Father and allow His arms to hold you in what you’re facing today. Whatever you need Him to be, He is. Healer. Provider. Deliverer. Strength. Help. Call out to Him, “Here I am, I need You to be that for me.”

He is.

Sandy G

“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” James 5:16b AMPC

That word, earnest is defined as serious and zealous in intention, purpose, or effort; showing depth or sincerity of feeling; seriously important, demanding or receiving serious attention.

Did you also know that if you are a believer, you are made righteous not by what you do, but because of what Christ did. You are in right standing with God because of the sacrifice Jesus made for you.

So I like to say it like this; Because I’m in right standing with my Father, when I pray intentional prayers with passion and zeal, I know my prayers are powerful and effective. Because the Spirit of God lives within me, He bears witness and intensifies the words that come out of my mouth and causes those things that I say to come to pass.

I can only pray passionately when I believe in what I’m praying. I believe the Word of God, so when I pray the Word, I know it’s still as alive and powerful as when it was first spoken. I can count on God to keep His Word because He cannot and will not ever lie.

Never think for a moment God doesn’t listen to the cries of His people. He hears & answers.
Your prayers are heard! Don’t quit now!!!

How well God must like you—you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats, you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings, you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls. Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust—Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people. God charts the road you take. The road they take leads to nowhere. Psalm 1 Message

The wicked are windblown dust. They are blown by every small breeze that comes along. Their life has no purpose other than self made goals and plans. They seem to pursue whatever suits their fancy at any given moment.

But God loves you and charts the road you take. Remember that as you walk out your day. Psalm 37:23 says it like this; The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.

When you delight yourself in the Lord and feast at His table, He watches over you and the steps you take. You need not fear for He is with you.

Be Blessed,

Sandy G

And David said to Saul, “May no one’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” But Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him; for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior since his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock, I went out after it and attacked it, and rescued the sheep from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its mane and struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 1 Samuel 17:32-36

David was a shepherd tending sheep when his father sent him to take food to his brothers. When he heard Goliath taunting the army of God, he was appalled. He knew who God was and what God was able to do. Gods people had been in battle for so long, they forgot who God was to them. They listened to the enemy day after day after day until it messed with their mind and created fear in them.

David went through a whole lot of stuff before he sat on the throne, but he never lost sight of who God was in him and for him. He worshipped until He slipped behind the veil and sat in His sanctuary. He found the key to the throne room was in His worship.

If you want David’s passion, you must know God deeply. If you want Davids record of conquests, you must first seek God for direction before making decisions. If you want wealth like David, you must prepare to give to God first with your money. David wasn’t moved by his surroundings, he was only moved by God. He heard God speak because he practiced communion with Him. Pay the price, have the life!

Sandy G

Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21‭-‬24

I talked yesterday about the importance of worship in your daily routine. I hope you’re doing it and that you notice a difference. Even if you don’t, do not give up. The end of these verses say it so well, God is a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

It’s not a public thing, it’s a private thing. When you don’t do it to be heard by others, you do it simply to be known by Him. It’s personal and precious to your Father when you drop off everything and just sit with your head on His lap and love on Him. Keep doing it until you experience that. It’s life-changing.

Besides, you can’t fool God. He knows your heart better than you do and He is able to take what is broken and put it back together again. He’s good that way!

“Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love him in return and will reveal myself to him.” John 14:21

Sandy G

Everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6 NASB

I was reminded this morning of the importance of what we use our breath for.  Obviously breathing is super important. If we didn’t breathe, we’d be dead. But each and everyday, I hear people wasting that precious commodity on griping and complaining, talking fear and frustration instead of being thankful and praising God.

The things we spend time listening to consumes our thoughts and words. It’s those very things which determines our direction and outcomes. But what if we could change all that by making simple adjustments? Are you interested? If you are, keep reading.

David wrote, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord my strength and my redeemer.” He knew the importance of meditating and listening to right things, so much so that he made it his prayer.

I’m not saying we won’t slip up and be consumed by the turbulence going on around us, but what if we got up every morning and put on some worship music and entered His courts with praise? What would that shift in our lives, our homes and our families?

Sometimes in our attempts to be ‘spiritual’ we lose the simplicity of access to His presence. It’s not in doing more, but doing the right things.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courtyards with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Psalm 100:4 NASB

You can pass through His open gates with the password of praise. Come right into His presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to Him and affectionately bless His beautiful name! Psalm 100:4 TPT

Try doing this for a month and see what happens. Put on some worship music that makes declarations. I played one this morning that was entitled, I Will Not Fear. When I finished, my spirit soared as I once again elevated His name above lack, poverty, sickness and disease. His name over my children, my grandchildren, my family and friends. There is no other name higher than the name of Jesus.

Don’t waste your breath talking like the world does, put your faith in God. He is indeed bigger than all of that.

Sandy G

Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. Psalm 43:4

Did you know that an altar is also known as a communion table? Interesting isn’t it. So could it be that when we rise up in the morning to commune with the Lord, we have built an altar to Him? That might be a stretch for some of you, but bear with me.

This is my place to remember what the hand of the Lord has delivered me from. This is my altar of intercession for my family. This is my altar of great and precious promises. This is the place where I’ve received great revelation from the Lord. This is my communion.

“The sun cannot compare to the glory of your Love, there is to shadow in your presence. No mortal man would dare to stand before your throne, before the Holy one of Heaven. It’s only by your blood and it’s only through your mercy, Lord I come.

“I bring an offering of worship to my King. No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing. Jesus may you receive the honor that you’re due. Oh Lord I bring an offering to you.” (Paul Baloche)

May my offering oh Lord be accepted by you. May it be a sweet aroma, a delicate fragrance that brings you joy. May my passion for you burn off all the dry places until I’m ignited with your fire. My soul delights in your goodness. Once again, I come away refreshed and renewed to face the task you’ve handed me. I love you Lord! I’m thankful you never leave me.

Sandy G

For God, who said, “Let brilliant light shine out of darkness,” is the one who has cascaded His light into us—the brilliant dawning light of the glorious knowledge of God as we gaze into the face of Jesus Christ. We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 TPT

How do we possess that kind of light? By sitting in the presence of a mighty God and asking Him to reveal himself to us through His Word. When we understand and use His Word, we are using the treasure in us.

Let’s not hide our treasure, but let’s declare the Word in our daily lives, over our families, our church and our neighborhoods. We must be light. Our lamps will only burn when they are filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Our lights will only be seen when we turn up the flame.

The time has come to let your light shine that it may glorify our Father. Come on! Be a glow stick, that every person on the face of the earth may see us burn.

Sandy G