Senior Partner. Generosity is something that comes up fairly often in church. If we truly trust God in our life, we need to be able to trust Him in our finances as well. But making God our Senior Partner is a concept I’ve never heard of.

More than a half a century ago, Stanley Tam made God his Senior Partner of his plastic corporation. 51 percent partner! Whenever there was money to be made, more than half was dedicated towards others. Then Stanley felt convicted that God should receive it all and that’s when he became a salaried employee. To this day, he has given away $120 million dollars. Speaking at the National Community Church, Stanley shared, “God’s shovel is always bigger than ours which means we cannot outgive God!” The key to unlocking the joy of generosity is accepting the fact that what we keep we actually lose, but what we give away we ultimately get back. Stanley just sends it ahead by giving it away! What Stanley has done will keep multiplying for centuries to come. Think about that.

So what can I do to help setup a legacy of giving? First and foremost is to make absolutely positively sure that my family, my friends, and my neighbors know who is number one in my life. And secondly, that I am generous with all that I have. My time, my resources, my energy, my everything needs to reflect my priorities! I may not have hundreds or thousands of dollars to give away, but what I do have is time. And that is a gift that means just as much. With God as my Senior Partner, we can build a legacy of love. And that’s a joyful song I can sing to the Lord.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭

The Longest Lever. The word lever comes from the Latin word levare, which means “to raise”. Early humans used levers to move heavy stones and as digging sticks. Think of the pyramids in Egypt. They didn’t have cranes back in the day, but they had levers and fulcrums that allowed them to build these masterpieces that are still standing centuries later! The most plausible example of how the pyramids were built is found in Brittanica. “The Egyptians employed a sloping and encircling embankment of brick, earth, and sand, which was increased in height and in length as the pyramid rose; stone blocks were hauled up the ramp by means of sledges, rollers, and levers.” This boggles my mind! I have never seen these works of art but hope and pray I will someday.

When my husband and I bought our home in 1999, the one we are still living in 25 years later, we had a dilemma. How do we move our jacuzzi from the north side of the property to the south? I went to work one morning and thought I’d bring home some of the guys from work and have them help George move the jacuzzi. I’m not sure how heavy it was but if we had enough burly men, it could be done. To my surprise, when I came home, the jacuzzi had been moved. I was scratching my head and asked my husband George, who helped him move that Bohemia of a spa? He said, “The Egyptians!” George had himself a pry bar with a few pieces of wood and proceeded to scoot that jacuzzi with a lever clear across our yard! That was ingenious, if I say so myself. I had no idea such a thing could be done!

One lever, one small piece of equipment can start a build. Just like our prayer life. When we pray daily, we start a relationship. A relationship like no other. Like a parent, or in my case, grandparent, who witnesses the first steps of a child, our God rejoices when we take baby steps in His direction. Each prayer, each time we spend talking to the Lord, exalts Him and takes the focus off ourselves. Bowing our hearts, bending our knee, puts our heart in a position that magnifies God. Levering is our opportunity to reach the Lord, to focus our attention on His mighty name. As Oswald Chambers wrote, “ It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things.” And when we do the ordinary, God will do the extraordinary. All we are asked to do is give our best, and let God do the rest.

“Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭

Raise Up a Remnant. I’m going to write something that some may not agree with. At critical moments in history, God raises up a remnant to reestablish His reign and rule. In the case of United States, we have been through a vicious election cycle. There were people on both sides of the fence, and then, we had polar opposites that were sure democracy would collapse if one party was elected over the other. In the end, the people spoke, and God still reigns!

Our God is always in control. And surely He has plans for our great nation. Typically a remnant is a minority, a small group of individuals who have a staying power to make things happen. And occasionally, God places a leader within them who emerges. From my vantage point, I believe that our administration was headed towards destruction. Yes, that’s harsh but this is only my point of view. But anyway you slice it, our country, my country had a revival and felt a need to vote. There were more people who casted their votes than ever. Over 149 million people showed up, and lined up for blocks. Now that’s a revival! A wake-up to our nation to make sure their voice was heard.

So what does this have to do with prayer? A small organized group, Remnants, who are determined to pray as long as possible, to help move a revival. The root of a revival starts with prayer. I believe the people of United States were ready for change. There was prayer happening in church, in homes, in coffee houses and it extended to the Polling Booths. There was a revival like I’ve never experienced, right here in America!

God has promised his people that when we circle in prayer, He will deliver. As paraphrased by Mark Batterson, God delivers as often as the sun rises in the east, and as sure as it sets in the west. If our Father is invited, He shows up. When we bend our knees in prayer, God extends his mighty hand on our behalf. All we need to do is lay the foundation, and most definitely, He will start building something amazing atop. When we intervene, when we pray without ceasing, God intervenes like nothing we can anticipate! And that can start as small as a remnant!

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬

Prayer Covering. I cannot tell you how many times, how many situations nor how many people have covered me in prayer! We are told that if we are going to intercede for others, we best be sure that others are interceding for us. Whenever we go to war, or have an enemy to fight, we should employ an inner circle of prayer warriors to protect us through earnest prayer.

I have countless stories of family and friends praying for my safety, health and wellbeing. But when I entered the mission field, I needed more than ever, a circle of soldiers, that were interceding for me. When I hiked my first long distant trail, my mighty prayer warrior and friend Debbie Carapiet, planned a sendoff for me. She purchased a bandana, circulated it to many Christian friends who sealed it with prayer and their favorite verses. It was, by far, my most precious and most worn, piece of equipment. This bandana opened many conversations with others along the way. I cannot recall the number of encounters I had with complete strangers, asking what was inscribed on my bandana? Reading scripture and praying over countless hikers was a regular ritual. Also, my bandana blessed me tremendously as I read it every morning, just before leaving my tent, and starting my 20-25 mile day. Who would’ve thought such a small piece of fabric could pave a way to deeper conversation?

The other vital component of this, were my friends and family who prayed for me daily. It took a total of 166 days to walk from Mexico to Canada. My statute and physicality is not one of Super Woman! I am an average middle-aged woman, a bit round, with a few extra pounds. But what superpower I had was a committed group of prayer warriors who covered me in prayer daily. They made this possibility, a true reality. And the Lord heard every petition and prayer request for divine appointments to evangelize along the way. When I look back on the five month mission of spreading God’s love to others, I covered 2,650 miles of deserts, mountains, valleys, glaciers, rivers with intense temperatures from rain, sleet and snow to extremely hot, dry days. It always amazes me that I actually completed this journey. It was only by God’s grace and His hedge of protection, that paved my way.

When you are planning to go to war, enter a mission field, intervene in a conflict, or who knows what, it is imperative to have a circle of people that know exactly what to pray for. Be specific regarding your needs, find warriors who are consistent and intense in their prayer, and then get ready for a breakthrough!

“I am now convinced; it is my duty and privilege, and the duty of every other Christian, to pray for as much of the Holy Spirit as came down on the day of Pentecost, and a great deal more … I have only just begun to understand what Jesus meant when He said, “All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”” Written by Father Nash 1831

Get a Testimony. When I hear a testimony, I’m typically in tears! It makes me consider that if God did that for them, why should I not believe that he won’t do the same for me, my family or my friends. When God does what God does, we need to share it with others! It’s a matter of stewardship.

If I take a walk back to my life before Christ, I’m sure many of you would agree that my life has taken on a tremendous change. Transformation is what happens when God is placed first and foremost in your life. The day I accepted Jesus Christ, I was an unwed mother with a six-month old son. I was attending Humboldt State University and honestly, I wasn’t really sure what I was doing with my life. I was a teenager raising a baby!

As God had planned, most likely before I was born, there was a Grange Hall in my small town of Klamath. As I walked inside, a revival was underway. Pentecostals were singing praises, speaking in tongues and sharing the gospel to anyone who had ears to hear it. I had never experienced anything like this in my life. By the end of the evening, they had an alter call. Something came over me, and whatever it might have been, was completely foreign to me. Before I could speak, I started walking to the front of the church. Nothing that I was doing, prior to this day, was glorifying God. And it’s a safe bet that if continued down that track, nothing good would have come from this wayward life of mine. As I approached the alter, half of the congregation surrounded me, placing hands on me and praying over me. It was the most love and acceptance I had felt, in quite sometime.

If I am honest with myself, prior to that Spring day, I had little to no room for Jesus. The obvious hole in my heart could only be filled with the love of the Holy Spirit. I have a saying that I use quite a bit, I just didn’t know what I didn’t know! On that faithful day at the Grange Hall, I met Jesus! And now I understand what that feeling I felt was nothing short of the love of Christ Jesus.

I can tell you that I’ve had many bumps in the road, and it hasn’t been a straight path forward. But the one big takeaway has been that the Lord has never left me or forsaken me. He has been my Father, my friend and my biggest fan, as I have made my way closer to Him. And I guarantee you that He will do the same for you! Get a testimony and share it. I’d love to hear your story.

“Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭

SPELL It Out. If God asked you what you wanted, would you have an answer? Not like a Genie Bottle but something that is within the Will of God. Even when we pray, we really need to be specific about what we want and desire. There is nothing in this world, that is not within the realm of His mighty power and grace. Yet at times, we tend to limit ourselves and more-so God, by our own beliefs or disbeliefs. God is way bigger than anything we can muster up!

This caught me a bit off guard when I first read my devotion today. Is there a family or friend, a specific request that I haven’t spelled out to Jesus? I can think of a few prayers that I am much too vague about. The fact is that when we expound on what our heart is aching for, when we express to God our one and true desire, then He answers us, we can be certain that our prayer was answered by Him. Not by coincidence or happenstance but rather by the one and only, Heavenly Father. Specifying the exact dimensions of a project, a deadline on a book deal, or details of a long-suffering disease, is what He wants us to relinquish, giving Him complete and total trust in our prayer. Knowing that we can confide in our Lord and Savior, is really, our only true hope!

I have so much I need to share with Jesus, and I don’t know what stops me from going there? Imagine that He wants the same things that I desire, that He plans the identical path that I have envisioned, yet I am traveling it alone. What a shame that would be! So today I ask myself what have I been holding back from God? Then, I can sit down with Him and spell it out. I’m sure it will definitely put a smile on Jesus’ face, and melt my heart.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭24‬ ‭

Abide in Me. Grapevines are such a great metaphor for our lives and how we cling, depend and grow in Jesus Christ. Abiding is a three prong approach; connection with Jesus, dependence on His power and in continuous relationship with the Lord.

Our connection with Jesus is ever so life-giving. The branch (us) is connected to the vine (Jesus), just as the vine is connected to the branch. This connection, this union, is mutual. We abide in Christ as he abides in us. If there is no connection from the branch to the vine, there is no life, and no fruit is produced.

But abiding also implies dependence. Unlike connection, dependence is not reciprocal. The branch, me and you, are dependent on the vine, but the vine which is Christ, is not dependent on the branch. We derive both life and power from the vine. Without the vine, the branch is useless, lifeless, if not all out powerless. We require the vine to supply water, minerals, and nutrients to nurture our growth. We are completely dependent upon Jesus for everything that counts as spiritual fruit.

Abiding also involves continuance. The word, “abide” means to remain, stay, or continue. In the Book of John, two of the disciples who first encountered Jesus asked him “Where are you staying?” They wanted to know where Jesus made his residence. The word staying is the same word translated as abide. To abide is to continue, to stay, to remain, in God’s word.

Abiding is a beautiful analogy of who we are bound to, what we cling to and how much we mature in our faith. When we truly understand this concept of connection, dependence and continuance, then we can experience all the fruits of the spirit! And really know how great our God is!

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭

A New Prayer. This is difficult for me to grasp. The biggest key to our spiritual growth is developing healthy and holy practices that we interpret as spiritual disciplines. This can be a gamut of things from reading our Bible when we wake in the morning or maybe before we go to bed. Diving into a devotional that we read daily or praying at 1pm everyday. However, we need to be mindful of what we are doing and why! Good practices can become bad routines if we don’t change it up from time to time. It’s like going through the motions, mindlessly.

At church this morning, our Pastor Mark Clark was AWOL. Well, I’m sure it was a planned absence but needless to say, we had a different Pastor, Brandon Short. He definitely was not whom I expected but wow, did he shake things up! We are studying the Book of Acts and we learned much about being mindful of who we are worshipping. Mark Clark and Brandon Short, are a far cry from Jesus. But if we’re not careful, we can start worshipping the wrong Father. Bayside taught me a great lesson. It’s good practice to learn from others, and each pastor has a certain gifting that God blessed them with. Changing teachers opened my eyes, ears and heart to the Lord in new ways. It was a profound message and an important lesson that God is on the throne, not my pastor!

What I have been doing these past four weeks, has been a change of routine. Reading this book “Draw the Circle” has been a commitment to me, to my friends but especially to the Lord. He has opened my soul to a new way of seeing Him, to a relationship that is so real and tangible, and to a place that I want to continue pursuing.

Now when I pray, I desire to understand why I am praying and to whom I am praying! Changing your routine is something I was taught in the Highway Patrol. We can easily fall into a trap of routine, a series of actions or inactions, and become content in that. Change is hard but it is crucial, if not essential for our continuous spiritual growth. The Lord wants our worship, but with our imagination and our unique personality. He wants our heart and He wants nothing left unsaid. Maybe next time when I pray, I might sing a praise. The psalmist tells us to sing a new song, not once but six times. I betcha God may love to hear a new lyric from our lips. Just like the song bird singing outside my window.

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭

Quit Praying. And start doing something. This hit me square in my soul. God will always hear our prayers, each and every one of them. But there is a difference between pleading for the Lord to save us or being the hands and feet of Jesus! There comes a time to stop praying and start acting.

Each and every one of us have probably felt God telling us to help her or him, put money in the basket, or countless other ways He asks us to show His love to someone else. When I started leading a Kayak Ministry with my husband, I know, that doesn’t seem like a real ministry, but it was. I had been taking strangers and friends to different locations for years. We would lead monthly day paddles to God’s glorious creation, but I was asked if we could extend our kayak adventures to weekend jaunts. That would entail much more planning, more assistant leaders and a Sunday morning sermon. Lord, am I equipped to do this? And He said, “If you don’t, who will?” And so I began my journey with the Lord and started teaching.

There was a Sunday morning on Lake Tahoe where we had some 30-35 individuals who came to church. I had asked God what he wanted me to share and it was the Book of John. No, not the entire book but more about how much God loves us so, that he sent his one and only son, and brought heaven down to earth. To love us like no one else can and to know he sees us just as we are. It wasn’t my longest sermon or my best, but it was exactly what He wanted me to share that morning. Afterwards, we launched our kayaks and paddled to Emerald Bay. It was a picture perfect day and the lake was like glass. Not a ripple on the water, smooth and easy going.

The following day I received an email from one of the gals who happened to be with me the day prior. She told me how much that message of God’s love meant to her. She had been so alone and was struggling terribly. She felt it spoke directly to her, and renewed her faith that she is truly loved! I was in tears reading that message years ago and to be honest, I am crying right now as I’m blogging this. Honestly I had no idea what I said that gorgeous morning, yet it was exactly what the Holy Spirit put on my lips.

Christianity is intended to be a verb, an action word. The Book of Acts was all about the launching of the church. The disciples were following and reinforcing what Jesus started. Imagine if they only prayed but never did! When Jesus said go forth and spread my word to all nations, he meant that literally! It was an invitation to go out and bring the love of God to all people! So next time when you are praying for something, consider answering your own prayer. There are opportunities for us to stop praying and maybe, just maybe, start doing.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭23‬ ‭

Double Circle. This is my confession – I have never completed a fast! Today is all about doubling down with both prayer and fasting. If you have ever felt like you are at your wits end, when a disease is not healing or a marriage is at its brink, when you feel God is not answering or paving the way, this is the perfect time to double circle.

When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked Peter and the disciples to keep watch. The Lord knew His time was coming and had asked for one hour of prayer; yet they all fell asleep. Imagine if we prayed for one hour, along with fasting from sunrise to sunset. What windows, if not barn doors would swing open! Jesus cuts to the chase but saying undeniably, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Truer words have never been spoken.

I have all sorts of good intentions to commit to a fast, usually the first of the year or during the 40 days of Lent. My problem has never been my intention, but my lack of follow through. The reason that fasting is so important for me and you is it gives us extraordinary power to lean into prayer, grow in our faith and become more disciplined. Fasting provides us the physical and mental fortitude that is required to access spiritual power!

Next time you have a prayer session with God, consider circling it with fasting. The bigger the circumstance, the more likely that we need to be doubling down with double the circling. If you are in need of more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control, tap into your inner circle and double-up! Praying and fasting is not just something different to do, but it can actually be what moves the needle from here to there. Doubling up on prayer and fasting may just afford us a double blessing! And can’t we all use more blessings? I know I’m all for that!

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬ ‭