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5 THINGS SINGLE WOMEN SHOULD CONSIDER WHILE WAITING ON THE LORD

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Cast your cares upon the Lord, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Did you know that He even cares about your personal life, your desires, you know the desires you have for marriage, babies, and a family? There is nothing too small for God to care about that concerns you. Remember The Lord will perfect all that concerns you, even your love life (Psalms 138:8).

But, will you trust Him?

Will you be patient as He brings the man who you desire into your life?

Or will you throw in the towel and go looking for your “Adam”, and end up finding and falling for an “Ishmael” when God had your “Isaac” on the way. Then, regret it when you are married to that man because he doesn’t fit you, he can’t lead you properly, or he pulls you away from God?

A beautiful love story takes time and it will not be perfect but if you keep God as your foundation, He will take care of the areas that are imperfect. God has all things under control. Though we don’t understand why things take so long, it will all be worth the wait in the end.

I truly thank God for delivering me from the impatient syndrome, and wanting so badly to be in love and married. I realized that God makes no mistakes. He is not the author of confusion and He is not a man that He should lie. I know what He has promised me, and He knows what He has promised me. Now I may have made mistakes along the way, but God kept me and didn’t allow me to fall too far away. I might not have passed all the tests that I should have, and I’ve tried numerous times to outrun my process and failed EVERY SINGLE TIME, still His mercy and His grace covered me.

Now today, I can’t express how important it is to WAIT ON THE LORD. Trust me, your strength will be renewed. I am living witness. I am still here and even more determined to wait on Him. During a season of stripping things from me and opening my eyes to what was still in my heart and how unready I was for marriage when at times I thought I was, it gave me no choice but to submit to His Will.

Since then I have learned what it truly means to wait on God and to be content as I trust God to bring His promises to past according to His perfect Will.

I know there are many women who desire marriage, and I want to share what I have learned along that is beneficial to a waiting season. While you are waiting there are few things you can occupy yourself with to keep you focused on God instead of the time.

  1. Seek the face of The Lord.

Start setting side time to speak to God and pour your heart out to Him. The man you really need to be desiring it Jesus.

“For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.” Isaiah 54:5 

Jesus is going to be our ultimate husband, so it doesn’t hurt to get to know Him more. If you are not filled with Jesus, you will be empty and then try to fill voids with men. This is how counterfeits and lust distract you. Seeking The Lord in this time will help you to become in tuned with Him and if you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit yet, well this is the perfect time. Trust me, you will need all the Jesus you can get while single so that when a man comes into your life, you won’t be deceived if he is not for you, and you won’t run him away, if he is. Seek God to find out why you were created, because you were created for more than just being a wife. Reading God’s Word and fasting is very essential in the life of a believer. God will even reveal things to you about yourself and even about your purpose. Which leads me to number two.

  1. Get busy doing work for the Kingdom.

This is so important! Yes, marriage is considered a ministry, but you haven’t been elevated to that assignment yet. This is where a lot of women shy away from because a lot forget that we too, as women, have a purpose and a position in God’ Kingdom. So in seeking the Lord, He can reveal to you what He wants you to do. Get busy in church, but be led by God.Don’t just join every ministry because you have so much time. Quality is more important than quantity. Maybe God has been tugging at you to start something for His kingdom, like a small study group. Or maybe He wants you to step out and get busy by spreading His gospel to your coworkers, family, friends, strangers, to people of this world. Maybe He wants you to share your testimony. I mean you would never know unless you spend time with Him. Being busy for God will position you to be in His Will and you never know, God may have someone waiting for you to be obedient to where He is trying to take you.If you don’t have church home yet, this is the time to find one, so you can start growing spiritually.

  1. Prepare yourself.

I know you have a list of what you want in a husband, we all have a list (lol). However, just as you are looking for certain qualities and traits out of someone, make sure you possess the same or at least qualities of a good wife. It is kind of silly and childish to want so much out of someone but not willing to be the same. I know when I look at my little list (lol), I make sure that I am bringing just as much to the table. If you want a man who works, are you working? If you want a saved man of God that loves the Lord, make sure you love The Lord too. You want a man who is faithful, make sure you are faithful as well, to The Lord. You want a man who will lead, make sure you’re ready to practice submission. 

Let me state that getting yourself prepared doesn’t mean you should focus your entire waiting time on being prepared for marriage. You need to make sure you are prepared individually to take care of yourself. Learn something new, learn how to cook, fill your mind with things that are educational and beneficial to take along with you in this life. Don’t just sit and let life pass you by waiting for an event to happen first.

  1. Keep in mind that the man God brings you will not be perfect.

He will not come perfect in a pretty box and as everything on your “list” when you first meet/get to know him. Don’t expect God to drop a fine-looking man of God, that’s a prince charming, romantic, every Tuesday flower sending, attends to your every need, always puts you first, knows all the right things to say, super-duper sweet, posts pictures of you, show you off on social media, makes you his WCW every Wednesday, buys you everything; basically a straight out of a notebook movie fairy tale guy.

I am sorry to burst your little bubble, but we live in a world with imperfect people who make mistakes and don’t always get it right. Now, if God sends you someone like that, that is all around perfect, well… fast from them, QUICKLY and really make sure he is sent from God because that sounds a little too good to be true and normally when it’s too good to be true, it’s not true (lol).

God is really dealing with me in this area, because I just wanted a fairy tale man but I realized that just like I’m not perfect, he won’t be either. It helps me to be less selfish and more loving, but I still have my deal breakers as any woman should, well person in general should. Make sure your basic standards are met, a preview of mines: Saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost, prays in tongues (doesn’t have to all the time but I need personal evidence to know He has the Holy Ghost besides the fruit of the Spirit; I’ve dealt with too many counterfeits), beliefs on doctrines are the same, study his bible, did I mention prays!, respectful, communicates effectively, purpose oriented (which means he’ll have a job lol), and his attractiveness meets my eyes, then everything else can be workable through communication and prayer.

Also I want to throw in, don’t think you must have daily communication with someone you just met, we are grown and have lives. People work and I’m learning that the whole puppy love, texting/calling every second and every day is high school and causes pre-mature love/lust to develop. If you two are talking all day every day, what are you doing with your lives? What are you doing for God? There should be space and boundaries. You should take things slow and let the Lord lead the relationship since He should be the foundation. This section is long because God convicted me about this topic and I get it now (lol).

  1. Understand the true meaning of waiting on The Lord.

I truly believe a lot of us have the concept of waiting on The Lord misconstrued. Waiting on God does not mean to sit back and allow life to pass by until an event or something happens. It doesn’t mean to stay in your comfort zone until God calls you out. Waiting on The Lord means to step out on faith and trust that God will do what He said He will do. Isaiah 40:31 says that they who wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength. As you wait, your strength is being renewed. You will be strengthened in your weak areas, you will be prepared for what’s to come, you won’t be weak and lonely waiting for a man because as you are waiting on God you are being renewed. Soon you won’t even notice “how long” God is taking because you will be more focused on kingdom things, with a new mindset. You will then look up and see that God has been working on your love life this entire time and you will go into a relationship as a better person with the right person.

I pray these inspire you to want more of Jesus before wanting a man. These five things and more have helped me to keep my mind on Jesus and not on my cares and desires. One day you will look up and thank God for shutting the doors to the wrong men, for the right man to find you. Trust God and don’t forget to keep Him first. It would be a shame to spend all your life waiting to be married and you look up and Jesus comes back before that event and you weren’t ready for HIM. At the end of it all, give your heart to Jesus and He’ll place it in the hands of a man who has been waiting on someone as special as you. Lastly, enjoy your singleness because once you’re married, you can’t get it back (lol)!

 

Love you and God loves you more!!

 

Press forth because God is intentional!

ballet-31 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

I was listening to Travis Greene’s song “He’s intentional”, and it ministered to me in a new way this morning. Now I’ve heard that song like a million times but today it settled in my spirit, just how intentional God is.

This year started off with a twist then turned rocky, and as much as I thought I knew it all, I didn’t. As ready as I thought I was for certain things I involved myself into, I wasn’t. Nothing catches God by surprise, He knew every obstacle and mistake that I would make. Only God knows what I would’ve entangled myself more, into had He not put a halt to my plans.

Today, I thank God for the closed doors, they gave me motivation to work harder with godly wisdom towards the right doors. I thank God for hardening the hearts of men towards me, they pushed me closer to a King who I know will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. I thank God for allowing me to go through it all, because it redirected my steps and desires back to Him. He has and is still working everything out that I’ve been through, the good and bad, for my good. His Word does not lie!

It’s amazing to see how much God has matured me in these last few months. I have learned a lot about myself. My desires have transformed. My perspective has changed, and I completely just want to be in God’s will.

I can truly say I overcame the sin of turning desires that were in my heart into idols. I can truly say I feel free from past mistakes. It’s still a daily process, but each day I feel a change in myself. I thank God because He used what the devil thought would take me out, to bring me out of myself and closer to Him.

I shared all that to say, whatever you’re going through, whether it is a heartbreak, job loss, depression, hardships, remember that God is intentional, and He’s never-failing, so don’t lose trust in Him. He will turn it around. He will heal your broken heart. He will provide for your every need. He will loosen the grip of the enemy’s hands off your life. You just have to be a warrior! You have to keep pressing forth! Let your faith increase by overlooking your “now”, and looking to the creator of your future. I know it’s easier said than done but I wouldn’t share this if I didn’t believe it.

It took me a while to truly understand that God has a plan, and I must trust Him. You must trust Him. I don’t have to worry about how the plan will manifest, I just have to remain obedient and have a repenting heart when I do make mistakes.

When life gets tough, don’t stay down. Dust yourself off and get back in the race. I would’ve never thought I would be here, at this point, this quickly. I feel free and whole, with clarity, and it’s because I never gave up on God. As many times as I wanted to throw in the towel, I kept moving forward. I gave my heart to men, and they let me down, but I kept moving forward. I had no idea how I was going to pay bills, but I kept moving forward. I felt like I what I was doing, going to church, trying to live right, was for nothing, but I didn’t stop, I kept moving forward. Sometimes I feel alone in this walk, but I still move forward, because I know God will use my perseverance for His glory.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 KJV

Pressing forth and looking ahead will allow you to reap the benefits of letting Him heal, restore, and transform you. So, trust Him through your situations. Don’t look at the closed doors as the end. Don’t look at someone leaving you as the value of your worth. God will restore what the devil stole, and most of what the enemy stole, belonged to him and wasn’t meant for you anyway.

God is intentional with every step of your life. Place it back in His hands and keep moving forward, as He works it all out for your good.

Jesus loves you!

 

 

Fix your eyes back on Jesus.

img_6107I know being a single woman can be hard when you desire to be in a relationship, and being a single Christian woman can be even harder because being married is like one of the number one goals we are pressured to accomplish sooner rather than later. So any man who gives a little attention you immediately start wondering “is he my potential husband” ” I wonder if he’s interested” “how can I show him I like him without looking desperate” etc. I used to be guilty of driving myself crazy wondering if every man who walked past me was my husband (thank God for deliverance!!! oh and disciplining myself to control my emotions #theStruggleCanBeReal lol). I think a lot of women take the fun out of waiting on God to work out their love life because of anxiousness, pressure, and obsession of being married. I say all this because I’ve been there before and God had to show me that I MUST keep my eyes on Him: at all times (Isaiah 26:3). You must not awaken love before it’s time (Song of Solomon 8:4). You must guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Not to get too deep but for the simple fact that the devil is just prowling around looking for someone to devour, and when your focus is off Jesus and on worrying about a man, you become weak and easy to distract and destroy. (1 Peter 5:8). Also, your mind and heart can fail you, if it’s not renewed on a daily basis. You’re troubling your heart when you are led by your imaginations and over analyze everything, (one day you think he likes you and the next day you’re not sure). Your thoughts can lead you to borderline walking into lust and idolatry if you don’t cast down vain imaginations and reports that are not from God. On top of that, let’s be real; God gives us wisdom and it doesn’t take rocket science to know if someone is interested or not. It doesn’t take confirmations and a million and one prayers to God. If a man is, he will tell you, better yet, he will SHOW you. You won’t have to wonder and worry your pretty self, by over analyzing every single detail. At the end of the day, you are worth someone willing to not waste your time or his. So keep your mind focused on Jesus and remember your worth! So beautiful, fix your eyes on back on Jesus and think on things that are true, honest, pure, and of a good report. NOT on a man, worrying if he likes you or not. Stop bringing confusion to yourself!

Dealing with temptation?

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 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

God will not put more on you than you can bear. There is no temptation that can overcome you, that God has not made a way out, for an escape. Sometimes we think that God is being unfair and allowing us to be in the same situation after praying to be relieved from it. Someone reading this needs to know that God has not forgotten about you. Your prayers are not going up in vain. You are not being looked over. In fact, God is working on your behalf, He has been, from the very beginning. One thing I had to learn was that God will often times change us before He changes our circumstances. No, let me rephrase that, God WANTS to change us before changing our circumstances. As I am typing I am getting a word in my spirit about temptation and how it comes in all forms. For me personally, my desire for marriage used to rule me and my decisions, but thank God for deliverance and on time messages, from preachers and teachers to help me realize that I must trust God and not my desires. We must trust God and not our flesh. We must trust God’s Word and not settle for what entices our flesh.

There is no temptation that can overcome you, that God has not made a way out, for an escape.
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Every day temptation knocks on our doors. As long as we are in the flesh, we will be tempted by something because let’s face it, our flesh is weak. The form of temptation varies for different individuals. Maybe for you, there’s a temptation in

  • Picking up a doughnut that looks so good, but you just asked the Lord to help you with your weight goal.
  • Entertaining your imaginations that are leading you away from Christ and to anxiety lane, worrisome boulevard, or lustful street. (Maybe I’m the only one with that struggle.)
  • Listening to that new Beyonce album, when you know all she sings about is everything that will hinder your walk with Christ. (Okay, that one was for me too lol.)
  • Checking up on your ex, when you know God told you to look forward and forget the former things. (Okay I’m just putting myself all the way out there lol.)
  • Pursuing someone because God is taking too long in bringing your man, when you know that He who findeth a wife findeth a good thing.
  • Calling into work with a lie because you’re just too lazy and tired to get up out of bed. (I can’t be the only one who’s thought of doing that.)
  • Missing Sunday service because you just don’t feel like going.

Whatever the your case is, temptation is all around, and if anyone says it’s not they are lying to you.

We must trust God’s Word and not settle for what entices our flesh.
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That’s why in Matthew 26:41, The Word says to “watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, because the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak“.

The spirit is willing to be strong and trust in God’s timing but the flesh wants its desires to be given right now. The spirit is willing to get up out of bed and go to work or church even though the flesh wants to soak in its feelings and stay in bed. The spirit is willing to cast its cares upon the Lord, including the anxiety, worries, concerns and believe that God has it all under control. Truth is, our flesh is too weak and wants to entertain the scenarios and imaginations of the mind that’s not from God.That’s why we are told repeatedly to crucify our flesh, deny our flesh, not to walk in the flesh, and not to give into our fleshly desires.

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

It’s difficult to walk in the spirit if we are filled with flesh. We have to do our part by fasting, consecrating ourselves, and making ourselves available to God’s spirit to help because we cannot do it on our own. I repeat, we cannot do it on our own. Our flesh wants to do what it wants. It wants to play around with temptation. It wants to see how far can we hang out with temptation before we actually fall into it and become controlled by our desires. However, today I have come to let you know that God has made a way out and expects us to take the escape route.

What’s the escape route? Well for starters you must read your Word and know what is from God and what is not from God. Know what’s coming from your flesh and what’s from the spirit. You will also know the tricks of the enemy and be alert and watchful. You will know when you are being led by your flesh and when you are being led by the spirit. Then you must have a prayer life, so you are connected to God and can hear Him speak to you, warn you, then guide you to the right path. By reading your Word, and staying in tuned to Him, you are able to see God and follow Him an able to resist the devil.

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24

So today I encourage you to choose the way out. I encourage you to crucify your flesh and all its lustful desires.and start walking in the spirit intentionally. Don’t allow your desires to overcome you and lead you into temptation.

It will all make sense one day.

 

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Everything happens for a reason, I am a firm believer in that. With that being said, it, meaning “everything”, will all make sense one day. What you are going through right now will not last forever. You will make it and come out with a changed mind and different perspective. I know that each day may be harder than the last, but as each day progresses, your strength is being renewed, your focus is being redefined, and your wounds are being healed. You have to trust that God is going to turn it around for your good. There have been many instances when I felt there was no hope. I believed that what I was going through was it. I started to believe the lies that I just dealt a bad hand in life, the devil is a liar! Now I look back and even to this day, everything that I have been through, recent and going back years ago, I thank God for those tough times. I thank God for bringing me through and allowing it to make me who I am on this very day. As I started clinging more to God, He gave me understanding as to why I had to go through them. My yesterday prepared me for my today, and I can surely say that I am not the woman I was a year ago, a month ago, a week ago, or even yesterday. 

“..rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;” Romans 12:12 NKJV

I remember about five years ago; I went through a really bad break up. It was to the point I became depressed and it seeped into my work life, school life, and personal life. What really made me angry was the simple fact that the last thing he (my ex), told me was and I quote, “This will only make you stronger!”  What!? I was furious, like what do you mean this will make me stronger? That wasn’t what I wanted to hear at that time. I just couldn’t believe what was happening and after that he dropped off the face of the earth and ignored every phone call, text, and email. I never heard from him again, even to this day. I thought life was over. I thought I couldn’t love again. I just thought so many negative and hopeless things. Never would I have thought his words would stick to me. Never would I have thought going through that would prepare me and make me stronger. He was right, it did make me stronger and also wiser! The Lord turned that situation around for my good and taught me things about myself I had no idea I struggled with. I realized my unfiltered mouth mixed with my insecurities were my faults and downfalls. I realized he definitely was not the one for me, we weren’t really compatible in a sense of him being someone I can actually marry. I needed a leader and someone who was opposite of me, that could bring me out my comfort zone. Only thing we had in common was we were both quiet (that wasn’t going to work), loved the Lord (barely), and loved music. I also realized that I could love again. Had he not broken my heart, I wouldn’t have seen what I needed to see with a clear mind. Though I was still a hot mess, because I was definitely fake saved at the time, I learned valuable lessons in that pain. What’s funny is that now when I go through heartaches, “This will only make you stronger“, pops in my mind. 

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV

Another story where it all made sense after the fact. I was working at this one job about two years, and it was my first “good paying” job. I was so excited because everything was going good in my eyes. Let me point out that, I had dedicated my life to Christ earlier that year and started to really indulge in my word. So I was saved this time and just felt the Lord was blessing me with a good job. I started hanging out with my coworkers and they were pretty much party goers, club hoppers, happy hour turned into a night full of alcohol crowd. I knew this wasn’t where I was supposed to be, like I had just decided to become serious with Christ, what am I doing. However, I joined in on the fun and was having worldly fun on Fridays and praising the Lord on Sundays. Not too long after I received a phone call and pretty much was laid off, “We are doing budget cuts and your position is one of them”. My heart fell out, not literally but it felt like it. Mind you I was already down and out because I became involved with a guy from church who basically was just interested in my body, and eventually broke my heart, but needless to say, I was a huge work in progress. I was literally over everything because I was just tired of being let down. Yet I was letting God down with my lukewarm actions. Going through all those emotions was hard and unbearable but God had a plan and it was His will for it all to happen. Now I look back and God revealed to me that He needed me out of that job, had I stayed there, I would have resorted back to what He was saving me from. I couldn’t be around those people, I wasn’t spiritually stong enough to fathom the attacks that were upon my life because there was and is a calling on my life. I couldn’t afford to taint the calling God placed inside of me. He needed to save me for His purpose. When God told me that, I cried like a baby and thanked Him. See I didn’t understand what was going on, but it all eventually made sense.

I shared a few of my experiences to encourage you to hold on, and don’t be discouraged. Though trouble comes your way, don’t let it stir you to accepting that this is your life. God has plan and purpose for you and what you are faced with today, will help shape you for tomorrow. God will not leave you in the midst of it all, He will cover you and grace you through it. One scripture that really helps me when I am faced with tough times is,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

That lets me know that my understanding of this is not applicable because I’m in my emotions and feelings and not looking at it through God’s eyes. I didn’t understand that this will birth something new in me; patience, character, strength, confidence, dignity, self worth, etc. I didn’t understand that this will mature what has been in me all along. You will be surprised at how much you can grow in a short amount of time when something happens in your life meant to bring you down. Not only will it cause you to cling to God, but it will cause you to grow into the strong person God has created you to be. You will look back and see your growth and lessons you learned through each trying experience, and thank God for it all!

Video: Responding to unexpected changes

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In this life, we are bound to encounter unexpected situations such as loss, termination, being laid off, heartbreak, failures, or whatever meant to bring us down, and how we respond to them can make us or break us. When we are faced with unexpected changes and events, we have to find the strength from within to respond with a sound mind. Here are three responding ways that I have learned along in life that I hope can encourage you.

Video: Take your pretty little hands off your love life!

Stop seeking for a man and seek God. A lot of women are so concerned about marriage and dating that they forget the ultimate wedding is with our bridegroom Jesus Christ. Pray this message inspires someone to seek more of God and less of a godly man. You will be found when it’s time. (Proverbs 18:22)

 

xoxo, 
Brittany La’Vell

How is your faith life?

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“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8 NKJV

How do we expect to receive anything from God if we are lacking faith? It’s either we have it or we don’t. If we “lack faith”, that means we are doubting. Matthew 13:58 is a prime example of how the measure of our faith determines what we receive from God. When Jesus went to His hometown, He did not perform many miracles due to the people having little faith. That goes to show that the miracles that were performed were to those who had faith! That still applies today, God won’t do a miracle in your life if you have doubt, He will just move right along and bless the next person with the faith that requires that type of blessing. When we see people around us being blessed we wonder how did they get this or that, when you still are waiting for God to move in your life. You may wonder how did so and so find a good job when their resume doesn’t match the job description. How did they afford that home or car? How were they able to pay off their medical bills with no insurance? How did she get a godly man so quick? How is his congregation growing so quickly? How are they still smiling when their life is going completely wrong? How??? They have faith! They trusted God with their whole heart to do what He said He would do. While you are counting their blessings and comparing them to what you don’t have yet, ask yourself, how is your faith life?

How is your faith life???
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You claim you have faith but every time you are tested or things get tough, you run back to your past thinking, you run to fear and anxiety. You get impatient when you can’t hear God because you, let me repeat, YOU cloud yourself with noise by leaning back into the world. You taint your ability to hear God by watching these blasphemous worldly shows/movies, listening to secular music that is polluting your holiness, and not spending time with God to build your faith. You are basically increasing this world in your mind and ears which decreases God’s voice. Today’s attention span is so short that most people can’t even sit still before the Lord to wait on His voice. If it takes more than 15 minutes to hear from God, you shut down and run to Instagram, YouTube, google, your pastor, friend, mom, or mentor for answers. Where is your faith? Don’t be double minded and unstable in your ways. How can God take you serious if you can’t stay consistent in your faith? Oh I get it! You have faith as long as it’s convenient for you to have it.

Increasing this world in your mind and ears, decreases God’s voice in your life.
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As long as it doesn’t require you to have to wait too long to see results. As long as you can get daily confirmations from what God already told you, you believe Him but you just want to make sure He didn’t forget so you seek out prophets or even witch craft if it boils down to it. Yes, there are some Christians who still lean to horoscopes but today I want to tell you that is witchcraft and not pleasing AT ALL in God’s sight! I rebuke that nonsense and pray if you are into it, that God reveals the truth to you. I admit I once was a loyal horoscope reader, yet I claimed I had faith in God, but thank God for deliverance!

You claim you have faith but yet you have plan b’s, plan c’s, and other back up plans just in case God takes too long or doesn’t come through. Just in case God doesn’t open a job opportunity for you by such and such time, you are going to apply at that job you don’t want but you know it is guarantee money. Your faith is in that job not God. Just in case God doesn’t bring you a man or if He does bring you one but you won’t like the guy, you are going to hold on to your ex. I mean, you know your ex is not your husband, you two are unequally yoked, but you feel you can change him and lead him to God if it comes down to it. You would rather go through all of that than risk getting hurt by someone else or “settling” for who God sends you. Let me tell you, I believed that lie so much that the enemy fed to me. First off, why on earth would God give you someone you won’t like??? Does God not know your heart, your mind, what you desire and need? God knows you better than anyone on this earth even you! So again, I ask where’s your faith? I had to ask myself where was my faith? In my comfort zone, or in God and what He could do in my love life.

I’ve heard so many women confess that they are afraid that God will bring them an unattractive good godly man (LOL). I too, was in that category until God delivered me from shallow and vain thinking. It is about the heart, and I’ll add that God also revealed to me that there actually are attractive godly men walking this earth (LOL). Now for you, I pray looks aren’t everything because it definitely is not! Also, God will not bring you a man with no teeth, a missing eye, and awful breath, like where do we as women get this fear mindset from? The enemy! That’s a fear he placed in our hearts to get us to not fully trust God with our love lives. Don’t believe the lies, be patient and have faith waiting on The Lord. You only get what you settle for, remember that! So don’t settle because you feel your time is running out. How can we pray and ask God for such things, but doubt that He will really come through?

 “For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:7-8 NKJV

When you go to God and ask Him for something, you are operating in faith, but it doesn’t stop there. Now when you leave the conversation, that’s when your faith is really put to work. Now is when you have to really wait on the Lord, with no doubt in your mind that He will come through. Don’t allow yourself to be tossed around because of your doubts; one day you are fully trusting God, then as the days go by and you aren’t seeing anything change you start to think twice about putting it in God’s hands. It’s been a month, three months, or maybe a year and you’re still single. You still haven’t been promoted on your job or you are still at that same low paying job. You still have to deal with your unsaved family members. You aren’t getting much feedback on the ministry God has called you to start. You aren’t seeing any results so you start to doubt. God can work a miracle but it’s your faith that is getting in the way. To receive supernatural blessings, you have to have deep faith.

“But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

It is impossible for God to work in your life without faith. So die to your lack of faith and doubting thoughts. If you are doubting you don’t believe, there can’t be an in-between, that’s a double minded mindset. Just as you put full faith in you waking up in the morning, when you honestly don’t know because you can’t see ahead, it requires that type of faith when dealing with God.

You receive not, not because you ask not, but because you ask with little wavering faith!
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Believe what you ask, you will receive but remember it will be according to His perfect timing and will. Once we understand who God is and we humble ourselves, we will stop expecting God to move when we want Him to. So stop walking around claiming how much faith you have when in actuality you are entertaining doubt. Instead, confess to God your lack of faith and be honest, God works with honesty. Rebuke the lies of the enemy. Rebuke that double-minded mindset. Rebuke that wavering faith and ask God to show you Him and place new fire of faith within you. Take it a step at a time, move faith to faith and soon your faith will be so strong that you will in fact move the mountains in your life. All you need is faith as small as a mustard seed (Matt. 17:20 & Luke 17:6), that is stable and without any doubt. You receive not, not because you ask not, but because you ask with little wavering faith! I pray this inspires you to check your faith life. I love you but God loves you more!

 

Xoxo
Brittany La’Vell

 

*Check out my video/last blog post (click here) about praying intentionally. I really feel God is preparing us to be some Holy Ghost filled, full of faith, holy, set apart, obedient, praying warriors. Times are coming ahead where we need to be in tuned with Him for certain.*

Balancing between guarding the heart and being open to new love.

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Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

One struggle a single Christian woman may have is learning how to balance guarding her heart and opening her heart to someone new. The bible tells us to guard our hearts, so obviously it is important to do such a thing. So the question is how can she do that while still having an open heart to new love? How can we guard ourselves from getting hurt, but still be hopeful and optimistic? Another question, why is that with opening our hearts, there is a risk of getting hurt? Why is it that we have to be on our P’s and Q’s, but at the same time go with the flow of life? I have struggled with this and still do somewhat because let’s just be honest, it sucks getting our hopes up just to get let down. Guarding your heart is tough for those who love to love, because we feel that when we guard our hearts, it is almost as if we are not being true. It’s like we are hiding a piece of ourselves. Well as I am typing The Lord has shown me that we have a standard to uphold, we meaning Christian women. Those who want to come into our life have to show themselves worthy of our time. God did not deliver us from heartache and soul ties just so that we can allow anyone, whether a friend or man, to come and make themselves at home in our hearts. However, just as we are to guard our hearts, we are to love even harder. Crazy right?

However, remember that God has called us to love one another (Mark 12:31) . So we are to still love unconditionally. Guarding our hearts doesn’t mean we have to be stiff, boring, shut down, mean, cocky, prideful, scared, or expect the worst. Instead it means we live by the Bible and keep God in the picture so we don’t live off our feelings. It means we are patient and trusting God to write our love life. It means we are led by the Spirit so we do not awaken love before its time (Song of Solomon 2:7). It means we pray before we act. It means we take what people tell us and match it to God’s word. It means we don’t rely on our “age”, to lead us into relationships. It means we don’t live without wisdom. I know there may be people even family members telling you your clock is ticking, pushing you to settle in fear, but rebuke those negative seeds that are trying to be planted in your heart.

Guarding our hearts is just using discernment with every step we take with confidence that we will receive exactly what God has for us. But how do we do that when we desire love?

Well, we first must recognize that the only love we should truly desire is God’s love. God is love and if we don’t embrace the love He gives so freely, we will live with disappointments and miserably comparing the love we are used to getting back in return to the love we are given by imperfect humans. Secondly, we must remember that relationships are blessings and if we cannot stay focused and connected to the one true relationship, the one with Jesus Christ, we will never be satisfied. Thirdly, we must remember that our feelings are temporary and that we must die to our flesh and the emotions that come with it.

The only love we should truly desire is God’s love.
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Guarding your heart may be hard to do in a world where everything is microwaved and ends before it even starts, but by the grace of God, it can be done. A Christian woman should strive for perfection in Christ before striving for a perfect relationship. Even if that means surrendering her desire for love and waiting on God. I say this because people will let you down, but God will always be faithful, which is why the relationship with Him is more important than any other relationship on this earth. We fail at guarding our hearts because we want what we want now and will settle, lower our standards, ignore red flags, get overly emotional, become impatient to get it. But, don’t we know as women of God, we are the gift to a man. We are worthy and only if we knew who exactly we were in Christ, it would be much easier. We aren’t guarding our hearts to keep everyone out, but it’s so that the right person can come in. Not everyone is worth your time, not every man is worth getting to know you on an intimate level, and not every man is who he says he is. God gives us the gift of discernment to weed out the ones who He does not classify as His best.

You can still enjoy the company of a man but you also have to be smart and walk with wisdom at the same time. That wisdom only comes from spending time with God. God will show you who you can open your heart up to, who deserves to see the ugly side of you, and who to be patient for. God will prepare you to be the woman for the man you desire. God will show you how to balance guarding your heart while opening up to someone new. Don’t be so gullible and know your worth and you will be just fine opening up to the right person.

xoxo,

Brittany La’Vell

Tell Your Flesh to Sit Back Down.

BABS

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 NKJV

Beautiful things take time to build. However it only takes for one wrong thing to quickly abort what could have been. There could be a person God puts in your path, that could possibly become your wife/husband or a good friend, but if you allow your flesh to rule you, you can pervert the beauty of what He could have built. For instance, you may have a new person in the picture, but in your past you’ve been cheated on. You start to constantly out of nowhere check on them, question them, and try to control the entire situation. Like calm down, you haven’t even started an official relationship. Now the person starts to think you’re needy and insecure and it turns them off. You’re so paranoid on things turning out like the last person, that you’ve taken the fun out of everything. You let your flesh get in the way. You should have submitted those insecure thoughts to God, fasted and prayed.

Maybe you are not that person; you have your insecurities under control. Maybe you haven’t had sex in a while. After many countless failed encounters with men, you decided to become celibate until marriage. Then one day, you meet this new person. After a couple of days or week of knowing them, you start feeling attracted to them, and then temptation starts rising. Satan knows what you’ve been secretly thinking about; just you and your thoughts, thinking how long it’s been and how good it felt. You start thinking how would it be with this person; I am pretty sure they are thinking the same thing because we are human. Instead of submitting those thoughts to God to have Him remove them and cleanse them from you, you let them grow. Then one day instead of fleeing from the temptation, you give into it. You allow your sinful nature to feed their sinful nature and BOOM; you end up in bed with one another when you were supposed to be getting to know each other. Since you have opened that door that is what you two mostly do. After a while you realize that is not what you want so eventually you two start to become distant. Now when you see each other it’s awkward and mixed feelings because now you two probably think hypocritical of one another.

What could have turned into a beautiful love story, turned into an ungodly soul tie and unfinished business. I mean some people are into starting over and trying again, but some aren’t. Don’t ignite a flame and don’t add fire to it because you’re still held accountable for your part. Like me for instance, I am no stranger to giving into my flesh. I was in the position to escape the temptation but I gave into it. However I forgave myself and I now know better. There were plenty of times when my flesh got in the way of a possible relationship or friendship; who knows what it could have become. I will never know how things would have turned out with people but I am now okay with it. You live and you learn and it’s not easy living each day with holiness and a pure mindset. It is all about dying to yourself and submitting it all to God. At the same time, Satan knows your weaknesses and what you are giving up for God; he will do all he can to tempt you and bring them back into your life. However if you allow temptation to get the best of you, you may end up messing up something that could be beautiful. Don’t do it anymore. No more letting you insecurities make you look crazy, no more opening your body up before marriage AND before getting to know who the person is, inside and out. Trust me, it’s not worth it. So tell your flesh to sit back down, and allow God to renew your mind and your heart daily. Giving into your flesh is natural; it feels good and it’s what you’ve always done; but your sinful flesh contradicts God. So be careful… don’t allow your flesh to come in and mess up something that can become beautiful. Be strong and remain pure and keep God in the center of everything you do. Whenever your flesh does tries to come in and take over, PRAY and submit yourself and the situation to God.

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NKJV

❤

 ❤

Brittany La’Vell

Info@BuildingaBeautifulSoul.com

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