Faith Focused Prayers
Join me as we embark a journey of vulnerability, growth, and increase! In this space we allow God to change and transform us into who he created and called us to be, curated by Justice Mosley
Faith Focused Prayers
God's Intentional Love: Being Intentional in Your Journey
What if each moment of your day was a nudge from a divine presence, a "God wink," affirming the path you're on? This episode of Faith Focused Prayers invites you to explore the profound intentionality of God and how you can embrace this in your own life. By reflecting on biblical insights like Jeremiah 1:5, we uncover the idea that God's plans for us are intricately designed even before we're born, and each individual’s journey is uniquely crafted to draw them closer to Him.
We share personal stories and experiences that reveal how God’s presence can be recognized in unexpected ways, such as through a sermon that speaks directly to your heart. As we move into a new year, there’s a call to harness our energy for spiritual growth through practices like prayer, fasting, and studying the Word. We emphasize the importance of maintaining self-control and purposefulness in our spiritual pursuits, inspired by the wisdom found in 1 Peter 4:7-8, to ensure that our lives remain aligned with divine guidance.
Finally, we focus on the comforting promise of Jeremiah 29:11, which assures us of hope and a prosperous future through God's intentional plans. We reflect on the need to stay in tune with God's will, allowing His light to shine through us, and express gratitude for His righteousness and mercy. Join us as we seek strength and purpose in God's intentional love, embracing the unique gifts He has given us to make a positive impact in the world, and encourage others to share in this uplifting journey.
Hello, beautiful people, and welcome back to Faith Focused Prayers where we allow God to change and transform us into who he has called and created us to be. How are you doing today? I pray you're doing well. I hope you're doing well. I'm doing well. I had a long day at work, but now I am home recording this episode. Cheers to season number two. We are back and better.
Speaker 1:Today I wanted to talk about God's intentionality and how we are supposed to be intentional, not just with our pursuit of God, but intentional with our life, intentional with our decisions, intentional with our relationships. But before we dive into how we are supposed to be, let's look at how God is, because I was just reflecting on that today and thinking about how intentional the God I serve is. My goodness. He is so intentional, he is so purposeful, from the smallest things to the biggest things, the things that are not that important to anybody else, but important to us. It's important to God and he shows little glimpses, like when you get those little reminders or little things, little snippets in life. Some people call it like God winks, where God shows you something that means something to you, but other people it would mean nothing. But you see it and you're like God. I see you, god, I hear you, god, you're right here with me, whether it's numbers, not angel numbers, but God created all things and can use all things, all things and can use all things. So I'm not talking about divination and angel numbers and stuff, because that is witchcraft, but I'm talking about God can use numbers and everything that God has, the enemy has also. Okay, I'm getting off track here, but basically, when God uses tools and resources and earthly things to send you a message and send you a sign and encourage you to pursue him in a deeper capacity, when you pray for something so small and you don't even think that God is listening or that it's important enough for the almighty God, the creator of the universe, to answer that prayer, but he then answers it to remind you and say, son, daughter, that matters and I hear you and I see you and I'm with you. That's what I mean by intentionality, like if you think about the way the Bible is created and written and how there's 40 different authors over a span of 1500 years and everything is so intentional from the prophecies, from the words used, from what this word means, what that word means. Everything is just so God didn't skip a beat, he didn't miss anything. He's seen everything, he thought of everything. His mind and his brilliance blows blows my mind, because we serve a God who sees all, who hears all, who knows all, who knows the heart of men, who knows not what everyone else sees, but he sees a different you and I love that.
Speaker 1:And the scripture that came to mind when I was thinking about this was Jeremiah one and five, where it talks about I'm just going to read it. This is the passion translation and this is Jeremiah and God is speaking to him. So it says Yahweh spoke these words to me before I shaped you in the womb. I knew you intimately. I had divine plans for you before I gave you life, I set you apart and chose you to be mine. You are my prophet, you are my prophetic gift to the nations. So this is what God is saying to Jeremiah. Can you imagine? And this is what God is saying to us, and this is what God is saying to you before I shaped you in the womb, before your parents even conceived of you, I had a relationship with you intimately. I knew your soul, because we are souls, we are spirits in a human body, but God knows the spirit us when we die, especially those who are born again.
Speaker 1:Believers. When we technically die in earth, we're not really dying, we're just transitioning into a new realm. Our soul doesn't die. And God knew that same soul before you were given an earthly body. Intimately, he had relationship with us. He says I had divine plans for you before I gave you life. I already had your life planned out before you had a life. Before you breath, breathe your first breath, I already knew what you were going to do. I already had a plan for your life. I already had a purpose for you coming down to earth. I already had a reason for sending you. I set you apart and I chose you to be mine. God chooses who is ultimately going to serve him. You know, I think the Bible talks about how Jesus was saying none of God's sheep would be snatched out of his hand.
Speaker 1:A lot of people debate whether or not you can lose your salvation. You can't lose it because you're not the one who gave it. God chooses. God knows every decision we're going to make. God knows everything that we're going to do. God knows what it's going to take for you to give your life to him. God knows what it's going to take to redeem you. God knew all of this and he knew all this before you had a life. That's why I love it, because God tailors salvation to people Like, if he knows it's a certain person that's going to draw you to him, he'll send that person. If he knows it's a video that's going to draw you to him, he's going to send a video If he knows it's a podcast or a book. God uses all these things because he tailors it specifically to each of us and he knows what it's going to take to draw us in. He's so wise.
Speaker 1:But it says you are my prophetic gift to the nations. And then Jeremiah's response. I replied but, lord Yahweh, I don't know how to speak in public. Besides, I'm too young. So this is his response. God is saying this I have a divine plan for you. I know who you are. I know you're my gift. God called him a gift. Do you know how beautiful that is for God to think of you as a gift to him, which we all are? We're gifts to God and the things he's put in us. The way that we can thank him is by doing the things he's called us to do and living the life he's called us to live and saving the souls and sending those people back to God. But God referred Jeremiah as a gift. That's so beautiful, but it says let me go back. But, lord Yahweh, I don't know how to speak in public. Besides, I'm too young. But Yahweh interrupted me. God said stop talking, let me speak.
Speaker 1:Do not use your youth as an excuse, for you will go wherever I send you and you will speak whatever I say to you. No, you will speak whatever I tell you to say Fear nothing when you confront the people, for I am with you and I will protect you. I, yahweh, have spoken like God. Shut it all down Mid excuse. That's enough. Listen, don't use your youth as an excuse. You're going to go where I send you. You're going to tell them whatever I tell you to say Don't be afraid when you confront people, because I'm here with you and I'm going to protect you, and that's it.
Speaker 1:God is so good, he's so beautiful, he's so majestic, he's so powerful, he's so loving, he's so caring, and I just love him so much and he loves you so much, and I want you to reflect on the moments in your life when God showed his intentionality when God showed you when you prayed a prayer or you had something in your heart. Sometimes we don't even have to pray it, sometimes we don't even have to say it because God knows the hidden things. He knows the secret things about you that no one else knows. He knows the deep pains and the sorrows that you carry and sometimes you'll see something happen or something will happen that you prayed about or you were thinking about and you're like wow, didn't, nobody know that, but God.
Speaker 1:When you're in church and the pastor starts talking about something, you're like hold on, did God tell you? Is he gossiping about me? What did God say? Because they're just hitting the nail on the hammer, the hammer on the nail and telling you like God is just so beautiful in that way, and a lot of times when I speak on my pastors, they don't know why God has them saying the things that they know. I mean like they don't know why God has them saying the things that they say Doing a video when you're just flowing.
Speaker 1:You don't know why God has you saying certain things, but there's someone on the other side of that camera and there's someone listening and there's someone in the audience and they're sitting there saying, wow, god, you are so amazing. But that's why it's important for us to just flow in the spirit and be intentional about our pursuit, be intentional about our walk, be intentional about the things that we say and the things that we do, because you never know the way that God is using you to be a gift to somebody else. So, yeah, god is intentional and we need to be intentional also. We need to be intentional in our pursuit of him. We need to be seeking his face. The Bible talks about that. Those who seek shall find. Knock and the door will be opened. Ask and this shall be given unto you. If you have faith, the side of a mustard seed, you could speak to this mountain, you can speak to this obstacle, you can speak to the situation in your life and you can tell it to be moved, and it would move from here to there.
Speaker 1:We need to be intentional about what we're doing as we're going into the new year, as we're moving into 2025, to the new year, as we're moving into 2025, as you're stepping into a new season of your life. You need to be so intentional about the conversations you have, about what you give your energy to, about the relationships in your life, about the goals that you set, about the things that you consume, whether that be food, whether that's what you listen to, what you watch, what you entertain and conserve your energy for the things that God needs you to pursue. Conserve your energy for Him, conserve your time for Him and be intentional about learning the Word. Be intentional about prayer, be intentional about fasting. Be intentional about your family, about making sure that you're living up to the biblical principles. God and godly principles, not just biblical godly principles, the kingdom principles that God has, of family, of marriage, of love. I want to read you a scripture 1 Peter 4, 7-8. Let me go to it. And it says Since we are approaching the end of all things, be intentional, purposeful and self-controlled so that you can be given to prayer. Let me read that again self-controlled, so that you can be given to prayer.
Speaker 1:Above all, constantly echo God's intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins. How do we do that? How do we constantly echo God's intense love? First, we have to spend time with God. We have to know his word, because his word is all about his love redemption, grace, mercy, sacrifice.
Speaker 1:Jesus. Jesus, god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. That is God's love. The Bible is God's love. Jesus's death, burial and resurrection is God's love. Jesus's death, burial and resurrection is God's love. God is love.
Speaker 1:What is love? Love is patient, love is kind, love holds no record of wrong, love is long-suffering. These are all characteristics of God, and he says that we should love one another with an intense love, the same kind of love that he loves us, an unconditional love. But how do you do that if you don't know him? How do you have that? How do you spread that if you don't know what that feels like?
Speaker 1:You have to go to prayer for God to pour his love out on you. You have to go to his word for him to pour his love out on you, and that's where you find all of these answers. And it says for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins, and Jesus was that canopy. Jesus is his blood, is the canopy that cleanses us white as snow, even though our sins are as scarlet, red and filthy. We're nothing but filthy rags. Because of Jesus, we are cleansed. White as snow. Because of Jesus we don't see. God doesn't see our sins. He sees love, he sees sacrifice, and His grace and His mercy is sufficient.
Speaker 1:But be intentional, be purposeful, be on purpose. Begin to set your mind and say, god, okay, what is my word for 2025? What are you? What are we doing? God? Where are you taking me? God? Order my steps, god, lead me and guide me.
Speaker 1:God, I'm purposeful about today. I'm purposeful about my life. No longer am I going to go down the wrong path. No longer am I going to dibble and dabble in things that you've delivered me from. No longer am I going to keep looking back. No longer am I going to be held and bound and tied up in bondage. No longer, god. But I'm intentional about my freedom.
Speaker 1:I'm intentional about mercy. I'm intentional about your grace. I'm intentional about fulfilling the purpose that you have for me. I'm intentional that I won't take all the things that you've given me for granted. I won't take your grace for granted. I won't take your mercy for granted. I won't take your wisdom and your spirit for granted, god, but I'm in pursuit of you. I'm intentional about my time with you.
Speaker 1:I'm intentional about giving God what's due to him. That needs to be our mindset. I'm not saying I'm all these things. I aspire to be all these things, I aspire to walk in such a way because even me, I need to be more intentional about God, about his business, about his word, about spreading his message, about consistency, about not letting the gifts that he has given me go to waste.
Speaker 1:There's things inside of you that God has given you, only you. There's an issue here on earth, there's a problem that needs to be solved, and God gave you the answer. You are the answer. God put something in you for someone else to save their life, to change their life, to be the hope when they have no hope and, ultimately, to point you, point them back to him, to bring him glory. And that's what's on my mind today God's intentionality. He's so beautiful when you really take the time to look at how he orchestrated things and how the mind works and how the body works and how the world works, how birds and animals, nature and the Bible. When you go back and look at how all of these things work together, it just shows you the wisdom and the creativity and the artistry and the beauty of God, of his mind, and you say, wow, god, you really are all knowing. You really did think of every little thing, and so surely I can trust that you thought about my life. Surely I can trust that you have something planned out for me. If you could speak to 40 different authors of the Bible and the spirit can tell them and reveal to them mysteries and wisdom and truth and the living word. If you could produce a living word for billions of people to enjoy forever and ever. Surely you're intentional about me. Surely you're intentional about my life, my family, my future.
Speaker 1:Jeremiah 29 and 11, one of my favorite scriptures. It wasn't always, but it is now, for I know the plans that I have for you, plans to give you a future and a hope, to prosper you and not to harm you, to bring you to a good and expected end. Like I love that God is so good and he knows what he's doing and he's in control, and I love you and God loves you. Lord, we thank you and we bless you. Lord, we thank you that you are so intentional, you're so mindful, you're so perfect, you're so beautiful, you're so understanding, so merciful God, just a righteous and holy father. Lord, we thank you that you have thought of it all.
Speaker 1:Help us to trust you more, god. Increase our faith in you. God, increase our faith that you know what you're doing and that, as long as we stay covered in the shelter of you, god, as long as we stay close and nearby to you, as long as we stay in your will and stay wrapped up in your arms, god, that everything is going to work out. God, we trust your word that says all things work together for the good of those who are called according to your purpose, and we trust that we are one of those. God, we trust that we are called according to your purpose. We trust God. We trust that you know what you're doing. We trust that you know what you're doing, that you would never leave us and you would never forsake us.
Speaker 1:God, we love you and we need you, and we ask that, as we go into this new year, help us, god, to have self-control. Help us to be disciplined, help us to be purposeful, help us to be intentional. Help us to keep our mind set on you. Help us to keep our mind set on you. Help us to keep our heart set on you, our hands and our eyes and our ears set on you, god, help us to keep our feet walking in the right path, god, and we ask that you would order our steps, lord, that your word says that your word is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet. God, your word is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet. God, don't allow us to misstep and if we do, holy Spirit, we ask that you would course correct us swiftly, get us back in line swiftly.
Speaker 1:God, let this year be about you. Let this year be for you, god, let this year bring you glory and let us, god, teach us, god, show us, how to let our light shine. Teach us, god, to have the boldness to be the light sitting on the hill, god, that we should not be hidden, but we should let your light so shine, god, that it would glorify you, that people would see us and people would see the way that we act and see the way that we move and see the way that we love, and that they would glorify our Father in heaven. God, we ask that you would always remain close with us and that you would look down on us and that you would smile In Jesus' mighty name. God, that you would look down on us and you would say that we are gifts to you In Jesus' name. Amen.
Speaker 1:That's all for today. I love you. God loves you. God bless you. May the Lord keep you. May the Lord cover you. May he shine his face upon you and be merciful and gracious to you. May he bring you peace and love and comfort in this holiday season. May he keep his hands upon you and touch you and touch your mind and touch your body. If there's anything hurting you, your heart, may he heal your heart. May he heal the secret things and the hidden things that are hurting you. May he keep you in the right frame of mind. God loves you and he's so intentional about you. God does not play about you. Tune in to our next episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure you leave a review like it. Share it, keep pushing, keep pressing. You got this. You are strong, you are amazing, you are beautiful, you matter. You matter to me and you matter to God. Bye for now.