God Asked Me to Move Before I Had Proof

You can do everything “right” and still feel stuck. You prayed, you obeyed, you believed and the evidence still hasn’t caught up. That’s the tension we sit in today, and we refuse to pretend it’s easy.

I’m joined by Dr. Tina J. Ramsey, CEO and media leader behind CTR Media Network, to talk about what obedience looks like when clarity comes after you move. She shares the humbling story of starting a network, failing because she didn’t follow God’s instructions, and rebuilding from scratch with a new foundation of surrender and Isaiah 40:31. We also unpack a surprising truth for high-capacity people: the pause can be the assignment, and rest can be an act of worship.

One of the most powerful moments is Dr. Ramsey’s 21-day shutdown from business, no emails, no replies, no chasing opportunities, just prayer, fasting, Scripture, and family. The fear was real, the silence was real, and the opportunities kept coming anyway. That season sharpened her discernment and proved that delayed evidence doesn’t mean denied purpose. She also shares a practical five-step decision framework you can use right now: listen, think, pause, pray, and wait, especially when God feels quiet and your mind is loud.

If you’re in a waiting season, wrestling with doubt, anxiety, or the pressure to move fast, come lean in with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s holding on by a thread, and leave a review so more people can find hope between the prayer and the promise.

Here are some links from our guest today-

https://ctrmedianetwork.lightcast.com/content/sc_57518_28733

https://www.ctrmedianetwork.com/product-page/before-you-answer-devotional-series-complete-4-book-series

Transcript

Welcome To The In-Between

SPEAKER_01 0:00

This is Between the Prayer and the Promise, a faith-centered podcast for anyone who's ever found themselves waiting on God. You've prayed, you've believed, you've stood on his word, and yet you're still waiting. Still trusting, still holding on to what he's promised, even when you can't see it yet. We gather here once a month to share real stories from real people, navigating that sacred and sometimes lonely space between what we've asked God for and what we're still believing him to do. This is a place for honest faith. The kind that admits doubt, that wrestles with that delay. But in spite of all that, we still choose to trust. Because here's the truth. The way is not wasted. God is faithful in every season, especially the ones that test us the most. So if you're listening and you're in that in-between season and you're holding on by a thread of faith, know this. You are not forgotten, and you are not alone. Welcome. Let's trust him together right here between the prayer and the promise. This is a space where we talk about what it looks like to trust God in the middle, not when the promise has arrived, not when the results are visible, but when you prayed, when you obeyed, and you're still waiting.

Meeting Dr. Tina Ramsey

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Today's episode is titled Obedience Before Evidence. Because sometimes God asks you to move before you see proof, to build before you see proof, to trust before you understand. And in those seasons, faith isn't emotional, it's intentional. Our guest today understands that kind of faith. Dr. Tina J. Ramsey is a CEO, a media leader, educator, and visionary who has learned how to stay anchored in the seasons where clearly, you know, clarity, it just didn't come first. It came after she moved in obedience. Her favorite scripture is Isaiah 40 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And she doesn't just quote that verse, she lives it. Help me and welcome Dr. Tina Ramsey. Hello, how are you? Thank you for having me. Thank you so much for being here. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

I'm so happy to be here with you today because any place where I can speak about God, I'm like, yes, let's get it going.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

Yes, and look, Tina, we just dive right in, okay? So you hear what this podcast is all about. So when you hear between the prayer and the promise, you heard that, right? What season of your life immediately comes to mind, and what profound lesson did God teach you when you were in your in-between season?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

I'm actually still working in my in-between. You know, many people look at me and they see all the accolades, they see the recommendations, the awards, and all of that. But truth be told, I feel like you're never out of the in-between because as you cross the line with what God told you to do and walk through it in obedience, you it's always gonna be a next step. It's always gonna be a next step. So for me, just thinking about that in between, let me think about one occasion.

Failing By Doing It My Way

SPEAKER_00 4:27

One occasion was when God told me to start this network. And I'm gonna be totally transparent and honest. When I first started the network, I failed. I lost everything because I didn't do it the way that God told me to do it because it didn't make sense to me. He wanted me to do it his way, meaning he told me very specifically to do it his way, to do this. And I was like, well, I don't think I can do that by myself. You know, I need help. How can I simply do that? I would like to collaborate with someone and be able to uh build this network. I have the people, I have I have the notoriety that I've been building for years in business, but to build a whole network, I don't know. I don't know. And so what I did, I listened, but I did it my way, and he broke it all the way down. And from there, I was like, well, God, I did the network, but he was like, You didn't do it the way I told you to do it. And he said, This is my network, and I do it the way that I told you to do it, and I told you to build it alongside me, which means that physically I don't have anybody there, but God, Holy Spirit is there. And so I went on the second time, which is now CTR Media Network. And before I even built the network, I built it on that foundational scripture, Isaiah 40, 31, because I needed strength. I was tired. I felt like, okay, how can I do this build over from scratch after losing everything? And I just, in the in between, I was able to completely relinquish everything that I own, everything that I have, and trust God to walk me through, even when I didn't completely understand. And that was very hard for me. It was very hard for me because I'm very logical and rational thinking. So I like, okay, and I'm a very checklist kind of person. So I'm like, okay, but his blueprint was not according to my thoughts. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. And when I totally allowed him to have his way and do it the way that he wanted me to do it, and repented for my sins, here we go. CTR Media Network now reached 3.6 billion potential households in 100 countries, and it's five-time award-winning network. Everybody around the world is noticing and awarding and all this different stuff. But I tell everybody straight up this is not my network. This network belongs to God, and He is the CEO. You might say CEO, I'm managing it. This is stuff. I'm just managing it. And so once I did this and did that the way that he said, all the blessings, all the things came and still come as long as I stay aligned and make sure I give all honor, glory, and praise to him because that is who it belongs to. I am just a fellow worker in the kingdom of God. That is it. This is his, this is this is my personal assignment on earth to do, but I realize that it's only through God, through Christ, that allow me to be able to do this and Holy Spirit guide him because the stuff that's happening with the network, it's like mind-blowing. It the only thing that can justify it is it's God because it's not me. He may look good now. I must admit it, he made me look real good, but it's not me, it's him.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

That is amazing. I just have congratulations to God be the glory. Look for obedience looks like the fruit of it. Now, seeing that, when you just pause and you look back now, what do you know about that season that you couldn't see while you were in it?

Rebuilding With God As CEO

SPEAKER_00 8:37

That I had low self-worth, I didn't see my value, I didn't have confidence, I did not have complete trust. I said I had trust in God, but only to a certain measure, only to a certain limit. And I didn't realize I put a limit on my trust with God because once it felt uncomfortable and unsafe, and I didn't have an answer that I could rationalize, I yield, I pull back. And that's the time you need to get in your prayer class or wherever you at, you go pray and ask God to work with you. And you that is the moment that you move forward even when you have no clarity. See, trusting God means that you're gonna trust in him even when you don't know the way, even when you don't understand the outcome, even when you don't know what's coming next. God strategically gave me one step, one moment at a time. He didn't let me see the process multiple steps ahead. He allowed me to just walk through step by step and every single moment. Oh, I'm about to get emotion. I'm not gonna do it because I don't crack you. Every single moment that I went through a step, God proved himself to me. God showed up, he showed out, and my faith got strengthened, my confidence got renewed, and he helped me see the daughter that he put on this earth. That my past was not my present, and it's definitely not gonna be my future, and that he made me new, and he loved me enough, and I can believe it. And we have all these different things about us that we like, oh, I'm not good enough. I need to have this amount of education, I need to do this before I can have that, I need to have this amount of money. Only thing you need to do is trust God, walk in obedience, and just relinquish everything to Him, trust Him, and once you let go of that control, oh my God, you walk into a time, not season, of complete abundance, peace in the pause, peace in the when you're moving fast, peace when everything slows down, when you don't really know what's going on, but you know that God got you. Wow, and and nobody can tell you different because you have walked the steps, you have walked the paths, and every time when he comes through, it just strengthens your bond, your love, your respect, your admiration for God. And in all my appreciation that he allowed me to be able to do a piece in the outworking of the kingdom of God. Because it's a lot of us that's doing stuff, and the fact that he saw something in me that I didn't see in myself, I mean all just honor, and and and I'm just grateful because even in my brokenness, he made me beautiful, even in my moments, he yeah. So he just, I mean, I am so grateful. Oh Jesus, I'm so grateful. And I didn't give up even when I felt like giving up, but that Holy Spirit kept saying don't do it, keep keep it moving. It was a person that maybe dropped the word to me, a scripture when I'm doing my personal study, a praise and worship song, when I just happened to listen to a song. Well, I'm gonna say happen because there ain't nothing happening. I listened to a praise and worship song and I got the message. Like, wait, hold up. Yes, yes, you know, and it just reinforced me to keep going even when it wasn't easy to do it, but everything worked out, and so it's not gonna always be easy, but God's gonna always have a way out. You will break every chain. You he do it. That's the only thing I'm saying. He will break every chain, he will help you be able to get through all the rough times, and it all of those rough times actually bring you closer to him. You learn more from the brokenness than the fullness, you become full later on. But when God fits you, honey, it's a different kind of fix when he catch you up, when he renew you, it's just something once you experience it. Nobody can tell me different. They can try. I be like, uh, but I know I know the goodness of God. You can say whatever you want, huh? Just because you ain't experienced it, that that's not here nor there, but I have, and I know he's real.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Yes, I know that. You said so much that's so good, but I do want to go back to the scripture because you did say like a scripture, and you you have a scripture that has encouraged you. You even talked about the pause, but I definitely want to talk about the pause and the way in and you share your scripture, Isaiah 40 and 31, which is your anchor scripture. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Most people think that the waiting, the pause that you had had said means sitting still. But you said that waiting on God, it's it's not like passive, right? Um, and I think that's really powerful. So, can you kind of unpack that for us? What does that mean, what does that really mean? What do you do in the waiting?

Low Self-Worth And Limited Trust

SPEAKER_01 14:10

How do you wait on God but not really be still? What does that like actively look like?

SPEAKER_00 14:17

It's two things that you can think about. One for one, we have been conditioned to think that when we are pausing, that and we're not moving physical, with the where everybody can see that that is not an assignment, that that is something bad. We feel like activity moving around means that we're doing good. But sometimes the assignment is to pause. And in the pause doesn't mean you're not doing nothing, it means that you are strategically waiting on God to guide your step. You are intently listening for direction to be guided by God. He is causing you to pause to prepare you, to refine you as you trust him in every move that you make. And so there are seasons for me when doors open up real quickly. It's that fast running sprint season. And then it was times when God was quiet. It was moments when I know it's God, Holy Spirit talking, you know, it was loud. And then now it was like a whisper, kind of like in the Bible when Samuel, you know, we're like, Samuel, like, you calling me? It was a whisper. It wasn't a it wasn't loud, it was it was very nice and gentle. Those are the moments for me that I'm currently in because God is not always loud, but he shows me through the pause because he put me on a 21-day pause where I couldn't do anything with business. Period, the beginning of this year. The beginning of this year, he put me on a 21-day pause. I have I have never taken a break like that before in my life. I had not realized that I had worked myself pretty much to the bone because I didn't, I when I say I was taking a break, I really wasn't. I was working in the breaks. And God said, No, that is not what I told you. Even I, who don't need rest, took a break. I left the example. What do you mean? So he said, Are you gonna trust me for 21 days to stay still? And I was like, God, I got all these clients, I got these customers, I gotta go speak speaking again. What do you mean 21 days to do like absolutely nothing with the businesses? And he said, and be in my presence for 21 days. For 21 days, it was prayer, supplication, fasting, only the word, and then also spending time with my family. And let me tell you, the first week was horrible for me. I was like shaking like I was coming off of being addicted to something because I was so addicted to work. I didn't know I was addicted. I was like, I couldn't stop. Second week, I felt like, oh my God, I'm not doing anything. I don't, I'm not on these calls, I'm not training. I felt like something was wrong with me. But something shift around about the second, the second half of the second week, going into the third week, which was the last week of the 21 days. That even though I was praying, I was fasting, I was doing all the things, but it was very difficult. And then I just, if God pressure the pressure of what will happen when my business collapse while I'm gone, even though I got people who work for me, the pressure brought me to my knees. The pressure brought me to my knees, and I had to pray. I'm talking about not just praying, I'm talking about supplicating, I'm talking about intense prayer and total, he showed me what I was missing. He showed me what I needed to do, he showed me my errors, and he showed me what I was doing good, but he most importantly, he wanted me to focus on what I wasn't doing. And most importantly, he was inviting me to be intimate with him and to go our relationship to move to the next level. But I had to be still, I had to pause. And even though I wasn't doing work, because he told me I couldn't work for those 21 days straight, but I was working spiritually, working, building with him, relinquishing him, helping me go through all wounds that I didn't know needed to be healed. I thought I was okay. I thought I got healed from that. He was like, no, ma'am. And that is why it was holding you back from this. And that's why you reacted this way to that, because you were still holding on. And he showed me so much within those 21 days that walk with him. I'm saying in the bosom of Christ, just in just in his presence. It was 21 days of sitting still. So now I don't even have no problem with taking breaks because I realized that rest is obedience, rest is a part of the sacrifice. Rest is part of worship of God. He don't never want us to work till we work our stuff, He till we go into the ground. He won't he wants to use us to do help him. Well, he don't need us to help him, but allow us to do his will here on earth, like it is in heaven. So once I realized all of that, and he took me through that 21 days, it birthed the book of devotional. He revealed to me so many things. It was just at I would wake up every morning, he was give me something else to write down. Write down some more scriptures of what I was going through. And it burst into a 21-day devotional. Before you answer, listen, pause and think. He's still working on me. I mean, I'm a working product.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

So we're talking about obedience before evidence, and you definitely

Waiting On God Is Active

SPEAKER_01 20:26

had to be obedient with the 21 days before you even had the evidence, like you had the fear of what's gonna happen to my business, what's gonna go on, and so a lot of people are in that situation, different situations, but they have to be obedient and they don't know what the result is going to be, right? And so, what do you do when you have to, when you're in a position and you're you need to be obedient and you feel like God is silent? Because at the beginning, it's like you have all these thoughts going on in your head. Maybe you can't hear God because you got all these thoughts going on in your head, right? And it's just like, how do you stay strong when the evidence hasn't caught up to the obedience?

SPEAKER_00 21:15

Good question. So for me, because I don't can speak about my personal, what I went through. For me, the act of obedience was the silence. God got quieter with me. It was a whisper. And in some moments during those 21 days, the only thing I could do was feel his presence, but I didn't hear him. He should he opened up the relationship where all of my senses was ignited. Taste, hearing, smelling, like creation. I was like I was able to hear the birds chirp. I was able to smell the honeysuckle. I forgot honeysuckle existed. And I clearly, clearly, I didn't even realize it was in my backyard. So I mean, you know, and seeing God through creation, seeing God through people, him bringing to my mind, you know, what he already brought me through. And this is no different. And he didn't bring me to it, not to bring me through it. I just have to trust him. And so with me, I had to literally, because I am a type A personnel that I like lists, I like, you know, projections, you know, this is I like something that it has already been done. I just repeat the process. But God created the blueprint. And there's no process for when God is training and teaching you to help you heal and help you build your trust and your faith in Him. There's no, we have the Word, but it's different from reading the Word and living what it says and experiencing Holy Spirit. It's a total. And so, yeah, I've been reading the Bible cover to cover ever since I was six, seven years old. But to experience the goodness of God, to really understand the song where it says I'm in the presence of God, but to really know you in his throne room, that's a whole different situation because you have relinquished control. You repented because I had to go through a period where I had to repent. He revealed some things to me that I need to repent from. And I was like, okay, I didn't even know that was wrong. I didn't even know, I didn't even realize I did that. And so he was revealing, it was a humbling of oneself. Yeah. Because he it was a humbling. And so he brought me through all of these different emotions, all these different experiences, all to show me that he's my father first. Yes, I have a physical father on this earth, but I'm your father first. Yeah, and this is what I want you to do. And will you trust me? Yes. Blindly. So that's what happened for me. And it's just, I'm still on the journey. I'm still on the journey because, as you know, just like a ladder, it's more steps to go up. But everything is bringing me closer to him and an understanding, a knowledge, amount of wisdom and discernment that I didn't have before that comes along with that blind trust in God because it's very hard for us to do things and we can't see the outcome. And it was very hard for me at first, you know. And I still have moments, it just depends on what he wants me to do at the moment. I ain't finna act like I'm all that because I'm not, because he's still working on me. I'm gonna work in progress. But what I am saying is that it was moments where I was afraid, it was a moment where I felt doubt, and I realized how the enemy and the sinful flesh use that doubt. Use those moments of what if? What if is two of the dangerous words in the dictionary? What if? Because you start your mind start racing, what if this? What if it? And guess what? Most of the time, the what if never happens. And if it does happen, it's because we thought about it so much that it happened because we keep having it on our mind. And so I'm like, it was just it was just different. And so just trusting in him, thinking about gosh, what you talking about 21 days of no working. I got bills, I got two kids, I got an autistic son. What you what now, my like, what do you mean? I mean, I have clients that I meet on a regular basis. We're running a whole TV podcast distribution network. I have a team that I need to talk to. What do you mean? And literally, I shut everything down. No emails, no text messages. I gave them one message and I said, I'm gonna be gone for 21 days. I said, any correspondence you do, you have to do with the team. The

The 21-Day Pause From Work

SPEAKER_00 26:12

network will still be going on. The team will make sure your videos are uploading and distributed across Ruku TV, Amazon Fire, Android, iOS F all the places. But I will not be here and you will not be able to call me. All communication for this period will be moved to the next month. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm not gonna be available. You know how hard that was, and in the back of my mind saying, Am I gonna lose all my clients? Because we're talking about quite a bit of people. And I'm like, but he told me I had to do it, and even some people reached out to me because I am touchable CEO where people where my people can talk to me, the ones that God allowed me to help. And he told me you can't respond. You can't respond. I told you no. And I'm looking at text messages crying, yeah, I'm looking at emails crying, I'm getting flood of opportunities. I'm talking about bedtime opportunities and partnerships, all coming through during those 21 days. I'm getting offers to come speak in the bye and all over Paris. I didn't respond, so they came back with another offer talking about full ride. We pay for everything, and you can bring a person with you. We'll pay for them too. We just want you to come speak, we want you to come talk about media, we want you to talk about education and academia. And I'm like, why? You know, and and he's like, do not respond until after the 21 days. And I cried, I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I cried, I was shaking, I was like, but I prayed for some of this stuff, and now it's happening. You know, you tell me not to respond, but I listened, and when when I listened, and I was crying, I had a little doubt in me, but I still didn't do it, I still didn't reach out. And to mama, and I'm I'm choked up with tears right now because I lost nothing but gained everything.

SPEAKER_02 28:28

I lost nothing but gained everything.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

How did that shift your trust, your relationship, even how you view God after that?

SPEAKER_00 28:42

It's the oneness, it's the closeness, it's the amount of trust, it's amount of I went from regular love of God to agape. So, you know, we know agape is the highest form of love. And we we know it as Christians, you know. We say agape, you know, just like we say certain things, we don't really think about it. But my love transcended for God, his kingdom, his will, and me want to be in submission to whatever he asked me to do, even if I don't know why, even if I don't understand why. It opened me up to say yes blindly and to walk confidently because I know I will not fall. I know it will work out, even if it looks like it's not, it will because I'm being obedient and I have the best, best navigator in the world, God Himself. So he knows everything about me, the earth, and everybody on this earth. So if he the one navigating my steps, then I'm safe. And so I have the comfort from dealing and walking through those challenges and struggles with struggle from within, you know, and but still having the obedience to say, I'm gonna listen even though I'm afraid. I'm gonna listen even though I don't really feel that this is a good decision. Let me just be told 100. I'm like, what you mean? Maybe my flesh telling me this. This might not be Holy Spirit, you know, questioning, but then I'm like, no, it's it's really clear what he wants me to do. And I knew it. It was just your flesh. And I was like, I'm gonna walk through it. And I trusted him. And it was like going through a war, a battle, because the more I said yes, the more I walked through more and more opportunities, more and more situations, things that I prayed for, things that I felt like was the right opportunity. And God revealed to me some of those things that came in the form of opportunity was just a distraction from my kingdom. It looked good, but it was a trap. And me getting closer to God helped me see the trap of the enemy, and it did not look bad, it seemed good on the outside, and it's what I prayed for, but it wasn't from the source that God wanted me to have it from, because that was something that we did. God wants me to do what he's doing, so all the honor, praise, and glory goes to him, his kingdom, and his will. And so that example can draw people back to him, not me. And so I was like, okay, okay, I uh so the 21 days was really something very powerful for for me. I did more in those moments of stillness than I ever did when I was moving.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Wow. What it sounds like to me as well is that you realize delayed evidence didn't mean denied purpose.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Oh, child, don't you? Yes, yes, exactly. Yeah, and I lived it. We say delayed is not denied, you know, with different phrases that we say. But until you live it, you taste it, you feel it, you experience it, it takes it. They're not words anymore, they're banners, they're things that you've worn, it's swords or war wounds that you have gone through and it's healing because God fought your battles, and you're not in there trying to fight and trying to figure out stuff and do it yourself. You're allowing him to do what he does, carry your burden. Why are you carry these burdens? Why are we carrying these burdens? We're not equipped to carry burdens. Let him do it, right? He wants to do it, yeah, leave it there, and I should go bring it together.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

We have a hard time leaving it, and I was one of them. Yes, that is so powerful, Dr. Tina. She is sharing what happens when she was able to

Opportunities, Tears, And Obedience

SPEAKER_01 33:05

trust God, even with the fear, even when it was her to say, God, I trust you. 21 days, she she was sweating, it was difficult, right? But in the end, the the delay evidence didn't mean delay purpose because God opened even better doors and showed her that you lost nothing and felt you gain more. And next, what I want to do is dive into your five-step framework. But first, we're gonna take a quick break. But when we come back, Dr. Ramsey. I'm gonna respect her name.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

It's Ramsey, but you know, it's a Dr.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

Ramsey. We're gonna we're gonna respect Dr. Tina Ramsey today, okay? Put some respect on her name, okay? She's gonna share the framework that has transformed how thousands make decisions in their waiting season. I want to make sure you all hear this because I'd like for everyone to get something practical that they can use and take and apply. Because I know that someone listening, if you guys are getting something from this, right? I know that you are, and you're gonna still get some more. So don't go anywhere. This episode is brought to you by Together We Create for the Kids.

SPEAKER_02 34:28

Across the country, something powerful is happening. The Together We Create 4 Kids National Tour is bringing transformational experiences to communities nationwide. More than a tour, a movement.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

It's more than a tour, it's a movement, and we're gonna talk a little bit about that in a moment. But before the break, I told you that Dr. Tina was gonna talk more about a framework that helps people navigate this waiting season. And I want you to please unpack your five-step process, which is listen, think, pause, pray, and wait. So if you can unpack that for us and maybe give us a little bit, explain what all that means for the people.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

Sure, sure. So, first of all, let me give the credit where credit is due. God gave me this five-step plan, this framework. And everything that I'm talking about now, the devotionals, the the journey devotionals album that coincide with these four book devotionals, before you answer series, it was because of something God is still working actively in me. Because I had this problem of making decisions too fast. So before you answer anyone else, you talk to me first, and let me give you five steps so you will pause. So all last year, these words kept popping up in my head. I will be asleep, or I do praise and worship, and I do my personal Bible study, and then this word listening kept popping up. I'm like, listening, why is listening keep popping up? Then thinking, pausing, praying, and wait. Those all those words start popping up. Then I realized it wasn't just a coincidence that these words was popping up. God was trying to tell me something. And I needed to stop, and I start, I stopped and I start writing these words down. I'm like, well, what does listen? He starts taking me the different scriptures. So basically, what the step process is, is helping you to slow down. So when listen, when you dealing with any type of decisions that need to be made, whether it's personal, spiritual, business, whatever the case, even health, whatever the case may be, we need listening to help us to quiet down the noise. Because many times we make decisions in a rush, in a haste, or feel like we have to just it has to be fast because the world that we live in, everything we get so fast. So we need to slow down enough to listen to God. Get quiet enough to quiet down the noise. The next thing is we just don't need to listen. We need to think about what it is that's being asked of us. Is this really in line with God's will? Is this my flesh, or is this the Holy Spirit? Is this I'm doing this because I'm emotionally pulled to do this, or I'm doing this because this is actually aligned with what the purpose God put me on this earth

Delayed Evidence, Not Denied Purpose

SPEAKER_00 37:42

to do. And that allows you to process all the things that you're hearing to make sure that you don't get confused because you're hearing and you're listening to all the things around you. So you need to think clearly and pray for God to give you that clarity. The next thing you need to do after you listen, after you think, you need to pause. See, it's power in the pause. When you pause, you create the space for yourself to be open and present with God, and you are relinquishing all the emotions that is attached to decision making, the pressure that's attached to it, the I gotta answer this quick, or oh, I did pray about this, but this person bringing it, but it is something about that I don't know if this is it. So you are pausing to create the space to allow God to emotionally come in to help guide your way and Holy Spirit. The next thing is you're doing all this before you make the decision, you're gonna pray about it, you're gonna invite God in the entire process to take over the decision making for you. You're gonna allow Him and Holy Spirit to guide you on whatever it is that is aligned with Matthew 6:33, seeking first the kingdom. All right, and then the last thing is after you get all of that clarity, you're gonna have the confidence by then to wait on God and to allow him to give you the confirmation on when you should act. And you have the patience enough to wait, even if it's not a fast answer. You wait until you know that you know that it's God and not you, or not because you're saying, Oh, I don't want to hold them up, or I don't want to. If they can't wait for the process of when God tells you no, then it's not something you need to be doing. And so when you allow all those steps to work those steps and you work them systematically, it trains your mind, it trains you to move only with God and stop moving ahead in Him. Because we have the we we have the weakness of we move ahead and then you and things don't go as according to plan, and then we beg, plead, and supplicate for God to clean it up. This framework actually prevents you from having to mess up so much because you're allowing God and Holy Spirit to and the kingdom just to have its way. You you're relinquishing and it's training you not to move without God, and it also is a protection because it protects you from opportunities that it's two types of opportunities, and most people don't want to talk about this. It's opportunities that edify and glorify the kingdom of God, and it's opportunities that do the exact opposite. And sometimes those opportunities that is not so great, we end up doing it because we are moving too fast and we're not seeing the red flags that God put in front of us because we move too fast, and God gives you signs, He gives you, He's like, listen, this is not good. Holy Spirit was like, But if you move too fast, you're gonna miss it. So for me, all of these things help you to be able to really align whether opportunities are from God or it's a distraction or it's taking you away from the will of God and his kingdom. And it keeps you aligned with whatever the purpose and the assignment that he has specifically for you, what he has for me on this earth to do up under his kingdom. So this five-step framework helps you avoid and avoid needless mistakes

The Five-Step Decision Framework

SPEAKER_00 41:40

and also help you draw closer to God in a way of intimacy that you never had before, because in between each step is time. It's not like it's like, oh, I'm gonna do them five steps, do sometime one step. The think part can take you five weeks. You know, it takes time, and you get used to taking the time to breathe, taking the time to rely on God, not moving too fast. And it gives you peace. If you're dealing with panic and anxiety and all this other kind of stuff, you will notice that all those kind of things start just moving away because you have that because of pressure. Okay. But when you relinquish this to God, you notice that your health starts feeling better. You notice that even when people are trying to rush you, you have peace to know that every that nothing's gonna be taken from you, everything is gonna work out. It the bond that you have with God, the closeness that you have with Holy Spirit, that you'll be able to hear him clearly without all the noise, you're you're very clear that you'll be able to know what he's telling you to do, even if it don't make any sense to the people that's around you. And you become confident that even if you're in a situation where nobody understands your vision but you and God, that you still walk through. You still do, because you know that God got you.

SPEAKER_01 43:09

Wow, that is that's amazing. Everybody take a deep breath in, take it in, get it in. Listen, think, pause, pray, and wait. I know that everybody can walk away with something. And if you're like me, you like to have things like this where you can like, okay, what can I do? What can kind of help me too, especially with the world is so busy too, and sometimes you just need something to kind of go back to and help guide you. So this is a this is a beautiful gift. So thank you for sharing this with everybody. I can't believe how fast our time is today. Um I do have two more questions before we close out. Someone is listening right now, and I feel like they might be at their breaking point. They are just in that in-between space, right? They are tired of waiting, they're tired of believing, they are like ready to quit, they have tried to be obedient, and the evidence is just not there. I want you to speak to them. What would you say to them? What words would you encourage them with?

SPEAKER_00 44:34

For everyone who feels like God has overlooked them, that he's not listening to your prayers, that he is not there for you, that maybe you are so far removed from God that he can ever forgive you for some past sin or trauma that you committed that you said you were sorry for, but you just feel like you're just unworthy. For every person that feels that way, I want you to know that this is your answer. You didn't come across this podcast by accident. This podcast came as a confirmation and answer to you to know, for God to let you know that you matter, that he's forgiving you, that you are worthy, and that just because he's not speaking loudly to you, that don't mean he's not talking to you. Pay attention, slow down to listen, think, pause, pray, and wait. What is it that's holding you back from totally relinquishing everything that you have to him? Is it because of a past trauma, something happened to you that someone taking away your ability to be able to trust? Is it because you lost your job, you lost a family member that you love, or maybe a relationship that didn't work out that you felt that was ordained by God Himself? And you're trying to figure out why this relationship didn't work? Was it built on the principles of God's kingdom? Did you create that situation? Did God give you signs that you decided to not pay attention to? I'm here to tell you, this is the moment. Come back to God, trust him, allow him. Let me just say this right here because it's coming on my heart. You need to allow God to love you. Let him love you every moment that you breathe, every moment that you have just food, sustenance, and clothing, is God actively working for you. He has not forgotten you, you've forgotten your way. That's the problem. You need you drifted off in the boat in the water, but God is throwing you a life reserver. And this is your confirmation, this is your moment. Get that Bible off the mantle or wherever you got it, dust it off, and open it up and tell God, tell me what you want me to see. Show me what I need to do, help me and get down on your knees. Now, if you're a person who uh can't get down all the way on your knees and I say a little Joe Joe, make sure you have something to get you back up, get down on your knees and pray. Because there's some things that you gotta do that you gotta get on them knees, and you gotta just let it go. Ask God to free you from whatever it is that is holding you back from completely seeking Him, His kingdom, His righteousness. You are not your past, you are not your trauma, you are not the relationship that failed. That was not you. Okay, and that is not a reflection on how God feels about you just because it didn't work out. That you need to go and work on your first relationship with him. And so I just want you to know that you are loved, he is welcoming you back with open arms. This is your moment to come back and trust him because he never stopped loving you and he never left you. It was you that stepped away from him, and now he's saying, Come back, my son, come back, my daughter. I love you. I want you out. I'm here, I never stop protecting you. I'm here. So this is your for everyone who feels like they're they can't, they just can't. This podcast is your answer. This episode, I hope you were able to pull something from this episode

Words For The Breaking Point

SPEAKER_00 49:02

that'll make you be able to open your heart, open your heart back to him. He will not break it. He will heal it. Just let him heal you. He's the best surgeon on the face of the planet. Let God heal you and draw close so that you can have this peace that overrides every single negative thought. He got you. Trust him. He have you. And take your time. It's not gonna be easy, but take it one step at a time. That's why my devotionals are five minutes. You know, you get five scriptures, you get a you get a small paragraph devotional and a thought for the day because you need just small bits and pieces, because we have to renew our mind daily to fight against the tactics of the enemy. He didn't say you got to read all a whole lot of stuff, but do something every day so you'll give God something to work with. Yes. Give him something to work with, read it, smaller stuff. And that's why the devotional is just like that. And then for those of you who can't read yet because you're so broken, guess what? We God poured on my husband's heart and mine to make a devotional CD album. Well, not CD, but an album for you guys to be able to listen to. And you're gonna be able to get this on her podcast because you're listening for free. I gave her the link, and you'll be able to listen to it for absolutely free. And it's all about the five-step framework, and it's gonna give you the motivation, and I hope that you find something in the words of the song that will reignite your relationship, your love, your trust, your obedience to God and his kingdom. It will, it's basically a reintroduction to our beautiful King, to our God, our Heavenly Father, and allowing Holy Spirit to take over and have his way. Because when that happens, you're gonna see how your life is gonna change forever. So, next time, before you answer, listen, think, pause, pray, and wait on God, and you will be just fine.

SPEAKER_01 51:29

See y'all, I told y'all we were here for a treat today. Dr. Tina does not come to play. Woo! Okay. Last question before we find out how people can connect to you. We did briefly talk about, we've seen a commercial on Together We Create for the Kids. I know that you are connected to that as well. If you just want to share briefly with the people how you're connected with that, your your connection with that, and yeah, just let the people know.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

Well, I'm excited to be a part of Together We Create for Kids because it's something bigger than me. It's a movement to save our children. There's attack that's going on with our children. Some of this stuff you don't see, but get in the word, you'll understand what's going on. And children need, they're the future. And so, what I love about this event, and of course, I know destiny. And what I love about the event is all about community, it's all about education, it's bringing creators together, it's bringing leaders together, and we all coming together on one united cause for the people to uplift the children and to strengthen the future communities. Because at the end of the day, what is legacy? Legacy, we tend to think about it as only being money, but legacy is never money first, it's the people. When you build up the people, that of which leave legacy. Okay, and so children are our legacy. So we help them, let them know that they matter, giving parents the encouragement that they need to keep going and raising their children because it's not easy for parents raising children in this world today. And that's why I decided to be a part of Together We Create for Kids because it was bigger than me. I wanted to play my small part in the big, the big overall theme of what God wants to do with this particular event. And when I heard the heart of this event, I was like, I had to say yes. And so I'm, you know, I'm all about the children. I've been in education for 30 years. So I'm all about the babies.

A Movement For The Kids

SPEAKER_01 53:40

Wonderful. Thank you. So for those that don't know, make sure to check out the site. It is going to be stopping at six different locations throughout the United States. Definitely coming to Milwaukee in September, but they are going to be in Alabama. I can't think of all the places off top. I got to get that memorized, but definitely check out the site. It is going to be an event to remember, and it is for the kids. We are going to be giving away electronics. School supplies, all kinds of things for the youth. There's going to be motivational speaking gifts. It's going to be an event that definitely is going to be one that is going to be shifting, right? And so I'm so excited to be a part of it. And I'm so excited, Dr. Tina, that you're a part of it as well. And there's so many people that are just a part of this great, great movement. And so finally, I know that people are going to want to connect with you. How can they connect with you and just find out all the great things that you are doing?

SPEAKER_00 54:50

Well, the easiest way is CTR Media Network.com. If they want to know more about media or they want to start a podcast, you know, they have a podcast and want to take it to television, we can actually help you. But even if you don't want to do that, but you want to have uh more eyes and ears to be seen and heard on media, you know, magazines and blogs, editorials, social media blasts, all that good stuff. We help you get more visibility to build that digital. I tell people digital real estate that's going on right now. Okay, so we all know about Monopoly. Well, guess what? It's a it's it's an invisible game going on right now called digital real estate. And so we are creating that so it can build up the legacy. So when people look you up, they find what you want them to find and they get to know you so you can make that lasting impact that surpasses your lifespan. The second place is I also help, like I said before, I came from education. So I do have CTRHomeschooling.com where we actually have a community of 30,000 homeschoolers where we help them homeschool with clarity and confidence. So if you want to homeschool, you're curious about homeschooling, that is where you can find. But even if you're not, I build out, create curriculum and everything like that that you can supplement your child's education with interactive learning. So love what I do: education, media, and community, and all wrapped up on the foundation of God's kingdom. So you can't lose

How To Connect And Closing Prayer

SPEAKER_00 56:25

when you're with God, okay? You can't lose, okay, people. All right, especially when he's directing everything and you just sitting around, letting him do what he do so well, and he just made me look good. So, like I said, I'm just managing it. I'm just managing it.

SPEAKER_01 56:43

Wonderful. Well, thank you, Dr. Tina. Thank you for reminding us that the in-between season is not punishment, it's preparation. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've really enjoyed our conversation, I've learned so much, and I just enjoyed this. I feel so encouraged myself. I'm telling you. And so we're gonna just close out in prayer and thank you again. Many, many blessings to you, many blessings to our hearers today. I know that you all were blessed as well. So, Father, for every listener in the waiting room, renew their strength, Father, for every leader who has obeyed, but God, they they're still like, God, I don't see the fruit. God, help them. Encourage their hearts, teach us, God, to listen before we we leap, Father God, Lord. Help us to pause, like Dr. Tina said, Father God, Lord. Pause before we move, Father God, Lord, to pray before we move, Father God, Lord, to listen, Father God, Lord. Most importantly, Father God, Lord, help us to trust. Trust that you're working, even when it's quiet, even when we don't know the next step, Father God, Lord. And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Thank you. Thank you so much for listening to Between the Prayer and the Promise. If this episode encouraged you, we'd love for you to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your support helps us reach more people who are walking through their own season of waiting. But here's what matters most. Remember to trust God, not just when the answers come, not just when the blessings show up, but right here in the way, right here in the silence, right here in the in-between. He is faithful. He sees you and he's working, even when you can't see it yet. Until next time, keep believing, keep trusting, and keep holding on. I'm Lenny's lead, and I promise you, God is faithful.