Gratefulness

Let’s talk about gratefulness.  

Gratefulness is defined as showing appreciation for what has been done or has been received.  Some years ago, my friend Pastor Eric Thomas preached a sermon at our youth revival entitled “Is your execution your worship”. Meaning, does how you plan, organize, and do life, in general, reflect your worship of Almighty God?  One of the definitions of execution is the carrying out or putting into effect a plan, order, or course of action.

I ask you is your execution your worship?

Does your life show God that you are grateful for everything he has done for you? 

Do you move with intention and thoughtfulness, or do you just get up and go? 

Throughout your day do you talk to/with God? 

Do you include him in the things you are doing or want to do? 

Do you slow down and just sit with God? 

Do you remember him? I ask again, Do. You. Remember. Him? Let that sit with you for a moment. 

Our relationship with God is interactive and engaging. It is real, it is past, present, and future. Gratefulness requires you to pause and think. To think on all the ways God has covered you and your loved ones. 

As we end the year, get still. Reflect upon 2022. Think of your life, look at all the ways that God has guided your life even when you did not talk with him. Review how grace and mercy showed up in your life. 

 “Grace is getting what you don't deserve; Mercy is not getting what you deserve" 

Lisa Apello wrote, “The Power of gratitude, 12 Benefits of giving God thanks.” She lists these 12 ways benefits of giving God thanks:

1. Gratitude glorifies God. 
2. Gratitude helps us see God. 
3. Gratitude puts us squarely in God’s Will 
4. Gratitude brings peace 
5. Gratitude draws us to God. 
6. Gratitude brings a commitment to God. 
7. Gratitude deepens faith. 
8. Gratitude leads to joy. 
9. Gratitude defies Satan’s Lies 
10. Gratitude guards against envy, 
11. Gratitude helps us live in the present. 
12. Gratitude is a testimony. 

I close by asking again, “Is your execution your worship?” 

Does it reflect your gratefulness to our omnipotent God? Let gratefulness be a foundational principle in how you do everything in your life and watch how much more joy you will have, the more at peace you will be, the more love you have to share, and the more fulfilled in your life you will be. 

1 Corinthians 8:3 KJV says, “But if any man loves God, the same is known of him.” But I like the amplified version “But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience, and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved].”

Patriarchs and Prophets: Aaron

 👫🏽💝Hello, good morning.

Patriarchs and Prophets

July 3, 2021, Today's devotional

Aaron

Many times in our lives we will be called to support someone else.

Aaron was Moses' brother. Scripture tells us that he was a good speaker. Exodus 4:14
Because of this skill, God used him to speak on Moses' behalf. Aaron, knew that because he was a gifted speaker that did not usurp Moses' authority to lead the children of Israel. He was to play his position.

When we are chosen to do a task for someone else learn to stay in our supportive lane. It's not that you are not important, it's just that that wasn't what you were chosen to do. Do the task you were asked to do with excellence, joy, and confidence. Don't be envious or prideful.

Even though Aaron was not the leader, his role was extremely important nonetheless. You don't have to dim your light so others can shine. Just be effective and excellent in the position you have been called to do.

📚Major Lesson alert: To be a great leader you must be a great follower.

💓I love you; Abba loves you; we love you!

🙏🏽Exodus 4:15-16 ERV
I will tell you what to say. Then you will tell Aaron, and I will help him say it well. I will tell both of you what to do. [16] So Aaron will speak for you. Like God, you will speak to him, and he will tell the people what you say.

🎶Your devotional in song 

©2021 A Prosperous Living Ministries
Written by Fawn N. Rhodes

Patriarchs and Prophets: Abraham

 👫🏽💕Hello, good morning.

Inspired by Kevin Bond

Patriarchs and Prophets

July 2, 2021, Today's devotional

Abram/Abraham

When I was a little girl we used to sing the song, "Father Abraham". We'd march around swinging our arms singing, "Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you, so let's all praise the Lord." 😊

Abram was the Great-grandson of Shem. Shem, was one of Adam & Eve's sons. That means Abram was the Great-great grandson of Adam and Eve. That is unfathomable to me, to be that close in lineage to Adam & Eve.

I clearly remember my Great-grandfather Lacy Tate. Some of you might even have memories or still have your Great-great grandparents still with us. Appreciate them if you do.

In Genesis 12 we see where God called Abram and told him he would make a great nation from him. His name would be great and blessed. God had a deep personal relationship with Abram, so much so that he literally changed his name from Abram to Abraham in Genesis 17.

Abraham's relationship was so close with Jehovah that James 2:23 tells us that God literally called Abraham, Friend!

Be the type of person that God can call a friend and you can reciprocate.

Love your friends with the Love of Jehovah God.

📚Major Lesson alert: Don't be solely reliant upon Jehovah God because of what he can do. Cultivate your relationship with him because you truly love him. Because of who he is not what he is.

💓I love you; Abba loves you; we love you!

🙏🏽James 2:23 ERV
This shows the full meaning of the Scriptures that say, "Abraham believed God, and because of this faith he was accepted as one who is right with God." Abraham was called "God's friend."

🎶Your devotional in song 

©2021 A Prosperous Living Ministries
Written by Fawn N. Rhodes

Patriarchs and Prophets: Cain and Abel

👫🏽❤️Hello, good morning.

Patriarchs and Prophets

July 1, 2021, Today's devotional

For the next 30 days, we will be studying various people in the Bible and what lessons their decisions teach us.

Cain and Abel

Genesis 4 recounts the story of Cain and Abel. Cain was Adam and Eve's, firstborn son. Abel was their second son.  Both sons were raised knowing who Jehovah God is. They watched their father, Adam toil the hard ground that God had cursed because of Adam and Eve's disobedience. Genesis 3:17

They knew what was required of a proper sacrifice to God. So when it was time for both sons to give their first sacrifice, God rejected Cain's and received Abel's. For some, this has puzzled them why because after all Cain was giving from what he had. Genesis 4:3

The problem was he didn't give what was required. 

Because God previously had cursed the ground and Cain was raised KNOWING what type of offering to give by watching his father, he chose to give what he wanted. Meaning to align himself with his own will. This equates to listening to Satan, the very thing his mother did when she chose to listen to Satan over what God told her to do.

📚Major Lesson alert: Learn to do what is asked/required of you, not what you want to do. When you lean to your own understanding and go with your own will, it will cause you much more strife than had you just gone with God.

💓I love you; Abba loves you; we love you!

🙏🏽Luke 22:42 ERV
"Father, if you are willing, please don't make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want."

🎶Your devotional in song 

©2021 A Prosperous Living Ministries
Written by Fawn N. Rhodes

It is written

 ⏳⏰Hello, good morning.

June 30, 2021, Today's devotional

For the last 30 days, the Lord inspired me to take you on a journey of understanding the word, waiting. The various ways waiting applies and looks like in our everyday and spiritual lives.
I hope these devotionals encourage you in your everyday life, inspire you to believe in yourself, and support you in your relationship with Jehovah God.

I live my life out loud and transparently which is reflected genuinely and lovingly in my writing. This is painfully hard for an introvert, I literally have to push myself to be seen and be heard, believe it or not. You see, I am on the same journey as you. Abba is speaking to me just as he is speaking through me for you.

It gets hard some days because I honestly don't know the difference these words make in others' lives, yet I write the devotionals not seeking validation. I write them because God specifically told me to.

This is one facet of my ministry.

Some days they are later or earlier than others and I promise to get better about that. For now, as we have reached the sixth month of this year, we are going to keep pushing and applying pressure.
Thank you for allowing me to hit your inbox every day for some of you for almost 3 years. I appreciate you.

See you next month with a new topic wherever God is taking us.

💓I love you; Abba loves you; we love you!

🙏🏽Esther 8:8 ERV
Now write another command by the authority of the king. Write it to help the Jews in a way that seems best to you. Then seal the order with the king's special ring. No official letter written by the authority of the king and sealed with the king's ring can be canceled."

🎶Your devotional in song 

©2021 A Prosperous Living Ministries
Written by Fawn N. Rhodes

Resilient

 ⏳🌳Hello, good morning.

Dedicated to my wonderful cousin Robert Tate

June 29, 2021, Today's devotional

I love trees! Trees are resilient.

I love to watch them away in the wind. I love to watch birds and animals climb them. I love to watch how they are totally unbothered by most weather conditions. It takes a mighty strong force to take a whole tree down. You might get a limb or two but the whole tree, yes very rarely do you see them fall down.

Trees are rooted. Deeply rooted into this earth. Their sustenance, their nutrition, their stateliness all come from being securely anchored in this terra firma!

⏳Waiting = Resilient

When you are rooted in Jehovah God you are just like the trees. You are resilient.

Plant yourself firmly in your faith in who you are and who you belong to while you are waiting out the storms of life. For on those clear, sunny days, you'll be so beautiful and stately that no we can deny your majesty.

You may bend but you won't break.

🎭Major character alert: Kings and Queen's legacies are rooted in their resilience.

💓I love you; Abba loves you; we love you!

🙏🏽Joshua 1:9 ERV
Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't be afraid, because the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

🎶Your devotional in song 

©2021 A Prosperous Living Ministries

Greatness

 ⏳🏃🏽‍♀️Hello, good morning.

June 28, 2021, Today's devotional

Greatness does not occur overnight. It's a process. A long, hard, arduous process. At times a painful process. At times an overwhelming process. It can have you feeling stagnate and unproductive.
Yet! We press forward, shift our perspective, pick ourselves up, lean on Jesus and keep going.

⏳Waiting = Greatness

Today, the task you are working on may seem frustrating and like you are spinning your wheels. It may be something you have had to revisit several times and you just feel it's not moving.

Stick with it. You may have to tackle it in a different way. You may have to ask for help. You may have to gain more knowledge or resources. However, all in all, though the wait, greatness evolves.
Greatness is right at your fingertips.

🎭Major character alert: Kings and Queens realize that greatness is a process.

💓I love you; Abba loves you; we love you!

🙏🏽1 Kings 8:41 ERV
"People from other places will hear about your greatness and your power. They will come from far away to pray at this Temple.

🎶Your devotional in song 

©2021 A Prosperous Living Ministries