Blog - A Broken Heart's GPS Christian Counseling and Resource Center lauri@abrokenheartsgps.org

Speak to the Mountain

3/24/2015

"Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen."--Matthew 21:21(NLT)

When we trust God and have faith in his Word, we have supernatural ability. We have been given power and authority to speak to what is standing in our way--no matter what or who it is. Nothing is too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17). When our faith is unwavering and we are thoroughly convinced that the word of God is truth and life, and that we have been endowed with supernatural power and authority--we are unstoppable! We are designed to conquer, overcome, and be victorious.

What proverbial mountain(s) is in your life today? Speak to it--with the word of God. God's word is THE only word/voice that the "mountain" reveres. God's word gives us power not only speak to, but to command the mountain and tell it where to go! Attempting to speak to your mountain sans the word of God, is not prudent. When we operate from a natural position, we are mincemeat. Remember the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19? They attempted to operate from a spiritual position of authority that they did not possess. They did not know God, nor did they have a personal conviction of faith in Him. This reality led to open defeat and public humiliation.

If your faith is wavering and you are not fully convinced of the power and authority that you possess as a child of God--confess it to Him as did the father of a child with a dumb spirit did in Mark 9. He will help you in the area of unbelief.

Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for the truth of your word. God, I believe your word. I believe that you are all powerful and almighty. I believe that there is nothing to hard for you. I thank you that you have endowed me with the power of the Holy Sprit and have given me the ability to speak a precise word that every that would cause every mountain in my life to be lifted up and thrown into the sea. Amen.

E-Coaching and E-Mentoring

3/19/2015

A Broken Heart's GPS Christian Counseling and Resource Center is excited to now offer E-Coaching and E-Mentoring!

We all have God-given gifts, talents, and abilities; special deposits that he made in each of us. We are equipped to succeed and prosper! It is divine empowerment. Yet, despite this biblical truth, we struggle to realize our dreams and reach our goals--which are well within our reach because they are part of our design. We were not designed for failure or mediocrity. We were designed to soar! We are designed to bring change to our environments. We are designed to lives of significance. We have purpose and value. This is not pretense or haughtiness. We are children of the Most High God! Greatness is in you and there is nothing you cannot do! I could go on and on! We are so special in the eyes of God. He wants us to prosper and be successful. He wants us to live lives of meaning and purpose. This is a truth for you!

Don't allow people, negative thoughts, or your history stand in the way of getting all that God has for you. Submit your request for E-coaching or E-mentoring today. Let's get it done, together!

Take Out the Trash!

3/17/2015

"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."--Ephesians 4:25

Our pastor has been teaching on the subject of lying; conscious, intentional falsehoods, deceit. Ephesians 4:25 tells us to "put away" lying--in the sense of taking out the trash. In the physical sense, we know if we do not put out trash, it will begin to accumulate, smell, and attract critters--because it is food for them. If a child of God is lying or has a propensity for lying, spiritual trash is accumulating and attracting "critters"--relational problems, health issues, mental health concerns, financial problems, etc.

Neuroscience has discovered that when a person lies, the prefrontal cortex or "executive center" of the brain works harder when we lie, as opposed to telling the truth. The physiological changes that occur in the body support what science has unveiled; example, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, dry mouth, sweating, stomach pain/discomfort. The brain and the human body work harder when a lie is told. Overtime, this system overdrive can precipitate health concerns--autoimmune disorders, chronic stress, stomach ailments, heart conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety, phobias, etc.

The human body simply was not designed to house or perpetuate lies.

Prayer:
Father, in the name of Jesus, I believe the truth of your word. I believe that you are the Father of lights and that there is no darkness in you. I believe that you are truth and that you cannot lie. I repent of every lie that I have spoken. Forgive me. I thank you that I do not have to lie because your Holy Spirit indwells me and empowers me to be a vessel of truth and righteousness. Help me to come to a place of honesty with you, myself, and those in my life. Amen.

Listen Up!

3/11/2015

James 1:19, states that ALL must be quick to listen. ALL must be slow to speak. ALL must be slow to get angry. It is a command that we are ALL able to adhere to with the help of the Holy Spirit. Listening is not only an art or desirable skill, it is a gift. When we exercise the ability to listen we demonstrate to whomever is speaking that we are engaged and that we are genuinely interested in what is being said.

Listening involves not only hearing, but observing--making eye contact, being mindful of non-verbal cues and body language. Listening requires being present and giving one's full attention to the speaker. If I am listening actively and reflectively, I am not formulating my response, I am not thinking about what to make for dinner, or what else I could be doing at that moment. When I am listening, I must come to the resolve that nothing matters more, in that moment, than what is on the speaker's heart. When someone is speaking, the heart is being communicated. It could be a spouse, a child, a friend, and co-worker, a sibling--whomever it is, a heart is speaking.

"You're not listening!" "You don't listen." "Listen to me!" "You don't get me." "You just don't understand." These statements are common when there is a communication roadblock and anger is evoked. As we practice being quick to listen, we slow down our natural inclination to respond or cut someone off mid-sentence. This affords us the opportunity to ask the Holy Spirit to help us hear and respond appropriately. Relying on the Holy Spirit is key because only God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. Only he can give wisdom on how to respond.

If your teenager, in a bout of anger and frustration, yells, "You just don't understand!!!" Rather than respond in like manner--take a moment before you respond. Look at her. Look at her body language. Look in her eyes. You will see the hurt, the pain, the frustration, the angst of being a teenager in 2015. In those moments, your response is critical. That is the time to be slow to speak, pray, and ask the Holy Spirit for help. Be open to His promptings. A gentle, "Sweetie...I see how upset your are... Or, "Hey let's go for a walk or take a ride in the car and talk" will mean everything to her, as she will feel not only heard, but valued. When we listen to a person we are conveying their value to us.

Prayer:
Father, I pray that you would help me become a better listener. Help me to be slow to speak and quick to listen. I pray for the guidance of your Holy Spirit as I communicate with those around me, in Jesus' name. Amen.

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."--James 1:19(NLT)

"God Wants Us to Share"

3/9/2015

"And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
--Romans 10:15(NLT)

"God wants us to share"; a prophetic statement from our youngest daughter, Zoe', when she was about two or three years old. This statement from a the mouth of toddler, is a biblical truth. God desires that we share, not only tangible things, but Him. Christians are called to share the "Good News"! The Good News is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Good News is that we have a Savior who delivers, restores, gives joy, brings peace, and heals broken hearts. The Good News is that nothing is too hard for Him. There is no darkness that is so dark that His brilliant light cannot pierce through. There is no perversion so perverse that he cannot make utterly repulsive. There is no mindset, addiction, or behavior that He cannot change. He is powerful and mighty and miracles are His specialty.

With whom can you share the Good News? Perhaps a co-worker, a neighbor, the mail carrier, the clerk behind the counter, the teller at the bank, your hairstylist, your child's teacher. Commit to sharing the Good News!

Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for the Gospel. I thank you that you have Good News for me to share. I pray for opportunities to share the truth of salvation, the true of your love, the truth of your power and might. Thank you for the guidance and prompting of your Holy Spirit who gives me words to speak that will edify, encourage, and bring hope that can only come through you. Amen.

Speak Life!

3/6/2015

"The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."--John 6:63(NLT)

Jesus tells us in John 6:63, that words are spirit and life. When we speak, we are creating; something is being established through the power of our words. God spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1). Man was created in the image and likeness of God. As such, God, the Creator, has given us the ability to create--through words. We can speak words of encouragement or discouragement. Our words can edify or destroy. Our words can fuel or diffuse. Our words can motivate or mislead. Words can change an environment or atmosphere.

King David understood the power of words. In Psalm 141:3, we see him asking God to set a watch over his mouth and to guard the door of his lips. Why would he pray such a prayer? Perhaps he understood that once words leave our lips, they cannot be retrieved. How many of us have spoken words in a bout of anger, frustration, discouragement, annoyance, resentment, fatigue, etc. that we wish we could take back?

May today be the day we allow the Lord to set a watch over our mouths, and cause us to speak words of life.

Prayer:
Father, in Jesus' name, I repent of my sharp tongue. Forgive me. I ask you to set a watch over my mouth. Guard the door of my lips. I pray for opportunities to speak words of life. I pray that you would use me this day to speak a word of encouragement to someone who may be down. Amen.

Holy Spirit

3/6/2015

Jesus promised His disciples that he would not leave them alone, following His crucifixion (John 14). He promised that there would be another teacher, who would not only live among them, but indwell them. We see the fulfillment of Jesus' promise in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.

Every born-again Christian houses the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible tells us that our bodies are His temple (I Corinthians 3:16) and that we are sealed with hum until the Day of Redemption (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit is not a "ghost" or spooky entity, or an "it". He is the Spirit of God. He represents the third person of the triune God. He is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son. And, he lives in us. We carry the holy, pure, righteous, loving Spirit of God! He is our helper, our compass, our internal barometer, and he is our teacher. There is never a time in our lives when we are helpless, hopeless, or alone because we have the power and presence of God at work within us.

The Holy Spirit is mighty, wise, fearless, creative, and intelligent--his attributes are infinite because he is God! He is God's gift and promise to us, yet he is sorely underutilized. We grieve him, ignore his promptings,and don't inquire of him. Before you head off on a road, do you not set your GPS or check a map? Of course you do. Yet, we make major decisions without ever seeking the counsel of the Spirit of God, who has been placed in our lives to help us.

Prayer:
Father, in Jesus' name, I thank you for the manifested promise of your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I pray that your wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, and knowledge would rest upon me according to Isaiah 11:2-3. I pray that you would lead me and guide me into all truths. I pray that I would hear and obey your voice. I thank you for a supernatural filling of your presence in my mind, my heart, my home, my environment. I thank you for awakening me to an awareness of you. Amen.

"Never Hopeless"

3/4/2015

"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."--Psalm 71:14(NIV)

As believers, we are never without hope. When our hope is in the God of the Bible, it transcends circumstances and hardships. We move from a sheepish,shaky, doubt-filled, "I hope so..." or, "I hope you are right...", to confidence in knowing that no matter what it looks like, the Lord is moving on our behalf. All we have to do is give him praise! Praise is a weapon that builds our confidence in the power of God. When this happens, hope is activated in our lives.

Prayer:
Father, I thank you and praise you! You alone are worthy of glory and honor. I thank you that you are working in the unseen realm on my behalf. I thank you that this light affliction is but for a moment (2 Corinthians 4:17). I hope in you. I hope in your word. I pray that you would uproot doubt, discouragement, and disbelief from my heart. My hope, my confidence, and my trust is in you. That whatever you have spoken concerning my life will come to pass (Isaiah 55:11). You never speak amiss. You never speak vacuous words. You speak with purpose and intent. I receive your word today and I give you praise that all things are working together for my good. In Jesus' name, Amen.

A Tool for Life

3/2/2015

"For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it."--Proverbs 8:11(NLT)

Biblical wisdom is a tool for life. The word of God says that no worldly desire could ever compare to the value of biblical wisdom, which is different from "worldly" wisdom or life experience. When we allow the Holy Spirit in his omniscience, to lead, guide, teach, and instruct us through life--we have a most precious gift.

Biblical wisdom enables us to make sound decisions. It brings confidence, knowledge, understanding, discretion that is not germane to the culture and influence of the world. It is divine, supernatural, and goes beyond human logic and reasoning.

It takes humility to gain biblical wisdom, as we must own that we do not know everything and that we need help to walk through life successfully! If you desire biblical wisdom--ask for it! God's word tells that if we lack wisdom, we are to ask for it. When we ask, God gives it liberally (James 1:5)!

Our pastor has encouraged our congregation to read a chapter of Proverbs and a chapter of The Psalms daily. In so doing, wisdom is obtained and we are thereby equipped with a tool for life.

Prayer:
Father, in Jesus' name, I pray for wisdom. I thank you for this tool for life; a tool for living that is more valuable than even the most precious jewel. I pray for the guidance, teaching, and instruction of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you would make me wise in every area of my life. Amen.