by desing | Faith & Purpose
I hate “No!”I will try to turn any “No” into a ”Yes” but oftentimes there’s nothing else I can do but accept the “No” and move forward.
When we start our journey of success, we can be deceived into believing that we’ll hit our pinnacle mark of achievements overnight. You expect doors to fly open for you because you’re…you. But sooner or later you’ll realize that that’s far from the truth.
I hear No’s on a daily basis and at first that used to bother me but now I’m grateful for my entire suitcase of No’s because I have learned to persevere. Every setback I’ve experienced is only making my story sweeter.
No’s, rejection and closed doors are a part of the process of success. When you experience those setbacks, you have a choice to either keep going or to concede. If you’ve been experiencing setback after setback then I want you to fight back; you have to keep going!
This year I’ve experienced a few setbacks and instead of crying for days, I only cried for a few hours and then decided to change my strategy of how to accomplish my goal. (I’m a crier so that was huge for me!)
I identified the resources and relationships I had to help me, I pursued them each and I created my new strategy. I did not change my goal; I just changed my strategy to get there. Now, I’m thankful that my original plan failed because my new strategy strengthened my business plans AND the new strategy is working!
Sometimes we hear “No” after “No” so that we can grow in character to ultimately achieve our destined purpose in life. If you got everything you wanted, when you wanted then how do you expect to grow?
Every time you hear a “No,” then throw that “No” into your perseverance file and instead of crying about it, be thankful for it because in some way it’s either helping you become who you have been called to be or protecting you from something that you think you want but isn’t best for you.
Take it the next step further and think of new strategies to help you achieve whatever it is that you are trying to do. Ask yourself if there is another way to get what you want. Is there someone else that you can speak to? Is there someone who has done what you are trying to do that you can reach out to? Have you tried to simply “Google It” for more information that may help you?
Your “No’s” are making you a better business woman and career woman but they are making you an overall better woman. Instead of focusing on what you are going to get when you accomplish your mission, start focusing on who you are becoming on your journey. You are enough just the way you are. I don’t care if you’re struggling to get that job you want, hoping for that new contract to save your business or trying to get 1 million Instagram followers, you are enough just as you are right at this moment!
After hearing what seems to feel like a thousand “No’s” then it’s only a matter of time before the right “Yes” comes along. I promise you that your “No’s” are making you and your story better. People who have persevered through challenge after challenge are the ones who appeal to the masses because all of us experience setbacks in life. You are being set up to inspire and impact the lives of others! Isn’t that the essence of a woman who embraces her legacy?
I believe so! So put away your tears, put on your lipstick, hold onto your faith and march forward with new wisdom because no weapon in hell can stop what God has blessed!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
As much as you may have your moments where you want to do it all by yourself, you have to realize that thinking like that is one of the biggest setbacks in creating the ideal life you desire.
The “I can be bad all by myself” attitude has got to go now! That sort of mentality is often rooted in pride and pride will choke the harvest of love, prosperity, success and wealth to manifest in your life. You were not created to do everything in your own strength, you were created to thrive and one of the best ways that you’ll achieve your destiny is to know your blind spots.
What I mean by “knowing your blind spots” is to acknowledge your weaknesses. On your journey of pursuing your dreams and embracing your purpose-driven life, you must know what your weaknesses are not only personally but professionally so that you can take precautionary measures so that you always come out on top.
If you know that there’s a co-worker that gets on your last nerves then that’s a blind spot that you have to be aware of. So instead of getting frustrated with her, acknowledge that you need help to deal with her effectively in order for you to thrive in your new role as product manager. When you wake up in the morning instead of dreading to talk to her, ask God to help you in advance to deal with her and help you see her the way that He does.
Perhaps you keep dating the same kind of guy over and over again and it gets you nowhere. You might be missing some essential warning signs on those first few dates but for some reason, they keep passing you by. Well, that my dear is a blind spot. Ask for wisdom and discernment before you start dating again and admit that you need help – once again ask God to help you.
Understand that you’re not alone in this life and you DO NOT have to be bad all by yourself. You have an eternal helper who lives inside of you but you have to first be willing to admit that you need that help. Once again, pride will choke you into destruction because you will be deceived into thinking that you don’t need any help because “you got this.”
Yes there are certain circumstances that you will have to go at it alone but even then God is still with you! You are never ever alone; find your joy in that!
Ask for help where you need it. Know what is not your strong suit and pursue better. This is very crucial for my fellow entrepreneurs and those of you who aspire to become entrepreneurs. If you have a business and social media marketing is not your thing, don’t drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out on your own. What you can do is find someone or a trusting resource to help you.
I will pray for everything and anything because I know that it’s God’s joy to give me my heart’s desires. Once I began to change my thinking about who He is, I started to see a difference in my life. We can easily be fooled to believe that God doesn’t care about our day-to-day lives but that is so far from the truth! He wants to help you and sometimes He’ll do it just between you and Him and oftentimes He’ll send people into your life to help you.
So what are your blind spots? What do you currently need help with but your pride will not allow you to ask for it? It can even be something like forgiveness. You know you need to ask for forgiveness from someone but your pride is stopping you. Admit it and ask.
You cannot be “bad all by yourself” anymore, it’s time to grow. Don’t be afraid to ask for help where you need it. It may not always be easy but it will for sure be worth it.
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
There’s a point in everyone’s journey of achieving a goal where you may feel stuck! You want to shift careers from one industry to another so you’ve sent your resume to dozens of jobs postings and you’ve heard nothing. You’ve been trying to pitch your book idea to publishers and you keep getting rejected. You’ve tried to save money for your new business venture and you end up tapping into those funds every week. Or you’ve been praying for healing, a mended relationship or a financial breakthrough and it seems like God is silent.
It’s in those moments where we must embrace the power of persistence! As women, we tend to be naturally more timid and less aggressive than men. A man can see a job posting where he only has two of the 10 qualifications listed and he’ll still apply. A woman can have 7 of the 10 qualifications listed, feel inadequate and choose to forego her application.
Just because you’re meeting opposition or things may not be going the way you anticipated does not mean that you aren’t right where you’re supposed to be. Every person who has achieved their dreams can give you story after story of the hurdles they had to overcome before realizing their desired outcome.
You cannot sit back and wait for opportunities to fall at your feet, sometimes you will have to go after them in full force. Just because you hear a “no” does not mean that you stop there. You have to be persistent! When I pitched my book to my publisher, they originally declined. However, I asked if they would give me an opportunity to get on the phone with them and discuss. They agreed and the rest is history. If I wasn’t persistent, I would have never received my publishing contract.
So you’ve sent your resumes to those jobs and you’ve heard nothing. Have you tried to send a follow-up email? And even if you didn’t get the job, shake it off and move on to the next potential job. If you’ve tried to save money for your new business but can’t, tell yourself that this week you are going to take at least $25 out of your check first to put aside in your savings account. Or better yet, track your spending habits and come up with ways that you can cut back.
You’ve been praying for that particular prayer and nothing yet? Well God himself tells us to keep on asking. So be persistent in your prayers with Him and trust Him to give you what you need to carry you through until He answers.
Being persistent means to stand firm in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. Maybe you have to change your strategy instead of simply giving up. Maybe you’ve been emailing schools to promote your after-school program, well how about picking up the phone and calling the schools? You’re not getting orders for your catering business but your only focus has been social media marketing, perhaps you should try becoming a food vendor at an upcoming festival to increase your brand’s visibility.
If you don’t embrace the power of persistence, someone else will. There’s a difference between being persistent and being overly aggressive to the point that it’s unattractive. Start getting creative and think of new ways you can accomplish your goals. If you’ve allowed discouragement or a few setbacks to stop you, I want you to get back up and be committed to your dream!
We live in a microwave society where we want everything to be handed to us or we want greatness overnight. You have to work at what it is that you desire and I believe that if we always got exactly what we wanted when we wanted then we would never grow. Or even worse, we might ruin an opportunity because talent catapulted us to a place where our character couldn’t sustain us.
Keep asking, keep believing and keep going!
And if you want some help in creating ideas to help you achieve your goals, I’m available to work 1-on-1 with you in a Strategic Goal-Setting Session or you can download last month’s teaching on Mastering Your Goal & Manifesting Your Vision here. If you have any questions about either, let me know!
Continue to shine brightly!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
You ever had a time in your life when it seems like if it’s not one thing it’s another? Or you have that one day or week where all hell seems to be breaking loose?
First your car breaks down, then you break the heel on your favorite shoe, your student loan auto-payments caused your bank account to overdraft, your phone gets cut off, you’ve got family drama going on, your co-worker just got the promotion that you’ve worked your butt off to get AND she decides to flaunt it in your face!
It’s in those moments where you can feel like God has forgotten about you; however, you need to realize that those “all hell is breaking loose” moments are normally an indicator that something big is coming.
It’s no coincidence that you have everything coming against you right before your answered prayer is manifested because there’s an enemy who wants you to take your focus off of what you’re hoping for and onto temporary circumstances which have been strategically placed to distract you. Not only are those circumstances there to distract you, but the intent of that adversary is to get you to lose hope.
Once you lose hope (which is an expectancy of a certain thing to happen), then you can be easily deterred from fulfilling the dreams of your life.
The most common indicator that something big is coming is when people close to you are coming up against you or your dreams. Oftentimes, those people will be the ones who are closest to you because only the opinion of those who you care about will have the most impact on you. It’s difficult to believe for God’s goodness when you have strife and discord in your life. Someone may be spreading rumors about you, someone may have lied on your name, a co-worker may have thrown you under the bus, someone may have hurt you, someone may have stolen from you, a loved one may have disappointed you; whatever it is, I want you to know that these are all attempts to get you off your game.
If you put your energy into fighting with someone, or trying to clear your name or trying to prove your point, then that’s energy that you’re wasting which should be focused on the pursuit of your goals. Don’t fall into the deception of trying to vindicate yourself, trust that God will do that for you. Don’t allow any person or circumstance to steal your hope or distract you from what you know is already yours and it on it’s way.
When Eve was deceived in the Garden of Eden, she was deceived by a serpent but it was not the serpent that deceived her. It was the voice behind the serpent, who really was the enemy. I know you’re probably like, “Really, Maria? Are you talking about the devil?”
Yes, I am! Too many of us think that he isn’t real or that he’s someone in red suit who comes out on Halloween. He’s very real, he hates you and his sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy all that you have. You have to know who your real opponent is. It’s not your circumstance, it’s not the person who’s coming against you, it’s him.
Once you know who your opponent is, then you can discern his ways. Once of his greatest tactics is distraction because it leads to deception and he is the father of all lies. He also loves to bring strife, disagreements, friction and discord between people. Stand firm in your faith and refuse to allow anyone to shift your focus. You’re strong, you’re powerful and you WILL receive all that has been promised to you.
Take back the authority over your life. If all hell is coming against you then be glad because I am certain that something BIG is coming! Don’t be distracted and don’t let anything take your eyes of off your prize. Don’t be so easily offended, quickly forgive those who try to offend you, let it go and get ready to receive all that you’ve hoped for!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
Exactly what is faith? Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen and it’s the evidence of things that aren’t seen. That’s why when you’re on your journey of manifesting a vision that has been placed on your heart, you cannot judge your future success by what you can see happening now.
Too often, we allow what we can physically see around us to stop us from exercising our faith. If you could see actually receiving that $1 million contract next week, then why would you need to have faith? Nowadays, we want it all and we want it all now but if you birth your vision prematurely you’re in danger of risking the growth and long-lasting success of that vision.
There’s a reason why it takes nine months for a human baby to be born because the baby has to be properly developed inside the mother’s womb. The process of manifesting your vision may take longer or shorter than nine months but it’s definitely a process that will always require you to stretch your faith past what you can see. When God plants a vision in your heart it’s vital for you to understand that He gave it to you and only you because only you can do what He has called you to do. God doesn’t do group calling. The vision may be so big that it scares you and you may be deceived to think that it’s impossible but that’s when God does His best work; He specializes in the impossible.
Every vision that God has called you to realize will require you to stretch your faith. You attract success by the person you become and if you’re someone who only focuses on what you can see, what you can afford on your own, what you can do in your own strength then you are limiting God’s power in your life.
God is such a gentleman and He will not force His way on you. He will not stop you if you want to figure it out on your own but He’s always there waiting for you to rely on Him. If you could manifest that vision in your own might, then what would you need God for? That’s the wonderful lesson that God wants to teach us individually because He loves to be trusted.
Living with your eye of faith means that you cannot be defeated when others don’t understand your vision. God gave you the vision, not them, so it’s important to understand that people will impose their own fears, hardened hearts and insecurities onto you. Living with your eye of faith means that even when things may not go the way you anticipated, you still trust God. Living with your eye of faith means that even when you have no idea how it’s going to get paid, you believe that all your needs are already met. Living with your eye of faith means that you are so secure in your journey that no matter how many “No’s” you hear, you know that your “Yes” is on its way.
It’s your season; there’s no time to shrink back any more, live with your eye of faith not what you can see!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose, Tools
What does hope really mean to you?
In my quiet time with God, I’ve been hearing the word “hope” over and over again. I didn’t pay it any attention because I thought I knew what hope was but then something told me to look up the definition of hope.
I learned this from pastor and spiritual leader, Joyce Meyer – sometimes we become so accustomed to a word that we downplay the meaning of that word. When we’re studying and on our path of emotional, mental and spiritual growth, we have to go back to square one sometimes and actually look up a word so we know the definition and how to apply that definition to our lives.
Hope means a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen or a feeling of trust. Oftentimes when we say “I hope so”, there can be some doubt or fear in our hearts but we weren’t created to fear. You were created in the image of God so if God created you in His image then where would fear, doubt or lack of hope fit into that equation? I have a hard time believing that God fears or doubts.
What are you hoping for? Is the hope that you profess to have one that is filled with a hesitancy to believe that it will actually happen? When you start a new week or a new day or a new job, project or business deal, what are you expecting to come out of it?
I’ve heard to expect nothing but I believe that when you expect nothing, you’ll get nothing in return. If a farmer planted his crops and expected nothing in return then what’s the point of preparing the field? Your hope is tied to your expectation and it’s time to get your hopes up!
I will continue to encourage you to change the way you think and how you look at your current circumstances. I don’t care how a situation in your life may look, I want you to know that God is in control and He wants you to get your hopes up for His best. In my heart, I truly believe that there’s an abundance of favor, opened doors, new opportunities, new relationships, new money and blessings right around the corner coming to you.
You’ve probably been working at your dreams for years or you’ve been hoping for that one prayer to be answered and I KNOW that it’s on its way. Start getting prepared for those open doors. Don’t wait until you can see it to start getting ready, make sure you’re ready now! If you got the call tomorrow, you should be ready to go the next day because if you leave opportunity waiting too long at the door then it may go knocking on the next person’s door.
If you’ve lost hope then I want you take it back! There’s such an attack on our minds with false imaginations of our future. You the power to take it back – take back the hope for your dreams, finishing your education, your new home, your restored relationship, your financial increase, your new job, or your thriving business.
Are you ready to receive what’s on its way? You can start by being grateful in advance. Thank God in advance for whatever it is that you’ve been hoping for. Start to think of ways you can make room for it. Maybe you need to clean out your closet by giving to others so that you can make room for the new in your life. Maybe you should call creditors to determine how much you owe so you can start your payment plan next month because you’re about to get that new job.
Girls, it’s time to get out of your rut and get your hopes up!! Hope is just as important as faith. Faith is assurance that you’ll receive it and hope expects it!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
Before I get into this week’s message, I wanted to share some INCREDIBLE news with you.
ESSENCE magazine has done ANOTHER feature on me! This time on ESSENCE.com as a feature in their ESSENCE Network section! Words really cannot express my gratitude for ESSENCE’s support of me on my journey. It’s moments like these where I sit back in awe of what God can do. This is just the beginning of what He’s ordained for me and you too; all you have to do is believe and receive it with thanksgiving.
I know that it can be difficult to have faith in a world where we can be deceived to only measure life by what we can see with the natural eye. But as you know, faith is the confidence that we hope for will actually happen and it gives us the evidence of things that are not seen, so in order to truly live by faith you are not to judge whether God is working by what you can see.
You may have been praying for the new job, the financial miracle, or the opened door and it still hasn’t happened. The true to key to prayer is not only believing that your prayers are answered but also to receive what you have prayed for. You don’t have to “get” God to do anything all you have to do is receive what He has for you.
When you shift your prayers, hopes, desires and dreams from a request to a finished work then all you have to do at that point is receive it.
So, how do you receive it?
You receive all the blessings and answered prayer in your life by living with a thankful spirit and expressing your gratitude for not only what God has already done in your life but also for His promises and your answered prayers that will soon manifest. Don’t wait until you can see it so you can have a thankful attitude, believe that you will receive and out of your believing and receiving mindset will come a grateful attitude.
God can do more in one day than you can do on your own in several lifetimes. We can be fooled to think that we have to pray for eight hours, do everything right and continuously do something to “get” God to answer, but that’s not living by the grace of God. You can’t do anything to earn His favor upon you, He gives it to you freely.
God asks us to believe when we make our requests known to Him, leave it there with Him and trust that He’s got you! Do you understand that you have the most powerful being living inside of you, walking with you, who is concerned about everything that concerns you? His love for you stretches further and deeper than our finite minds could ever fully understand. This isn’t the time to start thinking that you don’t deserve what He has for you because none of us do. We receive what He has by His grace.
I challenge you for the rest of this week to go from getting mode to receiving mode. Thank God for your prayers and hopes already being done. Put your whole trust in His love for you. Speak those words of thanksgiving out loud as often as you can. If things don’t work out your way, thank God that something better is on its way.
Open your hands and open your heart to receive what has already been ordained for you to have. It’s time to take it into your possession by faith!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
![Recap! The Take the Limits Off Your Legacy – Dialogue & Book Signing Event!]()
by desing | Events, Services
Thank you so much for your overwhelming response of my book, Take the Limits Off Your Legacy: A Woman’s Guide to Unlock Purpose and Vision! It’s my mission to empower women and girls to remove all the limits in achieving your dreams and realizing the destiny that you want and deserve – this is my personal assignment which I’m honored to be chosen for!
Take a sneak peak into my last book discussion event on Thurs. October 1st where I got up close and personal in an intimate discussion on purpose, dreams, faith and the power of your story. Inside my book, I am very candid about the trials I have had to overcome in order to pursue my dreams. My story is a mess turned into a message and discussed the power of our stories, womanhood, the journey of success, pursuing your purpose and overcoming challenges like fear, insecurities and low-self worth.
My book provides of framework to help you turn your own mess into a message, take back the power in your story and triumph in your trials in order to discover your God-given purpose and realize the vision that has been placed in your heart. During this up close and personal event, I talked directly to women and girls about my challenges and how I’ve overcome to empower you to embrace your life of victory and your limitless legacy! I know what it feels like to struggle with confidence and self-worth, to struggle with guilt from past mistakes, to struggle with fear in pursuing your passion because you may feel incapable. Take it from me, what you have been called for, you have been gifted for! And it’s time to step into your season of victory, I can’t wait to share more with you.
As an EXTRA PLUS, we enjoyed a special performance by poet/musician, Laroque! The fabulous celebrity news and pop-culture site, Cocoafab.com partnered with us for this event as well.
About Take the Limits Off Your Legacy: A Woman’s Guide to Unlock Purpose & Vision
Take the Limits Off Your Legacy: A Woman’s Guide to Unlock Purpose and Vision was created to evoke confidence in women and girls to embrace the power in their story and live a limitless legacy. It’s a journey of becoming who you have been called to be to honor what you have been called to do to so that you can fearlessly unlock the limitless opportunities of your life’s purpose and vision. Maria provides several keys to remove the limits off not only your mind but also the vision you have for your life and the power of God which will ultimately take the limits off of your legacy. Her narrative and framework provokes readers to strive for a lasting impact on the lives of others by boldly deciding to birth their dreams. Incorporating a sincere account of transformation, Maria uses her story of conquering several personal challenges as the foundation to provide a guide to inspire women and girls all over the world to confidently live out their dreams and embrace a limitless future. Maria shares effective tools to empower you to honor your story, conquer fears and self-doubt, discover your purpose, give birth to your vision, and live a limitless legacy to create an optimal life with confidence, poise and intention! Order your copy here
About Maria I. Melendez
As “the midwife to your legacy,” social entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author of Take the Limits Off Your Legacy, executive producer, and women’s leadership advocate– Maria I. Melendez has embraced her mission of empowering others to live a life that embraces a limitless legacy. After leaving her high-profile career in the music business to pursue her purpose of empowering others to live life in purpose, give birth to their dreams and define their legacy, Maria has proven that she is the essence of living a purpose and legacy driven life in order to inspire others to follow suit. Featured in the ESSENCE magazine, Latina,com, Heartandsoul.com, and recipient of several notable accolades, she is an influential leader whose faith, zealous drive, experience, framework, story and impact are key to the leadership development in women and girls around the world.
by desing | Faith & Purpose
As a woman, it’s natural to be more “in tune” with your feelings. We are wired differently from men because we can sense things that perhaps they can’t. Our feelings can help us discern “suspect” people or circumstances when we have no physically proof but all we know is that “something doesn’t feel right.” And oftentimes those suspicious feelings are valid.
But there are also times when we can allow our feelings and emotions to reign over our lives to the point that we surrender to them in a way that is detrimental to our growth in faith and maturity. There may be times where you will have a bad attitude with others at work because, “Today, you just are not in the mood.” Or there will be other times where you’re having faith for something big but because your feelings don’t agree with what you believe, you choose to follow your feelings and lose hope in whatever it is that you are having faith for.
Your feelings are triggered by your thought life because the quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life. If you allow yourself to meditate on thoughts of fear, jealousy, pride, anger, resentment or bitterness then your feelings will soon follow which will lead to the decisions that you make.
The greatest battlefield in life is not facing challenges that we can see, it’s the battlefield of the mind. And one of the greatest weapons that will be used against us receiving God’s promises and building a life that we desire is the falsehood that will try to manifest itself in our imaginations. Those imaginations are usually thoughts of things that will hurt you, fearful thoughts of your future, imagined threats of your future, or thoughts that contradict the very promises of hope, joy, prosperity and success that God has placed in your heart.
Once those imaginations start to penetrate your mind, feelings that amplify those thoughts will start to stir up trying to control your decision making. If you don’t have a clear mind then you can’t have a clear life. In order to receive the promises of your future, revelations and discernment then you must have a clear mind and that’s why there’s such an attack on your head and your emotions.
This is NOT the time to lose your head and fall subject to your feelings. This is NOT the time to allow your feelings to control you. It’s time to pull your feelings, insecurities and emotions out of what you know is yours, out of what you know you are destined to become, out of what you know God has revealed to you!
You can’t cry, fuss or kick and scream your way out of your assignment. It’s time for you to take a bold stand on what you know and check your feelings. It’s not the time to be weak and allow your feelings to control you; you have come too for that now. It’s time for you to command your feelings and stand in your strength which comes from God – you are NEVER alone and He’s given you the power to stand.
God didn’t promise that our feelings will line up with the facts. When God reveals something to you about your future or gives you a dream to realize in your heart, He didn’t say that your feelings would agree because it’s up to you to check that. God will do for you what you cannot do on your own but He won’t do for you what you can do on your own. It’s time to check your feelings.
Succumbing to every way that you “feel” is highly ineffective. We keep doing it and doing it, hoping to have some sort of different outcome but isn’t that the definition of insanity? It’s time to stop being loyal to our ineffective ways and marry effectiveness. If falling subject to your feelings and imaginations have not helped you then it’s time to try something different.
It’s time to stand on what you know, it’s time to grow up in your faith, it’s time to become who you have been called to be so that you can clearly honor what you have been called to do. This is not the time to lose your head, girl you have too much coming up to fall back now!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
If I told you that you have the power living inside of you to help you endure through and overcome any challenge in this life, would you believe me?
Oftentimes we go to God in prayer during those inevitable trials in life hoping that He will deliver us and give us the strength needed to persevere. Because He is all-loving and all-powerful, He will always either deliver us or give us the grace to walk through the storm victoriously, while strengthening our character along the way.
But there is one thing that He will not do.
God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself but He will not do what He requires you to do for yourself. You are responsible for exercising your faith and the spiritual disciplines that He has equipped you with in order to prosper in life.
According to Dictionary.com, exercise means something done or performed as a means of practice or training. Therefore, in order to exercise your faith then you must start practicing your faith.
When you begin exercising to lose weight then it is normal to have a plan in order to help you achieve your fitness goals. You may develop a workout routine and meal plan so that you can meet your mark. This is how you should look at your faith, what plan will you begin to put into place in order to become stronger in your faith?
All the power that you need to win in this life is already living inside of you which can be exercised by your five senses and here is how:
- Taste(which comes from your tongue): God tells us in His word that there is death and life in the power of your tongue ensuring that your words have power. Start to exercise your faith by speaking life, resurrection and victory over your circumstances. Use your words to only speak your victory or desired outcome, not what may hurt you. Also, choose to speak God’s word over your life; His word is an indispensable weapon.
- Hearing: Faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God. Make a decision to surround yourself with God’s word and take the time to get quiet with God and listen. God is faithful and you have the power to hear from Him directly but it happens when you get quiet, even if it’s just for five minutes a day to simply listen.
- Touch: Applying the sense of touch in exercising your faith is best used when you are listening to God. Your hands are an instrument and ask God to show you how to utilize what He has given you in order to succeed. When you do this, use your hands during that time alone with God to write down what you hear. Also, write down your vision, your hopes and pray over it to God. God tells us clearly to write the vision and make it plain.
- Sight: Use the sense of your sight to see, meditate on and envision your victory. Everything begins in thought form and you can choose to focus on your defeat or God’s power. Ask God to help you envision your success instead of what you fear because what we tend to focus on we empower to grow.
- Scent: After all is done, it’s time to smell your victory!
You are more than a conqueror, a strong warrior in the army of God! It’s time to exercise the authority and power He has given you.
