Be Intentional...

TGIF, Framily!!!!  Thank God I made it to Friday and accomplished my goal of posting every day this week!  So I want to end the week talking about being intentionally focused.  (I know wrote about focus a few weeks ago; you can refresh your memory here, but I want to talk about it from another perspective).  

There is a song out now called "Intentional" by Travis Greene.  It is a song that plays over and over in my head throughout the day.  It speaks of God being intentional about things that are happening in your life and that there's no need to worry.  Have a listen:

Nice song, right? But guess what?  As much as God is intentional about His plans for us, He expects us to be intentional as well in the things we are to do.  Especially when we beg and pray for him to enlarge our territory like the Prayer of Jabez... To illustrate this point, I turn to the March 20th sermon of Bishop TD Jakes - "Coming into Focus" (text from Luke 9:49-55). This one is for those of you who, like me, have big dreams!  (*below is the summary of my notes taken as I listened to the sermon,outline style*)  

• Can’t have a new blessing with an old order,  you have to refocus or you will have chaos
• Restructure, reorganize and order is the answer to anxiety
• It doesn’t mean that you can’t do it or can’t have it, just not with the old order
• Are you organized for what you prayed for?
• Need to refocus for where you’re going, not for where you’ve been
• Chaos= out of order for the weight load you are carrying
• Had to follow someone without focus
• Money without focus will have you in poverty!
• Sometimes you have to leave good things behind because they don’t fit where you are going
• Focus= discipline
• Almost as bad as no focus is wrong focus     
• Wrong focus is committing to the wrong thing; right efforts in the wrong matters
• Anytime something moves, you have to refocus
• Focus is important
• What is your center/priority?
• Focus on the center then deal with the parameters
• What have you set your face on?
• You have the power to bring your life back into focus
• Where God is taking you, you have to get your life into focus
• If it hasn’t happened by now
• If you’re going to win any kind of fight, need to focus
• In this season, I need to focus (not enough time or money to do everything)
• In the text, Jesus seemed aloof because he wouldn’t go to Samaria (and get out of focus) 
• The disciples came and told him that someone was casting out demons in His name and he was not one of the disciples and Jesus was unconcerned.
• See also Philippians 1:19: Paul said as long as they are preaching Christ, I rejoice whether sincere or not
• Is your lens too wide?
• If your lens is too wide, you are out of focus
• Focus is too important to be compromised
• Do you not know how strong you are when you are focused???
• Gotta get (my) YOUR focus!
• Have to choose what you let hurt you and what keeps you up at night
• No one is strong when doing too many things at one time
• The greatest resistance comes near the greatest opportunity; fight with greatest focus
• Don’t let ego drive you out of focus
• You are like FIRE when you are focused!
• If you can focus with a little, you can be blessed with more
• Show God you’re an investment
• That’s what tithing is all about
• When focus on God first, all other things can be given to you
• Can be focused in one area and out of focus in another
• Sometimes the whole front end of your life can be jacked up but God will break the order and save the best for last
• People are drawn to your season of miracles, but will they love you out of season?
• Move from season of miracles to season of message
• The real test of commitment is to go through the seasons
• Every stage requires a bit more from you (also stages of Christian walk)
• Miracle Stage – Message Stage- Movement Stage (consecration enough to have moments with God) – Mission Stage (after movement stage, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem)
• The real test is your commitment to loving God when you don’t like what He’s done
• Can you love me when you don’t like me?
• In order to be on a mission, you have to set your face
• Requires discipline
• Where is your mission?
• It will take you to the cross, sacrifice, self-denial, something is more important than you
• Whatever that is, it is your mission
• To be focused is intentional & have priorities 
• God is intentional, no matter what it looks like
• Time to get in focus and stop worrying about parameters and distractions
• One way we show focus is through tithing (give what’s right, not what’s left)
• What will you do with more focus?

I've said it before and I'll say it again:  Bishop Jakes is an awesome teacher!  Now, his style isn't for everyone, but for me, who is a student at heart, I love learning new things, especially a new life application to scripture.  But I urge you to give it a shot; here is the sermon in its entirety: 

What am I saying with all this talk about being intentional?  Let me show you!  

A little more than a year ago, a friend of mine who was gearing up to study for the CPA Exam (4 parts) asked for prayers from her friend circle.  We began praying for her, over the course of the year, some of the exams had a positive result and others not so much.  Her family experienced some health challenges with one of her children, resulting in a huge and devastating setback on this quest.  She took some time to regroup and focus and meanwhile, I began to pray even harder and with even more specificity.  Intentional and focused prayer, while she engaged in intentional and focused study.  Today (May 5th), I got the call that I had been waiting for:  all parts of the exam were complete and passed!  Amen!!! I am STILL high off that happy news today about my answered prayers!  You know why?  Because as long as my friends are getting blessed and my prayers on their behalf are being answered, it means that God is still in the blessing business and mine is coming too!

In my own world, I am in the midst of embarking on some new ventures, which I will share details about later.  But I do ask for your prayers that God directs my path as I intentionally train my focus on them.  This sermon has been the kick I need stay focused and intentional about the things I need to do to make some of these dreams of mine a reality.  I'm so excited about it all, I could burst!  But I must stay focused... I have big dreams, y'all!  And so should you.  

I can't remember exactly where I've heard this before, but it's something to the effect of: God may plant the seed and direct your path, but you still have to do your part.  As my old pastor, Pastor James Brooks, preached back in 2010 when I first visited his church, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  Meaning that He is before you and behind you as you walk the various paths of your life and destiny.  He is the author and finisher of your fate.  But you have to walk the road.  In the words of Ted and Sheri, "He starts it, and He finishes it, but you've got to work the middle."  I was trying to find a link to the whole song, but I'm only able to get a snippet (sorry!) here, track 10.  I hope you can get the message though - you have to do your part.  God gives you the dream but you have to do your part to make it a reality.  Well how do I do that?  By being intentionally focused...  Remember, "I can do ALL things through Christ, which strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13.

So who is going to be intentionally focused with me in this season?  Holla @ Darvi and let me know that you're standing with me (put me on your prayer list and when I share my testimony you can add it to your answered prayer list!).  Be blessed and have a wonderful weekend!  xoxoxo