Heavenly Connection

Clarity, direction, productivity, whatever we lack wisdom in can be answered through prayer. Often we find ourselves drained trying to figure everything out on our own. It's time that we leverage our heavenly connect to save time, energy, and our sanity. :) Seek Christ. He's waiting.

"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." Jeremiah 33:3 

Let God Be God

The temptation to busy ourselves with things of this world is great. Usually, it's with the purest intentions. We're not trying to tell God how to be God, but we'll "help him out a little." You know, running ourselves ragged with work to push us to the next level career wise or in other aspects of life. When our lives become so busy that we're neglecting or shortening our time with God, it's time to reevaluate. Be still. Rest in Him. 

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

*sharing more on this tonight at 8 on the Periscope app! Download the app and follow me @CaseyCarea* 

Tried and True

"As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him." Psalm 18:30 

Do you ever find yourself doubting God? Of course you would probably never say that aloud, but the heart tells a different story. Fear, anxiety, worry, and the need to rush God are all signs that we don't trust the God's ways are perfect. God's word has been tried and true. As believers, we have a relationship to the same God who parted the Red Sea, delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale, and raised Jesus from the dead. Just because we don't understand God's timeline, doesn't mean that we should question it. Surrender whatever it is that's holding you back and causing unrest in your spirit. Happy Monday! 

Thrive where you're planted

"They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." Psalm 1:3

I read a quote this morning that said, "if you're not growing, you're dying." It almost sounds harsh until it's applied to a tangible example- like a plant. If it's not flourishing and being fed, it's withering. Unlike a plant, we have a choice of where we live and if we thrive or die. Are you planted on good ground (a healthy church)? Is your environment (circle of friends) fueling you with harmful of helpful nutrients. Are you in direct son-light (plugging into God as your power source)? If not, you're not growing. Today, think of some areas that you may be malnourished, submit them to God, and grow, grow, grow! Happy Tuesday! 

A Good Work

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 

Often times we get distracted by the earthly things that take our focus off of eternity. Our eyes should always be on Christ, not the amount of works that we can do. Everything was completed on the cross. We cannot "do" enough to "earn" God's love. Once we become saved by Grace, The Holy Spirit begins working and doesn't end until we meet The Father in Heaven. So let's rebuke busyness, distraction and distress and adopt a peace that surpasses understanding. Happy Wednesday!

"He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:8

Merely Stewards

"To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it." Deuteronomy 10:14

Since God owns everything, we are merely stewards of his possessions. When we are asked to give 10% of our income to build the kingdom, we should be honoring God in how we manage the remaining 90%(Proverbs 3:9-10). If we view our material things as blessings and gifts from our Heavenly Father, our perspective should change. Selfishness with our possessions should be replaced with grace and a giving heart. So guard your heart against the "me, myself, and I mentality". Everything you own is His. Happy Tuesday! :) 

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." Proverbs 11:24

For musical inspiration listen to Withholding nothing by William McDowell.

Friend Audit

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 

The voices of others can drown out the voice of God. The people we choose to spend our time with can either propel us forward to pull us back. Often, we think that we're strong enough to stay true to the Word of God but hanging out with those who do the opposite. Or maybe our "friends" aren't supportive and they sow seeds of doubt and confusion. Both scenarios are contrary to how we are called to live as believers. Do a friend/ associate audit. Are they building you up with the Word of God or crowding out that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit? Happy Tuesday! Listen to For Your Glory by Tasha Cobbs for inspiration :)

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Closer

"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?" Mark 8:36-37 

Sometimes what's hindering us from growing into a deeper relationship with Christ is lack of focus. Spending quality time with our Heavenly Father is not a priority for us. It comes after we give our best efforts to work, school, friends, and family. So by the time we get around to scripture, we only have energy to read a verse or two and then we start the process over. True heart transformation occurs from not only a willingness for the Holy Spirit to mold us, but also giving Him the time to do so. Challenge: This week, move around your schedule to spend at least 30 minutes a day in prayer, meditation, and Bible study. Happy Monday! 

For musical inspiration search "Closer" by Bethel :)

What's Holding You Back?

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

With the next few messages, we'll be looking at things in our lives that can drown out the voice of God and can hinder us from growing closer with Him. The media is a huge factor that could push us closer or further away, depending on what we feed our spirit. The music that we listen to, the shows and movies we watch, and even who we follow on social media should be considered. When we cloud our minds with things contrary to the Word of God all day, a 5 or 10 minute devotional will not be enough to combat the negativity. If what you watch and listen to is not edifying to the body of Christ, change it. If you want suggestions or recommendations, let me know! Happy Friday! 

Take Me Back

"But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7 

Happy Wednesday! There are countless verses in the Bible that tell us to how to maximize our relationship with God. But why are there still times that we don't want to pray, read our Bible or meet with a body of believers? Over the next few days, we'll look at a few things that may be crowding out the voice of God or hindering you from spending quality time with him. So if your fire for God has started to fizzle, pray that He will ignite that flame again. Just like Andrae Crouch said, "take me back to when I first believed."

Effective Prayer- Nehemiah 1

In studying Nehemiah 1, I learned the 5 elements of effective prayer. My Bible lists them as: praise, thanksgiving, repentance, specific request, and commitment (Nehemiah 1:5-11). The book of Nehemiah is centered around the rebuilding of the walls around the city of Jerusalem. Throughout that time we see how prayer is the starting point before any decision is made and before any action is taken. In the same way, we are to seek God continuously about everything. When we do that, we put our expectations, burdens, ideas, and feelings in His hands. 

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Declare It!

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Happy Tuesday! I often have conversations with people who are struggling in some area of life. Whether they're discontent with their job situation or not motivated to study the Bible and everything in between. I offer the exact same advice that has worked for me time and time again. We are to speak life and biblical truths over our situation. What does the Bible say? Declare it, pray it, share it. Your heart and mind will catch up. 

Seeds of Comparison

"But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor." Galatians 6:4

Have you ever gotten inspired to try something new only to research your interest away? Meaning, you started seeing what other people were doing and thought it's too hard, too complicated, or too much competition. Galatians tells us that we should only be concerned on comparing our work to ourselves. When the Holy Spirit places a dream inside of you, he will provide everything you need to accomplish it no matter what else is going on in the world. Don't allow seeds of comparison, fear, and discontentment  to grow in your heart. Happy Tuesday!

Your Hearts Desire

"May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!" Psalm 20:4

Being that my birthday weekend has come to a close, I've been able to reflect on God's goodness. He knows the desires of the hearts of his children. He will fulfill every one of them that's in line with his will and his timing. Which means, that we constantly should pray that our hearts look like his  and our lives are pleasing in his sight. I'm continuously blow away by God's faithfulness. He cares about every aspect of our lives. Have you thanked God today? Happy Monday! 

He cares

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." Isaiah 49:15 

Yesterday's message turned out to be so timely for me because I found myself overwhelmed at work as the emails continued to flood my inbox and my to do list grew longer and longer. As I started to stress at my desk, the Holy Spirit reminded me to heed the earlier message. I prayed that God would help me prioritize, be productive, and calm. He delivered. (Duh!) I got more done and was congratulated by my superiors about the great work that I was doing. God is so faithful. He cares about every aspect of your life, just surrender. Happy Thursday! 

Dear Worrier:

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

We are called to cast all of our cares on to God (1 Peter 5:7/ Psalm 55:22). We were not built to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders (Matthew 11:28), but to trust in our Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). He's a provider, comforter, peace giver, protector, healer and anything else that we need. When those feelings of anxiety about the future come, cast down those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) and meditate on His word, His promises, His truth. We can't add a single moment to our life by stressing or worrying! (Matthew 6:27) Happy Wednesday!

Not Today!

And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Nehemiah 6:3

Nehemiah had a call from the Lord to accomplish a task. When his enemies, Sanballat and Geshem heard, they set out to distract him by inviting him away from the task at hand. Nehemiah's response is one that we should strive to model. Who are the Sanballats and Geshems in your life? They're the ones that seek to take your focus off of your calling and want you to spend time on frivolous things. Let's adopt the spirit on "No" and vow to nurture our God- given dreams. Happy Tuesday! :) 

Pride before the fall

"For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Galatians 6:3

Many times a brave face can turn into a proud spirit. We get so comfortable doing things on our own, that even when there's a need, we can't accept help. For me, yesterday was a perfect storm for disaster. I left my phone in my car, got sick at work, the ambulance came, everyone was worried and I couldn't do a thing about it. As I rested at home, I was completely embarrassed about the entire situation and God checked my pride. What areas of your life are you proud? Repent and give them over to God, he wants your anxieties, your pride, your attitude, everything that's not of him. Happy Friday!

Dream Big, Step Small

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin..." Zechariah 4:10

Zechariah was referring to building a temple, which I'm sure was a huge task given that motorized forklifts and cranes hadn't been invented yet. This verse is a reminder to not get overwhelmed with all that needs to be done, but to be joyful through it all. Is there a dream that you want to fulfill? Maybe you want the perfect job that makes the perfect salary. Whatever the case, you have to start from somewhere. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Happy Wednesday! 

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3

Opposite Day

"An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge." Proverbs 18:15

Let's pretend that it's "Opposite Day." You know, the childhood game where you replace a word with the antithesis of it. The verse now reads something like this "the ignorant heart refuses to acquire knowledge, and the ear of the foolish hates seeking knowledge". We should continually be growing in our walk with God. That includes finding resources that clarify the scriptures, taking time to read and study, and making an effort to be a student for life. What knowledge are you currently seeking? Happy Monday!

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance" Proverbs 1:5