I Cannot Pray...

"Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Luke 11:1 (NIV)

     I haven't posted for awhile...but I only post when I feel that I have something to contribute that will inspire, uplift, and challenge those who read my blog. To those who have been following me, I hope that you will continue to be blessed by my thoughts that I share. Most of us are familiar with The Lord's Prayer, and there are many great teachings and messages on this part of the Bible.

      I found a devotional in a Christian magazine that shed some light on what we often overlook when we read or pray from Matthew 6:9-13 which is known as the Lord's Prayer, or Our Father. I believe that the message is contained within the message, and will speak accordingly to the need of each person who reads:

I cannot say OUR if my religion has no room for others and their needs.

I cannot say FATHER is I do not demonstrate this relationship in my daily life.

I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if my interests and pursuits are in earthly things.

I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME if I who am called by His Name am not holy.

I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME if I am unwilling to give up my own sovereignty and accept the righteous reign of God.

I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life.

I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN unless I am truly ready to give myself to His service here and now.

I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD without expending honest effort for it or by ignoring the genuine needs of my fellow man.

I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US

If I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone.

I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.

I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if I am not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer

I cannot say THINE IS THE KINGDOM if I do not give the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.

I cannot say THINE IS THE POWER if I fear what my neighbors and friends may say or do.

I cannot say THINE IS THE GLORY if I am seeking my own glory first.

I cannot say FOREVER if I am too serious about each day’s affairs.

I cannot say AMEN unless I honestly say, “Cost what it may, this is my prayer.”

-Author Unknown

If anyone knows of the original author and/or source of this devotional, please comment so that proper credit can be given.

Stand for Something!

Therefore, pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible to still stand.
~ Eph. 6:13 (CEB)

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".  How many times did we hear that statement, growing up? We first had to learn what we believed was right, and then stick by it when we faced the pull of gravity from peer pressure, cultural mores, personal dilemmas and even religious standards. Sometimes, we were able to resist, sometimes we gave in. So, how do we now stand?

Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands.~ Proverbs 7:1 (NLT)

We are living in a time when values are being tested on a daily basis, many times having to choose between standing up for our beliefs, and holding onto something that we have worked hard to achieve. We often say: "I'll never do that..." but reality always checks us when whenever we are faced with a situation that requires us to either speak up or speak out from our heart with no one to support us, even if they are standing by, witnessing the attack that has been waged against us. It is then that we learn not only what we really believe, but who our real comrades in the faith are.

...Jesus asked them, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?  Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”  Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away.

~ Mark 14: 48-50 (NLT)

When you stand up for what you believe is right, you may not get what you want. In fact, you may lose everything, and be left standing alone. It's why wars have been fought, lives have been lost, nations have been formed and destroyed, and laws have been changed or abolished. Standing up for your beliefs takes courage, because the outcome may be uncertain. But whatever the cost, it's worth having principles strong enough to stand on.  So...Stand!

"Presence..."

     I recently attended a stage production for a Christian theatre company. All of the presentations were unique and fun to watch, but there were a couple of dancers in the company who had every one's attention, not because of their skill alone, but because of their ability to engage the audience in what they were doing onstage, better known as stage presence. Somehow in the sacred arts community, stage presence is something that is frequently overlooked, or even seen as being prideful. But...the truth is, without it, no one will pay attention to what you have to offer, no matter how anointed or it may be, how much time you put into your presentation, or how beautiful your garments are.

     Stage presence is the ability to command an audience with an impressive style or manner. It has very little to do with skill or knowledge, and everything to do with how you feel about yourself and what you are doing. It's not about trying to impress or entertain, but is about presenting the message that you have with confidence, believing that what God has given you to say through your ministry is good enough to offer.

     How many times have your heard someone say any of these things before they sing, speak, dance or read in front of an audience:

• "Please pray for me as I attempt to sing this song"
• "I'm really not prepared...so pray my strength"
• "I'm really nervous"
• "I didn't know I was going to be called on so I don't know how this will go"

...And the list goes on. Sometimes people make these statements because they don't want to appear prideful, but in reality there is either a false humility that is behind what they are saying, or they may actually be unprepared. BUT---in either case it's never appropriate to say anything that will cause people to not want to hear or see what you are doing before you even get started. If your song or dance is so bad, why are you doing it? When you say these things, you are giving people permission to walk out on your performance/ministry because it's not worth their time.  And what about dancers who have absolutely no facial expression at all when they dance? There is an erroneous teaching going around the dance ministry community stating that you should never smile when you dance unless you are in the spirit, but we could take that a step further and say, that since ministry starts long before you step in front of a group. If you are prepared to minister, you will have a full emotional range that will show on your face. Jocelyn Richard, Director and Owner of Visual Praise Dance Studio in Augusta, GA, says this about facial expressions in dance ministry:

"When you dance, your face must say the same thing as your movement and music. Your face should express the glory of God. It is important that the face reflect what the choreography is saying. God’s presence should be shown on your face. Facial expressions can show reverence for God and adoration inviting others to join in worshiping and praising the King of Kings." *

     Sometimes dancers lack expression because of self-consciousness, shyness, insecurity or stage fright. There are many ways to solve this, such as relaxing, practicing facial expressions in the mirror, feeling comfortable enough with the dance or drama to enjoy doing it as if no one is watching, and just be a worshiper! In theatre, it's always taught that the way to overcome nervousness on stage is to focus on the task at hand and not the action of doing the task, becoming so at-one with the character that all people see is the character. We can turn this around and say: Become so Christ-focused that you are so completely absorbed in Him that His glory radiates from your face! When you focus on Christ, there is no room for nervousness, insecurity, or excuses. You have a message to deliver to someone who needs it, and it needs to be clear.

     Other tips for powerful stage presence include:

• Commanding your space in the room, entering and exiting with confidence
• Project your performance beyond the room that you are in. Make your presentation mentally extend past the four walls of the building. Don't just "sell it to the front row".
• Practice "over the top", in other words, practice your dance/drama to the fullest, even to the extreme. When you get in front of a group, it will be exactly where it needs to be because performances always lose a small amount of drive when they get onstage.
• Keep your eyes up, focus on a spot just above the heads of the people. It will look like you are looking straight ahead. People will look where you are looking and if you look down, they will, too.
• Be aware of habits like lip-folding or fidgeting while you are waiting for the music to start. Relax...inhale through your nose and out through your mouth. Don't withdraw! You have something to offer.

     Find time to invest in dance or acting classes to work on these areas. If God has called you to present His Word through dance or drama, then it's worth investing in your ministry to present the best that you can offer at your highest level of excellence. He gave His Best for us, shouldn't we do the same for Him?

     Enjoy this video by Jocelyn Richard:



* The Praise Dance Life by Jocelyn Richard - http://www.thepraisedancelife.com/2009/07/exodus-3429-30---------29and-it-came-to-pass-when-moses-came-down-from--mount-sinai-with-the-two-tables-of-t.html

Moving Forward...

"...I'm not going back, I'm moving ahead..."

--Ricardo Sanchez

     "20X" is coming to an end. It's been a year of High Dimensional Communications for many of us, and hopefully we have been successful in communicating a clear message to others. Even if we haven't always been as successful as we would have liked, we can learn from our mistakes and improve on our shortcomings.

It’s not that I’ve already reached the goal or have already completed the course. But I run to win that which Jesus Christ has already won for me. Brothers and sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 (GWT)

     Have you started thinking about some of the things you want to accomplish in the next year? It's not too early to start planning and strategizing. Too often, we do a lot of talking about what we would like to see happen, but never seem to be able to move past the initial idea. It's not about making resolutions, but setting realistic goals for ourselves that are doable and measurable. This time, let's make a sincere effort to put some of those plans into action through Prayer, Fasting, Strategic Networking and Forward Motion. What happened to that book, blog, play, choreography, ensemble, workshop, class, business plan or outreach ministry that got shelved? Let's write the vision, and make it plain so we can run with it when God says: "Move". We have so much to do, and not necessarily a lot of time left to accomplish it. No more procrastinating...'cause in 2011, it's "on and crackin'!"

Then the Lord answered me,

“Write the vision.

Make it clear on tablets

so that anyone can read it quickly".

Hab. 2:2 (GWT)

    Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my blog this year, and especially for you 18 faithful followers. I hope that something that I've written has challenged and encouraged you in whatever you do for God in your season. See you next year!


     Please enjoy this video of Moving Forward from last summer's Purify Conference in New York. It was a blessing to be at that praise party!