Get Your Own.....

I have been feasting lately on some of the best messages! I LOVE good preaching!! There is nothing that compares. This is not entertainment; when I listen to a message by a man of God, I am prepared to be challenged and changed! That's what it's all about!!

I have 2 children (of my flesh and blood) and I have prayed for them over the courses of their entire lives. I have prayed many, many prayers. And I don't foresee that ever ending as long as I am drawing breath into this body.

I have prayed about their hearts, about their minds. I have prayed for protection for them against the rulers of this world.

I have prayed about their futures, their callings....

I have prayed about my dreams for them, the dreams I see when I look at them.

I have asked God for many, many, many things during my many, many prayers.

And I know within my heart that He has His own dreams for them. So, I pray that I can see those dreams fulfilled.

Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

The mother of James and John sought the Lord for His favor on her sons. And He listened to her plea. After all, she had led them before the Lord in worship.

But, in this instance, it was not enough.

They weren't granted these places of honor because Mama asked. Jesus said, "You don't know what you are asking."

These "boys" were not allowed to ride in on the tail of Mama's coat. But, they did do many things for the Lord. They were loved of the Lord.

Because, at some point, they got from behind Mama and sought after His favor for themselves.

Let me tell you young people something: You can't sit back and expect doors to be open for you because your Mama prays.

You can't hang out on the pew, texting your buddies and expect to be used of God.

Daddy ain't gonna get you into the presence of God, he ain't going to get you an audience with the Almighty.

And just because you have a phenomenal Pastor, don't think you automatically slip to the front of the line.

If you want the favor of God in your life, you better get serious and get to it.

I was not raised under a pew. I didn't cut my teeth on the Gospel, didn't grow up with the songs of Zion ringing in my ears.

I was basically ignorant of the things of God when He found me. When I got on my face and wept bitter tears of repentance I wasn't doing it because it was all I knew.

I was doing it because I was desperate, and grabbing hold of Him with both my hands was all I KNEW to do!

I had not heard about gaining His favor for my life. I only knew I was broken and it was only at His feet that I was going to be repaired. I didn't accept Him as my "Personal Savior," I prayed He would clean me up and accept ME! (once again, I think that is the most arrogant of doctrines...to think that *I* could wake up one day and decide to *accept the Lord* and because of that Acceptance on MY part I am forever saved....SO--->What would be the point of the rest of the gospel? Why would Paul die DAILY if it was a one time thing....but, I digress)

There was a certain man in the Old Testament, one that I have gleaned much from over the years, a man named Jacob.

I am pretty sure you know the story from Genesis 32:24-29 how Jacob wrestled with a man all night. When Jacob would not relent his thigh was touched causing his walk to change. Yet, he would not let go.

Verse 26 says: And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh, And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

I won't give up until I have Your blessing. And even if it causes the way I walk in this world to be forever changed, I will not stop until I have prevailed.

It wasn't Mama on the ground, wrestling for favor for her son. It wasn't Daddy rolling around in the dirt.

There comes a day and time in your lives when it's time to stop riding on the coattails of others and get down in the dirt and wrestle until God gives you a blessing.

There comes a time when YOU have to make this real for yourself, when you realize that you can't rely on the walk of others to get you where you need to go.

One day you have to get down and dirty with God, when YOU get down on the mat, and you have to hold on until you get that favor, that UNMERITED favor, because even a wrestling match doesn't win that favor, *accepting* Him doesn't win that favor. THAT unmerited favor is **GRACE** and it is undeserved.

But when He sees YOU are serious. When He sees you leave your phone in the car at church and put everything you have into worship, when He sees you in pre-service prayer, when He sees you are SERIOUS....

He will change your Walk, your Talk, your Dreams and your Desires.

If you want the favor of God in your life there is only one way to get it.....

On Your OWN!!!!