The glamour outside

While curating a recent script, I spoke with an acquaintance to gain a deeper perspective on the concept. He ended the conversation with a funny—but very true—story about how the glamour on the outside often appears more attractive to people than the beauty found in the details within.

As I studied the story of Lazarus, I found myself lingering on a particular verse. In a generation constantly seeking the next big thing that will blow our minds, it often seems that nothing is ever truly enough.

One of the constant seeds the enemy highlights in our hearts is dissatisfaction and discontentment.

On the positive side, this hunger can drive us to desire more of God and more of what He has spoken concerning our lives. However, the enemy often corrupts that same desire, turning it into a restless feeling where a person never believes what they have is enough.

Even when people hear the message of the gospel, they may crave something grander—an extraordinary display, a spectacular miracle, or even the resurrection of someone from the dead—to convince them to believe and be born again.

Yet Abraham’s response to the rich man should remain our watchword:

Luke 16:31 (GNB)

“If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from death.”

Nothing external can truly satisfy the deepest desires of the human heart—not glamour, not spectacle, and not grand displays.

Our hearts must be trained to remain fixed on the Cross. When our gaze is anchored there, our focus shifts to the agenda of heaven. We begin to see as Jesus sees, hear as He hears, and desire what He desires for us to become.

Stay Revived!

FILLED WITH NEW WINE.

A few days ago, my sister celebrated her birthday and received a bottle of wine as a gift. We joked about it and said it was like the first wine served at the wedding before Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana.

This conversation reminded me of another moment in Scripture—the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts of the Apostles 2:1–13. On that day, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the people around them assumed they were drunk with new wine.

Oh, they were, but not the kind of wine they thought, but the Holy Ghost.

It raises an important question: Has your devotion to God ever been misunderstood?
Have you ever felt like people think you are doing too much because of your passion for prayer, worship, or service to God?

If you have felt that way, you are not alone.

The disciples of Jesus experienced the same misunderstanding. When the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to speak in other tongues, the crowd mocked them and said they were drunk. What they interpreted as drunkenness was actually the Holy Ghost encounter.

The truth is that while we live among many people in this world, our encounters with God are personal. A genuine encounter with God is not something that can be fully understood by observers. It happens in the secret place—between you and Him.

If only those who mocked the disciples had known that the “highness” they sensed was not from wine but from the Holy Spirit.

To live triumphantly in this season, we must cultivate a hunger for communion with the Holy Spirit and be willing to manifest His gifts upon the earth. This is not the time to be ashamed of your devotion or to shrink back because of the opinions of others.

Scripture shows us that after the disciples encountered the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they were empowered to begin their apostolic mission—spreading the gospel across the world. The Holy Spirit strengthens, empowers, and gives boldness. Through Him, we can navigate the complexities of our time with wisdom and power.

So the real question is this: Have you neglected your prayer altar because of the voices of people?

People will always talk. If you act, they will talk. If you remain silent, they will still talk. It is the nature of humanity to talk.

But the instructions God gives you are not meant to be abandoned because of public opinion. Instead, they are invitations to go deeper in prayer and seek clarity from Him. When you return to God in prayer, the Holy Spirit guides you in fulfilling the assignment; He has placed in your hands.

So do not be discouraged if your devotion is misunderstood.

Sometimes what the world calls madness is simply a life that has encountered God. 

Stay Revived!

Pray It Out

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” — James 5:16

For prayer to be truly effective, it must be consistent. Prayer is not always about a single moment of asking; often it is about persistent engagement with God until what has been spoken  becomes visible in reality.

Think of it this way: when you want to break through a wall using a hammer, the first strike does not bring the wall down. The wall falls because of the consistent blows applied with force. Each strike weakens the structure until eventually the wall collapses.

Prayer works in a similar way. Each time you pray, you are applying spiritual force. You may not see immediate results, but every prayer you make is making an impact in the spirit.

Jesus said:

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” — Matthew 11:12

This scripture speaks of spiritual determination. To birth the miracles, answers, and breakthroughs you desire, you must approach prayer with persistence and spiritual intensity; violence. There are moments when the answer has already been released by God, but its manifestation is tied to our ability to remain steadfast in prayer through times and seasons. So what do you do then;

Do not grow weary.

Do not faint.

Do not stop halfway.

Keep insisting, praying and pressing.

Sometimes the difference between manifestation and delay is to say the prayer one more time.

So whatever you are trusting God for today—pray it out.

Stay Revived!

God’s Greatest Investment

It is very easy for us to want to do the next big thing. We begin searching for resources externally, and most times we forget to look inward for what we are already able to draw out.

Today, I took a walk into the book of Luke 9:13:

Luke 9:13 (GNB)

“But Jesus said to them, ‘You yourselves give them something to eat.’

 They answered, ‘All we have are five loaves and two fish. Do you want us to go and buy food for this whole crowd?’”

In that moment, I felt like the disciples. How could I possibly feed such a large crowd? I would run up and down looking for what I do not have, emphasizing my lack, while forgetting what I already possess.

Even when the Master says, “Give them something to eat,” my response would be, “But what do I have?” Yet when Jesus gives an instruction, it is because He has already seen the bigger picture.

Most of the time, our prayer should be:

“Lord, help me see from Your perspective. Help me see the way You see, hear the way You hear, and think the way You think.”

So that when there is a crowd to feed, I will look inward and believe that right inside of me is the miracle seed.

In moments when we feel we have nothing to give and we are looking to God for a “big bang” strategy, He is saying to us, “You, give them something to eat.”

Our first thought is often, “If I can just get this… If I can get that degree… If I can reach out to this person, then I will succeed.” But God is saying, “I have invested so much inside of you. If only you would look within.”

There is so much you can give to this generation. If you will acknowledge what you consider “little,” God is able to give you the strategy for building and expansion.

Sometimes we want the next instruction, but it does not come because we have failed to acknowledge what we already have.

Can you look within you?

Have you truly looked within?

Let this be our prayer:

“Lord, may I always see what I am able to give to a generation.”

Stay revived!