Are You Listening to God?
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).
It is important that we listen to what God is saying to us. The above scripture mentions that as children of God, we hear His voice. He knows us and we follow Him and He grants us eternal life. I want to ask you that when you hear his voice, are you actually listening?
There is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is the act of perceiving sound by the ear. Listening is a conscious act, requiring concentration and processing the meaning of what is being said in order to produce a response. The response is obedience.
Are you obeying what God is saying to you? There are many times when God is speaking to us and while we hear Him, we fail to listen – comprehend or take action due to the clutter in our minds, the noise in the background (negative influences, background, fear, doubt and uncertainty). Do you know if/when God is speaking to you?
There may be times when God will direct us to do something and to act right now. There are other times when He may direct us to wait. Regardless of which directive God is giving, are you positioning yourself to listen and to obey?
Let’s Get in the G.A.P.
Goals
- List the ways that you know God is speaking to you.
- List the obstacles that are keeping you from listening to God.
- List the obstacles or challenges that prevent you from obeying God
Affirmation
“I am a child of the most High God. I will prepare my heart and mind to listen to His voice. I will remove the clutter in my mind, my environment and position myself to obey His word. I know that God knows what’s best for me and I am ready to do and to be all that He has purposed for me. I choose to not only hear your voice but to listen and to obey your commands. I choose to LISTEN!”
Prayer
“Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for speaking to me in your quiet, yet, powerful voice. I am grateful that you have chosen me to bring forth purpose. I thank you for loving me so much that you deem me worthy to carry out your plan. Father God, I open my heart and mind to receive your word, to permeate my spirit and to obey accordingly. Father God, I ask you to remove all distractions that will keep me from knowing that it is You that is speaking to me. I ask this in your precious Son, Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
You Are the Light!
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day” (Genesis 1:1).
You cannot learn who you are or why you exist, until you know and truly understand who God is, I mean who He really is – God of the universe, God of love, God of purpose. God did not need to create the universe. He made a choice to create the universe because He loves you. God is love and you are a reflection of His love. When He said, “let there be light,” He opened up the heavens and illuminated His love creating an environment and creating you to fulfill the purpose and plan He has for you.
God’s creation of the universe and His creation of you; should impart the following:
Originality – He is the source from which you have been formed, when He created you, He broke the mold, there is no one like Him, there is no one like you. You were created in His image and likeness.
Distinction – He is in a realm all by himself. He may be imitated, but He can never be duplicated. As with you, you have to remember you are in a class all by yourself. You are set apart, a chosen generation. He separated you from darkness, protected you from the evil spirits of the world because He loves you.
Value – He is worthy and you are worthy. Recognize that you matter. You were born on purpose, with purpose, for purpose.
Prominence – He stands out above all the rest. He is the light in the midst of darkness. You stand out because He has created you to be the light in the midst of darkness. Come out of the dark places, NO MORE negativity, guilt, shame and condemnation. You are the light!
In the G.A.P.
Goals
- In your own words, what does it mean to be the light?
- In what ways are you the light?
- In what ways or areas in your life, do you need to remove negativity, fear, guilt, shame or condemnation, keeping you from being the light?
Affirmation
Decree and Declare that “I am the light and I will shine my light for the world to see, as my God has done for me! I will let go of the negativity, fear, guilt, shame, condemnation, for they no longer bound me. I am loosed from darkness, because I am the light and my God loves me! I AM the LIGHT!”
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for creating me to be the light. As day fills the earth, continue to fill me with your Holy light. May my life mirror my love for you. May I seek to fulfill purpose according to your will. Allow my light to shine upon those in dark places. Use me Lord to ignite the hearts and minds of those lost without you! I ask this in your precious Son, Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Coach Jaime
Your PURPOSE to PROSPER!
Are You Down & O.P.P.? 5 Ways to Pursue your Purpose
Are you down and Out of Pursuit of your Purpose? You are NOT alone! There are many just like you! More than likely, you think you are already walking in your purpose. Maybe? Are you doing what you love to do? Are you helping others while doing what you do? Is God getting all the glory? Probably not….
You may be thinking that your purpose is attached to what you love to do. Not really. Because I love to sing, cook, shop, decorate, but none of these things are my purpose. Most of these things I do while alone, and/or for myself. I also, love to teach, write, talk, help others ….NOW we are talking! All of these attributes led me right into my purpose and I didn’t even know it, in fact I was running from them all, BUT GOD!
One thing I want to tell you right off the bat, is YOUR PURPOSE IS NOT ABOUT YOU! It’s not. Your purpose is about God’s plan for you. The only part you play is discovering what IT is, living it out and prospering in it. You may say, well, it IS about me….NO IT IS NOT! See, God has put purpose on the inside of you, that is a done deal. Your pursuit of purpose begins when you acknowledge that it is on the inside of you, you just need to birth what’s on the inside. This means you have to KNOW what it is…
It took years to discover my purpose. I want to share with you 5 things that helped me in my pursuit of purpose…
1. Step out of your comfort zone. This was difficult at first. But I was willing to try new things that I had always dreamed of doing, but at one point never thought I would. You have to be willing to “get out of the boat” and transform your norm. If it doesn’t work, at least you tried. But if it does, you are one step closer.
2. Wait for God’s timing. Now, there may be many things you want to do, but as they say, “timing is everything.” God will not show you or release you to do everything at once. Why? Because you may run scared. God is a very strategic God and everything has it’s divine order. He knows what is best for you and He will show you when He thinks you are ready! When He says MOVE you move, when He says stay, you stay and keep praying because waiting is so hard to do (believe me I know)…:-)
3. Everything that is good is not from God. You have to use wisdom and discernment when embarking on your journey to find your purpose. It is not to be taken lightly, so don’t. You will only frustrate yourself when you take on things that have nothing to do with what God is trying to do in you and through you. Learn how to say NO to people, situations and things that are not productive in your life. God will only bring to you people and present situations that will add value to your life!
4. TURN OFF the noise. Do not allow outside influences dictate to you what you should be doing. This is just as bad as allowing them to talk you out of something. Just because they think you should, doesn’t mean you should. Or just because it worked for them, doesn’t mean it will work for you. Their pursuit of purpose is between them and God, just as yours is between you and God.
5. STAND. Decide that no matter what, you will NEVER give up or give in. Be relentless and resilient in discovering your purpose because it’s on the inside of you. Surrender your will to God’s will. I did and as they say the rest is HERstory! You are a part of that! As you pursue your purpose, you may encounter some detours along the way. That is okay. As long as you allow God to be your compass, He will steer you on the path called PURPOSE that leads to your Divine Destiny! Just know that YOUR PURPOSE, whatever it is shall and will PROSPER!
Coach Jaime,
Igniting Vision, Unleashing Purpose, Birthing what’s on the inside of you!
40 Day Purpose to Prosper Spiritual Fast Begins March 1st!
Women from all over the country are embarking on a journey to not only discover their purpose, but to prosper in their purpose! I truly believe this will change the lives of those who participate and those that will witness the transformation of these women who committed to prosper in their purpose!
Won’t you join us?
Beginning on March 1, 2013, we are embarking on a spiritual journey to prosper in our purpose. The 40 Day PURPOSE TO PROSPER SPIRITUAL FAST is NOT a challenge, competition, or contest, it is a FAST.
What is the Objective of this 40 Day PURPOSE to PROSPER SPIRITUAL FAST?
The purpose is to remove ourselves from the negative influences of this world and to place our focus on God, our relationship with Him, His will and the purpose and plan He has for our lives.
RESULT of the FAST
At the end of this 40 Day PURPOSE TO PROSPER FAST, you should have a clearer understanding as to the purpose and plan that God has for you and be ready to BIRTH WHAT’S ON THE INSIDE OF YOU!
Register TODAY and embark on a journey of YOUR LIFE! YOUR PURPOSE PROSPERS!!!
5 Signs You Don’t Know Your Purpose
Knowledge IS power! How many times have you heard that? It is the God-given truth! Don’t believe me? God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6) Don’t believe the hype…what you don’t know can and will hurt you! Know it, Live it, Breathe it and BE it!
I want to share with you 5 signs that you DON’T know your purpose:
1. Your vision is not clearly defined. Your purpose begins with a vision that God has given you. A vision is a dream that has yet to manifest. You can see something, but you are not clear as to what it is. You need a vision check. Do you understand what God is really showing you? If not, ASK! God wants you to ask Him questions, and especially relative to your purpose. Yes, we know our purpose is to serve God, but in what capacity? We have to seek Him first, to find the answer. When you do, He will reveal, but will you be ready to receive?
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
2. You are easily distracted. When your vision is not clear, you become easily distracted, detoured and discouraged. You may find yourself following others in hopes that their vision becomes your own. IT WON’T WORK! God gave you the vision and placed your purpose on the inside of you, for you. You need to get FOCUSED! This may require you getting off of Facebook, stop watching television and getting in God’s Word. We all become distracted, we all take detours, and get discouraged every now and again, but the key is getting back on track. If you know you are easily influences, then you will have to not lead yourself into temptation.
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).
3. You’re not producing fruit. You are busy being busy, yet, you are not really productive. This is HUGE for women! You are doing so many things, but they have no core. Remember, everything that you love, does not mean it is your purpose. You will know its your purpose, when you see the fruits of your labor. God will reward those who diligent seek Him, which means seeking the purpose for your life. You have to do works that will produce good fruit. How else are you going to prosper? How else will God get the glory?
“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:10)
4. You’re asking the WRONG people to validate what you are doing OR if you should do it. STOP asking people who cannot help you to do what you need to do. Sure, they will listen and then you will be there next Facebook post. Ask people who can and desire to help you!
“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established” (Proverbs 15:22).
5. This post was very attractive to you. You are reading this post because it resonates with you. A clear sign that you don’t know your purpose. As they say, we attract what we are, and you are without knowing your purpose. The bad news is that you are NOT alone. The good news, there is still hope for you! Knowing is half the battle. There is something on the inside of you that seeks to know. Don’t only seek to know, seek to understand so that you can do something about it!
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).
Believe me, there are many signs, but these are ones that I have personally dealt with. I am sharing so that YOU can know and prosper in your purpose! Knowing is only half the battle!
Coach Jaime,
Igniting Vision, Unleashing Purpose…Birthing what’s on the Inside of YOU!
7 Ways to Prosper in Your Purpose from the Superbowl
Like many of of you, I watched the Superbowl on Sunday night. It was amazing to see and hear all of the hoopla surrounding the commercials, half-time show and the lights going out….Say what you will about the losing team, say what you want about Beyonce’s half-time performance, and say what you want about the commercials, they all PROSPERED in their PURPOSE! They were all victorious with the purpose given for that time and you can be victorious too! I want to share with you what I learned from the Superbowl that can help you to prosper in your purpose!
1. Preparation: They ALL came prepared to WIN!
2. Readiness: They ALL were READY and in position to do what they were called to do
3. Offense: They ALL played great offense
4. Showing Up: up despite the naysayers
5. Peak Performance: They ALL gave it their best to their fullest potential and at the RIGHT time
6. Embracing Challenges: They ALL embraced the challenge and adjusted accordingly
7. Reaping the Rewards: They ALL were winners!
Preparation is critical when it comes to prospering in your purpose! As they say, if you don’t plan, you plan to fail. While the 49er’s didn’t win the game, they were very well prepared. Sure they made some mistakes which may have cost them the game, but they were prepared to win! The teams had their playbook, Beyonce had her all female band and sound effects, the advertisers met with their account executives long before the game to determine the prime spots for their ads. Sometimes, winning isn’t everything, and you certainly cannot control the outcome, you just have to prepare for the BEST.
Readiness is equally important in prospering in your purpose. There will be times when you may not feel like it, but you have to understand your purpose is NOT about you. You have other team members and others who are waiting for what is on the inside of you and you have to get into position or it may cause someone else to miss their blessing.
Offense is a key strategy in prospering in your purpose. The team had the ball and scored at every opportunity. Of course, they missed some grand opportunities, but again, they were on the field and executed every play. They couldn’t predict that the defense was going to stop them, and neither can you. You have to execute EVERY play, you cannot worry about the defense, just play your best offense.
Showing up is oh so important. Each team showed up to give it their all. You can’t prosper, if you don’t show up, you have to be there and to make your presence known. Let’s use Beyonce’s half-time performance for example. Despite the negative comments relative to the lip syncing, she made her presence known! She showed you, better than she ever could have told you! Her performance was amazing! It would have been easy for her to allow the criticism to get the best of her, not show up, but she showed up and showed! STOP hiding behind criticism, the computer and your comfort zone…SHOW UP!!!
Peak – Performance is what it takes to woo the crowd! A peak performance is about doing the right thing and at the right time. Beyonce, the Ravens, the 49er’s, and the advertisers, where right on the money (literally). Beyonce performed her little heart out, as well as both teams. The advertisers saved their best commercials for the most watch television program on this day. You have to know what to do at just the right time to prosper. Timing is everything when performing. One wrong move, Beyonce could have hit the floor. One wrong note, she could have thrown the entire song off key. One bad commercial at the wrong time, could have cost the advertisers thousands of dollars. One bad jerk, and a player could have ended their career. Again, know when it is your time to shine…there is a season for everything!
Embracing challenges is important and a MUST to overcome adversity. If you are going to prosper and win in life, business, and ministry, you have to learn to “bounceback.” Beyonce did this VERY well! Again, she faced the “giants” head on!
Reaping the rewards is the ultimate blessing for prospering your purpose. The Ravens reaped the Lombardi trophy, Beyonce reaped a standing ovation and even a hug back stage from her hubby. The advertisers reaped by millions of viewers watching their commercials and the greatest potential of viewers buying their products.
If you are going to PROSPER in your PURPOSE, you have to know what it takes….this is just half the battle, the other part is execution and staying in the game, despite the challenges, obstacles, and naysayers. They will always be there, but you have “IT” on the inside of you!
Coach Jaime,
Igniting Vision, Unleashing Purpose…Birthing what’s on the Inside of YOU!
10 Reasons Why YOU are NOT Prospering in your Purpose!
You should know that discovering your purpose is pretty important. Hundreds and thousands of books have been written, coaches have been coaching about it (including myself), and speakers are hosting seminars, workshops all promoting purpose. So, YES, it is pretty important.
I don’t want to focus on discovering your purpose, I want to focus on what you should be doing with it and that is you should be prospering in your purpose! Before I share my “Top 10 Reasons” why you don’t, I want to break down what it means to prosper. The world’s definition (Webster-Miriam dictionary) defines prosper as “to succeed in an enterprise or activity; achieve economic success, or to become strong and flourishing.” Many of you know that I am a Woman of God, so, YES, I AM going there. The KJV dictionary defines prosper as “ to be successful; to succeed; to grow or increase; to thrive; to make gain.” I think you get the picture. The key to prospering is to know, grow, and sow! So, why aren’t you? Allow me to share what I believe….NO, this is what I know (from my own personal experiences).
1. You DON’T KNOW It
There are many of you who are merely existing. You are not living out your fullest potential in life. What are you waiting for? Who are you waiting for? Don’t say God, because honestly, He is waiting on YOU! God wants you to prosper (3 John 1:2), and not just financially (more about this later). What does it mean to gain the whole world (and all the riches) and lose your soul? (Matthew 16:26) You may not be rich in material possessions (according to the world’s definition), which is temporal (2 Corinthians 4:18) but to know your purpose (what’s on the inside of you) and to PROSPER in it, is eternal!
2. You DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY you have It
You think it is okay to keep doing the same things over and over, getting the same results and wondering why you are not making any progress. This is because you truly DON’T understand why you have a purpose. You were born with purpose, on purpose, for purpose. Jeremiah 1:5, “God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb (on purpose) . Like Jeremiah, God made you to be a prophet to the nations (with purpose). “He knows the plans He has for you to prosper you (for purpose) and not to harm you and to give you an expected end” Jeremiah 29:11. Need I say more?
3. You DOUBT It
You know your purpose, but you second guess yourself. You know it because it has always been on the inside of you. It didn’t get there by chance, accident or happenstance. God placed purpose on the inside of you, but because you don’t see the immediate results, you feel it is not your purpose. You know its your purpose, when what you do has an impact on the lives of others. You know its your purpose when you feel at peace with what you are doing. You know its your purpose, when God gets all of the glory. It’s in there, DON’T DOUBT IT!
4. You let others TALK YOU OUT of It
You are hanging around negative people who have yet to discover their purpose, let alone prosper in it, so they don’t want you to prosper in yours. Remember, you have it on the inside of you! And guess what? They see it, too! Just because they chose not to do anything with theirs, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. As they say, “misery loves company.” Remove yourself from those negative influences in your life. As prophetess Madea said, “you can do bad all by yourself,” you can talk your own self in or out of anything. You don’t need to be around negative people who cannot help you RELATE, ELEVATE, OR help to ACTIVATE what’s on the inside of you!
5. You allow your PAST mistakes and failures to keep you from It
Ok, so we all fall down, but you have to learn to get back up again. You have to learn to stand in the midst of the rain, the storms and even through the fire. Don’t look at your hiccups as failures, look at them as learning experiences. When something does not go the way you expected it to, ask God, “what is it that you want me to learn from this?” When you open your heart and mind to learning new things, you open the window of opportunity to grow, when you grow, you sow and when you sow, your are prospering in your purpose!
6. You IGNORE It
Others can see it, you can see, but you ignore it. I’ve done it. I talk about in my book, Give it Up, Turn it Loose: A Woman’s Journey from Dominion to Deliverance, how I used to “dumb down” and didn’t always display my God-given talents and abilities. I used to think that people were using me, but the reality is, they saw my potential, they saw the purpose on the inside of me, long before I did. (You will have to purchase the book to find out why and how 
) Learn to appreciate those around you, who recognize your true potential and the gifts on the inside of you. God sent them as a gift, open it up and embrace it!
7. You FEAR It
With change comes responsibility. This is why you won’t explore it, you are AFRAID of change and with purpose you are constantly evolving into it. This is very scary for a lot of people. You may fear the unknown, failing, succeeding, rejection and with all of these comes a responsibility to walk by faith. It is YOUR responsibility to embrace ALL that God has for you because He did put it on the inside of you!
8. You FOLLOW the herd to get It
YEP! Did this too! I start following anybody who was successful and tried to do what they did because I was not sure of what God wanted for me. It is so easy to get caught up when you don’t know who you are. Don’t allow your identity in Christ to enter into the world crisis. I have said this before, and I will say it again, “I used to say, I know I am walking in my purpose, when I see so many walking in theirs.” I now say, “I AM PROSPERING in my purpose because they are prospering in theirs.” Purpose is God’s gift that keeps on giving!
9. You DON’T get help to discover It
SHAME ON YOU! Why would you not want to get help. Please don’t say God is all the help you need! If this were true, why would He create people on purpose, with purpose and for purpose? Let’s be transparent and honest here. God wants us to put HIM first (Matthew 6:33), so that we can inherit His righteousness. YOU NEED PEOPLE to HELP YOU!! The sooner you get It, the sooner you will GET IT!
10. You DON’T Pray about It
Have you ever just asked God to show you your purpose? Have you just asked Him to show you how He wants to really use you? OR do you do your own thing? I want to challenge you to go to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal your purpose and place people in your life to help you “Birth what’s on the inside of You!”
Stay in the G.A.P.
