Transformed at the WELL Devotional Ministry

Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Here is some food for thought, creation declares it, but what does your life say about it? In Psalm 19, David begins by looking at creation. The heavens declare God’s glory, and the sky displays His handiwork. Day after day and night after night, creation bears witness to the One who made it. David describes the sun moving across the heavens and then turns his attention to something closer to home: the Word of God and the condition of his own heart. He speaks of the Lord’s law as perfect, His testimony as sure, and His commandments as right (Psalm 19:7–8). God’s Word does more than give David information about the Creator; it teaches him how to live before Him. By the end of the psalm, David is no longer speaking only about what the heavens declare. He is asking God to examine what comes out of his mouth and what takes place within his heart.

And Job’s declaration in Job 19:25 adds another dimension to this picture. Job does not proclaim that his Redeemer lives because his circumstances are easy. He declares what he knows about God while enduring suffering and uncertainty. Together, these passages invite us to consider the relationship between what we say we know about God and what our lives reveal about Him. Creation bears witness simply by being what God made it to be. Our testimony becomes visible in the way we trust Him, respond to His Word, and live before others, even when life is difficult.

Everyday I need you to think. Have you ever watched the sunrise and found yourself standing still for a moment? Perhaps the morning sky was filled with color, or the light was just beginning to reach across the ground. You did not need anyone to explain that the sun had risen. You could see its light. David looked at creation and said, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). The heavens do not need a microphone to announce their Maker. The sun does not have to persuade anyone that it is shining. Creation bears witness to God’s handiwork by doing what He created it to do. Now, consider your own life.

You can say, “For I know that my Redeemer lives,” and those words can be a sincere declaration of faith. But what happens after you finish speaking? What does your life say when someone disappoints you, when your plans change, when you must make a difficult decision, or when you have an opportunity to do what is right even though no one else will know? Your testimony is not only the story of what God has brought you through. It is also the way you live because of what you have come to know about Him. Sometimes we think of a testimony as something we stand up and share after a difficult season has ended. We tell people where we were, what happened, how God helped us, and where we are now. Those stories matter. Revelation 12:11 speaks of overcoming “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” There is value in telling others what God has done. And just so you are clear about this one thing, your testimony does not have to wait for a microphone, a church service, or a moment when you can tell the entire story from beginning to end. Your life is speaking while you are still living it.

It speaks when you choose to tell the truth even though a different explanation might make you look better. It speaks when you admit that you were wrong instead of searching for a way to defend every word you said. It speaks when you treat someone with kindness without expecting anything in return. It speaks when you keep a commitment that has become inconvenient. And sometimes, your life speaks most clearly when you respond differently to something that once would have controlled you. You have spent time learning to crucify your flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Now consider what those lessons look like when they become part of your everyday conduct. Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those qualities are not meant to remain words you can recite. They are meant to become increasingly visible in the way you live.

People may not know how long you prayed before a difficult conversation, but they may notice that you listened instead of immediately becoming defensive. They may not know how hard it was for you to establish a healthy boundary, but they may see that you communicated it with honesty and kindness. They may not know how often you have asked God to help you with your temper, but they may recognize that you no longer respond to every frustration the way you once did. Growth does not always announce itself. Sometimes it is revealed in a response that used to be different. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Notice where the attention is meant to go. The purpose is not to convince everyone that you are impressive, spiritually mature, or incapable of making a mistake. It is to live in a way that points beyond yourself to your Father.

And that means you do not have to perform for people to have a testimony. You do not have to tell every person every detail of what you have survived. You do not have to make your private pain public to prove that God has been faithful. There may be parts of your story that you are still processing, and there may be details that are not yours alone to share. You can exercise wisdom about what you disclose while allowing your life to reflect the work God is doing in you. First Peter 3:15 encourages believers to be ready to give a reason for the hope within them, doing so with meekness and reverence. Your words matter, and so does the spirit in which you speak them. A testimony does not become more powerful because you tell it loudly. Sometimes a gentle, truthful answer gives someone a clearer picture of your faith than an argument ever could. Now, think again about Psalm 19. David begins with the heavens, but he does not end there. After reflecting on God’s Word, he prays in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.” David understood that what happens inside you matters just as much as what other people can see.

You may know how to say the right thing in public while privately rehearsing resentment. You may offer encouraging words to someone else while continually speaking defeat over your own life. You may tell others to trust God while allowing worry to occupy every quiet moment of your day. That does not mean you must pretend that you never experience anger, fear, disappointment, or uncertainty. It means you can bring those feelings honestly before God and invite Him to help you examine what you are doing with them. Psalm 139:23–24 records David’s prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Notice that David did not ask God to search everyone who had disappointed him. He invited God to search him and that is a prayer you can carry into your own day. Before asking why someone else behaved the way they did, you can ask God to help you examine your response. Before deciding that every difficult conversation is someone else’s responsibility, you can consider whether there is something you need to acknowledge, say, or change.

And when God reveals an area that needs attention, you do not have to respond by condemning yourself. Romans 8:1 reminds you that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Correction can become an invitation to grow rather than a reason to hide. A life that testifies to God is not a life without mistakes. It is a life that remains willing to be corrected, forgiven, and changed.

Consider the words of James 1:22: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” You can read Scripture, underline it, share it with someone, and remember it during a conversation. But the Word must also be allowed to shape your decisions.

If you read that you should be quick to hear and slow to speak, as James 1:19 teaches, what happens the next time you feel misunderstood? If you read Ephesians 4:32, which calls believers to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, what happens when you have an opportunity to extend kindness to someone who has frustrated you? If you read Philippians 4:8 and are encouraged to think on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy, what happens when your mind begins replaying a conversation and filling in details you do not actually know? And these are the places where what you know begins to become what you live. And let us be clear, applying scripture does not mean ignoring harmful behavior, refusing to establish boundaries, or remaining silent when something needs to be addressed. You can forgive someone and still recognize that trust must be rebuilt. You can speak with kindness and still communicate a firm decision. You can pursue peace without pretending that a difficult situation does not exist.

Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” You are responsible for your conduct, but you cannot control every response you receive. That distinction matters because your testimony is not measured by whether everyone agrees with you or approves of your choices. It is reflected in whether you are seeking to live faithfully before God.

Now, return to Job for a moment; when Job declared, “For I know that my Redeemer lives,” he was not announcing that every painful part of his story had been resolved. He was declaring his confidence in God while he was still walking through a difficult chapter and maybe that is where you are today. You are still waiting. You are still making sense of a change you did not expect. You are still praying about a relationship, a responsibility, or a decision that has not become clear; but your life can still testify in the middle of that season.

It can testify through the way you continue bringing your needs before God. It can testify through your willingness to seek wisdom instead of rushing toward the first available answer. It can testify through the care you show others even while you are carrying concerns of your own. Second Corinthians 4:8–9 describes believers as troubled yet not crushed, perplexed yet not in despair, persecuted yet not forsaken, and struck down yet not destroyed. Those words do not deny the reality of hardship. They remind us that hardship does not have to be the end of our story; you do not have to wait until every question is answered to live in a way that reflects your faith. You may not know when the circumstances will change, but you can choose honesty today. You may not know how a difficult conversation will end, but you can approach it with prayer, preparation, and love. You may not know what the next season will hold, but you can remain faithful with the responsibilities God has placed before you now.

And when someone asks how you have continued moving forward, you can speak from what you have personally come to know about Him. You can say, “I have had difficult days, but I have continued bringing them before the Lord.” You can say, “I have not always responded well, but God is teaching me a different way.” You can say, “I do not have every answer, but I know where to turn when I need wisdom.” And above all, you can declare with Job: “For I know that my Redeemer lives.” So, as you move throughout this day, remember that creation is not the only thing capable of bearing witness to its Creator. Let your words tell of the God you know, and let your life reflect the relationship you are continuing to build with Him.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to know You more deeply and to live in a way that reflects Your presence in my life. Thank You for the testimony You are developing in me—not only through the things You have brought me through, but also through the ways You continue teaching me to think, speak, and respond. Lord, Your Word says that the heavens declare Your glory. Today, I ask that my life would also bear witness to You. Let the way I treat people, fulfill my responsibilities, and respond to unexpected circumstances reflect the work Your Spirit is doing within me. I do not want my testimony to exist only in the stories I tell. Help me live it in the ordinary moments of each day. Father, I invite You to search my heart. Examine the thoughts I entertain when nobody else can hear them. Show me where I have allowed resentment, fear, pride, comparison, or discouragement to influence my words and decisions. When You reveal something that needs to change, help me receive Your correction with humility rather than becoming defensive or discouraged. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. When I am frustrated, help me pause before I speak. When I feel misunderstood, teach me to listen carefully and respond truthfully. When I need to address a difficult matter, give me the courage to speak with both honesty and love. Do not allow my desire to avoid discomfort to keep me from doing what is right. Holy Spirit, continue producing Your fruit in my life. Develop patience where I have been quick to react, gentleness where my words have become harsh, and self-control where I have allowed an impulse to make a decision for me. Teach me to be faithful in responsibilities that may never receive public recognition. Help me show kindness without expecting praise and extend grace without pretending that healthy boundaries are unnecessary. Lord, help me become a doer of Your Word and not a hearer only. When I read Scripture, show me how to apply it. When I recognize an old pattern, give me the strength to practice a different response. When I make a mistake, help me acknowledge it, seek forgiveness where needed, and continue growing. Let me be willing to learn rather than becoming more concerned with appearing mature than actually becoming mature. Father, I pray for the parts of my testimony that are still unfolding. You know the questions I am carrying, the situations I am waiting to see change, and the concerns I have not yet found the words to explain. Help me remain honest about what is difficult without losing sight of what I know about You. Give me wisdom for the decisions before me and peace as I take the next faithful step. Teach me to share my testimony with humility and discernment. Help me recognize when my story may encourage someone and when a quiet act of kindness may speak more clearly than words. Guard me from feeling that I must disclose every private detail to prove that You have been faithful. Let what I share be truthful, appropriate, and offered in love. Lord, when others encounter me, may they experience patience, compassion, integrity, and a willingness to make things right when I fall short. Keep me from seeking attention for myself when my desire should be to honor You. Let my life point toward the One who is continuing to shape me. And when I face a day when I do not know what comes next, remind me of Job’s declaration. I may not know every why, when, or how, but I know that my Redeemer lives. Let that knowledge steady my heart, guide my words, and influence the way I live. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: Your testimony is more than the story you tell about what God has done. It is also the life you live because of what you know about Him. Let your words declare that your Redeemer lives and let your daily choices reflect the One you are learning to follow.

Ladies, you are invited you to join us for 31 Days of Pearls, Praise & Prayer in October!

For all 31 days of October, we will wear our pearls as a reminder to pause, praise God, and spend intentional time in prayer. Your pearls can be a necklace, bracelet, earrings, or ring. They do not have to be expensive or elaborate. The power is not in the pearls; it is just a sign that we are in unity, as our faith is in the Lord.

Each morning, put on your pearls, give God praise, and pray with us using the weekly prayer focus. Whenever you notice your pearls throughout the day, let them remind you to whisper a prayer. Before going to bed, take a moment to thank God for His faithfulness.

Our October Prayer Focus

Week	Date	Theme
Week 1	October 1–3	Women’s Deliverance
Week 2	October 4–10	Women’s Heart
Week 3	October 11–17	Women’s Health
Week 4	October 18–24	Women’s Family
Week 5	October 25–31	Women’s Ministry

Ladies, put on your pearls, lift up your praise, and join us in prayer every evening throughout October at 7:10 PM Central Time!

Dial-in: 1-979-990-5000

Access Code: 570381

For more information: drjean@kplegacyhouse.org

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Luke 11:5–8 (NKJV)  ~ “And He said to them, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within and say, “Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you”? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.’”

In Luke 11, one of Jesus’ disciples asks Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus responds by teaching them to approach God as Father, to honor His name, to seek His will, and to bring their daily needs before Him. Then He tells a story about a man who receives an unexpected visitor in the middle of the night. The visitor is hungry, but the man has no bread to offer him. So he goes to a friend’s house at midnight and asks to borrow three loaves. The hour is inconvenient. The door is shut. The household has settled down for the night. Yet the man continues asking because he has a real need.

Jesus uses this story to teach persistence in prayer. He goes on to encourage His listeners to ask, seek, and knock, reminding them that their heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts to His children.

Sunshine, the man in the story knew whose door he could approach when he found himself without what he needed. And Jesus points us toward something even greater than a reluctant friend behind a closed door: a heavenly Father who invites His children to come to Him. That does not mean every prayer will be answered in the way or at the time we expect. It means we can keep bringing our needs before God rather than allowing an unanswered question to end our conversation with Him.

Here is just a little reminder before we get started, don’t forget whose door you can approach! Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed something you could not provide for yourself? Perhaps it was an answer to a question that kept you awake at night, wisdom for a decision you did not want to make alone, strength to face another difficult day, or peace when your thoughts would not settle down. You looked at what was before you, considered what you had available, and realized, “I do not have what I need for this.”  That is where the man in Luke 11 found himself. A visitor arrived at his home, and he had no bread to set before him. He could have stood there worrying about how unprepared he was. He could have become embarrassed, frustrated, or angry that the need had arrived at such an inconvenient hour. Instead, he went to someone he knew.

This is so very important for you, when you recognize that you do not have what you need, do you remember whose door you can approach? Sometimes you become so focused on what is missing that you forget to bring the need before God. You rehearse the problem, imagine every possible outcome, and try to determine how you will make everything work. You may even tell yourself that you should already know what to do because you have been walking with the Lord long enough.

But knowing God does not mean you will never need help. Knowing Him means you are learning where to turn when you do. There is no shame in admitting, “Father, I need wisdom.” There is no failure in praying, “Lord, I am tired, and I need Your strength.” You do not have to arrive in prayer with a polished explanation or a plan that makes everything look manageable.

The man in the story did not knock on his friend’s door pretending he had bread. He came with an honest request, he had a guest to feed, and he had nothing to offer. And perhaps that is where you need to begin today, with an honest conversation with God about what you need. You have spent time learning to crucify your flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. But do not mistake surrender for having to carry every responsibility without asking for help. The Holy Spirit does not lead you into a life where you must pretend to be strong at every moment. He teaches you to remain dependent on God. You can be spiritually mature and still need guidance. You can have faith and still experience uncertainty. You can know Scripture and still find yourself in a situation that requires you to pray, listen, seek counsel, and take time to make a wise decision.

Maturity is not pretending you have every answer. Sometimes maturity is recognizing that you need to seek the One who does. Now, consider the hour when the man went to his friend’s house. It was midnight. He did not wait until the next morning to acknowledge his need. He went when the need was present and some of your most personal prayers may come during the hours when the house is quiet, when the phone has stopped ringing, and when there is nobody nearby to reassure you. Those may be the moments when you finally stop trying to hold everything together long enough to say, “Lord, here is what I am facing.” But midnight does not always appear on a clock. Sometimes midnight is a season when you cannot see clearly what comes next. It is the unexpected change, the difficult conversation, the unanswered question, or the responsibility that arrives before you feel ready.

And when your life reaches one of those moments, you need more than a phrase you have heard someone else say. You need a relationship with God that you continue to cultivate for yourself. Yesterday, we considered Job’s declaration: “For I know that my Redeemer lives.” Job did not make that declaration because he understood everything happening around him. He spoke from the middle of suffering and unanswered questions. That is the kind of personal faith we are talking about in this series. It is one thing to say, “God answers prayer,” because you have heard someone testify about it. It is another thing to continue approaching Him in prayer when your situation has not changed and your answer has not yet come.

It is one thing to say, “God is my strength,” when you feel rested and encouraged. It is another thing to turn toward Him when you feel weary and ask Him to help you take the next faithful step. “For I know” becomes personal when what you believe about God begins shaping what you do in the moments when you need Him most. And let us look again at the man who went to his friend’s door. Jesus emphasizes his persistence. He did not stop asking simply because the first response was not the one he wanted to hear, but persistence in prayer is not about finding the perfect words to force God to give you the outcome you prefer. It is about continuing to bring your heart before Him, even when you must wait, even when your understanding is limited, and even when the answer requires you to change direction.

You can keep praying while also remaining open to God’s wisdom. You can ask for a door to open while accepting that not every door is yours to walk through. You can pray for a relationship to improve while recognizing that you may need to have an honest conversation, establish a boundary, or allow another person to make their own choices. Prayer does not remove your responsibility to act wisely. It helps you remain connected to God as you do. In Luke 11:9, Jesus continues by telling His listeners to ask, seek, and knock. Notice that these are words of continued action. He is teaching them not to abandon prayer because a need is difficult or because the answer is not immediately visible.

So, what have you stopped bringing before God because you have become tired of waiting? What need have you been carrying in silence because you decided you should be able to handle it yourself? What question have you allowed to turn into worry instead of bringing it honestly before your Father? Perhaps today is the day to begin that conversation again. You do not have to know how every detail will unfold before you pray. You do not have to hide your disappointment or pretend that the waiting has been easy. Bring your need, your questions, and your willingness to listen. And as you pray, remember who God is to you.

You are His creation, and He is your Creator. You are His sheep, and He is your Shepherd. You are the clay, and He is your Potter. You are His subject, and He is your King. You are redeemed, and He is your Redeemer. These are not merely names you use when you pray. They remind you of the relationship you have with Him. As your Shepherd, He is the One whose guidance you seek. As your Potter, He is the One who continues shaping you. As your King, He is the One whose authority you acknowledge. As your Redeemer, He is the One in whom you place your hope. And because you belong to Him, you can approach Him honestly. Sunshine, you may not have the bread you need for the moment you are facing. You may not have the answer, the strength, the resources, or the clarity you hoped you would have by now.  But do not allow what you lack to make you forget the Father you can approach. You may not know what tomorrow will bring, but you can know whose door to knock on today. Take time today to pray specifically about that need. Then consider whether there is a responsible step you can take, a conversation you need to have, or wise counsel you need to seek as you continue trusting God.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for inviting me into a personal relationship with You. Thank You that I do not have to depend only on what someone else has experienced or what someone else knows about You. I can come before You with my own needs, my own questions, my own gratitude, and my own testimony. Lord, forgive me for the times I have allowed worry to become my first response instead of bringing my concerns to You. Forgive me for the moments when I have tried to manage everything alone because I thought asking for help meant I was not strong enough. Teach me that depending on You is not a sign of failure. It is part of learning to live as Your child. Father, You know the needs I have spoken aloud, and You know the ones I have struggled to put into words. You know the responsibilities that feel heavy, the decisions that require wisdom, and the situations I cannot resolve through my own effort. I bring them before You today. Help me be honest about what I need without becoming consumed by what I lack. When I face an unexpected situation, remind me whose door I can approach. When I feel uncertain, give me the wisdom to pause, pray, and seek sound counsel. When I feel weary, strengthen me for the responsibilities that belong to me and help me release the burdens I was never meant to control. When I feel disappointed by an answer or a delay, keep my heart open to Your guidance rather than allowing frustration to turn me away from You. Lord, teach me to be persistent in prayer without becoming demanding about the outcome. Help me continue bringing my needs before You while remaining willing to hear an answer that may be different from the one I expected. Give me patience when I must wait, courage when I must act, humility when I need correction, and discernment when I must choose between what is available and what is wise. Holy Spirit, lead me in the practical moments of this day. Guide my words before I enter a difficult conversation. Help me recognize when I need to ask for assistance instead of pretending I can carry everything alone. Teach me to listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and take responsibility for the next step You have placed before me. Father, I also pray for the needs I have become discouraged about bringing to You. Where I have stopped praying because I felt that nothing was changing, help me begin again with honesty and trust. Where I have become so focused on a particular outcome that I have struggled to see anything else, broaden my understanding and help me recognize the wisdom You are teaching me along the way. Thank You for remaining present with me in seasons when I have answers and in seasons when I have questions. Continue building in me a faith that is personal, practiced, and grounded in Your Word. Let my life reflect what I declare with my mouth. Today, I say with Job, “For I know that my Redeemer lives.” And because I know You, I will keep bringing my needs before You. I will keep seeking Your wisdom. I will keep learning to trust You with the things I cannot yet understand. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: When you know God for yourself, you do not have to pretend you have everything you need. Bring Him your questions, your concerns, and your honest requests. You may not know how every situation will unfold, but you can know whose door to knock on.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Now you have walked through Crucify It! Your Flesh Cannot Go Where God Is Taking You! You have confronted the habits, desires, and responses that could no longer be allowed to direct your life. Then you continued into Who’s Leading You? From Crucifying the Flesh to Walking in the Spirit, where you learned that surrender is not only about what you stop doing. It is also about whom you choose to follow.

You have asked difficult questions. What has power over me? Am I practicing what I have learned? Am I exercising discernment? Am I allowing an old way of thinking to choose my next step? Am I asking the Holy Spirit to lead while still reaching for the wheel? And now, here another question rises from the middle of that journey. After everything you have surrendered, everything you have learned, and everything you have walked through with God, what do you know? Not what someone else told you to say. Not what sounds good when you hear it in church. Not what you repeat because you have heard it all your life. What do you know about the God who has kept you, corrected you, carried you, and continued His work in you? There comes a time when your walk with God must move beyond borrowed words and become a personal declaration. You may not understand every turn in the road ahead, but you can know the One who is leading you. You may not have an answer for every question, but you can become settled in what you know about His character.

Job reached that place in the middle of suffering when he declared, “For I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). He did not say, “For I know why this happened.” He did not say, “For I know when everything will change.” He declared what he knew about Who was still living, even while his circumstances remained painful and uncertain, it is time to make your faith personal and truly welcome the I AM that I AM. It is time to welcome, FOR I KNOW!

Job 19:25 (NKJV) “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth.”

Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

This is where you make a declaration in the middle of what you do not understand! When Job declared that his Redeemer lived, he was not standing in the middle of an easy season. He had experienced devastating loss, physical suffering, and painful conversations with people who did not fully understand what he was enduring. He had questions that remained unanswered. Yet in Job 19:25, he made a declaration that reached beyond his present circumstances: “For I know that my Redeemer lives.” Job’s words remind us that knowing God does not mean knowing every reason behind what happens in our lives. There may be seasons when you cannot explain what has changed, why something has been delayed, or how God will bring you through. But uncertainty about your circumstances does not have to erase your confidence in His character.

In Psalm 19, David reflects on how creation declares the glory of God. He then turns his attention inward and prays that both his spoken words and the meditation of his heart will be acceptable to the Lord. His prayer connects what he knows about God with how he chooses to think and speak.

And in Luke 11:5–8, Jesus tells of a man who goes to his friend’s door at midnight because he needs bread for a visitor. The man knows where to go with his need, and he continues asking. Jesus uses the story to teach persistence in prayer. Together, these passages invite you to consider three things: Who do you know God to be? Whose door do you approach when you need help? And do the words of your mouth reflect what you say you believe about Him?

Let’s Begin Day 1: Is Your Faith Borrowed, Or Do You Know Him For Yourself?

Have you ever been at a game and watched the fans cheer for their team? They wear the colors, call out the players’ names, and shout encouragement even when their team is behind. They do not wait until the final score to show whom they support. They have chosen their team, and everybody around them can hear it. Now, think about your relationship with God. You may know how to celebrate Him when a prayer is answered, a door opens, or something you have been waiting for finally happens. But what comes out of your mouth when the answer has not arrived? What do you say about Him when you are disappointed, tired, or standing in a place you did not expect to be? I am not asking whether you have questions. Job had questions. I am asking whether, in the middle of those questions, you know whom you can turn to.

There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing Him through a relationship that has been lived. You can hear someone else testify that God is faithful, and their testimony may encourage you. But when you have walked through a season in which you needed His strength for yourself, those words begin to carry a different meaning. You remember the morning when you did not know how you would face the day, but you prayed and took the next step. You remember the conversation you thought you could never have, yet God helped you approach it with courage and wisdom. You remember the season when you wanted to give up, but you continued bringing your needs before Him. And now, when you say, “For I know,” you are not pretending that life has been easy. You are remembering the God who has remained present with you through it. Think about the man in Luke 11 who went to his friend’s door at midnight. He had a need, and he knew where to go. He did not have bread to offer his guest, but he knew someone he could ask.

When you find yourself in need, whose door do you approach first? Do you turn immediately to worry, rehearse every possible outcome, or try to carry the entire burden yourself? Or have you learned to bring your need before the Father who invites you to pray? Knowing God personally does not mean you will never seek practical help or wise counsel. It means that prayer is not merely your last resort after you have exhausted yourself trying to manage everything alone. You can bring your concerns to Him while also taking the responsible steps that are before you. And this is where becomes more than a declaration, it becomes personal, for it is right here where what you know about God should begin shaping the words you speak and the choices you make.

David prayed in Psalm 19:14 that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart would be acceptable to the Lord. He did not ask God to examine only what other people could hear. He invited Him to examine the thoughts he entertained before those thoughts ever became words. That prayer connects directly to the journey you have just completed. You have been learning not to allow every desire to govern you, not to accept every thought as truth, and not to let your flesh take the lead. Now you are learning to bring your heart and your mouth into agreement with what you know about God. If you know Him as your Shepherd, you can seek His guidance instead of insisting that you must find every answer alone. If you know Him as your Potter, you can remain open to His correction and the growth He is working in you. If you know Him as your King, you can acknowledge His authority even when obedience challenges your preference. If you know Him as your Redeemer, you can remember that your past does not have to be the final word over your life.

You are His creation, and He is your Creator. You are His sheep, and He is your Shepherd. You are the clay, and He is the Potter. You are His subject, and He is your King. You are redeemed, and He is your Redeemer. These are not simply names to recite. They describe a relationship that should influence how you live. Are you still waiting for an answer today? You could still be working through a difficult decision. You may be entering unfamiliar territory and wondering what comes next. You do not have to pretend that you know what you do not know. Job’s declaration gives you room to be truthful about your circumstances while remaining confident in your Redeemer. You may not know why everything happened the way it did. You may not know when the situation will change. You may not know how the next chapter will unfold. But you can know Who is with you as you walk through it.

So today, do not make a declaration simply because it sounds powerful. Take a moment to remember your own journey with God. Think about what you have learned of His character through Scripture, prayer, correction, provision, and the seasons you have already walked through. Then let your declaration become personal. For I know that my Redeemer lives. And because He lives, I can keep bringing my needs before Him. I can keep learning to follow the Holy Spirit. I can keep growing when I recognize something in myself that needs to change. I can keep trusting Him even when I do not yet understand the road ahead.

Sunshine, you have crucified it and you have asked who is leading you. Now, as you begin this new series, do not settle for a faith that depends entirely on what somebody else knows about God. Get to know Him for yourself and let the life you live testify to the One you say you know. When you say, “For I know that my Redeemer lives,” a personal experience comes to mind? Think of a season when you did not have every answer but continued to seek God. What did you learn about His character, and how can that knowledge shape the way you respond to what is before you today?

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me through this journey of surrender, growth, discernment, and learning to follow Your Spirit. Thank You that You have not asked me to walk through life depending only on someone else’s testimony. You invite me to know You personally, to bring my needs before You, and to grow in my relationship with You. Lord, today I join Job in declaring, “For I know that my Redeemer lives.” I may not understand every circumstance I am facing, and I may not have every answer I desire, but help me remain confident in who You are. When I am tempted to focus only on what I cannot explain, remind me of what Your Word reveals about Your character. Teach me to come to You in prayer instead of allowing worry to become my first response. Give me wisdom to take the steps that belong to me and trust You with what is beyond my control. When I need correction, help me receive it. When I need courage, strengthen me. When I need to wait, teach me patience without allowing me to become passive about the responsibilities You have placed before me. Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. Examine what I say when I am frustrated, disappointed, afraid, or uncertain. Help me speak truth without denying what I feel and help me remember Your faithfulness without pretending that difficult seasons do not hurt. Holy Spirit continue leading me. Let what I have learned become visible in my daily decisions, my relationships, my conversations, and the way I respond when life does not go according to my plans. May my faith become more than words I repeat. Let it become a life that reflects the God I know. You are my Creator, my King, my Shepherd, my Potter, and my Redeemer. Continue teaching me what it means to belong to You. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: Borrowed faith may encourage you, but a personal relationship with God teaches you whose door to approach when life gets difficult. You do not have to know every why, when, or how to declare what you know about Who: “For I know that my Redeemer lives.”

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Luke 9:23 (KJV): “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Philippians 3:12 (KJV): “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after.”

Well we have made it to Day 5, the final day of Crucify It 3.0. The devotional is ending, but the discipline is not. If God gives you another morning, there will still be another opportunity to surrender, another decision to make, and another moment to choose the Spirit over the flesh. This week we learned to pick up the cross again. We learned that discipline becomes necessary when our feelings do not agree with obedience. We learned not to give old things new permission simply because they try to rise again, and we confronted our will with the prayer of Jesus: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Now we return to the word that has carried this entire journey, daily.

Jesus did not tell us to take up our cross for five days. He said to take it up daily and follow Him. There is no graduation from surrender while you are following Jesus. As long as God gives you breath, you will need His Grace, His correction, His Word, and His Spirit. Yesterday’s surrender mattered, but today requires its own yes, and if God gives you another tomorrow, you will meet Him there with another one.

Paul’s words in Philippians 3 are powerful because he had already experienced much with God. He had encountered Christ, preached the gospel, planted churches, endured persecution, and witnessed the power of God, yet he refused to speak as though he had reached a place where there was nothing left for God to do in him. Philippians 3:12 says, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after.” Then in verses 13–14, Paul explains that he is forgetting those things which are behind, reaching toward what is before him, and pressing toward the mark.

Paul was still following, and that gives us a healthy picture of spiritual maturity. Maturity is not reaching a place where you no longer need surrender, correction, or growth. You can acknowledge what God has already done while still allowing Him to continue His work. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God is still working, and we are still following.

Sometimes you want one powerful moment with God to settle everything forever. You want to forgive once and never feel the memory again. You want to surrender control and never feel the urge to take it back. You want to overcome fear and never hear its voice again. But Jesus gave you a word that prepares you for the process, daily. Daily means you continue bringing ourselves under His authority. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Walking requires continued movement. Some days you will walk well, and on other days the Holy Spirit may show you that our flesh got ahead of you. When that happens, you repent, make whatever correction is necessary, receive God’s Grace, and continue walking.

First John 1:9 reminds you that when you confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse you. Yesterday’s victory should not make you prideful, and today’s mistake should not make you quit. You are not trying to become people who never need God again. you are becoming people who know how quickly to return to Him.

Throughout the Crucify It journeys, we have confronted attitudes, habits, reactions, pride, fear, unforgiveness, control, and our own will. But the goal was never simply to spend the rest of our lives searching for something wrong with ourselves. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” There is life on the other side of surrender. When pride loses authority, humility has room to grow. When bitterness loses authority, love has room to grow. When fear stops governing every decision, faith has room to grow and when your need for control begins to loosen, trust has room to grow.

Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. You have not been crucifying the flesh merely to become good at saying no, you are learning to say yes to Jesus, and the more your flesh loses authority, the more your life will reflect Him, so look at Jesus and keep walking, as this the place where you examine yourself in the word, Psalm 139:23 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” You become so focused on what you are trying to crucify that you forget where your eyes ultimately belong.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to lay aside every weight and the sin that easily besets us, but verse 2 immediately tells us to be “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” We lay something down so we can continue moving. Do not spend the rest of your life standing over what you surrendered to see whether it is still dead. Keep your eyes on Jesus. You confronted offense so bitterness would not continue governing you. You confronted fear so it would stop determining where you were willing to go. You surrendered control so you could trust God with what you cannot manage. You confronted pride so you could remain teachable. The purpose of crucifying the flesh is not lifelong preoccupation with the flesh. The purpose is a life increasingly surrendered to Christ until He calls you home.

Sunshine, give God the day you have. If today requires patience, ask Him for patience. If today requires forgiveness, surrender the offense. If today requires courage, ask Him for courage. If today requires waiting, wait with Him. If today requires an apology, humble yourself and make it right. Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us that God’s compassions are “new every morning.” Every morning brings new mercy and another opportunity to choose Him. You do not have to promise God that you will never struggle again, you just simply continue coming under His authority.

Romans 12:2 tells us to “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As God renews your minds, your responses begin changing. Things that once controlled us may no longer have the same authority. Something that once took months to recognize may now take days, hours, or minutes. That is growth. Do not demand perfection from yourself where God is developing maturity, but do not use “I am still growing” as permission to remain where He is calling you to change. So remember until He calls you home, you are to continue surrendering, learning, growing, and following Jesus.

As we close Crucify It 3.0, look back for a moment, not merely at what you surrendered but at what God has done through your surrender. What do you recognize now that you did not recognize before? Where are you responding differently? What no longer controls you the way it once did? Where are you quicker to repent, slower to react, more willing to forgive, more patient in waiting, or more willing to release your own way? Then ask God, “What still needs my continued surrender?” Bring it before Him without shame. But do not stop there. Ask, “Lord, what has grown in me because I finally let that go?” You should have more peace, wisdom, patience, discernment, trust, and self-control. Do not only look at what died. Look at what God has brought to life in you.

Heavenly Father, Thank You, Thank You and Thank You for carrying me through this journey. Thank You for every truth You revealed, every place You corrected me, and every opportunity You gave me to surrender more fully to You. Sometimes I become so focused on how far I still have to go that I forget how far You have already brought me, so today I stop and thank You for Your work in me. Thank You for the prayers You answered and the ones You answered differently than I expected. Thank You for the doors You opened and the doors You would not allow me to force. Thank You for every time Your Spirit checked my mouth, helped me forgive, taught me to wait, gave me courage to apologize, showed me where I needed a boundary, or reminded me to trust You when I did not understand. Forgive me for the times I resisted Your work, tried to pick back up what I surrendered, or wanted Your blessing more than I wanted Your direction. Continue Your work in me. When old things try to rise, help me recognize them sooner. When my feelings pull me away from obedience, strengthen my discipline. When my way competes with Yours, bring me back to the prayer, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Holy Spirit, continue producing Your fruit in me. Let love become stronger than bitterness, peace stronger than anxiety, patience stronger than impatience, faith stronger than fear, humility stronger than pride, and self-control stronger than impulse. Help me never become so focused on what I am crucifying that I forget to look at Jesus. Father, this devotional is ending, but my surrender is not. If You give me tomorrow, I will need You tomorrow. Until the day You call me home, help me deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow Jesus. Today I give You another yes, and I thank You for what You have already done, what You are doing now, and what You will continue to do in me. In the Mighty and Matchless Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: As this devotional series comes to an end remember that you need to continue flowing in discipline. Yesterday’s surrender mattered, but today requires its own yes, and if God gives you tomorrow, tomorrow will bring another opportunity to choose Him. Keep surrendering, keep growing, and keep your eyes on Jesus. Do not only look at what had to die; look at what God has brought to life in you.

We are moving from Crucify It to seeing what you really know! This is going to become your personal declaration.

Before we leave Crucify It, I want you to do something different. Instead of looking inward for one more thing that needs to change, turn around for just a moment and look at where the Lord has brought you. Do not go backward and do not pick anything back up. Just look long enough to recognize His hand. Look at what the Lord has done.

Look at what does not hurt the way it used to. Look at what no longer controls you the way it once did. Look at the prayers He answered, the doors He opened, and even the doors you cried over that you can now thank Him for closing. Look at the things you thought would destroy you but did not. Look at the seasons when you did not know how you were going to make it, yet somehow God kept you. You surrendered, cried, wrestled, repented, forgave, released, and learned to crucify the flesh when your flesh wanted its own way. Yet when you look back, your testimony cannot simply be about what you surrendered. Your testimony must also be about what God did.

That brings us to Job 19:25 (KJV): “For I know that my redeemer liveth.” Job did not say, “I understand everything that has happened to me.” He made a declaration about what he knew in the middle of what he could not understand.

Maybe that is exactly where Crucify It has been bringing us. After everything that you have survived, surrendered, released, forgiven, and trusted God through, there ought to be some things you know now that you did not know before. You know He kept you. You know He carried you. You know His grace was sufficient. You know some closed doors were mercy, some delays developed you, and some endings made room for something different. Most importantly, you know that when everything around you changed, God did not!

So, you are moving from Crucify It into For I Know. You are moving from examining what had to die to declaring what the journey taught you about God. The question is shifting from “What do I still need to crucify?” to “What do I know about God because of what I have lived through?” Now, look at where you started, and then look at where God has brought you. Look at what He healed, what He delivered you from, what He taught you, what He prevented, what He restored, and what He changed in you. You may not understand every chapter, and everything may not have happened the way you planned, but there are some things experience has settled in your spirit. Now your testimony has a voice, and you can say with assurance, look at what the Lord has done in me, For I know that my Redeemer liveth. See you Monday!

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Have A Blessed Weekend…

Luke 9:23 (KJV): “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Luke 22:42 (KJV): “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.”

Today’s surrender comes even closer because you must confront your will. It is easy to say, “Lord, have Your way,” when His way looks like what you already wanted. It is easy to celebrate God’s direction when the door opens, the answer comes quickly, the relationship works, and the plan unfolds exactly as you imagined. But what happens when God’s way costs you yours?

What happens when you pray for direction and His direction requires waiting? What happens when you ask Him to open a door and it remains closed? What happens when obedience requires you to be quiet when you want to speak, forgive when you still feel hurt, apologize when you believe the other person was more wrong, or release something you desperately wanted to keep? This is where the cross confronts more than your behavior. It confronts your right to have your own way.

Now, I just want to say that there is nothing wrong with having desires, plans, hopes, or dreams. The question is what happens when what you want and what God requires are no longer traveling in the same direction. It is at that moment; somebody’s will must yield. And Jesus gave you the words for that moment; “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

Luke 22 brings us into one of the most intense moments before the crucifixion. Jesus is in the Mount of Olives, knowing what is before Him. He is not approaching the cross unaware of its suffering. Luke 22:41–42 says that Jesus “kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Matthew’s account tells us that Jesus said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38). His surrender did not mean the absence of anguish. Jesus honestly expressed the weight of what was before Him while remaining submitted to the Father’s will. That is important for you because surrender does not require pretending that something is easy when it is difficult. It does not require pretending you do not want something when you do. It does not mean you cannot tell God, “Father, this is what I hoped for. This is what I wanted. This hurts and I do not understand.” Surrender is what happens after the honesty, Jesus said, “Nevertheless.”

Luke 9:23 helps us understand why this matters to discipleship. Jesus said that anyone who comes after Him must “deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Self-denial eventually brings you to the issue of lordship. If Jesus is Lord, there will be moments when His direction challenges your preference. Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Trust becomes especially meaningful when our understanding cannot explain God’s direction. You are not called to understand everything before you obey, but you are called to follow.

There was a woman who had been praying for a particular opportunity for months. She had researched it, prepared for it, talked about it, and imagined what life would look like once it happened. The opportunity was good. There was nothing obviously wrong with wanting it, and because it made sense to her, she assumed it must also be God’s plan. So she prayed, “Lord, open this door.” But the door did not open. She prayed harder. She looked for another way in. She contacted people who might be able to help. Every obstacle became something she thought she needed to overcome. One day, after another disappointment, she sat quietly before God. This time her prayer changed. Instead of asking, “Lord, why won’t You open this door?” she asked, “Lord, am I even supposed to go through it?”

That question exposed something in her heart. She realized that she had spent months asking God to approve the direction she had already chosen. She had prayed for God’s will, but only as long as His will agreed with hers. So, she prayed again. “Father, I still want this. I am not going to pretend that I don’t. But if this is not what You have for me, help me stop pulling on a door You are not telling me to enter.” The door did not suddenly open. Another opportunity did not immediately appear. What changed that day was her posture. She stopped trying to make God agree with her plan and became willing to let God direct her path.

Sometimes the hardest thing to surrender is not something bad. Sometimes it is something good that you have wanted so badly that you stopped leaving room for God to answer differently. So, are you asking God for directions or approval? You do know that there is a difference between asking God for direction and asking God to approve a decision that you have already made. For you can say, “Lord, order my steps,” while quietly telling Him where you expect those steps to go. You say, “Your will be done,” but become angry when His will does not look like your plan. Psalm 25:4–5 says, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me.” David’s prayer was not, “God, bless my path.” It was, “Teach me Your path.” So, instead of only praying, “Lord, make this work,”  you need to ask, “Lord, should I be doing this?” Or instead of only asking, “Lord, change them,” you need to ask, “Lord, what are You changing in me?” Instead of repeatedly praying, “Lord, open this door,” you need the courage to pray, “Lord, if this door is not for me, give me the discipline to stop pulling on the handle.”

This does not mean every obstacle is automatically a divine “no,” nor does every easy path automatically mean God’s approval. That is why you need Scripture, prayer, wisdom, discernment, and godly counsel. But true surrender leaves room for God’s answer to be different from yours. I know sometimes, your way is for the need to be right, because our will does not show itself only in major decisions, it can appear in a conversation. You want the last word. You want somebody to understand why you think that you were right. You want to defend yourself and you want them to apologize first; you want everyone to hear your side. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” James 1:19 tells us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

But my sister and brother, discipline requires you to ask, “Even if I am right about what happened, is the way I am handling it right?” You can have a valid point and communicate it in an ungodly way. You can tell the truth and still use truth as a weapon. Or you can establish a necessary boundary without becoming cruel. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak “the truth in love.” Both matter. Sometimes what needs to be crucified is not your voice. It is your need to win.

There will also be seasons when surrender looks like waiting. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.” Waiting exposes how much you want control, and just to let you know, you cannot control the timing, it is in that moment that you have to decide whether you trust the One who can. Biblical waiting is not always passive it means waiting faithfully while doing what God has already placed before you without trying to manufacture the next step. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Something can be good and still not belong to this season. A desire can be legitimate and still require patience. Do not let impatience become permission to move outside of wisdom. Your  surrender should sound like, this “Lord, I still want it, but I refuse to force it.”

There will also be moments when your way wants revenge while God’s way calls you toward forgiveness. Romans 12:19 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves.” Ephesians 4:32 tells us to forgive one another “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Forgiveness does not mean pretending what happened was acceptable. It does not automatically restore someone to the same level of access they previously had. Forgiveness does not remove the need for healthy boundaries, accountability, truth, or appropriate consequences. Forgiveness means revenge is no longer your assignment. When you choose to keep it on the Cross, the cross releases your personal need to make somebody pay. You can seek accountability without allowing bitterness to govern you. You can establish boundaries without hatred becoming your identity. Again, His way will cost you yours.

Listen to this, perhaps one of the most powerful words you can learn in surrender is nevertheless. “Father, this is what I wanted; nevertheless, Your will be done.” “I thought it would happen differently; nevertheless, I trust You.” “I do not understand why I have to wait; nevertheless, I will not run ahead of You.” “This hurts;  nevertheless, I will not allow hurt to determine how I obey You.” Nevertheless does not deny what you feel. It decides who has final authority. Psalm 143:10 says, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God.” Notice that David did not merely ask God to teach him what His will was. He asked God to teach him to do it. Sometimes knowing is easier said than doing.

James 1:22 says, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” There comes a point when another sermon, Scripture, conversation, or confirmation cannot replace obedience to what we already know. Jesus asked in Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Lordship eventually reaches your will. Yesterday you refused to give old things new permission. Today you got to go deeper and say, “God, even when Your way costs me mine, I still choose You.”

Ask yourself one question today; Is there an area where I am asking God for His will while secretly requiring His will to agree with mine? Then ask, “If God’s answer is different from the one I want, will I still trust Him?” Do not answer quickly. Sit with it. Maybe your prayer today needs to change from “Lord, make this happen” to “Lord, show me what You want.” As your prayer simply needs to be what Jesus prayed: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

Let’s Pray, Father, Thank You for another day and another opportunity to surrender myself to You. You have been teaching me that the cross is not only about what I say no to; it is also about who I say yes to. Today I bring You my will. Father, forgive me for the times I have prayed for Your will while secretly expecting You to agree with mine. Forgive me when I have asked You to order my steps after I already decided where I wanted to go. Forgive me for pulling on doors, forcing situations, rehearsing outcomes, and trying to control things that I said I had placed in Your hands. Teach me to trust You with all my heart and not lean entirely upon my own understanding. I acknowledge that I cannot see everything You see. Give me wisdom not to call every obstacle a closed door or every easy opportunity an open one. Teach me to seek Your Word, Your wisdom, Your peace, and Your direction rather than allowing impatience or emotion to make decisions for me. Father, when my need to be right becomes stronger than my desire to represent You well, humble me. When I need to apologize, give me courage. When I need to listen, quiet me. When I need to speak truth, help me speak it in love. When I need a boundary, give me wisdom to establish it without hatred. When I need to forgive, help me release revenge without confusing forgiveness with permission for continued harm. Teach me how to wait. When I become impatient, keep me from manufacturing what You have not released. Help me remain faithful with what You have already placed in my hands instead of becoming consumed with what has not happened yet. Father, I surrender my plans, expectations, timetable, need to understand, and desire to control the outcome. I surrender the picture I created in my mind of how I thought everything was supposed to happen. Father, teach me the discipline of nevertheless and when what I want and what You desire are different, teach my heart to say, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” When Your direction requires waiting, help me wait. When it requires movement, help me move. When it requires release, help me open my hands. When it requires courage, strengthen me. Lord, I do not want to call Jesus Lord with my mouth while resisting His authority with my life. Let my private decisions agree with my public confession. Yesterday’s surrender belonged to yesterday. Today I surrender my will again. Even when Your way costs me mine, help me choose You. In Jesus Christ Name, Amen.

Nugget: Today surrender becomes real when God’s way and your way are no longer the same and you still choose to follow Him. You do not have to pretend you wanted something different. Bring your desires honestly before God but leave room for His answer. Sometimes the greatest evidence of surrender is one word: nevertheless. Yesterday required a yes; today may require you to say, “Not my will, but Thine.”

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Galatians 5:24–25 (KJV): “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Romans 6:12 (KJV): “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”

Whew! We have made it to Day 3. On Day 1, you learned to pick up the cross again. On Day 2, you learned that discipline becomes necessary when your feelings do not agree with obedience. Today you will deal with something that can easily discourage you; what happens when something you thought you surrendered tries to rise again?

Maybe you thought you were finished with that attitude until somebody said the wrong thing. Maybe you believed you had surrendered control until something happened outside of your plans. Maybe you thought comparison was no longer an issue until somebody received what you have been praying for. Maybe you believed you had forgiven until a name, picture, place, or conversation brought the memory back. When that happens, you can immediately think, “I thought I was past this. I thought I gave this to God. Why am I feeling this again?” I need you to hear me clearly, just because something is trying to resurface does not automatically mean it has regained authority. Just because an old thing tries to get back up does not mean you have to give it its old seat. (Read these scriptures, Matthew 12:43-45, about the danger of a house being empty, you must feel your space with the Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23), and then you can pray Ephesians 4:22-24 and reinforce it with Galatians 5:24-25). You can recognize anger without allowing anger to control your mouth. You can acknowledge fear without allowing fear to make the decision. You can notice jealousy without feeding comparison. You can remember what happened without rebuilding the offense. You can experience temptation without surrendering to it. Some things do not need another funeral. They need continued surrender.

Galatians 5 gives us important context for understanding what it means to crucify the flesh. Paul was writing to believers who were being pressured to place themselves under requirements of the Mosaic law, particularly circumcision, as necessary for belonging to God’s covenant people. Paul strongly defended the freedom believers have in Christ, but he also made it clear that Christian freedom was never permission for sinful living. Galatians 5:13 says, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh.” Then in verse 16, Paul says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Verse 17 explains that the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one another.

Paul does not describe Christian growth as though believers never experience competing desires again. Instead, he points believers toward a Spirit-led life. After describing the works of the flesh, he contrasts them with the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Then Galatians 5:24–25 says, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Notice the movement from crucifying to walking. God is not only showing us what needs to lose authority; through His Spirit, He is developing something different within us.

If anger has governed you, He develops patience and self-control. If jealousy has governed you, He develops love and gratitude. If fear has governed you, He deepens trust. If pride has governed you, He teaches humility. The goal is not merely an empty place where the flesh used to sit. The goal is a life increasingly governed by the Spirit. So, that thing can show up without taking over. Romans 6:12 says, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.” That word reign gives you a picture of rulership. Paul is addressing what you allow to exercise governing authority in your life. Because sometimes you confuse the presence of temptation with the rule of temptation. Don’t confuse having a thought with agreeing with the thought; because you confuse feeling an emotion with being required to obey that emotion. Something can show up without taking over.

Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you.” This does not mean believers never experience temptation. It means sin is not to be allowed the same governing mastery. The thought may knock, but you do not have to invite it in and feed it. The old reaction may rise, but you do not have to release it through your mouth. The memory may return, but you do not have to spend the next hour replaying the offense. Fear may whisper about everything that could go wrong, but fear does not have to write the plan.

Second Corinthians 10:5 speaks of “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Everything that enters our minds does not deserve our agreement. Sometimes discipline requires us to stop and ask, “Where is this thought taking me? Does it agree with God’s truth, or is it feeding fear, pride, offense, lust, comparison, or condemnation?” Your flesh can learn a new language through discipline. Old patterns do not always return looking exactly the way they looked before. Pride may no longer say, “I will never apologize.” It may say, “I will apologize when they apologize first.” Control may say, “I prayed about it, but I still need to make sure everything happens the way I think it should.” Unforgiveness may say, “I forgave them, but I need to keep telling everybody what they did.” Comparison may say, “I am happy for her, but I just do not understand why God has not done that for me.” The language may change while the root remains.

That is why David prayed in Psalm 139:23–24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” (You need to make this a part of your daily prayer.) Sometimes you need God to show you why a particular comment bothered you  so deeply, why somebody else’s success made you feel threatened, why correction immediately made you feel so defensive, or why you keep returning mentally to something you say you have released. You see the issue is not only what happened, but God is trying to reveal to you what the situation touched inside of you. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Paying attention to our hearts is part of spiritual discipline. We are not examining ourselves so we can condemn ourselves. We are allowing God to reveal what still needs His transforming work.

There comes a point when recognizing a pattern is not enough, as you can become very skilled at explaining yourself without ever changing. You will say, “That is just how I am,” “I have always had a temper,” “I overthink everything,” or “I have trust issues because of what happened to me.” Understanding where a pattern came from can be important but understanding it is not the same as surrendering it. (Whew!) Ephesians 4:22–24 speaks of putting off “the old man,” being “renewed in the spirit of your mind,” and putting on “the new man.” Scripture does not stop with what must be put off. There is also something to put on. If pride rises, practice humility. If comparison rises, practice gratitude. If anger rises, slow down before speaking. James 1:19 tells us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” If fear rises, pray before trying to control the outcome. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Recognition says, “There it is again.” But discipline says, “But I do not have to respond the way I used to.” Sometimes you think growth means something will never bother you again. But growth means recognizing something faster and giving it less room. Has there ever been a time when you could stay offended for months. Then months became weeks, weeks became days, and now you can recognize the offense while it is forming and pray before it settles into your heart. That is growth. Or did fear once controlled your decisions. Now fear may still speak, but you recognize it sooner and bring it to God before changing your plans. That is growth. Maybe you used to react immediately when you were angry. Now you can feel the anger rising and say, “I need a moment before I respond.” That is growth. Do not despise your growth because it does not look like perfection. Philippians 1:6 reminds you that the One who began the good work will continue performing it.

There is one more thing that you should not confuse crucifying the flesh with suppressing every legitimate emotion. Anger can alert you that something is wrong. Grief needs room to be experienced. Fear can sometimes alert you to actual danger. Healthy boundaries may be necessary. Difficult conversations may be necessary. Forgiveness does not always mean restored access. Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not.” Scripture acknowledges the emotion while placing responsibility on your response. The issue is not simply whether you feel something. The question is whether what you feel becomes your ruler.

Just remember these five words, Keep It on the Cross! Because something may try to rise today, but when it does, do not immediately assume you have failed. Recognize it, name it honestly before God, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond differently. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” Some things easily entangle us because they are familiar, but familiar does not mean necessary, and familiar does not mean authorized. You do not have to answer every thought. You do not have to replay every memory. You do not have to defend yourself in every conversation. You do not have to prove yourself to everybody. You do not have to control every outcome, respond to every irritation, or reopen everything God has helped you close.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” The word set requires intention. Sometimes we must intentionally redirect our minds because they naturally want to return to what is familiar. Yesterday you surrendered it. Today it presented itself again and today you have another opportunity to choose differently. If it presents itself tomorrow, tomorrow will bring another opportunity to choose Jesus again. That is not starting over. That is walking. Today, pray Psalm 139:23–24 and allow God to search beneath the surface. Ask Him not only to show you what is happening but also what may be underneath it. Then do not use what He reveals to condemn yourself. Use it as an opportunity to surrender more quickly. Sunshine, you do not have to give an old thing its old seat simply because it remembers where the chair is.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for continuing to work in me. Thank You for loving me enough to show me what needs to change and for giving me Your Spirit to help me walk differently. Father, there are things I have surrendered before that sometimes try to rise again. When that happens, keep me from immediately believing that I have made no progress. Help me understand the difference between something presenting itself and something ruling me. When an old thought returns, help me recognize it without automatically agreeing with it. When anger rises, help me slow down before my mouth gives it a voice. When fear rises, help me pray before trying to control everything. When comparison appears, turn my heart toward gratitude. When pride becomes defensive, give me humility. When an old offense returns to my mind, remind me that remembering what happened does not require me to rebuild what I released. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Show me where pride may have learned new language, where control may be hiding behind concern, where fear may be presenting itself as wisdom, or where unforgiveness may be hiding behind repeated conversations about what someone did to me. Forgive me for the times I have recognized unhealthy patterns but continued giving them permission. Help me stop saying, “That is just how I am,” about things You are trying to transform. My history may help explain some of my responses, but it does not have to determine how I respond today. Holy Spirit, help me walk in You. Produce Your fruit in me so that love becomes stronger than offense, peace stronger than anxiety, patience stronger than impatience, gentleness stronger than harshness, faith stronger than fear, humility stronger than pride, and self-control stronger than impulse. Give me wisdom to know when I need to speak and when I need to remain quiet, when I need a boundary and when I need to extend grace, when I need to confront something and when I need to release it. Teach me to bring my emotions beneath Your wisdom rather than allowing them to govern me. Father, let the time between recognition and surrender become shorter. Let the time between conviction and repentance become shorter. When I recognize an unhealthy response, help me correct it sooner. Make me increasingly sensitive to Your Spirit so that I notice what is happening within me before it grows into something larger. Thank You for reminding me that growth does not always mean I will never struggle again. Sometimes growth means I recognize the struggle sooner, give it less room, respond differently, repent more quickly, and return my attention to You. Yesterday’s surrender belonged to yesterday. Today I choose not to give old things new permission. Let Your Spirit have authority over my flesh, Your truth over my excuses, Your wisdom over my reactions, Your peace over my anxiety, and Your love over my offense. If something tries to rise again tomorrow, remind me that tomorrow will bring another opportunity to choose You. Help me keep surrendering, keep growing, and keep walking. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: just because an old thing tries to get back up does not mean you have to give it its old seat. Growth is not always the absence of struggle; sometimes it is recognizing the struggle sooner and refusing to let it rule you again. Some things do not need another funeral; they need continued surrender. Recognize it, surrender it, and keep walking.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Luke 9:23 (KJV): “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

1 Corinthians 15:31 (KJV): “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”

Yesterday, we began Crucify It 3.0 with the words, “Pick It Up Again.” We established that daily surrender does not mean starting over every morning. It means continuing what God has already begun in us. Today we go a little deeper because there will be days when you know exactly what obedience requires, but you simply do not feel like doing it.

Think about these questions before you blurt out an answer. What happens when you know you should forgive, but you are still hurt? What happens when you know you need to wait, but you are tired of waiting? What happens when you know you should guard your mouth, but someone has said the one thing that makes you want to respond? What happens when you know God is asking you to trust Him, but fear feels stronger than faith? This is where your discipline becomes necessary.

Discipline does not mean denying what you feel or pretending something does not hurt. It means learning that your feelings can be acknowledged without being given final authority. There will be days when your emotions agree with obedience and days when they do not. If you only follow God when you feel like following Him, then your feelings are still determining how far you are willing to go. So, do you really know Jesus, or do you just know how to do church? Yesterday you picked up the cross and today you are learning how to keep walking with it.

You must die daily! First Corinthians 15 is Paul’s great defense of the resurrection. Some among the Corinthians were questioning the resurrection of the dead, and Paul explains that the resurrection is essential to the gospel. He reminds them that Christ died, was buried, rose again, and was seen by witnesses. He then makes the point that if there is no resurrection, Christian preaching and faith are empty. Within that discussion, Paul speaks about the dangers he faced because of the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:30–31, he asks, “And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?” and then says, “I die daily.” In its immediate context, Paul is speaking about his repeated exposure to danger and the possibility of physical death because of his commitment to Christ. You should honor that context.

At the same time, Paul’s willingness to remain faithful despite repeated cost gives us a strong picture of consistency, while Luke 9:23 gives you the direct command concerning daily self-denial. Jesus says to deny yourself, take up the cross daily, and follow Him. Together, these Scriptures remind us that faithful living cannot be built only on convenience. Paul gives us another helpful picture in 1 Corinthians 9:25–27. He compares disciplined Christian living to an athlete training with purpose. In verse 27 he says, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” An athlete does not train only when motivated. Training requires repetition, restraint, consistency, and focus.

The same is true spiritually. Prayer cannot depend entirely on your mood. Forgiveness cannot depend entirely on your emotion. Trust cannot depend entirely on whether your circumstances are going well. Obedience has to become deeper than how you feel in the moment. So, what happens when your feelings and faith disagree? Because yes your feelings are real, but they are not always reliable leaders. You can love God and still feel discouraged. You can trust Him and still have moments of fear. You can forgive someone and still feel hurt when you remember what happened. You can know God called you and still have moments when you wonder whether you have the strength to continue. The presence of a feeling does not automatically determine the condition of your faith. What matters is what you do with that feeling once you recognize it.

Psalm 42:5 (KJV) says, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God.” The psalmist does not pretend he is not troubled. He acknowledges his condition and then reminds himself where his hope belongs. Your discipline looks exactly like that. You may have to say, “Yes, I am hurt, but my hurt will not determine everything I do today. Yes, I am frustrated, but frustration will not control my mouth. Yes, I am disappointed, but disappointment will not cause me to abandon what God told me. Yes, I am afraid, but fear does not get to make this decision.” Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Walking is continued movement. You should just take another step and then another. Every step gives you another opportunity to follow the Holy Spirit instead of allowing the flesh to determine your response.

Your discipline is built in your ordinary decisions. Much of spiritual discipline is developed in ordinary moments. It is built when you pause before responding to a message that upset you. It is built when you choose not to repeat gossip, even though you know the entire story. It is built when you apologize without adding an excuse designed to make yourself look less responsible. It is built when you pray instead of immediately panicking, when you wait instead of forcing a door, and when you refuse to rehearse an offense simply because your mind has given you another opportunity to revisit it.

Luke 16:10 (KJV) says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” Faithfulness is often formed in what appears small. The way you handle a thought matters. The way you respond when irritated matters. The way you behave when nobody is watching matters. Hebrews 12:11 says that discipline does not always feel pleasant in the moment, but afterward it can produce “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” There are things God develops in you that are not built through comfort alone. So do not assume that difficulty means surrendering is not working, because sometimes it is the difficulty that is revealing exactly where discipline is being formed in you.

If there was ever a thing that you needed to do, it is this, stop negotiating with what God has already made clear! There are times when you already know what God’s Word requires of you, but as soon as obedience becomes uncomfortable, you begin trying negotiating with it. You know exactly what you should be doing, but you start listing reasons why your situation should be the exception. You know that you should be watching your words, (go read Matthew 12:36 about the words that you speak) but you convince yourself that the other person deserves everything that you are about to say. You know you should wait, but because waiting is uncomfortable, you start looking for ways to make something happen on your own. James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Eventually, what you know has become what you practice.

Jesus said in John 8:31, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” That word continue belongs in Crucify It 3.0. It is one thing to begin. It is another thing to continue when the excitement of beginning is gone. Some of you are strong starters. You start praying, start setting boundaries, start forgiving, start changing habits, and start doing what God has been telling you to do. But discipleship is not measured only by how passionately you begin; there must also be a willingness to continue. Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to become weary in well doing. Paul acknowledges something very human: you can become tired while doing the right thing. Weariness does not automatically mean you are on the wrong path. Sometimes you are simply tired, and that is when you need God’s strength, wisdom, and grace so that temporary weariness does not make permanent decisions for you.

Grace and discipline belong together because discipline does not mean perfection. There will be days when you get it wrong. You may speak too quickly, let fear influence a decision, entertain an offense longer than you should, or recognize that impatience has taken over. But when the Holy Spirit reveals it, the answer is not to hide from God, the answer is to return to Him. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” Grace gives you room to repent and continue growing. Grace is not permission to remain unchanged, but it keeps failure from becoming the place where you stop. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (this is one of my favorite scriptures) Spiritual discipline is not about fixing yourself without God,  it is about cooperating with the work He is already doing within you. So, sometimes the most disciplined thing you can do is simply stop, pray, and ask, “Holy Spirit, help me respond in a way that honors God.”

Today’s Yes, Requires Today’s Discipline! I know yesterday may have been a strong day. You may have prayed, studied, controlled your tongue, trusted God, and handled situations with wisdom. Thank God for yesterday. But today has its own choices. Matthew 6:34 reminds us not to become consumed with tomorrow. You do not have to carry tomorrow’s cross today. You need grace for the day that is actually in front of you. So, if you do not feel like forgiving today, ask God for the grace to move toward forgiveness today. If you do not feel like waiting, ask Him for patience today. If your emotions are strong, ask the Holy Spirit to govern your response today. If you are tired, ask God for wisdom concerning what needs rest and what still requires obedience. You do not have to promise that you will never struggle again.

Give God your yes for today. That is discipline. That is consistency. That is daily surrender. Do not condemn yourself for what you feel. Bring it before God honestly. Let Him show you where discipline needs to grow and then make the next obedient decision.  You do not have to solve your entire life today. You only have to be faithful with today.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for another morning and another opportunity to follow You. Thank You for reminding me that this journey is not built upon one emotional moment, one prayer, one devotional, or one decision. You are teaching me how to walk with You consistently, and I acknowledge that consistency requires discipline. Father, there are days when obedience feels easier than others. There are days when I feel full of faith and days when my emotions feel heavy. There are moments when I want to forgive and moments when the hurt still feels fresh. There are times when waiting feels peaceful and times when waiting frustrates me. Help me remember that my feelings are real, but they do not have to become the final authority over my decisions. Holy Spirit, teach me to acknowledge what I feel without allowing every feeling to lead me. When I am angry, give me wisdom before I speak. When I am hurt, help me respond from healing rather than retaliation. When fear rises, remind me of what is true. When impatience rises, keep me from moving ahead of Your wisdom. When pride appears, give me humility to listen, receive corrections, and apologize when necessary. Father, develop discipline in the ordinary places of my life. Teach me to pause before responding, pray before panicking, listen before defending myself, and seek Your direction before assuming that my way is best. Help me stop negotiating with what Your Word has already made clear simply because obedience has become uncomfortable. Lord, give me grace when I fall short. Keep me from using grace as an excuse to remain the same but also keep me from using my mistakes as a reason to condemn myself. When I miss it, help me confess it, correct what needs to be corrected, learn from it, and keep walking. Father, I do not want my commitment to You to depend upon my mood. I want to follow You when I feel strong and when I feel weak, when I understand and when I have questions, when obedience feels easy and when obedience costs me something. Yesterday’s surrender mattered but today requires today’s discipline. So, I bring You this day. I bring You my thoughts, emotions, reactions, conversations, decisions, and desires. Let Your Spirit govern what my flesh wants to control. Let Your Word correct what my feelings may distort. Let Your wisdom guide me when I am tempted to move according to impulse. Father, help me carry today’s cross, make today’s decisions, practice today’s obedience, and give You today’s yes. If You give me tomorrow, I will need You again, but right now I choose to follow You today. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: Discipline is choosing what honors God even when your feelings are pulling in another direction. You do not have to carry tomorrow today, and you do not have to pretend every step is easy. Ask God for the grace to be faithful with the day in front of you, because yesterday’s surrender was necessary, but today requires today’s discipline.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Good Morning Sunshine! We are still dealing with Crucify It! And this is just for you, make it personal, your Yesterday’s Surrender Is Not your Today’s Yes!

God will not turn this loose, and apparently, neither can I! I keep trying to move on, and He keeps adding. But I believe it is because He does not want us to miss this; crucifying the flesh is daily, and picking up our cross is daily. Yesterday’s surrender cannot replace today’s obedience. As long as God gives us breath, we must continue bringing our flesh under submission, picking up our cross, and following Jesus. This is not a one-time decision; it is the daily discipline of a surrendered life. There comes a point in our walk with God when we have to move beyond simply knowing what needs to be crucified and begin developing the discipline necessary to keep choosing the cross. This is where Crucify It 3.0 begins.

The original Crucify It confronted the flesh. It caused us to look at the desires, attitudes, habits, reactions, and behaviors that compete with the Spirit of God operating in our lives. It challenged us to stop excusing what God was calling us to surrender.

Crucify It 2.0 took us deeper. It made us examine ourselves again because sometimes we can surrender something in one season only to discover another layer of it in another. God continued revealing what was beneath the surface. We began understanding that crucifying the flesh is not simply about changing outward behavior; God is concerned about the condition of the heart producing the behavior.

But now we have arrived at Crucify It 3.0, and the question has changed. We are no longer simply asking, “What needs to be crucified?” Now we are asking, Luke 9:23 (KJV): “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” “Do I have the discipline to pick up my cross again today?” Because Jesus did not say, “Take up your cross once.” He said, “Take up his cross daily.” That one-word changes everything. Daily.

Daily means yesterday counted but yesterday is finished. Daily means the surrender you made last week was necessary but today has its own decisions. Daily means there may be mornings when you wake up feeling strong and mornings when you wake up tired. There will be days when obedience feels easy and days when everything in your flesh wants something different. There will be days when you feel close to God and days when you must obey what you know even when you do not feel anything extraordinary.

This is where discipline enters the journey. Discipline says, “I am not waiting until I feel like surrendering.” Discipline says, “I made this decision yesterday, and I am making it again today.” Discipline says, “My emotions changed, but my commitment has not.” Discipline says, “I know what my flesh wants, but I also know whom I have chosen to follow.” Crucify It 3.0 is about learning how to live the surrendered life after the emotional moment of surrender has passed.

It is the morning after the altar. It is the decision after prayer that you prayed. It is the response when the same person presses the same button. It is what happens when the temptation you thought was gone knocks again. It is choosing obedience when nobody is watching. It is learning that following Jesus requires more than a moment of surrender; it requires a lifestyle of surrender.

And perhaps this is where we sometimes become frustrated with ourselves. We think, “But I prayed about this already.” We say, “I gave this to God.” We wonder, “Why am I dealing with this again?” Maybe you did surrender it. Maybe yesterday’s surrender was completely sincere. But Sunshine, yesterday’s surrender belongs to yesterday. Today requires another yes. This does not mean we start our relationship with God over every morning. It does not mean yesterday’s growth disappeared overnight. It means discipleship continues.

Think about physical discipline. You cannot exercise one day and expect that one workout to sustain your body for the remainder of your life. You cannot eat one healthy meal and declare that nourishment will never again be necessary. You cannot sleep eight hours one night and decide you will never need rest again. Some things must become rhythms because they are necessary for continued health.

Jesus describes discipleship with that same kind of continuation: daily. So, Crucify It 3.0 is not simply another call to the cross. It is a call to consistency at the cross.

Let’s Begin Day 1

Good Morning Sunshine! It’s Time To Pick It Up Again, The Discipline Of Daily Surrender!

Luke 9:23 (KJV): “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Here we are again! If you walked with me through Crucify It 1.0 and Crucify It 2.0, you may be wondering what else there could possibly be to say about crucifying the flesh. We have already talked about surrender. We have looked honestly at attitudes, desires, habits, reactions, thoughts, and behaviors that must come under the authority of Jesus Christ. We have prayed, cried, repented, released, forgiven, confronted, and allowed God to show us things about ourselves that we could no longer blame on somebody else.

But Crucify It 3.0 brings us to another place. The first Crucify It helped us recognize what needed to die. Crucify It 2.0 showed us that surrender has deeper layers. Now Crucify It 3.0 asks a different question, can we develop the discipline to live surrendered every day?

Can I choose Jesus when nobody is preaching to me? Can I guard my mouth outside of church? Can I forgive when there is no apology? Can I wait when I am tired of waiting? Can I trust God when His timing does not agree with mine? Can I deny myself when what I want may not be sinful, but it is not God’s direction for me? This is where surrender moves beyond a moment and becomes a way of life.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” That word daily is where we are going to live throughout Crucify It 3.0. Yesterday’s surrender mattered. Yesterday’s obedience mattered. Yesterday’s repentance, forgiveness, restraint, and decision to trust God mattered. But yesterday has ended, and today has arrived with its own thoughts, conversations, temptations, emotions, and decisions. So, here is the truth we are carrying with us every day, what you crucified yesterday belongs to yesterday, and what you do today belongs to today. Yesterday’s surrender was necessary but today requires its own yes.

To understand the weight of Luke 9:23, we have to look at what was happening around it. In Luke 9:18–20, Jesus asked His disciples who the people said He was. Then He made the question personal: “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” Immediately afterward, Jesus told them in Luke 9:22 that the Son of Man would suffer, be rejected, be slain, and rise again. Then He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

For us, the cross is immediately associated with Christianity. For those hearing Jesus, however, the cross was an instrument of Roman execution. It represented suffering, shame, death, and loss of control. Jesus was making it clear that discipleship would require surrender. Notice also that Jesus first says, “Let him deny himself.” Self-denial does not mean self-hatred, neglecting legitimate needs, remaining in abusive situations, refusing healthy boundaries, or believing every personal desire is sinful. It is about lordship. My feelings matter. My plans matter. My desires matter. My opinions matter. But none of them are Lord. Jesus is Lord.

That is why the order matters, deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. We cannot genuinely follow Jesus while continually insisting that Jesus follow us. Daily surrender does not mean we start our relationship with God over every morning. We are not getting saved again, erasing yesterday’s progress, or pretending God has not already done anything within us. We are continuing. Philippians 1:6 (KJV) says, “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God is continuing His work in us, and we continue responding to Him.

Think about the rhythms necessary for everyday life. One glass of water cannot sustain you forever. One night’s sleep does not eliminate your future need for rest. One healthy meal does not provide permanent nourishment. In the same way, prayer, trust, obedience, forgiveness, and time in God’s Word must become rhythms in your spiritual lives.

Lamentations 3:22–23 says that God’s compassions “are new every morning.” Every new morning is another reminder that God has given us mercy for another day and another opportunity to respond to Him. Perhaps one of your first prayers should simply be, “Lord, You gave me another day. Help me give this day back to You.” I know that sometimes surrendering feels different the morning after. You may have had a powerful moment with God. You prayed sincerely, cried, released something, forgave somebody, or made a decision that you knew was necessary. Then life happened.

The person who irritated you says something else. The situation you surrendered still has not changed. The temptation returns. The person you forgave comes back to mind. The door remains closed. The thing you said you would stop worrying about is suddenly back in your thoughts. You may find yourself saying, “God, I thought I gave this to You.” But what you surrender on yesterday does not mean you will never again experience an emotion, thought, memory, temptation, or circumstance connected to it. This is where discipline begins. Discipline says, “I remember what I surrendered, and today I am going to live according to that surrender.”

Romans 12:1 calls us to present our bodies as “a living sacrifice,” and Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. A living sacrifice keeps encountering real life. Your renewed thinking will eventually meet an old trigger. Your new response will meet an old situation. Your discipline will meet an old temptation. That is where growth becomes visible.

Just so you know that on some days the cross looks like you being obedient. There will be days when you know the right response but do not necessarily want to give it. You know you should pray before reacting, forgive while you are still hurting, wait when you are tired of waiting, or apologize while pride is telling you why the other person should apologize first. This is where you begin to see the difference between desire and discipline. Desire often moves when it feels like moving. Discipline learns to obey even while the feelings are catching up. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” When our emotions are giving us poor directions, God’s Word becomes our lamp. James 1:22 tells us to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Eventually, what we know has to become what we practice.

Sometimes picking up your cross will look very ordinary. It may mean not sending the angry text, pausing before answering, admitting you were wrong, listening instead of immediately defending yourself, praying when you are tired, opening your Bible when your mind is crowded, or refusing to revisit something God has already helped you release. Some days the cross will not look dramatic at all. It will simply look like obedience, and  I know that you just read that line, “it will simply look like obedience on your part.” So, stop waiting until you feel like it.

Sometimes you can tell yourself that you will obey when you feel stronger, forgive when you feel completely healed, move when you stop being afraid, or trust God when you finally understand what He is doing. But if you always wait for your feelings to agree before you obey, then your feelings are still governing you. Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Proverbs 3:5–6 tells us to trust in the Lord rather than leaning entirely upon our own understanding. Faith sometimes requires movement while questions remain. Jesus demonstrated this in Gethsemane when He prayed in Luke 22:42, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” He did not pretend that what was before Him was easy. He honestly acknowledged the weight of it and still submitted to the Father’s will.

Sometimes your daily cross will be found in your own nevertheless. “Lord, this hurts; nevertheless, I trust You. This is not what I wanted; nevertheless, I will follow You. I do not understand; nevertheless, I will obey what You have shown me.” And these are the moments when discipline simply sounds like nevertheless but pick it up again anyway.

Maybe you have been discouraged because you thought you should be farther along by now. You thought you would never struggle with that thought again or that the flesh would never try to pull you back toward an old response. But Jesus already gave us language for this journey: daily. Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Walking is continued movement. We take one step and then another. Proverbs 24:16 reminds us that “a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” Philippians 3:14 says, “I press toward the mark.”

That is the heart of Crucify It 3.0, you are not starting over every morning, you are continuing, you are continuing to surrender, continuing to learn, continuing to receive correction, continuing to recognize the flesh sooner, and continuing to respond to the Holy Spirit more quickly. If God gives you tomorrow, you will continue tomorrow. But right now, He has given you today.

I want you to ask yourself one simple question today, what does picking up my cross look like right now? And then ask yourself whether you are waiting until you feel like obeying or whether you are developing the discipline to follow Jesus regardless of how you feel. Hebrews 12:1–2 tells us to lay aside every weight and sin that easily besets us, run with patience the race set before us, and keep looking to Jesus. You cannot run today’s race staring backward at yesterday. Today has its own grace, its own decisions, and its own cross, so pick it up.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ, thank You for allowing me to see another day. Yesterday is finished, and I thank You for every victory, every lesson, every correction, and every act of surrender that took place. But today You have given me another opportunity to follow You, so I give this day back to You. Teach me what it means to deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow Jesus. Forgive me for the times I have wanted the benefits of following You without the discipline of surrender. Forgive me when I have called Jesus Lord with my mouth while allowing my emotions, preferences, pride, fear, or desires to have the final authority in my decisions. Holy Spirit, help me in the ordinary moments today. Help me when I am irritated, disappointed, overlooked, afraid, impatient, or tempted to control something that belongs in Your hands. When pride tells me I do not need correction, humble me. When offense tells me I have a right to hold on to what happened, remind me of the freedom of forgiveness. When fear tells me I need to control everything, remind me that You are trustworthy. Teach me to acknowledge my emotions without allowing them to become my authority. Let my thoughts be examined by Your truth, my desires submitted to Your wisdom, and my plans surrendered to Your will. When I do not feel like praying, help me pray. When I do not feel like forgiving, help me move toward forgiveness. When I do not feel like waiting, give me patience. When I need to apologize, break the pride that makes being right more important than making things right. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Show me where something is competing with Your authority. Reveal the excuses I have become comfortable making and the places where my mouth says yes while my actions are still saying no. Father, when I stumble, help me get back up. When I miss it, help me repent. When I hurt someone, give me humility to make it right. Do not allow shame to keep me on the ground when Your grace is calling me to continue walking. I thank You for yesterday’s surrender, but I will not attempt to live today on yesterday’s yes. Today I choose Your will over mine, Your Word over my feelings, Your Spirit over my flesh, Your timing over my impatience, Your truth over my thoughts, and Your purpose over my preferences. Lord, do not merely teach me how to have a surrendered moment. Teach me how to live a surrendered life. Today I pick up my cross again, and today I give You another yes. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: Hello Sunshine, you are not starting over; you are continuing. Yesterday’s surrender mattered but yesterday cannot carry today’s cross. God gave you another morning and another opportunity to choose Him. Do not wait until you feel like it. Pick up your cross again, give God today’s yes, and keep following Jesus!

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Romans 8:12–14 (NKJV) ~ “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Romans 8, Paul explains what it means to belong to Jesus Christ and live through the power of the Holy Spirit. He begins by declaring that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He then explains that the Spirit brings life and that believers are no longer obligated to live according to the flesh. When Paul says, “We are debtors—not to the flesh,” he is reminding believers that their former way of living no longer has a rightful claim over them. They do not owe their desires unquestioned obedience. They are not required to follow every impulse, repeat every old pattern, or allow their former way of thinking to determine their future.

But notice what Paul says in verse 13: “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” He does not present spiritual growth as something you accomplish through determination alone. The Holy Spirit empowers you to turn away from what opposes God and to live in a way that reflects your new life in Christ. Then Paul makes the declaration that brings this entire journey together: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” In the verses that follow, Paul explains that believers have received the Spirit of adoption, through whom they cry out, “Abba, Father.” (When is the last time you cried out “Abba Father?”) Being led by the Spirit is therefore not merely about receiving instructions. It is part of living in a relationship with God as His child. You are not trying to earn a place in His family by making perfect decisions. You are learning to live as someone who belongs to Him. And this is where this journey reaches its central peak. You have been examining what has power over you, growing in maturity, exercising discernment, and renewing your mind. But now you must ask yourself, Who is actually leading the life you are living?

Imagine preparing for a long journey through unfamiliar territory. You have asked someone who knows the route to take you to your destination. You settle into the passenger seat and say, “I trust you. You know where we are going.” But the moment the driver makes a turn you do not recognize, you become uncomfortable. You begin questioning the route, pointing toward the road you would have chosen, and wondering why the journey is taking longer than you expected. Before long, you find yourself reaching toward the steering wheel because you are convinced that your way would be better. And there you are, asking someone else to lead while still trying to control every turn. Now, think about your relationship with God. How often do you pray, “Lord, lead me,” but become uncomfortable when His direction does not agree with your plans? How often do you ask Him to order your steps, only to become impatient when the journey requires you to wait, change direction, or release something you thought you needed?

You cannot fully follow the One you have asked to lead while continually insisting on choosing every turn yourself. There comes a moment in your spiritual journey when you have to stop asking only what needs to change and begin asking who is directing the life you are living. You may have recognized some old habits, acknowledged some familiar patterns, and begun making different choices. You may have learned to pause before responding, examine what you allow to influence you, and recognize when a thought is leading you somewhere you no longer want to go. But what happens after you recognize those things? What happens when you have to make the next decision, enter the next conversation, accept or decline the next opportunity, or respond to the next unexpected change? You still need someone to lead you. And this is why this journey could not end with simply crucifying your flesh.

You can stop doing something without knowing what to do next. You can walk away from an old pattern and still feel uncertain when you encounter a new situation. You can establish a boundary and still need wisdom about how to maintain it. You can recognize that a familiar response is unhelpful and still need the Holy Spirit to teach you a better way. Crucifying the flesh was never meant to leave you standing still, afraid to make another decision. It was meant to help you stop allowing your flesh to govern the direction of your life so that you could become more attentive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Notice that Paul does not say you are led by every feeling you experience, every opportunity presented to you, or every desire that seems reasonable. He points you toward the Spirit of God. And that means you have to become willing to follow even when His direction challenges what you would have chosen for yourself.

For it is one thing to say, “Lord, lead me,” while everything is going according to your plan. It is another thing all together to continue trusting Him when you have to wait, when a door does not open, when an opportunity requires more responsibility than you expected, or when the next step involves a conversation you have been avoiding.  Sometimes you ask God for direction, but what you really want is confirmation that the direction you have already chosen is the right one. You have thought about what you want, considered how you want it to happen, and decided when you believe it should take place. Then you come before Him and ask Him to bless the plan. But what if His answer is different? What if the Holy Spirit leads you to wait when you are ready to move? What if He leads you to speak when you would rather remain silent? What if He leads you to apologize when you have been concentrating on what the other person did wrong? What if He leads you to establish a boundary when you would rather keep everybody comfortable?

Will you still follow when following requires you to release your preferred way of doing things? Proverbs 3:5–6 tells you to trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, and acknowledge Him in all your ways. That instruction does not mean you should stop thinking, planning, asking questions, or taking responsibility for your decisions. It means your understanding must remain submitted to God rather than becoming the final authority over your life. Sometimes,  the hardest thing to surrender is not an obviously harmful desire; but it is a plan you have worked hard to develop, an opportunity you have been hoping for, or a direction that makes perfect sense to you. You may even be able to explain why you want it. You may have the qualifications, resources, and opportunity to pursue it. But before you move, you still need to ask whether it agrees with God’s Word, whether it is wise for your present responsibilities, and whether you are remaining attentive to the Holy Spirit rather than simply following your enthusiasm.

Remember the question that began this new series, just because you can, does that mean you should? And this is where discernment becomes more than recognizing what is wrong. It helps you examine what is before you so that you can respond faithfully. My sister and brother, being led by Spirit, does not mean that every decision will come with an extraordinary sign or an unmistakable feeling. Sometimes His leadership is expressed through the clear teaching of Scripture. Sometimes you recognize that a decision would require you to compromise a principle you already know God has established. Sometimes you need to pray, gather information, seek wise counsel, and consider your responsibilities before moving forward. You do not have to manufacture certainty where you do not yet have it. James 1:5 reminds you that if you lack wisdom, you can ask God for it. And when you seek His wisdom, remain willing to receive instructions that may challenge your original preference, that willingness is part of surrender.

Sunshine, think again about that passenger reaching for the wheel. She trusted the driver as long as the road looked familiar. But when the journey took an unexpected turn, she wanted to take control. Sometimes you respond to God in a similar way because you are more comfortable with a familiar struggle than an unfamiliar act of obedience. You know how to respond when someone disappoints you because you have practiced that response for years. You know how to avoid a difficult conversation because avoidance has become familiar. You know how to take control when circumstances become uncertain because controlling the situation has been your way of managing discomfort. But now the Holy Spirit is teaching you another way to live. He may lead you to listen before defending yourself. He may lead you to address an issue instead of pretending it does not exist. He may lead you to allow someone else to carry a responsibility that does not belong to you. He may lead you to rest when you have become accustomed to measuring your worth by how much you accomplish. And because those responses are unfamiliar, you may feel tempted to reach for the wheel again. Do not confuse an unfamiliar response with a wrong response simply because it requires you to grow.

There is a difference between being uncomfortable because something is unwise and being uncomfortable because something requires you to change. That is why you need the discernment you have been developing. You must examine what is happening rather than allowing discomfort alone to determine your decision. Romans 8:5 says that those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Your attention matters. What you repeatedly entertain matters. The assumptions you make, the conclusions you reach, and the thoughts you continue rehearsing can influence whether you respond from wisdom or simply return to what is familiar. Perhaps you have been telling yourself that if you do not handle everything, nothing will get done. But the Holy Spirit may be teaching you how to delegate, communicate, and trust others with appropriate responsibilities. Perhaps you have been telling yourself that setting a boundary means you are being unkind. But He may be teaching you that you can be loving without agreeing to every request.

Perhaps you have been telling yourself that you must have every answer before taking a step. But He may be teaching you how to act faithfully with the understanding you have while trusting Him with what remains uncertain. Your thoughts do not have to agree with every old fear before you can begin walking in a new direction. And let us be clear about something else: being led by the Spirit does not mean that you will never experience another struggle with your flesh. Galatians 5:17 describes the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. You may still experience the urge to respond harshly, avoid a responsibility, satisfy an appetite, or return to a familiar habit. The presence of temptation does not mean you have failed to grow. What matters is that you are learning not to give every desire the authority to direct your choices.

Romans 8:13 says that “by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body.” You are not being instructed to rely solely on your willpower. You are called to depend on the Holy Spirit as you turn away from what opposes God and practice a different way of living. That dependence is not weakness. It is part of your new life in Christ. And Sunshine, you may discover that some of the clearest evidence of spiritual growth appears in ordinary situations that nobody else considers remarkable. Think about this, you receive a message that frustrates you, but instead of immediately sending the response you have already prepared, you pause and consider your words. You recognize that you are tired and becoming impatient, so you choose to rest rather than allowing your exhaustion to become an excuse for mistreating someone. You notice that you have begun comparing your progress with someone else’s, and you return your attention to the work God has placed before you.

You recognize that a conversation needs to happen, and instead of postponing it again, you pray, prepare, and approach it with honesty and love and those moments may not look impressive from the outside, but they matter. As the evidence that the Holy Spirit is leading you is that you handle an old situation in a new way. Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities are not merely words to admire. They are evidence of the Spirit’s work becoming visible in the way you live. Think about what that could mean in your everyday life. Your family may begin experiencing greater patience from you. Your coworkers may notice that you can address a difficult issue without allowing frustration to control your tone. Your relationships may become healthier because you are learning to communicate honestly and establish appropriate boundaries. Your responsibilities may receive more consistent attention because you are no longer waiting until you feel motivated to do what needs to be done.

And this is when you begin experiencing a deeper sense of peace, not because every circumstance has changed, but because you are learning that every circumstance does not have to govern you. Romans 8:6 says, “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” God’s peace does not always mean the absence of a difficult decision. Sometimes peace is the ability to remain grounded in Him while you make one. It is knowing that you can seek His wisdom, act faithfully, and trust Him with the parts of the outcome that are beyond your control. Now, as this series comes to a close, think about the journey that brought you here. You thought the conversation was finished when you completed Crucify It. You had spent time examining your flesh, recognizing what needed to be surrendered, and learning that new territory requires new discipline. But then you encountered 1 Corinthians 6:12, and the question became deeper: “What still has power over me?”

Hebrews 5:11–14 challenged you to grow beyond spiritual infancy and exercise your discernment. Romans 8 directed your attention to the mind and the life that comes through the Holy Spirit. And now you have reached the question that has been waiting at the center of it all; “Who is leading you?” Because you can recognize a problem without surrendering it. You can learn a lesson without practicing it. You can develop discernment and still choose to ignore what you recognize. You can understand the importance of renewing your mind and still spend your days entertaining thoughts that keep you on an old path. At some point, what you have learned must become part of how you live. And that is where transition comes with a cost. Remember that sometimes the cost is releasing your need to control the outcome. Sometimes it is accepting that your preferred timing may not be the wisest timing. Sometimes it is choosing obedience when the easier option is available. Sometimes it is admitting that you were wrong, asking for help, changing a habit, or following through on a responsibility you have been postponing.

But do not measure the value of surrender only by what you have to release. Consider what God is developing in you as you learn to follow Him: greater maturity, stronger discernment, healthier responses, deeper trust, and the ability to recognize when your flesh is trying to regain authority over your decisions. For the greater is not what you receive next, but it is who you are becoming while you learn to follow God. You can remain dependent on God while taking responsibility for the next faithful step. If you make a mistake, do not use it as a reason to abandon everything you have been learning. Acknowledge what happened, seek forgiveness where needed, receive correction, and return your attention to the way God is teaching you to live. Philippians 1:6 reminds you that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God is continuing His work in you. You are not expected to complete the entire journey in five days, but you can choose to keep growing beyond these five days.

So, when you wake up tomorrow, do not treat this series as something you have finished and can now put away. Take what you have learned into your next conversation, your next responsibility, your next opportunity, and your next decision. Before you respond, ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond wisely. Before you commit, consider whether the opportunity is beneficial and appropriate for your responsibilities. When you recognize an old pattern, exercise your discernment. When your mind begins traveling a familiar path that no longer serves you, bring your thoughts back to what is true. And when you find yourself reaching for the wheel because the road ahead is unfamiliar, remember the One you have asked to lead you. You do not have to control every turn to follow God faithfully.

And the goal was never simply to stop doing what your flesh wanted. The goal is to become increasingly willing to live under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. You crucified it. You examined it. You began growing beyond it. You exercised your discernment and learned to renew your mind. Now keep walking. Let the Spirit take the lead, not only when His direction agrees with your plans, but also when following Him requires you to surrender the plans you would have chosen for yourself.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me to the end of this journey and for showing me that the work You are doing in me does not end when a devotional series ends. Thank You for every lesson You have taught me about crucifying my flesh, examining what has power over me, growing in spiritual maturity, exercising discernment, and renewing my mind. Today, I come before You with a simple but sincere request: Holy Spirit, take the lead in my life. Father, forgive me for the times I have asked You to lead me while continuing to insist that everything happen according to my own plans. Forgive me for the moments when I have wanted Your approval more than Your direction, when I have asked You to bless a decision I had already made, or when I have become impatient because the journey was taking longer than I expected. Help me surrender my need to control every outcome and teach me to trust You with the parts of my life that I cannot fully understand. Holy Spirit, lead me in my thoughts before they become words, in my emotions before they become reactions, and in my desires before they become decisions. When I am frustrated, teach me to respond with patience. When I am offended, help me pursue truth and love rather than allowing bitterness to take root. When I am uncertain, remind me to seek wisdom instead of making a rushed decision simply because I am uncomfortable waiting. When I recognize an old pattern, give me the strength to choose a different response. Lord, I invite Your leadership into every area of my life. Lead me in my family, my relationships, my responsibilities, my work, my ministry, my finances, my conversations, and the decisions I make when nobody else is watching. Help me recognize when an opportunity is beneficial and when it would require me to neglect something You have already placed in my hands. Teach me to distinguish between what I am capable of doing and what I should responsibly commit myself to doing. Father, continue developing my discernment. I do not want to make decisions based only on my feelings, my fears, or my desire to be accepted. Teach me to examine what is before me through Your Word, to seek wise counsel when needed, and to remain humble enough to acknowledge when I do not have all the information. Help me recognize the difference between a necessary warning and an old fear, between a wise boundary and an attempt to avoid a difficult conversation, and between an opportunity I should embrace and one I should prayerfully decline. Holy Spirit, continue renewing my mind. When I begin rehearsing an argument, remind me to seek a wise and loving response. When I begin imagining the worst possible outcome, help me return to what I actually know and trust You with what remains uncertain. When I am tempted to compare my journey with someone else’s, refocus me on the responsibilities and opportunities You have given me. When I begin believing that I cannot change, remind me that You are continuing Your work in me. Father, help me accept the cost of transition without becoming resentful of what I need to release. If I must surrender an old habit, give me the discipline to establish a healthier one. If I must have a difficult conversation, give me the courage to speak truth in love. If I must establish a boundary, help me do so with clarity and kindness. If I must wait, develop my patience. And if You are leading me to move forward, help me take the next faithful step without demanding that I understand every part of the journey. Lord, let the fruit of Your Spirit become increasingly visible in my life. Develop love in the way I treat people, joy that is not dependent on every circumstance going my way, and peace that keeps me grounded when I face uncertainty. Strengthen my patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Let the people who interact with me experience the difference Your Spirit is making in the way I listen, speak, serve, forgive, and respond. God, Thank You that I belong to You. I do not have to earn Your love through perfect decisions, and I do not have to hide from You when I struggle. When I stumble, help me acknowledge it and return to You. When I need correction, help me receive it. When I need support, give me the humility to ask for it. And when I become distracted by an old desire or familiar way of thinking, remind me that I do not have to give it authority over my next decision. Father, I have asked You for greater, but today I also ask You to make me ready for the responsibilities that greater may bring. Give me wisdom to recognize what belongs in my life, maturity to handle what You entrust to me, and humility to remain dependent on You. Do not allow new opportunities, increased responsibilities, or growing confidence to replace my need for Your presence and guidance. As I move beyond these five days, help me continue practicing what You have taught me. Let this not become another series I have read and enjoyed without allowing it to influence the way I live. Teach me to carry these lessons into ordinary moments, private decisions, difficult conversations, and unfamiliar circumstances. Let my desire to follow You become stronger than my desire to have everything my own way. And Lord, when I find myself reaching for the wheel again, gently remind me that I have asked You to lead. Help me loosen my grip on what I cannot control, take responsibility for what You have placed before me, and trust You with the road ahead. My prayer is no longer simply, “God, take me somewhere greater.” My prayer is, “God, continue making me more mature, more discerning, more surrendered, and more attentive to Your Spirit as You lead me forward.” In the Matchless, Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.

Nugget: You cannot ask the Holy Spirit to lead while insisting on choosing every turn. Crucifying your flesh makes room for a different way of living, but you must continue choosing to follow. Release your grip on what you cannot control, exercise the wisdom God is developing in you, and let the Spirit take the lead, one faithful decision at a time.

Consider what you know from scripture, what responsibilities are already before you, and whether you need additional information or wise counsel. Then identify one practical way to surrender control while taking the next faithful step.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…

Have A Great Weekend

Romans 8:5–6 (NKJV) ~ “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

In the book of Romans 8, Paul explains what life looks like for those who belong to Jesus Christ and are learning to walk according to the Spirit. He begins with a powerful declaration in verse 1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Paul is not telling believers that they will never struggle again. He is reminding them that through Jesus Christ, they are no longer condemned, and through the Holy Spirit, they are no longer left to face the struggle against the flesh in their own strength. In Romans 7, Paul has described the conflict between wanting to do what is right and finding himself struggling to carry it out. Romans 8 answers that struggle by directing our attention to the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains that the flesh and the Spirit lead in different directions because they operate from different priorities. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, while those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Notice that Paul connects the way you live with the direction of your mind. Your mind is not separate from your spiritual walk. What you continually entertain, dwell upon, agree with, and allow to influence your thinking can shape the decisions you make and the responses you give. When Paul speaks about being carnally minded, he is describing a mind governed by the flesh rather than submitted to God. He is not saying that every ordinary human thought, emotion, or desire is sinful. He is showing the difference between a life directed by self-centered desires that resist God’s leadership and a life increasingly shaped by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:6 says that to be spiritually minded is “life and peace.” This is more than a promise that every circumstance will become easy. It describes the life that comes through belonging to Christ and living under the leadership of His Spirit, even while you face difficult circumstances. And that brings you to an important part of your journey. You have been learning to examine what controls you and to exercise discernment. But what happens when you recognize that something needs to change, yet your mind keeps returning to the very thing you are trying to leave behind?

Read this story slowly: The Path Through the Grass ~ Imagine a woman who moves into a home with a beautiful backyard. When she first walks outside, she notices that there is a narrow dirt path cutting straight through the grass. It is not the path she would have chosen, and it does not lead where she wants to go, but it is already there. Day after day, she takes that familiar route because it is easy to follow. Eventually, she realizes that the path leads through an area that becomes muddy whenever it rains. Her shoes get dirty, she slips more than once, and she grows frustrated because every time she goes outside, she ends up dealing with the same mess.

One morning, she decides to create a different path. She chooses a route that goes around the muddy area and leads directly to the place she wants to reach. But the new route is covered with grass. It takes more effort to walk through it, and because the old dirt path is so visible, she keeps finding herself turning toward it without even thinking. Sometimes she catches herself halfway down the old path and has to turn around. Other times, she remembers before taking the first step. For several days, the new route feels unfamiliar. She has to pay attention to where she is going. She has to make an intentional decision each time she steps outside. But as she continues walking the new path, the grass begins to give way beneath her feet. The route becomes easier to recognize, and eventually, she notices something else: the old path is beginning to grow over because she is no longer walking on it every day.

Think about that for a moment. The old path did not disappear simply because she decided she wanted a different one. She had to stop traveling the familiar route and begin walking the new one. And sometimes, that is exactly what happens with your thinking. You can decide that you want to respond differently, live differently, and follow the Holy Spirit more consistently, but the familiar thoughts and reactions may still present themselves. You may have spent years rehearsing certain fears, expecting certain outcomes, or responding to certain situations in the same way. A different path becomes more familiar as you intentionally choose to walk it.

Have you ever noticed how quickly your mind can take you somewhere you never intended to go? You may begin your morning feeling peaceful, and then one conversation, one memory, one unexpected message, or one disappointing moment changes the direction of your thoughts. Before you realize what has happened, you are rehearsing an argument that has not taken place, imagining an outcome you do not know will happen, or revisiting something that hurt you years ago. You may not have said anything or taken any action, but inwardly, you have already spent a great deal of time responding to something.  And sometimes, your mind can keep you engaged in a situation long after the situation itself has ended.

You may have walked away from the conversation, but you are still arguing in your thoughts. You may have forgiven someone, but you keep returning to the details of what happened and imagining what you wish you had said. You may have decided to trust God with an uncertain situation, but every time you think about it, you begin rehearsing the worst possible outcome. Now, having a difficult thought does not mean you have failed spiritually. A painful memory can return without your permission. An anxious thought can arise before you have had an opportunity to examine it. You may experience sadness, frustration, or disappointment while sincerely seeking to follow God. The question is not whether an unwanted thought ever enters your mind. The question is what you do when you recognize where that thought is trying to lead you.

Romans 8:5 tells you that those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. That means you have to become intentional about what you allow to guide your thinking. You may not control every thought that appears, but you can learn to examine it, refuse to agree with what is false or destructive, and redirect your attention toward what is true. Second Corinthians 10:5 speaks about “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (Every single day I read this scripture; I need God’s help with my thought life!) Think about what that requires. You cannot bring a thought into obedience if you never stop to examine it. You have to recognize what you are thinking, consider whether it agrees with God’s truth, and decide whether it deserves to influence your response. Because for some of you, the thoughts you need to examine may sound so familiar that you no longer recognize them as something you have been agreeing with, that is not agreeing with God for you.

Perhaps you repeatedly tell yourself, “Nothing ever works out for me.” Maybe you assume that someone is upset with you because they have not responded to your message. Perhaps you have begun believing that you must handle everything yourself because nobody else will do it correctly. Maybe you tell yourself that you cannot change because you have always been this way. Those thoughts may feel convincing because you have repeated them so often. But familiarity does not make a thought true, and repetition does not give it authority over your life. But before you allow a thought to determine your next decision, ask yourself whether you actually know it to be true. Are you responding to what happened, or are you responding to what you fear might happen? Are you remembering a real experience, or are you assuming that every future experience will end the same way? Are you considering the situation before you, or are you allowing an old disappointment to interpret it for you? Proverbs 18:13 warns against answering a matter before hearing it. That principle is important not only in your conversations with others but also in the conclusions you reach within yourself. Sometimes you need to stop and admit, “I do not have enough information to decide what this means.” That is not weakness. That is wisdom.

And this is where the discernment you have been developing becomes necessary. You cannot allow every thought to become a conclusion, every conclusion to become a decision, and every decision to become an action without first examining what is influencing you. Think about the path through the grass. If you have spent years responding to criticism by immediately becoming defensive, that familiar response may present itself before you have fully heard what someone is saying. If you have spent years avoiding difficult conversations, your mind may begin preparing reasons to postpone the conversation before you have even considered how to approach it. If you have spent years saying yes because you are afraid of disappointing people, you may feel guilty the moment you consider establishing a necessary boundary. The familiar path is still visible, but you do not have to keep walking it simply because you know where it is.

Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Notice that Paul speaks of transformation through renewal. God is not merely interested in changing your outward behavior while leaving the thinking behind that behavior untouched. He is inviting you to allow His truth to reshape the way you understand yourself, your circumstances, your responsibilities, and your choices. That renewal takes place as you continue bringing your thinking before Him. You read His Word, reflect on what it teaches, pray for understanding, receive correction, and begin practicing responses that agree with His truth. You may have to pause before speaking. You may have to remind yourself that another person’s disappointment does not automatically mean you have done something wrong. You may have to acknowledge that a delay is not necessarily a denial, that an unfamiliar opportunity is not automatically a threat, or that one difficult experience does not determine the outcome of every experience that follows.

Don’t pressure yourself, as you are learning how to distinguish between what is happening and what your mind has been telling you about what is happening. And sometimes the change begins with something as simple as refusing to continue an argument in your head. You may have every reason to address an issue with someone, but mentally rehearsing the argument all day will not necessarily prepare you to handle it wisely. It may only increase your frustration. Instead, you can acknowledge that the conversation needs to happen, pray about your words, consider the facts, and choose an appropriate time to speak. Philippians 4:8 encourages you to meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. That does not mean pretending that painful or difficult circumstances do not exist. It means refusing to let your mind become a place where fear, offense, resentment, and imagined outcomes receive unlimited attention.

You can acknowledge what is difficult without allowing it to become the only thing you think about. (Read this line again and then just sit in it for a moment.) Just consider how much of your day can be influenced by what you repeatedly feed your mind. You may begin with a genuine desire to spend time with God, but before you know it, you have spent an hour scrolling through other people’s lives. You may intend to rest, but you keep consuming information that leaves you more agitated than you were before. You may want to develop greater contentment, but you repeatedly compare your progress, appearance, possessions, relationships, or opportunities with what someone else has shared. And then you wonder why your mind feels unsettled.

Not everything you encounter is harmful, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying entertainment, learning from others, or staying informed. But you need to pay attention to what your habits are producing in you. Are they helping you think clearly and live faithfully, or are they continually stirring up comparison, dissatisfaction, distraction, or fear? Remember the question from 1 Corinthians 6:12: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.” That principle applies to what you repeatedly allow into your mind. Something may be available to you without being beneficial for you to consume in unlimited amounts. You do not have to watch every video, follow every conversation, respond to every notification, or remain informed about every detail of everybody else’s life. Sometimes exercising your freedom means deciding, “I do not need to give this any more of my attention.”

And this is not simply about avoiding negative information; but your mind needs to be nourished by what strengthens your faith and you cannot continually feed your thoughts with fear and comparison while expecting your thinking to become grounded in God’s promises without intentionally making room for His Word, (that was a devotional a couple of weeks back.) Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” As you spend time in Scripture, you begin developing a foundation of truth that you can return to when your thoughts become unsettled. When you are tempted to believe that you must control everything, you can remember Proverbs 3:5–6 and acknowledge God in your ways. When you feel that you cannot face what is ahead, you can remember that God invites you to ask Him for wisdom, as James 1:5 teaches.

You are not using Scripture to deny your circumstances, but you are allowing God’s truth to guide the way you respond to them. And sometimes, the mind you need to renew is the mind that has become accustomed to expecting the worst of yourself. Perhaps you made a poor decision, and you have been replaying it ever since. You have acknowledged what happened, taken responsibility, and tried to make things right, but you still speak to yourself as though that mistake is the only thing that defines you. Romans 8:1 declares that there is “now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” That does not mean your choices have no consequences or that you should avoid responsibility. It means that condemnation does not have to become the foundation of your identity.

You can acknowledge that you were wrong without declaring that you are incapable of growing. You can recognize that you need to change without agreeing with the thought that you will never change. You can receive correction without treating every correction as proof that you have no value.

Conviction can lead you toward repentance and growth. Condemnation tries to convince you that growth is no longer possible. And as you continue this journey, you must learn to recognize the difference. Now, let us talk about the cost of transition, because renewing your mind requires you to become willing to release some familiar ways of thinking. You cannot keep asking God for greater peace while continually entertaining every thought that steals your peace. You cannot keep asking Him to develop your confidence in His leadership while insisting that you must understand and control every detail before you obey. You cannot keep asking for healthier relationships while allowing old assumptions to determine what you believe about every new person you meet. And you cannot keep asking for new territory while allowing your mind to convince you that the old path is the only path you know how to walk.

Sometimes the cost of transition is no longer giving an old thought the same amount of attention you once gave it. You may have to stop rehearsing what someone said and begin preparing for the conversation you actually need to have. You may have to stop comparing your progress with someone else’s and return your attention to the responsibility God has placed before you. You may have to stop imagining every possible outcome and begin taking the next wise step with the information you have. That is not always easy. The familiar path may still be the first one you notice.

But every time you recognize an old pattern and intentionally choose a different response, you are practicing the maturity you have been learning about. But I want you to remember that renewing your mind does not mean you must maintain a cheerful thought every moment of the day. You are human. You may experience grief, exhaustion, uncertainty, or frustration. You may need rest, support, or time to process something difficult. Being spiritually minded does not require you to deny those experiences. But what it does mean is that even in those moments, you can bring your thoughts and feelings before God rather than allowing them to become your only source of direction.

Romans 8:26 reminds you that the Spirit helps you in your weaknesses. You are not expected to navigate every struggle through your own determination. You can ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize what is true, what needs your attention, and what you need to release. For you cannot change an entire pattern today, but you can begin by recognizing it. You can pause before following it. You can choose one thought to examine, one response to change, or one source of unnecessary distraction to limit. You do not have to clear the entire path in one morning. You do have to begin walking in the direction you want to grow. So today, pay attention to where your mind goes when you are disappointed, pressured, offended, afraid, or simply left alone with your thoughts. Notice the familiar stories you tell yourself and the conclusions you reach before you have all the facts. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize which thoughts need to be examined, which need to be released, and which truths from His Word you need to remember. And when you recognize that your mind has started down an old path, do not spend the rest of the day condemning yourself for noticing it late. Turn around. Bring your attention back to what is true. Make the next wise decision.

Because the purpose of renewing your mind is not to prove that you never have another difficult thought. It is to learn that a familiar thought does not have to determine the direction of your life. You have been learning to crucify your flesh. You have been examining what still has power over you. You have been challenged to grow beyond spiritual infancy and exercise your discernment. Now allow the Holy Spirit to address the thinking that influences the choices you make. You cannot consistently walk in a new direction while continually allowing an old way of thinking to choose your path. Let your mind be renewed, and as your thinking becomes increasingly shaped by God’s truth, allow your decisions, words, and actions to follow suit.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me to another day of this journey. Thank You for the work You have already begun in me and for continuing to show me that following You involves more than changing my outward behavior. Today, I invite You to examine my thoughts, my assumptions, my attitudes, and the familiar ways of thinking that influence my decisions. Help me recognize where my mind has been returning to patterns that no longer agree with the life You are teaching me to live. Holy Spirit, teach me to set my mind on the things of the Spirit. When an unwanted thought enters my mind, help me not to become discouraged or condemn myself. Give me the wisdom to examine what I am thinking and the strength to refuse agreement with what is false, destructive, or contrary to Your Word. Where my thoughts have been shaped by fear, help me seek what is true. Where they have been shaped by offense, help me pursue wisdom and forgiveness without ignoring what needs to be addressed. Where they have been shaped by comparison, remind me to remain faithful to the responsibilities and opportunities You have placed before me. Father, forgive me for the times I have allowed my thoughts to move ahead of the facts. When I have assumed that someone intended to hurt me without first seeking understanding, help me become slower to judge and quicker to listen. When I have imagined the worst possible outcome and responded as though it had already happened, teach me to pause and acknowledge what I do and do not know. When I have allowed a difficult experience from my past to determine how I approach every new situation, help me recognize the difference between a lesson I need to remember and a fear I no longer need to follow. Lord, renew my mind concerning myself. Help me take responsibility when I am wrong without allowing condemnation to define me. When I am tempted to believe that I cannot grow, remind me that You are continuing Your work in me. When I make a mistake, give me the humility to acknowledge it, the courage to make things right where possible, and the willingness to learn from it. Father, teach me to receive Your correction as an invitation to grow rather than a reason to give up. Help me become more intentional about what I allow to occupy my attention. Give me discernment concerning the conversations I participate in, the information I consume, and the habits that shape my thinking. Show me when I need to put down my phone, step away from a conversation, take time to rest, or return my attention to something You have already asked me to do. Let me enjoy the good gifts You have given me without allowing distractions, comparison, or the need to know everything to govern my day. Father, as I continue transitioning into the life You are calling me to live, help me release the old ways of thinking that have kept me walking familiar paths. If I have been responding to uncertainty by trying to control everything, teach me to prepare wisely while trusting You with what is beyond my control. If I have been responding to disappointment by withdrawing or becoming defensive, teach me to communicate with honesty and love. If I have been allowing fear to make decisions for me, give me the wisdom to recognize when caution is appropriate and the courage to take the next faithful step when You are leading me forward. Holy Spirit, help me remember Your Word when my thoughts become unsettled. Bring Scripture to my remembrance and help me understand how to apply it faithfully. Teach me to distinguish between what I feel, what I assume, and what I know to be true. Where I need more information, help me seek it. Where I need wise counsel, give me the humility to receive it. Where I need to wait, develop my patience. And where I already know the next step You are asking me to take, help me obey. Lord, I do not ask for a life in which I never experience another difficult thought or challenging emotion. I ask for a life in which those thoughts and emotions no longer have unquestioned authority over my decisions. When I notice myself returning to an old pattern, help me turn toward You without shame. When I become tired, strengthen me. When I become distracted, refocus me. When I become uncertain, remind me that Your Spirit is present to help me in my weakness. God, Thank You that I do not have to remain on the same familiar path simply because I have walked it for years. Continue renewing my mind, developing my discernment, and teaching me to follow Your Spirit. Let my thoughts increasingly agree with Your truth and let my choices reflect the life and peace that come from walking with You. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: A familiar thought does not have to become your next decision. Stop allowing an old way of thinking to choose the path you are trying to leave behind. Examine what you are entertaining, renew your mind with God’s truth, and let the Holy Spirit lead you toward life and peace. Today, choose one recurring thought to examine. Consider what you know to be true, what you may be assuming, and what God’s Word teaches. Then practice one different response. You may need to pause before speaking, seek clarification, limit a distraction, pray before making a decision, or redirect your attention toward a responsibility you have been avoiding.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…