Confidence is all about being sure. It’s having the trust and belief that you’ll succeed. But are you living with God-confidence? Self-confidence is the feeling that you can handle it all on your own, but, God-confidence relies on the certainty that only with God will you experience the strength, tenacity, and resilience needed to handle life’s challenges. Read this plan to increase your God-confidence and experience Confident Living.
KICK CONSULTING & COUNSELING
Day 1
Scripture: Hebrews 11:6
FAITH IS PLEASING TO GOD
As a child, I worked so hard at pleasing people. To be H.O.T. (honest, open, and transparent), I’ve also struggled with this as an adult. I wanted to please my mom, so I diligently completed my schoolwork. Being the first granddaughter of many boys, I wanted to fit in with them, so I worked tirelessly at being great in all sports. I wanted to be accepted by my youngest aunt, so I attempted to pretend to do girly things even though, at that time, I detested them. I wanted to be accepted amongst many, and I did whatever was needed in order to please them. Do you have a similar story? Reading this scripture, I thought about the many times I attempted to please others and questioned if I was propelled with this type of vigor to please God.
To please someone means to satisfy or cause a person to be glad. So if it is impossible to please God without faith, how could we expect Him to be glad about our daily work? You see, our faith requires consistent work.
Ask yourself, how do you show your belief through action? To be great in sports as a child, I practiced daily. I studied the best and tried to mimic their moves. This is sort of how it works to please God with your faith. You must practice showcasing your belief in God through your actions and attitude toward Him daily. It’s not enough to say you believe. You must study the Bible. This means incorporating meditating on The Word day and night, as stated in Joshua 1:8. Lastly, you must mimic, through action, the life of Jesus as He showed us how to live on earth. Imitate His kindness and gentleness to all, as well as love and consistency. This is how you will increase your faith and please God.
It’s not about just going through daily motions without meaning. Show and prove that you believe in something greater than yourself. Remember, you’ll start to see it when you believe it. God will blow your mind if you take the limits off and work on pleasing Him.
REFLECTION:
Ask yourself, how do you show your belief through action? Be H.O.T. (honest, open, and transparent). How do you rate yourself when it comes to pleasing God? In what ways do you please Him well? What areas could you improve in?
PRAYER:
Father, forgive me. Forgive me for the misalignment in my actions and faith. I know that it is only because of your grace that I have come this far. As you increase my faith, I ask that you increase my desire to please you and only you. And I pray this in the mighty Name of Jesus! Amen.
Day 2
Scripture: Mark 10:51-52
WHAT ARE YOU FAITHING FOR?
Did you know that the eye is made up of OVER 2 million working parts? Just reading that fact makes me marvel at the handiwork of God. Two million working parts help us to see so vividly. Now imagine those that are considered blind. The definition of blind is being unable to see due to injury, disease, or a congenital condition. Studying the story of Bartimaeus, the blind man in the above scripture, reminds me how simple faith can be. Yet we often overcomplicate it. Jesus asked Bartimaeus one question, “what do you want me to do for you” Mark 10:51. The simplicity in the blind man’s answer is what faith looks like.
If you review the story in its entirety, you will witness how Bartimaeus believed BEFORE he could see it. In verses 46-47, it accounts how Bartimaeus heard Jesus passing; therefore, he called out to him. He knew that Jesus had the ability to heal, even without seeing it for himself. There was even a moment when people tried to silence him… yet he yelled louder, refusing to let this moment pass him by.
Ask yourself, have you ever allowed doubt to silence you in your ask? When it seems as if it is impossible to ask on that large of a scale, remember God is still bigger than that! He desires to bless you. Just make sure you are clear on what it is you are seeking. Often times we don’t see the answers to our ask because we aren’t asking with authority. You have to be willing to believe it before you see it. Bartimaeus literally could not see the powerful works of Jesus, but he believed in the testimonies being told. Jesus shared how Bartimaeus’s faith healed him in verse 52. Now it is your turn.
It is time for you to go beyond the ask. Dare to believe in it before you see it come to reality. If Jesus performed miraculous works, such as healing a blind man, then why would he not answer your prayer for that car? Heal that tumor? Cancel that addiction? Bring peace to that relationship? Heal that child? Increase your business, or give you shelter? There is nothing too big or too hard for God.
REFLECTION:
Ask yourself, what are you faithing for? What are you believing for at this very moment? Be H.O.T. (honest, open, and transparent). Have you been clear with your ask? Or, have your uncertainty left you in a place of not receiving? What is your BIG ask this season?
PRAYER:
Thank you, heavenly Father, for challenging me to ask BIG. I realize my faith will bring forth the healing, the deliverance, and the receiving of heaven right here on earth. I decree and declare a move of unwavering faith stronger than I’ve ever seen before. Your word shares how you perform miracles that brought forth immediate results, and I believe in this for me. Amen.
Day 3
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:10
YOU CAN’T FAKE FAITH
Have you ever heard the saying, “fake it until you make it?” If you haven’t, this saying encourages you to imitate what it is you desire to receive. Whether it’s confidence or an optimistic outlook, acting in a way that showcases confidence, even if you don’t currently recognize your confidence, can offer a temporary reward. Keyword, temporary. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to faith. You can’t fake faith because you can’t fool God.
As the above scripture states, the Lord searches the heart and examines the mind. He knows if you are being disingenuous. Just as Jesus condemned the Pharisees for being hypocrites, He will correct us as well. It doesn’t matter just what we show on the outside. If your inwards are unaligned, it becomes unpleasing to God. As Jeremiah 17:10 shares how the reward will come according to what their deeds deserve, your deeds will reveal what your faith looks like.
Real faith receives real results. Fake faith… well, you get the picture. Being H.O.T., I can recall the times I pretended to be something that was not at my core. As I stated before, the results were temporary. Eventually, I grew tired of being something I wasn’t. Being honest, open, and transparent, my “fake it until you make it” led to the choice of disobedience, which lead to a failed marriage and years of healing and therapy. (This is a much deeper story for another time.)
The truth is, God doesn’t bless what you try to be. He honors who you are and what you do. Remember, what flows from your heart will reveal your sincerity.
REFLECTION:
Ask yourself, how is sincerity shown through your faith? Be H.O.T. (honest, open, and transparent). Were there times your heart was not aligned with your actions? Share how you have overcome or if you are currently struggling with this, write out scriptures that will help you overcome.
PRAYER:
I stand in awe of you, Father. I humbly ask that you search my heart for its sincerity. Even though there may be moments when my faith appears weak, I ask for your help to always keep it genuine and sincere. Strengthen me in You. Amen.
Day 4
Scripture: Matthew 9:21
DARE TO HAVE RIDICULOUS FAITH
Pastor Mike Todd always says, “it’s only crazy until it happens.” You know it’s crazy for a man born blind to finally be able to see. It is considered crazy for a virgin to become pregnant, but it happened to Mary. It is ridiculous for a person paralyzed for thirty-eight years to stand up and walk. It is also crazy for someone labeled as a retard and who had a speech impediment to become the world’s highest-paid speaker!
Now, if these are all considered crazy and impossible, but it happened for Bartimaeus, the paraplegic, Mary, and Les Brown, why could it not happen for you?
The only commonality amongst those listed above, as well as the lady with the issue of blood, was that they dared to have ridiculous faith. When examining the word ridiculous, there are many meanings. To be extremely implausible…highly imaginative…farfetched… Not easy to believe… and absurd are all definitions of ridiculous.
Then to put it next to the word faith which means complete confidence and strong belief, and that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, seems unfitting. Using these words together is almost an oxymoron, but it also seems so compatible. When I think about faith, the meaning of the word faith, it takes serious devotion to believe in something that is not seen.
To believe in something higher than yourself that cannot be seen with the natural eye is an example of ridiculous faith. The woman with the issue of blood knew that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. Scripture shows us that her faith made her well. God is calling for you to dare to have ridiculous faith. If you can believe in the Creator, you should equally believe in the work He can perform specifically on your behalf.
REFLECTION:
Ask yourself, when did you stop believing? Be H.O.T. (honest, open, and transparent). Maybe it was during a valley moment when everything looked like it was going wrong, like losing a job, a loved one, or maybe a miscarriage. Now, reflect on the miracle moment. Everybody has one. How did it feel to see the answered prayer become a reality?
PRAYER:
Father, you’ve done it before, and you will do it again. Forgive me if I’ve ever shown a lack of faith. Sometimes my flesh becomes weak, and I am unable to remember the blessings in the valley moments, but God, I am grateful that You become my strength when I admit my weak moments. Do You God… and do it grand! Amen.
Day 5
Scripture: Luke 17:6
THE TREE IS INSIDE THE SEED
On July 13, 2016, after an emergency removal of my IUD, I was given the news of the slim chances of ever conceiving a child. The doctors shared that the damage to my uterus and the overwhelming amount of fibroids formed would make fertility impossible. I was even encouraged to accept the need for a hysterectomy. I was a few months shy of 36. I even remember smirking when I was told this, and the doctor asked what I was thinking. My response to him was, “well, God’s will be done.”
It is something about the word impossible that I love. I guess it’s because every time I see it, I’m reminded that ALL things are possible… through Him. You see, there are no limits to God, and I was told there was a tree inside of me many years before this particular moment. I knew God wouldn’t promise me something and not bring it to pass. Want to hear something crazy?
I gave birth to a beautiful son against all the odds just 11 months after receiving that diagnosis. You see, I believed the prophecy shared over me many years prior; I just didn’t know how it was going to happen. The great thing is, if God said it, He will do it. PERIOD!
My son was named Creed, not because of the movie but because it took BELIEF (which is the meaning of his name) for me to birth him. I bore Creed 5 weeks early while experiencing a tumultuous pregnancy, clinical depression, and the beginning of a tumultuous divorce. He was in NICU for 11 days after an emergency cesarean, but… HE IS HERE! Five years later, I’m reminded of God’s promise every time I look at this vivacious little man. I call him my Balsa Tree. This is the strongest tree in the world, and it’s known to grow in rainy regions. My pain was the rain that birth this tree out of the seed. Speaking from what was considered “impossible,” I implore you to dare to believe in the impossible for you too.
REFLECTION:
Ask yourself, what is the impossible you are believing for? Be H.O.T. (honest, open, and transparent). What is that thing you’ve not spoken aloud because of doubt? Anything is possible, so nurture the tree that is inside the seed.
PRAYER:
Father, thank you for the tree. To many, my ask may seem impossible. But I am so glad that I serve a God who takes pleasure in transitioning the impossible to possible through miraculous works. Perform miracles through me, God.
I humbly ask in the mighty Name of Jesus! Amen.
AMEN.