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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

31 days: Rise Up

     I love journaling. To sit and listen and learn from God with my bible and my journal is one of my favorite things. 

     For years God has been telling me to write, to write and get things OUT of my journals. It is not for my consumption alone; it is to be shared. So for this month of October, I will be taking the 31 day challenge from write31days.com to blog everyday from my journal (or to blog as my journal, we'll see). 

I pray that these entries will speak to your heart as they do mine, that they would teach, stretch, and encourage you, calling you to His Word each and every day, that you may awaken to the abundant life and good works He has planned for your future.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10


Welcome to 31 Days of Awakening

Scroll Down to read day 1:

Click to read the other days. I'll be adding a link here to each day once it is posted.

Day 2:  Your 'Beyond'

Day 4:  We Need A Crowd of Truth Speakers

Day 5:  Awaken to the Possible and Speak the Word of God

Day 6:  Make Truth 'Fashionable'

Day 7:  What is Your Part?

Day 8: Rise Up and Follow Him

Day 9:  Rise Up for Change

Day 10: That He May Be Glorified

Day 11:Do Not Be Discouraged

Day 12: Creator of the Real Tides, Turn This Tide

Day 13: Be Appalled at the Enemy's Taunting and Take Action

Day 14:  Do Not Turn Back

Day 15: Produce Change

Day 16: Contend Earnestly for the Faith

Day 17: 'Watch' His Word

Day 18: Mine the Depths of Truth and Take Him at His Word

Day 19: Fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ

Day 20: Be Transformed by His Truth

Day 21: The Time is Now

Day 22: Awaken to Obedience, Prove Yourselves Doers of the Word

Day 23: Not Ashamed of Him and His Words

Day 24: Living Righteously and Godly and Unashamed in the Present Age

Day 25:  Rise Up and Pray

Day 26: Hope, Dream, Act

Day 27: Awaken to Freedom

Day 28: Be Who You Are

Day 29: Trust and Serve Him Alone

Day 30: Stand

Day 31!:  Awake, Arise, and Use Your Authority

Concluding thoughts: Excel Still More: 31 Days Wrap Up: Awaken and Stand





Day 1: Fulfill Your Ministry

     After a big family move this year to a beautiful beach town, this challenge is a great push to force me to quickly lay aside the procrastinator's motto: 'The time has not come' Haggai 1:2. 

     Instead, it IS time to 'consider my ways' Haggai 1:5,6, to 'take courage', and 'work; for He is with me'. Haggai 2:4 

     God sent the prophet Haggai to encourage the people after their enemies had successfully put a stop to their given assignment of rebuilding the temple. Their enemies accomplished the halt by:

1) trying to make them compromise, ('Let us help. We are just like you.', the dilution of true worship: syncretism- an attempted union or reconciliation of diverse or opposite tenets, especially in the area of philosophy [what you think] and religion),
2) discouraging the people, 
3) frightening them, and  
4) hiring counselors against them to frustrate them. (Ezra 4:1-5). 

    How many of us have been stopped by those same ploys: compromise, discouragement, fear, and lies? And as a result, how many of us are currently avoiding what we know we are called to?  

Or just as a result of the busyness of daily 'life', are we essentially saying and believing, 'The time for (fill in the blankhas not come'? Haggai's audience was busy building their own paneled houses instead of the temple. 

What is your 'temple project' that you have been distracted from?

Oh if we, as the people of God, would take courage and no longer allow anyone to tempt us to live in 'the time is not now'. 

The time is now. 

     I pray that He would graciously and powerfully use these 31 days to awaken us. Knowing that He is with us which makes ALL the difference, may we let Him do His work in and through us.  May we be enCOURAGEd to step up and step out and to "excel still more" each day, (1 Thess. 4:1,10) and 

go "fulfill your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5). 

            I hope you'll join me on the journey. 
                                                                          
                                                                          Traci Shinnick

2 comments:

fancyfootballs said...

Yay! I love it and the Haggai verses were the perfect backdrop to what you shared. Beautifully shared and straight from scripture and your heart. So excited for the next 31 days!

traci said...

Thank you, Lindsay. And thank you for your prayers. I look forward to sharing these 31 days with you. I miss you, my friend. I wish I could run them by you over a cup of coffee before I post :)