Love you all, praying for you.
 
There's a powerful truth in this passage.    Isaiah 28:23 - Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.  When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?  Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?  When he has leveled the surface, does he not finally plant his seeds – black cumin, wheat barley and emmer wheat – each in its proper way, and each in it’s proper place.  The farmer knows just what to do, because God has given him understanding (He teaches him the right way)… Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it.  He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn’t pulverize it.  All this comes from the LORD Almighty; He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.    What job do you have right now?  It doesn’t matter if it’s your dream job or a starter job.  What are you doing this week?  Have you asked God – through PiVAT Weekly?  Getting His plan for you – the best way - that He promised to lead you in?  Have you ever thought about asking God to show you how to be excellent at the job you now have?  This passage is talking about a farmer, not a priest.  God knows secular occupations as well as He knows sacred.  Whether you’re a pastor or a pediatrician, a preacher or a package delivery driver, a missionary or a machine operator.  God knows the highest level of performance and expertise of your job.  He knows how to do it with excellence – better than anyone has ever done it.  He’s the master craftsman, the subject matter expert, he’s the grand master of every job, career or occupation.  He knows the ins and outs, the secrets and the shortcuts, He knows what works and what doesn’t.  He knows the breakthroughs, He can show you what excellence is – the highest level of performance...  what it takes, the process, the best timing, the most effective and efficient order, what’s important and what is not, how to do it better.  He created whatever job you are doing.  He’s the master designer, knower and creator of every best practice of your entire industry, your position or your role.  Whether leadership, analysis, research and development, or do-ership… whether sales and influence, whether accounting, or taxes, whether process or law or litigation, EPA, OSHA - it doesn't matter.  He created and fully knows everything about your job, industry, marketplace and economy – He’s the epidemy of excellence – and He’s your Dad.   Have you ever asked Him to teach you?  To give you a master-class in the place you now serve?  Most people, most desire their next job – rather than most desire being the best they can possibly be in this job for His glory - hearing God and walking in the Joseph and Daniel anointing that can bring a blessing on the company they work for – even Potiphar’s house.  The latter, not the former is what represents Jesus, and reflects what His life was.  Praying that you are doing PiVAT before dinner every day like your excellence depends on it – like your hearing depends on it – so He can reveal to you the best order possible.  Praying that you are coming back to PRISM all day – like your understanding depends on it – on how best to do it, and how to influence and affect everyone around you in the most positive, productive and successful way possible.  Praying that your Daily Call – keeps you overcoming in the obedience of His all-time best practices that He leads you in... that your PiVAT Prayer List helps you be fervent and effectual in asking His help for you and others.  Praying that you never miss giving an account with your 4C’s every day – helping you be fully faithful to obey with His money – whether yours personally – or the company’s – so His resources that He has entrusted to you are used for the greatest benefit - for His glory and your success.  So you won’t be burdened or consumed by money things – which He can so easily handle for you and direct you in.  It's what makes you free to do and be and love – like He has created you for.  Praying that you will remember that He knows – that His Ways are the key to your success – that you will ask Him for His best practices so His Name is made great in you – so you are faithful in the place He has put you in right now – so you can fully walk with joy in the Good that He is, and the Good that He has for you. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.  
 
Do you ever consider?  Do you ever set aside the time to?  Most people are too busy – life is moving too fast, the times they do rest is just a cease or exchange of activity, but they never really take the time to consider - to review, to contemplate, to take advice, to understand, to mentally separate, to put in mind, and put in order – to arrange for the understanding of.  I Samuel 12:24 – Above all, be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.  (The New Living says – think of all the wonderful things He has done for you).  The day of rest is also the day of considering – what God did last week: what He told you to do, and what HE did when you obeyed.  What God did for others as they were faithful to obey, what God revealed to you from His Word each day, and what God confirmed through others through your Daily Calls, and conversations.  Sunday’s – God’s day of rest is not just a rest of body, and mind – it’s for renewal, to consider what He just did, and also consider what He is leading you to do.  Praying that God will draw your heart to do PiVAT Weekly every Sunday - so you can consider.  It helps if you have a PIVAT Small Group - you have to do PiVAT Weekly to be prepared for it... But even if you don't - it is so worth the time.  It honors God, it puts Him first - before the week begins.  It puts Him in mind - first.  It lets you consider - it reminds you of what He said, and what He did when you did what He said.  PiVAT Weekly starts with completing your testimony from last week – what God did and revealed as you’re learning to walk each day in obedience.  As you review through your Conversation Log – each day’s PiVAT, each day’s PRISM, each day’s Conversations Page of your Daily Call – the testimonies start to add up.  He refreshes your mind and heart to remember what He spoke.  You see how He leads you day by day – and how His Words to you are not just isolated, they are going somewhere – they are leading your forward – from precept to precept – from glory to glory.  It reaffirms your obedience, and inspires you to continue.  It helps you consider the great and wonderful things He has done for you - and still has for you!  And as you seek Him for this coming week – Monday through Sunday of next weekend…  He will reveal everything you need to know right now – to take the first step.  He will reveal the rest along the way – as you seek Him early, and obey quickly, and overcome daily with your Daily Call Partner.  Praying that you will join a PiVAT Small Group and if you can't find one, that you will begin one.  That one hour a week where each Daily Caller shares what God did and spoke this week.   It is the most powerful environment of praise, obedience, encouragement and growth – that you will experience.  It will add wisdom and joy as you consider not just what God did for you, but what He did for others and what He is doing in all of you.  This is the gathering of yourself together – to share the things He said, and He did.  It will propel your faithfulness into next week - so you walk in all the good that He has for you.  That’s how you sharpen and are sharpened.  Your PiVAT Small Group will generate momentum for you.  It will add force and speed to your moving forward!  Praying that you will consider well - not only what He has done for you last week, but what He will do in you this week, as you grow in obedience, and grow daily with one other, and weekly with several others.  This is God’s design to sustain you on His journey - to places beyond what you could imagine – so His goodness and His mercy can follow you all the days of your life. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.  
 
Since the days of Jack and the Beanstalk, perhaps since the beginning of time – there's a tendency in man to wish for a magic pill, whether steroids, diet pills – something that would magically accelerate growth or goals.  I pray that you took the opportunity to listen to yesterday’s Daily Huddle – Stay There.  About the peace He has established for you – and the constant lure of the enemy to try to get you to leave that place of peace.  How His Presence, (Worship), His Word (PRISM – which reveals His Ways), and Obedience (PIVAT – His will for you today) is how you stay in the peace He has established for you.  He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you.  God spoke of how there is no peace for the wicked… anytime you disobey - out of intent or ignorance – you could forfeit the peace that could be yours.  But have you ever wished there were a magic pill, or steroids or something – that could accelerate that obedience – that could accelerate your mind to be stayed on Him?   Actually there is.  It's a steroid – that God has designed - that won't make you sick, or impotent, it’s not hazardous to your health.  It’s the natural healthy accelerator God has designed to accelerate your success.  It’s also something you put on your tongue.  Words.  Your Words are how you keep your mind stayed on Him.  Your Words are how you stay there – in the peace that He has established for you.  They are a weapon, they are your sword – His Word on your tongue accelerates your obedience and keeps you in the peace He has established for you.  From the fruit of this lips a man’s stomach is filled as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.  Get busy speaking – and get busy working.  Quick warning, if your mouth and hands are busy – you have a 50/50 chance of success.  Because the devil also knows the power of the steroid of the tongue.  He wants you to speak death, discouragement, doubt, He wants you to speak something other than what God said, whether by habit, or choice.  It’s called perverse – something different.  That’s why those who speak and work – on their own thing – their own way – end up leaving that peace – instead of staying there.  Those accomplishments that God has for you start with His peace because - if you trust Him, you ask Him, He tells you - your PiVAT for this day, this week and this month – and you run in the path that He has chosen for you.  Your steroid on that path is your words.  Praying that you will use PRISM Topics – for that Steroid, PRISM Topic Peace, Fear Not, As For Me, Speak Life, Life Purpose and Direction – They will launch the Words of your mouth.   When it comes to God’s Word – there are actually several ways you can injest it.  Whatever his Word says - you can 1) Thank Him For It (that's Praise) You can  2) Ask Him do it in you – and help you to do it (that's Prayer, petition) you can  3) Speak it out loud – committing yourself to obey and stay (that's declare) you can  4) Share it with others (that's testimony), you can 5) Pray it over yourself (that's asking and receiving), you can 6) Pray it over others (That's Intercession).  Praying that you will never take steroids, pills or drugs – which produce death, but that you will always be on the steroids that God has ordained that produce life... Your Mouth – Praising, Praying, and Declaring His Word.  Every time you do – you stay in the peace He has established for you – and you accelerate the obedience that brings results – because it puts you in the place where his blessings can flow in your life – and they are ridiculous!  God even said – No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has planned for those who love Him.  That means you’ve never seen, you’ve never even heard of – in fact, you can't even imagine the GOOD that God has in store for those who obey Him.  For you! when your words are accelerating your obedience.  Praying for you – that you will pray and you will say – so you always obey and stay in that peace He has established for you.  That His peace will rule and reign in your heart – and His Will and His Ways become you. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.  
 
Have you ever felt like something is trying to take you out of your peace, like your peace is slipping?  God is so faithful, His Word is true, sometimes we forget, He always reminds us.  That’s the God who loves you, your Heavenly Father who wants, and has planned, the best for you – His goodness poured out.  For many years now, we’ve been walking in the blessing, the overcoming, of Daily Calls.  And having asked that Best Question Ever – so many times on Daily Calls – or to complete strangers… What Do You Need Most From God Today?  There are three answers that occur most often.  Wisdom, Strength, and Peace.  Isaiah 26:12 - LORD, you have established peace for us, all that we have accomplished you have done for us.  God doesn’t just give you peace.  He is the God of peace.  It's who He is - Peace comes with Him - it is Him.  His kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit - in that order.  There’s a purpose to the order, with God there is always order and there's always purpose.  First He establishes peace in you, then He establishes it around you.  He sets it in order internally and then brings it to order externally.  His peace brings His accomplishment.  God wants you to accomplish things of His choosing and His timing and His doing so He gets the credit, and you get the blessing.   His peace – the complete wholeness and well being that He has for you – enables you to accomplish what He has – that you couldn’t dream.  If we are striving to accomplish things on our own, there is no peace there.  Maybe some recognition, but no peace.  Peace never comes from our own selfish ambitions – not even in things we think we are doing for Him.  If peace is missing, accomplishment doesn’t mean much.  But in His righteousness, joy, and peace – He can accomplish unimaginable things through us – so His Name will be known and He will be feared.  Establish – means to set upright, to set in order, to make permanent, to erect as a permanent thing.   He establishes peace in you in His presence, in His Word, and in obedience to His commands and principles.  There is always rest in His presence.  Increase the habit of spending time in worship, and His peace will remain.  God's Word (Jesus) is peace.  His Word reveals Himself, His Love for you, the good that He has for you, and reminds you of His unstoppable power that will bring it to pass.  That keeps you in peace.   Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic – Peace, Fear Not, and Do Not Fret.  The absence of peace – comes from fear or fret, ignorance or unbelief (you don’t know God’s promise), or sin...  there’s an area or two in your life where you are falling short of His will or His way.  Isaiah 48:22 – “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”  That means if there is an area of your life not fully surrendered to Him or in compliance with His blessing - it's blocking your peace.  Isaiah 48:18 - If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.  There is a direct correlation between Obedience and Stay There - staying in the peace that He gives.  Praying that you will know the Prince of Peace – that PRISM will have you soak in His Word,  Praying that Worship – His presence – would be your priority.  Praying that you will know His commands through PRISM, know the commanded you – through PiVAT, and obey them with all your heart.  So that you will never leave the peace that He has established for you.  "You will keep in in complete peace whose mind is stayed on you because He trusts in you."   Peace is tied to obedience and trust.  If you trust you will obey – if you’re obeying, you can trust.  He will never fail.  He has already established peace for you – so you don’t have to leave it.  If you feel it slipping.  Give yourself a check-up.  Be sure you worship, be sure you stay in His Word, be sure there is nothing in your life falling short of His Word and His Will.  Keep your mind stayed on Him, and you will stay there...  He will keep you in the peace He has established for you.
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
One of the things I love about God – He reveals things and then He reveals them again.  Maybe because we tend to forget, but also because some challenges reappear.  The devil is always trying to catch you unawares or un-remembering… So God reminds us what He has revealed.  And at other times what He has revealed applies in new ways to the new or greater situation we are now in.  He’s so faithful.  His Word is true and applies to you - today!  Praying that your PiVAT before dinner – is always confirmed by your PRISM all day long.  He does it all the time.  He walks with you!  So blessed by the P4M (Prayer For Me) section at the end of Daily Calls where we write down what the Holy Spirit reveals as we prayer for each other.  As Justin was praying the Holy Spirit said… “Jesus, you lead so well, you walk ahead of us – to lead us, you walk behind us to protect us, and you walk beside us – so we’re not alone.”  Wow.  That is so true.  And I couldn't help thinking... if I skipped my Daily Call this morning… I would have never heard that loving reminder from the LORD, I would have missed all that God had for me today - to encourage and strengthen me.  Praying that your Daily Call is establishing your overcoming!  God asked me something recently.  Do you lose it when you lose it?  There’s a story in the Bible – of a woman who lost a coin.  It was very value, very important to her.  Have you ever lost something?  Maybe your Driver’s License, or your wallet, a paycheck or an important piece of Jewelry, your wedding ring?  What do you do when you lose it?  Do you lose it?  Do you leave your peace, Does frustration and panic set in?  Do you forget who you are, and whose you are?  God reminded me – whatever it is that you lost, He is looking at it right now!  He sees it exactly where it is, behind the dresser, or between the car seats, or the couch cushions.  God gives us opportunities in life – to trust Him - to see Him demonstrate His faithfulness once again.  Just because you lose it, doesn’t mean you have to lose it.  Stay in His peace – don’t leave it.  Don’t let circumstance take you out of the Peace that He is.  Know that He sees what you lost – right now – He’s looking at it.  Put your trust in Him with your words.  Let your mouth re-establish who you are – your full faith and belief – in Him.  Ask Him to reveal where it is and what you should do right now.  He may have you turn the house upside down, and search in every crevice.  If that's what He tells you to do – do it.  Or He may have you first finish what He told you to do in this hour, and leave the searching and finding to Him, walking in the confidence that He will bring it to light – in His perfect time.  Praying that if you ever lost it, you won’t lose it.  Praying that you are so soaked in PRISM in His Word – that whatever happens in your life – is always under the WORD – viewed through It's lens - that your emotions are always controlled by His Promise, not your predicament.  He is faithful.  The more you fill your heart with His Word – the more His Word will flow out of your heart through your mouth – to affect, influence and overcome whatever you (or anyone He leads to you) – are facing.  His Word – will build you - so the only thing you lose, is doubt and fear, frustration and anxiety, needless concern.  He is faithful – You can trust Him.  He’s good at finding things, and restoring things.  His timing is perfect, His love never fails. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
God reminding me recently about the importance of discernment.  It’s a gift from God, one of the things He gives – and you can grow in it!  Your quality of life depends on it, your fruitfulness in life depends on it, even the length of your life depends on it.  The wise see danger and take refuge, the foolish keep going and suffer for it.    When you grow with God you always grow in obedience.  That’s how God grows you, and your discernment.  He speaks, you hear, you respond.  It’s what being a Christ – follower is.  Have you ever seen wildlife shows on TV or the internet?  Lions and gazelles - it’s a natural picture of the spiritual necessity of discernment.  Discernment – is a sensing beforehand – an early warning system.  Noah Webster’s original definition - Discernment – the power or faculty of the mind, by which it distinguishes one thing from another, as truth from falsehood, virtue from vice, the power of perceiving differences of things or ideas, and their relations and tendencies.  The errors of youth often proceed from the want of discernment.  Young animals just keep munching away – completely oblivious of their predators’ approach.  But those with discernment – sense it immediately, early.    With discernment, before you hear the footsteps of the predator – you hear the flight of the birds – they aren’t hanging around – they’re gone.  They know the Joseph principle of dealing with the attack of temptation, they run.  They remove themselves from the situation altogether.  But even before the flight of the birds – there’s the unusual silence, the ‘quieter than normal’ that those with discernment perceive – their antenna’s are up.   In real life – Spiritual life - Where does discernment come from?  How do you get it?  The Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  The Holy Spirit always points to Jesus – the Word.  Just as Jesus was the full representation of God in body form, so Jesus is the full representation of God in Book form.  Jesus said to his disciples, do you still not understand, if you’ve seen me you have seen the Father.  So it is with God’s Word, if you see the Word – you see the Father.  That’s why PiVAT and PRISM, 4C’s and your Daily Call are so important to growing in discernment.  Discernment saves you from death.  On wildlife shows – it saves from physical death, in real life – it saves you from Spiritual death – those things which separate you from God, the attacks, the pitfalls that dull your hearing, and get you off course from the things that He has planned for you – which are so very good.  That’s also why doing PRISM in the atmosphere of worship is so important, and praying in the atmosphere of worship is so important.  God inhabits the praises of His people by the Holy Spirit – and He reveals the truth of His WORD – both Logos – the written Word, and Rhema the specific instruction that He has for you - through the Holy Spirit.  In the wildlife TV shows – maturity is gained with age, but in Spiritual reality – obedience is what ages you.  Obedience accelerates your discernment.  It’s the response that activates in your life what God tells you through the Holy Spirit.  Hebrews 5:13-14 -  For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, unskilled in doing what is right since he is a child.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to discern good from evil.  Walking in the Holy Spirit - obeying - brings discernment.  It keeps you from dangers, pitfalls, the traps and delays your enemy wants to entangle you with.  The Holy Spirit will lead you in PiVAT for today – your Heavenly Father’s plans for you - even this hour,  and in PRISM – the confirmation and understanding of them, and His great love for you.  That’s also why your Daily Call is so important – it highlights obedience – both yours and theirs – what God said – so you could do it, and the testimony of what God did when you simply obeyed – that testimony which is your overcoming!  In wildlife shows I always find myself rooting for the zebra, the gazelle and the buffalo – and probably my favorites are when the tables are turned and the zebra gets in a good hind kick to the chops of the would-be predator.  In wildlife, eventually the gazelles and zebra’s are caught.  But not in real life – in Spiritual life.  Because the Holy Spirit in you is far more powerful than the enemy that tries to attack, distract or trap you.  Praying that your worship is growing, that your Word is growing, and your obedience is growing - every day.  Praying that you are so consistent with your time, thoughts money and testimony - those PiVAT, PRISM, 4C’s and Daily Call tools that are discernment-growers.  They are gifts that God has given to establish obedience and victory in you! - that help you avoid not just the danger but even the temptation – so that nothing slows you down in the joyful purpose that God has called you to.  He promised "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."  Your obedience gives you discernment, it impacts eternity – and impacts others for generations.  You are not fearing God for nothing!  As He leads, and you follow – He will grow discernment in you, to see the difference between what is good and what is not, and what is best - His way for you and the other way.  His Way is so very good.  It’s the way to life – the joy full life and the purpose full life that He has for you.
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
The blessings that God gives are uncountable – un-understandable.  The benefits of committing your life to Him are unending!  God reminding me recently.  Psalms 119:40 - How I long for your precepts, preserve my life in your righteousness.  In other verses David says – ‘preserve my life according to your Word.  That is righteousness - His Word.  When the Bible says 'according to' – or ‘in’ – it is giving us clues as to how this comes about – what’s required, how it can come to pass.  Praise God He preserves you because He is righteous, not because you are.  It’s His righteousness that preserves me, not mine.  Praise God we have been made righteous in Him – through Jesus our righteousness.  We now meet the righteous requirements of God because of what Jesus did for us.  So we are now righteous in Him, because of what He did.  Righteous is right standing and also right doing.  You have to be in Christ (having received His free gift of salvation) or you cannot possibly be righteous – no matter how many ‘good things you do.   And then the righteousness that you are in Christ can flow into the righteousness that you do in Christ – because you walk in the Spirit and do the things He leads you to do... His plans not yours, His love, not yours.  How I long for your precepts.  How do you learn to do that?  There is obviously a connection between longing for His precepts and being preserved in His righteousness.  God preserves our life.  Preserve has three parts - save, sustain and flavor.  He saves and delivers you – not just for eternity in heaven with Him, but He saves you and delivers you from what could kill you, destroy you, or ruin or harm you here on earth.  Whether external threat, or internal struggle.  He preserves your life – He saves you and delivers you both now and forever.  His preserve also sustains you - to add length and strength to.  He increases the length and strength of your life – He makes it last longer than it would have – because He gives you strength day by day – not just physical, but spiritual, emotional, motivational, purposeful.  He saves you, He sustains you – and the third thing that preserves you – is flavor.  He adds flavor to your life - that's what makes it worthwhile - it's the joy of life.  Preserves – like Raspberry or Blueberry preserves.  He doesn't sustain your life to be miserable - He preserves it with favor and flavor!  He adds flavor to life – true success, abiding hope for the future, unspeakable joy in the present – no matter what circumstance you face.  His promises are true, He has good for you – you can walk in it daily!  So how do you learn to long for His precepts - His standards, his principles for success?  He gives his precepts through His Will and His Word.  Just ask Him for His plans – PiVAT before dinner will help you – He will show you specifically what He wants you to do tomorrow – that will save you, sustain you, and add flavor to your life.  PRISM will transform your mind – His Word always saves you (from error and foolishness), it sustains you and strengthens you – it levels your course, and it adds flavor – the joy that only He can bring!  Get in His Word, Stay in His Word – and Immediately Obey what He tells you!  First you taste something, then you develop a taste for it.  Read His Word and you’ll taste His good – follow it – and you will see the fruit it brings – you’ll see what He does in response to your simple obedience.  Once you taste and then see that the LORD is good, then you realize it’s His Word – the Holy Spirit leading you in hearing and doing it – that preserves you, saves you, sustains you, adds flavor and life to you.  If you long for His favor, you long for His Word, if you long for wisdom, you long for His Word (His principles).  If you long for success, you long for His Word.  If you long for peace, happiness, joy, fulfillment, your destiny, the desires of your heart – you long for His Word.   Increase His Word – and you’ll long for it.  Praying that PRISM increases in frequency and priority in your life.  Praying that you will take a PRISM Topic with you and meditate on it throughout the day – down times, transition times, lunch times and break times.  Increase His Word – and you’ll long for it.  That’s how He preserves you!  It’s how He saves you, sustains you and adds flavor to your life – in His righteousness according to His Word.  He will help you long for it – so you can walk in every Good thing that He longs to give to you! 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
A friend made a comment yesterday about how Tony Romo was the best play by play announcer in football.  I hadn’t really thought about it, but as I watched part of a playoff game that He was calling it became clear – my friend might be right.  When the teams line up at the line of scrimmage to snap the ball, Tony is already calling what the Quarterback sees –  what He’s thinking, and the options that are now open because of the defensive scheme called.  And who has the advantage of one on one coverage – the plays that would work and the plays that will not.  That’s what they are talking about when with a couple of years of experience under their belt – quarterbacks start seeing things more clearly.  The game slows down for them.  Not really – they just see faster, they see more clearly.  God’s Word lets you see clearly, and obedience is the only thing that equates to those 'years of experience.'  Obedience is what makes the game slow down.  Proverbs 20:1 – Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler whoever is led astray by them is not wise.  Wow – this verse is about more than wine or beer.  What leads you?  Those couple years of experience help you see clearly - two things are happening right now.  The Holy Spirit is trying to lead you, and the devil is trying to lead you astray.  The Holy Spirit always leads you in truth – His paths are righteous.  Other things – lead you astray, off the path of truth and success that God has chosen for you.  Whether wine or beer or money or fame, or relationships, or pleasures… what leads you?  You can tell the wise by what leads them, and so also the fool.  “Things don’t lead me, I lead myself – and I lead others – I’m a leader!”  Uhh, you just exposed what you are led by – pride.  And you always lead others in what you are led by.  It’s always helpful to double check yourself.  What am I trying to lead others in?  Is that the Holy Spirit?  Or is that me?  Is the source of that – really something that Jesus did - or something else?  Humility and the fear of the LORD are the beginning of wisdom.  Verbally commit yourself to obeying every Word that comes from God’s mouth.  PiVAT is his Word to you, PRISM is his love for you, confirmation and understanding.  PiVAT is obeying practice – humility practice.  PRISM is obeying practice, your Daily Call is obeying practice and overcoming practice.  When you start with humility (the first step is verbally committing yourself to obey), and the Fear of the LORD – instantly turning from evil, in awe in His presence, fully obeying, saying nothing harmful, seeking peace with God and others, and pursuing it… the Holy Spirit will lead you, not any other desire.  Don’t mock or despise obedience.  Nothing is too little to obey in.  Don’t brawl, overlook offense.  Let wisdom preside over you, let wisdom fill your house and its rooms with rare and beautiful treasures.  Your house is first your heart, then your house is your family, then your house is your house.  Praying that you will stay in His presence, and His Word – that PRISM out loud will be your priority.  Praying that you will pray, that you will say, that you will obey, and that you will give your testimony every day.  So the Holy Spirit will lead you – and the so devil will never be able to lead you astray. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
Praying that God will help you become a pray-er and a say-er… that God will help you pray and help you say.  God prompting me this morning about prayer.  Prayer is simply communication with God.  It’s praise and petition, it’s hearing and sharing, listening and talking.  Prayer is a mystery – and many people think they’re not good at prayer.  There’s not one person who couldn’t grow in prayer, and without question, of a surety – God wants to grow you in prayer.   The disciples asked Jesus, “Teach us how to pray.”  Adam’s prayer – was walking in the garden with his Father – in the cool of the evening.  Jesus' prayer was a priority in His life - He did it deliberately, regularly and constantly.  Average men like Elijah prayed and the improbable and even the impossible happened!  God’s Word tells us to pray without ceasing.  If you want to grow, God will grow you in prayer.  Two secrets of prayer – are pretty important to growth.  Secret #1  To learn to pray – you have to pray.  You can read books about how to walk, but unless you start putting one step in front of another you’ll never learn.  And the more you walk the better you get at walking.  In fact – you’ll walk so well, you won’t even think about it anymore – you’ll just do it.  And you will even start hopping, running and jumping.  Another secret of prayer.   Secret #2) As with EVERYTHING in life…  Even in prayer, there is God’s Way and Man’s Way.  One thing I pray that you will review is the PRISM Topic Packet – Prayer.  When God reminded me that you can pray God’s way or man’s way – like the pharisee and the tax collector – He showed me how important it is to pray His prayer – what He wants you to pray – not just what you want to pray.  Yes, the Bible says bring your petitions before Him, but there is a greater purpose and power through prayer – than just getting your needs met.  He already knows what you need before you ask Him! And He already promised to provide all of your needs according to His riches in glory - in Christ Jesus (who is the Word of God).  One thing I so appreciate about my PIVAT Prayer List – it directs my prayer.  First it reminds me that His prayers for me are different than my prayers for me.  But secondly – my PIVAT Prayer List – lets me ask Him those things on His heart for me to pray.  It’s not a check-list – It’s not a rut it’s a runway!  A place to take off from!  Praying that God will show you your PiVAT Prayer List.  One thing that has helped me grow in prayer – During PiVAT before dinner I always check with God on the time He has assigned me tomorrow to pray.  He's moved it up in order on the priority list of my day.  It doesn’t have to be long – consistency, especially when you’re getting started is more important than length.  When I kneel down to pray – I always start with worship – just like when I do my PRISM time in His Word.  That presence of His Holy Spirit sets the atmosphere every time you start your PRISM time, or your prayer time.  I’ve found the best youtube search (for me) has been “live worship" and the current year.  This will pull up worship sets – where extended time in His presence can set the foundation and background of your prayer time.  Then as I begin my time of prayer – I always ask God to lead me in prayer – God, How do you want me to pray today? What's on Your heart this morning? – “Help me pray your heart not mine, your desires for me not mine.”  Sometimes He leads me right through my PiVAT Prayer List – it contains some things that God told me to pray every day,  not vain repetition – but persisting in prayer - fervent and effectual.  Sometimes I ask Him if He wants me to pray something completely different – that’s not even on my PIVAT Prayer List yet.  Start with praying in the Spirit!  If you do – you will 100% of the time be praying His exact will for you.  God was prompting me recently – in praying for the lost.  How do you know God wants us to pray for the lost?  First, Scripture says – If we pray anything according to His will, He hears us.   And if we know that He hears us – we know that we have what we have asked of Him.  So if you want to grow in Prayer – grow in PRISM - your time in His Word!   His Word reveals His Will - His ways – which are so different than our ways.  Pray that!  Pray the Word.  I Peter 3:9 -says that God would that everyone come to salvation.   That’s His will – so we can pray according to it!  God showed me several kinds of people that do not know Him yet – that we can pray for.   First pray for Saul’s  -  those who not only don’t believe and have not received Jesus as their Savior – but persecute – even try to kill those that do.  But Saul’s of Tarsus – become Paul’s – God is still doing it today.  Pray for them that God would bring them to their road to Damascus – where Jesus appears – and the light of the truth shines on them.  Then pray for Thomas’s – these are the people who know Jesus is the one true God – but they struggle with doubt – they are doubters.  Pray for the rich young men.  Those people that want to follow God – but they don’t want to give up the pleasures of this life – money, or things, or the pleasures of sin for a season - as if these cheap trinkets could ever possibly even come close to the blessing in every way that God gives!   They are deceived – the devil has blinded their eyes.   Pray for the Festus’s  the ruler who after Paul gave an overwhelming defense of Jesus as the true Messiah and Savior of the world – said – “You’ve almost persuaded me.”  Those that will have a moment coming soon – that will give them the opportunity to put their faith and trust in Jesus – or decide to wait for another time.  Pray for Peter’s those that may have followed God but denied Him – and think there is no way back.   And pray for pagans - Ephesians and Corinthians - for those who serve other gods – false gods which are no gods at all.  Whether the people who have a statue to an unknown god – or that serve false religions – completely deceived; or that believe the oxymoron lie of Atheism.  One quote says – 'God doesn’t believe in atheists.'  There really is no such thing.  Those who say they are atheists merely deny the source of their own existence.  It’s not that they don’t believe there is a God - they chose not to believe in the one true God.  They have made themselves their own god.  Humanism – that which considers man the god of their own thinking or their own life or their own destiny.  Pray that the love of God would reach them.  Pray that the One who loves them, who suffered greatly to pay the price for their sin would reveal Himself to them.  That their hearts would be softened, that the scales will fall from their eyes.  "Even when we were enemies of the cross – God sent His Son to die for us."  Praying that as you grow in prayer – you will also pray for the lost - those who will be found – as we join with God’s heart – in praying for them.  Finally – pray for your family – those who have yet to give their life to Jesus Christ - in your family.  God’s Word says – Believe on the LORD, Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your house!  God’s will is for your family to be saved.  It’s God’s heart for them!  He wants them to be saved.  Why would anyone not give their life to Jesus?  I cannot understand it.  Not just to be saved, to live with God for all eternity – not apart from Him in outer darkness... but even just for the fact that the One who created you is the One who knows what you were created for.  You won't be fully happy without knowing the wonderful plans He for you – that you are missing out on!  The good that He has for you every day –  you can never walk in – until you surrender your life to Him!  Just let Him drive – the trip is awesome!  Praying that you will also review the Relationship Topic – Salvation First – so you can pray God’s Word over the lost.  Praying that you will pray His Word.  Praying that you will know God’s Way – when it comes to prayer – that He will help you pray and help you say. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
Have you ever noticed that some things just don't go together?  One thing I love about God’s Word – it always provides contrast.  That’s because in everything in life – there is God’s Way and Man’s Way.  Praying you’ll review the Relationship Topic – God’s Way and Man’s Way.  Gods Word is abundantly clear on this choice which faces us with every decision we make.  God prompting me about sandpaper and honey recently.  Our words are one or the other.  Numerous times in scripture God speaks of the promised land that He has for His people.  A land flowing with milk and honey.  The Old Testament was filled with natural demonstrations of spiritual reality.  Just like the Israelites had a physical land promised to them.  We too have a land promised to us – the people of God.  It’s not physical, it is spiritual.  Physical land is geography – the place you live.  Spiritual land is also the place you live, not a mountain, river and valley land, but a heart, mind and mouth land.  The land of "Israel" – Where He rules as God – is the place where God is in control of your heart, your mind and your mouth.  The land of "Judah" – is that land of praise – it’s a place you can actually live, no matter where your physical address is.  The land flowing with milk and honey – is a place of nourishment and sweetness.  The heart place, mind space, and word choice that God has for you is always nourishment – a building up, and sweetness – good to the taste.   Taste and see that the LORD is good.  Your words are the land you live in.  Some people live in a contentious land.  Others live in a land of abundance – of nourishment and sweetness.  Your words determine your land – because words fill your heart – and direct your mind.  The land of praise – is nourishment and sweetness.  Proverbs 15:21,23 - The wise in heart are called discerning and pleasant words promote instruction.  Verse 23  A wise man’s heart guides his mouth and his lips promote instruction.  Words are honey or sandpaper.  Harsh words don’t promote instruction.  Harsh words promote resistance and misunderstanding.  Harsh words confront they don’t instruct.  They promote a defense – a digging in – there’s no where to go.  Instruction is a path – it invites, instruction always yields progress.  Instruction is friendship and partnership.  It’s interesting to note in this verse – God tells us pleasant words and harsh words come from the heart – a wise man’s heart guides his mouth.  What’s in your heart will come out.  If your words are harsh – they promote ruin and bitterness, not nourishment and sweetness.  You don’t have a word problem, or even a tongue problem, you have a heart problem.  Wanting pleasant words won’t produce them - only a formed heart will.    Here’s what God’s word produces -  Psalms 119:103 – How sweet are your words to my taste, yes they are sweeter than honey to my mouth.   As usual, when God instructs us in how to treat others – He first demonstrates (sets the example himself), and then He always starts with those closest to us.  How you treat your family, your spouse – is how you will treat others.  Song of Songs – 4:11 – Your lips, O my spouse, drip honey; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.   Isn’t it interesting – our marriage and our family should be that land of milk and honey – created by our words.  If your words are sweet and nourishing – building up – to your spouse – they will also be to others.   David said God’s Word – His commands, and precepts are more desirable than gold, sweeter than honey in the honeycomb.  Your words are harsh or sweet, sandpaper or honey – and they overflow from your heart.  Wanting words that promote instruction won’t get you them, only a filled heart will.  First use your words to fill your heart.  Use the words of God – they are always milk and honey, they are always nourishment and sweetness.  Speak them out loud – to fill your heart.  Then the words that come out – will be not harsh but sweet – they will build and nourish everyone around you – starting with those closest to you.  Praying that you will do a Word-Check.  Just honestly ask yourself – What are my words - sandpaper or honey?  Ask you spouse – they will tell you – or your best friend, or your siblings.  Praying that PIVAT and PRISM are your daily Habit – that you live in them all day long.  PiVAT will reveal what God is telling you to do  PRISM will confirm it and tell you how God wants you to do it.  PRISM out loud is God’s Word - His milk and honey filling your heart, so that milk and honey – not sandpaper - comes out.   Your words are the land you live in.  Praying that you will always fill your heart with His Word so you live in that land flowing with milk and honey - the land He promised! 
 
Love you all,
dad