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Spiritual Warfare

Giants are Surfacing

Faith, life, Prayer, Purpose, Spiritual Warfare

The state of our world is unbelievable.

I never would’ve guessed that we’d be experiencing what we are today.

Just last week Wednesday, the company I work for announced that we would be testing the systems environment as we work from home Friday through Tuesday, but then on Friday things turned quickly and they announced that we’re mandated to work remotely at least until April 6th.

In a matter of days major events have been cancelled and schools have closed. As of today, restaurants and bars are closed in Illinois. When we log onto social media people are passing along jokes (especially about the shortage of toilet tissue), news articles, and scriptures that seem most fitting for the moment in the world of fear.

There’s no shortage of online debates and arguments of whether churches should follow suit and close. Text messages of supposed leaked governmental decisions and speculations of these events previously predicted are circulating all surrounding the Coronavirus epidemic.

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If we don’t step away from it all…

We will find ourselves as believers feeling afraid, panicked, and suckered into the intimidation schemes of the spirit of fear.

In the state of shock, we mindlessly head to news blogs and social media to be inundated with messages filled with the undercurrent of anxiety.

I have personally made the decision to limit the amount of exposure to all of this. No matter how spiritual we think we are, we’ll soon find ourselves subjected to the fear of uncertainty just like everyone else, rather than giving God His space to say what He wants to say.

We can recite scriptures, pray for it all to end, and assume the most spiritual thing to say, but at the end of the day, I think this should spark our curiosity to hear God’s perspective.

He is a living, moving, and intentional God, so…

What is God doing amid all the noise?

What qualities is He trying to bring out of His people during this time?

Which leaders is He looking for to stand up and speak His word over the situation?

What glory is He going to get?

 How is He going to turn it all around for the true believers that don’t just talk about God, but know Him enough to seek His face, His comfort, His voice, His direction, and His timing?

We don’t know how this will all end.

We don’t know if the chaos will dissipate over the next few months or if it will worsen. This crisis could cause major unemployment, unforeseeable deaths because of the influx of those visiting the hospitals, scarcity of necessitates beyond toiletries to even food and water. Next to scarcity is even more fear, panic and the resulting crime. We don’t know all the residual effects…

Here’s the thing though, giants are surfacing…

Recession, inflation, grief, depression and many more are trying to threaten us.

My stance is to seek God now rather than waiting for things to worsen.

Limit the amount of scare tactics you expose yourself to.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a deep dive into the scriptures to face, fight, and annihilate the spirit of fear and all the masks fear puts on to disguise himself.

Join me on Instagram and Facebook for daily content as I dig into Psalms 91 and others, word by word, phrase by phrase, scripture by scripture to get the life and perspective that we should hold as believers.

Feel free to share any scripture that you find powerful and impactful during this time as well.

In addition to this, I’ll be practicing the art of quieting myself to tune in to heaven. I hope you’re doing the same.

May God bless you, keep you and protect you…

Love,

Natalia Shelton

Why the Stagnate Believer is an Oxymoron

Faith, Prayer, Purpose, Spiritual Warfare

I get extremely uncomfortable when I notice that things aren’t moving and progressing forward within a given time. I’ll be honest, impatience is a constant battle for me, but I’m not talking about the need for patience here. I’m talking about the phenomenon of individuals, marriages, relationships, businesses, and even church organizations being stuck at the same level of development for weeks, months, and even years. A stagnate believer is an oxymoron and it doesn’t make sense!

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How to manage the cycles of highs and lows

Prayer, Purpose, Spiritual Warfare

I launched Destined Initiatives 5 months ago. Since then I’ve had a mixture of feelings ranging from as high as the mountain top to descending down deep to the valley low. It’s been an enriching experience to say the least, but let me be honest, the ride has had its share of bumps and potholes! I want to discuss what I’ve observed from it all and hopefully you can leverage this insight into your own pursuits! So let’s dive into how to manage the cycles of highs and lows in walking out your purpose… But first let me share some points from my own highs and lows. continue reading

Woke to the War

Purpose, Spiritual Warfare

Imagine suddenly waking up in the middle of a war zone. You don’t know how or why you’re there and you aren’t aware of the reason for the war. All you know is that you’re afraid because arrows are being shot on every side of you and you think that maybe you’re going to be struck by one or more of them. Your first reaction is to get on your knees and crawl low in an effort to get out of the line of fire and into some sort of safety. continue reading