Revelations of Work

• Work cultivates discipline - a discipline for exercising, exhibiting, and receiving the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The Message version of Galatians 5:22-23 shares it this way,

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

• The ache we sometimes experience in the workplace is related to a ruling spirit of manipulation and control, manifesting as confusion. When we suit up with our armor, we rely on God's strength to enable peace and clarity. Ephesians 6:13-18 in The Message Bible shares it this way,

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

The projects and initiatives we advance are part of a Holy Fight against the enemy who intends for the downfall of mankind. We need divine assistance, perspective, connections, patience, etc.

• There is a natural principle of sowing and reaping. You plant tomato seeds, you expect to harvest tomatoes. In the enemy's perversion of earthly systems, there's a temptation to harvest from places where we didn't plant. In corporate culture, the work cycles seem nonsensical; you plant a seed and 2 weeks later someone comes by and says it was the wrong seed, so you dig up the seed, and then find that the soil was contaminated, and then when you report the contamination someone tells you to overlook it, and then you know that in the contaminated soil the seed requires 4 weeks to germinate, but someone comes along and says to harvest whatever comes up after 1 week. Madness. So you may experience difficulty in ordering your work. Seek God's clarity on the divine order, and ask for a provision of his grace - a grace that may even come from the overflow of divinely appointed leaders he allows to care for you. 

God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. (Galatians 6:10-12 MSG)

Called by Name

In a magazine interview, Sean John Combs shared that he derived his stage name "Puff Daddy / Puffy" from a childhood nickname - given to him because of his proclivity to "huff and puff" with rage. I suspect the wound caused by his father's death remained unhealed as he navigated life; as people and circumstances came near to this vulnerability, he cried out with extreme anger.

(I am not using this as an excuse for his violent behavior. I am using this illustration to teach the importance of a name.)

Throughout his life and influential career, this name has been reinforced in song lyrics, award announcements, and other proclamations. The name accompanied a rageful persona; we now see its footprints in the stories of women subject to violence by his hand.

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We tend to name a thing by its wound, reinforcing alignment by word and action.

The prophetic challenges us to fix our gaze on the Most High, allowing His deep love for humanity to coat our gaze as we peer beyond the enemy's distortions to call a thing by its original name. 

As we cultivate our relationships with people, places, purposes, we must intentionally call these things by the name God intended at the beginning. I call these places blessed cities, and the inhabitants righteous.

Moving Through

There is an enemy of mankind. He wants you stuck in a cycle of believing that you are damaged and defeated. He wants you dead. He counterfeits the goodness of God; the enemy wants to be worshipped. 

Thank God for the Good News - that the enemy is defeated and we have access to everlasting life. 

We know this truth and must continue to actively resist the enemy's attempts to rule us and the world until Jesus's return.

We can leverage art as a form of resistance. Art helps us to move through difficult thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

During the pandemic, DJ D-Nice guided celebrities, politicians, and even novice social media users through virtual dance parties to shake off the uncertainty. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Brown performed a televised concert to quell the pain that manifested into rioting. 

Art - in whatever form - is a healing balm. 

The Pope recently invited comedians to Vatican City to celebrate the importance of humor to unite people. There is a current movement to include art as a medical prescription for individuals healing from various infirmities. 

So we pray for the artists - that their visions will be hidden from the enemy's distortions and distractions. We pray they will find community, balance, and wholeness. We pray they will access the keys to distribute their art and reach multitudes. We pray that they will mentor and promote in their fields of influence. 

Peace

Through his birth, life, death, and resurrection, Jesus brokered peace for us - reconciliation between God and man, so that we were no longer permanently subject to the wrath of Yahweh based on our behavior. 

As we live in the promise of restoration, the partners of first responders will be the voices that bring transformation in our nation's approach to peace and security. There will be a female leader with fierce eyes, able to target her personal experiences and words to influence the movement of government; a male voice - lawyer and consultant - with a keen ability to strategize; a retired safety officer and a youth representative harkening internal peace for first responders to reduce self-harm.

How to cultivate Peace on a societal scale: 

• Pray for the families on the frontline of this movement
• Follow the instructions of Philippians 4: 8-9 - Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Black Maternal Health Week Prayer