Letter from the Editor 

Manifesting Your Life’s Purpose

 

It’s that time of the year when we indulge in family reunion-style gatherings around a large dining room table before a spread of delectable entrees during the Holiday season in celebration of God, life, love and culture. And while it sure is a wonderful time to enjoy the laughter of the people in our lives and splurge our taste buds in delicious flavors, it’s also a time to self-reflect in preparation for a new year. 

 

Growing up in a Christian household and church, I always heard of and practiced the Daniel Fast— a 21-day, Bible-based praying and diet regimen that is designed to help decrease distractions and increase a focus on God. This was one fast that followed me into my adulthood. However, while I practice the Daniel Fast which is one of the most widely known fasts among Christians especially after the holiday season and at the beginning of the year, there are other fasts that I also practice and recommend. This is my path to manifesting my life’s purpose...

 

Throughout the year, the integration of prayer and fasts into my daily schedule are essential to my holistic health and wellness. With so many goals to accomplish in a day, it is integral that self-care is a priority on my To-Do list. However, I didn’t always think this way. There were times when I put meaningless priorities before God. I was investing, helping, preoccupied, and consumed in other things and people and God was on the backburner. Needless to say, I was beginning to feel the heat. 

 

I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was really hurting myself. God needed to be the number one priority on my list. I also needed to be added to the priority. While we take time out for everyone and everything else in our lives, we need to take time out for God and ourselves. Finally, when I made the conscious decision to invest in God as my number one priority as well as incorporate into my life, self-care, that’s when I began to fully walk in the abundance of blessings that God had always promised me. God has promise on all of our lives. It’s up to us to choose God’s will and to follow His Word to live within that divine promise. I choose to follow God. 

 

After coming to the realization that I needed to prioritize God and invest in self-care, I developed a new priority list. Today, I set aside time to meditate, pray and talk to God for strength, direction, and purpose. I am a living witness to the miracles that manifest from obedience to the gifts, calling, and assignment that God has and continues to give me. There are times when I am not as disciplined, however, during those times of distraction, I am reminded that I have work to do and that my gifts are not for my personal gain, but for the glory and honor of God’s Kingdom. That’s when my relationship with God— an intimate relationship serves as a guiding light in a sometimes dimly lit world. 

Developing an intimate relationship with God is the most important life decisions that one could make. Testimonies show that fasting throughout the year lead to many benefits. Based on my deliverance, there are four key areas that require one’s attention throughout the praying and fasting journey: focus, discipline, sacrifice, and accountability. I can attest to the blessings that manifest from praying and fasting.  Here are a few tips to manifesting your life’s purpose:

 

• Develop a consistent Bible study for yourself. Learn the stories and lessons of the Bible in application to your own life and situation. 

 

• Pray a genuine prayer. Have a real conversation with God. He is listening and hears all of our prayers and affirmations. The Lord wants us to draw nearer to him and the best way is through prayer and meditation. You can talk to God anywhere and about anything. There is nothing that He does not know about us. God loves all of us— what we see as flaws are beauty marks in God’s eyes— He created us. 

 

• Select a fast. This fast should should be considered with your culture, lifestyle, health, diet/eating regimen, and specific purpose. Keep in mind, your vision, ambitions, and goals. Be intentional. 

 

• Reflect on your focus and purpose. Identify the idol(s) that are impacting your spiritual identity and the path that you are walking on. Idolatry can be in the form of spending too much time on things that take you away from focusing on God and spiritually centering yourself. Many of these idols come in the form of: money, material things, unhealthy/toxic people, and technology (television, social media, etc.) to name a few. An idol is unhealthy to your spiritual health and wellness and has the power to impact the purpose that God has for your life. 

 

To learn more about the process of praying and fasting through these four key areas, join me at a Vision Board art making experience on Sunday, December 8th at 6pm. Reserve your seat today at: 

 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/manifesting-your-purpose-tickets-80859395629?aff=utm_source%3Deb_email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dnew_event_email&utm_term=eventurl_text

 

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

 

Peacefully,