You never know what God wants to show you or do with you until you truly decide to let Him
take control . This time of dedication to Him is giving Him inroads into my spirit already. Every time I've asked the Lord for a deeper experience with Him, His answer to me first is always the same..."There's a price to be paid for wearing my name."
In advertising today, there's a lot of talk about establishing a "brand". During this 30 days of
fasting and prayer emphasis, I'm going to make it my mission to be found wearing His brand.
My first evening of Bible study on Friday, God spoke to me about what I thought praise was. He locked in on one of the scriptures about a scepter of praise. A "scepter" being not only a symbol of authority, but a tool of warfare. Almost synonymous with "rod" or "punishing tool". Praise
silences the devil and announces to all whose side you are on.
Isaiah calls praise a "garment" for the spirit of despair. A garment is something you put on by choice. Another of those times when I must chose God over my circumstances. Preferring God
and praising Him are big steps toward leaving the spirit of heaviness behind. Ah! A painless way to lose weight!
And then, praise leads me to triumph in Christ. Triumph comes after the victory. We share the triumph, because Christ is already the victor.
Praise leads me to God's presence, and the price of God's presence is time. This month's exercise will give me time to seek his presence and face. Finding His face should help me wear His brand.
Suzy Erwin
