Hind Sight is 2020

Happy New Year!!!! 

I was looking back over this past year, hence the saying "hind sight is 2020" and began to see so many things. For me, this past year has been a revelatory experience.  Not so much about all the things that have happened, but more about who I really am and what's in my heart. 

I could have shared so many different things, yet, for some unlikely reason, I had a strong impression to talk about my ministry mission statement, written about twenty years ago.  Not to mention all the things that have been added to my ministry since I first declared it.

What's amazing is once I spoke the name of my ministry, other people who were in leadership along with me began to declare their ministries. I now know this was never a coincidence, but God's timing.

Anyway, I'm a strong believer in having the right people in your life. That is, to accomplish your best life, you need good people that will make the difference. My good friend Bess Sims sent the above picture of my mission statement in 2013. So grateful, I decided to share it on Facebook. Well, this week seven years later, that same post re-populated in the memories on Facebook and I posted it again. With that being said, I know now this was God's timing as well. 

That brings me to this. Since this blog is virtually about my prayer life experiences, I think it befitting to share that it was while in prayer that the name Purpose Productions kept appearing in my mind. At that point in time, I had no idea of the things God was showing me. In other words, my ministry was birthed from prayer. 

I had so many hopes and dreams of ministering to people through diverse means, not only through church. I was a worship leader, a legal assistant, I was writing a book, I even performed a character I created named Mama, where I produced my very first show in 2002. Since then, I returned to school and completed multiple degrees. Including a law degree from Pepperdine University, School of Law. This is only a few things through my ministry.

Today, in January 2021, I have such a clearer understanding of my ministry, more than ever before. I know now that I am a transformer. It is my mission to be who God has called me to be, for the purpose of helping others to be transformed.   

Now, it makes so much more sense to me why I endured and overcame so much. It was important for me to be transformed in my own life. For the purpose of me being able to minister from that same place with transforming power. Otherwise, having the ministry and doing all the stuff I'm doing would merely be church as usual.    

Much Love!  

Nicole Payne

 

RESET......

To say we've entered into a strange season is an understatement to say the least. Things have become so crazy in every facet of this world. Nothing is the same anymore or anywhere. Particularly, not knowing which way to go or in many cases, even knowing what to believe. We're all just here in the midst of everything that is unfolding, on a global scale.

In early March, in the midst of all the uncertainty, I went to the one place I knew I can always trust in. The presence of the Lord. I was on my knees declaring a state of emergency of my own soul. Long before this nation ever declared a state of emergency. I was also crying out for this entire world to repent and turn to God.

I believe we are in a season of Reset.

God is positioning us (the body of Christ) in our Kingdom assignments for this new era we've entered. Unfortunately, some are still trying to function from an old place and that's why things are not working for you. Just like Elijah declared a drought and God provided for his needs by ravens and a brook. Yet, the season also changed and later Elijah had to move from the brook Cherith and go to the widow's house. Which brings me to this question.

Have you entered into God's presence to know your next place of provision?

However, You have to be open to hear from God first, obey, and go where He has instructed. There is where you will find your provision. Finding your widow from Zarephath is the equivalent of a reset.

God told Elijah to go to the brook, but God also told him to go and find a widow. If Elijah did not seek God, hear instructions, and go, he would have died of hunger and thirst because the ravens were no longer showing up anymore. This season is about hearing from God to move into your next place.

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore, CHOOSE LIFE, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed". 

(Deuteronomy 30:19 ASV)  

Are You Brave Enough to Be Set Free?

Have you ever been in a place where you were working toward something and things are just moving slow, almost to a standstill? Well, this is where I have recently found myself. I just could not figure out why things were not flowing.

Anyway, I woke the day after Christmas and out of the blue had a water clog in my bathroom sink. This didn't make sense because there was no water running, yet water was backing up into my sink. Of course I broke out my plunger to fix the clog and it didn't move. I then started bailing out the water to empty the sink. In hopes that this would help.

However, after doing so, I leave the bathroom for a while, only to later return to a sink filled with water again and a large amount of hair in the sink. Not to mention how disgusted I was. I then decided I needed to go to the hardware store and purchase a machine to snake the clog. But before I left, I stood at the sink looking at this clog and I was strongly impressed to pray.   

My prayer was "Lord, could this clog be a revelation? Does this blockage represent something preventing free flow in the lives of people?" At that moment I just knew. I began to decree, yes, it was exactly what God was revealing to me. Yet there was something else God wanted me to take notice of. This clog was because of someone else.

To make a long story short, my neighbor, who has connecting plumbing to my bathroom, was having plumbing problems and her issues affected my plumbing. My neighbor called the plumber and the problem was resolved. The only thing I needed to do was let the plumber check my sink to confirm the free flow in my bathroom.

I said all of that to say this, in the same way we can create clogs within our drains, we can also become clogged in the spirit. However, in my situation, I believe God was showing me there are people who are causing the clogs or interruptions in my life. People that I love very much. Reluctantly, I had to let go. I finally came to a resolve within myself, if I continued to hold on, I would never move forward.

Sometimes we have to be brave enough to let go of what we hoped things would be, so that we can position ourselves to receive the very best of what God really has for us.

So I leave you with this to ponder....Can two walk together unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3)

 

My list of things I'm grateful for

Do any of you use list to get things done? Well, I believe most of us use some sort of list in our daily routines. We usually have grocery lists and other types of to do lists.

Well anyway, on yesterday I shared about my colleague at work who uses a list of things to be grateful for. Read this post from yesterday. http://www.thevoiceofhispurpose.com/2019/06/god-is-answering-your-prayers.html.

However, I decided this was something that I needed in my life. I have been seeking the Lord about unanswered prayers and I believe the answer God was also giving me was in my perception. I needed to change what I was focusing on. I needed to refocus on the things I was grateful for and not what I have not yet received.

Once I started my list of all the things I was grateful for, my attitude totally changed and so did my expectation. My thoughts went from what I wanted to what I have already received. I believe this is where faith and hope collide.

Now, I am at peace and I'm still in expectancy of everything I am believing God for, however, the excitement in the journey has shifted to joy. Which brings me to my next questions.

Have you prayed for something that is unanswered?

And if so, are you still expecting an answer from God?

Better yet, what does your expectation look like?

God is answering your prayers

Have any of you had a time where you stopped and asked God..."What's up with my prayers NOT being answered"?

Okay, I'm sure most of us have. At least, those of us who believe in God, anyway.

Well, I have had some amazing accomplishments in my life, especially recently. However, I still find myself questioning God about certain things which have not come to pass yet.

Anyway, I started making some changes in how I was seeking God. I would fast a few hours here and there. I mean like, subtle changes to let God know I was making adjustments to seek Him to better position myself to receive what I was believing for.

Okay, let me be a bit more transparent. I just made some adjustments today. I went as far as going over a list of possible things that could be hindering me. I released and forgave people, I began to let go of all hurt and misunderstanding that came to mind for everything that could possibly be a hinderance.

However, I am in no way saying that I had to do all of that just to get God's attention. I believe the fact that I made the effort to seek Him, He responded to me by revealing something I was totally unaware of.

Anyway, someone from work today approached me and started telling about a hit and run accident she was in. Yet, in spite of the accident, she decided to be thankful for everything on her list of things she was grateful for.  That was the first blessing, hearing that she has a list of things to be grateful for.

I thought, wow, how awesome is that. To my surprise, she began to tell me I was on that list of things she was grateful for. She went on about how she was inspired by me. Needless to say, I did not see that coming. However, it really blessed me.

I said all of that to say this, God was reminding me that my prayers are being answered. For many years, one of my prayers has been "Lord, make me and the life I live a blessing to others." God has answered this prayer.

Keep on believing.


 

Lift Every Voice and Sing

This is a song written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in (1900) 

and set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson in (1905) 

"Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and Heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise,

High as The list'ning skies,

let it resound loud as the Rolling sea

Sing a song

full of faith that the Dark past has taught us,

Sing a song

full of The hope that the present has brought Us;

Facing the rising sun

of our new day Begun,

Let us march on till victory is Won"

I choose to keep going higher

I can see clearly now. 

I see the beauty of who God has created me to be.

I chose to soar to the highest of heights. 

Leaving my past behind. 

Oh! and yes, I chose not to carry it with me. 

Why do you ask? 

Because where I'm going, 

There is no room for anything that does not fit into freedom.

Much Love,

Nicole Payne