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Devotional: If you were to ask me last year my definition of this term, it would have been different. But just as we mature as adults in regular mundane things, the same goes for our spiritual growth. You should never remain a seed in the ground or a bud in a tree. Your desire should be to develop and flourish. To me, that’s what spiritual maturity is. Scripture tells us that we can’t just be hearers but we also must be doers of the Word of God. When you begin to use what you’re learning from the scriptures in your everyday life, that’s when you mature. Because it’s no longer a mirror you look in and forget when you walk away. But His word finally becomes your word. Once you make this transition, that’s when you begin to grow. Some of you reading this may find yourself in this place of stagnancy. You live a life of worship, you praise God and you even fast and pray. Yet, nothing seems to change for you. Today I want to encourage you to begin taking those lessons you learn in your intimate time with God and apply them to your everyday life. I’ll add some questions below in the reflection section to help you get started. It’s time you walk with God everywhere you go and in acknowledge Him in everything you do. Scripture(s) Meditation: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. What is a spiritual truth that God has recently revealed to you during your intimate time with Him? What does that truth mean to you? If you could simplify this truth and apply it to your life, what area would that be? How could this truth shape a new understanding of that particular area? In what way can this new found wisdom help further your walk with God to become a hearer and a doer of God’s word? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: There's this feature on apple devices called "Find my iPhone." Over the last few years, they've made some exciting upgrades to the app. Not only does it tell you where any of your Apple products are, but it also alerts you when you've left them behind. I can't even get 50 feet from the house or my device without receiving a notification of what devices were left. Wouldn't it be nice if there was something like this for our spiritual walk? Where when we'd leave the love, patience, kindness or any of the fruits of the spirit behind, we'd get a notification? I've noticed that the world has grown extremely cold and because of the spirits lurking around, it gets harder to "turn the other cheek." Especially when you may find yourself going through a tough situation already and accidentally leave your fruits or Jesus at home. In those moments it becomes a, " you got the right one" kind of moment. But doesn't God give us an alert system? I know for me, its that brief pause that comes between the action and my reaction. Subtly I'll hear the voice of God reminding me of "WWJD?" (What would Jesus do) Or it could be the uneasiness I feel in my spirit when I encounter perplexed individuals or situations. I believe when you become sensitive to the unctions of the Holy Spirit, you naturally have your red lights/alarms that go off to alert you that something may be missing. For each of us, those alerts look a little different but they all serve the same purpose. So maybe we don't need an intricate app to tell us that we've left our spiritual things at home. Maybe we just need to become better at walking in the spirit at all times and allowing our spirit to be the alerting system for us. Scripture(s) Meditation: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. Do you believe you're sensitive to the Holy Spirit? What are the ways that your "alerting system" goes off when you encounter perplexing situations? How have you responded to those alerts in the past? If not so well, what can you do differently to heighten your sensitivity spiritually? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: Habits are defined as a settled or regular tendency or practice that’s especially hard to give up. You know what this sounds like to me? Strongholds and stubbornness. Both things which can keep us from hearing God correctly and from advancing further in the things of God. Now I’m not completely against all habits, but there are definitely some that keep us from truly experiencing the goodness of God. By goodness, I mean the freedom that’s found in Him, when we let go of our thoughts, ways and expectations to grab hold of His. If we aren’t careful, simple “habits” can become a massive stronghold that creates a breeding ground for stubbornness in the outermost layer of our hearts. Confused? Let me further explain how this works. If you have a set routine and nothing keeps you from breaking that routine, ultimately how could God compete with that? If He wants to use you, He can’t because you’ve formed this tough layer around your heart simply by not being flexible. This portrays a stronghold because your thinking keeps you bound to this routine, never allowing for God's input to take precedence. In the Bible, the stubbornness of the Israelites’ formed a cast around their hearts which kept them unable to hear from God. Is that where you are in your spiritual walk right now? Maybe the issue isn’t that God isn’t speaking, but that there is something in His way. Scripture(s) Meditation: “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. As you read this, God highlighted some habits that need changing, what were those? How will you go about changing them? How will you maintain these changes? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: At times, I’ve heard the voice of Gnarls Barkley in my head. “I remember when, I remember I remember when I lost my mind.” For those of you who don’t know, this comes from his song called “crazy.” When God tells me the things that He’s about to do, this song begins to play in the background. What makes it worse is the progression from God revealing His promise, to actually fulfilling it. That in between space is difficult because it truly makes you feel crazy. Everything around you is speaking the exact opposite and here you are in this fairytale world seeking the Lord to fulfill what He said. Because I’ve had many a “crazy” moments ACTUALLY come to pass, I can tell you that you aren’t crazy. It’s simply called “crazy faith.” When you believe what the Lord has told you no matter the circumstances you face, that’s exactly what it is. To that person that’s believing God for the impossible, take this devotional as a reminder that you ARENT crazy. God has indeed spoken to you and HE WILL fulfill what He has promised. Just you wait and see! And at that moment you will be able to tell your soul to rest, for the Lord has been good to you. TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD! (Psalm 34:8) Scripture(s) Meditation: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. What do you do to keep yourself in a place of expectancy and not doubt? If I could make a suggestion, spend time reflecting on the confirmations God has given you and the times He has come through for you in the past. Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: I think it's so beautiful how God will use the simple things to bring His Word to life. On this particular day, I found myself at the nail salon. Upon first arriving, I noticed this Korean game show on the screen. As I watched the show, I couldn't help but to laugh and make various noises. A quarter of the way through my appointment, I noticed my nail technician had changed the channel. Towards the end of my appointment, I finally asked her can she change the show back. She said, "Oh, most people don't like watching." As she turned back to the show, you could see her facial expression shifted. What once was calloused had grown softened, simply by me expressing interest in something that was special to her. While the show played I laughed, and even though I had no clue what was being said, I could read the room. She was smiling and even the nail technician doing my pedicure shared her same sentiment. In that moment, God revealed to me the importance of the "universal language." Though we may not always understand what someone is saying, there are two things we will always know; laughter and love. This language has the ability to transcend cultures and language barriers to form a simple connection. I had even found out that the woman who did my pedicure was also considered a "minister" in her culture too! The understanding we shared was so much greater than words could ever be. So I may not have been able to stuff Christianity down their throats and get them to repent. (Never my mission anyways) But I was able to do something so much greater. Show them the heart of God, by representing His love. He cares for ALL of His children, no matter their skin complexion. Think of this the next time you desire to evangelize. Lead with love and laughter and watch how your message of God will be better received... Scripture(s) Meditation: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. How has someone showing you love brought you closer to God? Has the kindness expressed by others that may share a different culture or religion taught you anything about the God you serve? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: One day, I couldn't seem to get my mind to stop racing. As I attempted to fall asleep all I could think of were the "what ifs" in my situation. Knowing I had no way to fix it, I reverted back to my old way of doing things; just worry my way through. While doing this, peace left and despair walked right through my souls' door. Out of nowhere I heard "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and acknowledge Him in ALL your ways and lean not on your own understanding." (Emphasis added by me) I knew it wasn't me because I wasn't in the mood for reciting scriptures. But reciting this scripture out loud revealed something to me. Number one, that I must trust God. Number two, that I can't lean on my own understanding. Had all the stress I encountered simply been because I was leaning on my own understanding? Because I didn't trust God? Now of course I trust God, but did I trust Him in this situation? Honest answer? I didn't. So I first had to remind myself that, unlike man, I could trust God no matter what my circumstances looked liked. Secondly, I had to exchange my understanding for God's. The second was the difficult thing to do because it required me to give something up that kept me comfort. But that comfort kept me in a prison, so was it truly comfort? It was just another way for me to exercise control in a situation I had absolutely no control over. I had to let go of what I thought I knew, in exchange for what God said it is. If you find yourself in this very situation right now, ask yourself the questions below. Reply honestly. Then exchange your understanding for God's. I promise you'll feel freer this way. Scripture(s) Meditation: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. Do you trust God in this situation? Are you stuck in a prison because you've chosen your understanding over God's? How will you decide to trust God in this situation? What does that look like for you? How are you going to exchange your understanding for God's? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: God grants us the opportunity every season of our lives to grow with Him. What presents itself as a "difficult" season, is truly just God creating the perfect conditions for us to grow. Instead of becoming frustrated with God, begin to see the why for the season you're in. Every season will require something new from you. What may have carried you through a previous season, won't necessarily be applicable here. If God has brought you to a higher level in Him, that will require you to transition in the way you spend time with Him. Where a few scheduled times a day might suffice, this new season may require that you yield more throughout the day. It's a must you learn to navigate through the tough terrain in this season and seek God like never before. Who knows, this could be the very push needed to spearhead you forward into your destiny. The one thing that awakens the true lion within you to roar vehemently on behalf of the most high living God. Whatever you must do to find God and grow with Him in this season, do it with all your heart and mind. You will be surprised at what changes ensue and the doors that will be opened for you. Scripture(s) Meditation: “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. What does this season look like to you? In what ways have you had to change how you seek God? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: "No ma, I need two pair of sneakers for track this year," the young girl spoke as she desperately pleaded with her mom. Her mom looked at her with a face full of disdain, "I don't see why you would need two pair of shoes, I remember when I was a kid I had to share shoes with my siblings just to go to school." The young girl rolled her eyes, " ma, it ain't the 30's no more either." "I need one pair for training and another for the race." Her mother still not getting the point decided to bend at her will and said, "well, I guess. Y'all kids keep coming up with things. I'll buy a pair and have your sister in law get the other ones." To be real, the young girl up above is me. Trying to get my mom to support me as a high schooler was like pulling teeth. But somehow eventually, God always made things happen. But that's besides the point. Some of you like my mom may wonder, why did I need two pair of shoes? Well, the same way you once ran through life without God and then with Him? It required two different pair of shoes. It's no different here. The shoes I trained in were these clunky Starter brand shoes my mom got from Walmart. (Click here for a picture) Besides the fact I had to run 3.5 miles for track practice daily, I had to carry the weight of these shoes around. It was purposeful because it strengthened my legs to have great speed on race day. Now my other shoes that my sister in law brought me, were these fancy racing shoes from Rogan's Shoes in Milwaukee. They were this pretty blue color and even had these detachable spikes for when I'd run indoors instead of outdoors. These shoes were nothing like my trainers, they had breathable fabric and it felt like I was running on air. On race day, these shoes helped me run faster. How so? Because the burden of those clunky training shoes were removed. But I was able to endure longer and move faster because of the weight of those training shoes. How does this relate to your faith? It's all about endurance. Before God, you had to carry the weight of all those burdens alone, feeling slowed down and even sometimes stagnant. But when you accepted Christ into your heart, you could release all those sinful ways that kept you weighed down and the burdens of life that made you feel stuck. He came into your heart and gave you new shoes, shoes that enabled you to run the race of faith without all the extra weight. Some of you are in a position where you have accepted Christ into your heart, but you slipped back on those old Starter clunky training shoes. You wonder why all of a sudden you feel slowed down and its simply because you slipped back on those burdens. But no worries, you have a new pair of shoes. Take off the old ones, burn them and then run the race of faith with the new shoes Christ has given you. Scripture(s) Meditation: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. What are the situations in life that cause you to revert back to having a donkey's back? (Donkeys are known for carrying heavy burdens) What stumbling blocks can you put in place to keep you from putting on the old shoes and keeping on the new ones? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: Faith is defined as the substance of things hoped for but not yet seen. The Lord formed this physical world with an unseen thing, words. Can you see words? No. But you are witnessing the direct effects of spoken words turned into a virtual reality. Thus, you must agree that what is once unseen will eventually be seen. While in prayer the other day, God proceeded to show me this phrase, "The Seer's Advantage." When you look up the word advantage in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it says "a condition or circumstance that puts one in a favorable or superior position." When you remain in a posture where you have heightened sensitivity, you are able to see things in the realm of the spirit before they come into the physical plane. Though in the physical things seem array, because of what you can see in the spirit you are at an advantage. Your foresight introduces you to a new realm of faith where you remain unmoved by what you see. The downside to this is that you must trust what you see in the spirit over what you see in the physical. If you don't, you will end up constantly questioning the promises of God over your life and moving every which way that life takes you. You want to be a tree that stands firm in faith, and the only way to do that is to trust God. How do you trust Him? You take what He shows you and believe it. Scripture(s) Meditation: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. How does God reveal His future moves to you? Has what He shown you in previous seasons ever come to pass? Why do you think it's hard to trust what God shows you, over what you see in the physical? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: Before I decided to say yes to God, I used to spend the days basking in worries and defeat. I had what many will call "crippling anxiety" and would spend hours entangled in a giant web of my thoughts. No matter how much the people around me told me not to worry, that almost ignited my desire to worry more. I truly felt that me not worrying about something was a huge problem. It was such a large part of my life that I didn't know how I would function without it. The closer I drew to God however, I began to notice something about worry. Opening the door to worry, created a pathway into this instantaneous portal of darkness. It took me from the fullness of the present into a place saturated with despair, regret and forgetfulness. No matter what, I couldn't escape it's grip. Just pure bondage choking the life out of me. Then one day, I decided to try something new. Instead of worrying, I'd replace it with faith. I lived most of my life this way, so why not try something new for once? God never designed us to worry, and instead gave us a Redeemer that not only redeems us from sin, but also from the dark portal of endless worries. Basically, you can either choose to worry or give it over to God. Scripture(s) Meditation: “Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭CSB‬‬ “Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. What situation in your life is currently keeping you bound to an endless cycle of worry? Are you willing to try something new for once and just give it to God? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: When people are in need do they always run to you first?  Do you consider yourself to be the “strong” friend? Well, today I want to remind you that you aren’t alone. I’m sure you’ve heard that you can’t pour from an empty cup, but yet somehow you still find a way to be there for others. When you pour from an empty reserve, you experience the residual effects of it. Frustration, tiredness, feeling overwhelmed, under appreciated and so much more. How do you refill your own cup? One day I expressed this direction question to God. What does the encourager do when they need encouragement? He redirected me to Matthew 6:33. You first have to become full in the presence of God, then you will be able to pour out to everything else. To further illustrate this, God gave me an interesting image. As I stood at the top of this hill, I found myself immersed within a beautiful field. As I crept to the boundaries of the field, I saw many other fields down below. Each field represented a different area of my life. One for health, family, relationships etc. But the one at the top of the hill represented my relationship with God, a field that God Himself waters. From there, an intricate irrigation tunnel sends water directly to the surrounding fields. We feel so empty because instead of spending time in the field that matters the most, we go around to every field individually. What this does is cause a cyclic pattern in our life that keeps us weary and depleted. Yes, God sends us friends and other believers to help “fill” our cups, but it’s nothing like receiving our “filling” from the source. The more you dwell in the presence of God, the greater “filling” you will receive. So if you find yourself in need of encouragement, I want to encourage you to spend more time in the field that matters. Scripture(s) Meditation: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. How important is it for you to consistently feel replenished? What keeps you from spending more time at the top of the hill? What changes can you make to ensure you dwell in the overflow? Sun'Ray💕

Devotional: As much as we complain about the burdens of life, we sure do love picking up extra baggage. It could start with some genuine efforts of community service, then a little sincerity expressed to close family members, then a little help to your friends. Before you know it, you've begun to carry so many things. All because you may want to prove yourself as a "good" Christian or even a "nice" person. Or, some of you may even think it's the right thing to do. Can I tell you something? Know that God loves you exactly as you are right now. Even at your messiest moments, He loved you. He doesn't love you any more now than He loved you then, and that won't ever change. Don't begin to believe that you being a "yes" man satisfies God. Yes, God wants you to help your fellow brethren, but He doesn't want you to be weighed down in the process. There are some burdens you are sanctioned to carry, but there are some you can pick up out of guilt or from wanting to avoid the uneasiness that comes from telling people no. Before you tell someone, "I'll do it," check with your Father to see what He says first. It may be a burden He wants you to bear, other times you could possibly interfere on a lesson a Father wants to teach His child. Seeing those around us go through hard times and pain is never easy. It's truly no delicate matter to tell someone you can't help them. But you must remember that the same God who saw you through, is the same one that will see them through too. There's no task too big or too hard for our God. Don't make your walk any harder by taking on a burden you were never meant to bear... Scripture(s) Meditation: “Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭55‬:‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below. Reflect over a time that you stepped in to carry a burden you were never meant to bear. How did that situation affect you? What did you learn from it? How can you apply that past lesson to your now? Sun'Ray💕