When Believing is Hard

“Without weakening in his faith, he [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead- since he was about a hundred years old- and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he has promised” Romans 4:20,21

Abraham was a perfect example for us to follow when it looks like in the natural what God promised you would never happen. It may look like what God said is dead and has passed you by; but what I loved best about this verse was that Abraham noticed his natural ability had faded away, but it never robbed Him of his faith in what God spoke to him.

Though nearly 10 years of waiting for fulfillment of a seemingly impossible promise, Abraham’s faith, rather than growing weak, grew stronger, while he continued to give glory to God!

Remember, even if you are the only one standing and believing for what God has spoken to you; that is ALL that matters. Paul encouraged the Roman church and I encourage you today, Abraham KNEW God had the POWER to do what He had promised, but Abraham also was FULLY PERSUADED that God would do it!

Out of Reach

I was watching a three year old little boy, Sam, playing one day. He was running back and forth laughing, completely enjoying life! As he was running fast across the room he spotted a bright yellow helium balloon floating in the air that was attached by a long curly string. I watched him stop with eyes bright and look up at the balloon in amazement. It was as if you could read his mind, "this is the most coolest thing, I can't believe it's actually just sitting here and no one else seems to see it, it must have been placed here just for me!" With all his courage raging, he mustard up every bit of strength he could and jumped with all his might; his little hand open to grasp the ribbon and show off what he had found! 
To his amazement, he realized very quickly it was just out of his reach. You could see the shock in his face when he came down and realized the balloon was not in his hand. He frowned his eye brows and looked up at that balloon as if to say, "I can't believe I didn't get you, but I am going to have you" so he jumped and jumped and jumped and failed over and over again. At this point, He began to grunt and get very frustrated. I notice that the string was not very far from his reach, but it was still unreachable. In Sam's mind it seemed miles away. 
He went through many ranges of emotions while trying to reach the balloon. He went from pure elation that here was this balloon that was seemingly put there just for him and his adrenaline rising with excitement and anticipation, to feeling frustrated and angry that after many attempts he just couldn't do it, he began to whimper and cry to get someone's attention to help him. The room was very busy and everyone was doing their own thing and didn't notice what his heart was going through. 
Just when his voice was about to raise at his highest and he was fed up and ready to throw the biggest fit a three year old can give, his big brother, Joshua, walked by and without any difficultly or hesitation pulled the balloon down, which was of no effort in his reach at all and gave it to Sam and just kept walking by. 
Sam, rattled by his experience just stood there for a second, shocked. He actually had the balloon that he so desired and worked so hard to receive and here it was in his hands. He quickly released all his feelings of questioning, frustration, anger and sadness to total elation and with a huge smile on his face as if he had won the best gift of all and took off running across the room with his prize to show all his friends what he had found. 
I sat there and thought to myself, wow, how difficult and how far away it seemed for Sam yet how easy and desirable it was for his big brother to give him. Then immediately I thought in my heart, what a perfect picture of our lives with God. There are many things that we are looking up at and desiring so desperately in our life. Some of us may be like Sam and we have reached and tried with all our might, but because of so many attempts and failures, maybe you have given up, maybe you are just angry and maybe failure has grasped your heart that you have no fight left in you.
I don't know what emotion or stage you are in, in the process of 'life' but God's word says in Isaiah 59:11 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. Just think about how amazing this verse is! God's hand is there for you where yours seems to fall short. What seems so impossible to us and is out of our reach, is completely easy for God and it is in His heart for you. Tell Him today what your desires are, tell Him what you are longing for and He will hear you. I believe that even as you are reading this, the heavenly Father is reaching down and putting your desires in your hands. Once they are fulfilled you will forgot all the memories of the struggles and only rejoice in the victory of fulfillment!

Fundraiser for the Philippines

 

I am going to the Philippines to minister for 2 weeks and created a fundraiser to help cover my airfare! I will be ministering 6 times on my visit, with 2 visits to a children's Feed the Hungry Program!

Your donation will make it possible!  Thank you in advance!

Ministering in the Philippines

January 1st - January 16th 2014

My personal ministry website :www.barbpruitt.com
My churches website: www.fbimaz.com

A team of 5 us will be traveling to Metro Manilla to do mission work. I am very excited that God has opened this door for us. We will be there for 12 days, teaching and ministering.

Our Host will be: Luc Taylor from Feed My Hungry Children and President of Feeding Hungry Children.

http://the3000club.org/os/

We are working with a few ministries in Metro Manilla:
Miracle Life Fellowship International: Bishop David Dario
Miracle Christian Center: Pastor Marinel Agcalao
Word of Victory Outreach:Luc Taylor
*Feeding programs and outreaches to children*

I will be ministering over 6 times while I'm there, teaching at churches, youth conferences and a women's conference. We will have two outreaches.

Any amount you would like to help contribute would be a huge blessing to make this trip so successful! I will keep you posted on all the social networking!

Thank you so much!
Barb Pruitt

God Crazy Freedom Book

God has brought over 20 Freedom stories together in this amazing book "God Crazy Freedom" to be used as a tool to empower women to move beyond the past, into a future awaiting their dreams and purpose. Every chapter features a freedom story and a devotional outlining scriptures, emphasizing the hope God gives us in His word, with a list of freedom action points accompanied by a closing prayer. The hope of the God Crazy team, is that these stories and devotionals will encourage women to move beyond their past and grab onto the freedom He desires us to embrace. There is nothing more powerful than hearing the story of someone who has overcome and is willing to be real and share about it. "I am amazed at how these women care so much about impacting the lives of others, that they are willing to be so vulnerable and open with their hearts." - Michelle Borquez

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Purchase here $15.00 

Where's My Promise God? Did I miss it?

I just love Abraham because he was given such a BIG promise from God even when it seem against all odd. Let's take a peek into a time in his life where the promise of God was being challenged within him and see how you  might just compare to him!

1. You Receive an Amazing Promise from God

Romans 4:17 “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 

There is something so life-giving about having a promise from the Lord!  When you have that promise, it is something that can keep you focused, help you get through the tough days, and gives you the strength you need to keep persevering.  Personally, I have many promises that has been given to me by the Lord, and I have seen many come to pass; but there are many more that have been spoken and are still a live in my heart.

2. You will be challenged with the opportunity to give up hope
18In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 

I love that line "hope against hope".  Look at what that word hope means.
Hope= An expectation of evil, fear
Hope= A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen


There was a battle going on in Abraham. He compared hope against hope. The feeling of the promise never coming to pass and the feeling of expecting God to do what He said He would do! What did he do? The word says, HE BELIEVED!


3. You will want to look at the circumstances in your life and compare to God's promises
19Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 

Here we find Abraham looking at the natural circumstances and wondering how could this ever be? How can God's promises still stand?   The temptation to look at what you see and compare it to the fulfillment of God's promises is always lurking in your mind.  God doesn't look at what man sees, He is looking at the big picture and He knows the perfect timing for your promises to come in your life!  It's all in God's hands! 

Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

BUT...NEVER quit believing or Trusting God
20yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,21and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
Even though Abraham considered his old age, YET when it came to the Promise of God he did not waver!

Waver=to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer

Abraham did it for YOU too!
 22Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.23Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,24but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,25He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

If God is not a respecter of persons, then just as He Promised Abraham and fulfilled His Promise..HE will do the same for you!

What's Holding You Back?

At the starting Gate!!

I have always wanted to run a 5k, but my fear of not being able to accomplish the goal or worried about coming in last held me back from even entertaining it. I allowed so many "excuses", which I felt were pretty good reason not to run in a race.  Well.... a few months ago, I lost a precious friend of mine to breast cancer and I immediately knew, I had to run for her!! If she could bravely face breast cancer, the surgery's, chemotherapy and all those years of treatment, I could face my fears too!

As I began training and running, I realized that my mind limited me and held me back. Crossing the finish line had to do MORE with a mental victory than a physical handicap.  While running, I would listen to worship music and have great "self talk". I would say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthen's me, Greater is He that's in me than he that's in the world, I am the head and not the tail!!  I would say, "You got this Barb,You can do this Barb, You will run this race and you will cross that finish line. I would say "Thank you Jesus, that you can help me get through this.

The hardest part of running a race is STARTING it and then FINISHING it~

FINISH LINE!

My precious friend Christian!

Whatever obstacle you face inside yourself that is limiting you, GOD is so much bigger in you when you rely on Him and trust Him. You will cross the finish line, you may not be first but what is important is that you don't give up!!

I did an entire teaching on "The Race of Faith" you can listen to it here: http://www.fbimaz.com/#/media I taught it on 12/2/12 and ran the race a month later!

God hears your hearts desires!!

My gold METAL!

I want to introduce you my my precious friend Ilknur Brown, she is one of the most talented and gifted women I know! Crossing the finish line on many obstacles, fears and disasters in her life, she knows who she is in Christ and knows where her Victory comes from.  She truly needs to write a book of her life story,she is a powerful woman of Faith!

Ilknur Brown

She is the designer of the adorable tutu's that Christian and I wore during our race! She has a company called Cookies and Costumes Kids Boutique (click for FACEBOOK page) Her creations are so beautiful and unique!

She will custom design each piece for sizes, colors and styles.  Check out her website on Etsy she created all the designs, dressed her daughters and photographed them.  She designs and creates one of kind outfits for: Weddings, sporting competitions, birthday parties, special occasions or birthdays, photo shoots and so much.  

She is also available to do the photography!  She has an incredible eye! 

Cookies & Costumes Kid's Boutique & Photography

Be sure to check out her website and see all her beautiful work!! Email or call her for a consultation!

email: Ilknurglendale@yahoo.com 

call: 602.575.8608