instead

last week, i stopped to visit a friend from my worship group. she gave me a xerox copy of a book she is reading, God had put this on her heart strongly, and she shared it in church the previous weekend.

it was about living "in the blessing zone" of God. written by patricia king, but i am having a hard time finding the book.

anywho, what struck me most was a prophecy written by graham cooke in may 2009. in it, he refers to living an "alternative lifestyle." he calls this lifestyle INSTEAD. it reminded me very much of carey's "flip" post from a few months back, in fact almost word for word.

here's a snippet (paraphrased by me):

"and you are going to say, i have learned an alternative lifestyle INSTEAD of the one i had, i am a different person. i am not living that life, i am living a different one. i have the favor of the Lord.

God's favor will stay with you and will remain with you all the days of your life. you will abide in this favor because i have sent My Holy Spirit to teach you how to stay, to teach you how to dwell, to teach you how to remain, to teach you how to focus, to teach you how to pray, to teach you how to speak, to teach you how to walk and how to move, and how to live and how to have your being in My Son.

it's ME, it's ME, says the Lord. i am your favor. i have always been your favor, i will always be your favor. i am THE INSTEAD, i am YOUR INSTEAD, i am your promise, i am your prophesy, i am your blessing, I AM INSTEAD, i am your INSTEAD. I am, I am. my presence shall go with you."


did you get that? i think this is deeply profound. i have found the word INSTEAD engrained in my thinking since i read this. i hope that it blesses you, also. happy day, friends!

Behold,
as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters . . .
so our eyes look to the Lord our God.

Psalm 123:2