I thank God for peace. I thank God for peace, in the name of Jesus Christ.

As I pray to God during my quiet times with Him, I thank Him for providing me with His peace, that surpasses my understanding, of the future and what is to come.

~”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”~Jeremiah 29:11, NIV~

I believe with conviction that God has called me to be an author and a counselor. These callings on my life have immensely blessed me as the Lord God has shown me of the future that is to come as a result of these great callings that He has on my life.

One reason that I believe that God has called me to become an author is because God has gifted me with the talent of writing. Writing is one of my many talents that God has given me, beside a wise and discerning spirit. I enjoy writing because with it, I can glorify God through this tool.

I write on blog posts and as a news editor for Atlanta Christian Voice. I am very blessed that God called me to set up this blog website, ‘Sarah’s Spiritual Walk,” after I went on a missions trip to Lebanon a couple of years ago. I am also immensely blessed that the Father called the president of One Christian Voice to choose me to become the news editor for Atlanta Christian Voice.

Several months ago, I was interviewed by a Christian broadcast television network for my missionary works in Lebanon, Japan, and Uganda. I was also interviewed regarding how I became a news editor for Atlanta Christian Voice and I explained in the interview how God made me to become the news editor and how God is growing the business. I thank the Lord for moments like these because I can glorify God in these special moments!

I also believe that God has also called me to become a counselor because I have been through many hardships of which I believe that my future clients can relate to and that I can provide counsel to through the Word of God. I am currently in the Liberty University online program for my third Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am halfway through the program and do not graduate until the Fall 2021.

Even after I graduate, I still intend to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), in the state of Georgia. In this way, a few years later, I will be known as Sarah A. Dickens, LPC. Praise the Lord!

I still have a long way to go before I graduate. With the Lord Jesus holding my hand, I have peace that surpasses all understanding. I have peace in the future and what it holds. My future is in the Lord’s hands! Amen!

~”Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.“~Philippians 4:8-9, NIV~

I am hopeful. I am hopeful in Christ.

I’ve been through rough times before. Plenty of times. Currently, I am beginning to question the unknown and why God is allowing for certain things to happen in my life. I trust and know that God has great plans for me, but am uncertain about my future with my current friendships.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”~John 14:1, ESV~

Lately, I have been very troubled. I have not heard from many of my friends from church since the Coronavirus pandemic began. While I do acknowledge that I have not done my part, as a member of the Body of Christ, by reaching out to them, I also acknowledge and truthfully say that they have not done their part either. Even when I do my part and text certain friends, they do not text me back. This makes me really and and deeply grieved. But, it reminds me at the same time that Jesus faced rejection.

I have been feeling as if not many of my friends from church care about me. And it is when I have been rejected and when friends from church choose to reject me that I believe in God and am thankful for what Christ did for me on the cross.

Jesus died for the rejection that I face. Jesus died for the sadness and grief that I feel. Jesus died for the pain that I feel. Memories with my friends from church may last for a season, but a relationship with Jesus Christ is for a lifetime.

I am in no way saying that I am ungrateful for the friendships that I currently have. I am just really sad that none of them, from my perspective, see me as worthy of friendship or a valuable person of significance. It is in these moments that when reality hits me hard with sadness and grief that I see my significance in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am significant to God. I don’t have to be significant to my friends from church. I am loved by God. I don’t have to receive love to gain approval from my friends from church. I am cherished by God. I don’t need to hear from my friends to church for me to feel a certain way (happy, content, etc.).

I forgive my friends from church for not reaching out to me. At the same time, I forgive myself for not doing my part, as a member of the Body of Christ, for not reaching out. I pray that this moment will teach me how to be a better friend and that my friends from church can inquire of the Lord in prayer how they can treat me better and as a good friend.

I am thankful to God for the revelation that He has given me over the years concerning my life. I know that I have a calling and that God has plans for me that are different from my friends from church. I just have to trust in Him and know that perhaps rejection from my friends from church is a sign from God of redirection.

I am not letting go of my friends from church. In fact, I will continue to pray for them, as I always do in my quiet time. I praise God for the memories that I have made with them over the years. I will always cherish them.

I am now at peace with God and myself. I thank God for this peace that I feel that He gave me. I am no longer troubled or afraid of the future and what it holds. Thank You Jesus!

I woke up early this morning. I woke up early this morning to pray.

As I woke up early this morning to pray, the Holy Spirit of God began to speak to me concerning my book, which I have written. I am currently in the process of finding a publisher for my book, but I am trusting God that He will provide me with a publisher in His timing.

~”He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”~Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV~

I had a vision as I was praying. One of my friends from church knelt in front of me on the ground and gave me a star from the sky. As I asked the Lord about the star and this vision, He let me know, by the power of His Holy Spirit, that the star represents my future and destiny. I have victory in Christ because the Lord has granted me power of the Holy Spirit to walk on into my destiny and the plans that He has for my future.

As I have prayed over the years, the Lord showed me that my destiny in Christ has two parts: I am called to be an author and am I chosen to be a counselor. This is all a part of the will of God because these are desires that God Almighty put in my heart to become an author and to become a counselor. I love how the Lord can speak so clearly to my heart through this vision, for such a time is this.

I believe in my heart that God has called and chosen me on this earth for a plan and a purpose. I also believe that God loves me so much that He has called and chosen me to walk healed and to walk in freedom, in the name of Jesus Christ. God is so good!

I continued to pray for a little over two hours this morning. It was a lovely time that I spent with the Lord this morning. I reflected upon the vision that God showed me and thanked the Lord for showing me in the season that He showed me. His timing is always on time and right! Indeed!

~”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”~Jeremiah 29:11, NIV~

I am excited and cannot wait for my book to be published. I cannot wait for this to come to pass and am trusting and waiting on God in this process. I also am excited and cannot wait to start my classes for the second half of my journey at Liberty University to become a counselor. I am set to graduate in the Fall 2021 and am praying over this date, in the name of Jesus Christ.

God is good. He is always faithful to me. I cannot wait for the testimonies that are unfolding in this process. Hallelujah and amen!

I thank God. I thank the Lord for His resurrection power.

This morning, I experienced many breakthroughs as the Lord God granted me His resurrection power, as my portion. This is just the beginning and the end is far from near to me.

~”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”~2 Timothy 1:7, KJV~

As I was praying this morning, I could feel the healing power of God circulating through all parts of my body: my heart, my mind, my soul, and my spirit. I did not understand why the Lord would allow for me to experience this healing, so I asked God about it and He showed me a vision as I was praying.

In this particular vision, I was on a beach with clear blue water, clear blue waves, and a sandy shore. It was as if Heaven was brought on earth as it is in Heaven. I had holes in my hands and feet, where I had been crucified (figuratively speaking), many times of my life. I passed by one of my friends from church as I was walking along the sandy shore. I gave her a hug and as I gave my friend a hug, she witnessed the healing power of God through my wounds on my hands and on my feet. It was incredible!

~”But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”~Isaiah 53:5, KJV~

As I walked away from my friend, she cried happy tears as if she were praising and celebrating with the Father of the resurrection power that Christ Jesus granted to me to walk in His healing and feel His deliverance. It was so beautiful and so marvelous!

After the Lord showed me this vision, I continued to pray and continued to listen to Christian music on my phone. I praised the Lord for granting me the gift of His resurrection power and to walk in it. I am a child of God: healed, set free, and delivered. Praise the Lord!

It was as if I was walking along the sandy shore in this vision that God was elevating me in a renewed sense of strength and a renewed sense of peace as I experienced this resurrection power of Christ this morning. I will never forget this moment. Amen!

~”For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”~Philippians 1:21, KJV~

~”I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”~Philippians 3:14, KJV~

~”I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”~Philippians 4:13, KJV~

I thank the Lord for His promise of resurrection power that He showed me today! I praise Jesus for empowering me through His Holy Spirit so that I can walk in this resurrection power today. Starting today. Thank you Jesus! Hallelujah! Amen!

I like to pray. I like to  pray in my bedroom.

As I pray in my bedroom, I can feel the presence of God elevating me to Heaven. As the Holy Spirit of God elevates me to Heaven, I feel at peace with God and with myself.

~”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”~Philippians 4:6-7, NIV~

This peace that I feel is calming. This peace that I feel is soothing to my heart, my mind, my body, my soul, and my spirit. This peace that I feel brings me into the presence of Almighty God. Oh, how I enjoy feeling this peace of God!

This peace of God brings me in complete unity with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of God, the full Trinity of Christ. This peace makes me healed, whole, and delivers me from the devil and other forces of darkness at work. As I put this peace of God into action, I have faith that others who God puts into my life will experience it too.

I currently work at a childcare facility as I study to become a counselor with my university full-time. One time, I was reading a couple of books to four of the children in the young toddler classroom of the childcare facility. I noticed that as I was reading these books to them that they were very occupied with me reading to them. I also noticed that they were feeling at peace with God and with themselves as I was reading books to them.

The lead teacher of the classroom noticed the peace of God that filled the atmosphere of the classroom and told me as soon as the classroom got down to one child, “The children seem to enjoy you reading to them!”

This comment that the lead teacher made me feel at peace with God and myself because I knew that I was doing the work of the Lord during that moment. I knew, in that moment, that the work of the Lord was accomplished!

~”Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”~Philippians 4: 8-9, NIV~

I shall continue to fix my thoughts on all of the above: whatever is deemed by the Lord to be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy. I shall also put the peace of God into practice in all that I do for the Lord. Peace of God fills me up. It surpasses all negative emotions so that others can be filled up with the peace of God too. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

I can see Heaven. I have my days, where I see Heaven opening up for me.

The Lord has been very good to me. When I see Heaven opening up for me, I lift up my hands and begin to praise the Lord!

~”Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”~Psalm 150:1-6, ESV~

One of the ways that I praise the Lord is through ball-room dancing. Before the Coronavirus pandemic hit the United States of America (my home country), I would go and ball-room dancing with my friends from my church. We would go to ball-room dance socials at local churches or at gatherings, where ball-room dance socials were happening.

I really like ball-room dance socials because they give me the chance to spend time and fellowship with my sisters and brothers in Christ. I talk with my brothers and sisters in Christ to see how they are doing and talk to them about the good that the Lord is doing in my life in that moment (school, church, community, etc.).

I also like ball-room dance socials because they are a therapeutic outlet for me to experience the healing power of God, inside out. I have been through many traumatic things and even though these traumatic events were bad, God was able to use them to glorify Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, through means of ball-room dancing. Whether I do the waltz or fox trot, I glorify God through means of ball-room dancing in all that I do for the Lord.

A final reason why I like ball-room dance socials is because ball-room dancing is one of my favorite hobbies. Ball-room dancing is one of my favorite hobbies because I can use it to glorify God and His Son, Jesus Christ, in all that I do for Him. I have always liked ball-room dancing, since one of my friends from church introduced me to it a couple of years ago, and have loved it very much since then, as I use this God-given talent and hobby to glorify God.

So, whenever I look up at the sky, I think about the Lord. I meditate on His goodness. I also think about what Heaven will be like for me, as a believer in Christ, and if there will be a palace in Heaven, with men and women of different countries of the world, giving glory to God through ball-room dancing. If that is so, then I will gladly dance away for the Lord. I shall dance away for the Lord as every knee, every tribe, and every tongue give glory to God through means of ballroom dancing.

~”So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”~Philippians 2:10-11, ESV~

When I ball-room dance in Heaven, I shall confess that Jesus is Lord of my life. That shall be a testimony in and of itself. Amen!

I am special to God. I am very near and dear to God just as Jehovah is near and dear to my heart.

Whenever I look at the sky above me, I think about the goodness of the Lord. The clouds remind me of His greatness and majesty. The sun reminds me that God is closer to us than we could even imagine.

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”~Nehemiah 9:6, ESV~

Even as I continue to look at the sky, I worship God. I worship God because He gave me abundant life. It is because of this abundant life that I walk in that I praise the Lord for providing me with eternal life. I walk in the abundant life and I walk in the eternal life.

To me, the abundant life is what God provides me here and now on this green earth. It reminds me of the life that Jesus lived while on this green earth. I walk in the abundant life because Jesus died for me so that I could have an abundant life on this green earth before the Lord calls me home.

The abundant life reminds me of what eternal life will be like when the Lord God calls me into Heaven, my eternal home away from my home on earth. I think about the abundant life as I worship God on this green earth in the present. I meditate on the abundant life as I praise the Lord for giving me the abundant life through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is because of these truths that I stand victorious at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ and praise the Lord for this magnificent sacrifice.

~”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”~John 3:16, NIV~

The abundant life is a clear reflection of eternal life as I meditate on this truth on this green earth. I am constantly reminded, as I continue to look up at the sky, that my home is not this green earth, but that it is in Heaven with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The hope that I have and speak of is found in His eternal life that He gave to me, as a gift, at the cross. This is the sign of hope. This is also a sign of eternal hope.

I thank God for giving me the abundant life through Christ Jesus so that I can walk in eternal life in Him. I stand in the confidence that I will walk in eternal life when God says to me, “The time is now to come home. Welcome home, my faithful daughter!,” into His arms. Bless the Lord for this amazing truth! I can’t wait until that day of eternal life, in the name of Jesus Christ! To God be the glory! Amen!

Are you ready? Are you ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Our bodies, which will not last forever, will be transformed by the hands of God the Father, and we will be given new bodies that will last forever.

~”But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”~1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, ESV~

The angels will sound the trumpet. Those who are children of God will hear the sound of the trumpet. Those who have passed away in Christ will rise and be given new bodies in Christ. They will be given perfect bodies.

Those who are children of God and alive still on the earth will be given new bodies too after hearing the trumpet. They will be given perfect bodies.

These perfect bodies will not only just be perfect bodies; they will be bodies like Jesus. In these perfect bodies, we will no longer cry, suffer, feel pain, angry, or other imperfect emotions because we will be just as Christ is in these perfect bodies.

As followers of Jesus, we have a reason to rejoice in the Lord for this day. Since we will be like Christ, we will have no reason to look back or behind at the past that is behind us. The earth will be old. Heaven will be a new place for all followers of Jesus to dwell. All old things will pass away and new things will have come!

~”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”~2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV~

All followers of Jesus will embrace the new and they will embrace Christ Jesus just as He is: with His nail-pierced hands and nail-pierced feet. Jesus died for all so that we could have the chance to get eternal life in Christ Jesus. Eternal life is our portion. Amen!

Do you believe in Jesus? Do you want this eternal life that I speak of to you? If so, pray this short prayer:

Dear God,

I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I confess my sins to You as I put my trust in Jesus to lead me for the rest of the days of my life. Come into my heart as my Lord and Savior and lead me and guide me for the rest of my days.

In Jesus’ name,

amen!

**If you just prayed this short prayer, then you will be going to Heaven with Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Eternity and eternal life are your portion today and you can continue to walk in this truth today and share it with your loved ones!

I am at rest. I am at rest in the arms of the Lord.

I have moments of my life, where I am not energetic, and I need a place to rest. It is in these moments that I find rest in the Lord.

~”Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”~Matthew 11:28-30, ESV~

When I find rest, I find rest in Jesus. Jesus in my Rock. Jesus is my Salvation. Also, Jesus is my Rest. I rest in the Lord. Some of the ways that I find to rest in the Lord include reading a good book by a Christian author, praying, and going for walks in parks or nature parks. These outlets are positive outlets, where I can re-focus my thoughts from myself to the Lord as I use this time to care for myself. Resting in the Lord is self-care.

When I rest in the Lord, I stand in the confidence that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I can go to my Heavenly Father, in these moments, and feel at peace and ease with Him and myself, inside out.

~”For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”~Romans 8:6, KJV~

Resting in the Lord gives me peace to my heart, my soul, my mind, and my entire body. This is so that when I go about the rest of the my day, I can focus on getting tasks done and on what the Lord wants me to accomplish for that day.

This requires me to die to my flesh and surrender it to the Lord so that He can mold me and make me into the woman of the King of kings and Lord of lords that He wants me to become. I must put my flesh aside always for this process because I am only a work in progress. God is continually fashioning me for His glory.

~”Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession.”~Isaiah 60:11, ESV~

I praise the Lord because He always puts my heart and mind at ease. I can rest in Him always, knowing that day and night, He blesses me with peace so that I can enter into His rest and claim His rest as my portion and sign of victory!

The rest of the Lord is my portion always. The rest of the Lord is my sure sign of victory in Christ Jesus. In Jesus, I have rest as my peace in the Lord as I pray and follow after this desire of the heart and mind of God: to enter into His rest. Amen.

I am growing. I am growing up in the Lord in this season.

As I grow in the Lord Jesus Christ in this season, I am becoming firm like an olive tree in a garden.

~”But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.”~Psalm 52:8, ESV~

For years, I have prayed to God for stability in my life. I have had the desire in my heart to make changes in my life that are pleasing to God and that honor Him with all of me. The reason is because I desire to serve the Lord God all of the days of my life.

As I have served God all of the days of my life, I have noticed the change that God is doing in my life. I am stepping out on faith and believing in God for these changes so that I can glorify God in all that I say and do for His kingdom.

One of these changes that I have made is saving money. I have prayed to God for years for Him to teach me how to save money. My mother nor my father did not teach me how to save money (I am not saying that they are bad parents for not teaching me how to save money. I am just saying that they did not teach me how to save and spend money wisely). I had to teach myself as well as learn from mistakes of the past to not spend money carelessly and to always tithe to my church.

For this year, I made a goal to myself to start tithing to my local church. I noticed that since I began to tithe to my local church that Godly change has been happening in my life. I am starting to save money more and spend less money more often that I have in the past. I am also noticing that my heart and my mind are at peace with my spirit, soul, and God as I made the commitment to tithe to my local church faithfully and wholeheartedly.

~”Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.“~2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV~

I am becoming a more sensible woman to the Lord. I am becoming a more practical person in the Word of God as a result of tithing to my local church. My finances are starting to fall into place miraculously because I have committed to tithing to the Lord every Sunday morning at my church. Praise the Lord!

Whenever I go to the store, I ask myself the question before purchasing an item, “Is this item necessary to buy right now and can it wait?” As I ask myself this question, I seek the Lord for discernment as I shop in the store for what is necessary to buy and what is not necessary to buy. God gives me the clarity that I need to make wise purchasing decisions.

I do not let the devil or my flesh lead me into temptation as I shop because I want to glorify God in my shopping and spending habits. It all starts with the thoughts and intentions of the heart and not giving up or giving into the devil, self, or sin. I thank God for giving me strong convictions to know when to say, “yes,” and, “no,” to buying items in the store.

I am still a work in progress and am not perfect. But, with Jesus by my side, I am confident that I can make wise spending choices and think clearly as I shop in the store and glorify God in all that I say and do for Him. Thank You Jesus! Hallelujah!