One of the BIGGEST Questions that  I get from most people all the time is.. HOW CAN I GROW CLOSER TO GOD?!?!?!? This is by far one of the most complicated questions EVER to answer. It's complicated because I have been trying to figure out how to give a simple answer to such a complex question. 

But overtime and in consistent prayer, one of the keys, that I've found to drawing nigh and closer to God is TRANSPARENCY. 

Psalms 51:6 NKJV
"Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom." 

Many of us have been looking to know God is greater ways. We know about worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth, and we desire to live according to that standard as well. However we fail to understand that the truth does also begins with us. 

The Psalmist David begin to record one of the keys to growing closer and knowing God in Greater ways. 
He begins to describe the desire of the True and Living God.... That desire being truth! Truth from within and truth imparted in. 

One of the weapons of the enemy is to keep us ignorant or unable to see truth; especially truth from God's perspective. We embrace what the World gives us; But God's truth reigns supreme, God's Truth is wrapped in HIS Goodness, HIS Truth is compromised of mercy, & HIS TRUH endures throughout ALL Generations! 

Psalms 100:5 KJ21
"For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations."

If we start our journey of seeking God at the place of TRUTH - if we begin to give God our truths,  He will then allow us to know Him, His Wisdom, His TRUTH from within. And we'll no longer walk around as if we don't know God, as if we're nomads without a purpose. We'll know from within us, within our hearts. 

Are you willing to be transparent with God concerning what's within you?!?!?!?
Are you willing to allow HIM to show you HIS WISDOM and impart that within?!?!?!?!?!

Let Him impart HIs WISDOM! It'll begin within your transparency! 

Always Praying for you, 
Psalmist Raine

I was in prayer this morning and the Lord was really dealing with me concerning this flesh of mines! I was repenting to God because I found myself to be passionately opinionated about various things going on with me and others. This is truly good and fine in it's place; but it had gotten to the point where I find myself walking in a bit of haughtiness.

"Who do I think I am...???"

I also found it extremely difficult to love as the Father instructs us to love; ESPECIALLY if someone is just evil!

"What level of self-righteousness, right?!?!?" 

So, this morning I am truly repenting concerning this! I was asking the Lord to strengthen my spirit man! He became to deal with me about how Holy Spirit is present and willing to help but I must be willing to take heed to his instructions.  I began thinking... How many times have I ignored the small nudges of  HIS Spirit??? I began to realize that I have ignored Holy Spirit, quite a few times, because of what I was feeling in my flesh!!!

Oh, Forgive me Lord! 

The Lord in His infinite wisdom continued to share HIS Heart in my spirit......

The nature of the flesh is sin and wickedness...ungodliness! We constantly feed this nature when we continue to give into the desires of it... even if it seems harmless! The more we deny this flesh and live according to the desires of the Spirit of God, our spirit man will be strengthen and able to stand up against the flesh and it's desires. We must be cautious of everything we open ourselves up to; even the VERY LITTLE SUBTLE THINGS... considering the root of it's nature, it will begin to feed our flesh.  We must live lives that stand consecrated, embracing only things of the Spirit of God! 

There is a greater level of consecration required; especially in THIS hour! The level requires us to be extremely cautious and aware of things we allow to enter our gates. We can't ignore the subtle things or the small foxes!

Song of Solomon 2:15 (AMP)
" Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom."

Through scripture, the Lord used Solomon to speak wisdom that has a depth of revelation to it! This scripture can be taken in so many ways; depending on the direction the Lord is revealing to you in any given moment. As it refers to this topic today, the Lord wants us to:

1. "Catch the foxes..."
There are many several small things in our lives that don't seem destructive upon first glance. We open ourselves up to it and eventually it begins to become destructive once it's there... WHY?? Because it doesn't belong! Social Media can become a small fox in our lives, TV (especially certain shows) can become a small fox, Gossip ( especially if it's masked as helping someone), and many more... can become that Small Fox! So, the Lord instructs us NOT to let it run wild..... CATCH IT!!!

2. "...The little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards,..."
It's the subtle (little, minor) things that spoils and ruins everything! We have to be extremely cautious of what we allow in our spirit man. Those minor things can tremendously plant seeds of destruction within the vineyards. We have to take time out to examine what we allow to invade our gates. IT MAY SPOIL YOUR GARDEN (your life)!

3. "...While our vineyards are in blossom."
This part of the scripture gives us a clue that the foxes don't come when our garden is bare or in it's beginning stages. The foxes are attracted to the growth in your Garden! As you continue to grow and you began to produce, the foxes always tend to find it's way your fruit; ESPECIALLY when  you are in FULL BLOOM!  Ever feel like while everything is going good and moving, there is ALWAYS Something... that tends to creep up!  

So, be mindful of the entryways/ gateways that allow the "small foxes"(subtle things) to invade your garden(your life)! It will weaken your spirit man! It is my prayer that you will watch for and CATCH the foxes that may try to invade your garden; Don't let your Garden won't be destroyed and CATCH IT, so your Fruit will remain!!! 

Love you! 
Be Blessed!

* Psalmist Raine

Good Morning!
I encourage you to EAT this morning!!!! That your life may be sustained and that you may be nourished for this day!!! This is our prayer God, in Jesus Name!!!

Matthew 6:11 King James Version (KJV)
11 Give us this day our daily bread.

John 6:22-58 New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus, the Bread of Life
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22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. 23 Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. 25 They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man[a] can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”
28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[b]”
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
41 Then the people[c] began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. 44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45 As it is written in the Scriptures,[d] ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)
47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died.50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”
52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.
53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”