Category Archives: The presence of God

The Invitation is Still Open

The invitation does not expire. This is what the Lord reminded me of early this past Sunday morning. I had been carrying a burden the entire week prior. As I approached the weekend, the burden would intensify. I had no idea what was going to happen or what was wrong, I just knew what I knew and could not explain it. Well, I continued to pray the Word of God and I prayed using the gift of unknown tongues. The burden would lift, and then it would return. As I left my bedroom and escaped to a different room in my home, I began to worship and pray. This is when the Father spoke to me. He reminded me that the invitation to rest was still available and that it would never expire. The verse that resounded in my heart was Matthew 11:28-29:

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” NLT

On Tuesday afternoon, I received confirmation as to why I had heaviness. There was something that happened in my family, but thank God, it was not as tragic as it could have been had I not prayed, amid my not knowing. God will always alert us if we would only pay attention. I am also thankful that when we carry burdens of our own and the burdens that others place upon us, we can be assured that Jesus is always there to assist us in carrying heavy loads. He will also help us to rest during the process.

In other news, have you heard about the Christian novels on my Amazon Author Page? Check them out! If you’re not an avid reader, then purchase for someone else. Books make excellent Christmas gifts. Click the link below to check out the latest novel series, “All Churched Out-The Weary Wife of the Pastor”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKML7XNM

Minister Denise Cook-Godfrey

You Are the Perfect Candidate

YOU ARE THE PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR THE STORM YOU ARE IN!

Why? Because God has something sunny and bright on the other side of your storm. Keep your focus.  Never let your guard down in this season. It is always the darkest right before dawn.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Ephesians 6:13


Min. Denise Cook-Godfrey


The Pain of Rejection

It’s true. The last couple of years has taught me many lessons. One of those lessons is the reality that pain exists in every phase of life. This pain comes with frequency and intensity. Just like labor pains!

One such pain is the pain of rejection. My morning has been filled with prayers for those suffering from the pain of rejection. This pain filters through triggering events and evil voices that speak: “You’re not good enough”, “You’re washed up”, ‘You have no value”, “I do not love you”, and so on. I have dealt with this for many years in my life without really realizing it Believe it or not, it is easy to suppress pain until you are backed in a corner and can no longer hide.

There is an evil spirit employed by satan to cripple, suffocate, and render helpless the person who is the victim of rejection. We must be vigilant and prayerful with this one because of the effect it has on our destiny! One thing I have learned by experience is that we have got to train and re-train the mind to accept the love of God. It’s simple but not so simple. When we suffer rejection from loved ones, whether blood relatives or those who may not be blood but are people we thought loved us and had our backs, it is difficult to accept and get over. I said difficult. Not impossible. With God all things are possible. (Luke 1:37, Genesis 18:!4)

One horrific thing about this spirit is that it creeps in when you are vulnerable and can invade a person’s life in different ways through different scenarios. Such as a teen mother who contemplates abortion but is too far along or is afraid to go along with it. The spirit of rejection passes to the child and that child ends up growing up and suffering from rejection unaware, a divorce, infidelity in a relationship, being passed over for a promotion at work, betrayal by someone who you thought was a devoted friend, family members showing favoritism and not being supportive, etc. The evil spirit takes these triggering events and feeds off of them.

If you are suffering from the influence of the spirit of rejection, take steps to receive soul healing today. Admit that you are hurting. Renew your mind by scriptures that speak to the love that God has for you. Talk to someone. Pray and push through even when it hurts and you do not feel your breakthrough. I promise you will be delivered through the grace and power of God!

I’m rooting for you! You are always in my prayers. (Colossians 4:2)

*Announcement:  It is still time to register for the “A Time to Dance” virtual course! We have enrollees already and I am excited about what God intends to do! Click the link below if you are interested!

https://intercession-worshipful-ministries.dpdcart.com/

Min D

Using What You Have in Your Hand

In Exodus 4:2, God asked Moses a crucial question. This question came about during the time when God was calling Moses into his purpose of delivering the Children of Israel out of bondage. (See also Exodus chapter 3). Because Moses was afraid, he began to make excuses.

The question God asked Moses was “What is that you have in your hand?”  We know the story. Moses answered, “a rod.”  God went on to assure Moses that He would be with him and also prophetically revealed how the Egyptians would be spoiled or defeated by the Children of Israel. What God wanted me to realize was that sometimes we do not realize the gifts that we already possess.

Be encouraged, your gift will make room for you and bring you into greatness but first you’ve gotta celebrate what you already have.

Minister Denise Cook-Godfrey

 

What is the Plumb line in Your Hand?

Sometimes watching someone else’s successes causes us to grow weary when it appears that we are not growing or being elevated fast enough. We know we have a command from God to accomplish something greater but things seem to be moving so slowly or not even moving at all.

What is the plumb line in your hand today that appears so insignificant? Don’t despise it. God delights in it. Work it and watch it grow.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.
Zechariah 4:10, NLT

So gird up the loins of your mind and be courageous! God is always on time. He is never too early nor is He ever too late, Be encouraged and keep working for the Lord. Your gifts will make room for you and bring you before great men!  (I Peter 1:13, Proverbs 18:16)

Love,

Minister D

Loosing Myself

The Spirit led life is not one that can be understood by the natural mind. For example, if you want to receive, you have to give something, if you want to grow and experience the glory of God, you have to suffer and so on. It seems there is always some kind of condition that has to be met if we are going to claim the promises of God.

Today as I sat in the doctor’s office I heard this phrase: “loosing myself”. As I began to contemplate why I was hearing this phrase, I realized that it had to do with freedom! Freedom from the traumas associated with my past. I needed to release! I realized that the Lord was using ministry assignments to allow me to be transparent in my teachings. He did this in order for the suppressed pain to be addressed, and at the same time, healing others from their past traumas! Admitting that the hurt exists and admitting our own faults relative to suppression is vital.

Ask yourself: “Am I avoiding confrontation?” Talk to God. Look up scripture references that speak to the past traumas. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you at least one prayer partner that will assist in praying you through.

How bad do you want your emotional healing? Are you willing to lose “you” in the process? I’m speaking of not being afraid to face issues of the heart. This can be frightening, but if we trust God with our hearts, He will guide us through the process. Don’t be afraid of discomfort or shame. Again, God will take care of you through it all. We are loosing ourselves to gain freedom!

The Big Escape!

Let’s face it…all of us have experienced those times when we felt overwhelmed with life’s stuff!  The cares of this life and the suffering that our Nation has undergone with the pandemic alone has been both shocking and draining. The death, the suffering, the fear, the panic, you name it. Even for those who are intimately acquainted with our Lord can testify that we are in times when we want to do as the Psalmist cried out to “take the wings of a dove, fly away, and be at rest.

You see, David who was an extravagant worshipper, was in distress many times in his life. Lets look at a few key verses in Psalm 55 and we will see that David wanted to escape the pain of life, but he overcame by remembering who God is and holding on to what he Knew about his Lord.

1 Listen to my prayer, O God, and hide not Yourself from my supplication!

2 Attend to me and answer me; I am restless and distraught in my complaint and must moan

3 [And I am distracted] at the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression and threats of the wicked; for they would cast trouble upon me, and in wrath they persecute me.

4 My heart is grievously pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fear and trembling have come upon me; horror and fright have overwhelmed me.

6 And I say, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

7 Yes, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

8 I would hasten to escape and to find a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.

I love the Amplified version of this chapter. In a nutshell, David was depressed, felt hopeless and distracted from everyday life. If you are feeling this way, take heart. Know that you are not alone. Others feel the same way. Even the man after God’s own heart felt like he was drifting away!  What can be done? I believe that verses 16-18 of this chapter 55 gives us an answer.

16 As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me.

17 Evening and morning and at noon will I utter my complaint and moan and sigh, and He will hear my voice.

18 He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me [so that none came near me], for they were many who strove with me.

Find time in the morning, at noon, and in the evening to PRAY! It does not have to be long prayers. Complain, cry, and voice your heart to God. He will hear. He will answer. He will deliver your soul in peace so that you can face you today and your tomorrow.

This has been Denise Cook-Godfrey, and I am praying for  you…Stay established firmly in the Word of God and you will make it through whatever noisy wind storm that is blowing your way.

 

He is Willing as well as Able

Focus on the willingness of Christ…

In Matthew 8:1-3, we read about the account of a leper, who sought Jesus for the impossible. This poor leper did not the doubt the power of Christ, he only wondered if Jesus was willing to heal him by a miracle. You see, in the ancient world, the disease of leprosy was like being dead while still alive. it was a disease where the nerves disconnected from other parts of the body and the victim would lose fingers, toes, etc. and eventually the entire body part. It was progressive and highly contagious. Researchers indicate that people were required to stay at least six feet distance from a leper! (hummm, same as CDC guidelines). Most religious folks looked upon a leper as being under the divine judgment of God and the victim was rendered hopeless.

Let’s look at the passage: Matthew 8:1-3

1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

What situations are you in that appear to be hopeless? Will you take the same stand as the leper and worship Christ in the midst of it?  Looking at my own life, I see that the anxiety of sickness and family responsibilities has been crouching at my door for some time. The Lord even prompted a Woman of God whom I know walks in faith to send me a message the other day to NOT DOUBT.  I most definitely received the word as a loving reminder from my Father to keep my focus on what HE is willing to do for me in any kind of hopeless situation. See, here’s the thing…I never lost faith in my God but I sure had become weary and frustrated along the way. The spirit of doubt was reaching and grabbing at my soul because I’ve been in the storm too long, but God…I’m telling you…one day I will share my testimony of what my family and I have gone through and overcome over the past three months. I thank God for loving me enough to remind me in His word that not only does He have the power to supernaturally do the impossible, but He is also WILLING..

I challenge you to place special focus on God’s willingness to heal, deliver, set free, transform, and any other thing that you stand in need of. Most of all, don’t forget to get up and bathe in His love each day. He loves you with an everlasting love. Never forget it.

Enjoy this clip from a couple of  years back with my myself and youth dance ministry:

 

Minister Denise Cook-Godfrey

 

Quiet Down

God says in His Word for us to “be still and know that He is God” (Psalms 46:10). This is a favorite verse for so many, but do we really know how to do this?  The other morning as I led intercessory prayer I had a woman to ask for prayer for guidance…she cried out that she did not understand how she could pray so hard but with “closed ears”.  Wow! I lost it, This broke my heart. I could not contain myself and tears began to fall from my eyes right there! We prayed for her and gave some encouraging words but I could not help but feel that somewhere and somehow, this woman has been let down by those in ministry. We must mentor and train people how to hear the voice of God.

I have always been fascinated by the voice of God. Each and every time I hear from heaven I weep as if it is my first experience. One thing I want to encourage us with in this short article is that we’ve got to learn the art of stillness. Its not that God is NOT speaking. He speaks all the time in various ways. Sometimes the noise of life is just too loud. Life is literally drowning out the voice of God.  We are His sheep, we know Him, He knows us, and we are not supposed to be following after strange voices.

Here are just a few disciplines that I believe we need to be reminded of in order to progress in hearing from God. By no means am I saying these are the only disciplines, but these are the ones that come to mind and that is working in my life and others have also testified that these work in their lives as well.  (See Exodus 33:14, Psalms 16:11, Psalms 27:8 for starters…so many others)

  1. Be relationship conscience. Know that you must prioritize your life where you are spending quality quiet time in the presence of God. Practice the presence of God as A LIFESTYLE and not a tradition. Where there is no presence of the Lord…there will be no voice of God.
  2. Devour the Word of God…You absolutely have to be a student of the word. Study and meditate on the Word of God because your life depends on it. The word of God is not just ink on paper. The Word of God is Spirit and life. The Word is active, living, sharper than a two-edged sword. The Word will commune with you upon awakening, during the day, and in the night seasons.
  3. Be sure you are meditating on the word that seems to jump out at you during your times of study. Pray before, during, and after you read and study the Word of God. There are times when God will allow what is written (logos) to become rhema (alive) and when this happens, God is speaking something specific to you.
  4. Pay close attention to stray thoughts that appear to come out of nowhere. Pay close attention to circumstances, dreams, visions, prophetic words and teachings, etc. Familiarize with the ways that God speaks.
  5. Be sure that you have a spiritual covering…don’t walk around bald and naked. Don’t hold on to the lone ranger mentality. Remember, the one sheep that is out on its own is more susceptible to be devoured by the wolf. Your spiritual leaders should also be able to teach you disciplines concerning hearing the voice of God and at times, they will become the voice of God for you!  This is important and should not be taken lightly.
  6. Finally, take care of your mind…fill your mind with God’s Word on a daily basis by rejecting thoughts of fear, worry, anxiety, etc. Certain patterns of thinking will block the voice of God.

There is so much more to be said; however, I will stop here. Remember, I am praying for you. Please stay encouraged in the Lord. We are going to make it to our next dimension together!

By the way, I hope that you enjoy the ministry clip below. I plan to share more ministry clips in the future.

Love,

Denise

Change it Up!

A little change is good every now and then right? Whether we’re changing our wardrobe or hair styles to changing the appearance of a room in our homes, it’s natural to feel great about positive changes.

But what about spiritual changes? How do we handle drastic changes that occur without notice? I’m talking about COVID-19 positive results for yourself and several family members, lingering symptoms months after recovery from COVID including hair loss, bereavement due to not one family member but three in a three week timespan, and a health diagnosis regarding two major areas that will call forth challenging lifestyle changes! Life is what I like to refer to as “raw” and as Christians we must be able to adapt to the changing climates and seasons in our path. The list i explain above is not a complaint, but an observation. We all are going through tough times but I believe we must acknowledge our pain and embrace suffering for Christ’s sake as a part of the will of God.

So how do we handle change? There are, I’m sure, multiple answers to this question but what comes to mind for me is this: “and be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

Above is a snippet of verse two of Romans chapter twelve. I just want to encourage you from that portion. When sudden and overwhelming changes hit tour life, the result is sudden actions that you must take. So, why not follow after the snippet! We must be sure our minds are being renewed by God’s Word each day so that our pattern of thinking and mindsets are healthy enough to weather each storm in our path. This is not always easy but when we intentionally meditate on God and His Word, we can expect change to occur within all stormy and fierce changes are taking place around us. May I pause here to say that in the midst of all that we personally suffer from season to season, I testify that God has been and always is so recklessly good to me!

Blessings to you and enjoy your week!