Julie Seals with her husband Mike at her son Tyler’s wedding – surrounded by her sisters and their husbands and children. This picture is a miracle!
|| TRUE STORY ALERT || GOD LOVES YOU ||
I am going back through all my years of prayer journals, gathering special nuggets to remind myself of God’s faithfulness, and I found this little GEM from 2012. My husband Mike and I were doing our second annual Daniel Fast together. I was apparently feeling a little needy (possibly asking: “God, do you REALLY love me?” because I’m weird and insecure and I do that sometimes 
) It seems I needed a change of perspective because I found in the pages of my prayer journal a conversation – word for word – that I had with God.
) It seems I needed a change of perspective because I found in the pages of my prayer journal a conversation – word for word – that I had with God.(I remember the conversation now that I’m looking through my journals! THIS is why I encourage everyone – WHEN GOD SPEAKS TO YOU – WRITE IT DOWN!)
Here goes – word for word – from my prayer journal! January 4, 2012
Conversation with God:
God: Julie, you MUST believe that I love you! Where are you sitting?
Me: In my living room. Of the Townhome I own.
Isaiah 32:18 “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”God: What is upstairs?
Me: My husband
Psalm 68:6 “God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing”God: Where do you go to school?
Me: The University of North Florida, where the Campus Police Department ran a background check on me and told me I would not be allowed to go there – until You changed their mind!
Isaiah 43: 17-18 ““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”God: After 17 years of alcohol and substance abuse, what kind of GRADES are you getting in school?
Me: Straight A’s
Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”God: What MINISTRIES have I entrusted you with?
Me: Prison ministry, homeless ministry, and ministry to addicts & prostitutes
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”God: Have you received honors and awards?
Me: Yes!
Zephaniah 3:19 “……I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have been put to shame.”God: What ones?
Me: The Chancellor’s Award at San Diego City College, and the Albert D. Ernest Jr. Caring Award at the University of North Florida
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future!” Romans 9:25 “God takes nobodies and makes them somebodies”God: Have you heard from your son Tyler, who you did not see for 16 years?
Me: YES!!!!!
Jeremiah 31:17 “There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, your children shall come again to their own land.”_______________________________________________________
WOW! Just WOW! One decade ago, in a moment of insecurity and neediness, loneliness and doubt…. God did not remain silent. He did not scold me! Instead, He helped me focus on the fact that the PROMISES He gave to me from His Word when I was in prison, He was NOW causing to come to pass! And He told me that I MUST believe that He loves me!!!!
Why?
Because there is an enemy prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour God’s people. He’s a liar and a thief – he comes to steal your peace, kill your joy, and destroy your faith – BUT JESUS came to give you and I LIFE! A FULL, ABUNDANT life!! (John 10:10).
We must believe that God LOVES US (because He WANTS us to KNOW it!) because there’s an enemy sneaking around whispering lies and twisting facts in a sorry attempt to discourage us so much that we’ll stop believing in and focusing on God’s promises – so that we will then stop praying.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “A man cannot please God unless he has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.”
God WANTS you to believe that He IS! That He EXISTS! That He is REAL! He also WANTS us to KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt and believe with ALL our hearts that He – the Lord – is a rewarder – a PROMISE KEEPER – to those who SEEK Him and follow Him!
Abraham believed God, and his descendants were as many as the stars (Genesis)Rahab believed in God, and her family was saved in the fall of Jericho (Joshua) Noah believed God, and God saved his family from the flood. (Genesis) Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego believed in God, and they were saved from the fiery furnace (Daniel) John believed God, and received the book of Revelation David believed God, and defeated Goliath & became King (I Samuel) Moses believed in God and parted the Red Sea and led God’s people to freedom (Exodus) Joseph believed God would save him, and he became ruler of Egypt (Genesis) Daniel believed God, and the mouths of lions were shut (Daniel) Paul believed God, and lived through shipwreck, beatings, and snakebite (Acts) Peter believed God, and Angels freed him from prison (Acts) Julie believed God, and she was released from a life sentence in federal prison after only 22 months, and is walking in the promises of God!Now it’s YOUR TURN! Be bold! Your declaration will encourage someone who desperately needs it!!
Fill in the blank….
___(Your name)___ believed God, and __________________________________________________________!!!!!!!TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!!!!
I believe!!!!!
My name is Julie Seals and I am a #hopedealer