YOU Prayed for It. Now What?

The prayer was real. So is the responsibility.

As we close out this ninth month and step into a new month and a new season, I was reminded of something:

Many of us have been carrying things GOD is ready for us to birth.

We often associate nine months with bringing a baby into the world. And while life is precious and babies are absolutely amazing miracles, what about the other things we’ve been carrying?

The business YOU haven’t birthed.
The book still sitting inside of YOU.
The healing YOU keep putting off.
The freedom waiting on YOU to finally let that situation go.
The idea YOU keep talking about but haven’t given anywhere to grow.

There are so many things GOD places inside of us that we allow to sit.

We pray over them. Imagine them. Tell a few people about them. Sometimes we even pick out the name.

But honey, naming the baby isn’t the same as preparing to raise it.

What are YOU doing to care for what YOU are carrying?

We want a due date, but what are we doing in the meantime?

Are we watching what we consume physically, mentally, and spiritually? Or are we feeding something precious a steady diet of fear, comparison, distraction, and everybody else’s opinions?

Are we taking our “prenatals”?

The nourishment needed to sustain what’s growing AND the person carrying it. The prayer. The learning. The rest. The discipline. The support. The honest conversations we keep avoiding.

Are we exercising? Stretching ourselves? Making room in our schedules, our habits, and our lives for what we keep asking GOD to bring into the world?

Or are we so busy worrying about how the changes look on us that we forget why things are changing?

“I’m tired.”
“This is uncomfortable.”
“I didn’t know it would take this much.”
“I didn’t expect that part.”

And listen, YOU can want something deeply and still have days when carrying it wears YOU out. Being grateful doesn’t mean YOU never get tired.

But we have to be honest about what we expected.

Did we pray for the miracle and assume it wouldn’t require anything from us?

We wanted it so badly in the moment. Now here we are, crying, complaining, and contemplating our decisions because the thing we prayed for is asking us to grow, too.

Everything takes time.

The question is: are YOU willing to put in the time?

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James 2:17, KJV

YOU believe in what GOD placed inside of YOU. What are YOUR actions doing to care for it?

And for those who have already birthed the thing…

Now what?

It’s here. The launch happened. The doors opened. The book came out. The new chapter began.

Now YOU are up all night trying to settle the situation, just like YOU would with a newborn.

Trying to figure out what it needs.
Trying to understand why what worked yesterday isn’t working today.
Trying to get a little calm so YOU can collect YOURself.

Sometimes we’re so desperate for quiet that we reach for anything that might pacify the situation.

A discount we can’t afford.
A yes we should’ve never given.
Advice from somebody who hasn’t even taken the time to understand what we’re building.

But getting it quiet doesn’t always mean we’ve met the need.

Sometimes it needs structure. Sometimes it needs a different approach. Sometimes YOU need help, because carrying it was one thing and caring for it is another.

YOU are learning a new routine. Getting acquainted with something that is new to YOUR world. Finding out that the picture in YOUR head didn’t include every part of the responsibility.

YOU prayed for it.
It’s here.
Now YOU have to nurture it.

YOU still have to feed it. But now YOU have to pay attention to what’s being fed, who’s feeding it, and whether that nourishment is helping it grow.

Does everybody who wants access to YOUR miracle know how to care for it? Absolutely not.

Be mindful of whose hands, words, and influence YOU allow around what’s still developing.

And those in the toddler stage…

The sleepless nights may have eased up, but here come the tantrums.

The unexpected problems.
The resistance.
The things that don’t cooperate.
The growing out of systems, spaces, and relationships faster than YOU anticipated.

Something that fit six months ago may be too small now. A routine that helped YOU get started may need to change.

Growth comes with its own demands.

There are phases to this thing, y’all. I could go on and on.

We celebrate births. We post the announcements. We clap for the arrival.

But who are we becoming in the months after, when the congratulations slow down and the responsibility is still there?

Can YOU keep showing up when it’s no longer new?
Can YOU learn what this stage requires?
Can YOU ask for help before exhaustion makes every decision for YOU?

This is where “Yes” by Shekinah Glory Ministry fits for me. That willingness to surrender when more is being asked of us.

Because it’s one thing to say yes when YOU’re imagining the miracle. What does YOUR yes look like now that YOU’re living with the responsibility?

Does it look like making the call?
Finishing the chapter?
Changing the routine?
Accepting the help?
Doing what needs to be done after the excitement wears off?

As we close out this ninth month, maybe YOU’re preparing to birth something. Maybe YOU’re learning how to care for what’s already here. Maybe what YOU birthed is growing, and YOU’re struggling to keep up.

And be honest about what YOU’re nurturing. Is it what GOD gave YOU, or what YOU keep trying to make fit because YOU already picked out the name?

Wherever YOU are, take an honest look at what’s needed now.

YOU prayed for it. What are YOU prepared to do to help it live and thrive?

Because the announcement was a moment.

The nurturing is an ongoing commitment. 💜

🎶 Sit with this: “Yes” ~ Shekinah Glory Ministry⁠