Category: Jennifer Lescano

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The Process

AUTHOR: Jennifer Lescano

THE PROCESS.

This subject has been on my heart for a few weeks now. Add some years to that. Like 20. But seriously. It’s something I felt needed attention and was the focus for today’s post.

And as I sat with my girls a few days ago to see a different Annie movie, Holy Spirit hi-lighted Daddy Warbucks’ statement in one of the scenes.

He said, “The house is all spiffed up. Looks like we’re ready.”

Yes, we’re complete in Christ. Yes, we’re always equipped and ready and we do not lack a thing.
However, there is a process that takes place in our lives that leads us to a place of spiritual maturity.

As I typed that last sentence, Holy Spirit brought up Elijah.
If we look at his journey in 1 King’s 17 and 18, we see he started on a journey. 17:2 “And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.
Cherith means cutting and separation.

God sent Elijah to Cherith and told him he would be fed by ravens. So here we have a prophet following the leading of the Lord. Followed by more leading to a place called Zarephath which means REFINERY. In that place, God now feeds him through a widow who says she has nothing and whose son ends up dying.
And when the son dies, he cries out to the Lord and says, “O Lord my God, have You brought further calamity upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?”

And he stretched himself upon the child 3 times. Boy comes back to life and now God tells Elijah to go to Ahab. And tells him he will send rain upon the earth. Let’s not forget that earlier in Chapter 17, Elijah prophesied no rain.
So now the Lord tells him to show himself to Ahab. Throughout the journey, we see the word of the Lord said this and do that and Elijah did it, right? There was obedience.

Now in verses 18 and 19, Elijah stands up to Ahab tells him what the problem is and in a place called Mount Carmel which means GARDENLAND, he gives him instructions where he gets to show off the God he serves.
That’s followed by Elijah hearing rain and prophesying it and ending up in a wilderness after he hears about a threat from bully Jezebel.

All that to say, there is a PROCESS.

There will always be fruitfulness. But with it comes the cutting and the refining process. The separation. The learning to depend fully on God and God alone. It’s a process.
The heart process. Where forgiveness and love is foundational. It’s a process.

In the refining process, we go through trusting God and not ourselves. In every area of our lives. It’s a process.
We learn to close the door on pride. Because it sure does feel good when you give a good word at the right time, right? But that bubble gets popped fast. Gently, but fast. It’s a process.

When gold is refined, impurities come to the surface. What impurities? Things we didn’t even know were there about ourselves. And it’s ok. Our heavenly Father knows how to handle us with care. It’s a process.
Fear of man. What’s that? I heard that so many times before even understanding it fully. It’s where what we do or say goes through a man-made filter for pleasing others. It’s a process.

Love is foundational with prophecy. Jesus is.

When we learn to prophesy or learn about “the prophetic,” we are not learning an art. It’s not a subject we want to master and get a certificate for to show the world we can prophesy and do it accurately.
It’s simply learning to hear God’s voice, know what that sounds like, and be his mouthpiece. We’re learning what it’s like to be Jesus. It’s who we are.

Learning what it’s like to know the thoughts of man at times and remain steadfast in love. It’s a process.
Growing in discernment and every gift of the spirit is a process.
There’s a dying to one’s self in all of this.

I think the process starts with dying only to find out we were dead all along. LOL Galatians 2:20 (I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Let’s embrace the process.

Some of us are in a process we didn’t even know we are in.

Father, show us where we are in the process and what that looks like.

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Freedom!

AUTHOR: Jennifer Lescano

Freedom.
This Royal Life to me is all about freedom.

What is freedom?
free·dom – noun, the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

We can’t truly enjoy life if we are not walking in freedom.

There are so many areas of our lives where freedom is calling out to us.
Are we truly living free? What does that look like?
Are we at a job we hate?
If so, why?
Do we keep ourselves from speaking because of what people think?
Do we have racing negative thoughts?
Are we dreaming? If not, why? Do our dreams seem impossible?
Are our decisions made based on our love for God and ourselves or are we settling?
Are we truly happy?
Like do we wake up and look around and feel grateful? If not, why?
Is there peace? In ourselves, our relationships?

A few years ago, I had a dream. In that dream, God showed me that I had extended grace and was slow to pulling back, but there was a relationship that I needed to shut the door on for my own peace. This family member was angry and didn’t do anything to help himself and it was negatively affecting my life. I’m talking about my father. His lifestyle and his decisions and his addiction. It wasn’t until recent years that I realized that I had spent most of my life worrying and working around him.

Did he see the children? Did I take them to him? If not, when will I?

Call it what you want, but that’s bondage.

Catering to others and their wants and their problems and their addictions in thoughts and actions is slavery.

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Same Plan, Slight Detour

AUTHOR: Jennifer Lescano

Hearing God Continued…

Ever have one of those days where what you planned didn’t turn out exactly how you thought it would and you felt the temptation to be disappointed or even throw in the towel or had a tantrum in the midst of it only to find out later it was all for your good?

Or ever get a “no” from God and wonder why he’s saying that?

Just yesterday I found an umbrella on the marketplace. We needed an extra patio umbrella and it seemed like every place I tried was sold out. So I found one on the marketplace on Facebook. As soon as I saw $20, I ran for it. Well. First I checked with Joe and then I ran for it. On my way there, I felt the Lord speaking to my heart about the umbrella. It was green and most of our decor is blue. And I started to tell him how I really wanted a blue one while I was on my way to pick up the green. LOL

And I started to feel like the umbrella wasn’t for me, but since I was so close I decided to go anyway. When I got there, I asked the man to open it up and he said, “Except for a few holes, it’s a good umbrella.”
I was so rushed to pick up the umbrella that I didn’t read the description.
I was still debating on getting it out of desperation and I called Joe even though I knew I was getting a confirming “no” in my heart.

At the end of the day, I asked if anyone knew where I could find an umbrella and I went to the right store and found a blue umbrella. New and for less than $40.

This post isn’t about umbrellas.
It’s about knowing God’s love for us and resting in knowing his wanting the best for us and wanting the best for ourselves.

A few years ago, I was about to serve myself ice cream when I heard in my heart, “No.” And I thought, “Why not? I really want the icecream.” I was sad that God was saying no to my ice cream craving. Can you believe it?
So. I had the ice cream. And that night, I suffered one of the worst episodes of acid reflux.
So here’s the question. Was God’s “no” because he felt like having his way? After all, he’s God, right?

NO!

God’s no was grounded in his love for me. He knew I’d be miserable so he gave me the heads up.
I was at Costco once and saw chairs for $20 each once. I had just started a workplace lunchtime ministry at the time. And the chairs we had in the place were stained, dirty, dingy. So bad that I had to bring my cloth napkins to place over them for people to sit in a room that could seat about 12-15 people.
And when I looked at the chairs, I felt the Lord say, “No.” I felt he wanted me to wait. So I waited.
What I didn’t know was his “no” was because he knew that a pastor down the hall was going to offer his church to me at no cost. And guess what. He had the EXACT chairs I saw Costco. And there were about 100-150 of them.
My point? This post isn’t about God’s “no’s,” but it is about his love. And when we live an abundant life in Christ, we get to know his “no’s” are just as safe as his “yes'” and it’s because he wants the best for us.
It is impossible to live an abundant life without being grounded in the knowledge of God’s love and without being able to hear and receive that love.

Paul was on a ship and had an “I told you so” moment in the following scriptures, but even with the mistakes, God kept them.
Acts 27:21-22
Since many of them had no desire to eat, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete, thus avoiding this damage and loss.
But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.
Learning God’s voice and following his leading is an adventure. It’s fun. It can be uncomfortable at times and we may have some tantrums on the way, but when we lean on our Heavenly Father and live this life in an assurance that he only wants the best for us, we will learn to hear and follow his lead and enjoy the gift of life he’s given us in every detail.

Father, fine tune our hearing. We surrender to you our will. And we thank you for teaching us and taking us deeper into the depths of your love for us. Where we can be so sure of your unending love.
____
Activation:
Write down an area you might be unsure about and ask God what he thinks about it and why. And give it to him. You may need to fold it up and put it in a jar as an act of surrender, but give it to him and follow his lead and trust his goodness for you.

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How Does God Speak?

AUTHOR: Jennifer Lescano

Ever since I was a little girl, I heard the voice of God. I gave my heart to the Lord at age 9.

I clearly remember one time when I sat in my bed and was going to give a certain amount of money to the Lord and a tug on my heart to give my whole $5.

That year after I did that, my loving Aunt who lived in Florida sent me for the first and last time a birthday card with a $20 bill. It was a big thing for me.

Through the years I still heard him. But I didn’t really know I was hearing him, if that makes sense.

I knew he was answering me when I asked for guidance. I knew I was obeying (through major struggles of fear.) He’d give me dreams and urges to speak to people and lay hands, but I just thought I was doing what he said. I don’t know when it actually clicked that it was prophecy. Or maybe I knew it? I don’t know.

All I know is that living and not hearing God or being afraid that we’re not hearing God isn’t a life at all.

I heard a man on the radio the other day describing a moment of seeing a bird by the ocean. The way he described it to me was as if there was a message in it for him and he captured the moment, but I wasn’t so sure he captured the message.

I really believe that God is always speaking.

And an abundant life is all about hearing and enjoying the love language between our Father and us.

God doesn’t speak through everything, but He can speak through anything.

And it’s an exciting time when our ears and eyes and all of our senses are tuned into him.

How does God speak? Here are a few ways he speaks to me:

To my heart.
An inner knowing.
Through peace.
Through random thoughts or memories.
Through songs.
Scripture.
Highlighted statements from people as their talking.
Highlighted commercials.
Movies.
Nature.
Birds.
Smells.
Sounds.
Dreams.
My husband.
My children (even when they don’t know it.)
Etc.

God is fun.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.”

I speak over your ears and senses and say to them, “Open up.”

Take the time to ask God to speak to you and pay attention.

If it produces fear and torment, it’s not him.

But if it’s grounded in love for you and others, it’s him.

One of the ways my ears were trained (and I’m still growing) was when someone came to mind and I called or prayed for them. Then learn they needed it. Sometimes I didn’t and I’d hear about them later. It wasn’t to condemn me and make me feel guilty. It was to teach me. Like he was saying, “You see. That was me.” These are little steps that help us grow.

Hearing God isn’t an event. It’s life. Like always talking to each other like we do with those who live with us.

“Holy Spirit, help me find my shoes. Where are they?”

“Remind me to call _____.”

“What aisle is the garlic jar?”

What is he saying to you today? What is he saying right now?

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What Strongholds have a Strong Hold on You?

AUTHOR: Jennifer Lescano

Well. Hello Again.

Remember my last post? That little girl, Orphan Annie. What a change when she stepped into Daddy Warbucks’ mansion, huh? If you’ve watched the movie or the song I shared, you noticed her questions and comments and the responses that followed.

That leads me to today’s post.

As I thought about what I wanted to share and as I asked the Lord about it, I heard 2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”

I asked the Lord about this once. I said, “Lord, what is a stronghold?” And he answered, “It’s something that has a stronghold on you.”

I grew up in the church. And I heard leadership using this scripture as a warring prayer. Like, “Lord, we come against every stronghold and say go. We pull it down.” However it was said. But that’s not exactly what Paul is talking about here. It’s not about pulling down this “imaginary thing.” That’s not my understanding of it. It’s not about an invisible man or a demon of strongholds that we talk to. I’m not saying there’s no demonic influence. I’m saying that a stronghold is a mindset.

This Royal Life is a life of freedom. Freedom means so much to me. And I want to say it’s been a major part of my walk with the Lord and my Royal Life. It’s a strong desire of mine to see God’s children walk in total freedom.

No one really talks about this subject. Some of us have strongholds where we think that the very talk about freedom is a sign of weakness when in reality it’s a sign of strength. Some think it should be tucked away and many of us are walking around longing for a conversation with someone we can trust about the very thing we’re struggling with.

Ok. So going back to stronghold. The Greek word for stronghold in this scripture is “ochuroma.” 3794 oxýrōma (from the root oxyroō, “fortify”) – a fortified, military stronghold; a strong-walled fortress (A-S), used only in 2 Cor 10:4. Here 3794/oxýrōma (“a heavily-fortified containment”) is used figuratively of a false argument in which a person seeks “shelter” (“a safe place”) to escape reality.

Did you get that? Read it again. A safe place to escape reality.

A mentality of lack or poverty is a type of stronghold. You might be thinking, “That’s not me, Jenn. I’m a son and daughter of the kingdom. I trust Him to provide all of my needs.”

That’s great if it’s true.

But can you trust him to provide your wants?

Are you setting limits on your asking?

Are you asking for what you truly desire or are you settling?

If you’re settling, why? Do you believe God can do it? If not, why not? What’s stopping him? What’s stopping you?

There are so many strongholds. I even started writing about another stronghold and expanded on it. But I felt I needed to stick to this one. Have you asked your Heavenly Father for anything recently? If not, why?

And if you asked, what did it look and sound like?

When I heard the Lord tell me, “Ask me for a Havanese,” I thought, “Havanese?” (You can see the video below.)

We had no idea that Havanese dogs were royal lap dogs. “They were the small white dogs who sat on the queen’s lap in royal portraits.” Got that from the internet.

“The breed was preferred by wealthy families in Cuba and visitors from France, Spain, and England later took the breed with them back to Europe.” (facty.com)

Not only was God telling me to ask for a specific breed, but in his telling me that, he was saying more. He was saying, “You’re royalty.”

I encourage you today. Talk to your Daddy. Your Heavenly Father. He delights in you. The verse Psalm 34:7 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

That was a verse in our wedding invitation. And several years ago, the Lord opened my eyes to that scripture. He led me to understand, “And He will give you the desires of your heart” meant the desires I had were the desires He had placed in me. Wow. It got so much deeper for me.

Imagine that. God’s desire in you. If it’s his desire, don’t you think he’s given you the green light to ask and have it?

Father, we give you this area of our thinking. We say, “Here take my limits. Sorry. Didn’t mean to put the lock and key on the very things you had opened. Today, we receive your desires and the right to ask and dream.”

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This royal life?

AUTHOR: Jennifer Lescano

I asked myself and the Lord what to write and thought about how I can write about my thoughts on a royal life, a little bit about me, and my heart all in one post.

My first post.

Well, here it goes.

Hi. My name is Jennifer.

This royal life for me is an abundant life in Christ.

As a little girl, I loved the movie, “Annie.” And about five years ago, I heard in my heart a song from the movie, “I think I’m gonna like it here.”

And every time I see that scene and hear that song, I love it.

A little orphan girl finding the positive and pressing through life with a smile on her face and looking forward to tomorrow’s sun.

And when the sun finally comes out for her, she finds herself in a mansion with a rich father.

So at first everywhere she looks, she thinks she sees work. Something she was very used to. It was her life. But in that scene in the movie, in an instant she’s Introduced to a life full of joy, laughter, relaxation, and peace. New clothes. New measurements.

She’s told the beds would be made, the food would be served, there’s a swimming pool, and a tennis court, too. And when she says she doesn’t know how to play, they say they’ll have an instructor for her by Noon.

Every question answered. Every need met. And so many extras. Fun.

God is fun.

Living as an orphan is living in debt hoping you’ll make it.

But living as royalty is living in the assurance that everything my Daddy has is mine and he’s already made it for me. And LIKING IT!

Reminds me of a time God told me to start a lunchtime fellowship. So I followed his lead. We started in cars and long story short ended up in a dingy room with no doors and twelve filthy chairs, but we were thrilled.

The owner, David, whom I didn’t know gave me the key to his building and asked me to help him spread the word about his building.

One day I got a message from him. Before returning the call, I already knew what he wanted. I had a feeling he was going to ask for money. I started to prepare myself for another place.

When I finally returned the call, I heard him say the words I expected and didn’t want to hear. He said he needed to charge me.

I explained to him I was not going to collect from the people. To my surprise, the following words literally fell out of my mouth, “You tell me what you want, and I’ll tell you what I can do.”

I couldn’t believe it. I had spoken to the owner as if I was the owner or had something to give to him.

And why? Because in reality my father owned the building, not David. And the Holy Spirit knew that well and decided to speak for me.

He said, “Never mind, I’m not going to charge you.”

That dingy room of 12 dirty chairs and no door turned into a huge room of 150 chairs and more. A story for another time.

My point? It’s not going through life thinking everyone owes us something. Not at all.

It’s simply going through life knowing that our Daddy is the answer to every challenge we face and is involved in every detail of our lives. And we get to enjoy this royal life.

Romans 8:15 (NIV)—The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Questions we can ask ourselves and our Heavenly Father:

Is there an area in my life that I’m still thinking like an orphan? If so, what and why?

What was my childhood like and is there something that makes it hard to truly trust God as my father because of it? Why?

What limitations have I placed on God and why?

What dreams do I have and do I really think I can live them? If so, why or why not?

Father, show me what areas in my life where I am still thinking and living like an orphan. I want to fully trust you and renew my mind to the truth that there are no limitations for my Father and for me in this royal life.

Check out the scene: