GodChicks Awakened , livre ebook

P RAISE FOR
GodChicks Awakened
Using stories, humor and the Word of God, Holly Wagner encourages you to pray, serve and persevere your way into God’s plan for your life. If you want to become a woman who defends the outcast, marks her path, and engages the promises of God . . . this book will show you how!
Lisa Bevere
Author and Speaker, Messenger International
This book will do just as its title indicates: awaken women of all ages to a deeper awareness of our great God and the amazing way He has fashioned us for His purposes. Using stories from everyday life along with biblical references, Holly has given us another incredibly powerful, practical and life-changing devotional!
Janet Conley
Senior Pastor, Cottonwood Church
In an honest and igniting way, Holly Wagner spends 90 days challenging us to awaken our hearts. In a generation that is being lulled to sleep by our apathy, our distractions and the pains of our past, she reminds us that the only way we will ever reach our potential is to live this life wide awake!
Denise Hildreth Jones
Speaker and Author of Flying Solo
Holly Wagner understands that as women of God, we each have a call from Him to make an incredible difference in the world. I know this book will challenge and encourage you to live as a bolder, godlier woman.
Kari Jobe
Worship Leader
Every day, millions of people wake up physically but never fully engage in their activities throughout the day. They are essentially sleepwalking through their lives, missing out on fulfilling their purpose and experiencing the abundant life that Christ has given them. In this devotional, my friend Holly has given us 90 days of sound advice and radical encouragement to help us awaken in every possible way. So wipe your tired eyes, my friend, and don’t miss out on one more day. It’s time to wake up, and Holly’s just the person to help you do it!
Priscilla Shirer
Author and Teacher

© 2011 Holly Wagner
Published by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.revellbooks.com
Revell edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-2601-3
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations are taken from the following:
AMP—Scripture taken from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
CEV—Contemporary English Version . Copyright © American Bible Society, 1995.
THE MESSAGE —Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE . Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
KJV—King James Version . Authorized King James Version.
NIV —Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NKJV —Scripture taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NLT —Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation , copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Acknowledgments

Thanks to Philip, who once again had conversations with me while I sat behind a laptop writing. Thanks for continuing to be my greatest cheerleader. I love you.
Thanks to Nicole, Ashley and Karla, for your words and your encouragement!
Thanks to the GodChicks at Oasis Church, and the GodChicks I meet all over the world, for continuing on the journey with me. I couldn’t do it without you!!
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for awakening me to a greater purpose, and for equipping me daily to walk it out.
Introduction
“It’s time to wake up!”
Did your mom or dad come into your room when you were a child and say that in a loud voice? And did you just want to burrow under your warm covers?
Of course you did. We all like the comfort of sleep.
And yet, it is time to wake up!
It’s a new day for each one of us.
It’s a new 24-hour day, and it’s a new day in the season of our lives as women on planet Earth, at this time in history.
With this new day and this new season comes the responsibility to live life to its fullest potential.
Every daily reading of this devotional will include a Scripture, a thought and a step we can all take to awaken to our potential. And just so you know, this is a grown-up devotional. Not necessarily for women of a certain age, but rather for women who are determined to get up from whatever might be holding them back, take steps toward freedom and then, with courage, help someone else.
We have been awakened from our yesterday.
A yesterday that might have included pain and sorrow.
We are awakened to a future of hope and strength.
We are awakened to our value.
We are awakened to love.
We are awakened to see the need.
We are awakened to be a part of the solution on the planet.
We are awakened to go.
We are awake!
You and I are a part of a company of women dedicated to the cause of Christ; God is using us as His army to fight injustice and bring light to the darkest of places.
Every army has an alarm that sounds when battle is near. It is the sound that awakens the warrior within and gathers the troops.
Perhaps it’s time to look at that alarm clock on your nightstand a bit differently. It may just be an alarm of a different kind . . . your call to “rise and shine” for Jesus.
So join me as, together, we wake up to the possibilities before us!
xoxo . . . Holly
Day 1

Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. God’s bright glory has risen for you .
ISAIAH 60:1, THE MESSAGE
Nothing feels quite as heavenly as sunshine on your face, especially when you wake up to it after a good night’s sleep! Not only does it feel wonderful, but sunshine has a ton of health benefits as well.
Here are just a few:
Prevents illness and disease.
Produces healthy nervous system.
Lowers cholesterol levels.
Makes the heart healthier.
Increases metabolism.
Aids in weight loss. (Woohoo!)
Improves digestion.
Combats depression.
The interesting thing about sunlight is that the benefits listed above are dependent on its usage. Studies show that exposing your face to sunlight for 10 minutes EVERY DAY can provide your body with the Vitamin D that is required for the day. That means if you want the benefits of the sunlight, you have to daily expose yourself to its rays!
The same is true when it comes to our relationship with God. Isaiah 60:1 tells us to “put [our] face in the sunlight. God’s bright glory has risen for [us].” We experience God’s bright, magnificent glory when we place ourselves in His sunlight. And if we want to get the most out of His magnificent light, we must expose ourselves to it DAILY.
When we spend time every day connecting with God through prayer and reading His Word, we get to soak up all His benefits.
The list is endless, but here are some:
Prevents us from being overwhelmed by discouragement.
Produces faith, hope and love.
Lowers anxiety and worry.
Makes our relationships healthier.
Increases effectiveness in God’s kingdom.
Aids in overcoming unforgiveness and bitterness.
Improves joy.
Combats confusion and uncertainty.
These benefits and more are available today! Don’t miss out; go ahead and soak up the sun!
Steps to Awaken

One of the benefits of connecting with God—of placing our face in His sunlight—is that it prevents us from being overwhelmed by fear. Read Psalm 23 today and let His Word bring you peace.
Day 2

ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!
ISAIAH 60:1, AMP (EMPHASIS ADDED)
arise [ un-rahyz ]—verb—to come into being, action, or notice; originate; appear; spring up. 1
I have a confession to make . . . I have not always been a morning person. I do my best “rising and shining” after a cup of coffee and some time alone with my Bible and my thoughts.
But rarely in life do we get that kind of easy and quiet start to our day. More often than not, I have awakened to find that my daughter needs last-minute assistance on her science project; my husband can’t find his keys (again ); the dog needs to get fed; I need to write down notes for an office meeting later in the day; and a friend has left a voicemail during the night about a horrible situation she is going through.
Every now and again, I fantasize about pulling the covers over my head and staying in my warm and cozy bed until noon. Have you ever wanted to do that?
Life might seem a little easier in the comfort of your bed. Sometimes the “work” of the day ahead just seems overwhelming. In this verse in Isaiah, “arise” isn’t so much about getting out of bed . . . but rather arising from whatever circumstances would try to keep you down.
I don’t know all that is going on in your life, but I would imagine that you might be facing some challenging moments today.
A marriage that has grown stale.
A special-needs child to take care of.
A friend who has betrayed you.
Uncertainty about your career choice.
A tough conversation with a co-worker.
Yep, life would definitely be easier if we could stay in bed. Except for the fact that our God is calling us to rise. The great thing is that He will be with us