The Proscess of the Promise: Discovering your ultimate life of Purpose, Passion, Power, Prosperity and Peace

The Process of the Promise:

Discovering your ultimate life of

Purpose, Passion, Power, Peace and Prosperity

By Byron Ravnell

Copyright 2012 Byron Ravnell

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

In Memory of D.T.

"Man if you had been here, I would have finished

this thing 3 or 4 years ago…"

CONTENTS:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

1 THE PROCESS OF THE PROMISE

2 PROMISE IS BASED UPON PURPOSE

3 THE PARTICULARS OF THE PROMISE

4 THE PROMISE REQUIRES A FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVE

5 THE PROMISE HAS ONLY ONE PREREQUISITE

6 THE PROMISE GIVER EXPECTS A PROFIT

7 PROMISED PEOPLE OFTEN APPEAR PECULIAR

8 THE PROMISE IS PERSONAL BUT NEVER PRIVATE

9 PROCRASTINATION ONLY DELAYS THE PROMISE

10 THE PROMISE DOES NOT REQUIRE PERFECTION

11 THE PROMISE REQUIRES PARTICIPATION BUT NEVER MANIPULATION

12 THE PROMISE IS NEVER WITHOUT PROBLEMS

13 THE PROMISE REQUIRES PATIENCE

14 THE PROMISE REQUIRES PERSEVERANCE

15 THE PROMISE IS PROGRESSIVE AND REVEALED PIECE-BY-PIECE

16 THE PRICE OF THE PROMISE IS PERSONAL SACRIFICE

17 THE PROMISE NEVER NEGATES THE NEED FOR PREPARATION

18 DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE PACKAGING OF THE PROMISE

19 PURPOSE

20 THE PROMISE IS PROPELLED BY PASSION

21 YOU GREATEST POWER LIES WITHIN YOUR PROMISE

22 PROSPERITY IS A BY-PRODUCT OF THE PROMISE

23 PEACE IS ALWAYS PRESENT WITHIN THE PROMISE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to…

My two Issac(s) Langston and Bryson: You are Princes of the Promise- my great name and nation. I speak that God blesses each of you… in every place you go… in everything you do… every day of your life!!

Penny, you are truly a woman that seeks the heart of God. Thank you for all you have shown me. Hold on to the fire!!

Mama Pie, thank you for living your Christianity and being a fine example…even if you didn’t bake me cookies.

Melvalyn, Aneita, Gerry and my entire family-- thanks for walking with me all of these years.

Ron Starr Wills, Chris Kristofferson Jones, Nacky, Paul, Eddie and each person that shared good or bad theology during long conversations over the years-- I’m sure there are bits and pieces of you throughout the book.

D. Banks, thanks for the opportunity to return to my first love of radio and allowing me to share spiritual wisdom with your listeners-Man, there ain’t nothing wrong with a little funk- God don’t mind!!!!

Thanks to Charles and Cassandra Moore, Bud and Clauda Orrell, Dennis & RR Chapel, Joe Bedford and Toliver’s Chapel; all of whom gave me an opportunity to exercise my gift.

Thanks to everyone who assisted in the production of this book, Jacob- you are truly DA’ MAN!! Also, Yamina, Bethany and LaTonya T.T. Lynch.

Special thanks to my Sweet Home Family, a people with warm loving hearts-- THANK YOU for providing a venue for my voice, and your ears to hear as God spoke to me about his great and many Promises… I thank God for each of you!!!

…And finally, to each person that reads this book…May you believe wholeheartedly, anticipate daily, seek without fear and realize fully all of God’s Promises!

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to The Process of The Promise. This book is about living a great life. But not just a great life—the life that you were designed to live.

This book is about finding your unique path, making it through the maze of confusing events and disheartening episodes that life throws at you. This is a book about realizing your God-given potential simply by understanding and receiving your God-given promises.

Through an imaginary show of hands, how many of you know that you have a calling from deep within that says you have a place to be and a mission to fulfill—yet you know that you are doing neither?

Or perhaps you have an idea of what it is that you have been placed upon this revolving chunk of dirt called Earth to do—but you just don’t know how to start or how to navigate the course. Maybe you’re one of the many that have no idea what it is you have been called to do, but you know for sure that what you’re doing right now isn’t it. Well, this book is written just for you!

First and foremost in the process, each person has to understand that who they are—their physical, mental, spiritual, physiological, and emotional makeup—didn’t just happen by accident. It was actually planned before the beginning of time.

Just as amazing, the overall plot of our lives - and the countless subplots within that overall plot, all particular components of your Promise, were designed and set in motion at the same time—in the beginning. All of those plots, major and minor, then influence the decisions each of us make, as well as external forces beyond our control.

The path, needless to say, can be full of surprises, discouragement, and even seem impossible at times; but, be assured, there is, if not a final ending point, a desired and definite place that holds that which will provide a sense of fulfillment that no other place in your life can.

If you are excited, maybe even a bit anxious to find out more about this life-fulfilling calling, I don't blame you. This is a longing that has been instilled in each and every one of us since before time, modeled in the promise that God gave to Abraham in the Old Testament. This promise, which is corporate or general in nature, has been passed along to us through generations as a covenant from God; but in addition, we all, each of us, have individual promises to discover in our own lives.

Throughout the course of this book, you will walk through each step of discovering God's promises to you both on a larger scale and on an individual basis. You will be made aware of signposts and landmarks that will assist you in keeping your bearings along the way. You will learn that your journey, although personal to you and personalized specifically for you, is similar to the journeys undertaken by many men and women that have made special contributions to the world simply because they began and—just as importantly—continued down the path to their destiny.

As you may have learned by now, discovering your promise isn't always easy, but it is the most rewarding life journey that you will ever take. The Process of The Promise is essential to living a fulfilling life, and its also inescapable.

I am excited to begin your journey with you as you pursue God's promise and learn to live a life of purpose, passion, power, peace and prosperity!

Let’s begin…

1 THE PROCESS OF THE PROMISE

(Genesis 12:1-3) Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (NRSV)

Process- noun \ˈprä-ˌses, ˈprō-, -səs\ a : PROGRESS, ADVANCE (1) : a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result

Example: Few good things in life are gained overnight, but rather through a life-long process.

Promise- noun \ˈprä-məs\ a : a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified b : a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance …of a specified act 2 : reason to expect something; especially : ground for expectation of success, improvement, or excellence 3: something that is promised

Example: God never made a promise that he didn't intend to keep.

From: Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/process

Simply put, it all began with a promise—one promise from God to man. The destiny of an entire people, that would shape the course of the world for generations to come—all came from just one word, given to one person from God. Actually, when you think about it, all things great and small have begun with just that, one God-inspired word, thought, or dream spoken into the heart of one man or woman, new ideas that changed previously held views, new technology that led to new industry, new forms of government that led to new nations. All these things came from one thought, idea, dream, or promise, placed into the heart and head of mankind.

Even more amazing is that the recipients of the promises were just ordinary people like you and me. The only difference is they discerned the word of promise for their life, believed what God said, and chose to act upon it, and continued to act in faith until the promise was fulfilled.

God has made promises to each and every one of us through His Word, the Bible. The most important points to remember about God's promises are that they are for our good, and they impact every area of our lives. Secondly, we must remember that promises are nothing more than seeds of future potential, and all seeds require a period of time and suitable care to transition into what it is intended to be. No person, plant, or thing began its existence fully formed; each required time and care for formation, development, conditioning, transitioning, and success.

If you have ever found yourself struggling to live out God's promises of peace, prosperity, health, and happiness, there may be one key factor that you have overlooked in your journey.

God’s Promises Require a Process

We all have the potential to access every one of God's promises—but you must be willing to undertake a life-long journey to get there.

To begin, let me give you the definition of the Promise as it pertains to our life of purpose.

Promise: God's desire for us, and the agreement with us to direct us to our greater purpose and to help us complete that particular task.

These promises are made to each of us, and the Bible is full of examples of God's promises to His people throughout history.

Some of the first and best examples of God's promises are to Abraham in Genesis, where he is promised a new land, a nation of descendants, and unlimited blessings from God for him and his family throughout time (Genesis 12: 2-3). Since we are all descendants of Abraham through the blood of Christ, these promises and blessings apply directly to you today.

(Galatians 3:29) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

This is excellent news if you have felt defeated, depressed, beaten-down, and like you aren’t getting the most out of your life. We have all been there, and we have all felt unfulfilled at times. Yet, because we are the descendants of Abraham, we too can expect God’s protection and blessings. We have a great hope before us as we begin our journey to pursue our promises and full potential promised to us by God.

Because the journey to the Promise is long and full of learning experiences, it could be termed the Process of the Promise. This process has an intended outcome based upon the plan and purpose that God has ordained specifically for you. As you can probably gather, the Process takes time and is the path that we travel throughout life to receive all that God has in store for each of us.

But there's more! In addition to the above examples that are general promises made to each of us throughout the Bible, God also has unique and specific promises that He has made for your life and no one else's. These particular promises are given to each person based upon their specific destiny.

So how do you access these promises from God that are both general and specific to your life's purpose? We can find the answer in Romans:

(Romans 4:13) It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

(Romans 4:16) Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring-- not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

For us to access the promise and find our unique purpose, given to us by God Himself, we must follow His guidance, in faith, casting all fear aside. While this often seems easier said than done, it also helps to consider that Abraham found himself in similar circumstances as those we experience today. Setting aside the obvious differences of the time period (several thousand years ago) and some of the details, the hardships, trials, discouragements and even the triumphs Abraham experienced on his journey toward his promises from God are very similar to those experienced by people today.

Yes, Abraham was given big promises from God about becoming a great nation of blessed people, but how did he know that it was really going to happen? Abraham had to deal with the same fear, anxiety, and challenges that we all do today as he followed God to reach his own promises by faith.

Along this path, don’t expect to walk perfectly because you will encounter your share of challenges; perfection is impossible. You can expect to make mistakes as you come upon obstacles in your journey, yet that is why God's grace is there, to guide you and cushion your fall. God has promised to be with us each step of the way, so rest assured that