Marisa Agard Rickerson's tracks

Are false burdens wearing you out and making you a miserable person!? The trap many of us fall into is expending all of our energy carrying around burdens that aren't ours to carry. Anxiety comes when we are attempting to handle something we are not equipped to deal with alone. Worry is a sign it's time to partner with God through prayer. We honor Christ when we put the "government" or the operation and orchestration of our life events on His shoulders. True childlike faith, which pleases Him, is when we recline/trust/rely on Him the same way John did in the upper room. Join Marisa on today's podcast and begin the process of laying down false burdens.

We depend on anti-virus software to detect and cleanse viruses from our computers. In the same way, we need to call upon the Holy Spirit to help our families detect and be cleansed of viruses of deception. He is the Spirit of TRUTH and is with us at all times. 1 John 2 says, "You have an anointing from the Holy One...the anointing teaches you about all things." In westernized churches, there is too little emphasis placed on knowing the Spirit's anointing. Join Marisa on today's podcast as she discusses walking by the eyes and ears of our heart.

When someone expresses appreciation for you, think about how it energizes your relationship with them. In the same way, our relationship with God HINGES on our expression of appreciation. God responds to our thanksgiving! Being grateful is one of the highest forms of faith. If we want to experience an outpouring of God in our lives, it will start with an attitude of thanksgiving.(photo from timbercreekdesign.com)

Jesus wants us to count on Him even more than we do our spouses, bff's, or family. If we are honest, it's easier to put more belief in them than we do Him! He tells us in John that it is to our advantage that He is no longer with us in the flesh but in the Spirit. Do we believe it? There is a battle to be waged over this kind of faith. Join Marisa on today's podcast in asking Jesus to renew soft-hearted belief that He really is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

This is not just truth...it really happened to the God-Man, Jesus: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole." Join Marisa on today's podcast as she sheds understanding on how to apply this truth and make it a reality in your own struggles.

God's grace is like a soldering gun. When we apply God's grace, it can melt the very hardest places in our lives. “GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TO YOU, SO THAT IN ALL THINGS, AT ALL TIMES, HAVING ALL THAT YOU NEED, YOU WILL ABOUND IN EVERY [ALL] GOOD DEED.” (2 CO. 9:8) Did you notice all the all’s in that verse? Webster’s definition of “all” is “any whatsoever; being the utmost possible; everything being taken into account and everything else; in any and every way; to any extent.” However, most Christians’ concept of grace is not this generous. Join Marisa on today's podcast in order to get rooted and grounded in a rich belief in God’s grace. No longer will we view His grace as a dull word we say at the dinner table!

Are tired of being controlled by that green-eyed monster called Jealousy?! Jealousy is total opposite of God's nature: Christ is all-generous, focused on blessing others, and ready to supply resource. However, jealousy makes us greedy, self-centered people who actually don't want good things to happen to others. In God's economy, we reap what we sow. What issue of your heart are you ready to get rid of? Then it's time to sow the opposite! Join Marisa and learn how to confess, cleanse your hands, submit to God, and resist the devil. (photo mypleasurecolumn.wordpress.com)

When we are driven by a need to control others, and even control God, it destroys our peace and maims our relationships. Religious people (like the Pharisees) can be the worst control freaks, and we do it all in the name of "being led by the Holy Spirit"! Join Marisa on today's podcast and learn how to quit controlling others and instead release them into Christ’s unique purpose. For more visit MarisaRickerson.com

Do you struggle feeling God loves you? Is it hard for you to believe He hears you and cares for you? After a long struggle with these issues, God spoke into my heart, "It takes faith to know I love you! It takes faith to believe you are completely accepted and forgiven. It's time to walk by faith." Stop feeling alone, unworthy, and disqualified as you experience Christ’s companionship, empowerment, and full acceptance. Believing these things often feels like walking on water, but that is the life of faith! For more, visit MarisaRickerson.cm

Testifying is simple, just follow the example of early Christians in the Bible: Christ healed them, touched them, encountered them, and then they went around telling others about it! How awesome is that?! I don't know about you, but when someone experiences God I love to hear about it! Believers and non-believers alike long to hear about people truly experiencing God. Testimony that is born out of an encounter with the Living Christ and His Living Word has Living Power! Join Marisa for today's podcast to learn how to let go of dry, religious Christianity and discover how it is that "We overcome by the word of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb"! MarisaRickerson.com

Have you ever been in a season of God's favor, only to find yourself catapulted into a season of drought where you sense ZERO activity of God in your life?! Where none of your prayers seem to be heard or answered?! Just as we accept the natural laws of ebb and flow, we must learn to accept the spiritual laws of ebb and flow in our walk with Christ without being swept into despair, discouragement, and desperation! God knows that if it were to be a dry season forever we would lose hope! If it were to be a green season forever we would be lost to pride! Today's podcast will help you understand the God is always your Father; He has not drawn you this far to abandon you and leave you unfulfilled! (Photo from poetry.rapgenius.com.jpg)For more go to MarisaRickerson.com

Do you long to live in uninterrupted fellowship with God? Christ purchased for us the right to experience our Father's unconditional love and acceptance. It's time to deal the death blow to our number enemy called, SHAME. Shame makes us hide from God and keeps us stuck in performance-based-acceptance cycles of defeat. Join Marisa today for a powerful message that will help you overcome shame!

We are to test ourselves and see if we are in the faith. From time to time we need to inspect ourselves to make sure of this: "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." Today's parable moment with Marisa, will help you understand the importance of thinking outside the box in regards to your relationship with God's Holy Spirit.

Are you fixated on everything that is going wrong? Are you having trouble gaining a godly perspective in the midst of your trial? Painful trials can become all-consuming. Christ knows this and suffers alongside with you. He wants us to know that none of our trials will be wasted. In fact, every trial that feels like a pile of waste has the potential to become powerful fertilizer that usher abundance into your life. All that seems impossible at this present moment, but as an act of faith, begin giving God thanks for each and every trial that He surely will redeem!

Are you hungry to hear God's voice? Then don't discount the real possibility that Christ is speaking through your enemies! On today's podcast, Marisa recounts her own experience, as well as Biblical precedents, of how God may be delivering the messages and resources we need through our enemies. Join Marisa and learn to have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to you, even through your enemies!MarisaRickerson.com

Spirituality can be defined as having a small time gap between sin and repentance. God is our ever-present audience of one. However, so often we become separated from Him by the veil of shame that erects itself after we make mistakes (which for some of us happens on average every 30 seconds!) Listen to today's podcast to overcome shame and get back to living for His approval alone.

Out of all the relationships we are invited to have with God, becoming His friend--His best friend--is our highest calling. In Part 2 of this podcast, Marisa imparts understanding regarding friendship and intimacy with Christ. (photo from www.amandainez.com) For more, Visit MarisaRickerson.com

Have you noticed that a huge perk with our reliance on written communication (texts and emails) is that we can easily confirm and recall things that are important?! In the same way, God gave us His Written Word so that we do not have to be confused or forgetful about important things. On today's podcast, Marisa helps you understand the importance of God's Word in your quest to know God and hear His voice. Photo from www.examiner.comMarisaRickerson.com

Much like our smartphones, we believers are in need of periodic spiritual software upgrades! As we press on to know the Lord follow the unique "high call" He has placed in each of our hearts, we will need His impartation of humility, understanding, grace, and power. In today's podcast Marisa shares insight into what measures we can take in order to receive the spiritual upgrades we so desperately need.Photo from http://nandabezerra.com/MarisaRickerson.com

Excess is defined by an amount of something that is more than necessary, permitted, or desirable; lacking moderation. As westernized Christians, our main temptations will spring from issues of excess. Excess is rooted in fear. Excess reveals areas where we fail to trust God as our source. Understanding the root of excess is a crucial step in gaining freedom.Photo: jamesgulliverhancock.comMarisaRickerson.com

Excess means an amount of something that is more than necessary, permitted, or desirable; lacking moderation. As westernized Christians, our main temptations will spring from issues of excess. Listen to today's podcast as Marisa shares how to position your heart so as to overcome the negative side of abundance!

What is driving you? What is your focus? At the end of each day, what have you lived for? Rest assured you are driving on empty if your answer is anything other than, "The Presence of God!" As human beings, our Creator created us with the intent of filling us. That is our purpose in life. That is the meaning of life. In today's podcast, Marisa discusses how to fulfill your deepest longings by prioritizing your pursuit of God. For more, go to MarisaRickerson.com(photo: driverstest.info)

Have you been bombarded out of no where by doubts, insecurities, and other negative thoughts? There is something you can do about it; you don't have to own these thoughts as if they originated within you! In today's podcast, Marisa shows you how to cast down false arguments that make you feel alone, unworthy, and disqualified. Discover how faith and prayer affect the spiritual world, which largely determines reality.(photo: compasschurchsa.com)

When faced with hard, challenging times, do you think God has abandoned you? Struggles come not to harm our faith, hope, and trust, but rather to make us overcomers with God's help! In this podcast, Marisa imparts understanding to help us exchange self-pity and defeatism for a conqueror's persevering attitude.

Do you struggle to understand how to live in God's Presence? Have you lost your first love for God? Every day we must battle to keep the main thing the main thing: loving God. Part of the problem lies in the fact that subjects such as these are so abstract and intangible. Marisa shares her own battles with learning to remain within the oceans of His Presence. (photo: thesurge3.com) MarisaRickerson.com

Out of all the relationships we are invited to have with God, becoming His friend--His best friend--is our highest calling. In this podcast, Marisa imparts understanding regarding friendship and intimacy with Christ.(photo from www.amandainez.com)Visit MarisaRickerson.com

Have you felt like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest with no one to hear... does it make a sound? Is your life is making a difference? End the tyranny of feeling insignificance; listen to today's podcast and be transformed by your Heavenly Father's extraordinary devotion to you. He is our always attentive; no matter what, He is our audience of ONE!

Is your child or a loved one going through a difficult trial? What do you do when you find yourself riddled with anxiety? Marisa discusses 2 vital prayer concepts that will cause us to be consumed with God's Presence and Peace instead of fear and fretting: How to discern when you are: 1. partnering with the Holy Spirit, and 2. praying an issue all the way through.

Do you view God as patient and kind? Join Marisa as she discusses the practical implications of the very first descriptor of love in 1 Cor 13 is, "Love is patient." Being patient implies that we will be faced with imperfections in ourselves and others. It is not a matter of if but when! When God is faced with our imperfections, He is patient towards us as a Father who loves His children!

Be encouraged to pursue God wholeheartedly as you listen to Marisa's testimony. She shares intimate details about God's call on her life and how it has unfolded.

Why does it seem so easy for the "bad guys" to win and have powerful influence? Jesus said the road to destruction is wide. The spirit of the world is a strong magnetic current. By default, humans fall into its demise when they do not have an earnest heart for God and what is true and good. God wants His people to prevail; however, it is not by our power and might, but by His Spirit!

How do we endure long trials and drawn out hardships? In Part 2 of this series, Marisa talks about our trials are like the discordant and confusing "Cacophony" that occurs as a symphony is tuning up for the big show. Like Jesus, we need to scorn the momentary troubles that are harsh and confusing, and look ahead how our tune-up trials will cause us to play triumphantly in the end. Join Marisa as she shares strategies, encouragement, and prayer to help you persevere through struggles. MarisaRickerson.com

How do we endure long trials and drawn out hardships? In this episode Marisa talks about hearing the Lord say, "The great CACOPHONY is over!" Cacophony means: a discordant, harsh, confusing sound; disagreeable; unpleasant; jarring uproar; a unmelodious and inharmonious racket. Join Marisa as she shares strategies, encouragement, and prayer to help you persevere through struggles.

Do you worry that you or a loved one have missed God's calling? That your life's purpose has passed you by because of mistakes, misdirection, and missed opportunities? It's time to see that your calling is as much a part of your spiritual DNA as your talents are a part of your physical DNA. Your life's purpose is a door that God has opened; and what He opens, no one can shut!

God never speaks outside of the filter of love. He speaks to us through three main love relationships: Devoted Father, Loving Spouse, Faithful Friend. Many Christians mistakenly filter their perception of His voice through a cold, distant religious, filter. It was the same mistake the Pharisees made, which caused them to miss God's voice even though they diligently studied God's Word. (Jn 5)

God wants us to be fascinated with supernatural obedience. So many are ensnared with a fascination with the mere supernatural. Jesus showed mankind how to live a life of supernatural obedience. He lived a miraculous life of adventurous spirituality without ever being weirdly self-centered and self-promoting. We can too! "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Romans 8:14

Bitterness is self-centeredness at its blindest! Bitterness is a poisonous potion that fills our cup and becomes our only portion. Bitterness is a craving to see others lose. Instead of working out a win-win situation for all parties involved, bitterness, which gets its fill on blaming, shaming, and murmuring, takes everyone it can down a lose-lose path. Resist bitterness in your own life and fulfill your longing to live a lifestyle of impact!

The birds of Springtime chirp with abandonment as if that is their only work! Let's be like those birds and determine chirp robustly about God's goodness and greatness! Psalm 150 says, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!" If every moment, we will make it our priority to chirp lovesongs to God even as we go about building our nests, it will transform us! Let's resolve to lay aside our worries and negativity, and instead use our breath to praise Him as if it's our only work!

Having true understanding is the key to hearing God's voice! Our understanding about God becomes our "filter box." If something doesn't fit then we discard it. We miss many things He is saying to us because of a lack of true understanding. Wrong mindsets or strongholds result from poor understanding. That is why it so important to learn to hear from God through the everyday parable moments which impart true understanding.

Is there something in your life that just isn't coming clean? It may be that you are using a worthless rag! Come clean with yourself and God: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all...If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1:7,9) Stop unhealthy cycles of striving to clean up yourself with worthless cleaning agents and discover His power to get you clean!

Do you find yourself resolving to have your quiet time with God, but never actually do it?! Today's parable moment will inspire you to not just think about it, but to actually DO the Work of Prayer. Beware of those unctions that cause us to put on our work-out clothes, but never result in actually working out! Do the work of drawing near to God and be blessed!

Would you play cards with someone who always stacks the deck against you? That's what we do when we engage in the devil's game of condemnation. We have to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run! Resist the enemy and watch him flee!

Knowing God's voice means first knowing Who God is, and Who God is not! We need firm boundaries around our spirit so that not just any "spirit" or attitude can hold sway over us. We need to ask, "Is this voice promoting an attitude of Love, goodness, kindness?" God's voice NEVER comes without the fruit of the Spirit!

Heaven is a real place. Hell is a real place. Take a break from your to-do list and allow the solemnity of these 2 vastly different realities wash over you! Pray: Father God, use me today, in the midst of my every-day life, to make an impact and steer those around me towards Heaven.

Too often we draw the wrong conclusion and say, God's answer was 'no'. Too often we give up, believing our prayers weren't answered. Learn how God is waiting on us to have ears to hear His strategies so that we can partner with Him in bringing His Heavenly will to earth!

Does your life with God feel like you are stuck running around the same cul de sac?!•Gain new perspectives on the importance of spiritual disciplines in your walk with God (and your dog:).•Exercising enduring faith is the pathway to your calling.•Learn how small acts of trusting and obeying God can lead to greater things.Here's the link discussing Interval training! Stayed tuned for my 10 teaching on the spiritual and physical benefits of fasting!http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/11/02/interval-training-and-intermittent-fasting.aspx

What is spiritual authority? Understanding this important concept will help you fulfill your longing to live a lifestyle of impact that is beyond mere religion.

I heard God say, "Marisa, you know Me as Father, you know Me as Son, but you do not know Me as Holy Spirit."I had reached the pinnacle of "pharisee-ism" and religious pride. But as I surrendered and told God that maybe I didn't know everything, the tyranny of lukewarm man-made religion ended as I was blown away by Holy Spirit’s extraordinary Presence.

There are Ugly Birds and there are Good Birds. Spiritually speaking, which birds are building nests over our heads!? Gain peace as you discern between the good, the bad, and the ugly. Learn to take authority over negative and unclean thoughts such as pressure, condemnation, and regret.

Today's 10-min Teaching is about Hearing God's voice in the little things. When we go through dry spells of not hearing God, we need to recall the times that we have encountered Him. During these "desert" times, we don't have to believe the lie that He is against us and has forgotten us!