Psalms 23 Part 1 -11.19.25

🌿 **Hey Journey Family!** 🌿 Tonight was powerful as **Mama Dokes** walked us through a deep, reflective study of **Psalm 23**, verse by verse — learning what it truly means to understand God as *our* Father so we can run to Him in prayer with confidence. ✨ **“The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.”** We talked about how God made each of us intentionally — unique, purposeful, and *not* by mistake. He hears us when we pray, He listens, and He is never ashamed of us. Even when we are heartbroken over what we didn’t get, God knows our wants and fully supplies our needs. We were reminded that when we think of “father,” we often filter that through our earthly experience — but God is our **perfect, strategic, thoughtful Heavenly Father.** He owns everything, loves us wholly, and is the best thing that ever happened to us. Because of Him, we can become the best version of who He created us to be. 🙏 **Prayer is our weapon.** The enemy doesn’t want us to know God as Father — because when we do, we know how to pray… and we learn to run to God *first*. 🌾 **“He makes me lie down in green pastures…”** We discussed how the peace of God doesn’t mean everything is calm around us — it means we’re never alone *in* the chaos. God is with us, wants to carry our burdens, and places people around us who remind us of His love. As we draw near to Him, our desires shift from “What do I want?” to “How can I love, give, and be who God calls me to be?” 🔥 We reflected on Jesus’ life — how He came to show us who God is, and how the Holy Spirit now equips us to become more like Christ. God wrote our story, saved us, rescued us, and hears our prayers. 💛 **Forgiveness matters.** We must forgive so that *we* can be forgiven. When we truly believe we “lack nothing,” our mindset changes. Gratitude replaces desire. Trust replaces doubt. 🐑 And like sheep — defenseless, easily lost, easily distracted — we desperately need our Shepherd. Without Him, we drift. But with Him, we are guided, protected, and loved. Psalm 23 is a reminder of that relationship… and we’ll dive deeper after the holidays. ✨ **What a night of truth, comfort, and connection. God is our Shepherd — and we lack nothing.** #TheJourney #Psalm23 #FaithFamily #GodOurFather #PrayerWorks #WeLackNothing #SpiritualGrowth #FirstNLR