Have you ever felt that God was nudging you to do something, but you were afraid to do it? I feel like that right now, nonetheless I will humbly share with you an idea I had this morning which has been about 2 months in the making.
I published The 40-Day Surrender Fast on August 14, 2011. It’s the guide for releasing your plan so that with a renewed mind you can pursue the blessings that God have for you. While it’s a wonderful book my intent is not to sell you another book, but to help you increase your faith by leaps and bounds.
After the release of my book I made one request to God, Please bless me to sell at least one book a day. In His faithfulness He has done just that. However, today I got to thinking, ”What is one book a day to God?” That’s nothing. Then it occurred to me that the one-book-a-day quota was symbolic of my lack of faith, not His ability to perform. I asked Him for what was possible for me to do, but He wants me to believe Him for He can do. For the thing that I see as seemingly impossible. Therefore, today I decided to believe Him for more sales–10,000 more to be exact. So with boldness (and a little fear) I wrote that declaration in my journal. “Lord, I believe that you will bless me to sell 10,000 books in one year.”
Right after writing that, I checked my emails and read a message from a customer who wanted to purchase 10 books! I screamed with joy. That might not sound like a lot to you, but 10 books would have taken me 10 days had I still been following my snail-paced schedule.
But I’m not done. A friend called to request a book and tthen my prayer partners requested a book each. Before 11a.m. 13 books had been sold. Coincidence? Absolutely not! I think it was God’s way of showing me that He can do much more than one book a day.
What I am learning is that when we step out on faith we give God permission to act on our behalf. Likewise, when you say “Yes” to Him and start believing Him for the impossible a shift occurs in the atmosphere and doors that were closed, open because of our faith!
I am continuing to learn that faith is not about me manufacturing what I think is possible then calling it God, but about me believing God for the seemingly impossible…”the ridiculous” as Pastor John K. Jenkins often says. So for me 10,000 is my ridiculous, but even in that God can do much bigger. Just ask a child—perhaps a 6 year old that lives with you.
In my excitement, I told my 6-year-old son what I believed God would do. His face lit up and he appeared to be more excited than I was. Then he said, “Ma I thought you said 1,000,000 books.” I quickly corrected his misstatement. Then just like a child he said, “But if God can do 10,000 why can’t He do 1,000,000 or even 3,000,000?” Out of the mouths of babes…if only I could have faith like a child!
So in conclusion, I am asking you to join me on the journey of a lifetime. You can subscribe, make comments each week, or just watch from the sidelines—whatever floats your boat. But let me remind you that if you want to see God move you’ve got to step out of the boat. So that is what I am doing! I know that He will do exceedingly above ALL that you could ASK or THINK. (BTW… in the next post I will explain how I came up with the number 10,000. Like I said, the idea was about 2 months in the making).
Each week I will report my book sales and offer a little lesson to help build your faith. Will you join me? If so, please subscribe and comment as much as you like. You comment might be just what someone else needs to hear. Also, share this blog with anyone that is struggling to believe God for their health, finances, relationships, etc.
With God all things are possible,
Dr. Celeste
42 books sold, 9,958 to go
Suggested readings:
Faith Like a Child, Dr. Johnny Parker
Sun Stand Still, Pastor Steve Furtick
Copyright © 2011 by Dr. Celeste Owens
Posted by pressonwebzine on September 5, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Your blog is very encouraging to me. I haven’t prayed/asked God for a number, just that He touch others heart to purchase, “Reveal the Real You Poetry Collection.” After reading your blog, I am going to go in prayer and ask God to give me the faith to believe “the ridiculous.” Thank you for sharing this great blog! Phenola
Posted by 10000books on September 5, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Yes, Phenola…the ridiculous! I have read your thought-provoking poems. I was especially encouraged by “Destiny.” I would encourage anyone to pick it up for their Kindle. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by Tyra on September 7, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Thank you for encouraging me to take the limits off. God has been working on me for years to take Him out of the box. Yesterday I was working on another ‘book’ the Lord has given me. And I was saying to myself, Lord you just gave me the title for book 1, can I really be thinking about book 2? I wondered it I was getting ahead of myself. God said you are not getting ahead of yourself. You are watering seeds that were planted a long time ago. He said continue to nuture and grow and develop and you will see it come to pass.
Keep the faith!
Posted by 10000books on September 7, 2011 at 6:50 pm
@Tyra, you are welcome! As you said, we don’t need to put the limits on God. He knows what He is capable of–and the last time I checked there was nothing impossible with Him–so just keep doing as He instructs. I can’t wait to hear about book #2!
Posted by Walkiria Pool on October 20, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Wow…very inspiring, I know God will continue to bless you because you are being a blessing to other. I just bought my copy of The 40-Day Surrender Fast, one more counting torward the 10,000. have you considered translating it into spanish? Thank you and God bless you.
Posted by 10000books on October 20, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Hello Walkiria, thank you so much for your purchase of The 40-Day Surrender Fast! It is touching so many lives and I pray you, too, are tremendously blessed. My friend Manuela and I have tossed around the idea of having it translated. At this point it is just an idea, but if God opens the door I will gladly walk through it. All the best to you!
Posted by Jackie on October 21, 2011 at 5:51 pm
I am just reading your 10,000 book blog. Before I got tothe end of it I said to myself 10,000 is not even enough why not 1,000,000 on the New York Times Best Seller! I am going to believe along with your son 1,000,000 I do believe. Funny when I first saw it I knew God was speaking to me because I have been believing God to be able to read a book a month. You are indeed what you read. I pray Gods very best over your life.
Love, A sister for your journey, Jackie
Posted by 10000books on October 21, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Well you and AJ definitely have something in common. In fact, AJ gets so irritated with my saying “10,000″ that I had to modify my projection to “at least 10000.” That still only gives him slight satisfaction. LOL. So let it be said New York Times Bestseller List here we come! As you know, God always promotes His work. About your goal of a book a month…yes! Go for it! You are going to be a true inspiration for anyone who isn’t a fan of reading (and you will also learn a lot in the process). You may have your list completed, but if not here are a few suggestions: Sun Stand Still, From the Hood to the Senate, Made to Crave, Liberated Through Submission, The Prodical God, The Cause Within…I could go on but I will save you the pain
. Also I have started getting my books from the library to save money and eliminate the need for storage space in my home. That’s all for now. May God continue to bless you richly!