I was convicted recently.

Let me explain…

God often gives me the title of a piece before the substance. So, when I got the title Are you Manifest or Manipulating, I immediately thought it was the perfect topic to blog about next. I had no idea that the revelation was for me first. (Insert that spiritual whooping here) Well, God got me all the way together. He mentioned through a friend that my words were starting to sound like I was the reason my life was going well, and I was beginning to leave God out. I’m not going to lie; I lowkey dismissed it at first.

Let me explain why.

Too many of us grew up under weaponized or warped religious doctrines meant to control us.

You know what I’m talking about. It is that religion that feels more like it is suffocating you than freeing you. It is the practice where the appearance of righteousness is sought after instead of true righteousness. I wondered if my friend was coming from a place of warp religion that tries to convince us we cannot have the life we desire or that we must accept life as it is and be grateful. Thankfully, we serve a God that will confirm from a different source when it is genuinely Him wanting to get our attention. That is precisely what happened. When I got off the phone with my friend, a video popped into my social media feed about manipulating God.

I’m like, Lawd, maybe this is you!

Sure enough, their description of how they tried to control God sounded similar to what I’d been doing recently. If I find the video again, I will link it. I was immediately convicted. I had no idea I turned my prayers and actions into trying to manipulate God. I knew I couldn’t write this blog until I repented and got clarity on what God wanted to reveal to me. 

Time to enter that prayer closet.

I am STILL a huge advocate for manifesting the life you desire. I’m living proof that it works. Lately, I’ve been in a season of abundance. People I know who have tapped into manifest have experienced it too. When I tell you, God has answered not only some big prayers but some, what I call, crazy faith prayers too. I’m talking prayers that sound too good to be true, but you ask anyway. I recently did a workshop on how to tap into this. It is called, The Wait is Over: How to Manifest Your Desires for 2023. If you missed it, no worries; there are plans to do another one soon. Click HERE to be notified of the next one. 

Sometimes God will answer big prayers back to back the way He did recently in my life. However, I cannot overlook the season right before. It was a long and harrowing season of waiting. I spent years unable to get pregnant.

I’ve been to more doctor’s appointments and tried more procedures than I can remember battling infertility. I tried everything from fertility drugs, Invitro fertilization, and surgeries; nothing worked how I hoped.

Then, something shifted. I will explain later in this post.

After finally getting pregnant, one of my biggest prayers had finally been answered. God had opened my womb. I had no idea I would spend the next couple of years losing babies, including my daughter, Journey Faith. I talk about my first miscarriage in the post, “What God Taught Me Through My Miscarriage.”

Before babies, I spent years being single, unable to get a date, and wondering why God was answering everyone else’s prayer to get married but mine.

I don’t look like what I’ve been through. ONLY GOD!

Listen, there is no escaping pain in this life. Sometimes, that pain is so debilitating, it has you confused and questioning everything. There will be seasons of waiting. There will be seasons of suddenly prayers where prayers are being answered one after the other. And then, there be a season of waiting again. That is part of our walk with God. Yet, waiting is not meant to be a place for you to get stuck or comfortable.

Waiting is active.

Okay, I promise I’m going somewhere with this.

Here is my revelation of how I was manipulating God and what I’ve learned.

I walked into this season of abundance, thinking I’d tapped into something, that there was a formula to always get what I wanted. (insert facepalm) The thing about formulas is all the steps have to be right, or they don’t work. So, now your prayers become about YOU getting all the steps right rather than trusting God’s power.

When things didn’t happen right away or the timeline I wanted, I started feeling anxious and trying to figure out ways to move it along.

If I pray like this or praise like that, it will happen.

This prayer worked in the past; let me try this.

Nothing.

Then, I was like, God wassup? Why are you being silent about this? What am I doing wrong?

That’s when He answered, “you’ve turned your prayer life into a (what can I get) session, which has distorted your view of me.” (insert dramatic faint) It was unintentional, but I’m thankful God convicted me.

Let’s be clear, Manifest is real. That isn’t the issue.

There is nothing wrong with speaking things into existence and praying big, crazy faith prayers (Mark 11:23). It is in the Word of God, and God encourages us to pray for the impossible. Also, God gives us our heart’s desire. (Psalms 37:4) That doesn’t mean everything will always go according to YOUR plan or look exactly how you envisioned.

Again, Manifest is real, and God wants to give you your heart’s desires. Yet, just like anything else, manifest and intentional prayer can be warped into something that God never intended for it to be.

God is not a genie you can rub, and you will be granted three wishes.

Let’s be honest; God does not answer every prayer the way we want. That would be dangerous. Can you imagine what your life would be if God let everything work the way you THOUGHT it should at the time?

Whew! Go ahead and thank Him for the prayers He didn’t answer.

I’ll wait.

So, are you manipulating or manifesting?  Let’s break it down.

 4 Ways to Know If You’re Trying to Manipulate God.

Manipulation #1: You’re Praying Out of Fear. 

Manipulation #2: You’re Trying to Control the Outcome.

The Waiting Season: Are You Doing it Wrong?