Interview with Author Zari Banks

Zari Banks

Hello Zari and welcome to Reviews, Interviews and other News. I am so excited to feature your book “O Lord Hear My Cry: A Psalm Devotional.

Hi! It’s an honor. Thank you.

You know Zari there are so many people who love devotionals, tell me how a simple devotional can change or impact someone’s very day?

Focus is so important to God. That’s why He provided reminders for us throughout His word. Devotionals help us to focus our prayer time even if only for 7 minutes a day … and that focus in prayer and on God gives us power.

In prayer not many write down their prayers. It is a cry or praise we lay before God and that’s usually it. What was the reason for writing down your prayers?

I’ve written my prayers for several years. I probably began writing my prayers because I write down everything. Seriously everything. I write out my day including 7:45 (or whatever time) wake up, get dressed. And, I’ve always journaled. Even now when I’m not writing books, I have a list of 10 prayer requests that I take to the Lord every day.

What was the inspiration/testimony behind O Lord Hear My Cry: A Psalm Devotional?

O Lord, Hear My Cry was an answer to prayer itself. In the fall of 2010 I planned to relocate my son and myself to my hometown in Washington State. I was laid off from my school district in May 2009 and I was beginning to worry about our future in Arizona. I had been supporting us on savings and a part-time job at my church for a while but I knew that wasn’t going to work for long term. So going home to get back on feet made sense to me. I was thinking it would be a temporary solution because my family owns a businesses and I could work multiple jobs with fewer expenses and flexibility of schedule. Well, my ex took me to court to stop me from relocating with our son and requested temporary custody and the judge awarded it to him. He’d only spent roughly 4 days a month with our son since he was 18 months old, and he was nine at the time. I was devastated.  

On March 2, 2011 I had to drop my son at his dad’s and he was crying and I was crying. Then I drove away and got as far as a library parking lot. I sat in my car screaming at God from the top of my lungs and asking Him to either kill me or rescue me because I couldn’t handle it. Just a few days before one of my mentors had emailed me Jeremiah 33:3 [AMP Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).]  and said he was praying for me. So, I was yelling – probably appearing insane to passersby – you promised to answer if I call out to you so answer now.

God said, “Read the Psalms.” Nothing else.

That may not seem like rescue to some, but as I read through the Psalms with a new focus – with the intent of finding the message God was giving me – I was changed. I was ushered into a real and raw relationship with Christ. And, what I discovered in the Psalms is that my struggle wasn’t new to God and neither was my restoration. He was prophesying my victory.

What scripture speaks to your heart the most?

My life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 (my remix): Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t depend on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He’ll make your path so straight you couldn’t possibly miss it. 

A Spiritual Powerhouse is what many Christians seek to be, what advice can you give to prepare one for a journey such as this?

Oh, my, God bless you. If you ask for that He’ll faithfully make it happen. But, be ready for the pit of a lifetime. Being a Spiritual Powerhouse is dying to self to the point that you no longer consider breathing without asking God if it’s OK with Him. It’s not that final perfection, but it’s trusting God above and beyond anything our finite minds can construct, and that’s frightening and exciting at the same time.   

I know myself for one am very impacted by not only the word of God, devotionals and the such but also through music; what worship song just puts you in that place which voids out everything else around you and focuses you in on our Creator.

I don’t know that I have one favorite worship song. I love music and almost always have it on. Lately I’ve found myself just repeatedly singing, “I love you, Lord,” to no particular tune and probably in the most hideous tone an ear ever heard, but my heart is filled with gratitude for everything He’s doing in my life.

What do you want people to take most from reading O Lord Hear My Cry: A Psalm Devotional?

I want people to earnestly seek God and believe Him. Every heartache, triumph, disappointment and hope I’ve ever experienced is recorded right in the Psalms … years before I was even thought of on this earth. That amazes me. What I went through and am going through isn’t new to God. But, I couldn’t believe it mind, heart, body, soul, spirit until I was broken beyond human repair. You know how people either believe or deny God in crisis? Well, my prayer is that they so cling to Him that they enter into spiritual synchronicity with Him and live in faith-driven victory.

Signed copies are available on my hub: http://zwriteswords.weebly.com/

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Hear-My-Cry-Devotional/dp/0615524265/

BN.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/o-lord-hear-my-cry-by-zari-banks?keyword=o+lord+hear+my+cry+by+zari+banks&store=allproducts

I love connecting with people on a more personal level, so tell me what you really enjoy doing in your spare time and why you enjoy it so much?

I love to read, and my love language is quality time so I love being with friends and family. And, regardless of what anyone may tell you, eating really is pastime.

If you could I would love for you to pray for all those right now on the battlefield in the midst of spiritual warfare.

Holy Spirit, I love you and I praise you for allowing me to come into your presence. Draw near to me as I draw to near you. I praise you because you promise that I can come boldly before the throne of grace and lift up those who are being attacked by the enemy. Fall fresh on them and give them supernatural wisdom and understanding for this time. Give them a vision of the battlefield and give them the courage and knowledge to take authority in Jesus’ name. Your word says that anything I bind on earth is already bound in heaven and anything I loose on earth is already loosed in heaven. I praise you because every word of God proves true. I bind every enemy that’s coming against these readers in the Name of Jesus and I loose deliverance, health, restoration and divine wisdom into their lives right now. Prepare their hearts to receive and expect the miraculous from you, Lord. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer in Jesus’ Name. Amen

"O Lord Hear My Cry: A Psalm Devotional"

I thought this book was encouraging and full of guidance. Sometimes in the midst of trying times we tend to not necessarily address the exact problem but dance around it. Zari Banks unfolds her heart, her suffering and her triumph through this wonderful devotion full of prayer and scriptures. I appreciated the value of Zari's prayers because it showed me that we are all in this together going through trying times crying out to our God. This is a great devotional for anyone in the midst ...moreI thought this book was encouraging and full of guidance. Sometimes in the midst of trying times we tend to not necessarily address the exact problem but dance around it. Zari Banks unfolds her heart, her suffering and her triumph through this wonderful devotion full of prayer and scriptures. I appreciated the value of Zari's prayers because it showed me that we are all in this together going through trying times crying out to our God. This is a great devotional for anyone in the midst of trying times or just in preparation because they will come and how better to prepare yourself mentally and physically than to do it beforehand rather than in the middle of the circumstance. The message here through pain is to live in preparation rather than surprise.