Interview with Author Lisa Grace

To view the interview with Author Lisa Grace on her ANGEL series and enter the giveaway go to Inspirational Impactful Reading

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debi o'neille, writing against the wind: Author Holly Michael on Ghostwriting: I began ghostwriting immediately after I quit writing. That’s right. When rejection letters, numbering in the hundreds, angered me into av...

This Week

I apologize for not posting as scheduled this week. It has been one of those weeks where everything seems to merge together into one. Have you ever had one of those? You have a list and a plan of what needs to be done, how when and where. The only thing is nothing goes as planned because the natural effect of life takes over. The reality that plans are good but they are not always set in stone.

I'm the person whose plans are made to guide me throughout the day and when that goes array it's a bit hard to handle. So this week I have been trying to put in place everything that was knocked out of place. I'm happy to say everything is working out quite well.

Please join me on Monday for the interview with author Lisa Grace. She will be talking about her Angel Series which has been titled "The Christian Alternative" to the Twilight Series. Her Angel Series has also been optioned by Motion Picture Pro and is being fast-tracked into pre-production. I will also be hosting a giveaway of her book "Angel in the Storm" book 2 in the Angel Series.

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.

Understanding God's Forgiveness

One thing I know is how hard it is to accept forgiveness when you feel you are so unworthy. So how does one get pass this with God? As mere humans we do or say something that may be offensive and we feel sorry later and apologize; hoping the individual will forgive us we do things to earn their favor once again. God on the other hand is holy and there is no sin in Him. He offers us a gift in exchange for our sin. This gift is eternal life through belief in His one and only Son Jesus Christ.
So in essence we are sinners in need of salvation and all we must do to receive it is believe everything concerning God through Jesus Christ. We all need to understand that love and forgiveness from God is not based on us doing good things to make Him forgive or love us it is simply belief and faith in what you cannot see. You cannot see your sins being wiped away but a true belief in what Christ has done for you will cause you to feel and know they have been wiped away.

Unworthy, yes we all are unworthy yet in God's great compassion and love He counts those worthy of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. It is just that simple. There is no trick, no hidden secret. The gift of God comes without burden or demand. It instead is choice of peace and eternal salvation. The question posed to you today is which do you prefer peace and eternal salvation or a feeling of unworthiness?

Here are a couple steps backed by scripture that will help you to receive the forgiveness and abide in the love that God has for you:

Admit you are a sinner: Romans 3:23 (NIV) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Realize that without salvation you will die: Romans 6:23 (NIV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Confess your sin: 1 John 1:9 (NIV) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Repent of your sins and turn from them: Luke 13:3 (NIV) “I tell you, unless you repent, you too, will all perish.” Acts 2:38 (NIV) “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

Accept the gift of grace: Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sin: Romans 5:8 (NIV) “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” John 3:16 (NIV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perished but have eternal life.”

Confess with your mouth: Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) “If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 5:1 (NIV) “Now since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God.”

Prayer: Father I come before you now knowing that I am unworthy but through Jesus your Son I have found redemption, forgiveness and can abide in your love all my days. I am so grateful for your sacrifice and the peace it brings in my heart and mind. I trust you with my life. I surrender all I have to you knowing that you have amazing plans for me beyond my imagination. Help me to be a light to others and stand strong in the faith that comes from you in Jesus' precious name. Amen.

Upcoming Interviews

Please join me in welcoming Zari Banks March 19, 2012 on her tour for O Lord Hear My Cry: A Psalm Devotional

Zari Banks is an amazing woman with a testimony of loss, healing and redemption that will encourage and strengthen you in the area of Spiritual Warfare.

You don't want to miss her amazing testimony. We are all in the middle of a spiritual war that is going on. Learn beforehand how to be prepared instead of learning in the middle of the battle.

There will be a free giveaway of her book.

Please join me in Welcoming Lisa Grace on March 26, 2012 in promotion of her Angel Series.

Lisa Grace has completed two books in her Angel Series; Book 1 Angel in the Shadows  and  Book 2 Angel in the Storm. The Angel Series has been featured on AOL's top ten most challenged List. The Angel Series has also been named the Christian Alternative to the Twilight Series. The Angel Series has been optioned by Motion Pro Studios and is being fast-tracked into pre-production.

You don't want to miss Lisa sharing her experience with writing the series, her success and the movie deal.

I will also be hosting a giveaway of Book 2 Angel in the Storm.

Angel in the Shadows by Lisa Grace Book Excerpt

"Megan, when you look at me, what do you see?" "You glow." I can't look at him as I say this ; it sounds so strange.
"Do you see anyone else who a -- glows?"
I look out at the lake, everything is so beautiful, "No."
I voice the only explanation I can think of that isn't supernatural, "Mr. Z. is there something wrong with you? Are you dying?" Tears are welling up in my eyes. I take a deep breath and will myself not to get emotional. That must be the reason. Nothing else makes sense.
He chuckles, "No. But let me ask the questions. You'll get your chance in a minute. When did you first notice?"
"Last year."
"Have you told anyone, discussed this with anyone?"
"No. Except last year, when we were around the campfire, I mentioned you look like an angel. The kids teased me so I never mentioned it again."
"Am I shining now?"
I look up at him. He's looking at me, waiting for an answer, "Yes."
Now I'm getting scared. I'm afraid of what Mr. Z. is going to say next. I sense my world is changing, the same way water becomes an ice cube. It's still H2O, in a different form.
"Well you're right; you're not imagining things. Some people I can't hide from. Those that have the gift. Like you." He looks me in the eye.
"Megan -- what do you think I am?"
I can't breathe. This is the moment where I expand. I whisper, "An angel."
"My name is Zadok."
Suddenly, his brightness arises. I see wings. I see his glory. He is beautiful. He is air. He is real. I am small and earthy next to this heavenly angel. Zadok cloaks himself once again in his human form. Unbelievably, no one else in camp seems to have noticed. I am changed. I am more. I am afraid.
"Megan, I am a messenger of God. I'm here to do what He wants. You have the gift of seeing spiritual beings, that's why you can see me. If you can see me, you will also be able to see others. The good, and the bad."
"Others? The bad?" I'm still in shock. I can't think.
"It's in the Bible, Megan. We're in there. We are at war with the forces of darkness, even on a beautiful day like today. When the evil ones notice you, and they will, you and your loved ones are going to be targets. You need to be prepared. They will come after you. You are in danger. You have eight days to ask me questions.; you have the responsibility of free will. You can choose to fight evil or join the devil and his angels."