“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…”

– Jeremiah 29:11

WALK
TOWARD
YOUR
CALLING

DIDIER R. DERAS
Copyright © 2020 Didier R. Deras

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781674617336
 CONTENTS

Acknowledgments i

Introduction 4

1 It All Starts with a Promise 6

2 Walking on Purpose 11

3 The Process 15

4 Growth 21

5 Mentorship 27

6 Pick up Your Towel 31

7 Right Attitude! Strong Why! 36

8 The Missing Piece 41

9 Your Blessing Has Your Name 47

10 Prayer 51
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’m truly grateful with God for opening these doors and allowing
me to write this book. I also want to thank my parents Marco
Deras and Ingrid Zelaya for their support. My spiritual parents Dr.
Israel and Ingrid Montealegre for giving me what I need to grow
spiritually. To all my friends that motivated me and believed in me,
Thank You.

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Introduction

"The two most important days in your life are the day you
are born and the day you find out why." These words from
Mark Twain have deeply impacted my life. We have such
limited time on this earth to find our purpose and fulfill it.
Before you continue to read this book, I ask that you take
some time to pray. Ask God to help you find out why you
were created. When this question comes to you, there is only
one who can answer it — and that is the one who created
you. Your creator knows why he created you, and that's why
you need to start this journey by praying and asking him to
reveal to you your why.
All trees are brought into existence from a seed, and
I can tell you that God has placed countless seeds inside of
you. That's why in the book of Genesis, God asked for you
to be fruitful. As one testimony out of many, I was three
years old when I discovered a seed that had been planted in
me. The seed turned into the fruit of healing when my
grandma was facing a great deal of pain, and I prayed for her
pain to subdue. I was just three years old when I was made
aware that I could pray for physical healing. I tell you from
experience — pay attention to the spiritual seeds you have.
Those seeds turn into fruit, then into trees.
The purpose of this book is to help you walk towards
your calling. At the same time, I will be sharing my
experiences with you of my personal walk. I came to the
United States when I was six years old. Before then, I lived
in Honduras and attended every service at the church where
my grandma and mother congregated. I cherished it so much,
and many times I found myself running to the altar where I
freely praised God. In the United States, my mother was not

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able to find a church similar to the one in Honduras, and it

caused us to completely stop attending church. Throughout
the years, we would drop in on several churches, but
eventually we'd always stop attending. I was at a very young
age, and it was never up to me to leave or stay. For that same
reason, I was not able to attend on my own. At the age of
fourteen, my older brother invited me to what would become
One Family Church, where my family and I still congregate
to this day. I regard my church with utmost esteem, and my
father, fortunately, always granted me his permission to use
the church transportation until he too began attending.
During one service, I was praying and felt the
presence of the Holy Spirit. As a testimony, I tell you that
God spoke to me and said, "Remember the desires your heart
had when you were a child." Tears rushed down my face
because I knew what God had spoken of. As if that were not
enough, he used someone to approach me and deliver a
message — that God was calling me to become a pastor.
Here is where the walk toward my calling begins.

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Chapter 1

It All Starts with a Promise

“One of the great enemies of hope is forgetting God's

promises.”
— John Piper

It is a beautiful feeling to cling tightly to a promise. I've

received many promises from God, but the one I'm about to
share with you has set such a fire inside of me that it
continually motivates me to keep moving forward. In 2015,
a pastor visited my church. I remember feeling that I wanted
God to talk to me. The pastor prayed for me, and God gave
me the promise my heart wanted to hear. God said, "I will
lift you up, step by step. You will be an influence for the
youth." The following month another pastor came, and he
also prayed for me. God used him and spoke to me again,
telling me: "Do not lose patience I will lift you up, little by
little." It is amazing that God used two different pastors at
completely different times to speak to me. This is the
promise I have, but God has a promise he wants to tell you.
I'm sure God wants to tell you that He will lift you up and

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teach you every step of the way, to make you an influencer

for the people around you.
Whenever I was asked to preach about a promise, I
would always say that it is important to walk by faith and not
by sight. Our carnal eyes can only see what's directly in front
of us — the economic crisis, your house falling apart — they
see the problem and can't see the solution. They can't see
what God has ahead of us. That's why you must ask God to
increase your faith and open your spiritual eyes, because
your spiritual eyes will always see far beyond the problem.
When your carnal eyes see scarcity, your spiritual eyes will
see our provider ready to glorify himself despite the
situation. When your carnal eyes see sickness, your spiritual
eyes will see our healer ready to be glorified in your
weakness. Faith needs to be our sixth sense. Faith in God
will be your gasoline, and in order to keep that tank full, you
must fill it with the word of God. Remember when Jesus said
that if we had faith like the size of a mustard seed, we could
move mountains? You might feel like you don't have a whole
lot of faith, but deposit that faith in Jesus and you will see
the problem move and the door open.
You might think this path won't be easy. God never
said the path was going to be easy, but he did say he would
be with us the whole way. I serve a real and powerful God,
and many times I forget that he is greater than my problems.
I forget that he knows me more than I know myself. God
tells us that his promise is greater than our problem, his love
is greater than our sin, and his grace will always overcome
our guilt. Walking towards your calling begins with a
promise from God. I started walking towards the fulfillment
of God’s will when I came across Matthew 6:33. There, God
promises us that he will give us the things that we need when

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we first focus on his kingdom. When we want things to be

done our way, and we wait for God to first do what we want,
we must remember that us doing his will is the first step to
receive this promise. You might be asking for something at
this very moment, but seek his kingdom first and know that
he is in control. Your blessing is on its way and will arrive
at the perfect time.

God's Promises to You

Have you ever made a promise you couldn't keep? We tend
to make promises we can’t always keep. We are humans and
we make mistakes. Sometimes we make promises that are
just too hard to keep. Now the good thing is that if God
makes you a promise, he will keep it. Here are some
promises your heavenly Father has already made to you:
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still”
(Exodus 14:14).
Many times, we tend to fight with our own strength.
It’s no wonder we get tired and give up. We need to learn
that when we submit to God, he will work in us and fight for
us. Only then will we be victorious. In this promise, God
wants you to trust him and stay still as he fights for you. I
don't know about you, but with all the problems of this
world, this promise brings me peace. Take comfort in the
fact that you don't stand alone. God is with you, and he will
defend you and bring you victory in all the battles that you
face.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of
the weak” (Isaiah 40:29).

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If God gives strength to the weary and increases the

power of the weak, then blessed are the weary and blessed
are the weak — because they have the almighty God
providing strength and power. Don't feel discouraged when
you grow weary. All you need to do is tap into God’s
promise and receive them.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will
forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1
John 1:9).
One of the things that separates some Christians from
God is guilt. Guilt discourages us from striving for our
calling. If you have sinned and still feel guilty, know that
God will forgive you. Just confess your sin and let him
govern your life.
Just like these, there are many promises God has for
his children. Remember, men don’t always keep their
promises. Don't go hard on them; they're human. Don't let
bad experiences discourage you from holding on to God's
promises. In my walk, holding on to the promises God gives
me motivates me to grow intentionally and strive all the way.
So, start walking, growing, and moving forward. God is with
you.
I now want to share with you a promise a father made
to his son. Even after an earthquake that caused a lot of
destruction, the father kept his promise:
There was a massive earthquake in Armenia a few
years ago that killed 30,000 people in four minutes. In the
middle of all the resulting chaos, a father rushed to his son's
school. When he got there, he saw the building completely
demolished by the earthquake. Standing there looking at
what was left of the school, the father remembered a promise
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he made to his son: "No matter what, I'll always be there for
you." Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked hopeless that his
son could have survived, but he couldn't stop thinking about
that promise.
Remembering that his son's classroom was in the
back-right corner of the building, the father rushed there and
started digging through the rubble. Other grieving parents
arrived and would look on as this father dug furiously. The
other parents who had lost hope tried to pull this father off
what was left of the school, but the father kept asking, "Are
you going to help me now?" One by one, though, the
grieving parents gave up hope and walked away saying, "it's
too late!" "They're all dead." "There's nothing that can be
done." "Go home!" The father didn't go home; he continued
to dig for his son stone by stone.
He needed to know for himself, "Is my boy alive, or
is he dead?" This man dug for eight hours, and then twelve,
and then twenty-four, and then thirty-six. Finally, in the
thirty-eighth hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his
son's voice. The father, filled with hope, screamed his son's
name, and a voice answered back, "DAD? Dad, I'm here."
Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other
kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd
save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved too. You
promised, dad. No matter what, you said, 'I'll always be there
for you!' And you're here dad. You kept your promise!1"

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Chapter 2

Walking on Purpose

“Action is what converts human

dreams into significance.”

— John C. Maxwell

A promise alone is not enough; it's missing our actions.

When God gives you a promise, it is up to you to start
walking towards it. What do I mean by walking? Walking
consists of the actions you purposefully take in order to reach
your calling. Everything in life needs a cause for an effect to
happen. If you want to be effective, then your causes need to
be intentional. Think of where you want to be in five years.
Now ask yourself, what am I doing to get there? What am I
doing every day to reach that goal? If you look back at all
the things you did today, how many of those activities are
essential for your calling? How many of those activities are
steps toward your calling? I have learned that activities don't
mean achievements. Let me share with you how I had to
change my activities when I became aware of the calling
God gave me.
The first thing I did was to get involved in almost
everything in church. I took all the classes my church

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offered. I even asked the life group leader if I could preach

in the life groups (bible studies). He said yes, and I began to
preach to a group of ten people. At this time, I was the
youngest. I was very thankful to this leader. Even though I
didn't have a leadership position in the life group, he still let
me preach. I was probably fifteen at that time. When I turned
sixteen, I began to lead my own life group. I was still the
youngest, and at sixteen was already leading a group where
the members were about twenty years old. This happened
because I was persistent. I was always asking to preach while
most were avoiding it. Then I became the right hand of the
youth leader, which led me to preaching in front of the entire
youth ministry. While I was the right hand of the youth
leader and running my own life group, I quit my job to
volunteer in church. I knew that being next to my spiritual
father was the right thing to do as I prepared for my own
calling. There, my job was to go evangelize, follow up on
people, and any other thing that the church needed — from
making videos to visiting people. Being next to my spiritual
father opened the door for me to preach in front of the whole
congregation. The key is to be persistent and intentional.
I am going to give you a technique that I learned from
John C. Maxwell. I know this can change your life
completely. It is called the 'rule of five'. It's very simple.
Picture your calling as a tree you want to cut down. Cutting
it down will mean that you accomplished it. Now imagine
your actions as an ax, and every day you grab that ax and hit
the tree five times. Do you think that if you do this every
day, you can reach your calling? Now take this time to grab
a sheet of paper and write down:

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Your Calling:
Steps you can take every day to reach it.
After doing this, read that paper every day in the morning
and at night. This can change your life completely, but only
if you make the decision to do it.

Removing the Rocks

I know there are times when we have a desire to do more,
but we feel blocked. I know the feeling of starting something
and finishing nothing, when we start a project and then we
stop. You will realize that it feels good to start something,
but it feels amazing when you know you completed it. At a
certain point in my life, I found myself starting different
projects and finishing none. I would start reading a book, and
then I would just stop. I would start going to the gym and
then after a month, I would stop going. Then one day a very
close friend of mine encouraged me to make a decision, and
after, he said, "Just don't be temporary. If you start this, make
sure you stick to it." I thank God that those words stuck with
me. When I wanted to stop, I would say to myself "Don't be
temporary". You know what? I was finally able to finish all
the books I started. I realized that the biggest rock in my life
was myself. The lack of persistence and being lazy was
sabotaging my future. I started exchanging the negative
words for positive ones, and it gave me the motivation I
needed. If you feel stuck, like you are hitting the same rock
over and over again, I want you to stop and ask yourself,
"What is holding me back?" When you find out what it is,
get a piece of paper and write, "I will no longer let (write
your obstacle) stop me from reaching my calling. I won't be
temporary. Whatever project I start, I will finish." After you
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do this, talk to a friend to keep you accountable — someone

that you can trust and can motivate you.

Walking Up the Steps

In life, we learn that all worthwhile goals require us to go
through a process. God told me it would be "step by step",
and because of that, I have learned to love every step. Some
steps are hard, but my focus is to learn the lesson they bring
because I know that until the lesson is learned only then can
I move up. Each situation is a step. We decide if we learn the
lesson and move up or stay stuck. In his book Destiny, T.D
Jakes says, "Steps mean you can't get to the destination just
because you want to, would like to or even need to2." This
means that walking up the steps is the only way. When you
make the decision to walk towards your calling, you will
begin to see each step differently. You can't expect to get to
your calling without being intentional. You need to walk
with purpose.

The Formula
There are four intangible elements that you need to
begin your walk: awareness, focus, persistence, and
discipline. You need to be aware of what's holding you back
and remove it. Then you need to focus on your calling and
be persistent until you reach it. Finally, it is discipline that
will push you to walk even when you think it's too hard or
you simply don't want to.

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Chapter 3

The Process

“A good process produces good results.”

— Nick Saban

Don't you love Amazon Prime? What I dread the most after
ordering something through Amazon is the waiting period.
That's why Amazon Prime is the best — in two days I will
have what I want in my hands. Sadly, the heavenly packages
God has for us take more than two days to be delivered. They
require a process. The calling God has for you won't come
in two days. You must decide to continue the process, that
is, the journey.
I notice time and time again that what stops many
from joining the process is the fear of failure. I don't know
how many projects you have stopped because of the fear of
failure, but this is where you are wrong. You are clearly
looking at failure in the wrong way. You are looking at
failure as a dead end, when it’s really just a stop sign. You
stop, look around, and continue moving once again. Failure
is part of the process because that's where many lessons are
learned, lessons that prepare you for your calling. There is a
difference in failing backward and failing forward. When

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you fail and give up, you are going backwards. When you
fail, and you take some time to learn the lesson, you move
forward, and that is closer to where God wants to take you.
There are five things you need to know as you
intentionally start this process to reach your calling. Get
ready because you are going to arrive, and you will enjoy the
blessings that will transform both your life and the life of
your family.

The Process Needs an Objective

When you decided to believe God and said, "I'm going to
follow you", you started a process. In this process, you will
find that there is one main objective, and that is to get closer
to God. As you begin to walk, you begin to get closer to God.
The Bible says that if you draw near to God, he will draw
near to you (James 4:8). It is when you begin to talk to him
more that you start to listen to him more. Once you start
seeking him more, you will start to find him and constantly
see his glory in your life. When you pray, tell God that in
this process all you want is to grow closer to him, to know
him on a whole new level.

The Process Needs to be Under a Vision

Lack of vision is lack of purpose. If you have no vision, then
you will find no point in starting a process. The questions
need to be: Where are you heading? Where do you want to
go? What are your dreams? What are the promises God has
given you? Once you have the answers to these questions
you will find purpose. Many of you won't find your ministry

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until you start walking with purpose. Your vision needs to

align with the will of God.

The Process Has a Guide

To those of you who are scared because you don't believe
that you will be able to arrive at your destiny, I have good
news for you. You are not alone. God will be your guide. He
will be there to help you, and he will never leave you alone.
I have not met one person that God has abandoned. If you
start with God and stay with him, he will not leave you. He
will guide you. If God is for you, who can be against you?
Your guide will always back you up. He has you covered, so
walk with confidence. He is also going to provide for you.
T.D Jakes said, "If you have a vision, God will give you the
Provision3." Don't worry, God will always provide. He will
make a way where there is no way. It is knowing that with
him we have it all that gives us the confidence to walk.
Finally, to all of you that are scared of failing, I want
you to know that God is your guide, and that means that in
the end he always gives you the victory. You are on the
winning team; there is no need to worry. This truth also
means that we must be 100 percent sure that whenever we
encounter failure, we know that it is not the end, because the
end for us always means victory.

People Get Stuck

Like the people of Israel who were stuck for forty years,
there are many Christians who get stuck in the process.

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There are four reasons why people get stuck, and I want you
to know them so if you ever find yourself stuck, you can get
unstuck.
1. I mentioned how the process needs to be under a vision.
It is when you lose that vision that you get stuck and you
no longer find purpose in walking. You have no
direction, and to avoid getting frustrated, you decide to
stop. If you don't know where you are going, then you
are most likely going to stay in the same place.

2. Life has setbacks and whenever they take our hope, we

get stuck in the process. It might be the loss of a loved
one or disappointment that leads us to lose hope in the
idea that we will arrive at our calling. Whenever you
find yourself with no hope, no faith in God, remember
all that God has done for you. This will feed your faith
and give you the fuel you need to move forward and get
unstuck.

3. In the process, we grow, but stuck people are people that

are not growing. That is because they have gotten
comfortable with their current situation. They reached a
place where it felt good enough for them, and they made
that place their home. Your destiny is greater than your
current location. Get uncomfortable and continue to
grow.

4. Obedience is the key to the doors of your blessings, but

disobedience is the push that closes those doors and
leaves us stuck. God blesses obedient people, but he
can't bless those that aren't. Be obedient to the voice of
God, to his directions. Lastly, be obedient to your

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mentors, those people that God has placed in your life

to guide you towards your calling.

In the Process, You Must Have a Renewed Mind

The battlefield will always be found in our minds. Be careful
with those thoughts that doubt God and limit us from
achieving more. Process means continual growth, and that
means that we must continually renew our mind. Have an
open mind to what God wants to teach you. He will only
pour new wine into new wineskins. Understand that even if
you have been on this path for twenty years, God can have a
new blessing for you. When you maintain a renewed mind,
you have an open door to whatever blessing God wants to
give you.
What will you do with all the negative thoughts? You
bring them to God. Submit to God all those thoughts that
limit his blessings in your life. The thought of doubt, the
thought of fear — give it all to him. Don't give up. You will
receive your calling if you continue to foster spiritual
growth. You will realize that you have grown closer to God,
you have become his friend. In life, all worthwhile goals
require a process. You need to be ready for your blessing to
really enjoy it. The process will prepare you.

The Potter
God is the potter and we are the clay. The process allows us
to be formed by him. He removes all that we do not need. He
forms us into what he originally intended for us to be. Love
the process, and you will become a witness of how God can
take unqualified people to transform this generation. Like

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the potter places the clay in the fire, we too will be placed in
the fire. But instead of breaking us and killing us, it will
make us stronger. It is all part of a process that will lead us
to what we are meant to be.

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Chapter 4

Growth

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”

— John C. Maxwell

In the second chapter, we talked about walking with purpose.

John Maxwell would call that intentionality. If your goal is
to grow, then you must do things with a definite purpose.
Growth won't come to us unless we seek it, and that means
we need to set a plan to grow. If you want to reach God's
calling, you must understand that you grow into your calling.
The reason why you are not there now is because there is still
some growth needed. Don't worry; growth is possible. Just
get started and be committed. Let's look at some things we
can do to grow.
First, surround yourself with people that are more
experienced than you. By doing this you will be creating an
environment of growth. If you look around, who are the
people you talk to the most? How are they challenging you
to grow? Understand that your environment has a lot to do
with your growth. If you want to grow, you have decided
that you will begin to walk intentionally towards your
calling, then look around. Look for people that will inspire

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you and challenge you. As Matthew 7:7 says, "seek and you
will find." Creating an environment of growth will not work
if you have not decided to put in the extra work. You will get
tired and will want to avoid those that challenge you. That is
why it is important that you make a decision and commit to
it. My spiritual father loves God, loves his family, and loves
his church. Throughout the years, he has been growing his
ministry and his personal businesses. I see that, and I know
that I want to get there, so he is part of my growth
environment.
The second thing I do to grow is read books. If this
is your first book, then congratulations! But this can't be your
last one. I personally decided to only read books about self-
growth. I made that decision because I used to have
difficulty reading books. I would start, then I would just stop.
I figured that if I was only going to read half the book, then
I wanted it to be a book that would help me and give me
ideas to grow. When I first started reading, my favorite
books were from T.D Jakes and John Maxwell. Eventually,
I started reading from different authors. Now I focus on
books that will help me with my leadership, my spiritual life,
my relationships, and my personal growth.
Warren Buffet spends around 80 percent of his day
reading. Why? Because he knows the importance of it, and
you should too! It is so important, that even though he is
considered one of the richest persons in the world, he still
reads. You might not be able to spend thousands of dollars
to learn directly from successful people like Warren Buffet,
but reading from him and researching him can help you so
much. Choose your next book, buy it, and promise not to
open it until you finish reading this one.

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The third thing I do is listen and watch encouraging

videos. If I am driving, I listen to a motivational video, a
sermon, or an audiobook. I listen and watch videos that will
help me grow. The best thing is that most of those videos are
free! Don't ever stop learning. Grow in knowledge every
single day. In 2019, I attended the 10X Growth Conference
in Miami. A nine-year-old named Sabrina Cardone came to
the stage and said the following: "If you expect kids to learn
just a little more every day, why do the parents stop doing
so?"
Finally, I do something that I know is the key to my
growth. I teach — not in schools or in college but wherever
I go. Whatever I learn, I share it with others. That is the best
way to remember what you just learned. My friends know
this to be true. If I read a story in a book, I share it with them.
Jesus said, "Give and it will be given to you" (Luke 6:38).
When you learn something new, it is not to lift you higher
than others, instead it is to lift others higher. Once you begin
to walk towards the calling God has for you, you will realize
that this path is not about us. It's about leading others to
Christ. John Maxwell encourages us to add value to others,
and teaching is a way of adding value. I remember what
Steve Harvey once said at a conference that made me pause
and reflect. He said "When God blesses you is for you to
bless others. If you are successful at the top of the hill, then
come down and help others go to the top too4." This proves
that this principle of giving to others is what has helped
many successful people become and stay successful.
This might be something new to you. You might say
"Didier, I'm very shy. I have never taught others." Know that
someone once said, "To get something you never had, you
must do something you've never done." It's okay to feel

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nervous. It's not okay to let that nervousness stop you from
acting. It is key and foundational to take inventory of your
habits, your routines, and your methods, because to grow
continuously, you must make changes often.

Creating Momentum
When I decided to start reading the Bible from the book of
Genesis, I created a small task —and that was to read one
chapter every day. There were times when I would read more
than once, and there were times when I would forget to read,
but I would always go back to reading one chapter per day.
Eventually, I began to read more chapters. What happened?
What caused me to be able to read more? The answer is
momentum. Momentum will help you get to the right speed
to accomplish more. Small tasks pile up to the point where
you can handle bigger tasks. Commit today and create small
tasks that will move you in the right direction. If you start
reading today, you might want to add a small time to
meditate on a verse, chapter, or maybe just a word. Set this
time apart and watch how God shows you new things
through his word.

No Comfort
COMFORT ZONE = NO GROWTH
"There is no growth in your comfort zone and no comfort in
your growth zone." –John Maxwell
I agree with you; it feels good to be comfortable. We would
all like to stay in bed just a little longer, or just go to the
beach and lay down in the shade and enjoy the nice breeze.

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Well, we can do that if we want, but we probably won't

accomplish much. That is because comfort is a sign of the
growth stopping. Whenever God's church got comfortable,
there would come a persecution that caused them to keep
moving.
While volunteering in church, I was asked to follow
up with new church members. Part of my responsibility was
to call them, connect with them, and then invite them to
church. Let me confess that it was not my favorite thing to
do. I didn't like having awkward conversations or leaving
voice messages. It takes energy to connect with people. It
really wasn't easy for me, but this was a growth zone, and
me not being comfortable was proving it. Don't run away
from tasks that look and sound ugly. It's there where we grow
to become the person God called us to be. Eventually, I
realized that the more I did it, the better I got at it. It is
completely normal for you to want to stop when you have
reached a point of no comfort, but it is crucially important
for you not to stop. It's not easy to grow, but it is worth it.

Reach Failure
When I first began to work out, I heard the phrase “work
until failure.” When you do an exercise, pushups, for
example, you do your three sets of fifteen reps — but you do
the fourth set until you reach failure. This opened my eyes,
because many times when we do things and reach failure, we
see it as the end. Athletes reach it, but go back at it the next
day. They understand that it meant the end of that workout
session but not the end of their workout lifestyle. It is painful
for them, but after continuously working out, they grow past
their initial limits. They realize that after weeks of working

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out they didn't fail at the same level, they experienced new
failures and they grew in strength. Don't confuse your
current failure as a dead end. It's just like a stop sign: stop,
look around, and continue going.

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Chapter 5

Mentorship

“Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor.”

— Lailah Gifty Akita

"When the student is ready for guidance, the teacher will

appear.” — T.D. Jakes

If you were to ask me how I got to the place that I am now,

I would give you the names of my mentors. I thank God for
the mentors he gave me, because they have helped me
throughout my walk. On this path, you will need someone
that has been where you are trying to go. You need someone
that will guide you into making the right decisions. You need
a mentor, and that mentor must be a leader. Like John
Maxwell says, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the
way, and shows the way."
It is crucial that you are ready to receive guidance.
Only then will having a mentor cause an impact in your life.
You must be willing to trust the advice your mentor gives

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you. That means you must acquire a teachable attitude.

Having a teachable attitude means that you will be quick to
accept your mistakes and to correct them. Every mentor
wants a student who can be teachable. Don't make the
mistake of having a mentor and not learning everything you
can from them. Remember that your mentor knows the way.
So, don't mess up your opportunity to reach the promised
land.
You might not have a mentor right now, but pray to
God to guide you to your mentor. In my case, my mentors
are Dr. Israel Montealegre and Oscar Ramirez. They became
my mentors at a time when I felt defeated. I wanted to quit it
all and leave church, not because the church did anything to
me, but because of the guilt I had. Oscar helped me see that
God still had plans for me and still wanted to fulfill his
promise. He then led me to Dr. Israel, who also motivated
me and offered me an opportunity to work with him and
Oscar in the church. This helped me so much, and with their
guidance, I have reached new levels. In times of confusion,
I go to them, and I always keep my communication with
them open.
It is important to be transparent. Do not hide anything
from your mentor. Think about it this way, whenever you go
to the doctor, you need to tell the doctor where it hurts or
what you feel in order for the doctor to help you. Even
though the doctor went to school for about twelve years, he
still needs to ask questions to help you. Well, your mentor
won't be able to help you completely unless you speak the
truth with complete honesty. Hiding things from your
mentor is going to affect you, because it limits their ability
to help you. When looking for a mentor, you want to make
sure you look for the three following things:

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1. A Mentor Should Be Experienced

Someone who hasn’t reached their destiny probably can't
guide you to yours. You want to look for a mentor that can
help you get to where you want to go, someone that has
experience and can tell you what mistakes to avoid. A good
mentor will understand the importance of spiritual growth
and will help guide you to your calling. Try to find
somebody that is further along in their faith journey. Your
mentor must have the experience necessary to help you chart
your course.

2. A Mentor Should Be Encouraging

John Maxwell says, "When a person feels encouraged, he
can face the impossible and overcome incredible adversity5."
It’s amazing how much I can achieve when Dr. Israel and
Pastor Oscar encourage me. When your mentor encourages
you, he shows you that he believes in you, and in a world
like the one we live in, having a person that believes in you
is rare. But don't ever forget that the one that needs to believe
in you all the time is yourself! What you can accomplish
when you’re feeling encouraged will surprise you. If your
mentor can't encourage you, then he is most likely going to
take from you the only encouragement you have left.

3. A Mentor Should Be Willing

You might think, wow Didier, did you run out of ideas? Just
to make it clear, I didn't. In order for your relationship with
your mentor to produce any fruit, both must be willing to

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give. If you find someone who knows how to get to your

destiny, but can't encourage you, then that person probably
isn’t a good fit for you. Or perhaps you have a specific
person in mind, but he or she is unavailable. When this
happens, don't be disturbed. God has the right mentor for
you. If you are committed to give your time and energy, then
your mentor will give you awareness and encouragement. If
you can talk to your pastor, then do so. That is your spiritual
father, and he will be able to give you guidance. He may
even be able to recommend a mentor that is just right for you.

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Chapter 6

Pick Up Your Towel

“As the cross is the sign of submission, so the towel is the

sign of service.”
— Richard Foster

Did you ever play sports as a kid? Do you remember waiting

to get picked for teams? If you were like me, you didn't mind
if you weren’t picked first, but you certainly did not want to
get chosen last. Well, this not only happened to us, it
happened to Jesus's disciples. There came a time where they
all wondered who would be the highest in heaven. They
wanted to know who would get picked to sit next to Jesus on
his heavenly throne.
Jesus used this opportunity to demonstrate true
leadership. Keep in mind, part of Jewish culture was to wash
your feet before eating. When one person would do it to the
other, it showed that the person washing was lower than the
person having their feet washed. So, the time came for them
to wash their feet. The disciples were all sitting and then saw
Jesus grab a towel and a basin with water. At that time, no
one wanted to get picked, because it would show that they

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were less than the rest. But for Jesus, it was his teaching
moment. He got down and began to wash their feet. He
showed them that serving others was the true definition of
leadership. It didn't show they were less, it showed they were
leaders. He left them an example to follow.
You are all familiar with the term of picking up your
cross, but before our Lord and Savior picked up his cross, he
picked up the towel. If you want to be a true follower of
Jesus, you must pick up your towel. You must serve your
neighbor. Sadly, we all want to be served and yet no one
wants to serve others. If Jesus asked you for a cup of water,
would you give it to him? You all said yes, and that is good.
The Bible tells us that when you serve a child of God, you
are serving God. Now that's amazing. The truth is that until
we reach heaven, you will not serve God directly. If you
want to serve God, you must serve others. That is the only
way.
Richard Foster said, "As the cross is the sign of
submission, so the towel is the sign of service6." You want
to be a leader? All leaders are servant leaders. The most
transformational leader was a servant leader. True leadership
is serving others. Now, when is it permitted for you to stop
serving? Well, the answer is, NEVER. No position should
keep you from serving others. To be a true leader, you must
have the heart of a leader. In a leader's heart, you will find a
serving attitude.
When Jesus washed the disciple's feet, he made it
clear to them that he was changing the view they all had of
servanthood. He also told them that he was giving them an
example that they needed to follow. Serving is a sign that we
have Christ in us. This is the best example to follow. Serve
others as if you were serving Christ.

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Five Insights on Serving

Serving impacts the lives of others.

There is a story of a young boy who was walking by the
shore of the ocean. There were thousands of starfish that had
been washed out. With the sun drying them, they were sure
to die. This young boy was walking, picking them up, and
throwing them into the ocean. Then came an older man and
told the boy that it would be best if he did something more
productive with his time. He would never get to throw them
all back to the water. Looking into the young boy's eyes he
said, "You can't save them all." The young boy also looked
at him straight in his eyes, bent down to pick up another
starfish, threw it to the ocean, and said, "I could save this
one."
You may not get the chance to serve and help the
whole world, but you could serve all those that are around
you. Let's show all those that we can what true leadership is,
the type of leadership Jesus had — servanthood.
Serving others is a choice.
No one should ever force you to serve. Not even Jesus
would. To serve others is to choose to follow the example
Jesus left for us. You can make the choice to serve others,
and in fact, you should. Choose today to follow Jesus' path
and pick up your towel.
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to
be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge
the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love"
(Galatians 5:13).

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Serving disciplines and transforms.

Richard Foster spoke this truth, and it has stayed with me
ever since:
"Nothing disciplines the excessive desires of
the flesh like service, and nothing transforms
the desires of the flesh like serving in
hiddenness. The flesh whines against service
but screams against hidden service7."
The best way for you to experience change in your life
regarding the desires of the flesh is to serve. When you
serve, make sure not to expect the praise from men — it truly
defeats the purpose.

God rewards servanthood.

Like I just said, don't expect the praise from men. Know that
God sees all that you do, and he will reward you. Hebrews
6:10 says, "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work
and the love you have shown him as you have helped his
people and continue to help them."
I love how clear the Bible is. God will not forget the work
and love you have shown him by helping his people. You
may have picked up your cross and followed Jesus years ago,
but did you also pick up the towel?

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Serving requires sacrifice.

We humans love boundaries, but when it comes to serving,
it's time to expand them. Jesus was willing to lay down his
life for us because he loved us. He was no stranger to
sacrifice — he washed Judah's feet the same way he washed
the other eleven. Judah's betrayal showed what he had in his
heart; Jesus' servanthood showed what he had in his. Serving
means we need to expand our boundaries because we don't
serve due to external reasons; instead, we serve because in
our hearts lives our Savior, the best leader.

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Chapter 7

Right Attitude! Strong

Why!

“Finding the true reason of why you do things is finding

your biggest motivator.”
— Didier R. Deras

This is going to be an interesting chapter! This is my favorite

chapter because it is something that I would love for all
books to have. Every chapter has been about things you can
do and change in order to reach your calling. Now it is time
that I share some important key factors that will ensure you
reach a successful calling. I'm so excited as I write this, and
I hope you are as you read. Throughout all the books that I
have read and all the research I have done, I came to
understand that there are four things that will ensure you
reach success. In this chapter, I will share two of them. Let's
look at the importance of attitude and finding your why.
These two alone will take you to higher levels.
In his book The Winning Attitude, John Maxwell says
that your attitude will determine your performance. That is,

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people with negative attitudes find it difficult to make their

visions a reality. One of my friends realized the importance
of having a positive attitude and just how much he lacked it.
He reflected and saw that throughout the day he would say
more negative things and think more negatively than
positively. He began to consciously change that, and asked
me to correct him whenever he was being negative. It only
took one look from me to let him know that he was being
negative. In the same way, I asked one of my closest friends
to do the same for me. Whenever I was getting out of line or
just being negative in front of people, he would say a
keyword that would snap me out of my negativity. In other
words, your attitude will change once you determine that it
needs change and you ask others to help.
Attitude is an expression of your thoughts. Shift your
thoughts from negative to positive. Look for the solution in
problems and believe there is always more in store for you.
God is not done with you. Look at where you are heading;
your first step might be to simply change your attitude. Take
a self-evaluation test, be honest with yourself, and grab some
of your closest friends to figure out where it is that you need
to change. Ask yourself, do I have the attitude that Jesus had?
Am I loving? Compassionate? Caring?
Don't let your attitude be affected by the things that
happen around you. In fact, your life is the way it is because
of your attitude and not the things that happen to you. You
have complete control in deciding what kind of attitude to
have. Never give up that control to a person, job, or situation.
If you have already given up and find yourself having a
negative attitude when certain people are around or the
moment you clock into work, take the control back. Decide

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to have a positive attitude no matter what's happening around

you.
In the book of Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul asks
us to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely,
and admirable. Why? Because, "For as he thinketh in his
heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). Your thoughts shape your
attitude, your attitude shapes your character, and your
character shapes your situations. It is in your power to begin
thinking of good, true, and positive things. I know that
having the right attitude isn't always easy. It is not easy to
stay positive when everything around you seems to be falling
apart, such as when you experience a breakup or lose your
job. All I know is that even though it's not easy, it is worth
it, because it ends up benefitting you. Staying positive helps
you learn to respond to failure in a more effective way. It
requires a good attitude to use the rocks thrown at you as
stepping stones to go higher. It takes a good attitude to reach
a successful calling. In the end, it is your attitude that adds
the word success to your calling.

Finding Your Fuel

One night after church, I gave a friend a ride home. During
the drive, we shared our goals. He told me he wanted to
become a police officer but then continued saying that it was
too complicated for him to become one. He told me
everything that was holding him back. It almost seemed as if
instead of a goal, it was just a dream. Before the car ride, we
were both in church and our pastor had shared a very
powerful message. I asked him if he remembered what the
pastor had preached that night. He remained silent and then
confessed that he couldn't remember. Right there I told him

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that what he had was a dream and asked if he wanted it to

stay a dream. I shared with him what the pastor had
preached. He knew that if he applied what the pastor had
preached, he would accomplish his goal of becoming a
police officer.
After leaving him at his house I couldn't stop
thinking about what he told me. I began to realize that what
he was lacking was desire. You need to desire something in
order to accomplish it. He also didn't know his why, and that
simply meant that he was lacking the fuel he needed to reach
his goal. I thought that everybody had a desire to reach the
goals they had. Sadly, I am beginning to realize that many
give up on their dreams before even trying. They lack the
desire to reach their dreams and they are okay with just
dreaming. If you want to reach your dreams and accomplish
your goals, you must have desire. There is a story about
Socrates that illustrates this very well.

The Power of Desire

A young man once approached Socrates and asked the
philosopher how he could acquire wisdom and knowledge.
“Follow me,” Socrates said in response, as he led the young
man down to the sea. The young man followed as Socrates
began wading through the water, first at ankle, then at knee,
then waist, and finally, to shoulder height. Then, rather
abruptly, Socrates grabbed the young man and dunked him
under the water. The young man struggled desperately and
just before he blacked out, Socrates pulled him up.
Infuriated, the young man screamed, 'What are you doing?!
Trying to kill me?' Calmly, Socrates responded, “Absolutely
not. If that was my intention, I would not have pulled you

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up.” “Then why did you just do that?” the young man
gasped. “When you (desire) wisdom and insight as badly as
you desired that breath of air, then you shall have it,”
Socrates replied while looking the man in the eyes. Then, he
turned to the shore and walked away.
There is an exercise I use to help people find their
true why. The exercise consists of me asking them a question
and then turning their answer to another question. Here is an
example:
In one of my discipleships, I asked a volunteer why he
wanted to be in my discipleship class. Quickly he answered,
"I want to learn more about God." I acknowledged that his
answer was good but then continued with the exercise. "Why
do you want to learn more about God?" I asked. He once
again gave me a quick answer, "Because I know it will help
me grow." I continued making his answers a question, and
when I reached the fifth question, I challenged him to not
give me quick, surface-level answers but instead to think
deeply and give me an answer from his heart. The seventh
answer was different, it was genuine, it was from the heart.
"I know what it feels to be in a dark place, and I don't want
others to go there. So, I'm here so that God can equip me to
help those that are in a dark place in their lives." Now that is
his why, his fuel for the journey. I looked at him straight in
the eyes and said, "You have found your why. It was deep in
your heart, you are here to learn about God, but your fuel
comes from remembering that dark place and having that
desire to help others."

Now I want to ask you something. Why do you want to reach

your calling?

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Chapter 8

The Missing Piece

“It's always the small pieces that make the big picture.”
— Unknown

"It's just one piece, no big deal." Say that to the person that's
creating a puzzle and has lost just one piece. In a puzzle,
every piece counts. If your life were a puzzle, I can guarantee
you that every piece would have a purpose. Throughout his
wonderful and fulfilling word, God gives us every piece for
the puzzle of life. There is no way I can include them all in
a book because I don't know them, for God reveals them as
we walk through the process. The ones that we do have are
already in the marvelous book he left for us.
"Do you want to be successful?" That is the question
my spiritual father started his sermon with on a Sunday night
service. It would not be right for me to have received the
word God gave through him and not share it with you all. As
I share the following life-changing message with you, keep
in mind that you need an open mind and open heart. You also
need to live the word.

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“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate

on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do
everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful” (Joshua 1:8).

It amazes me that if we do not prosper or become successful,

it is due to our ignorance of the word of God and limiting
mindset. I'm also guilty in that statement. Throughout my
life, I have heard the word and would always respond with
an "Amen" or an "I know that". Neither my "Amen" or my
"I know that" has helped me become a doer of the word. In
a year from today, you can be on a whole new level if you
only do three things:
1. Receive every word that comes from God.
2. Decide to be obedient to his word.
3. Commit to do his will until the end.
Now let's go back to the word that was given from
the text you just read. The missing piece to becoming
prosperous and successful is to meditate on his word day and
night. Although many think of the word meditate as a way
to empty your mind, the Bible is not referring to that. Instead,
it's asking you to fill your mind with his word. Your brain
has been wired to filter the things that you like. That is the
reason why whenever you like a specific car, you tend to see
it all the time in the streets. Your mind blocks the other cars
and alerts you when you see the one you like. When you
meditate on his word, your mind will be wired to have a
Christ-like mindset. You will begin to tell your problems
how powerful your God is. You will no longer lose your
peace to new obstacles. Instead, you will know how to
respond to every single one of them. Meditating upon God’s
word is how your attitude will be formed. After meditation

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comes the second step, which is to obey the word. Do

everything it asks you to do. Just like every piece in a puzzle
counts, know that everything that God tells us to do is
important. To be obedient to some things and not to others
is like creating a puzzle and throwing pieces away
intentionally, leaving you with half the picture. I am very
glad you are reading this book; it shows that you want to
grow — but know that you must not stop reading the Bible.

A Shift in Desires
One of the Bible verses that has always helped me is
Matthew 6:33: "But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well." It always helped me hold on to God’s path and to
submit to his plan. I believed that he knew what I needed,
that he knew what I was going through, and one way or
another, he would do something to be glorified. I knew this
because I was focused on seeking his kingdom. Seek his
kingdom, do your part, and then watch God do his. Keep in
mind that there is an order: first, seek his kingdom and
righteousness. Second, he will provide for you. He will take
care of the desires in your heart once you take care of his. It
is in the seeking that transformation takes place. Seeking
God brings you closer to God — so close that your hearts
meet, and a shift happens. Your desires become his desires.
Our thoughts are too limited, his thoughts go beyond ours.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways,' declares the Lord" (Isaiah 5:8). The one
thing we can always be sure of is that He has good thoughts
for us.

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The Bible talks about a king whose name was

Solomon. A time came when God told Solomon to ask him
for anything. Solomon could have easily asked for more
riches or more power; instead, he asked for wisdom to guide
his people. His desire was not selfish. It could have been
when he was younger but as he matured he experienced a
shift. You too will experience shifts to put God's dreams first
than yours. Truth be told, his dreams will become yours.
Who in the world can hinder that shift that God wants
to create in your life? Look in a mirror, and you are looking
at that person. It's crazy how often we become the barrier.
Our ability to hold on to the ordinary, to what's comfortable,
is exactly what sabotages our calling. We must be willing to
lose our life for him, to trust him, to believe that his plans
are much greater than ours. We only get this lifetime to live
the life we are called to live on this earth. Don't let your
fleshly desires stop God from accomplishing his desires in
your life. It will feel like a sacrifice, and in a sense it is, but
it's all for your good. God does see your desires, and some
of them are there because he placed them there. So, don't
worry, he already knows. You might be going down a dead-
end road and his shift is exactly what you need.
Desires are what direct you. If you are going the
wrong way, God will try to redirect you to the right path.
You might have to shift your direction, rearrange your
priorities, or change your plans. Don't run away from the
shift, it's exactly what you need to get to the place you never
thought you would be able to reach. Remember, the shift led
the Israelites to the promised land.

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M+A+T = YC (your calling)

I was always told in math class to stick to the formula in

order to solve a problem. If you want to solve a problem, I
have a formula to help:
M = Meditate on his word day and night. Let his words be
your very first thoughts in the morning and your last
thoughts at the end of your day. Be reminded of his goodness
every day and every night. Fill your mind with his word and
not with the negativity brought on by this world.
A = Apply His word. In the book of James, we are told to
not just listen to the word but instead to do what it says.
Many people listen to the word and still have not been
transformed. You must become a doer. No shortcuts, no
excuses. You already know what to do. Just do it.
T = Trust the process, trust God, trust the promise.
Throughout the process, you will grow, and every step is
important. God is your father, and he is a good father. Know
that he only wants the best for you. Trust his promise even if
it seems impossible.

Power in The Word

As I sat in a coffee shop on my college campus, I found
myself looking for ways to finalize this chapter. I looked
again at the verse I shared at the beginning, Joshua 1:8. I
couldn't leave this out. This world was created by the words
that came from God’s mouth, and much of your world is
shaped from your words. You can change your atmosphere
simply by changing the way you talk to yourself, your

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children, and every problem you encounter. God told Joshua

to keep this book on his lips. I understood the significance
of God’s word when I read Matthew 4:3. When Jesus was
tempted in the desert by the devil, he fought back with
scripture. In this way, he was able to overcome the attacks
of the evil one. Don't confine the words of God’s book to
your thoughts, declare them over your life. Fight your battle
with his word; change your world with his word. Keep his
book on your lips and meditate on his word daily. Apply
them and be obedient. He will do wonders in your life, and
you will reach your calling. Just trust that he will give you
everything you need.

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Chapter 9

Your Blessing Has Your

Name

“When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that

you are always blessed in abundance”
— Joel Osteen

At the age of nineteen, I got a job at a call center. I worked

from nine to six Monday through Saturday. I can tell you that
after nine months, I had enough. Everyday people would call
to complain. I didn't like that as soon as I got off, everything
would be closed. I felt my weeks slowly slipping away. I
decided it was time for me to move on to another job. I
submitted my resume to a recruiter and asked for them to call
me back once they found a job that paid more. I mentioned
that I did not mind if it was another call center or anything
that had to do with customer service. One month passed, and
I received no response. Later on, I received a call from the
same staffing company, just a different recruiter. They had a
job offer, and I went on to my first interview. The interview
was going great until they offered me the night shift. The pay

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was almost double, and it would have benefitted me a lot —

especially for someone my age. But I couldn't stop attending
church, so I denied the offer. I admit, I felt bad because it
was a unique opportunity, but I knew God was in control.
One week passed and they gave me a call to offer me the job
with the morning shift. I would work from seven to three. I
had received my blessing — until two weeks later when my
work permit expired and the new one had not yet arrived.
They had to let me go. Two months passed, and my work
permit hadn’t arrive. I wasn’t feeling very hopeful.
As I waited for that to clear, God gave me a word to
share with my life group and another church. It was based on
2 Samuel 9:1-10. David calls his servant and asks if there
was someone left from the house of Saul whom he could
show mercy to. In fact, there was one left, the son of
Jonathan — Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth lived in a place
called Lodebar. As I researched the meaning of Lodebar, I
realized that beside it being an actual place, it was also a state
of mind. Lodebar is the place where you feel forgotten,
where you experience depression and low self-esteem.
Lodebar is the place where you don't expect the word of God
to reach, so you no longer hold on to any of God’s promises.
Mephibosheth was forgotten — until he wasn't anymore.
David calls him and gives him the land that belonged to his
grandfather. That's where God wanted to take me. Although
Mephibosheth had forgotten about those lands, God didn’t.
In fact, God had written Mephibosheth's name on that
blessing before David ever remembered.
Through this story, God taught me that we must
always remember the promises and the blessings he gives us.
Mephibosheth was changed. He saw no value in himself, and
he had lost his identity. That is why you must make sure you

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are in the right environment. Because the environment will

eventually change you once you forget the promises and
blessings from God.
God gave me this word when I felt like I was no
longer going to get that job back. Then I learned that for
every surprise God brings, there must be a moment of
suspense. You have asked God to bless you, and you are
going through a moment of silence. Don't lose hope. You are
going through the moment of suspense. Your surprise will
soon be revealed. One month passed, and I received my work
permit. It had been three months since I lost my job, but I
knew that if God gave me a blessing, he would write my
name on it and would not give it to anyone. I emailed the
company on Monday and received no answer until
Wednesday when they called me to make me the offer and
to inform me that I would no longer be hired through the
staffing company. This time the company would hire me
directly, making me an employee and not a contractor. This
gave me full benefits, one of which included unlimited paid
time off.
God is good all the time. You might have forgotten
what you prayed for years ago, but God didn't. Your blessing
is coming, because your blessing has your name. You must
do two things: (1) leave Lodebar, and (2) handle the
suspense. Refuse to stay in a state of frustration and
depression. Choose to stay in a state of hope and remain
trusting of God. Believe that what he promised will be
fulfilled. Leave Lodebar for a place where you can receive
the word of God, words that will lift you up and correct you.
Handle the suspense by having faith. Though you
can't see it yet, you know this season will come to pass.
Know that the best is yet to come. It is true that when there

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is a test the teacher remains silent, but if you look up, you
know the teacher is always there. In the same way, when you
can't hear the voice of God, look up and see all that he has
done for you. If you are breathing, God is still working. I
know your blessing is coming, the question is, do you?

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Chapter 10

Prayer

“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather

to change the nature of the one who prays.”
— Soren Kierkgaard

You might think that you already know how to pray, and
maybe you want to skip this chapter. Good thing this chapter
is not to teach you how to pray —instead it is to encourage
you to never take prayer for granted. Prayer is a powerful
tool because it's how we communicate with God, the one
who called you out of the darkness and into the light. Prayer
in the morning could be the most effective prayer of your
day. Starting a day in prayer is starting your day the right
way.

Lacking Prayer
Out of all the things you can lack, prayer is the one that will
affect your daily life the most. Consider the following
analogy. If I were to hire you to do a job that pays one million

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dollars, would you do it? Of course you would! If I told you

that you have limited time to fulfill the job, you probably
wouldn’t mind, that is, if I clearly explained what you need
to do. Now, just imagine that the only way you could fulfill
the job is by receiving instructions from me every day. I am
guessing that every day you would be patiently waiting for
my instructions, just to make sure that you could get the job
done and earn one million dollars. Well, it is the same way
with God. Living the life you are called to live is worth more
than millions of dollars, and the only way to reach your
calling is by receiving instructions from your creator. God
wants to give you instructions, and if you miss those
instructions, then you will miss your opportunity to live the
life you are called to.

More than a Habit

Dean Graziosi says that every morning he starts with
gratitude; it is embedded in his morning routine. I say that as
children of God we should show gratitude to our creator
every day too. It teaches us to be grateful and have the right
attitude. We must thank God for giving us another day of life
and being able to see the sun again. Count your blessings
every morning and thank God for them. Now, I don't want
you to think of prayer as a regular habit. Instead, look at it as
part of your lifestyle. Imagine how different your day could
be if every day you woke up and connected with God
through prayer. It is important to hold on to good habits, but
prayer should be more than that, because it will take you to
a whole new level. It might be hard for you at first, but don't
worry, we have all been through that.

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I remember admiring my dad because every day I

saw him wake up and go straight to his knees to thank God
for another day. To him, it became something automatic, but
it was a little harder for me. If you are having a hard time
when it comes to prayer, you need to find out why. For me,
it was that I would sleep late, wake up late, and rush to school
or to work. What I had to do was discipline myself to wake
up earlier. That meant going to sleep earlier and not leaving
my house until I had prayed. In the beginning, it may start as
a habit, but trust me, it will grow into something much
deeper.

Hearing His Voice

In my junior year of high school, I went to my counselor to
choose classes for my senior year. When he asked me what
I wanted to pursue in life, I shared with him how involved I
was at my church and how I felt that I was called by God to
become a pastor. He then told me of his master’s in theology
and from there a conversation on theology began. Towards
the end of our talk, he said, "whenever you are in your room
and your mom or dad opens the door, are you able to know
if it was your mom, dad or another person who opened the
door?" I said yes, the moment I know my dad is coming, I
wake up quickly because I know I'm probably late for
school. He then said, "The same thing needs to happen with
God. When you pray constantly to God, you get more
connected to him. That's when He speaks to you, and you
begin to recognize his voice. So much can be happening
around that is causing noise, but when God speaks, you can
distinguish his voice from all the noise that's around you."
After that talk, I began to pray with the goal of being able to
hear God’s voice and to distinguish it from all the noise. I

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think you should stop reading now and write down the same
goal. Pray constantly with the goal of hearing God’s voice.

Prayer + Faith = Miracles

As I shared with you earlier, whenever my grandma had any
pain, I would pray for it to go away, and it would happen.
Now, that didn't just happen with my grandma, but also with
other family members, like my aunt and great-grandma.
What is interesting is that those miracles of healing only
happened often when I was very young. The reason was
because I had the mentality of a child and the faith of a son
of God. My family taught me that if I prayed for people, God
would hear me. I believed that with all my heart. It seems
cute to see a young kid pray for his family members and
believe that God will listen to him. It is very sad that as adults
most of that faith goes away, and we no longer pray for
healing. Instead we worry when sickness and problems
come. You need to pray, and you need to believe in God’s
promises. Then you will see the miracles flourish. Many of
the miracles that Jesus performed were because of the faith
people had in him. So, if you pray but don't have faith, you
will find out that you are just praying out of tradition and not
because you believe in the power of God. Focus on creating
a relationship with God and know that the Father has heard
your petition and is already working on it.
In the book Celebration of Discipline by Richard
Foster, there is a chapter on prayer. Here is a paragraph from
it that illustrates prayer:

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“To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue

God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change,
we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our
lives. The closer we come to the heartbeat of God the more
we see our need and the more we desire to conform to
Christ8.”

Prayer indeed transforms you. Make prayer a priority and

you will see miracles flourish in your life and in the people
around you. Remember, God wants to be connected to you,
and that can only happen with prayer. Jesus would always
take time for solitude while it was still dark. Then he would
come down and heal the sick and free the oppressed. I surely
believe that God can use you too, but your prayer life must
change. You must connect to God. Set your alarms to 3:00
A.M. and start seeking the presence of God in prayer.
When it all gets tough and you feel like you have no option
but to give up, prayer will help you stand firm. It’s normal
to get tired, but for you it cannot be normal to give up. It
doesn’t matter where you are in life now, God has called
you and given you a purpose. Start walking today so you can
live the life you have been called to live.

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Notes

1. John Bishop, “A Father’s Promise,” Elevation Kids,

last modified 2012,
http://elevationekidz.com/posts/a-fathers-promise/.

2. T.D. Jakes, Destiny (New York: Faith Works,

2016).

3. T.D. Jakes (Presentation at International Pastors and

Leaders Conference, Tampa Bay, Florida, 2019).
4. Steve Harvey (Presentation at 10x Growth
Conference, Marlins Stadium, Miami, FL, February,
2019).
5. John C. Maxwell, Becoming a Person of Influence:
How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others
(Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.), 47.

6. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline (CA:

Harper Collins San Francisco, 2018).

7. Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

8. Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Didier R. Deras is the youth leader of One Family Church.

Best known for his inspiring and confronting sermons. He
began to preach at the age of sixteen and by the age of
nineteen he began to preach in different churches. He is
also the host of his podcast “Blessed not Stressed” where
he brings a message to lift others and empower them with
the word of God. It is through the youth ministry that his
Pastoring ministry is unfolding. As he likes to say, he is
still “Walking toward his calling”.

Didier R. Deras

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