Glen Staples - Preventing the Miscarriage of Destiny: Strategic Steps for Fulfilling Your God Given Call

Copyright 2012Dr. Glen A. Staples

All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TNIV are taken from Todays New International Version, Copyright 2001, 2005 by Biblica. All rights reserved. All emphasis within Scripture quotations is the authors own.

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I dedicate this book to my parents, Louise and Walter Staples, the two people who were destined to be together, bring me forth, and raise me to become the man I am today. I am eternally grateful for everything they have donefor their encouragement, their correction, and most of all their display of faith.

They were the ones who showed me how to believe God, how to call upon His name, and how to trust Him. Their unique ability to bring God beyond the Sunday school lesson and beyond the Sunday service filled our house with Gods reality and power. Whenever we needed something, my parents would pray and teach us that, God will do this for us. Things will get better. Things will happen. And not only did they show us how to pray, but they also showed us how to speak as if it had already happened.

I am so proud of my father, who was an anointed preacher and a gifted prayer warrior. When he prayed, it was as if Jesus was standing right beside him. Oftentimes, the Spirit of the Lord would fall so strongly that sinners, including myself, were instantly convicted. It was wonderful to see the gifts of God work through him. I am so thankful for those experiences.

I am equally proud of my mother, who was also a gifted preacher, and who had an amazing way of speaking directly to a persons inner being. She would touch someone on the arm, look deep into the persons eyes, and make sure she had his or her full attention before saying something so powerfully simple and true that it would shoot right to the pit of the persons stomach and run all the way down to his or her toes.

I appreciate how my parents always treated me with love and respect. Even when I was in the world, they continued to treat me the way they always had. They never lectured or criticized. They just applied prayer, love, and wisdom to the situation and trusted that God would have His wayand that I would not miscarry my destiny.

I remember, on a few occasions, as I got ready to leave their home in West Virginia and return to Detroit, my mother would touch my arm, look me dead in the eye, and say, You cant continue to live like this. Youve got to give your heart to God. My father, on the other hand, would just pray or give me one of his looks that spoke volumes. Her words and his looks would often accompany me on my way back to the city. I am so thankful that they never gave up on me, loved me through it all, and continually prayed that I would fulfill the plans God had for me.

I thank God for giving me such amazing parents who raised me up with the unconditional love, abounding hope, and rock-solid faith that allowed me to birth great things.

I gratefully acknowledge the many wonderful people who contributed to the writing of this book. Their generous support, encouragement, time, and dedication are truly appreciated.

First, I thank my childrenGlen, Lamar, Jamie, Rodney, and Micahfor their love, their support, and their patience with me as a father.

I also thank my late wife, Martha, who has gone on to be with the Lord. She was a great inspiration to me in developing my walk with Christ and teaching me about being obedient to God. For that I am forever grateful.

Many thanks to all of my siblings, including those who have gone on to be with the Lord. Your prayers and support throughout the years have helped carry me ever onward and upward. In particular, I offer a special thanks to my sister, Johnnie Mae, who smiles down from Heaven. You always saw the best in me, believed in me, encouraged me, and trusted that I would walk into my God-ordained destiny. Long before my ordination to preach the gospel, even before I earned my first bachelors degree, your faith led you to buy my first clergy robe, adorned with three doctoral bars. I remember how astonished I was as I questioned, What are you doing? I cant do this. Im just in school. I dont even have my bachelors degree, let alone a doctorate. Your response took all of the argument out of me when you looked me in the eye and said with kindness and surety, But you will. Thank you, Johnnie, for depositing such seeds of greatness and hope into my spiritual womb.

To my church family at the Temple of Praise in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia, as well as the covenant churches within the Temple of Praise International Fellowship of Churches. I cherish your prayers, love, and service. I am so blessed to be your pastor. Watching you praise, worship, and grow in the Lord deeply touches my heart.

I am also grateful for each of the wonderful Spirit-filled, faithful believers who tirelessly labored with me on this manuscript. Thank you for allowing the Lord to use your time and talents. May God richly bless your selfless efforts.

Finally, I acknowledge my spiritual father, pastor, advocate, and dear friend Bishop T.D. Jakes. Your love, leadership, vision, and faithfulness have nurtured, sustained, and inspired me toward victory. Words cannot adequately express my enduring gratitude to our heavenly Father for blessing me with such an extraordinary obstetrician. To God be the glory!

In this latest book, Bishop Glen A. Staples unravels the perplexities that we often encounter in the conceiving, the developing, and ultimately the birthing of our God-given destiny. He brilliantly captures the trimesters that we must all live through and survive in order to actually embrace outwardly what our faith heretofore has embraced inwardly. As a prototype, he mirrors the process that a woman faces as she conceives and gives birth to a child. From the misery of morning sickness to stretch marksconception changes everything! I believe this profound and thought-evoking read will serve as a catalyst to empower you to prepare for, protect, pray over, and ultimately push out the precious cargo called purpose that you have been carrying since before the world began. Just know that extreme pressure is only a sign that labor has begun; and we are well on our way to seeing with our eyes what we have already been seeing in our spirits!