Going Beyond Ministries with Priscilla Shirer – Anticipate the Miracles of God
Priscilla Shirer (born December 31, 1974) is an American author, motivational speaker, actress, and Christian evangelist. Her father is Dallas mega-church pastor Tony Evans and her brother is Christian entertainer Anthony Evans.
The daughter of Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas,[1] Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible. As a freshman at the University of Houston, she interned with a Christian radio station. Soon listeners were calling the station, inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events. Soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the Zig Ziglar Corporation and then to join its speaker team. Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show, but recently she has focused solely on Christian ministry opportunities. She calls Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, her mentor in ministry.
Together the Shirers established Going Beyond Ministries, a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla. The parents of three young boys, the Shirers share ministry and family responsibilities. While Priscilla continues to minister full-time, Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of Going Beyond Ministries.
Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events, including the LifeWay Christian Resources-sponsored Going Beyond conference and Deeper Still: The Event, where she shares the stage with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. She has also authored several books.
Shirer graduated from Duncanville High School and Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a master’s degree from the latter in Biblical Studies.
In 1993, Shirer was a freshman at the University of Houston. Shirer was married in 1999 to Jerry Shirer, former Hilton Hotels executive. The couple has three sons.
In 2013, Shirer was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference. In 2015, Shirer made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film War Room. In October 2016, Shirer was recognized as one of four prominent women of faith during the 10th anniversary of God’s Leading Ladies Life Enrichment Program at The Potter’s House.[1] Shirer also featured at the 47th GMA Dove Awards.
[Music]
it was two years ago that I was in a
hotel room flipping channels came across
CNN Headline News and I was stunned for
just a second because the person that
was in her being interviewed looked very
interesting he captured my attention so
I just sat on the edge of the bed watts
for a while there were long black braids
that were hanging down all over this
guy’s head they were dyed jet-black he
had on a little bit of a goth style
makeup on he had tattoos that were
peering out from underneath the tank top
that he had on being interviewed on CNN
Headline News I was captivated by him I
didn’t know who he was but I would soon
find out his name was John was done well
Brian Welsh rather Brian Welsh if Mick
name was head that his friends call him
head Brian head well turns out he was
the lead guitarist for a heavy metal
band called Korn
now I don’t know if you could tell by
looking at me or not but I’m not really
a heavy metal music listening kind of
system so I didn’t know anything about
corn or Brian wells but I was captivated
by this young man when I heard the word
Jesus kind of just jump out at me and I
want to know what this story was about
so the interviewer was asking him
questions and Brian Welsh was saying I’m
no longer but the lead guitarist for
corn he said because I was killing
myself on that lifestyle the drugs
alcohol all-night binges everything was
complete chaos and I was killing myself
and he said one night after an all-night
binge I stumbled into the first Church I
found in town he said those people saw
me and all of my makeup and my sweat
from the night before the clothes I had
on at the concert the night before he
said but somebody put their arm around
me sad me in the pew right next to them
and that day they basically loved me
into the body of Christ he thought I
gave my life to Christ and that day he
said the taste for the drugs the taste
for the alcohol the taste when over mr.
relationships they just left me he said
I’m completely free
now y’all need to understand just wasn’t
TBN this wasn’t CBN love those stations
but I’m talking CNN Headline News
primetime television then the news
anchor looked in
him I guess he had lost his mind he said
to him are you saying you’ve been
delivered Brian said I am saying I have
been delivered he said who are you
saying did this for you Brian said oh
I’m telling you it was Jesus Christ the
news anchor then said to him are you
telling me you don’t feel the lore but
pull for the drugs for the alcohol for
that type of lifestyle anymore Brian
come look back at him quizzically and
said you must not understand he said
that day I was crucified with Christ on
the cross of Calvary now I’ve been made
alive together with him this man was
basically giving the gospel on
prime-time television I was doing the
holy dance on the hotel bedroom does
anybody know what I mean when I say holy
there’s I’m hotel bedroom
he said now what about your bandmates
you know you guys have been friends for
some time you don’t you’re not just in a
band together
you guys aren’t have been friends
lifelong friends for many years so tell
me about your relationship with them
surely don’t you feel the pull the lure
from them to come back and be a part of
the band and Brian said to him well no
actually they’re getting saved one by
one and coming to know Jesus Christ as
Savior for themselves I was captivated
by this man’s story that was in
September two years ago a month later in
October I got a call from the James
Robison show James Robison television
show they take in Fort Worth I live in
Dallas Texas so every now and then they
will call me to be a guest on their show
you know when when one of their real
guests is cancelled so they asked me if
I would come and be a guest on
particular evening they take four shows
a night they asked me if I’d take two
programs with James and Betty Robinson I
told them that I would I didn’t know who
the other guests would be until I came
that evening sat down for dinner with
James and Betty Robinson the rest of the
staff and across the table from me was
the other guests for the evening Brian
heads well he sat there with those
braids hanging down everywhere those
tattoos still peering out a little bit
of makeup still on let me tell you when
it was time for him to be interviewed I
felt like a little schoolgirl with my
chin in my hands because I wanted to
hear everything that that man was going
to say he said lots of riveting things
but one thing in particular captured my
he said what a lot of people don’t know
is that when I got saved we were signing
our fifth record deal this record deal
was going to promise us each 20 million
dollars somebody say 20 million dollars
he said everybody’s names were on the
contracts except mine he said there was
just something about signing it that was
bugging me a little bit that’s what the
Holy Spirit of God will do when he’s a
part of someone’s life is that I told my
boy but I had to go home and think about
it a little while what he really meant
when he was going home to pray about it
for a little while it went home he said
he got down on his knees and he just
said God would you help me to make some
some correct decisions with this new
life in you I don’t know much about what
it means to follow you yet but God would
you please give me directions what is it
that I’m supposed to do he called out to
God he said he opened up his Bible and
happened upon a verse that said and they
left everything to follow Jesus he said
he crawled up his voice and he said I’m
sorry but today I’m putting the sake in
the ground and I’m leaving everything to
follow after my Jesus this was a man who
was headed in one particular direction
and the call of God on his life
interrupted his perception of what his
life was going to be it’s a life
interruption I call it a divine
intervention when God surprises you when
he shocks you when he calls you in the
opposite direction a different direction
than where you thought you were going I
suspect that some of you had countless
this weekend some of you are in this
room because you are leading people in a
capacity you never thought you would be
you never saw you leave the pastor’s
what you never thought you’d be the
Bible study leader you never thought
you’d be the preacher you never thought
you’d be the CEO the president the
manager of that type of organization or
in that capacity never in a million
years did you think you’d be sitting in
this seat doing what it is that God has
called you to do your life and one
former fashion has been a life
interrupted to finally intervene by God
where he’s gotten you off the course
that you had planned for your life
and he’s got called you in a different
direction it’s kind of like I’m sitting
the rafters when Francis Chen was so
beautiful so beautifully leading us last
night
notice this big arrow that they have 20
in a specific direction on this platform
you can probably see it as well if the
camera angle is right and it occurred to
me that often times this is very much
like our relationship with God when we
get Hut arrow a green arrow that is
pointing us in a specific direction and
there’d be nothing wrong with the
direction that the arrow is calling us
to God’s arrow for our life there’d be
nothing wrong with that except there are
oftentimes three or four different other
options available to us they look just
as intriguing just as inviting just as
interesting we’ve got to decide when God
interrupts our life when he divinely
intervenes and gives us specific
direction calling us in a particular
area
well we go well we yield completely to
the direction God is leading us even if
it’s different than what we specifically
had in mind when we began this journey
with God well there’s a character in
Scripture his book in the Bible is named
after him he is a leader of all leaders
he is one who knew what it meant to have
a life interrupted by God’s plan his
name is Joshua do you have your Bible
with you because if you do I just want
to point out to you some simple
characteristics and attributes about
Joshua so if you and I will incorporate
them into our lives as we yield to the
interrupted life we will find that we
are victorious in doing what it is that
God would have us to do and would you
know that if you’re in this room and
right now you can’t say you’re in a
interrupted life a situation where God
has surprised you would you just know
that at one point or another in your
life everybody in this room will be in a
situation that it feels like the
interrupted life in fact in this room
right now you’re either if you’re in one
of three places
you’re either right smack dab right now
in the middle of the interrupted life on
your way into the interrupted life or on
your way out of the interrupted life
because that’s the nature of following
God he surprises us he shocked us with
his plan for us and Joshua was a man
who’d been surprised by God when he left
Egypt under the leadership of Moses
forty years earlier you could not have
told him that he would have been the one
to take Moses place and leading the
children of Israel into the Promised
Land never in a million years did he
think God would call him to that
capacity
and yet when we meet him in Joshua
chapter one God is giving him specific
instructions you all know this story
he’s saying him listen today’s a day
you’re going to lead the children of
Israel approximately two million
refugees I’m putting you in a position
where you’re going to be up leading them
across the Jordan River and finally
after years of wandering in the
wilderness you are going to be the one
to take them into Canaan and so on the
heels of receiving an arrow from God
instructions specific directive that
there was a place where he was supposed
to go there are four things that Joshua
did four things that of you and I can
incorporate them in our life four
attributes or characteristics if they
will characterize us as leaders in the
body of Christ we will see that they
make a huge impact not only on ourselves
but on others Joshua chapter three verse
one tells us exactly what it is that
Joshua did it says then Joshua rose
early in the morning can we just stop
right there
Joshua rose early in the morning after
receiving instruction from God to take
all these people across the Jordan River
to handle a task that probably he did
not feel he quipped the handle remember
this whole weekend the full catalyst
conference your touch you’re thinking
about when God calls you not necessarily
feeling ready but being open to doing
what it is that God would have you to do
so God tells him listen we’re going
across the Jordan today and it says the
joshua rose up early in the morning to
complete the tasks that God set before
him here’s the first thing about Joshua
that I love Joshua
acted immediately in obedience to God he
acted immediately in obedience to God I
want to ask you what is it that God has
asked you to do what is it that is on
the table for you right now that you
know is the call of God upon your life
are you procrastinating are you ignoring
it hoping God might change his mind or
give the assignment to somebody else can
I just challenge you today would you act
immediately in obedience to God this is
so different than Moses do you remember
when Exodus chapter 3 when God called
brother mo Moses said
Who am I that I should be able to do
this and God basically said to him it
doesn’t matter who you are cuz I’m gonna
go with you and then he said but wait a
minute who do I tell them you are and
God says you just tell them I am that I
am Moses ever what if they don’t believe
me and God had said to him what’s that
in your hand Moses what’s that in your
hand and then Moses still had excuses he
said I can’t speak well you do know that
right God that I’m not really the one
for the task that you meant to call cuz
I don’t do this right
and God said I’ve got that covered too
you and I are good at giving excuses
aren’t we I know I am all the reasons
why we can’t do what it is that God has
called us to do man the difference
between Moses and Joshua and thank God
for Moses he did his job well but every
group of people needs a Joshua they need
that person that’s you that’s me
the person who’s just going to stand in
faith and act immediately in obedience
to God regardless of what they feel like
are their weaknesses and deficiencies
will you and I respond and act
immediately it says at the end of verse
one that he and all the sons of Israel
set out from should team and camp at the
Jordan they lodged there before crossing
look at the beginning of verse 2 it says
it came about at the end of three days
this gives us insight into how long they
camp at the edge of the Jordan River
they were cast there for three days now
why is this important because you need
to know that this was April when they
were camped at the Jordan River getting
ready to cross over this was April April
was harvest season that means that Mount
Hermon which was to the north of the
Jordan River was melting all of its
winter snow snow all of that runoff was
now gathering in the Jordan River
the Jordan means Jordan means to descend
so the Jordan River itself was emptying
all of its water into another body of
water so you’ve got rapid that are
rushing violently down from the mountain
through the Jordan River into another
body of water that means that the Jordan
River wasn’t a calm Placid body of water
when they were about to cross under
Joshua’s leadership the Jordan River was
a mathlete violent rushing body of water
it was kind of like the Colorado whip
river at flood stage flood stage it was
50 times wider when Joshua was leading
the people to
that it would have been in its normal
capacity and so the children of Israel
for three days got to sit on the edge of
the Jordan River and see this impassable
impossible body of water that God was
telling him they were going to be able
to crawl and if they were anything like
me the fear would probably rise up in
them as they had three days to consider
what it was that God was asking them to
do three days to look at this task that
seemed like it was completely impossible
and yet under the leadership of Joshua
they were told we’re gonna cross this
body of water regardless of what it
looks like simply because our God has
promised us that he will carry us across
Joshua was not only a man who acted
immediately Joshua was a man who acted
fearlessly
God is calling us to be leaders who are
fearless who don’t let the things of
this natural world determine whether or
not we will obey God over 300 times in
the scripture
he says different derivatives of do not
be afraid fear not over and over again
we are told that because the power of
God lives on the inside of us we are not
held captive to natural standards we
have supernatural ability did you know
that that the Holy Spirit of God lives
in us do we empower us to do what looks
like it cannot be done in our natural
ability I’ve got it was mentioned to you
that I have daughters I do not have
daughters actually I’ve got three boys
they are six five and one can somebody
say lord have mercy
my oldest son a couple years ago just
started to lose all his teeth you know
they get around five and every just they
start popping off out one after the
other and he was so excited about losing
his teeth that first two came out we
told him we’re going to put it under
your pillow the Tooth Fairy is gonna
come in the morning you’re going to have
a surprise in the place of that tooth
may I have never seen that brother so
excited to go to bed in my whole life so
we put the tooth under the pillow you
know he laid his head down but every
three seconds he was looking under the
pillow to just see if anything had
happened so about 3:00 in the morning
the Tooth Fairy who is the 6 foot 3 255
pound man that I sleep next to every
night he got up went upstairs exchange
the tooth for a treasure in the morning
I knew when Jackson got up because I
just heard something in chaos upstairs
as he discovered his treasure under his
pillow he ran downstairs said father
mama this is very game look what I got
he opened up one hand there was a
package of gummy bears he opened up the
other hand there was $5
[Applause]
I was thinking a dime
anybody
my husband saw the look on my face cuz
you know when mama ain’t happy nobody’s
happy
he said Priscilla don’t you worry he did
you remember last month which would have
been November last month well Jackson
fifth birthday he said do you remember
that on that fifth birthday we invited
family members over they all came over
they brought cards inside of all those
cards were five-dollar bills he said you
remember we survived those five-dollar
bills put him in a birthday drawer he
said this morning 3:00 a.m. I went
inside that birthday drawer got out of
five dollar bill put it underneath this
pillow
yeah that’s called good parenting that’s
what that’s called dave ramsey you’ll be
proud of me that’s good financial
stewardship is what that is and I
watched my boy get so excited listen to
me he got so excited about treasure that
he really already had and somebody in
this room needs to know that the moment
you got saved there was treasure
deposited on the inside of you in the
person of the holy spirit so that you
don’t have to fear stuff the regular
folks fear because you and I are regular
we’ve got the Holy Spirit of God on the
inside of us empowering us to do and be
when we cannot do and be in our natural
ability the treasure of God is on the
inside of you do not be afraid and then
Joshua says to the children of Israel
verse three they commanded the people
saying when you see the Ark of the
Covenant of the Lord your God with the
Levitical priests carrying it then and
only then shall you set out from your
place and go after it
I love Joshua Joshua doesn’t say I’m the
leader follow me Joshua says God’s the
leader let’s follow him
he says until you see God’s presence
symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant
until you see God’s presence moving that
you don’t move if God’s presence doesn’t
go you don’t go I don’t care how
exciting
books I don’t care how good the
opportunity looks if God’s not going we
ain’t going I love that and so Joshua
teaches us not only to act immediately
not only to act fearlessly he teaches
you and I to acknowledge the presence of
God listen I know there are so many good
opportunities out there for you and I
but listen if God ain’t going we ought
not go you know what I love about Jesus
while he lived on planet Earth while he
ministered he said in John 5:19 Jesus
said I only do what I see the father
doing in other words if God ain’t doing
it I am doing it doesn’t matter how good
the opportunity looks and so the
captivating thing about Jesus Christ is
not only the one he was here on earth
that he did his father’s will here’s the
captivating thing that he did his
father’s will and nothing else you see
you and I are so often so captivated by
everything else we even have enough
energy left for what God actually wanted
us to do what if you and I just looked
for God’s presence and we only moved
when we saw the Ark of the Covenant the
presence of God moving we need God to
follows we need God to direct us to lead
us even though we might be the leader of
that that debt management association
that that organization that church that
ministry we might be the leader but we
better be following hard after God and
there’s a reason why the end of verse 4
tells us why Joshua says the reason why
we have to follow God is because we’ve
not passed this way before God’s been
here already but we’ve not been here and
God knows where he’s going we better
follow hard after him my second little
boy was sitting around the Christmas
tree one year he was three
Jackson was 5 they have a couple little
gifts in front of them and Jerry my
husband tried to have a little spiritual
moment with them before they opened up
their gifts and he said guys whose
birthday is it really today Jackson the
five year old said it’s Jesus’s birthday
the three year olds heard his brothers
say it’s Jesus’s birthday saw the gifts
in front of him and said my Jesus
[Applause]
but see out of the mouths of babes
sometimes the truth comes because the
reality of they times sometimes will say
things that we won’t say we’ll just
think and the reality is we must think
we’re God because if we didn’t we
wouldn’t try to control situations the
way that we do if we knew that he was
God and we were not we would know that
we’ve got to follow after him instead of
trusting in our own devices would you
look at the person next to you and just
say you are not God you are not
and I mean I mean come on
just look at them aren’t you glad they
are God we’ve got to acknowledge the
presence of God finally Joshua says
verse five look at what Joshua tells the
people here’s great leadership
he says consecrate yourself for tomorrow
the Lord will do wonders among you
brothers and sisters it’s time for there
to be a group of leaders who will tell
people to do what Joshua told them to do
he basically said to them I’m not only
going to act immediately I’m not only
going to act fearlessly I’m not only
going to acknowledge the presence of God
but I’m going to anticipate God’s
miracles I’m going to act today like
God’s getting ready to do something
tomorrow what if we had a group of
leaders you and I who encouraged people
that whatever box they have that they
contain their God in whatever box they
put a lid on to determine this is what
God will do and this is how he’ll act
what if we had some leaders that would
shake up people’s boxes turn them upside
down and say to them listen would you
take the lid off that box and anticipate
that our God can do exceedingly
abundantly above and beyond anything
that you can ask for sake and that he
can blow the lid off of your box you and
I are those leaders to tell people to
anticipate God’s activity to assume that
God can do bigger we got to stop playing
safe prayers all the time we’ve got to
say god I believe that you can do the
unthinkable why can we trust that God
can do that because listen he’s the
first and the last he’s the beginning in
the end he’s the keeper of creation the
creator of all he’s the architect of the
universe and the manager of all time
he always was always is always will be
unmoved unchanged undefeated and never
undone he was bruised and brought
healing he was pierced but he’s pain he
was persecuted but brought freedom he
was dead and brings life he has risen
and brings power and he reigns to bring
peace the world can’t understand him
armies can’t defeat him schools can’t
explain him and leaders they can’t
ignore him
Herod couldn’t kill him the Pharisees
couldn’t
to them and the people couldn’t hold him
Nero couldn’t crush him Hitler couldn’t
silence him the new age can’t replace
him and Oprah cannot explain him away he
is like his heart he is long Japanese he
is the Lord he has goodness kindness
gentleness and he is God he is wholly
righteous powerful and pure his ways are
right his word eternal his will is
unchanging and his mind is on me and his
mind is on you a god like that we ought
to anticipate the miracles of God and so
following Joshua following this man who
acted he intentionally and immediately
who acted fearlessly who acknowledged
the presence of God and who anticipated
the miracles of God following a leader
like that finally two million Hebrews
walked across the Jordan and into the
promised land they did it back then and
following you they’ll do it today Lord
Jesus thank you for your word thank you
for the leadership of Joshua I pray that
you would instill in us these exact
characteristics that we might bring
glory to you in Jesus name all God’s
people said
[Applause]
Amen