Richie Allen

ICNU conversations.

Here’s a short devotional from United City’s 21 Days of Prayer going on right now..

Always the vessel. Never the source.

I keep this in front of me all the time.

Somewhere along the way, many of us have curated a version of faith that made us the main character. The one who has to perform well enough. Believe hard enough. Work hard enough.

And then Philippians 4:13 shows up and we turned it into a motivational poster.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

We put it on t-shirts. We said it before games. We used it to pump ourselves up like it was a pre-workout.

But the Amplified translation hits me so hard.

“I am ready for and equal to anything through him who infuses his inner strength into me.”

He infuses. Into me.

I am the thing being filled, not the thing producing the fill.

“I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.”

Not my sufficiency. His.

I borrow from a well I did not dig.

That one sentence dismantles both pride and fear at the same time.

Because pride says I am the source of my success. Fear says I am the source of my failure.

And both are wrong.

Both have misidentified where the power actually lives.

You are not the source.

You are the vessel.

Our help comes from the Lord. He fights battles we never see coming. He opens doors with keys we don’t carry.

And the strength you felt on the hardest day of your life? You didn’t manufacture that.

It was infused.

Be faithful. Stay humble. Keep going.

But don’t confuse the river for the spring.

Jesus be the Name that gets all the glory. May He always get the glory.

Enjoyed hanging with my friends a few Wednesdays back.

Comment or DM “No Negativity” to join the 21 Day No Negativity Fast!

I want to invite you into something simple, but not easy.

For the next 21 days, I’m starting what I’m calling a No Negativity Fast.

If you want to join me, comment or message “NO NEGATIVITY”, and I’ll send you the details.

This isn’t about pretending everything is fine.
It’s not about ignoring pain or suppressing emotions.

It is about refusing to partner with negativity.
Refusing to rehearse fear, complaint, criticism, or hopeless self-talk.

I’ve noticed something in my own life.
Negativity doesn’t just describe reality…
it quietly shapes it.

So for 21 days, I’m choosing to notice negative patterns, name them without shame, and replace them with truth.

Each day, I’ll be sharing a short 1–2 minute devotional and a Scripture. Something you can listen to, reflect on, and carry with you.

If you’ve felt heavy lately…
If your inner dialogue has been harsher than you realized…
If you’re tired of feeling stuck in the same mental loops, this is for you.

You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be willing to pay attention.

Let’s reset what we allow to take root together.

https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbWg2p5HVweEpV7/

I want to invite you into something simple, but not easy.

For the next 21 days, I’m starting what I’m calling a No Negativity Fast.

This isn’t about pretending everything is fine.
It’s not about ignoring pain or suppressing emotions.

It is about refusing to partner with negativity.
Refusing to rehearse fear, complaint, criticism, or hopeless self-talk.

I’ve noticed something in my own life.
Negativity doesn’t just describe reality…
it quietly shapes it.

So for 21 days, I’m choosing to notice negative patterns, name them without shame, and replace them with truth.

Each day, I’ll be sharing a short 1–2 minute devotional and a Scripture. Something you can listen to, reflect on, and carry with you.

If you’ve felt heavy lately…
If your inner dialogue has been harsher than you realized…
If you’re tired of feeling stuck in the same mental loops, this is for you.

You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be willing to pay attention.

If you want to join me, comment or message “NO NEGATIVITY”, and I’ll send you the details.

Let’s reset what we allow to take root together.

Smell like you…

Plant, Water, Prune: A Simple Strategy for Achieving Your New Year Goals

I sat down and recorded a medley to honor the musical legacy of Richard Smallwood.

This man shaped me musically and his songs spoke deeply into my heart. Some of my favorite songs of all times were written by him.

And when I sit down at a piano to play and sing in my time with God, you can be sure that Total Praise will show up at some point. Or Center of My Joy. Or another of his anointed songs.

Rest well, sir. And thank you.