2025 Rooted Contest Poetry Winner

Rooted, I Rise Again by Kimba Christian

I’ve walked through fire before, and I did not burn. Praise God!

I faced the eye of the storm and was not consumed. Hallelujah!

I’ve been pressed by weight I thought would crush me—but it didn’t. Thank You, Jesus!

And today, rooted in Him, I rise again.

I will walk with purpose.
I will speak with grace.
I will tend to what matters, and let go of what does not.
I will honor this life God gave me, not by hustling to earn it, but by receiving it with reverence and joy.

I will breathe deeply, confident in who my Father is.

I will not shrink back. The Holy Spirit is my boldness and my guide.

I will not apologize for how far I’ve come. The Word of God grants me permission.

I will not be rushed, shaken, or silenced in my day. 

Rooted in the blood of Jesus, I already stand victorious.

I will go slow, and I will go steady because I am a daughter of the King.

Today is not a finish line.

It is one battle fought in a greater war, and I will not stand in my own strength, 

but in the strength of a legion of angels from my Father’s court.

As I pull my sword from its sheath, every ounce of courage, clarity, and precision will be drawn from the Lord.

My victories belong to the Lord, I will simply show up in His armor.

I will meet this day with dignity and great expectation, because of who my Father is.

I will tear down every stronghold that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

I will rebuke every false speech that rises against truth, 

whether it comes from the enemy, the world, my own mind, or my friend.

I will love with urgency.
I will speak with clarity.
I will move with obedience.

I will not delay.
I will not fear.
I will not shrink.

I will go where He sends me,
speak what He entrusts to me,
and stand, rooted where He plants me, 

fully clothed in the armor of God.

This is my Anthem – for remembrance,

so I never forget who held me when I could not hold myself.

2 Timothy 4:17
“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength.”

Deuteronomy 33:12
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him,
for He shields them all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”