Devotions - Prayer
Even though a faith choice is much harder to make, it is the only choice that will align us with God’s Will.
“But he who listens to Me shall live securely, and shall be at ease form the dread of evil.” Proverbs 1:33
The season of adjustment is upon you, but you will have to mentally and emotionally let go of things that tie you to the past before you can move forward in the Lord’s purposes.
If you will take this step of faith you will come into a place of liberty and fulfillment that you have not known before.
Trust the Lord to bring you through this awkward transition with great grace. All you have to do is be willing and flexible.
2 Corinthians 12:9a And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.
Just as every sport has disputes that must be settled by the officials, the peace of God is the umpire that settles all disputes as to what the will of God is for our lives. (read 1 Thess. 5:16-20)
We must learn to listen to and heed the peace of God in our hearts.
There are some things we can do to facilitate the peace of God umpiring in our hearts.
1. First, consider ALL the options.
*Many wrong decisions have been made because not all the options were considered.
*Don’t let fear rule out God’s possibilities.
2. Next, use your imagination to explore what will happen with each choice.
*You should be able to discern a greater peace as you consider the option the Lord would have you take.
The rudder on a ship can’t go any direction until the ship is moving.
The ship doesn’t have to be going full steam ahead for the rudder to work, but it does have to be moving.
Likewise, we have to act before the peace of God will give us perfect direction.
The Lord can bless a wrong decision made in faith from a pure heart, more than He can bless indecision (Rom. 14:23).
Lord, thank You for your peace of mind, heart and soul. Thank You for Your promises in Scripture that keep me encouraged and moving forward. Amen (see Philippians 4:4-15)
Only God searches the heart, so only He knows the real motives behind our choices.
** “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts…”. Luke 16:15
When we make wrong, emotional choices, our hearts become “covered over” and the fountain of living water gets blocked. When God’s Love is no longer motivating our actions, our self-life takes control.
“Their heart is covered with fat…” Psalm 119:70
MATTHEW 26:41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
*The Bible presents salvation as a life transforming experience.
*Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a true believer.
***Yet, failure to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first, and then is reflected in our outward appearance through our thoughts and actions in direct proportion to the way we renew our minds, causes much confusion. “Character”
This change has to take place in our born-again spirit first.
Why is that?
If we were over-weight before we got saved, we will be over-weight after we get saved, unless we go on a weight loss program. Your body doesn’t instantly change and neither does your soul or mind.
It is your spirit that is instantly changed at salvation. It is perfect (Heb. 12:23). It cannot sin (1 Jn. 3:9). Everything that is true of Jesus is true of our born-again spirit.
*Your spiritual salvation is complete.
*At salvation, you receive the same spirit that you will have throughout all eternity.
It will not have to be changed or cleansed again. It is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) and therefore, is sanctified and perfected forever (Heb. 10:10, 14; 12:23).
For the remainder of our Christian life, we must not try to obtain faith, joy or love from God, but rather Release what we already have in our spirits (Gal. 5:22-23) into our soul and body.
Failure to understand this has caused some people to despair when they don’t see sufficient change in their life after coming to the Lord for salvation.
It must be understood that the change is internal in our spirit and the outward change will take place as we renew our minds through God’s Word.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Lord, I know that through you all things are possible and I want to do what is pleasing to you, so I ask that you transform my mind by the renewing of your word in this regard, that I might live holy and acceptable in your sight for Your Glory and my joy! Amen
Most Christians don’t really know God. They know about Him, but they’re not intimately acquainted with His character (Matthew 5:3-12) and His Love (all 66 Books).
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him…” Job 36:26
We must always measure truth by God’s word.
We need to know the word and study the word so we can better recognize when something is off.
*If we recognize that someone is not teaching according to the word of God we should not remain under that teaching.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
How is Jesus “the Truth”
Truth is rooted in the eternal God who’s all powerful and unchangeable. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is Truth” (John 17:17).
*Truth is far more than facts. It’s not just something we act upon. It acts upon us.
*******We can’t change the truth, even though the world tries too—- but the truth can change us.
*The truth of the word sanctifies (sets us apart) from the falsehoods woven into our sin natures.
*As Christ the living Word is truth, so his written word is truth.
*Though heaven and earth will pass away, God’s truth never will.
OUR BATTLE IN LIFE IS: “TRUTH VS. LIES”
The heart longs for truth—even the heart that rejects it.
As followers of Christ:
1. We are to walk in the truth (III John 3)
2. Love the truth, and believe the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10, 12).
3. We’re to speak the truth “in love”(Ephesians 4:32).
4. Truth is far more than a moral guide. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).
*He didn’t say He would show the truth or teach the truth or model the truth. *****JESUS IS the truth.
Col. 2:……I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
JESUS is the source of ALL truth, the embodiment of truth and therefore the reference point for evaluating all truth-claims.
*The Bible is God talking to man. —Prayer is man talking to God.
Anything beyond the teaching of Christ is to far:
2 John 1:9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a personal relationship with both the Father and the Son.
Lord help me to read and obey your word that I may grow in my primary focus being my personal relationship with You, in Jesus name Amen.
Read MoreMatthew 13:44, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field ”
I would interpret this parable as this:
1. the field is the people of the world,
2. the man buying the treasure is God,
3. the treasure is the true believers in Christ. (we are His Masterpiece Eph. 2:10)
4. The price that was paid was the very life of Jesus on the cross.
Jesus saw, through His foreknowledge, a remnant of people who would receive Him as Lord, and “for the joy that was set before him,” He endured the cross (Heb. 12:2) and purchased us unto Himself with His own blood (Acts 20:28).
Jesus purchased the whole world, but not everyone will receive what He did.
*Therefore, the Church (body of Believers) is hidden (scattered among the world) today.
We were chosen in Christ before the world began. We are holy and without blame because God sees us through Christ.
It was predetermined that we would be God’s children. We have been accepted by God.
Our Father would no more reject us than He would reject Jesus, because we are accepted by the Father through Christ.
THE CHOICE IS OURS! WE ARE THE TREASURE!
We are redeemed and forgiven. We are truly blessed!
#2 of 8 truths to master life.
I honestly admit and regret that I have failed God, my family, myself and others.
*Result: I receive God’s forgiveness and thankfully rest in His Peace.
*I am “Forgiven.”
*This expresses the difference between-“I am truly sorry for my sin” versus I’m sorry I got caught.”
2 Corinthians 7:10. “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”.
Everything that manifests outwardly begins in the heart. Don’t allow your heart to become defiled by hardness or bitterness of soul. Be purified and liberated from everything that would hold you in bondage.
Father, I lay my cares before You. I trust Your love for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
1 John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
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John 1:23, John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.'”
John knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success.
Unlike most of us, John did not have an identity crisis growing up. He knew God’s plan and purpose for his life from the beginning and he spent his entire life preparing for it.
God has a plan for your life just as surely as he did for John the Baptist.
To succeed in life, you must find God’s plan for your life and then devote yourself to fulfilling that plan.
It is not enough to simply “do your own thing” and then ask God’s blessing upon it. Once you know you are doing God’s will, you never have to ask for God’s blessing. God’s will is already blessed.
The Lord created you with a purpose in mind. Your talents and abilities were given you to fulfill His purpose. Although you may find limited success using these talents for your own uses, you will never find your true potential until they are directed by and for the Lord.
The good news is that God wants to reveal His perfect plan for your life to you more than you want to know it. You can rest assured that if you ask for knowledge of His plan for your life, you will receive (Mt. 7:7).
He will show you His good, acceptable and perfect will (Rom. 12:1-2)
When we understand God’s love for us and His plan for us, then we can begin to realize the doors that He wants to open for us.
*But we’ll only realize these things when we’re constantly talking with Him, listening to His voice through His Written Word, and growing deeper in our relationship with Him.
God, remind me to bring my problems to You. I’m tired of living in my own strength. I need Your guidance and Your direction. As I seek You daily, I will put my trust in You. Amen
Read MorePeople do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” Deuteronomy 8:3b .
When Jesus says we’re to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” he’s talking about far more than just bread. In fact, the Bible tells us that bread represents four things.
- Bread represents the necessities of life.
This is the economy of God. God says, “I supply it. You gather it.” When you pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” it doesn’t mean you sit on the couch and wait for God to throw you money. You’ve got to work! Even the Israelites had to go out and pick up the manna. Work is a part of God’s purpose for your life. It builds character. Proverbs 14:23 says, “Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table” (MSG).
2. Bread represents God’s Word. The Bible is spiritual food. Bread is a symbol for Scripture. The Bible says, “People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” Deuteronomy 8:3b NLT.
When the children of Israel were walking to the Promised Land, God dropped manna from Heaven for the people to pick up because they had nothing to eat. God gave them this bread to teach them that people need more than bread for their life. Real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. You don’t just need physical nourishment; you also need spiritual nourishment.
3. Bread represents God’s family and fellowship. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:16, “Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ?” (AMP) Bread is a metaphor for the family of God. You need God’s people in your life!(RELATIONSHIPS). Whether or not you have a physical family, God wants you to be part of his family that will last forever — the Church. It is to be a place of fellowship.
4. Bread represents salvation. Jesus chose bread to represent his sacrifice in communion. Every time we eat the bread and drink the wine or juice, it is a reminder of how much God loves us and the sacrifice he made so that we can go to Heaven.
Whatever your need is — physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual — God will take care of it if you will depend on him. Pray today, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and trust God to provide for you in every way. AMEN
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Psalms 139:
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Ruth Bell Graham once said, “A great marriage is the union of two forgivers.”
When you forgive your spouse, you are ultimately saying to them, “I choose to give up the right to punish you for how you have hurt me.”
When we forgive another person, it doesn’t mean we forget. And it doesn’t brush it away and pretend that it didn’t happen.
Forgiveness says, “I refuse to dwell on my anger and hurt.” It is an essential step to healing and restoring oneness.
Christ’s death on the cross—His forgiveness—restored our relationship to God. Trust that God can use your forgiveness to restore your relationship and change you both for the better.
Here are 4 steps that will help you express and experience forgiveness:
- Do it privately: Go to God in prayer and say, “God, I forgive _________ for hurting me. I choose to give up the right to punish __________.”
- Do it publicly and specifically: Go to the person and be specific, “I forgive you for ________.”
- Do it graciously: Keep the bigger goal in mind, which is restoring your relationship and rebuilding trust. That means giving up your right to punish!
- Do it generously: Acknowledge your own failings to maintain balance; not one of us is perfect! And once you’ve forgiven, refuse to bring up the matter again in a hurtful way.
Forgiveness gives us the opportunity to re-establish our relationship and make things right with our spouse or a family member.
It removes the issue that creates isolation in a relationship and empowers us to grow in oneness.
10 Keys to Forgiveness:(Emmett I. Aldrich)
1) Let Go of the Anger
2) Don’t be Stubborn
3) Stop Thinking of yourself as a Victim
4) Focus on the Future
5) Re-Learn to Trust
6) Be Reasonable in your expectations of Others
7) Expect that it will take time to Forgive
8) Examine your Heart
9) Let Forgiveness become an Everyday Practice
10) Ask God for Guidance
Lord, Help me see and experience forgiveness in my life, knowing You are the God of restoration. Help me be patient, knowing Your timing is Perfect!
Help us dear God to put aside resentment, hurt, hostility and bitterness so that we may have reconciliation with those who have offended us, and whom we have offended. Amen
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John 5:3–4 read; Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV).
We have all been made wonderfully complex and full of flaws, but until we embrace who we are — including our flaws — we cannot make the changes in our lives that will bring about true transformation.
The second factor that influences your identity is your connections. Your connections give your life purpose, meaning, and identity. If you grew up with dysfunctional relationships, then you question your purpose and struggle with identity.
Jesus said that the most important thing we should do is love God and love other people (Mark 12:30-31). Life is not about your accomplishments or acquisitions, your popularity or prestige. It’s about how well you love.
Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law(commandments).
Love is defined by the law and law is defined by the revelation of God in the 10 Commandments.
There are three problems that keep us from loving fully as God intended:
- We’re all imperfect. There are no perfect relationships because there are no perfect people.
- Sin disconnects us. Adam and Eve had the first broken relationship and disconnected themselves from God and from each other. We’ve been excusing ourselves and accusing the people we love ever since.
- The more disconnected we are, the more fearful we become. We crave intimacy, but we fear vulnerability. We crave acceptance, but we fear rejection.
You may not have had a say in the hand you were dealt in life. But God sent his son as your Savior to transform your cards into a winning hand. No matter what connections you’ve made in life, you will be held responsible for what you do with your connections today.
- Will you let God affect your connections?
- Will you trust him for your future in spite of a difficult past?
- Will you nurture, protect, and build relationships so that God is more fully glorified in your life?
Resolve today to build healthy and not hurtful relationships with God’s help.
Lord, thank you so much for showing me through a three year old that one of the best ways to show love to someone is: “TIME”. Time spent with someone is a degree of how much you truly love. JN 17:3 Jesus says “to Know me is to have eternal life”. To get to know someone takes much time. Lord help us all to get rid of business in our lives. Amen
Read More“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him”(Romans 8:29 MSG).
You are wonderfully complex (Psalm 139:14). To fulfill God’s purpose for you, you have to look at every dimension of your life and understand the factors that influence your identity.
The Bible says we are created in the image of God. No other animal was created in the image of God! Dogs have instinct but don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Elephants have no moral compass. But you get to choose to do right or wrong.
The freedom to choose is man’s greatest blessing and also his greatest curse, because we make stupid choices all the time that harm us and everyone around us.
The wild card can change the suit and number of the other cards you are dealt.
- You didn’t choose your chemistry, but you can choose what you do with your body.
- You didn’t choose your connections, but you can make new relationships and mend or nurture the ones you already have.
- You can choose how you respond to your circumstances, and you can choose to stop believing the harmful things people say to you.
Your identity is shaped by your choices. What choices will you make today that will positively affect the rest of your life?
Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit and your word to teach me all the promises you have for me. Help me more each day to see “how You see me”, not what the world says. Amen
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When we seek to please “self”, we open ourselves up to uncontrolled emotions, soulish thoughts and selfish desires.
“…for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.” Ezekiel 33:31
The apostle Paul says, “I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death [handed over to death]: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Corinthians 4:9).
Simply put, when godly saints full of the Christ-life are led into death situations, it’s never a private matter.
Scripture says we are on display to three different intelligences: angels, devils and humankind.
At times you may feel all alone in your struggle, but you are not involved in some secret battle taking place in a dark corner.
On the contrary, three realms are watching you with great interest.
Devils are watching you, angels are watching you, and people are watching you. And they are all wondering, “How is this servant of God going to respond to his trial?”
*What are such spectacle-trials all about?
*Why must we go through these deaths?
*What is in us that God is after?
*Our heavenly Father knows that certain unredeemed areas in our lives hinder the full manifestation of Christ’s life in us.
*God knows our stumbling blocks, our fears, our ambitions, our lusts—everything that blocks a full shining forth of Jesus.
So God allows us to be put into “death situations” to rid our hearts of these hindrances.
It happens because your loving Father is handing you over to death. He’s telling you, “Your fear of man hinders the precious flow of the Christ-life in you, thus it cannot produce life in others.
This fear in you must end. You have to die to it!”
Your cry to Him may be, “Lord, get me out of this!” But God responds, “No I’m going to let death do its work. I have arranged all of this so the life of Jesus might be manifest in you!”
Colossians 2:2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
We must protect our spiritual integrity and be willing to reject whatever takes us off course or diverts us from the path that the Lord has put us on. Anything apart from the Lord’s purposes will only lead you away from your walk in the Spirit. Be careful and be discerning.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
*Sometimes God’s instruction won’t make sense but it will yield a remarkable and rewarding result..
*You are designed to go through life with God and not alone..
COME LORD JESUS AND LEAD THE WAY! THANK YOU FOR THE CROSS. AMEN
Read More“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.” – Psalm 143:8
The morning time with God allows me the greatest opportunity to hear the small voice that directs my steps. If I refuse to “get connected,” I risk following my own ways of fulfilling the duties of my day.
*The morning time with God sets forth the opportunity for God to speak into my spirit what He desires for me each day.
*The morning time with God allows me to focus on God’s purposes, not mine.
The only way to KNOW someone is to spend time with him or her. (see JN 17:3)
The only way to DISCERN the voice of another is to hear that person’s voice.
Psalms 5:3 O lord, in the morning you hear my voice: in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
David, the author of this psalm, was a warrior, king, and businessman. He understood this principle of connecting with God in the morning.
*His morning allowed him to connect with God’s love, renew his trust in Him, and hear His directions for his life.
Shouldn’t you and I do the same?
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8
John 17:3 And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
Col. 2:2 I do this in order that they may be filled with courage and may be drawn together in love, and so have the full wealth of assurance which true understanding brings. In this way they will know God’s secret, which is Christ himself.
Lord help me obey the voice of Your Word. AMEN
Read MoreFOR US TO BE VICTORIOUS WE NEED.
1. Our faith is our greatest weapon against the devil. 2cor 5:7
2. Know the word. We fight battles in the kingdom is to know the word. Know more than the devil. The devil works by deception in the word (read Hosea 4:6). This is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve.
3. Realize the power in you. Luke 10:19, John 1:12, 1John 4:4
4. CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON ALL THAT IS GOOD
Mark 14:38 “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”
Temptation is linked directly to what we think upon (Heb. 11:15).
*Temptation has to be entered into.
We can avoid temptation by avoiding thoughts that generate temptation (Prov. 23:7).
Since it is impossible to not think, we cannot just try to reject the negative thoughts in this world, BUT we must CHOOSE to think on the positive truths of God.
This is where prayer comes in.
In prayer, we have our minds stayed upon God and therefore, are not receptive to thoughts that conceive temptation.
Temptation or sin must be conceived (Jas. 1:14-15).
In the physical realm, the easiest way to avoid an unwanted birth is to avoid conception, so it is in the spiritual world.
It is easier to avoid being tempted by being in constant communion with God, than it is to overcome temptation once it has been conceived.
Paul admonishes the Philippians believers to reflect and meditate upon eight positive principles of thinking that will lead to a victorious Christian life.
Phil. 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
*Recognizing God’s hand in even the smallest things will bring peace and keep our hearts and minds following hard after the Lord.
Lord, I confess to You that my thoughts are not always pure. I have allowed the world and outside influences to pollute the mind that should be set on You. Right now, I choose against my old ways of thinking and invite the Holy Spirit to stand guard over my mind and to renew it(Ro. 12:2). I commit to fill my heart and mind with Your truth and give gratitude always and pray much (see 1 Thess. 5:16-18). In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income….” – Ecclessiastes 5:10
The void in our heart cannot be filled with anything, only a real relationship with God can fill this Feeling Of Emptiness.
Because we do not know God’s heart to be with us, we try to fill this void with stuff, pretty man or woman, notable career ETC.
Not knowing that once we gain these things we still won’t be fulfilled.
3 myths about money
1. Money brings satisfaction
2. Money brings peace of mind
3. Money solves all your problems
* Realize that God is the owner of all we have.
Only when we know God’s heart will we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness will be gone.
Scripture tells us that if we are having our basic needs met for food and clothing, we are considered to have riches.
Jesus cautioned us against living a lifestyle that required more than our basic necessities. However, it is clear that Jesus was not against wealth, but against a dependence on wealth.
Jesus continually taught that a dependence on anything other than God was evil.
Whenever Jesus determined that money was an issue for an individual, He addressed it and found that the individual could not let go.
*This was true for the rich young ruler. When talking about what he must do to inherit the Kingdom, Jesus told him to do the one thing that would be the most difficult – to give away his wealth and follow Him.
Jesus was not saying this was what every person must do, only the rich young ruler, because Jesus knew this was his greatest stumbling block.
For others of us, it could be something else Jesus would ask us to give up (see Mt. 19:16-30).
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
If we are not careful we gradually begin to acquire and walk the treadmill of material gain. I was there for a period of my life and it was not rewarding—It was EMPTINESS!
*Those around us begin to expect more and more.
*Soon we begin expanding our lifestyle.
*Before we know it, we are worrying about how to take care of what we acquire.
*Our emphasis becomes what we own versus our relationship with Jesus and His Kingdom.
The greater independence money gives us, the less dependence on God we need.
Lord keep us from greed but rather keep us on Your path, desiring You day in and day out to be one like You! Thank You Jesus when we know God’s heart we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness IS gone.
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“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
For so many years, I had the ability to move from success to disappointment in a heartbeat. I’d built my identity on the shaky foundation of my circumstances and abilities.
Only the enemy wants us to find our identity in what we do, because he knows when the lights dim and the “success” is gone, so is our value.
God, however, has another identity for us, one that’s unchanging and independent of our actions. It’s as His chosen and beloved child. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
When I first learned this truth about my identity, it took a long time to accept. Romans 5:6-8 tells me the truth: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” .
God’s acceptance of us, and hence our identity, is NOT defined by our actions.
So we will never be a “failure” when our performance doesn’t match our expectations.
When we reassign the source of our value and worth to its rightful place,
• We will be free from the fear of failure or the opinions of others.
• We will be free from the labels we place on ourselves.
• And free from the shifting sands of our self-worth.
The only thing that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks about us. And that is unchanging. We can rest knowing we are safe and secure in God’s unconditional love.
And once we really believe this truth, our identity will be unshakable.
And once we really believe this truth, our identity will be unshakable.
Colossians 2:6-7, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Heavenly Father, thank You for embracing me as Your beloved son/daughter. Knowing You will never turn away from me, nor forsake me, fills my heart with joy. I want to love You and serve You more each day, free from the lies that hold back my potential in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.:
Spiritual Warfare Verses: John 12:31, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 1 John 4:4, Ephesians 6:1-16, Philippians 3:10 and 1 John 5:4.
Psalm 139:14-16, Ephesians 2:10.
John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
*If we take the Bible to be true and believe that it is truly God’s word, then we should also believe that the only way to get to God is through Jesus Himself.
***Christ alone is the way of salvation.
Trusting God is relying upon His ability to accomplish His Will no matter how we feel, what we think, or how bad the circumstances may appear.
Hold on to truth. God’s truth. It will keep you, protect you & hide you from the grasp of the enemy.
John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
** This is Love IN Action!
*Love is Truth and Grace all in one. God is Love!
According to Jesus, true freedom comes from knowing and believing the truth (John 8:32). Which means we must believe Him, because He is the truth (John 16:6).
And that means we need to trust Him with all our heart and “not lean on [our] own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
That, in a nutshell, is the life of faith.
And the life of faith is a fight (1 Timothy 6:12) because right thinking is very hard.
The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to glorify Jesus. If your life, decisions, choices, etc glorify Jesus you are living in step with the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 12:23 and see what happens if we try take the glory ourselves)
*The apostles were beaten for speaking about Jesus. They rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus.
*Stephen spoke the truth and was stoned for it. He even asked God to forgive the people who were killing him with his last words.
*Paul and Silas spoke the truth and were stripped, beaten and thrown into prison. They endured all of his and yet sang hymns and prayed while they had their feet clamped in stocks.
Don’t be ashamed of the Name of Jesus. Speak the truth in love. Share the sufferings of the men and women of God. Share the fate of those who have endured to the end throughout history.
Father God, please bring to mind those I have not forgiven, those who I harbor resentment toward. I pray Lord that I will resemble Christ more and more each day. That as I go through life here that I don’t let myself become bitter or angry by holding onto resentment. In Jesus name Amen.
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