Devotions - Prayer
Only God’s Love is powerful enough to illuminate the darkness in our hearts.
“For God…is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 4:6
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).
What measurements do you use to define your self-worth?
*Do you define it based on your financial assets?
*Is it based on what you have achieved professionally?
*Perhaps you define your value based on the number of children you have.
There are many things we can use to define our self-worth. However, the scriptures tell us there is only one measure for our self-worth.
Each of us has self-worth because we are made in the image of God.
And because we are made in the image of God, we are valuable.
Whenever you and I place a value in ourselves that is based on some other performance criteria, we have moved beyond God’s view of our worth as human beings.
You are never more valuable to God than you were the day you were born. Read Psalms 139
Basing our self-worth on how much money we have or our achievements is an easy trap.
We are bombarded with messages that say we are defined by what we drive, where we live, how many toys we own, and the size of our investment account. The media message is designed to create dissatisfaction and lust for what we don’t have.
Paul said the purpose for his existence was…...“to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).
In what terms do you define yourself? Is it based on knowing Christ alone?
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. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Lord, help me to know You More. Amen (see JN 17:3)
Read MoreIf we’re only loving in order to change the other person or the circumstances, our motivation is totally wrong.
That’s conditional human love, and not God’s Love at all.
*If selfishness is motivating us, the fruit of our actions will be rotten.
“Love…does not seek its own…” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
It’s something quite amazing to know that no matter where I am, where I go or what I do, God is there... I don’t have to run, and there’s no place to hide… He sees and knows ALL!
* Don’t hide. Come to Him. He is calling unto you. Come to your Father and talk to Him, He’ll understand. He knows everything. He controls everything even if He seems silent sometimes. He’s watching with compassion… waiting for you to come to Him.
Psalm 139:7–10. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths[or in Sheol, or in hell], you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast.”
God’s presence is His Spirit.
*God told the prophet Jeremiah that He fills all things, that He fills the heaven and He fills the earth.
It’s not the visible, manifest form of God that fills the heaven or the earth, but it’s that invisible, imperceptible presence of God the Holy Spirit which permeates the entire universe.
*No matter where we go, that invisible hand is stretched out to hold us.
*No matter how far we may sink down or how high we may rise, we cannot go below the level of God’s presence or ascend above it.
God’s presence is always with us.
*He hears every word we speak;
*He knows every thought.
*He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (everywhere), and omniscient (all knowing). He is everywhere, in everything.
And through it all, He keeps us and loves us as His own. What a blessing!
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalms 139:23-24). Amen
Read MorePsalm 31:15 My times are in your hands…
What a profound and blessed revelation – that God has absolute control over all the times in our lives.
God is the only one in the universe that totally controls time.
This is beautifully demonstrated in the heavenly bodies.
*Countless millions and millions of stars move around in the universe with absolute precision.
*Isaiah the prophet says that the Lord calls every one of them forth by name and they are all present, not one is wanting.
*The sun never rises late or sets early. *Astronomers can calculate the exact place of every heavenly body in the remote past, in the distant future.
God has absolute control over time and what David realized when he uttered those words is this: that God has absolute control over the times in our lives.
*He’s never late.
*He’s never premature.
*He has a time for every situation, every circumstance.
If we will just commit our lives totally into His hands, we’ll find that our times are in His hands.
God says, “I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as LORD.When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them. (Psalm 91:14, 15 )
Be strong, focused and unwavering, and it will help you deal with the chaos around you.
Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Lord, I truly do want to surrender my will to You. Empty my heart of all desires not placed there by You. I open my heart so that You might have your way with Me. Use me in the way that is most fitting to you, Lord. Amen
Read Ecclesiastes 7:14
Read More“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.” Ephesians 1:18
Are You Hopeful?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
*Obedience is a proof of faith.
*Faith is converting belief to action!
When you think about the future, are you hopeful?
Or do you struggle with a sense of dread?
People who have seen God’s faithfulness in the past tend to be very hopeful about the future.
*They know a bad situation can turn into a wonderful testimony in a matter of minutes.
On the other hand, people who have lost all hope view life from the perspective of dread.
A close cousin to fear, dread steals the ability to enjoy ordinary life and makes people anxious about the future.
Hope is the opposite of dread, and a close relative of faith.
*When we have faith in God, it leads to hope, and our outlook on life and the future is positive. (have an eternal perspective)
Hope allows us to:
* Leave our unanswered questions in God’s hands.
* It empowers us to remain at peace.
* It enables us to believe the best about the days to come.
You can have hope when you trust in God’s love.
God has the power to provide for you and lead you through every situation.
God, I choose to put my faith in You, knowing that it will turn into hope. I don’t have to dread, because You have the ability to care for me, so I put my hope in You. AMEN
Ephesians 4:4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.
*So let’s stay in our lane and finish running our race that God has given us with much Hope looking at the Eternal Perspective VS the temporal worldly one.
“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10
What if there were two doors to choose from;
1. Behind one door was the complete will of God for your life.
2. Behind the other door was how life could be according to your own preference.
Which door would you choose?
The struggle for most lies in the Desire to follow God completely and the Fear of what might be behind the door of full surrender.
*Most of us desire to follow God, but few of us will do it at any cost.
*We do not really believe that God loves us to the degree that we are willing to give Him complete permission to do as He wills in us.
If we desire to fully walk with Christ, there is a cost. We may give intellectual assent and go along with His principles and do fine; however, if we are fully given over to Him and His will for our life, it will be a life that will have adversity.
The Bible is clear that humans do not achieve greatness without having their sinful will broken.
*This process is designed to create a nature change in each of us, not just a habit change.
The Bible calls it circumcision. Circumcision is painful, bloody, and personal.
If God has plans to greatly use you in the lives of others, you can expect your trials to be even greater than those of others. Why?
Because, like Joseph who went through greater trials than most patriarchs, your calling may have such responsibility that God cannot afford to entrust it to you without ensuring your complete faithfulness to the call.
*He has much invested in you on behalf of others.
*He may want to speak through your life to a greater degree than through another.
The events of your life would become the frame for the message
*He wants to speak through you.
Jesus did much more than just obtain eternal life for us, He also paid all the wages of our sins (Rom. 6:23).
* God literally placed the condemnation, or judgment, that was against us upon His own Son. Jesus’ perfect flesh was condemned so our defiled flesh could go free. (Read Romans 8)
*What a trade! What Love! Since Jesus bore our sentence (condemnation), we don’t have to bear it. The debt has already been paid.
Do not fear the path that God may lead you on. Embrace it. For God may bring you down a path in your life to ensure the reward of your inheritance.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4:17).
Lord, I surrender All. Increase my Faith so I really believe and know that You love me to the degree that I am willing to surrender and give You complete permission to do as You will in me. Come and take all of me for Your Glory! Thank You for Your Love. Amen
When we allow God to love others through us, it’s God they see in us and not ourselves.
* “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”Galatians 2:20
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 – Acts 21:11-12
Paul understood his personal mission, which should be the personal mission of every believer in Jesus Christ. It is the one summary statement that best describes the purpose of our existence on earth and the goal of our Christian experience. It can be reduced to three important characteristics.
- To know Christ.
- To know and experience His power.
- To identify with His sufferings.
All that flows from these three objectives becomes a by-product.
- Salvation is a by-product.
- Miracles are a by-product.
- Christ likeness is a by-product.
Paul’s focus was on relationship. He understood that the deeper the relationship, the more power he would experience. He also understood that as he grew in this relationship, there would be suffering.
Whenever the Kingdom of Light confronts the kingdom of darkness, there is a battle, and this often results in casualties.
Christ confronted these earthly kingdoms and suffered for it. Hebrews 5:8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.
If we are living at this level of obedience, we, too, will face similar battles; it simply comes with the territory.
Matthew 5:11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
- Does this sound like your personal mission statement?
- Is your focus in life centered on knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection?
- If not, press into Him today in order to begin experiencing Christ more intimately.
Lord thank you for persecution because it takes our eyes of earthly rewards, it strips away superficial belief, it strengthens the faith of us who endure and our attitude through it serves as an example to others who follow. What a testimony it can be to bring YOU the Glory! Amen
Read More
Salvation is our greatest need:
*Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
*Romans 5:11 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Peace can only come when we relate to God on the basis of faith in what He did for us, instead of what we do for Him.
A person who is thinking that he must perform up to some standard to be accepted by God will have no peace.
That puts the burden of salvation on our shoulders, and we can’t bear that load.
*We were incapable of living holy enough to please God before we were saved, and we are incapable of living holy enough to please God now that we are saved (Heb. 11:6).
We were saved by faith, and we have to continue to walk with God by faith (Col. 2:6).
It’s traditionally acceptable to think about baby Jesus in the manger. And, of course, it’s all part of the beautiful Christmas story. But also, let’s remember that Jesus came with a purpose, to destroy the works of the enemy. Friend, whatever it is that you are going through; know this…Jesus came to empower you to be an overcomer!
Yes, it’s true that He came to provide salvation. But, it’s so much more! Salvation is derived from the Greek word sozo, which means more than being “saved”; salvation is a word that fully translates as protection, prosperity, healing, and (I like to say) everything that Heaven has to offer! When Jesus died on the Cross, we reaped the full benefits of sozo!
Jesus came as a Champion over every stronghold, every setback, and every mountain that attempts to stand before you! You have been promised victory according to the “counsel” of your Mighty God! The enemy will attempt to speak lies that will bind you to the shame of your past. See 1 John 4:4
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27a
Lord, thank You for picking me up when I fall down. I know that my struggles mean that You are helping me overcome my negative mindsets and bringing me more and more in line with Your way of thinking. The Peace of God Transcends all obstacles. I love you Lord! Amen.
Read MoreSo now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life union with Jesus the anointed. Romans 8:1
We each have moments when we start feeling overwhelmed by condemnation. Thoughts run through our heads like, “I wish I hadn’t done that,” or, “I could have done that better.”
You know, sometimes, after you’ve gone through the process of prayer, repentance, forgiveness, release, and so on, you have to choose to just shake it off.
If satan can’t keep you from repenting, he’ll try to trap you with a worldly sorrow that is non-productive; it paralyzes you with feeling terrible about yourself and a sense that you’ll never be anything significant.
But this is not God’s desire for you. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, and repentance leads to redemption.
When something like this happens, there are steps we can and should take – we forgive ourselves, we forgive others, we make things right if we need to. But then there comes a point where we simply have to shake it off. We can’t walk around dragging garbage and baggage.
We have one Justifier; we have a Redeemer. If we wallow in the mess we were caught in or a past situation, then we hinder the Redeemer’s anointing from activating in our lives. When we release it, God silences the accusing voice of condemnation, just as our opening verse says. “There remains no accusing voice”.
A little further in the Romans 8 passage, we read these amazing words: “You have received the spirit of full acceptance, enfolding you into the family of God, and you will never feel orphaned; for as He rises up within us, our spirits join in saying the words of tender affection, ‘Beloved Father.’ For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as He whispers into our inner most being.”
God wants to root out the orphan spirit in you and in the entire Body of Christ. He wants you to recognize that you are not a victim and that you don’t need to get caught in the trap of victimizing yourself. You are called to be whole, and you are unconditionally loved.
Father, I thank You that today we will feel totally accepted. Help us to reach a place where we feel accepted by You and by others. Thank You for uprooting the orphan spirit from our hearts. I thank You for this movement of the Holy Spirit bringing renewed passion for God as we recognize that we can feel close to Him, that we are 100% accepted. Help us remember that we are never alone and that God has never left us. We decree that we are not orphans; we belong to our heavenly Father. Amen.
Read More
Have you been set free?
You probably think, “Of course! I’ve been washed, redeemed, made holy by Jesus, and I live for Him. ”
Now here’s a follow-up question: Does your everyday life reflect the glorious freedom you have just described?
*Would your friends, your spouse, your children say you’ve been set free?
**Or are you like multitudes of Christians who feel they are on a spiritual seesaw?
Is your walk with Christ continually up and down, seemingly spiritual one moment and carnal the next?
We accept by faith the great truths about Jesus’ work for us—salvation, redemption, sanctification, deliverance. Yet for many of us, these are“spiritual truths” that exist in another world.
We sing and rejoice at church each week over what Jesus has done for us—but is His gift of freedom a reality in our daily lives?
At times we all struggle to remain pure in thoughts and actions. Maybe this week you said something unkind to your spouse and you have been stewing, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I be a blessing in my marriage?”
Whenever we fail in our walk with God, we wonder, “Has God really set me free?”
Perhaps at times you even question your salvation.
Now that isn’t freedom. I have been there way to often.
So what does it mean to really be set free in Christ?
The first evidence of this comes from Jesus, who says, “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:27, 33,).
Christ offers the same words to all of us who fret about our spiritual lives:
Do not be anxious! It does not matter how broken down you feel about your walk with Him. He declares, “You are a new creation” (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
The moment you chose to follow Jesus, He made you new—and that never changes. (Read Eph. 2:1-10)
Thank You Jesus for the personal relationship we have and may we become more and more as ONE each passing day for Your Glory and my Joy! Thank You Jesus for the Freedom I know I have in Knowing You! Amen
Read MoreGod’s Love isn’t given to just a select few. It’s a gift we all receive when we are born again.
“…for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”. 1 John 4:7
Perhaps you are saying, “I want Jesus to be king of my life. I want to do everything He commands me!”
Two of the wonderful blessings that come to all who enthrone Jesus as king of their lives.
1. First, Scripture says if you will submit yourself to Jesus, waiting to receive His counsel and direction, you will partake of His holiness. (SEE:Hebrews 12:9-10).
Paul commands us to come to Jesus, asking Him to give us dominion over all our sins and fears:
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God is saying, “If you want to know abundant life—true, full life—then submit yourself to Me and I will give you life without fear, guilt or condemnation!”
2. Second, those who submit to Christ’s lordship will walk in peace—without fear or anxiety.
“That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. . . . Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:74-75, 78-79).
What a wonderful promise!
If we will yield our lives to Him, He will shine His light into our darkness and guide us into peace and rest.
You can tell when a person has enthroned Christ in his heart.
Such a life produces a peace that passes all understanding and you can see that peace in the person’s face and demeanor.
Are you passionately telling others about Christ?
*Loving God involves not just having a personal relationship with Jesus but also sharing Him with others.
*The world around you needs the power of Christ. Let the Holy Spirit guide and enable you to share effectively with those around you.
Thank You for Your Peace Jesus. And help me have more of the Eternal Perspective Daily. Amen
By John Piper
Do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.(Matthew 6:31–32)
Jesus wants his followers to be free from worry. In Matthew 6:25–34, he gives at least seven arguments designed to take away our anxiety. One of them lists food and drink and clothing, and then says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:32).
Jesus must mean that God’s knowing is accompanied by his desiring to meet our need. He is emphasizing we have a Father. And this Father is better than an earthly father.
I (John Piper) have five children. I love to meet their needs. But my knowing falls short of God’s in at least three ways.
First, right now I don’t know where any of them is. I could guess. They’re in their homes or at work or school, healthy and safe. But they might be lying on a sidewalk with a heart attack.
Second, I don’t know what is in their heart at any given moment. I can guess from time to time. But they may be feeling some fear or hurt or anger or lust or greed or joy or hope. I can’t see their hearts.
Third, I don’t know their future. Right now they may seem well and steady. But tomorrow some great sorrow may befall them.
This means I can’t be for them a very strong reason for not worrying. There are things that may be happening to them now or may happen tomorrow that I do not even know about. But it is totally different with their Father in heaven. He knows everything about them now and tomorrow, inside and out. He sees every need.
Add to that, his huge eagerness to meet their needs (the “much more” of Matthew 6:30).
Add to that his complete ability to do what he is eager to do (he feeds billions of birds hourly, Matthew 6:26).
So join me in trusting the promise of Jesus to meet our needs. That’s what Jesus is calling for when he says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 ESV).
The Bible tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Have you noticed that the second part of that sentence is easy, but the first part can be really tough?
When somebody’s having a tough time, it’s easy to be sympathetic. It’s easy to encourage people when they’re down. But sometimes what we can’t stand is when they get a promotion. We’re not very good at handling the success of other people. Rather than rejoicing in it, we resent it. In fact, we wish bad things would happen to people, because somehow we think that if we can blow out somebody else’s candle, ours will shine brighter.
There’s plenty of God’s grace to go around. If God wants to pay other people the same amount, so what? I shouldn’t even worry about what he wants to give other people. I should worry about what I’m doing with what I’ve been given.
Let me explain something about envy to you. Envy happens close to you. It happens in your relationship to your peers. You don’t typically envy people who aren’t your peers. You can have some kind of idol worship that says, “I wish I were like that superstar.” But really it’s not as grating as the people closest to you. Those are the people you have the hardest time seeing success in — your family and friends.
Envy is insidious. It devalues others, it destroys relationships, and it makes you miserable. It’s hidden, but it’s destructive. And it causes you to miss out on so much joy.
You’ll enjoy life a whole lot more if you will learn to be happy over the successes of other people. Speak Blessings over them—Not Curses!
If you’re only happy when things go well for you, you’re going to be miserable most of your life, because things won’t always go well for you or anybody else. But if you learn to be happy at other people’s successes and enjoy other people’s celebrations, you can be happy all the time.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love does not envy.” Envy is the most unloving thing you can do to somebody else. Love is not envious.
Love celebrates God’s goodness to others. Read 1 Thess. 5:16-19 for God’s will for you. Amen
Read More...”Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah”… – 1 Samuel 22:5
David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam.
*David was fleeing Saul.
*Many of life’s down-and-out had come and joined David’s army.
*David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety.
Then, God’s prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah.
When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving forward in the right direction.
Let us not stay in the stronghold but praise our way out.
*God does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement.
*God wants us to move into the land of “praise.” Judah means “praise.
Eccl. 7:13 Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent? 14 In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.
Not only must we keep moving forward, we must move into a new realm.
*Our attitude/mind must move from discouragement to praise.
*It is when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems.
1 John 5:3 For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us, 4 because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith.
Revelation 21:7 Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children.
Revelation 12:11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.
Revelation 3:21 To those who win the victory I will give the right to sit beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and now sit by my Father on his throne.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Amen
Read MoreWhen 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
Psalm 77 has tremendous value for anyone who has ever faced life’s serious questions:
*Is there a dependable God?
* Are there absolute values in life?
*Is there meaning to life?
*Is there any purpose to this existence?
Here in Psalm 77 is a man, David who finds his way from the despairing conclusion expressed in verse 10,
“And I say, ‘It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed”. (Psalm 77:10 ) to the triumphant declaration of verse 13:
“Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?”
David does it by meditating on the deeds of the Lord. He thinks long and hard about certain actions of God in history–certain concrete, stubborn facts that cannot be forgotten or explained away, which have been witnessed by thousands and even millions of people, and the results of which have permanently altered the course of history.
It’s interesting that David would remind himself of God’s history of grace and mercy. Before anybody else told him, he reminded himself that God has been Good over and over again.
- When you are discouraged remember what God has done for you in the past.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Jesus said He would never leave or forsake His children.
However, we can walk away from His fellowship by refusing to be with Him.
Do not let this happen to you. He longs to have daily fellowship with you because He loves you.
Psalm 77 directs us to remember God and mediate on all his wonderful works and his love and guidance for us.
* I will spend more time remembering God, what he has done(GRATITUDE) and his amazing works of leading and guiding me thru all of life.
God, help me to take time to mediate and remember who you are, how much you love me, and your grace and mercy.
Thank You that by Your work You give purpose and turn me from despair to victory. Amen
It doesn’t matter how many people you’ve led to the Lord, how many Scriptures you’ve memorized or how many Bible studies you’ve taught; if you’re not fully convinced God loves you…there’s something missing.
“…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ…”Ephesians 4:14-15
The apostle Paul challenges us in Romans 12:2 to not let our minds be conformed by the patterns of this world.
*This means we need to take our patterns of thought into consideration because they affect what we believe about ourselves and what we believe about God’s view of us and others.
The world’s patterns of thought tell us our worth is measured by our weight or bank account, our job or spouse, by the number of our friends, or if we are able to have children.
And if we do have children, the world tells us we’re only good parents if our children behave ‘just so.’
It takes time to replace our patterns of thought with God’s thoughts. The ways of the world—fear and worry—are powerful forces. But God’s Word trumps them, always.
Today, let’s be intentional to lay down self-doubts and replace them with truth, remembering “… he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:16).
4 principles to understand to renew the mind
1. The weapons of the enemy.
2. The strategy of the enemy.
3. The weapons of God.
4. God’s battle plan for Holiness and purity.
Approach uncertainty with faith that Jesus is with you directing your steps. Nothing is uncertain to Jesus or in His kingdom. Jesus knows the beginning from the end, and we can trust Him to lead us in the way we should go. Jesus is for us and not against us. Maintain peace in all things—-we are God’s Masterpiece.
Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
Lord, I want to have a confident heart in Christ and persevere in Your truth so that when I have done Your will, I will receive what You have promised. When doubt tells me I can’t do something, I’ll remember all things are possible to those who believe In Jesus! Amen
Read More