Devotions - Prayer
We can lack faith because we don’t understand what it is sometimes.
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
I read this someplace and it really hit home for me about Faith.
A drowning boy struggled desperately in the water. His mother, on shore, cried out for a strong young man swimming near her son to save him.
But the young man remained several feet away from the boy.
Strength failing, the boy’s struggles ceased and he began to sink.
With two deft strokes, the young man was at the boy’s side.
After both were on the shore, the mother asked the young man, “Why didn’t you save my boy sooner?”
The young man replied, “I could not save your boy until he gave up his own struggling. He would have pulled us both down.”
Just as the drowning boy found his best efforts of no avail, and just as the Lord’s disciples found their best efforts insufficient, we often come face-to-face with a problem only to find our best efforts not enough.
What a happy discovery this can be!
Now we call out to God for help.
*Nothing is impossible with God.
*His efforts are always sufficient to satisfy the need.
Instead of struggling along, let us seek the help of our heavenly Father Who is ever by our side to work on our behalf.
When we have ceased our struggling with the overwhelming problems facing us, we find God is there to help us.
We can have the resources through Christ to meet every challenge.
Jesus promises: I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20).
Thank You Lord for giving me Faith in You.
Forgive me for any unbelief in Jesus that I may have, which is a turning away from you in order to seek satisfaction in other things. Thank you Jesus for being the only way, truth and life. Amen
“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 MoreDo not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19 NIV).
- Who has a better arsenal to repay, you or God?
- Who can settle the score better, you or God?
- I think God! If I have to choose whether
- I’m going to get back at someone or let God be the God of justice, I’m going to let God be the God of justice.
- I’m going to choose to leave it to God.
Forgiveness does not mean the instant restoration of trust.
- Forgiveness is instant.
- Trust must be rebuilt over time.
- Forgiveness is based on grace.
- Trust is built on works.
- You earn trust. You don’t earn forgiveness.
A lot of people don’t want to forgive, because they think if they forgive people, then they’ve got to trust them again. No. That’s a whole different issue!
Let me say it again: Forgiving someone does not mean you have to trust that person. It means that person has to earn the trust.
If people are in a relationship and one person is dealing with drugs or alcohol or abuse or whatever, they may ask, “Will you forgive me?” Yes, you will forgive them. “Can we go back to the way it was?” No. That’s not at all what we do. If we did it would be called enabling.
Forgiveness and a restoration of a relationship are two different things.
- Forgiveness is only your part, whether they respond or not, whether they ask for it or not, whether they even recognize they need it or not. You forgive for your sake.
- Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness.
- It takes repentance.
- It takes restitution and a rebuilding of trust.
- And it often takes much more time.
Many people think they can’t forgive because that would mean going back to the same old way. Not at all. But you do have to leave it to God.
Lord, help us all in this area of relationships. Help us do what You would do. Help us search Scripture to find the answer. Amen
Read More THIS IS THE VICTORY
The true purpose of our Christian walk is to freely lay down our lives so God’s Love can pour through us to others.
“Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down His Life for his friends.” John 15:13
“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John5:4). (see 1 John 4:4 also)
Have you failed?
*Is there a sin that easily besets you?
*Do you feel like a weakened coward, unable to get the victory over secret sin?
*But with that weakness in you, is there also a consuming hunger for God?
*Do you yearn for Him, reach to Him?
*That hunger and thirst is the key to your victory
That hunger sets you apart. You must keep that hunger alive. Keep thirsting after righteousness (moral orderliness). Never justify your weakness, never give in to it, and never accept it as a part of your life.
Faith is your victory.
Sure, you have failed. Maybe yesterday—or even today! We all have!
*But do you believe Jesus has the power to ultimately free you from sin’s power?
*Do you believe the cross of Jesus means sin’s bondage is broken?
*Do you accept the fact that He has promised to deliver you from the snare of Satan?
Where the victory lies.
***Let your heart accept all the promises of victory in Jesus.
**Then let your faith tell your heart,
* “I may not be what I want to be yet but God is at work in me, and He has the power to loose sin’s hold on me.
* I am not the devil’s puppet and I will not be his victim.
*I am a weak child of God, wanting the strength of Jesus.
*I am going to come forth as pure gold tried in the fire.
*God is for me! I commit it all to Him who is able to keep me from falling and present me faultless before the throne of God—with exceeding great joy.”
This is a universal truth. Wisdom comes from obedience, not knowledge. When we have been tested and proven, the reality of our faith results in possessions from God that we would never receive if we had not gone through those trials.
Christ beside me, Christ before me ,Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
Dear Lord, thank You for calling us Your children. And for making a home within us, so we may rest secure in You. Because You are our dwelling place, we are never alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read More
One of the ways God’s goodness is revealed is through His mercy. We may describe mercy as “the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures.”
• Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness.
• Mercy is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him.
God’s mercy to the believer is revealed by His taking away the misery of sin’s consequences through the New Covenant of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mercy is not something merited or earned, but as the Apostle Paul states, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us.”
Our Heavenly Father is the author, originator, and source of all mercy.
Psalm 102:11–13 My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
There’s a picture of a man in deep loneliness, despair. He feels his life is fading away like the evening shadows and there’s so little time left for him. He says, “I’m withering away like grass.” Have you ever felt like that? And what do you do if you ever feel like that?
Do what that man did. He looked away from himself, his own situation, he lifted up his eyes to the Lord and he saw the Lord by faith, on His throne, and he realized that the Lord doesn’t change with our situations and circumstances.
The Lord is always on His throne. He’s always in total control.
And then he realizes that there’s going to come a time of compassion and mercy. He says, “It’s time to show favor to Zion; the appointed time has come.” I believe we are living in that time when God is determined :
• To show mercy to His people,
• To restore His people.
So let’s look away from our problems, our distresses, our anxieties. Let’s look, like the psalmist, up to the throne of God, see God there on His throne and realize He’s ready to show mercy.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3 ) Born Again to a Living Hope! Amen
Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
The only reason that an abundance of iniquity would make anyone’s love for the Lord wax cold, is if he were not separated from that iniquity.
As with Lot, a righteous man can vex his soul from day to day by hearing and seeing the unlawful deeds of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:8).
We have to deal with the world’s system and those in it, but we need to be careful and maintain proper balance. We should shun relationships with those who influence us negatively more than we influence them positively.
Marriage is one area where this principle is especially true. There is no closer union in life than the marriage relationship. A believer who marries an unbeliever is directly violating this scripture and is toying with disaster.
The Lord should be the most important person in our life.
*How could we possibly become “one” with a person who doesn’t love our Lord?
It is folly to think that after marriage an unbelieving spouse will accept the Lord. Although that does happen, it cannot be guaranteed.
In fact, statistics are overwhelmingly against this happening. Regardless of that possibility, a believer who marries an unbeliever is directly violating God’s instructions here. It is not a good start to any marriage to spurn God’s Word.
Being unequally yoked with unbelievers just doesn’t work. Believers and unbelievers are as different as :
- Righteousness and unrighteousness,
- Light and Darkness
- Jesus and Evil
- One has faith and the other has none.
- One is the temple of God and the other an idol.
- Any Christian who doesn’t see this conflict is deceived.
- Lord, Thank You for your Word and the hard truths that come from it to help us in our journey here on earth. Forgive me for the mistakes I have made and direct my feet onto your path. Give me more wisdom and discernment to do Your will. Amen
Forget Regret
Leave your mistakes and regret in the past. They don’t define your value, then or now.
When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward.
We all have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. The consequences can hit us pretty hard.
Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and keep moving forward.
Learn from Failure
Learning from failure and having regret are two separate things. Regret is an emotion; a feeling of disappointment along with a modest amount of shame or guilt.
But to look back at a circumstance and figure out what went wrong gives you some very important information.
This review allows you to evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and more importantly, why.
Ask for Help
You are not alone. It may feel that way sometimes, but there are many people who would extend their hand and lift you up if asked. Often times we are afraid to ask because we don’t believe we are worthy to receive the help.
Believe You are Worthy
Whatever your goal, your dream, or your desire, you are worthy of achieving it.
Take 100% Responsibility
Except in rare and unfortunate circumstances, you are responsible for the quality and condition of your life.
- Sometimes we choose to do nothing when we get hit hard because it’s just easier and less painful that way.
- But the real pain is only deferred.
Know What You Want
This isn’t about the how, only the what. In order to move forward in life, you need a firm foundation to step from. Understanding what and where you want to go in life will provide your vision and spirit – your foundation. The how will figure itself out when you know you want to keep moving forward.
Trust
There are no accidents without value.
When you get hit hard and land on your back, look for the reasons and for the value in this. Open your heart and trust this happened for a reason. Trust the experience is happening for a reason and be open to making adjustments in order to keep moving forward.
Want it More
How badly do you want it?
How badly do you really want to achieve what you are working so hard to accomplish? To walk through the pain; to get up and keep moving forward knowing there may be more pain ahead, is a test of your determination and resolve.
Keep the Faith
Faith: A strong belief in something without proof or evidence
At the end of the day the one thing that tells you to keep going; to get up tomorrow and to keep moving forward, is your faith.
Lord direct my path in 2018-2019. Help me move forward with life giving You all the Glory. Help us each to be your hands and feet for the lost, that just One may come to know you. Amen
TAKEN FROM: Alex Blackwell is the Founder of The BridgeMaker. His book, Saying Yes to Change
Read More“For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2
Let go of everything that is beyond your ability to control.
There will be things that will not work out the way you desired or intended, but the Lord’s ways are higher than your ways.
The Lord knows the beginning from the end, and He is giving you opportunities to align yourself with His purposes for your life.
Move with the flow of His Spirit to come into divine order so that His purposes will be established in, around, and through you. Do not be afraid.
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Refuse to be drawn away from that which is vitally important to your spiritual well-being. Even as many things demand your attention and resources, you must continually guard your heart.
Maintain integrity and be true to yourself.
Psalms 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me.
*God’s Giving is an overflow of His character(Matthew 5:3-12 Beatitudes) and an example of how He calls us to share what we have with others.(Testimonies of what Jesus has done for us—The Cross, the Gospel)
*God gives lovingly. (Exodus 34:6)
*God gives freely. (James 1:17)
*God gives abundantly. (Psalm 132:15)
*God gives wisely. (Romans 16:27)
#3 of 8 Truths to Master Life. (You can get all 8 at):
www.movingforwardwithhope.com
I sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to show me what I need to do and empower me to follow through in obedience.
Result: I am released from my need to control everything.
I am “Free.”
*The reason for this is that I now trust God, Who knows all, and He has promised those who are meek, that they will inherit the earth. Faith is God has freed one from the burden of trying to push, manipulate or force, in order to get one’s way.
Jeremiah 9:23,24. “This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Lord, help me daily to release my need to control everything. Help me come to you for direction in all my ways and thoughts—for Your Glory. Amen
Read MoreMaking the Resurrection Real for our family; only days to Easter!
“Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” Psalm 145:3-5
Often holiday traditions can get mixed in with the real essence of holy days.
*As a child, I wondered what Santa caravanning his reindeer through snowstorms had to do with baby Jesus who was born in Bethlehem.
Wasn’t that in a desert?
*I never did figure out why the Easter Bunny brought me chocolate eggs each year.
Didn’t chickens lay eggs, not rabbits?
Today’s passage from Psalms encourages us to teach our children and future generations of God’s mighty acts.
*******We are to proclaim His power over all the earth. **********
I can’t think of a more powerful act than when God raised His only Son Jesus from the dead, making a way for us to gain access to heaven to live with Him for all eternity.
There are many fun, family-bonding Easter traditions to celebrate with children.
*But this year, why not be intentional to tell the powerful story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in ways that stick in little minds?
*Attend a live passion play put on by a church in your area.
*Read the account of Jesus’ last week of life out loud as a family while enjoying a favorite snack. Read a passage each night beginning in Luke 22:1 through the end of the book of Luke and compare it to Isaiah 53 a prophesy spoken 700 + years before.
*Watch a movie on the life of Jesus.
The Jesus Film by Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) is well done with each scene coming directly from the words of the Bible. Make sure to decide if the child is ready to see a depiction of the crucifixion.
All of these activities help portray the true meaning of this sacred season and point the children to the God who created them, knows them and sent His only Son to die on a cross for them. (Read Psalms 139)
Let’s tell of God’s mighty act of raising Jesus from the dead to the generations that come after us.
Fun traditions can be OK, so long as we don’t miss the real meaning of this Christian Holy Day.
Dear Lord, help me to tell of Your wondrous power and mighty acts to those generations that come after me. May I not let the season pass by without pondering, reading the Bible and sharing this Awesome news on the real meaning of Easter. Help me to direct people to Your Word to see and live in light of Your Truth rather than what we perceive to be true through our limited earthly knowledge. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
(Col. 2:2-4 & JN 14:6 & Psalms 119:160 & Hosea 6:4 & 1 JN 1:5-10 & JN 3:16-17)
Read MoreLet go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth”Psalm 46:10.
Every day, you have to decide who’s going to be in control of your life — you or God.
That choice is a battle. There are things in your life that you want to control. You want to make your own rules. But stress relief always starts with letting God be God. It always starts with saying, “God, I’m giving up control, because you can control the things that are out of control in my life.”
Psalm 46:10 says, “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth” .
I don’t know what you’re going to face this week. You don’t, either. But I can already tell you what God wants you to do: Let go, and know. Let go of control, and know that God is in control. Let go, and know! This is the first step to serenity in your life.
Whenever we face out-of-control situations, we tend to go to one of two extremes.
- For some of you, the more out-of-control your life gets, the harder you try to control it.
- Some of you do the exact opposite: You just give up! You have a pity party and invite yourself to it.
Both of those reactions to stress are foolish. They don’t work. Instead of being a victim or becoming hyper controlling, you need to pray the prayer of surrender.
The number one reason you’re under stress is because you’re in conflict with God.
You’re trying to control things that only God can control. You can’t control your husband or your kids or your wife, or your parents, or your friends, or your job or your future or your past or any of that stuff. The more you do it, the more you’re trying to play God, and that puts you in opposition to God. Not only are you going to lose that conflict, but you’re also going to be tired.
Millions of people pray the Serenity Prayer, which is based on the Lord’s Prayer, but most have never read the last eight lines to the prayer. read below
That’s where the power is! There is power when you surrender to JESUS the very things you’ve been trying to control.
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that you will make all things right,
If I surrender to your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with you
Forever in the next.
Amen.
— Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
Read More
“The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.”1 Chronicles 13:10
A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God’s Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God.
God’s Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life.” The prophet Hosea tells us, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hos. 4:6).
God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. “…But they must not touch the holy things or they will die…” (Num. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God.
- Did David know this law or did he simply forget?
- Did Uzzah know this law?
- If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption.
Many workplace believers I know take God’s Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them.
- Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. “David was afraid of God that day and asked, ‘How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?’ ” (1 Chron. 13:12)
- We must all have a fearful respect of God’s Word. For truly, it is life or death.
- Do you take God’s Word seriously? Is it life or death for you?
- Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.
- Any lust harboured in the heart, in time will eat out all its strength and vigour. Some have a liking for some secret lust, which takes away their hearts.
Thank you Lord for Your Word!
Read MoreJesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”!
.. the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15b).
Paul describes the role of the church in two dramatic words: the church is the
1. “pillar”
2. The “foundation” of the truth.
The great reason for the existence of the church is to:
*** Introduce Truth back into a world saturated with error and fantasy. WE WILL ALL DIE SOMETIME & THERE IS A HELL-THERE IS A HEAVEN!
The church recovers truth when it is lost. (And boy are we lost).
That is why all Moral Recovery in a nation always begins with the church, with the people of God.
***Their Testimonies of what Jesus has done for them personally!!!(Rev. 12:11).
Any Hope that we in this country will ever recover from this downhill slide into despair lies in the presence of the church(Body of Christ) in our midst.
So the church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” The Church is not a denomination-It’s all believers in Jesus Christ.
All believers are the household of God and are crucial pillars in representing the truth of God.
Without the Church:
*There is no conduit for truth
*Without truth, there is no hope.
* God has ordained that through the Church; His Bride, He will reveal Himself to the world.
***Let us not lose sight of this, and let us hold fast to Jesus and His Word (John 17:17).
Hebrews 12: 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
We need God’s anointing in the place called church to help us to conduct ourselves.
Romans 12:5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.(His Church)!
We all need to be part of the fruit-bearing stage. In it, God’s power is manifested in your life like never before.
***God takes ALL our experiences and uses them to build His Kingdom in and through your life.
*** Your obedience to this final call results in fruitfulness you could never imagine without the long preparation process.
What does God want to achieve through our lives?
*God has a plan that is so incredible we cannot comprehend it.
*It requires only that we love Him and follow Him.
Then we will become fishers of men like the world has never known.
“‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'” Matthew 4:19
Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
” May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.”
God is Able, and God bless America! AMEN
Read More“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.””Psalm 35:1–3
That was a prayer of David in a time of deep distress, a time when he felt himself surrounded by enemies pressing in against him and he saw no way to keep them out.
So He cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord, take Your stand against my enemies. Take up Your mighty spiritual weapons and block the way against them.”
The great conclusive answer to that prayer of David came through David’s greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, about a thousand years later.
On the cross, Jesus did just that.
- He blocked the way against all the enemies of our soul.
- He stopped the way.
- He put an end to Satan’s claims.
- He set a limit to Satan’s territory.
- He created a boundary that Satan cannot pass over.
Remember this: the cross is God’s great stop sign.
The devil may be moving in against us at full speed, but when we put up the cross, he slams on his brakes and comes to a screeching halt because he cannot pass the cross. That’s where Jesus stopped the way against all our enemies. Now that is victory! SEE 1 JOHN 4:4
Eph. 6:11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
2 Corinthians 10:3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
God will come to my rescue against my enemies. But David also spoke to God about praying for his enemies.
*I will put faith in God regarding the evil powers of this world. I know that HE will protect me and my family.
*I will also pray for my enemies.
Lord thank you for this glorious day of your protection. Thank you for your unfailing love and your mercy never seize. Again thank you and we love you. We bring back all the honor and glory through the beautiful name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Read MoreBe humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves” (Philippians 2:3b ).
Pride destroys relationships. It shows up in a lot of different ways, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality.
The problem with pride is it’s self-deceiving. Everybody else can see it in us but us. When you have a problem with pride, you don’t see it in your life.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin”. I love this verse in the Message paraphrase: “First pride, then the crash — the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”
- Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride.
- Humility builds relationships.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble”.
How are you and I going to grow in humility?
It happens by letting Jesus Christ begin to control our thoughts and hearts and attitudes and reactions. He’s got to be a part of this. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” .
How do you become a new person? How do you start to think in a different way?
The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with.
- If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier.
- If you spend time with people in addictions, you get addicted.
- If you spend time with people that have gratitude, you have gratitude.
- If you spend time with happy people, you get happier.
- If you spend time with selfish people, you become selfish.
- If you spend time with people who do not respect others, you will not respect others.
If you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. He is humble. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to spend time with him in prayer and reading his Word and talking to him. He is humble, and as you get to know him, you’ll become more like him.
“Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves … You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (Philippians 2:3b, 5-6.
No one has done anything more humble than Jesus, coming from Heaven to Earth to become a man, live for us, give his life for us, and be resurrected for us.
When you spend time with him, it makes you more humble, and that builds your relationships.
Read More