Devotions - Prayer
My Testimony is that I’m already paid for by the blood of Jesus!
Revelations 12:11 But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
The greatest power is God’s blood—-Jesus shed Blood on the Cross.
*Blood is a substance, Faith is the KEY.
*Blood brings deliverance and healing.
*The blood brings access for us to God.
A time-honored, effective method of evangelism is your personal testimony.
Remember you are God’s Ambassador now and bring a message of reconciliation, healing and hope to all who are open to hear. The result is we have the privilege of bringing God to people and people to God. (See 2 Corinthians 5:20).
Consider these five suggestions:
1. You want to be listened to, so be interesting.
2. You want to be understood, so be logical.
Think of your salvation in three phases and construct your testimony accordingly:
(a) before you were born again—the struggles within, the loneliness, lack of peace, absence of love, unrest, and fears;
(b) the decision that revolutionized your life; and
(c) the change—the difference it has made since you received Christ.
(Read Ephesians 2:1-10 for who we all were and now who we have become.)
3. You want the moment of your new birth to be clear, so be specific.
Don’t be vague. Speak of Christ. Emphasize faith more than feeling.
4. You want your testimony to be used, so be practical.
Be human and honest as you talk. Don’t promise, “All your problems will end if you will become a Christian,” for that isn’t true. Try to think as unbelievers think. (Read 1 John 3:1-3)
5. You want your testimony to produce results, so be warm and genuine.
A smile breaks down more barriers than the hammer blows of cold, hard facts.Let your enthusiasm flow freely.
Above all, be positive and courteous(accept whatever comes our way because of our loyalty to Jesus Christ). Absolutely refuse to argue. Nobody I ever met was “arm wrestled” into the kingdom. Trust in the Holy Spirit to move in their life.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD. Amen
Read MoreEven 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
MATTHEW 26:75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
It’s not the Bible lying on your coffee table that makes the enemy flee, but the Word of God hidden in your heart, activated by the power of the Holy Spirit, and spoken in the appropriate situation.
It’s similar to what Jesus says in John 6:63, that “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.”
The words that we speak from the written Word of God are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The Word by itself doesn’t make us free. It is the Word we know and speak that will deliver us (Jn. 8:32).
Why is the Word so effective?
*Because it is the WORD of God. The Word of God is the Sword which is Part of the Armor we need to put on each day. (Ephesian 6)
*It has authority, because it is indeed the WORD of God.
God’s Word supersedes all authority of the church, of reason, of intellect, and even of Satan. That’s why it is so effective.
In Luke, chapter four, when Jesus was tempted of the devil for forty days, it was the Word of God that Jesus used to defeat the enemy at His temptation.
Jesus constantly met His temptation by quoting from God’s Word as He repeatedly stated the phrase, —————“It is written.”
Likewise, the Christian soldier must avail himself of God’s Word by placing it in his heart so that the Holy Spirit may bring it forth at the appropriate time to accomplish a complete and total victory.
*Take your stand on God’s Word and allow nothing to undermine your faith in any way.
Lord, Thank You for Your WORD –sending your son Jesus to die for my sins and forgiving me for the times that I denied you just as Peter was forgiven. In JESUS Holy name I pray, AMEN!!!
Read MoreTaken from LUKE 8:4-11
*We are the soil.
*The seed is the Word of God.
The seed is God’s Word, and the types of ground/soil are the four major categories of men’s hearts.
1. The seed that fell by the wayside are the people who hear the Gospel, but don’t accept it.
2. The seed that fell on rocky ground are the people who have hardened hearts.
3. The seed that fell among the thorns are the people who got caught up in trying to gain world possessions.
4. The seed that fell on good ground are the people who heard The Word and followed Christ.
Luke 8:11, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”
This parable illustrates the importance of the Word of God.
God’s Word contains total power, but it has to be planted in our hearts and allowed to germinate before it releases that power.
God’s Word is always the same. It has the same potential in every heart.
Good ground doesn’t just happen; it must be cultivated.
This is the reason why only one out of four persons in Jesus’ parable brought forth fruit.
*It takes a lot of time, effort, and diligence to be a fruitful Christian.
*The Christian life is not like a hundred-yard dash but rather a 26.2 mile marathon.
*It’s quicker and easier to raise weeds than it is to raise tomatoes or corn.
In this whole parable, the KEY to NOTE is—it was the Word that produced the fruit.
*The ground simply gave it a place to grow.
If we will simply put God’s Word in our hearts, protect it, and give it priority in our lives, the Word will produce fruit of itself. (Holy Spirit produced fruit: Gal. 5:22-23)
Satan has deceived many people into thinking that they don’t have the talents or abilities to be fruitful Christians, but they are not the ones who bring forth fruit; it’s God’s Word.
***When we protect the Word sown in our hearts, it will do the rest.
What we do with God’s word defines the person we become.
*When we live out Gods Word, we shine the Truth.
*When we do not live out Gods word, people see God as “Fiction.”
“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”. (2 Tim. 3:16)
If we are to become more and more like Christ each day—then we should know and teach daily “Jesus Character” found in His Sermon and Teaching on the Mount–Beatitudes–for US to find Purpose, Meaning, and comfort in life.
The 8 Beatitudes–Matthew 5:3-10
1. Vs 3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
*Moral Bankruptcy to self—result-we are Accepted–Is. 55:1
2. Vs 4 God blesses those who mourn,for they will be comforted.
*Admit and regret our failure–result-we are Forgiven and have peace—2 Cor. 7:10.
3. Vs 5 God blesses those who are meek(humble),for they will inherit the whole earth.
*Ask Holy Spirit the need and follow through in obedience–result-give up control to control everything. Result- Freedom—Jer. 9:23-24
4. Vs 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
*Actively Pursue God and His will–Result-I am filled with God’s Love-I am Satisfied. Eph. 3:17-19.
5. Vs 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
*Jesus forgives me of my sins when I sincerely confess them and extend loving forgiving accepting spirit toward others. Result involved in others lives-I am Kind hearted. Matthew 25:37-40.
6. Vs 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
*Be totally honest and do not suppress the truth(Ro. 1:18). Be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit and be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Ro. 12:2). Result-transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ my Lord. I am now Honest. 1 John 3:1-3.
7. Vs 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
*I bring a message of reconciliation, healing and hope to all who will listen. Result-I am an Ambassador. 2 Cor. 5:20.
8. Vs 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
*We now are fully devoted to Jesus. Result- I will joyfully accept whatever comes my way because of my Loyalty to Jesus Christ. I am Courageous. Colossians 3:1-4
While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
Take your circumstance through the Beatitudes and see the Holy Spirit work!*Jesus teaching is of Transformation of the INNER Person.
*Only God’s Divine Love can give us the identity and purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
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.
Thank You Jesus for Your Wisdom. I Pray the world will take Your Teachings and put them into practice for Your Glory and our joy. Amen
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13a).
At times the road before me seems long, steep and challenging. I can feel lost. Uncertain. Afraid. Sometimes I’m not sure I have the strength for the journey.
It’s in those times that God wants me to remember I’m not traveling alone. He is my ever-present guide. He knows where the road leads. He can see what lies ahead. And that’s not all.
God also knows my concerns. He knows what I feel. The pain I cannot explain to someone else … God knows. The fear of the unknown—He knows. And He offers me Himself.
Perhaps you feel overwhelmed today. You may be experiencing some sadness, loss or worry. You may find that God has called you to a difficult path. “Surely,” you think, “God has an easier road for me to travel.”
The truth is, we aren’t wise enough to assume another path would be best for us.
*Maybe the easier road won’t make us into the person God intends us to be.
*Perhaps the difficult road is a path of grace—protecting us from the worst.
*Maybe this road is about learning something new about God or ourselves.
*Could it be the difficult journey is the path that prepares us for a greater purpose or a greater faith in God?
Out of all the possible paths, God knows the best path.
Our key verse reminds us, “His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.”
**Because of this, we can take the path God has laid out for us today. We can trust, and not fear, in His infinite wisdom and love. And we can be certain that God will never lead us down the wrong road.
Do not be troubled by these times of perplexity. They are normal experiences coming to all in the life of faith.
Lord, because You will never lead me down the wrong road, I can trust You when I need to make decisions about my family, my career, and my health. Thank You for Your wisdom and guidance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:24-25).
What Jesus is saying is, “The great hindrance to having faith in God is pride, the pride that refuses to forgive (an inflated sense of one’s personal status or accomplishments).
*You have the power to have that removed if, when you stand and pray, you will forgive those who have offended you.” Because the only thing that stops us from forgiving one another is pride.
We feel justified in wanting others to forgive us but also in feeling that we have to exact a price for the hurt they have caused us. So, in many ways—subtle, or direct and open—we insist that we will not forgive, that our offenders have to pay for what they have done to us. Somehow, we are going to make them crawl, make them beg or plead for forgiveness.
“And that,” Jesus says, “is a great mountain that needs to be removed, for it is blocking the flow of the life of God to your faith.” So when you stand and pray, life will flow from God when you are able to recognize that you, too, need forgiveness. God has forgiven you. God has offered it freely to you; give it just as freely to the one who has offended you.
The one thing above all else that seems to block the flow of the life of God to an individual, to a church, or to a nation, is:
- this unwillingness to forgive, this holding of grudges,
- this desire to put somebody down in order to feel good yourself,
- this unwillingness to set these things aside and let God heal all the hurts of life.
The Lord brings us through a time of testing and adjustments. There are corrections to be made to our path of life, and those corrections will begin to bear fruit as soon as we let go of the things that have been a distraction and a hindrance to our progression. You will now be able to see with greater clarity and understanding, as you walk in the Spirit.
Proverbs 10:17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.
Father, how many times I have refused the forgiving word, the restoring act, only to be tormented by fears and anxieties and worries. Thank You for the forgiveness that is mine in Jesus Christ. Teach me to extend it to those around me. Take my pride from me! Amen
Read MoreWhat is Spiritual Warfare———–Lies Vs Truth
From a Christian perspective, spiritual warfare is the cosmic war of good versus evil: its battles are fought daily between God and Satan; between the Christian Church and the world system ruled by our spiritual enemy; within every child of God, between the Holy Spirit and the lusts of the carnal flesh.
The clear meanings of good and evil, as defined by God rather than man, are revealed within the verses of the Holy Bible and the life of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual warfare is resisting, overcoming and defeating the enemy’s lies (in the form of deception, temptations and accusations) that he sends our way..
Spiritual Warefare, is dealing with three key things the enemy sends at us: temptations, deception and accusations.
The enemy’s three primary weapons
Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Strongholds are built through deception.
*A stronghold is formed when deception takes hold in a person’s mind.
*A stronghold is an incorrect thinking pattern that stems from believing something that is not true.
From the very beginning, Satan deceived Eve into believing that God’s Word was not true.
In Genesis 3:4, the devil told her that she will not surely die as God said she would in Genesis 2:17.
We have two weapons to deal with deceptions:
1. The belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14)
2.The sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) which is the Word of God.
You use the belt of truth (God’s Word) to guard against the enemy’s deception (lies) he sends your way, while you use the sword of the Spirit (also God’s Word) to tear down existing strongholds (deception that took hold) in your mind.
In Romans 12:2, we are told to “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
*How do we renew our minds? By getting in God’s Word! See Ephesians 5:26
Temptation often follows deception. First the enemy tells us, “You won’t surely die!”, then he makes the fruit on the forbidden tree look good to us.
Temptation is when we are enticed or encouraged to sin in one way or another.
In James 4:7, we are told to resist the devil and he will flee from us. But it’s not that simple; in the same verse, we are also told to draw near to God. Dealing with temptation is a two fold process of resisting the devil and drawing near to God.
**The closer you get to God and the more you become aware of His love, the less power temptation will have over you.
James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” AMEN
Read MoreIf you live a godly life, you will be persecuted. You can count on this.
It is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when and how much.
- We love to claim the promises of God.
- We love to claim His promises of provision and protection.
- But how many of us have claimed this promise: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12)?
I haven’t. Who likes to be persecuted?
Yet Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-11).
Righteousness (moral orderliness), by its very nature, is confrontational. The very fact that you believe in Jesus bothers some people, because Jesus said, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20).
People give a lot of excuses as to why they are not Christians, but I would say the real reason people do not come to Christ is:
• They don’t want their evil deeds exposed.
• They don’t want to admit they are sinners.
The Eight Truth To Master Life:
Beatitude #8 Matthew 5:10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
I am fully devoted to Jesus Christ, no matter what that will cost.
Result: I courageously and joyfully accept whatever comes my way because of my loyalty to Jesus Christ.
I am “Courageous.”
*For all the kindheartedness and sincerity and effort to make peace, the result may be rejection, persecution, perhaps even death. Many times Jesus taught that the rebellious human race would choose darkness rather than light. They would rather be their own God than acknowledge the One True God, Who gave His son for them. See John Chapters 3& 16. It takes courage to follow Jesus.
You are a representative of Christ. And the reality is that if you follow Jesus, then you will face persecution. Because “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
Lord, help me keep the Faith no matter what comes my way. Only through You can we have Victory. Amen
Read Colossians 3:1-4
Read More“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.” – Judges 11:29a
We’ve all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years.
*Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease – these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.
Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God’s sight.
*He was born to Gilead, a result of his father’s adulterous encounter with a prostitute.
*Jephthah’s half-brothers decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman.”
*Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.
This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang?
As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander.
Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.
“Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?” he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.
It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive.
**It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly.
**Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways.
*Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God.
*However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will choose to follow Him with an upright heart.
*Jesus does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.
Lord, I’m so glad I don’t have to say that right thing to get Your attention. Thank You for Your Spirit that lives in me and leads me—in my daily activities and even in my prayers. Please show me verses You want me to pray so I can see Your Word come alive in my circumstances and become active in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Read MoreRomans 3:10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
Every follower of Jesus has a certain hunger in his heart. It is a passionate zeal to be holy before God—free from sin, victorious over flesh, pure and spotless before the Lord.
The Holy Spirit actually plants this desire—an innate longing to live uprightly—in the heart of every human being.
*For nonbelievers, the spirit of this world can darken the mind to any sense of rightness.
*For believers, failure to live in a way that honors God can crush the spirit.
This desire to live right is behind the meaning of the word righteousness.
Righteousness means to be in right standing with God—to live with right motives, emotions and behavior—and establish right alignment with His purposes. (moral orderliness)
To truly be righteous, we have to know what it is and is not.
The Bible describes our righteousness in two words:
1. Justification-(our position, or right standing, with God).
*Romans 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
2. Sanctification-(our walk with God, our ongoing relation to Him).
*Romans 6:22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
*Don’t try to impress yourself or others with what you do. Be impressed with what God does.
Jesus, may I remember your sacrifice and help me keep my humility so the focus can be on You at all times. May You receive All the Glory! Amen
Read More“But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today” (Deut. 8:18).
“The greater our success, the greater the risk of us thinking too highly of ourselves.”
“Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity there are a hundred that will stand adversity.”
Oswald Chambers wrote, “Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity.”
• Each of us must view success as a gift from God.
• We must learn to see all of our successes as a gift from God, not our own achievement.
The Lord is the source of all success, all elevation, all blessing.
If you have a good mind and a healthy body, if you live in a land of opportunity, if you have a good education, if you’ve had a few breaks go your way, then you have much to be grateful for – and no cause for arrogance.
You didn’t achieve success; you received it as a gift.
I have learned it is better to learn humility voluntarily, than involuntarily!
True Meaning of Workplace Success
5 Truths for our Work being our Worship
1. Belief in the reality of God who has spoken, making the word of God the basis of our understanding and action.
2. Therefore, operate by faith in the Word of God, knowing life in the workplace is just as spiritual as the time we spend in worship.
3. The result is, having confidence in God’s calling and His gifting’s, that makes work worth while and fulfilling.
4. So, God is glorified in the workplace.
5. Resulting in, success being measured by faithfulness to Christ, following him in obedience.
Nothing that happens on earth can ever change the Word of God.
“Heaven and earth will disappear, but My Words will never disappear”. Mark 13:31
5 Myths When Missing God as our Pilot
1. Belief in self – it is all about me!
2. Therefore, we operate from one’s limited perspective.
3. The result is, self-confidence with arrogance leading you.
4. So, the workplace centers on man’s achievements alone.
5. Resulting in, success being measured by pride in material wealth.
Paul tells us: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Rom. 12:3).
Read MoreEccl. 7:14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
Distractions prevent us from giving our undivided attention to the messenger.
So too, God has His way of taking us aside to get our undivided attention.
*For Moses, it was 40 years in the desert; for Joseph, it was 13 years in Egypt; for David, it was many years of fleeing from King Saul.
God knows the stubborn human heart. He knows that if He is to accomplish His deepest work, He must take us into the desert in order to give us the privilege to be used in His Kingdom.
In the desert God changes us and removes things that hinder us.
He forces us to draw deep upon His grace.
The desert is only a season in our life.
When He has accomplished what He wants in our lives in the desert, Jesus will bring us out.
He has given us a mission to fulfill that can only be fulfilled after we have spent adequate time in preparation in the desert.
Fear not the desert, for it is here you will hear God’s voice like never before.
*It is here you become His bride.
*It is here you will have the idols of your life removed.
*It is here you begin to experience the reality of a living God like never before.
Someone once said, “God uses enlarged trials to produce enlarged saints so He can put them in enlarged places!”
He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me (2 Samuel 22:20).
May you soar in the spirit like an eagle today as you dwell on God’s goodness bountiful benefits in your life!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits…Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:2-5 Amen
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Two wonderful absolutes.
1. The first absolute: GOD REALLY LOVES ME.
*God is not in the business of condemning His children, failures or not. He is a loving Father, wanting only to lift us out of our weaknesses.
*Sometimes we recognize His great love only when we hit bottom. You will have won a great victory if you can be convinced God loves you even in your wounded, crippled condition.
*Our strength is renewed by His everlasting love.
*Just rest in that wonderful love. Don’t panic. Deliverance will come.
2. The second absolute: IT IS MY FAITH THAT PLEASES HIM THE MOST!
“Without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6).
*God counts our trust as righteousness. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness”. (Romans 4:3).
God delights in using failures—men and women who think they can do almost nothing right.
**God sends us to conquer nations but the first battle we have to win is the one against ourselves.
*That’s when we get to know him and we build the foundations of our relationship with him! (JN 17:3)
*His strength is perfected in our weakness, our inability to obey His commandments in our own strength.
*God calls us to a life of holiness and separation.
*God tells us we can be free from the bondage of sin.
When our heart begins to cry, “Lord, how can we do such great, holy things?”
That is when our Lord takes over!
God comes with such a comforting message:
-”Lay down your weapons.
-Quit trying to be so self–sufficient and strong.
-I am your weapon and your strength.
-Let Me do what you never can do.
-I will give you My righteousness,
-I will give you My holiness, My rest, My strength.
–You cannot save yourself or please Me in any way other than by receiving the blessings of the cross by faith.
–Let Me be in charge of your growth in holiness.”
* Father take over the battle of my life ……… Isaiah 41:14-16
*God, Your Word speaks hope and life to me. It is always right on target and speaks into my life and current situation. I hold onto Your Word and pray for Your strength and courage, for health and peace as I walk through this. And I raise it all up to You, I lift it up to You, trusting and believing in You for what is to come. So I give You the praise, the honor, and the glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Thy faithfulness, in Thy righteousness! And do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight no man living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground. Psalm 143:1–3
The psalmist there was struggling with a dark force that attacks almost every one of us at some time or another, the force of condemnation.
Each of us has an enemy, an accuser, one who seeks to make us feel guilty, unworthy, one who reminds us of our failures and our shortcomings and our unworthiness, and if we let him go on speaking to us he’ll crush our life down to the ground.
The answer is the answer that the psalmist found. He turned to God and he prayed. And he said, “Give ear to my supplications. Answer me in Thy faithfulness and in Thy righteousness.”
When we are facing condemnation (Guilt, separation from God, eternal punishment) and a sense of unworthiness, it is most important that we don’t listen to the enemy any longer; that we turn to God and that we appeal to God for help. “Speak to Him-“PRAY”!
Not on the basis of our righteousness or our faithfulness, but on the basis of God’s righteousness and God’s faithfulness.
*That is the way out from condemnation.
*That’s the way back into victory. (see 1 Jn 4:4)
Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Jesus was crucified, buried and rose on the third day that we might have eternal life.
*What could we possibly do in return for that?
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Ro. 10:4).
This verse has brought freedom to all generations of believers:
Christ is the end. There is nothing else!
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).
When you feel lost and all alone remember God loves you!
“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.(1 Timothy 1:15-16)
Thank You Jesus, that You found me and extended Your Free Undeserved Grace to me. I no longer feel lost or alone! I have You Jesus, 24/7.Thank You for your word which is Truth and which is alive. Please help me share this Great News with all that will listen. Amen
We are not responsible to change our negative feelings. Our responsibility is to put “in charge” the only Person who can change them, and that Person is God.
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”Psalm 37:5
Psalm 19:12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden(some trans say secret) faults. 13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
*Do you suffer with the sin of secret faults?
*Is there something in your life that is hidden from the eyes of man that is sin?
Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
*Are you living a life of falsehood?
*Do others think that you are something that you are not behind closed doors?
If so—it’s time for a “session of confession” and repentance, it’s time to seek the Lord and ask Him to cleanse you from your secret faults.
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
You see your “secret faults” are not so secret. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Father.
Nothing is secret to the Father.
Confess any secret faults/sins you have to the Lord and turn away from them, ask Him to take the desire for them away from you and tell Him you don’t want to do anything that does not please Him (and mean it).
Ask Him to cleanse you from those secret faults and He most assuredly will.
Psalms 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Father today I bring all of my faults before you, I confess each and every one of them. I bring my secrets faults before you Lord and I ask that you would cleanse me from these secret faults Lord. Amen