Praying According to God’s Will

 

 

The key to effectual prayers is to pray according to God’s will and not by the direction of our carnal desires or human goals and plans (1 John 5:14-15). When we walk in the center of God’s will, His Spirit and our brother Jesus intercede for us (Romans 8:27). Our prayers can move mountains because God is behind them (Numbers 11:2).

 

God loves us so much, that His eyes are on each of His adopted children continually, and His ears are always alert to our prayers (Psalm 34:15; 1 Peter 3:12). He loves for us to trust Him completely with all our needs and to call out to Him in our times of trouble (Proverbs 15:8). 

 

Another key to having answered prayers is to pray with gratitude in our heart, even before they are answered, because we trust that God will deliver us through every issue we face (Philippians 4:6). Our persevering prayers are made through faith in God’s faithfulness, and we never give up or lose hope in His love for us or in His promises to us (James 1:5; Luke 18:1; Mark 11:22-24).

 

The third key for answered prayer is to pray with a heart that is in fellowship with our Father God (James 5:16). Sin separates us from God, and it causes Him to hide His face from us, so He will not hear us (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:2). Yet, if we confess our sins with a repentant heart, He faithfully hears us, withholds His just judgment from us, and forgives us (1 John 1:9).

 

God prunes us as a branch connected to the Vine of Christ, and He purifies us from every desire to live a life in habitually sinful behavior. As we pray in the holy and powerful name of Jesus, our Christ, His forgiveness is quick and cleansing (John 14:13-14). 

 

Another key to receive answered pray is to pray even for our enemies with the spirit of forgiveness toward our family, friends, and foes that wound us, use us, or abuse us (Mark 11:25). Forgiveness does not exempt that person from their guilt, but it frees us from the bondage to the event that caused our need to forgive.

 

Prayer:

Father God, it seems redundant for us to pray for something of which we know You are already aware (Matthew 6:8). We ask: why should we pray for something that You already see coming even before we do? Teach us that prayer is a great way to unify our relationship with You, because it causes us to spend time with You and to trust You as we block out the world, and our constant responsibilities and busyness. 

 

We call on You in our days of trouble, and You deliver us, and we glorify You. In fact, Joshua prayed a prayer, which was impossible and even improbable to answer, yet You commanded the sun to stand still at His request. Even science discovered that this actually happened (Joshua 10:11-14). You know what we need, and already committed that You would supply all our needs with Your glorious riches (Philippians 4:19-21). You also promise to move mountains for us as we pray, and to walk in Your will for us (Matthew 17:20).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

We often pray for selfish desires with wrong motives, we reject God’s call on our life and pursue our own goals, we refuse to share our abundance with those around us who are in need, and we create idols in our life and think about them more than we think about God. These prayers are never affirmatively answered. Yet, if we pray according to God’s will for our life, He showers us with His mercy and grace, influences us with His wisdom, and helps us in every hour of our need.

- James 4:3; Proverbs 1:24-28, 21:13; Hebrews 4:16; Jeremiah 11:11-14

 

 

A Good Marriage - The Center of Our Focus

 

 

When we invite Jesus to be the center of the focus of our marriage and look to Him and follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit, He guards our marriage against our fleshly instincts and the carnal impulses of our desires. He alone is our source of light and life in our marital relationship that illuminates our common path through life.

 

God’s Spirit filters our unrealistic expectation that our mate act less human and more intuitive of our needs. As we see our marriage as the wondrous miracle that God gifted us with, we start to grow deeper in our intimacy and friendship with one another. 

 

When we remember that we too are human, we learn to accept what we label as our mate’s imperfections. God inhabits our inadequacies and makes us strong when we feel weak (2 Corinthians 12:9-11). He enables us to look to Christ in each of us to solve our problems, bring unity in our differences, and increase our faith in His faithfulness. 

 

He walks with us and in each of us if we surrender to His Lordship in our marriage. We do not want to fall into the trap of taking each other for granted, having inordinate expectations, or settling for mere co-existing in the same household. We fellowship with our spouse and other Believers and enjoy encouraging spiritual conversations. 

 

Walking in the Spirit enables us to avoid misunderstandings, disagreements, a lack of concern or support, frustration, and influences from our own insecurities (Galatians 5:15-25). This fact increases our intimacy with our spouse. God’s Spirit replaces our carnality with His fruit and matures us spiritually as He lives His life through us.

 

Allowing our husband to nurture our soul and to “wash us with the water of God’s Word” permits him to feel fulfilled (Ephesians 5:25-57). Giving our wife the chance to nurture, support, influence us, appeal to us, and make suggestions without feeling like she is trying to suppress or control our husband gives her the opportunity to feel safe and a part of a team as co-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17).

 

God’s light in each of us helps us to traverse the rocky road of life with wisdom and peace. As our union with the Trinity of God within us deepens, our love for our spouse grows in intimacy as well. We make one another a major priority in our daily pursuits, and we serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for the spouse Your provided for us and the opportunity he/she gives us to prefer one another, support each other, and influence the daily decisions we make together as a couple. Teach us not to allow the endless drains on our marriage from our children, extended family, vocation, and ministry opportunities to rob us of our intimacy with one another. Help us to cooperate with, cherish, and prefer one another. Remind us that we are co-heirs with Jesus. 

 

Help us not to resent the innate responses that our mate makes which are in keeping with his/her personality and desire to fulfill Your call on our individual role in our marriage. We do not want our relationship to dwindle into a situation where we feel more like roommates than a husband or wife, or to succumb to living in a warzone filled with land mines and enemy gunshots. We want to walk in Your Spirit each moment of the day and to obey Your precepts and plans for us as a couple.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Satanic forces are always present to drive a wedge between a couple and to destroy families and homes – especially those dedicated to God. He also uses sinful temptations and distracting busyness to destroy the unity that God desires in our relationship. Therefore, it is important for both mates to love God more than our spouse, and to love our mate more than we love our self.

 

Humble Beginnings

 

 

Humble beginnings into adulthood are often accompanied by less stress and busyness in our life. A lack of disposable finances prevents us from buying “toys” that encumber us with more responsibility, and from amassing clutter in our living space that adds to the tension in our soul.

 

A major event in my life started me on the road to adopting a minimalist life view. My family of a husband and three pre-teens moved from a four-story townhouse in the inner city of Harrisburg, PA to a 31-foot travel trailer. We traveled the eastern USA - from PA to FL to AR to MI and back again about twice a year for four years. It was a tight squeeze, but we eventually sold everything in our townhouse and adjusted to our new environment.

 

My former husband felt God calling him to minister to pastors and church leadership along the way. This gave us a multitude of environmental, educational, social, and spiritual experiences to treasure for the rest of our life. We also learned to prefer each other, have patience with one another, and to work in sync as a team.

 

In the trailer, each of us had a small closet and a drawer for clothes, and a bed to sleep in, along with the common living area including kitchen, dining room, and living room/computer space for our Commodore 64 and a set of World Book Encyclopedias. 

 

I had the privilege and challenge of teaching our three children with A-Beka curriculum for home school parents as we traveled to places that we read about in our textbooks (abeka.com). We had a microscope to study the activity in the water in ponds we encountered, art supplies, board games, and a large Tupperware box per child to keep their schoolwork and supplies organized.

 

Since then, I felt a desire not to add more and more clutter in my life, even when we settled in a home in AR and our children went into the public school system during their teen years. In fact, today I have no car, no phone, no clutter in my home, shopping only at thrift stores, no extra gadgets or decorations, only that which is functional and necessary to make life easier, not more tense and stressful. I LOVE it that way. After all, the earth is not really our home – I am heaven-bound.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for making us aware of satanic influences in both our desires and the world’s influence over us to accumulate this world’s goods, rather than to focus on our spiritual walk, ministry in the church and our vocation, and our relationship with You. Your Word encourages us to release our obsession with material things, which allows us to relax in Your constant watch-care over us. 

 

Thank You for Your constant interest in our life and the wisdom and power You give to each of us (Hebrews 13:5-6; 1 John 2:17). Teach us that a life devoted to You and Your Kingdom encourages us to adopt a lifestyle that is rich in simplicity rather than in accumulating this world’s possessions and attitude (1 Timothy 6:6-8; Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:15). Help us not to complicate our life unnecessarily in our thinking, possessions, activities, and worldview with the values of a routine that will end with our life on this earth (1 Corinthians 7:30-31).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Walking in a minimalist existence just takes time and practice in curbing our Inner Child's enthusiasm to collect worldly goods and instead to maintain a constant eternal focus. Pursuing spiritual maturity and the timeless things of God that build an investment for us that will last for an eternity helps us to downsize our ties to this earth and brings to us the reward of God’s eternal love, peace, joy, and contentment. 

- 1 Timothy 6:17-19

 

 

God is Our Hiding Place

 

 

Whenever I feel negative emotions, I go to my hiding place – under the shadow of the wings of the Lord (Psalm 57:1). Even when I am flying high on positive emotions, I often take refuge under His wings, just to rest, to hang out with Him, to spend time praising Him and sitting in companionable silence with Him (Psalm 91:4). 

 

The Lord truly is our hiding place. He protects us from the troubles of life by walking through them with us and within us. He surrounds us with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7). We find hope in His Word, and He serves as a shield to protect us from irreversible damage to our spirit and soul (Psalm 119:114). 

 

When we honor the Lord, we find compelling confidence for putting our trust in Him. Throughout our life and in every trial, we find solace and sustenance in His intimate union with us. He is our eternal place of refuge from life’s disappointments, losses, demands, expectations, and grief (Proverbs 14:26).

 

There is nothing that can come against us that will overwhelm us when we find our refuge in Him as our mighty tower against anything that attempts to steal, kill, or destroy our joy and peace in Him. We abide in Him now and always, and we take refuge under the shelter of His wings (Psalm 61:1-5).

 

His wings provide us with a protected life, and we find comfort, solace, strength, and power as we draw our stamina from Him (Psalm 63:7). As a mother eagle, He encourages us to fly by His Spirit, but He is always available to swoop down and catch us if we falter in flight.

 

Under the shadow of His wings, we find an intimate union with the Lord that sustains us and surrounds us throughout our lifetime. Walking in faith in the truth of this concept allows us to walk in peace through any storm we encounter, any pit we fall into, and any rugged terrain we experience.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for keeping Your children as the apple of Your eye. Hide us under the shadow of Your wings and protect us from the adversity that satanic forces attempt to use to discourage us from trusting in Your faithfulness (Psalm 17:8). A life in the center of Your will keeps us fully satisfied and content.

 

We learn throughout our lifetime, of walking in Your presence, that there is no calamity that can overwhelm us, because of Your faithfulness to care for Your children. Show us the path into Your secret place and teach us to abide within the boundaries of Your shadow. You are our Most High, Almighty God (Psalm 91:1).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

In any times of trouble that arise in our life, God hides us in His high tower and in the sanctuary of His tabernacle. He places our feet firmly on His solid Rock of Christ and we cannot be shaken, nor shall we fall, even in the worst of the storms that life sends our way.

- Psalm 27:5

 

Reducing Stress in Our Life

 

 

In our modern society, we not only face the usual stressors of life, but also those that we create for our self. We take on more pressure than God provides His strength and wisdom for us to bear. This causes us to we get weary, and our “candle” burns out from both ends.

 

We allow our self to get overly committed, and we start to drown in our myriad of responsibilities. Satan whispers false accusations in our ear, and we believe what he says as truth. We start to resent all the demands and the pressure that our decisions place on us, because we are at everyone’s beck and call. 

 

Jonah had these same feelings, and blamed God’s calling for his issues (Jonah 1:3). The fact that he chose to run from God’s perfect plans for him, as well as from the ministry God called him to accomplish, caused him all sorts of trouble. He even cost his fellow shipmates the loss of their income and almost their very lives. 

 

Thwarting God’s will for our life never solves any issue that we face. He guides and provides for us every step of our obedient journey on His straight road of blessings. During the dry, parched times of life, God causes water to spring up within us. We dwell as a well-watered garden, even in the midst of troubles and trials (Isaiah 58:11). 

 

The more we strive to enter God’s rest, the more fulfillment we gain through our obedience to His plans (Hebrews 4:9-16). This world holds no great attachment for us. We actually stop caring about what we eat, where we live, or how many possessions we accumulate on this earth, because our citizenship is truly in heaven (Philippians 3:20).

 

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word teaches us that when we come to the place of “coming out of this world,” (John 15:19), our citizenship is truly in heaven instead of on this globe. We no longer worry about any issues in this life, and eternity is our focus instead of on earthly matters (Philippians 3:19; Ephesians 2:19). Thank You that we do not lack any spiritual gift that we need to function in Your calling for our life (1 Corinthians 1:7).

 

We eagerly await our Savior either through the veil of death (Philippians 3:21), or through Jesus’ appearing in the clouds to claim His bride (Revelation 1:7). You raised us with Christ, and we no longer strive for things of this world, but for spiritual blessings that enable us to perform Your work for us in this world (Colossians 3:1; Galatians 2:20). We desire above all things to bring You glory through our thoughts, words, and actions.

 

Thought for the Day:

We want to keep our mind focused on spiritual issues rather than on the mundane aspects of life on this earth, because once we receive God’s salvation of spirit, Christ is our whole purpose for living; therefore, we do not dread death, because we realize that to enter His physical presence is more to be desired than anything this world has to offer.

- Colossians 3:1-4; Philippians 1:21; Psalm 84:10

 

Fulness of God

 

 

When we come to Christ, we cross the chasm between unbelief to faith, and we completely surrender to Him. The next spiritual hurdle that we face is our faith in our triune God, and our trust that He has everything under His control – even the worst of circumstances – and that He wants only His best for us (Romans 8:28).

 

When we hear about God’s miracles in the life of those we meet, this strengthens our desire to trust in Him and to surrender our whole life to Him. He is faithful in all things, and when our dreams and goals are not realized, then we know that He has something better in store for us. 

 

Eventually, we abandon our human desires and joyfully walk in His plans for us instead, which are so much better for us than our own dreams (Ephesians 2:10). Trusting our Heavenly Father’s Will for us is more beneficial than anything this world has to offer to us. God also has heavenly rewards for us that He provides for our faithfulness to Him during our lifetime (Revelation 22:12-14).

 

He gives us His wisdom and power to serve King Jesus now and after Christ’s second coming to the earth. Our intimate union with God’s Trinity within us at that time will not only include our redeemed spirit and soul, but also our glorified body. 

 

All Born Again Believers receive the fullness of God, which gives us multiple opportunities to experience His grace in our life (John 1:16). God calls people from every ethnic group to experience the fullness of His blessings because He does not exalt one race above another (Romans 15:29; Colossians 3:11).

 

The covenant between God and mankind in the Old Testament was founded on a shadow of things to come. Their animal sacrifice cleansed sin, and their feast days provided milestones to remember what God did for His chosen people. 

 

In the New Testament Era, we trust in the saving work of Jesus on Calvary’s cross to free us from sin’s dominion and to enable us to walk in the fullness of God’s Will for us. God gives us a new heart of flesh to replace our former heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26), and He makes all things new in our spirit, soul, and eventually in our body (2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5).

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for putting parameters around our life to keep us walking on Your straight and narrow road of Your protection, provision, and presence in our spirit. Many more people will walk on the wide path to destruction because of their choices, but we thank You for helping us to find the narrow road that leads to eternity with You (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

We rejoice as we see changes in our life, directed by Your Spirit’s transforming work in our personality, desires, world view, and life goals. Our union with Your intimate presence in our life is our mainstay and provides us with a high tower and fortress during earthly storms (Psalm 18:2). We cannot praise and thank You enough for Your constant watch-care over our life.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

God is our Father and is over all, works through us all, and His Spirit abides in every authentic Born Again Believer in Jesus Christ. He gives us His wisdom to avoid poor decisions that will only cause us more wearisome trials, and He invites us to walk in His Spirit so we will receive His blessings and not fulfill the lusts of our flesh. 

- 1 Corinthians 15:28; John 3:16-18; Galatians 5:15-25; Ephesians 4:6

 

A Good Marriage - Strengthening Weakening Relationships

 

 

It is easy for people to buy into satanic lies in these perilous times in which we are living. Ethnic cleansings, world-wide pandemics, promotion of depraved lifestyles, random acts of violence, lack of respect for others, prolific thefts of what belongs to other people, etc. are on the rise almost hourly.

 

It is hard to find positive, uplifting information anywhere in today’s society. We are sending and hearing more negative than productive advice and communication. We assume the worse and are becoming more cynical and sarcastic and even hopeless in our attitude about life.

 

We are skeptical and fail to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, and we make assumptions and sweeping judgments that are not based in truth. We readily make accusations and blame each other from hearsay, gossip, and in an attempt to shift the responsibility of guilt from our self. Accountability is a virtue of the past.

 

We often attempt a serious conversation with our mate, but their penchant to avoid the topic, which we are trying to address, leaves us exasperated and feeling disheartened. Sometimes, we even make decisions that benefit our self, but we try to explain and support our behavior by insisting we made the choice to benefit others.

 

Relationships often end because one or both parties are deeply sensitive and want to avoid the conflict of talking about the problems. We close off our emotions, refuse to settle difficult issues, and we withdraw within our self. We adopt a self-righteous excuse for our behavior or simply ignore the conflict all together.

 

Many marriages end in divorce or diminish into a partnership of convenience, rather than a loving relationship based on commitment and cherishing attitudes and behavior. We fail to mutually prefer one another or to go out of our way to support and show compassion and understanding toward our mate.

 

Prayer:

Father God, give us the conviction that our vows are ours to keep for a lifetime, regardless of the uphill battles we face in our relationships. If our mate is having an issue, help us to search our heart and see if there is any selfish, unfeeling, or combative attitude in us that is causing the problem. Help us not to deflect blame onto them, but to take responsibility for our failings or our indifference to their needs.

 

Remind us that what You joined together should never be broken (Mark 10:9; Matthew 19:6). Teach us to embrace our partner’s complaints and to search together for resolutions with a heart willing to change our behavior or attitude or feelings that contribute to their negative emotions or grievances. Teach us that we may need to form new habits, or spend more time as a couple, or give random notes, meals out, and gifts that show one another that we care about each other. 

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Simply spending some quality time together and having a compassionate and supportive attitude toward one another may change the whole atmosphere in our home, workplace, church family, or community. We are not commissioned by God to “like” anyone, but He does expect us to love one another sacrificially as He loves us.

- John 13:34; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 4:11

 

Answered Prayer

 

The prayer of the righteous person is powerful and effective. We start by confessing our sins and praying for each other to find healing in our spirit, soul, and body (James 5:16). Our petitions come before our Father God as He sits on His throne, and He takes them seriously (1 John 5:14; Jeremiah 42:2; Psalm 18:6, 145:18).

 

We develop a habit of rejoicing regardless of our circumstances, praying each moment of the day, and continually thanking God for His love, understanding, forgiveness, and perfect plans for us (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We pray to God, not wavering in our faith in His faithfulness (James 1:6).

 

We consult the Lord each time we are ready to pursue His will for our next moment in time. He guides us through our day with His perfect peace, and His joy fills our heart. By always consulting the Lord, we escape many trials in life (Luke 21:36; Philippians 4:6-7). We will not grow weary if we spend time in prayer throughout the day (Luke 18:1).

 

We pray for one another too. As those gathered in the Upper Room, we pray together in one accord (Acts 1:14). We ask God to fill us with the knowledge of His will with all His wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9; Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 4:16). Our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us.

 

Some people pray to the gods of their own making – following the advice of teachers of false religions. Their prayers fall on deaf ears, and they cannot understand why their prayers are not answered (1 Kings 18:20-40; Matthew 6:7; 1 Peter 3:12). Regardless of how fervent they pray, they make their petitions in the natural rather than by the Spirit of God (Isaiah 59:2; Psalm 66:18).

 

Yet, if we pray in Jesus’ name, God hears us and answers us in His kindness, benevolence, generosity, and love (John 14:13). When we call on His name in prayer, He saves us from the eternal destination of hell and destruction (Acts 2:21). We thank Him for hearing our prayers and for answering them according to His perfect plans for our life.

 

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to consult You in prayers that never cease both day and night. We often wake up with prayers, songs, or praises to You running through our mind (Psalm 5:3; Psalm 42:8). Regardless of our social position, nationality, class, or financial status in life, thank You for escorting us through our troubles with Your intimate presence within us (Psalm 34:6).

 

Teach us to forgive others as we pray, so You can forgive us as well (Mark 11:25). We are amazed at the privilege we have, due to Jesus’ sacrifice for us on Calvary’s cross, to approach Your throne and speak to You in our prayers as our friend and Heavenly Father (Hebrews 10:19-25). Help us to spend time in prayer for those who hurt us, as well as for our family, friends, church family, community, and the world (Luke 6:27-28; Matthew 5:44).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

As we rejoice in the hope that God gives to us, having patience in negative circumstances, and continuing to pray during each moment of our day, God answers our prayers in His timing and way. Although His answer may be contrary to what we really want in our heart, we are convinced that He knows what is best for us, and He will protect us and supply all our needs.

- Romans 12:12

 

Safety Comes from the Lord

 

 

Storms are so scary with loud thunder and startling lightning, heavy rains, flash flooding, trees whipping and doubling over in the intense winds, tornadic activity, power outages for hours or even days, home damages, flooded or crushed or wind-swept vehicles, trees invading homes through windows and roofs, flying debris, injuries, deaths, loss of our livelihood and possessions, etc. 

 

Some people actually chase storms to catch the cataclysmic invader on video or to gather statistics to help keep people safe in future storms. These folks love maniacal weather and often pray for the perfect storm. Those who are not thrilled with storms can cling to Biblical verses to calm our anxiety caused by them.

 

Comforting scripture to read during a frightening storm are plentiful. My favorite is that we will know our home is safe and a survey of our material possessions prove that nothing is missing (Job 5:24). God is our refuge from storms and a shelter from intense heat. He is a tower of strength to us in our distress (Isaiah 25:4).

 

Authentic, Born Again Believers do not carry our burdens and fears alone, but we release the weight of them onto our Daddy God who sustains us and never allows us to be utterly shaken by our circumstances (Psalm 55:22). We thrust all our cares, worries, concerns and fears on Him, because He wholeheartedly and affectionately cares about us with a watchful eye (1 Peter 5:7).

 

Not death, nor the evils of life, nor spiritual warfare, nor current circumstances or future trials, nor terrors by night, nor the depths of the sea, nor any other created thing will ever separate from the love that God has for us (Romans 8:35-39). We are secure in Him.

 

If we keep our eyes focused on the spiritual aspects around us through our faith in Jesus Christ, what is temporary and finite pales in comparison with that which is unseen and eternal. Therefore, there is no reason to lose heart, even if our body is wracked with sickness or pain, because in our spirit we are renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

 

God is a shelter from daily heat and a hiding place from vicious storms and heavy rains (Isaiah 4:6). Heavy flooding will not come near every godly adopted child of God who prays to and trusts in our Heavenly Father, because He is always present for us (Psalm 32:6). He fully rewards those who take refuge under His wings (Ruth 2:12).

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for delivering us out of the mirey storms of life, for keeping us from sinking in the deep waters of adversity. You keep the floodwaters from overflowing us, and You prevent the depths of the sea from swallowing us up. You are so good to us, and You provide us with Your multitude of tender mercies (Psalm 69:14). The name of Jesus is a fortified tower for us, and His Saints can rest in His name and run to it for safety (Proverbs 18:10). 

 

You meet all our needs with Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Our heart trusts in You, and You help us. Our soul leaps for joy and our praise to You pours forth from our lips with songs of deliverance (Psalm 28:7). You are our refuge and strength as well as a constant presence during our times of trouble; therefore, we have nothing to fear even if the mountains quake and slip into the roaring, foaming seas (Psalm 18:2, 46:1-3). When we set You as our focus, and stand in Your presence, we shall not be moved (Psalm 16:8).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

The Lord of hosts is continually with us, and a stronghold for us in times of trials and temptations. Authentic, Born Again Believers have nothing to fear, because He is with us and in us; and as we keep our eyes focused on Him and not on the issues surrounding us, He strengthens us, helps us, and holds us up in His hand.

- Psalm 46:7; Isaiah 41:10; Nahum 1:7

 

The Lord Sustains Us

 

 

The best way to communicate love to others is to show that we genuinely care about their struggles in life without judging them, and by steering them toward God’s truth in the midst of their trials (Romans 14:13). We help them to bear their burden and remind them that the Trinity of God within every Born Again Believer is helping them too (Psalm 68:19).

 

We can also encourage them that Jesus sits at the right hand of our Father God and intercedes for us all. He encourages us during our struggles so that we can encourage others who go through the same issues in life (Luke 22:31-34). As we immerse our self in His Word, we find ways to use the scriptures that encourage us to lift up other people in their time of need (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

 

Reading pertinent Bible verses about God’s strength and comfort for us, and then sharing those verses with others who are discouraged, weary, or experiencing a valley in life will allow us to pray these verses and to use them as daily vitamins to keep us refreshed. They give life to our soul – our thoughts and emotions.

 

By reading, praying, and sharing God’s Biblical Truths, we allow these living, sharp, and active realities to cover our soul with consolation for the present as well as with security for our future. When we yoke up with Jesus, rather than attempting to solve our own problems, we find our trials getting easier and lighter (Matthew 11:28-30).

 

Rather than stewing in our fears and insecurities, we place our burden in the Lord’s capable hands and He sustains us (1 Peter 5:6; Philippians 4:9). If we consult Him and follow His peace through every choice we make, He never allows us to be shaken (Psalm 55:22; Proverbs 3:5-6).

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for caring about every aspect of our life, and for listening to Jesus’ intercession for us. With this in mind, we never need to allow anxiety to overwhelm us. Our faith-filled prayers of thanksgiving to You allows You to fill us with Your peace, which guards our heart. We have no need to feel anxious about anything in our life because we can share our petitions with You while we thank You ahead of time for keeping us safe through all our trials (Philippians 4:6-7).

 

All our praise is poured out to You, and to our Messiah, Jesus Christ. You are the Father of all mercy, the healer of our soul, and You walk with us and in us as You use us to further Your Kingdom on the earth. When we keep our mind focused on You and trust You with all our heart, You keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Help us to know the extent of Your love for us and fill us with all Your fullness (Ephesians 3:16-19).

 

Thought for the Day:

Jesus left us His peace when He returned to Heaven – a peace that surpasses anything this world has to offer; therefore, our heart never needs to entertain “worse case” scenarios, or feel any fear or anxiety for any reason, because by making all our thoughts line up with God’s Word, we tear down negative thoughts, emotions and presuppositions that try to distract us from what we learn from God’s Word.

- John 14:27; Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:5

 

In Christ

 

“In Christ we live, in HIM we move, in Him we have our being: we are God’s offspring (Acts 17:28).” This is a life-changing verse. Read it over again several times, until it fills your heart with hope, your mind with positive thoughts, and your choices with Spirit-led inspiration.

 

By believing in Jesus, we are God's adopted children, which allows us to LIVE, to MOVE, and to base our life IN HIM. These words of Truth are life-changing and our basis for a fulfilling life. Too often, we plan our life around our own goals, plans and enjoyment. We find happiness in most of them, but some of them add stress to our life. 

 

We fill life with activities that are good things; however, they are really the enemy of the best things that God has planned for us (Ephesians 2:8-10). The key to preventing this malady is to change our heart and mind from carnal pursuits – even the good things – to following the path that God already charted out for us. 

 

We resolve not to get off course by pursuing opportunities that present themselves to us, because we do not want to miss out on God’s ultimate plans for us. If we are so busy doing good things, we miss out on the best things that God has in store for us. We do not want to walk outside of His will.

 

We obeyed our earthly fathers who were human and full of as many negative issues as we are. We gave the reverence due to their place in our life, even when they did not deserve it. Yet, the Father of spirits is due much more honor than our earthly father, and He lovingly calls us into submission to His protective will for our life (Hebrews 12:9-10).

 

God disciplines His children, because He loves us; and this discipline proves to us that we are His children (Hebrews 12:7-8). He also delivers us from the bondage to sin, delivers us from the treadmill of a useless life, and He heals us (Isaiah 38:16). When we completely surrender our life to Him, even the demons must obey us in Jesus’ name (James 4:7-10).

 

Prayer:

Father God, You intended for each and every person ever born to reach out for You with every fiber of our being and to find You in all Your glory, unconditional love for us, and continual provision for us (Acts 17:27). We want to walk in constant obedience to Your perfect plans for our life by clinging to You. 

 

You are our whole life, our reason for living, our wisdom and comfort and peace (Deuteronomy 30:20). You hold the life of every human being in Your hand (Job 12:10). You even know when every sparrow takes its last breath, and you clothe the lilies of the field in all their glory (Luke 12:27-40). We glorify You as You nestle us in Your everlasting arms, give us our very breath, and keep us in all Your ways (Daniel 5:23). 

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Jesus is not ashamed to call us His family, because we are sanctified by Him into His family. His soul is bound up with ours as we pursue Him. In Him is the fountain of life; and in His light, we walk away from darkness into the light of His truth. 

- Hebrews 2:11; 1 Samuel 25:29; Psalm 36:9

 

 

 

A Good Marriage - A Lifetime of Courting

 

Taking our mate for granted is the first nail in the coffin of our marriage. During the dating phase of our relationship, we shower our girl/boyfriend with attention, special moments, long chats, and spending as much time with each other as is practical. 

 

However, once the rings are exchanged, we have expectations based on our courtship that are no longer priorities to our mate. Frequent dating times slip from our list of main activities, and we spend more time watching our favorite TV shows, in our hobby rooms, or pursuing our own interests than each other.

 

Over time, we feel that we are married to a stranger that does not resemble the person we dated and chose as our lifelong mate. We are not nestled in that special place in each other’s heart like we were during our dating months/years. We even allow our self to flirt with other people rather than guarding that place in our heart only for each other.

 

However, that space in our life belongs to no one other than our spouse. We can redevelop our special love that we nurtured for each other during our dating days by making each other our main priority again. We can also focus on our mate’s strengths and use patience toward those issue that tend to frustrate, irritate, and anger us.

 

Concentrating on each other’s faults will discourage us and erect walls between us. Yet, focusing on what we love about one another will encourage loving behavior to continue and to grow along with our care and appreciation for our mate. As we guard each other’s feelings, we will keep one another as a priority in all our decisions.

 

Human beings change our priorities, interests, habits. and plans constantly throughout our life. However, as a couple, we need to make sure to choose those changes as we discuss them and make them together. When we do these few priorities, we realize how truly blessed we are to have our spouse as our lifetime partner.

 

Prayers:

Father God, help us to overlook our partner’s faults and instead to appreciate his/her strengths. Sometimes we are so intent on changing our mate to fit our lifestyle that we do not allow them to be equal partners on this road called life. Remind us not to belittle and look down on our mate, but to build him/her up and to appreciate all that they do for us.

 

Teach us to look to You for our fulfillment rather than to one another. We can work around each other’s schedules in order to care for many of our own needs, and to find our joy in our intimate relationship with You, and in Your eternal love for us. This love will then spill over into our relationship with our spouse. Thank You for Your constant presence in our life.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Counselors advise us not to blame our mate for our emotional reactions to their words, behavior, and neglect of us. Our frustration, anger, irritation, discouragement, etc. are triggered by an unresolved issue in our own life. Many times, our attraction to our spouse we physical and our emotions crying out to be healed, so our emotional responses are not our mate’s fault, but our own responsibility to heal. 

- https://www.transformationprayer.org/preparing-journey-introduction/

Negativity Overwhelming our Soul

 

 

Human beings tend to dwell on this temporal earth, embroiled by human reasoning, trapped by the hourglass of time, still eating from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, and attempting to save our self (Genesis 2:17, 3:5). God's Word admonishes us to take our thoughts captive in Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

 

It is healthy for us to take an inventory of our thoughts and feelings during every day (John 7:24). This prevents negative contemplations and emotions from overwhelming our soul and exploding at the least provocation. Satan's lies, our own insecurities plus neurosis from our past, and the world's judgment on us often keeps us enslaved to negative thinking. 

 

These negative constraints affect our beliefs and emotions. We attempt to improve our self, but whatever is conceived by carnality can be aborted by carnality. We live on a hamster's wheel - always running yet getting nowhere fast. However, there is hope for us in God (Psalm 63:2:5; Romans 15:13).

 

God chose us and loved us while we were still sinners (John 15:16; 1 John 4:10; Romans 5:8). At salvation, He makes us His Children and co-heirs with Jesus (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:17). His Spirit is building us into His house (Hebrews 3:6). Christ in us continually draws us into a more intimate union with Himself, His Spirit, and our Heavenly Father (Colossians 1:20). 

 

We cannot craft any lasting changes to our character in order to earn God’s love. He makes us clean - not by our good deeds and intentions, but by the blood of Christ (John 15:3; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Psalm 127:1). Jesus makes us wise, righteous, redeemed, and a new creation; so that we glory in the Lord rather than to take the credit for our achievements (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, Your love frees us from doubt and condemnation, which are fed to us by our own insecurities, the world's condemnation, and Satan's lies. Thank You for drawing our loved ones away from the seduction of this world, deliver them from the lies of the devil, and allow them to feel Your love and conviction cascading over them like a waterfall. 

 

In You there is no shame for our failings and idiosyncrasies, only love and acceptance just the way we are (Romans 5:8). Your Spirit perfects us throughout our lifetime (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Thank You for making us one with You and Jesus Christ through His residing presence in us and Your Spirit's sanctifying work in us, until You become our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

 

Thought for the Day:

Jesus is one with us in spirit and in truth; and He brings us into His rest in His perfect peace and love; as we keep our spirit and soul focused on Christ in us, we simply obey His directives and enjoy His peace, joy, divine timing, and a fulfilled life.

- Colossians 1:27; Isaiah 26:3; John 14:15