Inching through Life

We can ask God for what we want; and if He wants us to have it, He will give it to us (James 4:3). Yet, it is futile to waste time wanting what we do not have.

If we do, we are telling God that He is a poor provider and He does not have our best interest at heart (1 Peter 5:7). We are exhibiting a lack of faith in His faithfulness and exalting our self over Him.

We are also lacking in gratitude for all that He has already given to us (Philippians 4:6). We are keeping our focus on the temporal aspects of this life and functioning with human understanding.

Jesus died for us all, and rose again - giving us supernatural power so we will not live for our self, but for Him (John 3:16-18; 2 Corinthians 5:15). Jesus is the only way, truth and life; and no one comes to God except through Him (John 14:6).

Our Father God knows best. As we seek His Kingdom first, He provides us with everything we need for our spiritual, physical, emotional and mental well-being (Matthew 6:33). God also gives us wisdom as we ask for it, which guides us in our desires, thoughts and choices.

We stop inching through life as a caterpillar; and instead, we soar like a butterfly on the winds of adversity and trials. We mount up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31); and rise above the earth as we glide on the air currents that God provides for us.

God gives us the wisdom we need to navigate through life, encourage the downtrodden, reject the devil's temptations to sin, and to make the decisions which affect the rest of our life.

Prayer:

Father God, we do not have to spend one moment longing for anything or anyone but You. We no longer love this world nor the things, which it offers us. If we really need something in our life, which we do not have, You will give it to us. You will move us to another state; or give us a different car, vocation or house; or provide us with a spouse or a child, if it is Your will for us.

Remind us to trust only in You and in Your provision and timing. You have a perfect plan for each one of us and living in the center of Your will is the happiest place on earth. We seek You with all of our heart and we rely on Your wisdom and grace to help us to navigate the decisions in our life.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus is our gift and reward in this life and the next, because He is our all in all. - Colossians 1:17

Worship the Holy One

 

Worship is not about the style of music presented at our local church. Worship starts in our spirit and in the privacy of our own home. We begin each day with worship in our heart to the Holy One.

We are filled with praise to our God from the moment we open our eyes until we snuggle into our covers every night. Our spirit will even worship as we sleep; and we will wake with a song filtering through our mind.

We do not wait until Sunday morning and expect our worship team to take us to spiritual heights we neglected all week. Worship is a way of life for every authentic Believer.

This way, when we gather with the Saints at the appointed times and place, we can worship regardless of the song style, musical ability, stage presence or technological advances is the service (Ephesians 5:19-20).

We are already ministering to our Savior and King with songs of praise, filled with love and gratitude for His majesty and blessings in our life, which pour forth from our soul all day long.

Even in trials and tribulation, we praise Him for salvation through Christ, the leading of His Spirit, His unconditional love, His continual provision and His forgiveness for our sins, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:7-9).

A life of continual praise prepares us for unexpected challenges that meet us during life on this sin-cursed earth. We trust only in the Lord and never rely on our human understanding or assessment (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We see our self as a living sanctuary - pure, holy, faithful and grateful to our living Lord (1 Corinthians 3:16). Set apart for the Lord, we are no longer concerned about the temporal issues of life; but filled with the peace, joy and rest of the Lord (Hebrews 10:10-12).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to understand that our life is the true place of worship to You. Worship is not designed to make our soul feel good or our flesh to tingle, but as our offering to You. We dedicate our life to bringing glory and honor to You, even in the mundane aspects such as what we eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Help us to focus on You rather than our self. Remind us to praise You all day long, to think only positive thoughts (Philippians 4:8), to bring You glory and honor with all that we think, say and do. We live with a heart devoted to worshipping only You. We dedicate the music in our heart and on our tongue as a worship to You every moment of every day of our life.

Thought for the Day:

We are true worshippers in spirit and in truth, making music in our hearts to the Lord. - ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­John 4:24; Ephesians 5:19-20

Overcoming Anxiety

Anxiety is a horrifying malady. It strikes when we least expect it and has some sources that are subconscious and not apparent to the conscience mind. The healing process for anxiety often eludes us.

Anxiety may have its roots in unresolved conflicts of our past and is fueled by lies, which Satan planted there. Often our medication taken for medical issues will also trigger unexplained and unfounded panic attacks.

We chastise our self for these feelings, believing that we should be able to overcome them. The exciting truth is that anxiety cannot harm us. We have authority over the attacks in Jesus' name.

Focusing on the anxiety only increases the fears within us. Instead, we can focus on Christian music, fellowship or memorized Bible verses until the attack passes (Isaiah 41:10). Herbal relaxants also calm us.

Human faith is limited, and dependent on our five senses and physical circumstances. Faith in God replaces our fear of life's uncertainties (Isaiah 43:1). This supernatural faith understands what our human senses cannot even perceive (Hebrews 1:11).

God's Spirit is right there in us and with us, protecting us and guiding us through the travesties of life. His fruit replaces our carnal nature with the character of God (Galatians 5:22-23).

Hearing God's Word and standing on Jesus, the firm Rock of our salvation, also increases our faith in God (Romans 10:17). They renew our mind and heal us from past trauma by helping us to expose Satan's lies and to resolve those issues (Proverbs 12:25; www.theophostic.com )

Regardless of our experiences, God strengthens our resolve as we trust ONLY in Him, obey His commandments and believe without a doubt that He is always only a prayer away (Psalm 94:19).

There is no human way that we can control life, regardless of how much we obsess or attempt to keep our self and our loved ones safe. As we trust in God instead of our self, we experience His supernatural peace which exceeds all human comprehension (Psalm 56:3).

Prayer:

Father God, regardless of our experiences, either past or present, or our fears of the future, there is no trial that You will not walk through with us. You carry us through the rocky roads and the fire scorched earth to a place of safety tucked away in the cleft of the Rock of Christ (1 John 4:18).

You teach us that our mind is Satan's battleground, which he uses to take control of our life and to make us ineffectual for Your Kingdom work on the earth. Thank You for strengthening our resolve to deal with, or to turn over to You, the source of any negative thought or emotion in our life, and to put our trust in Your control over our circumstances (2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Peter 5:6-7).

Thought for the Day:

The result of sitting quietly in God's presence is a renewed sense of intimacy with Him, spiritual power to take authority over Satan's interference in our life and peace that surpasses human understanding.

 - Philippians 4:6-7; James 4:7-8; John 14:27