God is in Control - Supernatural Provision and Help

Over the years of my walk with the Lord, I learned to stand tall in courage and strength that come from Christ in me. He never, ever leaves or forsakes me for any reason (Deuteronomy 31:6).

He alone is our refuge and He gives us strength and continual help in any trouble that comes our way (Psalm 46:1). There is no reason to be afraid of what life or people will do to us, because God is our helper (Psalm 118:6-7).

If we allow our self to fear what the devil, the world or evil people will do to us, it becomes a physical, emotional and mental liability. When we trust in the Lord and walk in His Spirit, He gives us peace and safety, even in trials (Proverbs 29:25).

Jesus proved these promises time and again with His disciples. He even has power over nature (Mark 4:39-40). He is a victorious warrior in our midst. He exults and rejoices over us with joy and His quiet, steadfast love (Zephaniah 3:17).

When we dwell in the shelter of the Almighty, we rest in the shadow of the Most High God. He is our refuge and fortress, our God in whom we place our trust.

He shelters us with the feathers of His wings and shields us with His faithfulness. We do not fear any darkness or pestilence or plague; because although thousands may fall all around us, His angels guard us on every side (Psalm 91:1-16).

Prayer:

Father God, since we love You and acknowledge Your authority in our life, You rescue and protect us. When we call upon You, You answers us. You are with us in trouble, and You honor and deliver us. We are assured that no matter what life throws at us, You are in the middle of the turmoil and struggle right along with us.

You strengthen us and give us courage, You help us and lift us in Your hands above the storms of life. You live within us by Your Spirit and You are greater than Satan and his evil doers in this world. We cast all of our cares on You, because we know without a doubt that You care for us.

Thought for the Day:
As we keep our faith and trust in Him, God strengthens us in the very core of our soul. and He lifts our spirit when trials attempt to drag us down in fear and discouragement and life tends to overwhelm us with circumstances beyond our control. 

I do not Feel God's Presence - Other Reasons

If you have someone in your life that you have not forgiven, if you are bitter about something or if you are angry with God for some reason, that will keep you from feeling God's presence in your life.

Sometimes people, places, things or even animals take the place of God in our heart. We form an unholy physical tie and/or “soul” tie with them, which hinders our spiritual growth (The soul is our mind, will and emotions).

Every part of our self, which we hold back from God, is controlling our life. We have to give Him ALL of us. It is not a mental decision, but a total commitment to live our life God's way, rather than our own way.

We dishonor our self and our family and the family of God when we continue to live in sin (Ephesians 5:1-7, Hebrews 10:26-31, Romans 6:1-4). A true Believer will never live a sinful lifestyle.

With each sin we commit, we are hammering the nails back into Jesus' hands, shoving that crown of thorns back on His head, sticking the sword in His side again and hanging Him on the cross to die in public shame once again (Hebrews 6:6).

Those who are truly Born Again might fall into sin once, or even twice, but then our heart breaks and we run from this disobedience, because we realize that we are breaking God’s heart with every sin (John 5:18-21; 1 John 2:3-6, James 1:12-16, 1 John 3:7-10).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that going to church, serving in a ministry, praying to You, getting baptized or even tithing our income are useless activities, if we are not Born Again. We are just doing good works, and that does not get anyone into heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:12-14, 7:13: Matthew 5:27-30).

We must be Born Again by Your Spirit and walk in Your will and Your ways (John 3:1-21). Draw us ever closer to Your heart, humble our pride and rebellion, help us to forgive our self and others, and strengthen our inner being so that by Your Spirit we can make a true commitment, which leads to salvation (Romans 10:10).

Remind us to live our life one day at a time. When Your Spirit prompts us to stop some behavior, or to start doing something else, help us to obey (Philippians 2:12-13). We have confidence that we will slowly grow in Your grace and come closer each day to sensing Your presence.

Thought for the Day:

Look for God's little hugs throughout the day - a coincidence, a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk, the numbers on the clock, a bird's song, snuggles from your pet, an unexpected phone call or card in the mail, even the smile of a stranger. God will hug you with something that will make you feel special and loved, so watch for it.

God's Goodness and Grace

God's name is used in our society more in cursing than as a prayer. The last several generations have less of a concept of sin. They consider wrong as right, and right is often viewed as wrong (Romans 1:32).

Sin is the norm for many, and church is foreign (Ephesians 4:21, 6:1; Colossians 3:9). They view Christ's death on Calvary's cross as a waste of a life, rather than as the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

Until we understand that God's Word is our ultimate authority, we will not comprehend our disobedience to it, and our need to ask Jesus for forgiveness (John 14:15, 23).

Even the law of our land teaches us that there are consequences for our behavior. The police person and courts hold us responsible to uphold the law, or we are sentenced to make amends.

When we transgress God's law, we deserve to suffer the penalty of death (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Yet, Jesus suffered our eternal punishment for us (John 3:16-18). He gives us His life in our spirit, which was formerly dead in sin (Galatians 2:20).

When we decide to live for God, rather than for our self, we are no longer separated from Him. Jesus makes it possible for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven (Romans 10:13).

When we die physically, we will not die spiritually. The last breath we breathe on earth is followed by our first breath in Heaven (Matthew 25:46). We can trust our life on earth to God's perfect plan for us (Ephesians 2:10).

We find fulfillment, peace and joy through His love and forgiveness (Romans 14:17). We collapse into God's waiting arms with the confidence that He will catch us and never, ever let us go (Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer:

Father God, there are not enough days in our lifetime to show our appreciation to You for all that You do for us each day. Remind us not to take Your goodness and grace for granted. Teach us to praise You for all of the blessings You shower on us each and every day. Thank You for abiding in our spirit and making such a huge difference in our life.

Help us to learn to discern the leading of Your Spirit as we commit each moment of our day to You. We do not want to depend on our human reasoning, because this reaps mediocre results at best. We want to walk in Your Will by the direction of Your Word under the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

God improves our spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and physical health as we trust Him, follow the direction of His Spirit, and live, move and exist only in His will. - Acts 17:28