What Do You Think of Yourself?
There we saw the Nephilim [or
giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the
giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in
their sight.
NUMBERS 13:33
We read in Numbers 13 of how Moses sent twelve
men to scout out the Promised Land
to see if it was good or bad. Ten of the men came back with what the
Bible refers to as “an evil report”
(Numbers 13:32). They told Moses, “The
land is good, but there are giants in it!” They also referred
to themselves as “grasshoppers,” meaning
they believed they were insignificant and incapable of defeating the enemy.
The fear they had of the giants prevented God’s people from entering the land that He had promised to
give them. It wasn’t really the giants that defeated
these people; it was their poor self-image. They only saw the
giants; they failed to see God, and they failed to believe that with God, they could do anything
they needed to do.
Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who had a proper attitude. Caleb said to Moses and the people, “Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able to conquer it” (Numbers 13:30). They had the attitude
that God wanted them to have.
Activation
With God, all things were
possible. God had a glorious future
planned for me, just as He does for Israelites.
Prayers
God let me to realize who I am and the place a value
to my life every day. In the times of difficulty may I remain whom I am?
Scriptures
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days--and
afterward as well--when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of
men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of
renown.
Numbers 13:22
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,
where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had
been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
Numbers 13:28
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are
strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of
Anak there.
Set
Your Mind and Keep It Set
And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things),
not on the things that are on the earth.
COLOSSIANS 3:2
We can have right and wrong mind-sets. The right ones benefit us, and the wrong ones hurt us and hinder our progress. With God’s help we can set our minds in the right direction.
Some people see life negatively because they have experienced unhappy circumstances all their lives and can’t imagine anything better. Then there are some people who see everything as negative simply because their personality leans in that direction. Whatever its cause, a negative outlook leaves a person miserable and unlikely to grow spiritually. To enjoy God’s good plan for us, we need to be in agreement with Him, and He definitely is not negative!
Activation
With God’s help and your hard work and determination, you can break negative
mind-sets and old habits that are trying to keep you far from God. The devil
doesn’t want you to break through because he knows that if you do, you will
enjoy your life and be a blessing to others.
Prayers
Heavenly Father, let my life be changed and renewed so that my life will cause many other lives to change. Help me to set my mind in the right direction in order to fulfill my ordained destiny. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Matthew
16:23
But
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling
block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of
men."
Philippians
3:19
Their
end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their
shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Philippians
3:20
But
our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer Produces Rest
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
MATTHEW 11:28
If we are not at rest, we do not truly believe, because
the fruit of believing is rest.
For many years of my life I would claim, “Oh, I believe God; I
trust the Lord.” But I was not doing
either of those things, because I was anxious, worried, irritable, and on edge
most of the time.
Just
as we can be involved in outward activity, we can be involved in inward activity. God wants us not only to enter
into His rest in our body; He also wants us to
enter into His rest in our soul.
To me, finding rest, relief, ease, refreshment, recreation, and blessed quiet
for my soul means finding freedom
from wrong mental activity. It means not having to live in the torment of reasoning, always trying to come
up with an answer
I don’t have. I
don’t have to worry; instead,
I can remain in a place of quiet peace
and rest through
prayer.
Activation
If we are truly believing God and trusting the Lord, we have
entered into His rest.
Prayers
Father,
help me to cast my burden on You, abiding in the perfect peace of Your daily
presence. As I live daily closer to You. In Jesus name.
Isaiah
28:12
to
whom He has said: "This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is
the place of repose." But they would not listen.
Jeremiah
31:25
for
I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak."
John
7:37
On
the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud
voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
Acts
20:35
In
everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak,
remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: 'It is more blessed to give
than to receive.
Believe
Jesus replied, This is the work (service)
that God asks of you: that you believe…
JOHN 6:29
Little children usually automatically believe what their parents tell them, and that is how God wants us to be with Him. He wants us to believe what He
says in His Word! Christians are often referred to as “believers,” and believers should
believe!
Are you a believing believer,
or a doubtful believer? Simple childlike faith produces
a lot of good fruit. For example, joy and peace are found in believing (Romans 15:13). Doubt, reasoning, worry, and fear
produce all kinds of misery, but it all can be
avoided by making a decision to believe the Word of God. Believe
that something good is
going to happen to you. Believe that when you repent, your sins are completely forgiven. Believe that God wants to meet
all of your needs, that He loves you and is always willing
to help you.
Activation
When we believe, then we can enter the rest of God and really
enjoy each day of our lives. We can take life one day at a time and trust that our future
is secure in God.
Prayers
Lord, help me to live my days one day at a time, to live without worries and
fears in all I do let put you first and honor you always. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
John 3:17
For God did not send His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
John 6:28
Then they inquired, "What must we do to perform
the works of God?"
John 6:38
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own
will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
John 6:57
Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because
of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
You Are Loved
And we know (understand, recognize,
are conscious of, by observation and by experience)
and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who
dwells and continues in love dwells and
continues in God, and God dwells and continues
in him.
1 JOHN 4:16
We are created by God for love. Loving and being loved are what make life worth living. It gives life purpose and meaning. But if we have allowed sin and unforgiveness and the past to separate us from God’s love, it will leave us love-starved and unhappy.
Many people cannot maintain healthy, lasting relationships because either they don’t know how to receive love or they place an unbalanced demand on others to give them what only God can give. The resulting frustration can often lead to the ruin of marriages and the suffocation of friendships.
The Bible teaches us that God loves perfectly or unconditionally. His perfect
love for us is not based on our perfection. God loves us because He wants to!
God is love (1 John 4:8). Love is Who He is.
Activation
God always loves; all you have to do is receive that love and live with
confidence each day knowing that His love gives our lives purpose and meaning.
Prayers
God give me a revelation of Your perfect
love that can change my life
as I walk with You. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
John 9:3
Jesus answered, "Neither this
man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be
displayed in him.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows
God.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know
God, because God is love.
Waiting on God
Wait patiently for the LORD; be
strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!.
PSALM 27:14
When
we “wait” on God, we are not being lazy or passive, but we are actually being
very active spiritually. We may not be “doing” anything, but we are trusting
God to do what needs to be done. In effect, we are saying, “Lord, I will not
try to do this in my own strength. I will wait on You to deliver me. And I’m
going to enjoy my life while I wait for You.”
Satan
wants us to be frustrated from trying to solve our own problems. He hates our
joy. He wants to stop our joy, because the joy of the Lord is our strength
(Nehemiah 8:10). Worry robs us of strength, but joy energizes us.
We
are tempted to think we are not doing our part if we don’t worry or try to
figure out an answer to our problems, but this will prevent our deliverance rather
than aid it.
Activation
It is not irresponsible to enjoy life while we wait on God and expect Him to do
what we don’t know how to do!
Prayers
God help me to always remember that You are watching my steps and all my life,
so that I can always wait on you in my circumstances. Give me grace to overcome
impatient on waiting for you. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Psalm 40:1
I
waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Psalm
62:5
Rest
in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
Psalm
130:5
I
wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope
Having a Ready Mind
These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word
with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
ACTS 17:11 KJV
The Bible says that we are to have a ready mind. That means we can have minds that are open to the will
of God for us, whatever
His will may be. Readiness of
mind makes us to trust God in all situations. When we are convinced that the
word of God is true and we put our faith in God that will help us to make our
minds ready to receive the word of God and use it for our lives. The people
they are searching out the word of God in order to gain more knowledge. To gain
more knowledge of we believe we need to search the scripture daily and make it
as a part of our life. Trusting the word of God gives us the readiness of mind
to believe what it says.
Activation
Practice being positive in every situation that
arises. God has promised to bring good out of whatever is taking place in your
life at the moment.
Prayers
God helps us to have a readiness of
mind in all circumstances. We are asking you the strength to live our lives
daily always, in reading the scriptures and putting it to practices.
Proverbs 1:5
A wise man will hear, and will
increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Proverbs 9:9
Give instruction to a wise man, and
he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Jeremiah 2:21
Yet I had planted thee a noble
vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant
of a strange vine unto me?
Combating Fear with Prayer
So we take comfort and are
encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The
Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified].
What can man do to me?
HEBREWS 13:6
Fear
attacks everyone. It is the enemy’s way of trying to prevent us from enjoying
the life Jesus died to give us. If we
give in to fear and if we give voice to it, we open the door for the enemy
and close the door
to God.
But rather than give in to fear, we can learn to boldly confess that God is
our Helper, our Refuge, and our Stronghold.
The Bible teaches
us to watch and pray.
Matthew 26:41 says: “All
of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be
cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed
is willing, but the flesh
is weak.”
The major reference in this passage is to watching ourselves
and the attacks that the enemy
launches against our minds and our emotions. When these attacks are detected, we can pray immediately. It is when we
pray that power is released in our lives—not
when we think about praying later.
Activation
I encourage you to watch and pray about everything. I
believe you will find this decision to be one that will produce more joy and
peace for your everyday living. In order to live in real victory, it is
important that we dedicate ourselves to prayer.
Prayers
God give me the power to over fears always and give me the grace to replace my
fears with boldness and always remember that you alone is God over all. In
Jesus name.
1 Samuel 23:17
Saying, "Do not be afraid, for
my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel,
and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is
true."
Psalm 56:4
In God, whose word I praise--in God
I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalm 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not
be afraid. What can man do to me?
Rest for the Weary
Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary)
of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God?
1 CORINTHIANS 6:19
The
first key to overcoming stress is to recognize or admit we are experiencing it,
and look for the source of it. There
was a time in my life when I was constantly having headaches, backaches, stomachaches, neck aches, and all the
other symptoms of stress, but I
found it very difficult to admit I was pushing too hard physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I wanted to
do all of the things I was doing and wasn’t willing
to ask God what He wanted me to do.
Although
the Lord gives power to the faint and weary, if you are worn-out from continually
exceeding your physical limitations, you will have stress. Our bodies are the
sanctuary (home) of God, and we are in disobedience when we push
ourselves past God-ordained limitations and live in continual
stress.
Activation
We all have limits and we need to recognize
what they are and
eliminate excess stress from our lives.
If you wear out your body, you can’t go to a department store and
purchase another one, so take
care of the one you have!
Prayers
Give me strength to always get regular rest as one of the wisest things I can do.
Scriptures
1
Corinthians 5:1,10
It
is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication
as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his
father's wife…
Galatians
5:19-21
Now
the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness.
Ephesians
5:4,5
Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but
rather giving of thanks…
It’s Your Choice
For we are God’s [own] handiwork
(His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus,
[born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths
which He prepared ahead of time], that
we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
EPHESIANS 2:10
God
has given you a wonderful gift: free will.
God is offering you the opportunity to accept yourself
as He created you to be, but you have a free will and can refuse
to do so if you choose.
To accept something means to view it as usual, proper,
or right.
People who reject themselves do so
because they cannot see themselves as proper or right. They only see their flaws and weaknesses, not their beauty and
strength. This is an unbalanced attitude often instilled by
authority figures in the past that focused on what was weak and wrong rather than what was strong and right.
In Amos 3:3, we read, “Do
two walk together except they make
an appointment and have agreed?”
You can walk with God—you can be close to Him—when you decide to agree with Him.
Activation
He says He loves you and accepts you; therefore, if you agree with Him, you no longer have
to dislike or reject yourself. When God created you, He created
something wonderful.
Prayers
Lord you made me wonderful, but when I look around and see things with my sight
it seems that I am afraid to know this truth but I pray that you teach me in
love to know that I am wonderfully made. In Jesus Name.
Scriptures
Galatians
6:15
For
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new
creation.
Ephesians
1:1
Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the
faithful in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians
1:4
For
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless
in His presence. In love
Done with Sin
Therefore, since Christ suffered in
his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude,
because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live
the rest of their earthly lives for evil human
desires, but rather for the will of God.
1 PETER 4:1–2
Peter’s beautiful passage teaches us a secret concerning how to make it through difficult times and situations. Here is my rendition of these verses:
“Think
about everything Jesus went through and how He endured suffering in order to do
God’s will, and it will help you
make it through your difficulties. Arm yourselves for battle; prepare
yourselves for it by thinking as Jesus did… ‘I will patiently suffer rather than fail to please God.’ For if
you suffer, having the mind of Christ toward it, you will no longer be living just to please yourself, doing
whatever is easy and running from
all that is hard. But you will be able to live for what God wills and not by
your feelings and carnal thoughts.”
There
are difficulties that we go through in life, but we also experience the joy of victory. Trials and tests will come, and
God uses them to develop the potential He has
put in you.
Activation
Your part is to decide that you are never going to quit, no matter
what, until you see
the promises of God revealed
in your life. There is one
kind of person the devil can never defeat—one who is not a quitter. Keep on keeping on, and you’ll
get there.
Prayers
I have come to you oh Lord, bringing my suffering to
you believing that you will take away my suffering at the right time. Help me
to live to please you Lord. Help me Lord that I will stand firm and not quitting.
Scriptures
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore
take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be
able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.
1
Peter 2:21
For
to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an
example, that you should follow in His footsteps:
1
Peter 3:18
For
Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the
Spirit.
Prayer Produces Patience and Hope
Moreover [let us also be full of
joy now!] let us exult and triumph in
our troubles and rejoice in our
sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient
and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character
(approved faith and tried integrity). And
character [of this sort] produces
[the habit of] joyful and confident
hope of eternal salvation.
ROMANS 5:3–4
It
is easy to say, “Don’t worry.” But to actually do that requires experience with
the faithfulness of God. When we trust
God and then see and experience His faithfulness our
lives, it gives us great confidence to live without
worry, fear, and anxiety.
That’s why it is so important to continue to have faith and
trust in God in the very midst of trials and tribulations. With God’s help, we can steadfastly resist the temptation to give up and quit when the
going gets rough. God uses those hard, trying
times to build in us patience, endurance, and character that will
eventually produce the habit of joyful and confident hope.
Activation
If you are in a battle
right now, you can let it make you stronger! Always remember that when you are in a battle, you are gaining
valuable experience that will benefit you in the future.
Prayers
Help me God that I will more easily trust You when difficulty comes, and I will be able to testify to others regarding the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Help me Lord to make the right
decision that will bring me into a deeper level of spiritual maturity.
Scriptures
Habakkuk 3:18
yet
I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
Matthew
5:12
Rejoice
and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets before you.
Luke
21:19
By
your patient endurance you will gain your souls.
Faith and Grace
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
EPHESIANS 2:8–9
It
is wonderful to realize that salvation comes by the free grace of God and can
be easily received through simple
childlike faith. Thankfully, we don’t have to work for our salvation because Jesus has already done all the work. We
receive by faith alone! I believe the same way that we receive forgiveness
of our sins and eternal life (salvation) is the same way that we should live out our daily lives. We
should mix our faith with everything we do.
Faith is the leaning of the entire human personality on God
in absolute trust and confidence in
His power, wisdom, and goodness. When we go through life leaning on Him in absolutely everything, He will
always guide us and give us the strength and
ability to do whatever we need to do.
Activation
The good news is that you never have to try to do things on your own! God has sent the
Holy Spirit Who is your helper, so ask for and
receive the help you need today and every day, and relax in God’s love,
mercy, and grace.
Prayers
May I trade all my fears, anxieties,
and worries for simple faith in
God as I trust in God for a new strength and hope in Jesus name.
Scriptures
Romans 3:24
and are justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 9:16
So then, it does not depend on
man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
Ephesians 2:5
made us alive with Christ even when
we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
Forgiving Others
And become useful and helpful and kind to one another,
tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily
and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.
EPHESIANS 4:32
Medical
studies indicate that 75 percent of physical sickness is caused by emotional problems. And one of the
greatest emotional problems people experience is guilt. They are refusing to relax and enjoy life because, after
all, they feel they don’t deserve to have a good time. So they
live in a perpetual strain of regret and remorse. This kind of stress often makes people sick.
Two of the things that cause us to get all knotted up inside
are meditating on all the negative
things done to us by others, and the sinful
and wrong things
we have done. We have a hard time getting over what
others have done to us, and we find it difficult to forget the mistakes we have made.
Activation
In
my own life I had a choice to avoid bitter, full of hatred and self-pity,
resenting the people who
had hurt me, and choose
to follow God’s
path of forgiveness.
Prayers
God help me to have the choice to forgive others and receive
God’s forgiveness for myself,
so that I will be healthier and happier. In Jesus name
Scriptures
Proverbs 19:11
A
man's insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
Matthew
6:14
For
if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you.
Matthew
18:33
Shouldn't
you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?
Take Your Position
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground,
and all Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him.
2 CHRONICLES 20:18
In
2 Chronicles 20:18, the king and the people of Judah bowed with their faces to
the ground and worshipped when they heard the Lord’s instruction. The position of worshipping
God was helping them prepare for battle. If you are in a battle right
now, I strongly urge you to trade
all worry for worship. Kneeling in reverence before God, or other types of worship, is a
battle position and a
key to spiritual power.
To “praise” God has been defined as to ascribe to Him the glory due to His name. It is to talk about and sing out about the goodness, grace, and greatness
of God. To “worship” has been defined
as to give reverence to and to serve. Broadly, it may be regarded as the direct acknowledgment of God, of His nature,
attributes, ways, and claims, whether by expressing your heart in praise and thanksgiving or by deed done in such an acknowledgment.
Activation
With
God’s help, we can learn to fight His way, not the world’s way. Our battle position is one of worship, and this is a
position that brings us closer to God.
Prayers
Heavenly
Father, let me fight every battle
with a heart of praise and worship, believing that You will work in my life and
circumstances. As I worship
You Lord, release the emotional and mental burden that is weighing is down. And let be swallowed up in
Your awesomeness. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
2 Chronicles 7:3
And when all the children of Israel
saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they
bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and
worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy
endureth for ever.
Genesis 24:26
And the man bowed down his head,
and worshipped the LORD.
Exodus 4:31
And the people believed: and when
they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had
looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
The Power of Hope
18 who,
contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many
nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And
not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since
he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did
not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in
faith, giving glory to God. ROMANS 4:18–20
We believe for many things, but beyond them all, we believe in Someone. That Someone is Jesus. We don’t always know what is going to happen. We just know
it will always work out for our good!
It is reported that Abraham, after sizing up his situation
(he didn’t ignore the facts), considered
the utter impotence of his own body and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. Although all human reason for hope was
gone, he hoped in faith. Abraham was very positive
about a very negative situation!
Hebrews
6:19 tells us that hope is the anchor of the soul. Hope is the force that keeps us steady in a time of trial.
Activation
Don’t
ever stop hoping. Don’t be afraid to hope. No
one can promise that you’ll never be disappointed. But you can always
have hope and be positive. Have hopeful expectation every
day of your life.
Prayers
Lord let my faith be on you alone, in the times of difficulty let me find faith
to overcome such situation. As I look unto you always to be my helper in the
times of difficulty never leave me alone. I put all my hope in you. In Jesus
name.
Scriptures
Romans
4:17
As
it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our
father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to
the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
Romans
8:24
For
in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes
for what he can already see?
Hebrews
6:19
We
have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner
sanctuary behind the curtain
Prudence
I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge
and discretion.
PROVERBS 8:12
A
word you don’t hear very much teaching about is “prudence.” In the Scriptures “prudence” or “prudent” means being good
stewards of the gifts God has given us to use.
Those gifts include abilities, time, energy, strength, and health as well as
material possessions. They include
our bodies as well as our minds and spirits.
God has given each of us different gifts and grace according
to how He wants us to use them. One
person may be gifted to sing and does so in their local area, while another person’s singing ability is known in most of the world.
The Bible tells us to use our gifts
according to the grace given to us (Romans 12:6).
Each of us would be wise to know how much we are able to
handle, to be able to recognize when
we are reaching “full capacity” or “overload.” Instead of pushing ourselves into overload to please others,
satisfy our own desires, or reach our personal
goals, we can learn to listen to the Lord and obey Him.
Activation
If we follow the Lord’s leading, we will enjoy blessed
lives.
Prayers
Lord. we all experience stress and at times
we feel the effects of it, but give
us wisdom to learn to manage it well. And show me areas in my
life that could be changed to help me eliminate excess stress better.
Scriptures
Psalm
104:24
O
LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth
is full of thy riches.
Isaiah
55:8,9
For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the
LORD…
Romans
11:33
O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Self-Acceptance
For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects
the son in whom he delights.
PROVERBS 3:12
Perhaps you have been struggling with accepting yourself. You see the areas in yourself where change is necessary. You desire to be like Jesus. Yet it is very difficult for you to think or say, “I accept myself.” You feel that to do so would be to accept all that is wrong with you, but that is not the case. We can accept and embrace ourselves as God’s unique creation, and still not like everything we do.
God will change us, but we cannot even begin the process of change until this issue of self-acceptance is settled in our individual lives. When we truly believe that God loves us unconditionally just as we are, then we will have closeness to Him, and we will be willing to receive His correction, which is necessary for true change.
Change requires corrections—people who do not know they are loved have a very difficult time receiving correction. Correction is merely God giving us divine direction for our lives. He is guiding us to better things, but if we are insecure we will always feel condemned by correction instead of joyfully embracing it.
God does not approve of all of our actions, but He does love and approve of us as His beloved children.
Activation
Be patient with yourself. Keep pressing on and believe that you are changing
every day.
Prayers
God help me to understand when You are correcting me so that I can follow up in
order to be obedient to You. Make always rejoice in your correction. In Jesus
name.
Scriptures
Hebrews 3:19
So we see that it was because of
their unbelief that they were unable to enter.
Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God,
purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living
God!
Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God.
Run Your Race
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
HEBREWS 12:1
If we are going to run our race in life, if we want
to fulfill our destiny and do God’s will, it is important that we lay aside every
weight and sin and run the race with patience. In the days this verse was
written, runners conditioned their bodies for a race just as we do today. But
at the time of the race, they stripped off their clothing except for a
loincloth, so that when they ran there would be nothing to hinder them. They
also oiled their bodies with fine oils.
In our Christian life, we are called to remove
anything that hinders us from running the race that God has set before us. It
is essential to be well oiled, or anointed, with the Holy Spirit (often
symbolized by oil) if we are going to win our race.
The devil has many ways to entangle us and prevent
us from living in obedience to God’s Word, developing an intimate relationship
with Him.
Activation
There are many distractions and requirements on our
time. But with God’s guidance, we can strip away the things that will hinder
us.
Prayers
Keep our eyes on your goal and learn to say “no” to
things that distract us and keep us from fulfilling
our full potential. Help me to be determined that
nothing is going to hinder me from fulfilling Your plan and purpose for my
life.
Scriptures
Ephesians 4:22
to put off your former way of life,
your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off
falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one
another.
Philippians 1:30
since you are encountering the same
struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
The Power of Agreement
All of these with their minds in full agreement devoted themselves steadfastly to prayer.
ACTS 1:14
Whenever believers are united in prayer, there is
great power present. Jesus Himself said, “For wherever two or three are
gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the
midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
Throughout the book of Acts, we read that the people
of God came together “with one accord” (Acts 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25 KJV).
And it was their united faith, their corporate agreement, and love that made
their prayers so effective. They saw God move in mighty ways to confirm the
truth of His Word as they gave testimony to their faith.
Living in agreement doesn’t necessarily mean that we
feel the exact same way about everything, but it does mean that we are
committed to walking in love.
We can respect someone’s opinion even if we don’t
share it! Dave and I don’t share the same opinions about many things, but we do
live in peace and harmony and it gives us power in prayer.
In Philippians 2:2 we are told by the apostle Paul,
“Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind
and one in purpose.”
Activation
Prayer is a wonderful privilege, and one that we
should exercise often. But in order to have good results, we should also strive
to remove all disharmony and disunity from our lives.
Prayers
God help me to find good friends that can be of the same heart in prayers and
fellowship. May I always encourage the unit of the brethren. Let my life be
used for the benefits of others and may I become blessings to others. In Jesus
name
Scriptures
Acts
2:42
They
devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts
6:4
and
will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Romans
12:12
Be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
Courage and Obedience
After these things, the word of the
Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear
not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great.
GENESIS 12:1
In Genesis 12:1, God gave Abram a tall order. In so many words He said, “Pack up and leave everyone you know and
everything you are comfortable with and go to a place I will show you.”
If
Abram had bowed his knee to doubt and uncertainty, the rest of the story would never have come to pass. He would never have experienced God as his Shield, his great compensation, and he would never
have received his exceedingly great
reward. In the same way, if Joshua had not overcome his fear and been
obedient to God’s command to lead His
people into the Promised Land, neither he nor they would ever have enjoyed all that God had planned
and prepared for them.
There
is power in God’s Word to equip us to stop bowing our knee in fearful uncertainty. We can do what God wants us to do, even if we have to do it with fear.
Activation
I
am determined that my life is not going to be ruled by fear but by Your Word.”
Prayers
Lord,
strengthen me. So that I cannot be intimidated by an obstacle, by Your help I can overcome the challenges ahead of
me. In Jesus Name.
Scriptures
Luke 14:26-33
If any man come to me, and hate not
his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea,
and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple…
Psalm 45:10,11
Hearken, O daughter, and consider,
and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go
to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without
knowing where he was going.
The
Purpose of Faith
…Be vigilant and cautious at all times; for
that enemy of yours, the devil, roams
around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]…
1 PETER 5:8–9
Oftentimes
we make the mistake of trying to use faith to get to the place where there is total freedom from trouble. But the purpose of faith is not always to keep us from having trouble;
it is often to carry us through trouble. If we never had any trouble,
we wouldn’t need any faith.
The temptation exists to run away from our problems, but the
Lord says that we are to go through
them. The good news is that He has promised that we will never have to go through them alone. He will always be
there to help us in every way. He has said to
us, “Fear not, for I am with
you” (Isaiah 41:10).
Activation
In
our daily experience, we can learn to stand our ground and effectively resist
the devil. Learning to be stable
in hard times is one of the best ways
to get close to God and to press through any difficulty we may
face.
Prayers
God
be with me to help me always even when everything had gone wrong and every help
is not near please give strength not to give up half way but to complete what
You have began in me. In Jesus name
Scriptures
Job 1:7
"Where
have you come from?" said the LORD to Satan. "From roaming through
the earth," he replied, "and walking back and forth in it."
Proverbs
28:15
Like
a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
Matthew
24:42
Therefore
keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
Receive Your Forgiveness
I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
ISAIAH 43:25
No matter what your problem or how bad you feel about
yourself as a result of it, take this truth into your heart: God loves you.
Jesus Christ gave His life that you might be forgiven, and He has given you a
new life. God has given you a new family and new friends to love and accept and
appreciate and support you. You are going to make it because of the One Who
lives inside you and cares for you.
Repent of whatever sin it is that stands between you and
Him and receive forgiveness. No matter what you may have done, say, “Lord, I
did it, and it is a marvel to me to realize that You love me unconditionally,
and that You forgive me. You have put my sins as far away from me as the east
is from the west, and You remember them
no more!” (Psalm 103:12.)
Activation
Once you have repented of your sins and received God’s forgiveness, if you continue to drag them up to Him every time you go to Him in prayer,
you are reminding Him of something He has
not only forgiven but
also actually forgotten.
Prayers
My heavenly Father, by your mercy I can be strong to forgive others, therefore,
have mercy for me to learn how I can forgive others, In Jesus name.
Scriptures
2 Chronicles 6:21
Hear the plea of Your servant and
of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from
heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the
west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason
together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they
will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become
like wool.
Waiting for
the Lord
But those who wait for the Lord
[who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall
change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings
and mount up [close to God] as
eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
ISAIAH 40:31
Waiting
on God does not mean that we do nothing,
while expecting God to do everything
for us. To me it means that I wait, expecting God to give me direction if there is
something He wants me to do, while also trusting Him to do what only He can do. Often as I have waited on God and put my
trust in Him, He has shown me things that need
to be adjusted in my behavior or attitude. You see, God doesn’t merely want to change
our circumstances, but He also wants to change us.
As
we spend quiet time with God, He reveals things to us, and we are refreshed in His presence. Closeness and intimacy with
God is one of our greatest privileges as His
children. The more time we spend with Him, the more we are transformed
into His image. Study God’s Word and
receive it as a personal letter from Him to you. It will both comfort and correct you.
Activation
Wait on God with a trusting, expectant heart, and look forward to all the good things
He has planned for you.
Prayers
God of heaven, help me to live my life to fulfill Your will everyday, as I wait
on You let me not be weary by may I renew my strength in Jesus name,
Scriptures
2 Corinthians 4:8
We
are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
2
Corinthians 4:16
Therefore
we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self
is being renewed day by day.
Galatians
6:9
Let
us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we
do not give up.
A Glad Heart
All the days of the desponding and
afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts
and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].
PROVERBS 15:15
An “evil foreboding” is a vague, threatening feeling that something bad is going to happen. There was a point when I realized that I had actually carried these feelings with me most of my life. In fact, I had been made miserable by evil thoughts and forebodings. Perhaps you have these feelings as well. You have circumstances that are very difficult, but even when you don’t you are still miserable because your thoughts are poisoning your outlook and robbing you of the ability to enjoy life and see good days.
Proverbs 15:15 promises you that these feelings need not remain. Faith’s attitude is one of leaning on God, trusting and being confident in Him—
Activation
It is joyful feasting on the expectancy of good. Rather than dreading something
by anticipating that it will make you miserable, you can have faith that God
will give you the power to enjoy it.
Prayers
God help me to know that my joy, peace, righteousness, and power are on the inside of me through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let worry and anxiety rule in my life any longer.
Scriptures
Proverbs 16:22
Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Acts 16:25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Victory over Stress
…Now we serve
not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience
to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life].
ROMANS 7:6
There
are times in life when we have to deal with stress, but we can be on top of it, not under it. Through the
Holy Spirit’s guidance and power, we can handle our work and responsibilities with ease instead of
stress. As we follow the promptings of the Spirit we will know how to handle each situation we encounter.
All of us have situations that come our way that we don’t like. But with the power
of God, we can go through those
circumstances while also avoiding stress. The more we lean on, and trust in, God, the easier life is. Every situation
in life is not “easy,” but we can handle them with what I call “Holy Spirit Ease.”
In other words, God empowers us to do whatever we need to do through
Him. He energizes
us and helps us. God will
guide us, but we need to trust Him enough to follow His directions. He never gives us any advice that is not for
our benefit and progress in life.
Activation
God is leading you into a place of victory and triumph, not into a place of
defeat. As you follow His lead, I believe you will experience less stress than
ever before.
Prayers
God
help me to do something you want
me to do give me strength to overcome myself will when You are
speaking to me, but obedience
to His leadership keeps us from taking wrong roads in life and
wasting time and
energy!
Scriptures
Romans 7:4
Wherefore,
my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye
should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we
should bring forth fruit unto God.
Romans
6:14,15
For
sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under
grace…
Galatians
3:13,23-25
Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it
is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
How Can I Change?
Do not be conformed to this world
(this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed
(changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind…
ROMANS 12:2
Change
does not come through struggle, human effort without God, frustration, self- hatred, self-rejection, guilt, worry, or works of the flesh. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and as such we all
want to please God. We want to be what He wants
us to be, and behave the way He wants us to behave, but in order for that to happen,
we need to learn how to think like He thinks.
Change in your life comes as a result of having your mind
renewed by the Word of God. As you
agree with God and really believe that what He says is true, it gradually begins to manifest itself in you. You
begin to think differently, then you begin to talk differently, and finally you begin to act differently. This is a
process that develops in stages,
but while it is taking place you can still have the attitude, “I’m okay, and I’m on my way!”
Activation
Enjoy yourself while you are changing. Enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going. Enjoy the journey! Don’t waste all of your
“now time” trying
to rush into the
future. Relax.
Prayers
Help me God to stop being so hard
on myself. And let my change comes little by little,
so that I can come closer to you always. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Romans
13:14
But
put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to
fulfil the lusts thereof.
Psalm
51:10
Create
in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Ezekiel
18:31
Cast
away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make
you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Be Patient
But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough
work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
JAMES 1:4
James teaches us that we can
rejoice when we find ourselves involved in difficult situations, knowing that God is trying our faith to bring out
patience. I have found that trials did eventually bring out patience
in me, but first they brought a lot of other
junk to the surface—such as pride, anger, rebellion, self-pity,
complaining, and many other things.
It seems that these ungodly traits, with God’s help, need to be faced and dealt with because they hinder patience as well
as other good fruit like kindness, love, humility, and other things.
The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, and sacrifice. These are not popular
words; nevertheless, these are things we go through in order to become like Jesus in our character. God’s desire is to
make us perfect, lacking in nothing. He wants
us to ultimately be
filled with the
fruits of righteousness, which usually
requires us to go through some difficulties that,
although are unpleasant,
do eventually help
us
mature.
Activation
No matter what you are going through, trust God that you are growing closer to
Him each day!
Prayers
I
struggled with the difficulties in my life for a long time until help me God to
learn that You would work out for
good and use them to help me in many ways. Help me simply to surrender and say, “I trust You, God. I
believe when this difficulty is over, I
will be a better person than I was before
it began!”
Scriptures
Luke 21:19
By
your patient endurance you will gain your souls.
Colossians
4:12
Epaphras,
who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is
always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully
assured in the full will of God.
1
Thessalonians 5:23
Now
may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire
spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Simple, Believing Prayer
And when you pray, do not
heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the
Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.
MATTHEW 6:7
I was dissatisfied with my prayer life for many
years. I was committed to praying every morning, but I always felt something
was missing. I finally asked God what was wrong, and He responded in my heart
by saying, “Joyce, you don’t feel that your prayers are good enough.” I wasn’t
enjoying prayer because I had no confidence that my prayers were acceptable.
Too often we get caught up in our own works concerning prayer. Sometimes we try
to pray so long, loud, or fancy that we lose sight of the fact that prayer is
really just conversation with God. The length or loudness or eloquence of our
prayer is not the issue.
Activation
The
only important elements to prayer are the sincerity of our hearts and a
confidence that God hears and will answer us. We can be confident that even if
we simply say, “God help me,” He hears and will answer.
Prayers
God help us to depend on You always and be faithful to do what You have asked me
to do as long as I live. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Matthew 18:17
And
if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglects
to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
1
Kings 18:26
And
they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of
Baal from morning until noon, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But
there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they
had made.
Ecclesiastes
5:2
Do
not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before
God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few
I Will Not Quit
I have strength for all things in Christ Who
empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who
infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].
PHILIPPIANS 4:13
So often, someone will come to me for advice and prayer, and when I
tell them what the Word of God says, or what I think the Holy Spirit is saying,
their response is, “I know that’s right; God has been showing me the same
thing. But, Joyce, it’s just too hard.” This is one of the most commonly
expressed excuses I hear from people. When I initially started reading in the
Word of God about how I could become more like Jesus, and then compared it to
where I was, I also said, “I want to do things Your way, God, but it is so
hard.” God graciously showed me this is a lie the enemy tries to inject into
our minds to get us to give up. But God’s commandments are never too difficult
for us to follow if we do them through Christ’s strength.
Activation
Walking in obedience to God is not too hard because He has given us His
Spirit to work in us powerfully and to help us in all He has asked of us (John
14:16).
Prayers
Lord. Let me be with You all the time to enable me to do what I cannot
do, and to do with ease what would be hard without You!
Scriptures
2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power
is perfected in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in
my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Ephesians 3:16
I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with
power through His Spirit in your inner being,
Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so
that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully.
Trust in the Right Place
Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of
horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.
PSALM 20:7
There are many facets of faith. The most brilliant facet, however, is
trust! Trust is something we have, and we decide what to do with it. We decide
in whom or in what to put our trust. Where have you placed your trust? Is your
trust in your job, employer, bank account, or friends? Perhaps your trust is in
yourself, your past record of successes, education, natural talents, or
possessions. All of these are temporal, subject to change. Only the Lord
changes not. He alone is the Rock that cannot be moved. As children of God, we
can have the assurance that God will deliver us in current troubles, just as He
delivered us in the past. We can then take our trust and put it in the right
place, which is in God alone.
Activation
Trust is not upset, because it has entered into God’s rest. Trust is not
confused, because it has no need to lean on its own understanding. Trust does
not give up or panic. Trust believes that God is good and that He works all
things out for good!
Prayers
God help me to put my trust in you always and never lead me to temptation of
mistrust and fears. Let me know that without You I am nothing so that my trust
can be strong in You everyday as I live. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
2 Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to
help us and to fight our battles." So the people were strengthened by the
words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Psalm 33:17
A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot
save.
Proverbs 21:31
A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.
1 Chronicles 5:20
And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against
their enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their
hands. Because they put their trust in God, He answered their prayers.
