Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Chasing the Wind
People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; Looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plaques them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within. ~ Unknown
Scripture:
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:12-14 (New International Version)
The book of Ecclesiastes teaches that us a life not centered on God is purposeless and meaningless. Today’s lesson is about how some people can begin to put too much emphasis on “stuff.”
Sometimes we are so busy chasing after money, success and concern over what other people think about us, that we start looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places. The things that we begin to believe are the most important things in life, are the very things that we begin to chase after.
When we chase after fame, fortune and the opinions of others we are essentially saying that we have total control of our lives and that we don’t trust in the plans that God has for us. This is not to say that obtaining certain things in life is wrong or that we should feel guilty about it, but rather realizing that the collecting of things will not necessarily lead them to the road of happiness. Recognizing what is really important; God, family, and friends are more important than things.
Learning to embrace where you are in life, is sometimes more important than embracing the things that fill our lives. Recognizing where you are in your spiritual walk is often more important than the journey. Learning to enjoy who you are is more important than trying to impress others.
Saints of God, having things is not the most important thing in life. Having God and people who love you is far more important than any material thing that you could ever have. Having peace of mind, body and spirit is something that you will be able to keep with you always.
The most important lesson that any of us could ever learn, is to put God first in everything and He becomes our windbreaker.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. We come asking Lord, for peace that passes all understanding. We come asking for strength to stand in the face of adversity. But most of all, we come asking with humbled hearts and minds, that You would hear our prayers and our petitions. Master, we need You to speak to the winds of adversity that are blowing against us, peace be still. We come asking that You hold on to our hands and the storms of life toss us about. We come asking that You would hide us under the wings of Your salvation as the roaring lions draws near in an effort to devour us. Lord, we ask that You would keep all of our families, friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters in perfect peace this and everyday. Bless us right now in the name of Jesus. Our prayers are not complete until we let You know just how much we love You. Our prayers on not complete until we sing songs of praise to You alone. Lord, we lift Your name on high, we give You all of our love, all of our praise and sing songs of praise all the day long. Thank You Lord for one more day. Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, Praise God thank You Jesus, Amen.
Scripture:
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:12-14 (New International Version)
The book of Ecclesiastes teaches that us a life not centered on God is purposeless and meaningless. Today’s lesson is about how some people can begin to put too much emphasis on “stuff.”
Sometimes we are so busy chasing after money, success and concern over what other people think about us, that we start looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places. The things that we begin to believe are the most important things in life, are the very things that we begin to chase after.
When we chase after fame, fortune and the opinions of others we are essentially saying that we have total control of our lives and that we don’t trust in the plans that God has for us. This is not to say that obtaining certain things in life is wrong or that we should feel guilty about it, but rather realizing that the collecting of things will not necessarily lead them to the road of happiness. Recognizing what is really important; God, family, and friends are more important than things.
Learning to embrace where you are in life, is sometimes more important than embracing the things that fill our lives. Recognizing where you are in your spiritual walk is often more important than the journey. Learning to enjoy who you are is more important than trying to impress others.
Saints of God, having things is not the most important thing in life. Having God and people who love you is far more important than any material thing that you could ever have. Having peace of mind, body and spirit is something that you will be able to keep with you always.
The most important lesson that any of us could ever learn, is to put God first in everything and He becomes our windbreaker.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. We come asking Lord, for peace that passes all understanding. We come asking for strength to stand in the face of adversity. But most of all, we come asking with humbled hearts and minds, that You would hear our prayers and our petitions. Master, we need You to speak to the winds of adversity that are blowing against us, peace be still. We come asking that You hold on to our hands and the storms of life toss us about. We come asking that You would hide us under the wings of Your salvation as the roaring lions draws near in an effort to devour us. Lord, we ask that You would keep all of our families, friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters in perfect peace this and everyday. Bless us right now in the name of Jesus. Our prayers are not complete until we let You know just how much we love You. Our prayers on not complete until we sing songs of praise to You alone. Lord, we lift Your name on high, we give You all of our love, all of our praise and sing songs of praise all the day long. Thank You Lord for one more day. Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, Praise God thank You Jesus, Amen.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Be Inspired
If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you dream it, you can become it. William Arthur Ward
Scripture:
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (New International Version)
Who or what inspires you? Some might answer; riches fame or power. Others might say their partners, and education or maybe even a community leader. For each of us, inspiration can come from various sources.
For me, inspiration comes from many different sources. I am inspired when I see others writers living their dreams. I get inspired when I see a smile, a touch and yes, even a tear. But most of all, I am inspired by the word of God. To me, inspiration is the food that feeds my hopes and dreams; but most of all, my faith.
Inspiration is the courage to keep pressing on when life wants to stop us dead in our tracks. Inspiration is that thought or concept that renews your and your faith when you thought it was gone.
Inspiration is the faith that you can do anything but fail because the Victory has already been won!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. I call out to the Lord. He is worthy of praise. He saves me from my enemies. The Lord lives! Give praise to my Rock! Give honor to God, the Rock! He is my Savior! Lord, we come once again singing songs of praise. Lord, we honor You because You are who You said You are. You are the rock of my salvation. You are my strength. You are my salvation. You are the one and only true God! Thank You Lord for saving me. Father, Abba, Great Jehovah, You are known by many names, but no matter which name we call on, You will answer. Thank You Lord, for answering prayer. Now my Lord, we ask that You would continue to do great things in our lives. The world today is ruled by a spirit of darkness. Lord, we ask that we, Your saints, would become those lights that guide others home to You. Father, may something that we do or something that we say today, be a blessing unto someone else. May we always hide Your word in our hearts. But more importantly, may we always allow Your word and the Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do and say. Now Lord, Bless us, Keep us, Protect us, Strengthen us. Lord, we could never thank You enough for our blessings. But we say thank You anyhow. We could never express just how much we love You, but we say we love You anyhow. We could never be worthy of Your grace and mercy. But we thank You for giving us those gifts anyhow. Thank You Lord. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Glory to God. Amen
Scripture:
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (New International Version)
Who or what inspires you? Some might answer; riches fame or power. Others might say their partners, and education or maybe even a community leader. For each of us, inspiration can come from various sources.
For me, inspiration comes from many different sources. I am inspired when I see others writers living their dreams. I get inspired when I see a smile, a touch and yes, even a tear. But most of all, I am inspired by the word of God. To me, inspiration is the food that feeds my hopes and dreams; but most of all, my faith.
Inspiration is the courage to keep pressing on when life wants to stop us dead in our tracks. Inspiration is that thought or concept that renews your and your faith when you thought it was gone.
Inspiration is the faith that you can do anything but fail because the Victory has already been won!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. I call out to the Lord. He is worthy of praise. He saves me from my enemies. The Lord lives! Give praise to my Rock! Give honor to God, the Rock! He is my Savior! Lord, we come once again singing songs of praise. Lord, we honor You because You are who You said You are. You are the rock of my salvation. You are my strength. You are my salvation. You are the one and only true God! Thank You Lord for saving me. Father, Abba, Great Jehovah, You are known by many names, but no matter which name we call on, You will answer. Thank You Lord, for answering prayer. Now my Lord, we ask that You would continue to do great things in our lives. The world today is ruled by a spirit of darkness. Lord, we ask that we, Your saints, would become those lights that guide others home to You. Father, may something that we do or something that we say today, be a blessing unto someone else. May we always hide Your word in our hearts. But more importantly, may we always allow Your word and the Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do and say. Now Lord, Bless us, Keep us, Protect us, Strengthen us. Lord, we could never thank You enough for our blessings. But we say thank You anyhow. We could never express just how much we love You, but we say we love You anyhow. We could never be worthy of Your grace and mercy. But we thank You for giving us those gifts anyhow. Thank You Lord. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Glory to God. Amen
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Sometimes There Has to be a Breakdown in order to Have a Breakthrough
Breakdowns can create breakthroughs. Things fall apart so things can fall together.
In other words, sometimes the world or life’s situations that we find ourselves in have to crumble beneath us and we must hit rock bottom before we will make a change. It is at times like this that God will allow everything that we have or believe in to be taken away so that there is nothing left for us hold on to but Him.
Scripture:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
So often as we journey through life, things appear to be going along just fine and then suddenly, something will happen to cause things to begin to fall apart. We sometime call these things an unexpected turn of events. Or as some might say, we hit a speed bump or bump in the road. These speed bumps could be called, financial difficulties, infidelity, sickness and strife or simply “Life happens.”
The word bottom is often used to describe a condition that most would not like to find themselves, such as “At your lowest point, hitting rock bottom, bottom of the barrel, or bottoming out.” Now to most of us, none of the aforementioned conditions or places is anywhere any of us would like to find ourselves. However, when we look for positives in our negatives, we can often find something to aspire to. Such as; “To descend to the lowest point possible, after which only a rise may occur.”
In other words, sometimes the world or life’s situations that we find ourselves in have to crumble beneath us and we must hit rock bottom before we will make a change. It is at times like this that God will allow everything that we have or believe in to be taken away so that there is nothing left for us hold on to but Him.
Remember, when life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. And sometimes satan will knock you down, but God can pick you up!
Be Blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Therefore I say unto You, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Lord, we come before You believing that You are the one and only true God. Lord, we thank You for remaining faithful to us. Father we give thanks to You alone for loving us and watching over us. Father, help us always to put You first in all we do and say. Teach us Lord, how to remain faithful in spite of our circumstances. Help us Lord to remain prayerful and diligent in our service to You. Thank You Lord for blessing us. Thank You Lord for new grace and mercy. Thank You Lord, for the Blood, the blood that washes away my sins. The blood that protects, heals, and sanctifies. Thank You Lord, for loving a sinner like me. May the prayers of my brothers and sisters be heard by You alone. May You touch the hearts and minds of all who have come before the throne of grace today. May we always give thanks to You first. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Be Blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Therefore I say unto You, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Lord, we come before You believing that You are the one and only true God. Lord, we thank You for remaining faithful to us. Father we give thanks to You alone for loving us and watching over us. Father, help us always to put You first in all we do and say. Teach us Lord, how to remain faithful in spite of our circumstances. Help us Lord to remain prayerful and diligent in our service to You. Thank You Lord for blessing us. Thank You Lord for new grace and mercy. Thank You Lord, for the Blood, the blood that washes away my sins. The blood that protects, heals, and sanctifies. Thank You Lord, for loving a sinner like me. May the prayers of my brothers and sisters be heard by You alone. May You touch the hearts and minds of all who have come before the throne of grace today. May we always give thanks to You first. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
People Only See What they Want to See
Don`t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you`ll see the way to fly. ~ Richard Bach
Scripture:For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them. John 12:39-41 (New International Version)
The world we live in today causes one to ponder, what does the future hold? We look around us and see heartache and sadness at every turn. There is not one among us who has either been touched or knows of someone else who is struggling to make it through another day. The economy is spiraling downward at a rate that is out of control.
Those who are in power say they understand and they know the answers to what must be done, but I ask you; do they? Do they live in the same world that you and I live in? Do they see and comprehend the same things that we do? It begs the question, are they living on the same edge of financial devastation that many are experience on a daily basis?
Now I myself have a job. However, a few short years ago that was not the case. When I lost a very lucrative job, I lost my home, my car and that all powerful credit rating. Yes, I found employment but years later I am still struggling day by day to make it through. I am trying to follow my dream, but even though I haven’t lost heart, I become discouraged knowing that I am still in the midst of my struggle.
As I read the above scripture it prompts me to wonder; do they really know? Do they really see? Or have they become so blinded by that almighty dollar that they fail to see the human face that struggles to carry the burdens of family and survival on their backs. “I Got Mine so You Better Get Yours.”
Saints of God, look up to heaven from whom all blessings flow and not towards man. Open your eyes and your hearts to the world around you and let us not forget that by looking at the world around us, with eyes of compassion and never forgetting from whom and where we came are the only things that will allow us to heal as a country.
And remember that it would be better to have eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; lips that cannot speak, than a heart that cannot love or to lack a spirit of compassion.
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Father, we come before You to receive mercy and grace. With the help of the Holy Spirit we purpose to amend our ways by obeying Your voice, O Lord, my God. We take off the old man and put on the new, ordering our conduct according to Your standard of holiness. May we be holy just as You are holy, and may we be moved by compassion just as You are, Lord Jesus. Even when are in the midst of the valley, help us always to remember to help someone else. Let us not be concerned with ourselves that we do not see when others may need our help. May we always remember to reach out and touch the lives of others around us. Lord, we pray that something that we do or say today would cause someone else to seek your face. Now Lord, our prayers are not complete until we have given you honor and glory. We pause each and every day just to say thank you Lord. We Love you Lord. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come! We humbly submit our prayers and petitions in the Holy Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture:For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them. John 12:39-41 (New International Version)
The world we live in today causes one to ponder, what does the future hold? We look around us and see heartache and sadness at every turn. There is not one among us who has either been touched or knows of someone else who is struggling to make it through another day. The economy is spiraling downward at a rate that is out of control.
Those who are in power say they understand and they know the answers to what must be done, but I ask you; do they? Do they live in the same world that you and I live in? Do they see and comprehend the same things that we do? It begs the question, are they living on the same edge of financial devastation that many are experience on a daily basis?
Now I myself have a job. However, a few short years ago that was not the case. When I lost a very lucrative job, I lost my home, my car and that all powerful credit rating. Yes, I found employment but years later I am still struggling day by day to make it through. I am trying to follow my dream, but even though I haven’t lost heart, I become discouraged knowing that I am still in the midst of my struggle.
As I read the above scripture it prompts me to wonder; do they really know? Do they really see? Or have they become so blinded by that almighty dollar that they fail to see the human face that struggles to carry the burdens of family and survival on their backs. “I Got Mine so You Better Get Yours.”
Saints of God, look up to heaven from whom all blessings flow and not towards man. Open your eyes and your hearts to the world around you and let us not forget that by looking at the world around us, with eyes of compassion and never forgetting from whom and where we came are the only things that will allow us to heal as a country.
And remember that it would be better to have eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; lips that cannot speak, than a heart that cannot love or to lack a spirit of compassion.
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Father, we come before You to receive mercy and grace. With the help of the Holy Spirit we purpose to amend our ways by obeying Your voice, O Lord, my God. We take off the old man and put on the new, ordering our conduct according to Your standard of holiness. May we be holy just as You are holy, and may we be moved by compassion just as You are, Lord Jesus. Even when are in the midst of the valley, help us always to remember to help someone else. Let us not be concerned with ourselves that we do not see when others may need our help. May we always remember to reach out and touch the lives of others around us. Lord, we pray that something that we do or say today would cause someone else to seek your face. Now Lord, our prayers are not complete until we have given you honor and glory. We pause each and every day just to say thank you Lord. We Love you Lord. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come! We humbly submit our prayers and petitions in the Holy Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Monday, July 07, 2014
There is Value in the Valley
As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you. ~ Charles Stanley
Scripture:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, (Or through the darkest valley) I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:3-5 (New International Version)
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of reading a wonderful book by Iyanla Vanzant, titled, “There is Value in the Value.” It was a very motivational book about how going through a valley has its benefits. Now the dictionary defines a valley as; A broad area of low-lying land situated between hills or mountains and usually having a river or stream flowing along its bottom.
Many Christians will talk about a valley experience. A valley experience can mean that you are at a low point in your life. A valley experience could be the loss of a job, loss of loved one, financial difficulties, Strife in your relationships, or a wayward spouse or child. A valley experience can even be a life threatening illness. Each and everyone one of us will at some point in our lives, go through a valley experience.
However, as Ms. Vanzant so eloquently reminds us, there is value in the valley. What this means is that sometimes, being in a valley can actually benefit us. Going through a valley is just a journey from one point to another. While we may not actually enjoy the journey, there are many things that can be learned along the way.
For example, if we take the time and look around our valley, we often see things in our lives more clearly. Maybe that relationship we fought so hard to keep wasn’t really the type of relationship God wanted us to be in. Maybe the job that we lost actually prevented us from spending time with our loved ones and actually stressed us out to the point that we couldn’t really enjoy the prosperity that it brought. And as strange as it may sound, sometimes we create our own financial difficulties by not trusting God with our finances and seeking possessions that don’t necessarily bring us happiness.
Whatever valley you may be in right now, take the time and learn from it. It may be a lesson in humility and obedience. When you are at a low point in your life, always remember to look up.
Learn to appreciate all of your blessings in the valley.
Be Blessed
Prayer:
I love the Lord. He heard my cry. And even as I walk through the valleys of life, He is with me always. Goodness and mercy are at my side. He covers and protects me in the blood of the Lamb. Thank You Lord. Father we come asking that You would give us the strength, the peace and the patience to make it through whatever valley we may go through this day. We come asking that even as we find ourselves in the valley, we know that we are never alone. Lord, as I look around me and see others in the valley with me, may something that I do or say; encourage them to stay their course. Father, I ask that You would touch my brothers and sisters who find themselves in that valley. Lord, let them know that they too are never alone. Thank You Father for allowing us to come before Your throne of grace one more time. Thank You Father, for listening to us, one more time. Thank You Lord, for blessing us, one more time. Praise His name, saints of God. Lord, we lift Your name on high. We sing songs of praise even in the valley low. We will sing songs of praise, when we reach our mountain top. Thank You Lord, Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, praise God. Amen.
Scripture:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, (Or through the darkest valley) I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:3-5 (New International Version)
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of reading a wonderful book by Iyanla Vanzant, titled, “There is Value in the Value.” It was a very motivational book about how going through a valley has its benefits. Now the dictionary defines a valley as; A broad area of low-lying land situated between hills or mountains and usually having a river or stream flowing along its bottom.
Many Christians will talk about a valley experience. A valley experience can mean that you are at a low point in your life. A valley experience could be the loss of a job, loss of loved one, financial difficulties, Strife in your relationships, or a wayward spouse or child. A valley experience can even be a life threatening illness. Each and everyone one of us will at some point in our lives, go through a valley experience.
However, as Ms. Vanzant so eloquently reminds us, there is value in the valley. What this means is that sometimes, being in a valley can actually benefit us. Going through a valley is just a journey from one point to another. While we may not actually enjoy the journey, there are many things that can be learned along the way.
For example, if we take the time and look around our valley, we often see things in our lives more clearly. Maybe that relationship we fought so hard to keep wasn’t really the type of relationship God wanted us to be in. Maybe the job that we lost actually prevented us from spending time with our loved ones and actually stressed us out to the point that we couldn’t really enjoy the prosperity that it brought. And as strange as it may sound, sometimes we create our own financial difficulties by not trusting God with our finances and seeking possessions that don’t necessarily bring us happiness.
Whatever valley you may be in right now, take the time and learn from it. It may be a lesson in humility and obedience. When you are at a low point in your life, always remember to look up.
Learn to appreciate all of your blessings in the valley.
Be Blessed
Prayer:
I love the Lord. He heard my cry. And even as I walk through the valleys of life, He is with me always. Goodness and mercy are at my side. He covers and protects me in the blood of the Lamb. Thank You Lord. Father we come asking that You would give us the strength, the peace and the patience to make it through whatever valley we may go through this day. We come asking that even as we find ourselves in the valley, we know that we are never alone. Lord, as I look around me and see others in the valley with me, may something that I do or say; encourage them to stay their course. Father, I ask that You would touch my brothers and sisters who find themselves in that valley. Lord, let them know that they too are never alone. Thank You Father for allowing us to come before Your throne of grace one more time. Thank You Father, for listening to us, one more time. Thank You Lord, for blessing us, one more time. Praise His name, saints of God. Lord, we lift Your name on high. We sing songs of praise even in the valley low. We will sing songs of praise, when we reach our mountain top. Thank You Lord, Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, praise God. Amen.
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
TheVictory Can Be Yours
Remember, there are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win. ~ Elie Weisel
Scripture:For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:4 (New International Version)
There are times when we feel as though we are fighting a battle that can’t be won. We become punch drunk from all the blows that life sends our way. We arise each and everyday to fight the good fight of faith. At the end of the day, we are delirious from all the hits that we have taken. We often ask ourselves, why. It would be easier to just give up and let the chips fall where they may.
Personally, I have a number of issues in my life that I often become frustrated about. There are certain aspects of my life that I want to change, but no matter how much I try, they don’t seem to be changing. I set certain goals, only for those goals to fall by the wayside. I become angry and depressed when the things I strive for never seem to manifest. I try and I try, praying along the way, all to no avail.
Yet, I refuse to give up. You see, I had an epiphany this morning. Life isn’t always about what I want. It’s more about what God wants for me. The things that I want for myself aren’t necessarily what’s best for me. I can’t always see it at the time, but God sees and knows all.
I found the above quote very interesting for a number of reasons. One, even when it appears that I have lost a battle, what I see isn’t necessarily what God sees. Sometimes we fight so hard to hang on to a person or situation that we fail to see just how toxic it can be to us. Sometimes we strive to arrive at a place without realizing that God is not in that place. Sometimes by achieving what we think we want, we may be causing ourselves and the ones we love irrevocable harm.
So my brothers and sisters remember this; even when it appears we have lost the battle, the victory can still be ours.
Be Blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Lord, sometimes it seems as though I am fighting a never ending battle. Some days are filled with stress and strife. Sometimes, I become weary from the war waging around me. I realize that sometimes it is I who have caused the war from within. Lord, help me to be strong and resist temptation. Help me to develop patience, perseverance and peace within. Father, as I pause to spend time with You, I ask that you would quiet the conflict that rages within me. When I am faced with trials and tribulations help me to be still and remain calm and turn control over to the Holy Spirit. It's Your spirit Lord, that dwells in me. It that same spirit that can give me rest if I would just succumb to it. Its in that spirit I can find peace, joy and contentment. It's in that Spirit that I can find the answer to the questions that plague me. Father, sometimes it seems as though satan’s entire army has come against me. But Your word tells me that no army can defeat me with the Lord on my side. Thank You Father. I know that as long as I follow You, I am on the right path. I also realize that as long as I follow You, satan will be there trying to discourage me. I rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus. I call upon the name of the Lord, and I will surrender my will to His and allow the Lord to fight my battles. Thank You Father for the power and authority that has been given to me through Christ Jesus. Lord, bless my family, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep me nearer God to Thee. Glory to God; Praise the name of the Lord. Hallelujah, Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
Scripture:For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:4 (New International Version)
There are times when we feel as though we are fighting a battle that can’t be won. We become punch drunk from all the blows that life sends our way. We arise each and everyday to fight the good fight of faith. At the end of the day, we are delirious from all the hits that we have taken. We often ask ourselves, why. It would be easier to just give up and let the chips fall where they may.
Personally, I have a number of issues in my life that I often become frustrated about. There are certain aspects of my life that I want to change, but no matter how much I try, they don’t seem to be changing. I set certain goals, only for those goals to fall by the wayside. I become angry and depressed when the things I strive for never seem to manifest. I try and I try, praying along the way, all to no avail.
Yet, I refuse to give up. You see, I had an epiphany this morning. Life isn’t always about what I want. It’s more about what God wants for me. The things that I want for myself aren’t necessarily what’s best for me. I can’t always see it at the time, but God sees and knows all.
I found the above quote very interesting for a number of reasons. One, even when it appears that I have lost a battle, what I see isn’t necessarily what God sees. Sometimes we fight so hard to hang on to a person or situation that we fail to see just how toxic it can be to us. Sometimes we strive to arrive at a place without realizing that God is not in that place. Sometimes by achieving what we think we want, we may be causing ourselves and the ones we love irrevocable harm.
So my brothers and sisters remember this; even when it appears we have lost the battle, the victory can still be ours.
Be Blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Lord, sometimes it seems as though I am fighting a never ending battle. Some days are filled with stress and strife. Sometimes, I become weary from the war waging around me. I realize that sometimes it is I who have caused the war from within. Lord, help me to be strong and resist temptation. Help me to develop patience, perseverance and peace within. Father, as I pause to spend time with You, I ask that you would quiet the conflict that rages within me. When I am faced with trials and tribulations help me to be still and remain calm and turn control over to the Holy Spirit. It's Your spirit Lord, that dwells in me. It that same spirit that can give me rest if I would just succumb to it. Its in that spirit I can find peace, joy and contentment. It's in that Spirit that I can find the answer to the questions that plague me. Father, sometimes it seems as though satan’s entire army has come against me. But Your word tells me that no army can defeat me with the Lord on my side. Thank You Father. I know that as long as I follow You, I am on the right path. I also realize that as long as I follow You, satan will be there trying to discourage me. I rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus. I call upon the name of the Lord, and I will surrender my will to His and allow the Lord to fight my battles. Thank You Father for the power and authority that has been given to me through Christ Jesus. Lord, bless my family, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep me nearer God to Thee. Glory to God; Praise the name of the Lord. Hallelujah, Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
