Has the devil interfered with the plans God has placed on your heart to pursue?If so, I’d like to give you a word of encouragement to keep going no matter what is trying to come against accomplishing your vision.
When you are praying for God to help in following your dreams, the enemy is going to do everything he can to stop it from coming to pass.I once heard a prominent pastor say that every goal he has achieved over the years of his ministry, came with a battle and a huge fight with the enemy.He also said that just when he felt he would give up God prevented the schemes of the devil from prevailing over his work and efforts.His part was to keep going and not quit.
The devil isn’t about to give up on his plans to steal, kill and destroy anyone who has a desire to follow after God.He will do whatever it takes to get you to quit and walk away from living out your dreams and vision.I’m encouraging you to stay in faith, believe what God put in your heart and keep going anyway – especially when things look impossible!
God knows that there will be obstacles along the way to prevent us from achieving our vision, and that’s why we need to consult Him in moving forward to accomplish everything that He has for us.He is the One who inspires the dreams of His children and has promised to help throughout the entire process of what He placed on your heart.
The Lord wants to help, but cannot do that if we don’t include Him on a regular basis.I know things may seem impossible right now, but with God all things are possible to those who believe.
Sometimes living the Christian life can be hard and we’re not always at our spiritual best. God knows and understands our weaknesses.He wants us to lean on Him when we’re not strong. He will be our strength and friend to help us carry on, not humans as mentioned in the song written by the late singer Bill Withers. Nice concept, but only the Holy Spirit can give us everything we need, every time.
It’s during our weakest moments that God’s power is revealed through His unmerited favor and grace.
“But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you (all you need; sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully); for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness.
Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 AMPC)
Use the weapon of prayer against the enemy to continually live by faith.Ask the Lord for the strength you need to KEEP GOING ANYWAY and finish the vision.Hang in there.Live with the peace of mind that your vision will come to pass in His timing, and it will be better than you could ever imagine.
“The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11 NKJV)
Until next time, pray for favored strength to endure!
“I will favor you with My strength and peace.” Jesus Christ
Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.
Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
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Labels Believe in God, Favored1, Faith, Daily Favor Blog, Wisdom, Patience, Favor, Strength, Endurance, Frustration, Testing, Promises of God, Prayer, Vision, Christian Living
At 2 a.m. I was still awake. Sitting up in bed I began my nightly conversation
with the Lord replaying the day’s activities.
“What in the world did I do today? I was busy the entire day, and all I have to
show for it is decorating a little in the living room?”
Continuing to brow beat myself the Lord had me mentally
walk through the day.Practically
falling asleep from exhaustion this took a while.Seriously, I just finished putting the linens
away after the final laundry washing and pretty much couldn’t think past the
last hour!
When I went through the list, there were dozens and
dozens of tasks completed that no one would ever notice or realize needed to be
done but me. Most things only took a few
minutes, while others (like working with the rescue cats) took hours from start
to finish. In between larger tasks came
those small “must do’s” as the day progressed.
Looking back on my day, I recall feeling pretty good and singing
carols while hauling stuff from one place to another.
Even when the washer overflowed, instead of
thinking “what a mess” I jokingly said to hubby as he swept the three inches of
water out the back door, “Washed laundry room floor – check!” (As if it was another thing marked off my to
do list!)
The devil was trying to make me feel bad about taking
time to do the things that are temporal and for the most part, don’t really
matter eternally. With office work done,
I had to keep in mind that the things I was doing were for the family and
community, which in God’s eyes, are important.
Having a guilt trip over the events of the day was purely
from the enemy. My soul was at ease no
matter what it looked like to others, knowing I had already committed my works
to the Lord at the beginning of the day asking Him for guidance, favor and
direction concerning the path I should take in everything I did.
“All the ways of a man are
clean and innocent in his own eyes (and he may see nothing wrong with his
actions), but the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents of the heart
and knows the truth.
Commit your works to the Lord
(submit and trust them to Him),
and your plans will succeed (if
you respond to His will and guidance).”
Proverbs 16:3-4 AMP
Neighbor Watch
Reviewing what we accomplished opened my eyes, revealing what
appear to be facts isn’t necessarily the entire truth. So many things take place in our lives that
others will never see, yet they are vital for everything coming together in the
end.
It’s the same with God working a situation out for our
good. We don’t see all that He is doing
to make things “happen”, but sure enough, He’s at work.
Let me give you an example of God working in our favor if
we obey and commit our life to Him even when we don’t realize it.
Several years ago, a local department store was having an
after Christmas sale. Nothing unusual
except this time holiday lights were marked down 75% - 90%, which NEVER
happens! We didn’t really need any more
lights at that time, but I was thinking “maybe down the road” right?
They were going like hot cakes with one man loading his
cart with most of the type lights we use.
Grabbing the remaining boxes, we were happy with our purchase of less
than $1.00 a package.
Fast forward to 2020 the week of Thanksgiving. In early fall we put up Christmas lights in
our front yard but don’t turn them on until Thanksgiving night. Our new eight-year old neighbor watched along
with his four-year old sister as we tested them making sure all lights we working
correctly.
Adding his insightful opinion on our all white display,
he rode his bike up the driveway and stopped halfway. Looking at our accomplishment he only said
four little words, “Needs a little color!”
My husband and I couldn’t help laughing, but you know … he was right and
that led me into action.
Before the Parade Passes By
For years I’ve wanted to put lights up in our back yard, but
it never happened even with the new lights sitting in a box on the porch. Time was usually the issue, but not this year
because of COVID restraints!
God said that when we commit our plans to Him, He will
always work things out for our good and His glory (despite what the devil is
trying to stop). Well, you know that day
when I was feeling guilty about not getting anything done for Christ, we were
putting up colored lights in the back yard for the community and neighbors to
see when they passed by the street.
There’s a good reason behind this other than being
festive. Due to the gathering boundary restrictions,
the city Christmas parade route has been changed to spread the crowd out farther
passing by the back of where we live! So,
before the parade passes by, the lights have to be in place.
With attention being driven to the colored lights and
displays, people will see the Jesus signs and we’ll be able to give out gospel
packets practically without leaving our home!
When those lights where on sale we didn’t know how they would be used,
but God knew and he gave a little boy the bright idea!
When God Establishes Your Work
There is a passage in Psalms that like Moses, I pray this
over our family daily in asking for God’s will and blessings over our
activities.
“Let Your work appear to Your
servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our
God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us. Yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm
90:16-17 NKJV)
No matter what I do (or want to do) I want it to be God’s
will and have His blessing on the project.
If He isn’t a part of what the plan is or have His hand on mine to guide
me, I don’t want to do it, because it won’t amount to anything. Without His blessings there isn’t any favor
on my efforts, which means it was all for nothing and a big waste of time. How uneventful and depressing would that be?
When we bring our ideas to the Lord and He gives us the
go ahead, God makes sure that the work is “established”. He causes it to happen, because it has
lasting or “eternal” value to Him, which brings Him glory.
Other translations transcribe the Hebrew word “beauty” as
God’s gracious favor, confirming the work and endeavors of our hands to prosper
or succeed securely.
The Bible explains that the work of our hands is
important and God will cause our efforts to succeed if they line up with His
Word and Will.They will also fail if all
we want to do is selfish and for our own desires.
“The hand of
the diligent will rule (lead or become a leader), but the lazy man will
be put to forced labor.” (Proverbs 12:24 NKJV)
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we
are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” That sale on lights was the “before” part which
God prepared for this year! In putting them
up, we were “walking” in His good work …which also happened to be fun!
When you let God into your life and plans, He establishes
your work through favor and success.
This Week’s Christmas Challenge:
Consider Your Work
It’s fun to shop for gifts, decorate, bake and do all the
things that go into the making of our version of what Christmas or any holiday should
be.There is no sin in wanting to make
events better, but it is sinful when they take away from doing good works that
lead people to Jesus.
Doing things that are kind count, but not toward eternity. They count for here on earth. Good works that point people to Jesus count
here and for eternity, because our focus in on God not ourselves.
Our challenge this week (and always really) is to ask
ourselves what do we consider the “work of our hands” to be? How important is the work to God, others and to
ourselves?
It’s not wrong to do things for yourself, because
sometimes it’s needed and God delights in giving us the desires of our heart. I’m not referring to those types of things,
but whether or not we are doing something purely for wanting to “leave a legacy”
so that others think highly of us.
How are we using our hands to make a positive difference
in the life of others? Are our actions
bringing eternal security or merely earthly gain?
Furthermore, don’t let satan take you on a guilt trip in what you are
doing for your family and community that demonstrates the love of Christ. It honors and pleases Him.
When we purchased colored lights several years ago, we
didn’t know the plans God had for us or them.
To us, it was a bargain and we couldn’t pass up that great sale! God knew differently.
What is “different” about your life this year, besides
COVID-19? You see, God already knew
about COVID beforehand and has prepared His people for such a time as
this!
Are there good works God can establish through your hands
with His favor? Take a look at what is
happening in your community “before the parade passes by” in your life. Believe in the promises of God. Commit your works to the Lord and they will
be established!
Maybe you don’t know the
Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life
also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information
on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and
Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. Scripture reference was
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Gateway.
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Christmas Lights, Christmas, Holiday, Fay Ann Daniels, Guilt, Good Works, Good Deeds, Guidance
I think most would agree that the fabulous year 2020 we all anticipated has been less than we bargained for in moving forward in our plans or vision. For me, practically every "road" I've traveled on stepping out in faith has been challenged and blocked by the enemy satan.
Even though it’s been difficult at times and I’ve had to take it a
little slower, my goals have not changed in what I want to accomplish in my
life that will please the Lord.
There’s
something else I’d like to add, God’s plans haven’t changed either!Knowing this, where do we go from here?
What do you do when everything you’ve tried doesn’t seem to work and you
keep hitting a brick wall in finding answers?Let’s see, you can quit, but that would please the devil.
You can try to find alternative solutions, which will probably delay
plans for who knows how long until something clicks.Then there’s the pressing on choice that might
be difficult, but in the end could get you to the prize of the high calling on
your life.
Which have you chosen these past months during the COVID-19 crisis?Here’s what I decided to do.
When I came up against something that appeared to be a brick wall in not
being able to find solutions, I turned to the scriptures for examples of
situations to help me.Over and over the same passage has helped me
persevere when everything looked like it wouldn’t or couldn’t succeed.
Here’s what I discovered. When life throws you bricks, build a
wall.That’s right, a spiritual prayer wall
that the enemy cannot touch.
Instead of thinking the things satan is tossing at you will prevent you
from accomplishing the vision, get it in your thinking that when God is in the
plan, He will use those things (aka bricks) and build something great for His
glory.
Praying for Bricks
The Bible tells us of a man named Nehemiah who felt passionate about
returning to his hometown when he learned that the wall around the city was in ruin.If there was anyone who understood what it was like to face challenges in finishing the
task of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, it was Nehemiah.
No matter what he wanted to do, something was placed in his path to stop
him.Those spiritual enemies threw
things at him from every direction, and even used his own people against Nehemiah.Those “virtual” bricks were already flying and
hope seemed blocked in anything getting done to that broken-down wall that once
protected the city from being overtaken.
He had plenty of opportunities to quit on the vision, and who wouldn’t
feel like he did with nothing coming together on a project?However, instead of giving up, Nehemiah went
to the Lord in prayer for everything, and I mean literally everything including
the “bricks”!
The servant cupbearer prayed about going before the king, the supplies,
protection, people to build the wall and how to accomplish such a great task for
his beloved hometown.In doing so God
gave him favor and caused others to do the same in order for the wall to be
finished.Let’s examine how this happened for Nehemiah,
and how it can for us as well.
Using Supernatural Power Tools
Spending time with the Lord was vital for gaining wisdom against the
enemies throughout the entire process of building.It’s no different for us in this age if we
are to finish what we started.
Every time Nehemiah prayed, he obeyed and did what God told him to do.Prayer and obedience are the supernatural tools
that help us achieve great things that otherwise couldn’t have been done.
E.M. Bounds (Edward McKendree Bounds), pastor and author of nine books on
prayer, referred to prayer as “spiritual energy” for a believer.He describes it as a means of God’s grace (favor)
to do things through the action of prayer to accomplish great things with
unusual results.
“Prayer is the divine energy that brings the
power into the plans that God has given you. Prepare your heart
for God’s plan and pray about your plans day and night.” E.M. Bounds
His definition lines up with scripture, where James the brother of
Jesus, wrote how the earnest prayer of the righteous avails much (has
tremendous power). In other words, the supernatural
power tool is persistent prayer!
“The heartfelt and persistent
prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much (when put into action
and made effective by God – it is dynamic and can have tremendous power).
(James 5:16 AMP)
Something easy to notice about Nehemiah is that he kept God on speed
dial when it came to prayer.That is, he
learned to pray on the spot, instantly, regularly and interactively with the
Lord for anything and everything, especially when it came to accomplishing his
vision for rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem.
The Prayer of the Righteous Favor
According to Nehemiah 2:1-5, we learn Nehemiah was outwardly
demonstrating being sad, which was a no-no to act this way in front of the
king.However, when the king noticed how
his servant was behaving, he asked Nehemiah what was wrong.
Now I have to give a little insight as to why showing emotions of
sadness was severely dangerous and risky business for cup bearer Nehemiah or
anyone for that matter.To display such
grief, sorrow or unhappiness in the presence of the king was a cause for a
person to be put to death, because it created an atmosphere of gloom and
despair. To put it in my terms, "No joy suckers here!"
So, when Nehemiah told the king how he was distressed over the ruins of
the wall in Jerusalem, he didn’t know how the king would react. Knowing this, before he made the request, he instantly
prayed silently for the right words to speak so his life would be spared.
Nehemiah was bold and precise about the vision God gave him in telling the
desires of his heart to the king.
“If I have found favor in your sight, let me
go rebuild the wall.”
Instead of sending for the guards to take Nehemiah away, the king showed
compassion for his loyal servant and asked what he could do to help.He not only gave permission for a leave from
his kingly duties, but sent armed guards to protect Nehemiah along the journey, provided letters for government officials allowing the work to commence and released the supplies
needed to finish the job of building a security wall around Jerusalem.
“I also said to the king, if it please the king,
let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates
River, instructing them to let me travel through safely through their
territories on my way to Judah.
And please give me a letter addressed to
Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I
will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city
walls, and for a house for myself.And
the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.”
(Nehemiah 2:7-8 NKJV)
Can you believe that?He even had
supplies to build a house for himself while he stayed to complete the wall.No “Motel 6” to leave the lights on needed!Now that’s what I call “the prayer of the righteous” kind of favor friends!
Nehemiah’s bold faith overcame fear and doubt, allowing favor a place
where it could work. God will cause man
to give favor in ways they never thought would happen when He is in on the
construction committee; and when God is in the plans, everything changes in
your favor.
“Never let loyalty and kindness
leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your
heart.Then you will find favor with
both God and people (man), and you will earn a good reputation.” (Proverbs
3:3-4 NLT)
Before Moving Forward – Pray, Plan and Prepare
God answered yes to prayer and a dream.Not only was Nehemiah given permission to go rebuild the wall, but the
king also funded the project and sent armed guards to protect him on the
journey!How’s that for favor from God
and man?
Sometimes we come against challenges and don’t know what to do or how
people will respond.When we go to the
Lord in prayer before we make our move forward, He prepares the hearts of
others to make it possible for us to carry on with the plan, dream or vision.
In the current conditions of the world, people are confused and are not
sure what to do.What we thought might
have been the answer in past circumstances doesn’t necessarily hold true for
today.Almost everything we do or plan
has to be rescheduled and reprocessed in our thinking of how to go about what
we thought was the best way to do things.
Every time my husband or I encounter a situation where we don’t know
what to do, we immediately go to the Lord in prayer. Perhaps you need to do the same if you’re up
against a challenge and don’t have the wisdom, knowledge or understanding concerning what to do from this point forward.
After you have prayed and planned, be ready for God to do something in
His way and timing.It may not be what
you expected, but it will be what is needed to place you in the path for favor.
Trust Him to do things in a manner that is glorifying and pleasing to Him,
as well as working the situation out for your good.
“Commit (trust God with) your
works (plans and actions) to the LORD (submit and trust them to Him), and your
thoughts (plans) will be established (will succeed if you respond to His will
and guidance).”(from Proverbs 16:3 NKJV/AMP)
God will open a way that you will not expect so that the vision, dream
or goal will be accomplished.There are
going to be many things that you cannot control in striving to reach
success.Only God knows the end from the
beginning and can provide what you need for each step toward that goal.
I remember something my mother always said when she made her plans and
it has stuck with me.It was from the
book of James in the bible.
“Look here, you who say, today or
tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year.We will do business there and make a profit.
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here
a little while, then it’s gone.What you
ought to say is, if the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
(James 4:13-14 NLT)
In her words … “Lord willing” she would do whatever it was she had
planned.She was right.We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but
as it says in the book of James, we are to plan.
Give your plans to God and pray for wisdom in knowing what to do and
when.Expect Him to do more than you
could have ever asked or thought.
“Now to Him who is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power
(the Holy Spirit) that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV)
So, my friends, instead of throwing in the towel or walking away from
your vision and quitting … when life throws you bricks, build a prayer wall!I did and praise God, my vision for the book Christmas Favor: A Season of Miracles has come to pass! It wasn't the one I thought would be published at this point, but God saw this was His timing for favor and I received it happily! (View the promo video provided by Anthony Godinho.)
Get excited about how the Lord will unfold His favor on your life, because
of obedience and faithfulness to Him.He
will supply every thing (“brick”) needed to complete the job according to His
Word.
“And this same God who takes care
of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been
given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV)
Pray, plan and prepare with the strength you've been given to finish the vision
God has placed in your heart with gladness.
Until next time, use
the prayer super tool for favor!
“The persistent
prayer of the righteous avails much favor.” – Jesus Christ
Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because
we give him no place in our lives.
Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for
mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
What’s New This Series:Click on links below.
The complete works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer (Edward McKendree Bounds)
Maybe
you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of
favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me
About Jesus”
for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content
and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. Scripture reference
was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible
Gateway. Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
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credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified. Image 1Image 2Image 3
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That's right, I’ve got the secret ... it's easy, make the world go away and there will be peace. Really? Not buying it, me neither.
Do you remember the old song “Make the World Go Away”
that was made popular by several recording artists?
The opening of the song is a description of how the
lyricist must have felt at the time.I
think it sums up what a lot of us have experienced:
“Make the world go away, and get it off my shoulders. Say the things
you used to say, and make the world go
away.”
When it comes to the worries of the world,
that’s exactly how I feel ... get them off my shoulders.I want to
celebrate all the wonderful things that are happening around me, and then
someone feels it necessary to hand me the cares of the world in one explosive conversation.
Right about then I’m thinking, Lord make
them go away, get them off my shoulders with their poisonous words … but I don’t
let on, and before I know it I’m smack in the middle of their world.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Aruba;
Belgium; China; Dominican Republic; Macedonia; Columbia; Switzerland; Thailand;
Papua New Guinea; Penzance, England, United Kingdom; Durban, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa; Lyngdal, Vest-Agder, Norway; Afghanistan; Zambia.
USA – Dora, MO; Haddon Heights, NJ; Chestnut Hill
& Springfield, MA; Jamestown, NY; New Castle, PA; Portland, OR; Orange, TX;
Charleston, SC.
Thank you for your continued support and sharing Believing
Our Belief on Daily Favor.(DFB - Daily
Favor Blog) Living my life
before God and man, by sharing experiences as I walk out my faith.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.All are private. I would love to hear from
you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.Contact me by leaving a message in the box at
the bottom of this week’s post.
In preparing for this post I thought that getting out of
the house would give me a chance to ask a few questions to some innocent
bystanders. My husband and I went out for about an hour in pursuit of people (that’s
what I had in mind).That turned out to
be a bust. I never got the answers I needed, so my thoughts began to change
concerning what I was to share this week.
After we returned home and ate lunch, for some reason both of us grew really tired.I suggested that we put our heads back on the
couch while the computer booted up … in our case that would take about thirty
minutes.
Upon exiting the relaxing world of sleep I woke to hear
my hubby talking to one of the cats:
“Do you
see Sealy Posturepedic® written on my chest?Do I step on
you while you’re sleeping?”
Now that I was really tired from the “nap” I got to work
and looked at some notes that I wrote a few months back (which was not for
that time). I knew what I was supposed to share with you.
The World Is Really Heavy
Gia had a lot going on in her life at the time; every
situation around her seemed to weigh her down with fear, concern and worry.Several family members were experiencing
physical problems, one was out of a job and another had marital difficulties.
Her church split, the best friend was in the hospital and
she was worried about my husband’s health. If that weren’t enough, Gia had more to worry
about in her world.
The prices going up,
the weather, politics, pets, home and about anything else you can think of was
continually on her mind.My heavy laden
friend never gave herself a break from the events of the world, nor did she let
those she socialized with rest from them either.
You see, my friend is one of those people who will take
on all the cares of others, only this time it caught up with her. Gia will
admit to you that she has allowed these problems to enter her thoughts to the
point she cannot function in the peace of God. With so much to “pray” about she
developed stomach pains and colitis.
Needing to Worry
If someone asked you to drink straight poison, would you
do it? Of course not, that would be crazy.I agree, but have we ever stopped to think about the stuff our mind
“drinks in” each day?When you actually
take into consideration all that we absorb in our mind on a daily basis it is
quite staggering, and most of it is literally poisoning us out of a blessed
life from the Lord.
When I talked to Gia about all her concerns, she admitted
that they “weren’t all her problems” as she put it.Bringing every matter before the Lord was the
right thing to do, however, she felt compelled to do something besides praying.
It is as if worrying was another option, and trusting God to do His job
required a little help.
Our times together made her laugh, my friend shared with
me, but she couldn’t help giving in to her thoughts and listening to the worldly
bad news even though she knew it caused her to worry.
Gia loves God and believes He will answer prayer, but in
the mean time she has to worry.Somehow
it makes her feel she’s doing something I think.If you think I’m squealing on my friend, don’t.
She is the one who inspired this writing and knows all about it.
Poisoned Minds
I have been guilty of the same thing as Gia, especially
when it comes to my family or friends. Sometimes we drink other people’s
poison, meaning we take the problems of everyone else until it poisons our
system.We become angry, frustrated and
stressed, which is the total opposite of what walking by faith should represent.
Refusing to listen to all the woes of the world doesn’t
mean we’re not supposed to care about others, because we are. What we aren’t
supposed to do is get caught up in
the drama becoming non-effective Christians. If we are falling prey to every
situation, how can we be a source of Light, salt and hope to a dying world?
All day long we soak in the poison of media, the news,
negativity and hopeless emotions thinking it won’t destroy our faith.Our mind becomes a doom and gloom venomous cocktail
as we swallow the devil’s world.If we
follow that path our mind also becomes poisoned, and we stop seeing the
goodness and favor of God.
Give the World Back
Understanding that wanting to take on God’s job as a
“world care giver” is something out of our league, then how do we stop doing
it?This is something that even King
David dealt with when he shared the emotions he was experiencing in Psalm 55.
“Fear and
trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.
Oh, that I had
wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest.”
What we’re to gather from this is that he’s having an
anxiety attack.Although his fears were
valid (because he was being hunted down to be killed), David had a slew of
people that cared about him right there by his side.He was focusing on the wrong thing and forgot
that the peace of God was available to him.
“I leave
behind with you – peace; I (Jesus) give you My own peace
and My gift is
nothing like the peace of this world. You must not be
distressed and
you must not be daunted.”
(John 14:27 Phillips Bible version read to verse 31)
If we operate in a calm manner when the world is in
chaos, we demonstrate that the gift of peace Jesus gave us is working.Showing our trust in Jesus to care for us is
what others will see and it’s what will draw them to Him.
If we act on what we say we believe, what people see will
be God’s peace, not toxic minds in panic.After all what do we really want others to see – our state of unbelief
or Jesus?
The song I mentioned from the introduction goes on to ask
for forgiveness because the man strayed from the one he loved. I think we
could ask Jesus the same thing with us not following His instruction when
it comes to worry, fretting or casting our cares on Him.
Dump the Poisonous Thoughts
We all experience anxiety, stress and levels of
depression, but it’s how we respond when it tries to take effect in our lives that matters.
It’s one thing to have Christ in our heart, but has He
taken over our mind and thoughts? Here are four things to help redirect our
thinking when the mind wants to take on poisonous thoughts.
First - Love the Law of God
“Great peace
have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.LORD, I hope for Your salvation, and I do
Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:165-166 NKJV)
We need to recognize
and obey the principles of God.His Word
isn’t given to bring us down, but to free us from stress, worry and fear.
When we disregard the Word of God He can’t help us, so no wonder we get
stressed trying to carry the world on our shoulders.
Often we go to people and spill our “guts” to them and
they give us the wrong advice, which adds to the stress.When we mess up we need to remember the grace
of God is ours.
“Don’t worry
about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell yourneeds, and don’t forget to thank Him for His
answers.If you do this, you will
experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can
understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest
as you trust in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:6-7 TBL)
Stop worrying and start praying. If you are falling into
stress or worry bring it to the Lord and trust Him to give you what you
need.Thank the Lord in advance that you
will receive the answers, which will bring back that peace you’re missing.
There isn’t a time we won’t have problems.They’ll be various levels, but we’re never
going to be without them Jesus said.The
problems will be there, but how we handle them is the key.
Every situation comes with its own problems, but Jesus told
us in John 14:1, “Let
not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me”
If we’re always worrying, then we’re not trusting, it’s
that basic.
Second – Trust God Will Provide
Don’t be afraid to ask God for what you need or
want.Maybe it has to do with
relationships, financial, job, home or whatever it is.In prayer ask and then thank God for
providing it.If we really believe that
God will answer our prayer then we trust He also has the solution.
“Trust in the
LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your
ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct (make
smooth or straight) your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)
By trusting in the way we “understand things”, we’ll
never get past the problem, stress or worry.We will keep asking questions like, “Why did this happen? … Why didn’t it
happen? … Why, when …”
Isaiah 26:3 says our mind has to be steadfast and that
it will stay in peace if we remain in trust.Take a look:
“You (God)
will keep him (us) in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.”(Isaiah 26:3
NKJV)
“God is our
refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble.
Be still, and
know I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be
exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:1 & 10 NKJV)
Something my husband always says is: "If we are exalting the problem, then we aren’t exalting
God or trusting Him."
Third – Trust God’s Plans
Trust that God’s plans are the right ones and He is in
control.God acts on His word, He
doesn’t react to our emotions.We have
to believe He has our best interest in mind and it will come to pass when God
says.
He will always lead us into the best to help us complete
our journey.Even if it looks like the
worst things are going on in your life, there is another side that you haven’t
experienced yet.He will never abandon
your life or His plan for it.
Fourth – Trusting God Is the Secret to Inner Peace
In the worst time of Paul’s life (while in prison), he
began to write letters to the churches that followed his teaching about
Jesus.
“I know what
it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the
secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me
strength.”
(Philippians 4:12-13 NIV)
In other words, Paul learned that the secret wasn’t
making the world go away, but to live in the peace of God that was available to
him as a believer in Christ.He chose not
to worry, be afraid or get stressed out due to circumstances that were subject
to change.
The apostle Paul was continually reminding himself while
encouraging others to rise above the situation.He knew the secret, now so do you. Believe God will give you what you
need to not only endure, but to thrive.He has the answers, so all you need to do is ask for them.What He did for Paul, He will do for you.
If we don’t encounter difficult situations we won’t
experience the power of God that “overcomes all the world” (John 16:33).We’d rely on our own resources and think we
can do it on our own.The favor of God
would never be available to us.
Get those poisonous thoughts out of your thinking and
mind of “How am I going to get through this, pay for it all, what if this doesn’t go
my way?"Stop taking the cares of the
universe on your shoulders; after all there is only so much Clairol rinse to cover
all the gray hair in this worry world!
God has your back.Although you can’t imagine how things will work out, God already has it
completed.He knows what is about to
happen even though you don’t.No matter
where the Lord leads follow Him and He will direct you right to the answer
(solution).
If you focus on how you think things will work out, you
will never have peace.Keep peace in the
middle of whatever you’re experiencing.
“There is no greater
witness than to keep peace in the
middle of your crisis.”
(quote Pastor Bill Cornelius)
This Week’s Challenge:
Share the Secret
Have we received the message of what we’re supposed to do
when we start to consume poisonous thoughts and take on the cares of the world?
Our God is limitless when it comes to His gifts, so we
need to embrace what is ours through Christ Jesus.The officials thought that Paul was doomed,
but God had different plans every time they tried to kill him.Satan is trying to convince the church that
God isn’t concerned about us and that He doesn’t hear our prayers; the devil is
a liar.
For this week we have a writing challenge to share the
secret of God’s peace that comes when we trust the Lord in times of crisis,
difficult situations and in all circumstances.We want to lift people out of the mind of despair and into the power of
God.
We're going to share that trust is the secret to finding favor and
receiving answered prayers from God. Write to someone who is taking on the world’s
problems along with their own.Send a
word of encouragement in a card, letter or email and be sure to include some of
the scriptures (or the link) from this post.
Don’t call or text … it could be a trap!If you’re not sold on this you will get
sucked into the words that may come out of their mouth and not be of any help.We’re following directions and writing like
the Apostle did to the church.
It may not seem like a difficult task, but the question
is, will you be like Paul and share this message even if you are in a “prison”
(seems to be no way out) situation?Miracles happen in the prisons of life and they aren’t always literal
ones.
Whatever you are going through, there is purpose in
it.God wants to show you what really
matters.Maybe you’re the one who
slipped and fell, having your thoughts captured by the “trending now news feed
of negativity” world. Ask for Him to forgive you for being consumed by stress,
worry and doubt.
Lord, forgive me for allowing poisonous thoughts that are contrary to Your Word
to fill my mind.I believe and trust You
to work this out for your glory.
Enjoy sharing this trust in God secret and then go
relax.The world is not on your shoulders
but His. Take a nap, but be sure to put the cat in another room first!
Remember the Four Thought Redirectors:
First - Love the Law of God
Second – Trust God Will Provide
Third – Trust God’s Plans
Fourth – Trusting God Is the Secret to Inner Peace
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Scripture reference was taken
from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
