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.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified. Image 1 Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Labels Believe in God, Favored1, Faith, Daily Favor Blog, Wisdom, Patience, Favor, Strength, Endurance, Frustration, Testing, Promises of God, Prayer, Vision, Christian Living
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.
Image
credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified. Image 1Image 2Image 3
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“Dear Lord, I haven’t been a really good sheep today, let alone a
shepherd. I’m tired, feeling a bit out
of my league in knowing what to do. I
need your help. Strengthen my hands for
this task; give me wisdom so I cause no harm …”
That’s the prayer I spoke first thing one morning as I tried dragging
myself out of bed after a little sleep.How can I do all that has to be done, with so many things being #1 on
the list?
Will I ever accomplish the
vision that is in my heart when it keeps being lost in the daily grind of life?
I’m pretty sure a prayer similar to mine has come out of the mouths of many
people, especially this year.Have you
said something along those lines over the past months in dealing with frustrating
changes and uncertainty in life?
Just when things were starting to calm down something unexpected happened.For the past two months we’ve been dealing
with a virus epidemic among the pet population in the community that’s similar
to COVID-19, but it’s not.It’s been
round the clock care in syringe feeding, IV and medication treatments with not
enough hands to meet the needs of all the animals.
As soon as it looked like an animal was getting better, the cycle
repeated itself and spread to other pets.We’ve never dealt with so many seriously sick animals at one time who
needed such intensive care.
It didn’t take much to recognize that this is the work of the enemy and
was pushing us to the limits of our knowledge and abilities.My early morning prayer was a plea for
literal physical and emotional strength, not just to care for animals, but
carry on with the vision in my heart and manage regular living (which seemed
impossible at the time).
Ministering medically to domestic or untamed animals can be exhausting. However, when it comes to cats … they’re in a category all by themselves and I think they know
it!They instantly turn into an octopus
and you almost need full body armor to handle them.I’ve been pounced, kicked, scratched,
punched, bitten and knocked down, but not beaten!
Parts of me may look like I was in a battle with an abnormal amount of
scratches or bruises, but glory to God I’m getting a good upper body workout!Plus, I’ve gotten pretty quick on my feet in chasing
critters that escape off the examination table or IV cart!
There’s no other way to put it than to say, we’d been living off prayer
– ours and from others as spiritual food to build us up to keep going.It wasn’t solely because of the strange unidentified
spreading virus, but all the other things everyone needed to do in their daily
lives that warranted just as much attention.
The Weapon of Fervent Prayer
Our faith was stretched and tested through this new learning
experience with me stepping out to do things I’ve never done totally on my own before like syringe feed.In the past I’ve always been the second set
of hands that held an animal during feeding, cleaned or bathed them, prepared
the special diets … you get the idea.This time I was the one who needed the extra set of helping hands.
If it wasn’t for the weapon of fervent prayer against the enemy, we
wouldn’t have a prayer of winning, yet we did!God gave insight to new methods and treatments so that everything that
needed to be accomplished was.In the
end, more tears and prayers of thanksgiving filled the heavens than prayers of
petition.
Animals that were not supposed to make it did, surprising the doubters
with how they literally came back to life!Things got done for everyone, and I can’t really figure out when they
did, but I certainly know how – through prayer!God was faithful in answering prayers that had much more than finding
solutions in caring for dozens of furry critters.
“A righteous, godly man (person)
regards (cares for and tends to) the life of his animal, but the tender mercies
of the wicked are cruel.” (Proverbs 12:10 NKJV)
Throughout the weeks I noticed favor came into individual lives because of
the care given in honoring God’s creation of animals.It wasn’t what anyone planned, but we changed
our plans when God allowed the situation to come into our lives.He used the circumstance to bring people
together that wouldn’t have ordinarily even known one another, in order to open
doors for other areas in our lives. That
is so, so cool!
Keep Going Anyway
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 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.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if
not specified. Image 1Image 2
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Labels Believe in God, Favored1, Faith, Daily Favor Blog, Wisdom,
Patience, Favor, Strength, Endurance, Frustration, Testing, Promises of God,
Prayer, Vision, Christian Living
It’s
late in the week and hubby is out running errands for a few hours.This would be a good opportunity for me to
catch up on some writing.
About
ten minutes after he was gone the phone rang. Trying to pick up
the phone, it slipped through my fingers and dropped to the
floor. Of course, it was out of reach, why wouldn’t it be!
Seeing
it was my husband I needed to get to it quickly, so I stretched out my leg
trying to answer it with my big toe. Remembering that this has
happened before, scrolling through past conversations in my head, I could hear
him say, “Swipe it, swipe it.”
I
mashed it with my foot trying to get it to answer, but couldn’t because of a
twisted knee injury that happened earlier in the week. Having
difficulty getting my phone to pick-up is normal, but using my big toe … that’s
a first for me I assure you. (By the way, it didn’t work.)
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Testing Anxious Thoughts (in Progress)
I didn’t know if there was a
problem. Anxiously trying to retrieve it by sliding the phone with
my foot (remember I still can’t move my leg), I was able to get it within
reach. By the time I picked it up it had already gone to voice mail,
only to notify me that there was no service.
Playing
phone tag, we finally got through to one another. Sharing my dilemma
with my husband, this time he was laughing and calling to inform me that his
plans changed in which now he was going to the library.
These
things seem silly, don’t they? Sometimes it’s not the big things,
but all the little ones adding up that get us frustrated. They try
our patience and cause us to get anxious, so that when a big problem happens,
we get thrown for a loop.
Another
thing we were dealing with was waiting to hear from the doctor, which made us
impatient especially when we were told it would take only one day (which never
happened). I wish I had as many hours in my “day” as they do, maybe I’d
get more done.
Being
immobilized from the leg injury, the internet kept going out all week, no phone
service, praying the doctor’s results were good and several more unsettling
issues, certainly challenged our faith. In trying to keep a good
attitude, no one knew the struggles that we’d been experiencing except for one
person – Jesus.
Psalm
139:23 declares that the Lord surely knows about our anxious thoughts,
even when we try to keep them quenched.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
“Search
me, test me.” Really Lord? How many times have you asked God to test
your faith? Frankly, I can’t say that is on my prayer request
list.
Be
Anxious for Nothing
Throughout
scriptures we are told over and over not to let the cares of this world cause
our faith and testimony to be compromised in how we react to
situations. The way we respond shows the depth of our trust in the One we
call Lord and Savior.
If
we act like the unbelieving world does in handling problems, they will have no
reason to trust God for anything. Basically, without words we’re
really saying He isn’t a powerful loving God Who can do squat.
Philippians
4:6-7 reminds us not to be anxious, fret or worry over anything and to let
the peace of God rule over our thoughts. We do this by going to the
Lord in prayer and believing He will handle each request in a manner that best
fits our need(s).
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
I
would expect that means the little things as well, don’t you? So,
casting our cares would be right in the middle of that mix I’d say.
“Casting all your cares (all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your
concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares about you (with deepest
affection, and watches over you very carefully).” (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)
Knowing
that God’s got things under control, His peace (not ours) surrounds and guards
our emotions. We can rest (comfort) in His ability to work things
out for the good of those who love Him.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 KJV)
The Plan of Life
God
wants to be a part of our life, and always has a better plan that will see us
through any situation. He doesn’t want us to experience life’s
circumstances all by ourselves. The choice is up to the individual.
If
we refer to the scriptures, God reveals through the Apostle James that
there is a way to go about the tests and struggles we encounter each
day. Whether they are large or small, each trial is an opportunity
to grow in faith and favor from the Lord.
“… when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for
great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your
endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your
endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing
nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT)
I
truly want to get to that point where I am complete and lack nothing, what
about you? In order for that to happen, just how much endurance
do we really need to experience? Apparently, a lot if we want
God to step in with His plan book of favor.
Believe You Have What You Need
By
faith we have to believe that when we ask God for assistance and wisdom to get
through the trials we encounter, He will give us what we
need. After we have prayed, we must believe that help is
on the way to see us to the next step in life.
If
we pray and don’t truly believe God will do anything, then we will get exactly
what we expected – and that is squat, nada, zilch, nothing from the Lord.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally
and without getting angry at you for asking, and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith believing God will help, not doubting, for he who
doubts is unstable in their faith and will not receive anything from the
Lord.” (from James 1:5-7 NKJV emphasis mine)
This
Week’s Challenge:Plan on Believing
When
it comes to winning in life (over the obstacles that are thrown along our
path), believers in Christ have an upper hand on strategy – the power of the
Holy Spirit. Faith in the Word of God and prayer are the most
powerful weapons we have to help us overcome any situation. The
devil knows that, do you?
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.
How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding
out! (Romans 11:33)
God
declared that the victory is already ours. That means we’re already
winners. Now we need to act like it.
As
you enter the throne room of God in prayer make sure your heart is
right. Ask in faith believing that He will help
you. Don’t let your mind wander causing you to doubt in any
way. Instead of believing in your plans, plan on believing God’s
Word.
Lots
of interference was thrown our way this week, but through our disappointments
we smiled, laughed and didn’t let it get us down.We’re patiently believing God for a good
outcome over every situation and have received favor in doing so.Twice my husband has had a stranger pay for
his beverage at a drive-thru restaurant and even more things have happened
where we have been blessed.
What’s
happening in your life that’s throwing your plans out of whack? No
matter what you’re going through, God’s grace and mercy will see you through if
you remain steadfast in your belief.
“You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my
spirit.” (Job 10:12 NKJV)
Let
God into your heart to guide you through the good and bad
times. Trust Him and His plans. He promises to grant
favor on your life and care for you, giving renewed hope to your spirit, soul
and body.
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.
Image
credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified. Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Labels
Believe in God, Favored1, Faith, LG Cell Phones, Andrew Murray, Daily Favor
Blog, Wisdom, Patience, Favor, Trials and Tribulation, God's Favor, Endurance,
Frustration, Testing, Promises of God, Prayer
Come August I get a bit antsy, that is, eager to get back
into the classroom, doing fund raisers, winterizing the house or yard, and
basically setting my schedule for the New Year.
Well, these days just about everything got in the way of
those “normal” things.If I could use
one word to describe it all, it would be “errrrr."
The game of life got a bit more frustrating.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Medak,
Telangana, India; General Trias, Calabarzon, Philippines; Djibouti; Rejeka,
Primrje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia; Nakambala, Southern Province, Zambia;
Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy; Milan, Italy; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Cape Town, Western
Cape, South Africa; Tel Aviv, Israel; Medak, Telangana, India; Unguja Zanzibar
Urban, Tanzania; Hanoi, Ha Noi, Vietnam; Benalmadena, Andalucia & Toledo,
Castilla-LaMancha, Spain; Nakambala, Zambia; Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom;
Belgharia, West Bengal, India, Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria; Jessore, Khulna
Division, Bangladesh; Malolos, Central Luzon, Philippines; Mongu, Zambia;
Konya, Turkey; Silsden, England, United Kingdom; Mtubatuba, KwaZula-Natal,
South Africa; Cote d’Ivoire; Colombia..
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.
Don't miss
out on this week's challenge (below).
Read updates and visit the Q & A or other sections.
It Was a Break
Have you ever had a week like that? You know, where
nothing seemed to be going right?
Frustration levels have been at a peak this week, all
starting with not being able to make a post last week.For the most part my writing is
usually ahead of schedule, because it isn’t focused on my daily living.
However, Daily Favor really cannot be written
ahead, because it’s based on what God is doing at the moment in my life.Basically, I write as He reveals.
When I realized that Friday’s post wasn’t going to
happen, I got really upset.First with
myself thinking I missed something with God, then fussing about my viewers
being disappointed, and finally, dealing with feelings of guilt (which we know
isn’t of God).
My husband said, “Tell
them you’re on vacation.” … but that wouldn’t have been the truth.Not that he was suggesting I lie, but hoping
people understood and wouldn’t quit following this blog.I wish it were a vacation; it’s been almost
twenty years since I’ve had one of those.
No, it was only a break from writing so I could be with
my husband.So, that’s what I did.Funny how things work out even when you think
they’re a mess.So let me share how all
the foes and foils transpired over my week when I was on a “break.”
Do You Need A Wheelchair?
Hubby was scheduled to be in the hospital last week, so
we prepared for whatever needed to be done.He was already in AFIB and was about to have more testing done on his
heart.
I have no idea how it happened, but earlier in the week I
somehow twisted my knee possibly tearing a ligament.The pain was awful and the best thing I could do was to stay off my
leg.By the time we went to the
hospital, I was the one limping.
After we checked in at the front desk, a nurse came to
get my husband. Observing my limp she assumed I was the patient, and asked if I
needed a wheelchair. Thanking her, I declined the offer and hobbled down the
corridor.
We were thankful that he didn’t have to stay overnight
and all seemed to be fine. The results would be given to us within twenty-four
hours.There wasn’t anything else we
needed to do except wait, so home we went as quickly as possible.
Not Much of A Dream
When we got home I plopped myself on the couch to keep my
leg elevated.Hubby decided to take it
upon himself to make a cake.Not just
any cake, but a Red Velvet Dream Cake.
Not ever having this kind of cake, I bought one for
$3.00. I’ve never spent that much on a cake mix in my life, but I thought it
was a bargain. The package said it
included the icing and a cake pan.The
pan itself I felt was worth that much.Good deal right?
While the cake was baking, he moved on to making the
frosting according to the box direction.Only he changed them ever so slightly. Instead of using soft butter, he
melted it in the microwave.The icing
was a flop because he didn’t whip it. Thinking it needed to get cold he popped it in
the refrigerator.
Game Boy
Let the games begin!It was late evening by now. Not being able to move about much I got on
the computer to play a game.What’s
this? A new one … Cake Mania?How
appropriate.
Finally getting to where I understood how it worked, the
internet shut off.This had been
happening all week, right in the middle of work.Hubby came over to see if he could fix the
problem.
After he resolved the issue I suggested he take over and
stop being a back seat cake baker.While
I was playing he kept calling out the moves for me to make (as if I could make
it go any faster).
It’s not so easy now is it game boy?Switching seats, now I was the one behind him
making the calls.The only difference
though was the laughter in the gallery.
Customers keep coming for cakes.Hubby refused to pick up the money so no more
people would come in, then he wouldn’t take their order and started talking
back to them as they got mad. It was hilarious.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer, listening as
he whispered all the orders one-by-one while trying to keep up with the mayhem.
“Go ahead, leave.I’m not making
your cake anyway.” And you might as well forget it too. I’m not giving you a
menu either. ”… he spouted off to the "virtual" customers as
they fumed out the door.
“I’m not buying any more supplies.”He said as he trashed all the cakes
that were wrong orders, losing $600 in the pretend bakery. I laughed so hard
tears were flowing down my face, which only ticked him off more.It was a perfect time to make my exit to the
kitchen.
When Dreams Go Bad
Now let me remind you that my husband doesn’t play online
games, or any games for that matter.He
has to really be in the doghouse for him to play a board game with me, if you
get my drift.
He was finally determined to beat this game when the
internet shut off again.Hearing this
sound “awww” come out of his mouth I came into the living room. It was like a bird
told me to say, “You know (little pause
here), it’s funny how” … Right then he interrupted me.
“I know … messing up on the Red Velvet cake tonight.I’m not a baker!”Laughing I replied, “You’re not even a virtual one!”
Seven hours later the icing was still as runny as water!I said, “I
can fix this.”Sitting at the
kitchen table I proudly decorated the single layer dream cake with cream cheese
frosting we had in the cupboard.
Finishing the cake, there was this awful toxic, paint
smell wafting from the container. It was bad.Checking the date I noticed it read November 2011! The Red Velvet Dream
Cake was turning into a nightmare.Apparently neither of us are bakers! (Don't judge me ... who does a date check on the items in the pantry? That stuff is good forever, right?)
It reminded me when Joseph was in prison and interpreted
the baker’s dream! (Genesis 40:16-19 NKJV)
I cut the top off and we ate it plain.Not exactly the outcome we had hoped. Oh, and that free baking pan I thought I was getting ... it was cardboard!
Not so El Taco
On his way home from cardio rehab, hubby stopped off at
the local grocery store to get some taco shells for lunch.He was assembling our culinary delight when he
noticed something; they had expired. What is it with food this week?
Toe Mail
It’s Thursday by now and hubby was attempting to go to work
for a few hours.This would be his first
time to do that, and a good opportunity for me to catch up on writing.About ten minutes after he was gone the phone
rang.Trying to pick up the phone, it
slipped through my fingers and dropped to the floor. Of course it was out of
reach, why wouldn’t it be!
Seeing it was my husband I needed to get to it quickly,
so I tried to answer it with my big toe.In my head I kept hearing my husband say. “Swipe it, swipe it.” Then I
mashed it with my foot trying to get it to answer. A first for me I assure you.
(By the way, it didn’t work.)
I didn’t know if there was a problem.Anxiously trying to retrieve it by sliding the
phone with my foot (remember I still can’t move my leg), I was able to get it
within reach.By the time I picked it up
it had already gone to voice mail, only to notify me that there was no service.
Playing phone tag, we finally got through to one
another.Sharing my dilemma with my husband,
this time he was laughing. He informed me that his game plan changed and now he
was going to the library.
Testing in Progress
These things seem silly don’t they?Sometimes it’s not the big things, but all
the little ones adding up that get us frustrated.They try our patience and cause us to get
anxious, so that when a big problem happens we get thrown for a loop.
The cake thing wasn’t a big deal, but it was time
consuming and a waste of money. Even though I was thoroughly entertained (sorry
hubby), it threw off our “game” for a time.
Waiting all week to hear from the doctor made us
impatient, especially when we were told it would take only one day.We’re still waiting.I wish I had that many hours in my “day,”
maybe I’d get more done.
Being immobilized from the leg injury, the internet going
out all week, no phone service, expired food and praying the hospital results
were good certainly challenged our faith levels.
Psalm 139:23 declares that the Lord surely knew about our
anxious thoughts, even though we tried to keep them quenched.
“Search me, O God, and
know my heart;
Testme and know my anxious thoughts.”
“Search me, test me.” Really God? How many times have you
asked God to test your faith? Frankly, I can’t say that one is high on my
prayer request list.
Philippians 4:6 reminds us not to be anxious, fret or
worry over anything. I would expect that means the little things as well, don’t
you? So casting our cares would be right in that mix I’d say. (1 Peter 5:7)
The Game of Life
What we can gain from this is that God is always in the
game plan, and He doesn’t want us to play the “game of life” all by ourselves. If
we refer to the scriptures, God reveals to us through James that there is a way
to go about the trials, tests and struggles we encounter each day, whether they
are large or small.
“… when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it
an opportunity for great joy.For you
know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully
developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4
NLT)
Being a perfectionist takes on a whole new
meaning after reading that.Come to
think of it, mediocre doesn’t look that bad with all the trials that come with
growing to be perfect in faith.
Just how
much endurance do we really need?Apparently, a lot if we want God to step in with the playbook.
We Can Still Have Cake
Not everything in life is going to work out the way we
planned or hoped.We don’t always get the
breaks we want, but life isn’t supposed to be placed on hold because of some
set-backs.Hey, that’s why they call it “life.”
That red velvet cake wasn’t what I thought it would be,
but I still had cake … a bit different, but it was just as good.God is willing to give us cake, icing and all
(so to speak). He planned for us to have good things through His loving favor,
but it all has to do with the way we handle bad situations.
Our faith is so precious to the Lord that it is valued
more than anything else, and satan knows that.If he can get Christians to cave on the small stuff, then he already
knows he can trap us when it comes to big decisions. So we shouldn’t be
surprised when a trial passes our way.
“In this you greatly
rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by
various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious
than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise,
honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ …” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”
(1 Peter 4:12)
Believe You Have What You Need
By faith we have to believe that when we ask God for
assistance and wisdom to get through the trials we encounter, He will give us what we need.After we have prayed, we must believe that help is on the way and we have what we need to
see us to the next step in life.
If we pray and don’t believe God heard us, then we will
get exactly what we expected – and that is squat, nada, zilch, nothing from the
Lord.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all liberally and without getting angry at you for asking, and it will
be given to him.
But let him ask in faith believing God will help, not
doubting, for he who doubts is unstable in their faith and will not receive
anything from the Lord.” (from James 1:5-7 NKJV emphasis mine)
This Week’s Challenge:
The Faith Pawn
Coming to the end of this post I told my husband I was
making good headway, but needed the challenge. He replied, “You have me.”So there you
have it.How can I top that?
Life is enough of a challenge, do we need another? No,
this week we’re on a break. Not really, but God will have us work on our faith perfection
and endurance levels.
When it comes to winning in life (over the obstacles that
are thrown along our path), we’ve got the upper hand on strategy.The only pawn we need is our faith.It’s the most precious game piece we
have.The devil knows that, do you?
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments
and His ways past finding out!(Romans 11:33 NKJV)
God declared that the victory is already ours. That means
we’re already winners.Now we need to
act like it.Lots of interference was
thrown our way this week (this post would be really long if I told you all that
happened), but through our disappointments we smiled, laughed and didn’t let it
get us down.We’re patiently believing God for a good outcome.
What’s happening in your life that’s throwing your game
out of whack? No matter what you’re going through, God’s grace and mercy will
see you through if you remain steadfast in your belief.He will grant favor on your life and care for
you, giving renewed hope to your spirit. (Job 10:12 NKJV)
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 Image credit: Google
Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified. Image: Life GameFrustrationCake Mania GameCell PhoneMediocreThat's Life Snoopy Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
