21 DAY DEVOTIONAL (Disciplined, Diligent, and Determined) Week One: Walking In Spiritual Disciplines Week Two: Being Diligent In Your Spiritual Walk Week Three: Living A Determined Spiritual Life
WALKING IN SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES Daniel was a very disciplined man, which ironically was one of the reasons why he was enlisted to learn the laws and customs of Babylon. Daniel was taken captive as a slave to Babylon after Israel was defeated in war. Only the most learned and disciplined students were recruited by the King. It was this same level of discipline that allowed Daniel to remain true to his faith in God while in captivity. Likewise, we should be walking in these spiritual disciplines in our daily lives in order to maintain a vibrant faith. Enjoy these devotions written by your fellow church family as we embrace the spiritual disciplines necessary to flourish in our faith.
Bible Reading by Will Lane “Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat…” (Exodus 16:21). The Manna was food provided by God during the wandering in the wilderness by the children of Israel. It is symbolic of how we should read the Word of God by gathering what is our necessary spiritual food for each day. “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in your word” (Ps 119:114). The Word of God provides daily protection for our lives as we read it. “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night…”(Joshua 1:8) Just like breakfast and how it energizes our bodies each day, reading the Word of God should begin each day, so that we have hope and not despair giving us strength to walk and how to stand. We meditate on what we have read and actively keep it in our hearts and minds. Keeping his word before our eyes and in our thoughts each day filters every decision through a Godly perspective. This creates success in our lives, families and church. “So that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) Reading the Word of God enables us to be careful to do all that is written and to know exactly what God says. No other book in this entire world holds so much power, hope and life. We can be sure that our enemy, the devil, knows what is written as he often twists its words. There are wonderful accounts of men and women of God in the Bible who faced overwhelming challenges and trials, yet
they kept the Word of God that was spoken and hidden in their hearts through the power of Jesus Christ. Pray and ask God to direct you on how to read his Word by creating a time for Him each day. As you go about your day, Smart phones have many different Bible apps and even provide audio files for listening to the Bible. When you read or listen to the Bible, pay special attention to passages and verses that speak to you drawing you into a deeper study. These passages may be for today or a time to come. Consider reading the Word of God out loud as you will not only see it but hear it. As you read, think about how you can also incorporate the Word of God in your prayer life. When you pray and quote the Word of God, you bring the life and power of God into every situation. As each of us read and hear the Word of God, let Him speak, guide, and provide the necessary spiritual manna (food) and tools we need for each day’s journey. He is the Word of Life.
Worship by Judy Herbert Romans 12:1-2 – Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Worship is not just a song or a service at church, it is a lifestyle. God created us to worship, and to worship Him alone. In Romans 12:1-2, our spiritual worship is presenting ALL of ourselves in the way we live for Him. All that we are is our body, soul, and spirit. What we do physically, how we respond emotionally, how we think…basically, how we live is our spiritual worship. But, it doesn’t stop there. We are to live holy lives, for that is our spiritual worship. It’s through renewing our minds to God’s way and God’s will. This is what is pleasing to Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength.” This is the first “commandment”. We were created to worship Him, and we are commanded to worship Him with all of us. So, how do we love God with all of ourselves, as a holy sacrifice, and having a renewed mind? We spend time with Him in the Word, prayer, and worship. The more time we spend with Him, the more we know Him, hear His voice, and
become Christ-like in how we live. Living in His presence day and night wherever we go and whatever we do, our hearts and minds are toward Him as we commune with Him. As we invite the Lord into our lives to be a part of every area, He becomes LORD of all of us. And, the way we live is ONLY for Him…our spiritual worship. This not only pleases Him, but when we live a life of worship, He rests and dwells inside of us. This is what He desires. Psalm 132:13-14 says, For the Lord has chosen Zion (me); He has desired it (me) for His habitation. “This is My resting place forever. Here I will dwell for I have desired it (you).” Allow His presence to rest and dwell inside of you, to be LORD of your life, so you can live completely for Him…having a lifestyle of worship. For you exist and are created to worship Him!
Prayer by Joel Westerfield Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry. (Psalm 88, verse 2) She prayed some of the most eloquent prayers I have ever heard. A real prayer warrior. You know the type. Every word seemed to fit the situation at hand. Every utterance seemed to be blessed before it was ever to reach God’s ears. Oh, how I wished I could pray out loud like that. I would probably be prone to stumble and stutter, struggle for words, and finally forget what I was even praying about. It was in that time of struggle with anxiety and fear that I finally came to realize what prayer was really about. I remembered the story of Elijah, when he went upon the mountain to look for God. (1 Kings chapter 19 verses 16-18). God wasn’t present in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor the fire. It was in the quiet stillness that he appeared to Elijah. So it was in the quiet stillness that my prayer life developed. One day as I prayed, looking for the right words to say to God about my situation, I suddenly just stopped. It dawned on me there were no right words. There was only my feelings and emotions and a longing for someone to understand. So, I closed
my mouth, opened my heart, and listened. In the stillness that followed I began to feel a peace. It wasn’t long before thoughts and mental visions filled my head. It was as if God had been waiting for me to be quiet so He could talk. From that moment on I never again worried about words, only about communication, for that, after all, is what prayer is all about. A communion with our creator who already knows all the words and longs to be one with his creation. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, verses 16-17 say “ Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Sometimes we say it best when we say nothing at all.
Solitude By Dan Roseberry Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11b-13a NIV It was not in the great and powerful wind that Elijah heard from God, nor was it in the mighty earthquake or the great fire. No, it was in silence that the prophet of the Almighty heard the still, small voice of the Lord. When Jesus communed with God, he went away by himself to a remote place, and in quietness met with the Lord. (Mt 14:23) And when his disciples were in need of spiritual rest, he took them away unto himself to a quiet place. (Mk 6:31) Child of God? Are you in need of the still, small voice of the Lord? Do you need rest in your soul from the trials of life, or direction, or help from on high? You need only come away with the Lord to a quiet place and be still before him. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV Silence by Chuck West Prayer: O God, we thank you for your many blessings and gifts, for your Son,
Jesus, your word, and your Holy Spirit. Guide us now into the wisdom of hearing your thoughts in our silence. Amen Read: Psalm 37:1-7, Psalm 46:10 Silence- a time when no sound is heard. We may experience it in the presence of the Lord in reading the Word of God, presenting our petitions or during worship. The Lord may wake us from sleep to show us a vision or speak to our hearts. We need to take time everday to separate ourselves from the noise of the world so that we can hear the still quiet voice of the Lord. The Lord is speaking to us often and we may even hear His voice in part but to gain the full understanding of what He is saying to us, we must quiet our minds and hearts. This is a difficult task in our world full of distractions even more so with all the electronic devices and all the people who expect our attention. Jesus took time to be with God . Jesus who knew God and recognized His voice, needed to get alone with His Father to communicate with Him. Even in Gethsemane surrounded by his disciples, Jesus went "a little further" to be alone with God. He needed to hear from God. Jesus who knew God's plan and God's will needed to experience the presence of God in the quiet silence to gain strength from God to carry out God's plan. I know that when I desire to hear from God (which is not as often as I should) I get alone, pray, read the word, and wait until I received something from God. In that time He has spoken by a quiet voice, inspired me by visions, reminded of a scripture which I needed and even brought other Christians to advise me. I experienced God's peace in a real way in each case. My reasoning is if Jesus needed the quiet then so do I. Why not give God a chance to visit you in the silence? Fasting by Pastor Tom Fasting is a lost art when we think of the vital spiritual disciplines that are needed in a believers life. Throughout scripture, fasting was an expected discipline but not a mandatory one. For example, Moses fasted for 40 days at least twice that we know about in the Bible. Jesus fasted for 40 days. Of course Daniel fasted for 21 days and a 3 day fast is recorded in the book of Esther. So they question we must
ask is why do we fast? When we fast we are voluntarily making ourselves weak in order for God to demonstrate His strength in us. Food is our sustenance and by willingly going without we are intentionally humbling ourselves before God. When we fast the Holy Spirit works in our lives to reveal hidden sin, revive a broken heart, or restore our first love. It has been my personal experience that when I voluntarily fast, God always does a wonderful work in my heart and He always works above and beyond what I could ask or think. Sabbath by Pastor Tom Most of us know that the word Sabbath means a day of rest. I was surprised to know that it actually means a day of worship and rest! In Deuteronomy 5:12-14 the Lord commanded the people of Israel by saying “ observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy….six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God.” The American society is one of the hardest working, fast paced societies in the world. In the midst of that busyness, the Holy Spirit speaks to our heart and invites us to come away for a day of rest and worship on a weekly basis. There is a reason why God commanded it…..because we need it! Sometimes we can get ourselves so busy with the activities of life that we don’t take time to worship, pray, reflect, and just enjoy life. When we make a commitment to having a regular Sabbath in our week, God will bless our obedience and strengthen us with might.
BEING DILIGENT IN YOUR SPIRITUAL WALK Daniel was incredibly diligent about many areas of his life including his spiritual walk with God. Diligence is defined as being attentive and persistent in working toward an accomplishment. As followers of Jesus we know and understand that the work of salvation was accomplished on the cross, but we are invited to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12-13). When we are diligent in our spiritual walk, it means that we are living intentionally so that our faith will flourish. Enjoy these devotions written by your church family as we endeavor to show diligence in our spiritual walk with God. Regular Time With God by Dan Roseberry I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. – Psalm 119:10 NIV The word of God brings light to my path, and by that same word his Spirit leads me into all truth. He shows me how to live in a manner that is pleasing to him. And like a seed sowed in the earth that brings forth the life that is within it, so will I hide the word of the Living God within my own heart! His precepts bring me out from the darkness into the light, and when they are found upon my lips they shed the light of Jesus Christ all around. Others will see and know the light of life as I have! “…his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” – Jeremiah 20:9b NIV Regular Church Attendance by Pastor Tom
When I worked in retail, my schedule required me to work two or three Sunday’s a month. I truly disliked having to work on Sunday’s because I would miss Sunday morning worship and valuable family time too. I quickly learned that I needed to replace that lost Sabbath day sometime later in the week. If I missed Sunday, I always made sure to get to church on Wednesday night or at the very least remain active in a small group.
Ephesians 4:16 says that God "makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each does it's own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." When we are not in church on a regular basis the fitting together can not take place as easily. When we are not in church on a regular basis the health and growth of the body of believers is hindered. There are many activities and functions that are interfering with regular church attendance in today's culture. In spite of these realities we must remember that there are many reasons why we should maintain regular church attendance including being taught from the Scriptures, to be encouraged and to be an encourager, to grow together in common purpose, and to share with one another. But the ultimate reason for attending church on a regular basis is to worship God because He is worthy of our worship. Studying The Bible by Will Lane Hebrews 4:12 says “The word of God is living and active…” and Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path.” 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. We must take time and make every effort to focus and seek God at the beginning of 2016 through studying his word and letting it be a lamp to our walk. While asking Him to speak and being ready to listen we give room for His word to be active and alive in our lives. Otherwise, we risk being ashamed and unable to rightly divide His word of truth. A deliberate purposing in our heart to let His word show forth and reveal its truth will illuminate right and wrong. It will challenge the thoughts and intents of our hearts resulting in changes needed to draw us closer to Him. Studying and embracing the word of God provides room to grow, live and be accepted as God says, while we keep his standards of holiness and morality. When I study the word of God, he speaks and reveals his truth to me. These truths set me free, make me hungry and thirsty and challenge me to move past what I think are the limits of my capabilities. For it’s his thoughts that are higher and greater than my thoughts. His thoughts are abundantly above what I can ask or think. Studying the Word changes my thought pattern to His, deepens my relationship with Him, builds my faith and increases my capacity for the deeper
things of God. Prayer before studying is essential by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct by giving spiritual understanding. Studying sometimes gives answers straight and clear while other times a season is needed to meditate and consider as we wait on Him to reveal. Rightly dividing the word of truth means taking it in His intended context and marking and paying attention to areas where he shines his illuminating spotlight. It’s not just coincidence when the light is turned on – it’s Him speaking. When the Word is illuminated – study earnestly for a truth is soon to be found. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.” Search out and ask God to use his Word to anchor us to what will remain after all is shaken in this world. He is the Cornerstone and the Firm Foundation. By and through His Word we cannot be shaken. Word of God speak……
Accountability With Others by Roger Deem
A man was driving through the mountains and was grateful his wife had not come along because she was always giving him unsolicited directions. For this trip he left the wife at home and took along a GPS unit configured with a MALE voice. He was driving along blissfully until the GPS led him to a dead end road. He crashed through the barrier and plunged off a cliff. As the car fell towards destruction, the last sound he heard was the GPS saying, “Recalculating.”
When a person trusts only in him or herself, it is so easy to take a wrong turn. Human beings often see only what they want to see and sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees. We need people in our lives who will give us a different perspective on our words and actions and who will speak truth to us in a loving but firm manner.
The blade of a sword cannot sharpen itself. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us that Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. Anyone who believes a Christian
walk can be accomplished alone also needs to do some serious recalculating.
Service To Others by Daryl Darnell If one wishes to learn a skill such as playing a musical instrument, becoming a first-rate chef, or designing blueprints for an apartment complex they first consult the experts. This can be done by finding a personal mentor, or reading all you can about the topic. Since I’ve always felt the Holy Spirit calling me to serve, I studied from the greatest teacher. I read a 2,000 year-old instruction manual. It contains many stories of service and sacrifice. There’s the story of this teacher humbling himself by washing the dirty feet of lowly people beneath Him. He provides lunch for the multitudes with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Talk about making a meal stretch!!! He supplied the wine for a wedding reception. Let’s not forget those suffering from physical, emotional and spiritual afflictions whom he healed. If those acts of service weren’t enough, he performed the greatest service in history by allowing himself to be falsely accused, humiliated, tortured and ultimately put to death on a cross for our sins. He did this while Himself leading a sinless life. Granted, most of us will probably never be asked to give of ourselves to that degree. We can however be Jesus to those who may otherwise never encounter Him. I know from personal experience that when I’m asked to take part in any LIFE Church or community activity my first reaction is to think there are others much more qualified. I’m slowly learning that God doesn’t care about an impressive resume, He just wants us to be willing and He’ll make us able. When the Holy Spirit asks you to be a blessing to someone in need, it’s a proven fact that you’ll be the blessed one.
Submitted To Spiritual Leaders by Bryon and Peggy Wisdom Hebrews 13:17 AMP 17 Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority
over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.
God is a God of order. He has set up principles of authority and leadership that reflects His nature. In His perfect order is a hierarchy of leadership that is set in place for our benefit and protection. Jesus attested to this when told his disciples in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” God has appointed a pastor for this congregation to seek God’s will and vision and to cast that vision to us. As God’s appointed leader we are commanded by God to ‘obey spiritual leaders and submit to them’ and to let them do so with ‘joy and not grief’ otherwise it is of no benefit to us.
I like to look at a pastor’s spiritual leadership over the congregation as a big umbrella that God has given him to hold. That umbrella is Gods protection for us. As long was we follow Gods will to submit to the pastor he has put over us, we stay protected under that umbrella. When we step out from under that umbrella because we don’t “like or agree” (lack of obedience and submission) with the pastor for whatever reason, I believe we take ourselves out of Gods protection, and that “would be of no benefit to us”. When we submit to the pastor, we are submitting to Jesus Christ and to God the Father who sent him.
Take time daily to pray for our pastor and the elders as they seek Gods direction for LIFE Church. As the writer of Hebrews tells us they “watch over our souls “and “are guarding our spiritual welfare” and will ‘give account for their stewardship of us’. This is a heavy load they bear and they need our prayers, our honor (1Ti 5:17), our obedience and our submission. God demands nothing less.
Knowledgeable About The Secular World by Pastor Tom
Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;[21] on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: - (Proverbs 1:20-21) Often times it has been said of Christians that we are to heavenly minded to be any earthly good. It is important that in our spiritual diligence we remain knowledgeable about what is happening in our society. One of the hidden secrets in the gospels is the way in which Jesus used the current events and culture of his day to teach the truths of the kingdom of God. There are many times when he was speaking to the Pharisees or other religious leaders and because of his knowledge of the secular he was able to reveal truth about the spiritual. The church has lost her voice in the public square of today's culture but we can gain it back again! A diligent people who will speak the wisdom of God in the city gates needs to arise.
LIVING A DETERMINED SPIRITUAL LIFE One of the most amazing realities of Daniel’s life is his determination in the midst of great stress and struggle. In Daniel 1:8 it says that "Daniel determined in his heart not to defile himself." There is a famous song that many of us grew up singing in church called “I Have Decided To Follow Jesus.” This song is very fun and cute but in many ways it is also a declaration. There must be a determination in our hearts to never turn back from this decision to be a Christ-follower. We must be determined to live a vibrant and healthy spiritual life! Enjoy these devotions written by your church family as we decide together to follow Jesus! Living By Faith by Kathy Lane Faith is vital to our existence as a follower of Christ. "Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." [Heb 11:1 KJV] This is a scripture that is quoted often when we discuss faith in Christianity. But what does this actually mean? Is faith what we hope for even though we don't see it; or is faith who our hope rests in ...even though we may not see Him at work? While it is true that we must believe in faith when we pray; it's equally important that we understand where our faith must be placed. Faith doesn't mean that when we pray, the final conclusion of the matter rests in our ability to express enough hope or confidence in the outcome that we are believing for. Our faith is in God. Faith is defined as "conviction or belief that respects man's relationship to God generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour." Faith means, I KNOW my God. I KNOW His promises. I KNOW His word. I trust Him with my life, and the life of those I care about. Therefore, faith means that no matter how things work out, I believe God cares about me and is always working for my good. God's power to work is not limited by my perception of some personal "level of faith." We've probably all heard someone lamenting the fact that a specific situation didn't work out in the way that they had prayed. People often make the mistake of thinking that they are responsible for this disappointment because they didn't express enough faith as they were praying. The truth is, when our lives are placed in God's hands; He always has final say in the disposing of the matter.
"Now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory....." [Eph 3:2021] This assures us that God is able to do more than we can think of or even ask Him for. So living by faith means that every moment of my life - I recognize that God sees beyond what I could ever envision and I have faith that he will do what is necessary for my good. "It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him." [Heb 11:6 MSG] Finally, " For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith." [Rom 1:17] The word "just" in this passage is defined as "him whose way of thinking, feeling and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God and who therefore needs no rectification [to fix, remedy, resolve, repair] in the heart of life. What a challenge this brings to us this year! Simply put, "living by faith" means all of our confidence lies in God and it is not dependent on whether life works out our way. This year let's strive to become believers whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God. Let's "just" live by FAITH!! Persistent In Prayer by Chuck West Prayer: Father, thank you for your Son Jesus, your Holy Spirit, your word, mercy and grace. Please use these gifts to share the the love of Christ to those around us. Amen. Read: Luke 11:1-13, Matthew 15:21-28, Daniel 6:1-23 In Jesus' teaching on prayer in Luke 11 he tells of the man who persistantly knocks at the door of a man trying to sleep. The man sleeping is a friend. The man knocking has a need that the sleeping friend can supply. Because of the continued knocking, the sleeping friend meets the need of his friend. If you are a friend of God (a child saved by grace) God has promised to supply your needs. God is always aware of our needs. He is also aware of how His timing can affect our lives. Our persistence in prayer must be equaled in our thankfulness when the need is met. Jesus says in Luke 11:9 to ask, seek, and knock to receive, find, and be welcomed into God's grace and mercy; but we must ask with belief. In Mark 11:24, we are instructed by Jesus to believe that we have
received whatever we asked for. If you examine this scripture carefully, you see that believing comes before receiving. Not only are we to ask in faith, but wea are to ask in thanksgiving for what we have received. Our persistence in thanksgiving should outweigh our persistence in petition. Our faith, thankfulness, and gratefulness often shapes our belief that God desires that we ask and depend on Him. If your petition is in your best interest as God's child, thank God for receiving the gift you ask for before you ask for it. See what it does for your faith. A Carrier Of His Presence by Jamie Cox Matthew 11:30 (NKJV) 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NKJV) 17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
His burden is light but His presence is heavy. Sometimes the Lord speaks to me in pictures, and as I read the words speaking of the eternal weight of glory (or His presence), I see myself being knocked down to my knees because I am incapable of carrying the weight of His glory. This is a good thing….it keeps me humble. The heavier the glory, the more humble I become. The two are one. You cannot carry the presence of God without humility. It’s His presence, His glory, not mine. The burden is light. The afflictions of this world are nothing in comparison to what eternity has waiting for us. That eternal weight of glory, His heavy presence, that causes us to fall to our knees or even our face, is the very thing we set our hopes for. We not only have to look forward to a day when we bask in the great presence of our Almighty God, but we can literally experience the weight of His glory now as we bow down and surrender ourselves to Him.
Trust In The Lord’s Promises by Wanda Dame
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. As I have been meditating on this scripture the Lord has been showing me that in order to trust someone you need to know them and to know someone you must spend time with them. So now the challenge is arranging our schedule putting time spent with the Lord our top priority. I am asking the Lord for more grace in 2016 to better understand the Word. More grace allow Him to develop His heart in me. More grace to live for Him and not sin. Will you join me in pressing in to a deeper place in the Lord. He won’t disappoint you!!! Romans 12:2 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Cast Down But Not Destroyed by Eric Thomas God’s Word reminds us that nothing surprises God, and nothing can overcome Him. There are times when we are going through life’s difficulties and feel all alone. In difficult times we need to learn to stand on His Word, His promises, and not on our own understanding.
Life can be full of seasons that we are hard pressed on every side. In those moments Gods all surpassing power prevails. When we are on the battlegrounds our best weapon is the Word of God. Darkness holds no candle to truth and we know the Word of God IS truth!!
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; -- 2 Corinthians 4: 6-9
When faced with difficulties of life you need to reach inside of you, pull out your weapons of truth (the Word of God) and fight the good fight. Nothing surprises God. He will not abandon you. The truth within the pages of the Bible gives us hope and encouragement to face each and every day.
Hide The Word In Your Heart by Dana Pfeiffer Kick your circumstances to the curb with The Word of God. How can you become a rock with roots so circumstances, anger and fear do not consume, overtake and control you, so you can be strong and know truth? Establish your position through prayer (Matt 6:6-14), anointing (Isaiah 21:5), physical coping tools (Joshua 1:11) with the full armor (Eph 6:11, 14-20) before you confront circumstances. Build yourself up by reviewing your strengths, prayer, and communication with a trusted support team that includes the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and trusted friends. Know this is YOUR time to fight and WIN. Circumstances CANNOT win with such support, tools to equip and knowing your position through Christ. YOU WIN!!
Lose Your Life by Jay Diers John 15:13 “Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends� By definition, a martyr is one who sacrifices his or her life on behalf of a person or belief. This is an example of extravagant love beyond the love we are to have for one another. It is deep hearted devotion that I believe can only be known from the heart of the Fathers love! This type of love does not originate from planning and thought. No, it is spontaneous and built from a life of devoted servitude towards someone or something that has captured your heart. Therefore, I say this, I don't believe you pray for this anointing because it is birthed in the divine. I don't think the martyrs who were beheaded on that beach ever prayed for this situation. No they were prepared because of a divine unction from the Holy Spirt who gave them
an extraordinary gifting to resolutely endure a brutal execution.