Monthly Archive

When things are tough, some believers tend to go deeper with God. We pray more, we read God’s Word more, and we may fast. As time progresses, God answers our prayers, and life gets better, some of us take our foot off the gas.

When it was rough, we prayed daily, but now we only pray a few times a week. When our marriage was at the point of divorce, we were in God’s Word often. Now, we read it a couple of times a week.

Let’s remain all in. Keep getting close to God despite what we’re facing. Don’t let the breakthrough cause you to lose your zeal. The fact that we experienced breakthrough is reason enough to keep getting close with God. Don’t stop. Keep growing in the knowledge of God.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Revelations 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

There are people who believe they’re doing what’s best for them, but everyone else can see that it’s not going to end well. That’s a deception. There are people who feel like a certain parenting style is what’s going to be best for their children, but the bible tells them otherwise. That’s a deception. There are people who think quitting their job to start a business is going to be profitable, but they haven’t checked with God. That’s a deception.

We shouldn’t do anything that doesn’t agree with the Word of God or disturbs our peace (Col. 3:15 AMP). Now, if we believe, with all sincerity, that God told us to do something that appears foolish, keep going. But if our actions are based on logic or feelings, the devil can use these things to deceive us.

Let’s evaluate our lives and the lives of those closest to us. If we’ve been operating from a place of deception, stop, and talk with God to see what’s best for your life and for the lives of those around us.

Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

There are people close to us who engage in foolish, unwise, and ungodly behavior. We see how their poor decisions are negatively affecting their lives, but we don’t say anything.

We don’t say anything because we’re afraid we may lose a friend or appear judgmental. We’d rather keep the peace and let them suffer than tell them the truth. If they’re a good friend, they’ll know we’re coming from a place of love. And if we’re a good friend, who wants the best for them, we’ll be honest with them.

Do something to help somebody. Give them wise counsel, biblical advice, or prayer. If they don’t listen to our advice, that’s their choice. We can say within ourselves that we attempted to help. And as God leads us, be willing to help them again and again and again.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.

We may submit our lives to God, but there are daily demonic forces that are constantly trying to uproot our submission to God.

Those forces know what our flesh likes. It may be a flirtatious attractive woman who knows we’re married but doesn’t care. It may be a sale on a dress, but you and your husband agreed to not spend anymore money. It may be an old boyfriend or girlfriend who contacts you out of the blue when you feel lonely. Or, it may be an unruly coworker when you just told yourself you were going to be patient and kind.

Regardless of what tempts us, we must continue to stay submitted to God’s plan. That’s going to require us to say no, do nothing, or be by ourselves at times, but it’s for the best.

As we stay submitted to God, we’ll reap the benefits of our submission. It may not always be tangible. It may be stronger will power to say no, not being moved by our feelings, or being more disciplined.

Continue to stay submitted to God and don’t be distracted.

Belief and faith are similar, but not the same. Belief and faith are two sides of the same coin.

Belief vs. Faith Example

Belief: A person has food in front of them. They believe, with all sincerity, that if they eat the food, they won’t die of starvation. Daily, they believe that if they eat food, they won’t die of starvation. By the end of the month, if not earlier, they’re starving but still believing if they eat food, they won’t die of starvation. Eventually, that person dies of starvation. The food was there in front of them and they believed they wouldn’t have died of starvation if they would’ve eaten the food, but they died anyway.

Faith: Faith is a person believing they won’t die of starvation if they eat the food and acting on their belief by picking up the food and eating it.

We can genuinely believe God’s Word. We can believe He’s healed us, He protects us, and nothing is impossible with Him. However, we won’t see the results of our belief until we act on our belief.

We act on our belief through confession. For instance, when we’re faced with sickness, we believe by the stripes of Jesus, we’re healed (1 Pet. 2:24). We act on that belief by declaring, by His stripes we’re healed and ignoring the sickness. It’s the same response to any other situation. Find out what God’s Word says about that situation, believe God’s Word about that situation, act on that belief through confession until what we desire in God’s Word comes to pass.

Belief can only take us so far. It’s the acting on what we believe that turns our belief into faith.

By Apostle Fred Price

Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

2 Corinthians 4:13 But having the same spirit of faith according to that having been written: “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we also believe and therefore speak,

Proverbs 2:7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

A simple definition of wisdom is, knowing what to do when we don’t know what to do.

For believers who choose to submit themselves to God, we have an endless supply of wisdom available for us. We access this wisdom by faith. When we don’t know what to do, we take this scripture and say, “Father, I thank You for the wisdom You’ve stored up for me in this situation and now, I receive the wisdom for ___________ (fill in the blank).” We confess this daily until we know what to do. At the same time, we’re allowing the Spirit of God to lead us. The Spirit may lead us to read a book regarding the situation, talk to a specific person, or research the topic on YouTube.

Regardless if it’s in business, parenting, or a major decision, by faith, the wisdom of God is available for us.

Numbers 7:3 And they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox; and they presented them before the tabernacle. 4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”

Some people still have a problem with giving their tithes and offering to the church, and it’s understandable. They worked long hours to get this money and they don’t want to give it away to “some preacher.” Understand this, our tithes and offerings are given to the Lord and for the work of the Kingdom of God. It’s not meant to make the preachers rich. (Now, if we’re led to give to the man or woman of God, that’s fine, but the money is meant to advance the Kingdom of God.)

The Kingdom of God consists of ministries all across the world and it’s no different than any other business. Ministries need to pay the electricity, water, and gas bill. They need to pay property taxes and the mortgage. They need to pay for cameras, lights, technology, etc., to reach people everywhere and they need to pay the staff.

If we don’t give, how do we expect the Kingdom of God to advance? How can ministries advertise to reach the lost without any money? Sure, people can preach on corners, but they’re limited to the people in that neighborhood. We can reach a whole lot more through TV and technology, but that takes money.

So, don’t view it as giving your money away. Look at giving as investing in the advancement of the Kingdom of God with a guaranteed return (Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38).

Pslam 147:1 Praise the Lord ! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

A lot of us enjoyed praise and worship at church. They would sing our favorite songs that glorified God. It was a beautiful thing to see numerous people honoring God for the wonderful things He’s done.

Unfortunately with COVID-19, coming together to praise and worship God had to stop. The enemy has used this separation to stop some of our praise. The enemy realized some of us wouldn’t praise God unless we’re in a church setting.

That’s why we must initiate our own praise and worship to God. We can praise God before we start our work day at home. We can turn on our favorite worship song and sincerely praise God in the living room. As we perform tasks, we can praise God in our vehicles. Even before we go to bed, we can worship God.

The point is to be intentional about praise and worship. At this time, it’s no longer going to be given to us. We have to grow up and be responsible to make praise a priority. Praise turns our hearts back to Him and keeps us mindful of all that He’s done. Let’s praise and worship our God.

Proverbs 16:28 (CEV) Gossip is no good! It causes hard feelings and comes between friends.

We all have been guilty of spreading gossip. A friend or family member confides in us about a problematic situation and we go tell someone else. Not only do we tell someone else, we may give our opinion about the people involved.

Because our words have power, what we’re doing when we gossip is keeping that situation alive (Prov. 18:21). It’s like adding a log to the fire. Each person we tell, we’re fueling that negative situation. If we’re giving our opinion about the people involved, most of the time, it’s not favorable or true. We’ll say how terrible the person was or how foolish someone was. Again, with the power of our words, we’re speaking death over the people involved. And if what we’re saying doesn’t agree with God’s Word, it’s not true.

The best things we can do after hearing unfortunate news is keep it to ourselves and sincerely pray for the person and their situation. Let’s speak life in that situation and declare all is well with them and their household. As tempting as it is to tell someone else, nothing good comes when we tell another person’s business.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

As much as we want Him to, God doesn’t respond to our tears. He responds to bold faith.

He doesn’t sit in heaven, looking at us crying in our rooms, and say to Himself, “aww, let me give them what they’ve been crying about.” He responds to our faith. He’s not insensitive to what we’re facing, but God can only operate by what He’s bound by: His Word.

And in His Word, He tells us to come boldly to Him asking for what we desire. That’s the Word He’s bound by. If He starts making exceptions to this person who’s crying over there and this person who’s sad over there, it would devalue His Word.

God and His Word run together. You can’t have one without the other. If He tells us to come boldly, no matter how we feel at the time, we must get ourselves together and follow His instructions He set in place to get our prayers answered.

I get it, situations are tough, but to experience breakthrough, there needs to be less tears and bolder faith.

When God blesses us with things, it’s for our enjoyment, but it’s also for Kingdom use. Kingdom use is not solely associated with things at a church. Kingdom use is anything God desires to use to build His Kingdom.

Some of us have been blessed with a new house, but we don’t want people to come over because they may dirty it up. Or, God blessed us with a car, but we don’t want to pick someone up because we’re attempting to limit the miles driven on our car. First of all, that’s selfish. Secondly, what if fellowshipping in our house or them seeing our generosity to pick them up is the turning point for them to be fully submitted to God? Our actions could be the sign they needed to see to know God cares for them.

Is it wrong for God to ask us to do something for His Kingdom if He blessed us with means to do it? Absolutely not.

We are the builders of the Kingdom of God and we’re the only people who can accomplish the will of God in earth. So, don’t limit God’s reach by attempting to preserve the blessings He’s given us. God doesn’t have limited resources. Use the blessings God has given us to advance His Kingdom.

 2 Corinthians 9:11 (NLT) Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.

The fear (reverent regarding) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When we trust, lean on, and totally rely on God, wisdom will begin to download in our minds. When we act on this wisdom, it will help us live longer.

Wisdom, through the Holy Spirit, will tell us to go get a check up at the doctor’s office, stop eating so many sweets, start exercising, or drink more water. It’s been scientifically proven that these things help people live longer. Wisdom will also tell us to slow down while driving, turn right instead of left, or wait more minutes before leaving the house. This wisdom can possibly help us avoid a fatal collision.

As born-again believers, we have wisdom for EVERYTHING at our request (James 1:5). Why not maximize on this wisdom and enjoy a long prosperous life?

Psalm 112:5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.

When we give gifts and tips at a restaurant, it’s usually based on what they’ve done for us. If they’ve been nice to us, we’ll usually have no problem giving a person a good gift or a tip. However, if they’ve treated us poorly, we’re reluctant to give them a gift or a tip.

Let’s change our perspective. Let’s not base our giving on what they’ve done for us. Let’s base our giving on the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we allow God to lead us on who to give to and what to give, we’re setting ourselves up for success. As we can see, anytime we give, we’re investing in a guaranteed return. We’re investing in a piece of good coming to us.

Sure, we can keep our money by not giving, but what good will that do for us or others? Let’s keep God’s goodness flowing in our lives by giving to others.

Proverbs 23:4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!

We’re living in a time where “hustling” is glorified. It’s a badge of honor for people to tell us that they don’t sleep because they’re grinding, hustling, or working extra hard to get money. As we can see, working ourselves to the bone to get rich is unwise.

Sleep, rest, and spending time with God and our families is very important. Money will come and go, but rest and time is something we can never get back.

Diligently working is biblical but overworking to get rich is not beneficial. Let’s consult God as we work. If He tells us to work late or get an extra job, that means He’s graced us to do it and everything will work for the good (Romans 8:28). However, if we’re overworking ourselves to get rich, we need to reevaluate our plans.

We can speak things into existence. Proverbs 18:21 says, death and life are in the power of the tongue and Mark 11:23 says, we shall have what we say. With all that known, by faith, we have the ability to declare what we want to see in our lives. We can speak a child into existence, command our finances to increase, speak divine healing in our bodies, declare a great marriage, etc.

Although we can speak things into existence, our corresponding actions must align with our faith-filled declarations. We can’t declare our youth is renewed like the eagle (Ps. 103:5), but only get 4 hours of sleep because we’re watching TV all night. We can’t command our blood pressure to go down and continue to eat a lot of salty foods and expect it to work. Our actions must align with our declaration.

God will give us corresponding actions to agree with our faith. He’ll tell us to stop watching so much news if we desire to be stress-free. He’ll tell us to start exercising more if we want to eliminate aches in our bodies.

We can declare things until our voice is gone, but if our actions don’t align with our speech, it’s unfruitful. Be sure your actions are agreeing with your faith.

James 2:17 (NIV) In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

1 Timothy 2:3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Salvation is THE greatest thing we can receive on earth however, it doesn’t stop there. Since life goes on after salvation and we have to overcome obstacles and receive all that God has promised there’s something else we must obtain.

We must obtain knowledge of the truth. What is truth? John 17:17 says, God’s Word is truth. Based on this definition we can restate this verse to say, this is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Word of God.

Salvation is freely given, but knowledge of the Word of God takes effort. We obtain knowledge by consistently studying (not just reading) God’s Word, communing with God, and hearing God’s Word through bible-based teaching.

So, from now until the day we die, we should be obtaining more and more knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Faith is what we need to be successful in life. It’s not faith in ourselves or in our abilities, but faith in God’s Word.

When we consistently place our faith in God, people will take notice because faith can be seen. It can be seen because people of faith are usually doing the opposite from what the world is doing.

When everyone is freaking out over something, people of faith are calm. When everyone is selling their stocks because of a crash, people of faith are buying stocks (as God leads them). When everyone is sad about a diagnosis, people of faith are excited to see the healing that’s about to take place. When we continue to get victory after victory after victory, they’ll have no choice but to see our faith in God and hopefully want to place their faith in Him too.

So, let’s continue to build our faith in God so it can be seen by everyone.

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Our Father used faith to create everything. He spoke things into existence by believing what He said. Through Jesus, we have that same ability. In the name of Jesus, we can speak God’s will in our lives. For simplicity, we can use our Father’s “Let there be” formula.

Let there be a great marriage between my spouse and I.
Let there be great management at my job.
Let there be divine health in my body.
Let there be a cure for coronavirus.
Let there be wealth and riches in my house.
Let there be ministers of the gospel to lead others to Christ.

We don’t have to use big fancy words to speak in faith. Just a quick “let there be” and an unwavering belief in what we said will work. Now, what will you declare?

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

We’ve been instructed to pray for all. No one’s left out of all. This means praying for people who love you as well as praying for people who hate you. This means praying for people you like and praying for people you don’t like. This means praying for your best friend and praying for your worst enemy.

It’s easy to pray for people that we love and who love us, but it takes maturity to pray for people who hurt and hate us. When praying for people who hurt or hate us, we pray for their salvation (1 Tim. 2:4). We pray that they come into the knowledge of God (Eph. 1:17). We pray that the goodness of God will lead to their repentance (Rom. 2:4). We pray that they’re transformed by the renewing of their mind (Rom. 12:2). We use our authority to stop demonic influences from operating in their lives (Luke 10:19).

Think of how great this world would be if people would overcome pride, selfishness, and hurt, and sincerely pray for all. Let’s continue to pray.

Psalm 144:4 (ISV) The human person is a mere empty breath; his days are like a fading shadow.

As we can see, time is very precious. Unfortunately, there far too many people wasting their time in dead-end relationships. Some people have spent a year, 3 years, or 10 years with someone they don’t even marry. We can’t get that time back.

To avoid wasting time, here are some “hot and fast” questions a person can potentially ask within the first 2 months of communicating.
WARNING: These questions are for fearless people who shouldn’t be concerned with pushing the other person away, but ensuring their time is not being wasted.

1. Do you have and want to continue to build a relationship with God?
2. What are your intentions for dating/communicating with me?
3. Do you want to get married?… when (after being in an exclusive relationship)?
4. Are you an effective, transparent communicator?
5. Do you have or want to have children?… how many?
6. What are your goals and aspirations?
7. What are your expectations of me?
8. Are you looking for an exclusive relationship?
9. Are you a faithful tither?
10. Are you financially literate (operate within a budget, working to pay off debts, managing impulses)?

These are just a few questions to help you get to know someone a lot faster. If their answers don’t align with your core values or plans, you should politely let them know it’s not going to work out. Don’t waste time with someone hoping they’re going to conform to your standards. Ask the questions to see if they fit.