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Romans 10:17 NKJV So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Every now and then, you may hear someone say, “Increase my faith.” What they’re really saying is help me to believe.
Increasing in faith is not magic, and it’s not automatic. God has dealt to everyone the same measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). What this means is that we all have the ability to believe. How much we believe is entirely up to us.
Since faith comes by hearing the Word of God, the more Word we hear, the more faith we’ll have. If we expect to move mountains after only hearing a 30-minute sermon on Sunday, we’re deceiving ourselves. For our faith to increase, we must consistently meditate in the Word of God daily.
If it’s difficult for you to believe in supernatural healing, financial increase, casting out devils, or raising the dead, increase your faith by meditating in God’s Word more regarding those subjects.
#meditate #on #Word #listen #believe #trust #God #first #repeatedly #rehearse #scriptures #Jesus #power #to #move #mountains
Deuteronomy 33:25 CEV and have strong town gates with bronze and iron bolts. Your people will be powerful for as long as they live.
This is God’s promise to us. We will be strong as long as we live.
This is contrary to what we see or hear about. Most elderly people we see are weak and feeble, but that doesn’t have to be our story. If we believe for, focus on, and receive this promise in God’s word, we can expect a long and strong life.
This is not the only promise that points to strength in our old age. We can look at Moses. In Deuteronomy 34:7 it says, Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight never became poor, and he never lost his physical strength. Since God doesn’t show favoritism, what He did for Moses, He can do for us too. Psalms 92:14 says they will be like trees that stay healthy and fruitful, even when they are old.
We have at least 3 scriptures that support strength in our old age. Will you believe what you see with your natural eyes (weak and feeble), or will you believe the word of God (strong and healthy)? The choice is yours.
#healthy #strong #agewell #strength #in #old #age #through #Christ #havefaith
Isaiah 53:4 NIV Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
Jesus took our pain. Any physical or emotional pain, Jesus took it.
If we have pain in our lives, it’s there unlawfully, and it has to go. Pain in our back, shoulder, or knee has to go. Pain from childhood abuse, childhood neglect, or divorce must leave. All pain must go!
Although Jesus took our pain, that doesn’t mean pain will leave automatically. Faith in His Word will force the pain out.
It may take a week, a couple of months, or years for the pain to leave, but if we stay with God’s word, command the pain to go, and envision the pain gone from our lives, all pain has to go.
#pain #leave #healed #in #Jesus #name
Exodus 6:28-30 NLT When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, he said to him, “I am the Lord! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you.” But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?”
Like Moses, some of us have a lot of excuses for why we can’t do what God instructed us to do. Some of us don’t want to take a pay cut, some of us think we’re too old, some of us feel like we don’t have enough money or education, and some of us feel like we have too many other responsibilities.
These excuses are demonically influenced. Satan knows these excuses stop us from fulfilling God’s purpose. These excuses hold us back from making a difference in our lives and in our communities.
If we would trust God and stop looking solely at the natural, we can boldly do what God has called us to do without excuses.
#trust #God #be #bold #in #Christ #step #out #by #faith
John 14:20 NLT When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
When we believe on Jesus, we’re in Christ, and Christ is in us. Because of grace, God no longer sees us isolated from Him with sin. He no longer sees the liar, the adulterer, the fornicator, or the thief. He sees us coupled with Christ. And since Christ is faultless, and we’re in Him and He’s in us, we too are faultless in Christ.
This is why He says in Jude 1:24 that Jesus is able to keep us from falling into sin AND He is able to present us faultless to the Father.
We may have some faults and struggles in the natural, but God’s not looking at the natural. He’s seeing us spiritually. Because we’re in Christ, God doesn’t see our faults, and He’s not holding that against us. And if God’s not focused on our shortcomings, we shouldn’t either. Our focus should be on our appreciation of Jesus’s sacrifice, which allows us to be faultless.
Jude 1:24 NKJV Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
#made #righteous #in #Christ #Jesus #justifies #us #God #loves #new #creatures #Holy #Spirit
Exodus 6:9 NLT So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.
Moses told the Israelites the good news about their deliverance, but because of their negative experiences, they were discouraged and refused to listen.
Discouragement can rob us of our hope in God. We may have been in a negative situation so long until we won’t allow our faith to be placed in God’s word because we don’t want to get our hopes up. Our financial situation may be so bad until we don’t want to envision God blessing us with a nice house. Some of us have dealt with pain in our bodies for so long until we can’t fathom being pain-free.
If we don’t believe and see ourselves with what God said, we’ll never experience God’s promises.
Stop being a victim of discouragement. Allow yourself to believe again. No matter how long it takes, God’s word will come to pass if you continue to believe and obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit.
#just #believe #encouragement #faith #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #impossible #is #possible #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #renew #mind #grow #speak #scripture #Word #devotional
Psalms 112:7 NLT They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
Because we live in a fallen world with an enemy on the loose, bad news will come. It may be a call from our child’s school telling us our child was injured. It may be an email at work stating they’re laying people off. It may be a family member saying a close relative passed away.
Whatever bad news we hear, we don’t have to fear. If we’ve placed our trust in the Lord, we know everything will work out for the good in the end (Rom. 8:28).
We can give God glory because we know He’s already healed our child. We can be at peace because He’ll supply all our needs with or without that job. We can have comfort knowing that relative is present with the Lord.
Bad news may come, but don’t freak out. Trust that God will take care of you.
#nofear #castcares #meditate #on #trust #God #is #greaterthan #problems #life #Christ #love #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #growth
We could be standing in faith for supernatural healing in a week, and it didn’t happen. We could be in faith for a promotion, and it hasn’t happened. We could be standing in faith for financial increase, and it hasn’t happened yet. When things don’t work out the way we thought, we’ve been taught not to blame God, so a lot of us blame ourselves.
When unfavorable outcomes happen, it’s not always our fault. There are some believers who automatically assume we didn’t use our authority or we didn’t have enough faith. That’s not always the case.
The scriptures say, for you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise and take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Hebrews 10:36; Ephesians 6:13).
This lets us know we could be doing the will of God and full of faith and still have to wait on God’s promises.
When we’re standing in faith for something, we will face opposition from the enemy. The goal is to patiently endure, standing on the word of God, until the promise comes to pass.
Stop blaming yourself or thinking you don’t have enough faith. Continue to stand on God’s word until change is visible.
Hebrews 10:36 NKJV For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
Ephesians 6:13 NKJV Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
#have #faith #wait #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #manifest #possibilities #impossible #is #possible #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #renew #mind #grow #speak #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Proverbs 14:10 CEV No one else can really know how sad or happy you are.
When someone is upset with someone else, a big problem is a lack of communication. For whatever reason, some people don’t want to talk about what made them upset. If that issue is not addressed, it can turn into bitterness.
For instance, when one family member hasn’t spoken to another family member for years or when one spouse gives the other the silent treatment for something they’ve done wrong, they’re harboring bitterness. In their mind, they feel justified, but in actuality it’s unfruitful.
As the scripture says, no one knows how happy or sad we are. If something upsets us, we should be mature enough to express our feelings. No need to hide behind pride or ego, making people think we’re emotionless.
If they respect us and want to continue to maintain a relationship with us, they’ll apologize and make the necessary corrections. If they don’t, they revealed who they are and we can love them from a distance. Either way, we don’t have to harbor bitterness towards them.
Communicate the issues you have with others, and don’t let bitterness rob you of your joy.
#be #joyful #happy #communicate #resolve #grow #moveforward #letitgo #all #things #through #Christ #peace #God #heals #hurt
James 3:14-15 NIV But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
How do we know if we’re envious? If we experience a negative emotion when we see or hear about a person, or if we have something negative to say about a celebrity or a person we grew up with who is doing well for themselves, we’re envious. We may want some of the things they have, but we don’t have to be envious.
Envy is a trait that comes directly from Satan. When he was in heaven as Lucifer, he was envious of God. In Isaiah 14:13-14, he said, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’
The only way to be delivered from envy is to meditate on what Jesus has made available to us. He’s made love, joy, peace, blessings, and health. If we know we have everything we need and want through Jesus, we wouldn’t be envious of anyone. Don’t be envious. It’s earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
#no #envy #enjoy #life #more #abundant #through #Christ #Jesus #God
Judges 6:15 NLT “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”
God called Gideon to do something great, but Gideon had an inferiority complex. Although God called him, Gideon kept giving God excuses why he couldn’t fulfill his assignment, and he saw himself as inadequate.
For various reasons, some of us developed an inferiority complex. Our parents may have told us we were stupid, society may have standards of success that we haven’t met, or we may have believed the lies of the enemy and we see ourselves as less than.
God’s Word has the ability to change our self-image, uproot negative things spoken over us, and proves to us that with God, we are more than capable to fulfill our assignment. Stop giving excuses as to why you can’t do what God has called you to do. You’re not too old, you have enough education, you’re not stupid, and you have more than enough resources. We just have to believe God’s word over everything else.
No longer will you be inferior, but you will be superior over every situation.
#all #things #possible #through #Christ #power #working #in #me #trust #lean #rely #on #God #scripture #devotional #grow #excel #do #more
2 Corinthians 5:14 NLT Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
When we have a true understanding of Christ’s love for us, it controls and constrains us. The way we act and how we go through life is tailored by His love.
Prior to a full understanding of Christ’s love, we may have been critical or judgmental towards someone else. But, understanding His love for us makes us less critical and judgmental. How can we be critical or judgmental towards someone else knowing He loved us despite our shortcomings?
It doesn’t feel right doing the things we used to do after recognizing Christ’s love for us. How can we get drunk, get high, and sleep around knowing the sacrifice He made out of love? It’s disrespectful.
If you want to change and if you want to get a full revelation of Christ’s love, spend time with God and in His word. After seeing the magnitude of His love, there’s no way you can stay the same. Christ’s loves makes us better.
#greatlyloved #for #God #SO #LOVED #US #real #change #transform #grow #permission #to #evolve #mature #progress #mind #renewal #love #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
John 5:41 NLT “Your approval means nothing to me,
Jesus didn’t care about the approval or praise of the Jewish leaders. He knew He was already approved by God, and that’s all that mattered to Him.
A lot of us are still looking for the approval of men. Ministers looking for the approval of other ministers, employees looking for approval from their supervisors, and children looking for approval from their parents. As much as we like being accepted, everyone is not going to accept us or applaud what we’re doing. This especially can be difficult to accept when it comes to a relationship between a child and a parent.
Although we won’t win everyone’s approval, if we’re approved by God, that’s all that matters. How do we get approved by God? Make Jesus Christ Lord and Savior. By making Him Lord, we no longer attempt to promote our own agenda. We’re vessels to do the will of God. Whatever He tells us to do, even if everyone doesn’t approve, we’re approved, accepted, praised, and loved by God. And God’s approval outweighs any person’s approval.
#approval #addiction #walk #free #through #Christ #God #first #Jesus #loves #you #scripture #Word #devotion
Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
God’s word equates to life and health. As we study God’s word, our souls are refreshed, and our bodies are rejuvenated. If we’re feeling down or depressed, studying God’s word will release joy and peace. As we study God’s word, those ailments and health issues will go away.
How can studying a book bring life and health? Because it says so. This is something we have to accept by faith. Either we’re going to believe it or let our logic rob us of a blessing.
Someone may say, “I’ve read God’s word and I still feel terrible.” To receive life and health from God’s word, the scriptures tell us to meditate on God’s word (Joshua 1:8).
God’s word is not an ordinary book. It’s alive and has the power to change situations (Deuteronomy 32:47). Today, God’s word is in so many formats (book, online, app). Don’t just ignore the source that can positively benefit your life. Study and meditate on God’s word and receive life and health.
#key #for life #peace #health #is #to #meditate #Word #of #God
Deuteronomy 30:20 NIV and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
There are some who pray at night or in the morning, but after they say whatever they want to say, they move on. They don’t take the time to listen to God and see what He has to say.
There are some who talk to God throughout the day. They ask Him where they should go to lunch or what they should do for their presentation. This is good because God wants to be part of our lives. The downside to this type of communication is the distractions. We could be focused on something else, like working or driving.
There are times when God wants our undivided attention. We should carve out time in our day where we’re totally focused on God. It could be in the morning, the middle of the day, or at night. It doesn’t matter. We’re not doing all the talking. It’s an opportunity for us to talk with Him and allow Him to talk back. We’re not distracted with other things. We can clearly listen to what He has to say.
As God leads, give God your undivided attention periodically. What He can reveal can be life changing.
#listen #follow #commune #with #God #first #Holy #Spirit #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
The word of God is designed to inspire us to believe what God has done through Jesus Christ. Just like God has inspiration through His word, Satan, too, has inspiration. Satan’s inspiration is our senses. Whatever we see, hear, or logically understand, Satan can use as his inspiration.
Satan inspires us to not believe or doubt God’s word. A good example of this is when Moses sent out 12 people to spy on the land that God had promised the Israelites in Numbers 13. Although God had promised them this land and they had already seen God do the miraculous, they were inspired by Satan to see the giants in the land and conclude they couldn’t overtake them.
We all have been inspired by Satan at some point in our lives. The goal is to ignore his inspiration and focus on what God said. If God said it, we can do it. The task may seem too big, society says we’re too old, our bank accounts show we don’t have enough money, and science says it’s impossible, but whatever God called you to do can be done.
Don’t allow Satan to use your senses to inspire you not to believe. Trust, lean, and rely on God and only be inspired by His word.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT For we live by believing and not by seeing.
#just #believe #trust #God #allin #Jesus #Holy #Spirit #guide #lead #direct #us #ignore #doubt #lies
Psalms 91:16 NKJV With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
Genesis 6:3 NKJV And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
As we can see, God promises us a long, satisfying 120-year life. In order to obtain this promise, most of us heard we have to believe and agree with God’s word. We must believe and agree that this satisfying 120-year life is God’s promise for us.
We believe and agree with God’s word, but what some people forget to do is cooperate with God’s word. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we must cooperate with this promise. We can’t confess a 120-year life and eat excessive sugar and fat. We can’t go around believing that we’ve received a long life and we’re not exercising. James 2:20 lets us know corresponding actions must be accompanied with our faith.
While believing and confessing a satisfying 120-year life, obey the Spirit of God. If He tells us to go to the doctor, go. If He tells us to jog another lap around the track, jog another lap. Whatever He’s saying, just do it.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit (not our logic), cooperate with God’s promise for a long, satisfying life.
#cooperate #with #Holy #Spirit #meditate #on #the #Word #of #God #it #has #power #to #renew #our #strength #promises #in Jesus #Christ #long #abundant #life #devo #growth
Proverbs 15:28 NLT The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.
A lot of marriages, friendships, and jobs would’ve been saved if people would think before they speak. What happens is people get emotional and they let their emotions lead them to say whatever feels good to their flesh. They may say “I hate you”, “this job sucks anyway” or “you’re stupid,” all accompanied with some expletives.
First of all, our words have power and we shouldn’t say anything we don’t want coming to pass (Prov. 18:21).
Secondly, we may be dissatisfied with the person we’re speaking with, but there’s always a better way to say something. If you can’t think of a better way of saying something, learn to be silent.
Finally, in any situation, think before you speak. Think about the consequences of your statements. Think about how the other person will feel. Think about how you’re representing the Kingdom of God.
Don’t let your flesh get the glory by saying whatever you feel. Give God glory by controlling your emotions, covering your mouth, and allow Him to fight your battles.
#speak #light #light #represent #reflect #Christ #livingexample #receive #share #Jesus #righteousness #life #peace #found #in #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Romans 1:12 NLT When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
When believers get together, it should be a time of encouragement. I should be able to tell you all the wonderful things God has done in my life as a result of placing my faith in the finished works of Jesus Christ and you should tell me yours. It shouldn’t be a pity party sharing how difficult life is. It should be an opportunity to get inspired by one another’s faith.
It doesn’t have to be a major event for us to share God’s goodness. It can be simple, such as getting a good parking spot or getting good sleep. Acknowledging these things brings God glory, too.
Let’s stop meeting together to gripe about what’s wrong in the church, the world, or in our own lives. Let’s start sharing our victories we’ve obtained through our faith in Jesus Christ in order to be encouraged and encourage those around us.
#encourage #support #others #love #one #another #speak #life #for #God #so #loved #us #freelove #Jesus #Christ #Savior #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Graced To Do God's Will 