Category Archive

Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

When we choose to disobey God or when we see others disobey God, that’s a demonic spirit at work. The spirit is not making them or us disobey God, but it’s a highly influential spirit at work telling us to do things contrary to the Word of God. It’s ultimately up to us whether we follow the influences of the spirit or not.

Since Jesus disarmed the power of the devil according to Colossians 2:15, the only power Satan has is the power of influence. In Luke 10:19, Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the enemy. So, we have authority over the influences of every demonic spirit.

As he’s talking to us or we see him at work in someone else, we can use our authority and the power of our words, and command him to go. Whatever he’s telling us or someone else to do or however he’s telling us to feel, we can counter that thought by opening our mouths to declare what God’s Word says.

Don’t be or let someone else by a vessel of disobedience through demonic influence. Use your authority over demonic spirits.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Business decisions, the person to marry, the job to take, how to parent a particular child, the church to attend, and people to give to. God will instruct us in the way we should go. He’ll teach us how to problem solve and improve on a thing. It may not be easy or seem logical all the time, but with God, we’ll get the best results.

This is only based on our submission to His instructions. If we choose to do our own thing and not submit to God’s instructions, we may get good results, but there’s a chance we’ll have horrible results.

Don’t gamble with life’s decisions. Allow God to instruct and teach you in every way you should go.

Mark 5:28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Luke 17:14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

Matthew 8:8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

We see three methods of healing. The woman believed she needed to touch Jesus to be healed. The lepers followed instructions to be cleansed. The centurion believed Jesus only needed to speak healing from afar for his servant to be healed.

In all these cases, their healing didn’t manifest until they applied their faith. Notice, Jesus didn’t ridicule their faith. He didn’t tell the woman, “If you really had faith, you would have been healed just by looking at me.” Jesus was happy they all relied on Him.

The point is, we all have different methods in our faith. Some believe they need to be touched by a person of God, in the name of Jesus. Others feel like they can receive breakthrough by following Spirit-inspired instructions. Some others feel like they can speak healing over themselves. All are acceptable according to scripture. God is happy that we’re relying on Him.

No one should ridicule another person’s method of faith and we shouldn’t feel bad because we’re not using a “higher” method of faith. Whatever method we’re comfortable with, God is simply happy that we’re relying on Him. Apply your faith today.

As God’s promises start to come to pass in our lives, it’s important we don’t let these promises consume our lives. Don’t let the blessing get bigger than the One Who blesses.

If God blesses us with a new car, let’s be mindful not to spend all our time keeping it clean or looking up ideas to improve its appearance. Some of that time should be spent with God. If God blesses us with a free moment, after being so busy for so long, we shouldn’t only use that time to do “randomness.” Spend some time with God.

It’s easy to forget God after we’ve received what we’ve prayed for. Let’s make the effort to continue to spend time with God even after the blessing. Not because we want something from Him, but just because we want to be with Him.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

When tragedy strikes, and we get devastating news and our heart is hurting, the Lord is near. We can call on Him, with all our emotions (anger, sadness, confusion, etc.), and tell Him how we feel. God is mature enough to take it. He’s not going to strike us down or curse our lives because we’re expressing our negative emotions to Him.

Depending on the circumstance, some may have thought God left them, but His Word confirms, He’s near. He’s available to talk, possibly give us an explanation, and to bring us comfort.

So, whether you’re praising your way through the tough times or upset with God, He’s near. And if we stick with Him long enough, He’ll ease our pain and get us through every difficult situation.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Our flesh wants to eat a lot of sweets, lust after men or women, curse the next person out who talks to us wrong, get drunk or high, stay up late, watch foolishness on TV, and do whatever feels good at the moment.

However, as a born-again believer, we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice. That means we discipline our flesh to do the will of God. This discipline is a form of appreciation for everything Jesus did for us. We say no to this or that, even though our flesh wants to indulge, just because we appreciate the ultimate sacrifice that was made for us.

We may not have conquered everything in our flesh, but daily, let’s make the effort to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

This verse is easy to read and do when everything is going good in our lives. But, there will be a time in our lives where difficult circumstances will attempt to stop our praise. Difficult circumstances may tempt us to curse, complain, or say nothing.

Whether we’re facing divorce, death, financial uncertainty, or delay, it’s important to bless the Lord. Praising God during difficulty keeps us in the right mindset. It lets us know Who will help us through these times. It reminds us of everything God has done in our past. Our praise tells the devil, despite His attacks, glory will always belong to God. It will be difficult, but praise in necessary.

So, whether we’ve just experienced breakthrough or it seems like we can’t get out of the hole of difficulty, bless our great and loving God.

Matthew 18:19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Our son, our mother, a friend, our co-worker, or our student. If we partner with someone and agree on something, that aligns with God’s Word, it shall come to pass. This is an automatic guarantee stated by the Son of God.

Yes, we can get things done using our own faith, but there’s power in agreement. There are several benefits we have when partnering with someone. Agreeing with someone about a particular thing keeps us accountable. If we start to lose hope, our partner should hold us up. We can tag team the problems of life by opening ourselves up to that person and requesting prayer for an issue. We can learn from each other and teach each other at the same time.

Let’s take advantage of the benefits of grace and partner with someone to manifest all the promises of God.

The concept of holiness has been terribly manipulated in the body of Christ. People have used holiness to mostly condemn people. The phrase “holiness or hell” is the front runner for that condemnation. People have also taken things in the bible out of context and created a man-made version of holiness.

It’s extremely important to be holy. 1 Peter 1:16 says, just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. This means obeying God’s voice, doing the things in God’s Word (in context), and not yielding to sin. This is all important but missing the mark in one or more of these areas is not the reason for our eternal damnation.

What a lot of those holiness condemners don’t factor in is the grace of God. It’s our responsibility to strive for holiness, however if we miss the mark, we receive and praise God for His grace. We shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it and we shouldn’t make others feel guilty either.

Let’s live a holy, guilt-free life, relying on the grace of God to fill in the gaps of our shortcomings.

1 Peter 1:15 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Thoughts contrary to the will and way of God will enter our minds. When those thoughts come, it’s our responsibility to intentionally remove them from our minds.

Thoughts of disobedience, lust, deceit, gossip, and even fear will enter our minds. Whatever thought that comes, we must counter that thought with things agreeable to God’s will. We won’t be able to counter those thoughts with things agreeable to God’s will if we don’t know God’s will.

God’s will is in His Word. Since God’s will says we are healed (Isaiah 53:5), we can counter thoughts of worry regarding our health. Since God’s Word says we can do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:13), we have the ability to overcome any addiction. Since God’s Word says we’re delivered from the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:6), we can resist the temptations of sin.

Don’t let thoughts linger in your mind. Take authority over those thoughts and replace them with the Word of God.

Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

If you’re watching the news in the morning and the meteorologist says there’s going to be a serious storm in the afternoon, most of us would get an umbrella and possibly a coat so we won’t get wet. We haven’t seen or felt a drop of rain yet, but because the meteorologist told us it’s going to rain, we prepare ourselves.

If we can believe a meteorologist, we have the ability to understand and utilize faith. Faith is simply believing something’s there (based on the Word of God) that we cannot see.
We couldn’t see rain in the morning, but we expected and prepared for it in the afternoon. We can’t see healing, financial provision, or how we’re going to be protected now, but because God said it’s there, we can expect and prepare for it in our future.

Let’s not overcomplicate faith. It’s believing God’s Word and expecting it to come to pass.

2 Corinthians 10:7 You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.

There are some who look at a person’s tattoos, gold teeth, or see them smoking and judge the validity of their Christianity. They’re judging people based on their appearances.

Some people think if a person is not wearing a suit only listening to Christian music, then they’re not saved or holy.

What judgers don’t realize is people who have tattoos or look a certain way can reach people that the suit wearer can’t reach. They’ll listen to a person smoking a cigarette talk about Christ quicker than they would a person wearing a suit and tie.

Just because a person doesn’t look or act the same as we do doesn’t mean they’re not a follower of Christ. Let’s be less judgmental and more loving towards all.

2 Corinthians 10:7 You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.

There are some believers who judge people based on appearances. They feel like because a person is not dressed “modestly” or behaving in a certain way, they’re not saved or as holy as they should be. These judgments typically come from people who’ve been saved for a long time.

Paul informs not to judge on appearances. If someone says they’re a Christian, we should sincerely praise God. It’s not our job to confirm their Christianity by making statements such as, “If you’re a Christian, you wouldn’t dress like this or behave like that.”  If it’s something major they need to change, God (I repeat GOD) will reveal that to them.

No matter if they have tattoos, piercings, short skirts, gold teeth, tight clothes, or if they’re listening to secular music, let’s celebrate the fact that they are a follower of Christ and not judge them based on their appearance.

Some of us use the bible like a relic. We have it, but we don’t use it. It looks nice to have it on our coffee table or on our nightstand, but it’s never opened. Some feel like it’s an abomination to highlight or take notes in it. It seems spiritual to have it as one of our apps on our phones, but it’s only used to go to a few scriptures at church.

The bible is more than a prop or a relic. It’s our instruction manual for success in life. It tells us how to win, what to look for, and what to be mindful of. It tells us how to live. It shows us the heart and mind of God. It constantly gives us revelation.

Stop using the bible like a relic. Open it up and obtain the keys for victory in every area of life.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

John 10:10 says, the devil’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. A major weapon the devil uses for our destruction is a lack of knowledge of the Word of God. If we don’t know our covenant rights, we can’t believe for those things to manifest. If we don’t know the authority we have over Satan, we’ll always be afraid of what he may do. If we don’t know Satan’s schemes, he’ll always keep God’s promises from us.

The devil attempts to keep us ignorant of God’s Word through numerous distractions. He’ll distract us with watching TV or scrolling through social media because it’s more appealing to our flesh. He’ll also distract us by keeping us busy with everyday life and making it more difficult to spend time with God.

The only way to combat the devil’s attack is through knowledge. If we make the Word of God a priority in our lives, we won’t ever be a victim of his destruction again.

Matthew 18:33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

God pitied us. He saw us messed up in our sin and decided to send and sacrifice His only Son (Jesus) so that we can receive unlimited forgiveness. Shouldn’t we do the same to our fellow man?

Shouldn’t we forgive our dad who abandoned us? Shouldn’t we forgive our ex-spouse who cheated on us? Shouldn’t we forgive our friend who mistreated us? Shouldn’t we forgive our uncle who abused us?

As much as God forgave us, we should forgive others. There’s nothing someone else did that we haven’t collectively done to God. Let go of the grudge and forgive.

Possessions and problems tend to pull us away from God.

A person can have so many possessions until they spend most of their time managing their possessions. They don’t have enough time to spend in the Word, in prayer, or attend church. Everything from a new spouse, a new car, or video games can minimize our time with God.

Problems do the same thing. If problems seem too big, it’s difficult for some people to spend time with God because they’re trying to find a solution without Him. People will attempt to fix their marriage, their finances, or attempt to hold on to their dying business and forget about God.

We all will have possessions and problems. Don’t let them separate you from God. It’s God Who gave us these possessions and it’s God Who will deliver us from these problems.

Inspired by Pastor Jeremy Foster

1 Corinthians 7:35 (NLT) I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

1 Samuel 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.

As we see in verse 50, it only took one stone to kill Goliath, but David didn’t know that going into the battle. He came prepared to go the distance which is why he picked up 4 additional stones prior to the battle.

We may not face physical battles like David, but we all face spiritual battles. The battle is in our minds. From the time we pray for something to the time we receive that thing, we’re in a battle. We have the Word of God promising us it will manifest on one side and Satan telling us all the reasons why it won’t on the other side.

Although we read about David’s battle and desire a short fight, we need to be prepared to go the distance. The answer to our prayers may take weeks, months, or even years, but that’s okay. David didn’t know how long it would take for him to win, but he knew he was going to win. We may not know how long it will take for our prayers to manifest, but we must have an assurance that they will if we don’t quit. So, settle in, hold on to your faith, and be prepared to go the distance.

BOOM!!!!! You just lost your job…

How will you respond? Would you panic or cry uncontrollably? Would you call your friends and family and tell them the bad news? Would you blame God?
Or, would you maintain the same attitude, mood, and confidence as you did when you had the job?

If we see God as our source, we’ll maintain the same disposition. However, if we subconsciously see the job as our source, we’ll freak out. It’s easy to confidently say God is my Provider when things are going well, but what we truly believe will come out when the pressure is on.

I’m not saying we won’t feel uncomfortable or uneasy, but we’re not moved by our feelings. We ought to be moved by the Word of God. God said He’ll supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19). God said He’ll take care of us (1 Peter 5:7). God said we can ask Him for whatever we desire, and He’ll give it to us (Mark 11:24).

By knowing and believing God’s Word, we shouldn’t go into a frenzy. Let’s shift our mindset and truly make God our source.

Psalm 23:1 (MSG) God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.
Psalm 23:1 (CSB) The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need.
Psalm 23:1 (CEV) You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.

Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

The political drama, financial uncertainty, our health, the possibility of war, the safety of our children, and the unknown in our future all have the potential to get and keep our attention. We’ll research it, think about it constantly, and discuss it with our friends and family.

Colossians 3 tells us to set our minds on things that are above and not on the earth.
What are things above?
Every promise from God through Christ.

On purpose, we must keep our minds set on God’s promises. By keeping our minds set on God’s promises, we don’t have to worry about our finances and what they’re doing in the government because we know He promised to supply our needs (Phil. 4:19). We don’t have to worry about our children because He promised to protect us (2 Thess. 3:3). Even with our identity, we don’t have to worry if we’re good enough because we can read where we’re wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37).

Let’s keep our minds focused on God and His promises and not the chaos and uncertainty of the world.

Psalm 62:1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

Satan’s whispers along with trials, tribulations, and the issues of life will attempt to move us away from God.

After being in a situation for a while, we may doubt and wonder if God heard our prayers. That doubt can turn into anxiousness and anxiousness can turn into unbelief. The next thing you know, we’re not waiting on God, we’re trying to make it happen ourselves.

When trials and tribulations come, let’s put and keep all our hope in God. Continue to believe, continue to confess His Word daily, and live in expectation of God manifesting His promise. If we’re willing to wait forever, we won’t be waiting for long. Let’s be unmoved.

Exodus 16:12 “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

Think about this… the Lord delivered the Israelites out of Egypt healthy and wealthy (Psalm 105:37). When they went into the wilderness, they began to complain about food. Naturally, if we did something great for someone else and they still complained, most of us would be done with them. But that’s not God’s way. Despite their complaints, God still provided everything they needed.

We too may have some complaints against God. We may have wanted Him to do this or that and it didn’t happen the way we thought it was going to happen. We may have wanted Him to give us the job, but it didn’t manifest or heal our dying grandmother, but she passed anyway.

Despite our complaints, God still hears us and is willing to provide everything we need and more. That’s His unwavering promise to us based on His unmerited love for us. It’s awesome to know that we have a God Who is willing to look beyond our complaints against Him and still be our Provider.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

There are a lot of us who like to blame people. We’ll blame ex-boyfriends and girlfriends for why we have insecurities. We’ll blame our parents for what they did or did not do in our childhood. We’ll complain about how we’re treated by our supervisors. We just blame people.

Meanwhile, the one we really ought to blame is getting away with terrorism. That’s Satan. Satan influences the minds of people and uses them as vessels. He’ll influence them to be mean, cruel, unfair, or insensitive towards us. In Luke 10:19, Jesus gave us authority to command these demonic influences to leave a person.

If someone has done something to you in the past, forgive them and let it go. Realize they were demonically influenced to wreak havoc in your life. If you’re experiencing drama with someone currently, use your authority to rebuke the demonic influence within that person and expect to see a change within that person or a change within the setting.

Hebrews 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Saying, good morning, good job, I’m happy to hear that, or that’s wonderful are ways we can exhort or encourage one another. Other ways include, telling someone to stay strong or praying for them after hearing their tragic story. More spiritual ways include, telling people to keep their faith in God and not being rattled by the circumstances in front of them.

It’s simple things like this that keep people encouraged and motivated and further away from depression. Someone may say, “No one encourages me.” Well, if we sow a seed of encouragement, we can expect to reap a harvest of encouragement. And honestly, we should encourage just to be a nice person and to be that light in a dark world.

Start this year off right. Encourage your family, friends, coworkers, and strangers. Do your part to make this world a better place.

Deuteronomy 7:8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

God doesn’t want us in bondage to anything. He doesn’t want us in bondage to people, drugs, sex, depression, food, or shopping. He wants us completely free.

Through Jesus Christ, He’s made deliverance available to us (Rom. 6:22). If we ever feel bound to anything, we can call on the name of Jesus and, by faith, receive our deliverance. We may not be delivered instantaneously, but with consistency in obeying the instructions from God, we’ll eventually be free.

God may want us delivered from bondage, but it’s ultimately up to us. If we want to stay in bondage to something, that’s our choice. For those who want deliverance, call on the name of the Lord, receive your deliverance by faith, obey God’s instructions for deliverance, and declare your deliverance before it manifests. Be free!!!

1 Chronicles 14:9-10
Then the Philistines went and made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” The Lord said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.”

1 Chronicles 14:13-6
Then the Philistines once again made a raid on the valley. Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer.

On two different instances, the philistines raided the valley. The first time they raided the valley, David ask God what to do. God told him to go and fight. David did as he was instructed and they won the battle. Logic would tell David and most of us to do the same thing we did that got us the victory in the first battle. But, David didn’t listen to logic. He consulted God again to see if he should fight. God gave him a different set of instructions. Because David consulted and obeyed God’s new set of instructions, he won the battle.

Just because we’re doing the same thing doesn’t mean we don’t need to consult God. We may have gotten initial instructions from Him on the fastest route home from work. That doesn’t mean we don’t need to consult Him because it works. He may tell us to go a different way. That way may avoid a lot of traffic that day. Instead of cooking something the same way every time, consult Him. He may give us ingredients that will make that dish taste a lot better.

Regardless of how often we do something and no matter the success we have, it’s always beneficial to consult God in everything we do.

****If we forget or don’t consult God about a particular plan, don’t beat yourself up about it. There’s grace that steps in when we miss the mark.****

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

There are a few reasons why there’s a delay in our prayers being answered. Some of those reasons include, demonic setbacks or self-maturity. Another reason we experience delay is because the overall good in answering our request has not been fulfilled.

God desires to maximize our good. We can request something from God, but if it’s not an overall good thing, God may not give it to us now. It has to be good timing, good for our family, good for our future, and good for our health.

For instance, we may request a new car. How excited would we be if He answered our prayer, but the next week there’s a hailstorm we couldn’t avoid because we live in an apartment? Not very excited. That would be bad timing on God’s part. He’s going to make sure we’re not stressing about paying for hail damage. Or, we may request a spouse. It wouldn’t be the smartest move on God’s part to grant our request if He and we knew we have a temper problem we’re still working on. That’s a marital disaster waiting to happen.

If we remain in faith and experience a delay, just know our delay is working for our good.

1 Thessalonians 5:25 Brothers, pray for us.

In community policing, there’s a saying that says, “when you see something, say something.” It’s an encouragement to the public to call the police when we see criminal activity or something suspicious.

As believers, we have another option. When we see something, pray something. It’s not just referring to criminal activity, but anything that’s not lining up with God’s best. If we see a homeless person, pray for restoration. If we see a dysfunctional family, pray for peace. If we see a co-worker get sick often, pray for healing. Anything that doesn’t align with the Word of God should be prayed to its proper place.

This requires us to look outside of ourselves and our desires, but it’s extremely beneficial to our world.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

God knows our hearts and our ultimate desires. He’s not going to give us anything that undermines our ultimate desires.

For instance, we may want a job at a specific company. That job may require a lot of travel. We may think we’re okay with the travel, but traveling often may not allow us to establish or maintain a successful marriage or family, which is our ultimate desire. The job is nice, but the marriage and family are something we’ve always dreamed of.

God is so awesome until He won’t let current or temporary desires undermine our ultimate desires. So, if there’s a delay or it seems like a denial with a certain desire, ask God to show you if an ultimate desire is being undermined.

Mark 5:39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” 40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.

Jesus was ridiculed because He spoke what He believed. If we walk by faith and are bold enough to declare what God said to us openly, prepare for ridicule.

God may have told us to believe for debt freedom within 3 months. If we confidently say that openly, we may get a lot of questions. They’ll want to know how it’s going to happen and if we’re sure we heard God’s voice. Others may think we have lost our minds or have gone too far in this faith stuff. Regardless of their questions and ridicule, we must hold tightly to our confession of faith (Hebrews 10:23).

No matter how far-fetched it sounds, as the Spirit leads, declare it openly. Just be prepared for possible ridicule.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Jesus was insulted, abused, and faced the most traumatic experience in His life and yet, He remained silent. He’s not talking about how bad it is or telling the soldiers, “Do you know who I am?” In the midst of His problems, He remained silent. He could do this because He knew Who He was. He knew nothing could stop Him from accomplishing His goal. Although the pain and separation from God was serious, the promise set before Him was His motivation.

When facing difficult situations, one of the best things we can do is remain silent. We don’t need to call our friends and tell them how bad it is, and we don’t need to post about our problems. Like Jesus, we know who we are. We are the righteousness of God, we are children of the King, and this problem won’t last forever. The thing that will help us overcome is holding onto God’s promise of victory (1 Cor. 15:57).

We may be going through a lot, but don’t talk about how bad the problem is. If we’re going to say anything, declare the victory over the problem.

Luke 10:39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Sometimes, we can get so busy with life until we miss the most important thing we can ever have; an intimate relationship with God. It’s understandable. We work, manage children, cook, clean, attend our children’s activities, etc.

At some point, we need to prioritize our relationship with God instead of attempting to manage everything in the natural. We need to set aside time in our day to spend time with God. It could be in the morning before our day gets started, at lunch, or at night when everyone’s asleep. Those dishes may be screaming at you to wash them, but know, time with God is more important.

So, who will we imitate? We can be like Martha who was busying herself to get things done in the natural but forsook intimacy with Jesus, or we can be like Mary who valued the presence of Jesus and delayed managing things in the natural.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

God knows our hearts and our ultimate desires. He’s not going to give us anything that undermines our ultimate desires.

For instance, we may want a job at a specific company. That job may require us to travel a lot. We may think we’re okay with the travel, but by traveling often, we may not be able to obtain or maintain a successful marriage or family which is our ultimate desire. We like the job, but the marriage and family are something we’ve always dreamed of.

God is so awesome until He won’t let current desires undermine our ultimate desires. So, if there’s a delay or it seems like there’s a denial in a certain desire, ask God to reveal if it’s undermining an ultimate desire.

Ephesians 1:13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

When we get born-again (make Jesus our Lord and Savior) we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit lives in us. We don’t have to work for it, fast for 40 days to get it, and we don’t have to speak in tongues to know we have it. It says it plain and clear, God’s Spirit is given to us when we believe in Christ.

What does this mean for us?

1. We are led by God Himself (Rom. 8:14). Even if every version of a Bible is destroyed, God will still lead us to a prosperous, peaceful, protected life.

2. We have power (Acts 1:8). God gives us the power to do whatever He calls us to do. We don’t have to worry about doing it in our own strength because it’s He who supplies the power.

3. We have a helper (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit will help us do whatever task needs to be done. He’ll help us figure out a problem at work, help us raise our children, and help us to do the will of God.

4. We have an intercessor (Rom 8:26). The Holy Spirit will pray on our behalf when we don’t know what or how to pray.

5. We have gifts (1 Cor. 12:4-11; Gal. 5:22-23). The gifts that are given through the Spirit will benefit the Kingdom of God and make us better people.

The Holy Spirit is in every born-again believer. Let’s live our lives through Him.

Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land;

Everyone wants to eat the good of the land. What’s the good of the land? Walking in divine health, having peace of mind, and prospering in our finances to the point where we can easily be a blessing to others.

To eat the good of the land, we must be willing and obedient. Our obedience is not to the law, but to the Spirit of God (Ezekiel 36:27). People under the old covenant could only honor God by being obedient to the Law of Moses. We’re no longer under the law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). Through grace, the gift of the Holy Spirit is sealed inside every born-again believer (Ephesians 1:13). Our obedience to His Spirit positions us to eat the good of the land.

He may tell us to remove certain things from our diet, apply to that job, or stop spending our money on certain things. All these instructions are rooted in love. God loves us to the point where He’ll give us detailed instructions so that we’ll eat the good of the land, but we must be willing and obedient.

Romans 6: 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

It’s easy to sin. The cravings of sin are so satisfying to our flesh and we all have our temptations. There’s everything from cursing out that person who took our parking spot, to lusting after that man or woman, to excessive eating. It’s difficult to fight the urges of our flesh, but the fight is well worth it.

Fighting temptation keeps us free from bondage. We may think we’re free by doing whatever our flesh desires, but we’re actually putting ourselves into bondage (John 8:31-36). Secondly, the more we exercise resistance to sin, the stronger we’ll become and the more we’re able to endure (Heb. 12:1-3). At first it may be extremely difficult to keep calm when our spouse is being annoying, but the more we maintain our cool, the easier it becomes. Finally, obedience to the will of God positions us to receive the promises of God (Isaiah 1:19).

Does this mean we won’t ever sin? No. But, we shouldn’t practice sin. We should no longer give in and accept sin as part of our identity.
Fight!!! And don’t let sin rule your life.

Psalm 31:20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.

Have you ever seen your child, or someone else’s child be scared or uncomfortable in a setting? The child is quiet, nervous, and doesn’t want to be bothered. However, when the parent enters the room, all their fears seem to go away. The presence of their parent made them comfortable.

God is our Father. When we get a revelation that God is always with us and He’s never going to leave us, there should be a sense of peace everywhere we go. It doesn’t matter if we’re the new employee starting a job, at home by ourselves, or in a war zone, God is with us and He’s vowed to protect and take care of us.

God loves us and He’s not going to leave us. There’s no reason to be uncomfortable or fearful. Allow the presence of God to bring peace, comfort, and confidence in every circumstance.

Genesis 39:20 So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined.

Genesis 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Some have made mistakes that gave us a criminal record. Society has made it difficult for people with criminal records to become successful. It may be difficult to be successful if we’re depending of man, but it’s not difficult when God’s involved.

Regardless of what we’ve done, there’s good news. First, there’s unlimited forgiveness for whatever we’ve done (egregious or minor). People may not have forgiven us, but God has. Receive it.

Secondly, when God is with us and we rely on Him, we’re destined to prosper. Joseph went from prison to second in command because God was with him. Since God prospered Joseph from prison, He can prosper us too, regardless of what we’ve done.

No one has to settle for the bare minimum. Receive God’s forgiveness, know He’s with you, and expect to prosper through Him.

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, 18 yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

As we know, it takes patience when it comes to receiving the promises of God which means, we won’t get our way all the time.

We may want healing in our bodies in two days, but those two days have come and gone and we’re still in pain. Or, we may want to receive that job offer but instead, we receive an email saying they’re going with another candidate.

After not getting our way, what will we do? We can pout, get mad at God, and choose to doubt God’s ability or we can rejoice, praise God anyway, and continue to believe in God’s promises for our lives.

When we doubt and get frustrated with God, the devil is in control and we forfeit God’s promises. This mindset can lead us away from praying, attending church, and ultimately away from God.

However, if we rejoice and continue to praise God despite having a bit of frustration from not getting our way, we set ourselves up for victory. God’s promises will still be in place, we’ll grow in patience, and maturity (James 1:2-4).

It may be difficult, but continue to believe and praise God when things don’t go our way. It will greatly impact our future.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

When we make the effort to submit ourselves to God, He guarantees that we will prosper in everything we do. Who wouldn’t want that deal? The problem is there are a lot of vices, thoughts, and suggestions that will tempt our flesh to do things outside the will of God. We can either temporarily satisfy our flesh and give in to those temptations or honor God by resisting the urge to sin.

It’s not only sin we’re resisting, but anything that will hinder our relationship with God. It takes effort to study God’s Word instead of watching TV. It takes effort to wake up earlier to spend time with God. It can be a struggle to tame our flesh, but the more we resist, the easier it becomes in the future and the more it will benefit our lives.

So, resist the urge to sin, do what God tells you to do, and expect prosperity to overtake every area of your life.