Graced To Do God's Will

Mark 4:24 NLT Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more.

Technology has made our lives easier, but at the same time, it provides a lot of distractions. When we’re supposed to be listening to the word, some of us have our phones out texting, checking emails, on social media, or playing games. These distractions are keeping us from getting more understanding of who God is, what He’s done, and what He has for us through Jesus Christ. We’re focused on what our friends are saying instead of what God is saying.

Eliminate those distractions by keeping your phone in your pocket or purse. If it’s too tempting to use a bible app because of the other things you have on your phone, bring a paper bible and keep your phone out of sight.

God is always speaking to us. The question is, are we listening?

Mark 4:25 NLT To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Some of us just hear the word on Sundays. We go to church, hear the word and don’t hear anything else until next Sunday (maybe). When we only listen to the word once a week, we limit our spiritual development and our understanding of who God is and what He’s done.

The more word we hear, the more understanding we’ll have. God could be attempting to give us answers or provide a revelation of certain situations through His word, but if we’re not listening, we’re missing out.

Our flesh will think of everything else we could be doing besides listening to the word. But if we discipline ourselves to hear God’s word daily, we can get so much more out of our relationship with God. Take the time to CONSISTENTLY listen to God’s word.

Proverbs 5:21‭-‬23 NLT For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

Some people are deceived into thinking they’re free because they allow themselves to do whatever their flesh wants to do. If they want to get high, they’ll get high. If they want to have sex with this or that person, they’ll have sex. If they feel the need to steal to get financially ahead, they’ll steal.

This sense of freedom is really a trap. They’ll get hooked to sin won’t know how to turn it off. Using our will power won’t work. That’s why God doesn’t want us to go down these paths in the first place.

But for those who have gone down these paths, there’s good news. The power of God, through Jesus Christ, can destroy the bondage of sin. Understanding we’re forgiven, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, and totally relying on God is the key to breaking the bondage of sin.

Don’t be deceived into thinking following your flesh equals freedom. True freedom comes when we’re submitted to God.

Psalms 42:5‭ NLT Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior

Psalms 42:11 NLT Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God!

The writer is asking himself why he’s sad and discouraged. The antidote for his sadness and discouragement is a decision he makes. He stops focusing on what’s causing him to be sad and begins to put his hope in God AND begins to praise God.

We all will be tempted to be sad, discouraged, or maybe even depressed. When we begin to feel down or discouraged, put your hope in God regarding that subject. We could be tempted to be discouraged about our marriage, our finances, our health, or our employment situation. Regardless of what may be bringing us down, give that situation to God and let Him handle it. And because He has a perfect track record of success, we can praise Him now, knowing that situation is handled.

Twice, the writer asked himself these questions. This lets us know the enemy will tempt us again and again to be sad and discouraged. But every time he throws negative thoughts in our minds, we combat his thoughts by placing our hope in God and giving Him praise.

Psalms 100:5 NLT For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

God’s faithfulness and love endures forever. It will forever be available for us. Although His faithfulness and love is available, it’s up to us to accept and recognize it.

We often minimize or overlook His love and faithfulness because it’s not packaged the way we want or because the package is too familiar. For instance, most of us eat daily, have a place to stay, and have water to drink. This is God’s faithfulness and love on display but because this is common, His faithfulness and love is minimized. We want the BIG blessings as a sign of His love and faithfulness, but His love and faithfulness is on display on a daily basis.

Don’t minimize what He’s done or doing. God’s faithfulness and love endures forever.

Daniel 4:34 NLT “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and His kingdom is eternal.

God has the ability to put and keep our mind in its proper place. We don’t have to suffer from depression, bipolar disease, anxiety, or any other mental illnesses.

First of all, through Jesus, we are healed (1 Peter 2:24). That’s not limited to physical wounds, but it includes mental instabilities. As we put our faith in God’s word for healing in our minds, we can experience divine mental health.

Secondly, our minds can stay regulated by thinking on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). We control what we think about. When we think on what He instructs us to think about, our minds won’t entertain negative thoughts.

Finally, our words have the power to change any situation (Proverbs 18:21). As long as we continue to claim we have this or that mental illness, we’ll always suffer from it. However, if we declare we’re healed in the name of Jesus, mental illness of any kind has to submit to the Name.

Mental illness is not a hopeless situation. We don’t have to suffer with it for the rest of our lives. We can take authority over mental illness and allow God to regulate our minds.

Lamentations 3:25 AMP The Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him, To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word].

We all are waiting on God for something. It could be a desire, healing in our bodies, or a promotion. Regardless of what we’re waiting for, the key is to wait with confidence.

Confidently waiting on God is a display of our faith in His word. We’re not worried, sulking, or depressed because we confidently believe He’s going to manifest what He said. We may not know the timing, but we do know it will come to pass.

Continue to believe and don’t doubt. Trust that He will do what He said. Eventually, what you’ve been standing in faith for will come to pass.

James 1:5 NIV If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Our Heavenly Father is a generous giver. His generosity is based on His love for us. He generously gives because that’s His nature. He’s not withholding anything from us. He’s a generous God.

A generous giver gives more than expected. If we need $500, He’s likely to give us $800. If we desire for our neck to be healed, He’ll heal our knee too. If we need wisdom in our jobs, He’ll also provide wisdom in parenting. He’s a great giver.

When we have a revelation that God is a big giver and He loves to give, we’ll comfortably ask Him for anything. We won’t feel ashamed or think we’re asking Him for too much. We’ll ask with an expectation to receive because He loves us and He wants to see us happy.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin.

When we make Jesus Christ Lord and Savior, there are several things we have through Christ Jesus.

United
We are united with Christ. We’re no longer seen as individuals. We’re united with Christ. When God sees us, He sees Christ.

Righteous
Because we’re united with Christ, we are made righteous. Being righteous and made righteous are two separate things. Being righteous has to do with our behavior. Made righteous is our new nature. There’s nothing we can do to be made righteous. Only our union through Christ makes us righteous.

Pure
Jesus has made us pure. Purity doesn’t come from our virginity, what we eat, or what we’ve experienced. Like our righteousness, we were made pure and there’s nothing that can take that away.

Holy
Holiness doesn’t come from what we wear, how much makeup women have on, or how we choose to entertain ourselves. It’s not external. Holiness ONLY comes through Jesus. We can do holy things, but that doesn’t make us holy. We were made holy to continuously be in the presence of God because He is holy (1 Peter 1:16).

Freed
We have been freed from sin. Sin no longer has power over us (Rom. 6:14). In the past, when they sinned, it made them unrighteous, impure, and unholy. Because of Jesus and the forgiveness we have through Him, sin’s power has been taken away.

Praise God for Jesus. Through our belief in Him, we are united with Christ, made righteous, made pure, made holy, and freed from sin. Who else can give us a better deal than that?

Psalms 121:2 NLT My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

All of our help comes from the Lord.

Our help doesn’t come from the government. Our help comes from the Lord. Our help doesn’t come from the Republicans or Democrats. Our help comes from the Lord. Our help doesn’t come from close friends or family members. Our help comes from the Lord.

Whenever we have an issue, we need to go to God for help. It could be a financial issue, a health issue, a marital issue, a mental issue, or a parenting issue. Whatever the problem is, God is our help.

Don’t get mad at the government, family members, or coworkers because they didn’t help you. They’re not the source of our help. All of our help comes from the Lord. Go to God.

1 Peter 3:15‭-‬16 NLT Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

Following Christ may come with questions and critics. When those questions arise, be sure you’re ready to explain your beliefs. The only way to explain your beliefs is to know the Word of God for yourself. Saying “this is how my church does it” or “my pastor says” won’t cut it. We must know what we believe and why we believe backed by scripture.

Obviously, even after we explain ourselves, there still may be critics. That’s when we follow verse 16. We continue to honor God, put Him first, and let the success of our lives do the talking. When people see us with peace, joy, overcoming testimonies, and blessings, they’ll have no choice but to say, “Jesus is Lord.”

We don’t need to argue with anyone. If people have questions, we’ll politely explain ourselves in the hopes that they’ll turn to Jesus. Otherwise, our abundant lives will be the proof of God’s existence.

It’s important to have a balanced spiritual diet of the word of God. Too much of anything will leave us spiritually unbalanced.

If we only hear the word of God about God’s love, we’ll have faith in God’s love, but we’ll be lacking in our understanding about giving, serving, or ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we only hear sermons about preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost, that’s good, but we’ll be deficient in developing our faith to overcome negative situations in the world.

It’s unfair to think our local church should preach about every beneficial topic within a year. So, it’s important to feed ourselves.

Find bible-based ministers online who resonate with you that are ministering about beneficial topics you may not be hearing on a consistent basis. Romans 10:17 says, faith comes by hearing the word of God. The topics we hear is what we’ll have faith for. If your local church primarily teaches on love, developing a relationship with God, and serving, find bible-based ministers teaching about faith, forgiveness, and righteous living. If you’re only hearing about living holy and having authority over demonic activity, find teaching about grace and faith-filled confessions.

Daily, we should be listening to the word of God to feed our spirits. Be sure to feed your spirit a balanced diet.

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
Isaiah 65:24 NLT

Have you ever got a need met and you didn’t go through the process of asking, believing, and receiving by faith? I have. That’s God fulfilling His promise to us.

He’s not going to do this all the time, based on the fact that He established a process in Mark 11:24 of asking in faith, believing that we have received whatever we asked for in prayer. But when He meets a need or gives us a desire we didn’t ask for, it’s a special feeling to know how much God loves us.

If He promised to meet our needs, expect every need to be met. Just know, some of our met needs may catch us by surprise.

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Galatians 6:8 NLT

How do we please the Spirit? By doing what the Holy Spirit says.

The Holy Spirit will always tell us to do something good (Gal. 6:9). He’ll tell us to encourage that random person sitting alone, He’ll tell us to buy something nice for our child’s teacher, He’ll tell us to spend more time with our parents, or He’ll tell us to give a certain amount to the Kingdom of God. Even if it doesn’t seem good at first, especially to our flesh, it will work out in our favor.

As we please the Spirit, we’ll have a harvest of everlasting life and in verse 9 it says we’ll reap a harvest of blessings. So, please the Spirit by following the leading and guiding of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” -Acts 8:29‭-‬30 NLT

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. -Acts 8:34‭-‬35 NLT

We cannot earn a blessing from God. No matter how many church services we attend, how long we pray, and how distant we are from the world, we can’t earn a blessing. All of God’s blessings have been approved and made available for every believer through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:20).

Although we can’t earn a blessing, we can position ourselves to receive a promise from God. We position ourselves by being led and obeying the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will tell us where to go to get approved for a loan. The Holy Spirit will tell us what to do to be healed of that pain in our back. The Holy Spirit will tell us how to be a blessing. If we’re not sensitive to or don’t obey His voice, we’ll miss what’s been made available through Christ.

God has made every need and desire available for us. Obedience positions us to receive what has already been promised and made available to us.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
1 Corinthians 13:5 NLT

Whether it’s a marriage, a friend, a child, or a coworker there are some of us who keep record of being wronged. We want to let them know how they hurt or disappointed us. Some harbor resentment for that person based on how they were treated. That’s not love.

Love is forgiving. We need to let things go and walk in freedom. We need to forgive them and move on with whatever God wants us to do.

Keeping record of being wronged adds unnecessary stress which lead to disease. Give your cares to God, forgive them, and trust that what was meant for evil will turn out for your good.

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
Luke 16:10 NLT

Some of us have big aspirations to be used by God. We want God to use us in a mighty way. We want to preach to thousands, feed millions, or be one of the biggest givers in the body of Christ. That’s good. Keep that energy.

Until God reveals that big way He wants to use us, be faithful in the little things He asks of us. Go to bed when He tells you to, encourage that friend He keeps putting on your mind, or start that small group that He’s been telling you to start for months.

If we do the little things He tells us to do, we display our faithfulness. That faithfulness qualifies us to do bigger things for the Kingdom and for people. Be faithful in little.

Psalms 119:93 NLT I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.

Life is given when we follow God’s instructions. This is literal and figurative. Following God’s commands can literally be the difference between death and life. When we obey His voice or His word, we can avoid car crashes that could kill us or avoid going to parties where we could end up being shot.

Figuratively speaking, we get revived knowing we’re following God’s instructions. It revives us knowing we’re doing what God told us to do. What God tells us to do may be difficult to our flesh, but once we obey, it’s like accomplishing a goal and that accomplishment gives us life.

Never forget His word and you’ll experience abundant life.

Psalms 25:8 NLT The Lord is good and does what is right; He shows the proper path to those who go astray.

We may have gone astray or know people who have gone astray. Either way, we have a promise from God where He’ll show us the proper path to return to Him and His will. He’s doesn’t make us figure it out on our own as a punishment, but wherever we are, He’ll find us and show us the way.

Our going astray could have led us to being in debt, having a criminal record, or having broken relationships. When we surrender ourselves to God, He’ll lead us not only to Him, but He’ll show us how to get out of debt, work around our criminal record, and mend broken relationships.

For anyone who may have gone astray, return to the Lord and allow Him to show you the proper path to take.

Psalms 119:130 NLT The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.

Light, clarity and understanding is given when God’s word is taught. We don’t have to make up meanings for the scriptures. We should let God’s word define itself. When healing, prosperity, righteousness, or deliverance is taught in context, understanding to receive in those areas is given.

As we listen to God’s word, we’ll receive understanding in areas of our lives that is irrelevant of what’s being taught. We may be listening to someone teach about healing, but the Holy Spirit may give us strategies on how to operate our business.

Listen to the word being taught on a daily basis and we’ll have more insight on who God is and what He’s done for us.

Psalms 119:165 NLT Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.

If you want peace in your life, follow God’s instructions. When we follow God’s instructions, we have peace in knowing we did what He said. We won’t have guilt and shame over our heads.

When we follow God’s instructions, we’ll have peace in knowing we won’t stumble. That means things will work out in our favor. Everyone else will have a fifty-fifty chance of stumbling or succeeding. For those who follow God’s instructions, we have a promise of not stumbling.

When we follow God’s instructions, we have peace in knowing we’re doing the will of God. We’re doing what He wants us to do for His Kingdom, for people, and for our own life.

Obtain and maintain peace by doing what He says.

Psalms 119:98‭-‬100 NLT
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws. I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments.

When we follow God’s commands and do what He says, we exercise wisdom. We become wiser than the people in the world and we become wiser than believers who don’t do what He says.

The wisdom we obtain by doing what He commands elevates us. It brings ideas, concepts, and inventions. This wisdom tells us when and where to invest. This wisdom provides solutions to the world’s problems. And this wisdom will show us how to maintain our bodies.

This wisdom is not from keeping the law of Moses, but from doing what the Father tells us to do. For us, the Father instructs us through His written word (in context) and through His Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17; John 14:26).

If we choose to obey His word and/or His Spirit, we’ll gain the wisdom needed to handle any situation AND stand out from the crowd. But, it’s up to us if we should obey God’s commands.

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

In the natural, we take so much pride in being independent and doing things ourselves until it feels foreign to be taken care of. But that’s exactly what God, our Father, wants to do for us. He wants to take care of everything for us. Not just in one or two areas, but in every area of our lives.

God wants to do and be everything for us. He wants to be our only provider, our only protector, and the only source of our peace. He doesn’t want us looking to anyone or anything else. He only wants us looking to Him.

When we totally depend on God for everything, we’ll become privileged children. Anything we want and need, we can go to Him. That’s what God desires.

Stop trying to do things yourselves and let’s totally depend on God.

1 John 5:4 NLT For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

Faith has two sides. On one side, faith is believing God will do what He said in His word. On the other side, faith is acting on His word. We increase or strengthen our faith by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). The more word we hear and receive, the stronger our faith becomes.

1 John 5:4 tells us faith is what’s needed to defeat this evil world. It’s not our education, the amount of money we have, or our connections. Faith is what gives us the victory.

Faith is needed to experience divine health over sicknesses. Faith is what’s needed to get out of poverty. Faith is required to experience peace in our homes and countries. Faith is what’s needed to raise successful children. Whatever we need or want can be found in the word of God. When we believe what is said in God’s word and act on that belief, we’ll have victory in every area of our lives.

I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word.
Psalms 119:28 NLT

When people want to be encouraged, they look for others to compliment or motivate them. But what if it’s the middle of the night and you’re feeling down and there’s no one around? Who do you call? Believers can call on the word.

The word is with us all the time. We don’t have to depend on people. We can depend on the word of God that’s available whenever we need it. It’s on our phones, in our computers, and still on paper.

The word tells us how we’ve already overcome through Christ (Rom. 8:37). The word informs us that God has a good plan for our lives (Jer. 29:11). The word tells us we’re already healed of that sickness (1 Pet. 2:24). The word tells us we’ll have a spouse, children, and a house, if that’s what we desire (Mark 11:24).

If we believe His word and don’t allow doubt to creep in, we’ll experience everything God says. If God’s word can’t encourage us, nothing else will.

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. -Psalms 119:1‭-‬2 NLT

When we obey the word of God and seek the Lord, we’ll have joy. To the natural mind, this seems foolish. How is obeying God’s word and seeking Him going to bring joy when problems, depression, and/or chaos are still present? It may not make sense to get joy this way, but that’s when we must trust the word.

It’s something supernatural that happens when we prioritize and obey God. It changes us, it changes our situation, and it changes our perspective.

If we find ourselves sad, depressed, or feeling low, we must ask ourselves how much word are we receiving and following? How diligently have we been searching the Lord? When we read about what God has done and talk to Him about His plans for our future, we’ll have joy. Don’t let the devil steal your joy. Get in that word to obtain and maintain joy.

Matthew 19:16‭-‬22 NLT Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

He didn’t have great possessions. Great possessions had him.

If God gave you 4 million dollars, could you give it all away the same day? If He gave you a new car, debt-free, could you give it away within a week to the Kingdom of God? That new purse or outfit you just received on your birthday, could you give it to your friend as God leads?

These are the hard questions we must ask ourselves to determine if God means more to us than possessions. If we can’t follow God’s instructions and give something away, that possession has become our idol.

Some of us are believing God for certain things, but why would God give us something that would have us in bondage? Why would He give us something that means more to us than Him? We must spiritually mature in Him and make Him the priority over possessions.

When (not if) God instructs us to give something meaningful away, we have a promise. Whatever God instructs us to give will not only be given back to us, but it will be multiplied (read Luke 6:38).

Psalms 119:169 NLT O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind You promised.

God promises us a discerning mind. Discernment means the ability to judge well.

Discernment helps us figure out if our children are lying, if the person we’re about give to is actually homeless, or if the business deal is legitimate. We may not have proof in front of us, but our discerning mind will inform us of the truth.

So, if you’re ever in a situation where you’re questioning the validity of something, by faith, receive the promise of discernment and God will reveal what needs to be revealed.

Romans 8:25 NLT But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.

We should all have a desire that we want from God. It could be healing in our bodies, increased wealth, new employment, a business, a better relationship with our family, or a dog. Whatever we’re believing God for will require patience and confidence until it comes.

Being patient means we’re not only waiting, but we’re waiting with a good attitude. We may be waiting on a new job to manifest, but at our current job, we should have a good attitude.

Patience also means we’re at rest (Heb. 4:11). We’re not anxious about when or how our desires are going to come. We’re patiently waiting on God’s perfect timing.

Simultaneously, while we wait, we should have confidence. Our confidence is knowing that God heard us the first time we prayed and since He heard us, we know we have whatever we asked for (1 John 5:15). There should be no doubt, skepticism, or unbelief while we wait. There should be a calm confidence knowing God is faithful and His word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).

Let’s be patient and confident knowing God will fulfill His word.

I remember the days of old. I ponder all Your great works and think about what You have done.
Psalms 143:5 NLT

It’s important to think back on all that God has done. Remembering the days of old does two things. It allows God to be honored for His wonderful works and it motivates us to trust Him again.

Once the miracle happens, we may praise Him for a week or so, but our praise starts to wane. Remembering what God has done reignites our appreciation for God.

Satan loves to discourage us and sometimes we fall for the bait. In so many words, he’ll let us know God can’t handle what we’re currently facing. Remembering the days of old reminds us of Satan’s tactics. He said God couldn’t handle the last problem, but He did. He said God wouldn’t provide, deliver, heal, or promote, but He did. So, remembering what God has done let’s us know how wrong Satan is and how awesome God is.

Take a moment to remember all that God has done and give Him praise. Praise Him for what He’s done and praise Him for what He’s about to do.

Colossians 3:13 NLT Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Forgiveness is a big part of being a Christian. It separates the mature believers from the immature believers. Offenses will come. How we handle ourselves after the offense will determine where we are in our walk. Will we respond by doing the exact same thing that was done to us or will we forgive them and let it go?

We’ve offended God as a human race. He chose to forgive us through the sacrifice of His Son. We’ve offended others. If we’re honest with ourselves, we hope they forgave us. It’s only right that we should forgive others after they’ve wronged us.

As we forgive others, we grow in our maturity, we become better witnesses of Jesus Christ, and we bring a positive light into the world. Let offenses go and forgive.

Matthew 9:29 AMPC Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith and trust and reliance [on the power invested in Me] be it done to you;

According to YOUR faith, whatever YOU’RE believing God for, it will be done unto YOU. It doesn’t matter if no one else can fathom what you’re believing God for, if YOU can believe God for it, it will be done unto YOU.

Some of the things that are hard for people to believe are, being healed of something they’ve had all their lives, buying a house with bad credit, getting a new car when they only have $1000 in the bank, or getting a particular career with little to no experience in that field. It’s not up to someone else’s faith to bring it to pass. Remember, if YOU can believe God for it, it will be done unto YOU.

Don’t let people or statistics talk you out of what you’re in faith for. According to YOUR faith, it will be done unto YOU.

Romans 5:17 NIV For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

We’ve been given the ability to reign or rule in this life through Christ. Although this is a promise available to every believer, a lot of us don’t know how to reign.

We reign by exercising our faith in what Christ has done. God’s word says we’re healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ, so we believe that in the face of sickness. God’s word says we’ve been given peace by Jesus, so we remain in peace despite the calamity surrounding us.

Anything negative that’s in our way, Christ has taken care of it. When we believe in all that He’s accomplished for us, we’ll reign supreme over everything.

Romans 5:17 NIV For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

To reign means to possess or exercise sovereign power or to rule. Here’s a promise from God where He’s given us the ability to rule in life through Jesus Christ. That means we have power over anything that comes across our path.

If it’s sickness, lack, unhappiness, learning disabilities, division, or confusion, through Christ, we have the ability to rule over it.

Don’t be a victim any longer to circumstances. Understand that through Christ, we can reign as kings over everything.

If we feed our natural bodies food every day, we should be feeding our spirits food every day. Our born-again spirits feed on the word of God. When we hear ourselves reading the word of God or listen to a minister we like, our spirits are being fed. We know this because it says in Romans 10:17, faith comes by hearing the word of God.

There are no excuses to not feeding our spirits. There are countless bible teaching ministers available to listen to for free on YouTube. There are numerous bible apps available on our phones. We can listen at home, at work, and in our cars. We don’t have to listen to the entire sermon every day, but we can listen to around 30 minutes of the message every day.

Feeding our spirits empowers us with God’s word to overcome any obstacle we may face. The more word we feed our spirits, the more our faith grows (Rom. 10:17). And according to 1 John 5:4 CEV it says, every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.

Whether it’s poverty, sickness, lack, hurt, discontentment, or depression, if we consistently feed our spirits on a daily basis, we’ll have the faith to defeat anything. Don’t deny your spirit the word of God.

I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. -Psalms 119:15‭-‬16 NKJV

Colossians 2:6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.

Once we accept Christ as Lord, it doesn’t stop there. We must continue to follow Him. Before each of us come up with how we must follow Him, let’s allow the scriptures to tell us what it means to follow Him. Look at verse 7.

7 Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Letting our roots grow down into Him is getting a deeper understanding of who Christ is and what He’s done. Christ is our wisdom, our sanctification, our righteousness, and more. Having an understanding of Christ allows our roots to grow down into Him.

Secondly, our lives must be built on Christ. It’s no longer what we can accomplish through our works or self-effort. Our lives are built on what Christ accomplished for us. We can try to be righteous by keeping the law or we can believe we’re made righteous through Christ (Rom. 3:22). We can attempt to gain wealth through toil or believe we’re made rich through Christ (2 Cor. 8:9).

Salvation is just the beginning. For the rest of our lives, we must grow in our understanding of who Christ is and continously build our lives on Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 NLT But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

There are believers who are hoping, praying, and wishing they’re saved and they’ll go to heaven when they die. They’re unsure about their salvation based on various things they’ve heard or read out of context.

Some feel like they have to behave close to flawlessly to be saved. Others feel like a certain amount of good works will provide them with a ticket to heaven.

Here’s the truth: if we openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9). There’s nothing else to add. Ephesians 2:8 and 9 says, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Salvation is a gift from God. We can’t work for it or earn it. It’s a gift given by God through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Our confidence should be in our belief in what Jesus accomplished on the cross. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for the sins of the world, we are saved. Be confident in your salvation, knowing you or any other believer will be in the presence of the Lord when we transition (2 Cor. 5:8).

When we’re in the waiting period between our prayer and the manifestation of our desires, it’s beneficial to meditate and confess God’s word.

When we meditate, we’re not humming to ourselves. Biblical meditation is seeing ourselves with the promise (Gen. 15:5). If it’s a house, see yourself driving up to it, walking through it, and going to sleep in it. If it’s overcoming pain in our bodies, imagine yourself doing the things you couldn’t do before the pain. We’re building an image in our minds to maintain and strengthen our faith.

Faith comes when we hear the word of God (Rom. 10:17). In that same waiting period, when we confess God’s word, we hear ourselves. When we hear ourselves speak God’s word, faith comes. We’re also imitating our Father by calling those things that are not yet manifested as though they were (Eph. 5:1; Rom. 4:17).

Confessions and meditation keep doubt and unbelief from contaminating our faith.

Genesis 15:5 NKJV Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Mark 11:23 NKJV For assuredly, I say to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS.

Galatians 5:16 NLT So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Do you want to stop sinning? Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Allow Him to be Lord instead of your flesh. Unfortunately, because of Adam’s sin our natural desire is to allow our flesh to have its way. But there are certain things we can do to overrule our flesh.

When the thought to sin enters our minds, we’ll always have another option in front of us. We can either agree with Satan and do things his way or agree with God or do things His way.

It takes effort to do things God’s way. To be successful in overcoming sin, we must be intentional about spending time with God. The more time we spend with Him, the clearer we’ll hear His voice to do things His way. He’ll tell us in advance to not watch a certain movie because He knows there’s a sex scene that will tempt us to lust and fall.

The more time we spend with Him, the more convinced we’ll become that His way is more beneficial. We’ll realize a successful healthy marriage is more important and impactful to the Kingdom of God than one night with him or her in a hotel.

The more time we spend with Him, the stronger we’ll become to resist sinful urges. We’ll be equipped with power from the Holy Spirit to put down that bottle, turn off porn, or control negative emotions (Acts 1:8).

We may not win all our battles, but don’t quit. Receive His forgiveness and get back in the fight.

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,
Colossians 2:18 NLT

Condemnation comes in many forms. One form of condemnation is through self-denial.

When some people get saved, they deny themselves of certain joys for the sake of “holiness.” They may deny themselves from having a large house, excess money, enjoying a movie, listening to secular music, eating certain foods, or going on lavish vacations. In their minds, they think God is pleased with them because they’re denying themselves of these things. They then condemn people who may have or do these things.

Don’t fall for this condemnation tactic. The bible doesn’t say we can’t have or enjoy certain things in this life. He doesn’t want those things controlling us, but we can enjoy certain things.

If you hear anyone boasting about what they deny themselves for the sake of Christ, they’re full of pride and need to discover their purpose in Christ.