Graced To Do God's Will

Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

In verse 2, God naturally saw a dark, formless, and empty earth. In verse 3, God changed what He saw in the natural by SPEAKING what He desired which was light.

We may have a life, marriage, or career that feels empty and dark. We may have thought it would be a certain way, but it’s not turning out how we desired. That’s okay. We can use our God-given authority and the power of our words to change any negative situation.

Some may say, they can’t change their circumstances because they’re not God. This is true. We’re not God Almighty, but He’s given us His authority and He’s given us power in our words just like Him. Matthew 16:19 says, And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Matthew 21:21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even SAY to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.

Between these two scriptures above, God has given us the authority and our words to change whatever is negative. At the very beginning of the bible, God is showing us how to operate in this earth. I dare you to believe you have this God-given authority and continuously exercise the power of words until change manifests.

Proverbs 23:7a For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

What we think about ourselves is often what we portray and become. If we think we’re less than, no good, or can’t get right, we’ll always be that. If we have a lack of confidence, people will see that and we’ll be seen as insignificant.

On the other hand, if we see ourselves how God sees us, we’ll have an unshakable confidence and we’ll experience God’s best. Hebrews 10:35 says, do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

Some of the ways we think about ourselves come from the ones closest to us. If our parents or siblings told us we’re not as good as or smart, we’ll have a distorted view of ourselves. When we have poor self-image, we must read God’s word and consume what it says about us and believe it. We must read it over and over again to remove the negativity from our minds.

It all starts in the mind.

John 2:5 NLT But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Faith is what brings God’s promises to pass. What positions us to receive God’s promise is obedience. It’s doing what the Holy Spirit leads us to do.

We can believe God for something for years, but if we don’t obey the Holy Spirit as He leads, we’ll never have what we desire.

You may want a particular car in red. You believe God for it, confess that it’s yours, and you’re in expectation for it. The Holy Spirit may direct you to go to the dealership on the other side of town. You have a choice to make. You can say to yourself it’s too far and you don’t remember seeing it online or you can obey. If you obey, there’s a possibility you’ll see the car you desire for a lower price.

You may have pain in your back. God tells you to stop eating after 9:00pm. In your mind, you may be thinking what does that have to do with the pain in my back? As you obey, somehow your back gets better.

What if the car isn’t there and my back doesn’t feel better? You exercised your obedience muscle and in some way God’s word promises you’ll experience something good because you obeyed (Isaiah 1:19).

For the promises of God to manifest, I’ll echo the words of Mary. Do whatever He (the Holy Spirit) tells you.

Psalms 25:12‭-‬13 NLT Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land.

God, the Creator of the universe and the One who knows all things, will show us what path to choose if we honor and reverence Him. That’s a great deal because every decision we make will positively or negatively impact our lives. So, as we honor God, He’ll show us the paths we should take that will positively impact our lives. That’s a fantastic deal. You can’t be that.
Wait… there’s more.

Not only will our Father show us the best paths to take, but He promised we’ll live in prosperity and our children will receive an inheritance. Wow, that’s huge. Especially, if we know God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). If He promised something, it has to come to pass (Luke 1:37). That means we’ll have prosperity in our health, marriage, finances, career, etc. We’ll be prosperous to the point where our children will inherit what we own.

All of this can be ours if we simply honor and reverence our Father. Take advantage of His plan to bless our lives.

Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” 1 Samuel 1:10‭-‬11‭

God sees everything we’re going through. He sees it and wants to help, but He cannot and will not help without an invitation. Prayer is our invitation to God. We’re giving Him consent to act on our behalf.

Too many times we minimize prayer because we want something to do. We want to get our hands dirty and we want to solve the problem. We don’t understand or value the importance of prayer. When we pray, we’re removing ourselves from the situation and allowing God to handle it.

We’re limited in our knowledge and abilities. God’s power, knowledge, and abilities are infinite. So, why not use His?

That sad saying of “all we can do is pray” needs to be changed. We need to be excited when a conflict shows up and shout, “We get to pray!” Get God involved in your situation through prayer.

The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Samuel 1:19‭-‬20 NLT

Satan is the king of condemnation. He’ll put numerous thoughts in our minds that make us feel like we’re doing a bad job at being a Christian. He’ll even use scriptures to justify how we’re missing the mark.

Let’s look at how he can condemn us.
We read Mark 1:35 which says, Jesus got up early and went out to an isolated place to pray.
Satan to Us: You didn’t wake up early and you barely prayed.
Someone cuts us off in traffic and we call them stupid.
Satan to Us: That’s not very Christian like.
Negative thoughts towards our job continously enter our minds.
Satan to Us: That’s not very grateful. How is God going to bless you with a new job with a bad attitude like that?
You forgot to pray over your food.
Satan to Us: If you get sick it’s your own fault because you didn’t pray.

Overall, he makes us feel like everything we’re doing is wrong or could be better. That’s no way to live.

There is no condemnation for those in Christ. We may not have it all together, but Christ does. We are in Christ and through Him, we are made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 5:1). So, when God sees believers of Jesus as Lord, He sees us righteous in Christ. He doesn’t see the person who may have had a bad attitude or the person who hasn’t read their bible in a while. He’s not shaking His head at us in shame. He’s happy because we’re in Christ.

Don’t allow condemnation to linger in your life. Know and accept that we are and forever will be righteous through Christ.

Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

People don’t speak when you speak to them. People don’t say thank you after you’ve held the door for them. People stop talking to you when you’ve helped them. These are the behaviors of some people that make us want to remove our kindness from the world. When the temptation comes, we must resist the urge to remove our kindness.

If we’re being kind in order to be appreciated, we’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Our kindness is a reflection of God. We should be kind because we are kind people and we have a kind Father. Whether someone appreciates it or not is irrelevant. We’re sowing kindness into the world. As we sow kindness, we’ll reap a harvest of kindness from someone and from God (Galatians 6:7; Ephesians 6:8).

We’re called to be lights in a dark world. Part of our light is kindness. So, smile at someone, help someone out, and be a blessing. Be kind because God is kind.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14‭-‬16 NLT

There are people who are more emotional than others. When pressures and unfavorable conditions come, they get overwhelmed and cry. There’s nothing wrong with a few tears, but crying is not going to change the circumstances. Crying is not going to cause God to become sympathetic and move on our behalf. The only thing God and the circumstances of our life responds to is faith.

Let’s say you have a health condition. Instead of crying about it, have faith in God’s word and tell that health condition what Jesus has done for your body. He was whipped so that we can be healed (1 Pet. 2:24). When a marriage is rocky, don’t have a pity party. Command, in faith, peace, joy, and forgiveness in that marriage using the power we have in our words (Proverbs 18:21). Whatever situation you’re facing, apply faith to it and expect it to change.

Crying doesn’t move God. He hears our cry, but He doesn’t respond to tears. He responds to our faith. Place your faith in what God said and I guarantee things will get better.

I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot. I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life. But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!”
Psalms 31:12‭-‬14 NLT

John 10:9 NLT Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

Jesus is the only way. This sounds limiting and it doesn’t fit in with this inclusive mindset of people today, but it’s the truth.

Of course, there are people who think that just being a good person will qualify them for salvation, but it does not. Our belief in Jesus being the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins is the only way to receive actual salvation (Romans 10:9).

Don’t be one of those people who simply can’t believe Jesus is the way to salvation or can’t believe He’s the ONLY way to salvation. He is. If we can truly get ahold of what He went through and sacrificed for us, we will have no doubt in telling the world that Jesus is the only way.

So, if you want to get saved, make it to heaven, and see the Father, believe and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Some of us understand the importance of consulting God on major decisions like, buying a house, marrying a person, or taking a job, but we should consult Him in minor things too.

Some of the minor things we often overlook are…
What outfit should we wear
What time should we go grocery shopping
When we should go to bed
When to take a break from work
What lane should we be driving in
What should we order at the restaurant

Some people may say we shouldn’t bother God with trivial things or He doesn’t care about that. God will get involved with whatever we give Him access to.

When we remember to consult God on minor things, we increase our clarity to hear His voice and we could potentially avoid major complications. Getting to know His voice on minor things will make it easier to hear Him during major decisions. Asking God what we should order at a restaurant could avoid food poisoning.

Get God involved in everything.

So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. -Joshua 9:14 NLT

Mark 4:24 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.

God’s word is singlehandedly the most important thing ever. When we’re at church or listening online, it’s important to pay attention to what’s being said and minimize distractions.

Some distractions include, our phones, people watching, and sleeping. These distractions appeal to our flesh and they’re sent to distract us from hearing God’s word and any revelation we get through the Holy Spirit.

The message could be about love, but the Holy Spirit could be speaking to us about another subject. He could be giving us strategies to solve a problem at work or what we need to do to get rid of that pain in our back. If we’re distracted with other things, we won’t hear what’s important.

Let’s do our best to pay attention to God’s word and limit outside distractions.

Zechariah 4:10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)

You may be in a one bedroom apartment, but you desire to be in a five bedroom house. Don’t despise or belittle that one bedroom apartment. You treat that apartment as if it’s that five bedroom house.

Don’t be ashamed of that job just because it’s not as fancy as some of your friends’ jobs. You work at that job as if you’re making a million dollars a day. The same thing goes with our cars, clothes, or finances.

Luke 16:10 says, whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. Job 8:7 says, though your beginning was small, yet your latter end will increase abundantly.

As we can see, when show our gratitude and faithfulness with what we have while simultaneously trusting God for more, God’s word declares we’ll experience increase.

Be grateful with what you have, but be in expectation for more.

In Proverbs 3:6 it says, in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. This means in major and minor things. He wants to direct our path to accomplish His will in the earth through us.

The reason we may not have acknowledged God is because of a lack of trust in Him. We may think our way is better, but Proverbs 3:5 tells us we’re leaning towards our own understanding.

When we don’t acknowledge Him and do our own thing, we end up doing things that leave us devastated. We end up marrying the wrong person, taking a job we thought was great, or taking the wrong turn that lead us into a traffic jam. Proverbs 14:12 tells us, there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. All of this could have been avoided if we acknowledged the Lord.

The instruction in God’s word is not trying to constrict us. It’s there so that we can minimize our mistakes. But, if we do miss the mark He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

“Yes indeed, it won’t be long now.” God’s Decree. “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people Israel: “They’ll rebuild their ruined cities. They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land. They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them.” God, your God, says so. -Amos 9:13‭-‬15 MSG

God has promises all throughout the scriptures. There’s healing, deliverance, needs being met, and desires granted. To obtain these promises, we must use faith.

As we stand in faith for these promises, if we’re being radical and totally depending on God, we can believe God for accelerated manifestation.

Instead of it taking 6 months to completely heal, believe God that it will take 6 weeks to heal. If the job requirements said we need 2 years of experience, believe you can get the job with only 1 year. If the experts say it will take 2 years to repair our credit, believe God it will take 6 months. We’re backed by the God of acceleration. Believe He can and He will.

Having a desire for accelerated manifestation is not a requirement of faith. It doesn’t make us better than someone who’s willing to believe and wait indefinitely. But, if God said He can do the impossible, hold Him to His word and believe for accelerated manifestation.

James 2:8 NLT Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We have a lot of sermons about what we can get from the Lord, self-help books, and things that benefit ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with these things, but it’s incomplete. It’s all about us. We want to be in a good position spiritually, mentally, and naturally in order to love and be a blessing to someone else.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves means we want something for them as strong as we want something for ourselves. If we see someone going through a rough marriage, limited finances, or mentally struggling with what’s going on in society, we should strongly desire for them to have a peaceful marriage, increase in finances, and mental toughness. We should want that as much as we would want it for ourselves. It should be more than an “I’m praying for you text.” We should let the Holy Spirit lead us on what we can naturally or spiritually do to help that person overcome.

The last day signs of the times say, people will be lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3:2). As believers, let’s not become a sign and obey God by loving our neighbor and being a blessing (Genesis 12:2).

They even spoke against God himself, saying, “God can’t give us food in the wilderness. Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.” Psalms 78:19‭-‬20 NLT

Have you ever seen God perform the miraculous in one area of your life, but you can’t fathom how He’s going to do it in another area? The same God who performed a miracle in one area is the same God who can do it again.

Just because the circumstances are different doesn’t change the ability of God. Just because it seems a little more difficult to pull off doesn’t mean it’s too difficult for God. God can provide a good parking spot for us and provide the finances for a million dollar home. One’s not more difficult than the other. It’s all the same to Him.

When we believe and have the mindset of it has to come to pass, whatever we desire will manifest.

Place your complete trust in Him and don’t be moved by the circumstances. He’s our same Father who specializes in making the impossible possible.

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. -Psalms 78:4 NLT

As adults, we have a responsibility to tell the next generation about all the wonderful things God has done for us. Even if you’re not a parent, you still can tell the next generation about our loving Father.

How will they know to put their faith, trust, and hope in Him if we don’t tell them what He’s done for us? How will they know how to totally depend on God if we don’t tell our testimony? We must let them know about how He delivered us from that bad habit or toxic relationship. We must tell them how God gave us the free gift of grace through Jesus Christ. We must let them know there is nothing we can do that will stop God from loving us.

Explaining what God has done for us requires transparency and vulnerability. We can’t act like we have it all together or have been saved all our lives to be impactful to the next generation. Let’s be open and honest and tell the next generation ALL the things God has done and continues to do in our lives.

As social media expands, we’ll see more and more people who dishonor God get a lot of the things we desire. They’ll get married, get a new car, get a new house, and have the excess money for vacations. Meanwhile, we’re honoring God and it seems like our blessings are on backorder.

This is a defining moment. Will we continue to honor God or say, “forget it” and give in to our flesh? Galatians 6:9 says, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

If everyone around us is living worldly and it seems like they are living their best lives, we have to be okay with looking at them, but still trusting God with fulfilling our desires in due time. If the majority of people are going right, we must be okay with going left. It may seem unfair at times and it may seem lonely, but what God has for us will last forever. Be okay with doing things God’s way.

Psalms 37:1‭-‬3‭ Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

There are people who don’t trust the bible because it was written by man. They feel like it could be hidden agendas in the bible that cause its followers to behave, act, and think a certain way. They think it makes mankind to be like sheep.

They think they’re outsmarting the system by not obeying what the bible says (in context), but in actuality, they’re being deceived by Satan. If they don’t follow the bible, they’re leaving themselves susceptible to other misleading doctrines or to their own truth which varies from person to person and is tainted.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

It doesn’t say all scripture was written by God. It says all scripture was inspired by God. So, of course it was written by man, but it was man under the inspiration of God. These other doctrines, books, and thoughts are inspired by something else. If it’s not God, it’s Satan.

As much as people may hate to hear it, we were created to have a lord. We don’t have an original thought. Our thoughts are going to be influenced by God or Satan. If the thought doesn’t align with the word of God (bible), it’s from Satan.

The bible should be our final authority. Those who don’t trust it, don’t trust that God’s power can influence its writers. Please don’t be the person who thinks they’re too intelligent to follow the bible. It’s God’s word and it teaches us how to live correctly and have an amazing life. How do I know? Obey it and see.

Grace, through Jesus Christ, has made everything we’ll ever need and want available for us. It’s already prepared, but it’s in heavenly places. Ephesians 1:3 says, all praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

To get these blessings from the spirit realm into the natural realm, we must use faith.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Faith is acting on what we believe. Most of our actions will involve our words. 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” If we believe we’re healed by the stripes of Jesus, we act and say we’re healed. The symptoms still may be present, but faith can change the symptoms. If we desire a house, spouse, car, etc., we must speak it with the belief that it will come to pass. Regardless of what you see or delays or the “impossibilities” unbelievers like to speak over us, we must ignore all of that and believe and speak what we desire.

His word says in Mark 11:24, I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. If we’re willing to believe forever, we won’t have to believe for long. Take what God has promised by faith.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

God has blessed us with every blessing we desire on this earth. These blessings have been made available through Christ. Christ Jesus is the embodiment of grace (John 1:14). We didn’t earn or deserve these blessings. These blessings were freely given to us through Christ.

Whatever we need or desire has already been made available in Christ. It’s not being prepared when we make our request. It’s already available.

So when a situation arises, we don’t have to freak out or worry. We should know the answer has already been made available in Christ. As we believe this truth, our expectation to receive increases, our peace increases, and our joy increases. Because we know it already has been handled by God, through Christ, for free, for us. Thank you Jesus.

Where we are now is not the end. We’ve been promised by our Father better.

If we have poor health now, our health will improve. If our finances are limited, our finances will increase. If our marriage is unstable now, our marriage will get better.

The will of God can’t come to pass without faith. As we believe for the improvements in every area of our lives, those improvements must come to pass. If we doubt or we’re uncertain if the situation can change, we’ll never have our desires.

Trust and believe things will get better.

‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.” -Haggai 2:9 NKJV

Psalm 37:1-3 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

This world has some exciting stuff for our flesh. There’s premarital sex, drugs, alcohol, excessive eating, and so much more. It may seem like people on social media or our closest friends are able to live a life that satisfies their flesh and they appear to be “successful.”

Don’t envy those people. They may seem like they’re having fun, but according to scripture, something is dying. Romans 6:23 says, for the wages of sin is death. They may not know it yet, but something is dying in their lives. It could be their health, their relationships, their intelligence, or their ability to manage their finances.

If we do things God’s way, He’ll give us our desires without sacrificing a part of our lives. Don’t get envious. Trust God’s plan.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3 NLT

Wars, mass shootings, gas prices, viruses, and inflation can tempt us to fear. What do we do when fear knocks on our door? We put our trust in God.

What about God are we trusting? We’re trusting in His promises. Look at verse 4, I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

He promised to provide for us (Philippians 4:19). He promised to protect us (2 Thessalonians 3:3). He promised that we’re healed (1 Peter 2:24). He promised us an abundant life (John 10:10). If we don’t continously read His word, we can’t know or have faith for what He promised (Romans 10:17).

So, if we give into fear, that’s because we’re looking more at our circumstances than what God promised. Dismiss fear and focus on God.

It’s a choice to stress. We know this because two people could be going through the same situation and have two different responses.

Stress is a response we have when our focus shifts from God to the circumstances. As long as we look at what may happen or how it’s going to get fixed, we’ll stress, worry, and allow fear to enter our hearts. But, if we focus on God before, during, and after the circumstance, we’ll have peace. We’ll realize nothing can outdo God’s ability. We’ll know that nothing is too hard for God.

So, no matter the circumstance, focus on God and what He’s promised.

So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. -2 Kings 6:14‭-‬17 NLT

Faith Can Be Seen

Mark 2:5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

Faith is acting on what you believe. In the right circumstances, faith can be seen.

For instance, people who are releasing their faith for employment, their faith can be seen as they vocalize their belief saying, “I believe I received my job” and completing applications. If you desire a house, your faith can be seen by declaring you believe you’ve received your house and going to tour houses. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the money yet. If a person desires health in their bodies, they can act on what they believe by saying, “by His stripes I’m healed.”

In all circumstances, the simplest way of displaying our faith is speaking what we desire. The Holy Spirit will direct us on other ways of displaying our faith. Eventually, what we believe and act on will come to pass.

John 3:30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

Our thoughts, our ideas, and our plans must decrease. His thoughts, His ideas, and His plans must increase. How do we do this? By renewing our minds to God’s word (Romans 12:2).

When we understand that our lives should be governed by the word of God, He becomes greater in our lives. As long as we’re skeptical of His word, the more room we make for deception. Satan uses our skepticism to decieve us into thinking our way is right. When we have a few successes doing it our way, we’ll be even more deceived into thinking our way is best. In actuality, our way leads to destruction (Proverbs 14:12).

Let’s reflect. Have you been doing things your way instead of God’s way? If so, let’s reposition God to be the head of our lives instead of ourselves.

Satan understands the benefits of spending time with God. He knows when we spend time with God, we strengthen our relationship with the Father, we become more impactful to the Kingdom, and we position ourselves to be prosperous.

That’s why Satan makes it seem like spending time with God is a chore. He likes to appeal to our flesh and dangle other things like, Netflix shows, sports, and even time with our spouse in front of us. His hope is to get us distracted or value those things over God.

God’s not going to force Himself on us. We must come to the conclusion that spending time with Him is more important than anything else. It’s not wrong to do other things, but when those things separate us from our time with God, we have a problem.

Don’t be seduced by distractions. Spend time with God.

Mark 1:35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.”-John 8:26 NLT

We may know someone is lying, we may know someone is being fake, and we may know when someone is being religious. Just because we know something about someone else doesn’t mean we need to call them out.

How is God glorified when we call out their faults? How close do we think they’re going to get to God when a “Christian” criticizes them?

It’s beneficial to keep our mouths shut about someone else’s faults, unless we’ve been permitted by God to speak on them. When God permits us to speak on another person’s faults, He knows that’s the best time for them to receive what we’re saying. Any other time may bring animosity and hostility.

Let’s do better at only saying what God wants us to say and not saying what our flesh wants to say or saying something WE think they need to hear.

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!
John 8:42‭-‬43 NLT

We may have good intentions of witnessing the gospel of Jesus Christ and teaching people how to love and forgive. We may talk/minister to them for a long time, but some of the people we talk to can’t receive anything we’re saying. Don’t get frustrated with them. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

While we’re speaking, they can’t comprehend what we’re saying because their minds have been blinded.

We may want them to do better, have better, and be stronger, but until their minds are renewed with the word of God (Rom. 12:2), they’ll never fully take advantage of what Jesus made available to us. For now, we can use our authority to remove the demonic strongholds from their minds (Luke 10:19) and pray they receive a correct revelation of what we’re trying to convey. Secondly and simultaneously, cast their situation to God. We shouldn’t be carrying their cares on our shoulders. That’s what causes frustration. Give it to God and move on.

Instead of saying that’s impossible, yea right, or that will never happen when it comes to how God is going to manifest our desires, start saying “it could happen.”

When it comes to manifesting the promises of God, it could happen in the most unusual ways. Someone could like your family and want to buy your family a house. Someone can like the way you work and offer you a promotion. Someone may like your children’s behavior and want to pay for their college.

Once again, instead of doubting how God will grant our desires, let’s keep our hope alive by telling ourselves “it could happen.”

Many of us know that with God all things are possible. It’s time to believe it and expect it.

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.
James 3:3‭-‬5 NLT

Our tongue is a small member, but it controls the direction of our lives. The things we say will impact our lives.

If we keep saying we’re broke, tired, or hurting, that’s what we’re going to be. If we keep calling our marriages hard or rocky, that’s what it will be. If we keep saying our children are bad, that’s what they will be.

We must always be mindful of what we say. Our speech may seem insignificant, but it’s creating our future. So, speak what you want to experience.

Acts 16:6‭ Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.

Wait a minute. Aren’t we commanded by Jesus in Mark 16:15 to go and preach the gospel to the world? But here we have the Holy Spirit preventing them from preaching.

This let’s us know there may be a general command in the word of God, but the Holy Spirit will give us the details on when, where, and how to fulfill that command. Paul and Silas defying the promptings of the Holy Spirit, even to do a good thing like preach the gospel, could have put them in harm’s way.

We’ll read where we should give to the poor, but the Holy Spirit will tell us when to give and who to give to. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to neglect meeting together as believers, but the Holy Spirit will tell us what body of believers (church) we should belong to. We’re instructed to forgive. The Holy Spirit will tell us how to forgive.

Whatever God instructs us to do in His word, the details on how to accomplish it will be given by the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit lead you.

Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

If God’s word applauds people who are slow to get angry, He must have given us the ability to control of our anger and other emotions.

We don’t always have to fight back, verbalize how we feel, or do something stupid because someone has said or done something to us. We can exercise self-control which makes us mighty.

People have died and prisons are filled with people who couldn’t control their emotions. Because of a lack of self-control, people have lost their jobs and marriages have ended. Due to anger, people have said things they wish they could take back.

Let’s do ourselves a favor. Let’s take control of our lives by controlling our emotions. Don’t give people the power to control your emotions. Maintain self-control.

Everyday we have an opportunity to prioritize God, go deeper in our relationship with God, and set up our lives for continual success. We do this by spending time with God in prayer, reading His word, speaking in tongues, and meditating on His promises.

At the same time, there are other things demanding our time and energy. There’s work, going through social media, watching TV, doing mindless activities on the internet, and socializing with our friends.

We must decide what’s more important. Is it spending hours doing randomness or developing intimacy with our Father?

I’m not saying we can’t do things, outside of God, that are enjoyable. I’m saying we need to prioritize Him. He’ll tell us when we can stop praying and watch a movie. He’ll tell us when we need to get off social media and work on our business plan. He’ll tell us when we can enjoy a night with our friends. As long as He’s included in our decisions, we’ll never go wrong.

Don’t spend all your time doing everything else but spending time with God, because you’ll miss His guidance and fellowship. At the same time, don’t spend all your time in the word, praying, and not enjoying yourself trying to please Him. We can increase our intimacy with God and enjoy this abundant life He gave us through Jesus by allowing Him to direct our lives.

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

JOHN 8:16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.

As born-again believers, we have the same rights and privileges as Jesus (1 John 4:17). Jesus had confidence in everything He did because He was not alone. Our Father was with Jesus wherever He went.

God will send us on assignments. It may be presenting to management at our current jobs, expanding our business, buying a home, or raising children. Some of those assignments may be too big for our natural minds, but there’s good news. Wherever our Father sends us and whatever assignment we have, we can be confident in knowing our Father is with us. And if He’s with us, we’ll be successful wherever He sends us.

Trust and believe you’re not alone. Wherever God sends us, we’ll have success.

And the one who sent me is with me—He has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases Him.”
John 8:29 NLT

Don’t Be a Pharisee

As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. John 8:3 NLT

How did the Pharisees know she was in the act of adultery? It’s not like she had a sign on the door saying, “Committing Adultery.” No. Someone must have watched her go into a house with someone who wasn’t her husband. Or, she was known to the Pharisees to commit adultery, but they didn’t say anything until now.

Either way, the Pharisees didn’t help her, counsel her, or confront her in love. They lived by the law and had every right to see her stoned.

We don’t live by the law (Romans 6:14). If you see your brother or sister going down the wrong path, don’t condemn them. Don’t be like the Pharisees and verbally stone them. Don’t tell them how ashamed they should be. Be like Jesus. In love, confront the person, address the sin, and provide instructions on how to keep them from sinning.

Don’t be like a harsh Pharisee. Be like gracious Jesus and address sins with love.

One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
Acts 16:16-‬18

That boss who’s being mean or unfair, that spouse who’s starting arguments for no reason, children who are misbehaving, and a friend who is living in fear. These are all examples of people who are demonically influenced. They may not know it, but we should.

Demonic influences are behaviors and attitudes in someone that don’t align with the word of God. According to Luke 10:19, we have authority over these influences.

Paul demonstrated his authority in Acts. He spoke to the spirit (not the person), confidently used the name of Jesus, and expected the spirit to leave. We can do that too. We can speak to that demonic spirit in that person, confidently use the name of Jesus, and tell it where to go.

We must believe and be confident that in the name of Jesus, that influence must obey.

Spirit-led Corresponding Actions

James 2:22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.

A dream will always remain a dream unless there are Spirit-led corresponding actions associated with it.

A person can desire to move to a specific location, but if they don’t have corresponding actions associated with moving, they’ll remain where they are. Corresponding actions in this case include, believe you’ve received a home in that area (Mark 11:24), researching the area, applying for jobs in that city, continuously confess to live in that area (Mark 11:23), and drive in that area periodically.

There are corresponding actions and there are Spirit-led corresponding actions. Using the same scenario, a person can desire to move to a location one week and put their house up for sale the next week. That’s impulsive. They probably didn’t consult the Holy Spirit on what corresponding actions were appropriate. They acted from their emotions. For the first 6 months, the Holy Spirit may simply want them to confess they believe they receive a house in that area. Then again, He may want them to immediately sell their house. It’s all about letting Him lead us.

If we don’t act or if we’re too impulsive, we may regret our decisions. But if we’re led by the Holy Spirit in our actions, our desires will manifest themselves beautifully.

Thinking on What’s True

Philippians 4:8 CEV Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.

The first thing listed on things we should think on is thinking on things that are true. Everyone’s truth is different. Let’s go to the word of God to define the truth.

In John 17:17, Jesus says God’s word is truth. So, it’s not my truth or your truth we should be thinking on. The only truth is the word of God.

As we keep our thoughts on God’s word, unwavering faith and belief will come to handle anything that comes our way. Fix and keep your mind on the word of God in order to be successful in every area of your life.