The Power Of GratitudeThe Power Of Gratitude
How many times do you give thanks?
Scripture: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
IMPORTANCE OF GRATEFULNESS
“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” Romans 8:24
0 Comments
Prayer For Guidance
In a world full of uncertainty, seeking guidance from a God can be the key to finding peace and direction. Fortunately, there are several ways to connect with God and access his infinite wisdom. The ways we can start is to reference the bible.
Passage: Ps. 25:9 “He guides the humble in what is right.” Gen. 28:15 NIV “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” Ps. 48:14 “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.” Message: How can we get God to direct us? We can only be directed when we believe. God can only direct us if we listen and believe. Believing God is a very difficult thing to do for most Christians. Sometimes I ask myself why is it so hard for Christians to believe the word of God? It is rather difficult for people to believe in someone they have not seen nor experienced. You have to experience God's power in your life to truly convince you that there is a God who loves you. You may ask, how can I experience that true God? Your life in itself is a miracle. Count your blessings one at a time and truly you will see the blessings of God. Sometimes we take things for granted. We have to be truly thankful and rejoice in God, knowing that He is watching over us. #Guidance #becomingaconqueror God directs believers in several ways to seek Him. This particular read lets us know we can be directed through the Word of God, the holy Spirit, Godly Counsel, and Common Sense. Prayer : Dear God, I look to no one else for wisdom. Direct me. I only look to you. Today help guide me as I ask for your guidance and your help in making one of the most important decisions in my life because I don't know how to make it without You. Give me wisdom and provide me the direction to make the right decision. At the end of it all, this will bring glory to Your name. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Join our army of becoming on instagram @becomingaconqueror Power of the TongueLife and death are in the power of the tongue
We can either make our world better or we can destroy it by our words. Words add special effect to our life when used wisely.
Speaking positive words create an atmosphere of peace, it changes our lives and that of others; our community and creates a great impact to the world. 5 things we must focus on: 1. It matters what we do: 2 Cor 10:3 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” Do you know we have weapons that are spiritual that we could fight with? These weapons are prayer, righteousness, faith and word of God. I like to call them my spiritual values. With these values we can destroy a lot of the challenging thoughts that we entertain – false speculations/suggestions or thoughts and actions we have that diminish our positive goals or stops us from moving toward them. 2. It matters what we say: “and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Make every word that we speak come under the finished word of the cross. How can this be done? By stopping our minds from going wild. Meaning that when I start thinking thoughts that will demoralize or depress me, I should catch myself and stop thinking those thoughts. Rather I’d start speaking positive words and have positive thoughts. See myself overcoming that challenging situation. I remind myself that I am more than a conqueror. I can do what God says I can do and I will be who God says I will be --A successful, intelligent, prosperous person. Have you ever tried to compare yourself to others? Have you ever thought that blessings and favor that is upon their lives looks easy on them and not for you? Have you ever thought how unsuccessful you are at not having achieved anything? Well, I have. Until, I started changing my thoughts. Your life has been defined and specifically created just for you. Your tongue has been created just for you. No one else has your thoughts, your mind, your fingerprints, except you. The power to make and shape your life is in your hands alone. 3. It’s in your words. Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it eat its fruits”. You see, Life and death has no power, the power is my tongue. It’s in what I profess. Meaning that we have benefits. The benefits are either positive impact or it could be negative impact. Do we speak life into others? A powerful speaker Bishop Gary Oliver once said, “ Until we declare what we think in our minds, no power can come behind it” 4. It’s in our hearing: Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. We don’t have to ask for faith. Faith comes. It comes when we constantly hear and believe the word of God. We should not ask for an increase in our faith. It does not come by asking, or by a need. A need does not move God. Since Faith comes by hearing positive words from God, through the word of God. If faith = hearing = word of God. It means that faith = Word of God. Romans 10:14 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them” Let’s be careful what we listen to and who we hear from and what we hear. 5. It’s in the believing: We have to believe what we speak. I have studied the life of most most successful people, the common factor is that they create their world by speaking and believing it. Even when it’s considered to be wrong, but they still believe their words and make others want to believe it too. We have to be intentional and consistent with the works we speak. It shapes your world. Heb 11:1 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. We have to believe in our hearts that whatever we have been positioned to do can be achieved. It’s as simple as that. We achieve by the words we speak. We need to make a conscious move that we must strive to realize the purpose for which we are here. Not to let anything hinder us from that journey. Not even negative words that has been spoken over us. Our purpose is to fulfill the will of our creator. The word of God helps us remain focused to channel our thoughts in the right direction. It is like the sword of the spirit and a helmet of our salvation. Our words when directed properly is very powerful and makes major impact to not just our life but to lives of millions of people out there. When we do not believe what we speak it is very hard to change our world. We will be rewarded when we are diligent in continuing to pursue our passions and use our gifts to make the world better. We need to continue to speak up, even when it does not seem like we are being heard. We need to speak that positive word to that child who has been continually disappointing in their character. No matter the challenging situation we are going through, let’s speak life into it. It will be okay. Be patient. Love, pray from a distance. Comfort and speak life into ones going through very difficult and challenging circumstances. Let’s not judge them. Let’s not criticize. We please our father when we do these things. He will certainly reward our work. He will bless us and give us those things that we need. Let’s perfect our beliefs and theology by studying the life of Jesus Christ. We’ve been told words that aren’t true. We believe these words. When we speak negative words, we hurt others. Either our lives are filled with insecurities or we fill the life of others with it. Not being good enough, not looking good enough. Are you living a life that makes you feel like someone has to validate who you are? Often times we feel insure and would like a loved one to validate us. That could be changed by the power of the word you speak and what you believe. Speak positively and believe. Things did not change for me until I decided that the words I speak and what’s in my heart determines how I shaped my future. It is what’s within us that helps us validate who we are. Words are powerful. Let’s choose our words wisely, have positive thoughts. Let’s make a conscious effort that we’ll change our world and make impact little at a time by the words we speak. Benefits of Standing Firm
Discover the incredible benefits of standing firm in God. Embracing a strong spiritual foundation can provide you with a sense of peace and purpose that permeates every aspect of your life. From increased strength to face life's challenges to a deeper sense of joy and fulfillment, standing firm in God can be a life-changing experience that empowers you to live your best life.
Passage: Col 1 V 20 -- Message: God has already made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross - Col 1 V20. These include those of us who were far away from God. We were once his enemies,separated from him by your evil thoughts and action but now we are reconciled in God, as a result of the blood of Christ and the death of Christ. He brought us to this reconciliation to his own presence, making us holy and blameless as we stand before him without fault. There are however conditions to continue standing before him, holy and blameless without fault. 1. We must continue to believe his faith 2. We must continue to stand firmly in the truth 3. We must not drift away from the assurance of God. The assurance of the good news which is already preached to the world. Spiritual GiftsSpiritual Gifts - Using your Gifts and Talents.
Passage:
Matthew 22: 1-14 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Message: The king had guests that were already invited to the wedding but these people weren't willing to come to the wedding. Again he gave them a second chance and this time He enticed them with the goodies that He had prepared for them, yet they made light of it and went to their businesses and to their farms. We have all been invited to dine and celebrate with the Kings of Kings, our savior. This means using everything, our talents, giftings to His glory. Are we really using these talents and gifting or do we just ignore these talents and have it waste? To dine with the King, we must pull out everything that we have to make it worth while. God is calling us daily to use our talents to make a difference in our world today. You may think you do not have any talent. I disagree. Everyone has something to offer. Do we ignore using these talents, due to other people's discouragement or some other reason. Are we ignoring the call just as the guests ignored the King? You may think you already have the talent and therefore there's no need to use it but instead chase other things that are not important. Do we ignore using what is inside of us first? Do we chase after the earthly things and ignore the most important thing? Secondly, we need to be ready at all times. Having been invited does not guarantee us access to the King. According to the parable, everyone, both the good and the bad were invited but that did not guarantee them access to the King. We have to be prepared at all times. What is the talent that you have that you are not making use of? Even if that gift is not sharpened that is okay. Start now to sharpen it. Start now to educate and self develop yourself. Start now to make changes in your life. We do not know the time when we will be called in to use our gifts and talents. When that time comes the preparation you have made will make a difference on whether you will advance. So choose to prepare yourself because the bible says in Matt 22:14 " For many are called but few are chosen" Will you prepare yourself and be ready for God to work through you? Use your gift. Whatever talent you have use it now. Trust GodPassages:
Phil. 1:6 NIV “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” 1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Message: As we ask God today for more, what exactly are we asking for? Are we asking for more of the riches of this world, the best car, the house, the job, all the external things. Education and the riches of the world will leave us lacking. Don't get me wrong, these are all good but I think that God has a purpose for each one of us. It is part o God's plan. It is His plan for us to fulfil our destiny. He wants us to go after him first AND then he every other thing shall be added or given to us. Indeed, the bible says that we should seek first the Kingdom of God and every other thing will be added unto us. As we ask for more today, we should ask God to fulfil his purpose for our lives. These puposes can only be fulfiled when we allow God to develop us. The development of God is internal. He will saturate us with the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. We should ask God for more of the inner things, those things that develop us inwardly. The passage above says that God will work in us till completion. If we ask and seek him and do his will he will fulfill our request. Let us learn today to do the will of God. My prayer today is that we learn to trust God more, that his will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let us today cast unto him our worries, our doubts because He has already assured us that he will take care of our burdens. Let us seek more of God in every area of our lives sincerely. The only way to do that is to be obedient to God. As we become obedient he will fulfill his promises to us. How to Fix Your Eyes On JesusTo focus your attention on Jesus, you can plan to
1) Read the Bible every day to learn more about Him. 2) Pray regularly to connect with Him and seek His guidance. 3) Attend church and participate in worship to strengthen your faith. 4) Surround yourself with other believers who can provide support and encouragement. By doing these things, you can fix your eyes on Jesus and grow closer to Him but I want to first call the follwing passages to you. Passage: Heb. 12:1-2 “Let us run…the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.” John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Message: Running a race is not easy. As some of us know, when you initially start running, you feel like stopping every few minutes. Sometimes it seems like the time is at a standstill. It does not come very easy. Other times, it seems like we are counting the time. The minute we focus on something else rather than the time, the time runs by so quickly. So as we run the Christian race that is set before us, the only way we can run this race effectively is by focusing on Jesus. What do I mean by focusing on Jesus? Well let's think of a scenario when you are running, it becomes very difficult to complete your time if you don't have a music or beat you are focusing on. You constantly keep checking the time to see if you are almost done, but, the minute turn on the music or the news channel, you discover the time passes so quickly. I will equate that with our christian life, when we focus on the maker of the heaven and the earth, it is a lot easier for us to complete our love faith, hope and most importantly our love walk. As we remember all that Jesus suffered for us, the beating that He took just because of us. It makes it a lot easier as we run this Christian race. The good news is that Jesus has already done it all for us, so no matter what we face today, it is light compared to what He went through for us. What are you going through in your life right now. You need to let go of it and let God take care of it. I decided that no matter what is going on, I will let God take over, please do the same. Meditating daily on the word of God, is very vital as we walk with God. As we do this the truth, the knowledge of God will be revealed to us. We get a deeper understanding of who God is. As I start this new year, one of the things I have asked God to do for me is to have me mediate daily on his Word. What about you? Join me as we discover Christ for who He is and not for who someone else says He is. Heavenly father give us the grace to meditate on your word, day and night, so that we may truly know you and understand the breath and depth of your love. To see you as the messiah and not allow anything else to take away our focus from you. In Jesus Mighty Name. Amen. Prayer for Strength and Guidance of GodFinding Help from God
You may have been going through a challenge for quite some time now. Sometimes you look for help and it seems like that help is farfetched. It is an emotional roller coaster. You may be thinking we live in this world, therefore I must look at others to provide me the help I need. Yes, we live in the world, therefore when we need help, we should seek help from the world. True. However, the help we seek from people could be very temperamental or unstable. Because we as humans are unstable resulting in providing substandard help -shaky, unreliable. Everyone needs help in one way or another. In times of trouble, remember where your help comes from. Your help does not come from your parents, friends or siblings. It does not come from any man/woman even though we may be living in this world. Where does your Help come from? Are you looking to God for help or to man? The verse that keeps coming to mind is Psalm 121:1-2 says “I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.” Where does your help come from? Your help is from God. The one that created the universe. This verse was written by David, when he was in a difficult place. It helps us understand that the places we try to look for help, if not God, is not a place we should waste our resourcefulness on. Why? because when we neglect to put God in our circumstances and look to another place except to the one that can provide that help, we are putting ourselves in harm's way. Some people may neglect help from God. Perhaps because they have not built up their faith belief. They run after people to help them, but all the while God is positioning people to help those that have called him into their situations. Today, think about all the issues you have gone through, or are still going through. Do you know God wants you to call on Him for help? We may keep running away and looking to someone to pass the burden on. God has asked us to cast all our burdens on him and he will take care of them all. Psalm 55:22 NLT: Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. In the bible it is repeated over and over –
The promise of God is he will never leave us nor forsake us. Not only has he promised not to leave us, but he also reassures us He will not abandon us. God will not abandon us in the time we need him most. He can never leave us as He loves us so much. Trust that He will do what he says he will do. Decide today, to stand strong, not just in your mind but in your soul and spirit. Continue to meditate on the word of God, Repeat these words of God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Where does your help come from. Your help comes from God. Faith - Being Intentional about FaithIntentional Faith is a belief system that involves making conscious decisions to act in accordance with one's values and beliefs. It requires an intentional effort to live out one's faith in everyday life, rather than simply holding beliefs without putting them into practice.
Year of Intentional Faith I cannot have a life or live well in it without faith. Our Christian life is a life of Faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Perhaps no other component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. The Bible has much more to say about faith and how important it is. In fact, it is so important that, without faith, we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). According to the Bible, faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him. Genuine faith is very important to God and to our lives. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life and how can we strengthen our Faith? What made the disciple Paul so certain and confident of what they hoped for but have not seen? Faith..Looking at Paul speaking to the Corinthians and his declarations - 2 Cor 4:7-16 " But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. What is Faith and Where does it come from? FAITH IS BELIEVING As believers, we all have faith. But what type of faith do we have? Faith in people, Faith in objects or Faith in a supreme being. Type of faith we have ultimately shapes us and outcome of our life. WHAT DO WE HAVE FAITH IN OR WHO DO YOU BELIEVE IN? Where does Faith come from? Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is it something we are born with, nor is faith a result of diligence in study or pursuit of the spiritual. The first thing we must understand is that faith doesn’t originate from within us. We’re not born with a natural ability to believe. If we try to muster up faith by our own willpower, we’ll be discouraged. This is because we’re not the source of faith. Faith comes from God. God allots, or gives, faith to us. 2 Peter 1:1 says: “To those who have been allotted faith equally precious as ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” a. GOD is the giver of Faith - God is not only the Giver of faith, but He is also the Author, the Originator, of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 says: “Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.” Note 3 on Author in the New Testament Recovery Version tells us that the Greek word can also be rendered Originator, Inaugurator, Leader, Pioneer, or Forerunner. Jesus is the Originator of our faith! He is the One who inaugurates it in each one of us. He also leads us on the path of faith that He Himself pioneered in His life on earth. b. Faith is a gift from God Ephesians 2:8-9 " God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God." Faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. From the above verses, we see clearly that the source of faith is not found within us. Faith is something given to us by God, and Jesus is the Author, the Originator, of faith. Simply - Faith is given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory. Why should I activate my Faith - Activate because I am speaking to this house of believers Practical Sense, daily activating our faith The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
OBTAINING AND STRENGHTENING
“So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” How did we first believe in Jesus Christ? It was through our hearing of the word of Christ, which includes all of the words recorded in the New Testament. Someone may have told us about Jesus Christ and all He did to redeem and save us. As we listened, we began to appreciate Him. While the gospel was being spoken to us our appreciation of Christ increased, until eventually, a spontaneous reaction took place in us: we believed in Him. Previously we may never have thought much about Jesus Christ or even believed He was real, but through hearing the word of Christ, faith was imparted into us. As an example, let’s say you don’t know anything about diamonds. At first glance, a diamond looks like a common piece of glass to you. But then a jeweler explains to you how the diamond was formed over thousands of years through tremendous heat and pressure. As you look closer, he tells you about its different characteristics. The more you listen to him and look at the diamond, the more you appreciate its beauty and value. Then if someone offered you a diamond, you wouldn’t hesitate to accept it. Considering our own experience of salvation, this can help us see how hearing the word concerning Christ made us realize how precious He is. We began to treasure the Lord Jesus and all He did for us. Without even trying, we began to have faith in Him. 2. BY BELIEVEING GOD AND SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD - STRENGTHENING In the face of difficulties - our Christian life is a life of faith, and the Bible says that as believers, we walk by faith, not by sight. But in our experience, especially when we encounter difficult circumstances, we often become discouraged and find it hard to put our trust in God. We try to believe, but sometimes it feels like we simply don’t have enough faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith substantiates ( provide evidence to support or prove the truth of, It is a filler of ) things we hope for and convinces us of things we can’t see. We all certainly want to experience this in our daily Christian walk, but how do we have this strong faith? How can we be strengthened in our faith, especially in the face of difficulty? WE HAVE TO BELIEVE - BELIEVING MEANS WE DO NOT DOUBT - Remember The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree When Jesus returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately, the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” a. WE have to know we have a spirit of faith 2 Corinthians 4:13 says: “Having the same spirit of faith according to that which is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak.” Note 2 on this verse in the New Testament Recovery Version explains what this spirit of faith is: “The spirit of faith is the Holy Spirit mingled with our human spirit. We must exercise such a spirit to believe and to speak, like the psalmist, the things we have experienced of the Lord, especially His death and resurrection. Faith is in our spirit, which is mingled with the Holy Spirit, not in our mind. Doubts are in our mind. Here spirit indicates that it is by the mingled spirit that the apostles lived a crucified life in resurrection for the carrying out of their ministry.” Faith is in our human spirit. When we believed in Christ, we were regenerated; our spirit was enlivened and became a spirit of faith. Now, whenever our difficult situations cause us to experience doubts in our mind. Day by day, we need to exercise our spirit of faith, but how do we do this? b. We have to exercise our spirit of faith The same verse also says, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” One of the best ways we can exercise our spirit of faith is to speak. But what should we say and to whom should we speak? First, we can speak the Word of God to ourselves and to the Lord. The more we speak His Word, the more faith we have. For instance, let’s say we read Matthew 28:20: “Behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age.” We can declare the facts in this verse, saying, “Thank You, Lord, You are with me all the days! Your Word says this! I believe Your Word.” As we speak the living and true Word of God, our spirit of faith is strengthened. Second, we can also speak to others, telling them about Christ or sharing something we’ve enjoyed from His Word. When we preach the gospel to others, not only do they benefit, but so do we. In fact, as we speak, our own faith is fortified. Faith first came to us when we heard the word of Christ. After our initial salvation, our faith continues to be strengthened as we read and speak the Word of God. c. Looking away unto Jesus Put Christ First Living a life of faith means putting God first in all areas of your life. Take time to consider how you can honor God in the decisions you make and the actions you take. In Hebrews 12:2, we find another way to be strengthened in our faith: “Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.” What do we look away from? We need to look away from all the things in our lives that distract us from the Lord, including troubles, pains, hurts, and anxieties. Instead, we should look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. But how do we do this? Note 2 on “looking away” in the Recovery Version says: “The wonderful Jesus, who is enthroned in heaven and crowned with glory and honor (2:9), is the greatest attraction in the universe. He is like an immense magnet, drawing all His seekers to Him. It is by being attracted by His charming beauty that we look away from all things other than Him. Without such a charming object, how could we look away from so many distracting things on this earth?” As we look away from everything unto Jesus, He fills us with faith. Note 3 on this verse tells us how this happens: “When we look unto Jesus, He as the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) transfuses us with Himself, with His believing element. Then, spontaneously, a kind of believing arises in our being, and we have the faith to believe in Him. This faith is not of ourselves but of Him who imparts Himself as the believing element into us that He may believe for us. Hence, He Himself is our faith. We live by Him as our faith; i.e., we live by His faith (Gal. 2:20), not by our own.” Some practical ways we can look unto Jesus are by praying, reading the Word of God, and singing praises. Believe it, when i wake up these days, i have started practicing a 15 min praise time with dancing. I turn on my praise song and dance to it for at least 15 miins. It can turn into a prayer time but it helps me set the day. Exercising too and singing praise songs works as well. When we exercise our spirit to turn our eyes upon Jesus, all of our troubles and anxieties fade away and we’re strengthened in our faith to live the Christian life. d. Pray daily and give thanks - PRAY, PRAY I cannot over emphasize the importance of prayer. Pray at all times...Prayer is an important part of living a life of faith. Make sure to spend time each day in prayer and conversation with God, and give thanks for all that He has blessed you with. e. Surround yourself with others of faith - Having a support system of other believers is important in living a life of faith. Find a church or small group like ours, like this Queens school prayer group, is a good example that you can connect with and share your faith journey with. f. Serve others - Serving others is a great way to live out your faith. It's not only through a cause or organization, get involved in others peoples lives. Our friend spoke about 2 weeks ago about reaching out to others and checking in on one another. We can make that a ministry and a service. We can show that we are passionate about any cause we choose and get involved in volunteering or even donating to it. In Closing 6 take aways as we make our year intentional in building our Spirit of Faith
Desiring God
Are you looking to connect with the divine God? Discovering the face of God is an incredible journey that can bring peace, guidance, and fulfillment to your life. Whether you seek to deepen your faith, find spiritual answers, or simply feel a sense of belonging, exploring the presence of God can be a transformative experience. Let's embark on this journey together and uncover the beauty and wisdom that lies within seeking God's face.
Passage: Ps. 27:8 “Thy Face, Lord, will I seek.” Num. 6:25 NIV “The Lord make His face shine upon you.” 1 Cor. 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Message: I decided a long while ago to seek God but as we get into a new year, it is a great time to re-assess and re-evaluate the decisions that we have made in the past. Have we really lived up to our promises to God about seeking Him? We may have sought his hand. Waiting for his Handouts and not really seeking his face. We must seek God for who He is and not for what he will give to us. As king David aptly put it, when the Lord said seek ye my face, his heart also confirmed it, 'they face will i seek'. The lesson here, is obedience. Be quick to listen to your heart when God speaks to you. Do not rationalize it, or analyze it. Just jump in and know that when you seek God's face, he will come through for us. Today, my prayer is that we seek God's face. That God will teach us his ways and lead us in His path. As he leads us He will deliver us from every thing that will try to block our paths from reaching our Destiny. Prayers to Develop New VisionDiscover the transformative power of visions and prayer to unlock your potential to develop a new vision for your life. With faith and dedication, your prayers can help you overcome obstacles and find new paths to success. Take the first step towards a brighter future by harnessing the power of visions.
The bible says that “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law” - Proverbs 29:18 I believe that this year, we have to endeavor to see it as a year of new beginnings, a year to set new goals and visions. Our purpose and destiny can be fulfilled by focusing on our goals. Everyone needs to develop a vision. Without having a vision we don't achieve our purpose. We are already heading to the fourth month of the year and time waits for no one! Time is the most precious thing that we can never get back. Lets treat it as a valuable commodity. Let's pray today that God should help us to do things better. Let us be intentional as we continue to carry on the cross daily, dying to all ungodly desires and the desires of the flesh. Let's start by being thankful to God for the visions and dreams that he has given us through the Holy spirit. There are 5 ways I think we could target our prayers this year so we may develop new visions: 1. SET EXPECTATIONS FOR NO LIMITATIONS: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”b — the things God has prepared for those who love him-- FAITH: NOT LIMITING GOD - Faith sets God free – WE take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 WE take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:14) Glory of God: something that we have never seen before. We are running this race like we have never run it before. We are praying like we have never prayed before. We will allow the Spirit to use us like we have never been used before. SPIRIT arise like we have never seen it 2. ESTABLISH OF CORE VALUES - We shall not be moved, We have set the Lord before us, Let us bless the lord who has given us counsel Heavenly Father, Develop our core values and cause us to fulfill your new visions, dreams, and destinies. “2All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives. 3Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established. “ “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” Psalms 127: 1 Corporately: Increase our Spiritual values: THE CHURCH/FOR OUR NATION 3. Love: We Grow in love for God with our whole heart and serve‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30). Growing in love for one another “”Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another.”” (1 Peter 4:8; cf. Colossians 3:14). A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”( John 13:34-35 ) We have been called to find those who are hurting amongst us and to help them. We need to remove any kind of barrier that goes against anything that our heavenly father teaches us. We have to decide that any barriers that tear down denominational and racial barriers and build a multi-cultural church. We thank God that we are committed to proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and to make disciples for the Kingdom of God. TRUST: Proverbs 2:6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear and reverence the Lord Those that trust in the Lord shall be like mount zion that cannot be removed but shall abide forever The young lions may lack but those that put their trust in the Lord shall never lack any good thing. Trust, Christ as Savior and Lord God first, Trust the Scriptures - Jeremiah 17:7 Fill this church and the body of Christ with HOPE, JOY, PEACE, Integrity, Humility, Kindness, Childlike faith, View life from God's agenda, A broken and contrite heart, Tenderhearted, Hunger after righteousness, Fear (reverence) of God; Dependent upon God, Forgiving heart. Civic and cultural values; Relational values, Moral values, Family values; 3. HAVE FORESIGHT/INSIGHTS/OVERSIGHTS: Give us as a Church, Foresight to discern and prophesy. Just as “From the tribe of Isaachar, there were 200 leaders of their tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Isreal to take” We declare that everyone, in our Church (Our youth, children, community, our church, our nation), Help us as leaders in the global church to understand the signs of the times and follow the best course. To understand the vision you have set before us. You have given us purpose and destinies, We are committed to follow that vision. We thank you that you are provide insights to these new visions. Heavenly father also for oversight, that as a corporate body that we have a watchful care over your people. We Also care over what we allow into our hearts. To be responsible over what you have put in our hands to manage. Pray for bishop, his wife, his children. The administrators of this house church. For the clergy, Greater insights on how to administer to the souls of everyone run to this house for salvation. In Closing - 1 Corinthians 15:57 Give thanks to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer for Whole Protection Of GodGod's ProtectionFather, I pray to be strong in the Lord and in the power of Your might. I declare today to Put on the whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore I take up the whole armor of God, that I may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. I shall Stand therefore, having girded my waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which I will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. I shall take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all believers — and also for me, that you Heavenly Father shall give me utterance that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak as your Ambassador, in Jesus name I pray. Amen. We pray for Peace to all, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that Grace will be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” Ephesians 6:23-24 NKJV Trusting God for MoreBelieving in the power of God is the cornerstone of a fulfilling life.
Phil. 1:6 NIV “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” 1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Message: Have you ever wondered what is means when we ask God for more? It's often times very hard to place what the "more" is. Is it more wealth, more possessions, more money? To our thinking, a lot of us ask for more of what can make our lives better. Do you know that more money does not really make our lives better. Think of it this way, some people that have committed suicide have money. It didnt make them happy. Other's that have found themselves in circumstances they could have avoided had wealth and money. Are we asking for more so we have purchase the best car, or build that fantastic mansion? The more God wants of us, is the more that can change other people's lives. Education and the riches of the world will leave us lacking. Don't get me wrong, these are all good but I think that there is a purpose for each one of us. The purpose is part of God's plan. It is His plan for us to fulfil our destiny. He wants us to go after him first AND then every other thing shall be added or given to us. The riches, the wealth will indeed come after we have decided to really go deep into serving humanity. Indeed, the bible says that we should seek first the Kingdom of God and every other thing will be added unto us. As we ask for more today, we should ask God to fulfil his purpose for our lives. These purposes can only be fulfilled when we allow God to develop us. The development of God is internal and spiritual. Development of our spiritual being must be first. Once we develop that inner Spirit, our outward development will become transformational. He will saturate us with the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. We should ask God for more of the inner things, those things that develop us inwardly. The passage above says that God will work in us till completion. If we ask and seek him and do his will, he will fulfill our request until we are exactly the way God has planned for us. Let us learn today to do the will of God. My prayer today is that we learn to trust God more, that his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let us today trust him with our worries, our doubts because He has already assured us that he will take care of our burdens. Let us seek more of God in every area of our lives sincerely. Look for ways to please your neighbor. When we love our neighbor as ourselves, we are seeking God's will. Let's decide today to be obedient to God, read the word on a daily basis, and learn to trust Him more. As we become obedient he will fulfill his promises to us. Goodness of God - Psalm 145, 107 (Part 1).Million dollar question - What if you are handed over a million dollars right now would you really be excited? Who would be excited for a million dollars? If you were given a million dollar today and were told you would not wake up the next day would you take it?
Perspective: this morning is more than a million dollars but most of us are not as excited as we should be as someone who won a million dollars. Why? Because we keep waking up everyday, things are bombarded at us, we keep trying to determine what to learn and unlearn and we take our day our moment for granted But the mere fact that we have woken up today, no matter the condition we find ourselves in, in our health or the state of mind we are, our families current state, we should know God is good! My topic for today is the Goodness of God. God is the original definition of good. He is good in and of Himself. Scriptures: Psalm 145; Psalm 107 Story Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard Matt 20: 1-16- "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. "He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found still others standing idle, He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' "The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' "But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."... — Matthew 20:1–16, New International Version I don't have to tell you that things got a little testy by the time the line reached its end. A low murmur passed among those who were hired early that morning. Finally someone just said it: "This is not right. We got a bum deal. You have short-changed us! We did most of the work today. We carried the burden under the hot sun. But you treated them as equals in the labor!" Jesus put these words in the mouth of the owner of the vineyard: "Didn't we agree together on what I would pay you? I've kept my word to you. Now don't begrudge my desire to be generous! For reasons that are mine, I wanted to do something unexpected, something crazy, something that would make these men run home to their wives and say, 'You're not going to believe what happened to me today!'" (Based on Matthew 20) Now, consider what you have heard. These are reflections on how valuable your life is to God and a story about laborers who were paid a full day's wages for one hour's work. Can I tell you something? Those aren't just the experiences in other people's lives. There isn't a single person on this call who hasn't experienced this outrageous, lavish, unexpected, undeserved kindness. What is more, we experience these coincidental events every single day. They are poured out over us constantly. I know this, and I declare it with total confidence today because of one unchanging truth that permeates every crease of reality: God is good! If you want to see God for Who He really is, here's a good starting point. "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good" (I Chron. 16:34). "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Ps. 34:8) "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him and praise His name! For the Lord is good and His love is eternal, and His faithfulness endures to all generations." (Ps. 100:4-5) When Moses boldly pleaded with God, "Please, show me Your glory," he was asking to see God for who He really is. "Show me as much as I can stand, Lord." So what did God show him. Exodus 33:19-20 gives us God's response: "I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you." Moses wanted to see God's glory. God showed Him something so wonderful and accessible that it caused the skin of Moses' face to glow with the radiance of God's presence. He showed him His goodness. I. God's goodness defined What does it mean - Goodness of God? We sing about it and we say it often. But do we fully understand this attribute of God? Meditate on the goodness of God with me this morning. The Bible defines God's goodness in two ways. 1. His character 2. His actions. Ps. 119:68 captures both when it says of God: "You are good and You do what is good . . . " The first half of that verse focuses on the fact that God is by nature good. That is, He is "morally excellent, extraordinarily beautiful, deeply glad, and extravagantly bountiful." But since this is God we're talking about, this goodness ascribed to Him is raised to the highest possible levels. Think about it: God is the original definition of good. He is good in and of Himself. For us, goodness is an added quality. But it comes naturally for Him. God is not just the greatest of beings; He is the Best. That's exactly what Jesus meant when He said, "No one is good but One - God." (Mark 10:18) We call all kinds of things good - "This steak is good. He's a good friend. That was a good movie." But all that we call "good" on this earth is tainted and imperfect. God alone is goodness itself. The more I studied this word in the Bible, the more one central concept seemed to jump out: God’s goodness conveys His generosity. His goodness means far more than His generosity, but it certainly includes His infinitely generous attitude toward us. By nature, He longs to bring joy and blessing to all His creatures. The Bible repeatedly presents goodness as a core quality of our Lord, So many places in the bible that tells us of his goodness. Even in our daily lives we can tell of that goodness. Going further, But how do you see the true character of a person? By his actions. B. ACTIONS - So the second strand of definition for God's goodness concentrates on what He does. And the Bible is replete with descriptions that point to His kindness, His mercy, His steadfast love, His generosity. God is disposed to give to human beings beyond all deserving, all the time. Have you ever thought of God as generous toward you? Can you believe that when He looks at you with all your baggage, all your junk, all your hang-ups, He says, "I want to be generous to you. I can't wait to pour out on you that which will make you happy - not because you deserve it, but because there's something about Who I am that loves to overflow in extravagant ways upon you." The Bible says those are actually God's thoughts about you. God is for you. He has your back. He is there, plotting to do you good. You are the object of His affection, and because of His divine nature, all that He expresses comes from an expansive, over-whelming, God-sized generosity toward you. But maybe you just can't go there this morning. Maybe your circumstances are so mundane, your life so hard, and your options so few that saying "God is good" feels hollow. Let me help you see it through the lenses the Bible supplies. II. How God reveals His goodness ... To be continued Building Confidence and Self EsteemConfidence as defined by Wikipedia is a state of being clear-headed either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Confidence is derived from a Latin word 'fidere', meaning "to trust"; Self-confidence is having trust in one’s self. Confidence is not Arrogance. Often times people misconstrue the two.
To me, confidence is a state of being satisfied, joyous and in control of yourself and trusting who you are no matter the position you find yourself. Being confident starts from your mindset. How you think determines who you are. Philipians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think on these things. Whatever is pure, noteworthy, set your mind on these. We all go through some days where you just don't feel good or confident about ourselves. So how can you build your confidence? Become A ConquerorStanding firm and Becoming a Conqueror
Devotion KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 35:1 1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. 3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
This verse was very interesting to me when I read it. What a great example David set for us in standing through God. I wanted to share it with you in today's devotion. This Psalm was penned by David when he was being slandered and persecuted by Saul and his stewards, as is manifest from Psalm 35. The word "plead" means, properly, to argue in support of a claim, or against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against; to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication Following Jesus |