Yvette's Whispers of Faith

by Yvette van Niekerk Good morning, Today I want to speak to you about meditation. It’s something that has been weighing heavy on my heart these past few months. What is meditation? Meditation is when you read something – the Word of God. Then you start to take it into your heart in a very personal way. Now after taking it into your heart, apply it to your daily life. Apply God’s Word in my life, I am reading the Word and when it comes to the scripture about blessing and prosperity. I say “Amen, Hallelujah! I take that Word from God. He says that He will meet all my needs, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Read Philippians 4 verse 19. I am expecting Him to do that in my life. For a long time, I have been reading God’s Word, the Bible like any other book. But the last couple of days I have thought about it and decided to see what I can learn. I also am thinking it's Words from God, speaking to me each day. What is God saying to me? I am starting to realise that ...

by Yvette van Niekerk Good morning The past couple of days, moments are coming up in every conversation. We do remember moments in our lives. I started to think of defining moments in my own life. The day each one of my children was born. I think about the day I decided to divorce my husband. I think about the day I remarried. I think about moments of desperation and fear that gripped my heart to the extent that I was sure that I might have a heart attack. Something I have come to realise the little things we do in life prepares us for something greater. I think of the day I decided to start baking. To be honest I didn’t know much about baking but I thought to myself if so and so can bake then so can I. My first cake was very large, I was so proud of myself. I thought I did a great job. Only to discover the cake didn’t have a nice taste, it could have been baked bread. Tasteless, the icing sugar could have been spiced up. In general, the cake looks good for a novice but the cake m...

December 12, 2022 Today I want to pray for my Granddaughters, Gizel, Anabelle and Briana. O Lord my God, Lord today I want to praise your for my beautiful granddaughters … You created them as unique individuals. I want to pray asking You to help them appreciate their uniqueness. Lord, my Lord build up their self-image so they may enjoy their individuality. Lord as they go through today help them stand firm for who they are, where they have come from and what they believe in. Lord please encourage them not only to have hopes and dreams but to also enjoy each day as it come. In the Holy Name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

by Yvette van Niekerk Good morning it's been a while since we last chatted. This morning I want to come and sit at the Lord's feet. In His presence, I want to humble my life and ways. How about you? Would you agree the best way to maintain a good and humble heart is to study God's Word every day? We do this as we read and meditate on the Lord's Word. Getting into the habit of worship and praise. Have you read Matthew 13: 10 - 15? Let's take a moment and see what the Lord Jesus is telling His disciple. verses 10: "And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to the people in parables?' He answered them and said to them, 'The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even that he has will be taken from him. .... In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says " Hearing you will hear...

 by Yvette van Niekerk Isaiah 43: 4 "You are precious and honoured in my sight." Reading this passage, make me feel accepted and loved. I do not have to continue down the road of feeling left out or not valuable. John 1 verse 11 describes how Jesus Christ was rejected: "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." What did Jesus do? Did He sit down and cry and feel sorry for himself? No, he didn't worry about their attitudes he moved on to where people gladly accepted Him. He said to the disciples: "whoever will not receive you nor hear your words when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet." Matthew 10 verse 14. Constant and repeated rejection tends to validate our fear that we are inadequate. Especially when the opinions of our loved one, people we place value on effects our thinking. Ironically, our fear of rejection ultimately results in us being rejected because people feed off our emotions. The funny ...

by Yvette van Niekerk Matthew 23: 11 - 12 MSG "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty." As a mother, wife and grandmother I think that I have no choice in the matter of serving my family. To tell you the truth serving others does not come naturally to me. Why? I feel that I am a self-centered kind of person. I like things to go my way. I do feel ashamed about my self-centered ways and I am really working hard not to be so self-centered at time. I wonder whether you struggle with being  #self-centered ? If you ask me, I believe we are selfish by nature. Looking at the two little kids I am looking after, I can tell you, the oldest is very  #self-centered . When reading my Bible, it is clear according to the Lord Jesus, life isnt all about me, and still everyting in this world revolves around "me"...

by Yvette van Niekerk 2 Timothy 1: 5-7 MSG "That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith - and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed - keep that ablaze! God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible." When I see fire, I am automatically interested and stare at it, the flames licking and flickering up and down. When we have a braai (barbeque) most of us like to gather around the fire and chat, it nice and warm and very inviting. Fire keeps us warm and illuminates our interactions, it is the focal point, that brings us together. Thinking of fire as a metaphor, it reminds of passion, burning and consuming desire, which is unquenchable. And fire can also be associated with our faith, burning and consuming desire to learn more of Gods word. I pray my heart and yours catches fire. ...

by Yvette van Niekerk Romans 8: 1 - 2 MSG "With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death." I struggled to comprehend God does not remember my sins. It seemed impossible for my finite mind to see and understand. It blows my mind to think, God who is an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, being doesn't remember my sins. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God, who can rightly know, every single detail of every sin, that I committed. God's declaration, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Hebrew 8 verse 12. I want to encourage...

by Yvette van Niekerk Matthew 5 verse 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Something that comes to mind every time I fast, that it's challenging in the beginning. As time goes by, it becomes easier. I was thinking of what hunger causes me to miss? I feel that when I am hungry, I get a little irritated, but it goes away after a while, especially when I get busy and meditate on God’s word. And I believe when food is a source of comfort, it really can be a challenge to get through the day. I have realized that I love my food these days. I miss eating pizza's, and I miss eating eggs and bacon, that is something I love. I also miss my sweeties but not that much I wouldn't say I am craving anything specifically right now. So is there any blessings that I feel grateful for today? In fasting, I am focusing on other things, not to think about the food that I might eat. I make supper for my family, and they can eat whatever it doesn't worry...

by Yvette van Niekerk Sometimes we pray and would like to get the breakthrough immediately, and it's something you desperately want. How can it take so long for the Lord to respond? If only the Lord can give this to me now, I would be a champion. Then there's that problem that seems to linger it won't go away. I've been driving myself insane but no way, it stays there. Finally, I don't have a choice I have to live with it, and it's not going away. I have to accept it as part of my life and carry on. I realise God hears all my prayers, and some answered prayers take time because I may have to learn from the circumstance. I know God is working things out for me; it's like I am too impatient to wait. My daughter always tells me "and suddenly" things will change, you won't even expect it. So are you waiting for a prayer expectantly? A yes, but you need to be patient. I sometimes give up, it seems too hard, and there is no direction or ans...

by Yvette van Niekerk 80% of the married couple are separating or divorces because of emotional unhealth in their marriage. I think it's because we all have pasts and are both bringing some baggage into a new relationship. Some sound advice found in the Bible that we may follow when seeking a life partner. I must tell you that I agree with this one in Proverbs. I used to be married to a furious man. It turns out I have adopted his anger and can lash out in seconds. Of course, I am working on my attitude and my temper, but yes, I agree with this Proverbs. Number One:   Don't marry someone who nurses an uncontrolled temper. Proverbs 22 verse 24 (NIV) says, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person; do not associate with one easily angered." I know I struggle with deep insecurities, and I suffer from low self-worth. Number Two: Don't marry someone who is struggling with an addiction. Proverbs 23 verse 20 (TEV) says "Don't associa...

by Yvette van Niekerk Ephesians 4: 23 - 25 TLB "Now, your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature. Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other, and when we lie to each other, we are hurting ourselves." I believe personal battles are connected to past hurts and thing or attitudes we want to change within ourselves. My husband said something interesting to me. He believes we all carry a little black box in the back of mind, heart or soul. It's locked away so no one, not even you can see it.  How to win a personal battle? It's going to be a very tough battle. I believe if it is hidden away, we don't actually want to expose it. The best way to deal with such a situation or circumstance is to call on the Holy Spirit. It's like poverty, and it smells musty - acidic, it burns your eyes when ...

by Yvette van Niekerk I believe when we pray that we are in communication with the Lord Jesus. We want to build our relationship with Him, and we need to speak to Him. Even when we don't know what we want to say we still just come into His presence and be still. There are so many formulas and so many prayer guidelines available to us, which can help us, but from my point of view, just being honest, and speaking to God from my heart. I believe God hears these prayers. We need to praise the Lord when we come into His presence. Giving Him praise, saying thank You, and blessing the Lord is good for our soul and helps us go into right standing with God. Then because we are fallible and have sins present in our hearts and lives, I believe we should be confessing our transgressions. Then we need to repent of our sins.   Reading the Word, we know that in Isaiah 59 verses two says "Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face f...