Claiming what God has promised!

Matthew 9: 23 ESV “Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”  And instantly the woman was made well.”

When reading this passage in Matthew 9 we see that the woman had been suffering from this blood flow sickness for many years.  When the crowds were all around Jesus she risked everything.  Keep in mind she was supposed to stay out of the vicinity of people because she was deemed unclean.

Still, she made up her mind to get around the Lord Jesus Christ, she believed that if she was able to touch the hem of Jesus’s cloak she would receive her healing.

In trusting God for something you truly want you actually have to believe and trust God for the outcome.  We are to believe God is able to do whatever we believe in and receive it by faith.  The woman in Matthew 9 was of the opinion that if she could just touch Jesus’s hem of His cloak she would receive her healing. 

We have received all authority from the Lord when we have faith and believe that God is able to do it for us.  Receive what you are trusting God for in your own life.

Prayer

Lord God, in humility I pray for open doors in my own life as well as in the lives of the people reading this page.  Lord bless each one of us as we believe for specific things in our own life.  Supernatural favor and blessing out of the Lord God’s hands in our lives in the Holy Name of Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  Amen

What are you thinking about?

Philippians 4: 9 ESV “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

When you wake up in the morning there are more than enough thoughts going through your mind.  My question to you is what are you thinking about?  Do you think about finances two to three times a day?  Do you think about a job you don’t have three to four times a day? 

The thought you keep bringing into your mind is what you are focussing on and that is what is occupying your mind.  The Apostel Paul reminds us in Philippians chapter 4 verse 9 to think of something pure, lovely and something commendable.  Something excellent and worthy of praise. 

Being someone that struggles with negative thoughts it takes me a couple of hours to get my thoughts in order.  I need to stay focused and practice thinking of things that are pure, focusing on what is good and not taking note of any bad or ugly thoughts. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Lord please help me to stay focused and concentrate on thoughts that are pure, thinking on whatever is good and whatever is excellent.  I pray asking for help in Jesus Christ name.  Amen

Turn your life around

Deuteronomy 5: 29 DARBY “Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments continually, that it might be well with them and with their sons forever!”

Are you paying attention?  God wants each of us to turn back to Him, that our hearts will be focused on Him, that we would fear Him and keep His commandments all the time.  Why? So that it might be well with us and our children forever.

I am in the process of drawing closer to God, it is my heart's desire to become more and more like Jesus.  The problem is that the carnal me is always standing up for itself.  Never really allowing me to become what I believe God wants me to be.  How on earth will I in my carnality be able to change?  Honestly, I doubt that I truly have the ability to do that.  I do believe that I must surrender the entire me to the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth to really change.

Now the Holy Spirit is creating a hunger and thirst within me, this is drawing me closer to the Lord God.  Now I am thinking about the Lord, more and more, willing myself to learn and surrendering myself into His hands.

Prayer

Abba Father, LORD, You know that I am incapable of change and that I can only change if You bring the change about.  In humility LORD God it is my desire to keep You in my heart.  I do fear You and I want to always keep Your commandments, please Holy Spirit ignite me to truly follow and seek after the LORD God, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Amen.

Learning to stay calm

Ecclesiastes 10: 4 NIV “If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest.”

The younger me, a long, long time ago I used to keep quiet when my manager or boss would throw a tantrum.  I would just sit and watch as they would carry on.  I sometimes wish that I never changed from being quiet and reserved.  This would defuse the situation and the person would regret their actions tremendously.

 

The thing is we all grow up and learn from other people, which could be good or bad behavior.  I learned how to defend myself and I actual was taught to speak up and clear the air.  What a load of nonsense, this would only ignite the situation and there would be a full-blown war raging in the office. 

Now, I have not been working in a volatile environment for a long time and my darling husband has invested a lot of time teaching me to be quiet and just listen.

Practicing to stay calm in really volatile situations and circumstances take a lot out of me.  Because now I want to say what I feel and actually take the other person on.  Totally the wrong attitude and definitely unnecessary.

Like a sponge, I am constantly taking information from people I love and trust and my daughter said something interesting.  “The noise in your head doesn’t necessarily mean, it’s in my head.”  This made sense because whatever you are battling with, doesn’t have anything to do with me.

Now when things get a little difficult and people irritate me I keep quiet and literally bite my tongue.  Placing my hand over my mouth to guard myself against speaking out.  Scary isn’t it?  The main thing is “self-control” and keeping a guard over one’s mouth at all times.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, You know each and everyone reading this page today.  You know whether they are happy, sad or lonely.  If they have Bosses who are angry or friendly.  If they are able to fight back or just stay quiet.  I want to dedicate each person right now into Your hands, Holy Spirit touches the lives of each person today.  I pray for the peace of mind, self-control, and wisdom.  In Jesus Name, Amen

Obedience

Acts 4: 19 NIV “But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.”

How do you and I become obedient to the Lord God?  It is clear that when you love and know the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth and understand what He has done for you; it will be so easy to obey God.

Peter and John healed a man who was in his late forties and they healed this man in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  They obeyed the Lord and the Sanhedrin wanted to prohibit them from speaking in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

We see Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit and tells them “If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel:  It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”

Staying true to God is so important, we draw near to Him every day.  In obedience, I challenge you today, keep the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth in your heart.  Let us become more and more like Jesus so that we are able to heal the sick and bring the Good News to the World today.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I humbly come into Your presence today praying that I too will be obedient to You and that I will bring the Good news to the people.  Holy Spirit renews my mind and helps me to stay obedient in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Amen

Flowers or Weeds?

The Fall of Man:  Genesis 3: 2-3 NIV “The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”

God said: “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”  Think on this for just a minute.  When you tell your children “do not touch that or stay away from that.”  What do they do?  It is human nature to actually see what will happen if you are prohibited to go and do something you are not allowed to.  Satan sows a seed, by saying “you will not surely die.” 

When I was watching the movie “The Shack” God showed Mack his personal garden.  It was a bit of a mess if you recall there were all kinds of flowers growing in his garden.  I believe that “Macks” garden actually represented his mind.  What thoughts he allowed to grow in his mind.  So what am I saying here?  Satan is wise and he knows each one of us, all he does is walk past you and sows a seed of doubt, jealousy or something malicious.  It’s normally just a word. 

The thing with words is we can meditate on them all day long, I mean looking at someone you would never know what is on their minds.  You cannot see them plotting and planning, they look happy and friendly.

Are you allowing “Weeds” to grow rampant in your garden and watering them all day long?  Or are you plucking them out the minute something pops up that has the ability to take you away from becoming what God intended you to be?

Like I said we need to stop dismantling every good thought God has placed in our mind and get rid of the rubbish we allow to grow.  This can only take place when we renew our minds. We stay focused on learning to become more and more like Jesus.  Meditating on what is pure, what is good, what is edifying and what bring joy to others.  Moving away from being angry and bitter.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, it is my desire that You will send the Holy Spirit to touch each and every person's heart today.  As they read this page, Lord I pray that Your will be done in their lives.  I pray for removals of strongholds that are in our lives, bitterness, hatred and jealousy to name but a few.  Lord send Your Spirit like a fire and burn all the “weeds” that are in our lives.  Replacing them with love, peace, joy and friendliness and longsuffering.  In Your Holy Name, Jesus Christ, Amen

You are precious

Exodus 39: 14 NIV “There were twelve stone, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes."

Hebrews 4: 14 NIV “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.”

Struggling to accept that I am precious in God’s eyes and this morning in my quiet time I was reading Exodus 39.  “The Breastpiece,” I noticed that God appointed a skilled craftsman to work on the “breast piece.”  The material used was the following:  gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen.

You know the shape would be square and then the mounting of precious stones such as a ruby, topaz, beryl, turquoise, sapphire and emerald, jacinth, agate and amethyst, chrysolite, onyx, and jasper.  These are all precious stones, which meant they were not your common little pebbles laying around the yard.  Now focusing my attention on the word “precious” I wanted to see what God says.  In Isaiah Chapter 43 verse 4 in the TLB “Others died that you might live; I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me and honored, and I love you.”  This is it, “I am precious to God and He loves me.”

Thinking about this if something is precious what does that really mean?  How much are you prepared to pay for the item?  What’s the value of the item?  God gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins.  1 Peter Chapter 1 Verse 19 TLB “But he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”  I was bought with the precious lifeblood of Christ, so were you.  When God looks at me the lifeblood of Christ covers me.  He see’s me through Christ.

Back to the “breast piece” we know that the high priest wore it over his chest.  You say and?  What is the significants thereof?  Well, this was over his heart or close to his heart.  The Pries would enter the Holiest of Holie to bring a sacrifice for each of the twelve tribes.  These sacrifices were to ask for the forgiveness of sins.  Each of the twelve tribes names was also engraved on the precious stone like a seal.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You, Lord, for today, as I start my day I dedicate my life back into Your hands.  Your word said that You will never, never fail nor forsake me.  I pray the lifeblood of Jesus Christ encircles my life as well as the person reading this devotion today.  Amen

What defines you?

Proverbs 23: 7 NIV “for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost.  “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”

Go and stand before a mirror and look at your countenance, what do you see?  When I go to the mirror I see an elderly lady looking back at me.  I see her every morning when she combs her hair and brushes her teeth, so it must be me.  Then, of course, I am a wife, a mother, and stepmother and a grandmother and last but not least a daughter.

Come to think of it, I have many different roles to play in my life.  But have you visited with someone and when in their company you feel a little off.  You just cannot put your finger on it.  They are kind, friendly and look all too good but there is something off about the whole scenario? 

We sometimes act just like this person in Proverbs, we are supposed to be children of the Most High God but we treat people with contempt and disregard them.  Why?  I believe when you get to a certain level in your life and you feel that you have made it, you become selfish and don’t really want to share your wealth with others.  But because of etiquette and protocol you need to act in a certain way, you know it because it is expected of you.

Oh my goodness, Lord help us.

Prayer

Lord God, in humble adoration we come before You today, Lord.  Just as we are, daughters of the Most High God, a royal priesthood.  Bought with the blood of Jesus Christ.  Remind us that we Lord, need You in our lives.  That whatever we have is because You gave it to us.  Lord bless each person reading these words today.  In the name of Jesus Christ Amen

#Faith like a #mustard #seed

Matthew 17: 20 NIV “He replied, “Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “move from here to there” and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Have you actually seen how small a mustard seed is?  Seriously, it is rather small but that same seed yields the most beautiful huge tree.  I have a question I want to ask you, please think about it seriously and see if you agree with me.  If you and I have faith as small as a mustard seed, why then aren’t all our prayers heard?

Do you think it is because our faith does not align with that of God and that we don’t really believe God is able to do what He says He can do? Or are we trying to make things happen on our own ability, you know praying God do this and then going through a lot of trouble to see what we can do in the meantime?

Where is our confidence?  In ourselves and our ability or that of God and His ability?  I wonder whether I am really and truly surrendered to the Lord God in such a way that He is able to take over and do what needs to be done.  Have I truly surrender every thought and deed into the Lords Hands?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Luke Chapter One verse thirty-seven says “For nothing is impossible with God.” Lord as a Christian I come into Your presence today, I pray Lord for the needy and I pray for the sick.  I also pray for each and every one of us seeking You.  Lord in our unbelief we draw near to You.  My prayer today is that I truly will draw near to You and that I will actually have faith as small as a mustard seed and I ask that You Holy Spirit will ignite the growing power in my soul and heart and mind.  This I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Amen

#Prayer

Thus far the Lord has helped me!

Psalm 143: 9-11 TLB

“Save me from my enemies. O Lord, I run to you to hide me.  Help me to do your will, for you are my God.  Lead me in good paths, for your Spirit is good.  Lord, saving me will bring glory to your name.  Bring me out of all this trouble because you are true to your promises.”

Are you facing trials and tribulations today, financial constraints, job loss, marital problems, relationship problems?  As people, each one of us is on our own journey.  We are traveling towards our destinies and what the Lord God has ordained for each one of us.  Some might be basking in the sun and they have no problems and are enjoying the Lords supernatural favor and peace right now. 

Others are going into fall and winter is pulling at their feet, times of difficulty and less than enough is plaguing them.  Other may just be coming out of winter and going into spring.  The heavy burdens are being lifted and life is looking a little better.

Whatever the season you find yourself in just remember you are where God wants you right now.  The season you find yourself in is a growing experience and you should learn to trust in the Lord God and embrace each and every moment in it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father please save us from our enemies. O Lord, we run to You please hide us.  Lord God, help us to do Your will, for You are our God.  Please, Lord, lead us in good paths, for Your Spirit is good.  Lord, saving us will bring glory to Your Name.  O Lord, bring us out of all this trouble because You are true to Your promises.  In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Amen

Fight against it and take it!

2 Samuel 12: 29 ESV “So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.”

As I said life for me has become really difficult and to be honest I sometimes wonder what it is I didn’t learn the first time around.  I know that I am an impatient person.  I really find it too difficult to wait and will do whatever it take to make things go the way I want it.  Apparently, I am narrow-minded but very sharp.  Well, for me I don’t know if that is the truth. 

From my point of view, it seems that I am constantly fighting for the things that I want in my life.  I look at people around me and it seems that things fall into their laps.  I have to save and do whatever to get a specific thing I want.

As I think about the thing that is worrying me right now, I am not going to fight for it.  This same thing I am giving into the Lords Hand because I cannot make it happen even if I fought for it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You know me better than anyone.  You know that I am desperate and I need You guidance and help with this matter I am facing this very minute.  I have been fighting this battle for a couple of years and now I cannot carry the burden anymore.  Please Lord in humility I give You this thing and I pray that You will lift if off me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen