My hope in Jesus

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

Psalm 42: 5 "Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God."

Hope is the catalyst for breakthroughs in my life, and I always expect a good outcome. Hope to give the fulfilment of my dream.

We read in Job 14: 7-9 NASB "For there is hope for a tree when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots have grown old in the round and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant."

I don't know about you, but many times I feel like a dead dried-up tree. Then I hear the Word of God, and my life changes for the better. Without hope, I feel lost, and so very alone.  My decree for today is that I trust in the plans that the Lord has for me, knowing I have a future filled with hope. I am, blessed because my hope is in the LORD. I have been seeking wisdom, I have a future, and my hope is not cut off. The Lord is my portion therefore I have hope in Him. The God of hope fills me with all joy and peace in believing by the power of the Holy Spirit, I abound in hope.

Lord thank You for today and all the blessings of hope in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

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Love is ssatisfied in God

 by Yvette van Niekerk

Isaiah 58: 11

The LORD will continually guide you and satisfy your desires.

I want to be intentional when it comes to serving God. So on that note, I believe being intentional in making time for God in my day. Spending, time in His Word, studying it and learning more each day. I also pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and teach me.

How do I grow my relationship with the Lord God? By focusing my attention on what is excellent, what is kind and what is praiseworthy. I will draw near to God each day, trusting in His goodness and believing Him for a better future.

I want to dare you to take a stand with God, keep your heart and mind open to His teaching and let the Holy Spirit fill you with the fruit of the spirit.

I want to pray for my spouse heart today, pray that I may have supernatural favour with him as well as with God. I also want to pray that the Lord will open doors of a great opportunity for him and all our children.

Prayer

Father God, I want to pray to ask that in all respects we may prosper and be in good health, just as our soul prospers. Lord and I cover over an offence to promote love. I will not allow this thing to bug me. I bind it in the name of Jesus Christ, releasing supernatural favour in my own life and our children. Amen

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#Think_right!

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

I read the neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf, said that it takes the brain eighteen years to grow, and a lifetime to mature.

Proverbs 12: 5 NKJV "The thoughts of the righteous are right."

When we stand around and take a look at what people are saying and doing, it's clear we can see what plays on their minds. Some people are immature, and others are odd at times, but they do give their mindset away all the time.

Just this week, my minds plagued by negative thoughts and feelings, things in my life I do not have any control over. My mind is racing and to get focused was almost impossible. It became clear that my mind can work for me or against me. The later was taking place. My mind is against me, and I started to fall into, discouraging state feelings of negativity plaguing my every thought. Because of my negative thinking, I was in self-sabotage mode. Instead of focusing on the positive side of life, looking for help from God, I internalized everything and took it all away from God. Not allowing my mind to work for me in a positive way, which would help me to stay positive, and reach my goals, and enjoy life to the full again.

I realized I am in deep, deep waters of despair, and I was sinking and all because I couldn't get out of my mind. I know I need to teach my mind to work for me instead of against me. My daughter is reminding me to change my thinking, to something positive. How do you do this? My husband asked me the question. Today, I realized that I had to make an intentional decision to stop thinking negative thoughts. Start focusing on something opposite to what I was worried over and speak to God in prayer.  I have been trying to change my way of thinking for several months, but this last month was my downfall. I thought I was undergoing a radical transformation, only to realize nothing has changed. Why?

Because I was doing it in my strength, I didn't consider God. I didn’t invite God to help me here, I was thinking I can do this on my own.

Well if my brain is still being formed and I still can improve on my thoughts, then its time to call in the big guns. Asking God, my savior for help. Stop giving my problems to Him and then taking them back.

Prayer

Papa, Father God, I am in deep trouble with the way I think and behave. Today, I realised that I need to change my thinking patterns, focus on You. Lord Your, Word says "The thoughts of the righteous are right." Help me Lord, I require the Holy Spirit going forward to change my way of thinking. In Jesus Christ name, Amen.

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Jesus, life is getting to me.

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

Philippians 4: 6 - 7 "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life."

I have been struggling to pray about most things lately. My world is being; rocked, and I am an emotional wreck. I find my focus is off, and I tend to be very impulsive. I have been speaking to God, asking the Lord Jesus to help but as soon as I have prayed, I go and the thing I asked not to happen. My will power and obedience have been lagging. What a shame, I do feel bad about it. You know when you think you can fix everything, but you keep on messing up? That is me on any given day.

Then today, I need to back down a little, give God the chance to do His thing, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wait for Jesus to help and guide me.

# that I have not been content for all my life, yes, I know I say thank you. I am happy, but I am always being chased, hurry up with this and that.

If the Lord Jesus isn't present in my life, I seem to go back to being discontent and unable to balance my life.

Prayer

Father God, You know me very well. You know that I am someone who always wants things done right now. Stop what your doing and makes sure you do as I have asked. I seem to be going through too much nonsense right now. I humbly am asking You, Lord, forgive me. Help, me to get over my discontentment and start appreciating each day. Everything I'm doing and why I'm doing it. In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

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I Need Angelic Assistance this year!

 

BY Yvette van Niekerk

Psalm 91: 11 - 12

"For He shall give charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone."

I want God to keep me safe and send His angels to help me. Pray with me today:

Dear Father God, please help me to dwell in the secret place of the Most High today. LORD, please help me abide under Your shadow. I confess right now Lord that You are my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I shall trust. Father God, please will You give Your angels charge over me today, to keep me in all Your ways.

Father God, I want to remind You of Elijah who was in the wilderness and the angel brought him food. Lord, Peter was in prison and the angel released him from prison. Lord, You sent angels to rescue Lot and his family from Sodom and Gomora before it was destroyed. Lord, You sent an angel to Joseph when he found out Mary was pregnant, to stay with her. Father, when the Lord Jesus Christ was in Gethsemane, You sent an angel to minister to Jesus. I also want to remind You, Lord, that You sent an angel to the apostle John and showed him around heaven.

Lord, send me an angel to help me with my workload, baking and cleaning how, doing washing and ironing, looking after Tyler. I am not as strong as I thought I was.

Father God, thank You, that Your angels are at work in my life. Thank You, LORD, that You aren't a respecter of persons; so what You did for others, You will also do for me. Please Father God, will You triple the amount of angelic assistance I currently am receiving in my life.

Lord, please let Your angels carry messages from me to You, Lord. Please may Your angels show me Heaven and heavenly things and also protect me and deliver me from evil. Please Lord, may Your angel's minister to me today, I feel I need emotional help. Please, Lord, may the angels strengthen me and when I am doing warfare may the angels do it on my behalf and Lord please may the angels bring me provision and resources from Heaven.

Father God, please help me to remember to test the spirits when I do encounter them, so I'll know they are holy angels sent from You Father, God. Lord, I have never seen an angel, please can you open my eyes so that I can see them. Father God, please help me to notice Your answers to my prayers.

O LORD, thank You, for the tripling of the angelic assistance in my life, and thank You that I can bring all my concerns and requests to You. In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

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The Challenge today: how can I start to lean on God's understanding rather than my own?

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

Proverbs 3

Don't assume You know it All

1-2 Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands. They'll help you live a long, long time a long life lived full and well.

This year has been very challenging for me, and I am sure many other people are facing the same challenges I do. I have been trying to do things my way, and I have been failing all the time.

I want God to show me how I can lean on Him and let go of my fears. Today it's my prayer that God will help me to focus on Him and not my fears. I want to change this dread that is hanging over my head. I want to ask God to help me see the way forward. The Word of God is my tool and instrument that God is speaking to me.

Prayer

Please forgive me, help me stop being a bully, I confess my actions and I am asking You Lord please help me to wisely. Lord, I am taking to heart Your commands, I want to pray to ask that Wisdom will help me live a full happy long live. Father thank You, for today, please guide me going forward on my journey.

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Choose to refrain from evil.

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

Psalm 119: 110 KJV "I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."

I choose to change, from the inside out. I need to focus on God's Word to change. Today it is my choice to refrain from evil. I am choosing to submit to God's Word and depart from evil.

Psalm 1: 1 - 2 says, "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night." Today I choose to align myself with the Lord Jesus Christ by trusting Him and His Way of doing things. I intentionally depart from evil. I choose not to gossip today. I choose not to grumble and complain about things that irritate me. I choose; not to be rude and will be friendly, kind and understanding. I choose; to reject every false way.

Prayer

Papa, today I come into Your presence and bring You honor and praise. You are my King, my Lord and my Salvation. I praise You Lord, thank You Lord for today. I choose to let Your light, light up my path. I choose that Your Word is my shield and my buckler today. I choose that Lord Your Word lead me, teach me, and guide me. I know that I am created by You Lord to obey and follow Your Word and Instructions.

Humbly I repent from my evil ways and refrain from being manipulated by my thoughts and desires.

Papa, in Jesus Christ's name I pray to ask that my gifts, my talents, and all the abilities that You Papa have placed within me be realized. Papa, may my heart and character reflect the Love of Christ in every season of my life. Amen.

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@bout Fighting and Arguing

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

Proverbs 13: 10 "arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other's counsel."

We both are at fault many a time our fights start if I feel inferior, and think I'm it unfair. I feel exhausted, tired and unappreciated, and then I am ready for a fight. I react quickly, and my ears go shut.

I have become mindful of the words I use lately I find the worst thing I can do is to cuss or swear. My husband shuts down and ignores anything I am fighting or arguing. I am currently doing something I never thought about, try and see things from his perspective. He has told me on numerous occasions that I ignore him and never listen. So now I have become intentional on listening to what he says, honestly, it is paying off on my side. I'm forcing my ears open to hear him speak to me.

I do feel that when he's wrong, he should say "I was wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me."  It does hurt my feelings, but I cannot implement these words into his vocabulary, he needs to think about them.

So I hope you have learned something from my life experience:

One: try and see things from your spouses point of view.

Two: make sure you use both your ears and listen to what is said.

Three: it won't harm you if you say things like "I was wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me." By acting like in such a way, you don't leave scars.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, O Papa, You know both my spouse and me. We do have fights and arguments, please place a guard before my mouth and open my ears to hear when he speaks to me. Guide me through the Holy Spirit and show me how I can be a better wife. Thank You, Lord, in Jesus Christ's name, Amen.

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Focus on one thing

 by Yvette van Niekerk

Mark 10: 21 "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

I multitask all the time and lately, I find that I am dropping things, not being as focused as I would like to be. I find that my thoughts are captured and taken somewhere else leaving me to be distracted. It's important to stay focused and concentrate on one thing at a time. I have been spreading myself thin lately, and this has a negative impact on my life. I am exhausted and irritated, not focusing on one thing but being double-minded.

I seem to fight to gain control over everything and everyone around me. The last couple of weeks I have decided to become more focused, keep my attention on one specific thing. This has resulted in my problems starting to free me for specific things. In the course of a conversation with Jesus, a certain man explained to the Lord all the great things he accomplished and how exceptional he was. Telling the Lord Jesus that he was diligently doing this since he was a young man. I wish I was perfect and diligent to the extent that nothing was lacking.

The Lord Jesus told the man "one thing you lack." When the Lord told him to sell off everything he had and give it to the poor the man left very unhappy.

It's true we don't focus on one thing we deal with so much thinking we accomplished so much more.

Prayer

Papa, I am grateful that I can come to You today, I need to focus on one thing, to my thinking I believe I should be focusing more on You. Lord thank You for Your word, I am asking You forgive me for being so full of pride and so rebellious. I am in need of Your Holy Spirit. Amen

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#Law_of_location

 by Yvette van Niekerk

Genesis 2: 8 "The LORD God planted a garden and there He put the man whom He had formed."

We see the LORD God starts off with a garden and then He made a man and a woman. I read that this is the law of location. I realised something the other day you will succeed when you are where God wants you to be.

About two weeks ago I hurt my wrist and I was in agony, my hand was constantly in pain. I wonder if this would be the same for us if we are not in a place where God wants us. It will be a constant pain. We will not succeed and things will be wearing us down. I want to do God's will for my life, not my own.

One person I think brings me back to my roots is Jonah, boy was he stubborn, he received an assignment from God. God said Jonah go to Nineveh and preach to the people. He didn't want to do that, he wanted harm to come to them. What happened afterwards makes me think. Jonah ran away from God, jumped onto a ship and tried to go into another direction. The fact of the matter is God, stop him on the sea, the people he was travelling with lost everything, and in fear after praying about it, threw Jonah overboard. Jonah ended up in the belly of a great fish and later was spewed out onto the shore of Nineveh.

I believe the harder the circumstances the more God is making you sit up and take notice. It’s time for you to see the bigger picture. I don't want to be foolish and follow in Jonah's footsteps; I am praying God will lead me.

I believe God has placed me here and I am working hard at it, I am succeeding at most things I do. God is blessing me because of the Lord Jesus Christ, not because I am a good person. I read Paul prayed for relief, God told him, "My grace is sufficient for thee ... 2 Corinthians 12L 9 KJV"

Prayer

O Lord, humbly I come to You today, please bless my work, my projects and the people in my life. Restore my relationships; please may I receive Your supernatural favour in my life with You as well as with people. My fasting is for restoration in my relationships, for peace in my heart and supernatural favour with You Lord and people. Lord, You know where I am and what I feel, I pray let me see and understand how Your grace works for me. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Count your worth

 

by Yvette van Niekerk

Jeremiah 31: 3 - 4 "Long ago the Lord said to Israel: 'I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines.'

I used to work in the corporate world and I love every minute of it. Something went wrong I beat myself up black and blue and even spoke to the person I thought could help. The mistake was made I cannot fix it, I started something new. In doing this I have been really repetitive and acted accordingly, my life isn't a bed of roses and people do keep me on my toes.

My company isn't big, it consists of me, my oven and all my gadgets. I bake the cake for a living and I take care of two little children. It's a full-time job, the cakes take up a lot of my time and the two small kids too. I believe God is rebuilding me from scratch, its hard and I am struggling. When God corrects me when He deems it fit, I suffer. I still believe God's corrections isn't rejection its proof He loves me. Hebrews 12 verse 6 reminds me of His love.

So how do I move away from the feelings I have around being rejected and being frowned upon? I realised that I am not a people pleaser and I am working very hard, God knows me and is on my side. I don't have to go around bragging about my cakes, I don't even advertise them, it's all word of mouth. I am happy I can perceive that my merchandise is of good quality. People pay good money to eat the cakes I bake. I am not bragging but I feel I am a Proverbs 31 verse 31 woman, I don't give up and I am working hard each day.

Prayer

Lord thank you, for today, thank You for looking after me, thank you, for the gifts and favour You place on my life, I am grateful for open doors, great opportunities and blessing out of Your hands. In Jesus Christ name, amen.

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