5 Reasons for feeling depressed.

In this blog, I am referring to people who work hard and at some stage in their lives become tired and feel depressed. I am not referring to clinically depressed people in this blog, if you are facing clinical depression, please consult with your doctor.

Psalm 42: 6 (AMP)

“O my God, my soul is in despair within me [the burden more than I can bear]; therefore I will [fervently] remember You from the land of the Jordan and the peaks of [mount] Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”

In our lives, I believe everybody struggles with a form of depression. One of the reasons I suffer from feeling depressed is when I am tired. I have too much on my plate and struggle to fall asleep. In the morning I get out of bed feeling miserable and not able to function normally. Tiredness is one of the culprits for depression. Psalm 62: 1

You know they say God convicts us and the devil condemns us. I believe sin is another culprit and when we sin we struggle with guilt feelings which turn into depression. The best way to deal with this is to repent of your sin. Ask God to forgive you and move on with your life. Romans 3: 23

I know why I felt so depressed the past couple of weeks. I allowed myself the comfort of comparing my life to my family and friends lives. I think they are doing very well and life is a breeze.

Forgiving someone who hurts us is imperative. The problem I found is it took months and years before I actually could forgive them. The symptom of unforgiveness is feelings of guilt and being so depressed. Shake these feelings off and forgive them, it will set you free. Matthew 6:14-15

Another culprit which contributes to depression is, speaking negatively.  Once people start it seems they are like dogs fighting over a bone. I sat in a Hair Salon a couple of weeks ago and I listened to the conversations. It was about husbands that were so useless. The sad part was the husband was just standing outside the door, I feel sure he heard the person. Stop it! Your husbands are the way you made them, constantly telling them they are useless. Lift them up and you will feel better too.

Prayer

Lord if we are struggling with depression and it is because we have caused it ourselves, please forgive us. Lord give us the necessary wisdom and understanding to stop complaining, whining and carrying on like a couple of fools. Place a guard over our mouths and help us to think before we speak. Lord forgive us when we fail to act accordingly. In the Holy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

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Live Chat - Friday February 16, 2018 (10 a.m to 11 a.m PST)

http://kellanpublishing.com/chat-schedule

Hi I would like to invite you to come and join me on Live Chat. Friday evening South African time 20h00 and PST 10 am. I believe we will have a ball, to join the chat all you need to do is click on the time slot (Sign me Up) and you will be added to Slack. Our "whats up" on Kellan Publishing group. This chat could bring $50 dollar to your pocket if you stay the duration of the chat.

I am looking forward to seeing you on Slack. 

Thank you

Cheers Yvette

Do you allow Satan to make you feel insecure?

What is your answer to my question? Are there parts of your life which Satan is using to make you feel insecure?

John 15: 16 (AMP)

"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you."

The part that Satan uses against me is my very low self-esteem.  My constant fight is against weight gain and what I think people think of me. A total lie because people don't even know me, let along look at me.

Once you fall into this trap of insecurity, Satan has a load of other tricks up his sleeve to make your life more difficult. You start believing that you aren't good enough. You starve yourself because people tell you are fat.

I decided to stop this for once and for all, I will not accept this manipulation any longer. God created me and called me by my name, I am His. [Isaiah 43: 1] I am fearfully and wonderfully made [Psalm 139: 14] and God's thoughts towards me outnumber the grains of sand [Psalm 139: 17 - 18].

Keep in mind that God works for my good through all circumstances [Romans 8: 28].  Confess this: "I am God's workmanship [Ephesians 2: 10].

Yes, I struggled with this problem for a very long time, and every now and again Satan pops in reminding me that he believes I am useless junk. Sometimes, I forget and nurse the thought until I realize who I am in Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, today I want to put on the whole armour of God and never take it off in Jesus Christ’s Name. I stand against the schemes of the devil. I realize that my battle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the cosmic power over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. I fasten the belt of truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for my feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances taking up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one and placing the helmet of salvation over my head, with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I stand up against you in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

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Check your Words.

Proverbs 18: 21 (KJV)

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

I feel strongly about checking my words. I seem to fall into the same trap each time. I just babble and forget that I am supposed to be a pillar of encouragement. Och!

You may ask, "is there a way to protect oneself?" Yes, taking up the full armour of God. I believe we are in a battle with the spiritual world and not with humans.

Let us put on the full armour of God today. We know that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Come in agreement with me, I stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around my waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with my feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. I take up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Praying in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. [Ephesians 6: 10-18 NIV] The Armour of God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Lord please place a guard in front of my mouth, help me check my words. Lord today I put on the whole armour of God and I plead the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ over my own life. I pray for Your protection and I pray that You will help me. Thank You, Lord, in Jesus Christ. Amen

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As long as we seek God, God will help us.

2 Chronicles 26: 15

"And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong."

As I read the scripture and see all the great and marvellous things the Kings undertook when God was on their side, I stand in awe.

I enjoy reading about the great things King Uzziah of Judah accomplished. We see this young man was crowned King at a tender age of 16. I also noticed that he sought God's counsel and God helped him.

King Uzziah like any other person in the world made mistakes; he reigned fifty-two years.

My question today is are you seeking God's counsel, are there things in your life that you should bring to God? I believe if we humble ourselves before God and ask Him to help us in our lives; we too will experience God’s favour. With God’s help, we are able to change our lives going forward.

The contraption that King Uzziah had built was used for the protection of the nation and it was a very good design. It made him very famous and well know.

Prayer

Lord God, let me never forget that You are my creator and that when I need help, You are always ready to assist me. I am dedicating my day into Your hands and I pray that whatever I put my hands too, please make it good and successful. I am asking this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

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2 Invaluable Reasons for Risk-Taking

Matthew 25: 21 (NIV) “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

Risk-taking is something successful people do on a daily basis. I only learned that much later in my own life. I was one of the people who actually “played it safe.” I would look at a situation and realize it may have some risks. I wouldn’t risk something I couldn’t predict the outcome of.

The first thing I realized is that no matter what we do, we are going to give an account of what we did here on earth whether we believe it or not. I was challenged to write my book after many years, in fact, 18 years to be precise. My husband is my best motivator. I must tell you it took me a long time to get it done but I managed to do it.

The first invaluable reason for risk-taking is learning from your own mistakes. I wrote my first book and I am planning on writing another. I have learned there are a number of things that need to take place for the book to be published and I also am learning there are much more to come. Here I see the two guys in Matthew 25 the one received 2 talents and made another 2 talents and then the guy with the 5 talents made another 5 talents. We see that the master said “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

The second invaluable reason for risk-taking is learning that you won’t get it right the first time. You need to persevere and hang in there. I believe the third guy in Matthew 25 slipped up here, he received 1 talent and because he was afraid of his master he felt it was better to burier the talent. Big mistake on his part, he missed out on the opportunity to better himself. So from my own point of view, we need risk-taking to help us grow and move forward.

In closing let me tell you that yes life comes at us with all kinds of interesting things but we are to make sure we try anyway. What you and I don’t realize is that at the end of the day we are going to give an account of what we had done with all our talents. You won't miss this appointment with God whether you believe in Him or not. You know that you are going to die, and you are going to see God on judgment day.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Lord thank You for all the talents and gifts You have entrusted to me. Please let me do my best and never disappoint You. I humbly pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

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3 Ways of Praying for Children

Praying for our children is the most important thing we can do because we stand in the gap for our children.

Scripture thought:  Proverbs 13: 20 (AMP) "He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise, but the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm."

I believe it is important to pray that our children will attract Godly friends and role models. We know when they leave our homes they will have to fend for themselves.

Proverbs 3: 1 - 2 (AMP) The Rewards of Wisdom "My son, do not forget my [a] teaching but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life [worth living] and tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life's blessings] they will add to you." Daily Devotional Ebenezer

Praying for our children to grow hungry for God's Word. Let our children become people of stature. Let them be reliable and a source of strength. Praying against laziness and slothfulness and not lusting after the flesh.

As Christian mothers, we pray that our children will become the people God created them to be. In 2 Timothy 1: 9 (AMP) "for He delivered us and saved us and called us with a holy calling [a calling that leads to a consecrated life - a life set apart - a life of purpose], not because of our works [or because of any personal merit - we could do nothing to earn this], but because of His own purpose and grace [His amazing, undeserved favor] which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago], ..." Daily Devotional Ebenezer

Yes, sometimes we feel a cloud of guilt covering our thoughts when we think of our children. Some children just don't take counsel from their parents. I am grateful that the Lord Jesus didn't hold the prodigal son's father accountable for his actions. I believe that there comes a time when children grow up and take accountability for their own lives. Kellan Publishing

We sometimes feel we failed our children but God is faithful and will forgive us. As I confess my own mistakes before God I pray for His blessing over my children. Here is a promise in Jeremiah 31: 16 - 17 (AMP) "Thus says the Lord, 'Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,' says the Lord; and your children will return from the enemy's land. "The is [confident] hope for your future," says the Lord; your children will come back to their own country."

Today I want to encourage you to keep on praying for your children.

Heavenly Father, I want to pray for all of my children and ask You to please help them attract Godly friends who will be good role models to them in their lives. Please Lord, create a hunger and thirst for You and drawing closer to You. Please let them be the person You have created them to be. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

Yvette van Niekerk ~ Author

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Are you unaware of God’s presence?

Genesis 28:16-18 (AMP)

¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, “Without any doubt, the Lord is in this place, and I did not realize it.” ¹⁷ So he was afraid and said, “How fearful and awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gateway to heaven.”

¹⁸ So Jacob got up early in the morning and took the stone he had put under his head and he set it up as a pillar [that is, a monument to the vision in his dream], and he poured [olive] oil on the top of it [to consecrate it].

I know I am always so busy I don’t really sit down for two minutes because there is always something that needs to be done. I hate leaving things to pile up and end up doing almost everything. It seems people like to take advantage of my wiliness to do anything. Shame on me, for not always paying attention and this weekend both me and my husband were worried about a number of things. I must tell you everything worked out just fine because God was in our circumstances. We didn’t realize that He was at work for us.

In times like this I sit back and look at the events and I stand amazed that God was able to help us. I can hardly believe it but thinking about our circumstance it sure was clear God’s hand was over our lives.

What an awesome God we serve, hallelujah. Thank You so much, Lord.

Prayer

Abba Father, please forgive all of us for being so busy with all kinds of things that we forget to include You in our daily lives. Jacob never realized that You were right with him, I also am guilty of such a sin. Forgive me, Lord, I am grateful that You are always with me, and looking out for me. Thank You, Lord, in the Holy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

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#Friday ~ Keep on Praying!

Acts 12: 5 AMP

“So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent and persistent prayer for him was being made to God by the church.”

I am a contract worker and it is truly difficult for me to find a position. Last year December I spoke to my Manager and asked her if they would consider renewing my contract for a couple of months. In January this year, I decided to join her and some of our colleagues also joined us in a 21 day fast. One of the requests in my prayers was for the extension of my contract.

I prayed about it and I asked the Lord to please open a door for me and guess what? The Lord answered my prayers. My contract has been extended. I am so grateful and it reminds me that God still answers prayers and we shouldn't let it fall away.

My prayer today is:  Abba Father, Lord thank You, so much for answered prayers. I am so grateful that You still answer prayers and that You have not forgotten me. Yes, I sometimes feel abandoned and alone but You are so faithful and are still with me. I love and Adore You, Lord, in Jesus Christ's name. Amen

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Your life can change drastically “for want of a nail.”

"For want of a nail, a horseshoe was lost,
for want of a horseshoe, a horse went lame,
for want of a horse, a rider never got through,
for want of a rider, a message never arrived,
for want of a message an army was never sent,
for want of an army a battle was lost,
for want of a battle, a war was lost,
for want of a war, a kingdom fell,
and all for want of a nail.

– Unknown"

Every time I read this old proverb I think of people who drop the ball so to speak they need to carry out a simple assignment and believe it isn’t important enough. Their lack of self-discipline causes a disaster which could have been avoided.

It is clear that Jabez wanted to change his life, his mother named him Jabez which means “Pain.” He decided to change things around and actually did something about it, he prayed to the Lord and asked the LORD to help him.

It is my heart’s desire to do my best job now, even if it is considered to be a small assignment and seems minuscule. Spending time with the LORD and asking the Holy Spirit to open my eyes and ears so that I am able to ask God to help me enlarge my influence. Taking the time and asking God to expand my wealth. I believe we need to be specific and learn to pray bigger prayers. If Jabez felt he needed a change in his life and actually bowed down asking God to expand his influence and enlarge his territory, why can’t you?

Prayer

Abba Father, thank You, for answered prayers, thank You for enlarging my territory and thank You also for helping me enlarge my influence in life. Holy Spirit comes into our lives and shows us what we need to pray about. Guide us and teach us, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

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No fear for the future

Psalm 139: 16 (NLT) 

16You saw me before I was born. 

Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 

In my youth and my young adult life, I didn’t fear my future; I was sure and felt nothing can shake me. I used to be really bold and took the bull by the provable horns. It struck me that as I grew older I became more concerned about my life, my future and what would become of me.

Then I read these powerful words and realized that nothing I do will change my future. The Lord God saw me in my mom womb and my entire life has been recorded in a book of life. The moment for a moment was laid out before each day passed. So why did I feel insecure and worried about my future?

The not knowing, feelings of insecurity caught up with me. Stopping my feelings of insecurity, I realized that God was in control over my life, He knew everything about me. I didn’t have to fear the future. The book has been written and I just need to live my life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I believe You have a good future in place for me and I accept it regardless of my circumstances. Lord, I believe in Your words of promise spoken over my life and accept that You know best for me, as You have taken me by my right hand I walk confidently in You. In Jesus name, Amen.

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