Study, Pray and Practice.

The road ahead can be ruff. But there are a few simple things that we can do to ensure that we make it through.

1)     Study the Word: There is nothing like diving into scriptures and discovering new found revelation. God shows Himself more clearly to us when we seek Him. Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

2)   Pray for understanding: Because God is infinite, when we seek Him through His Word, we can become so overwhelmed with wisdom and knowledge that we can get discouraged by the vastness of Him which is El Elyon (The Most High God). Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

3)   Practice daily what the scriptures instructs and guides us to do: Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

If are already doing these things continue to do so. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. If you haven’t been doing so declare this day a day for change. Say aloud “no longer will I be held captive in my mind to be slave to my circumstances, but I will mediate and observe to do all that is written in my Bible. Then shall I be prosperous, and then shall I have good success. In Jesus name we declare it so. Amen”

Didn't you miss me?

Encouraging song of the day: Ruben Studdard - Running Back To Youhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWd5JNgSLI4

For the most part I call my wife every day at work. I usually talk to her sometime during the morning just to say “good morning”, “How’s your day going” or “I miss you”. From there we will have a brief conversation and I’ll let her get back to work. Some days I won’t call just to see how long she will let the day go by before she reaches out to me. Of course when that happens she will call and say “you didn’t miss me”, and I would say “of course I did but did you miss me? I will purposely do this from time to time because I don’t won’t to feel like our relationship is one sided. I want to see that I’m on her mind just as much as she is on mine.

          Sometimes we feel like God has stopped calling us. Sometimes we feel like He has stopped being active in our lives. In those moments God is simply seeing if you feel the same way to. What if He did stop answering your prayers, what if He didn’t bless you with what you ask for? What if the thing which you desired God blessed somebody else with, would you still seek after Him? God doesn’t want a one-sided relationship He wants you to Love Him with all your heart and mind. Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Manna for thought: If ever you feel like God is absent in your life read this: Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 

The acknowledgement of error

Encouraging song of the day: Jesus - Shekinah Glory Ministry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sSzgJb5TUQ

The Word clearly illustrates that we should confess our sins. The reason for this is because through confession we acknowledge our need for Him. Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

          Confession is made unto salvation, when we openly confess responsibility of our actions or our faults/sin. Then can forgiveness be initiated and the healing process begins. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

          We often feel as though our faults/sins are meant only to be discussed or even brought up in the privacy of our prayer life. But if that be so why would the Word of God clearly tell us to confess to each other? James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another” When we expose the intimate secrets sins of our heart, the prayer of faith heals wounds that sin has inflicted.

Manna for thought: If you were shot by an arrow, before treatment to repair and mend, we first would have to acknowledge the arrow is even there (confession). Despite how obvious, you have to acknowledge it. Then allow God to remove the obstruction (Forgiveness of sin). From there we expose our faults to each other to prevent the infliction of the same sin/arrow.

But what about me? By Ms Alicia Richardson

I been meditating on this feeling of, “I’m always there for everyone else, but who has my back?”..... I said God fix this, Holy Spirit give me revelation on this thing. The enemy try to creep up and whisper in my ear, “but what about you?” Who is really there for you? The reply, no one.” The Holy Spirit had to reveal to me that the enemy want to deflect me to a selfish place to take my focus off of what God has called for my life. When you give you’re self to God, you understand that God comes 1st, others comes 2nd and yourself come last. I had to rebuke this thought that lingers so heavy in my life, as I know, to live for God, I have to give and give without question and anything in return.... point, blank and the period!
So, whats next....my corrective action to this feeling is to look deep into Jesus’s selfless and sacrificial act to die on the cross for our sins. The bible tells us in Isaiah 53:5 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. Jesus did not die on the cross for his family, his kids, a good friend or a pat on the back from society or his peers. He died on the cross for ALL men..... which includes people that you and I might think is not worthy. This is an example, set forth, for me to give to people or a circumstance.... that I might not understand why...and who am I to question, but what about me?
In Isaiah chapter 53 the bibles depicts “The Suffering Servant”, the holy spirit lead me to this reading. It was dropped in my spirit, to share this....be encouraged, don’t give into the feeling of “what about me”, but instead, be submissive to God’s word. Although, you may feel like “I’m tired of being used, no one appreciates me or acknowledges me.” Instead, take that feeling and energy and turn it into a praise for being a tool from God for someone else’s blessing. Humbly sacrifice yourself for others, be of help to people in silence to fulfill God’s will. At times you may feel like you have your own problems and oppressions, but through your obedience you will sow seeds into a bigger harvest... Amen! God is a giver and he never question what he is giving, what is his return, learn to bless people with your gifts...even if it’s a listening ear, encouraging words.....despite the fact of if you have “arrived” to own blessing or praise from others in the process. I find joy in my heart by helping people, therefore I do not need any reciprocated behaviors from anyone.....and tonight I rebuke the lies of the enemy...I will operate within my gifts of giving.
Manna for thought: “The destiny of servanthood to God is triumph even though it look like defeat, God’s way is not man’s way”

If you’re down, you can get back up! (By Ms Alicia Richardson)

The bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 3 For I passed on to you first of all what I also had received, that Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for our sins in accordance with [what] the Scriptures [foretold] 4 That He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold. Christ died for our sins and on the 3rd day he rose again. Christ rose up, so we can get back up!

The blood of Jesus have the power of life, peace and happiness. The things you are going through right now is God’s plan working out in your life...don’t try to fix it, explain it, hide it or justify it....just trust the power of the blood and allow God to carry out his plan for you.

The bible teaches us in the book of Jeremiah that God knew us before we were even in the womb, and how God have great plans for our future. The Lord wants to give us a good future, but God also wants the glory...so give thanks as you go through it, because your circumstance, right now, is just a stepping stone for a greater plan!

Your situation may have you feeling like you been depressed too long, you been addicted too long, you been holding on to the past for too long, you been dealing with low self-esteem for too long, or you been broke for too long.....but the bible tells us its all in the Lord’s plan. Jeremiah 29 10-11 10 For thus says the Lord, When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you and keep My good promise to you, causing you to return to this place.11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

These rough times may feel like you been in captivity in babylon for decades, years, months, days or hours. But there is good news....Christ rose up, so we can get up! If you’re down, you don’t have to stay down. The blood of Jesus has restorative and resurrective powers.....trust the power!

God plan is not to harm you. The Lord said he will bring you out! So get up and thank God for his grace to take that burden off of you, thank God for your peace that’s coming to you, thank God for your deliverance, thank God for your miraculous outcome and thank God for his perfect plan! Thank him in advance for your future filled with hope, prosperity and favor, as it is already yours.

So run, that ye may obtain

Encouraging song of the day: Kelonate Gavin- Singing I won't Complain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD-m3i7RJRg

Romans 7:22-24

²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I don’t know about you, but as for me I LOVE God, and I desire to do His will. But my flesh, my flesh has other plans. My flesh has desires to please itself. So in this verse of the scripture I completely understand Paul as he describes the constant battle to crucify his flesh and submit to the will of God. He goes even so far to describe it as war; “warring against the law of my mind”. The fight is that intense.

As a man of God I understand the pressure to meet the needs of others. Which really the pressure only exists as a result of my passion to be pleasing to God and to do as my Father would do. satan will often(in a desperate attempt to counteract a believers passion and deter his purpose) will utilize the spirit of confusion and doubt to create pressure to oppress us to the point of discouragement and ultimately giving up. Thus creating a battle within the war we fight against spiritual wickedness, principalities and powers. So if I could encourage you even if only for the moment, don’t give up. 1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Manna for thought: We are not without help in this spiritual warfare. We have the armour of God that we may be able to stand. Ephesians 6:10-11 ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Love and obedience.

Encouraging song of the day: Smokie Norful | No Greater Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgMKragDGUQ

Love and obedience.

Many of us serve God from the concept or from the principal of obedience. This usually happens from a new or young believer position but not limited to just them. Some have been saved a long time and still don't know what it means to Love God.  The reason being is because we have fashioned ourselves in the way of the world. We have come to learn the world’s perception of love but not the true Author of Love, God the Father. We have to really know a person before we can say we love them because logically we understand that love is the ultimate in a relationship verses like but we don't really understand the Love of God. So essentially we Love based on if we really like the person. If that be the case, how can we show love and compassion for our neighbor as we would for ourselves (as Mark 12:31) instructs us) if we 1^st have to like them? Somehow we have gotten this idea that there is the Love of Christ and then there is our love as though there can be two separate kinds. This is not so. There is only one kind of Love. The Love that was expressed and demonstrated on Calvary.

Manna for thought: I can’t tell you if your love for someone is adequate or not. Simply compare your love in contrast to God’s Love. See if it aligns and if it doesn’t then I guess you have your answer.