07/16/2018
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So many times in
our life, when we are faced with difficult circumstances, we forget to reach
out to the ONE that is able to do exceedingly more that we could ever wish or
ask for leaving us feeling sorry for ourselves and having bitter hearts. Instead
of trusting God, many times we just complain about our problems with other
believers, bringing them down with us. If we were to go to other believers
asking for prayer we would witness the miraculous POWER that comes from prayer.
The Word of God tells us how powerful the persistent prayers of a righteous
believer can be. Also, we read in the Word of God that joining forces with
others believers believing God’s Word that Jesus will answer those prayers
according to the will of God the Father.
Since before
time began
no one has ever imagined,
No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who happily do what is right,
who keep a good memory of the way you work.
But how angry you’ve been with us!
We’ve sinned and kept at it so long!
Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved?
We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated.
Our best efforts are grease-stained rags.
We dry up like autumn leaves—
sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind.
No one prays to you
or makes the effort to reach out to you
Because you’ve turned away from us,
left us to stew in our sins. Isaiah 64:4-7 {MSG}
no one has ever imagined,
No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who happily do what is right,
who keep a good memory of the way you work.
But how angry you’ve been with us!
We’ve sinned and kept at it so long!
Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved?
We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated.
Our best efforts are grease-stained rags.
We dry up like autumn leaves—
sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind.
No one prays to you
or makes the effort to reach out to you
Because you’ve turned away from us,
left us to stew in our sins. Isaiah 64:4-7 {MSG}
Therefore,
confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray
for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and
persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put
into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous
power]. James 5:16 {AMP}
“Again I say to
you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in
heaven. Matthew
18:19
Isn’t it wonder
how our Heavenly Father works as long as we HUMBLE ourselves before Him. We
read in 1Peter 5 that in order for us to be ready to go before God in prayer we
must first humble ourselves and set aside our self-righteous pride.
First Peter 5:6-7
{AMP} says to humble yourself then cast all your cares and worries before God.
“Therefore humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so
that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate
time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all
your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest
affection, and watches over you very carefully].” 1
Peter 5:6-7
When we continue
reading we learn that one must stay sober {well balanced and self-disciplined},
being alert lest our enemy the devil come in to destroy you. We also learn a
very important lesson here. We learn that we have the POWER to RESIST the
devil. We also learn that our Heavenly Father will not let us suffer too long.
Be sober [well
balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That
enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry],
seeking someone to devour. 9 But
resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted,
established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are
being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do
not suffer alone.] After you have suffered for a
little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who
called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete,
confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and
ever. Amen. 1
Peter 5:8-11
Where are you looking? Who are you
looking too for answers?
If your answer was anything or anyone
other than our Heavenly Father, then you are looking into a future of continued
lack. It is only when we put all our faith and trust in the Creator of all
things that we can see the answers we seek when they are in God’s plan for us.
This world has nothing to offer you
compared to what the Creator of this world has to offer you when you have your
eyes glued on Him.
The Bible says that God can do all
things.
"Now to Him who is
able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we
dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams],
according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21
{AMP}.
So no matter what our circumstances look
like, we just need to keep our eyes on God.
Typically, when we have a problem, God
will do one of two things. He'll either remove the problem, or He'll give us
the ability to get through it with a positive attitude.
Proverbs 3:5-6 {AMP}
says, "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and
do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your
ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing
obstacles that block your way]."
Maybe there's something happening in
your life right now that you just don't understand, and it's causing you to
worry. Instead, you can choose to say, "I don't understand this and it
hurts right now, but I believe God is going to work it out."
In time, God's good plan will be revealed.
In Romans 8 {AMP} we read, “Therefore; there is now no
condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ
Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. For the law of the
Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set
you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do [that
is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh
[man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the
likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the
flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son], so that the
[righteous and just] requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not
live our lives in the ways of the flesh [guided by worldliness and our sinful
nature], but [live our lives] in the ways of the Spirit [guided by His power].
For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on
the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living
according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His
will and purpose]. Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and
forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace
[the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and
forever]; the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile
to God. It does not submit itself to God’s
law, since it cannot, and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters
to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God. However, you are not
[living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if
in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if
anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is
not a child of God]. If Christ lives in you, though your
[natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of
righteousness [which He provides]. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus
from the dead lives in you, He who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit, who lives in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation,
but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity],
to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy
Spirit] — for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to
die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually
putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.
For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are
sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to
fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons
[the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, “Abba! Father!” The
Spirit Himself testifies and confirms
together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.
And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and
fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if
indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory. For I consider [from the
standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to
be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! For [even
the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be
revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration and
futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by
the will of Him who subjected it, in
hope that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and
gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know
that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth
until now. And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the
Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly,
as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons {and daughters}—the
redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. For in
this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is
not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do
not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure. In the same
way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what
prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself
[knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and
groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the
mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of
God’s people in accordance with God’s will. And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply
concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for
those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and
purpose. For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also
predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in
His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most
beloved and honored] among many believers. And those whom He predestined, He
also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He
justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity]. What then shall we say to
all these things? If God is for us: who can be [successful] against us? He who
did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not
also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge
against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us
blameless and putting
us in a right relationship with Himself]. Who is the one who condemns us?
Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that,
who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding
[with the Father] for us. Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ?
Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
danger, or sword? Just as it is written and forever remains written,
“For Your sake we are put to death all day long;
We are regarded as
sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet
in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming
victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. For I am
convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and
threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Not everything that happens is good. But it can all work out for good
if you'll keep loving God and pursuing His will for your life. There's nothing
God can't turn around if you'll put your trust in Him!
The key in our relationship with God is that – WE TRUST IN HIS WILL -
for our lives instead of trying to figure it all out based on our human
intellect.
Have a blessed day and continue looking to God for He cares so much for
you that He will get you through all tough times.
Blessings and Peace,
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