Be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]…
1 PETER 5:8–9
Oftentimes we make the mistake of trying to use faith to get to the place where there is total freedom from trouble. But the purpose of faith is not always to keep us from having trouble; it is often to carry us through trouble. If we never had any trouble, we wouldn’t need any faith.
The temptation exists to run away from our problems, but the Lord says that we are to go through them. The good news is that He has promised that we will never have to go through them alone. He will always be there to help us in every way. He has said to us, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).
Activation
In our daily experience, we can learn to stand our ground and effectively resist the devil. Learning to be stable in hard times is one of the best ways to get close to God and to press through any difficulty we may face.
Prayers
God be with me to help me always even when everything had gone wrong and every help is not near please give strength not to give up half way but to complete what You have began in me. In Jesus name
Scriptures
Job 1:7
“Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”
Proverbs 28:15
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
Matthew 24:42
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great.
GENESIS 12:1
In Genesis 12:1, God gave Abram a tall order. In so many words He said, “Pack up and leave everyone you know and everything you are comfortable with and go to a place I will show you.”
If Abram had bowed his knee to doubt and uncertainty, the rest of the story would never have come to pass. He would never have experienced God as his Shield, his great compensation, and he would never have received his exceedingly great reward. In the same way, if Joshua had not overcome his fear and been obedient to God’s command to lead His people into the Promised Land, neither he nor they would ever have enjoyed all that God had planned and prepared for them.
There is power in God’s Word to equip us to stop bowing our knee in fearful uncertainty. We can do what God wants us to do, even if we have to do it with fear.
Activation
I am determined that my life is not going to be ruled by fear but by Your Word.”
Prayers
Lord, strengthen me. So that I cannot be intimidated by an obstacle, by Your help I can overcome the challenges ahead of me. In Jesus Name.
Scriptures
Luke 14:26-33
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple…
Psalm 45:10,11
Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.
All of these with their minds in full agreement devoted themselves steadfastly to prayer.
ACTS 1:14
Whenever believers are united in prayer, there is great power present. Jesus Himself said, “For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
Throughout the book of Acts, we read that the people of God came together “with one accord” (Acts 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25 KJV). And it was their united faith, their corporate agreement, and love that made their prayers so effective. They saw God move in mighty ways to confirm the truth of His Word as they gave testimony to their faith.
Living in agreement doesn’t necessarily mean that we feel the exact same way about everything, but it does mean that we are committed to walking in love.
We can respect someone’s opinion even if we don’t share it! Dave and I don’t share the same opinions about many things, but we do live in peace and harmony and it gives us power in prayer.
In Philippians 2:2 we are told by the apostle Paul, “Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose.”
Activation
Prayer is a wonderful privilege, and one that we should exercise often. But in order to have good results, we should also strive to remove all disharmony and disunity from our lives.
Prayers
God help me to find good friends that can be of the same heart in prayers and fellowship. May I always encourage the unit of the brethren. Let my life be used for the benefits of others and may I become blessings to others. In Jesus name
Scriptures
Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 6:4
and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
HEBREWS 12:1
If we are going to run our race in life, if we want to fulfill our destiny and do God’s will, it is important that we lay aside every weight and sin and run the race with patience. In the days this verse was written, runners conditioned their bodies for a race just as we do today. But at the time of the race, they stripped off their clothing except for a loincloth, so that when they ran there would be nothing to hinder them. They also oiled their bodies with fine oils.
In our Christian life, we are called to remove anything that hinders us from running the race that God has set before us. It is essential to be well oiled, or anointed, with the Holy Spirit (often symbolized by oil) if we are going to win our race.
The devil has many ways to entangle us and prevent us from living in obedience to God’s Word, developing an intimate relationship with Him.
Activation
There are many distractions and requirements on our time. But with God’s guidance, we can strip away the things that will hinder us.
Prayers
Keep our eyes on your goal and learn to say “no” to things that distract us and keep us from fulfilling
our full potential. Help me to be determined that nothing is going to hinder me from fulfilling Your plan and purpose for my life.
Scriptures
Ephesians 4:22
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
Philippians 1:30
since you are encountering the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
PROVERBS 3:12
Perhaps you have been struggling with accepting yourself. You see the areas in yourself where change is necessary. You desire to be like Jesus. Yet it is very difficult for you to think or say, “I accept myself.” You feel that to do so would be to accept all that is wrong with you, but that is not the case. We can accept and embrace ourselves as God’s unique creation, and still not like everything we do.
God will change us, but we cannot even begin the process of change until this issue of self-acceptance is settled in our individual lives. When we truly believe that God loves us unconditionally just as we are, then we will have closeness to Him, and we will be willing to receive His correction, which is necessary for true change. Change requires corrections—people who do not know they are loved have a very difficult time receiving correction. Correction is merely God giving us divine direction for our lives. He is guiding us to better things, but if we are insecure we will always feel condemned by correction instead of joyfully embracing it.
God does not approve of all of our actions, but He does love and approve of us as His beloved children.
Activation
Be patient with yourself. Keep pressing on and believe that you are changing every day.
Prayers
God help me to understand when You are correcting me so that I can follow up in order to be obedient to You. Make always rejoice in your correction. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Hebrews 3:19
So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.
Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion.
PROVERBS 8:12
A word you don’t hear very much teaching about is “prudence.” In the Scriptures “prudence” or “prudent” means being good stewards of the gifts God has given us to use. Those gifts include abilities, time, energy, strength, and health as well as material possessions. They include our bodies as well as our minds and spirits.
God has given each of us different gifts and grace according to how He wants us to use them. One person may be gifted to sing and does so in their local area, while another person’s singing ability is known in most of the world. The Bible tells us to use our gifts according to the grace given to us (Romans 12:6).
Each of us would be wise to know how much we are able to handle, to be able to recognize when we are reaching “full capacity” or “overload.” Instead of pushing ourselves into overload to please others, satisfy our own desires, or reach our personal goals, we can learn to listen to the Lord and obey Him.
Activation
If we follow the Lord’s leading, we will enjoy blessed lives.
Prayers
Lord. we all experience stress and at times we feel the effects of it, but give us wisdom to learn to manage it well. And show me areas in my life that could be changed to help me eliminate excess stress better.
Scriptures
Psalm 104:24
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Isaiah 55:8,9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD…
Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.
ROMANS 4:18–20
We believe for many things, but beyond them all, we believe in Someone. That Someone is Jesus. We don’t always know what is going to happen. We just know it will always work out for our good!
It is reported that Abraham, after sizing up his situation (he didn’t ignore the facts), considered the utter impotence of his own body and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. Although all human reason for hope was gone, he hoped in faith. Abraham was very positive about a very negative situation! Hebrews 6:19 tells us that hope is the anchor of the soul. Hope is the force that keeps us steady in a time of trial.
Activation
Don’t ever stop hoping. Don’t be afraid to hope. No one can promise that you’ll never be disappointed. But you can always have hope and be positive. Have hopeful expectation every day of your life.
Prayers
Lord let my faith be on you alone, in the times of difficulty let me find faith to overcome such situation. As I look unto you always to be my helper in the times of difficulty never leave me alone. I put all my hope in you. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Romans 4:17
As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
Romans 8:24
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?
Hebrews 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him.
1 CHRONICLES 20:18
In 2 Chronicles 20:18, the king and the people of Judah bowed with their faces to the ground and worshipped when they heard the Lord’s instruction. The position of worshipping God was helping them prepare for battle. If you are in a battle right now, I strongly urge you to trade all worry for worship. Kneeling in reverence before God, or other types of worship, is a battle position and a key to spiritual power.
To “praise” God has been defined as to ascribe to Him the glory due to His name. It is to talk about and sing out about the goodness, grace, and greatness of God. To “worship” has been defined as to give reverence to and to serve. Broadly, it may be regarded as the direct acknowledgment of God, of His nature, attributes, ways, and claims, whether by expressing your heart in praise and thanksgiving or by deed done in such an acknowledgment.
Activation
With God’s help, we can learn to fight His way, not the world’s way. Our battle position is one of worship, and this is a position that brings us closer to God.
Prayers
Heavenly Father, let me fight every battle with a heart of praise and worship, believing that You will work in my life and circumstances. As I worship You Lord, release the emotional and mental burden that is weighing is down. And let be swallowed up in Your awesomeness. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
2 Chronicles 7:3
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Genesis 24:26
And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.
Exodus 4:31
And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped
And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.
EPHESIANS 4:32
Medical studies indicate that 75 percent of physical sickness is caused by emotional problems. And one of the greatest emotional problems people experience is guilt. They are refusing to relax and enjoy life because, after all, they feel they don’t deserve to have a good time. So they live in a perpetual strain of regret and remorse. This kind of stress often makes people sick.
Two of the things that cause us to get all knotted up inside are meditating on all the negative things done to us by others, and the sinful and wrong things we have done. We have a hard time getting over what others have done to us, and we find it difficult to forget the mistakes we have made.
Activation
In my own life I had a choice to avoid bitter, full of hatred and self-pity, resenting the people who had hurt me, and choose to follow God’s path of forgiveness.
Prayers
God help me to have the choice to forgive others and receive God’s forgiveness for myself, so that I will be healthier and happier. In Jesus name
Scriptures
Proverbs 19:11
A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 18:33
Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you
