Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.
PSALM 20:7
There are many facets of faith. The most brilliant facet, however, is trust! Trust is something we have, and we decide what to do with it. We decide in whom or in what to put our trust. Where have you placed your trust? Is your trust in your job, employer, bank account, or friends? Perhaps your trust is in yourself, your past record of successes, education, natural talents, or possessions. All of these are temporal, subject to change. Only the Lord changes not. He alone is the Rock that cannot be moved. As children of God, we can have the assurance that God will deliver us in current troubles, just as He delivered us in the past. We can then take our trust and put it in the right place, which is in God alone.
Activation
Trust is not upset, because it has entered into God’s rest. Trust is not confused, because it has no need to lean on its own understanding. Trust does not give up or panic. Trust believes that God is good and that He works all things out for good!
Prayers
God help me to put my trust in you always and never lead me to temptation of mistrust and fears. Let me know that without You I am nothing so that my trust can be strong in You everyday as I live. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
2 Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Psalm 33:17
A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.
Proverbs 21:31
A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.
1 Chronicles 5:20
And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against their enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their hands. Because they put their trust in God, He answered their prayers.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
PHILIPPIANS 4:13
So often, someone will come to me for advice and prayer, and when I tell them what the Word of God says, or what I think the Holy Spirit is saying, their response is, “I know that’s right; God has been showing me the same thing. But, Joyce, it’s just too hard.” This is one of the most commonly expressed excuses I hear from people. When I initially started reading in the Word of God about how I could become more like Jesus, and then compared it to where I was, I also said, “I want to do things Your way, God, but it is so hard.” God graciously showed me this is a lie the enemy tries to inject into our minds to get us to give up. But God’s commandments are never too difficult for us to follow if we do them through Christ’s strength.
Activation
Walking in obedience to God is not too hard because He has given us His Spirit to work in us powerfully and to help us in all He has asked of us (John 14:16).
Prayers
Lord. Let me be with You all the time to enable me to do what I cannot do, and to do with ease what would be hard without You!
Scriptures
2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Ephesians 3:16
I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully.
And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.
MATTHEW 6:7
I was dissatisfied with my prayer life for many years. I was committed to praying every morning, but I always felt something was missing. I finally asked God what was wrong, and He responded in my heart by saying, “Joyce, you don’t feel that your prayers are good enough.” I wasn’t enjoying prayer because I had no confidence that my prayers were acceptable. Too often we get caught up in our own works concerning prayer. Sometimes we try to pray so long, loud, or fancy that we lose sight of the fact that prayer is really just conversation with God. The length or loudness or eloquence of our prayer is not the issue.
Activation
The only important elements to prayer are the sincerity of our hearts and a confidence that God hears and will answer us. We can be confident that even if we simply say, “God help me,” He hears and will answer.
Prayers
God help us to depend on You always and be faithful to do what You have asked me to do as long as I live. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Matthew 18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
1 Kings 18:26
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
JAMES 1:4
James teaches us that we can rejoice when we find ourselves involved in difficult situations, knowing that God is trying our faith to bring out patience. I have found that trials did eventually bring out patience in me, but first they brought a lot of other junk to the surface—such as pride, anger, rebellion, self-pity, complaining, and many other things. It seems that these ungodly traits, with God’s help, need to be faced and dealt with because they hinder patience as well as other good fruit like kindness, love, humility, and other things. The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, and sacrifice. These are not popular words; nevertheless, these are things we go through in order to become like Jesus in our character. God’s desire is to make us perfect, lacking in nothing. He wants us to ultimately be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which usually requires us to go through some difficulties that, although are unpleasant, do eventually help us mature.
Activation
No matter what you are going through, trust God that you are growing closer to Him each day!
Prayers
I struggled with the difficulties in my life for a long time until help me God to learn that You would work out for good and use them to help me in many ways. Help me simply to surrender and say, “I trust You, God. I believe when this difficulty is over, I will be a better person than I was before it began!”
Scriptures
Luke 21:19
By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.
Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind…
ROMANS 12:2
Change does not come through struggle, human effort without God, frustration, self- hatred, self-rejection, guilt, worry, or works of the flesh. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and as such we all want to please God. We want to be what He wants us to be, and behave the way He wants us to behave, but in order for that to happen, we need to learn how to think like He thinks.
Change in your life comes as a result of having your mind renewed by the Word of God. As you agree with God and really believe that what He says is true, it gradually begins to manifest itself in you. You begin to think differently, then you begin to talk differently, and finally you begin to act differently. This is a process that develops in stages, but while it is taking place you can still have the attitude, “I’m okay, and I’m on my way!”
Activation
Enjoy yourself while you are changing. Enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going. Enjoy the journey! Don’t waste all of your “now time” trying to rush into the future. Relax.
Prayers
Help me God to stop being so hard on myself. And let my change comes little by little, so that I can come closer to you always. In Jesus name.
Scriptures
Romans 13:14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
ROMANS 7:6
There are times in life when we have to deal with stress, but we can be on top of it, not under it. Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and power, we can handle our work and responsibilities with ease instead of stress. As we follow the promptings of the Spirit we will know how to handle each situation we encounter. All of us have situations that come our way that we don’t like. But with the power of God, we can go through those circumstances while also avoiding stress. The more we lean on, and trust in, God, the easier life is. Every situation in life is not “easy,” but we can handle them with what I call “Holy Spirit Ease.” In other words, God empowers us to do whatever we need to do through Him. He energizes us and helps us. God will guide us, but we need to trust Him enough to follow His directions. He never gives us any advice that is not for our benefit and progress in life.
Activation
God is leading you into a place of victory and triumph, not into a place of defeat. As you follow His lead, I believe you will experience less stress than ever before.
Prayers
God help me to do something you want me to do give me strength to overcome myself will when You are speaking to me, but obedience to His leadership keeps us from taking wrong roads in life and wasting time and energy!
Scriptures
Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Romans 6:14,15
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace…
Galatians 3:13,23-25
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
