Tag: prayers

We Are Like Snakes – Part 2

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In Matthew 10:16 Jesus says, “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”

What does this verse mean?

As we go through this life, there will be people that we encounter that will want to hurt those who follow Jesus. These people are like wolves, they want to tear apart the sheep. We are the sheep.

There will be situations that the enemy tries to destroy God’s flock of believers. This may be through gossip, lies, politics, war, abuse, or many other tactics. Anything that causes separation amongst believers, whether in the same church or the global church of believers, the wolves will use because they want you separated. They want you alone and feeling alone, even though you know you are never apart from Jesus. Never.

Jesus tells us to be shrewd like snakes. The word “shrewd” is defined as having excellent judgment and being wise. We are to be aware of who and what we encounter and assess whether they represent good, light, love, and truth.

To determine if someone is a wolf, read 1 John 4:1. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Let’s pray. Thank You for loving us, exactly as we are. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

We Are Confused and Helpless – Part 1

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Matthew 9:35 says, “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.”

That is how humans are without Jesus, we are confused and helpless. We wander the earth feeling alone, wondering why we are here and what is the purpose of life.

If you feel confused or helpless, do not be alone anymore. Give your heart to Jesus. All you have to do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that is it. There is no fancy ritual or act to be performed. Simply declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Let’s pray. Thank You for loving us, exactly as we are. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Can You Trust God?

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In the world today, it is hard to know who you can trust. It seems people are on good terms with each other one minute and then suddenly they are enemies. Loyalty and friendship are hard to find, someone who keeps their promises is even more difficult to discover. Where can we find someone who is consistent, loyal, loving and always ready to listen to us and to help us?

Some people say God is the answer. But, how can we know that He is there for us and will be there for us? What if we have been praying and there is no answer?

Psalm 138 says, “I wiII give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
    I will sing your praises before the gods.
2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
    I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
    by all the honor of your name.
3 As soon as I pray, you answer me;
    you encourage me by giving me strength.”

In verse 3, we read as soon as we pray, God answers. What does that mean? What if we have been praying and praying with no answer? God’s first answer is to give us the strength to keep going. If you are reading this, God has sustained you. You pray and you may cry out and seek an answer, we should do those things. God answers you as soon as you pray, He gives you strength to get up and keep going.

7 Though I am surrounded by troubles,
    you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
    and the power of your right hand saves me.
8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
    for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”

In verses 7 and 8, we read that God protects us and He will work out the plans He has for our lives. While we may not feel He has protected us, we are still alive. We have been given the strength to keep going. As David the psalmist writes in verse 8, why would God abandon us, He made us. He is our Creator, how would it make sense to go to the trouble of making you and then abandon you?

But what does the New Testament say about how we know God we can trust God?

In 2 Corinthians 1:19, we read, “For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” . . . as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. 21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.”

We can trust God because He has placed the Holy Spirit in our hearts from the moment we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is a part of God, He is in us which is how God is always right there with us. Once we have the Holy Spirit in us, there is nothing we or anyone else can do to separate the Holy Spirit from us (see Romans 8). Since we have God in us, why would He abandon us or ignore us? He cannot. He is in us, He is a part of us. We can trust God to bring all of His promises to fruition because otherwise He is abandoning Himself.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for the promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You for Your love. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Weapons Will Form Against You

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Isaiah 54:15 says, 

“If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;


17     no weapon forged against you will prevail,
    and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.”

Note that verse 17 says that no weapon forged against you will prevail. The verse does not say that there will be no weapons forged. In other words, you may see weapons that are designed to hurt you or distract you from God. You may hear about weapons that have been crafted specifically to cause you harm.

But, stand firm in our God’s promise. This verse is a promise from God that He will not let you be harmed by the weapons that the enemy forges against you.

The promise also says that you will refute every tongue that comes against you, every accusation, every lie. Not only will the enemy’s weapons that were built specifically to hurt you fail, so will the lies the enemy is trying to spread.

How does this promise work? Verse 17 says that these promises are for the servants of the Lord. These are not promises that God makes to every person, but only to those who serve Him. How does someone serve God? Ephesians 6:6 says, “. . .do the will of God with all your heart.”

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for the promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You for Your love. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

How To Harm Your Enemy

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People in life can hurt you. Sometimes they do not like you and you have no idea why that is. When you are hurt or a loved one is hurt by someone, it is natural to want to get revenge or to ‘pay back’ the person who caused the hurt.

Jesus calls us to a different way of dealing with those who have caused hurt in our lives. He tells us to leave the revenge to God. Paul writes in Romans 12:19,

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”

When someone has hurt us or our loved ones, we are to make space for God to deal with that person. Any revenge you may be thinking about is nothing compared to God’s vengeance.

 Romans 19:20 continues, “On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

If you simply must do something, serve them – feed them or give them something to drink. Pray for them. Doing an act of service will heap burning coals on their head, which does not sound pleasant at all. Instead of plotting revenge, serve them and let God take care of things.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for the promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You for full access to Your loving arms. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

The Biblical Ways to Fight the Enemy

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James 4:7 through 8 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Resisting the devil is one way to fight. What does resistance look like? The dictionary defines resistance as “the refusal to accept or comply with”. Refuse to allow the enemy to take a foothold in your thoughts. Every time a thought shows up that is not pleasing to God, resist it. Pray it away, do not consider it one second more.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

This is a promise from God that He will not let you be tempted to the point where you are not strong enough to resist the temptation. You are strong enough.

The promise also says that God will provide a way out. When temptation comes into your life, look for the way out. The way out is there the same time the temptation is. Your role is to take the way out that God provides. Do not spend one second in temptation, take the way out!

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for the promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You for Your love. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Until Death Do Us Part

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Isn’t it wonderful to know that there is Someone Who will never leave you? He has always been by your side, is by your side and will always be by your side.

No matter how mean you act, how bad you think you are or how much you want Him to leave you alone, He is right there. Until death do you part.

“For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48‬:‭14‬ 

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for the promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You for full access to Your loving arms. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.