steps2successwithspiritualsolutions

Prayer of Surrender

Fiction and Fantasy—The Twins of Spiritual Warfare

Fiction and Fantasy—The Twins of Spiritual Warfare Devotional Reading, August 14, 2023

Do not fixate on your desires! When developing new plans, present them to God in prayer, wait for His blessing of approval, and then move forward. S. Johnson

Throughout my life, I have always loved being on the road. I became a Road Warrior in my early twenties. Reflecting on my years of traveling extensively throughout the United States, still brings joy and excitement to my heart. Driving was something that I had to do, and yes, my life was filled with happiness from the new experiences. But two unexpected life events [a mid-life divorce and a physical disability] changed the direction of my life. And my presenting circumstances forced me to become a virtual world traveler.

Yet, I refused to accept the fact that I had to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Every day I would spend a lot of time remembering my former life and verbalizing my desire to travel again. Every day the wheels of my mind kept spinning to develop a plan to resume life on the road. Being dissatisfied with my present life affected my mental and emotional health, I developed insomnia and a dark cloud of discouragement permeated my mind.

Still, I am not one to easily give up. So I asked myself, What changes could I make to resume my former lifestyle of traveling?

One day while I was looking through my YouTube feed, I saw the solution to restart my passion for traveling, Van Life. I did six months of extensive research and decided this option would work. All of my discouragement quickly dissipated as I developed a comprehensive plan for living a minimalist lifestyle in a van.

I was well-organized with my habit of searching for van life videos at night and saving them to Watch Later. The next morning, after quick worship, I watched a few videos on the downside of van life as a single woman. Unless you become part of a van-life community, the instability of searching for the best places to park and live from day to day is a stressor. Unpredictable weather, the unexpected expenses of vehicle maintenance, food planning, and most importantly, staying on high alert for remaining safe were among the top challenges of van life.

Still, I was not intimidated. From my travel experiences, I was confident and quite proud of my strategic plans to enjoy freedom from paying rent. Yes, I could live on the road and travel again in my well-designed, minimalist, stealth van.

“LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” —Jeremiah 10:23, NIV

But our loving God intervened! The next two videos were made by single, professional, female van-life communities which brought my fantasy of van life to a halt! Many voiced their personal beliefs of worshiping nature, transcendental meditation, drinking wine, and smoking marijuana along with varied philosophies, morals, and values which brought me to the reality that I would be an isolated van-lifer because of my Christianity.

Reflection: What plans have you made for yourself that exclude the blessing of God’s approval?

Believers are no exception to planning their lives without God’s divine intervention. We pursue careers, financial stability, start businesses, relocate, purchase homes and vehicles, become involved in relationships and marriages with people who have not surrendered to God, and develop retirement plans without praying and waiting for God to reveal His plans for our lives.

“Fiction explores what is possible but not true, while fantasy explores what is impossible.” Adazing website

From our desires, we create a fictional life, which drives us to develop impossible plans [fantasy] for us to fulfill. Yes, we can strategize and develop plans down to the smallest detail, but the fixation on our desires causes us to forget one crucial element—the unknown and unstable future. Whether or not we have taken into consideration that life will always bring unexpected changes, we do not view those changes as beyond our control.

We are confident with our projected outcomes based on human wisdom. Sadly, our thoughts have taken us beyond our human capabilities. We imagine that our future is in our hands, but the unknown future belongs to God. Only the Omniscient God can provide a perfect and expected end for us.

When our desires exclude God, we invite spiritual warfare into our lives. Moving forward with our self-made plans provides the perfect opportunity for Satan to help us in bringing those plans to fruition. No, he cannot read our minds, but his evil angels observe our behaviors and present to us the things which appear to be a blessing. Because we are fixated on our fictional plans which we do not see as impossible [fantasy], we never consider that failure or suffering from unforeseen consequences of moving ahead without God is a possibility.

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” —Romans 7:18-20, ESV

Yes, for as long as we live on this earth, as Christians, we will remain in the battle of good versus evil. Satan knows that we fight every day to overcome temptations and sin against God. For protection against the warfare of succumbing to our desires, we must pray a prayer of surrender every day.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” —Jeremiah 29:11

God promises to give us hope and a perfect end when our plans are in alignment with His plans for our lives. Surrender, trust, and obedience are the spiritual character traits we must possess to be in the right standing with God. Our loyalty and dedication to God are only possible if we love God more than our heart’s desires and are committed to doing His will by obeying and following His plans.

How can we keep our minds from developing fictional plans based on the illusions of fantasy? Ask yourself, do my plans honor and glorify God?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” —Philippians 4:8

Pray in faith and learn to listen for the Holy Spirit speaking to you through your thoughts which are always in alignment with the Scriptures. God has given us the ability to dream, yet, our dreams must align with the reality of His plans. God is the only one that can order our steps and give us a victorious outcome based on His promises and His power!

Weekly Scripture Reading: The Life of Joseph, Genesis chapters 37-50

Prayer: God, we pray for protection from our wayward thoughts and plans. We ask You to block every aspect of the spiritual warfare of delusion from our lives. Lord, we surrender ourselves to You and commit to pray and wait for Your plans to be revealed in our lives. In Jesus’ Worthy name, we pray, Amen.

Develop a Spirit of Gratitude

Develop a Spirit of Gratitude Devotional Reading August 13, 2023

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” —Psalm 136:1

This morning, I watched a Christian program on “Counting Our Blessings.” The speaker mentioned the Fruit of the Spirit and said, “I have always wondered why gratitude was not a fruit mentioned by the Apostle Paul.”

I begin to reflect on the meaning of gratitude—to possess a spirit of thankfulness. Because Jesus created us as free moral agents, the Holy Spirit cannot place gratitude in our hearts. Gratitude is a response that is only found in a heart overflowing with love for Christ.

Praise and gratitude are more than saying, thank you. Gratitude is an expression of worship. A spirit of gratitude enables us to praise God with words of thanksgiving in turbulent times as well as peaceful times.

A believer who expresses gratitude to God for all their blessings reveals a heart filled with love and appreciation for Christ, whereas a believer who only prays and is thankful for material possessions reveals a greater love for themselves.

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” —1 John 2:16, NLT

Sadly many of us have embraced the worldview of pursuing one’s desires which displaces our love from Christ to tangible things. Taking the time to reflect on your desires, pursuits, and possessions reveals the status of your heart and relationship with Christ. Self-love not only prevents us from having a spirit of gratitude, we cannot experience spiritual growth and transformation.

Reflection: What am I praying for? Change your prayers from asking God to thanking God.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” —Matthew 6:19-21

Many Christians are unaware of the spiritual status of their hearts because they attend church and give tithe and offerings. They believe that their love for Christ is shown through the actions they take. Yet, Christ says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Obedience requires total surrender! Christ must be our First love. And we make God a priority in every aspect of our lives.

Jesus’ Spoken Words: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

“Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” —Romans 13:14

We only have one opportunity to develop and cultivate a heart filled with love and gratitude and that is in our earthly lives. When Jesus returns, the character traits and behaviors we exhibited in our daily lives will remain as they are. Therefore, we must persevere to cultivate a loving heart filled with gratitude that is expressed through our spoken words in prayer.

We can change! Loving God is evidenced by putting Him first. We have enough stuff. The perilous times described by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3 are now. Still, it is a personal decision to redirect our focus on Christ by making Him our First Love.

Our Loving Savior deserves our surrender and commitment to bless His Holy Name throughout the day. And that level of praise can only come from a heart overflowing with love and gratitude for the One who gave His life for humanity.

Thought for Today: Cultivate a spirit of gratitude and you will begin to see life through spiritual eyes.

Prayer: Lord, we praise and bless Your Holy Name. We ask for forgiveness for loving ourselves before You. Our focus has shifted to things instead of gratitude for Your love, grace, and mercies. Jesus, thank You for every provision and the mercies of blessing us with many of our desires. Lord, we love and thank You for reminding us that our characters must change if we desire eternal life. We ask this prayer in Your Holy Name, Amen.

Watch “Decoding Divine Messages: Is God Speaking? | Mark Finley” on YouTube

Guidance From the Spirit of Truth—The Holy Spirit

Guidance From the Spirit of Truth—The Holy Spirit Devotional Reading August 11, 2023

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9

The word of the hymns “I Surrender All” and “Have Thine Own Way” indicate the writers understood our part in the plan of Salvation and the conditions of our relationship with Christ. To serve Christ requires a spirit of humility and a prayer of daily commitment. The love in our hearts acts as a catalyst to faithfully follow Jesus through surrender and obedience.

Yet, we need Divine Help in our daily spiritual journey of Sanctification—living holy and righteously and experiencing spiritual growth and transformation of our character into the Character of Christ.

“I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth [the Holy Spirit] who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me. And you will tell people about me too, because you have been with me from the beginning.” —John 15:26-27

Like Jesus’ disciples who struggled greatly in their journey of spiritual transformation, our Savior knew that all future believers would need Divine Intervention to remain faithful disciples. His promise to send the Holy Spirit was evidenced after His ascension on the Day of Pentecost. Study Acts chapter 2.

Jesus identified the Holy Spirit using the pronoun “He.” The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Triune Godhead—God, the Father, Jesus, God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. Sadly, there is a disconnect in our belief that the Holy Spirit is necessary for our spiritual journey. If Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help His disciples who were physically with Him then we definitely need the Spirit of Truth to continue on the Path of Righteousness in our earthly experience.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:8-9

Because we tend to minimize or discard truth that is beyond our understanding—the power of the Holy Spirit is a mystery—we find it easier to exclude the presence and power of the Holy Spirit from our lives. Still, we must have the Divine power of the Holy Spirit to maintain our relationship with Christ, to discern truth from error, and to gain an in-depth understanding of the Scriptures.

The Holy Spirit reminds us of the Divine precepts on how to live righteously and warns us of the deceptions and temptations of spiritual warfare. We are no match for the evil schemes of Satan our enemy. The Holy Spirit is also our Protector.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” —Proverbs 3:5-6

We must acknowledge our human disadvantage of being born into sin, shaped by iniquity, and possessing a carnal heart. Our thoughts are influenced by our childhood experiences, friends, family, worldviews, politics, social media, and denominational doctrines. Without the Holy Spirit, we will never comprehend God’s Agape Love or the plan of Salvation—it is through our faith we are saved by God’s grace.

We can read and memorize chapters of the Bible, but without using our faith to pray and invite the Holy Spirit into our life, we will never experience spiritual transformation. Some atheists read the Bible for knowledge or appreciate its documentation of ancient times, but they do not have faith in its teachings. Without faith, the Holy Spirit cannot give us spiritual wisdom, understanding of Salvation, God’s Sovereignty, the impact of sin, and how to live righteously.

When we fail to pray in faith for the power of the Holy Spirit, we are in the same predicament as atheists. We read the Bible, apply our human understanding, and become discouraged because we feel that God is distant. In the Bible, oil represents the Holy Spirit. It is the oil of the Holy Spirit that fills the emptiness of our spiritual vessel.

We would be hopelessly lost without the Spirit of Truth who takes our seed of faith and expands our knowledge and wisdom of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher who imparts us with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Bible. As we gain discernment and wisdom of Biblical truths, our relationship with Christ grows, and we begin to perceive life through spiritual eyes.

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” —Matthew 21:22

How does one receive the presence and power of the Holy Spirit? Daily, we pray in faith and ask for the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in our lives.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” —1 Corinthians 6:19

Jesus created us as vessels to have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Imagine a clean bottle that you fill with oil. To be filled with the Holy Spirit requires that our mind and body be a clean vessel. We demonstrate our love for God through faith and obedience.

What does total surrender look like? “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15, ESV. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance…” —1 Peter 1:14, ESV

Our decision to shun evil by choosing not to willfully sin is strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Some temptations are so powerful, we need to cry out loud for Divine Help to overcome them. Yes, we need the power of the Holy Spirit!

David’s prayer, “Create in me, a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) provides us the model prayer demonstrating faith, humility, repentance, and surrender.

To be empowered with righteous attributes, our hearts must possess love and loyalty to God.

First, we must love God more than we love ourselves or anyone else. And we must possess the desire to live holy. We strive for righteousness through our faith in Christ Jesus. Without the intentional desire to live holy, we do not see the need to surrender or obey God. The human attributes of surrender, faith, and obedience are a freewill choice and reveal our love and mindset toward Christ.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” —Jeremiah 29:11

Another role of the Holy Spirit: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” —Romans 8:26

With so many voices speaking their version of God’s truth, How do I know the Holy Spirit is speaking to me? Develop the habit of a consistent prayer life. Pray several times a day. It is not the length of our prayers that move God. Prayer is a two-way conversation. Include time for meditation and you will begin to recognize that your spiritual thoughts are from the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

A word of caution, do not manipulate the message. God never goes against His Holy Word found in the Bible. If you are praying for a material possession or a romantic relationship, wait on the Lord! The Holy Spirit does not always answer immediately. We know it is of God when supernatural miracles begin to happen and the request is brought to fruition.

In faith, we pray and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We pray with confidence because we can rely on the promises of God. God’s promises are steadfast and demonstrate the declaration of His Character—I change not!

“Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

On Wednesday night, I prayed for spiritual guidance regarding a complex situation. At 3:30 am, Thursday morning when I awakened, in my thoughts, the Holy Spirit gave me the steps that I needed to take for complete resolution.

The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our thoughts and the Scriptures [Study the Bible]. The answers we receive represent Divine completion and provide Divine resolution. Not only do we receive answers, but the Holy Spirit is also our Comforter who ministers to our minds and souls by giving us peace and contentment.

When we receive direction from the Holy Spirit, there is no guesswork or confusion. The Holy Spirit knows our level of spiritual understanding and meets us exactly where we are in our spiritual journey. We can always count on the Spirit of Truth to give us clear and concise answers that provide clarity. And because God is a God of Completion, He does everything to glorify His Holy Name.

We claim the blessing of the Holy Spirit through our faith. In prayer, we surrender ourselves every day to be guided and controlled by the Divine power of the Holy Spirit. In humility, we wait for spiritual guidance and intervention. From our obedience and long-suffering, we receive a double blessing. Not only do we receive resolution, but we also receive spiritual empowerment. When we are faithful, we can tell others by sharing our praise testimony of God’s faithfulness and our victorious outcome.

“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear [reverence] the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…” —Deuteronomy 10:12

Without a total heart and soul love for God, we will never reverence Him or accept His Righteous Precepts and Righteous Standards. Obedience is our highest form of worship. Active faith is demonstrated by surrender and obedience. God knows the true condition of our hearts, either we love Him or we do not. There is no middle ground!

Remember, we were not created to stand alone. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome the temptations of spiritual warfare. Not only do we have carnal hearts, but the worldviews that conflict with the word of God have caused us to compromise and accept watered-down versions of God’s Truth. We cannot save ourselves! Nor can we resolve the conflicts and challenges that leave us without answers. Do we need the Holy Spirit? Every second of our lives!

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” —Acts 2:1-2

Even though everyone in the place witnessed the anointing of the Holy Spirit, some doubters accused the apostles of being drunk with new wine. Study Acts chapter 2. Without faith, we reject the Holy Spirit and all evidence of His power.

The Holy Spirit enables us to view life through spiritual eyes. It is not climate change that is impacting our earth. We are living in the last days. The perilous times that the Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Timothy 3 describe our present earthly conditions. Jesus is coming soon! The Holy Spirit empowers us to live righteously on this planet earth that is plagued with increasing sinfulness.

God is Holy! The Bible is our Spiritual Mirror. The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual discernment of the Scriptures and continuous guidance to overcome life’s challenges. Yet, we must choose to receive spiritual empowerment. We can never pray enough! When we pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes by taking our prayers and presenting them to Christ, our Intercessor.

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” —Matthew 6:6

Worship is asking and inviting the presence of God into our life. Every prayer that we utter should reflect our willingness to surrender. Asking for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit is a prayer that is answered immediately. Separate yourself and meditate while worshiping God. Changing our mindset to accept that the Holy Spirit is not an option empowers us to prepare for eternal life.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.… Matthew 7:13-14

Is it possible to live a godly life, stay on the narrow Path of Righteousness, and receive our reward of eternal life without the Divine power of the Holy Spirit? The answer is No.

Prayer: God, we desperately need the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our daily lives. We pray for the forgiveness of our sins, especially our wilful disobedience. Give us a clean heart and teach us how to hear Your Voice. Lord, we pray for wisdom, discernment, and guidance from the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Sabbath Peace and Blessings are Gifts from our Father

No Turning Back

My decision to follow Jesus is one without compromise!

Adversity Gets Our Attention

Adversity Gets Our Attention Devotional Reading August 10, 2023

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

The thought of not taking the time to build our relationship with Christ should provoke remorse and immediate corrective action, but sadly it doesn’t. We love our earthly lives. Most of our time is used to pursue our goals and dreams and then exhausted, we choose screen time to wind down and relax.

“Be still and know that I am God…” —Psalm 46:10

Our perception of the meaning of “Be still and know that I am God…” does not coincide with God’s definition of taking the time every day to pause, cease our tasks, reflect, and worship Him.

Psalm 46:10 is a popular verse for comforting ourselves and others—many people tend to think this verse means to rest or relax in who God is. This verse does encourage believers to reflect on who God is, but there is more to this psalm than one verse—and verse 10 is actually more of a wake-up call to be in awe than a gentle call to rest. Taking time out of our day to meditate on Scripture and be silent with listening ears toward God is mentioned in other sections of Scripture (Psalm 119:15, Joshua 1:8, Luke 5:16, and others). Crosswalk.com

We are living in Perilous Times. With the combination of the continuous and deliberate distractions of spiritual warfare and our earthly pursuits, we love God but do not have the time to pray and study the Scriptures. Because God loves us and desires that none perish, He uses adversity as a means of redirection. And most of the time, it takes adversity to bring our busyness to a halt.

Yes, adversity redirects our focus to God. Still, our response to adversity indicates whether or not we will draw closer to Christ. Discouragement and sorrow are normal reactions, but we should not allow ourselves to progress to feelings of anger, bitterness, and despair.

Turn to God in adversity. Pray for strength and guidance, study the Bible, and rededicate your life to Christ. It is not a time to try to bargain or negotiate with God. It is a time to grow closer to Christ.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” —2 Peter 3:9

Always remember, Jesus’ goal is to save our souls!

Prayer: God, we thank You for redirecting our focus to You. We admit that we have not put You first in our lives. Thank You for loving us. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

A Mighty Fortress—Oakwood University Aeolians

Trust in the Lord, He is Our Helper

Jesus is Our Only Hope!

Living with peace and joy is only possible when we surrender ourselves to Christ. If you decide to place your life in His hands when all is well then you will faithfully trust Him in the situations that are humanly impossible to resolve.

Prayer of Gratitude: Jesus, You Are the only answer. We thank You for Your overwhelming love, grace, and mercies. Amen.