Author: steps2successwithspiritualsolutions

It takes faith, trust, courage, and perseverance to serve God in today's unstable world. Yet, we are never alone. Pray every day and pray often. Study the Bible. The Scriptures are a Love Letter from God to those who accept Jesus as their personal Savior. You will receive comfort, knowledge, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3. Be blessed in Jesus' name. Amen.

Following Jesus [And Staying] On the Path of Righteousness

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

I thought about individuals who are in the military; their discipline and self-control, but most importantly, their desire to obey their superiors, and the punitive Rules of Conduct and War.

In the United States, we no longer draft individuals for military service; they willingly enlist. Even though their choice to become soldiers may result in severe injury or death, they never lose their desire to serve their country.

Question: If humans can use their mental strength to willingly obey other humans and pledge allegiance to a country, then why is it so difficult for Christian believers to faithfully surrender and obey God, who is the Source of Life?

Answer: People who enlist in the military possess a strong desire to become soldiers, which includes non-negotiable obedience. Consider this: Maybe we did not understand God’s requirements for Total Surrender and Faithful Obedience when we accepted Christ as our personal Savior.

Disobedience to God resulted in Adam and Eve losing everything perfect, and the Israelites, whom God emancipated from Egyptian bondage, journeyed in the wilderness for forty years; Canaan was only an eleven-day journey from Egypt.

At the end of Joshua’s life, he addressed the nation of Israel with a challenge: “Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” ( Joshua 24:14-15).

Matthew 22:37-39: “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

Genuine love is the driving force that motivates us to worship God with heartfelt loyalty. Because of our love and appreciation for God, the Father’s Gift of Jesus Christ, it is not a burden for us to worship God through a sacrificial life of self-denial, expressed by humility, surrender, and faithful obedience.

No Room for Disloyalty: “Why do you call me Lord Lord and not do as I say?” (Luke 6:46). Our love relationship with Christ is All or Nothing. There is no middle-of-the-road, compromised version of Christianity that allows us to disobey God.

The Deceptor: One of Satan’s most powerful deceptions is, “we can live as we please…” He told Eve, “You will not, surely die.” Yet, the consequences did include death; not only did they lose immortality, but Cain killed Abel, his brother, and every human being is born with a heart filled with selfishness and the desire to disobey God.

The Powerful Deception: We make the assumption that we can follow our thoughts and pursuits and still inherit Eternal Life, but Satan knows [from personal experience, he is the fallen angel, Lucifer] that disobedience to God separates us from God.

We were bought at a price; Jesus’ Sacrificial Offering of His life on Calvary’s Cross redeemed us from the only possible outcome of sin, and that is death (Romans 6:23).

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

The Believer’s Life Journey consists of following Jesus Christ, our Shepherd. To stay on the Narrow Path of Righteousness, we must be led moment by moment by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Our Spiritual Journey is comparable to the life of an enlisted soldier. We pray, wait for God’s instructions, given to us through the Holy Spirit, and we obey.

Our Spiritual Instructions are in the Holy Bible: Micah 6:8; Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:22-24; Matthew 22:37-39; John 15:4; and 1 Corinthians 13. These are some of the Foundational Scriptures, which every enlisted soldier in the Army of God is expected to know and obey.

Divine Intervention Empowers the Human Effort of Obedience: Through the Holy Spirit, we receive Jesus’ Divine Strength to carry out and complete our daily Spiritual Orders.

Through our obedience, the Holy Spirit guides the daily process of Spiritual growth and transformation, shaping our minds, characters, and personalities into the likeness of Christ’s Righteous Character.

We are Temporary Travelers on a Temporary Earth, who are waiting for the return of King Jesus, our Mighty Warrior and the Commander of Angel Armies. [John 14:1-3]. Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we pray for those who committed their lives to You, but have deserted You for the pursuit of earthly treasures, pleasures, and relationships with bad company. Lord, we do not judge them, because You tell us, “All have sinned and come short of Your glory.” Lord, we also pray for ourselves, asking You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to transform our stubborn, selfish hearts into hearts that desire to follow You. We also ask for the strength to persevere and remain loyal, serving You until the end. In faith, we ask this prayer in Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Active Listening Prevents Conflict

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”  (Philippians 2:3-4).

Although we credit psychology as the basis for the practice of Active Listening, the Apostle Paul taught the Gentile believers that listening with the intent to understand reveals a spirit of humility and is a spiritual practice that promotes compassion and unity.

“Often in conversation there is the tendency to concentrate on our reply to whatever is being said, rather than focused on listening in order to understand what the other person is saying and trying to see the issue from their point of view.”

“Often strife arises from simple misunderstandings that could be avoided simply by active listening. We may not agree, but listening and seeking to understand the other person’s viewpoint is the first step for fostering healthy communication and trust.”

Bible Study: Philippians 2

Lord God, we pray for a change in our behaviors toward one another. We confess that we have adopted many of the rough behaviors of the world that do not represent Your love and compassion. And for our impatience, and unloving behaviors, we ask for forgiveness. Lord, we ask You to teach us how to love others as You love us. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Loving Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Psalm 100 NKJV Audio

A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People
A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

God Never Sees a Situation As Impossible

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

We use our faith to believe that God is who He says He is: Loving and Omnipotent [All-Powerful], and YAHWEH Yireh [Our Provider]. Trusting God is easy when we are confident that He loves us and desires the best for our lives.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes.” (Proverbs 3:5-7).

Unbelieving Believers: Believing only that God exists in Heaven happens when we redirect our faith and trust from God to ourselves. Sadly, many feel unloved by God because they trust their limited abilities to resolve life’s challenges.

When we doubt God’s Love, Power, and Promises, we place ourselves on the same spiritual status as unbelievers, who consistently play The Game of Chance with their lives, always experiencing consequences, and never having peace.

Although God created us to depend totally on His thoughts, plans, and help, He never forces us to love, obey, and trust Him. We are free to choose the course of our lives and whether or not we desire Eternal Life.

Self-Reliance Is The Weed that Produces Discouragement and Consequences

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” (Proverbs 28:26, ESV). Wisdom is a blessing that only comes from obeying God.

Ouch! Although God’s words sound harsh, because we have placed our thoughts above God’s higher thoughts and ways [Isaiah 55:8-9], we need a spiritual reality check to come to our senses.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).

God is not punitive. Satan is the evil one who brings chaos and confusion into our lives. Every day, Satan mistreats unbelievers according to his diabolical schemes.

“The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8, ESV).

But for the believer’s striving to follow Christ with faithful obedience, Elohim Shomri places protective boundaries around us. Study Psalm 91.

In John 16:33, Jesus warns us that we will face overwhelming trials that only He can resolve. Every day, we can build our faith by praying for guidance in resolving our small obstacles, so when the tsunami trial hits, our first response is a prayer of Faith: Lord, You promised that if I come to You in faith, You will help me.

We never have to perceive challenges and adversity as impossible if we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is our Shepherd and follow Him with faith, surrender, and obedience.

“We are the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3) reveals that “Christ is our Creator and Shepherd, who leads, provides, and protects His people (us) with abundant blessings and care of His presence, calling us to joyful worship and gratitude for His unending love and faithfulness. It emphasizes our belonging to Him, acknowledging our dependence on Him for guidance and provision in life.”

To remain in right standing with God, we are required to love God by putting Him first; No one, including ourselves, should come before God. Our highest worship is faithful obedience.

Returning to God Is a Life-Saving Decision: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

Prayer of Confession: “God, my faith is weak because I have been trusting in myself instead of You, and for my self-reliance, and not trusting You, I ask for forgiveness.”

God’s Response: “I will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” (Isaiah 65:24, NLT).

“It is possible for us to do our best and still not see the light at the end of the tunnel. But that is because we have limited human ability.”

The Journey of Faith requires the courage to completely trust God with everything. Humility is the Key that Opens the Door of Faith: Even when we think that we can resolve our challenges, we redirect our faith, asking God to intervene.

Pray and involve God in every decision! Our Daily Prayer: LORD, I don’t know what I will face today, but You know. I believe that Your Power is Unlimited, and I desperately need Your Help. In Jesus’ Powerful Name, Amen.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). “God’s power is most evident when we admit our own inadequacy; embracing weakness opens the door for the Holy Spirit to empower us with Jesus’ Divine Strength.”

“God specializes in situations that human eyes [our minds] perceive as impossible. God is the God Who reveals that impossibilities are His specialty; He makes a way where there seems to be no way!”

“For the individuals who hold on to their faith in God, believing in His Unlimited Power, are the people who receive God’s greatest blessings and miracles.” Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we come to You confessing and repenting for using our gift of faith to trust in ourselves. We admit that we have embraced a stubborn spirit of self-reliance. Lord, we have tried every option, but our solutions have failed. We stand at the crossroads, knowing that we are helpless; Lord, we desperately need Your Help! We thank You for hearing and answering our prayer of need that we ask in faith and in the Powerful Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bible Study: Mark 9:14-29.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry