How God Strengthens Our Heart

SHOUT the Cry of Victory 30 Days of Prayer Day 8

Yesterday, I read a beautiful story from a member of a FB crochet group. She posted a picture of her first arugami crochet animal, a teddy bear, and asked the group how to make the eyes symmetrical because they were crooked and one of the legs was a little larger than the other. But the following picture was of her granddaughter hugging the bear with a big smile as she said, “Thank you, Gran, he is beautiful, I will always love him.”

If only we viewed ourselves as children of God, our Heavenly Father, as the sinners that Jesus redeemed, and students of our teacher, the Holy Spirit, we would have faith and trust in God under all circumstances.

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.” John 17:9

With all of our imperfections, selfish desires, and failure to rely on God, Jesus still serves as our Heavenly Intercessor. What does that mean? Jesus is in heaven praying to God, our Father, pleading for the body of believers. God gave His only Son, Jesus for sinful humanity. Our prayers of confession, repentance, thankfulness, and intercession for others are heard by our Spiritual team, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Yet, it is Jesus who presents us as faultless to God. 

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Jesus told us that our journey with Him would be challenging. But if we rely on Him through steadfast faith, Jesus also promised to bring us through every trial, sorrow, and heartache. Are you enjoying the peace that Jesus promises us when we stay connected to Him? If not, put all of your faith [belief] and trust in God who gave His Son to suffer, bleed, and die for the Redemption of our sins.

Human Effort + Divine Intervention = A Victorious Outcome

We owed a debt that we could never repay, and our debt is forgiven. Now is the time for us to make a covenant [relationship] with God and do our part to be faithful until Jesus comes again. Only those who are faithful and obedient will receive the reward of immortality and live in a perfect New Heaven and New Earth. We have been liberated from the chains of sin. Praise God!

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. John 14:27

Bible study: John 14

Prayer: God, I pray an intercessory prayer for the believers who are at the point of giving up because of their hardships. Help us see through children’s eyes that you are our Father. May we understand the purpose of our stormy difficulties and the seasons of darkness necessary to change our characters. Please give us your blessings of peace and the courage to remain faithful as we continue in our journey. I ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen. 

God’s Plan for Something New

Have you experienced loss within the past sixteen months? What are some recent or lingering changes or losses [death and dying are the exceptions]you are still facing? Two losses, which really hit hard during the pandemic are the loss of our jobs and relationships. And yes, our reaction to grief is huge and rightly so because we face financial instability and/or the abrupt change in the status of “us” becoming “me.”

We may view our loss as the end of our dreams or as new beginnings. Our perception of the change determines whether or not we will move forward to pursue new and exciting opportunities for growth. If we view ourselves as having great potential, then we may cry, but we will take baby steps [some individuals can take giant leaps] to pursue another path. Still, we cannot utilize a cookie-cutter approach to rebuilding our lives. Every situation is unique, along with various factors that determine the strategies to move forward.

Identify your resources:

  1. God: Always approach Our Heavenly Father–Jehovah Jireh when the “Restart” button is pushed. Daily we must pray, God, not my will, but Your will be done. When we give God permission to initiate His plans for us, remember that we may endure hardships at any point in our lives. Because God knows the beginning to the end, we must trust His process. Admit in your prayers that you are not feeling your best, yet, you fully trust Him.
  2. Study the biblical stories of victory: When defeat appears to be our only option, trust that God has you in His hands. God delivered the Israelites from enslavement in Egypt, opened and closed the Red Sea, destroying Pharoah and his army [Exodus 14], David, a shepherd boy, took Goliath down with a slingshot [1 Samuel 17], and Joshua marched around Jericho [Joshua 6]. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
  3. Spiritual Support: Speaking to your pastor, a prayer warrior, community resources leader, or even joining a support group is vital to prevent depression or hopelessness.
  4. Family and friends: Identify the friends and family who you can trust to provide emotional and/or financial support during the transitional period. Do not isolate. Satan can present our challenges as overwhelming or cause us to see ourselves as victims. Often the break-up or unemployment is not our fault. Someone else made the choice that would change our lives. Still, we must not harbor or allow negative emotions to overtake us, or we will never move forward. Live one day at a time.
  5. Pray for God to reveal your spiritual gifts, talents, and develop hobbies.
  6. Research and identify your community resources.

There is another scenario that I must mention: What if you are without friends or family you can present your situation too, or you do not have a church home? Seek God in prayer, and thank Him for sustaining you. Establish a daily schedule. Get out of the bed or off the sofa. Go outside at least once a day for a walk. We may live alone, but God is always near.

Whether we are the only person in our home, have children, or extended family members living with us, never forget, our Father cares. God says He knows the number of hairs on our head. It is our trials and sorrows that build our faith. No, it does not feel good. Even so, God knows our circumstances before they happen. Trust Him to see you through.

Bible study: Matthew 6

Prayer: God, we are not feeling our best right now and we pray that you will comfort us and reveal your plans for our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

©2021 Sonya Johnson

God took Action!

When we decide to serve God, we make a covenant vow to serve Him by putting God first. Often our desires get in the way and we focus on people, places, and things. We fail to put God first. It is then that He begins house-cleaning. The relationship that prevented you from obeying God, He removed the person from your life, God did it for His glory and your good.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer: God, thank you for your divine intervention to remove obstacles from our lives. Please help us to always put you first. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

©2021 Sonya Johnson

Sorry, You are Not Dressed Properly

SHOUT the Cry of Victory 30 Days of Prayer Day 6

You Mortals, the Lord has told you what is good. This is what the LORD requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to live humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 GWT

Prayer: God, please give us the courage to change our clothes and put on the clothing of a servant, as Jesus did. We ask for forgiveness of the sins of pride, selfish desires, and disobedience. We desire to live a purpose-driven life, full of faith and trust in you. We ask this prayer in the Worthy name of Jesus. Amen.

The Servant’s Daily Attire

Surround Yourself With Love

Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 2 Timothy 2:22

I recently read that we should ask God to reveal the people who really love us and remove those who do not have a genuine love for God. If they love God, then their words, behaviors, and actions reflect their love for us. God reminds us that He has no tolerance for the human mix of love and hate. Either we have a heart full of love or hate. “Whoever claims to love God, yet, hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” 1 John 4:20

Because I have struggled with separating myself from toxic friends and family, God reached out by allowing me to read a devotional about letting people go. Please know that the “believers” are family members and long-term friendships. Still, I took a leap of faith and prayed this prayer, “Dear God, please reveal to me the family and friends who love you and have love for me. And give me the courage and strength to remove the remaining people from my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1 Corinthians 13 gives us God’s standards for love. When we study the love chapter, please note that love does not include mistreatment nor the lack of compassion. Imagine asking for help and receiving the response of “I will pray for you, but right now I have things to do,” or they give this reason for not answering your phone calls and text messages: “Don’t take it personally, I just haven’t felt like talking [to you].”

Love for God is the determining factor that identifies who we should include in our lives. It is usually easy to eliminate friends that do not have our best interests in mind. But how do you handle the situation when being unequally yoked extends to a spouse or family members? Unhealthy relationships destroy our ability to focus on God. Please know that we have invited a significant problem into our faith-based life when we tolerate toxic people that make life even harder for us.

Having unconditional love in our hearts does not mean that we become victims of emotional abuse.

Our only decision is to Put God first! I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols. Isaiah 46:8. People, places, and things can easily become our idols if they interfere with our relationship with God.

Do not be mismatched with unbelievers, for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together or what does light have in common with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 NASB

Run from individuals that are confused as to who they are serving. They have compromised and blended worldly habits into their “sanctified” lifestyle. Also, please stay away from mean people! Spouses, family members, and the people in our social circles always impact our relationship with God in a positive or negative aspect. If you are seeking peace and victory, make certain that the people surrounding you are not stumbling blocks. We cannot have a covenant relationship with God or enjoy peace and inner joy when we allow: lack of support, toxic communication, jealousy, controlling behaviors, resentment, dishonesty, disrespect, and negative financial behaviors.

You Are in the Right Relationship When It Is Helping Your Walk With God, Not Hurting It. God is love! And He desires that we surround ourselves with caring and compassionate people who love God and love us.

Love God, Love Others, and Love Yourself

Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 13

Prayer: God, we desire to have a relationship with you based on love, faith, trust, and obedience. Thank you for loving us first. We ask that you rescue and protect us from the people who would harm us emotionally. Please bring people into our lives who love you and love others. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

©2021 Sonya Johnson