Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you my God…Psalm 25:1-2 NLT

I had a very precious friend who recently passed away after an ongoing battle with chronic heart disease. Although her health was severely compromised, she faithfully served God until the end of her life. The impact that she made on our church has given a sense of urgency to each member to serve God with all of our heart, soul, and mind.

God has given us many promises, all we have to do is believe. Why is it so hard to just believe and completely trust in God? When we reflect on our lives, we know that God has proven himself by blessing us time and time again. Truly, our lives are in His hands.

During our seven days fast, learn to trust in the Lord with all your heart. Is there anything to great for our God? Whatever your circumstances, take it to God in prayer; He is waiting to unleash His mighty power on your life.

Prayer for today: Dear God, Thank you for your great love for us. We desire to have steadfast faith and to realize that when we are in the valley of darkness, our lives are always in your hands. Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. We ask these things in the worthy name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

The LORD’S loving-kindness indeed never ceases, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

If you are reading this devotional then you have been given new mercies for a brand new day to which we must proclaim, “Thank you, God.”

We can have the assurance that God always keeps His promises. He cannot be anything but faithful; even so, God has the condition of, “If and then”, we must obey and follow His commands for victorious outcomes.

As a faith-building step, I invite each of us to begin a spiritual fast; for the next seven (7) days, two (2) hours each day: Commit to prayer, study the Bible, and refrain from doing something that you love to do. Our goal is to live a faith-based life and for prayer to become an automatic response when we experience tribulations, victories, and the need for intercession on behalf of others.

Studying the Word of God is essential for our spiritual growth: We learn who God is, we develop an intimate relationship with God, and the Holy Spirit can bring to our remembrance the scriptures we have read for comfort and reiteration of God’s promises to us.

Bible Reading Schedule

Day 1-Psalm 51

Day 2- Psalm 25

Day 3-Psalm 23

Day 4-Psalm 27

Day 5-Psalm 34

Day 6-Psalm 37

Day 7-Psalm 47

Prayers of Forgiveness, Prayers of Gratitude, Prayers for Strength, Prayers for Intercession, Prayers for Financial Need, Prayers for Wisdom, and Prayers for Change of Character are among the endless prayers that we are blessed to offer to our Heavenly Father.

When we realize that prayer and the study of God’s Holy Word are the greatest blessings given to us, then we will become spiritual soldiers and proclaim as Job: “But I know that my redeemer lives, and in the end, he will stand upon the Earth.” Job 19:35

…But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4

Prayer for today: Dear God, We desire to have a deeper relationship with you and to live a faith-based life. We humbly come before you asking you to forgive us of our sins and shortcomings, and to fill us with your Holy Spirit. We are thankful for the ability to learn who you are through the study of your Word and the ability to communicate with you any time of the day through prayer. Thank you for your grace and your mercies. We ask your blessings as we begin our spiritual fast today in the worthy name of your Son, Jesus. Amen!

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?” Luke 12:24

This morning I prayed through my tears; the separation from our grandchildren after returning home to Texas was bittersweet. I begin to wonder when I would hear my precious babies–ages 10, 11, and 15– say, “Grandma, grandma guess what?” or how many months would pass before I would be able to give them the hugs that cause them to say, “Grandma, you are the best.”

At a time when I am progressing through the aging process, the love that we exchanged–between a grandmother and her grandchildren is certainly one of the most precious gifts from God. So, if I believe that God has good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11), then why did the thought of never seeing my grandchildren again enter my mind?

Our lives often fluctuate between feeling elated, as if we have reached the peak of the mountain, only to experience unforseen events that catapult us down into the valley; the valley where darkness overshadows us and we begin to lose our faith.

Sometimes the valley is darker than it needs to be!

Is it because of the things that we imagine or the escalated emotions that push us into the realm of unsubstantiated fear?

Although I was overwhelmed from a mixture of sadness and fear regarding my grandchildren, I believe in the power of prayer and possess a deep love for God. All I could do was to talk to God and express my grief audibly through a simple prayer. Immediately following my prayer, the Holy Spirit directed me to watch a devotional that explained the value that God places on His earthly children.

From personal experience, I can say that God always keeps His promises; I am required to pray without ceasing and faithfully trust in God whether I am experiencing peaks or lows in my life.

God is always the best and only option! With God we never have to fear any circumstance; His love and power are awesome.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 ESV

Prayer for today: Dear God, We pray for the confidence and steadfast faith that you are always here for us. We acknowledge that our faith wavers based on our circumstances and we invite fear into our hearts instead of completely trusting in you. Oh God, please forgive our doubt and unbelief. As we strive for a closer relationship with you, we ask for you to give us the strength to face our challenges with confidence that you are always here. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer. We ask these things of you in the worthy name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Last week, I was at a thrift store that asked me to round-up my purchase amount of $13.58 to $14. Without hesitation, I said yes and left the store feeling good about my donation.

Hmmm…today I am thinking about the concept of rounding up and the amount of money that I could save, in my mason jar bank, from using cash for my purchases.

When we traveled out of state last week we paid cash for gasoline and food purchases due to the epidemic of skimming and fraudulent use of credit/debit cards. We spent a large amount of our change for the purpose of paying highway tolls; even so, our mason jar is almost full from the leftover change that we returned home with.

So here is the challenge:

Use cash for the majority of your purchases and save your leftover change.

Round down and keep your change as an investment in your own finances.

Resist the urge to reach for the debit or credit card…do not feel embarrassed or intimidated when using cash for payments.

The next time I visit a store that asks me to roundup to the next dollar, I will politely say, “No, thank you,” and think about my mason jar bank waiting for me at home.

Seeking new and improved strategies for a higher quality of life involves letting go of wasteful habits!

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

What are you thankful for this Sabbath?

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

It is God who consistently provides for all of our needs. Do not focus on your circumstances, just rely on God’s power to bring restoration and resolution. Your responsibility is to pray, trust, and believe in faith that God is here for you.

God loves you!

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask for your Divine intervention in our lives today. We admit that our circumstances seem overwhelming. Please bring resolution to the problems we are facing and forgive us for doubting your awesome love and power. We ask this prayer in the holy name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them; for the LORD your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

In the past week, my granddaughter expressed numerous things that she feared. As I listened intently, I realized that although she has never experienced any negative or traumatic situations that would substantiate her fears, she was still afraid.

As believers, what do you fear? Is it the future, is it anxiety from past experiences, or is it your current circumstances? There is a solution to what and who we fear: God is always aware of our human frailties and He is always available to allay all of our fears.

Communication through prayer–using plain talk and simply acknowledging our concerns to God is exactly the solution to provide us with perfect peace.

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25 ESV

We are just ordinary people, but God tells us to have strength and courage; remember that He is always here, regardless of the circumstances that we face in our lives.

Prayer for today: Dear God, We admit that we have fear about many things–the known as well as the unknown. We ask you to please help us to completely rely on you, to always trust in you. Although we are just ordinary people, you have provided the way for us to be courageous through your strength. We thank you for your loving kindness, your grace, and your mercies. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

Melbourne Beach Pier, Florida

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

Have you ever wondered why your life has so many ups and downs while others appear to have such an easygoing life?

When we are faithful to God, the storms of life may occur frequently; even so, we must always believe that God has a purpose for every trial that cause us to experience the troublesome times in our lives. He desires that we come to fully rely upon His strength and power to resolve all of our problems ranging from small to great.

Always Pray, Trust, and Obey God regardless of the Circumstances!

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

Prayer for today: Dear Lord and Father, We humbly approach you in prayer to ask for your divine intervention in every aspect of our lives. Oh God, we acknowledge that we need a deeper relationship with you. Our lives are in your hands. Please help us, as we commit to trusting you always inspite of our circumstances. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message, this is what the LORD says: “Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness. Isaiah 38:1 NLT

Death and Dying

There are many individuals who receive the news that they have a terminal diagnosis that leaves them with a predictable and shortened life expectancy. The reactions to knowing that your life is ending will vary and may include depression, despair, anger, bargaining, rejection; but gradually the acceptance of pending death facilitates a peaceful end for most individuals.

Although, we are aware that death is a part of life, death brings the harsh reality of a permanent separation from others that we love and care about. The chill of death impacts the living and causes us to reflect on our own mortality. Of all the good things that could be said about life, the fact remains that there is nothing beneficial or nothing positive that can be said regarding death–but wait, for believers serving God, we have a blessed hope, because we know that death in Christ will be rewarded with immortality–at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17

In order to understand death, we must study the Bible to understand the origin of life. In Genesis chapter 2, we are told that Adam was created from the dust of the ground, and that God breathed the breath of life into him and “he became a living thing.”

Because of God’s love when creating human life, He desired an entire populous; therefore, God created a female counterpart from Adam’s rib, his wife–Eve and gave the command to be fruitful and multiply–to procreate and reproduce children.

The Fall of Man (Genesis 3) resulted in the beginning of sin for all human life which resulted in the onset of death. Because we were created with the freedom of choice, God created a tree that was not to be eaten from, the tree was placed to demonstrate that love and obedience to God was an option. Adam and Eve were given a free will to make the decision to go against God’s command: even so, they also had to face the consequences of their disobedience to their Creator.

There were many consequences to the disobedience of God’s command not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil: Loss of immortality; loss of face-to-face communion with Christ; loss of the perfect home designed by God, and many other changes that resulted in pain, sorrow, suffering, and the intentional death of animals in order to clothe their nakedness.

Yes, death is harsh and there are many individuals who live according to a credo of, “you only have one life, go ahead, and do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

Satan would like for us to believe that the Creator of Life had nothing planned for the human race except struggle, unhappiness, and eventually death; however, God refutes Satan’s claim throughout the Bible. Pay attention to Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

If we fail to serve God, then we view life as hopeless; we cannot nor will we ever believe in Jesus’ resurrection or the promise given to us regarding the First Resurrection of Believers in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT:

For the Lord himself will come down heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

Studying the Bible imparts vital knowledge!

God’s purpose for all humanity was to live forever. Because of His great love, He did not create us with robotic minds, every individual has the choice to live for God or to live according to their own purpose.

For those who choose to believe in and faithfully serve God, we will reap the greatest reward: Eternal life–immortality in a New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation chapters 21-22

Although, God’s original plan for humanity was altered by Sin, there was a backup plan already in place, and that plan was that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God would die for all mankind.

We have this hope that one day there will be no more death, sorrow, pain, or broken hearts…if we choose God, then we will have the opportunity to live forever and ever with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer for today: Dear God: All power is in you, we acknowledge your love for humanity by allowing your only Son, Jesus to die for us. You were pleased with His commitment to die on the cross for us, and now He serves as our Intercessor. We have felt the pain and emptiness associated with death. Oh God, we ask you to touch, comfort, and heal the brokenness of our hearts and our lives caused by the impact of death. Please forgive us of our sins past and present, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. We look forward to living in the New Heaven and the New Earth where our hearts will never be broken again by death. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Located in Oregon, USA