Encouraging Words Are Blessings

“Cultivate thankfulness. Praise God for His wonderful love in giving Christ to die for us. It never pays to think of our grievances. God calls upon us to think of His mercy and His matchless love, that we may be inspired with praise.”

Every day, we receive God’s love, grace, and countless mercies, especially for the forgiveness of our transgressions, yet, we are often harsh and unforgiving with those who offend us. When God’s love reigns in our heart, we forgive easily because we are forgiven.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, NIV). If our facial expressions are pleasant, and we easily smile then it is easy to speak encouraging words.

Maintain a heart filled with forgiveness by never allowing your emotions to override your love for God and others. The Jewish leaders despised Christ, yet, He always answered with words of wisdom, using a parables, and the Scriptures.

Regardless of how programs like “The Chosen” portray Jesus, the Scriptures reveal that He never spoke in harsh tones. Even when unkind, angry words are directed at us, we have the opportunity to reflect the love of God to others. We choose to nurture a spirit of humility by not retaliating. 

Satan uses people to disturb our peace in an attempt to make us react negatively with emotions, which reveals the lack of discipline and self-control. When facing the conflict of contentious words, whisper a prayer, and remain silent. If we must reply, then simply say, “Jesus loves you,” and walk away, or end the call.

Not only should our words be spoken with a pleasant voice, breathe a prayer before sending text messages. Texting poses challenges because written words are often misunderstood, we never know how the recipient is going to perceive our message.

[Disclaimer: This Devotional is not advocating for one to remain in an abusive relationship.]

Staying close to God through prayer and Bible study reinforces our status of sons and daughters of God. We will face fiery trials and spiritual warfare in various ways. Satan’s goal is always to disturb our gifts of internal peace and joy. With the strength of Christ, we can overcome every situation. Study Ephesians 6.

Our earthly lives are the only opportunity we have to experience the spiritual growth and transformation of our minds, characters, and personalities into the likeness of Christ. The human effort of exercising patience and self-discipline in troublesome situations reveals our cooperation with the Holy Spirit to develop a righteous character.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

The Fruit of the Spirit represents the attributes of Christ’s Righteous Character. Yes, the Christian journey involves suffering, still, if we speak encouraging words, we fulfill our part in cultivating a righteous character.

“I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue” (Psalm 39:1).

“Cultivate the habit of speaking well of others. Dwell upon the good qualities of those with whom you associate, and see as little as possible of their errors and failings.”

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart” (Ezekiel 36:26).

At first, speaking only positive, and encouraging words requires much effort, yet if we persevere, the Holy Spirit softens our inherited, hardened hearts, and we begin to perceive life with a spirit of love and gratitude.

One day soon, we will live in the New Heaven and New Earth where love, peace, kindness, gentleness, and love-infused words will permeate the atmosphere. We should look forward to that Great Day!

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Encouraging words always bless the giver and receiver. Peace and Blessings.

Lord God, we pray to have a spirit of love, compassion, and self-control as reflected by our words. Please help us to love others as you love them. We pray for the spiritual wisdom to perceive life through the eyes of Christ. We ask this prayer in the Loving Name of Jesus, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

“I Will Give You Peace”

POP: Pray, Obey, Persevere

The Christian journey is a tough battle that requires the human effort of possessing and exercising the righteous characteristics of humility, surrender, faith in God, and the willingness to bow to God’s Sovereign Authority.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).

We believe that Jesus Christ is who He says He is: Our Provider, Protector, and Peace-Giver. Much prayer is required to receive God’s Power and His Peace.

Once or twice-a-day prayers are no longer enough to live as Victorious Overcomers in these perilous times (2 Timothy 3). We must stay connected to Christ by whispering prayers throughout our day.

Prayer is our greatest weapon against Satan, our enemy. Dependency on God is the only way to remain faithful and steadfast in a world filled with the temptations of pleasure and prosperity.

Obedience is a worship, and acknowledges our love and reverence to God’s Sovereignty. Obedience reveals that our hearts are pure, and filled with love for God.

To obey is the only way, the Holy Spirit can give us the continuous spiritual guidance, wisdom, and strength to overcome the darkness of spiritual warfare.

Perseverance is to push forward in the strength of Jesus Christ. We may not be able to see beyond the given moment, and feel as if we have exhausted our mental, emotional, and physical strength, still, in those times, we pray a child’s prayer, Jesus, I need Your help.”

Never forget that God is Eternal! God is the definition of Eternity Past, Present, and Future. Every aspect of our lives He knows. In the power of His might, we must keep moving forward even if it’s baby steps.

Live for today: Study Matthew 6

Only trust Him, and one day, we will behold Jesus Christ, our Triumphant King in the clouds in all of His Divine Majesty and Glory. We have this hope, this earthly life is temporary, and our Lord and Savior is coming soon to take the righteous to their forever home. Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we ask for your Divine help. We need the strength to persevere in our journey. We are renewing our covenant to faithfully seek and obey Your will, and plans. We ask you to bless us with peace and the strength to keep moving forward. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Will You Receive the Reward of Eternal Life?

Recently I watched four Instagram reels on disobeying God, but the word Disobedience was skillfully avoided in the presentations. It is better for us to know the Plain Truth than to lose our reward of Eternal life because we never obeyed God.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you…” (Hosea 4:6). We cannot depend on social media, sermons, and podcasts to save our souls.

Worship God everyday through prayer and careful study of the Scriptures. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom and discernment to understand the depth of God’s Transforming Word.

“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). Jesus is our perfect example of obedience to God. In The Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “…nevertheless, not my will but Your will be done.”

Our Savior’s death on Calvary’s Cross reveals that He loved God, the Father more than He loved Himself. Obedience to God in every aspect of our lives reveals that our hearts are converted, and filled with more love for God than for ourselves.

If we willingly obey our employer’s policies because we are rewarded with keeping our jobs and receiving our salary, how much more emphasis should we place on our destiny of eternal life?

Disobedience to God’s Sovereign Authority always brings devastating consequences to our lives. Not only do we lose our desire to please God, but we pray calculated prayers filled with request for blessings instead of praying for Spiritual transformation.

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36). From studying the Book of Revelation, we know this Earth is our temporary home. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to be content with His blessings.

Why are we chasing the raggedy things of this Earth, and entering into relationships with individuals who do not desire the Forever reward Jesus has promised us?

Eternal Life Is the Reward for Faithful Obedience to God

The only thing we can take with us to Heaven is a “Righteous character” that must be developed in our earthly lives through daily surrender, faith, and obedience to God. We honor and reverence God through the worship of obedience to His plans for us.

From our daily prayer of submission to Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, and our Mediator, we invite the Holy Spirit to transform our unrighteous minds, characters, and personalities daily into the likeness of Christ’s Righteous Character.

The spiritual journey is a tumultuous experience, yet, if we seek God’s will, and willingly obey His directives, day by day, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

We are never alone in our walk with Jesus. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Obedience allows the Holy Spirit to give us Christ’s Supernatural Strength to overcome the internal conflict of pursuing our desires, and the external opposition of temptations.

Proclaim out loud everyday, “I am going to heaven!” Amen!

For the faithful, Jesus is waiting to reward us with our golden crowns, and Eternal Life in the New Heaven and New Earth. Hallelujah and Amen!

“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—’ ” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we as forgiveness for disobedience, and pray to have a heart that loves You, filled with steadfast faith and obedience. We ask you to reveal the behaviors and habits that prevent us from being aligned with Your perfect will and plans. It is our desire to receive Eternal Life. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

God’s Love Empowers Us to Love

Love is a Fruit of the Spirit, and the Fruit of the Spirit represents Christ’s Righteous Character [Galatians 5:22-23].

“When love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, not because of favors received from them, but because love is the principle of action. Love modifies the character, governs the impulses, subdues enmity, and [elevates] the affections.”

“This love is as broad as the universe, and is in harmony with that of the angel workers. Cherished in the heart, it sweetens the entire life and sheds its blessing all around.”

“Without a living faith in Christ as a personal Savior it is impossible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world.” Unless we possess Agape Love, we will not have the power to demonstrate the difference Christ makes in one’s life.

We cannot give to others that which we do not ourselves possess. It is in proportion to our own devotion and consecration to Christ that we exert an influence for the blessing and uplifting of mankind.” EGW

Lord Jesus, we live in a world void of love. We ask You to teach us how to love others as You love them. Please remove all the harshness from our character. Empower us with the Holy Spirit so that we can represent Your Righteous Character. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, we pray, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Resetting Our Priority to God First

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.” —Lamentations 3:25-26

Surrendering to God’s Sovereignty is the daily, intentional decision to put God First. By asking for God’s will to be done, our love for God is revealed by the desire to consecrate ourselves to Him. Faith, surrender, and obedience are the righteous attributes that keep us connected to Christ, who taught us by His earthly life what it means to put God First.

The ‘God First’ commitment is renewed each morning. We use our faith to invite God to perform the miraculous. Asking our Heavenly Father for help is always answered immediately. Our prayer invites the Holy Spirit to impart the spiritual wisdom required to recognize God’s Voice and to align us with His will. 

“Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:11). Since the human heart naturally rebels against God, we always need Divine help to fight Satan’s continuous spiritual warfare and the internal conflict of pursuing our desires. Consistent prayer is our Spiritual Lifeline to our Advocate, Jesus Christ.

The Christian Journey is tough! We need the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit to live as overcomers. Receiving supernatural strength is Christ’s response to the faithful who know we must depend on our Shepherd to persevere and resist distractions and temptations.

Putting God First requires us not to react with feelings. Failure comes from following our natural thoughts and inclinations. Even with the best strategies, human wisdom cannot predict outcomes.

“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.” —Proverbs 3:5-6

Believers do not awaken with a mindset of defeat, but each day, our desires, goals, and to-do lists also awaken, always posing the threat for us to exclude God. Our response will either include God by asking for His Divine intervention, or completing our agenda using the risky behavior of relying on our strength.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes.” —Proverbs 3:7

Human wisdom is often praised, but it always leads to unforeseen consequences. God warns us not to rely on our thoughts. Without God, we exchange internal peace for racing thoughts. Focusing on the present circumstances instead of God’s Faithfulness creates pressure, anxiety, worry, and doubt.

The Bible says that unbelievers always stumble by making the wrong decisions because their faith is displaced from God to themselves. Faith in God separates us from unbelievers; therefore, we should not embrace and practice their worldviews of self-reliance and following one’s heart.

Unbelieving believers only acknowledge that God exists; they do not trust God’s faithfulness, love, and power. But most importantly, trusting in self excludes God and places us outside of His perfect will, which is disobedience against God.

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). God First is a lifestyle of surrender and faithful obedience. It is also God’s command to the righteous. Self-reliance reveals our rejection of God’s daily blessings. Unless we travel on the Narrow Path of Righteousness paved by humility and faithful obedience, we forfeit our reward of Eternal life.

How to Live a “God First” Lifestyle

  1. Accept God’s Truth: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Through obedience, we fight against internal conflict.
  2. We must acknowledge that spiritual warfare against believers does exist. Satan’s greatest goal is to make us feel that God does not care about the small details of our personal lives, leaving us alone to figure it out. But Satan is the master deceiver whose modus operandi is the skillful use of lies and chaos. Study Matthew 6. We are loved! Yes and Amen!
  3. Choose to stand down unreliable emotions with prayer. We cannot see clearly when we follow our feelings instead of praying. Asking “Why now?” only escalates emotions and diminishes our faith. Feeling overwhelmed occurs when we try to create strategies to tackle our challenges. Turn it over to Jesus!
  4. Putting God first requires a dedicated lifestyle of much prayer. Prayer is our highest priority. We can expect a perfect outcome when we obey God. Pray for help and thank God in the same prayer. Our Heavenly Father already has the answer.
  5. Describe the attributes of God’s Character. We must know Who our Faithful God is to completely trust Him. The Bible is the least read among Christian believers. Something is not right! Even pagan worshipers know the attributes of their deities. For Beginners: Study Genesis 1-3, and the Life of Christ found in the Four Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John].

Putting God First is a matter of the heart: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”(Mark 12:30).

God’s Invitation: “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’ ” (Psalm 27:8).

Our Responsibility: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7).

God’s Faithfulness: “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

We Have This Hope: “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).

Turning our hearts to Christ, even in the smallest matters, guards against developing a spirit of self-reliance and increases our faith. Total dependency on God is living the most beautiful life filled with peace. Why? When our response to adversity is praying in faith, we possess courage and confidence in the Power of God!

Lord God, we desire to change our response to life’s challenges by putting You First. We admit that we cannot resolve our current challenges, and ask for Your Help. Lord, teach us how to recognize Your Voice above our thoughts. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, we pray, Amen.