No Time for Prayer and Bible Study? Christ alone gives spiritual strength to those who worship Him through the daily consecration of their minds, characters, and personalities.
Only the power of God can recalibrate our mind from focusing on the prosperity, pleasures, and success of a world that is falling apart to preparing for an eternity of Kingdom Life. It is impossible for us to keep ourselves on the Path of Righteousness. We must have Jesus!
Lord Jesus, our Triumphant King, we thank You for Salvation, Redemption, and the promise of Eternal Life. As we dedicate ourselves to being Your followers, we ask You for the strength to overcome the internal conflict of pursuing the desires that are meaningless. In Your Holy Name, we pray, Amen.
” ‘And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.’ As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.” -John 8:29
Jesus Prays for Himself: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4).
We have Jesus’ Righteous example of the humility and faithful obedience required to honor and revere God, the Father. Our love and loyalty to Christ must supersede loving ourselves, and the world’s prosperity and pleasures.
Daily consecration through prayer, fasting, and diligent study of the Bible keeps us close to God, inviting the Holy Spirit to perform the daily transforming work of Sanctification.
Lord God, we thank You for living a life of faithful obedience that we could be redeemed from the consequences of sin. We ask for the anointing, power, presence, and spiritual wisdom from the Holy Spirit to live a sacrificial life of surrender and faithful obedience. Thank You, Jesus for leading, protecting, and correcting us in our daily walk with You. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray, Amen.
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:7, 14-15, NIV)
“Of all creatures the sheep is one of the most timid and helpless…still, the shepherd’s care for his flock is untiring and incessant.” The defenseless sheep know they must always depend on their shepherd to keep them safe.
“In ancient times there was minimal safety outside of walled towns. Marauders from the roving border tribes, or beasts of prey from their hiding places in the rocks, lay in wait to plunder the flocks. The shepherd watched… knowing that it was at the peril of his own life.” He was always prepared to fight and protect his sheep.
Spiritually, Jesus compares us to sheep who are helpless against Satan, the enemy. Without the Divine power and strength of Christ, our Shepherd, we cannot live righteously, or overcome the covert, and highly effective deceptions of the enemy.
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.” -Isaiah 53:6, NLT
Sadly, we think that attending weekly church service is the way to receive eternal life. Many believers refuse to live a surrendered, faithful, obedient, and consecrated life to God. But our self-reliance comes with a high price, we lose the safety of being led by our Shepherd which easily persuades us to embrace the enticements and deceptions of this world.
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” -Matthew 16:26
The decisions we make without spiritual guidance will always bring consequences to our lives. Maybe all is well right now but the mindset of self-reliance is one of disobedience which ultimately separates us from God. We believe that we can lead ourselves, so there is no need to pray for guidance.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” -Proverbs 16:12
From using our thoughts and inclinations to fulfill our desires, we exchange the hope of receiving the promise of eternal life for nothing but earthly treasures that will soon be destroyed when Jesus comes again.
The Christian Community has embraced many pagan practices in the attempt to gain Jesus’ gift of peace. Burning sage, Eastern meditation, yoga, the worship of Hindu deities, online gambling, CBD, secular music, pornography, living together without marriage, and friendships with unbelievers instead of living a sacrificial life dedicated to God.
We easily pursue our desires that are satisfied from hours of screen time, scrolling on social media, and seeking prosperity, pleasure, and political alliances. Without Divine power, we lose the internal battle against our heart’s desires, so we feel no need to be led by Christ.
“It is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can.”
“Christ came that He might re-create the image of God in man; and whoever turns men away from Christ is turning them away from the source of true development.”
The decision to follow Jesus, our Good Shepherd is a tough spiritual journey that requires us to let go of our desires and pursuits. Yes, our faith is tested everyday by temptations, and fiery trials but we are not left defenseless.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” -Hebrews 4:16
Prayer invites the Holy Spirit to intervene. To be under the loving care of Jesus is to live a life overflowing with hope, joy, and peace. We can live with the spirit of contentment when we choose Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ” -Hebrews 13:5, NIV
Use your faith to live courageously! Even in adversity, we know that Jesus will give us the victory! From dedicating ourselves to the Shepherd, He will lead us safely through our earthly journey.
As obedient sheep who always follow their Shepherd, we have the hope of receiving the reward of eternal life in a perfect and loving New Heaven and New Earth. Yes and Amen!
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Lord God, we thank you for being our Good Shepherd. Our desire is to return to Your loving arms. We ask forgiveness for leaving your safety by pursuing meaningless earthly practices and treasures. We pray for strength, wisdom, and an increase in faith, and ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” -Isaiah 43:1-3
“God often allows us to experience a crisis to reveal our limitations and weaknesses. The adversity that no human effort can resolve points us to God, the Only True Source of Strength.” Sermon Notes
As I read a few of my sermon notes, one caught my attention, causing me to reflect for quite a while. The only thought that repeated itself over and over again was the question, “Why do we exclude our Heavenly Father from our daily lives until we face a major dilemma?”
How are we different from the unbelievers who reject God by practicing the learned behavior of self-reliance, and suffering never-ending consequences, which creates an atmosphere fueled by anxieties, worries, and hopelessness?
The Apostle Paul answers the question: “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1, NLT).
“The word ‘carnal’ (Greek: sarkikos) is often used to describe a state of being dominated by the flesh and worldly desires, rather than the Spirit of God. It suggests a focus on physical needs, earthly pleasures, and a lack of spiritual maturity.”
Prayer, fasting, consecration, and renewing our vow to follow Christ through daily surrender and faithful obedience is the only spiritual remedy to regain our right standing with God. We must worship God with love, loyalty, and commitment if we truly desire the reward of Eternal life.
Lord God, we approach your Throne of Grace asking for forgiveness for a spirit of disobedience as manifested by a mindset of self-reliance and lifestyles of self-governance. We ask you to, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a contrite spirit within me.” Lord, we thank you for your love, grace, and mercies, and ask this prayer in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:17, NIV
Yes, God desires for us to come to Him based on His loving character but He never violates our Free Will of choice. Our lifestyle reveals whom we serve. True heart conversion is spiritually deeper than attending church once a week. We cannot only be churchgoers but must have a deep abiding love for God, only then can we worship Him in spirit and truth.
Second hand knowledge as a result of not studying the Bible for oneself will not prepare us to stand with steadfast faith [in the power of Christ] when tempted, or in times of persecution. We cannot use our strength to overcome temptations designed to separate us from God.
It is the willingness to consecrate and commit ourselves to God demonstrated by daily personal worship that strengthens our relationship with Jesus Christ. Winning the war against sin and our desires requires consistent praying for the Holy Spirit to empower us with Christ’s wisdom and strength, only then can we live as Victorious Overcomers in Christ Jesus.
“…are we not all in danger, especially the longer we are here, of setting ‘aside the humble simplicity of Christ and his apostles’ for the pomp, power, accolades, and temptations of the world? If we think we’re not, we are fooling ourselves.” ssnet.org
Lord God, we pray for the desire to look beyond this present Earth, and its promises of prosperity and pleasures designed to separate us from You. We pray for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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