Daily Devotional Reading – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Search The Scriptures – They Are The Word of The Living God

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40).

God’s Gift: Eternal life is a free gift from God rather than something earned by human works. Accepting Christ is the only way to receive eternal life:

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). Exclusivity in Christ: The spiritual life exists only from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'” (Matthew 22:37).

When our hearts are overflowing with love for God, the Father’s Gift of Jesus, His Son, who suffered on Calvary’s Cross to save our souls, we will reciprocate our love for Christ through daily surrender and faithful obedience to God.

“The Holy Scriptures, they testify of Christ for He is Life Eternal.” To know Jesus requires us to accept His offer of Salvation; confess and repent of our sins; and to maintain a heart to heart relationship with Jesus through the daily Personal Worship of Prayer and Bible Study.

Prayer is our Spiritual Life-Line, connecting us to Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Heavenly Intercessor.

Our morning prayer is one of expressing gratitude for the gift of a new day, and asking for God’s Will to be revealed. Our obedience is rewarded by receiving spiritual wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is actively involved in our daily journey with Jesus.

Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

“Prioritize Spiritual Matters: Putting God first in daily prayer, worship, and service ensures that life’s temporal concerns are not a priority over our spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ.”

We reveal our desire to actively participate in our salvation through daily prayer and Bible Study. Praying for spiritual wisdom invites the Holy Spirit to teach us the One and Only meaning of God’s Truth.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

13 “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Studying the Bible Is Not Optional: The Holy Scriptures are necessary to learn God’s Righteous Character, His Commandments, and the Precepts that teach us how to be holy.

Human Effort and Divine Intervention are required for us to obey God’s Command, “Be holy, for I am Holy,” which requires a life of self-denial and self-control.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1, NIV).

To live for Christ also requires discipline through a sacrificial life of obedience. As followers of Christ, we must have a God First mindset, which prevents us from pursuing our personal desires instead of following God’s plans.

“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.'” (Acts 5:9, ESV).

A spirit of humility, daily surrender, and the commitment to follow our Shepherd with faithful obedience invites the Holy Spirit to guide us in our journey of spiritual growth and character transformation.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Because we inherited hearts that naturally gravitate toward pursuing our desires, it is only through the Power of the Holy Spirit that we can stay on The Narrow Path of Righteousness.

“The more we search the Bible, the deeper our conviction is that it is the Word of the Living God, and human reason bows before the Majesty of Divine Revelation.” — Steps to Christ

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (1 John 5:11).

Lord God, we thank You for the Holy Scriptures, which reveal Jesus Christ is the Only Way to receive Eternal Life. You are a Loving and Merciful Father, who desires for us to live holy. Thank You for giving us the Bible, Your Spiritual Guide that teaches us the difference between righteousness and sinful habits, behaviors, and lifestyles. Through Jesus Christ, we received the power to overcome our desires and temptations. Lord, we ask the Holy Spirit to give us the blessings of wisdom, discernment, and divine strength as we continue our journey on the Narrow Path of Righteousness. In faith and with gratitude, we ask this prayer in the Loving and Righteous Name of our Risen and Triumphant King, Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Prayer of Surrender — Stop Striving: Jesus Is The God Who Sees

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I Am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).

In our Spiritual Journey with Jesus, we will face disappointment, sorrow, loss, conflict, and uncertainty. Study John 16:33.

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18).

When the intrusive vicissitudes of life threaten to devastate us mentally and emotionally, we must come to our spiritual senses, and use our faith to believe Yeshua, our Loving Shepherd’s promises to always take care of us.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. (Psalm 23:1-2).

Jesus Is Our Shepherd; He is The God Who Loves, Sees, and Takes Care of His Sheep. Yes, our Shepherd promises to give us Spiritual Peace and Comfort to soothe our troubled and weary minds. Thank You, Jesus!

“Hebrew Name: El Roi (or El-roi), which translates to “The God Who Sees” or “The God Who Sees Me.”

“She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.'” (Genesis 16:13, NIV).

“Who Spoke It: Hagar, an Egyptian slave of Sarai (Sarah).”

“Context: Hagar was mistreated by Sarai and fled into the desert, pregnant, and feeling alone, afraid, and overlooked. Jesus, Who is called “The Angel of the Lord” found her by a spring, comforted her, and promised descendants.”

“Significance: Hagar is the only person in the Bible who personally gives God a Name.”

“Related Well: The well where this happened was named Beer Lahai Roi, meaning “Well of The Living One Who Sees Me.”

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

The Bible is the Word of God: The Word of God is Alive and Active,” filled with His Infinite Power, and is guaranteed to soothe and comfort us.

God’s Promises keep us anchored to Christ the Solid Rock. When we study and meditate on the Holy Scriptures, we invite the Holy Spirit to give us Jesus’ gift of Spiritual Peace.

God has given the righteous many promises that we should memorize: He will never leave us or forsake us; He will heal our broken hearts, He will provide for us, and He will protect us from our enemies.

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear [reverence] Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love…” (Psalm 33:18, ESV).

What does it mean to surrender to God? Everyday, we pray for His Divine Will and Plans to be revealed to us. And then we pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and the strength to fulfill His Plans.

Because God is Perfect and can never make a mistake, following God’s Plans alleviates all anxiety, worries, and eliminates the chance of suffering from unknown future consequences.

Pray, Wait, and Obey. Our faith is being tested during the wait; will we obey God, or will we rely on our own thoughts when we get tired of waiting?

“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).

God Declares His Sovereign Omnipotence

“Who then is able to stand against Me?
Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.” (Job 41:10-11).

“Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27, BLB).

Whether facing the routine challenges of everyday life, the devastation of life-changing adversity, or people who Satan is using to bring chaos and confusion into our lives, our First Response must be a Prayer of Faith.

“Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). (Psalm 55:22, Amplified Bible).

In faith, we ask God for His Help, and then we patiently “Wait on God,” whose timing will never match our mindset and lifestyle of rapid response. God sees time as eternal, so He has no need to hurry.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” (Psalm 37:7-8, NIV).

Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God,” reminds us to stop striving and acknowledge God’s Sovereign Authority and Power.

“I Am The God Who Sees. I am the God, Who sees you in your wilderness, in your brokenness, and your empty spaces. My power will bring you to your knees!” And then I will lift you up again with My Righteous Right Hand,” because I Am the God Who Sees.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15).

Lord Jesus, we approach Your Throne of Grace, asking for Your Divine Help and Guidance in our time of need. Lord, we admit that our faith is weak, still we ask for Your guidance, peace, and stability in a time of uncertainty. We have experienced many challenges and disruptions this week; Lord, thank You for giving us the Holy Sabbath to redirect our focus from the tumultuous events in our lives and in this world back to You. Jesus, as we prepare for Your Soon Coming, we pray for every believer to redirect their faith and focus from the natural to the supernatural. Anoint us with the Oil of Gladness, the Holy Spirit in our hearts, so we can experience the blessings of the joy and peace of following Christ. Lord, help us to prepare for eternity by teaching us how to place God First in everything we do and say. In faith, we pray this prayer of surrender in the Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, our Faithful Shepherd, and the God Who Sees, Loves, and Cares, Amen.

The Struggles Are Not Your Battles: Ask Jesus To Fight For You

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

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

“The joy of the Lord is my strength.” As Christian believers, we should never be burdened with the challenges that consistently happen in our lives.

But, because of our spirit of self-reliance, we miss out on God’s Promises, Blessings, and His Divine Intervention, which always ends in victory.

“Pray continuously.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Through prayer, give God the glory and honor that He deserves by surrendering and asking for His Divine Help. We have access to God’s Sovereign Power 24/7. Pray, ask, wait, and obey.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Lord God, we thank You for Your Amazing Love, Grace, and Mercies. We ask You to forgive us for the sin of self-reliance, which prevents You from giving us Your Divine Help and receiving our greatest blessings. Jesus, we desperately need Your Intervention. We cannot navigate through this journey of life without Your wisdom, strength, and guidance. King Jesus, we love You and worship Your Holy Name, and in faith, we ask this prayer in Your Loving and Righteous Name, Amen.

Do You Believe That God Performs Miracles?

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20 ESV).

Today, God performed such an awesome miracle in my life that I have been in deep spiritual reflection, thanking Yahweh Yireh for at least 6 hours. Witnessing God’s Divine Providence in action is a life-changing experience!

Satan may use people and situations to disrupt our lives, but we can be confident that we serve a Heavenly Father, who sees, cares, and desires to perform miracles, so we will acknowledge and appreciate His infinite Love for those created in His image.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17).

When we strive to faithfully obey God through daily surrender, we learn that He is a Loving Heavenly Father, who desires to give us the very best.

From not studying the Holy Scriptures, we cannot learn and know who God is; in fact, we will measure God’s Love and His Character by the world’s materialistic standards.

The majority of our prayers will be, “Lord bless me with…” instead of asking God to fulfill His Perfect Plans for our lives, which includes living an abundant and peaceful life, now and eternally.

When our prayers focus on our desires, not only do we prevent God from giving us supernatural miracles, which reveal nothing is too difficult for God, but the Holy Spirit is unable to convert our hearts and our faith in God becomes non-existent.

“Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].” (Hebrews 4:16, Amplified Bible).

My initial prayer was an honest prayer: “God, I am afraid to let You have complete control of my life, but this situation that I am facing is impossible for human effort to resolve. I want to embrace Your love, and trust You like I never have before. Jesus, teach me how to trust You with my life, because I’m certain that I do not know how to trust You.”

The frailty of the human heart is to perceive life as filled with impossibilities, but we serve the Sovereign God who tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.'” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'” (Matthew 19:26, ESV).

From redirecting my faith back to God and making the commitment to trust Him, our Loving and Faithful Heavenly Father opened the Windows of Heaven, providing the miraculous, as only the Sovereign God of this universe can do.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV).

Lord God, so many of us do not know that You desire to bless us exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ever ask for. We have failed to realize that we need to commit to love and worship You as our First Love. Holy Spirit, please teach us how to redirect our faith and focus to Jesus instead of ourselves. We pray for a clean heart that desires to live a sacrificial life of self-denial as demonstrated by a change in what we pray and ask for. Lord, shower us with the spiritual blessings that will empower us to see life through spiritual eyes. We thank You for Your continual Love and Faithfulness. In faith and with gratitude, we ask this prayer in the Loving and Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, Our Faithful Shepherd and Triumphant King. Amen.

The Refining Fiery Process of Spiritual Growth and Maturity

“You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.” (Psalm 66:10, NLT).

“The Refining Process of Silver: Heating in a Crucible: Impure silver is placed in a heat-resistant container called a crucible along with a flux, such as borax.”

“The Refiner’s Watch: The artisan must closely monitor the fire and keep watch over the molten silver the entire time, removing it right when the surface becomes completely clear and reflective.”

“Characters that have not endured fiery trials are not spiritually reliable.”

Jesus accepts us just like we are, but we cannot stay that way. Sanctification is a lifetime process that requires us to renounce sin; live a sacrificial life of self-denial, and make the daily commitment to use our faith to obey and follow Jesus on the Narrow Path of Righteousness.

Today, I reflected deeply on how easy it is for us, even as Christians, to say that we love God, but every day, we disobey our Heavenly Father.

“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).

In John 14:1-3, Jesus tells us that He has future plans for us; and how many of us wake up everyday with an agenda already in our minds, without ever inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us?

God is extremely Loving; He gave His Only Son, Jesus to save us from the penalty of sin. Too many of us are guilty of pursuing our desires instead of pursuing Jesus.

Because God loves us, He will allow trials to come into our lives; God’s desire is that we will respond with surrender and obedience.

Romans 8:18 states: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

“Current Pain: The Apostle Paul acknowledges that life involves real hardship, pain, and trials.

Future Hope: He teaches that the future joy and glory given by God are much greater than any current struggle.

Perspective: This verse helps people look past today’s hard times and trust in a better future.”

God has done all that is possible to empower us in our spiritual journey. “You shall have no other gods before me” is His command.

We cannot serve God with a divided heart; there is no middle ground, either we are all in through surrender and obedience, or we are completely out as demonstrated by following our thoughts, plans, and strategies.

God’s Attempt To Redirect Us Back To Jesus Christ

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12, NIV).

Being in the spiritual fire doesn’t feel good, but the Apostle Peter tells us that every believer who has accepted Christ as their Savior will suffer.

“I will never leave you or forsake you.” Jesus promised to empower us with His strength to keep moving forward. Our responsibility is to live a life of worship; praying, studying the Bible, meditating on God’s Promises, and obeying His directives and plans for our lives.

“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).

Desire Heaven? The character traits that we must possess and develop are steadfast faith, love, loyalty, and the willingness to surrender and obey God.

Reflection: Evaluate your heart, if the grievous weed of pride is present, it is demonstrated by a spirit and lifestyle of self-reliance.

A prideful heart resulted in the highest archangel Lucifer losing all of his senses; in Isaiah Chapter 14, Lucifer challenged God’s Sovereign Authority:

“For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Pride sits on the throne of the human heart, making us unresponsive to Jesus’ Love. The invasive root of pride controls the human mind, and like unbelievers, we will never bow to God’s Sovereign Authority.

Every day, pray for the Holy Spirit to give you stronger faith. It is humility that invites the Holy Spirit to redirect our focus, giving us the insight to perceive life through spiritual eyes, which strengthens our faith.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5, ESV).

And praying for God to reveal His perfect will, is the only way we can be sanctified by the Holy Spirit and covered with the Righteousness of Christ.

We must be tried by temptations in order to learn to depend totally on Christ. Develop the habits of praying for spiritual wisdom and walking through life on bended knees.

From day to day, we have no idea the vicissitudes of life that will come rushing in like an earthquake.

If we stay connected to Christ in the peaceful times, our faith will push us to pray, and we will anchor ourselves to Jesus, our Rock and Stronghold in times of trouble.

Even spiritually mature believers, who use their faith to always trust and obey Christ must endure the tests, trials, hardships, and adversities designed to remove the impurities in our hearts and minds.

We can only be successful in resisting our hearts desires and Satan’s temptations from continuously seeking and praying for God’s Divine Help and the Oil of Grace [The Holy Spirit] to be poured on us.

Our Daily Prayer: Lord, I surrender to You and I want You to be the King on the throne of my heart, and I ask You to, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10). In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

“Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25).

Only the blood of Jesus can completely cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and through the Holy Spirit, He gives us the supernatural strength to persevere in this tough spiritual journey of life.

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” (Romans 8:34, NLT).

We have King Jesus functioning as our Heavenly High Priest and Intercessor receiving every prayer. All of Heaven including the messenger angels are dedicated to preparing us for living a Forever Righteous Life with the Holy Triune God.

When having personal worship, ask Jesus to pray for you, and He will empower you with the peace, wisdom, and strength to endure and persevere through hardships that words are inadequate to describe.

Jesus told Peter that He was praying for him because Satan was trying to sift him like wheat, hoping that Peter would walk away from Jesus like Judas did.

We know that Peter denied Christ three times, yet he repented, and Jesus fully restored him. During the day of Pentecost, it was the apostle Peter, who the Holy Spirit anointed to preach to the multitude, and over 3,000 people accepted Jesus as their Savior and were baptized.

Following Jesus requires a life filled with challenges, yet Jesus never crushes us. It would be pointless for our trials to produce a State of Mind overflowing with hopelessness and despair; still, we must remain steadfast and follow Jesus with faithful obedience, conviction, and courage.

Like silver that is purified in the fire, we will receive the strength to endure the sufferings that are designed to get rid of the impure thoughts, habits, and carnal behaviors that we inherited.

Jesus tells us it is impossible for us to change ourselves. Through self-denial, we invite the Holy Spirit to empower us to let go of the world’s declining morals, values, and the relationships with sinful people, and their “filthy” practices.

Instead of feeling sad, helpless, or that God is punishing you, “Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you a partner with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8).

Lord God, for Your abundant Love, Grace, and countless Mercies, we bow to Your Sovereign Authority. We thank You for the Cross. We owe You our lives for fulfilling the Plan of Redemption. Jesus, we thank You for paying the price of Your life to save our souls. Thank You for allowing us to suffer the fiery trials and hardships designed to change us. Lord, we know that we will appreciate Your correction on the day when You come again to receive the faithful and obedient righteous to take us to our Forever Home in the New Heaven and New Earth. Thank You Jesus, we love You, and ask this prayer in faith, and in Your Loving and Righteous Name, Amen.