Tag: Faith

Surrender Requires Strength

Surrender Requires Strength Today’s Devotional November 9, 2023

“We love Him because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19

Surrendering to the will of God is to serve God and receive Him more fully into your life. We do His will because God loves us. Our love for God is the catalyst that propels us to seek His face every morning and surrender our hearts, minds, and bodies to Him.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

Because we realize our dilemma of inheriting a carnal heart, we ask for spiritual strength, wisdom, and discernment from the Holy Spirit not only when we awaken but throughout our waking hours to overcome our desires and spiritual warfare. Surrender requires more than human effort.

For us to recognize the Voice of God, faithfully obey, and overcome temptation is humanly impossible without the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit. It is our intention to stay on the Path of Righteousness, but we can never order our steps to walk in holiness without the Holy Spirit.

“For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). “For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:17).

How we long for spiritual growth and the strength to just say no to every temptation. But that will never happen in our earthly lives without continuous surrender. Every day we fight against the raging desires of our hearts and adopting the world’s sinful behaviors.

Without the daily prayer of “Jesus, I surrender all to You” and the contrite plea for the Holy Spirit to give us strength and spiritual discernment, we cannot overcome the raging war within us to please ourselves.

“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

We inherited our carnal hearts. God knew the daily struggle we would face, the inner conflict of choosing right over wrong, and accepting truth or embracing error. Thankfully, God, the Father, and Jesus, God, the Son created the perfect plan of Redemption before Adam and Eve were created. We have an Advocate and Intercessor to help us. We are truly loved by God!

Because God is love, He desires that we also love Him. Gifted with a sound mind, a measure of faith, and the free will to love, serve, and surrender to Him is option #1. Free will allows us to choose option #2, to serve ourselves by following our hearts. But know this, there is no middle ground in surrender. Without surrender, our carnal hearts control us and desire is never satisfied with what it has!

Sadly in 2023, many believers have chosen the second option. Like Eve, we allow ourselves to be deceived into believing that God withholds the best from us. So we take matters into our own hands. We purchase tangible goods, embrace human-derived theories, and have relationships with unbelievers just to satisfy our desires. We say, “Lord, Lord” but fail to faithfully obey God as demonstrated by our decisions and lifestyles.

Do not justify yourself for not surrendering to God. The cause, you do not love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. The effect, possessing the spirit of Cain in our hearts who also followed his inclinations by giving God a ritualistic sacrifice. Examples of today’s ritualistic sacrifices are attending church every week and giving 10% tithe and offerings out of habit but not submitting to the authority of God.

The Worldview versus the Biblical View

Years ago, Nike had a slogan, “Just Do It!” And that mindset has permeated the Christian community. We pray and ask God for our desires [whether or not they are in His will] and if not received, we fulfill our prayers by purchasing a house or vehicle, starting a business, making financial investments, or marrying the one that God never placed His blessing upon.

Biblical View: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” —1 John 5:7

Surrender to God takes strength! Like it or not we are impacted by our family, friends, coworkers, advertisements, tech advancements, human-derived philosophies, and worldviews. Weak Christians succumb to the influences of people, places, and things because they trust in themselves. The steadfast believer readily sends up petitions and pleas for Divine Help.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13, NLT).

Surrender demonstrates our love and loyalty to God as evidenced by faithful obedience. To live as a transformed follower of Christ we strive to worship God in spirit and in truth. When we surrender to God, our spoken words, behaviors, and choices give honor and glory to God instead of pleasing ourselves. Whatever God says to do, we do it!

Prayer: Father God, make my life Yours, Jesus take my heart, and Holy Spirit fill me with your presence and power. I surrender all. Father take my hand and teach me to recognize Your voice. And guide me in my earthly journey as I continue to look forward to the promise of a life in the New Heaven and New Earth.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God

Our Mental, Moral, and Physical Powers Belong to God

Our Mental, Moral, and Physical Powers Belong to God Today’s Devotional November 8, 2023

“Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.” — Revelation 5:2‭-‬4

The apostle John wept because no human was worthy to open the scroll. From biblical times when Christians chose persecution and death to uphold their belief in Jesus to the believers in the 21st century who continue to widen the chasm between themselves and Christ, the plight of today’s Christians appears grim.

The prophet Isaiah was given a vision of the Lord [Jesus] in His Glory:

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling out to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory…'” —Isaiah 6:1-3, ESV

Do we acknowledge and reverence the Divine authority of God, the Father, Jesus, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit who is superior in Power—Omnipotent, whose presence is everywhere—Omnipresent, and All-Knowing-Omniscient, and rules this universe? Are we surrendering our entire being to Christ through faithful obedience and praying daily to be guided and anointed by the Holy Spirit?

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” —Exodus 19:5

“…Obey My voice and keep My covenant…” We have lost our desire for true worship. Despite receiving God’s grace and endless mercies, we do not revere God as the Sovereign and Supreme Ruler of this universe or in our lives. We are involved in worship rituals by attending church and casually browsing the Bible but our hearts and desires are far removed from worshiping God in Spirit and Truth.

Reflection: We have received the gifts of a sound mind, and the ability to gain knowledge, and if we ask for spiritual wisdom, it is freely given to us, yet, are we willing to acquiesce to the Sovereignty of God with our hearts, souls, and minds? What else do we have to give?

In our quest for the acquisition of knowledge, which tree are we eating from? Our roaring lion enemy seeks to feed us from the modern tree of knowledge of good and evil. We have a voracious appetite for gathering information but the Holy Scriptures are not our primary source. Philosophies based on human reasoning attempting to explain the mysteries that God intentionally hid from humanity are sought after, accepted, and interwoven into our belief systems.

We are impacted by the various worldviews and philosophies only if we have not surrendered our mental, moral, and physical powers to Christ. When facing new knowledge [and many times it is spoken from the pulpit], the prayer for help is answered immediately by the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength and discernment to resist falling into the temptation of false beliefs. Yet, we must put forth the human effort to renounce and avoid all human wisdom that is in opposition to the word of God [the Bible].

When hearing false teachings, will we stand our ground in silence? God does not need us to defend the Bible. Nor can we convince the person of their error. We pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to them. Many things that we attempt to explain, we should leave to Divine Intervention.

My response to a neighbor who began her conversation with, “I purchased the newest version of the Bible which includes knowledge that God left out of the original Bible,” was silence. When she noticed that I never gave feedback, she immediately changed the subject. There was no need for me to engage in a foolish conversation that would have escalated into an argument that served no purpose. Maybe it was my facial expression that revealed my thoughts.

I believe in the Sovereign God and the Divine Authenticity of the KJV Bible regardless of the languages it was originally written in. When I use alternate translations for the ease of my readers, I pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit before using other versions of the Bible. I also believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead who teaches and gives us spiritual wisdom and discernment when we pray for it.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not [a jot] an iota, not [a tittle] a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” —Matthew 5:17-18

God’s boundaries for human knowledge include the inability to discern the great and hidden mysteries that will never be revealed to us in our earthly lives. Nor can we have the deepest meaning of the Scriptures without praying for the discernment and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. The new knowledge that we feed our minds with instead of God’s Truth continues to separate us from the presence of God because we refuse to surrender to the Great “I AM.”

Like Cain, surrendering our will to God in faithful obedience has been replaced by developing our versions of sacrifice. Embracing compromise by accepting middle-of-the-road standards of righteousness results in negative feelings toward a Holy and Righteous God. Hidden deep within our hearts we do not acknowledge God as a loving, Heavenly Father, and our perception of Him drives us to seek human knowledge in opposition of His will.

Challenge: Ten percent of 24 hours is 2.4 hours. Create a 3-day time log to document how you spend your time.

The struggle is real! We spend more time on devices than studying the Scriptures. It’s time for us to become more excited about the reward of eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth than innovative tech advancements and new-age philosophies.

The Devourer is highly effective in using false predictions and teachings of unknown mysteries to distract us from not studying the Bible. No other book can give us the words spoken by God to men who were anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Are you willing to surrender your mental, moral, and physical powers to God?

Learning to reverence God requires a humble and obedient heart. It’s time for us to change our posture of pride. If angels bow and cover their faces, then we should approach God on our knees in submission to His Divine Authority. Although we cannot fully comprehend God’s love and His Greatness, in humility, we consecrate our mental, moral, and physical powers to be used and guided by the only Holy, Omnibenevolent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent God.

Prayer: God, we confess and repent that we have not given You the reverence that You deserve. We realize that we do not have a close relationship with Christ. Lord, we are living as if we have unlimited time on this earth. We desire to receive our reward of eternal life. Please search our hearts and reveal everything that needs to be removed. We ask for the anointing, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Worthy name, Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God

Stop Worrying, Let God Help You

For 15 years, I worried and had Insomnia because I had racing thoughts about the next day. I thought of ways to produce a perfect and predictable outcome. Many times I though problems that never surfaced. Finally, one day, I listened to a sermon on the Sovereignty of an All-Knowing God in heaven who knows the end to the beginning of every human being’s life. Nothing comes as a surprise to Him.

I prayed for His help and for peace. Immediately the stronghold of worry left and now, I sleep peacefully. I trust God with every aspect of my life. And I pray about everything even the little things. I have learned how to hear God’s voice speaking to me through the Holy Scriptures and my thoughts.

When you pray, ask for help with your challenges, and ask God to teach you how to recognize His Voice. It is the Holy Spirit that speaks to our mind. Pray and include quiet meditation. Many people pray and get up right away without giving God time to speak to them.

We can pray throughout our waking hours. Let your prayers be honest and to the point. We do not have to pray long prayers. Prayer is the greatest privilege we have. Prayer connects humanity to Divinity. Go Ahead, pray and believe. Wait on God. Use your faith to trust Him.

If you stop trying to figure out what will happen next, God will help you to live a faith-based life and you will enjoy peace because you trust in Him.

Prayer: God, I pray this Intercessory prayer for those who are struggling because they have never trusted You with their lives. Please give them your Divine peace as they begin this journey with Jesus. Give them peace, comfort, and strength. In Jesus’ Worthy name, Amen.

Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Jesus is Still Rescuing Us from the Chains of Death

Today’s Devotional, October 26, 2023

In 2015, I received the call that no child desires to receive regarding their mother, “You need to come to the hospital right away, I’m so sorry, but Mrs. Johnson is dying.” I called my pastor who was out of town but contacted the First Elder and his wife who came immediately to provide spiritual support.

My only brother, my husband, and the First Elder stood at the foot of her bed. I was on the right side and my best friend Susan [the elder’s wife] stood on the left. As I stroked my mother’s wavy hair, I felt an unusual peace. The room was filled with silence.

As a Registered Nurse, I immediately recognized the signs which indicate the end-of-life. I visualized the deep blue color of cyanosis around her mouth accompanied by shallow, gasping breaths. It was at that moment I heard Code Blue announced and a team of 15 nurses and respiratory therapists entered the room to perform resuscitation.

I raised my right hand indicating my mother’s wishes of Do Not Resuscitate. The Lead Nurse said, Are you certain that you do not want us to perform life-saving measures? to which I responded, Yes, no resuscitation. My mother gasped and took her final breath. One of the clinicians approached her bed performed the mandated process of checking for respiratory breath sounds and pronounced her time of death.

We received condolences from the clinicians who asked if we desired to be alone, and I responded “No, I would like you to stay.” And with the greatest of respect, the room was filled with silence. I looked at my brother and husband who had tears streaming down their faces. Susan stated, “We will miss you, Queen Esther.” I did not understand but I could not cry.

We were 8 minutes postmortem when my mother took a big gasp of air and opened her eyes. All of us were frozen in place as if time stood still. Finally one of the male nurses said, “What just happened?” My mom has always had a mischievous personality which explains her first words after Jesus raised her from the chains of death, “Why are all of you in my room and why are you staring at me?” I immediately started laughing and kissed her forehead.

Suddenly her Palestinian physician [who thinks our mom is his mom] opened the hospital door and looked with amazement. He asked the nursing staff, “Did someone give me the wrong patient’s name when they called me?” One of the nurses answered, No, we told you the patient’s name is Esther Johnson.” A few moments later I chatted with her Doctor who agreed that God performed a miracle.

In 2014, my mother was diagnosed with End-stage Heart Failure with a life expectancy of six months. On August 16th of this year, my mother celebrated her 90th birthday and the Divine power of Jesus Christ has given her a new heart. My mother has been a praise and prayer warrior all of her life. And Jesus has honored her dedication to Him with longevity.

This afternoon I was listening to Pastor Cece Winan’s concert, Believe for It, and she stated the reason we do not trust God is because we forget the abundant and miraculous blessings that He gave to us in the past. Truthfully, I have not thought about the miracle of Jesus saying, “Esther, come forth,” and delivering mommy from the chains of death for many years. But this morning in my secret closet of solitude the Holy Spirit replayed Christ’s gift of life to my mother like a recently seen movie.

” ‘For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.” ‘ ” —Jeremiah 30:17

When God performs miracles for a family member, He usually keeps giving familial blessings. Like Abraham, God told me to leave my family and friends and move 1400 miles to the Florida Coast [where I have never lived or traveled to before]. Jesus healed my broken heart and rescued me from the deathly chains of despair due to my husband renouncing God and returning to a life filled with sin that left me divorced at 62 years of age.

Even so, I am a living witness that God restores our minds, bodies, and souls when we dedicate and surrender ourselves to Him. Our Heavenly Father has blessed me with a beautiful life of retirement filled with year-round sunshine and cooling ocean breezes.

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

I will be forever grateful that Jesus rescued my mother from the chains of physical death. With a heart filled with gratitude, I smile as I reflect on Jesus’ love gift to me of New Beginnings in mid-life and healing me from deep emotional wounds. Yet, this should come as no surprise to the Christian believer, Jesus intercedes for humanity and rescues those who are willing to give their hearts to Him from the chains of spiritual death every day.

Jesus desires that we faithfully trust Him and cease placing limitations on His loving care and the supernatural ability to perform the impossible.

Christ’s Nature is Unchanging

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” —Hebrews 13:8

Jesus never changes! We serve a loving, compassionate Savior who is still performing supernatural miracles of erasing the physician’s end-of-life predictions and abolishing the chains of spiritual death by transforming 21st-century Sauls into gospel-preaching disciples like the Apostle Paul.

“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will. answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” —Isaiah 65:24

The righteous receive God’s attention, favor, and blessings. If we dedicate and surrender ourselves to the Source of Life, we will receive the spiritual discernment, wisdom, and strength that empowers us to be freed from the deadly chains of earthly distractions and pleasures.

“For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever…” —Psalm 37:28, NKJV

We honor God through our prayer of daily surrender and faithful obedience. We cannot begin to imagine the plans God has for us. Believe in and proclaim His Love and Greatness! While Jesus is rescuing us from the chains of spiritual death, He may bring glory and honor to Himself by removing sin’s deadly chains of disease by also healing us from mental, emotional, and physical maladies.

If Jesus raised my aging mother from death then we must hold fast to the belief that our Lord and Savior holds the keys to death and hell, and nothing can stop His Divine Power in our lives when we remain faithful.

3 p.m. EST—I called Mommy and read the Devotional to her, she immediately began praising God, and we both shed tears as we thanked God for His abundant love and mercies. She sends this message, Trust Jesus with Your life every day, and begin giving Him more praise than you ever have before because He is Worthy!

Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for Your Divine love, grace, and mercies. Please forgive us for doubting Your ability to remove the chains of spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical death. We acknowledge that You are Alpha and Omega and that Your Power supersedes our understanding. We love You and worship Your Holy Name, and ask this prayer in Your Chain-breaking Name, Hallelujah! Amen!

© Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Be Careful of Acquired Knowledge

Be Careful of Acquired Knowledge WordPress Version Today’s Devotional October 25, 2023

God created us with the desire to explore and learn. Our insatiable curiosity fuels our desire to acquire knowledge and discover various philosophies. But sometimes we delve into spiritually forbidden areas. In my teenage stage, from taking a Greek Mythology class in high school, I got caught up in the web of worldly pagan beliefs.

Every week, I visited the library to read and take home every book I could find on Greek Mythology. Believe me, during that impressionable stage, without my devoted mother’s knowledge, I read and memorized every imaginable book on the Greek deities—their gods and goddesses.

Yes, I loved Jesus and knew that He was coming again, but my sense of right and wrong had shifted. I replaced studying the Bible with pagan philosophies. Although I was raised in a strict, Bible-based Pentecostal home, I possessed a terrible secret, embracing mythology over the Scriptures.

My desire for the knowledge of pagan beliefs did not stop as a teenager. In college, I chose several Eastern and Western Religion courses as electives. My acquired knowledge placed me in a serious dilemma, my morals and values transitioned, and I ceased studying the Bible.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” —Colossians 2:8

Pagan religions, philosophies, and practices usually pique our interest. But evil is always disguised and visual imagery is used to mesmerize. Many believers let their children watch Disney movies filled with themes of witchcraft, reincarnation, and the ability to enter other realms. The beautiful make-believe characters hide the themes of magic and fantasy. Online games are filled with violence and promote breaking the laws of society.

Most children’s programs feature fictitious monsters that disrupt a child’s peaceful sleep. It is the visual beauty and music that provides an effective cover to hide the demonic themes that are prevalent in programs, games, and movies.

The Nation of Israel is our example of a people called to represent the goodness of God to heathen nations, yet, they embraced paganism to the point they even sacrificed their children to idols. Satan is skilled in deception and easily entices us to delve into spiritual wickedness by presenting the occult and pagan beliefs as family entertainment.

Reflection: Where do we stand in our acquisition of knowledge? Are we seeking and embracing satanic themes and human wisdom over Divine wisdom?

“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” —Romans 12:3, NLT

As Christians, we have a great responsibility, not only to be humble representatives of Christ but also to remain teachable. With our God-given spiritual gifts, we were chosen to be messengers of Christ who use the Holy Scriptures as the foundation for our beliefs, morals, and values. Our lifestyles should represent God’s righteous standards.

In 2023, the worldview is to develop your version of the truth and to promote your truth. Sadly, many Christian books, articles, and movies reflect a blend of personal views, acquired philosophies, and a false interpretation of God’s truth.

As disciples and followers of Christ, our higher calling was given to us by God and we owe Him our utmost loyalty. We received our spiritual gifts to witness God’s love, grace, mercies, the Plan of Salvation, and Redemption. We fill in the gap for those who do not understand how to apply the Scriptures to their lives.

A sinner who uses their measure of faith to accept Jesus as Lord is a new believer and does not understand the significance of the love and power of the Triune God, nor do they know how to “Be holy, for I am Holy.” It is our responsibility to impart knowledge that strengthens and gives hope to new or weak believers. We tell them that Jesus cares and that the purpose of trials and hardships is to build their faith. Yes, we help others when they are faced with daunting hardships, so they do not give up on God.

We share our testimonies to remind them of Jesus’ encouraging promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” We are called to care for others! Christian believers are to shine their lights into the darkness of the loneliness that new believers experience when they have lost all of their friends, and their family has forsaken them because they accepted Christ.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” —John 14:26

We glorify God by praying for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to anoint our minds before we write or speak. Our prayer of surrender and humility includes asking the Holy Spirit to give us the words that will provide clarity of the Scriptural truth to feed our souls and the Shepherd’s straying sheep.

As Christian believers, we were called and predestined to proclaim the love and saving power of Jesus Christ, to spread the seeds of hope, to shine light into the darkness of despair, and to teach others in this dying world how to live by faith. We teach others to pray for the anointing and discernment given by the Holy Spirit so they can avoid the false teachings of pagan beliefs disguised in seemingly innocent books, programs, and movies.

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” —Revelation 22:12

We will be rewarded for our discipleship—witnessing to others, our faithful obedience, and for striving to live righteously in a world that embraces wickedness as in the time of Noah. God’s expectation for every believer is that we fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

Prayer: God, we thank You for choosing us to be spiritual ambassadors. Lord, we fall by giving in to the carnal desires of our hearts, Pride causes us to seek the foolish knowledge of human-derived philosophies, and for this, we ask for forgiveness. We pray for an Upper Room outpouring of the Holy Spirit to change our minds, characters, and personalities. Lord, we ask for wisdom and discernment so our words will reflect Your Love, Righteousness, and Truth. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Sonya Darcell Johnson, Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Choose to Stay on the Chosen Road that Leads to Victory

Choose to Stay on the Chosen Road that Leads to Victory Today’s Devotional Reading October 24, 2023

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” —Philippians 2:8

Striving and Suffering for Christ are two requirements of every Christian believer. If we remain faithful in our fiery trials, Christ will refine our characters into pure gold—into the likeness of His Righteous Character. God chooses the road for each of us to travel on in our earthly lives. No two journeys are alike, yet, all chosen roads are spiritually designed to end in Victory—the Reward of Eternal Life.

Choose to Stay on the Chosen Road

Choose to stay on the chosen road of trials and sorrows even though it brings the landslide of bitter disappointments

Choose to put God first and live righteously even though you don’t understand His roadmap

Choose the strength of Christ even though the strongholds of sin and temptations appear as treacherous cliffs

Choose hope in Christ even though your circumstances are stumbling blocks that have you gridlocked

Choose to believe in the promises of God even though the uncertainties cause fatigue and you seek a rest-stop

Choose to obey the Voice of God even though you are weary but God says to keep going

Choose to pray and get back up even though you keep falling down from the rocky obstacles

Choose to study the Bible even though the winding, treacherous curves of doubt fill your mind

Choose to have faith in the Divine power of God even though your trials appear as dead-end roads

Choose to wait on God even though the obstacles on the one-way road prevent further travel—it’s your God-given rest stop

Choose to stay on your chosen road even though you see detours for alternate routes

Choose to keep walking ahead even though you cannot see beyond the hopeless roadblock

Choose to lift your head even though your hope of high beams cannot penetrate the insurmountable darkness of despair

Choose to redirect your focus on the small, glimmering light ahead even though the distance is great

Choose to keep walking in the direction of the glorious light even though you have stumbled many times in the darkness

Choose to direct your eyes to the figure in the light— it is Jesus standing with outstretched arms leading you on your chosen earthly road to victory.

In faith, when we pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit and keep our focus on Christ the “even though” of every hardship and challenge on our chosen road is cast down. Our earthly responsibility is to believe in the Triune Godhead’s Sovereignty and stay focused on the three Divine powers readily available to guide and empower every righteous believer.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Jesus also traveled on God’s chosen road in His earthly life. Like Christ, our greatest sacrifice to God is through daily surrender and faithful obedience. If we remain steadfast through daily prayer and consecration asking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we will receive the wisdom and power to continue our earthly journey.

Yes, if we remain faithful, the Holy Spirit will empower us, and Christ, the Commander of angel armies, will direct angels to guide and protect us on this journey of life to reach our reward of the crown of eternal life. Hallelujah! Amen! Study Psalm chapter 91.

Prayer: God, we pray for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit. In faith, we surrender ourselves to obedience to Your will. Lord, we promise to give You the honor and glory You rightfully deserve for the rest of our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Sonya Darcell Johnson, Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

The Assignment: Will You Accept?

Today’s Devotional, October 23, 2023

How would you react to this Spiritual Assignment from God knowing that you would be excluded from your family and friends who would not understand?

When God calls us to do His will, it always involves a sacrificial offering that not only proclaims our love and loyalty but also brings honor and glory to His Holy Name.

Prayer: God, we pray for the strength and the courage to do Your will. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Lay Every Burden at the Feet of Jesus

Lay Every Burden at the Feet of Jesus — Today’s Devotional October 20, 2023

Humanity’s Plight: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

This morning as I thought about the challenges I faced, I felt weary. Still, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to breathe on me and give me strength. After I said, Amen, I began to hear a bird chirping its little song of gratitude to God. I smiled. Immediately the Holy Spirit brought Jesus’ promise to my remembrance: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

Yes, we are of more value than the birds! God did not give His Son, Jesus to save the birds, Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for us. Although every believer knows that Jesus died to redeem humanity and the Bible contains hundreds of God’s promises, it appears there is a roadblock that prevents most believers from relying on Jesus’ promises when we face our tribulations.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of. a sound mind.” —2 Timothy 1:7

When burdens overwhelm our lives, believers react in one of three ways:

  1. The Fearful Believers: Their fear manifests as anxiety, worry, and thinking about the situation over and over [which produces mental, emotional, and physical weariness]. They usually pray for help but also include family and friends asking for their opinions on how they should resolve the unresolvable challenge. The fearful believer also has a time limit on waiting for God to perform a miracle. They pray and wait for two to three days but when their prayers are met with silence, they become discouraged and fall into the pit of despondency.
  2. The Overconfident Believers: They have a spirit of self-reliance. Reflecting inwardly on their many accomplishments, prior experience, and the ability to develop strategies that have brought resolution in the past, they fail to pray because their mind is consumed with themselves. Their time is spent on developing fail-proof strategies. Sadly, these believers end up with feelings of anger toward God, blame God for their misfortunes, and usually continue their lives as unbelievers.
  3. The Faithful Believers: Yes, the faithful ones rely on God. They are the prayer warriors, the ones who easily remember and tell others of the miracles that God has consistently performed throughout their lives. The faithful will direct others to study the Scriptures such as Joseph’s [Genesis chapters 37-50] and David’s [1 Samuel chapters 21-23, Living as a fugitive when King Saul threatened to kill him] lengthy trials and tribulations. The faithful will pray for you, but they will use the Word of God to preach the truth. They boldly proclaim, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God. “

Did you know that humans are creatures of habit? It’s a proven psychological fact! Interestingly, most of our behaviors can be predicted based on our consistent habits. If psychologists utilize theories based on predictable behaviors then we have the assurance that our Sovereign Omniscient God knows how we will react.

Make constant praying a new habit and watch as your life transforms. Recently in a sermon, Pastor Wintley Phipps stated the key to his steadfast faith is his prayer life, he admonishes every believer to whisper a prayer every hour while awake. Communication with God allows the empowerment and anointing of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” —Proverbs 3:5-6

God is not concerned about our comfort; He will do whatever is necessary for our faith to become steadfast. We cannot resolve spiritually allowed trials. And if we attempt to carry out our feeble solutions, God says our thoughts are like a crooked path. Trials and tribulations bring every believer to the Crossroads of Faith and Trust in God.

Either we will put all of our efforts into self-resolution tactics which are certain to fail or we will confess that our faith is weak but keep striving by placing the little faith we have in God. God loves us and He will do whatever it takes for our spiritual growth and transformation. Yes, our Heavenly Father is preparing us to live with Him forever and ever. Amen!

I will readily admit that I am a fearful believer who is striving to grow my faith in God. Since January of 2023, my life has been filled with a succession of trials. Yet, I will continue to trust God in the struggle to become a faithful believer. It is not enough to possess knowledge of the Scriptures. For us to transition from fearful to rock-solid faithful believers, we must believe that God is in control of His world and He allows continuous, lengthy trials to strengthen our faith.

And for those who possess the spirit of self-reliance, there is a better way to live. Never give up on God! Acknowledge your human limitations, confess, repent, and begin walking on the Path of Righteousness. Every day, trust God through surrender and acknowledge His Love and Omnipotence. Victory only comes through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

God requires that our faith continue to grow throughout our earthly lives. Yet, there are believers whose faith has matured into total reliance on God. For the faithful believers, keep striving, pray for your brothers and sisters who are on the spiritual journey of strengthening our faith, and share your testimonies of God’s faithfulness.

Lay Every Burden at the Feet of Jesus

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” —Hebrews 4:15, ESV

Brothers and Sisters, think and live as overcomers by striving through your trials and tribulations. We receive power from the Holy Spirit to withstand our disappointments and hardships. The outcome is total reliance on God which gives us Steadfast Faith. We are nearing Home! Our King Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is returning for the faithful! Hallelujah! Amen.

Profiting from Trials
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. —James 1:2-8

Prayer: God, we confess that we have not put our faith and trust in You. We desire to have steadfast faith. We ask for the presence, power, and anointing of the Holy Spirit to give us strength when we are weak and weary. Lord, we know that You are All-Powerful. We surrender and make the vow to become totally reliant on You. Thank You for your love, grace, and mercies. Thank You Jesus for giving Your life for us. Help us to have a renewed conviction in our faith. In Jesus’ Worthy Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God