“God will provide intimate, personal, and watchful guidance to those who trust Him. This refers to God’s attentive, loving oversight rather than distant instruction, emphasizing a close, personal relationship where He leads us with His wisdom,” according to his perfect will.
We were not created to be self-reliant. Sadly, many believers have embraced autonomy by never praying and asking God to reveal His perfect will for their lives.
“LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23, NIV).
The ocean stays within its boundaries, and the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West, but human beings created in the image of God have consistently fought against the Creator by following the rebellious desires of their hearts.
Although, we were created with free will of choice, and inherited hearts that naturally rebel against total submission to God, total dependency on Jesus Christ is necessary to stay on the Path of Righteousness, and to receive our Crown of Life.
After many failures, with humility, I had to admit that it was impossible for me to live righteously using my strength. No, I could not walk through this earthly journey victoriously without God’s direction, protection, and correction.
Tired of feeling defeated, one day, I decided to fully surrender to God through the lifestyle changes of daily prayer, fasting, and Bible Study.
The hardships still happen, but my outlook changed as my heart embraced Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
Filled with hope, I began to understood the necessity of faithful obedience to God’s Sovereign Authority.
“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).
Only Christ can give us the spiritual strength to live righteously. If we are willing to live a sacrificial life of following our Shepherd with faithful obedience then Jesus promises to transform us from the inside out.
“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, NLT)
When we humble ourselves and live a consecrated, obedient life, Yeshua promises to complete the spiritual work of Sanctification in our minds, characters, and personalities.
Preparing for Kingdom Life One Day at a Time: With each passing day, we are closer to Jesus fulfilling His promise of John 14:1-3. Yes and Amen!
Bible Study: Revelation 21-22
Lord God, we ask You to reveal any hidden desires, habits, and disobedience that would prevent us from receiving our reward of Eternal Life. We pray for the strength to overcome our internal desires and the external temptations designed to make us fall. In faith, we ask this prayer in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
The quote by Mary Carver reminds us to always reflect on God’s faithfulness even when times are tough.
We cannot give ourselves the beautiful joy and peace that comes from receiving the love, care, and abundant blessings from our Heavenly Father.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?…”
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).
Remembering our past and present victories keeps our faith strong. Begin your day with a Prayer of Gratitude. Every day, Thank God for 10 things and you will never be discouraged. Our Heavenly Father Loves Us and is always Faithful. Yes and Amen!
“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).
Lord God, we just want to say Thank You for Your love and the many blessings, we receive without asking. Lord, we love You. Thank You for Your never-ending faithfulness, grace, mercies, and protection, which reminds us that we are highly valued by You. In faith and gratitude, we pray, in the Loving Name of Jesus, Amen.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, ESV).
God’s Priority is to change our Character to prepare us for our reward of Eternal Life.
Are we cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the daily Spiritual process of growth and maturity [Sanctification]?
Pursuing the world’s temporary and meaningless prosperity, pleasures, and success are a waste of the Believer’s time and energy. We can take nothing with us to Heaven except a Righteous Character.
God promises to give us everything we need. Be content with what you have.
We are looking forward to a perfect life with Jesus in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Worship God in Spirit and Truth by consecrating yourself daily to follow Jesus Christ. Peace and Blessings.
Bible Study: Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4
Lord God, we ask you to reveal any desire, habit, or behavior that would prevent us from receiving our reward of Eternal Life. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Until we acknowledge that life consists of spiritual warfare, we will never utilize prayer as our most valuable weapon to win the Spiritual War between Good and Evil.
Sadly, without connecting to Christ every day through personal worship, we miss out on receiving Jesus’ strength and power to live as victorious overcomers.
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10).
Receiving Daily Bread Requires Us to Abide in Jesus Christ: Pray, Wait, Listen, Obey, and Persevere in Jesus’ Name. Yes and Amen!
“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).
Bible Study: 1 Kings 19 [Elijah’s Fear Overpowers His Faith in God].
Lord God, we thank you for Your abundant love. We also thank You for Your promises to renew our strength when we have become weary from self-reliance, and following our thoughts. Teach us how to redirect our faith and focus to You, so we can live victoriously through Your power. We ask this prayer in the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen.
“And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27).
Lord God, we thank you for giving us the Seventh-Day Sabbath instituted in Creation week. We are blessed to have 24 hours to commune with You, to receive spiritual rest and renewal, and to reflect on your abundant Love, Grace, and Mercies. We look forward to the day when You come again, and we will worship together every Sabbath in the New Heaven and New Earth. As we consecrate ourselves on Your Holy Sabbath Day, we pray for a much-needed Spiritual blessing of wisdom and discernment. Teach us how to love. Jesus, we love You, and ask this prayer in Your Righteous Name, Amen.
Saul before his conversion was responsible for the death and imprisonment of many Christians including the death of Stephen [Saul gave his approval and witnessed the stoning of Stephen, a faithful Christian].
With the exception of the Apostle John, Jesus’ disciples died as martyrs. If Christ did not restrain Satan’s enmity against Christians, he would attempt to eradicate believers. But Jesus always places limitations on Satan’s Warfare against the righteous.
While Saul was traveling on the road to Damascus to persecute more Christians, from Heaven, Jesus spoke to Saul.
Saul’s Conversion: “As he journeyed he [Saul] came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?…’ “
“And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ ” (Acts 9:3-6).
Not only did Christ completely transform Saul, who after his conversion used the name Paul, Jesus gave the persecutor of Christians the spiritual assignment of witnessing to the Gentiles, and starting the early Christian church.
“Although Paul had Roman citizenship, he was Hebrew by birth. Paul identified himself as both ‘Jewish’ and ‘Hebrew,’ most notably stating that he was ‘a Hebrew of the Hebrews.’ ” (Philippians 3:5).
“In the Apostle Paul’s time, paganism was the dominant religious landscape of the Greco-Roman world, characterized by polytheism and idol worship, which Paul’s ministry challenged by advocating for exclusive devotion to the one true God…”
Paul Proclaims His Mission of Witnessing to the Gentiles: “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it! And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.” (Acts 28:28-29).
The Gentiles were hated by the Jewish leaders and community because their lifestyles and pagan rituals had no boundaries. “Their pagan rituals included idol worship, sacrificing animals, food, and, in some cases, humans, and the practice of sexual immorality as part of worship to their deities.”
From fulfilling God’s mission to preach to the Gentiles, Paul was also rejected by the Jewish community. The Sanhedrin even attempted to coerce the Roman government into executing Paul.
But as a Roman citizen, Paul exercised his right to appeal to Caesar, which guaranteed a trial. But, the apostle remained a prisoner, and many years later was executed by Nero.
“The Apostle Paul was not executed for any specific legal charges, but rather fell victim to Emperor Nero’s persecution of Christians following the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64.”
During the time of his imprisonment, the Holy Spirit gave the apostle Paul, God’s spoken words that are documented in 14 books of the New Testament.
The conversion of Saul to Paul, the Apostle reveals that when we repent, God completely forgives us of every past decision, behaviors, and actions, including heinous crimes.
Repent: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).
Like Paul, we repent, receive forgiveness, and move forward by fulfilling God’s spiritual goals for our lives. Christ has won the victory over sin, and through His redeeming power, and from striving to live holy, we are covered with His Righteousness.
The Story of Redemption
Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb: “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.’ (John 19:28, 30).
God’s Forgiveness: “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25).
“Justification is God’s legal act of declaring a sinner righteous, not based on the sinner’s merit, but by imputing the Righteousness of Jesus Christ through faith in us.”
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, CSB).
“Justification is the complete act of Grace that provides the sinner with complete forgiveness and reconciliation with God, providing a clean slate rather than changing their inherent character.”
Sanctification: God, the Holy Spirit performs the lifelong transformation of our minds characters and personalities into the likeness of Christ. Still, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit through daily surrender, faithful obedience, renouncing sin, and striving to live holy.
The Fruit of the Spirit is Christ’s Righteous Character
Sanctification: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering [patience], gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV).
The Believer’s Responsibility: “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:24-25).
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT).
Like the apostle Paul, God’s forgiveness includes becoming a new son or daughter in Christ Jesus. We ask God to reveal our spiritual assignment and in Jesus’ strength we fulfill God’s plans for our lives.
“You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19, NIV).
Two of the most dangerous mindsets are harboring feelings of guilt and believing that God has not forgiven us when we repent of our past sins.
It is impossible to live righteously, or receive Eternal Life if we fail to use our faith to believe in The Plan of Redemption, which includes God’s Love, Grace, Mercies, and His promises to forgive us despite the nature of our past atrocities.
Fact: Satan will use people to remind us of our past. Separation is required from those who desire to confront us regarding our past lives. Neither can we have relationships with people who refuse to forgive us.
1. If it is possible to ask those who we have harmed to forgive us then God expects us to do so. Also remember, we cannot force others to forgive us.
2. If the person is deceased then it is impossible to ask them for forgiveness [“…the dead know nothing.” Ecclesiastes 9:5], we ask God to forgive us, and move forward.
3. If a legal restraining order exists, we pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to comfort the person or people we have injured. Resist the urge to intervene. Once we have asked God to send comfort, we step aside, and move forward.
There were many individuals who remembered Paul as Saul, the former Christian Killer. Even after his conversion, he was often feared, and hated by many who knew his past life.
If you are thinking, Wait, is it this easy to receive God’s forgiveness for my past? Yes, it is!
God’s Answer: “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. “(Isaiah 1:18).
To every believer, God knows our past, but, when we ask for forgiveness, God forgives us, and He expects us to move forward in the Power of His Might [Divine Strength]. With God, we will not be able to justify our decision of not “letting the past go.”
Paul tells us how to Redirect Our Spiritual Focus: “…dear brothers and sisters…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” (Philippians 3:13).
Reminder: “Our past decisions and actions were determined by the knowledge, or the lack of knowledge that we possessed at that time.”
“Now, that we are converted believers and live according to God’s Holy Word, we would do things very differently, but there is no opportunity for that.”
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Revelation 22:12).
Pray and ask God to reveal His plans for your life, and like the Apostle Paul, move forward in the Power and Strength of Jesus Christ who is coming soon. Yes and Amen!
Bible Study: Acts 9
Prayer: Lord God, create in us a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit of righteousness within us. We ask You to give us the strength to move forward in our spiritual journey as we fulfill our spiritual assignments. Lord, give us the wisdom to live as one who is forgiven, and one who is cleansed from all unrighteousness by the precious blood of Jesus Christ whose Holy Name, we ask this prayer.
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12).
Spending time with Jesus invites the Holy Spirit to perform the spiritual transformation of our minds, characters, and personalities into the Righteousness of Christ, only then can we reflect His perfect love to others.
One of the best benefits of intentional time with Jesus is when facing life’s overwhelming challenges, we are not anxious or worried because our first response is to humbly bow before the Throne of Grace asking for His help in our time of need.
And with confidence, we thank Him in the same prayer for giving us His perfect resolution, and a victorious outcome. Yes, we can always rely on Jesus’ promises to “never leave us or forsake us.”
Lord God, we thank You for loving us with a love so deep that we do not understand it, yet we are extremely grateful for Your Agape Love. We ask forgiveness for not spending enough time with You. In faith, we commit to daily personal worship. Teach us how to live and to live with grateful hearts. We ask this prayer in the Loving Name of Jesus, Amen.
God tells us to, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10).
Growing closer to God is not an emotional experience of highs and lows, it is a day by day spiritual transformation of our mind, character, and personality that allows us to receive Jesus’ gift of peace.
Sanctification Prepares Us for Eternal Life
Sanctification is the gradual and daily spiritual process of growth and transformation performed by the Holy Spirit, which requires the human effort of surrender, faithful obedience, and renouncing our desires, and sinful practices and pleasures.
Sanctification requires the human effort of full cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Instead of following our thoughts, we pray for God’s guidance, and obey His answers. Yes, this is a struggle!
We do not use our emotions to react to conflict, or stressful situations, instead, we strive to possess the Spirit of Christ, and immediately pray for Divine Help.
Christ’s Character: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering [patience], gentleness, goodness faith, meekness [humility], temperance [self-control], against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23).
Through our daily personal worship of Prayer and Study of the Scriptures, we receive spiritual wisdom. It is in the times of separation from others, the Holy Spirit quietly teaches us the deepest meaning of God’s Righteous Precepts.
As we begin to perceive life through the Spiritual Eyes of Christ, we begin to recognize that we are growing spiritually. Not only do our desires and goals change, but we also approach the Throne of Grace before making decisions, and rely on God to fight our battles.
Loyalty to God is manifested by righteous thoughts. Instead of pursuing earthly success and material possessions, we seek to fulfill our God-given purpose of using our talents and spiritual gifts to honor God, and witness to others.
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33, CSB).
Remaining loyal to our Shepherd does not exclude us from enduring suffering, trials, and hardships. The apostle Peter tells us that we will experience fiery trials.
“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, NLT).
“These ‘fiery trials’ are seen not as surprising misfortunes, but as opportunities to test faith, purify character, and deepen one’s connection with God, ultimately preparing us for future glory.”
Spiritual Fact: When facing challenges, our first response reveals the status of our faith and trust in God.
Although, we can resolve our obstacles, spiritual growth is evidenced by our desire to depend on God. Instead of developing strategies, our first response to adversity is a prayer asking for God’s Divine Intervention.
“Even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24, CSB).
Developing a life of prayer builds steadfast faith and trust in God, and demonstrates confidence in Jesus’ promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
In Philippians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul gives us Jesus’ instructions on maintaining our faith and gift of peace despite our circumstances.
“Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Prayer connects us to Jesus, our Intercessor who receives every prayer, silent and spoken. From exercising our faith to believe in the Power of God, the Holy Spirit blesses us with Christ’s spiritual peace [an abiding inner calmness] that words cannot describe.
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3).
God loves and honors His faithful believers. From surrendering ourselves to follow Christ, we receive the daily blessings of spiritual peace, a quiet spirit, provisions, the fruition of His perfect plans, and the ability to sleep like newborn babies.
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8).
Like David, even when facing adversity, we can have the confidence that Jesus Christ, Heaven’s Mightiest Warrior will fight every battle we face!
If you are living a life of faithful obedience then you are right where God needs you to be. Yes and Amen! Peace and Blessings.
Bible Study: Psalm 46
Lord God, we thank you for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who speaks to our hearts, giving us spiritual wisdom and discernment when we dedicate ourselves to follow Christ. Jesus, we thank You for Your amazing gift of peace, and protection from spiritual warfare. We give you the honor, glory, and praise, and ask this prayer in Your Holy Name, Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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