Tag: Holy Spirit

Facing Internal and External Opposition? God Always Wins!

Facing Internal and External Opposition? God Always Wins! Devotional Reading August 31, 2023

Who can control the internal battle of a sinful heart or win the external battles of strife without praying for Divine power?

Living in perilous times [2 Timothy 3] has led many believers to become distracted. We are trying to fight battles—internal and external that originate from spiritual warfare [that we cannot possibly win] without God. Human wisdom and strategies are extremely limited in fighting against the temptations and deceptions of Satan—never forget that he is a fallen angel.

Jesus’ Human Status on Earth: “You made him a little lower than the angels…” —Hebrews 2:7-8

Jesus, the Commander of Angel Armies and the Son of God was born as a human baby and was required to be tempted and suffer just like us. God also required Jesus to learn obedience to human parents and earthly laws. For Jesus to live and think as a human being, He had to give up part of His Omnipotence—Divine Power while living on this earth.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” —Hebrews 4:15

When Jesus was in heaven, His mind and will were connected and in perfect harmony with God, His Father. Once He was born as a human, Jesus had to pray constantly to seek the will of God. Obedience to God was His highest priority! Humanity always requires an Intercessor! The Holy Spirit also interceded for Jesus when He was living on this earth.

Yes, Jesus was human and divine, but in humility and surrender, He accepted and acknowledged the limitations of becoming a human being—to be tempted along with struggle to obey the will of God. Constantly seeking His Father in prayer empowered Jesus to live in total obedience to God. Even at the time of His betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gave reverence to God, His Father.

“Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” —Matthew 26:53-54, NIV

If Jesus the Son of God openly acknowledged that He always needed to call on His Father [in His earthly life] how much more do we need God in every aspect of our lives? Throughout the Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] we have Scriptural proof that Jesus was in constant communication with God, His Father.

“It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” —Luke 6:12

The Apostle Paul describes Jesus’ prayer life: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Though He was a Son, yet, He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” — Hebrews 5:7-8, NIV, NKJV

From Jesus, we have a Role Model who demonstrates how we must place our faith and trust in God, the Father. It is a privilege to have unlimited access to God the Father through praying.

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

We are told to come boldly before the throne of grace in prayer. Prayer is so important to the believer’s life that the Holy Spirit intercedes by taking our prayer of misguided words and presenting them to Christ, our Heavenly Intercessor with reverence and deeper meaning.

Spiritual warfare will exist until Jesus’ Second Coming. Yes, we face temptations, but Satan is using two methods to attack our relationship with God.

Doubt: The method he used with Eve to create doubt in her mind is the same method he is using with us. Satan desires that we believe God is withholding the best from us. Without faithfully trusting in God, we will pursue our desires for success, wealth, and marriage and never pray for God’s guidance or blessings.

Division and Strife: He uses people [most often spouses, family members, friends, dating partners, and coworkers] to draw us into debates that result in division and strife. Yet, Satan has increased his game of warfare by luring many into the web of debating the Scriptures on social media.

We live in the time of a Spiritual War Zone and our minds are the battlefield! Those who fulfill the carnal desires of their hearts do not love God with all of their hearts, souls, and minds. They would rather compromise and accept Satan’s poor choices of people and tangible wealth [which always produce consequences] rather than wait for God’s perfect blessings.

The people in our lives who cause strife and incite our emotions of anger are being used by Satan. A believer who insists on having relationships with unbelievers [“Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord will enter in…” Matthew 7:21] whether they are husbands, wives, family, friends, or dating partners, sadly will lose their relationship with Christ. The believer is always the one who compromises!

Without praying for guidance from the Holy Spirit, we chase our carnal desires, make the wrong decisions, and do not have the power to control our emotions, and spoken words. A believer with a sinful spirit of disobedience or strife is in a lose-lose situation. Their focus is no longer on God, it is on self.

The Solution: In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told to put on the Whole Armor of God. We are defeated unless we stay in the presence of God through prayer and study of the Scriptures. To combat spiritual warfare, we must pray and rely on the Holy Spirit. When we surrender and ask for the Divine Strength of the Holy Spirit, we receive the wisdom and power to overcome all situations.

Praying throughout our waking hours is the key to victory. Talk to God. Not only does our relationship with Christ strengthen, but we begin to view life through spiritual eyes. Prayer enables us to receive wisdom and the Fruit of self-control. The Holy Spirit empowers us to place God’s will over our heart’s desires and amid strife either we remain silent or quote the Scriptures and walk away.

The impossible remains impossible without God. We must double or triple our prayers and begin searching, studying, and obeying the Scriptures. The spiritual battles we face can only be won when we put forth the human effort of faith, surrender, and obedience to God. We prepare ourselves to receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer indicating our desire for Divine Help.

God always requires us to surrender and obey first before He intervenes. When we fulfill our responsibilities to God then our Mighty Warrior God will demonstrate His Divine power and defeat every enemy we face, even our internal battles with the enemy of our carnal hearts!

Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 14

Prayer: “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name, we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Chronicles 14:11). Lord God, in faith, we pray the prayer of King Asa and we pray for deliverance from Satan and our earthly enemies. And we also ask for spiritual discernment and the power to fight our carnal desires. Thank You for the victory over our enemies. In Jesus’ Mighty name, we pray. Amen and Amen!

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

Remain Faithful and Focused

Devotional Reading August 30 2023

The story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37-50 reveals God’s Chosen Path every believer must travel to have steadfast faith and spiritual growth. Having faith in God gives us courage and confidence despite what our situation looks like. God is a God of impossibilities!

“But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” —Matthew 10:29-31 (NLT)

Do we believe that we are more valuable than a bird? Sadly, we forget the promises of God to never leave us or forsake us. Jesus paid with His life to ransom humanity from the wages of sin. “…Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3).

” ‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One.” —Isaiah 40:25

Keep striving to follow God’s plan for your life. Through daily worship, we learn to hear the Voice of God. Remain faithful and focused! Maintain your relationship with Christ through much prayer and Bible study. Do not waver in your belief of God’s powerful Divine Intervention. Pray, Wait, and Be Still until the Holy Spirit reveals the answers. God always leads us on the Path to Victory!

No adversity or temptation can crush us like grapes in a winepress. We place all of our hope in God because He never fails us. If God said it, then He will do it! By remaining faithful and focused, we persevere because God’s Divine power always brings us victorious outcomes.

Scripture Reading: “I would have lost heart [courage], unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” —Psalm 27:13-14

Weekly Bible Study: Genesis chapters 37-50

Prayer: God, we thank You for giving us real-life biblical accounts of faithful heroes like Joseph who remained steadfast and focused on Your Power. We desire to have a closer relationship with You. Lord, we thank You for loving us with an everlasting love. Teach us to recognize your Voice of Instruction. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

The Potter and the Clay

But now, O Lord you are our Father, we are the clay, and you our Potter; And all of us are the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

Timothy constantly sought Paul’s advice and instruction. He exercised consideration and calm thought, inquiring at every step, Is this the way of the Lord? The Holy Spirit found in him one who could be molded and fashioned as a temple for the indwelling of the divine Presence. TT 109.1

The question is, Are we surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit and allowing Jesus Christ to transform our character? God is not intrusive. He does not force us to change into His image. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Prayer: God, we desire to be molded in the Character of Christ. We pray for forgiveness of our sins. We ask to be molded in your hands. As we prepare for your soon coming, we pray for guidance in every aspect of our lives. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

© 2021 Sonya Johnson, Faithful Fishers Ministry

Third Person of the Trinity

The Trinity: God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is our faith that instinctively causes us to believe the spiritual things that we will never fully understand.

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

Fruitless Trees

Born and raised in the concrete jungle of the Northeast, I was clueless about the nature of fruit-bearing trees. One day, my BFF visited and informed me that the large shade tree was a pecan tree in our yard. I started laughing as I relayed that the tree was well past her reproductive stage in life. She stepped off of the porch, walked around the yard for a couple of minutes, returning with a shelled pecan nut in her hands. “Who’s laughing now?” I had a mature tree that produced pecans, my favorite nut, and was totally unaware for five years. The squirrels who were always on the branches enjoyed the tree’s fruit of which I knew nothing about.

Many of us accept Jesus as our personal Savior, understanding that He is the only way to God. Yet, we fail to embrace our Helper, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity Godhead. We have access to the power of the Holy Spirit that would make our spiritual journey bearable even through severe trials. If God sent the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove [Matthew 3:16-17] to Jesus following His baptism, then as humans without Divinity status, we desperately need the Holy Spirit.

And I will pray for the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. John 14:16-18 NKJV

Jesus defines the line of separation–the world cannot receive the Spirit of Truth. If we reject the Holy Spirit through unbelief, then we are part of the world. There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:7-11

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-15

“Why do believer’s reject the Holy Spirit?”

John 3:8-9 tells us of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus regarding the Holy Spirit. To which. “Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How can these things be?” The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery to humanity. Jesus told His disciples, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” John 16:12. We can thank Jesus for recognizing our limitations.

Truthfully, we struggle every day just to maintain our faith in God. We are often plagued with discouragement and disbelief in the power of the Almighty when facing lengthy trials and sorrows. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT. Our loving Jesus is full of compassion. He knows that we are easily overwhelmed with our daily struggle to love God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds. Still, the human effort of confession, repentance, praying, studying the Bible, and living faithful, and purpose-driven lives, while trusting and serving God with obedience is a requisite to receive eternal life. Help! Holy Spirit to the rescue!

We cannot afford to reject the Spirit of Truth. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot discern truth from false teachings. Nor can we fully understand the scriptures when studying the Bible. Believe it or not, false teachers read the Bible and may have more biblical knowledge than we possess. Their problem–a corrupt heart. They begin to analyze the scriptures and search for logical, rational explanations. When none can be found, they begin to develop their own theories.

The victims are the spiritually malnourished who feel they are fully capable of taking care of themselves without embracing and accepting The Trinity-God, the Father, Jesus, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. Living as the redeemed requires spiritual reinforcement only available through our willingness to obey God with a spirit of humility. To bear fruit, we have no other choice than to feed ourselves with the scriptures, which are the Voice of God. Communication with God–through prayer invites the Holy Spirit in to strengthen us, to correct us, and to guide us through our life-long journey of sanctification. Without the Holy Spirit, we are fruitless trees.

Without the Holy Spirit, we will never have the faith that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego possessed when facing the fiery furnace [Daniel 3:16-28]. Nor can we fight spiritual warfare [Ephesians 6:12] alone. Christian believers, we watched our brothers and sisters suffering in Afghanistan, but our time of persecution will come. We cannot afford to be like the five foolish virgins who were not spiritually prepared [Matthew 25:1-13]. The oil that they lacked represents the Holy Spirit. Jesus is on the way. We have but a short time on this present earth. The Holy Spirit is available for all who just ask and believe. Thank you, Jesus.

Without the Holy Spirit, we will not have the fruit that is described in Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Our character must align with God’s requirements to receive the reward of eternal life.

And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Prayer: God, we thank you for your love and for giving us access to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. We pray for an outpouring and anointing, wisdom, and discernment from the Holy Spirit. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson, Faithful Fishers Ministry