Tag: Jesus

Never an Unanswered Call with God

Never an Unanswered Call with God -Today’s Devotional – December 20, 2023

Have you ever desired to speak with a friend or loved one, but they enjoy texting? Unanswered calls are a primary source of causing the caller to feel defeated. Caller ID allows the recipient to look at the name and number, silence their ringer, or respond with a pre-populated message. The desire for human interaction, coupled with love and empathy, has significantly decreased in the last five years.

“Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a Harvard-trained clinical psychologist based in New York City, says people tend to text or email instead of calling because of convenience…” “33% of American adults prefer texts to all other forms of communication. (Pew Research Center) (Tweet this!). Text is the most used form of communication for American adults under 50.”

God to the Rescue: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:15). “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28

Prayer is underutilized. Many believers do not understand the importance of prayer nor do they comprehend that prayer is our connection from earth to heaven. Prayer is for the renewal, restoration, and recovery of our mind, body, and soul from the harshness of daily life.

Even at work, we should find a quiet place to whisper a prayer for clarity, wisdom, and strength. Silently pray throughout your waking hours expressing gratitude for God’s faithfulness and Divine Intervention in your life. Prayer increases our dependency on God. We have peace, joy, and happiness because we are aligned with His perfect will and plans for our lives.

“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

We posture ourselves to invite the presence of God into our personal worship by separating ourselves from others and giving God time to respond. Our prayers are expedited to Jesus, our Heavenly Intercessor by the Holy Spirit. It is indeed a privilege to have an open invitation to “come boldly to the throne of grace.”

Pray and ask God to teach you how to hear His voice. Pray, Pause, and Wait until you feel Christ’s strength and peace flowing through your mind, body, and soul. Once you experience the power of God’s peace permeating your entire being, you will possess experiential knowledge of the greatness of our Heavenly Father!

Make God Your First Response—Call Him Up and Tell God What You Need

We may feel defeated at the beginning of our prayer, but we will never leave God’s presence without total victory. Prayer gives us 24/7 access to a God who never sleeps. There is no limit on the number of times we can call on Him. One thing is for certain, we will never experience the defeat of an unanswered call with God.

When we feel the need to hear a human voice, there are options available to us. Always make praying out loud a priority [when possible]. While having personal worship incorporate the use of an audio Bible when studying the Scriptures, or use your voice to read the Scriptures out loud. The combination of learning God’s promises and the Biblical stories of His overwhelming love for humanity will provide much encouragement.

Make prayer your first choice when you need to talk to someone. Not only will your relationship with Christ become a priority, but your perspective of receiving a text or automated response will change. Instead of feeling defeated or annoyed, you will smile because you have 24/7 access to our Great God who works out every challenge and leaves the caller feeling spiritually energized!

Prayer: God, we thank You for the privilege of prayer and Your Love Letter of the Holy Bible. We pray for peace, wisdom, and discernment as we navigate through this journey called life. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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

Desire Peace? Do Not Remember the Former Things

Desire Peace? Do Not Remember the Former Things – Today’s Devotional – December 15, 2023

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” —Philippians 4:8

What do you think about in your spare time? Our thoughts are the number one reason we do not possess God’s peace. Take a moment to reflect on your thoughts for today. Were your thoughts positive and healthy? Did you focus on God’s goodness? Or did past memories steal your joy?

The memories of an unhealthy past has a stronghold on many believers. If our thoughts include regret from mistakes, anger from the loss of material things, unforgiveness from unhealthy childhoods, and the break-up of relationships and marriages, or hopelessness from unexpected life events that changed the trajectory of our life then we have major stumbling blocks to overcome before we can receive and enjoy God’s gift of internal peace.

Every Believer’s Spiritual Gifts: “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

For those suffering from intrusive thoughts of the past, please know that unforgiveness produces the emotions of fear, anger, bitterness, despair, and resentment which take root in the heart. If your past causes regret then your heart is filled with guilt, remorse, and sorrow.

As time progresses, these emotions escalate and weaken your sound mind. Not only are you facing past remembrances, but your heart is filled with unrighteous traits that separate you from God.

“And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?’ ” (Matthew 9:4). From Jesus’ question to the Pharisees, we see that our thoughts reveal the hidden condition of our hearts. To gain victory over our thoughts [and receive peace] our hearts must be converted.

For us to rid ourselves of unrighteous thoughts, we must pray for forgiveness, and ask God to give us a clean heart. Our surrender allows the Holy Spirit to convert and transform our hearts and characters into the likeness of Christ. Overcoming intrusive thoughts and displaced emotions becomes part of our spiritual journey.

“Do not remember the former things, Or ponder the things of the past. ‘Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.’ ” —Isaiah 43:18, [Amplified Bible]

Christ is Our Example: The attitude of a believer is to resemble the attitude of Christ. Every day Christ was rejected by the Pharisees and many scoffers. Did you know that when Jesus was in the synagogue at Nazareth [the town in which Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and His siblings lived], the people became angry and attempted to throw Him off of a cliff? [Read Luke chapter 4, verses 16-30].

Jesus left us with a characteristic we must model. On the cross, He prayed, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).

The habit of focusing on the past is one of the toughest habits to overcome. Many Christians have held onto unforgiveness or guilt for so long that they no longer have a relationship with Christ. We must let go! When negative thoughts threaten to break our resolve and leave us feeling powerless, we must immediately pray! Persevere in prayer!

“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

The intentional action of talking to God is our only effective weapon against past thoughts. Pray the simple prayer of “God, I need Your help.” Do not rush your worship with God. You are praying for deliverance! Keep praying, day-by-day, until you gain victory.

All heaven is on alert from the cries of the righteous for Divine help. No, we cannot cleanse our minds or prevent the triggers that produce the uprising of painful memories. Yet, with the strength of the Holy Spirit, we are given the spiritual ability to do what we cannot do in our human weaknesses.

Only Divine Power can break the stronghold of our thoughts. We must remain in the posture of worship until we feel the comfort and power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we can feel the sweet peace of deliverance. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ imparts His peace and spiritual strength which permeates your mind, body, and soul. You will feel empowered by the Spirit of God.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” —Psalm 147:3

God does not desire for the righteous to remain broken. Although we are not promised physical healing, Jesus promises to heal our mental and emotional wounds and to fill our spiritual emptiness when we ask for healing. To remain broken not only prevents us from having a relationship with Christ, we would fail to receive spiritual growth and transformation.

Only Christ can give us freedom from past remembrances and displaced emotions. If we understood the power of prayer, without fail, we would intentionally place ourselves in the presence of God throughout our waking hours. Prayer redirects our focus to the majesty and power of our Heavenly Father.

STOP: [Stand-down Thoughts of Past Events]

Humanity was not only created in the physical image of God but we also were created to have the mind of Christ. We have identified praying as the first response to cease thinking about the past, but we also must exercise faith in God and utilize self-control. Self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit that allows us to STOP the unhealthy thoughts of our past lives.

Reflection: Think of something you want to buy, and you don’t have enough money, but can’t use credit. Your sound mind and the attribute of self-control prevent you from becoming obsessed with your desire. Would you let that desire overpower your mind and think about nothing else? Certainly not! Until you are in the position to financially afford the item you choose not to remember your desire.

Desire Peace? The Path to Peace requires us to use our gift of a sound mind, exercise the fruit of self-control, and focus on the Giver of all Good Gifts. Choose not to remember! God has promised to do new things in our lives if we give up the negativity of our past. With joyful anticipation, we can expect God to bring His promises to fruition in our lives.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You for creating us in Your image. We pray for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to deliver us from the stronghold of the intrusive thoughts of our past or an unknown future. Lord, we pray for healing and peace. Thank You for Your abundant love. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Pursuing Christ Through Personal Worship

Pursuing Christ Through Personal Worship Today’s Devotional December 11, 2023

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” —Matthew 6:6

Our most important time with God is through our daily personal worship. The time spent with God in prayer and Bible study provides the life-sustaining spiritual nourishment that feeds and replenishes our souls. Created in the image of God, our souls are connected to Him. We cannot fill the emptiness of our souls without God.

Jesus tells us to separate ourselves because worship places us in God’s Holy presence. Quiet solitude frees us from interruptions and distractions allowing us to focus on our intimate relationship with Christ. Worship is a one-to-one interaction between us and God. During personal worship, we surrender our will, and with faith, we renew our daily covenant with Christ to follow Him.

Our intentional and unrushed time with God places us in a posture of humility and demonstrates our faith in His faithfulness. The more time we spend in worship the greater the blessing we receive. The Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual revitalization and restoration that our minds, souls, and bodies rely on to be victorious overcomers through Christ.

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” —Psalm 54:4

To remain faithful in perilous times, it’s best if we have daily worship in the morning and evening. To commune with God is to receive life-sustaining strength, peace, joy, and happiness. Do you know Christians who always have joyful expressions on their face? They are spending time with God which gives them confidence even when going through trials and tribulations.

The Holy Spirit provides us with supernatural strength, clarity, wisdom, and guidance. No longer do we possess a sense of dread when facing our activities of daily life. Not only do we receive the spiritually energizing power to effectively achieve our daily tasks, but we remain energized until the completion of our daily goals.

Worship is more than praying and listening to inspirational music. We pray for Divine wisdom before we diligently study the Holy Scriptures because we need the Holy Spirit to provide us with the only accurate definition of God’s written Words of Truth. Spiritual discernment is a gift from the Holy Spirit that prevents us from embracing false or convoluted teachings based on another person’s interpretation.

Studying the Scriptures imparts us with the vital knowledge of God’s promises. When hardships arise, instead of fear, anxiety, or stress, we enjoy God’s greatest blessings of peace, joy, and restoration. The Bible contains God’s Righteous precepts and commands which keep us on the Narrow Path of Righteousness. The word of God also provides us with an understanding of the perilous times we live in.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” —Romans 8:26

Worship is for the weak. Although our weaknesses differ, every believer is weak in some area of their lives due to our inherited carnal hearts that gravitate toward pleasing ourselves. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit rescues us by giving us the spiritual wisdom and discernment needed to recognize internal and external spiritual warfare. And He also gives us the strength to walk away from temptation.

When facing temptation or life’s dilemmas, whisper a prayer for help. Effectual prayer is our greatest weapon against Satan. Self-reliance is abated when we ask for the Divine reinforcement of the Holy Spirit. We desperately need to make prayer our first response so we do not succumb to the raging internal battle of satisfying our heart’s carnal desires.

The benefits of daily worship are endless, but most importantly, we show honor, reverence, and respect for our Awesome Heavenly Father. Aligning ourselves with His perfect will demonstrates our faithful obedience. Worship allows us to receive spiritual growth and the transformation of our mind, character, and personality.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law (Galatians 5 22-23). And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).

From consistently staying in the presence of God, we are changed into the likeness of Christ’s Character. Our character and personality begin to align with the Fruit of the Spirit, and our hearts overflow with the love of God as demonstrated by a gentle and loving spirit.

“‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” —Jeremiah 33:3

From our time with God, our spiritual insight deepens and God reveals great and mighty things that we do not know. Our heightened awareness includes a greater appreciation for God’s love, grace, and abundant mercies. Instead of relying on our feelings when challenges arise, we remain steadfast because we trust in the faithfulness of God’s Character.

Personal worship prepares us for Eternal life where we will freely worship God with pure hearts in a perfect New Heaven and New Earth.

Prayer: God, we thank You for the privilege of boldly approaching Your Throne to receive grace in our time of need which is every day. We surrender ourselves completely to You and ask for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Spiritual Growth is Silent

Spiritual Growth Is Silent Devotional Reading and Podcast

Jesus created the world to have consistent and continuous growth and movement. All bodies of water, the sea, streams, and oceans give us evidence of that movement. And nothing is more exciting than planting seeds and anxiously watching and waiting for the little seedlings to burst through the dirt.

We were also created to achieve growth through spiritual and academic learning. Still, God’s plan is for us to utilize the Bible as our primary source of gaining knowledge. From the moment we pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit [before studying the Bible], we receive discernment of the Scriptures, wisdom, and spiritual guidance for applying the Truth to our lives.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16, ESV)

To live holy means we put God first. Daily worship includes prayer expressing gratitude, Bible study, and asking for Divine guidance regarding life’s challenges. Hearing God’s Voice can happen in various ways. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Scriptures and our thoughts. Make worship an intimate time between you and God without distractions or disruptions.

Our commitment to obey and walk in God’s Purpose is the only way to achieve spiritual growth. Spiritual growth and transformation are dynamic and occur throughout our lifetime as long as we remain dedicated to God.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…” (Colossians 1:9-11).

Like the plant that grows silently, our spiritual growth is also silent. We visualize the development of plant life stages, but how do we know if we are growing spiritually? Our characters change as evidenced by the desire to intentionally guard our hearts. The programs, music, and conversations we previously watched, listened to and participated in become displeasing to our eyes and ears. We become intentional and committed to our relationship with Christ.

As we grow, we begin to take better care of our souls. The more we learn about God’s character and the life of Christ, our hearts are filled with love—we love God, others, and ourselves. When our hearts are bursting with love for God, we willingly change our lifestyles to include praying and studying the Scriptures. Another godly trait we gain is compassion–we will begin to care about the well-being of those in need.

Our goals change from pleasing ourselves to pleasing God. We begin to desire a character that has the [righteous] qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit. Do not try to monitor or speed up your spiritual growth. We can change undesirable habits or curtail unrighteous traits, such as impatience [which demonstrates we are doing our part], yet, spiritual transformation is a continuous and lifelong process orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.

Like the plant that requires light, water, and nutrients for proper growth and maturity, we also need the Light and Living Water that only Christ can provide. Realistically, we will fall when we fail to pray for guidance. Do not become discouraged! “For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster” (Proverbs 24:16). We must repent, get back up, not repeat the same mistake, and keep going.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28, NIV

We have Divine Help every second of our lives. God is only a prayer away. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We have a Father who loves us!

Our transformation relies on a close relationship with Christ. Surrender and obedience allow us to receive the spiritual nutrients that flow from the Source, Jesus Christ. Yes, Christ not only gives us strength, but He also nurtures us with His everlasting love!

Every Christian’s Goal: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Every day we fight against our sinful traits, but we can win those battles with the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to overcome our carnal desires and resist temptation. Our willingness to cooperate and surrender to God’s will and plans allows the Holy Spirit to achieve the continuous transformation required for eternal life.

There is a marked difference between spiritual growth and natural growth. We reach mental and physical maturity by a certain age, but we never cease growing spiritually. God has designed that we are ever learning and growing in our walk on the Path of Righteousness.

Sanctification, to be molded into the likeness of Christ–His Character lasts throughout our cycle of life on this earth.

Scripture: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1: 15-16).

Prayer: God, I ask You to show me the way and reveal what You want me to do. I want to do what you want me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Love Letter to Jesus, Our Wonderful Savior

Dear Jesus, With all of my heart, I thank You for Your awesome love and the greatest sacrificial gift of Your life for humanity. Although I struggle to comprehend the magnitude of Agape love, I know that Your love is everything that I need. I surrender myself to You and pray that one day I will see You face to face to ask you the question that is deeply hidden in my heart. I love You, Jesus. Yes, my heart belongs to You. Love Always, your Daughter