Tag: love faith sabbath

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

What Matters the Most in Your Life?

What Matters the Most in Your Life? Today’s Devotional October 22, 2023

“The way of the just is uprightness; O Most Upright, You weigh the path of the just.” —Isaiah 26:7, NKJV

“The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.” —Isaiah 26:7, BSB

For most of my life, the focus of my attention has been inward. Yes, my focus was on the fulfillment of educational goals, travel, and purchasing things to make my life comfortable. Even though I have always loved Christ, now as I reflect, I realize that most of my pursuits had nothing to do with my relationship with Christ.

Perilous times are upon us, as prophesied in the Scriptures. Jesus said in Matthew 24, that wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places are the beginning of sorrows. The pastors who have consecrated their lives to God are preaching different sermons—telling us to turn our eyes from worldly pursuits and to focus on Christ. The Holy Spirit is revealing the message to the faithful to prepare themselves because time is winding down.

What matters the most in our lives? Jesus gives us the answer.

“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” —Deuteronomy 6:5

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ” —Matthew 22:37

Love is the Catalyst that Gives us the Desire to Receive Spiritual Transformation

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” —Romans 12:1-2

From Old Testament times to Jesus’ earthly ministry, we have received the command to make God our first love. In Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching believers what it means to live the Christian life of sacrifice. Unless our hearts are overflowing with love for Christ, we can never change our focus from ourselves to God.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” —Revelation 22:7

Do we believe that we are living on the edge of eternity? Do we have the desire to put God first? Do we have the desire to surrender and consecrate our lives to God?

While waiting for Jesus’ coming, we are told to prepare daily by praying for God’s will to be revealed and to diligently study the Scriptures, especially the book of Revelation. Sadly, in 2023, many believers have chosen to focus on past obstacles, present distractions, and future accomplishments which prevent them from keeping their eyes on the prize of eternal life.

  • Focus on the Past: The past obstacles that produced disappointments affect these believers mentally and emotionally by destroying their optimism and skewing their perception of the ability to move forward. Because their focus is on things that once existed, they do not recognize their self-worth as determined by God. Not seeing beyond yesteryear prevents them from fulfilling God’s plans and robs them of having optimal health and happiness which comes from using their spiritual gifts and innate talents to glorify God. Because their minds are overwhelmed with memories, this group of believers have forgotten Jesus’ promise in John 14:1-3.
  • Focus on the Present: These believers’ lives are filled with the distractions of the worldviews they have readily embraced. They feed their carnal desires of seeking material wealth, enjoying an easy lifestyle, and practicing self-reliance by using human wisdom to interpret the definition of a spiritually productive lifestyle. Because they listen to the many voices of the influencers, they assume responsibilities that lead them away from God. From working excessive overtime and spending wasteful hours on social media, programs, and other activities based on pleasure, their focus is on living their best life on this earth. Their eyes are focused on the earthly prizes which prevents them from recognizing their spiritual decline. They do not have time to think about life in the New Heaven and New Earth.
  • Focus on the Future: These are the believers with strategic minds. They have calculated the necessary steps to produce a future utopia [an imagined place or state of things where everything is perfect] of heaven on earth. The future is perceived as the end of continuous challenges and the opportunity to live one’s best life. These believers are always focused, they are steadily pursuing academic and financial goals, and some eagerly look forward to retirement without any demands. Because they have designed their perfect future, which keeps their focus on looking ahead, they do not have the desire to fulfill God-given spiritual assignments in their lives. They look forward to a glorious future but it does not include life anywhere else but on this earth.

“…As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” —Romans 10:15

Yet, God has a faithful remnant. This group of people have a divine mission which is symbolized in the Three Angels’ messages [Revelation 14]. Their mission is to proclaim the “everlasting gospel” to humanity, to call true believers out of false religion (represented by Babylon), and to prepare the world for the final end-time crisis.”

The command given by Jesus that many Christians refuse to follow “Go and make disciples” is found in Matthew 28:18-20. Is any message more important than the Plan of Salvation and Redemption through Jesus Christ?

Witnessing is not complicated when our life revolves around Christ. John 3:16 reveals God’s love for humanity. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ ” (John 14:26). Salvation is not complicated! When we do our part, the Holy Spirit gives spiritual understanding based on the person’s willingness to accept Christ as their Savior.

The step of human effort is met with Divine power as evidenced by young children with limited maturity and knowledge accepting Jesus. The simple truth is Jesus loves us and Jesus saves us. The simple heartfelt prayer of “Lord, forgive me of my sins, I accept You as my Savior.” demonstrates faith and we become Christ’s disciples. Yes, He changes our lives! Hallelujah! Amen!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9

What matters the most to us is revealed by our pursuits, habits, and lifestyles. God never forces us to love Him. We are free moral agents who choose our final destiny. The beautiful news is we are the recipients of God’s grace and mercies. We have been given the privilege to change our priorities and habits that lead us away from God and prevent us from receiving our reward of eternal life.

Re-consecration: All God requires of us is to pray and ask for forgiveness for our self-satisfying pursuits and for us to rededicate ourselves to Him. Our heavenly reward is closer than we think. Love God, Love Others, and Love yourself!

What matters the most in the believer’s life is our relationship with Jesus Christ!

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” —John 14:1-3, NKJV

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are our First Love! We ask forgiveness for focusing on the obstacles, distractions, and the self-accomplishments of this earthly life. We desire to live with You forever and ever. From this day forward, we give ourselves to You. We pray for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank you for Your grace and mercies. In Your Holy Name, we ask this prayer, 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

A Woman of God Can Never Be Like a Woman of the World

Today’s Devotional October 19, 2023

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” —Proverbs 31:30

A Woman of God will never be like a woman of the world. A Woman of God strives to please God by seeking His will every day through prayer and study of the Scriptures. This woman surrenders herself through humility and faithful obedience. Her daily prayers for the presence, power, and anointing of the Holy Spirit ascend to God like a sweet-smelling aroma.

A Woman of God will never be like a woman of the world. She prays before speaking, ensuring her words are gentle and reflect Christ’s character. This woman avoids strife and conflict by remaining silent. Why? Because her lamp is filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Although her silence is perceived by others as a weakness of character, her silence reveals a spirit of self-control and strength empowered by the Holy Spirit. She relies on Divine Intervention to overcome her natural tendency to speak words fueled by angry emotions. Yes, this woman acquiesces to the Sovereignty of God because she believes in His promise to fight her battles.

A Woman of God will never be like a woman of the world. She does not adorn herself with many jewels of worthless trinkets and gaudy make-up to seek worldly attention. Nor is her dress too short, her top cut too low, or her pants too tight. No, a Woman of God dresses modestly because she is preparing to receive her heavenly crown and white linen robe from her Majestic King, Jesus Christ.

A single Woman of God can never be like a single woman of the world because she lives a chaste life. She reverences and honors God with her mind and body knowing that her temple is filled with the Holy Spirit. This Woman of God has a social circle of believers who pray and support each other spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

A married Woman of God will never be like a married woman of the world who constantly opposes her husband. The [Proverbs 31] wife pursues righteousness by honoring God first and then her husband. When conflict arises, she honors God and her husband by praying and asking for Divine Help, not from her family or friends. [Disclaimer: Abusive marriages usually require additional human intervention to remove oneself and children.]

The married Woman of God knows that she is honored by God because her attributes are written in the Bible [Proverbs 31]. She prays for her husband and children and helps them to prepare for eternal life. This wife and mother is patient and loving because she represents the love of Christ to her children. This Woman of God understands the deeper meaning of her marriage—it is holy and represents Christ’s love for His church.

A Woman of God [single or married] separates herself from worldly people unless she is witnessing the love and saving power of Jesus Christ. Every day, this woman dedicates her mind, body, and soul to God. Yes, a Woman of God appreciates God’s grace and mercies and offers her heart, the only gift that she can give to the King. No, the Woman of God can never be like the woman of the world because she strives every day to live a sanctified life pleasing to God. After all, her eyes are on the prize—Revelation 22:12.

Prayer: God, your daughters are striving to possess the Character of Christ by living holy and acceptable lives. Many times, we have failed and fallen into sinful behaviors. And for our disobedience and disloyalty, we ask for forgiveness. Lord, we need Your strength to overcome our carnal desires. Hear our prayer and answer our pleas for help. We ask You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with Your Holy Spirit as we strive to represent Christ to a lost and dying world. Bless us with peace and joy. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Sonya Johnson, Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions