Spiritual Restoration – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Ask Jesus to Restart Your Life – Receiving the Gift of Spiritual Restoration

“And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:22-23).

Jesus tells us that every human being has sinned by disobeying God. Peter messed up and denied Jesus three times, still Jesus did not condemn him, Jesus restored him by asking Peter three times, “Do you love Me?”

We give Praises to God, the Father and God, Jesus the Son Jesus, who completed the Plan of Redemption on Calvary’s Cross, which includes confession, repentance, and God’s forgiveness for our sins.

“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).

Do not hold onto and grieve over your past experiences and mistakes. Refusing to forgive, nurturing anger, sadness, and despair over the past reveal unbelief [not using our faith to actively believe] in God’s Gift: “…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

“Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we are adopted into the family of God, and we proclaim, ‘Abba, Father!'”

Even God cannot change our past, but if we are willing to use our faith and believe in His promise of “making something new,” He will reset our lives and make beauty from the ashes of our past.

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19, NLT).

The Gift: Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are declared righteous. The Apostle Paul tells us that from accepting Christ as our personal Savior, we become “new creations,” who are covered by Christ’s Righteousness, and as Sons and Daughters of God, we can expect to receive God’s greatest blessings.

Spiritual Restoration is a gift from God that requires us to live holy: “Be holy, for I Am Holy.” (1 Peter 1:16).

We connect to Christ and stay anchored in Him through daily surrender, faithful obedience, and personal worship [Prayer and Bible Study].

Yes, we use our faith to love, honor, and revere God by implicitly trusting and obeying Him. To receive God’s promises of Spiritual Renewal and Restoration, we cannot have a divided heart.

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Our inherited Hearts naturally gravitate toward fulfilling our desires, but Self-Reliance is willful disobedience against God. The heart filled with love for God easily embraces and practices a “God First” mindset and lifestyle.

The Lifestyle of Daily Surrender: We let go of our thoughts and strategies by always praying for God’s Guidance before making decisions. “Do not be wise in your own eyes.” (Proverbs 3:7).

Even when we fall, with Agape Love and Mercy, Jesus extends His hand, which is an invitation for us to get up and try again. But this time, we use our faith to trust and obey our Shepherd by relying on His Divine Guidance and Strength. Yes and Amen!

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27).

Lord God, we confess that by living to fulfill our desires, we have redirected our faith and focus to ourselves. Our decisions are based on our thoughts and emotions, and for these sins of disobedience, we ask You for forgiveness. Our past experiences and mistakes have produced many consequences, but most importantly, we have forgotten that loving You requires us to put You First and to obey Your Will. In faith, we ask You to teach us how to love, to heal us from our past, and to restore our relationship with You. With gratitude and joy, we look forward to receiving Your promise of doing something new in our lives. With humility, we ask for these spiritual blessings in the Loving and Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 13

Faith Is Not Blind – Faith Is Intentional

“I spoke my message with spiritual power so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.” (2 Corinthians 2:4-5, GW)

The Apostle Paul’s message to the members of the Church in Corinth is a reminder that it is God’s Word and His Power that strengthens our faith.

God does not ask us to have blind faith, He has already given us so many reasons to believe:

God’s Love is evident through the Divine Gift of His Son, Jesus Christ; we pray and immediately receive His Help; and Yahweh Yireh freely gives us the daily Blessings of life, health, strength, provisions, and protection from His Army of guardian angels.

“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). And, we have a sound mind with the ability to reason and make prudent choices.

And yet, even with all these blessings, we choose doubt over faithfully trusting God. How do we get past the obstacle of doubting God?

We were given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). Every day, we use our faith to believe and trust in human thoughts and strategies.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes.” (Proverbs 3:7). Letting go of the unbeliever’s practice of self-reliance, which always excludes God is not as easy as we think.

Overcoming the Stronghold: Relying on human wisdom satisfies the sin of Pride hidden deep within our hearts.

To have steadfast faith in God requires the humility to redirect our faith and focus from human wisdom and artificial intelligence, back to God.

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13). This command cannot be obeyed without receiving Divine Strength from the Holy Spirit.

Each new day brings distractions and temptations that we will not recognize and overcome unless, we surrender ourselves to God, asking the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and strengthen our faith.

Requisite for Intentional Faith: Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures

The Bible tells us that God is Eternal, Holy, Sovereign, and has Absolute Power and Authority:

“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: ‘Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge. Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. ‘Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?'” (Job 38:1-4, NIV).

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'” (Matthew 28:18).

Yes, trusting God requires that we have Scriptural knowledge of God’s Sovereignty, still there is so much more to learn about God’s Character:

God Is Omniscient: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.'” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God Is Love: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.” (Jeremiah 31:3, Amplified Bible).

Our Heavenly Father has a tender, responsive and forgiving heart that Loves, Cares, Helps, Protects, and Provides for His [obedient] Sons and Daughters.

God’s Proclamation: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

Scriptural knowledge provides the Spiritual Foundation to build a strong faith and trust in God, but we must also honor God by using our faith to believe that God is Who He says He is.

The Invitation: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the Throne of Grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16).

The Promise: “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).

Committing to follow Jesus with faithful obedience results in a spiritual heart transplant. Our faith invites the Holy Spirit to convert our heart, connecting us to Jesus’ Heart.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28, ESV).

As long as we use our faith to trust and obey God’s Plans for our lives, the Holy Spirit keeps us anchored in Christ, resulting in an unbreakable relationship with our Shepherd.

Humility Cures Worldliness: “So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.” (James 4:7, GW).

Reflection: How often do you have personal worship? Praying, Studying the Bible, Singing, and Thanking God for His Abundant Blessings?

“Could it be that we too need a spiritual renovation, a genuine, real, moment-by-moment walk with God?”

Using our faith, every morning, we must put on our Spiritual Armor [Ephesians 6].

“But when you pray, go into your most private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6, Amplified Bible).

Although we participate in Family Worship, we should practice the habit of “Separation, Solitude, and Silence.” Our daily journey with Jesus is sustained by having an intimate one-to-one relationship with Him.

Spiritual Bread: “Give us this day our daily bread. Beyond physical food, it is a prayer to partake of Christ, who is the ‘Bread of Life.'”

“As physical food strengthens our bodies daily, we must also feed every day on the Word of God through the Holy Spirit to renew our souls.”

Every morning and evening, separate yourself from all distractions, praying for the forgiveness of your sins, which is required for us to enter into God’s Holy Presence.

Our willingness to surrender to faithfully follow Jesus is rewarded by God, the Holy Spirit, who renews our mind, body, and soul with the refreshing Living Water of Jesus Christ, giving us increased faith, wisdom, discernment, and strength.

Spiritual growth and transformation of our mind and character into the Righteousness of Christ cannot be accomplished through weekly Church attendance.

The time spent in personal worship praying, praising, and thanking God along with studying the Bible, affirms and strengthens our faith, preparing us for an eternity of worshiping God, the Father and God, the Son [Jesus Christ]. Yes and Amen!

“I have decided to follow Jesus, and there is no turning back!”

Lord God, we confess that our faith is weak because we have used our thoughts and limited perceptions to attempt to navigate through life. And for this sin against You, we ask for forgiveness. Thank You, for Your love and faithfulness, and our abundant daily blessings. Lord, in faith, we come to You, asking for restoration and a new beginning in our Journey with Jesus. With humility, we express the desire to surrender and renew our covenant of faith. And we ask this prayer in Jesus’ Loving and Righteous Name, Amen.

A Sabbath Prayer for Spiritual Restoration

Rest Breaks: A Time to Receive Spiritual Renewal and Restoration

Today, I looked at my Air Purifier that runs 24/7 and wondered how much more time it has left. It is easy to replace machines, just purchase another one, but most are treating their minds and bodies like machines that can be easily replaced.

How did we get to the point of despising these much-needed, rejuvenating times of rest? We have embraced the non-stop busyness of always being in a hurry which doesn’t give our fearfully and wonderfully made minds and bodies time to renew, restore, and regenerate itself.

Rest vs Sleep: They are not the same.

“For most, feeling tired or worn down might make you think you need more sleep. While quality sleep is critical to feeling whole, rest is so much more than your nightly hours of shut-eye.”

“Rest involves your whole being, not just your body. With complete and regular rest, you will restore your health, enhance your performance, and achieve an amazing sense of wellness.”

“So many small — but impactful — bouts of rest can be incorporated into your everyday routine.”

Take Routine Time Outs

“Removing yourself from a stressful situation or anxious environment might be all you need to take a mental and physical break. Think of it as your own little “time out” to connect with your thoughts, feelings and body. Even a short, calming prayer can help you rejuvenate in body, mind and spirit.”

The Lack of Rest is Dangerous to Our Spiritual Relationship with God

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’ ” (Mark 6:31, NIV).

Jesus, the Creator of humanity, in His earthly life also adhered to the principles of maintaining one’s health by establishing boundaries. Our Savior never expected His disciples to follow the rigid schedule that He endured.

As terrible as it sounds, truthfully, when we are mentally fatigued, the last thing that we desire to do is to study the Scriptures, Pray, and be in the Divine presence of God.

Our inability to concentrate, pay attention to the small details, use critical thinking, and sound judgment are greatly impacted by our lack of regenerative rest periods. Mental fatigue impacts our ability to think outside of an emotional responses.

Satan uses our overloaded schedules to distract us from spending time with God, and to present alternative [demonic] modalities, burning sage, secular music, Eastern meditation, alcohol, mushroom tea, CBD, and hours of scrolling on social media designed to produce a false state of euphoria.

Many Christian believers who are reading this devotional may not be aware that we are living in the last days of Earth’s history. To clarify, we are not in the End Times which occur right before Jesus comes again.

The Apostle Paul defines the characteristics of Perilous Times, which is now.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power…” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Jesus has not kept secrets from us, in the Book of Revelation, we know how the story ends. In Matthew chapter 24, the signs that Jesus gave to his disciples are rapidly being fulfilled!

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8).

Jesus’ forewarning is not to instill fear, but to give us the opportunity to review our lives and to eliminate any roadblocks that will prevent us from receiving our reward of Eternal Life.

Take a day off to separate yourself, silence all distractions, and scrutinize your lifestyle. Pray for guidance and perform the task of prioritizing and eliminating all activities that prevent your ability to incorporate small blocks of spiritual rest breaks throughout your waking hours.

I can recall working for United Healthcare as a Quality nurse with the responsibility of assisting physicians to deliver patient care within Medicare’s guidelines. Every day it was a taxing effort to prepare ourselves to present the monthly reports of deficiencies to the Doctors, which always produced an escalated level of resistance.

One day, I felt extreme burnout and fatigue, and recall thinking, “I cannot do this job much longer.” The Holy Spirit spoke through my thoughts instructing me to take my lunch break in my vehicle. Yes, for an hour, I listened to inspirational music, sang, prayed for strength, and mental clarity, and God intervened by renewing my strength, and changing my perception of the position, Do not take the pushbacks personally.

Begin and end your day with prayer and study of the Scriptures. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in incorporating several short rest breaks, using them as a time to ask for clarity, strength, and wisdom.

Whisper a prayer, listen to music, sing, and reflect on God’s Faithfulness, thanking Him for His never-ending love and mercies.

Nothing compares to receiving a spiritual boost of Jesus’ Supernatural strength!

“Yet those who hope in Yahweh will gain new power; They will mount up with wings like eagles; They will run and not get tired; They will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31, LSB). Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we come to you weary and fatigued by the responsibilities in our lives. We ask for Your Divine guidance in eliminating all unnecessary activities that have distanced us from You. Jesus, we need your strength and wisdom to persevere through this journey of life. And we thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

The Serenity of the Holy Sabbath

“Just forget about yourself, concentrate on Him, and worship, Christ, the Lord, Worship Him, Christ, the Lord.”

The separation of oneself from all routine activities on the Sabbath invites the Holy Spirit to impart Jesus’ Divine gift of peace which provides a spiritual calm and assurance deep within our hearts and souls.

The Sabbath is a time of reflection on God’s love, faithfulness, goodness, and mercies. It is a time to express gratitude for His Love gift of Jesus Christ. We place our faith and trust in His promises because we are confident that our Father’s plans always work for the good of those who love the Lord.

The Sabbath is 24 hours of focused attention on worshiping God and receiving the shower of blessings of spiritual knowledge, wisdom, guidance, and strength. To commune with God in spirit and truth provides overwhelming joy and happiness.

Thank You God for providing a time of spiritual recovery and restoration from the vicissitudes of life. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.