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Krystal R Simple explores simple ways to live joyfully as we embrace everyday Christian living.

How To Have A Personal Encounter With God

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How To Have A Personal Encounter With God

Do you know how to have a personal encounter with God? As we live each day, we can experience “God Encounters.” These moments are our individual and unique experiences with God that help define and solidify our relationship with Him. There are times that help us know with absolute certainty that God is real, He is truth, and He is good.

A God encounter ultimately becomes our testimony when we allow God to become our everything. For some, God will become a deliverer, rescuing them from sins. God will be a comforter or provider for others during grief or desperate need. God will be faithful as we allow Him to help us through each situation. He will deliver us from sins, protect us, and fill us with His Spirit. He can be everything to each of us because He is God and the I AM.

How To Have A Personal Encounter With God Scripture God is I AM

What Is My Part In Having An Encounter With God?

In the Old Testament, whenever God showed himself to others in an undeniable way, the people in the Bible would build an altar, a place of worship that would also help them remember the encounter. Noah built an altar when God brought him and his family out of the ark (Genesis 8:20). Abraham built an altar when tested to give Isaac back to the Lord. Through this encounter, Abraham learned how God faithfully provides. Lastly, Jacob built altars after having undeniable experiences with God (Genesis 32-35).

The altars represent worship experiences, and God still likes worship. The Bible tells us that He inhabits the praises of His people. Although we do not sacrifice like they did in the Old Testament, we should still praise and worship God. These days, God wants us to do our part, explained using the acronym PART.

  • P- Pray
  • A- Ask
  • R- Receive
  • T- Thank
God Wants Us To Do Our Part to have a personal encounter

How to Encounter God In Prayer

Prayer is a key that grants us full access to God’s power and grace as it helps us learn more about His character (who He is), His competence (ability), and His covenant (promises). Praying initiates an encounter with God, and the Bible says God wants us to pray so that He can answer us and show us great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:3). When we take the time to pray, we choose to set aside time and opportunity to have an encounter with God in our daily life.

Praying is not just a one-way conversation. Prayer changes things; something happens when we pray that would not happen if we did not pray. When we pray, we can listen and learn from God. God wants to show himself to us undeniably, and when we pray to our Heavenly Father, we acknowledge He is the one we want to help us.

God wants to be our source of hope, life, and wisdom. Praying starts with praising God for who He is, worshipping Him for what He can do, and reminding ourselves of the promises He has given us in His Word. When we encounter God in prayer, He can help us ask for what we need and bless others because when we truly open up to God in prayer, we invite the Spirit to help us pray.

How to Have a Personal Encounter With God Bible Verse

How To Encounter God When We Ask For His Help

We can encounter God when we ask Him to help us through various situations. Countless examples of answered prayers exist in the Bible, but when we ask God to help us, we gain the personal experience that God answers prayers. When we read our Bible or attend church, we learn who God is, but praying and asking God to help in our situations means we are willing to take the next step. When we ask God to answer our prayers, we move from believing what we have learned and invite God to show us who He is by giving us experiential knowledge. Having experiences with God through personal encounters allows us to grow our faith and believe in Him more profoundly.

We exercise our faith and practice what we believe about our knowledge of God when we pray. Our prayers will always align with what we think about God’s character, competence, and covenant. If we believe that God is loving, patient, forgiving, and generous, we will pray for forgiveness and ask Him for whatever we need.

When we believe that God is competent, we recognize He can meet our needs because He is all-knowing and all-powerful. Understanding what God can do should lead us to ask God for his help in every area because we learn to trust Him to be whatever we need at all times. We will learn about His faithfulness as we pray and ask God to meet our needs.

Knowing that God has granted us a covenant relationship with Him through Jesus helps us ask God for a deeper understanding of His Spirit. Learning more about God comes from the Holy Spirit, who better equipped us to do our part for the Kingdom of God. As we grow in a deeper relationship with God, we become more sensitive to His Spirit and will pray for others in our sphere of influence.

What Our Prayer Says About Our Belief in an Encounter with God

How Do We Receive An Encounter With God?

When we pray and ask God to help us, we must believe that He hears and has sent an answer to our prayer. God promises to listen to the prayers of His children. We become His children when we accept His gift of salvation. After we pray, we should wait expectantly to receive the answer to our prayer. God is sovereign, and He knows what is best for us.

Sometimes, the answer to our prayer differs from what we expect, or it takes longer to receive than we would like. When the answer to our prayer is quickly received, we receive God’s blessings gladly, but we must learn to rejoice in everything. We must surrender our prayers and allow God to respond in His timing and as He sees best.

We have to realize that God is there even in hard places. We will receive a greater faith and understanding of God’s character, competence, and covenant if we go through the process. Sometimes, God allows us to go through situations to understand Him in a way that will help us share that knowledge and bless others.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Bible Verse About Praying

How Do We Give Proper Thanks After an Encounter With God?

When we encounter God, we give proper thanks because we recognize that He allowed us to experience Him personally. Our encounter with God is individual. We will encounter God differently, starting with how we got saved. God knows how to get our attention, and He loves us enough to do so. Each of us should have a testimony of how we met God.

God’s goodness does not stop with salvation. If we are willing to do our part (pray, ask, receive, and give thanks), God will continue to respond to our prayers. We have to be sure that we are giving proper thanks to God. The Bible says He will not share His glory (Isaiah 42:8), and we can never get full of pride acting as if we blessed ourselves because that leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18).

God wants to build our faith with each blessing and help us understand who He is. Our answered prayers become an opportunity to celebrate His goodness. If we pray, God will move mountains, break addictions, bless us with provisions, and bring us inexplicable peace and joy despite our circumstances.

My God Encounters

God met my need for a new vehicle when I couldn’t help myself by blessing me with ten crisp one-hundred-dollar bills accompanied only by a letter stating the person wanted to pay it forward. God blessed my 18 year-daughter to be healthy, although she was born a preemie at 24 weeks gestation, weighing 1 pound 2 ounces. He has blessed me with my education, delivered me from bad habits, restored my health, and reconciled my relationships.

As I share a small part of my testimony, I pray that it helps explain further that a God encounter is a unique experience that teaches us about God. I have learned that God is good. He has shown me that He can provide finances, wisdom, healing, protection, deliverance, restoration, and reconciliation. I will praise Him for the rest of my life and am determined to share this good news!

Pray For An Encounter With God

God knows how to bless us and will do so repeatedly when we learn to do our part. Because God’s answers to our prayers are life-changing, we owe it to Him to remember to give thanks. Let’s pray, ask Him for what we need, and thank Him in advance for the blessings He will provide in His timing and wisdom.

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Are You Running From God or Towards Him?

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Are You Running From God or Towards Him?

When we are running in a natural and physical state, we understand that we can only travel in one direction at a time. We can go left or right, east or west, north or south, but we can not do both. Similarly, when we run this Christian race, we can either run toward God or away from Him. God does not want us to run from Him, but there are at least five instances where the enemy tries to convince us to run because he wants us to feel alone. Each time we feel as if we are all by ourselves, we must ask ourselves whether we are running from God or towards Him.

When we think of running from God, many of us instantly think of the story of Jonah, who ran from God’s directions to go to Nineveh. Because of Jonah’s actions, he found himself alone in the belly of a big fish. This timeless story was taught to many of us as children to remind us not to be disobedient, but the Jonah story should also remind us that God loves us so much that He relentlessly pursues us even when we run. Like Jonah, when we run from situations, we will inevitably feel alone, which is precisely what the enemy wants.

Even when we feel alone, the truth is God is always right there running towards us, waiting and hoping that we will realize how much He loves us. God longs to have a relationship with us. He is good. He is for us, and He loves us eternally. He is so committed to us that He sent His son to save us and His Spirit to guide us.

The enemy tries to push us to run away, but we mustn’t listen to him. Like a runner, we must pay attention to the direction we travel as we run. We should watch and be mindful of the enemy’s tricks. If we are not conscious of where we are going, we can be distracted and may not even realize that we are running in the wrong direction. God does not want us to run from him and the blessings He has planned for us as His children. We need to learn to see everything from God’s perspective.

God Does Not Want Us to Run Away From Him When We Feel Ashamed

There are times when we find ourselves “in our feelings.” which can happen as we think about the past but is especially true when we fall short or do something we are not proud of. It is easy to pull away from God and others in those moments because we are ashamed. The enemy knows this, so he convicts us and sends condemnation to cause us to respond with shame. His goal is to repeatedly replay what we have done, hoping that it causes us to disconnect from those who love us. The enemy wants us to run and hide from God or deal with our feelings negatively and incorrectly. God does not want us to hide in shame. God wants to cover us and help pick us back up.

The behavior of running and hiding whenever we are ashamed started in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:7-11). When Adam and Eve bit into the fruit, their instinct was to hide. Their act of disobedience caused them to feel naked and exposed. As Christians, this is still our first response, but just as God clothed Adam and Eve, He wants to cover our imperfections if we allow Him.

Commit Thy Way Unto The Lord

Another example of hiding in shame occurs when we read the woman’s story at the well in John 4. This woman had a history of five failed relationships. She purposely came to the well to draw water at noon in the day’s heat. Perhaps she wanted to go alone to avoid the feelings of ridicule, the whispers, and the gossip. Jesus met her by the well one day and invited her to ask Him what she needed. She listened to Jesus, believed, and responded, and that same day, Jesus redeemed her sin-wrecked life and her shame. She asked Jesus to give her His living water, and her encounter with Jesus was life-changing for her and many others in her Samaritan town.

God Does Not Want Us To Run Away From Him When Others Mistreat Us

As we live this life surrounded by other imperfect humans, sometimes the actions of others can have a devastating effect on us, and it is easy to find ourselves suffering from the consequences of another person’s actions. We can feel insignificant, helpless, and alone at that moment, but we must rest assured that God sees us even though the enemy tries to convince us otherwise.

Hagar demonstrates a biblical example of the enemy trying to make us run when others mistreat us. God told Abraham that he would have a son, but because his wife, Sarah, could not have children, she gave her Egyptian slave to Abraham to have a son through her, which was not God’s plan. After Hagar was pregnant, there were problems between her and Sarah. While pregnant, Hagar ran from home to avoid the mistreatment she suffered from Sarah.

Running From God Is Running In the Wrong Direction

Hagar ran from a situation that was beyond her control. She was a slave without rights and must have felt alone and scared. The Bible says that the angel of the Lord met Hagar in the wilderness when she ran and told her that He had a plan for her life and that she should return and submit to Sarah (Genesis 16:6-10). The angel told her to name her son Ishmael, which means God hears. The story of Hagar reminds us that we have to trust that God hears us when we pray, even when we feel wronged, like Hagar. God hears and sees each of us, even in hard places. It doesn’t matter if the messes we find ourselves in are our own or someone else’s; God knows, sees, hears, and will rescue us. 

God Does Not Want Us To Run From Him When We Do Not Understand

God chose Abraham, Sarah’s husband, to be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5), and He had a miracle awaiting Sarah to be the mother of many people. Although Sarah could understand Abraham’s calling, past years of infertility caused her to devise a plan that was not God’s. Sarah’s insecurities and lack of ability to have children in the past caused her not even to consider the possibility of a miracle. She mistakenly tried to figure out everything independently and decided to create a child through Hagar, her slave.

Seek The Lord, Stop Running From Him

Like Sarah, when we do not know or understand God’s plan, the enemy encourages us to create something on our own using our wisdom rather than consulting with God. Additionally, if we wrestle with insecurity, it may be easy to see how God could bless others, but we may question whether God will perform a miracle for us. The enemy wants us to doubt and forget that our God is a miracle worker. We won’t always know how He will solve situations, but we must trust that God does and He will.

God Does Not Want Us To Run Away From Him By Running Ahead of His Timing

We must remember that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He loves to watch us run away from our place of blessings and protection. The enemy wants us to believe we can do life just fine without God because he knows we can not defeat him in our strength. He will surely try if the enemy can convince us to go it alone.

Think about the prodigal son. In this Bible story, a father had two sons. One day, the younger son decided not to wait until his father passed away to gain his inheritance, but he wanted his portion early. He wanted his share now. The father granted his son’s request, and ultimately, the younger son wasted the inheritance and found himself destitute, impoverished, and repentant.

Running Can Be a Race, When God Joins It is called Grace

As we examine this story, we can relate to wanting things when we want them. Waiting is not something anyone enjoys doing. Even the most patient people choose to wait because they believe in and trust God’s timing. No matter what, we can not run ahead of God’s timing and try to figure everything out in our strength and mind.

God Wants Us To Run Toward His Blessings

We must be mindful of our need to connect with God. Just as God had blessings, protection, and provisions awaiting Hagar, Sarah, and the prodigal son, He will provide blessings for each of us if we are willing to run towards him and trust Him. Unfortunately, there are times when life gets busy, and we can not hear God’s whispers. Sadly, when our backs are against the wall, sometimes, we finally look toward heaven.

Are You Running From God or Towards Him 4 1 1024x538 1

During quiet prayer times with God, we can stop the busyness of life and reflect on God’s plan for our lives. If invited, He will come in and give our life a reset. If we allow Him, God will direct our path, but we must find a way to stop hiding from Him, stop running ahead of Him, and start running toward Him. Whether we have sinned or been sinned against, the best way out of loneliness is by inviting God in. We will never be alone if God is there with us.

A Prayer To Help Us Run Towards God

We can see from the scriptures that the way through alone times and feelings of loneliness is always prayer, but the enemy wants us to choose his alternate route, leading to shame and self-destruction. Let’s remember that even Jesus had to get away and pray. As we bow our heads in prayer, let’s ask God to help direct our steps, knowing that He hears and sees each of us right now. 

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How to Accept and Deal With Change God’s Way

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How to Accept and Deal With Change God’s Way

I recently celebrated a birthday, and as the day drew close, I began to feel like my age had caught up to me, and I was not too fond of the changes that came with age. In other words, the enemy bothered me and made me feel old. They say that age is nothing but a number, but I noticed the wrong numbers when I looked in the mirror. There were more wrinkles, more weight, and less energy, speed, and strength. As I prayed out to God and asked Him to help me accept these changes more graciously, God helped me understand that change is good and not harmful.

How to Accept and Deal With Change God's Way

God lovingly helped me understand that the problem was I was looking at my changes the way the enemy wanted me to see them. The enemy always wants me to see everything as a loss. He works overtime to make me feel like I have lost my beauty, youth, strength, and anything else that sounds negative.

The enemy wants each of us to feel bad, down, and depressed, and one of his go-to weapons is to try to convince us that we have missed out on God’s goodness. If the enemy can cause us to believe that we are too late, defeated, or not enough, he thinks we will give up and stop trying, but God will not let that happen.

Understanding Change From God’s Perspective

God sees change differently than the world sees it, and He wants us to see it as He does. If we understand everything from His perspective, we will automatically start thinking of change more positively. As I pondered the idea of change as a Christian, God began to show me that there is beauty in change when we look at it His way.

Instead of change, meaning that we pine over what we have lost, we must begin to look at it in a way that causes us to examine what we have gained, or more precisely, we must evaluate whether we have evolved or become better.

For My thoughts are not your Thoughts Bible Verse

In response to my prayer, God challenged me to look at my life, acknowledging that I am changing and will continue to change, but He caused me to ask myself whether or not I am evolving. I pray that I can convey all of what God taught me in a way that is helpful to others. We must individually answer whether we are evolving, no matter how old we are. The truth is, it would be a shame to change without becoming better.

Change Means We Are Evolving and Maturing

God clarifies that He wants us to commit to lasting change where we develop from baby Christians to more mature ones. If change means maturing, this should be a lifelong process. To remain stuck in any way would mean that we are not allowing God to make us more like Jesus.

We all start as babes in Christ. When we are babies, we are fed milk to grow (1 Peter 2:2). We cannot understand some things as a baby Christian, but we can more easily understand them when we mature. Understandably, we do some things when we are children, but as adults, we should put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11 KJV).

How to Accept and Deal With Change Gods Way 7

Looking at change from God’s perspective, we realize that change is desirable because it is equivalent to becoming more like Jesus and growing into our predetermined purpose and calling. Therefore, rather than dwell on feeling pessimistic about our dwindling youth, we should thank and praise God for the changes in our lives, knowing that He has blessed us with good things and the future He has for us is still full of many more blessings (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV).

Change Your Thinking and What You Value

All change starts in our minds (Romans 12:2). To change for the better means that we must correct the way we see ourselves, but to do that, we need to change how we measure ourselves and what we value in life. As we live in this earthly world full of darkness, if we are not careful, we can easily fall prey to loving only what the enemy does: worldly possessions and vanity.

When I was younger, I thought that success in my life was equivalent to a big house and a fancy, expensive car. I believed that having a big home and an expensive car would prove I had arrived. If this were my measuring stick, the enemy could use that against me to cause me to feel bad because I come up short. The same thing will happen if I value youth over maturity in Christ.

Change: Do Not Be Children In Your Thinking Bible Verse

The Bible reminds us that we should store up Heavenly treasures rather than earthly ones (Matthew 6:19-20 ESV). What holds a special place in our hearts is what we value. As we mature in Christ, our relationship with Him should take center stage, and then we will find that what we want is what He wants for us.

Earthly and material things lose their shine in the light of Jesus. In the 9th chapter of Acts, we find a Biblical example of change that occurs in the life of Saul. Saul was forever changed when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He could no longer hold on to his worldly possessions, such as his education and theological teachings, because this encounter changed him forever and caused him to understand who Jesus was. We must all be willing to change for God as Saul did.

Change to Live According to the Spirit Scripture

In another biblical example, a wealthy person was not willing to change. He was a rich young ruler who had it all together, at least from worldly standards, in that he had great wealth (Matthew 19:16–30). When the young ruler came to Jesus, he asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, the rich ruler stated that he had already done that and had kept the commandments from his youth. He asked Jesus what else he needed to do, and he was not happy with Jesus’ response.

Jesus challenged the young ruler to continue changing and becoming perfect by selling his possessions and following Jesus, but the young ruler was unwilling. The wealthy man could not let go of what he held dear. God wants to know that we are willing to walk away from materialistic ideals and the comforts of what is familiar to us and that we will be ready to trust His plan. God also wants to know that we are willing to keep growing and changing.

A Prayer to Help Embrace Change

God can use someone old or young, and the Bible tells us that there is a season for everything. As we live life as Christians, we want our lives to be pleasing to God at every stage and season, which will require us to change and perfect our lives as He deems them.


It is impossible to change ourselves, and we do not have to. Jesus will help us to become more like Him, but we must respond to His leading. Jesus often calls us to let go of what we think, get up, take up our bed, and walk (John 5:8). He commands us to think differently and not stay stuck.


Ultimately, what is important is not our age but our willingness to allow God’s Spirit to lead us and help us see change correctly. Let’s pray and ask God to help us learn to embrace change more positively.

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What Does It Mean To Move Forward With God?

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What Does It Mean To Move Forward With God?

What does it mean to move forward with God when life is so full of changes? Sometimes, we change jobs, move to new cities, or walk away from something as we reach for something different. Embracing change is not always easy. It is best when the change results from something positive in our lives, such as getting a promotion or buying a new house, but sometimes change means walking away from bad situations or poor choices. How do we let go of the past and move forward with God successfully?

What Does It Mean To Move Forward With God?

We will experience change as we learn to trust God properly. To truly walk with God, we must be willing to grow. We evolve and go from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18), which means we continually change into who God created us to be. As we become closer to God, we begin to live closer to the example that Jesus showed us.

Moving Forward With God Means Letting Go Of What Is Familiar

Moving forward can mean letting go of the comforts of what feels familiar and reaching toward something unknown. We let go of our plans when we experience loss or when things do not work out as we hoped. Sometimes, we walk away without fully understanding what’s next. For example, sometimes, when we lose jobs, or a relationship ends. No matter what happens, we must remember that God never changes. Moving forward with God means we are willing to remember that God is good, loves us, and has a plan.

When we move forward with God, we cannot expect everyone to understand our choices, and we can not make decisions based on whether or not we gain their approval. For example, if we decide to go to church and receive salvation. Some friends may not understand the idea. When family and friends do not support our desire to change, it may be hard for us to accept that they do not, but we mustn’t seek to live solely for the applause of others.

Ask God for Help to do what is right

Moving forward can be challenging, and we will feel resistance from ourselves and others. Our old ways, which are familiar to us, may seem more straightforward, and at times, we may question whether going back would be easier than change.

When we know that we are striving to better ourselves and live as Jesus commands, we must look forward and learn not to look back. The temptation to look back will be great, but we must let go of the old and reach for the new. We should not want to remain stuck in any area of our lives, and we can not live life in reverse.

Moving Forward With God Means Walking Toward Our Divine Purpose

The closer we get to our breakthrough and Divine purpose, the more the enemy will try to distract us. He will attempt to send naysayers or negativity to convince us that we should turn back, but we must hold on to the fact that God has our future planned if we let go of the past. Moving forward with God means walking into our Divine purpose, which God determined even before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5 KJV). As we progress, the enemy will attempt to persuade us that change is impossible. The enemy wants to convince us that our best days are gone, but God has a track record of giving new life even when it seems too late, just as He did with Abraham.

Move Forward with God Toward His purpose

In Genesis, the Bible tells the story of Abraham. In summary, God told Abraham to leave His country and go to a land that God would show Him. God promised to make Abraham’s name great, and Abraham obeyed and allowed God to direct his steps. God blessed Abraham abundantly, but Abraham and his wife, Sarah, did not have children. It would seem that they were too old for child-bearing, but God promised to give Abraham a son and did just that even when they were old—allowing Abraham to become the “father of many nations.” Nothing is impossible for God.

Just as Abraham fulfilled his destiny, we are each born with a purpose and must strive to do what God calls us to do. God knows how to bring people and opportunities to our lives and will move us as He sees fit. We must trust Him and allow Him to direct our path. There are things assigned to our lives and even people and territory that God created us to reach.

Our obedience to God can unlock blessings in our households, jobs, or communities. Heaven’s angels wait to back up the Word of God over our lives (Psalm 103:20), but it takes our willingness to have faith, speak God’s Word over our lives, and get moving.

We were created to walk with God

Moving Forward Means We May Stumble At Times

The best change we can make comes when we ask God to help us walk away from past sins, failures, heartaches, or disappointments. When we accept salvation and live for Christ, we must keep our eyes fixed on Christ. We must become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV) and let go of our old ways (Isaiah 43:18 ESV).

Remembering that Jesus came to give us all a second chance is helpful. Ultimately, Jesus wants to save us from missing Heaven or the disaster of perishing without salvation, and He wants to give us an abundant life, but we can not see what that looks like until we surrender and trust Him.

As Christians, we will make mistakes and suffer losses or failures. Truthfully, we may need many “second chances,” but we must keep moving forward by acknowledging any errors, repenting, and asking God to help give us strength and direction. God wants us to move forward and not look backward. He specializes in healing, making us whole, and making everything work out for our good. He wants us to trust that He will make things right in His timing and as He determines.

Move Forward toward Abundant life

Moving Forward With God Means Walking in Faith and Not Fear

To move forward, we will have to be courageous and not fearful. Holding on to the past can sabotage God’s future, and waiting until everything makes sense will make us disobedient. When God calls us to move forward or asks us to make some changes, fear will cause us to stay where we are and not move forward with God.

Sometimes, we fear what people think, or perhaps we fear whether we heard God correctly. When unsure of anything with God, the best thing to do with God is to pray and ask for wisdom and guidance. God will answer, and He will help shine a light on the path He has for us, and He will not leave us. We can not let fear win.

Fear Not God will help us move forward

The Bible says we should fear God and not man. To fear God means we revere and love Him so much that we do not want to disobey Him. In this way, we would be willing to do what God calls us to do even if we have to fight feelings of negativity like fear and do it scared. Our love and fear of God become more significant than our desire to feel comfortable, so we choose to have faith.

Faith obeys God because we believe and trust that His Word is accurate. When we begin to trust God and try to live obediently, He will be there holding our hand, and we will understand more about who God is and how much He loves us. As we take the first step in faith, it will be easier to take the next, and soon, we will choose to care more about God’s acceptance than anyone else’s.

A Prayer To Help Us Move Forward With God

No matter what life brings our way, God wants to help us move forward. He will help us live for Him. He will be with us when it feels like we are starting over, moving on, or making necessary changes. All we have to do is pray. We do not have to struggle in any area of our life. When life feels like it is crushing us or we don’t know how to go, we need to pray with faith, expecting God to hear us and answer. Let’s pray together now and ask God to help us move forward with Him.

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What Exactly Is The Peace Of God And How Can We Find It?

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What Exactly Is The Peace Of God And How Can We Find It?

The Bible tells us that we have peace that surpasses understanding, but what exactly is the peace of God, and how can we find it today and every day? When I think of peace, I picture a beach and lazy living. In my mind, I imagine a vacation-like atmosphere where I do nothing, but is that really what God means in the Bible (Philippians 4:7)? 

What-Exactly-Is-The-Peace-Of-God-And-How-Can-I-Find-It

Like most people I know, I feel that the everyday busyness of life threatens my peace at times. I have family responsibilities, but I must keep up with work timelines and deadlines as a working mom. Sometimes, dealing with the hustle and bustle of work stress can feel overwhelming, and I long for more peace. Let’s take a closer look at the peace of God in the Bible and how to obtain it.

Peace Defined

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, which means harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. When we read the Bible, we see God described as the God of Peace. 

Peace surpassing understanding Scripture
Philippians 4:7 ESV

Peace and love are some of God’s many characteristics. True peace comes from Him. As we look again at the definition of peace, we could describe God by the exact words used to define peace. God is harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. 

When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree and allowed sin into their life, they could no longer live in the peaceful place of the Garden of Eden. When they sinned, humanity no longer experienced peace with God. Because of sin, humankind no longer lived in peace and harmony with God, and we did not have access to the peace of God. 

Thankfully, God sent a rescue mission in his son, Jesus. Interestingly as the coming of Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament, one of the names for Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus came to earth to help us obtain peace with God, and in doing so, He gave us a chance to once again experience the peace of God in our lives.

Isaiah 55:3 chastisement of eace
Isaiah 55:3 K

Peace With God

As Christians, we celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus because we understand that Jesus purchased our salvation with His life. We recognize that Jesus freely sacrificed His life to give us peace with God. He is the only reason that we have peace with God. 

All Christians who come to God by praying for forgiveness and salvation as repentant sinners confess that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, and we trust in Him to forgive our sins and save us. We believe that Jesus took our place and absorbed the wrath of God in our stead. Jesus made peace with God by doing so, so we did not have to.

Jesus was sinless, but He paid for our sins, and now he gives us this peace when we accept all He did as a gift of salvation. Our peace with God is secure and given to us only due to Jesus’ sacrifice, as we could never have earned peace with God on our own. We know that we can find joy and peace in God because of Jesus, but sometimes, when the enemy tries to attack, we lose sight of the truth.

Justified by faith peace with God

Peace Of God

Peace is a gift from God given to His children and becomes available at salvation. Although provided, the Bible often tells us that we must pursue it, walk in it, and live in it. We must strive to live in the peace of God, peace with ourselves, and peace with other people. We have to choose to turn away from evil, seek peace, and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11)

perfect peace 1 Peter 3:11

The peace of God is like a place or a state of living where we can live in harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility with the Father. We live in the peace of God due to salvation, and although we may fall short, we seek and access forgiveness for sin by praying to ask God to forgive us. 

How Can We Find Peace?

We can live in a world where so much is happening and still live in God’s peace. God offers us peace even when it feels like life is falling apart. We can experience the peace of God all day and every day when we keep our minds fixed on God and trust Him regardless of our circumstances (Isaiah 26:3).  We must learn to seek peace.

Seek-Peace-2-Word-Inspiration-Quotes-Pin

The Bible commands Christians to live in peace with others. We can all do this when we remember all that Jesus had provided for us. As we accept Jesus as our peace, we remember who He is, what He has done for us, and who we are in Him. Knowing Jesus as our Prince of Peace gives us the right to experience calm as we rest in His love and peace. We must keep our eyes upon Him and our minds renewed in His Word. Although there may not be peace in our earthly world, we Christians can have peace on earth due to Jesus’ incredible sacrifice.  

What Exactly Is The Peace Of God And How Can I Find It 4

As we learn to live in a place of peace in God, it becomes easier to refuse to let the enemy cause us to forfeit our precious gift of peace. The enemy will try to cause us to become anxious, depressed, fearful, and regretful. When we learn to live in the peace of God, we can see that any negative words that the enemy whispers into our ears to make us feel less than or beneath our God-given rights as children of God are just noise. As we come to Jesus and find peace, we will recognize that the enemy is attacking our peace with ourselves.

Additionally, there will be times when the enemy will attempt to attack our peace regarding our relationships with others. The enemy will always try to make us angry and upset with others. The enemy wants us to lose our cool and handle situations negatively. We must consciously decide to pray and resist the devil, and He will flee. We will become better able to see those disagreements with others or relationship problems as attacks from the enemy, and we must refuse to let him win.

God’s Word, promises, and voice bring peace into our lives. As we read the Bible, believe in God’s promises, and listen for His voice in prayer, God will send His Holy Spirit to comfort us and remind us that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit helps us live the Christian life. Let’s pray and ask God to help us live in His peace today and every day. 

Lord of peace

A Prayer For Peace

Knowing that Jesus gave His life to bring us peace with God and that he left us the peace of God, Christians can no longer allow the enemy the opportunity to rob us of the joy, peace, and hope that Jesus’ blood purchased. When we realize that we have access to peace even in the middle of chaos but only need to seek and pursue it, we should find ourselves praying. Let’s pray with faith and expectancy about our God-given peace today.

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Consistent Ways To Show Love To God

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Consistent Ways To Show Love To God

When we value someone or appreciate them, we can’t help but want to express our love. Our love should cause us to want to make the other person happy. As Christians, we want to show our love to our Heavenly Father, but how can we? What are some simple and consistent ways to show love to God?

Consistent Ways To Show Love To God

The idea of loving someone is the easiest to picture when we envision new courtships. We can relate to giving flowers “just because,” getting an unexpected note, or phoning to say “I love you.” New couples show love in their reciprocal actions and not just words. Their thoughts are toward each other, and they want to spend as much time getting to know each other as possible. The Bible tells us we should love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Show Love to God By Consistent Actions

The other day, while at the store waiting to check out, I heard young people talk about falling in love. As an older and wiser soul, I giggled a little because I realized love is much more than a feeling. Love is a decision and a choice made every minute of each day. Love takes work and consistency. We show love to God with our consistent behavior, but the primary action that God desires is our obedience to His commandments.

Keep commandments

As Christians, we should want to grow closer to our Heavenly Father, and we should desire to show Him our love with our obedient actions. We demonstrate our love to God with consistent efforts, not based on how we feel or any fleeting circumstance. God asks us to show love with our hearts, souls, and minds. In other words, He wants us to be “all in” and committed.

Love is not just a feeling

We show love to God by trying to live a crucified life as Jesus did. We should strive for God’s commandments, telling us to love Him and others. As long as everything is new and fresh and seems to be going well, it may be easy to show love. What is important to remember is that we must show love even when it is not easy.

Show Love To God Even When We Don’t Feel Like It

God asks us to follow and obey at all times. He wants us to do the right thing not based on our feelings but out of obedience and love. As Christians, we show love to God even when we don’t feel like it by obeying. There will be days that we do not feel like praying, studying our Word, or serving others.

We may not always feel like doing what is right, but we must analyze what we value in our hearts in those moments. We must determine if we are doing Godly duties based on our desire to please God. We also must be careful to ensure our motives are not self-serving or egotistical.

If governed by His Spirit and Word and not our emotions, we will love God and what He loves. God loves people, and He wants us to share the good news with others so that they can become children of God. As Christians, we must have a love for God and love for others. Everything we do for God should align with love because God is love (1 John 4:8 ).

Love God

Show Love To God Even When We Are Afraid

There will be times when following God means that we consistently obey Him despite our fear. We must show love to God even when we are afraid. We must show that we can be trusted to be light, consistently go, do, and serve even when scared or nervous. The enemy will bring feelings of fear. We must expect that and decide to obey God even when we are afraid.

Sometimes, we will be afraid of what others think, or we will fear making a mistake. These fears stop us because we worry more about our comfort, image, or ourselves. We must put our egos and feelings aside and be ready to ask God for the courage and faith to overcome our fears when we know that our obedience will bless God and His people.

Bless Others

Show Love To God Even When It Seems Hard

Sometimes, we believe that something is too hard. Perhaps the task to complete seems like it will take too much time commitment, or we think we can not do it with our human strength. As Christians, we are all a work in progress. God wants us to be consistently obedient even when it seems hard.

In this journey with God, there will be changes to how we think and live that feel easy to do and changes that seem too difficult. For example, to some, reading the entire Bible, going back to school, or kicking a bad habit would seem unattainable, but we must be careful not to tell ourselves that we can not succeed. God promises to help us. We must remember that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37), and we can do all things in His strength (Philippians 4:13).

God will continue to challenge each of us to be better. He will lead us to have a deeper relationship with him and to become more trustworthy and consistent. We can expect God to nudge us toward letting go of our feelings and to love Him more from a deeper place in our heart, our innermost part. God will continue to call us to be faithful and consistent despite our feelings.

Love is not just a feeling

A Prayer to Show Love To God

The best way to show love to others is to spend time with them. Reading and studying the Bible, praising God, and praying are all the ways we spend time with our Heavenly Father. As we read and study the Bible, we pray and ask God to help us understand what we are reading. As we praise God, we also pray and thank Him for all of the prayers He has already answered and the ones to which we trust He will respond in His time.

Prayer is so important. Everything we do should begin with prayer. As we pray, we should ask God for forgiveness, strength, love, and wisdom to carry out all He has asked of us for His glory. Let’s pray together.

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Avoid Being Distracted By The Enemy And Win

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Avoid Being Distracted By The Enemy And Win

As Christians, God wants to make each of us “winners” in our Christian race. The enemy works hard to distract us and get us off-track. Discover powerful strategies to avoid being distracted by the enemy and become a winner in your Christian journey. When we think of winners in sports, like runners, quarterbacks, or bodybuilders, it is easy to imagine that these individuals must live focused lives. They must dominate distractions rather than be distracted. I picture that athletes spend a tremendous amount of time perfecting their skills.

Avoid Being Distracted By The Enemy and Win

About a month ago, I felt overwhelmed with deadlines and responsibilities, so I prayed to God and asked Him for help. I was upset about my unfair workload and wanted to complain to God about everything I had to do. I wanted God to change the situation and perhaps explain to the supervisors that they were asking too much from me. I wanted fairness, but as I prayed, God led me to study His Word as He spoke one word into my Spirit, “Distractions.”

Initially, I did not understand how the word “distractions” related to my prayer, but God is faithful and will give wisdom when we ask. The truth about all distractions is they subtract. Distractions seek to take away our attention and focus. In my case, I believe the enemy was trying to pull my attention away from God. He was hoping to cause me to dwell on my problems. If the enemy could get me preoccupied with my situation, I could have possibly found myself mad and upset and could have taken my eyes off God and the Kingdom race.

Regardless of our life responsibilities or the jobs we do, as Christians and children of God, we have an obligation to be winners in the Kingdom of God. I believe God wants us to learn how to win this race despite the distractions that try to sneak in. The Christian race will not always be easy, but we must run this race with God as obedient children.

Run this Christian race with Your focus on God and don't be distracted

To be a winner in our Christian race, we must know, do, and focus on God in the presence of distractions. The enemy will try to distract us from God and His plan. He has been trying to do this since Eve. When the serpent distracted Eve, he started by challenging what Eve knew, what she did, and where she focused her thoughts.

Avoid Being Distracted From What You Know

In Genesis, the Bible tells the story of when the enemy found Eve in the garden alone. The enemy distracted and overwhelmed Eve with questions regarding what she knew about the forbidden tree. When he distracted Eve, the enemy caused her to doubt what God had said by questioning her.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Genesis 3:1- 7 NKJV

No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we must remember what the Word says about us and choose to have faith. We know that God does not want His children to be distracted or overwhelmed as He invites us to cast all of our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). We also know that He promises to provide for our needs, and He will not withhold any good thing (Psalm 84:11). We have to hold on to these truths no matter what, even when the enemy questions our beliefs.

Don’t Be Distracted By Flesh

The enemy will do whatever he can to encourage us to do something against God’s plan. He is always trying to steer us off-course with disobedience. When we focus on sins and fleshly desires rather than God’s plan, we can become distracted from God as we try to take care of ourselves rather than look to our Heavenly Father to care for our needs in His perfect timing.

Dont be distracted, Seek The Kingdom of God First

Satan tries to convince us to do things independently and worry about our needs, like food. For Eve, the fruit was pleasing to the eye and held the opportunity to satisfy her flesh. In giving in to her desire to eat the fruit, she went against what God said. The Bible is clear that we must walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh because the flesh and Spirit are opposed to each other (Galatians 5:16-17). A mind focused on fleshly desires and needs is hostile to God and does not submit to God’s laws (Romans 8:7).

Stay Focused

When Jesus was hungry from fasting, the enemy tried to tempt Him to instantly satisfy his hunger by commanding the stones to turn to bread (Matthew 4:3), but Jesus resisted. Another time, the enemy tried to tempt Jesus with the promise of riches if Jesus would bow to Satan. Jesus defeated the enemy with the Word and told the enemy, “It is written…”

Sometimes, we are distracted by our feelings. The Bible tells us not to be anxious or worry about our lives. We should not worry about eating, drinking, or wearing (Matthew 6:24-34). We are not to be anxious, but rather, we should pray.

Don't be anxious about anything

Don’t Allow Your Focus To Be Distracted

We will go through situations, but we can’t allow our focus to be distracted. We must remember that God will not let His children go through more temptation than we can handle. He will always provide a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). No matter how the enemy tries to convince us otherwise, we must focus on God and fix our eyes on His ways (Psalm 119:15). We know that our God is good, so rather than entertain the enemy, we must submit ourselves to God and resist the Devil, which will cause him to flee (James 4:7).

Don't be Distracted Resist the Devil

The enemy will attempt to tempt us with material things, riches, or various instant gratification forms. In the case of Eve, the enemy promised that if she ate from the forbidden tree, she would be like God and have wisdom. We must be careful not to allow our focus to be distracted. The Bible tells us to set our minds on things above and not on things on Earth ( Colossians 3:1-2). We must seek the Kingdom of God first.

Avoid being distracted| Set Your Mind on things above

As Eve ate the fruit, she focused on being like God rather than being a child of God. Instantly, her worry-free life changed. The enemy knew Eve would forfeit the peace as she ate the fruit and gave it to her husband. The enemy wants us to become overwhelmed, and he wants us to feel that we can not succeed in our endeavors.

When I felt overwhelmed with my job, I was worried about what I thought might happen tomorrow. God warned me that what I was concerned about was simply a distraction from the enemy. At the time, due to Covid-19, I could not see how it would be possible to do the job asked of me. As I prayed, God helped me more than I could imagine. The whole situation worked out when the students went to a hybrid model and were not attending school five days a week. What I was worried about was not even an issue; it was merely a distraction sent by the enemy to steal my joy. As I prayed, God was already working it out in my favor and preparing my way of escape.

A Prayer To Fight The Enemy And Win

Let’s pray that God will help us win in our Christian race as we learn to deal with overwhelm and distractions in a pleasing manner that honors God. We want to know, do, and focus only on God’s plan for us and not allow the enemy to cause us to lose joy and peace by taking us off track with worry, uncertainty, or other distractions.

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Avoid being distracted| A Prayer to Fight the Enemy and Win
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Five Decisions True Christians Decide Daily

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Five Decisions True Christians Decide Daily

Living the Christian life is a journey. More importantly, it can be considered an individual journey, and along the way, there are many decisions to make. As we travel along life’s path toward living out our God-anointed purposes, we must decide to live as Christ commands. Although our journeys, callings, talents, and struggles may differ, there are five decisions that true Christians make daily. These are daily decisions, and as we stay focused on our goal to live for God, we commit to these decisions.

Five Decisions True Christians Decide Daily

These five decisions are simple yet powerful because each determines whether we are indeed a child of God or not. The Bible is clear that we should follow Jesus as our example. In the end, we want God to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). We do not want to hear, “I never knew you”(Matthew 7:23). Let’s look closely at the five decisions we need to make, and let’s choose to make them today.

  1. Decide to accept the gift of salvation.
  2. Decide to turn away from sin.
  3. Decide to put your faith in Jesus and trust him.
  4. Decide to love and forgive others.
  5. Decide to spend time with God.

Decide To Accept The Gift of Salvation 

When Jesus walked on the Earth, He trusted the will of the Father. We know it led Him to the cross, which purchased our salvation. To be a child of God, we must accept the work that Jesus did on the cross as payment for our sins, and we must receive salvation as a gift from God through faith. 

Decide to Accept the Gift of Salvation

We receive salvation by confessing Jesus is the son of God, whom God raised from the grave. Next, we get baptized as an outward sign that we are dead to sin and raised with Christ. Salvation is not difficult. It is a decision. We must decide to accept what the Bible says about salvation as truth. Salvation is for everyone. We all make mistakes, and we all need forgiveness for our sins. God offers a way to be forgiven and welcomes us into his family through faith in Jesus. “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

The Bible states that we must recognize that we have sinned and need forgiveness. We ask for forgiveness by repenting. “Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19, ESV). Repenting causes the angels to rejoice (Luke 15:10). It means realizing that we have sinned and are ready to change by turning away from our sin and darkness toward the eternal life that Jesus died on the cross to give us. 

Decide To Turn Away From Sin

As Christians, we strive to live our lives in a way that represents our love for and obedience to God’s Word. God helps us to turn from sin, and his Spirit helps us to leave the practice of sinning (1 John 3:9), but we choose to do so and ask for His help. Having a new desire to live a life free from sin leads us to our knees, asking God to deliver us and set us free from every chain trying to bind us as we pray in the name of Jesus.

Only Jesus lived this life without sin, and He will help us to turn from sin. When we receive salvation and ask God to forgive us for our sins, we give up a life of sin and turn our lives toward Jesus. Jesus washes our sins away and comes to life in our hearts. He helps us live a life free from sin, and if we fall short, He will help us get it right. Jesus stands ready to forgive us and help us live this life. All we must do is ask Him.

Heaven is not for Good people

Living this life as a child of God means we begin a journey toward becoming more like Jesus. It will take a lifetime and will require many decisions along the way. First, we surrender our will and old ways by taking steps toward living in a manner that brings glory and honor to God. As we choose, we decide to stop compromising or making excuses for sin, but instead, we begin repenting and praying for God to change us.

Decide To Put Your Faith In Jesus And Trust Him

After we receive salvation, Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). Just as Jesus did the will of his Father, we must decide to trust God with our lives and do the same. Living as children of God means we are like sheep listening to our Shepherd’s voice, Jesus; as He leads, we follow Him.

Decide To Put Your Faith In Jesus And Trust Him

As sheep, we place our trust in God and His Word. We trust God in everything. Even when we can not see the outcome, we must believe that God is for us and not against us. He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and even when we go through the testing of our faith, the purpose is not to harm us but to produce steadfastness (James 1:2-4).

Decide To Love And Forgive Others

As followers of Christ, God commands us to love others as Christ loved us. God is love. God so loved us that He gave his son (John 3:16) for our sins. Jesus Christ loved us enough to lay down His life for us (Ephesians 5:2). The Bible says that whoever loves has been born of God and knows God, and anyone who does not love does not know God (John 4:7-8). We must do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:14) and love all people, even our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Decide to Love and Forgive Others

In return for receiving God’s love and forgiveness, we extend the same forgiveness to others. Just as God forgives us, He wants us to forgive others. Jesus is our example. Jesus asked the Father to forgive us even as He died on the cross. The Bible states that if we do not forgive others, our Father will not forgive our trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15).  

Decide To Spend Time With God

Spending time with God includes praying, worshipping, and learning more about Him and His Word. Our faith comes when we hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and we gain strength when we seek the presence of God (1 Chronicle 16:11). Jesus proclaimed that He did the work of his Father, and he commands us to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only. As we study the Word, we learn God’s character and can better learn to live by Christ’s example.

This is the day which the Lord hs made scripture

The Bible says that there were times when Jesus would rise early to go away to pray (Mark 1:35). When we pray, we have the opportunity to pray for ourselves and others. In prayer, God speaks into our lives and gives directions and strength. The Holy Spirit helps us pray. Spending time with God is essential, and we must always rejoice, pray, and give thanks  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). 

A Prayer for the New Christian’s Journey

Whether we are new believers or have been Christians for a long time, we must examine ourselves and judge whether we have truly committed our way to the Lord. If we have fallen short in our decision to live for God, we can pray and ask God to help us. This prayer is for the Christian’s journey who decides to stay committed to living for God.

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An Easy Way to Understand God’s Calling For Our Lives

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An Easy Way to Understand God’s Calling For Our Lives

Have you ever wondered what God’s calling you to do in life? Do you hear people talk about being “called” and want to know your God-given purpose? Maybe you wonder whether you are working in the right job, living in the proper city, or pursuing the right path. God does not want us to be confused about this because sometimes, we can become afraid to make any moves as we try to figure out God’s calling. Let’s look into the Word to learn how to know your calling from God for your life.

God's Calling For Our Lives

As we live this life, we are mindful that God has a plan for us. His divine purpose for our lives was determined before birth (Jeremiah 1:5). God is not random, and Everything He does is perfectly designed.

There is a reason we were born to our parents at the time we were born. God uniquely created each of us, giving us the gifts, talents, and abilities needed to fulfill our purposes. Prayer and Bible study will always lead us toward finding our purpose and God’s calling.

God tells us how He wants us to live in Romans 12. He wants us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to Him, which means we live for Him and are open to His plans. As Christians, when we realize how much God loves us and all He did and wants to still do for us, our response should be, “Here I am, Lord.”.

God’s Ultimate Calling For All Christians Never Changes

God’s ultimate calling for each of us is to bring Him glory. Our purpose is to glorify God (Romans 11:36). Everything was created for God and through God; no matter what we do, we are to bring Him glory. Glory is high honor and distinction by notable achievements in which the Father can take great pride.

God's Calling For Our Lives Scripture

The Bible says God has called us to a relationship with Himself through faith in Jesus Christ. The first step in living out God’s calling is to receive salvation and belong to Jesus Christ (Romans 1:6). When we become children of God through salvation, we become individual members of the collective body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

God has given us gifts and talents, and He expects us to use those talents as members of the body of Christ for His glory. God gets praise when we use our abilities to help others or offer our gifts in worship to Him. We should never bury or hide our talents, but we must be careful not to be lifted in pride by our skills and abilities.

Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

2 Timothy 1:9 ESV

God’s Calling For All Christians is Not Hidden

God has not hidden our calling and is not waiting for us to find it. He expects us to grow and develop in His Kingdom. We begin our journey as babes in Christ when we ask for forgiveness and accept His gift of salvation. We must start by being faithful, obedient, and patient as we wait for the Lord to exalt us in His perfect timing.

The problem is that sometimes, as believers, we get confused and disheartened. We may feel that we must find God’s calling. God’s calling isn’t lost. Our calling should bring God glory and bring others into the Kingdom. There is a call on our lives; it is not a secret. We should live for God every day. God calls us right where we are when He invites us to become His children.

When we look to the Bible, we find countless examples of those called and used for Kingdom purposes. Names of men and women in the Bible include Moses, Paul, Abraham, Esther, and Mary. These gospel greats were indeed called to do something great for God but were never recorded as searching for God’s calling.

God’s Calling and Job Are Not Synonymous

God may call us to be a light at our job, be an example in the community, or serve others. We must do whatever we do from our hearts as we do for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). We must be faithful (Luke:16:10).

God’s calling and jobs are not synonymous. God’s “calling” may not look like preaching from a stage, writing a bestselling book, or becoming a missionary living abroad. Your calling right now may be to be a good mom, a good wife, a teacher, or a volunteer in your community. Most importantly, we strive to bring God glory while we live each day.

Our life may not feel important enough to our pride and flesh, but remember, God calls us right where we are and changes us from there. We must be careful because the enemy may be trying to get us to move from where God wants us to develop, grow, and bless others. God’s calling is not about making money or a name for yourself but about living for God and blessing others.

An Easy Way to Understand God's Calling For Our Lives ! Peter 4:10 ESV

The enemy likes to bring confusion and doubt. He wants us to question whether we are on the right path for God. If we mistakenly believe we should have what we think is a more important job for God, we may move prematurely from where God wants us to bring Him glory. We may even find ourselves walking in pride. We must allow God to take the living sacrifice of our lives, use it, and develop us in His timing.

God’s Calling May Not Be Where You Feel Talented

God wants us to stay biblical, which means we should look to the Bible for answers because sometimes ideas sound acceptable to our human minds, but we must look at them from the lens of God’s Word. For example, many recommend inventorying our skills and abilities to decide our purpose and God’s calling.

I have read authors who suggest that our talents and gifts help us to know our calling. The problem is this teaching is not biblical, and nothing in the Bible supports this logic. We can’t assume that God will use us in an area where we seem to have natural ability and talent.

While determining your strengths and talents may help decide a career path or an area of study in college, I do not believe that the Bible encourages us to find God’s calling by looking at our strengths, skills, and abilities. The Bible says the opposite.

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

1 Corinthians 1:26 KJV

For most people in the Bible, the Scripture records that they had weaknesses, but God used them anyway. God’s glory reveals itself when what seems impossible becomes possible through faith and obedience in Him. The Bible says that God will use foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). Your purpose as a believer is to build the Kingdom of God. Your role in His Kingdom will require your natural gifts and talents, but God will develop you and reveal your calling in His timing.

There is an easy way to understand God's calling for our lives. Do you wonder what God wants you to do in life? Do you want to know your God-given purpose?

God’s Calling is Fluid For Each Day and Season

God’s calling is not some future event. We must understand that God will develop us, and our calling may differ depending on our seasons of life, readiness to grow, and God’s purpose on Earth. We must be willing to be used as a vessel for the Kingdom of God each day and be ready to change when God leads.

We must stop worrying about “missing” God’s calling because the enemy will try to convince us to work within our strength rather than wait for God’s direction. We must understand that God will not let us miss our calling. If the enemy can cause us to do something prematurely, we may find ourselves frustrated with the outcome, but if we wait on God, He will get the glory, others will be blessed, and our faith will increase.

god's calling Bible verse

A Prayer For When You’re Unsure Of God’s Calling

After receiving salvation through Jesus Christ, God calls us to live for Him every day. He wants our lives to bring Him glory as we use our talents and gifts to praise Him and bless others. The easy way to understand God’s calling for our lives is to draw close to God and learn His ways.

We must pray and read His Word to build a stable relationship. We want to know the Lord’s voice and listen daily for instructions He would give us. We must make it through tests and trials as faithful servants and get busy showing the Father’s love to the world around us for God’s glory! Let’s pray and ask God to help us.

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7 Steps To Lasting Change As A Christian

Posted by Live Joyfully, Christian Living 7 Comments
7 Steps To Lasting Change As A Christian

No one likes to change. When we think about change, certain sayings come to mind: “Rome wasn’t built in a day” or “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” These sayings are not very encouraging. Remember, lasting change is a process, not an event. It takes time, effort, and perseverance. But if you are willing to work, God will help you make lasting changes.

7 Steps To Lasting Change as a Christian Title

As Christians, God wants to make us more like Jesus, but the enemy wants us to believe it is too hard. How does change happen? It requires more than just the motivation to do something differently. There are seven steps to creating a lasting change as a Christian.

Step 1: Change Your Prayer

Whether we want to change a bad habit, like breaking an addiction, or creating a healthier lifestyle, like getting in shape, we should start everything with prayer as Christians. Perhaps we may feel as if we have prayed before, and if that is the case, we may need to look very carefully at our prayers. Sometimes, we pray a half-hearted prayer. Our Heavenly Father knows our hearts, and He waits until we turn to Him with sincere devotion.

But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

2 Chronicles 15:4 KJV

Sincere, authentic, heartfelt prayer only occurs after we exhaust our ability and come to God humbly, understanding that He is our only answer. When we reach this point, we admit to God that we are powerless without Him and begin praying from a different place. Sometimes, we must reach a breaking point and line up our desires with Kingdom purposes. 

Step 2: Change Your Thoughts

How we think of a situation will guide our actions. Our thoughts are significant, so we must get our minds in line with God before we can create lasting change in our lives. For example, if we think our bad habit is not a big deal, we will justify it rather than condemn it. If our thoughts are not right, we may continue to make allowances for sin, and we will not be adequately motivated to create lasting change.

Romans 12:2 KJV

The Bible tells us to renew our minds and transform our thinking. We must stop judging our thoughts and actions by society’s view of right and wrong and align our ideas with God’s Word. In other words, we must bring our beliefs and acts in line with how Christ would see them. To view our deeds as Christ will cause us to quit excusing, rationalizing, and justifying our actions and makes us willing to follow God’s path to deliverance and healing.

Before becoming Christians, we lived our lives doing whatever felt good, or we thought was okay, but we should strive to live our lives differently as Christians. Through the Holy Spirit, we gain the mind of Christ, and we learn to think about what Jesus would do in each situation.

Step 3: Change Your Spiritual Diet

To make lasting life changes, we must change our spiritual diet and consume a “faith-filled diet.” We must focus on activities that build our faith and avoid those that do not. Praying, fasting, reading our Bible, attending church, and singing praises to God are all activities we should be consuming and partaking in.

Faith Building Activities for lasting change

As we get closer to God, we gain strength and faith, but if we surround ourselves with negative people and actions that do not bring glory to God, we can begin to go backward. The enemy will attempt to convince us to stay where we are. He will make sin seem alluring as he wants to inhibit our change.

To end bad habits, we must be careful about who and where we spend our time. We must strive to feed hope and faith and starve negativity and feelings of hopelessness.

Step 4: Change Your Commitment

When we are ready to make lasting changes, we can not just hope and believe that change will come; we must act in faith. God will open the door to allow us to make lasting changes, but it will usually require action from us. We all have separate journeys, and we must pay attention to how God sends our deliverance and obey God’s instruction.

Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

Proverbs 4:13 NIV

We have to commit to action if we want lasting changes. God will help us eliminate procrastination and excuses as long as we start and become intentional in our quest for change. God may encourage us to go to a treatment center, start a cessation program, join a gym, join a support group, or quit something cold turkey. God may show us how to achieve our goals by sending someone to help us, but we will typically have to do our part as He helps.

Step 5: Change How You Fail

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we slip. The enemy wants us to fail and then quit trying to succeed, but God wants to send grace and forgiveness. We must change the way we die. Rather than make a mistake and give up trying, we must see failure as an opportunity to ask God for more help.

1 John 1:9 KJV

God wants us to repent and try again. We must be willing to keep trying by becoming relentless and determined to see lasting change. As we sincerely ask for forgiveness, our Father will be faithful in forgiving and helping us when we pray.

Step 6: Change Your Ability To See The Enemy’s Tricks

When we are on the right track, and because we are so close to our breakthrough, the enemy will cause us to lose focus. We must be able to see temptation before it causes us an issue. The enemy will do anything to throw us off track, so we must be ready by clinging to our faith.

The enemy has many tricks, but he tries to tempt us to go backward by making us lose focus on why we want to change. He tries to convince us not to create lasting change by showing us someone who seems worse in our eyes so that we may return to seeing our sins or issues as “not so bad.”

Looking around at others to compare ourselves to others can lead to us becoming judgmental, and God does not want us to do that. The enemy will cause us to notice others’ flaws while we ignore our weaknesses (Matthew 7:1-5 KJV). We have to resist focusing on anyone else but ourselves. The only one we want to be like is Jesus.

Proverbs 4:25 ESV

The enemy may also try to tempt us to return to a bad situation by convincing us that we are strong enough to handle the temptation. He will tell us things like “just once” or “just a little.” The enemy wants us to feel that we no longer need God’s help and to handle things independently. We must be careful and watchful.

Step 7: Change Your Ability to Wait

Psalm 130:5 ESV

Lasting change takes time. Living a Christian life, we strive to become more like Jesus. We must expect that making a lasting change will take time. We go from glory to glory, meaning we continue to grow in God, and this transformation is not instant. We must never stop becoming more like Jesus. The Christian life is a journey that will take a lifetime to master. We must be willing to grow, change, and yield to God’s plan and purpose.

A Prayer To Make A Lasting Change

Lasting change starts with prayer and ends with patience. Change is possible with faith regardless of the giant or issues we face. The process may not be simple and requires us to become determined, relentless, and committed. Let’s pray together.

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