Category Archives: Live Joyfully

Blog posts by Krystal R Simpson cover a variety of topics to help Christians live joyfully without fear, stress, and regret.

How To Have Courage In All Situations

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How To Have Courage In All Situations

Do you know how to have courage in all situations? Watching a father teach his daughter to ride her bike for the first time without training wheels reminded me that we must have courage in all situations. As I looked on, the Father gently told his daughter that she was ready and could do it. The Father explained that he would be right there to catch her if she began to fall.

The daughter was fearful and reluctant. Her Father lessened her uneasiness as he explained that we all get scared when doing something for the first time, but soon, with practice, it will be easy. He told her that the first step was to try and be surprised at how simple riding the bike might be.

How To Have Courage In All Situations

Looking up at her tall, strong Father, the little girl tried it. She was so unsteady at first. The Father held onto her bicycle seat and ran beside her. Then, as she got the hang of riding, he gently let go but still ran beside her. She did it! When she came to a stop, they were both smiling. Oh, what courage the little girl displayed and what patience her Father showed. Our Heavenly Father wants the same courage from us.

Our Heavenly Father Wants Us To Have Courage

As Christians, God is like the Father teaching his daughter to ride a bicycle. Equally, we often feel like the little girl when God calls us to do something we have never done. The task that the Father calls us to do can feel insurmountable. We may believe we are not ready, prepared, or strong enough. Fear tries to sneak in, but our Father encourages us to trust him. He calls out to each of us, telling us to have courage.

Our Heavenly Father wants us to have courage. He specifically asks us to have three different types of courage.

  • God wants us to have the courage to try.
  • God wants us to have the courage to stand.
  • God wants us to have the courage to fight.

Have the Courage to Try Something New

Sometimes, we experience God’s gentle nudge as He gives us the courage to try something new. I feel that God encouraged me to start this blog. When God calls us to do something new, it surprises us, and we may even prefer not to stretch out into an unfamiliar endeavor. Most people initially ignore it, thinking it is just an unction or a fleeting thought.

God’s persistence and insistence help us know He speaks to us in the Spirit. Thankfully, God is so patient that He gives us a chance to respond. He knows and understands that we may not know it is Him. We are often just learning to hear God when He speaks, so He gives us many opportunities to realize that it is His voice.

How To Have Courage In All Situations 2

Our Father gives us a choice to obey. He promises to bless obedience. God knows what is ahead, and our blessings are often one “yes” away, but we must choose to follow. It can sometimes feel hard to step out into the deep water God calls us into because the enemy brings so many negative thoughts.

Have the Courage to Stand

Sometimes, God calls us to stand. This year, I was led to be quiet at a time when things did not seem fair. I wanted to protest, speak up, and demand fairness. But God called me to stand rather than fight and let Him handle the situation.

In my case, God chose to interrupt my plans for a meeting. The meeting was all set, but the other people canceled it at the last minute. I had rehearsed what I would say and how I would say it for weeks, but now the meeting was set for almost another month away. Thankfully, in the long wait, I realized God’s plan was for me to cancel the appointment and let him work it out for me. In His wisdom, God knew that the meeting probably would not have gone well.

How To Have Courage in All Situtions Psalm-34:17

Imagine if you heard your child crying out for you as a parent. Wouldn’t you come running as soon as you knew they were hurting? Our Heavenly Father loves us and will come running to us. Sometimes, He will tell us to stand still, be silent, and let Him handle the situation. Occasionally, we must let go and let God fight our battles. We must run to God, pray, and cry out to Him.

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent

Exodus 14:14 ESV

Additionally, there are times when we must stand more actively. God instructs us to put on our armor and stand against the enemy. We have to be ready for the fight. For example, in our homes, we all must stand against any enemy that would come against us. Sometimes, our Christian values clash with popular opinion, and we must stand up for what is right. We have to resist the enemy and cause him to flee. We must take a stand for our faith.

How-To-Have-Courage-In-All-Situations-3

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Have the Courage to Fight

In this world, we often feel we have to fight our way. Sometimes, we get ill and have to battle a disease. There may be a time when we must help our children or loved ones as they struggle with an illness. It takes courage because we have to fight fear. The enemy will attack our minds, but we must hold on to God’s words and be willing to fight.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10 KJV

Our bodies and minds are the most significant battles we have to fight. We must fight negative thoughts and the lure of sinful acts. For this reason, we all should stay connected to a church family so that we can call for others to pray with us and for us. Our churches should teach us how to properly use spiritual weapons and tools like God’s Word, prayer, fasting, giving, and praising God to defeat the enemy who wants to lure us into sin rather than see us rise to defeat him.

How-To-Have-Courage-In-All-Situations-2

The truth is that we serve a God who helps us fight our battles. He has given us victory. He strengthens us. We are never alone; He won’t leave us wherever we go. The Bible says that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39)

A Prayer To Have Courage

We must remember that all our hope and trust should be in God the Father through our faith in the Lord Jesus. As Christians, we must be willing to live obedient lives and be ready to have the courage to try something new or to step out in faith for the cause of Christ. We must be willing to have the courage to stand still and be quiet at times, but we also must have our armor on and be ready to fight the enemy of our souls with our spiritual weapons. Let’s pray and ask God to help us to have courage.

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Give Thanks To God in Everything

Posted by Live Joyfully, Christian Living 5 Comments
Give Thanks To God in Everything

Despite life’s many ups and downs, we must thank God. The Bible tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This can be a difficult task, especially during tough times. But when we thank God, even amid our struggles, we acknowledge His sovereignty and goodness. We are also choosing to focus on the positive rather than the negative.

One of my favorite songs is by Tauren Wells, called “Hills and Valleys.” This song reminds me that sometimes we go through a tough time, and at other times, we feel like we are on the mountaintop celebrating. Despite the ups and downs of life, God is worthy to be praised at all times. We must know how to thank God in everything as his Word commands. Let’s take a closer look at how we can do that.

Give Thanks to God in Everything

Sometimes, it is easy to see when others are acting ungrateful. It may not be as easy to notice ingratitude in ourselves. Imagine that you give someone something, and they take the gift and begin using it but never say: “Thank you.” As a gift-giver, you would feel terrible about this visible sign of ingratitude. Perhaps you would attempt to ignore it, but you would probably be upset and hurt. Now imagine that the person you gave the gift to begins complaining that “no one ever gives them anything!”  We would all have a problem with this, but often, this is how many of us respond to God and his many blessings. We act as though we do not realize how much He has already given.

Give Thanks to God

Being around a person who does not give thanks is not pleasant. Although we may know others who act as though they are never thankful, we must thank and praise God as Christians. Christians should never be described as ungrateful. The Bible teaches us that we should be grateful for everything. Giving thanks to God is pleasing to Him.

As I write this post, many people are safe and at home. They are not sick and in the hospital with COVID-19, but many complain about staying home. Some people are blessed to work from home but complain that the children are in the way. Even the children who ordinarily enjoyed learning activities on computers now have complaints.

Giving thanks to God in Everything Scripture

Give Thanks In Everything To Maintain Our Joy

Not giving thanks can steal our joy. The Bible is full of stories where people were ungrateful and complained despite God’s provisions, and it is clear that God does not want us to act this way. One example of this is in the book of Exodus.

Exodus 16 tells a story of when God brought His people out of captivity. The people began to complain of hunger, saying they wanted bread, so God provided food. The Bible called the food that came from God “manna.” At first, the people seemed to be amazed by the manna, but that did not last.

Eventually, instead of being thankful, in Numbers 11, God’s people began to murmur and complain about the lack of variety in their diets. They wanted meat and something different.

“We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.”

Number 11:5-6 KJV

God’s people were not joyful or thankful that God provided food for them. They weren’t even pleased to have escaped slavery. The people were on the way to a promised land, but they were complaining.

It is easy to see that sometimes we are guilty of complaining when God has graciously provided for our needs. We must learn to give thanks in everything to maintain our joy. Many people should be giving thanks, but right now, as I turn on the news, I can hear an ungrateful attitude ringing on the nightly news and the internet, and I believe that it is stealing our joy. An ungrateful, lousy attitude can spread. God wants his people to rise and spread joy.

Give Thanks To God In Everything3

Why Should We Be Thankful To God In Everything?

When we do not give thanks, we risk walking along a “dark path.” Ungrateful people are not joyful. They are not content, and they are not happy. God wants each of us to give thanks and have joy. We must learn to give thanks to keep us out of the darkness that the enemy tries to lead us to.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Romans 1:21 KJV

The enemy knows that if he can stop us from praising God, we will begin to grow cold toward God and others. If we are not thankful, we can easily stop being content, and we take a chance to allow our imaginations to run wild, which can lead to sin. We must always fix our eyes on God and not our circumstances.

Give Thanks to God in Everything 2

How Can We Be Thankful To God In Everything?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states that we should rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances. Have you ever been so happy that you were singing? Have you ever had people wonder why you are so joyful? God wants us to rejoice in Him. He would love to hear us singing, praying, and giving thanks. We should all be willing to let others know of God’s goodness.

Praying allows us to thank God for all He has done for us. It also gives us peace as we remember and praise Him for who He is and all His provisions. As we pray and thank God, it humbles us and slays the prevalent entitlement attitude that the enemy wants us to have as we realize that all good things come from God, even our very breath. Praying and giving God thanks softens our hearts and helps us to be more thankful for others. No matter what we face, we should never forget that praying to our Father is a gift.

Give Thanks to God In Everything 4

We should abound in gratitude so that giving thanks spills over to others. Just as a bad attitude spreads, gratitude spreads when we are thankful and joyful. Eye contact, a smile, and a well-meant “thank you” can not be underestimated, especially by someone who feels undervalued, underappreciated, and forgotten.

A Prayer to Give Thanks To God in Everything

Despite the hills and valleys in life, God walks us through each one, and he does not change. He is the constant in our ever-changing world. God also provides for us. The Bible teaches that every perfect gift comes from God, and he deserves our praise. Let’s bow our heads and pray a prayer to give thanks.

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Do You Live a Crucified Life?

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Do You Live a Crucified Life?

Do you live a crucified life? As we enter the spring season and celebrate Jesus, the cross is ever-present in our minds. During this time, we praise and celebrate Jesus for giving us a way to the Father. When Jesus came to Earth and died upon the cross, we know He provided us with an opportunity to be reconciled with God, but He also gave instructions on how to live our lives after He left.

I believe God wants to remind us that we each need to “live a crucified life,” and we must understand what that truly means. Living a crucified life means that we obey God, humble ourselves, and die to ourselves. Let’s take a close look at each of these.

Live A Crucified Life of Obedience

Living a crucified life starts with following the commandments. Nowadays, we tend to want to set aside the commandments or write them off as no longer relevant. The commandments will always be important, reminding us how to live the cross. The cross and the commandments are all about love. As we look at the cross, we must remember to love God and others. In this way, we reach up to Heaven and reach out to our fellow man. 

Do you live A Crucified Life cross and dove

Jesus told us that we should not set the commandments aside or teach others to do so. Instead, we are to practice and teach the commandments.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19 KJV

Live a Crucified Life of Humility

Jesus explained that if we want to be great, we must be servants (Matthew 20:26). Living a crucified life means you willingly humble yourself before a mighty God in total surrender. 

Humble Yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God 1 Peter 5:6 KJV

Serve God

As Christians, we should be servants. Jesus demonstrated this by example, as he served God and obediently showed us how to obey and do the will of the Father.

A servant recognizes who the boss is. The Bible teaches that we must come to God as little children. When we come to God as a child, we humbly surrender to His will for our lives. If we want to be followers of Christ, we must follow Christ’s example by submitting our lives to the Father the way He did.

As Christians, we must voluntarily set aside our rights and exchange them for a life that loves, serves, and obeys the will of God in Christ Jesus. In other words, we surrender to the will of God for our lives rather than try to make up our own rules because we trust and believe that the Father loves us and has our best interest at heart at all times. Out of love for the Father in Christ, as we go about our day, we seek to serve God and bring Him glory in all we do and say.

Serve Others

Jesus willingly washed his disciples’ feet as he taught them that we must be willing to help each other the way He did. The Bible teaches us to serve one another through love (Galatians 5:13 ESV).

Additionally, the Bible tells us to take care of the “least of these,” which are those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, sick, and those who are in prison or need clothes (Matthew 25:40-45). 

I have been crucified with Christ Galations 2:20 ESV

Live a Crucified Life By Dying to Yourself

As we spend this season remembering Jesus’ crucifixion, we must make His sacrifice personal by considering our own lives. The Bible commands Christians to live a crucified life with Christ by dying to themselves. We must die to ourselves daily and allow Christ to live in and through us.

Additionally, we all must take up our cross. God has given each of us talents and responsibilities. We each have a home, children, a job, or some circle of influence. We must be willing to let the love of God and the light of Jesus shine through us so that others can find their way to salvation.

Do you live A Crucified Life? Scripture 3

A Prayer to Live a Crucified Life

As Christians, if we want to honor God, we must live in obedience and humility as a servant. The enemy will fight us in this area and try to get us to become prideful and selfish. This week’s prayer to live a crucified life is one that we will need to pray as we commit to living the life that God has designed.

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Prayer to live a Crucified life

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How Can We Hear God When He Speaks and Know It’s His Voice

Posted by Live Joyfully, How To Pray, Video 4 Comments

God speaks to us, but how can we hear Him when there are so many other voices in our heads? How can we listen to Him when we are too busy? There are so many things that compete with the voice of God in our lives. At any time, we hear the enemy attempting to tempt us, others sharing their opinions, our conscience, and things we see and hear on TV and online. The messages we hear from these sources can be best described as conflicting. So, how can we hear God when He speaks and know for sure that it is His voice that we hear? This post will discuss what you should and should not do to hear from God.

Don’t Wait Until a Crisis Occurs To Hear God Speak

First of all, understand that listening is developed through practice, so we don’t wait until a crisis occurs to hear God speak. Unfortunately, the only time that some people pray is when they are going through a right-now crisis. Of course, we need to pray when handling a difficult situation, but if that is the only time we pray, we will not learn through experience how to hear God. He may be trying to calm you and comfort you, but you can’t understand Him, and instead, the enemy tricks you into thinking that God isn’t answering you.

Did You Pray Today? against Blue sky

Don’t Be in Such a Hurry

Secondly, don’t be in such a hurry when we communicate with God in prayer. We can not merely tell God all of our problems, ask Him to fix them, and then get up from prayer time. Let’s use the analogy of a doctor. If you were ill, would you go to the doctor’s office, tell him everything wrong, ask him to help you, and then say, “OK, thanks, Doc,” as you turn to leave? Of course not. You would wait to hear what the doctor says, right? God is more than a physician, so don’t be in such a hurry.

Let’s take the doctor analogy a little further. Would you tell the doctor how to fix your problem by suggesting what medicines or treatment he should prescribe? Could you see yourself getting mad at him if he thinks there is a better way?

Many Christians treat God this way. We may pray, but it seems just to tell God the problem and what we believe the solution is. Then, we wait for God to do exactly what we said. Sometimes, God, in His wisdom, works the situation out differently. If we cannot hear that this was the answer to our prayer, the enemy may convince us that God did not answer.

Now that we have an idea of how not to approach God let’s take a look at what we should do.

  1. Pray Correctly
  2. Listen Expectantly
  3. Don’t Fear

Pray Correctly

We must pray correctly. In a previous post, I wrote about how to pray like Jesus taught. Some of the information from that post bears repeating here. When we pray using the Lord’s Prayer as our guide, we must remember to praise God, repent, ask for what we need, and yield to God. These steps spell the acronym PRAY.

PRay acronym. Pray Like Jesus Taught

When we pray, we honor God with our obedience and reverence if we use the outline given to us by Jesus. As a parent, if our children (who are old enough to know better) came to us demanding that we fix their problems or asking for this, that, and the other thing without even saying hello, we would consider this disrespectful. Therefore, we want to come to God reverently, praising Him as our Father, repenting, asking for what we need, and yielding to allow Him to work the situation out; however, He knows best.

Listen Expectantly

After you have asked God to help, the next step is to listen expectantly. Listening requires us to stop talking. It is difficult to patiently and carefully listen, so we must practice this skill daily. When we look for God to speak, we shut our mouths but open our hearts. We often hear scriptures and words of reassurance, comfort, and love.

Mathew 11:15 KJV with a little girl holding her ear listening

Jesus said that His sheep know His voice (John 10:27). The red writing in the Bible lets us know what Jesus would and would not say. As we get better acquainted with the Bible, we can better distinguish the Voice of God. We can learn by going to church and studying the Bible. As we understand what is and isn’t in the Bible, we will become more familiar with God’s voice. The Holy Spirit will remind us of scriptures, but He can not remind us if we do not first start learning,

John 14:26 KJV on blue sky background

Don’t Fear

After you have prayed, asked God to help, and you have taken the time to listen to His voice, patiently wait, and don’t fear. If you have given God permission to intervene in the way that He sees best, expect Him to do just that, and don’t become fearful. God knows how to help you hear Him.

Countless stories in the Bible tell us that God knows how to get our attention. If there is a strong message that He wants to get to us, He will find a way to communicate. In the Bible, God used a burning bush, a jaw from an animal, a visit from angels, and temporary blindness to get others’ attention. He is still able to do that now.

The Bible is clear that God will never forsake us (Psalm 37:35 ESV). He knows how to give good gifts to His Children. He is a good provider and will never let you go without what you need. Trust Him.

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Luke 11:10-13 KJV

A Prayer to Hear God More Clearly

As we grow in God, we silence the unproductive chatter in our minds and learn to hear and know God’s will. As we make it through each test and trial, our faith grows, and we learn that God is listening. He is always working things out for His children. Let’s Pray.

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Do You Have Religion or a Relationship With God?

Posted by Live Joyfully, Christian Living 3 Comments

A long time ago, people used to say they “had religion.” I don’t think we say that anymore. Instead, we say things like, “I’m a Catholic, a Baptist, or some other denomination.” Having a relationship with God is not the same as having a religion. God wants a personal relationship with all his children, regardless of where they attend church. Do you have a religion or a relationship with God? Let’s take a deeper look at this.

We enter our relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Our faith in Jesus introduces us to God, the Father. Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, God went to great lengths to allow each of us to fix our severed relationship with God. He loved each of us so much that he let his righteous son suffer and die for us.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

Jesus has made the first move, and now, each person must decide how to respond. Each person must choose to accept Jesus’ offer of reconciliation to God. Jesus allows the mending of our Godly relationship. His invitation is not to religion but an opportunity to connect with a Holy God.

A Relationship with God is Personal

Think about the connection with your spouse or significant other. These are personal relationships that start and evolve. Each of us has different stories of when we began our relationship. For example, couples have differing stories about where they met their partners, introduced them, and how the relationship evolved.

Do You Have Religion Or a Relationship With God 7

We should also have a story regarding when we began a personal relationship with God. Relations are like journeys, and no two are ever the same. A personal relationship with God is individualized. When and how we decide to follow Christ is different. Each person should have a testimony that describes when and how the connection has changed them.

For some, they decided to accept Christ at a church. Some made this decision in a hospital bed or a prison cell. After deciding to follow Christ, some people never stumbled or looked back. Others had more of a rocky on-again/off-again relationship until they finally decided to change and surrender to God’s will.

Life Is a Journey Grow Through It

When we decide to follow Jesus, he leads us individually to the end goal He has in mind for our lives. He does not want us to judge each other because we must all work out our salvation. Even though our journey may be different, we should all be pursuing a relationship with God, which requires making changes. Our relationship with Jesus is life-changing. He loves us and helps us in every area, resulting in the needed changes when we accept His assistance. 

What is Religion?

Religion means you do some things associated with the church, but your heart is not in it. Religious people may pride themselves on being good representatives in the church. They may attend service weekly, send their kids to a Christian school, choose to home-school them, or say churchy things. The religious person feels they must do religious acts but may not feel personally connected to Jesus or God.

cross and thorns

Let’s go back to the spouse/significant other analogy. Religion is based on the things you do or do not do. A relationship is based on your heart. If your spouse only does things, like take out the trash or cook dinner, but is not invested in the relationship with their heart, this would be problematic. How do you think God feels when he sees us being too busy with religion to have a relationship with Him?

What Makes a Good Relationship?

A stable personal relationship contains these five markers.

A good relationship requires:

  1. Commitment
  2. Love
  3. Trust
  4. Communication
  5. Respect

A Good Relationship Requires Commitment

All good personal relationships begin with the individual decision to be committed. Jesus committed to loving us and demonstrated love by coming to Earth to reconcile us to God. Now, we must make a decision and define our relationship with Jesus. Jesus wants to have a good relationship with us, and the first step is to create a commitment. Just like we had to decide to get serious with our spouse, we must become exclusive with Jesus.

A Good Relationship Requires Love

Nothing matters more in a relationship than love. Jesus tells us to love God and others. It doesn’t matter if you carry your Bible everywhere, whether you can quote scriptures, or even whether you go to church every day. What matters is whether you show love.

1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV Love and our relationship with God

Love is so important to God that Jesus explained that all commandments describe who and how we should love (Matthew 22:37-39).

 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:37-39 NKJV

A Good Relationship Requires Communication

If we seek a personal relationship with God, we must communicate with Him. Communication is synonymous with prayer and studying the Bible. We talk to God in our prayers, and He speaks to us through His Word. We have a communication breakdown if we are not praying or reading and studying the Word.

praying hands relationship with God requires communication

A Good Relationship Requires Trust

We cannot see God or Jesus with our physical eyes, but we need to trust. We must trust that God is real, hears us when we pray and will do what He has promised. This trust requires faith. In any good relationship, you should be able to believe that the person who loves you will do what they promised, even when they are away from your sight. Your spouse vowed to love, honor, and cherish, but God has promised even more. We need to trust Him.

A Good Relationship Requires Respect

Respect our relationship with God

Ultimately, our relationship with Jesus leads us to the Father and allows us to become Children of God. The Bible clarifies that you can not become a Child of God without receiving and believing in His Son.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

John 1:12 NKJV

Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ 

John 14:6 NKJV

God is a good Father. He is worthy of respect as our Heavenly Father. We look to Him for wisdom, guidance, provision, and protection. He does not want to be one of many choices. He tells us that very clearly. We must decide whether to choose God as our Father through acceptance of His Son or remain lost, trusting in our ability or the enemy’s schemes.

A Prayer to Strengthen Our Relationship With God

We need a stronger relationship with God, not more religion. We need to hear his voice and do what he says. We all have gifts and talents that He has blessed us with, and we should be willing to use them for His glory. Let’s pray to strengthen our relationship with God.

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God Can Protect Us From Sickness

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I woke up this morning to more news regarding the Coronavirus or COVID-19, and I began to pray for God to protect my family and friends from this sickness. As I said “amen” and continued my day, I pondered the idea of sickness and disease. I want God to fix it for everyone, but I felt secure as I got up from praying. Although He may not stop this illness and disease, God can protect us from sickness and watch over His children.

God Can Protect Us From Sickness

This world that we live in is not the Garden of Eden. Sin caused Adam and Eve to lose the opportunity to live there. When sin entered the world, it brought sickness, disease, and death. In our world, we have had many illnesses like polio, HIV, influenza, and smallpox. These illnesses and diseases do not come from God, but they come from the enemy.

There Will be No Sickness in God’s Kingdom

Life on this Earth is temporary, and we can take heart that there will be no sickness in God’s kingdom, Heaven. The reality is that at some point, we all will pass away from this world as we know it. According to the Bible, we can not live forever here on this Earth and will die once (Hebrews 9:27).

The world we live in right now is flawed. According to the Bible, things on this Earth will worsen because of the enemy, and eventually, all things will pass away. For this reason, God has prepared a way to bring us eternal life so we can spend eternity with Him in His kingdom. The enemy does not want us to find that path.

The purpose of the thief

How we live on this Earth is essential to God and determines whether we live with God for eternity. God desires that we become His child and live a life of faith that trusts Him. God wants us to prosper and be in good health, even as our soul prospers (3 John 1:2). Our spiritual health is more important than our bodily health to God. We can only experience eternal life if we are reborn spiritually as a child of God by accepting Jesus as our Savior.

When we hear of sickness or pandemics like Coronavirus, we must realize that this world is worsening. As children of God, He promises to give us abundant life. Being a child of God comforts us that even though we can not control anything, we know that God can.

Current suffering or sicknessnot worthy to be compared Romans 8:18 NIV

Pray and Trust That God Has a Plan Even in Sickness

The enemy is determined to rule this world and lead people astray. The enemy brings illness and fear. We must pray and trust God. We must remember that as children of God, we will one day arrive at a home that is God’s Kingdom. One day, the world will be free from suffering and pain. While we wait on that day, we should share the good news with others so that they know how to be reborn spiritually into the family of God.

Being a Christian does not mean that we will never get sick. When children of God experience sickness, we are to pray and ask God to heal us. He is faithful and will answer us. He may answer us using a doctor or send divine healing. He may deliver us from our sickness on Earth, or He may heal us as He takes us home to be with Him.

We can only pray, believe, and trust God to answer our prayer as He sees best. The Bible says that when sickness comes, we call upon the church’s elders to pray for us with oil.

Scripture about sickness

The enemy sees the state that many churches are in, and he knows that many people have decided not to attend church, and some who attend church still do not pray. Prayer is so vital. During illness and sickness, we need to pray for our salvation, the healing of those with the disease, and divine protection from illness.

Pray for Divine Protection From Illness

Pray for divine protection from illness for yourself and your family. This prayer asks God for forgiveness and protection from disease. We should also pray that others find refuge in God and that the illness subsides. Pray this prayer with faith.

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A prayer for Divine Protection From Illness

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What Does God Really Want From Us?

Posted by Live Joyfully, Forgiveness and Salvation Leave a Comment

We all want to know what God wants from us. Does He want us to do certain things? Is it enough to have faith in Him? Does He have expectations of us? These are common questions that have been asked since the dawn of time, and this article will provide valuable insight into understanding God’s true desires for us. This post will give a fresh perspective on what God truly wants from us.

I pray about what to write each week and ask God to help me write my posts. Today, the message seems so essential. What does God want from us? The answer is so simple that it brings me to my knees, hoping I can accurately relay God’s heart the way He revealed it to me.

What Does God Really Want From Us??

The enemy tries to convince us that being a Christian is difficult. He tries to convince us that his defiant way is better and more fun. As a youngster, the enemy successfully convinced me that there were too many rules to being a Christian. I remember feeling like there were too many things that I could not do. I now know that the enemy was causing me to focus on what I should not do so that he could tempt me. The enemy knows we can all be like little rebellious children.

What Does God Really Want From Us? 2

The enemy tries to get us to go against what God asks, and he has been running this scam since the Garden of Eden. The truth is that God created Adam and Eve (Genesis 1-3). He wanted them to replenish the earth and have dominion over the fish, fowl, cattle, and the land. God enjoyed a good relationship with Adam and Eve until they allowed the serpent to convince them to disobey the only rule that God gave them, which was not to eat the fruit of the one tree that God said not to touch.

Despite God’s provisions, the enemy could take the one thing God asked Adam and Eve not to do and make it seem irresistible. When Adam and Eve disobeyed, they lost their closeness with God, and their relationship was now different because of sin.

So, what does God really want from us? God wants our obedience and trust. He loves us and wants a loving relationship with us as our God. He wants to be our Father, but He gives us the ability to choose. When we decide to do things our way or listen to the enemy, we essentially say “no thanks” to God’s offer.

What Does God Really Want to Be to Us?

If we decide to live by our own rules, we stop God from being our leader, savior, provider, protector, and counselor. See, the question is not what God wants from us, but what God wants to be to us, and will we accept it? God wants us to be His children. He wants to adopt each of us into His family. As his children, he wants to give us a better life, eternal life.

When we think of our children, we want to protect them from harm. We love them and do not want them to experience unnecessary hurt. We want them to come to us when they need something, be it provision, protection, or counseling. As parents, we would not expect our children to look to someone else, especially not the enemy, right?

What Does God Really Want From Us? 3

To be His child, we must accept the gift of salvation by Jesus’ sacrifice. When we take God as our Father, we can have all the benefits of being a member of His family, but we must choose. As children, we may make mistakes; when that happens, we need to ask our Father for forgiveness.

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 ESV

What Does God Want to Give Us?

As our loving Father, God has beautiful plans for us and does not want us to miss out. God wants to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). He also wants to provide us with eternal life in a place that Jesus is preparing for us.

What Does God Really Want From Us? Scripture 1 Corinthians 2:9

The Bible calls all who believe in Jesus the Bride of Christ. While Jesus is away preparing a place for us, we must be faithful to the relationship. He should find us ready to go with Him to our heavenly home when He returns.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 14:2-3

God loves us so much that He made a way (Jesus) for us to spend eternal life with Him, but He has given us a choice to decide if we want that. We must accept the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus. We must allow God to help us. What God wants most is a loving relationship with his children.

We demonstrate love when we trust, obey, and accept His Son. Although the enemy wants to convince us that being a Christian is difficult, God wants us to know that choosing to be led to eternal life lead is much easier than listening to an enemy who is trying to lead us to destruction.

A Prayer For When We Have Gotten Off Track With God

Sometimes, we get off-track, and like Eve, we believe the lies the enemy tells us. We sometimes rely more on our thoughts or are led astray by false promises. Thankfully, God understands and welcomes us back with loving arms when we ask. Let’s pray for restoration to our rightful place in God.

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How Can We Find Joy in the Journey?

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How Can We Find Joy in the Journey?

As I look up today, I see a wooden plaque that hangs on my wall that says, “Find Joy in the Journey.” I bought this hanging at one of the summer festivals last year because I tend to rush through life.

There is a delicate balance between enjoying life and constantly striving for more. Have you ever encountered a person who never seems content? Someone who always seems to be chasing something? Maybe you can relate to this feeling. In reality, I believe that all of us can identify with these sentiments in some way. So, how can we find joy as we journey through life, and what does that entail?

How Can We Find Joy in the Journey

Find Joy in the Journey at Work and Home

We must find joy in the journey at work and home. When we feel stressed and overloaded on the job, being short-tempered, isolated, and unhappy is easy. We often feel like work adds “one more scoop of mashed potatoes” to our already full plate. The problem is that work stress can overtake us if we are not careful. For example, if we bring paperwork home or even think of all the paperwork while we are at home, we are less available for our spouse and kids.

As a mom, wife, or homemaker, even if we choose to stay home and not work outside, we can still find ourselves with a lot of work and very little time. We often have a mix of things we want to do and tasks we must do. For instance, we may need to clean the house, but our child has a project due for school the next day and needs our help. Viewing the project as another thing to add to our already heavy workload can be easy. However, we must be careful with our words and actions as our children may feel like a burden, and as a result, they may choose not to ask for help and end up getting a low grade. We need to remember the acronym LIVE to find joy in both our work and home life.

  • Laugh and smile often.
  • Invest your time and energy wisely.
  • Visualize each day from God’s perspective.
  • Envision each day as written in your biography or eulogy.

Laugh and Smile Often

It’s essential to take time to laugh and smile, no matter what’s going on in our lives. We should choose joy and make it a priority. I recently read an article that explained how laughing and smiling could help reduce stress and improve our well-being. The Bible also talks about the importance of joy as good medicine. Understanding the significance of laughter should motivate us to smile and be happy more often.

A Joyful Heart is good Medicine Scripture

Even when there is no time for anything, we must find something to laugh and smile about. A hug or kiss from a loved one, a smile or funny joke, or anything that makes us laugh can help us remember that living should be full of joy even if it is busy.

Invest Time and Energy Wisely

We all have 24 hours each day and no more. We watch as days turn to weeks, and weeks become months. Years come and go, and our children grow up. We should decide to invest our precious time and energy wisely. When our children are grown, we do not want to regret how we spent the years while they were young. The Bible reminds us that we never know what tomorrow brings and life is short. We must invest time and energy wisely by placing a high priority on enjoying “joy” moments.

yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

James 4:14 ESV
sick child laying on mom, dad drinking coffee

Visualize Each Day From God’s Perspective

As we set our goals, it’s important to visualize each day from God’s perspective. We should prioritize and ensure that our priorities align with what brings God honor and glory. We know that God would want us to pray and ask for His help rather than worry and be anxious. Doing so can increase our joy when we see how well God works in our favor. God would not want us to misbehave at home or work. Instead, God would want us to be joyful and not overwhelmed.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:30-31 KJV

God is love, and He wants us to show love daily. According to Jesus, two commandments are essential: we are to love God and to love others. If we ever have to decide what task to do, we should let love guide us.

So now Faith , hope and love abide ! Corinthians 13:13

Envision Each Day as Written in our Biography or Eulogy

When our days end, no one says, “I wish I would have worked more” or “I wish I would have spent less time with my family.” Whenever we pass away, what will hurt most is knowing that there is no more time with those we love. When we lay our heads down at night, we should think about the good we accomplished related to showing love. Living a life of love will increase our joy and the well-being of others.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV
Live, Love, Laugh and Find Joy In the Journey

We should live each day as if it were our last, but we should envision each day as written in our biography or eulogy. If someone writes or tells about us, we want to be described as loving, cheerful, hard-working people, not irritable, rude, or impatient.

A Prayer to Make The Most of Today

We know that each day is a gift. No one knows how many days they will be on this earth. Let us bow our heads in prayer and ask God to give us the strength and wisdom to live today to the fullest, according to His will. Let’s pray to make the most of today.

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A Prayer To Make The Most Of Today and find joy

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Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts

Posted by Live Joyfully, Christian Living 4 Comments
Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts

As Christian adults, we must tame our tongues and guard our thoughts to speak and think words that build up and not tear down. We must use life-giving words and guard our thoughts to protect ourselves from feeling torn down if we hear negative words.

When I was a kid, we were taught not to let the words of others affect our lives. At any given time on the playground, you could hear, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  As I watch my children grow up, society has become more aware of the harmful effect that the words of others can have, and we now name this behavior “bullying.”

Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts

Words matter. The words we speak and hear can build up and “speak life,” or they can steal our joy and “speak death.” The Bible compares the tongue to fire (James 3:6). Like fire, spoken words can cause destruction. We must learn to tame our tongues and guard our thoughts, but how?

How Do We Tame Our Tongue?

When we think of someone having a “potty mouth,” we mostly think of people who say curse words. The Bible speaks about many different ways to tame our tongues. Here are a few items from the biblical list.

  • Lying
  • Arguing
  • Complaining
  • Gossipping
  • Boasting
  • Betraying
  • Judging

The Bible tells us that we need to keep our tongues and mouth. We know we need to do better, but so often, exaggerations, half-truths, arguments, complaints, gossip, bragging, and boasting seem to fall out of our mouths.

Consider the Reason Behind Our Communications

Someone said we must “taste our words before we spit them out.” We may keep ourselves out of trouble if we slow down to consider the reason behind our communications. Looking at the list above, we can be tempted to lie, argue, complain, gossip, or boast because of pride. None of these communications are helpful to others and do not bring glory or honor to our heavenly Father.

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble scripture

We Need to Be Slow To Speak

When we talk without considering the consequences, we can speak recklessly. It’s essential to take responsibility for our words and recognize their power. Our communication can uplift and heal others, so we must be mindful of what we say. Unfortunately, we often see much hate and people speaking without thinking. Christians should strive to demonstrate self-control and honor our faith in every situation.

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing“

Proverbs 12:18 NIV

We Need To Pray Before We Speak

It is not easy to watch what we say. The Bible says the tongue is unruly and poisonous (James 3:8 KJV). The only way that we can do better is to ask God to help us. We should pray and ask God to speak through us at the beginning of each day.

I work with children with speech difficulty, so my daily prayer is that I lovingly encourage them as they learn to speak clearly. I ask God to work through me so that my words and actions represent Him and bring honor and glory to His name. I also ask God to help me know when to speak and be quiet. Sometimes, silence is what is best.

Tame Your Tongue with pleasant words

How to Guard Our Thoughts

Although we are watching what we say to others, inevitably, sometimes we are faced with some not-so-kind words spoken to us or about us. Not only do we have to relinquish our desire to get even in retaliation. We must know how to guard our thoughts to protect ourselves from negativity.

Tame Your Tongue and Guard Your Thoughts Proverbs Scripture 2

Whenever someone says something to hurt us, we must learn to let go and let God. That may sound difficult, but we must only hold on to God’s words and let everything else be untrue. The Bible reminds us of the only thoughts that should occupy our headspace.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Phillipians 4:8 KJV

A Prayer to Tame Our Tongue and Guard Our Thoughts

God cares about everything we go through and will answer our prayers. No one is perfect, but based on our love for God, we should want to live a life that honors Him. Whenever we find an area that we struggle in, we need to ask God to forgive us and help us. He is faithful, and He will answer our prayers. Below is a prayer to tame our tongues and guard our thoughts. Pray this prayer, believing in your heart.

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A Prayer to Tame our Tongue and Guard Our Thoughts

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What To Do When Life Is Falling Apart?

Posted by Live Joyfully, Trust In God 2 Comments
What To Do When Life Is Falling Apart?

We can encounter unforeseen events that surprise us and leave us overwhelmed. Examples of such events include divorce, sudden illness, problems with our children, or losing a job. During these times, it can feel like our world is falling apart, and we may be unsure how to proceed.

What to do when life is falling apart

At some point in life, everyone experiences difficult times. Learning how to cope with such situations is crucial to avoid falling into despair. During these moments, it seems like the enemy is trying to make the pain even more unbearable by twisting the knife in our hearts.

Negative thoughts, such as fault and condemnation, may arise during challenging times. These thoughts may suggest that the situation is entirely your fault. Phrases like “This is all your fault,” “You should have seen this coming,” or “Things would have been different if you had…” are all examples of negative thoughts that may come from within. These thoughts aim to make you feel regretful, ashamed, and condemned. If we’re not careful, we may start to believe these thoughts and think that God is punishing us for our sins.

Seek The Peace of God When Life Is Falling Apart

When tough times come, God wants to give us peace. It is hard to understand that we could have peace when it feels like life is falling apart, but that is what the Bible says.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“

Philippians 4:7 ESV

To help us remember what to do when it feels like life is falling apart, we need to think of the acronym PEACE.

PEACE Acronym When life is Falling Apart

Pray When It Feels Like Life Is Falling Apart

Our first step is to pray no matter what unexpected difficulty we face. The Bible tells us to pray continually. The enemy will try and discourage us from praying. One way that the enemy likes to stop us from praying is by condemning us and causing us to think that God is punishing us.

1 Peter 5:7 KJV

People will avoid prayer during difficult times if they believe God is punishing them. The Bible teaches that God does not cause our suffering. He is not punishing us. The enemy tries to make us feel like we deserve the situations we are facing. The enemy wants to condemn and shame us. He knows that if he is successful, we will be like Adam and Eve, hiding from God and not reaching out to Him.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

James 1:13 ESV

When we face a problematic situation, we should pray for understanding, peace, wisdom, and direction. God will help us. Even if we can not understand the situation, He will give us peace to know that we are not dealing with the circumstances alone. Anytime we ask God to provide us with wisdom and direct our paths, He will respond.

If Any Lack wisdom ask God verse

Evaluate What the Bible Says

Secondly, when it feels like life is falling apart, we need to evaluate what the Bible says to find a story or scripture that relates. For example, when we face unexpected illness, we can find scriptures that discuss healing. When our children are not making wise decisions, we can take comfort in the story of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32 NIV)

Scripture reminds us that God is all-powerful and can handle every situation. God does not cause our suffering, but He is always with us to help us through. He will comfort us and stay close to those who are hurting.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted scripture

Accept and Allow God To Help

God has promised to change us to make us more like Jesus. He promises to grow us. We may not always understand the process, but we must trust God with all of the details, no matter what. Even when we do not know what is happening, we have to rest on the scriptures that tell us that God has a plan.

Jeremiah 29:11

Choose To Have Faith

As Christians, we often speak of having faith. Defining faith can be difficult. We often define faith as hope, but faith is more robust. Faith is confidence. Faith knows that things will fall into place even when life falls apart. Faith is confident that God will gather the pieces even if life falls apart.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Encourage Yourself And Others

Praise God through the storm. While going through difficult times, you must find encouragement in God. He will bring you comfort, strength, and peace. Do not try to figure it all out whenever life falls apart, but pray and hold onto God’s promises.

Encourage yourself with worship music that reminds you of the better day that is coming. Pray continually and focus your mind on God’s promises. Find scriptures that you can use in your prayer time and those that are uplifting.

Scriptures of Encouragement when life falling apart Infographic

Whatever the situation, the hurt and pain will diminish, and God will help you. Trust and praise Him in advance and speak words of victory. When the difficulty passes, you must encourage someone else. We should always be willing to pray for others and share our testimony.

A Prayer For When Life Is Falling Apart

When life is falling apart, sometimes it is falling into place. We must trust God even when we are hurting. Pray and ask God to help. Below is a prayer for when life is falling apart. Pray it aloud or quietly from your heart, believing that God hears you and will answer.

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A prayer For When Life is falling apart


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