Are you Overwhelmed by Disappointments?

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“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

Are you Overwhelmed by Disappointments?

Have you ever experienced a disappointment that overwhelmed you? I have! Sometimes we need to recognize that we are overwhelmed and need rest. A new heart is a blessing from God that comes during a time of rest, but we must position ourselves where the river flows to receive this blessing.

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Find a quiet place and position yourself in the presence of the Lord, then ask Him to reveal to you the condition of your heart. When the Psalmist David positioned himself in the Lord’s presence he was made aware that he needed a new heart.  In Psalm 55:4, he said his heart was so grieved within him.  His heart was grieved and disappointed by the actions of a close friend. He was so disappointed he just wanted to run away into the wilderness and lodge there. With every disappointment your heart grows weary, and as hope is deferred it makes your heart sick. When we are faced with repeated disappointments; one after the other, our spirit is affected because we don’t have time to recover before the next hit.

In Psalm 55:15, David must have realized he wasn’t handling his disappointment very well by the words that came out of his mouth. We too can know the condition of our heart by observing what comes out of our mouth. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34-36). If you know that what is coming out of your mouth is not pleasing to the Lord, stop and rest awhile. Position yourself in the river of God and ask Him for a new heart and renewed spirit. Wait upon Him and He will remove your stony heart; He will replace it, and at the same time replenish and bring refreshing to your spirit.

With heart surgery you must not get up from the operating table too soon.  Wait upon the Lord until your strength is restored.  “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”. Isaiah 40:31

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I realize I have not been handling the disappointments of life very well. I need to position myself in Your river for a time of rest and refreshing.  Lord wash me clean of all the disappointments.  Fill be up and renew my strength as I spend time in Your presence.

In Jesus’ Name,  Amen

Surrendering to God’s Will

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“Our Father which art in Heaven, hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…” Matthew 6: 9-13

Have you ever wondered what God’s will for your life is? His will is simply for us to live and maintain His kingdom here on earth. God’s kingdom is distinct and a different way of life. Jesus taught us how to pray for the kingdom to come on earth, how He would work in us, and showed us how to live and work inside the kingdom. When Christ is in you, it is a perfect fit! He is in you, you are in Him, and you are both in the kingdom. It is Christ that works in both of you to accomplish His good pleasure.

I have found that I can pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done”, and then resist the work of Christ in me. I had to learn the difference between my will and His. My will consists of doing whatever I want to do, as much as I want to do it. If I live according to my will, then I will eat all the food I want, spend all the money I want, and then whine because I am overweight and broke. When I submit and abide by His will, then I have boundaries and parameters. I am doing what He wants me to do when I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life. It is Christ working inside of you, changing your will to do the Fathers will. Take time to read His Word and you will soon see who you are. You are His child and an heir. You will live as an heir, a joint heir with Christ. When you get a glimpse that you are here on planet earth as an heir to establish and maintain your Father’s kingdom, it will change your agenda for the day.

Pray this simple prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

How Can I Trust in the Lord?

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not onto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path” – 

Trust In The Lord

There is a reason why that verse says, “all your heart.”  Trusting in the Lord with all your heart means, He alone is the one you are trusting to direct you to the right path.  You simply ask Him and wait on the answer.

I like to write out my questions and then record the answer in my journal.  When you ask the Lord for direction and He gives you the answer, you trust Him even though you don’t fully understand it.  You can’t wait until you understand everything.  If you wait until you understand, then you are trusting in yourself.  There are some things we will never understand and that is why we need faith to trust God.

Holding on to the past can be a major block when you are trying to trust the Lord.  If you are rehearsing all of your past mistakes then you can’t hear what He is telling you to do in the present.  You will be hindered from moving forward until you let go of the past and release all of the people who let you down.  Forgive yourself and others and then trust God to direct your steps from this day forward.

How to Create Your Home as a Safe Place

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“Love one another” – 1 John 4

We all want to make our home a safe place for ourselves and those we love. To establish your home as a safe place read the following statements. If you agree with these statements ask God to remove any blocks or stones in your heart that would hinder His love from flowing through your heart into your home.

1) I want my home to be a safe place where love abounds.

2) I will express love to my family in verbal and nonverbal ways without stipulations or conditions.

3) I want my home will be a place where thoughts and ideas will be appreciated, accepted and respected.

4) In my home we will encourage each other to share their heart.

5) I will regard each person in my family as a valuable part of the family.

6) The unique gifting of each person will be affirmed and acknowledged.

7) In my home each person will feel safe to express their emotions in healthy ways.

8) In my home we will acknowledge and take responsibility for mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

9) In my home we will talk about painful situations on a daily basis. We will not ignore them and sweep them under the rug.

10) In my family we will develop an atmosphere of trust.

Read and declare these statements until they permeate deep within your heart and you will begin to see the fruit in your home.

When you just don’t understand…

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not onto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path”.  – Proverbs 3:5

Do you have a difficult time trusting God? Do you worry, fear, or stress about circumstances in your daily life? If you’re having a difficult time trusting God, I want you to understand something. Take a look at your relationship with your earthy father. Like looking through dark sun glasses, you may be seeing your heavenly Father dimly.  The way we viewed our earthly father can hinder us from seeing God as He really is.  As a child you look to your father for direction, if he was not trust worthy then it hinders you from trusting your heavenly Father.

Take a minute and reflect back, have you been defiled by your father’s actions?

If you were rejected by your father you may be fearful God does not love and accept you. If you were abandoned, you may be fearful that God will leave you.  These fears are defiling you and blocking your view disabling you from seeing God clearly.

Forgive your father for all his wrongdoing and release those bad memories of his mistakes.  Ask God for a pure heart so you can see Him clearly. Through healing you will be able to trust God as your loving Father.

 

Enter into the Presence of the Lord

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“By this I know that you favor and delight in my, because my enemy does not triumph over me. And as for me you have upheld me… and set me in your presence forever.” Psalm 41:11-12 amp

This verse is talking about the secret place in the presence of the Lord. He calls us to come and enter into His presence. How comforting to know that even when we are tired and weary, it is God who actually lifts us up and sets us in His presence.

Nothing can harm me when I am in his presence!
Nothing can rob me of my joy and peace as long as I stay where God has positioned me!

And although He sets me in his presence, I have the freedom to leave any time I choose. If I step out of His presence any time, and I begin to look at what the enemy is doing or worry about past mistakes, I am at that moment out of the presence of the Lord, I am now in a state of fear, doubt and unbelief. God says he set me in His presence forever. If you have left the safe haven of the presence of the Lord, just ask Him to lift you back up. He delights in you so ask Him to lift you back up so you can be seated again in heavenly places with Christ.

I am Safe During any Storm!

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   “For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.” –  Psalm 27:5

If tomorrow you have a “day of trouble” can you keep your heart fixed on the goodness of the Lord? When you keep your heart fixed steadfastly on His goodness you are able to weather any storm. You will travel safely though the terrible storm just like Noah was kept safe inside the Ark.

Think for a moment, what if the Holy Spirit quickened to your heart that you must be prepared for a “day of trouble,” what if He said this day is coming soon and you must get prepared. The way to be prepared is in that same verse. David said: “He will hide me in His shelter.” I believe that being hidden in His shelter works in two ways:

  1. As a Christian we are safe and hid in Christ, so we must never give in to fear. (Colossians 3:3) If you are in Christ, you are hidden from the powers of darkness.
  2. We must hide God’s Word inside our heart.  You hide the Word of God in your heart by memorizing it, and meditate upon it.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” -Psalm 46:1.

In a time of trouble He is there.  As you hide God’s Word in your heart your spirit man is prepared to be steadfast, unshakable, and unmovable even through the toughest storm.

Have you Been Offended?

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

Connecting with people is sometimes very difficult. It is heartbreaking when, for whatever reason, we can’t connect even with those who are closest to us.  If you have been hurt in a relationship, you may be guarding your heart and fearful of being hurt again.

It is very hard, even impossible to connect when you can’t lay your guard down. If you find it hard to connect with others, you may have a wounded heart that needs to be healed from the past. When we have been wounded by someone’s actions, a stone is formed in our heart from the unforgiveness. A stony heart makes it almost impossible to connect because we are guarded and easily offended. Healing begins when we identify the hurt and ask God to heal our wounded heart. The prayer of faith shall heal the sick and the prayer of faith shall heal the heart.

Pray this simple prayer right now and by faith begin receiving your healing:

Father God, I have been hurt by ________________ and now I am guarded when I am around them. Lord, I ask You to heal my broken heart and bind up my wounds. I choose to forgive ___________ for ___________. Heal my heart so I can open my heart and trust again.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

If I had Wings…

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“Oh, that I had wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” Psalm 55:6

The stresses of life can be so overwhelming.  I often fall into the discouragement of situations, rather than focus on the One who truly cares for me and is ready to sustain me. 

Bearing the burden of crushing weight actually gives Christians wings. This may sound like a contradiction in terms, but it is a blessed truth. While enduring a severe trial, David cried, “Oh, that I had wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” Yet before he finished his meditation, he seems to have realized that his wish for wings was attainable, for then he said, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (Ps. 55:22).

Life of a burden bearer

The word “burden” is described in my Bible commentary as being “what Jehovah has given you.” The saints’ burdens are God-given, leading us to wait upon Him. And once we have done so, the burden is transformed into a pair of wings through the miracle of trust, and the one who was weighted down “will soar on wings like eagles” (Isa. 40:31).

Are you Stressed, Tired, and Burnt-out?

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“Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land…”   Psalm 63:1

Life can be very difficult at times.   The stresses that we face each day can often be overwhelming and leave us exhausted and frustrated.  There is a deep well within us that must be filled up daily. When this well has not been filled, you will find yourself dry and thirsty.

Jesus said, “If any man thirst let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus is the fountain where we go to drink; He  is a fountain that will never run dry. When we spend time with Him praying and reading His Word, we are drinking from the “living water”. The Word brings life and refreshing to our spirit just as a drink of natural water refreshes us when we are dry and thirsty.

Are you stressed, tired, and burned out from the pressures of life? IF so, I would like to encourage you to get up early in the morning, and spend some extra time drinking from the Word of God. Drink until you are filled up with a renewed strength. As you spend time in the Word, you will also experience a renewed hope that everything is going to  be all right.