Do you struggle with fear, anxiety, or worry?  Many people I talk to do.

For years I suffered from anxiety.  But not anymore!  By submitting my life to Christ and his kingdom — through his Word — I have found freedom.  By learning to live my whole life as an apprentice to Jesus, devoted to him alone, I have learned not to worry about the outcomes of events, what people think about me, or whether or not I succeed.

365 Fear Nots

It’s been said that there are 365 Fear Nots in the Bible, one for each day of the year! In “Fear  Not 365 Days a Year” I explain that there are actually more than 365 verses in the Bible guiding us in how we deal with “fear” (or “afraid”, “frightened”, “terrified”) and other verses on “worry,” “anxiety”, and related issues.  We can be sure that 365 days a year the Lord says to us: “Fear not!”

Again and again in the Bible his promise to us is: “You will not fear… by day” (Psalm 91:5). For the Bible Study I selected 31 of my favorite Fear Not Bible passages (from the NIV84) and identified the fearless truth God is teaching us.

31 Days to Freedom from Fear is designed as a daily training program with Jesus to help you overcome fear and anxiety. If you train with Jesus in this way for 31 days then you will grow in his peace for 356 days a year!

How the Fear Not Training Works

Read, meditate on, and pray on one Fear Not Bible passage per day for 31 days.  You need to approach this like you’re taking your daily dose of medicine – because you are!

Each day write the Fear Not Scripture down on an index card so you can carry it with you all day.  Re-read it and turn it over and over in your mind and let it lead you into personal prayers.  Try to memorize the passages that especially speak to your struggles.

Talk to a friend about what you’re learning and the struggles you’re having.  Pray together.  Be “Christ’s Ambassadors” to one another (2 Corinthians 5:20).

If each day for one month you train with Jesus in this way – relying on his Word to help you submit yourself to his kingdom rule in your daily life – then you will make progress in learning to Fear Not!  You will form new, godly habits of being ruled by the peace of Christ in all that you think, desire, say, and do (Colossians 3:15).  You’ll learn to “let go” of trying to control things as you Learn the Secret of Jesus’ Easy Yoke that brings rest to your soul (Matthew 11:28-30).

God will help you to Calm your Anxious Mind.

Fear Nots for 31 Days

Day 1 Fear Not: the Lord, Creator and Savior, calls you by name to say, “You’re mine!”

“But now, this is what the LORD says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine’” (Isaiah 43:1).

Day 2 Fear Not: Come to Jesus with tiresome burdens to rest in his care as you work with him

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Day 3 Fear Not: the Shepherd is with you to train you to find comfort in him

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Day 4 Fear Not: Don’t be anxious – instead pray, ask, give thanks, be guarded by God’s peace

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Day 5 Fear Not: Jesus’ way is to simplify: Don’t worry.  Be like the birds and flowers.  Seek God.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important…? Look at the birds… your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow…. Will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:25-34). 

Day 6 Fear Not: The fear of the Lord alone is the beginning of wisdom, not the end

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 111:10a).

Day 7 Fear Not: God’s perfect love (which often comes through people) removes fear

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:11, 18).

Day 8 Fear Not: the Lord wants to hold your hand and help you

“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you’” (Isaiah 41:13).

Day 9 Fear Not: God wants to set you free from fear by being a Daddy to your inner child

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption and by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15).

Day 10 Fear Not: If we live in the Lord’s light and salvation we need not fear any threat

“The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?… Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident” (Psalm 27:1, 3).

Day 11 Fear Not: When you fear the Lord you discover that he is a compassionate Father

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13).

Day 12 Fear Not: Fearful hearts need encouragement to put hope in God’s help and justice

“Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you’” (Isaiah 35:4).

Day 13 Fear Not: Give up all your worries to God who cares for you

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). 

Day 14 Fear Not: The Lord’s ministering angels bring peace to those who trust Christ

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people’” (Luke 2:10). 

Day 15 Fear Not: God is with you, strengthening you and upholding you

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Day 16 Fear Not: God doesn’t want you to suffer shame

“Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated” (Isaiah 54:4a).

Day 17 Fear Not: Practice being quiet before God; learn to be still in his presence

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). 

Day 18 Fear Not: Jesus taught us not to fear people, but the God who cares for little sparrows

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.  Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:4-7).

Day 19 Fear Not: Trust God – he won’t frighten you!  He gives you power, love, self-control

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Day 20 Fear Not: Trust God who delights in you and bad news won’t scare you – you’ll overcome!

“Praise the LORD.  Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands… He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes” (Psalm 112:1, 7-8). 

Day 21 Fear Not: Call the Lord and he comes close and comforts your fears

“You came near when I called you, and you said, ‘Do not fear’” (Lamentations 3:57). 

Day 22 Fear Not: The risen Christ brings peace to those who are hiding behind locked doors

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (John 20:19).

Day 23 Fear Not: Rely on God to “work in” you and then “work out” of you

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12b-13).

Day 24 Fear Not: To “fear God” is to worship him as glorious and holy

“Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy.  All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:4).

Day 25 Fear Not: Even in suffering you are blessed if you do what’s right and look to God

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened’” (1 Peter 3:14).

Day 26 Fear Not: Like Paul, accept your weakness, rely on God’s grace, be made strong in Christ

“Three times I [Paul] pleaded with the Lord to take [the thorn in my flesh] away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ …That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

Day 27 Fear Not: trust God to give you the words to say and you won’t fear public speaking

“Do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11b).

Day 28 Fear Not: Step into God’s light – be true and honest – and he’ll empower you

“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 3:20-21).

Day 29 Fear Not: Look to Jesus for the gift of the Father: the Spirit as your indwelling Comforter

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor [“Paraclete”: Comforter, Encourager, Advocate] to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth…  You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18). 

Day 30 Fear Not: The Lord sets us free from fear by removing our punishment and our enemy

“The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy… Never again will you fear any harm… The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:15, 17).

Day 31 Fear Not: Prayer helps us to overcome our fears of sharing the good news of Jesus

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19)

courtesy:soulshepherding

An incident happened 7 years ago when I was coming home from a meeting which was near my house. While I was coming home on my vehicle, I saw a person standing and crying. I stopped my vehicle and went to see what had happened. There was a fire accident in that place and this man’s small hut and all his belongings with the little cash he had saved, went up in smoke, it was all gone. He had nothing left for himself. He was so very disappointed and he was crying. Nearly 30-40 people saw this and no one came forward to help him.

I saw this situation and I immediately went to my house . I always keep some new clothes and blankets in my house to help others for emergency situations. I put all the new clothes and blankets I had and along with the fruit I had in my house at that moment in a bag, and I went to his hut, where the fire accident took place. I gave this bag to the victim of this accident and I also gave him 3000 rupees which I had in my pocket. He was in tears and he hugged me and thanked me many times. This simple random act of kindness changed his situation for the good.
The moment I started helping this person every one there in that place watching this scene realized that they too could do something for him as well. Many of them gave him clothes, blankets, dishes, and some gave him money. You know, after 3-4 days, local officials helped him build his house like it was before. Not only by providing the money and material, but also some people helped this victim by giving their time to help him rebuild his house quickly.

He has more clothes than before, more dishes than before, and a new house as well. I am very happy and thrilled by this experience that my small random act of kindness would change his situation. Friends, today I would like to encourage you all, no matter how small or big the random act of kindness is, it will make difference in the lives of those you are trying to help.

Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.

Many have hearts to help others and show their compassion but the problem is they are afraid that their small random act of kindness won’t change the situation of the victim or the person who is suffering. Friends, I want to encourage you all, no matter how little we help others, it will make a difference in their lives. I remember this quote from mother Teresa, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

Thank you for reading …

Comment your experience in random act of kindness

In life We have many friends who start out with in the world that share same love toward worldly things like partying and other stuff. But when we stop our old ways , such relationships end soon. This is because the friends that we are once very close don’t desire to walk in the way that we have been called to walk in .

So are they bad people? Did God has forgotten about them? My answer is NO. God wants very best for you. God loves all. He will make sure the people in your life that will cause you to turn away from HIM go away from you.

I many times asked Lord to take away anything in me that is not pleasing to him. I asked him to make me whole and heal anything and all of my brokenness. It is simple as it is difficult to let go of old habits, it is even more difficult to let go off our old relationships that we know we have outgrown.

I tried to reach back these old relationships and I want to somehow save my old friendships when it is fact that only one who can save anyone is Christ. Remember, When God is trying to use and develop you to next level, the best thing you can do is draw still more nearer and keep your focus on God. Donot reach back to the past to reconcile because the idea of closure can also be unhealthy if those results don’t pan out the way that we expect them to. Your value doesn’t decrease based on somebody’s inability to see your worth. Your worth is found in God, not the opinions of others .You donot needed to be validated by people in order to live your own life. Forgive the person for their mistakes against you, Pray to lord to Forgive you for any reasons you may have caused the person and move on with your undivided attention set on Jesus Christ.

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 1 John 2:19

It hurts to watch those we love struggle and decline to receive God’s hand in their life . it is painful to live in the recognition of God’s grace and watch others who suffer ignore that same grace that is afforded to them. As Christians we can plant seeds of faith, but only God can truly water those seeds and cause them to grow. In this way it is made plain that although we are to love our neighbors, we may not need to be in association with them. God has a plan for your life. He has worked out every angle and He knows where He wants to place you in the Kingdom. Trust that Christ even knows whom your friends should and should not be. He knows those who will cause you to stumble and those who will allow you to grow.

Allow God to prune and produce more fruit from your spirit. Don’t stay on relationships that have ended before . Instead of that be thankful for the time you had and the lessons you learned.

Isaiah 43:2 says “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” You will have to control what comes into your mind. The enemy Satan is there to try to take you out and get you down in the dumps and hopeless. There is always hope with God. But you have to purpose to not think bad thought and dwell on problems of life. You have to think on what God has in store for you and the Hope that is in Him.  Deuteronomy 31:6 says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Satan will put negative thoughts in your mind and get you to feel like giving up. God does not want you to give up. He is mighty to save and can get you out of the pit you are in. He has a plan for your life and will lift you up and out of your pit. Some bad things happen due to wrong choices but others you have no control over. regardless God cares for you and He will lift you up and make you victorious in Him.

In Genesis 28:15 it says ” I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Keep your mind on Jesus. He does not want you to try to get out of your pit alone. He is there to help you and be your friend when all your other friends have run out on you. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Psalm 147:3 reminds us “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Do not let the enemy lie to you and make you feel there is no hope for you.

When the storms of life are pressing in on you look to Jesus. Do not look to drugs or alcohol or run away and feel like this is it.  There is always a way out and up with God. Satan will be the one trying to get you to feel hopeless but God is the author of hope. Run to Him. He is mighty to save.

John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Believe God and not the enemy. You are worthy and God is good and He has a plan for you.

PRAYER: Lord I know you care for me no matter what is going on in my life. I know Lord that your hand is on me and you are watching over me.Father help me as I struggle to get out of my pit to hang on to you. I reject the lies of the enemy. I am covered by the blood of Jesus. Thank you Lord for your promises to never leave me nor forsake me. I will put my hope in you and from this day forth reject the lies of the enemy who is out to take me down. In Jesus Name. Amen.

“good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over”

Jesus said:

Give and it will be given back to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)

This is so plain and direct that we often are tempted to doubt that our Lord meant it. In a article in the Oprah Magazine  illustrates an example of someone who lived her life by this and other biblical principles. The article is an interview with Maya Angelou, a 72 year old woman who had overcome poverty, a broken home, childhood rape, single parenting, and the difficulties of being black in America to become a successful performer, author, and teacher. Oprah, who knows Ms. Angelou well, made the observation that “people flock to your home because of your generosity. Generosity must be a life principle for you.”
In response Ms. Angelou said: “Absolutely. I learned it by experience. When I was in my twenties I was so poor . If I had seven dollars, I would give a little more of it to the church than I could afford . I’d go to the store and buy two minute steaks with a lot of gristle. I wouldn’t eat my steak and Guy (her son) would say, ‘Ma, you’d better have some of your steak.’ I’d say, ‘No, you have that. I had something earlier.’ And he would inhale it. By nightfall, someone would phone and say, ‘Listen, I just stopped by the supermarket and I’m on my way past your house, and there was a sale on hamburger meat, so I picked some up for you and I will drop it off.’ All my life it has been that way.”
Then she went on to say, “If you have a napkin, you need another napkin to receive back all the blessings you’ll get. And you keep giving. Then you need a towel to receive all the gifts. And you continue to give, you finally have to move out to get a second house, and a third and so forth . It’s amazing. It’s a no-fail, incontrovertible reality; If you get, give. If you learn, teach. You can’t do anything with that except do it.”
This lady, in spite of her difficult situation, or maybe because of it, took Jesus at His word and He delivered. What about those of us who maybe have not had such a difficult life? Should we hoard the gifts that He has already given us through our seemingly more positive circumstances? It does not seem likely that this is God’s intention. It is more likely that we, in our abundance, should share all the more. We have already received much in this life.

Mother Gavrilia, an Orthodox nun (1897-1992) said that the reason there are poor people in the world, is so the wealthy will have an opportunity to give for their own salvation. Mother Gavrilia relates the following personal story that illustrates Luke 6:38 in action. It occurred in the 1950s when she worked in India prior to becoming a nun:

Ihad just finished working at a hospital where I had taught physiotherapy for a while. The people at this hospital were godless and very unkind. The day of my departure was very near, but I had no invitation yet from anywhere else. Nothing. They told me: ‘Your train leaves tomorrow morning at ten o’clock.’ So that was it! I took my small suitcase and one rupee (far less than one dollar) in my pocket,, I went to the railway station, which was also the terminus. From this point on I didn’t know where to go. Only God knew. So, I sat quietly in the waiting room. People moved about, walking in and out, and I waited to see whom God would send. In the meantime, two beggar boys came and I gave them the rupee to share between them. They took it and went away. Apparently, they told it to some other boys and, shortly, two more approached me. I had no money left, so I gave them a few candies I had in my pocket. Soon after, more children came. I had nothing to give them, but they would not believe me. So, to convince them, I turned my pockets inside out. And what do you think they did? They went away and climbed a mango tree and came back to offer me a beautiful mango! I took it and thanked them smiling, without saying a word. Now, what happened next? Everyone waiting at the station came to greet me, bowing to me in the Indian manner. Every single person. ‘What goes on here?’ I asked someone, and he answered, ‘In our religion, when a beggar gives you something, it means that God makes you a present and grants His blessing to you.’ You can understand how I felt. Well, after that, I just sat there and waited . And indeed, much later, a young Indian woman carrying a professional briefcase entered the waiting room. She came near and asked in English: ‘May I sit next to you?’ Now, as I have always had what is called ‘the dignity of the Christians’ – no one ever knew whether I was rich or poor. So, this lady sat next to me and asked again: ‘Where are you going?’ I said: ‘I have just finished my job at the Leprosy Hospital where I taught physiotherapy.’
‘And what are you going to do now?’ she went on. ‘And perhaps you are free? We would so much like . You know, we have a small hospital nearby and we would like to have someone teach’ . And I, who had nowhere to spend the night, was taken within one hour to my new destination and everything was fine! This is what God does! (from Nun Gravilia, The Ascetic of Love, Trans. Helen Anthony, Eptalofos SA, 1991)

Are you, like Maya Angelou was, an abused and poverty stricken young person? Or, have you been born into better circumstances such as a child of a wealthy businessman, like Mother Gravilia? Perhaps your life has parallels with one of them, but more than likely you have your own unique set of circumstances. These stories illustrate that it does not matter who you are, or what your circumstances. What matters is who the Lord is, and what you do with what the Lord has given you. God responds to those who remember that He is the source of everything that we have, and who share what He has given them with others – as these examples show!

Sing this song : Let Jesus fix it for you, he knows just what to do, whenever you pray, let him have his way, let Jesus fix it for you

In this 2014, God still has a plan for you He is faithful, a provider, merciful and just. Don’t throw in the towel yet, don’t quit, it is not yet over. It may appear that all hope is gone and you have been left behind, everyone else is ahead and things seem not to work for you Hold your peace for it is not over yet, just don’t give yet. In life today, many want to quit due to the various problems, sickness, persecutions, hardships and trials facing them. It is important for you to know that God has not finished with you yet. God has blessings for you Only if you don’t quit you shall receive his promises towards you This message is for people with hopeless situations because of what your doctor said or because of what your circumstances is saying. Your situation that seems unabated and hopeless does not mean the end, neither does it mean that God is not at work over your life, It is only that you do not understand that heaven has commenced an action in your favour and God is at work in your life. I bring you good tidings and that is ‘God is at work in your life’. Even if the prince of Persia has withheld your answers, heaven has released an arch angel to free it for you, just wait for it.

The passage in Ezekiel 37 is a dialogue between God and Prophet Ezekiel regarding the dry bones. The scenario is in a cemetery and graveyard. It is a place of no return, a dead end, a valley of dry bones, no signs of life. It signifies a people whose dream and hope has died for long time, no future and there is no hope of rescue. What the Lord asked Ezekiel is what he is asking you about your situation today ‘Can the dry bones live?. When Ezekiel looked at the dry bones, he sees no life, no signs of movement, no solution, they are dead for long and cannot help themselves and nobody could help including Ezekiel. All he said was ‘Lord, you know’ Ezekiel is saying the reality of what is on ground, to him only God knows whether a hopeless situation is going to be turned around. Only God knows if you are going to be healed, God knows if you are going to be promoted, God knows if that broken home will be amended once again, delivered, set free from captivity and sickness. Is only God who knows the beginning from the end, he knows and you don’t know. God said in Jer 29:11 ” I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end”. The end is already determined by God so long as you put your trust on him. Have you faith in God? In I John 5:5, it says “ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith”. As long as you depend on God even when the situation is hopeless, you can be sure he will see you through. Afterall, we are told what to do when the burden is too heavy for us in I Pet 5:7 “casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you”. Have you cast your burden that you know not what to do about on him, he knows what to do with it, he cares. He will turn your worst situation around. Just trust and wait on him.

There are many situations we face in our life today which is beyond human solutions. People cannot help you, I brought you the word of God today that it is not over yet because God did not and has not said so. Study the scenario in Ezekiel’s world, he saw a hopeless situation, he heard and received from God, that he must speak to the dry bones, that he must prophesy to the dry bones. Ezekiel went down to the cemetery and told the dead and dry bones what God’s word said, that it is not over yet. They are not to quit in their dead situation. He told the dead bones, I have heard from God, I have his word, God has not forgotten you yet, I know you’ve lost hope but God has not finish with you yet. Listen, this should be your watchword which says, “yea, though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” Ps 23:4.  You can see that the word of God was the beginning of the process that brought back this hopeless situation of dead and dry bones back to life. It was a clear restoration and transformation of a worst situation. God’s word restores and transforms if you hold on to it and proclaims it. you’re hopeless situation can come back to life again if you declare and stand by God’s word. You may be in a situation that looks hopeless, it may look like the end is near and it’s time to give up, it may look as if you’ve lost, well, it doesn’t matter what it may look like, the final outcome will come when God says it’s over. Man may count you out, the enemy may tell you you’ve lost, the chance for victory may look impossible, but it’s not over until the Lord says it’s over. I am a witness of this transforming power of God’s word, He did not fail me.

Because faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God Rom 10:17. Believe God, hear his word and declare it. If you are going to be successful, if you are going to be healed, if you going to redeem what seems lost, prophesy, speak and declare the Word. When Ezekiel obeyed and declared the word of God, there was a noise in the middle of the valley, a rattling sound. It was strange; the dead bones just can’t be stopped anymore by death. They let loose, the dry bones have ears and senses, they responded. If only you can speak the word, dry bones have ears, money have ears, mountain have ears, fibroid, cancer, tumour, prostrate cancer, barrenness, poverty and so on all have ears. Just prophesy to your situation and see that they will respond as they all have ears. You just have to speak from the power that works in you and observe the supernatural transformation from above take place in your hopeless situation. According to Eph 3:20, God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”.

Your bad and hopeless situation may not have physical ear but they have spiritual ears. Have you instructed them? They are waiting for your declaration of God’s word. They response to orders and if you fail to give order, it will remain as it is. That power is in you and it is your spoken word of his, speak it and you will see a changed situation.

Your hopeless situation can’t be worst that below examples where they taught it was over but God taught otherwise. Joseph brothers sold him out and taught it was over but God didn’t say so, Naaman refused to go into river Jordan as he taught it was over but God didn’t say so, The widow of Zaraphet two sons were to be taken by someone her husband owed and she taught it was over but God didn’t say so, The shunamite woman had no son and was even contented and taught it was over but God didn’t say so, Sarah was very old and had passed the age of delivery and taught it was over but God didn’t say so, Peter the fisherman was washing his net as he did not catch any fish throughout the day and taught it was over but God didn’t say so, Jarius daughter was dead and he taught it was over but God didn’t say so, The man at the pool of Bethesda had no body to throw him into the water as an angel turns it and he taught it was over but God didn’t say so,  Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den and all taught it was over, Everyone thought it was over for Daniel when he was thrown into the lion’s den, but God didn’t say so, Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into fire and Nebuchadnezzar thought it was over but God didn’t say so, Job’s wife told her husband to curse God and die as she taught it was over but God didn’t say so. It is never over yet until God says its over.

You may not know what the future holds but I know who holds the future. His word in Ps 30:5 says “Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning.” Is not over, don’t quit. There is hope. Keep trusting God. Keep travailing, Keep giving, keep rejoicing, keep fighting until the victory is won. People will fail you, friends will fail you, all will fail you but God never fails. Don’t care what it looks like. It is not over yet because only God, and God alone has the final say. Don’t Quit now, don’t quit yet, is not over. God is in control. Just believe and trust him. While not sing this song : God Never fails. God never fails. He abides in me gives me victory, for God never fails. Just keep the faith and never cease to pray. Just walk upright morning, noon day and night. He’ll be there, He’ll be there. There’s no need to worry for God never fails.

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Courtesy: bfwjfi,com

Our ideas about prayer and God’s ideas about prayer are sometimes very different. Look at Jesus’ model for prayer offered in the Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:2-4
And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Now let’s take a deeper look at Jesus’ model for prayer and see if we can learn something about the nature of prayer and the nature of the God who answers prayer:

Recognizing the Holy Nature of God
Notice here that Jesus begins by praising God and recognizing His holiness. He wants God’s will to be accomplished first, even before asking for anything for Himself. Now honestly, are your prayers like this? The Bible tells us that we must put God first if we want our prayers to be heard:

Ezekiel 14:3
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity Should I be consulted by them at all?

John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

We are called to abide in God first and to put aside all other idols in our lives before we come to our Holy Creator to ask Him for something. How often are we truly able to do this (how often do we even WANT to do this?)

Recognizing Our Desperate Need Related to Forgiveness
The last part of Jesus’ prayer is centered entirely on the truth about each of us as believers. Jesus recognizes our need for forgiveness and our need to forgive others. And more importantly, Jesus recognizes our natural fallen tendency to slip into sin and the need we have for God’s help in this area. Do your prayers recognize the reality of who you are? The Bible says that we must be honest about our sinful condition if we want our prayers to be heard

Isaiah 59:1-2
Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Honest confession is often missing from our conversations with God, but the need for forgiveness was not omitted by the only perfect man who ever lived, Jesus Christ. If He is modeling this for us, it must be important to God. But more critically, our need to examine our fallen nature is important to us because it helps us to see God for who he really is (especially when compared to us!)

Recognizing the Simplicity of Our Material Need
And right in the middle of the Lord’s prayer, Jesus submits a simple request: “give us this day our daily bread”. Simple, immediate and humble. The request is focused more on our ‘needs’ rather than our ‘wants’, and it asks for no more than what is required in the ‘here and now’. Jesus asks for more than His own needs; His prayer is concerned with the needs that all of us have.

Proverbs 21:13
He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered.

Are your prayers this humble and self-sacrificial? The Bible says that we must be concerned with the needs of others if we want our prayers to be heard.

So Why Doesn’t He Answer?
Now, even if you do pray the way that Jesus taught us to pray, you may sometimes feel like God hasn’t answered your prayer! That’s because most of us think that the only acceptable answer to prayer is “yes”. If you are a follower of Christ, you can have confidence that God will always say “yes” to your request for wisdom, forgiveness, or salvation.

James 1:5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 10:13
for “whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved”

But there may be times when God will say “no” or “not yet” to other kinds of requests. It’s not because He doesn’t love you or isn’t listening. Remember, God sees the end from the beginning:

Isaiah 46:10
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’

God has a complete understanding of what is good for us, even if it doesn’t make sense to us at the time:

Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Given this reality about the knowledge (omniscience) and kindness (omni-benevolence) of God, we are simply called to pray as Jesus taught us, expecting God to answer us:

Matthew 7:7-11
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

We are called to trust God, even when the answer to our prayer isn’t what we were hoping for:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful

There are many times when we don’t get what we ask for in prayer and then years later are glad that we didn’t get what we first wanted. Has that ever happened to you? As a parent, I’ve had the experience of having to say ‘no’ (or remain silent) to a request made by one of my children, even when I so desperately wanted to make my child happy in the short-term by simply saying ‘yes’. But I knew there was something more valuable in store if I could just help my son or daughter understand the value of waiting, or the danger of actually getting what they were asking for. In those situations, my kids needed to trust my wisdom even if they couldn’t understand my response at the time. I was confident that they would someday understand why I said ‘no’. In a similar way, we need to patiently accept whatever answer we get from God, knowing that we will someday understand why He responded the way He did.

Courtesy : pleaseconvinceme,com

Life is a series of problem-solving opportunities. The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you – depending on how you respond to them.

Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you – Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.” Pr. 20:30 (GN)

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you – People are like teabags if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you?

When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. (James 1:2-3, NCV)

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you – Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something – health, money, a relationship – by losing it.

It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. (Ps. 119:71-72, LB)

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you – A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend of mine was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when his boss actions were uncovered.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good . (Gen. 50:20, NIV)

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you. – Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity.

We can rejoice when we run into problems they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. (Rom. 5:3-4, LB)

Here’s the point: God is at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it’s much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him!

Source:CBN

Jesus said, “The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do.” Luke 18:27 God’s Word Translation

And Jesus, having turned His eyes upon them and having considered them, said to them, In the presence of men, as men look at this, it is impossible. But in the presence of God, as He looks at this, all things are possible. Matt 19:26 Wuest Expanded Translation

Only faith is able to grasp the reality of the possible in the face of the impossible. Only faith has the power to move seemingly impossible mountains. Only faith has the ability to look directly at an impossible situation and know that it will change.

Abraham had a clear understanding of how impossible his situation was. Both he and Sarah were way past the age of bearing a child, but God had promised that they would. In Abraham’s heart, the reality of God’s promise was more real that the facts about their situation. He did not ignore the facts, but rather he considered the facts as temporary and God’s promise as permanent and real.

Only a heart filled with faith can face the impossible and still know that God can change it. Read how Abraham had sufficient faith to look directly at the impossible and yet be fully persuaded that God was able to perform what He had promised.

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4:17-21

Faith is not ignoring the problem. Faith is the tangible knowing that God is bigger than the problem, and that He is willing and able to help. Acknowledging the problem is the first step in obtaining faith. Faith has the courage to look at what currently is and still know what will be.

Faith ‘calls those things which be not as though they were’. This is the creative power of faith. It brings the power and presence of God into any situation. Denial, on the other hand, ‘calls those things which be as though they are not’. This is not creatively running to the issue with the power of God. This is running from the issue with the weakness of man. Run to the roar with the faith of God. He can change any situation.

How then do you receive this faith? By running to the Word of God, and by seeking Him till you get the answer. When faith comes, so comes the answer and the victory. The Bible says that, ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (spoken personal) word of God’. Seek Him till you hear Him. You are literally one hearing away from victory in any seemingly impossible situation.

Faith is the tangible knowing that God is bigger than the problem, and that He is willing and able to help.

Why at times does it appear that God ignores us when we pray to Him, asking Him to help when we have a serious problem? Many have prayed for God to intervene and solve a problem that they are struggling with, but sometimes God‘s apparent answer is silence.

God knows what’s best
Even when we feel that God is not answering our prayers, you can always know God is a God of love. The Bible tells us He loves us:

John 3:16. ‘”For God so LOVED the world”…….
Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.”….

God created us and knows infinitely more than we know. He knows what is best for us, and what would not be good for us. If you have children, when they were very small, sometimes they asked for things that would not be good for them, or would harm them. For good reasons sometimes parents do not always give their children what they ask for, when they ask for it. Parents give them what is best for them.

It is the same way in our prayers to God. God gives us what is best for us. We are God’s children and He gives us what is best for us, and at a time when it is best for us. Our lives must be right with God before He can answer our prayers.

Right way
God has certain conditions that must be met before our prayers can be answered. One of the first, is we feel our need of help from Him. Isaiah 44:3 says, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.” The heart must be open to the Spirit’s influence, or God’s blessing cannot be received. One cannot pour water into a cup that is already full.

Right heart
If we have cherished sins in our lives, and refuse to give them up, or if we are doing things we should not be doing, and are disobeying Him, we cannot expect Him to answer our prayers. He cannot answer our prayers if we have sins in our lives that are unconfessed or if we are hanging on to cherished sins. Also, if we refuse to forgive others who have wronged us, God cannot hear us. (See Matthew 6:12 and Ephesians 4:32).

This is not saying you can earn God’s favor to answer your prayers, it will always be Jesus’s blood that makes us worthy; but we do need to do our part if God is going to work in our lives.

Pray without ceasing
One of the reasons we feel our prayers are not being answered, is because we stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says it best, “pray without ceasing.” Paul is more direct in Philippians 4:6, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

In reality, we should not be worried so much about if God hears our prayers – He does and He does care. What we should be worried about is if because of temptations, hard times, and trials we get discouraged, and give up praying. In Luke 18:1, Jesus, “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

His time, His will
God is a God of love, and He is interested in every detail of our lives. He hears our prayers, and answers every sincere prayer if we meet His conditions. We must not expect that every answer will be “yes”, since we are sinners and do not always ask what is best for us. Sometimes His answer is “No’ and sometimes it is “wait.” (Hebrew 10:36) We need to end each prayer with, “Not my will but Your will.” Even if we are sincerely doing God’s will, and to the best of our ability, following His will for us, He may see that it is best for us not for Him to say “yes” at this time. We must continue trusting Him, regardless of His answer at the moment.

God’s timetable is not the same as ours. He knows better than we do when is the best time for our prayers to be answered. (See Hebrews 6 :13-15). God is eternal and does not measure time as we do. 2 Peter 3:8: “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

In the story of Abraham, God promised a son to Abraham. But Abraham became impatient when Sarah didn‘t bear him a son, so he took his wife’s servant as his wife. Abraham tried to solve the problem in his own way and the result was disastrous. We are still seeing the results of his mistake today. God eventually answered his prayer at the time when He saw it was best for Abraham.

For God to give us what we ask for, we must ask “according to His will.” Faith cannot take the place of “asking according to God’s will.” 1 John 5:14, “…if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” If you do not ask according to God’s will, it is not real faith in God. If God’s answer is “No” we still must be willing to wait patiently, and trust God to answer in his own way and in His timing.

Trust God, even though you may at the moment feel he is not near and has abandoned you.

Isaiah 41:9,10:
“You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you, and have not cast you away. Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

If we have faith and sincerely trust God, we will not be concerned as to whether the answer is “wait” or the answer is “no” or “yes.” We must just trust, and wait and see if God in His timing will see fit to answer as we have requested, or perhaps He has something better in mind for us. Remember your prayer should end with “Not my will, Lord, but Your will.” (Luke 22:42). “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6.