Let’s see what the word of God has to say about faith:

Question #1: “What is faith?”
We find the definition in Hebrews 11:1 − “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I personally like the King James Version: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Question #2: “Do we need faith?”
We find the answer to this question in Hebrews 11 also, at verse 6: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

Wouldn’t you agree that faith is important if it’s impossible to please God without it?

Question #3: “Do we have faith?”
The answer is found in Romans 12:3: “…each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned,” or “according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (KJV) (Man, woman and child)

Hallelujah, this is awesome news. We HAVE BEEN GIVEN “the measure” of faith. God has provided it for us!

You may feel your faith is small or weak but it is possible to increase “the measure” of faith God has given us.

Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ,” or “hearing by the word of God.” (KJV)

Yes there is some responsibility on our part concerning our faith.

First Thessalonians says, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love…” Habakkuk 2:4b tells us, “. . .the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Jesus had a lot to say about faith. There are many scripture verses about faith in the New Testament. For example, in Matthew 17:20 Jesus told his disciples, “…if you have faith like a grain of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move, and NOTHING will be impossible for you.”

Wow, that’s a bold statement! Looking at this I believe there is a whole lot more that we could be accomplishing in this life if we believe Jesus’ words. Do you know how tiny a mustard seed is? It is about the size of the head of a straight pin. So, God gave us “the measure” of faith and THEN he tells us it takes only a tiny amount to see great things happen.

Romans 1:17 says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

2 Corinthians 5:6-7 reads, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

We were even saved by faith!

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus’ Disciples asked Him to increase their faith (Luke 17:5), and Jesus replied to them, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this Mulberry Tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea; and it would obey you.”

We don’t have to fear the fact that faith is necessary. Faith doesn’t have to seem ‘out of reach’ or impossible to walk in. I have found some people to be offended by the thought of faith being required of them. But if faith can cause mountains to be moved and victory to come to my life, I WANT FAITH!

It is very important to know that faith is not all we need. The apostle James wrote, “What good is it, my brothers (& sisters) if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14). In verse 17 he continues, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is DEAD.”

So what kind of “works” is James talking about? What “works” must I produce in order for my faith to work?” Most of our trials and difficulties last awhile, and we don’t see the breakthrough or answer come in just a few days. How do we stand and believe for the answer day after day, week after week, and maybe even month after month?

In times of having to “stand firm and believe” (one of the works) I have learned that just because something has been a certain way a long time doesn’t mean it always will be that way. Faith “sees” my circumstance change into something new and then take joy in the process in seeing it come to pass. Faith focuses on the “PROMISE” in the “PROCESS,” the promise being found in God’s word for your situation. The process will never come to the promise without faith.

Unbelief can get in the way of our faith. In Mark 9 we read about a man whose son was demon possessed. The boy’s father brought him to Jesus’ disciples but they were not able to cast out the demon. So the father brought his son to Jesus. (I love the persistence of this father). The words of this father were, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you CAN? All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father cried out, “I believe, help my unbelief.” Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and it left the boy.

The father recognized that unbelief was blocking the way. He cried to Jesus for help and his request was granted. I believe we can do the same today and Jesus will help us.

We are all at a different place in our faith in God. But ALL of us have the same requirement: FAITH! It is up to us to USE it, WALK in it and then allow it to grow so we can please our heavenly Father by believing. Living a life of faith can be an exciting journey! I believe God has many blessings to reveal to you as you walk in faith with Him.

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for supplying me with “the measure” of faith. Thank you for making me aware that it’s there and that I am to use it and allow my faith to grow so I can see You work even greater things in my life. Help me to cooperate with Your Holy Spirit as you lead me through the trials of life. Thank You for making a way for me to believe and that you’ll even help me when I doubt. Thank You, Lord, for loving me. I commit to you right now to a walk of faith, in Jesus mighty name, Amen.

Here are some more scriptures on faith for additional study:

• Acts 15:9 “…cleansed their hearts by faith.”
• Acts 26:18 “…who are sanctified by faith.”
• Romans 4:16 “…that is why it depends on faith.”
• Romans 5:1 “…we have been justified by faith.”
• Ephesians 6:16 “…take up the shield of faith.”
• James 1:3 “…that the testing of your faith…”
• Galatians 3:9 “…so those who have faith are blessed…”

Except as noted, all scripture references are taken from the English Standard Version.

The first time I read these verses I couldn’t see how doing this could be possible.  As life moved along, I endured many difficult trials, and I’ll admit I wasn’t successful in “counting it ALL joy” as James instructs.  But before you agree whole-heartedly let me say that I believe there is something in “counting it all joy” that is possible for us to walk in.  Let me start by sharing a personal experience:

I was lying on a small cot in the hospital room near the bed where our three-year old son, Mathew, lay sound asleep.  Just two months after turning three, our first-born son began having seizures.  After several of these episodes, a neurologist ordered E.E.G.s, brain scans and medications.  This particular night was spent in the hospital after Mathew had endured numerous tests, all showing a normal brain.

I lay there unable to sleep, my heart racing from fear, my mind cluttered with doubt, confusion and the dreadful “what ifs.”  In the midst of the turmoil, I uttered desperate prayers, crying out to the Lord for help, for mercy, for an answer.  Suddenly, I heard a sound that seemed to envelope my entire head where I lay.  It was unlike anything I had ever heard.  It didn’t frighten me.  There was a settling peace within the sound.  It was like the sound of what I would imagine Angel wings making as they fluttered back and forth.  As I heard this sound, a strong presence of the Lord came over every part of me and I heard a voice speak softly, “Mathew is going to be fine.”  At that point I was in a soft whirl-wind of peace that settled everything in me, and I drifted off to sleep.

But the trial of seizures continued for seven long months, testing our faith, our spiritual strength, and our commitment to following God.  Testing us more than anything we’d ever experienced before or since.  I wondered, “Is there something we’re going to gain from this?  Lord what do you want us to learn?  Can we hurry up and learn it and bring this whole thing to an end?”

Medication after medication was tried with no success.  The seizures increased, and toward the end, Mathew was seizing every few seconds.  At this point, the Neurologist gave us a devastating prognosis:  “I think your son has a rare brain disease and won’t live past the age of five.”  Matt and I had been claiming promises in God’s word, we had been feeding ourselves with the Holy Scriptures, and when the doctor announced his diagnosis, my first thoughts went to these words, “I will not believe the report of man, I will believe the report of the Lord.”  I remembered those soft words spoken to me in the hospital, as well as many scriptures of promise.

A few years before, I had experienced God’s divine healing in my own body, so as Mathew’s condition grew worse, everything in me was clinging to the promise, “God’s going to heal Mathew.”  Even though I had all of this, I still had many opportunities to doubt those words.  We are so moved by what we see and it is difficult to “Speak to that which is not as though it were.”

Matt and I had many godly people around us praying for us and Mathew, believing for God to heal Mathew.  We are so grateful for such tremendous support.  At the end of the seventh month, there was breakthrough, and Mathew was healed.  Leading up to Mathew’s healing, we had begun seeing another Doctor.  He not only confirmed the healing, but still says to this day, “God healed your son.”

Throughout this very difficult trial, we turned to God’s Word and to worship.  While Matt was at work and I was home dealing with the situation, in order to avoid giving in to fear, I had to focus on God’s Word and lift up praises with worship and singing.  Before putting Mathew to bed at night, I would read the Bible to him and then he and I would worship the Lord together.  Many times we would be engulfed in God’s presence as we lifted up our “sacrifices of praise.”  Mathew’s small hands would be lifted up as he worshiped in-between seizures.  Isaiah 61 begins, “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion, to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit, that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”  These words were quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19.

The ultimate test for us came before Mathew was healed.  Matt and I had to come to the commitment that even if God doesn’t heal Mathew, we would still serve Him.  It was just days after we made this commitment that everything turned in another direction toward Mathew’s healing.  Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”  We couldn’t rejoice in our son’s suffering, but we could rejoice in God and who He is in our situation.  This was powerful for us to grasp.  Matt and I received great encouragement from many of the Psalms.  I love the words in Psalm 44:1-2, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge. . . .”  We felt the battle of the enemy of our souls.  Satan wanted us to give up and give in and lose hope.

What I love about King David is he was so real and honest about his emotions and struggles.  I could relate to his words in these verses:  “Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!  Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy. . .My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me.  Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.  And I say, Oh that I had wings like a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest; I would hurry and find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.  But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.  Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, he hears my voice.  He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.”  (Ps.55) “Oh God, save me, by your name, and vindicate me by your might.  O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.  Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.  He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.  I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.  For he has delivered me from every trouble and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.”  (Ps. 54)

What I appreciate about David is that he was honest about how he felt and what he was thinking, but he always came back to praising God and remembering His goodness to him.

It’s true that this life can dish out tough times where we are left with a desperation for God to send the breakthrough, our victory.  Matt and I had many victories within our own hearts before Mathew was healed physically.  We had spiritual surgery within us in the trial and testing.  And we can “Count it ALL joy,” knowing that God will work good things out of every situation and He is ever working within us to make us more like Him.

Let’s pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, you are so wise, all knowing, you know everything about us and you know what needs to be rooted out and what needs to be formed in us.  Please help us in these times of trial and testing of our faith that steadfastness will be produced in us and we will be complete, lacking nothing in YOU.  Help us to never go back to who we were so we can become all that you want us to become.  Thank you that we are never alone, that you are with us helping us through every hardship.  Help us to stand on your Word and promises and to know that You are faithful and You will see us through.
We ask this all in the blessed name of Jesus,
Amen.

*All scripture references are from the English Standard Version

In the Old Testament, God seems to enforce a strict standard on His people. Why was God so rigid about His commandments, and why did He become so upset when His people disobeyed Him? He even allowed His people to suffer in punishment and slavery.

One way to understand the Bible is as an ongoing story, beginning with God’s creation of the universe and humankind. As the story unfolds, we see humanity’s rebellion against God and God’s ongoing call for humankind to return to Him. Ultimately, the story leads to the arrival of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who came to show us the true character of God, and to die on our behalf as the atoning sacrifice for our sins that would once and for all provide a means for us to be restored to a right relationship with God.

Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” Why were we in need of Grace?

The first word I’ve underlined is peace. Genesis chapter 3 gives the account of the first sin by Adam and Eve. After they had disobeyed God, they realized they were naked. They became afraid and hid from God. So sin, the disobedience of God, entered the world through one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve. Through their sin, Adam and Eve lost their peace with God, and instead of peace, they experienced fear. Sin separates us from God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18)

The second word I underlined is faith. Adam and Eve turned their faith from God’s words to Satan’s words. Either God’s words are true or they are not. The Bible tells us this about God’s word: “God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19 ) As much as Adam and Eve walked with God, they still did not have a right understanding of God’s nature, and they allowed Satan to convince them that if they ate from the forbidden tree, they would become like God, “knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)

Adam and Eve were in need of grace. After Adam and Eve sinned, God required the blood sacrifice of animals as an atonement for the sins of mankind. Genesis 4:1-7 tells the story of Cain and Abel, in which Abel brought an animal sacrifice to the Lord. Clearly, by this time, God had given some instruction about blood sacrifices. Through the atoning sacrifice of blood, God, in His grace, forgave sins. (Leviticus 17:11)

Throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, mankind continued to choose pride and sin instead of God and his righteousness. By the time of Noah, mankind had become so corrupt that God decided He must destroy all of humanity except for Noah and his family, who were righteous. Later, the tower of Babel would symbolize the continued rebellion of humans against God in their attempt to ascend to heaven. God saw that He had to do something about the pride and corruption, so He confused their languages, making it impossible for them to complete the tower and resulting in the scattering of the people to other places.

As humanity continued to rebel against God, He gave the Law, to show His standard of living and to illustrate how far short mankind had fallen. Yet, even then, in pride and rebellion, people continued to live according to their own fleshly desires instead of by God’s standards.

Yet, if God is perfect, why is there sin? God created mankind in love, in His own image. (Genesis 1:26) As part of His design, he gave us the ability to choose to love Him or to not love Him. Why would He do that? Think about it. If we had no choice but to love God, of what value would our love be to Him? We would be no different than a computer programmed to say “I love you.” God wants us to truly love Him and serve Him because it is our choice, not because we are robots that must automatically do His will.

Yet, throughout time, humans have abused their freedom to choose, following their own selfish and prideful path, at risk of destroying themselves through sin, and incurring God’s righteous anger.

But though the Old Testament years passed, God’s story was not over. The birth of Jesus Christ, prophesied in the Old Testament, ushered in a new era, the new era of grace covered in the New Testament. Mankind had forgotten the true nature of God and had earned God’s judgment. They had forgotten that God is love. The New Testament reveals that God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to show mankind the true loving nature of God the Father, to point out the many ways humanity had fallen short of God’s righteousness. God did not choose to turn His back on mankind, but instead made a way for them to come back to Him.

To satisfy God’s requirement of a blood sacrifice for sin, Jesus offered up Himself to die on a cross, not just as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, but as the LAST blood sacrifice God would ever require for our sins, once and for all. God accepted the blood of Jesus for all the sins of mankind for all time. And by God’s grace, He offers forgiveness of our sins if we will simply confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. By faith in the covering atonement of the blood of Jesus, we are justified in God’s sight. That is, even though we have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), God declares us righteous in His sight! (Romans 4:1-8)

Jesus changed everything! When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we accept what Jesus has done for us and we have a “new nature” in Him. We are given His authority over Satan and demons, we are given His robe of righteousness and we are given power over sickness. God sees us through the interceding person of JESUS, His Son! In the Old Testament covenant, God required the shed blood of animals for the forgiveness of sin. But now we have the PERFECT sacrifice through our Lord Jesus. His sacrifice was enough. God showed His incredible love for us “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. For in while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:9-10) Jesus has given us a means for a new relationship with God. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, He has accepted God’s righteous wrath that we deserved. The debt has been paid. This is GOOD NEWS.

The Apostle Paul explains it so well in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. . . .” Verse 17 sums it up: “Because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

When we come to God and accept His Son, we are brought to a newness of life. Our old self has been crucified with Him so we can no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6-7) This doesn’t mean that we never sin, but we have an awareness of sin and the evil fruit of it, and we have Christ’s power in us to overcome sin. Our desires change from wanting to sin to wanting to be righteous like Christ. And the glorious truth of all of this is that God’s gift of eternal life is His FREE gift to us. It is up to us to receive it. Romans 6:23 explains it so well: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” HALLELUJAH!

I have found that many Christians think God is angry with them, that all He sees are their faults and failures. They see God as an angry Judge who is terrifying to approach. They can’t feel “good enough” to approach Him. That was how they felt in the Old Testament, and rightly so. None of us are good enough to approach God. But Jesus has changed everything! God loves you and He wants to extend His blessings toward you. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and repented of your sins, God has promised to forgive you! Accept His free gift right now today. Accept Him as the loving Father that He is and know that your sins are forgiven because of Jesus.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I know I’ve done wrong. I am a sinner needing your grace. Thank you that you made a way for me through your Son dying on the cross, shedding His precious blood and defeating death so that I can have life and be free from the slavery of sin. I accept your forgiveness now and I thank you for your love for me and I receive your blessings now. In the holy name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

The Salvation Poem

Jesus, you died upon a cross
And rose again to save the lost
Forgive me now of all my sin
Come be my Savior, Lord and Friend
Change my life and make it new
And help me, Lord, to live for you

Devotional by Sherry & Matt McPherson and Don Boyer

Adapted from – Teen Mania Ministries

One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament, and I have quoted it hundreds of times, is Jeremiah 29:11 — “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a HOPE.” This was a promise God spoke to the Prophet Jeremiah to give to the people of Israel who were in exile. Being in exile was discouraging and oppressive. The Israelites were not free to live as they desired. But God instructed His Prophet to tell the people, “I have a HOPE and a future for you.” The only way they could have hope and a future was if God would take them out of exile and set them free.

Today, we live in a free country. We are not ruled by an oppressive dictator, and we have plenty of “rights” to live quite well. But many are living in their own personal “exile.” Some are battling serious health problems, depression, confusion, anxiety, and sorrow from loss. Maybe you are struggling with some of these issues. I want to point you to some scriptures that explain to us how God is a “God of hope” and that He has the answer for ALL of our problems and struggles. He can and WILL bring us out of our “exile.”

Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Without hope we can become physically sick. Medical professionals today speak about the many physical ailments and diseases that are caused by emotional stresses. But Romans 15:13 says we can be filled with hope by the Lord: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Why should we be discouraged when the Holy Spirit will help us believe and abound in hope?

The Israelites in the time of the exile didn’t have the Promises of Jesus as we do today. We have an even greater hope because of Jesus, who became the perfect sacrifice, suffered, died and rose again in glory and power so that we could claim His righteousness and His promises. If you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you have stepped into God’s Kingdom and into all His Kingdom has available for you. THAT’S GREAT NEWS!

Proverbs 16:3 teaches us, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Are we committing our efforts to the Lord, or are we trying to do things by our own power? Are we worrying instead of trusting?

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Not only does God give us hope but He is FAITHFUL to fulfill His promises. He cannot lie. I believe most people do not doubt what God can do, but they doubt that He will do these things for them. I used to struggle with this until I learned about the character of God when I studied His promises. So many times we fail to receive what God has for us because we fail to believe He is who He says He is, “The God of HOPE.”

The enemy, the devil, wants us to doubt God. He wants us to get caught up in the negative. The devil is a LIAR, he is the father of lies!! God is TRUTH and He cannot lie. John 8:31-32 says, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

Romans 8:24 explains more about this hope: “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” The Israelites had to wait for God to take them out of exile and set them free. God had a plan, and His plan worked.

God has a plan for YOU, to get you out of your personal exile. It can start by you turning over to Him all of your struggles and fears. Write down some of these scriptures on hope and put them up in your home where you will see them and read them every day. Renew your mind by filling it with His word. We spend so much of our time obsessed with bad things, negative things. We must counteract the negative with God’s word. Let His word be in the forefront of your thoughts. Dare to trust in the “God of hope,” the God of truth, the God who loves you! He has a HOPE AND A FUTURE for YOU!!

Let’s pray: “Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word today and that you are speaking to me through these words of hope. Forgive me for doubting that there is a hope for my future. I know now that you cannot lie and you are faithful to fulfill your promises. Right now, I claim your word for my life. Help me to keep your word before my eyes, to hide your word in my heart and to renew my mind with your words for me. Thank you for loving me and for providing for me a way out of my exile and into the promise of a good future. I ask this all in Jesus precious name, Amen.

**All scripture references are taken from The English Standard version.

In the silence of forgiveness
I am free
Free to love, free to laugh,
Free to have joy and enjoy the presence of God
once again.
A heart that was held captive
is now set free like a bird out of a cage,
Free to soar upon the wind of the Spirit.
Then you know forgiveness
has truly come.
A body wreaked with pain
and endless suffering,
Could it be the bonds of unforgiveness
and wrath, vengeance or malice?
Truly a light comes forth
When all is taken off,
The bitterness, the anger, the holding
of the injustice.
Oh the light is SO much better
than the heavy weight of such clothing.
I’ve taken it off, all of it off.
No more to bear its weight.
I have forgiven, I am free.
Though more has come my way,
Ah, and I knew it would come,
But I forgive quickly, more quickly this time.
For I will never forget
the bondage of unforgiveness.
I now go in the way of the Father,
I go in the way of love.
Love keeps no record of wrong.
This love that I can’t create on my own,
I yield, I breathe in and now I belong.
I have forgiven, I am free.

Do you sense the presence of God when you worship? Do you only worship at your church on Sundays? The most significant benefit of our worship in a service is connecting with God. Going through the motions and not entering in with our heart will not satisfy. God created us with a need to worship. If our worship isn’t devoted to God, we will allow other things to take the place of His worship. Such as: TV, sports, video games, work… We must not allow the things of this world to replace our worship time with our Lord.

How can we improve our worship?

Life today has so many demands on us. We are going in a fast pace, often in several directions in a given day. When do we have time for God, for studying His word and for personal worship time? Only YOU can slow down your train, only YOU can arrange your day and fit in time for God. After all, it is a matter of spiritual “life or death” for us.

Here are some tips that help me in my personal worship time that you may find helpful for you:

1) Make the choice to get up earlier and spend time with the Lord, read, pray and worship, even if it’s just 15 minutes.

2) Write a scripture down and put it in your pocket or purse and pull it out and read it throughout the day. This is meditating on His word, and be sure to thank Him for speaking to you through His word.

3) Worship and pray in your car on your way to work/school instead of listening to the radio or your favorite music.

4) Think of ALL the things to thank God for. No matter what you are dealing with or going through, you CAN find things to be thankful for and praise God in. Get your mind off of the negative.

As you take time for personal worship, just you and God, you will find your worship time at church becoming more meaningful and you will find yourself entering in to worship in a deeper way. He desires “intimacy” with us and this requires “time alone” with our Creator.

King David was a worshiper. He put worshiping God first. It wasn’t because “it was his thing,” or “he had the gift of worship.” He was reflecting the heart of God. There are so many scriptures in the Psalms, many of them were written by King David that reflect worship and praise to God. Here are a few:

Psalm 89:15 says, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord.”

Psalm 138:1-3 says, “I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing Your praise; I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word. On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased.”

Psalm 136:1-2 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures forever.”

Psalm 135:1-3 says, “Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to His name, for it is pleasant!”

Psalm 103:1-5 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

And then the Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

God desires our worship. It’s not like He’s sitting up in heaven saying, “You had better worship Me OR ELSE.” No, the beautiful reality about God desiring our worship is, when we seek Him in worship He responds by pouring His blessings back to us in return. IT’S A WIN-WIN SITUATION!!

Commit to be a “Worshiper” and see what God can do!!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I realize that worshiping you is an important part of my walk with You. Please help me to put You first in my day and to keep Your word before me. Thank you that your word reminds me of my need for You and Your desire to have my worship. Thank you for lovingly drawing me to You and for all of Your benefits. I pray this all in Jesus name, Amen!

Does what we say have an affect on how our life goes? Do our words have power? Can they make a difference? Proverbs 18:21 says, “…those who love IT…”, meaning we can love “death” or we can love “life,” and what we focus on will be evident in the words we speak. We will “eat their fruit.” Our words have consequences.

When we give our life to Christ, we let go of our old “beliefs” and we take on new ones. We operate under a different set of laws which are called the “laws of the Kingdom of God.” Genesis Chapter 1 tells us that God spoke the unseen into existence by His Word. It is reiterated in Hebrews 11:3: “Through faith we understand the worlds were framed by the “Word of God” so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Many of our most brilliant scientists today struggle to understand this, or reject it as being illogical. It is a law of the Kingdom and can’t be understood with reason, but only by the spirit.

Jesus said something astounding: “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) Not only do God’s words accomplish amazing things, but our words spoken with faith have power and can change our world.

Do you believe that the words you speak will have affect on your life? From here on, listen to what you are saying about your circumstances, what you are saying about other people around you. Are you speaking curses or blessings? Are you speaking words of death or words of life?

I believe our negative words attract the enemy and our positive words attract God and His army. God isn’t going to agree with our negative words. Negative words are not “faith words,” and without faith it is impossible to please God. Line yourself up with “God’s words” and watch how your circumstances change. Speaking positive words can and will change our attitude. If we look for the positive we will find it.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, I have fallen short with what I have spoken with my mouth and I have let my words create unnecessary pain. Please forgive me and help me to remain alert to what I allow out of my mouth. Help me to see the seriousness of my words and the importance of lining up with Your words. Awaken my heart and may your Holy Spirit continually remind me to “watch my words.” Help me to please you today with my thoughts and words. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.