I’ve learned that in life, some people are peace-stealers. They feel it’s their calling to aggravate you, try to make you look bad, and tell you what you can or can’t do. They’ll try to bait you into an argument to get you upset, annoyed and frustrated. But don’t take the bait! Nothing is worth losing your peace over. They may think they’re getting the best of you, but in the end, God can use that to take you higher.
When people come against you, choose to keep your peace. Choose to forgive. Pray for that person because that’s how you disarm the enemy against you. Scripture says your battle isn’t against flesh and blood. In other words, that person isn’t your enemy; the accuser satan, is your enemy. He’s trying to bring division and get you upset.
Today, when you choose to keep peace, when you keep walking in love and keep a smile on your face, you are overcoming his tactics. That’s how you win. Choose peace today, choose to walk in love, and choose the victory God has prepared for you!
“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:28, NIV).
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for giving me Your peace and strength today. Father, I choose to hold my peace and bless those who come against me. I choose to walk in love and forgiveness so that I can honour You. God, help me not to be a peace stealer in the lives of others, in Jesus’ name! Amen.
Sometimes I sit back and think that these attacks from the enemy never stop. With the more we do kingdom work for God, the more we seem to be his target practice. Jesus said, “Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks. But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others” (Luke 22:31-32 CEV).
We often face the most severe attack when we’re living out God’s plan for our lives – when we are in His will. When we’re determined to make a difference in the world for His glory, to advance His kingdom, we’ll most likely face more intense attacks from Satan, as he doesn’t want us to be doing kingdom work. But we need to remember God is in control. He has given us ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’. So when we’re feeling under attack, from addiction to sexual sin and everything in between, we shouldn’t give up. When we’re going through tough times, remember we serve a tough God, who is setting us up for a massive blessing and testimony of God’s goodness.
Today, just like in Luke 22, ‘Jesus was allowing you… to experience a trial so that you can encourage your brothers’. He knows that the church, and the world, need to see and hear real stories of His power. So our difficulties may be preparing us to encourage others who are struggling and heartbroken. Open your mouth, testify not only to your brothers but to your enemies. Remember what Joseph said to his brothers: ‘You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good’. Since God loves us and is in control of our lives, good things will come from the difficulties we’re going through right now.
‘Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you.’ (Luke 22:31 CEV).
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I receive Your authority today over all evil, sickness and demonic forces, based upon Your Word. Thank You for exposing the enemy’s plans to me. I bless You God, for loving me and equipping me for the battle ahead. I receive Your armour today, and will stand behind You as You fight for me. God, please remove my defeatist mindset, as I claim victory today. In Jesus’ name! Amen.
The devil is our biggest bully. Daily he bombards us with challenges that try to move us away from God’s plan and purpose in our lives. You will be tempted to act out of character. You will be tempted to give in to the pride of your own thoughts, relying on yourself rather than fully relying on God. Unfortunately, all these decisions will put you in a position to lose the battle.
If you are to get victory over the enemy, who is currently bullying you, you must learn the battle strategy from the one who knows best. God. He has strategic weapons to dismantle every attack of the enemy. We find this true throughout the Old Testament.
In scripture, Joshua won the battle of Jericho by marching around the city 7 times, then releasing a loud shout. Gideon was told he had too many men for the battle. He was then instructed to take 300 men with him. As they went around blowing their trumpets, the Lord confused the opposing army, and they began to fight themselves. Jehoshaphat was told by the Prophet of the Lord, ‘you will not have to fight in this battle, the Lord will fight for you’. They proceeded to battle worshipping their God and the other army began to destroy themselves. God does not fight as we fight. His weapons are much greater than ours. They are weapons of mass destruction, exposing our innermost thoughts and desires.
Today, instead of cowering down to the enemy of doubt, fear, and insecurity. Instead of giving in to the temptation to quit. Instead of allowing the whispers of the naysayers to stop you in your tracks, I encourage you to fight back! You must stand and gird yourself with the full armour of God. Endure hardness as a good soldier and see those very obstacles demolished in your path. When you allow God to be your defence, your strong tower, He can perfect all things that concern you. After all, He has already equipped you with the weapons that work; prayer, worship, and the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.
Do your battle on your knees today. Do your battle in worship. God will fight for you.
“Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.” Psalm 144:1 (NLT)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for teaching me how to fight. Often, I fight from a place of my own strength not fully relying on You. Lord as I begin to change course, teach me to be patient. I thank You for your power being made perfect in my time of weakness. I look to You when I am weak to help me win the victory in every area of my life. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Today’s scripture talks about how time and chance will come together for every person. In other words, there are moments of favour that God has already released into your future. If you let that thought sink down into your heart, it will change your whole outlook on your future.
People miss out on the good things because they allow fear to distract them and hold them back. They say, “What if I fail?” “What if they don’t like me?” “What if I make a mistake?” However, “What if you do succeed?” “What if they do like you?” “What if you do it better than anyone else?” – that’s what expecting God’s goodness and favour is.
Today go out with an attitude of faith and expectancy and you’ll see the good things God has in store for you. You’ll walk into divine moments of favour, moments of blessing, and moments of increase. Get ready to embrace all the good things God has for you!
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11, NIV.
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for the good things You have in store for my future. Thank You for Your peace and joy that surrounds my every step. Father, I choose to keep my heart focused on the blessings you have for me today and in my future, in Christ’s name. Amen.
Liking yourself is hard sometimes. You can watch your friends on Snapchat, Insta or Facebook, see their profiles and start to think, man I wish my life was more like theirs. It’s easy to start comparing what you have and who you are to them and begin to feel like you don’t measure up to them. Liking yourself and thinking positive about yourself can be really challenging. So how do you begin liking yourself when you feel like you don’t measure up to those around you?
3 tips to help boost your self-esteem.
1. Do a reality check – This can be really tough to do, but take a realistic look at your situation. You might feel like no one really cares about you, but is that true? It’s easy to constantly let something someone said or did make you think that no one cares about you. More than likely, you have a ton of people who really do care about you. You have parents, siblings, grandparents, and most importantly God that care about you. So when you think you’re all alone and that no one cares, do a reality check and realize that in reality, you have people that care about you.
2. You are what you think so check your thoughts – It’s easy to get into a negative pattern of thinking about yourself. You can start to believe lies that you’re worthless, or that your life doesn’t matter. Nothing could be farther from the truth. When these thoughts come, recognize them for what they are…lies. Take the necessary steps to switch your thoughts from negative patterns of thinking to positive ones.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:8 (NLT) “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Checking to make sure your thoughts are good ones is an important step to winning the battle for your self-esteem.
3. See yourself as God sees you – Decide to begin to see yourself as God sees you. He doesn’t see you as a failure, as a loser or as anything bad you might think you are. He sees you as important. You’re so important that if you were the only person in the world He would have sent his son to die for you. Your life matters to God. He knows everything about you and cares about everything important to you.
Today remember God thinks so much about you that the Bible says his thoughts about you can’t be numbered.
Psalm 139:17 (NLT) – “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”
I can count pretty high, so the idea that God thinks about you so much that those thoughts can’t be numbered just goes to show how much He cares about you. So, decide to see yourself as God sees you. Choose to base your worth on how God feels about you. Most of all learning to love yourself.
Lets Pray Yahweh, the battle for my self-esteem and self-worth is very real. Father, I believe that with Your help and trust in your word, I can change my thinking and come out fighting against my negative thoughts, and win the battle of self-love in Christ’s name Amen!
The battle for our minds and hearts is real and ongoing. Have you ever been ambushed by spontaneous impure thoughts — thoughts that undermine your faith? Lots, of distracting thoughts, sometimes infiltrate our minds, especially when we’re praying or contemplating God’s Word. I ask myself are they my thoughts or are they the strategic mind games of an oppressive offensive by the enemy attempting to sabotage my psyche, envelope me in false guilt and shame, and hinder my devotion to loving the Lord with all my heart and mind?
In scripture, Paul says that the only way to counter, confront, and combat enemy mind games are for us to recondition our minds by focusing on wholesome thoughts, and ultimately, on the irrefutable truth of God’s Word. Interestingly, Scripture uses the words hearts and minds interchangeably — reflecting an intentional intimate connection that the mind is the gateway to, and the battleground for, the heart. The devil employs psychological guerrilla warfare on Christ-followers who aspire to sanctify their hearts and minds — hindering their thriving faith walk.
Today like Paul, I advise you to protect, fortify, and recondition your mind with a spiritual firewall. Daily and prayerfully strive to sanctify a sound mind fully devoted to purity by taking “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Throughout the day ask the Spirit to make you sensitive to any lie or ungodly thought you begin to entertain. Invite him to turn your eyes fully on Christ so that your thoughts are filled with worship as you go from task to task.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” Philippians 4.8
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank you for your faithfulness. Father, help me to recognize the enemy’s mind games. Give me the strength to counter, confront, and combat the devil’s mind games by erecting a spiritual firewall. God help me to avoid toxic media and immerse myself in your Word and take every thought captive in obedience to you. In Christ’s name Amen!
When was the last time you changed your mind? Maybe it was when you changed your outfit a couple of times this morning. Maybe it was changing your mind on your mail just after the waitress took your order. Maybe it was changing your mind about the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for a friend. Changing your mind over clothes, food, and gifts is not life-changing but there is a circumstance when changing your mind is powerful.
Paul says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ”. In other words, we need to change our minds when our thoughts do not align with God’s truth. There are times when a lie from the enemy spins in our minds and the thought patterns wage war within us to keep us from living in the victory of Christ. The process to change thought is to replace the lie with the truth.
4 Reasons to change your mind:
Change your mind from the thought of defeat to “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Change your mind from the thought of no value to “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14).
Change your mind from fear and failure to “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me” (Romans 8:11).
Change your mind from pity to “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
Today, as believers, we have the power to change our minds through Christ! Next time you change your fast-food order be reminded of how quickly that change happened. Changing your mind to the truth of Christ will allow you to live in the freedom He so freely gives.
Let’s Pray
Jehovah, my God, I know that I will battle my sinful nature as long as I live. Recently, that battle is in my mind. I am begging for You to quiet all voices except Your own. Let Your voice be as clear as the birds singing at dawn. Place a wall around me and fight for my mind as I seek to follow after You. I surrender my all to You. Amen.
In my book “Transforming Your Mind In 30 Days,” I allude to the fact, that there is a battle going on for control of your mind. Heaven and earth intersect there, and both spheres influence your thinking. God created us with the capacity to experience the foretastes of heaven, but we must somehow shut out the world and focus on His presence in order to experience it.
The world has a downward pull on our thoughts. Media bombards us with greed, lust, and cynicism. We must pray for protection and discernment over our minds. We must stay in continual communication with God as we walk through the wastelands of this world.
We must refuse to worry because this will weigh us down and block awareness of His presence. We must remain on guard, stay alert and recognize the battle being waged against our minds as we look forward to an eternity free of strife-free living reserved for us in heaven.
Paul reminds us that the mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. John says do not love the world or anything in the world because the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Today how are you doing in your battle for your mind? Who is winning …? the way of the world (satan) or the way of heaven (God)? Electronic communications, the media, and the grip of Satan on the world around us makes this a fierce battle and even more difficult for those not grounded in the Word of God. It is daily. It is constant, but for those of us who have professed Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we know God will win in the end in the battle for our minds. Hallelujah!
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. “ Romans 12:2
Let’s Pray
Yahweh my God of Comfort, I am seeking tranquillity for my mind. As I pray and meditate upon Your Word, my mind often drifts to my to-do lists and needs. I pause now from my day. I breathe out a deep sigh from within my soul and ask, will You please quiet my negative thoughts? Help me remember all Your goodness to me. Deliver me from anxiety and the battle that rages for control of my mind. In Christ’s name Amen.
Each year the President delivers to Congress the annual State of the Union Message and across America governors of their respective states deliver their State of the State messages to the various legislatures. Its purpose is to summarize the status of various things throughout the land and to make a change, for the chief executive to suggest legislative action…
I sat and watched the president give his state of the union message not too long ago. He started by saying that the state of our union is strong. He cited several achievements during his administration and glossed over several storms.
Today, what it would be like if God had come to the podium and delivered His state of the union message. I’ll bet he wouldn’t hold anything back or not tell it like it is.
I wonder what he would single out first. Perhaps he would talk about the rampant proliferation of pornography. Certainly, he would mention rampant sexual immorality. Maybe he would remind us that we are about to enter a post-Christian era as we have turned our back on Him. He would give reference to tolerance ‘which says we must tolerate the beliefs of others and not thrust ours upon them. He would challenge us to be bold in speaking of our faith. He would talk about a watered down feel good’ theology and modern preaching that de-emphasizes the salvation message. He might remind us that we seem to have forgotten Him while focusing our attention on ourselves and our hedonistic pleasures. Maybe He would talk about sexual disorientation rampant across our land. He would paint a grim prognosis for the land if its people do not return to him. Certainly, He would quote from Revelation.
“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 6:33-34
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, there are many opponents to Christians in the world today. Father, help me to have a healthy spiritual state and keep in the forefront of my mind that I am in a war, not against flesh and blood, but against the evil powers of the spiritual realm. Please God Embolden me to be a formidable soldier for You and join in the battle to fight for You. Clothe me in the Armor of God and energize my spirit. Make me bold. Make me strong. In Christ’s name Amen.
Anxiety is not that simple because it is often misunderstood to be simply that a person is stressing too much. There is a distinct difference between the sin of anxiety (fear and worry of being caught in your sin) and the mental health disorder of anxiety that is characterized by physical changes in the brain. Anxiety is both a mental health issue and a spiritual issue.
In principle, anxiety is a mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. It often includes panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sadly, anxiety disorders are on the rise which makes it critical for the Church to understand the epidemic on our hands.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the world, affecting millions aged 18 and older, every year. It is highly treatable, yet only 37% of those suffering receive treatment. People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders. It is developed from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.
Today anxiety will creep up unexpectedly. It normally happens when we’ve put, too much, on our plate or we say too many yeses. Our body wants to say no. finally, it shuts down in ways we don’t expect. God didn’t design us to hustle 24-7. He designed us to Be Still and Know. To ‘Be still’ means to rest in God’s presence. This verse wasn’t written in the context of taking a spa day. It was written in the context of war. It means to stop; cease striving and stop fighting and acknowledge God. Daily we should learn to be still before our Lord. That means to be un-busy, not hustle and free your mind. We are to prioritize our time with Him and listen to what our bodies need. Rest, exercise, a good bedtime routine, eight hours of sleep, consume healing foods and meditate on God’s word. This is how we war against the battle of anxiety.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, when I feel crushed by my worries, lift my mind, and help me to see the truth. When fear grips me tight and I feel I cannot move, free my heart and help me to take things one step at a time. When I can’t express the turmoil inside, please calm me with Your quiet words of love. Father, I choose to trust in You, each day, each hour, each moment of my life.
God, I know deep down that I am in Your grace, forgiven, restored and by Your sacrifice, You have set me free. In Christ’s name Amen.
It is not easy to give thanks in every circumstance. But when we choose to thank God amid difficulty, it defeats the forces of darkness in the spiritual realm. When we thank God for every gift, He has given us even when things are hard, the enemy loses the battle against us. He is stopped in his tracks when we come to God with a thankful heart.
Today, learn to be thankful for every blessing from God in your life. It is of great significance to Him if, during great trials, we can be thankful. There is a way of looking at life from the standpoint of eternity. The reality of eternal life and eternal glory that far exceeds this life is a priceless treasure. Our afflictions are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Hallelujah!
My cup overflows with your blessings – Psalm 23:5
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, teach me to offer you a heart of thanksgiving and praise in all my daily experiences of life. Father, I long to bring pleasure to You and to Break the power of the enemy in my life. God, defeat him through my sacrifice of praise. Please change my outlook and attitude into one of joyful contentment in my present circumstances. I thank You almighty for accepting me and blessing me despite my sins and complaining. Lord, convict me whenever I complain or compare myself with others. I know that Your truth dwells in a thankful heart. In Christ’s name Amen.
If you live in this world, you will experience evil. Therefore, we should expect it and be prepared to deal with it. You may ask how should we respond to evil?
Pray against it. In Matthew 6:13 the Lord’s prayer says. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Our human pride often makes us think we can deal with evil on our own. We cannot! If we try, we will fail. We must pray to our God and ask for deliverance.
Speak God’s word at it. In Matthew 4:1-11 we see Jesus’ response to evil. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. How did He respond? He quoted Scripture. Imagine being face to face with Satan, the author of evil. Jesus shows us the utmost importance of knowing God’s Word and being able to speak it in the face of evil!
Expose it. Ephesians 5:11 says “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Our current culture teaches complete tolerance. We are expected to accept and tolerate any behaviour, even if the behaviour directly violates God’s Word. While we are expected, as Christians, to respond to sin with a certain level of grace and love, evil should in no way, under any circumstance be tolerated. It should be EXPOSED! We should take no part in it.
Hate it. Romans 12:9 tells us “Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Our culture has turned evil into entertainment. We pay money to see evil unfold on the big screen. We make time to sit in our own homes and watch evil on the television and we find ourselves numb to the actual presence of evil when we see it on the news or right before our very eyes. Saints, we must recognize evil and hate it.
Let God handle It. Ephesians 6:12 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…” Wars are waged to fight against evil nations and their leaders. We also have punishments in place to deal with evil people. We should be thankful for the laws of our land and the protection provided by law enforcement, but we must also remember our responsibility as individuals are to give it to God, we cannot fight in this war for the battle isn’t ours it’s God’s.
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I praise you for your love and faithfulness towards me. Father, I praise you for being a perfect, holy, trustworthy God that is bigger than all the evil I will experience on earth. Lord, I ask that you give me eyes to see when evil is before me, a heart to hate evil and the desire to flee from its presence. God, deliver me from evil and draw me close to you. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Don’t get mad, it’s only a distraction? Many challenges in life are merely distractions meant to keep us from pursuing our destiny. Maybe someone at work isn’t as friendly to you as you’d like. Maybe you have a neighbour who always parks in front of your house and blocks your way. Those things may be frustrating, but they have little significance when you look at the bigger picture. You can’t allow the little things to steal your joy and cause strife in your life.
Remember, just before David fought the giant Goliath, his brother Iliab tried to confront him. But David knew that arguing with Iliab wasn’t even worth his time and strength. He knew his real battle was with Goliath, and he didn’t want to be distracted. He simply “turned away” from Iliab and kept his focus on what he was called to do. Don’t focus on the distraction.
Today, truth be told, most frustrations aren’t even worth fighting over. Let’s keep our focus and turn away from strife because it’s only a distraction sent by the enemy to keep you from your God-given blessing!
“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife…”(Proverbs 20:3, KJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for Your hand of victory in my life. Father, give me the wisdom and courage I need to walk away from strife and honour You. God, help me see the challenges for what they are, distractions from my eternal blessing. Jesus, I love You and bless You today and always, in Christ’s name! Amen.
Many of us know Psalm 23, the most well-known of David’s songs, written early in his life. But his first recorded song is this lament and tears in 2 Samuel 1. It is the heart cry of David over King Saul and David’s best friend, his son Jonathan, who died in a battle with the enemy, the Philistines.
Growing up there was an old song that said, “Sad movies always make me cry.” The effects of sin and evil had the same impact on David’s life in 2 Samuel 3:33-34. We find another sad song of David, a lament over the death of his friend Abner. Such songs help us learn to keep talking with God, even though our lives may be falling apart, and we feel as if God has abandoned us. They remind us that although our lives are constantly threatened by sickness, pain, and death, God has promised victory through the life, death, and the resurrection of Yahshua.
Today, it is good to know that in times of chaos, distress, and sadness, God hears us, and in His time, he will set our wrongs right again. Until then, we need to cling to his Word and the many promises it contains. We need to listen to God’s words of assurance: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” When evil Seeks to overtake you, cry if you must but know that Joy comes in the morning. Hallelujah!
David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan. — 2 Samuel 1:17
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank you for your reassuring promises. Father, there are many times in my life when I feel as if the world has collapsed all around me. God thank you for being there and not turning away, keeping your promise that “you will never turn away from my heartfelt cries”. Thank you for sending your Spirit to be our constant comfort in distress, I love you, in Christ name. Amen.
Have you been fighting a battle for a long time? The key is: don’t go around talking about your problem. Don’t go around confessing that you’re never going to make it. No, start declaring, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon my life!” When you realise God’s Spirit of favour is upon you, you will become bold and confident, and accomplish your dreams faster than you thought!
When doubt comes, declare the promises in God’s Word! “How are you going to get out of debt?” “The Spirit of God is upon my life.” “How are you going to get well?” “The Spirit of God is upon my life.” “How are you going to break that addiction?” “The Spirit of God.” “How are you going to accomplish your dreams?” “The Spirit of God!”
Today, the more you declare and believe God’s promises, the more you’ll see His favour. As you keep standing in faith, as You keep hoping in Him, you’ll see His promises manifest in your life. You’ll experience His favour and victory, and see every dream and desire come to pass! Not by your might and expertise, but by God’s Spirit.
“…’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6, NASB)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for placing Your dreams and desires within me, and for creating a plan to bring them to pass by Your Spirit. Father, even when I can’t see a way, I trust and believe that You are making a way. God, You are good, and today I declare and decree Your Spirit upon every area of my life, in Christ’ Name! Amen.
We pray because we want something to change in our lives. Every day, we are attacked by many different circumstances — financial insecurities, health problems, or even relationship issues.
Most of us find prayer “a remedy” to these problems. But what if the answer is different from what we expected?
That’s probably why God used many people in the Bible about prayers being answered. These faithful heroes begged God to intervene in their troubled lives, which He reasonably did.
As you read along, observe these two things:
The reason why that person prayed (intention and attitude)
How has God powerfully answered the prayer
And who knows? It may also change the way you pray and receive God’s answer.
The Heroes Who Prayed
Hannah
In Bible times, when a woman is barren, it brings deep shame to the family. This is because children are seen as God’s gift, and being infertile is a challenging situation.
Like Hannah, you may be in a position where everything is hopeless. You may have already questioned God why you feel that “deep shame”.
But, recorded in 1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV) is Hannah’s prayer of faith.
She said, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
As you see, Hannah already claimed that God would fulfill His promise in her life even before she was pregnant. Sure enough, Samuel went down in history as Israel’s greatest prophet.
Just like Hannah, you can manifest God’s promise in your life and let Him be God.
Daniel
Imagine being in a place where no one knows you, and you’re being kept as a slave. You might have questioned God and blamed Him for your circumstance.
But Daniel reacted otherwise.
He knew God and how to communicate with and listen to God. Also, he made God his Friend in a country where he knew no one. Daniel 2:27-28 (ESV) describes Daniel as one great man.
It says, Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:”
Daniel was successful because He gave God all the credit. And because of that, he became chief administrator of the whole Medo-Persian kingdom!
Daniel might have become proud and arrogant. But, he understood that he was just a servant in the hands of an omnipotent God.
And that understanding came from his personal connection with God through prayer.
Jairus
Let’s talk about something more serious—death.
Jairus had a dying daughter. According to Mark 5:23 (NIV), he pleaded earnestly with Jesus, saying, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”
All of us are desperate for healing, especially when it is our loved ones who are at stake. We tend to pray and bargain with God to heal them from whatever they’re suffering.
In this story of Jairus, maybe God is just testing our faith. His daughter already died before Jesus arrived at his home!
But Jesus had more than a cure in mind when He urged Jairus to believe. When Jesus entered the house, He resurrected the girl from the dead.
Jesus wants to go above and beyond our expectations—He wants to revive our faith!
Elisha
Have you ever been in a situation where you are responsible for something yet don’t know what to do next?
Elisha did. God gave Elisha prophetic skills and abilities, and these threatened the king. He sent a troop to encircle Elisha’s city and initiate an assault. This news caused Elisha’s servant to panic.
There may be moments when God entrusts us with something, and along with it are circumstances that can harm us.
Instead of panicking, Elisha told his servant. “Don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16, NIV)
God answered Elisha’s prayer by blinding the opposing army. He then led his people out of the city.
You will also have the confidence to accomplish anything God asks of you. This is possible if we seek His protection surrounding us, knowing that our circumstances are blind to His might!
Joseph
The slave who turned into one of the best leaders in Egypt.
The Bible states that Joseph had a close relationship with God, and this is because of his prayer life. Because of this, even his master saw how close he was to God and found favor in him.
Genesis 39:2-4 (ESV) describes how Joseph is with his relationship with God.
It says, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.”
Because of his faithful prayer life, God used him to govern Egypt and deliver them out of famine.
You might relate to Joseph in a way. Your business is not doing good, you have failing grades at school, or a really good friend betrayed you.
Regardless of how bad your situation is, remember that the God who led Joseph from rags to riches will definitely give you a way out, too. Just pray.
David
David was known to be the man after God’s own heart. But, how did he become one?
What does his prayer life look like? David was just like any of us. He committed mistakes, and he admits that he has deeply sinned against God.
But what made David successful was how he acknowledged his mistake and confessed to God. Psalms 51:10 (ESV) says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
After having heartfelt repentance and a deep talk with God, he felt a sense of peace in his heart and accepted that God already forgave him.
In our journey to success, we might experience a lot of temptations and stumbling blocks along the way. But, our persistent surrender to God will make us successful in our day-to-day battle with trials.
Jesus
Really? The Man who saved the world from sin prayed, too?
Yes. Jesus was not exempted from the benefits of this ultimate secret. As recorded in the Scriptures, He spent many, many hours in prayer.
Jesus could’ve just skipped the prayer part and went on to save the world.
But, no.
Every day, in the early hours of the morning, He kneeled and prayed to God the Father for protection and guidance.
“But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray,” according to Luke 5:16 (ESV). By spending time with his Father regularly, Jesus stayed in touch with His desire and purpose.
Why did Jesus do this?
Because He wants to be an example of how powerful prayer is.
Even before He was crucified, He prayed and pleaded to God to let the circumstance pass. But He was willing to submit Himself for God’s leading and will, and that was how the most extraordinary love story started.
There is Power in Prayer
Prayer has worked wonders in the lives of people in the Bible, and it can work for you, too!
It will help you to:
Acquire peace of mind
Be patient
Become the person God wants you to become
God’s Word is transparent in how great heroes in the Bible are and how dependent they are on God. He wants us to be comforted that He always provides the best answers only if we allow His power to influence our lives.
Author Bio
Heroes 2 is a Bible trivia game released by the Hope Channel. It is a sequel to the game, Heroes, which was released in 2013. The latest game version is on 3D graphics and animation, enhanced with unique features and more challenging Bible questions. It comes in four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. The game is available on both iOS and Android.
