courage – Page 2 – Godinterest

February 2, 2021February 2, 2021

Anointed & Equipped

Not only has God equipped you, but He is also working in you. He has already lined up everything you need to live a victorious life. You were created to excel! Greatness is inside of you. Don’t settle where you are. Have the attitude, “I am anointed. I can accomplish my dreams. I can overcome any obstacle”. God has equipped you with everything you need to fulfil your destiny through His Word!

The scripture says as believers in Christ, we are anointed. The word “anointing” is the power of God which gives you courage, strength and ability. That means you are well able to do what God has called you to do.

Today, because of your gift of anointing You can accomplish your goals. You can become more creative with talents success. You can overcome any obstacle and you’re equipped with strength for every battle! Remember the heavenly hosts that are with you are greater than the forces that are against you! Hallelujah!

“Every Scripture is God-breathed…so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16—17, AMP)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for equipping me. Father, thank You for anointing me and empowering me through your Spirit. God help me to stay focused on Your Word and Your plan for my life today and in the future. I bless You and honour You alone in Christ’ name. Amen

August 26, 2020August 26, 2020

My Steps Are Ordered

This week one of my prayers has been that God would give me direction and a renewed vigour. When we encounter difficult situations, we can be tempted to wonder if we are on the right path for our lives. And yes, sometimes we make poor choices that get us off course.

If your heart is following after God, if you’re determined to stay in faith and put Him first in your life, you can be confident that you are right where you are supposed to be in God’s will! You might say, “that couldn’t be right. I’m uncomfortable. Somebody isn’t treating me right.” God will not allow a challenge to come into your life unless He has a divine purpose for it.

Today, remember when God is in control, things don’t happen to us they happen for us. Hallelujah! In other words, God uses those difficult things to grow us and stretch us and take us to another level. He orders our steps. So stay in faith, keep a good attitude, and let God lead you into the righteous plan He has for you!

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23, KJV)

Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for ordering my steps and directing me. Father, I trust that You are at work in my life, even during the times when I don’t understand what’s happen in my life. God, please give me the strength and courage to do what is right in Your sight. I bless You today and always, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020

Avoid Strife And Live Honourably

The Purpose of Life is Intimacy with God: What Is It & How to Pursue It

Someone once said challenges 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 driveway. Those things may be frustrating, but they have little significance when you look at the big picture. You can’t allow the little things to open the door to strife in your life.

Scripture tells us, just before David fought Goliath, his brother Iliab tried to confront him. 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. So he “turned away” from Iliab and kept his focus on what he was called to do. In our own lives today, most frustrations aren’t worth our energy. When we avoid strife, it is a mark of honour.

Today, turn away from strife and other distractions that the enemy will send your way. Keep your focus on what God has called you to do. As you do, you will live in honour before God and man. With integrity you’ll move forward into the destiny God has for you!

“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife…” (Proverbs 20:3, AMP)

Let’s Pray

Oh Jehovah, thank You for shielding me from evil and for Your hand of victory in my life. Father, give me the wisdom and courage I need to walk away from people who just want to cause conflict and strife, and cause me to lose sight of my focus and destiny You have prepared for me. God, I want to be a person of integrity at all times, I love You and bless You, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

September 22, 2019May 6, 2022

How can I teach my children to resist temptation?

It seemed to Eve a small matter to eat of the forbidden tree, the fruit was pleasant to the eye and to the taste desirable to make one wise. But what terrible results!

It was not a small matter to forfeit allegiance to God. It opened the floodgates of sin to our world. Oh, the amount of evil which can come from one false step in life! Our eye must not be fixed on earth, but upward to Heaven. We must pass through dangers and difficulties, making advance at every step, gaining victories in every conflict, still rising higher and higher our standard of Christianity. As you do this the earth’s attractions will sink out of sight and the heavenly landscape opens with clearness and beauty. You will see the crown, the white robe, the harp, the palm branch of victory and immortality will be within your reach.

If we lose everything else, we should keep conscience pure and sensitive. When asked to go where there is the least danger of offending God, doing that which you cannot do with a pure conscience, do not fear or hesitate. Look the enemy of God firmly in the face and say, “No; I will not imperil my soul for any worldly attraction. I love and fear God. I will not venture to dishonor or disobey Him for the riches of the world or the love and favor of a host of worldly relatives. I love Jesus who died for me. He has bought me. I am the purchase of His blood. I will be true to His claims, and my example shall never be an excuse for any to turn from the straight path of duty. I will not be the servant of Satan and of sin. My life shall be such as to leave a bright track heavenward.”

The time has come when every Christian must stand or fall according to his own merits. A few righteous acts, a few good impulses, may be presented to the mind as evidences of righteousness, but God requires the our whole heart. He will accept no divided affections. The whole being must be given to Him or He will not receive the offering.

We must now be learning the lessons of faith if we would stand in that time of trouble which is coming upon all the world to try them who dwell upon the face of the earth. We must have the courage of heroes and the faith of martyrs.

10 Ways To Resist The Devil

God gives us specific guidance to counteract the devil and his influence.

1. Be Ruled by the Word.

2. Beware of Grieving the Holy Spirit.

3. Labor for Wisdom.

4. Resist the First Stirring of Temptation.

5. Labor to Be Filled With the Spirit.

6. Keep Humble.

7. Be Constantly on Guard.

8. Continue Communing With God.

9. Do Not Engage Satan In Your Own Strength.

10. Pray Constantly.

A Prayer to Guard Your Heart
Lord God, Captain of my heart, Satan knows if I follow Your Greatest Commandment — to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37) — he is powerless over me. Guard my heart, Lord Jesus, so that it beats for You alone. Don’t let me grow complacent toward You or be lured to love anyone or anything more than You. Remove the idols from my heart so that You alone command my allegiance and utmost affections Help me to love and forgive others as You have forgiven me so the enemy can get no foothold through hate or bitterness on my part. Cultivate in my heart Your love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7, NASB). Finally, Lord, set my heart on things above, not on earthly things. Help me to remember that You died for me and my life is now hidden which Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-2). Increase my longing for heaven so this world holds no power over me.

September 15, 2019May 6, 2022

Renewal, Of People Of God – Knowing Jesus

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.
Ephesians 3:16.

Have you ever heard the phase – you’re living on borrowed time? Meaning living after the time you would have expected to have died. Well, there is some truth to the saying as we are all living in probationary time.

However, isn’t it wondering that Jesus has paved the way and that those who truly and earnestly desire eternal life and strive for it with desire and effort should have it. What a comfort it is to know that the Lord wants us in His family above.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
(John 3:16)

We need to cherish and exercise faith. Our faith must work. We must have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The leaven has a vital energy, penetrating and absorbing all the elements into which it is introduced. So likewise, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

The Word of the Lord is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word is a power as we practice it. The great change that the truth makes is inward. It begins in the heart, and works outwardly. With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. “Burnt offerings and sacrifices thou wouldest not.” The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. God is not pleased with false pretence.

We should hide in Jesus Christ and trust in His love. We should believe day by day that He loves us with a love that is infinite. Let nothing, absolutely nothing discourage you, and make you sad. Think of the goodness of God. Recount His favours and blessings hallelujah.

I am labouring constantly in writing and speaking. The Lord has been my very best Friend, and you can testify the same.

Let the praise of the Lord Jesus Christ the be ever in your hearts and in your minds and upon your lips. In this way you can magnify the truth. The Holy Spirit will witness with your spirit that you are indeed children of God. Be of good courage; Jesus is our personal Friend and Saviour. He loves us, and if He notices the little brown sparrow, how much more will He love and care for us. The memory grows weak when it is not exercised. So will our faith and hope and courage become feeble unless we look unto Jesus with all the confidence that a little child looks to its mother. By beholding Him, we become changed into His righteousness. Let not one thought of unbelief be woven into your religious experience.

The Lord will be our efficiency and exceeding great reward. Amen

May 25, 2019May 6, 2022

THE PRAYER THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

The freedom to build. The freedom to change. The freedom to share.

There are two kinds of prayer – the prayer of form and the prayer of faith. The repetition of set and the customary phrases when the heart feels no need of God, is formal prayer.

We should be extremely careful in all our prayers to speak the wants of the heart and to say only what we actually mean. All the flowery words at our command are not equivalent to one holy desire. The most eloquent prayers are but vain repetitions if they do not express the true sentiments of the heart. But the prayer that comes from an earnest heart, when the simple wants of the soul are expressed just as we would ask an earthly friend for help, expecting that it would be granted – this is the prayer of faith.

The publican who went up to the temple to pray is a good example of a sincere, devoted worshiper. He felt that he was a sinner, and his great need led to an outburst of passionate desire,

“God be merciful to me a sinner.”
Luke 18:13

After we have offered our petitions, we are to answer them ourselves as far as possible, and not wait for God to do for us what we can do for ourselves. The help of God is held in reserve for all who demand it. Divine help is to be combined with human effort, aspiration, and energy. But we cannot reach the battlements of heaven without climbing for ourselves. We cannot be borne up by the prayers of others when we ourselves neglect to pray; for God has made no such provision for us.

The unlovely traits in our characters are not removed, and replaced by traits that are pure and lovely, without some effort on our part!

In our efforts to follow the copy set us by our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall make crooked lines. Yet let us not cease our efforts. Temporary failure should make us lean more heavily on Christ.

The more you pray, the more you will find to pray about, and the more you’ll be led to pray for others.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12, 13

Pray With Me
Heavenly Father, I look up to you in this time of change. Allow me to have the courage to change my life for the better. Allow all my burdens to be risen up to you as I know that You will see me through. Forgive those who have done evil and allow me to do the same. Teach me to love with an open heart and open spirit. Take time for me today to help with all the trials you have set out for me and allow me the strength and energy to follow you. Give me the blessings to find a new home, keep my family together, and bless those who are away, may they be strong and know how much love is out there. Let them know you and I are thinking of them and missing them dearly. Bless me with love, strength, wisdom, health, courage, forgiveness, and a willingness to learn.

Did you know?

Here are five facts about prayer, including survey data on Americans’ prayer habits and historical instances of prayer intersecting with the government:

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2014 found that 45% of Americans — and a majority of Christians (55%) — say they rely a lot on prayer and personal religious reflection when making major life decisions. The same survey found that 63% of Christians in the U.S. say praying regularly is an essential part of their Christian identity.
In 2014 — in the case Town of Greece v. Galloway — the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. legislative and administrative bodies may begin their sessions with a prayer. On some occasions, however, the high court has rejected other types of state-sponsored prayer. For instance, in 1962’s Engel v. Vitale, the court famously struck down a policy requiring public school students to begin their day with a nonsectarian prayer.
The National Day of Prayer was enacted in 1952 by the Congress and President Harry S. Truman. As with the addition of “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, the move came during the Cold War and was seen as a way of contrasting the more religious United States with the officially atheistic Soviet Union.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation unsuccessfully challenged the National Day of Prayer in court. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2011 that the group, which aims to promote the separation of church and state, did not have legal standing to challenge the law.
For many Americans, every day is a day of prayer. More than half (55%) of Americans say they pray every day, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey, while 21% say they pray weekly or monthly and 23% say they seldom or never pray. Even among those who are religiously unaffiliated, 20% say they pray daily. Women (64%) are more likely than men (46%) to pray every day. And Americans ages 65 and older are far more likely than adults under 30 to say they pray daily (65% vs. 41%).

May 25, 2018

How to Give Advice so That People Will Listen?

Some people think helpful advice is all about knowing things and saying a lot. To the contrary, you can know little yet give solid advice and with sparing words you can help a person greatly.

Here are 4 ways to give helpful advice.

Wait to be asked.

Most of the time, unsolicited advice is not helpful. It is ineffective especially when a person is not ready to hear what you have to say. To some, you may be viewed as a meddler who knows nothing better to do. For example, stories are told of those who try to mediate a conflict they have no business involving themselves with. Proverbs 26:17 has this to say about that: “Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.”

Have the connection.

Sometimes, you can perceive things other people can’t. In a church setting, this can both be an asset and a liability. If you feel burdened to give advice or correction to someone who is not close to you, a direct approach may be unhelpful. That brother or sister may get discouraged or offended. Find someone connected with that person whom you can talk with to handle the matter or to give clearer insight. Or better, have that person introduce and connect you to this individual you want to give advice or correction to. Pray while you establish a connection. Pray and watch for the soonest opportunity to bring the matter up.

Have the qualification or experience.

Has it ever happened to you? To have someone giving you advice about something they have no experience or qualification for? People with no children advising a mother about raising her kids properly; people who’ve had an easy life teaching those in hardship about perseverance. Indeed, with supernatural enablement, God can teach us things through just about anyone. However, most of the time, God chooses to use those who’ve undergone the same things as we are undergoing to get us through the humps and bumps of life. 2 Corinthians 1:4 talks about how God “comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

You may have ideas that can help and you may present them to the person in need of advice. But better yet, understand your limitations and find someone with experience who can help the individual better than you can.

Focus more on remedies, not faults and failures.

It may have happened to you. You’ve come to a friend for comfort and clarity only to leave the conversation heartbroken and more shaken. When you are invested in the person, it may be hard to keep your emotions in control but you need to. While it may be right to say, “I told you so.” and blame the person for his failings, what’s helpful is to redirect the person towards taking steps to resolve his problems.

For instance, instead of rubbing it in by saying, “You are such a spendthrift. You really don’t value money at all.” Scrap those two sentences and get your friend to take out a paper and pen and visually determine what are necessities and luxuries based on the limited funds that he or she has.

May 24, 2018

They Were “Spiritual”…But Not Christlike

Anyone who says the Christian life is unadventurous hasn’t hung out much with the Apostle Paul. You can feel the tension rising as he goes to bat for the things Jesus has done in his life. You can hear him momentarily go off-roading in order to defend the message of the Gospel and pursue those whom he loves. Let’s not forget–Christianity is not meant to be a bunch of “do’s and don’t’s”–it’s meant to be relational!

The false teachers of this day were masquerading as image bearers of Jesus. They were Christian-fakers. They could talk the talk. They were “spiritual”…but not Christlike. They had head knowledge…but not heart. Take a closer look at how Paul describes them: “You have such admirable tolerance for impostors who rob your freedom, rip you off, steal you blind, put you down—even slap your face! I shouldn’t admit it to you, but our stomachs aren’t strong enough to tolerate that kind of stuff (v.20–MSG).”

From a distance, it appears obvious that these leaders did not have the best interest of others in mind. They were selfish and wrongly motivated. However, it is so easy to get entangled with others (even in the church) who persuasively influence you or impact your thinking. When you are looking for a place to belong and people to accept you…it is surprising what you will put up with. It may take some personal introspection to examine your friendships and relationships in order to determine whether or not they are Christ-centered.

What are the characteristics of a godly leader, mentor, or friend? Ask yourself…

What word best describes the other person: arrogance or humility?
Do they tear you down, or build you up?
Do they talk over you, putting you in your place? Or do you consider them a place of refuge and comfort?
Do they brag about their self-accomplishments? Or, their weakness that was made strong in Jesus?
Do they want to hurry you on out the door? Or are they patient with you, filled with grace?
Do they make every problem “your” problem? Or, do you find them relatable and human, willing to put themselves in your shoes?
Do they point you to Jesus above everything else?

Paul was a committed leader who was willing to endure incredible hardship and suffering in order to pursue the heart of the ones he loved. He leveraged his talents, abilities, knowledge, lineage, education, and career to steer the believers back to Jesus. We need more people like this today! People who are willing to take risks for others. People who will humbly take a stand, regardless of the fallout. People who are fearless faith-walkers to defend the truth.

Why is it necessary to stand up for the truth? Why do we find it so difficult to do so?

July 31, 2017January 15, 2024

Poem: The Unravelling of a Christian Marriage

Marry the wrong person, everyday is Martyrs Day.
Marry a lazy person, everyday is Labour Day.
Marry a rich person everyday is New Year’s Day.
Marry an immature person, everyday would seem like Children’s Day.
Marry a cheater or liar, everyday will become April Fool’s Day.
And if you don’t get married, everyday is Independence Day!

Marriage is the only school where you get a certificate before you start.
It’s also a school where you will never graduate.
It’s a school without a break or a free period.
It’s a school where no one is allowed to drop out.
It’s a school you will have to attend everyday of your life.
It’s a school where there is no sick leave or holidays.
It’s a school founded by God on the foundation of love.
The walls are made out of trust.
The door made out of acceptance.
The windows made out of understanding
The furniture made out of blessings
The roof made out of faith.

Be reminded that God is the only Principal and you are a student,
Even in times of storms, don’t be unwise and run outside.
Keep in mind that, this school is the safest place to be.
Never go to sleep before completing your assignments for the day.
Never forget to communicate with your classmate and with the Principal.
If you find out something about your classmate (spouse) that you do not appreciate.
Remember your classmate is also just a student, not a graduate.
God is not finished with him/her yet.
So take it as a challenge and work on it together.
Do not forget to study the Holy Book (the main textbook of this school).
Start each day with a sacred assembly and end it the same way.

Sometimes you will feel like not attending classes, yet you have to.
When tempted to quit find courage and continue.
Some tests and exams may be tough but remember,
the Principal knows how much you can bear and yet it’s a school better than any other.

It’s one of the best schools on earth;
joy, peace and happiness accompany each lesson of the day.

Different subjects are offered in this school, yet love is the major subject.
After all the years of theorising about it, now you have a chance to practice it.

To be loved is a good thing, but to love is the greatest privilege of them all.
Marriage is a place of love, so love your spouse.

Whether you’re married, engaged, or still single, we hope that you have found wisdom and encouragement in this poem about marriage.

March 29, 2016July 1, 2022

33 of the Most Inspirational Leadership Quotes for You to Live By

We’ve all seen quotes designed to motivate or inspire us. Well, according to a new study, people who post these ‘inspirational’ quotes also have lower levels of intelligence. However, Godinterest disagrees, and see’s some quotes as universal nuggets of wisdom. You know the ones – those quotes that give you “Aha!” moments of inspiration or meaningful insights into your personal and professional lives. These are the ones you want to print out and place on your fridge so you’ll see them every day.

This collection of inspirational quotes features some of the all-time classics you may know, as well as some lesser-known ones you’ll love too. If you have any quotes you would have added, feel free to share in the comments section!

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable.” – Denis Watley
“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Stephen A. Brennan
“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” – Fitzhugh Dodson
“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” – Diana Scharf Hunt
“You must have long-term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures.” – Charles C. Noble
“Crystallize your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline. Then, with supreme confidence, determination, and disregard for obstacles and other people’s criticisms, carry out your plan.” – Paul Meyer
“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” – Benjamin Mays
“Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.” – Unknown
“The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Goals help focus you on areas in both your personal and professional life that are important and meaningful, rather than being guided by what other people want you to be, do, or accomplish.” – Catherine Pulsifer
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” – Zig Ziglar
“It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.” – Brian Tracy
“The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Horne, Lena
“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William E. Channing
“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” – Henry Ford
“It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up again.” – Vince Lombardi
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” E- Eleanor Roosevelt
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun
“Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes.” – Kenneth Hildebrand
“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” – Andrew Carnegie
“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer
“The surest way not to fail is to be determined to succeed.” – Richard B. Sheridan
“A determined person will do more with a pen and paper than a lazy person will accomplish with a personal computer.” – Catherine Pulsifer
“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“It was courage, faith, endurance and a dogged determination to surmount all obstacles that built this bridge.” – John J. Watson
“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino
“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer
“We will either find a way or make one!” – Hannibal
“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Unknown
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

September 18, 2015July 1, 2022

Tag: courage