Archive for Faith
Don’t Wait too Long
Posted by: | CommentsMany people have a tendency to procrastinate in one way or another. We all have excuses that cause us to delay our goals for another day.
When you continue to make excuses or wait until the right circumstances are in place, you run the risk of never achieving your dreams. There comes a point in time when you have to override the excuses and take action.
I want to encourage you to take action as soon as possible. Don’t wait too long before charging after your destiny. Everything doesn’t have to be in place before starting. No, sometimes you have to take a step out on faith.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”
I always say life if full of twists and turns. Even if the conditions are favorable in the beginning, whose to say that they will stay that way? Whose to say that the adversary won’t throw a curb ball your way?
I’d encourage you to do like the scripture says. Don’t wait for the perfect weather. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect, no, you must be diligent. You have to charge after your dreams even when things around you aren’t looking favorable. A curb ball may get thrown but continue Read More→
Stand Firm Against the Enemy
Posted by: | CommentsToo often in life, we fall prey to the attacks of the enemy. We allow the enemy to take blows at us and before long, we find ourselves coming up short.
The adversary will cause you to make small changes in your faith. He’ll trick you into thinking that you’re taking a step forward when you’re really taking two steps backwards.
Satan will come at you with all sorts of negative defeating thoughts. He’ll make you think that you’re not equipped to accomplish your dreams and goals. He’ll cause you to look at the circumstances around you and make you adjust your faith based on what’s happening around you.
But I want to encourage you to stand firm. Don’t budge to the left or to the right. Don’t negotiate the terms of what the Word of God says. Instead, stand firm on what you know is true.
The scripture says in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand, stand.”
That means you must block the blows of the enemy with the armor God has given you which is His Word. In the unseen realm, Satan is firing rounds of doubt, insecurity, fear, failure, weakness, defeat and worry into your mind. But you have to block those rounds with what God’s Word says about you you.
God’s Word tells you that you’re equipped. You’re more than able. It says that Read More→
Pray Bolder Prayers
Posted by: | CommentsSometimes, we have a tendency to limit God in our prayer walk. As a result, we fall into a rut in our prayer life and pray “safe” prayers.
In the interim, we forget what Ephesians 3:20 says, “now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Remember, we serve a God who can do anything we can ask. The keyword here is “anything”.
The latter part James 4:2 says “you have not because you ask not.” Unfortunately, many fall into the thinking that if it’s meant to be it will be. And even though God knows the desires of your heart, He wants you to ask. Jesus says in John 14:14, “if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
If you have big wants and big desires, ask in Jesus’ name. Don’t place limitations on Him. No, pray bigger and bolder prayers.
Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. Pray a bigger prayer and put your faith to the test. That house you’ve been wanting, ask in His name. That business you’ve been wanting to start, ask in His name. That addiction you’ve been wanting to overcome, ask in His name. That fear that you’ve been wanting to conquer, ask in His name and watch Him perform a miracle.
My friend, we serve a big God who can perform big miracles. There is nothing Read More→
Enlarge Your Hopes!
Posted by: | CommentsThere comes a point in life when our doubt level increases and our faith level decreases. When you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll hear answers such as: a fireman, a doctor, a lawyer or a teacher. Some will even go as far as to say president of the United States. Oh, what it would be to have those ‘child-like’ hopes again.
But unfortunately, we lose that level of expectation that we once had. At some point in time, someone comes across our path and kills our hopes, dreams and expectations.
But I want to encourage you to hope again. Develop that same level of faith that you once had as a child. Don’t let doubt sink in. No, increase your level of belief.
The scripture says, “every man has been given a measure of faith.” If you knew the true power and potential you had at hand, you would be drawing up big plans. You’d be hoping and expecting big.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” How can you have faith if you have no hope. Faith aids in making our hopes come to pass and hope gives us something to have believe in.
I heard someone say that faith in the unseen world is equivalent to money in the seen world. Imagine that someone just handed you a handful of cash and gave you Read More→
Present Your Case Before The Lord
Posted by: | CommentsWhen troubles come our way, we have a tendency to lose hope. Over a period of time, we stop declaring what God has promised us.
The adversary, would have you to think that all hope is lost and that you can’t win. But instead of falling prey to those negative thoughts, choose to make positive declarations over your circumstance.
Isaiah 41:21 says, “present your case before the Lord, set forth your arguments.” Therefore, when you’re faced with the trials of life, take your trial to what I like to call the “heavenly court.”
You see, in the natural when we have a dispute, we’re to appear before a judge in a court of law. But in the spiritual, there is an even greater Judge, my friend. And He is no respecter of persons. He abides by the greatest law which is the law of love. He is a just God and a Lord of vengeance. But in order for Him to deliver His verdict, you have to present your case.
Remind Him of what His Word says about you. If you’re in need, remind Him that He is a God who shall supply all your needs according to His glorious riches. If you’re Read More→
Make Positive Declarations
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the greatest faith filled actions you can do is speak things into existence. The words we speak have so much power over our lives.
It’s amazing that something so small as the tongue has so much impact over our lives. Too often, we go around making negative declarations over our lives even when we don’t intend to.
Many times we’re guilty of saying such things as, “I’ll never accomplish that goal, it’s too far out of my league” or “I don’t have the talents or credentials.” You may even say things like, “I don’t deserve anything good.”
But my friend, I’ll have you to know that death and life lies in the power of the tongue. God has given you the power to speak death or life into you your situation. He even bids us to choose life. The Lord says, in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life!”
Your declaration should be that you are above and not beneath, you are the head and not the tail. You are a lender not a borrower. Make the positive declaration that you’re blessed going in and blessed coming out. You’re blessed in the city and in the field such as the scriptures remind us.
Instead of making negative declarations and thinking that you don’t have the talents or the skills, make a positive statement. Declare that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you such as Philippians 4:13 says.
You can make a Romans 8:28 declaration that all things are working Read More→
He Requires A Step of Faith!
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the things that we neglect to do is take that extra step of faith. Yes, Jesus does say to ask anything in his name and he will do it but we must remember that he requires action to follow that prayer.
The scripture says in James 1:6 “when you ask Him, make sure your faith is in God alone. Do not waver…” We can see here that prayer and faith go together hand and hand.
You see, God is moved by our ability to move. Know that all it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed and you can move mountains.
You may say, “I would take a step of faith but I don’t have the ability to do such a task.” Well my friend let that serve as an opportunity to exercise your faith!
I heard a great saying. “If you’ll do what you can, God will do what you can’t.” For instance, if you want a new car, take a trip to the car lot. Go and find the car you want and declare that it’s yours!
You will be surprised what miracle God will perform if you’ll just take a step of faith.
I’m reminded of when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus arrived at the tomb where Lazarus laid dead. And there at the entrance to the tomb was a great stone. Jesus told them to move the stone.
Now you would think a man who healed the sick, caused the blind to see, and made the lame man walk, could most certainly roll the stone away himself. But he wanted to see if the mourners had faith enough to believe that he would raise Lazarus. Read More→
The Prayer of God’s Ultimate Will
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the hardest things to do in life is to pray the prayer of God’s ultimate will for your life. Often times, we pray for specific things in life and forget that God has a plan laid out for us.
And when we don’t see answers to those prayers, we get tempted to get discouraged and lose faith.
The thing to remember is that your steps are ordered by the Lord. The scriptures say He knew everything you would ever be or accomplish before you we’re even born.
I believe the reason God doesn’t answer some of your prayers is because He already knows that there is something greater in store for you! However, the reason He doesn’t perform the blessing right away is because He’s waiting until we’re ready to receive that blessing. But that’s another article.
In Matthew 6:10 Jesus’ gave us a sample prayer to pray. In that prayer, He says, “let Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. “
Therefore a great prayer to pray when asking God for something would be, “Lord, if it be in your will I would like to have it but if it’s not in your will, please give me the ability to accept and realize that you’ve got something greater in store!”
We should make the declaration, “Lord, no longer my will but let your will be done in my life.” I believe it takes a great deal of faith for us to relinquish the keys to our everyday life and let God be the captain of the ship.
I always say, “if it’s not in the will of God, I don’t want it.” This is a powerful statement and Read More→
You Have An Inheritance!
Posted by: | CommentsMany times, we get caught up in looking at our current situation. In the interim, doubt comes in and takes it toll. It’s this doubt that causes us to get discouraged and lose all hope.
However, I want to encourage you, my friend, that as long as you have faith in God, you will receive that which is due to you. Too often, we read the scriptures and say to ourselves, “How does this work for me?” Well, much of it comes down to the covenant God made with Abraham.
Abraham, was counted as righteous in God’s eyes. Even Paul stressed in his letters that Abraham was counted righteous in God’s sight simply because of his faith in God. (Galatians 3:6)
Abraham was given many possessions, land and an inheritance! Imagine that your parents were given access to many luxury cars, properties and businesses, and lots of cash and jewelry. And in their will they included that these possessions are to be passed down to you.
Well the good news, my friend, is that we are all heirs of Abraham. We are entitled to this inheritance because of the Covenant that God made with him. God promised Abraham, that if he just remained faithful, that all of his descendents, including you and I, will receive Read More→
Endurance To Stand The Test of Time!
Posted by: | CommentsDear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4
I believe one of the greatest fruits that we can develop is long-suffering. You see, long-suffering simply means patience to outstand the storm with a good attitude. The good thing about bearing this fruit is that no matter what comes your way, or how long you have to bear the burden, that means that you’re equipped to deal with it all.
I love how the scripture says when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. In other words, your endurance doesn’t grow when everything is going your way. Your patience doesn’t get stronger when nobody’s cutting in front of you in traffic or all the bills are paid and you have money left over for a rainy day. No, your endurance grows when you’ve spent your last dime. Your patience grows stronger when you’ve given it all you’ve got and you’re only half way through the fight.
That’s why the scripture tells us to consider it a privilege when hardships come our way. Without, the hardships we would never grow. We would all simply be toddlers with no wisdom or understanding. We would merely be weaklings with no back bones.
So next time you’re faced with a difficulty, count it all Joy! When the enemy comes at you and tempts you to get upset and bothered, fight Read More→
