Michael J Burchett Ministries

” TEACH ME YOUR WAYS, O LORD, THAT I MAY LIVE ACCORDING TO YOUR TRUTH.” PS. 86:11

No matter how much we read God’s Word, nor how long we have been saved, we are in God’s classroom constantly. There is always something new that God is trying to teach us. We continue to strive each day to meet the goals that our Lord has set for each of us. It is important that we continue to strive for this success in the Lord. We need to continue to feed the fire and keep the fire burning in our hearts. It is when we let the fire get low or burn out completely that the devil slips in and tries to steal us away. We must stay alert, know what God’s Word says, and use the Word by speaking it and putting it into practice. If we do, we will have success. God is with us in all situations. We are not to be complacent but we are to be active and a positve witness for Jesus. We must continuously build up our faith and never give into the evil of the world around us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ SINCE THEY THOUGHT IT FOOLISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE GOD, HE ABANDONED THEM TO THEIR FOOLISH THINKING AND LET THEM DO THINGS THAT SHOULD NEVER BE DONE. THEIR LIVES BECAME FULL OF EVERY KIND OF WICKEDNESS, SIN, GREED, HATE, ENVY, MURDER, QUARRELING, DECEPTION, MALICIOUS BEHAVIOR AND GOSSIP. THEY ARE BACKSTABBERS, HATERS OF GOD, INSOLENT, PROUD, AND BOASTFUL.” ROMANS 1:28-30

Our Lord is a gracious and merciful God. He has provided for us all of the tools necessary for salvation, forgiveness and healing. All we have to do is believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. He has provided all of the necessary instruments to live a confident and peaceful life here on this earth without fear or anxiety. It sounds like the easist thing in the world to do. However, we are surrounded daily by the words, deeds, struggles and anxieties of this world. If we allow ourselves to become involved in the things of this world, without a solid foundation in Christ, we will find that we are living stressful and unbecoming lives that represent this world and not our Lord. It is so easy to become totally entrenched in the ways of the world because of our work, the news, and the way others around us live and influence us. We are in the world but not of the world. Our God will not force our hand in anything. We must be able to go to him and ask for his help. We must then be able to believe. The only way we are able to do this is to allow ourselves to be totally surrounded by our Father and not the world. We must train ourselves up in the Lord, go to him in prayer, praise him in his glory and believe that we receive. If we stay in the Lord, all doubts, worries and fears of this world will be defeated. He has promised and our God never fails on a promise. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT IS RIGHT, JUST, AND FAIR, AND YOU WILL FIND THE RIGHT WAY TO GO. FOR WISDOM WILL ENTER YOUR HEART AND KNOWLEDGE WILL FILL YOU WITH JOY. WISE CHOICES WILL WATCH OVER YOU. UNDERSTANDING WILL KEEP YOU SAFE. ” PROVERBS 2:9-11

Hearing from God is a wonderful thing. He speaks to us in many different ways. Each of us are on our own path to strong faith. Along the way we must acknowledge that we live in the world. God has given us honest and good people who he has trained as lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, plumbers, mechanics along with many other occupations. He has given us these trained professionals to serve us while we live upon this earth. As we continue in our faith walk we need to recognize that God does give us the wisdom to make wise decisions on who and how we use these tools. All we have to do is listen. He uses each of us in different ways and he uses each of us with a different set of people in different situations. Some of us are dealing with people with great faith and others are dealing with those who are just beginning the faith walk. Both kinds of people must be dealt with in different ways. The Lord has given each of us the tools and the wisdom to deal with those around us. We must be an example to others but we must also be a able to deal with others on their level. God knows our hearts. He knows where we are in our relationship to him. He puts us in situations to win others to Christ. Listen carefully to him. He has a plan and we must be able to follow it. We should not be putting our faith in the doctors, lawyers and teachers but we must be alert to the fact that God uses them in his plan for our lives. Our faith should be totally in the Lord our God but we must not be afraid to use the tools he has provided. He has put these trained professionals in our lives for a purpose. The key is keeping our faith in God and being able to use the tools he has provided to us. Pray and ask for wisdom. He will provide. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” FOR MERELY LISTENING TO THE LAW DOESN’T MAKE US RIGHT WITH GOD. IT IS OBEYING THE LAW THAT MAKES US RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT.” ROMANS 2:13

We can spend all day reading a book of instructions on how to fix an appliance but unless we actually do what the instruction manual tells us to do we will never succeed. The same applies to God’s Word. We can read it all day long, everyday, but if we don’t understand what we are reading, and we don’t apply the principles that it sets forth, we will never succeed. We need to not only read his word but we need to study his word. We need to pray for understanding, use the resources provided to us, so that we can understand the different meanings of his words and phrases. Once we understand what God is saying we must then apply those principles to our lives. His word is our roadmap to a successful life here in this world. His word helps us to overcome our own struggles so that we can help others to find the Lord and be able to overcome their struggles. We are to live a life of joy and peace not a life of fear and doubt. We all know that the devil is always trying to shut us down but sometimes we give him too much credit. Sometimes we get in our own way with attitudes of arrogance, self control and just plain blindness on our part. It is important that we listen, hear, and do what our Lord is telling us. It is not easy, but if we do we will have a life so much more peaceful and powerful. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD AND PROCLAIM HIS GREATNESS. LET THE WHOLE WORLD KNOW WHAT HE HAS DONE.” 1 CHRONICLES 16:8

” LET THE WHOLE EARTH SING TO THE LORD! EACH DAY PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS THAT HE SAVES.” 1 CHRONICLES 16:23

As a new born Christian I remember how excited I was to spread the good news of Christ’s salvation to others. All of the sudden I didn’t want to do the worldly things that I had been doing. When I accepted the Lord as my Lord and Savior I became hungry for as much of God’s word as I could get. I not only wanted to spread the word but I wanted to live the word. As time passed the devil began to put the pressure on. I became surrounded by the influences of the world once again and it became harder to stay in the word and became harder to spread the word.

Strengthening our faith in God helps us to overcome these anxieties, these pressures and the huge mountains we must sometimes climb. We must grow in faith because each assignment the Lord gives us demands a certain amount of faith for completion. Part of strengthening our faith is continuing to praise our Lord for all he does. As we praise him we are blessed by him. As we praise him our faith in him becomes stronger. The Lord loves us very much and he loves to hear our praises for his grace, mercy and miracles in our lives. We are living in a world that needs the message of the Lord more than ever. It is so easy to fall away. We must continue to stay plugged into the Lord with praises and prayer. Stay strong in the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IT IS THROUGH FAITH THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS LIFE.” ROMANS 1:17

We cannot know Jesus without faith. We have all been given a measure of faith. That measure is the same for all of us. However, the Lord makes it very clear that in order to live a healthy and righteous life we need to continuously build upon our faith. Our God in heaven provides everything we need to lead a righteous life here on earth. He has given us all we need to stay healthy, wealthy and wise. But, we must believe. We must believe what he tells us. We must believe in things unseen. In other words, we need to believe to achieve. We have to do more than just say we believe. We need to speak our belief and then act upon that faith. He has provided us with many promises. Don’t let the devil steal these from you with lies and deception. The devil is ruthless, deceptive and unforgiving. He is everything that we don’t want to be. There are many struggles that surround us each and every day. Build upon your faith, act upon your faith and believe God for the answers. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” BUT ALL WHO WHO LISTEN TO ME WILL LIVE IN PEACE, UNTROUBLED BY THE FEAR OF HARM. ” PROVERBS 1:33

Each and everyone of us have a distinct purpose in this life. How we fulfill that purpose and live our lives is up to us. Our God in heaven sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to this earth for each of us. He walked this earth and endured persecution and ridicule. He went to the cross and died the most terrifying and dreadful death ever, so that you and I could have life. And, if that wasn’t enough, he went to hell and back before he went to set at the right hand of God Almighty. But, God wasn’t done. The Lord then sent us his precious Holy Spirit to help lead us along the path of his righteousness. He has provided everything that we need to live a powerful, successful and God fearing life. The problem is that he loves so much that he will not force anything upon us. He has given each of us a free will to choose, on our own, how we will live our lives. It is very important that we listen carefully, pay close attention to his holy word, and pattern our lives according to his roadmap. Our Lord has provided each of us a measure of faith. It is up to us as to strong our faith becomes. We are to continue to build upon our faith each and everyday by surrounding ourselves with his word. If we do, we will see that we are more willing to listen and learn from the Lord. Follow the Lord and live in peace. No matter our struggles we will have no fear because we know that there is no fear in our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” FOR THE LORD IS OUR SUN AND OUR SHIELD. HE GIVES US GRACE AND GLORY.” PSALM 84:11

As children of God everything we are and everything we stand for is defined by the Lord. Every action that we take and every word that we speak should refect the brightness of God’s glory for our lives. If we are plugged into him our actions will be a reflection of his grace and mercy in our lives. He makes us stand out in the crowd because we are different than the world. We have different values and different beliefs. As he shines his bright light upon our lives we become more prone for riducule by the world. Our Lord is also our shield and will protect us from any idle word or action taken against us. Our God only works in our lives if allow him to. We pray, he answers and then we must believe. Our faith in God and his grace, mercy and protection will only happen if we stay plugged in and completely charged by the Lord. We must not allow doubt, worry or fear to steal away our wonderful gifts from God. It basically comes down to what we believe and how strongly we believe. Our source as children of God is our Lord in heaven. We must continue to stay plugged into him and stay strong in the faith. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO DO NOT TURN AWAY BECAUSE OF ME.” REV. 3:20

We are living in a world that is displaying a great hatred for God’s church. There is great turmoil in store for this world. We currently continue to live in the time of God’ grace but God’s wrath stands at the door. Until that door is opened we are to be faithful to our God in heaven. We are to be strong in faith and continue to testify on his behalf. As persecution of the church begins to unfold it becomes even harder to stand up for Jesus. However, as we continue to build our faith we become more confident in God’s mighty wisdom. It is not our desire to be in the middle of a spiritual war but that is where we are. We are living in this time of great turmoil and God has prepared us for it. We cannot allow the tools of the devil such as fear and doubt to steal away the gifts that our God has given us. ” We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Phil. 4:13. We must continue to stay strong in spreading his good news for as long as we are allowed. Remember, God will only take so much of the evil being displayed around us. His wrath is at the door. Our lord is returning for us soon! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I WILL ASK NOTHING MORE OF YOU EXCEPT THAT YOU HOLD TIGHTLY TO WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL I COME.” REVELATION 2:24-25

Our Lord has given us clear direction in these last times. No matter what is going on around us or what is being said about us, we must hold tightly to what our Lord has provided to us. He has provided many promises for what little time we have left on this earth and for what is to come in the future. We are to stay close to him and keep our minds fresh each day with his Word. If we do not, then we may stray from his word, and open ourselves up to failure. We are not to fail. We are God’s children and he has given us the tools to succeed through his son, Jesus Christ. He has sent us his precious Holy Spirit to live within us, to guide us and help us. But it is up to us to make the decision each day to praise him, to go to him in prayer and to continue to study his word. God has a plan for each of us, but unless we read his roadmap for our lives, we will wonder around aimlessly searching for his promises that are right at our fingertips. Stay close to God through prayer, praise, study of his word and by being a good listener to his voice. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” YOU ARE THE GOD OF GREAT WONDERS! YOU DEMONSTRATE YOUR AWESOME POWER AMONG THE NATIONS. ” PSALM 77:14

There is only one God who provides great wonders. That God is our loving, merciful and gracious Lord God in heaven. He performs great wonders and miracles each and everyday. He shows his great power to all of the nations and to all of us who believe. Sometimes it is easy to take God for granted or even forget about him. We must stay in touch with our Lord on a regular basis in order to not miss his wonderful power in our lives and in the lives of others. We should stay alert to the things going on around us. We need to continue to invite the Lord to intervene in our struggles. We then need to set back and take in all of the goodness and beauty he has provided. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO LOVE ME. I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME.” PSALM 91:14

Our God in heaven is such a loving God. He is merciful in all of his ways and gracious in all that he does. We are so blessed for his presence in our lives. However, there are times that we become trapped into thinking that we need to earn our salvation and the other gifts we have been given. We couldn’t be farther from the truth. Our good deeds are a product of our close relationship with the Lord. They are not a way of receiving our salvation. If we are living a life in Jesus then we are producing good deeds. We are loving others and serving others with a glad heart. Living a life in Jesus is loving him without conditions. Living a life in Jesus is trusting him in all situations and not just those we find convenient. It is so important to remember that we do not have to pay for anything we receive from God but that all we have to do is believe for it. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IF YOU CONSENT AND OBEY, YOU WILL EAT THE BEST OF THE LAND; BUT IF YOU REFUSE AND REBEL, YOU WILL BE DEVOURED BY THE SWORD.” ISAIAH 1: 19-20

The Lord our God gives us great opportunities but you and I must make our own indivdual decisions on what to accept and not to accept. Our Lord has given us a free will. He will never force himself upon us. It seems so unbelievable that we would or even could turn down any blessing or gift from the Lord. The problem is that we live in a world where belief is founded upon what is seen. To receive from God we must believe in what is unseen. We must have a faith that enables us to believe what our God is telling us, even though we may not instantly see it. This takes a lot of work and prayer on our part. We need to train ourselves to live in the spirit world rather than the physical world. We need to train ourselves to understand that we are involved in a great spiritual warefare and that if we are to belong to the winning side we need to believe what our spiritual God is telling us. We need to stay plugged into our great source, our God in heaven. He has given us great gifts and strong tools to use in our daily lives here on earth. Remember, “we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!” Phil. 4:13 PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IF YOU OBEY THE COMMANDS OF THE LORD YOUR GOD AND WALK IN HIS WAYS, THE LORD WILL ESTABLISH YOU AS HIS HOLY PEOPLE AS HE SWORE HE WOULD DO.” DEUTERONOMY 28:9

Our Lord God in heaven has promised that he will establish us as his holy people. As the Israelites were told in Deuteronomy there was a condition to this promise. That condition was to obey his commands and walk in his ways. We are no different. Our lives must reflect our Lord God and all of his goodness. Yes, we will stumble along the way. When we do we have been given Jesus to stand before God pleading our case for forgiveness. No Christian has been called to, ‘go it alone’, in their walk of faith. As we obey his commands and walk in his ways we are staying close to him. He anchors us in our times of need. His presence in our lives energizes us for the work we are to do. And, obedience brings blessings. The Lord wants us to be at the forefront and not at the tail end. We are to the head and not the tail. Stay in touch with God’s word and receive his mighty promises. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” MANY SEEK THE RULERS FAVOR, BUT JUSTICE COMES FROM THE LORD.” PROVERBS 29:26

So often we seek the approval of those around us. In this process we sometimes do things that are the opposite of what our Lord is asking us to do. There are many unjust things happening in the world. As we live our lives we sometimes find ourselves entangled in these unjustices. We find ourselves living our lives in accordance with the values and morals of this world. If we don’t stay in tune with the Lord we will continue to follow these ungodly ways. However, we must be aware that justice is coming. Justice comes from the Lord and not the world. If you are waiting for this world to become just and fair, you will have a long wait. As we continue to read God’s word we can clearly see what we are to be doing. We must have faith in him and continue to live in that faith. If we do, God will grant us a life that is faithful and one of joy and free of doubt, worry and fear. Our God will will bring justice upon the evil that the devil is so strongly displaying. Justice will soon be served. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

“I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” PHIL. 4: 13

” WHEN THEY CALL ON ME I WILL ANSWER.” PSALM 91:15

The mighty power of God comes in many different shapes, from many different directions and in many different ways. He is gracious and merciful. For those who come to him he will never fail. As we go to God in prayer God hears us and answers us. He is very clear about that in Ps. 91:15. If we believe that he hears us then we should also believe that he answers us. We should continue each day to stand upon his word, confess his promises and believe that we receive. Our God has great power and performs great miracles in our lives daily. Even through the mightiest of our struggles and fears he is there to help us. However, we must train ourselves up to put him first in all things, good or bad. We must be able to go to him first and foremost when we are going through valleys or climbing tall mountains. He will help. He will give us the strength we need to handle anything we are going through. But, we must believe we receive because he is our source. We must not allow doubt, worry or fear to overtake the belief we have built. We must continue to surround ourselves with his mighty word and his mighty promises. If we do, he guarantees us victory in our lives on this earth. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” THE SCRIPTURES ALSO SAY, ‘ YOU MUST NOT TEST THE LORD YOUR GOD.’ ” LUKE 4:12

The Lord has given us many gifts and promises. He is such a loving and gracious God. We must, however, be very careful not to test the Lord. We must be very careful not to continue to do things that go against the word of God. Yes, he does forgive us our sins but we are to confess our sins and then work hard at not committing them again. Jesus was given the opportunity, when he was tempted by the devil, to test God. The devil pushed hard in getting him to do just that. But Jesus made it clear that testing God was not a deed that we should perform. This is not magic. This is a relationship between each of us and our Lord God in heaven. A relationship that must be lived out in our lives each and every day. We should not test the Lord but instead trust the Lord! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” EVERY WORD OF THE LORD PROVES TRUE. HE IS THE SHIELD TO ALL WHO COME TO HIM FOR PROTECTION.” PROVERBS 30:5

What a statement! Every word of the Lord proves true. In order for us to take advantage of the word of God we must, not only be familiar with it, but we must be built up enough in faith to believe. The more we praise our God in heaven, the more we pray to him and the more we read his word, the closer we get to him, and the greater and stronger relationship we develop with him. We need to build a strong relationship, where we talk to him, believe him and trust him. He loves us so much that he sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to earth to suffer and die for us. He did this so that we wouldn’t have to go through the terrible death that Jesus did. A relationship is something we live and not something we are familiar with. We must believe that we receive because EVERY WORD OF THE LORD PROVES TRUE! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

“PROVE BY THE WAY YOU LIVE THAT YOU HAVE REPENTED OF YOUR SINS AND TURNED TO GOD.” LUKE 3:8

We have been put upon this earth and given a great opportunity by our God in heaven to live a long and successful life. However, in order for that to happen we must know how to live a successful life. As we continue to pray and to study God’s word we can see that being in Christ is much more than just giving lip service to the fact that we are born again. We must live the life we profess. We must follow God’s word to the letter. Without continued study and understanding of his word we will be unable to do this. We must continue to pray to him everyday and ask for direction and understanding. We must continue to praise him and give him glory for all things. We must build our faith to a point that we know that He is working in our lives for his good. When we do these things it will become natural for us to look to him for answers, for healing in our lives, and for his peace to overtake us in every situation we encounter. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” THEREFORE, HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS, THROUGH WHOM ALSO WE HAVE OBTAINED OUR INTRODUCTION BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE IN WHICH WE STAND; AND WE EXULT IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.” ROMANS 5: 1-2

Before we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior he is our enemy. We are hostile toward him because of our sin. However, on the cross, Jesus justified us, by declaring us not guilty of our transgressions. When we come to the feet of the Lord and accept him as our Lord and Savior we then have peace with God and the fruit of that peace is oneness with him. He clothes us with righteousness and sets us free so that we can have a deep, intimate relationship with him. We then move from darkness to light. We become his children and not his enemy. And, we move from death to everlasting life.

As we go through our earthly struggles, they can become overpowering and intimidating to a point of desperation. Without a deeply rooted relationship with our Lord everything seems so worthless and with no hope. It is so important that we go to our God in heaven with prayer and praise to invite him to come into our hearts and then to truly believe that we receive. We must then stay forever close to him. How close we stay is determined on what and who we surround ourselves with. If we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior then we will be going to heaven. However, to live a productive and peaceable life in this world we must listen carefully to his holy word and his Holy Spirit. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” HE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WEARY, AND TO HIM WHO LACKS MIGHT HE INCREASES POWER. ” ISAIAH 40: 29

” YET THOSE WHO WAIT FOR THE LORD WILL GAIN NEW STRENGTH; THEY WILL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GET TIRED, THEY WILL WALK AND NOT BECOME WEARY. ” ISAIAH 40:31

Paul said, ‘ for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:10) It is so important to understand that we are only strong when we are weak. You might ask how is that possible? When we are weak we are usually in situations where we are open to humbling ourselves before the Lord. When we are weak is when we put our trust in the Lord to help us and give us comfort and peace. When we are weak we are more open to separating ourselves from the problem and will be more willing to ask God to help us. When we are weak we often find ourselves backed up against the wall with no way to turn except toward Jesus. God’s weakness is stronger than men. Our God renews and strengthens those who are weak. He is the one who empowers us to perservere. He is the one who lifts us up and revitalizes us. He may put family and friends in our path to help us or he may use angels to provide holy protection for us. No matter the tools he uses, we must first go to him. We must think of him as our total source for strength, peace and the love for others. He is our source. If we don’t believe or make efforts to include him in whatever our endeveors are, we will eventually fail. We are fighting a spiritual battle. The devil hates us and will make sure we fail at whatever we do. The Lord has provided us with a way out. He has provided Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. All we have to do is make an effort and invite him in. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND PROFITABLE FOR TEACHING, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS; SO THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE ADEQUATE, EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.” 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17

” DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE, AND THOSE WHO LOVE IT WILL EAT ITS FRUIT.” PROVERBS 18:21

The Word of God is a very powerful roadmap for our lives. Every word within its boundries was breathed by God himself. God gave us his word for a very important reason; to grow spiritually. The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to rebuke and correct us when do wrong. He uses his word to train us up in his righteousness, to equip us to do his will and to grow us into his image so that we can become effective representitives for the gospel. As we continue to read his word, the Holy Spirit will continue to show us what direction we are to go. As we learn about the Word of God and his many promises, we should be confessing and standing on his promises. The words that come out of our mouths come from our heart. So, what have we filled our heart with? Have we filled it with doubt, worry and fear? If we have negative thoughts and apply negative words, the devil will use these against us. However, if we become entrenched in God’s Word and speak with authority, his words will be strengthened in us and our hearts will be filled with love, peace and his many promises. He will fill our lives with many good and loving gifts. We will then be living our lives through Christ and not the ways of the world. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” FOR THE LORD WILL NOT ABANDON HIS PEOPLE ON ACCOUNT OF HIS GREAT NAME, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS BEEN PLEASED TO MAKE YOU A PEOPLE FOR HIMSELF.” 1 SAMUAL 12:22

Throughout God’s word we see the Lord reaching out to his people, revealing himself to them, desiring to be with them, and communicating with them. He promises never to forsake those who respond to him in the same way. Samual considered it a sin if he should stop praying for his fellow Israelites ( 1 Samual 12:23). We are no different. If we are listening to the Spirit within us we should be living our life for God. We should love one another and continue to pray for one another. Being alone is a terrible thing. The Lord has promised that he is always with us. We need do stay in prayer to him and stay close to him. We should always pray for the needs of others and always be there for them. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN TO GOD'”

” AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL COMPREHENSION, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.”

” FINALLY, BRETHERN, WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS RIGHT, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, WHATEVER IS OF GOOD REPUTE, IF THERE IS EXCELLENCE AND IF ANYTHING WORTHY OF PRAISE, DWELL ON THESE THINGS.

THE THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED AND RECEIVED AND HEARD AND SEEN IN ME, PRACTICE THESE THINGS, AND THE GOD OF PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU.” PHILIPPIANS 4: 6-9

If we set back and analyze the magnitude of the problems we face each day, we will become so frustrated and overwhelmed that life will not seem worth living. There is absolutly no way that we have the capacity to overcome even the simplist if issues. Anxiety, depression, bitterness, unforgivness and all other worldly pressures disappear when we learn to take our concerns to God and leave them at his feet. We as children of God stand the tallest when we are on our knees before our God in heaven. We must become totally trusting and submitted in our Father. How in the world is it possible to be positive, secure and and peaceful throughout our times of crisis. In the world we are persecuted, lied to, overwhelmed with fear, sadness, doubt, worry and so many other attacks of the devil. We can overcome these things by becoming deeply rooted in God. We need to surround ourselves with the things of our Lord. We must not allow our minds to wander into the things of the world. When we sucuumb to the ways of the Lord we will have a sense of calmness and confidence within us. We must dwell on the things of God and not the negative things of the world. The only way we can do this is by building our faith daily to a point of selling out to him. We cannot be of the world sometimes and then in God’s word other times. Being in Jesus is more than just reading the Bible. It is more than just memorizing scripture. It is more than just going to church each Sunday and then living in the world the rest of the week. Being in Christ is a way of life that is never ending. We need to sell out to Him trusting him in all he says. We must first acknowledge him as our Lord and Savior and then begin to surround ourselves with him! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” BUT WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, COMES, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL THE TRUTH; FOR HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, BUT WHATEVER HE HEARS, HE WILL SPEAK; AND HE WILL DISCLOSE TO YOU WHAT IS TO COME.” JOHN 16:13

In all of our inadequacies , the Holy Spirit lives in us to meet our needs in ways that honor God. He draws us to salvation and energizes us, He convicts us when we sin and teaches us to live in right standing with God. In everything God calls us to do the Holy Spirit equips us and empowers us to accomplish it.

As believers we must understand that the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells us. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as an everlasting promise that God will never leave us. We are never alone. The Holy Spirit is always with us. He helps in us in several ways:

1. PRACTICAL: He warns us of troubles ahead and helps us to succeed in our lives. He knows exactly how much strength, wisdom and resources we need for whatever is ahead;
2. PERSONAL: He knows you even better than you know yourself. He knows exactly what you need to grow in Christ;
3. AVAILABLE: The Holy Spirit never sleeps. He is there constantly working in you for your good;
4. DEPENDABLE: There is absolutely no problem that God cannot handle. The Holy Spirit will help you to not only get through your heartaches but will also use your problems and burdens to teach you about the love, wisdom and power of God.

When you don’t know what to pray, He will intervene for you, when you feel inadequate, He will strengthen you with gifts to help you live a Christian life, and when you don’t understand, He will shed the light of understanding and reveal it to you. Therefore, we should not hinder the working of the Holy Spirit. He is our helper, and His guidance is there for the asking. Whenever you need Him, pray, listen, follow His direction, and confidently obey his instructions. Rest assured, He will never lead you astray. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

“FOR ALL THINGS ARE FOR YOUR SAKES, SO THAT THE GRACE WHICH IS SPREADING TO MORE AND MORE PEOPLE MAY CAUSE THE GIVING OF THANKS TO ABOUND TO THE GLORY OF GOD.” 2 CORINTHIANS 4:15

” THEREFORE WE DO NOT LOSE HEART, BUT THOUGH OUR OUTER MAN IS DECAYING, YET OUR INNER MAN IS BEING RENEWED DAY BY DAY.” 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16

It is so important that we praise our Lord and give thanks to him everyday. No matter the situation we should be giving glory to God. No matter the struggles we have or the mountains we are climbing, we should be praising our God in heaven daily. As we continue to live our lives in this world we all have a destiny of decaying bodies. However, the Lord provides us with hope. We have eternal life in him and he assures us that though our current body is starting to crumble that our inner man is be renewed each day. In order for that to happen we need to continue in his presence each and everyday. We need to be humble and continue to depend upon him for our resources in this life. The good news is that our dark moments in life will only last as long as it takes for God to accomplish his purpose. If we are totally committed to him we will be blessed with a stronger relationship with him, stronger than we could ever think possible. So, whenever we experience troubles, struggles or huge mountains in our lives, we should trust him and thank him for what he is doing and we should commit to honoring him in all things. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” YOU ARE MY SERVANT, I HAVE CHOSEN YOU AND NOT REJECTED YOU. ” ISAIAH 41:9

” DO NOT FEAR, I AM WITH YOU; DO NOT ANXIOUSLY LOOK ABOUT YOU, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU, SURELY I WILL HELP YOU, SURELY I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND.” ISAIAH 41:10

Our Lord in heaven explains himself very well. He is our God. Because of that we are not to become anxious about anything. He says he will give us strength and help us in any and every situation. We must, however, remember to take our issues, our concerns, our problems and struggles to him in prayer. I know that I have learned over time, that taking my concerns to the Lord does not have to be a lengthy ordeal. I can stop what I might be doing, and address him quickly in a conversation. The Lord wants us to have him first and foremost in front of all our problems. It isn’t that he doesn’t want us to share our struggles with others, or go to them for advise. He just wants to be first. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” LET US DRAW NEAR WITH A SINCERE HEART IN FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH, HAVING OUR HEARTS SPRINKLED CLEAN FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE AND OUR BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER.” HE. 10:22

“LET US HOLD FAST THE CONFESSION OF OUR HOPE WITHOUT WAVERING, FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL” HE. 10:23

Faith does not come easy. As humans we need to see the proof before we will believe. Faith works in the opposite fashion. We have all been given the same measure of faith but we must each develop and expand our own faith in order to become closer to God. In Hebrews 10:23 we see that our God in heaven is faithful. We cannot walk in complete faith until we begin walking in his faith. We must begin to have faith in his promises and remember that he is true to his word. As we begin to make this walk, God will begin to work in our lives to the extent of providing opportunties for us to grow in him. We must not waver in our faith but instead keep our focus on God and what he offers. He is faithful and we must become faithful. Working on strengthening our faith walk is a never ending process. We must confess our faith and walk closer to our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST; AND IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME; AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR ME.” GALATIANS 2:20

Our God is not some character made up for a fairy tale. Our God in heaven is alive and well. How do we know that? Well, he has given us prophecy throughout hundreds and thousands of years that has been miraculously fulfilled. He has given us his Word that has been transcribed throughout the ages, by many different spirit filled people, both from the old and new testament. The bible tells us that God’s word is living and active. And, most of all, he has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth and died a grueling death on the cross, for our sins, our salvations and our healings. God has sent his precious Holy Spirit to live within us and give us guidance on how to live our lives. God is the definition of Love. He is love. God asks each and everyone of us to build up our most holy faith and trust him in all situations. Hebrews 11:6 says, ” AND WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM, FOR HE WHO COMES TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.” Our God is not a fairy tale. He is our Father in heaven who loves us very much. We need to love him unconditionally just as he loves us. We need to believe and trust in him. He has given each of us a free will. He will not push himself on us. We can either choose the world and it’s ways or the Lord in heaven who loves us without wavering. Believe that you receive because God is your source. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” THEREFORE, PREPARE YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION, KEEP SOBER IN SPIRIT, FIX YOUR HOPE COMPLETELY ON THE GRACE TO BE BROUGHT TO YOU AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.” 1 PETER 1:13

” AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN, DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THE FORMER LUSTS WHICH WERE YOURS IN YOUR IGNORANCE, BUT BE HOLY YOURSELVES ALSO IN ALL YOUR BEHAVIOR; BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN , ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY’.” 1 PETER 1:14-16

Actions are the result of thoughts within us. If we give way to the lust of the flesh, or other evil thoughts, we are giving the devil opportunity to enter our lives with corruption and evil desires. He will use our weaknesses against us and provide us opportunites to take action upon those thoughts. Our Lord God addresses this situation by telling us to prepare our minds for action. We are to fix our hopes and thoughts upon things of God. We should continue to surround ourselves with the things of our Lord as often as we can. If we continue to read God’s word and pray to him we can continue to build our faith. We are told that we are to be obedient and not return to our ways as they were before our salvation. Through our salvation we have been transformed into a new creature. If we stay close to the Lord we will desire more of him and we will begin to change our thought processes and our actions will reflect upon our Lord God. It is important that we work hard at this. The devil and his demons are working hard to make sure we stay separated from the Lord. However, if we praise our Lord and stay in conversation with him daily we will want to be like him and strive for that result. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!