Tag Archives: Inspiration

Romans 8:9 – The Holy Spirit Lives In Us

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God is a Triune God. He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were forgiven of our sins and received the Holy Spirit in our being. He dwells in us. As the scripture states, the Spirit we received brought about our adoption to sonship.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him, we cry,“Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:14-16

This means that we, carnal man, by the power of Divine grace has been made subject to Gods law, but as humans, we must always strive to control our sin nature. We must question our actions, listen to the Spirit (the quiet voice) when we are preparing to stray and develop a heart for carrying out the Word in our daily lives.

The Holy Spirit is our pathfinder, our guide, and our teacher. If we pay attention to His urgings we will avoid many of the pitfalls the devil lays before us, attempting to divert our walk, and undermine our ability to fulfill our destiny.

Just as we abide by our parent’s rules, it is even more important to abide by the Word of God. First God, then family, and all else follows. In short, if we abide in His Word we are on the path to spiritual maturity.

If we fail, falter, or sin in any manner, i.e., ignore the Holy Spirit who dwells in us we can repent, and God will forgive us, giving us another opportunity to suppress our sin nature, regain our footing and continue to walk down the path to spiritual maturity.

Praise our God, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and our God is a God of countless chances.

This coming Monday is Labor Day in the USA, a long weekend for those who work. I hope everyone, here and abroad has a safe, wonderful weekend.

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Photo by Burst on Pexels.com

Images – Google Images; Burst, Pexels.com

Scripture – Biblegateway.com

Resource/References – Biblestudytool.com, Romans 8

Thank you for visiting my Young Christian Warriors site and dailyinspiration-lisasthoughts.com, at the moment there is some duplication. I am working on merging the two to create one great site. Please bear with me through this process.

Refuge Is Always Near

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I find comfort in knowing that when things become hectic, our God gives us strength and resolve. He welcomes us into His refuge and settles us in a calm, peaceful state.

His refuge is a place we flee to in times of trouble, danger, anxiety,  or simply uncertainty. Generally speaking, if we are fleeing to a place of safety, we are fleeing from a place of discomfort and insecurity. God is aware of our plights in life and created a place of strength and security.

It is ours to seek when we choose. Our level of discomfort does not determine when we can access His refuge. It is always available to us.  We were not created to live life using our own strength; we are created to need God’s strength. We can call upon the Lord to protect us and strengthen our resolve at any time, day or night. Our faith unlocks the door to His refuge.

According to Bible scholars, the term refuge means a place we flee from, and a place we flee to. To broaden the connotation,

we flee from:

~Misunderstandings
~Obstacles
~Provocation
~Change
~Sin
~Sorrow
~Disappointment
~Uncertainty
~Peril

and we flee to:

~A safe place
~A place of trust
~A secure place
~A shelter
~A sanctuary
~An asylum

Prayer

God, thank you for making Yourself known to me. Thank you for your power, Your might, Your Strength. Help me to never doubt Your strength but to rely on it every minute of every day. Please continue to reveal Yourself to me. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Images – YouVersion.Bible.com

Resource/References – Biblestudytool.com; 100 Names of God, Daily Devotional. Christopher D. Hudson. 2015 (Prayer paraphrased.)

Thank you for visiting my Young Christian Warriors site and dailyinspiration-lisasthoughts.com. At the moment there is some duplication. I am working on merging the two to create one great site. Please bear with me through this process.

Why We Should Anoint Ourselves, Family, Homes, and Workplace

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There are many doctrines that interpret the Bible to authenticate their belief structures. Therefore, there are different beliefs about spiritual welfare and anointing yourself, your family and your home. I believe God gave us the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions. Luke wrote in 10:19,

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

We have the authority to overcome our enemies.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12,

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Paul clearly stated that there are rulers of darkness that fight to keep us in darkness, harms way, and confusion.

David wrote in Psalm 34:7,

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.”

David said that the Lord encamps around us. His angels surround us and protect us. We are delivered from the forces of evil.

In Ephesians 6:10-18, we are told to put on all the Armor of God to protect our spirit from attacks of the evil one and his demons. We have the power to cover ourselves, our children, our family and our homes through the Word of God.

If we submit ourselves to God’s Word, we can resist the devil. We can command him to flee or depart from us, our family members, and our home. James wrote in 4:7,

“Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

According to Strong’s Complete Expository Bible, to anoint in this instance means, to symbolically use the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word and the use of oil. I have witnessed and anointed my home and place of work, and family by touching them and the premises with oil and praying out loud. The Word of God is no match for evil spirits. They flee when they know you are a believer and will use the Word to ward them off. The Word gives us power. Declaring the Word of God, in prayer, is our weapon.

There was a time in my life when I did not believe in anointing as a method of protection against the evil one. I was skeptical of the power (Word) of God changing the atmosphere. But, as I studied, I began to understand what the term atmosphere means in the Bible. There are spiritual battles that take place in two atmospheres. One is physical, we can see, smell, hear, touch and taste. The other is spiritual. We cannot see it in the natural, we can not experience it with our natural senses. Ephesians  6:12 says, we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

The atmosphere of holiness, purity, praise, worship, prayer, love, and unity attract the Holy Spirit – just as an atmosphere of lust, drunkenness, anger, and hatred attracts demonic spirits. (Monticello.com)

When I began to anoint my place of work, I could immediately see the atmosphere from one of tension to one of kindness. The same is true at home. If differing opinions created heated tempers, anointing the home would change the atmosphere. When attacks on a loved one occurred, anointing them provided a protective shield and the attacks no longer had power. This is especially important for children who are bullied and treated poorly by schoolmates.

It is important to choose when to anoint to cover long periods of time and when to pray out loud to immediately extinguish the evil surrounding you, your family, place of work or home. Praying out loud does not mean that you must yell, others do not need to know what you are doing. The same is true of anointing. You can pray in a quiet, whisper. You can anoint yourself and then place your hands on your cubical, office and halls while praying in a very non-obvious manner.

The important thing is to remember that you have power. The Word is your power and using it to ward off evil spirits is God’s promise to give us the authority to overcome evil. It is equally important to understand that when we pray the Word we to overcome the spiritual resistance that is desired to derail the plan that God has for our lives.

The battlefield exists in both atmospheres, we must always be aware and diligent to protect ourselves and others using prayer. “The danger on the battlefield is that we do not take the enemy seriously and therefore fail to put on all the Armor of God before we take another step. We should put on the armor before we anoint anyone or thing because at this point we have entered spiritual warfare. By faith, we put on the armor through prayer, which must be done at the beginning of each day. We can never underestimate the strategy and strength of the devil. ( Wiersbe, pp. 776.)

We must believe that evil exists, the devil (evil) lives in darkness, wherever there is spiritual darkness, there is evil operating through people. Satan’s sole purpose is to destroy our relationship with the Lord and doom us to hell. Through faith we are overcomers. Through faith, our prayers and symbolic oil, have the power to anoint our family, self, home, and place of work to change the atmosphere and ward off the evil of the day that affects us in the most uncanny ways.

How to Anoint Self:

Pray over your olive oil. Touch your fingertips to your head, mouth, eyes, nose, ears, hands and feet. Pray that you will be cleansed, and renew your commitment to God. If you are anointing yourself for a special occasion, reflect on the occasion and pray.

Prayer:

I anoint myself in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As I anoint myself with this oil, so too anoint my body, soul, spirit, and mind
with your grace, mercy, forgiveness, power, strength, wisdom, patience, authority, and light. Thank you, Father, for covering me in the Blood. Thank you for protecting me against the evil one as I pray and anoint say the person’s name, or place e.g., living room, kitchen, home, or office. In Jesus’ Name, I praise your Holy Name. Amen

How to Anoint Home:

How To Do A Prayer Walk Through Your Home. Faithfullycommitted.com, 04/12/2017 How to Anoint Your Home With Oil. kcm.org

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Photo by Essow Kedelina on Pexels.com

Images – Google Images

Scriptures – Biblegateway.com, all scriptures in the Post are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV)

Resource/References – Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary; Prayers that Rout Demons, by John Eckhardt; Nelson’s Quick Reference by Warren Wiersbe; Monticelloyouth.com

Visit my Young Christian Warriors site. The earliest Posts were written to help parents guide and train their children to access the Word of God to direct their steps. Later Posts were written for everyone, though I believe the Posts to parents can serve as reminders for all ages.

Thank you for spending time on my sites, if you like what you are reading, follow me, dailyinspiration-lisasthoughts.com and receive the daily inspirations in your inbox, or visit my other site, youngchristianwarriors.com and subscribe.

Pray, Believe, Receive

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Mark 11 24

How many of us were raised thinking Mark 11:24 was about praying for and acquiring goods, products or services, you know, stuff from God? The truth is, this scripture is not about praying for and acquiring things. It is about developing an ongoing conversation with God.

“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24 NLT

The scripture is about faith, belief, and relationship. It’s about God’s Omnipotent power. It is also a lesson about our faith in God, who provides all that He has for us. It is about building confidence in the fact that God is our Father and knows all there is to know about us and more. God knows what our material needs are, after all, he created us before he called this universe into being. He knew our challenges, pitfalls, and successes long before we were born. He gave us free will to navigate our paths. He knows our destinations, and as my VP used to share, he knows our stops on the way to our destination. This scripture is about encouragement. The encouragement to develop a daily conversation with God seeking his love, guidance, forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Once we develop a pattern of spiritual thinking, we can ask for anything in faith, knowing that God meets our needs.

Please pay attention to the term ‘needs.’ God provides what we need, not necessarily what we want. If we pray for our wants and they do not equate to needs that move us in the direction of spiritual maturity, they may not be granted. However, on the other hand, if we pray in confidence that God provides for our needs, then the expectation of receiving anything else is not considered as an option. Praying is the process of establishing our relationship with our Father, communing with him as we do with our best friend, confident that He will not let us down.

Matthew Henry puts it this way; All true Christians are endued with faith, which doeth wonders in things spiritual. Matthew Henry puts it this way, to that faith of miracles which the apostles and first preachers of the gospel were we endued with, which did wonders in things natural, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out devils; these were, in effect, the removing of mountains. The apostles speak of a faith which would do that, and yet might be found where holy love was not, 1 Co. 13:2 . [2.] It may be applied to that miracle of faith, which all true Christians are endued with, which doeth wonders in things spiritual. It justifies us (Rom. 5:1 ), and so removes the mountains of guilt, and casts them into the depths of the sea, never to rise in judgment against us, Mic. 7: 19. It purifies the heart (Acts. 15:9 ), and so removes mountains of corruption, and makes them plains before the grace of God, Zec. 4: 7. It is by faith that the world is conquered, Satan’s fiery darts are quenched, a soul is crucified with Christ, and yet lives; by faith we set the Lord always before us, and see him that is invisible, and have him present to our minds; and this is effectual to remove mountains, for at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, the mountains were not only moved but removed, Ps. 114:4-7 .(2.) To this is added here that necessary qualification of the prevailing prayer, that we freely forgive those who have been any way injurious to us and be in charity with all men (v. 25, v. 26); When ye stand to pray, forgive.  (BibleStudyTools.com)

As I was reading and studying this scripture and the two preceding ones I realized that I had been praying this prayer incorrectly. I used it to pray for things rather than to establish and strengthen my relationship with God. The scriptures throughout the Bible inform us that God moves mountains, manifests miracles, provides food, clothing, and provisions to survive. He does these things because He promised us He would, not because we asked in prayer.

The asking (in prayer) is our way of announcing that we have faith and confidence to petition requests to Him knowing that He has heard and will manifest what is needed in our lives. Once we understand Mark 11:24, we enter into a more mature relationship with God and ‘revelation’ will become a more frequent occurrence when studying the Bible.

The caveat announced in Mark 11:25, is that if we ask and have not forgiven others who have sinned against us, we ask God in vain because He must first forgive us before he answering our prayers.

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22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Trulya]”>[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Mark 11:22-25 NKJV

I’ve learned that when studying a specific scripture it is important to read it in context which means reading the scriptures before and after the scripture we intend to use in prayer and when possible read a variety of commentaries about the scriptural package.

Ask yourself, how often do I pray amiss? Should I study scriptures more in-depth than simply reading them and adding them to my prayer tools?

Images – Google Images; LAB Photos

Scripture – Bible.com; Biblestudyhtools.com

Visit my Young Christian Warriors site. The earliest Posts were written to help parents guide and train their children to access the Word of God to direct their steps. Later Posts were written for everyone, though I believe the Posts to parents can serve as reminders for all ages.

Thank you for spending time on my sites, if you like what you are reading, follow me, dailyinspiration-lisasthoughts.com and receive the daily inspirations in your inbox, or visit my other site, youngchristianwarriors.com and subscribe.

Relationship Balance

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So many marriages and partnerships fail today because we run astray of their intent. Marriages and partnerships are negotiated like business deals. Love and commitment only survive as long as the ‘deal’ supports the contract. When situations arise that are not part of the deal, people bail out, unwilling to sit down and work through life’s challenges. I am reading a 6 Day Devotional Plan in Bible.com entitled, What Hinders Answers to Your Prayer by Dr. Michael Youssef, ltw.org.

I married in the early 1970’s when marriage was neither binding or eternal. ‘Shacking’ or cohabiting, going to the justice of the peace, or marrying in a church were one and the same. Relationships were negotiated, the commitment was agreed upon, and partner swapping and multiple partners were embraced as a part of the times. Communal living was part of the acceptable experimental norm. Walking away was written in as an accepted norm.

Our society, the human community, has suffered dramatically from this breakdown. Today, more than 40% of marriages (in the US) end in divorce. In 2012, the average marriage lasted 8 years.

I feel we should all read this devotional study, if for no other reason than referring to it as a reminder of who we are in Christ and the expectations for our lives.

The Delicate Balance
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

In the Garden of Eden, God gave the first man an incredible gift: a wife. She was the one who fit him perfectly – custom-designed by God to be his ultimate partner in life. But marriage is not automatic. It must be maintained. Husbands and wives must live out their callings as God intends. Otherwise, things get off-balance, and it’s not only the marriage relationship that suffers.

It’s a delicate balance in a Christian marriage, like a chemical formula. Husbands are to love their wives sacrificially, and wives to submit to their loving sacrifice willingly. If these two ingredients are not balanced, the marriage relationship gets out of whack. And sometimes a mistake in the formula can burn the whole chemistry set. Peter counsels husbands to guard this delicate balance “so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7).

It’s not only the marriage relationship that suffers when we abandon God’s design. The husband’s relationship with God suffers, and so does his wife’s.

Back in the Garden, we see this very scenario play out. When Satan spins his lies and tempts Eve to taste the forbidden fruit, where is Adam? The Bible tells us he is right beside his wife (Genesis 3:6)!

Adam knew God’s command and the consequences of their failure. To love his wife like Christ, Adam needed to confront the serpent and his lies and remind Eve of God’s goodness. But Adam failed her. What was the result? They lost the close relationship with God that they had enjoyed in the Garden.

Satan is powerless if we will keep our eyes on Jesus. But if we allow the enemy to gain a foothold in any part of our lives, including marriage, our relationship with God will suffer.

Husbands, are you loving your wives as Christ loved the church? Wives, are you submitting to your husbands, as you do to the Lord? If your relationship is not being lived out according to God’s design, ask for His forgiveness and take the necessary steps to bring your relationship into alignment with His will. As soon as repentance, confession, and restoration of that marriage formula takes place, joy is restored. And you can be confident that your relationship is not a hindrance, but a gateway to communion with your heavenly Father.

Prayer: Father, show me the ways in which I need to nurture my marriage and restore and maintain the beautiful, delicate balance that You have designed. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“To this, you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

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Images – Google Images; Bible.com

Scripture – Bible.com

Visit my Young Christian Warriors site. The earliest Posts were written to help parents guide and train their children to access the Word of God to direct their steps. Later Posts were written for everyone, though I believe the Posts to parents can serve as reminders for all ages.

Thank you for spending time on my sites, if you like what you are reading, follow me, dailyinspiration-lisasthoughts.com and receive the daily inspirations in your inbox, or visit my other site, youngchristianwarriors.com and subscribe.

Ask. Seek. Find. Receive.

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We all communicate with God through prayer, petitioning/asking Him for things to meet our needs, but what does the scripture really mean? I think we read these scriptures incorrectly. We assume we can ask for material things, that God is a box store like Macy’s or Harrod’s, or Amazon online. We read it in a secular sense and respond in a secular sense.

We often approach God asking like children with the ‘give me’s’, you know – ‘give me this, give me that.’ The truth is, prayer is the basis for approaching our Lord and asking for his mercy and his grace. It is a spiritual dialogue. Matthew 6:25- 33, paraphrased, says do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. We cannot add a single hour to our lives through worry. Our Father knows what we need. He created us before the earth and all that is on it. He knew us before we were born. He knows our destiny and the exploration of our life. There is little need to make these types of requests if we do not first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. If we begin in faith, all the things we need will be given to us.

If we ask according to the will of God in the name of Christ, under the direction, guidance, and influence of the Spirit, in faith and fear, with submission to the divine will, we shall have what we ask for, not because we deserve it, but as a gift from God. God’s gifts are in reference to our needs, as he sees them, not necessarily what we want. The two are not necessarily synonymous.

“God will always give us good things. Our job is to understand what is good so that we know what to ask for. The natural mind cannot understand this. But, when we offer ourselves as “a living sacrifice” and are transformed by the renewing of our minds, then we “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1–2). Then, asking for what we need in faith, we will have all we need for life and godliness and fullness of joy (John 16:24).” [Gotquestions.org] The scripture, knocking, seeking, finding and receiving is so much more than crying out to meet our daily needs, though if our wants are in line with His needs to move us forward, they will be granted.

The key is – When we seek God’s face and favor in prayer, we shall find Him. When we knock, we are knocking at the door of mercy; faith is our door knocker. When the door is opened, we receive God’s grace and mercy used to assist us in time of need. Seeking is the object of our prayer. The door that is opened, is the door to our salvation.

God

Images – Google Images; Bible.com

Scripture – Bible.com; Crosswalk.com

Resources – studylight.org/commentary/Matthew/7-8;Bible.com/Matthew/6:25-33; gotquestions.org/What did Jesus mean when He said, “Ask and you shall receive”?

Visit my Young Christian Warriors site. The earliest Posts were written to help parents guide and train their children to access the Word of God to direct their steps. Later Posts were written for everyone, though I believe the Posts to parents can serve as reminders for all ages.

Thank you for spending time on my sites, if you like what you are reading, follow me, dailyinspiration-lisasthoughts.com and receive the daily inspirations in your inbox, or visit my other site, youngchristianwarriors.com and subscribe.