With Him

     God works through our struggles and through our weaknesses. The most difficult times in our lives remind us of our need for God. As we grow in our faith, we know we can trust Him with everything. Not only that, Jesus says, we can do nothing without Him.

“I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do nothing. John 15:5

    We are helpless without Him, floundering throughout life, with no firm foundation. We can do nothing without Him, but WITH Him, we can do anything!

I can do all things, with Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

     Need some extra strength today? Wondering how to get through the day? Rely on Him. Give it all to Christ. With Him, all things are possible.

Jesus,

We turn to You today. You are the vine and we are the branches. Prune away the dead parts of our lives and let us bear more fruit for You. Give us the inner strength to do what matters.

Amen

He Is Greater

     There are days I believe I am going crazy. How about you? I deal with anxiety and have, off and on, for most of my life. Luckily, it does not strike often anymore. When it does, it almost completely paralyzes me with dread and fear. It seems impossible to escape. My heart races. I can’t sleep. I wonder if I should go in to the doctor. It is frightening.

     Of course, I run to Jesus. In the middle of the night, I plead for help. I speak Scriptures to myself over and over. I know that the Word of God holds great power and life. Peace eventually returns.

     When do you feel most helpless? How does Satan attack you? He knows all of our weaknesses and he sneaks around waiting for an opportune moment to strike. After he tempted Jesus, and Jesus defeated him with His Word, this is what Scripture tells us about Satan’s wily ways.

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left Him until an opportune time. Luke 4;13

     He waits for opportune times in all of our lives, waiting to pounce.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

     Be alert. Remember, you are a child of the Most-High God. Satan detests us and does not want us to spread the news about Christ. He wants to tear us down at all costs. Be alert and always remember, Satan is not an equal of Jesus. The One we serve is mightier and the Word is our sword.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in this world. 1 John 4:4

Father,

Remind us of Your great power to defeat our enemy. You are the one within us and there is no greater power in heaven or on earth. Even though the devil has temporary power in this world, You are in control. Keep us safe and at peace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Spirit Power

     Walking in the Spirit is a constant battle, isn’t it? We get distracted. Satan is always up to his old tricks of deceit, putting thoughts in our head, lying to us to make us believe him rather than God. Our flesh cries out and the spirit fights back. As we mature in our faith and rely more and more on the power of Christ available to us, we can remain more and more at peace, filled with the constant joy of Jesus.

     The song “It Is Well With My Soul,” is a reminder of what we have in Jesus. Our souls, the very deepest part of us, can be at peace throughout our lives, knowing we are not at home. Our home is with Jesus and one day, all things will become new and we will live forever in His presence. Keep that deep down in your soul at all times. The joy and peace of Christ is not of this world. It is beyond it. And the Holy Spirit within will continue to grow us in that wisdom. All we need to do is ask.

     Ask for His guidance every day. Ask for help when you feel helpless. Ask for power when you feel weak. Ask for wisdom when you don’t understand. Ask for peace when you are in turmoil. Ask for joy when you are downcast. Ask for patience when you can’t take it anymore! Ask for a heart of love when hatred is all around. It is there, just for the asking, the power of the Spirit lives in you.

Let’s end the week with this verse as a prayer:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Amen!

Spirit Power

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

     Is it possible to keep in step with the Spirit? What does that look like? It means following Christ when it is difficult, doing the right thing when our flesh wants to do what it wants to do, taking time to be with the Lord when we are busy, sharing love when we are angry, using our struggles to share a testimony. It is life lived abundantly with the power of the Holy Spirit.

     We can’t do it in our human flesh. It HAS to be supernatural, impossible in our humanity. Oh, but God offers us so much more, when we allow Him to work within us.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

     I don’t know about you, but I want to tap into those heavenly blessings. They are beyond the world in which we live, yet they are made available to us. Ask God to lavish you with His love and blessings today as we listen for the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Spirit Power

     Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you all things about Jesus. As you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will open your eyes, ears and heart to His truth. The Word of God is able to teach us and bring us to new revelation, to new purpose, to a change in life. There may be an eye-opening moment, a verse that leaps off the page, or a deep peace when praying. The words of our Lord. Jesus speak about the promised Holy Spirit.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26    

     The Holy Spirit is our teacher, our counselor, our advocate. He anoints us with His power to represent our Lord.

As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-just as it has taught you, remain in Him. 1 John 2:27

     We are anointed with His power as He teaches us all things. We are to remain in Jesus. What an exciting adventure!

Father,

How do we thank You for Your Holy Spirit? His power works in us and through us as we remain rooted in Jesus, in relationship, in prayer and in study. Give us the wisdom to seek You at all times.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Spirit Power

          The Holy Spirit resides within us to teach us, to guide us, to grow us in our faith. Is He welcomed into your own life? There is so much we miss out on as we ignore His work and listen to the world around us. It is impossible to grow in Christ without time and commitment. Commitment to His Word, to worship, to prayer, to relationship. Spending time with God changes everything!

     The seeds of the Spirit need to be nurtured. God calls the power of the Holy Spirit, “fruit.” The fruit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self=control. (Galatians 5) We need to water those seeds until they mature. And the Spirit will give us power, supernatural power to move about in the world.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

     Love, power and self-discipline. Believe in the power of the Holy Spirit today.

Father,

We long to grow in the Holy Spirit’s power, to be less timid as we share Your love, to be disciplined in faith, to walk with You and not against You every single day. Show us how.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Spirit Power

    When we first believe in Christ, we are immediately sealed with His Holy Spirit. Nothing can ever take away our salvation, our eternal home. Christ died for us while we were sinners and offers us this free gift. Last week we talked about faith. That is all He asks. We are guaranteed eternity!

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

     Take in the wonder of the verses above. We are sealed forever with the Holy Spirit. We are guaranteed a heavenly, perfect home forever. This week we will talk about the Holy Spirit’s work in us from now to eternity. Praise God!

Jesus,

The very Holy Spirit of God resides within us when we believe. The gift is beyond our human thought. Teach us this week the power we have available and the ways we can grow to be more like You.

Amen