Tag: fear not

Standing Confidently in the Storm

Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

One thing that we can all be certain of is that during the course of our lives we will encounter storms. We can even expect at times that the winds and the waves of our personal storms will be overwhelming to us. But the Lord, as He did with the apostles during their storms, challenges us to fear not and to live by faith in Him.

God expects us to be so confident in Him that in any crisis we are the reliable ones. What a great statement we make to the world when we stand confidently and peacefully during our greatest times of trial. When the worldly see us under stress with an utter lack of fear and uncertainty, how can they not be moved? As faithful Christians, when we respond with confidence in Our Lord’s promises to make us conquerors over all things, we turn our trials into wonderful testimonies to the world around us.

Let us commit to standing tall when God allows us to be tried. Let us be resolute in our faith. Let us decree the promises of Our most faithful Lord that He will provide us with the strength to endure every storm we encounter.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the faith to face all of our trials with confidence in the victory that You will provide. We praise You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for us so that we can be victorious over all the evil that comes against us. We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us so that we may live our lives in the fullness of the faith that You have given us. May those around us be moved by our faith. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

Declaring the Promises of the Lord

Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

One thing that we can all be certain of is that during the course of our lives we will encounter storms. We can even expect at times that the winds and the waves of our personal storms will be overwhelming to us. But the Lord, as He did with the apostles during their storms, challenges us to fear not and to live by faith in Him.

God expects us to be so confident in Him that in any crisis we are the reliable ones. What a great statement we make to the world when we stand confidently and peacefully during our greatest times of trial. When the worldly see us under stress with an utter lack of fear and uncertainty, how can they not be moved? As faithful Christians, when we respond with confidence in Our Lord’s promises to make us conquerors over all things, we turn our trials into wonderful testimonies to the world around us.

Let us commit to standing tall when God allows us to be tried. Let us be resolute in our faith. Let us decree the promises of Our most faithful Lord that He will provide us with the strength to endure every storm we encounter.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the faith to face all of our trials with confidence in the victory that You will provide. We praise You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for us so that we can be victorious over all the evil that comes against us. We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us so that we may live our lives in the fullness of the faith that You have given us. May those around us be moved by our faith. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

The One Who is Faithful and True

Hebrews 13:6
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

The Lord is our helper. He is our mighty King, but He is also our humble servant because of His promises to us. He is able to help in ways that we cannot imagine. He is our helper when there is no one else there to help. His help is always suitable, seasonable and sufficient.

Jesus promises to be Our Helper, but He also commands that we hold Him to His promises. As written in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

As the Lord commands, do we see Him in all that we do? If we do, there should be no doubt or drudgery in any task. For in every task we should find the power and the joy of Jesus. If we are experiencing a lack of joy in our circumstances, then we are not believing Jesus for His promise to take our burdens. If we are doubting the outcome of our efforts, then we are not believing Jesus for His promise to never forsake us.

Let us be strong and courageous. Let us make Jesus Christ our foundation. Let us learn to trust in and call on all the promises that God has revealed to us. Let us rejoice in knowing without doubt that He is working out all things for our eternal good. Let us find peace and comfort in the victory that is promised to us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You promise never to leave us or forget about us. We rejoice in knowing that You know every single thing that is going on in our lives and that You are working out all the details necessary for us to experience the fullness of joy through our relationship with Your Son. Teach us, Lord, how to rely on the Holy Spirit to be our helper in every element of our lives. Through our reliance on Your promises, may we find joy and find victory in our roles as grandparents, parents, children, citizens, employees, friends and neighbors. Through all these things may we celebrate serving You. Through all these things may we be light to the world around us. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

The Supernatural Life Unique to Christians

John 20:22
And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

It was the evening of the first day of the week. The disciples, fearing the Jews after the crucifixion of their Master, were meeting behind locked doors. With the appearance of Jesus, they were at once at peace. But then a greater thing happened, Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit. All that had been gathered in the room in fear suddenly began a supernatural life which is unique to Christians alone. They were sent forth to continue the work that Jesus had been sent to do by His Father.

At the onset of this new year, how many of us are sheltering ourselves away from the world? How many of us are letting our fears hold us back from doing the work that Jesus was sent to do? Do we not recognize that the same power that was given to the early disciples is also given to us?

Let us begin our new year under the guidance of Our Counselor, the Holy Spirit. He has been given to us to instruct us and empower us to do the work of the Father. He has been sent to supernaturally strengthen us. He comes along side of us to provide the power and protection that we need to overcome the enemy, the world around us and even our own flesh, all of which are trying to bring us down.

We can be sure that we will encounter some failure. In all likelihood, our failures will come from the fact that we have turned once again to rely on our own strength. We must be continously aware that our own strength will never be enough to meet the demands and challenges of this world. Our strength must come from the Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that He gives us.

Let us take hold of what has been promised to us. Let us surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Let us commit to joining Our Precious Savior in doing the work of the Father in the new year.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Holy Spirit to come along side of us to be our counselor. We praise the name of Jesus who defeated all evil when He died on the Cross so that we could defeat the evil that comes against us. We pray that you will teach us to accept our utter failure without Christ. Help us to realize our best will never be good enough until we are cleansed by the blood of Our Savior and receive His Holy Spirit into our lives. Help us Father to build our lives on the Rock that is Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit embolden and strengthen us to do the work of the Son. We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

Our Good Work Glorifies the Father

John 17:4
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Jesus Himself declared that His principal work was to be obedient to the will of His Father in heaven. He did not seek His own glory. He sought only His Father’s glory. In the process, He did away with Satan, sin and death and He provided for the redemption and the salvation of all men.

Just as Jesus was faithful in completing His work on earth to glorify His Father, He will also be faithful in completing His work in us so that we may glorify Our Father. We will not experience the complete fullness of His work in us until we meet Our Savior in His eternal kingdom. But as we surrender to the will of the Father, we can expect to accomplish more here on earth than we can imagine that we are capable of. And we can be certain that our work will bring glory to Our Father in heaven.

Be mindful that Satan and our own flesh will come against us as we seek to glorify the Father on earth. But fear not for the Spirit of the Lord will insure that we overcome the work of the enemy. We do not need to be concerned about our circumstances, Our Savior will be sufficient. And it will all be for the glory of The Father.

Let us surrender everything to Our Father in heaven. Let our obedience to His call on our lives glorify His name. May those around us glorify the Father when they see our faithfulness.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the grace that You have given us through Your Son to overcome the world. We bless the name of Jesus for His faithfulness in completing the good work that You gave Him to do. We pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us and strengthen us so that we may fully surrender to Your will just as Your Son surrendered His all to You. May it all be for Your glory, for the glory of Your Son and the glory of the Holy Spirit. We ask all these things in the name of the obedient Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.

The Lord is Peace

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

When Israel had been under the hand of the Midianites for seven years, the Lord came to Gideon. He promised to bring Israel peace and victory over the Midianites. He asked Gideon to lead the way. Gideon questioned the strength of his people and he questioned his own ability to lead the people against the Midianites. After the Lord provided Gideon with a sign confirming His promise, Gideon led the Israelites in battle.

After the Lord provided the victory, Gideon built an altar to celebrate the victory and to praise God for His fulfilled promise of victory and peace. Gideon named the altar Jehovah Shalom to honor the one who brought the victory. Jehovah Shalom means the Lord is peace.

Jehovah Shalom is the name that we can call on when our faith is weak because our world is out of sorts or all odds seem stacked against us. What a magnificent gift we have in the promise of victory and peace offered by Our Savior. Jesus promises not any peace, but His peace. He promises us the same peace that allowed Him to face and overcome the tremendous unsettling in His spirit when He knew the certainty of His upcoming death and agony. Every unsettling event in our lives can be calmed simply by calling on the name of Jehovah Shalom for He promises us His peace.

Let us claim the peace that Jesus promises us. Let us show the turbulent world around us that there is peace in His mighty name. Let us draw others to Him because of the peace in our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that we can be certain of peace in our lives even when turmoil surrounds us. We rejoice in knowing that the Prince of Peace is with us always. We pray, Father, that our faith will be strong in the face of all adversity. May we be steadfast in all that You call us to do. May we be certain to look to Your Son, Jesus, to be our rock and our foundation when we need to overcome our fear. We ask all these things in the name of Jehovah Shalom, Jesus Christ.

Turning Trials into Testimonies

Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

One thing that we can all be certain of is that during the course of our lives we will encounter storms. We can even expect at times that the winds and the waves of our personal storms will be overwhelming to us. But the Lord, as He did with the apostles during their storms, challenges us to fear not and to live by faith in Him.

God expects us to be so confident in Him that in any crisis we are the reliable ones. What a great statement we make to the world when we stand confidently and peacefully during our greatest times of trial. When the worldly see us under stress with an utter lack of fear and uncertainty, how can they not be moved? As faithful Christians, when we respond with confidence in Our Lord’s promises to make us conquerors over all things, we turn our trials into wonderful testimonies to the world around us.

Let us commit to standing tall when God allows us to be tried. Let us be resolute in our faith. Let us decree the promises of Our most faithful Lord that He will provide us with the strength to endure every storm we encounter.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the faith to face all of our trials with confidence in the victory that You will provide. We praise You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for us so that we can be victorious over all the evil that comes against us. We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us so that we may live our lives in the fullness of the faith that You have given us. May those around us be moved by our faith. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

The Power and Sovereign Rule of Jesus

Revelation 1:18
I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

When Jesus Christ proclaimed that He is the first and the last, He confirmed His role in our time based world. He brought our world into existence and He will usher it out when He brings in His eternal kingdom. When He proclaimed that He holds the keys to Death and Hades, He confirmed His proper deity and His covenant of grace and salvation for all.

When we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, who created the universe and still controls every minute detail of its existence, how could we lack the confidence that He will overcome any person or evil in the universe that comes to harm us. It just does not make sense to question His power and sovereign rule.

Fear not! He is the head of His own house by Whom and for Whom all things were created. He will keep His house in perfect order according to His will and perfect plans.

Let us rest in the hands of the One who promises us His love, His joy and His peace through His victory on the Cross. Let us trust in the One who closes the portals of hell and opens the gateways of heaven. Let us bless His name as we rejoice in His power over our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we fall at Your feet in utter awe of who You are. We proclaim Your Name above all other names. We praise You and we surrender to Your power in our lives. We exalt the name of Jesus. May He lay His hand upon us in love and not in wrath or anger. We pray that You will show us Your power in the struggles that we are currently experiencing. May we find joy in our circumstances knowing that You have already settled the matters for our good for all eternity. We ask all these things in the name Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

When Our Trials Turn Into Testimonies

Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

One thing that we can all be certain of is that during the course of our lives we will encounter storms. We can even expect at times that the winds and the waves of our personal storms will be overwhelming to us. But the Lord, as He did with the apostles during their storms, challenges us to fear not and to live by faith in Him.

God expects us to be so confident in Him that in any crisis we are the reliable ones. What a great statement we make to the world when we stand confidently and peacefully during our greatest times of trial. When the worldly see us under stress with an utter lack of fear and uncertainty, how can they not be moved? As faithful Christians, when we respond with confidence in Our Lord’s promises to make us conquerors over all things, we turn our trials into wonderful testimonies to the world around us.

Let us commit to standing tall when God allows us to be tried. Let us be resolute in our faith. Let us decree the promises of Our most faithful Lord that He will provide us with the strength to endure every storm we encounter.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the faith to face all of our trials with confidence in the victory that You will provide. We praise You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for us so that we can be victorious over all the evil that comes against us. We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us so that we may live our lives in the fullness of the faith that You have given us. May those around us be moved by our faith. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

For the Glory of God

John 17:4
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Jesus Himself declared that His principal work was to be obedient to the will of His Father in heaven. He did not seek His own glory. He sought only His Father’s glory. In the process, He did away with Satan, sin and death and He provided for the redemption and the salvation of all men.

Just as Jesus was faithful in completing His work on earth to glorify His Father, He will also be faithful in completing His work in us so that we may glorify Our Father. We will not experience the complete fullness of His work in us until we meet Our Savior in His eternal kingdom. But as we surrender to the will of the Father, we can expect to accomplish more here on earth than we can imagine that we are capable of. And we can be certain that our work will bring glory to Our Father in heaven.

Be mindful that Satan and our own flesh will come against us as we seek to glorify the Father on earth. But fear not for the Spirit of the Lord will insure that we overcome the work of the enemy. We do not need to be concerned about our circumstances, Our Savior will be sufficient. And it will all be for the glory of The Father.

Let us surrender everything to Our Father in heaven. Let our obedience to His call on our lives glorify His name. May those around us glorify the Father when they see our faithfulness.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the grace that You have given us through Your Son to overcome the world. We bless the name of Jesus for His faithfulness in completing the good work that You gave Him to do. We pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us and strengthen us so that we may fully surrender to Your will just as Your Son surrendered His all to You. May it all be for Your glory, for the glory of Your Son and the glory of the Holy Spirit. We ask all these things in the name of the obedient Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.