Morning Y'all! I pray this post encourages you and gives God glory! Got suggested topics you want me to write about? Please comment below or email me at info@mocatoday.com.
There's a lot going in the world today... I don't watch the news often and yet I'm still privy to the sad events happening in Afghanistan and Haiti right now... Some thought the COVID pandemic was finally "phasing" out and then comes the new delta variant... Schools are reopening and our kids are preparing to return... The economy is up and down... And the list can go on.
Given this, we must stay intentional about keeping our faith in God, not man. If not, we may allow such dismal happenings all around us weaken our faith and make us start to doubt God.
One of my frequent prayers—
God, Please help me not forget that you are sovereign and still in control. Help me remember that you've already won and I am to operate [think, act, and feel] from a place of victory. Amen.
3 Tips to Help Keep Our Faith and Strengthen Our Trust in God:
1. Pray! Prayer is a relational, two-way communication channel with God. It's a direct line to God, a way to grow closer to Him, and a way to demonstrate that we fully trust Him with all our needs.
Did you know God commands we be put our complete trust in the Lord and not in ourselves (Proverbs 3:5)? And, to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6)?
It's through prayer that we're able to do this!
Prayer is also not just a form of worship, an opportunity to repent, or a way to cast out our cares [or worries, difficulties, needs of this world, and anxieties] to God either.
It's also an incredible opportunity for God to respond to us in spirit and truth (Psalm 145:18, John 4:24).
Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). ~Psalm 55:22 (AMP)
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. ~John 16:24 (NKJV)
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. ~1 Peter 5:6-8 (AMP)
Personally, I experience the God-given peace that surpasses my natural, limited, human understanding that Apostle Paul describes in Philippians 4:6 during and after I pray.
2. Study and apply the Holy Bible. God often teaches us, speaks to us, and/or corrects us through His Word. Therefore, making time to study and understand His Word is an important activity for the people of God. It's through His Word that we learn more about who God is, who we are through Him (our new identity), what pleases Him, and how He wants us to operate in any situation and season.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ~Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. ~James 1:22 (AMP)
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. ~2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)
For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. ~Hebrews 4:12 (AMP)
3. Keep loving! In Matthew 22:36, the disciples asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).
We already learned that love, as God defines it, is an action word. And in Matthew 22, we see Jesus teach that loving God and our neighbors are the two most important commandments by which the other laws [or commandments] and works of the prophets are built on.
When we love the way Jesus teaches and commands, we please God.
And when we please God, we enable capacity for God to use us and for the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us with His fruit, His peace, His strength, His wisdom, and His discernment that grows our faith and strengthens our trust in Him.
Have you checked your heart lately?
In today's tough times, are you still loving God and those He's placed in your life today?
Do you remember what happens when we love our enemies?
Please share your thoughts below. I'd love to hear from you!
Remember, it's about progression not perfection!
God loves you! With Him, you got this!
Until next post, may God give you His peace and blessings!
~Natasha
Just a few reminders:
We're in this together! You can subscribe to our site below and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Looking for inspirational clothing and jewelry? Shop our online store.
Comments