You know the Spiritual world is more real than the natural world that we see with our own eyes. It’s funny how our perception of life can change with one touch from God. We can see our battles as temporary and truly insignificant because we hold onto God tighter than what we can see. God’s Word that tells us We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Rom 8:37). Trials can be something to glorify God instead of beating us down. We can choose to glorify God instead of our problems and deny the enemy the satisfaction of giving him praise for our difficulties. We can speak the peace and the power of God right into our trials just as Christ said. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.“If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). We can be the victor instead of living beneath something or even defining ourselves by whatever trial we’re facing.
If we have this power that Jesus Himself gave to us, using His name to combat anything that comes against us, than why do we have prayers that go unanswered? I have a struggle of my own that I keep asking God to replace with something new and good and I believe He is. Until I see this manifest completely I have my part to do as I seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and I feed my inner man with His Word so I can become stronger. He has given me the upper hand. I do not have to live beneath any thing. The Devil is a liar. 1 Peter 2:24 says Jesus paid for me to be free of any and every infirmity attacking me. By His wounds I have been healed. It’s true that I believe more of what comes out of my own mouth and I will eat my words because Proverbs 18:21 says so, The tongue has the power of life and death. I had better be in the Bible declaring the truth over myself, my family, or anything else of great value every single day. This takes my time. It doesn’t just happen. I have to do something.
The Bible says, Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able… (Luke 13:24) To strive to enter through is the word ἀγωνίζομαι agōnízomai. Strong’s says this means the believer must struggle, literally (to compete for a prize) figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish something):— fight, labor fervently, strive. The Bible says, Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown (1 Cor 9:25).
Now this is not an easy task. This is not just going through the motions. Just attending church on Sundays and Wednesdays. It’s not even just turning on your Christian music or serving in a ministry consistently in your church. This is much much more than that. This is proactively forsaking our lives for Christ. Giving up our desires, our preferences, our opinions, our rights for the sake of the Gospel. Luke 9:23 says, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. And John 15:4-5 says, and that means we must remain in Jesus. He is the vine and we are the branches. Jesus said if we remain in Him and He in us we will bear much fruit but apart from Him we can do nothing.
The Bible explains the Spiritual life as something of absurdity to the natural mind. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14). The natural man will dismiss what he cannot understand. How many Christians do that to things in the Bible? Maybe they’ve been taught things in church and because they don’t question things themselves, by studying the Word, they never grow into mature believers who know the truth and it allow it to set them free. Walking in truth led by the Holy Spirit. They remain stagnant. They do the same things over and over and over again. The cycle of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday is all they see. Back and forth to work they go. And church on Sunday. With vacations thrown in between. There’s nothing beyond that. Christ paid much too a high price for us to only live like that.
So the question is what do we do? How do we live beyond our today or move on and soar in the strength of God? I think we have to really put God first in our hearts, in our lives, in our days, in our plans. Plan my day around Jesus instead of Jesus around my day. Start praying everyday. Include His Word in your prayer time as He leads you to. Read the Bible everyday and don’t read for length but read because you want to hear God speak to you. The primary way God speaks is though His Word. Allow Him the time to tell you things. Study His Word. Study topics in areas in which you struggle. Allow Him to reveal Himself through His Word. Write things down. My Grandmother told me this many many years ago. She said this was so important. I should write everything down. She was right. Because I wrote down my entire book before I had it published or even had the plans as to how to have it published. It was hand written even before it was on the computer. It was a compilation of writing things down as God spoke to me.
It’s a new year. A brand new start. The possibilities are endless. Make God first place in your time, in your thoughts, in your actions, in your desires and in your heart. See how He reveals Himself to you in a real way. Spiritual warfare is real. You enemy the Devil does not want you to do these things because when you do really make God really first place in your heart, you’re a real threat to Him. He won’t bother you if you don’t bother him. Be a part of what is most important. That is building the Kingdom of Heaven today that will last for tomorrow and forever and way past this lifetime into the next. This is what it’s all about.
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (Isaiah 40:31)
Check out my book: A Life Redone https://www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/464097-a-life-redone
A Life Redone 