I pray this finds you well and prospering in what the Lord has for you. As spring offers new growth and a fresh perspective may you walk in that fullness with a renewed hope for the plan of the Lord for your life. May you hold His promises in your heart (it is always a heart issue), knowing that He is ever faithful to perform His Word to you in His appointed time.
When Jesus gave his disciples [which include us if we are His followers in this time] the great commission He said: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
The promise I want to focus on this week is the fact that He is with us always. He tells us this Himself. No guesswork here…He is with you all the time. Never think that you are alone. Just know Jesus Christ is with you every moment! Re-read that a few times and really let it sink into your spirit. When we choose to carry that understanding with us life is so much easier.
+ We have peace in any situation knowing that the King of kings is right there with us.
+ Our relationships are different. No longer concerned with being right or having the last word, we find rest in His righteousness and His Word.
+ We know deep in our heart that no matter what we are facing the Lord of lords has already gone before us and knows all about it. He is there to carry us through to the other side of the situation.
+ We find comfort in His grace and mercy. Just as He extends His mercy over judgment to us, we will learn to extend mercy rather than judgment to others in our life.
+ The awareness of His promise to be with us always draws us to seek a real and close relationship with Him that will over time result in us being with Him always in our thoughts and our actions.
+ As we come to the fullness of understanding that He is with us always we grow to become more like Him and the fruit of His Spirit is evident in our life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)
Most of these aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit are self-explanatory but I think longsuffering needs a little clarification. The Microsoft Word synonyms listed include forgiving, resigned, tolerant, accommodating, patient and selfless. That sure gave me a better understanding of longsuffering! I pray it helps you as well.
Go over each of these and ask His guidance if you need help in any area. Ask Him to show you where you need His grace and allow Him to help you get back on track.
Always remember, none of this is meant as condemnation [blame, disapproval, feeling worthless] for that comes only from the enemy. Conviction [an inner nudge to stop or change a given thought or behavior] comes from the Holy Spirit to help us grow and change. With His help we can be set free from longstanding, possibly generational, holds that would keep us from moving forward in all He has for us.
Join us this week as we ‘pray the states’ toward the 2012 Presidential election. Please cover Tennessee admitted to the Union June 1, 1796, in prayer. We are praying for each state in the order of admission to the Union. Pray for wisdom and discernment for the political leaders, pastors and church leaders, the people residing in Tennessee and for all in our Nation.
Each state is important in forming our United States of America. We commit to pray for a different state each week so we not only provide prayer cover but also to make us aware that our country is bigger than the space we personally occupy in it. These are our United States. Let us pray that we will arise united ‘for such a time as this!’ Please repost and share.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Keep our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our frontline on the battlefield, let us be their frontline in the spirit. May God richly bless you this week and help you mirror His faithfulness to be with you always in Jesus’ name. Amen and amen!
