Jesus – Page 2 – Hope for Complete Healing

OVERCOME UNHEALTHY FEAR WITH POWER

Are you aware of how much you are controlled by fear? Do you realize how the news and movies create fear in your mind? For example, I watched a movie called “Taken.” After watching that movie, I feared being kidnapped. The news about women being raped and killed while jogging, hiking, or going shopping reinforced my fear. I became afraid to go out of my house. Have you ever experienced that kind of fear? Some people take fear to a serious mental health level where they can’t leave their homes. Some people are afraid of the dark, dogs, spiders, or snakes, and they have an extreme reaction when they even see a picture of one. Do you know anyone like this? Some people have a fear of being around other people. Why? How do we overcome these fears?

I have been writing about mental health issues since the beginning of the year. Read my other mental health posts here. Mental health issues appear in different ways because we each have different unhealthy beliefs. Two ways to overcome fear are through courage and avoidance. For example, avoid driving on the wrong side of the road to prevent a head-on collision and death. Sometimes you need courage, like when you go into surgery or give a speech. Today, I want to explain how to overcome unhealthy fear with divine power.

Unhealthy Fear Creates Wrong Beliefs.

Healthy fear is based on truth, such as driving on the wrong side of the road will lead to a head-on collision and death. Unhealthy fear creates wrong beliefs that control your emotions and actions. Irrational fears can be traced to a bad experience or a scary movie. Maybe someone chased you with a snake, which terrified you. The truth is, snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them.

Wrong beliefs are things you think are true but are not based on reality. For example, I had an unhealthy fear of being abducted, raped, and killed that I developed from the news and a movie. This unhealthy fear was based on truth, but I had a wrong belief that it would happen to me. This wrong belief controlled my emotions and triggered anxiety. Do you see how unhealthy fears create wrong beliefs, which then influence your emotions and affect your actions?

Replace Wrong Beliefs With Truth.

Now, I replace my wrong belief with God’s truth and promises, that He is always with me and will help and protect me (Heb. 13:5b-6 and Ps. 23:4). Deuteronomy 31:6 states, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you.” He will not leave you or forsake you.” I wrote a book called “Unlocking God’s Promises,” which explains God’s truths that can replace your wrong beliefs and give you courage.

How does Divine Power Eliminate Fear?

Power has many meanings, but in the context of fear, a sense of power gives you confidence or courage to face what you fear. Power gives you the capability of doing or accomplishing something even when you are afraid. Think about electricity, where the power source is an outlet that is connected to the power lines. Until you plug a device into the power source, it will not work. God is our power source, but until we plug into Him through prayer, we will not have any power to overcome our fears. Make sure you have repented of your sins because your sin separates you from God, and He does not hear your prayers (Is. 59:2). Here is what the Bible says about His divine power.

2Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” God gives you divine power to take your thoughts of fear captive and put your trust in God by replacing your thoughts and focusing on God’s truths. The weapons of our warfare are God’s truth. Read Ephesians 6:10-18.

Who is the author of fear? Ephesians 6:10-12 states, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

2Peter 1:3 explains, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” When you choose to trust God to help you, you have access His divine power to face all of life’s fears and challenges. His divine power helps you do every hard thing related to your life. He will also help you be godly as you grow in your knowledge of Him. You have been called to God’s glory and excellence, which does not include fear. 2Timothy 1:7 explains, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Conclusion

Overcoming unhealthy fear is best accomplished through the divine power of God as you pray and take captive your fearful thoughts by replacing them with God’s truth. God also gave you His divine power for everything you do, even doing things you are afraid of. For example, one time I was hiking and saw a huge fresh bear paw print. I became very afraid because I know bears are known to attack humans and kill them, so I took my thoughts captive and claimed God’s protection. For good measure, I sang mixed-up praise songs to God to let the bear know I was there and that God was my protector. Proverbs 18:10 explains, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

God’s divine power is the only way to overcome temptations and take tempting thoughts captive, and replace them with His truth.

RELATED POSTS:

HOW FEAR CONTROLS YOU!

What Controls Your Thoughts?

FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS—Post 2

POSTS on Thoughts

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright-protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

Prevent Suicide and Addictions with Hope

Have you ever lost hope? How often do you feel there is no hope? Have you ever contemplated committing suicide or know someone who has? I must admit that I contemplated suicide several times. When you feel no hope, you become depressed and want to escape. Despair is the opposite of hope, and despair is the leading cause of suicide. Some people resort to drugs or alcohol. Some people are addicted to shopping or excessive exercising to escape their despair. I was a workaholic, where I used busyness and achieving goals to help me forget my problems and feel good.

You only have hope if you trust the one who made the promise. I wrote a book about God’s promises that give you hope called “Unlocking God’s Promises.” It is now available on Amazon. These promises got me through some really tough times and have helped me stay strong in my faith. I struggled with many mental health issues for most of my life. It is a constant battle to take my unhealthy thoughts captive and apply the promises of God.

Evidence of Hope is Joy and Peace.

Lasting hope is in God because He keeps all His promises. The keys to unlocking those promises are to believe, be thankful, and obey Him. All other hope fades away or disappoints us. Romans 15:13 states, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” God is hope, and only by the power of the Holy Spirit will we abound in hope and be filled with joy and peace.

Depression is the opposite of joy and peace. Temporary distractions do not fill you with joy or peace. Empty promises do not give you joy or peace, just more disappointment. Only the God of hope can give you the joy and peace you long for. Psalm 42:11 states, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” We have no hope without God, according to Ephesians 2:12.

God is Faithful and We Can Trust Him

Someone who is faithful is dependable, tells the truth, and can be trusted. Hebrews 10:23 states, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” For the Scriptures below, read each phrase and ponder the truth that gives you hope. For example, I will break down the phrases in Deuteronomy 7:9

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God,

the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love

with those who love him and keep his commandments,

to a thousand generations.”

1Corinthians 1:9 states, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1Timothy 1:2 states, “In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.”

Colossians 1:23 states, “If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Conclusion

Unlocking God’s Promises explains over 18 categories of promises that we can trust God to keep. Sometimes we may have to wait, as Abraham and Sarah did, fifteen years for the birth of Isaac. They were not patient to wait and decided to make the promise happen on their own, which did not end well. Knowing and claiming God’s promises fights despair when you are overwhelmed by troubles. I explain how God’s promises helped me through many difficult situations.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, available on Amazon.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.

My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

THE DOWNSIDE OF LISTENING EMPATHETICALLY

When you emphatically listen and understand the perspective of the other person, does it drain you? Are you tempted to judge the other person because they think and feel differently from you? Or do you take on their pain and burdens? These are the downsides of empathetic listening. We build trust when we make the other person feel valued and understood. But you may need to set boundaries when the person only wants to be understood and does not want to understand your perspective. Or the other person just wants to unload their emotional garbage on you. If that is the case, you will need to kindly set boundaries and help them seek the assistance of a professional counselor.

Read my last post on how to empathetically listen to develop win/win agreements. Some people want you to understand them, but do not want to have a win/win agreement with you. Being able to express your feelings gives you psychological air, but it may be overwhelming to the other person. Also, if you are the person who feels they are not understood or valued, ask God why you have that need. It could be that you need to work through painful memories of not being understood as a child or teenager. If that is the case, then read my online book to resolve those painful memories first.

If you are the person who demands to be understood, that is not healthy because you depend on another person for validation instead of turning to God for help with your problems. Meditate on the following Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-8 states, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6) He is like a shrub in the desert and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.’ 7) ‘Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. 8) He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.‘” Only God can truly meet your need to be understood and validated. He knows every detail about your life, and He wants you to cast your cares on Him, and He will cause it to be for your good (Rom. 8:27-28).

The Purpose of Empathy.

Empathetic listening is only effective when both parties are working towards a win-win agreement and are both mentally healthy seeking mutual benefits. If you are the type of person who cares too much and then becomes burdened by empathetic listening, put the cares of the other person into your God’s got-it box, and lose it from your memory. You may become offended and judge the people who hurt your loved one or friend; forgive them and put your resentment into your God’s got it box. Be cautious not to judge others and say hurtful things. Empathy is supposed to develop compassion, not judgement. Jesus showed empathy and compassion to those around Him, and He blessed them.

Jesus told the parable about the Samaritan man who came across a man who had been robbed and beaten. The religious people judged him and passed by him, but the Samaritan had compassion and helped him (Luke 10:29-37). Sometimes the people we work with, or family members are messy and mentally beat up. They need our compassion. Matthew 9:36 states, “When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” And Matthew 14:14 states, “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Do you Bless or Curse When You Understand.

How can we be a blessing to someone or be a curse? Do our words encourage or discourage? Listening with empathy is a blessing to the person with whom you want to have a healthy relationship. Being blessed is being encouraged and made joyful. We are blessed when someone is kind to us or is patient and gives us grace when we need it. To be cursed is to be made miserable and rejected by the hurtful, judgmental words of other people who should have loved you. So, you close your heart, so it won’t be hurt again. Closing your heart is a mental health problem because you are also closing out meaningful and loving relationships. Our words are the most common way we bless or curse God and each other. Read my post called: WORDS HAVE POWER—Part I: Overcoming The Destruction of Offensive Words

Another type of curse that causes misery are word curses put on us by family members, teachers, and those who hate us. Word curses are negative directives, such as you will never succeed. Or you lack discipline and will never be able to lose weight. We also put word curses on ourselves. I became free from many curses, and I encourage you to read my short book on my website to know what word curses are and how you can become free, too. Many times, we bring curses on ourselves when we do not trust and obey God. If you struggle to trust God, you may have false beliefs that prevent you from trusting God. I encourage you to read my short book to be free from these unhealthy beliefs. Go to Hopeforcompletehealing.com

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you will like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, available on Amazon.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, found on Amazon. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles. I would love to hear what you think so please leave a review.

GOD’S WIN/WIN AGREEMENTS

What are God’s expectations of us? Does He require that His children follow His commands? Do you require God to meet your expectations, or do you trust His wisdom and all-knowing power? Everyone has needs and desires, and so does God. We are made in His image. God is a Spirit, and we are spirits in human bodies. Ultimately, God created us to love Him and others. Jesus explains in Matthew 22:36-40, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Apostle Paul explains the principle of love in Romans 13:8-10, which states, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Please read my post called THE GREATEST PRINCIPLE TO LIVE BY.

In my last post, I shared the need for WIN/WIN agreements that help you have healthy relationships, as explained by Stephan Covey in “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” But do you know that God sets up win/win agreements all through the Bible? With every win/win agreement, there are consequences for breaking the agreement. If you haven’t read my last post, please read it to help you understand what win/win agreements are and how they are helpful for healthy relationships.

God established the following agreement with the new Israelite nation, explained in Deuteronomy 28:1-8, which states, “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. ²And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. ³Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. ⁴Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. ⁵Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ⁶Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. ⁷The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. ⁸The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”

The condition for the win/win agreement on God’s side was for the Israelites to be faithful to obey His commands. Obedience shows that we love God (John 14:15). If they obeyed, they would be blessed in all they did. But if they didn’t obey, they would not be blessed, but cursed in all they did. Here is a sampling of the curses: Deuteronomy 28:45-48 “All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. ⁴⁶They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. ⁴⁷Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.”

The consequences of not obeying seem very harsh. If you had a child who would not obey and was very obstinate, they would think your punishment or consequences were harsh, maybe even abusive. God is our Father and the King of Kings and lord of Lords; therefore, He requires that we obey because he created us to be in a loving relationship with Him and others. If you love someone, you will want them to love you back and be willing to work toward mutually agreeable benefits. If your spouse decides to have an affair, then the marriage agreement is broken. Often, affairs end a marriage, and the consequences are sometimes very harsh.

I published a book called “Unlocking God’s Promises.” In this book, I explain 18 categories of promises, which are win/win agreements. Agreements or solutions benefit everyone and leave everyone satisfied; if you don’t do your part, then God won’t keep His promise. For example, Matthew 6:33 states, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God agrees to give you all you need if you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. The Apostle Paul explains the kingdom in Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” We are to seek peace with all men (Heb. 12:14; Rom. 12:17-18; James 3:18; and 2Timothy 2:22). There are many other ways to seek first his kingdom, to learn more read, How do you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness?

Another example is John 14:23, which states, “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” The condition is to keep Jesus’ instructions, and when we do, then the Father will love you and He will make His home in you.

Conclusion

Win/Win means that agreements or solutions benefit everyone and leave everyone satisfied. God created humans to be in a relationship with Him, so that He could show His love and power toward them. God has many win/win promises for those who obey and love Him. To learn more, buy my book on Unlocking God’s Promises. As soon as it is officially published, I will provide a link.

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Week 46: Worship is praising God’s word.

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? –Psalm 56:4

What kind of person do you not trust? If someone tells the truth and keeps their promises, would you trust them? Would you agree that God’s word is truth? The above verse has two truths. The first truth is our worship focus. When you trust God, you will praise His word. Why? When you trust God, you won’t be afraid of what others do to you.

What was happening in the Psalmist’s life when he wrote Psalm 56? David had been captured by the Philistines. He writes in Psalm 56:1-4, “Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. ³When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. ⁴In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” At some point in your life, could you identify with David? Do you trust God to be gracious to you during adversity? The last verse of this Psalm says, “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”

I wrote the following in in post called Week 39: Worship God with your soul. “Based on the Bible’s description, our soul stores our feelings, which leads us to praise and gratitude to God. This makes sense, doesn’t it? If you fill your soul with the wonderful truths of God, then you are inspired to praise Him.” Have you noticed that when you focus on your problems, you feel depressed and despaired? David said that God delivered His soul from death and kept him from falling. This is because David positioned his mind to praise God’s word and trust Him. As a result, he could “walk with God in the light of life.” Only as we worship God can we experience God’s light and life despite our troubles.

Even though the Philistines were oppressing David, he kept his focus on God and could praise His word and trust Him. How about you? Do you need to make a mental shift? I know I have to almost every day. I pray God blesses you this week as you worship Him and trust Him.

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WEEK 46–November 12-November 18

Day 316-Nov. 12—Worship God, who is the same from the beginning to the end of time.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. –Hebrews 13:8

Day 317-Nov. 13—Worship God, who gives you wisdom when you ask.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. –James 1:5

Day 318-Nov. 14—Worship God, who will give us the crown of life.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. –James 1:12

Day 319-Nov. 15—Worship God that He does not tempt you and will help you.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. –James 1:13-14

Day 320-Nov. 16—Worship God for the gifts He gives you.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. –James 1:17

Day 321-Nov. 17— Worship God, who causes the devil to flee from you.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. –James 4:7

Day 322-Nov. 18— Worship God, who values you and draws near to you.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. –James 4:8

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Verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, visit the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.

Week 44: Worship God forever.

I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. –Psalm 145:1

What do you think of when forever is mentioned? Did you ever say, “I wish this could last forever?” As believers in Jesus Christ, worship God and bless His name forever and ever. We get a glimpse of what it will be like to worship God forever and ever in Revelations 4:10-11, “The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’”

I can say that I have drawn closer to God by worshipping Him every day. The days I don’t worship Him, I brood on the things of the world and my problems. I become fearful about things that may never happen. How about you?

The Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:1-2, “ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” When I worship God, my mind is on the things above where Christ Jesus is. Try it. It will change your perspective about the problems that are causing you stress.

When you begin to ruminate on something you don’t like, try worshiping God, either praise Him in prayer or sing a song of praise or give a sacrifice of thanksgiving. The act of praising God will take your mind off the thing you are unhappy about and change your perspective. For example, when I fret about the state of the United States, I become very depressed, but when I worship God, I am reminded that I am a citizen of heaven and His ambassador here on earth (Phil 3:20 and 2Cor. 5:20).

King David said in Psalm 52:8-9, “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. ⁹I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.” King David had an eternal perspective. Do you? As you worship God this week, give Him your concerns and focus on his love and goodness. Be thankful for the work of God in your life and the lives of others who may be causing you problems.

As you worship God this week, I challenge you to focus on the things above where Christ is seated. I pray you will be blessed and receive honor as you worship God this week.

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WEEK 44–October 29-November 4

Day 302-Oct. 29—Worship God for His living and active Word that can discern your thoughts.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. –Hebrews 4:12

Day 303-Oct. 30—Worship God, who sympathizes with your weaknesses.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. –Hebrews 4:15

Day 304-Oct. 31—Worship God, who gives you mercy and helps you in your time of need.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. –Hebrews 4:16

Day 305-Nov. 1—Worship God that He is not unjust and will not overlook your good work and love.

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. –Hebrews 6:10

Day 306-Nov. 2—Worship God that His Son is interceding for you.

Consequently, he [Jesus Christ] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them. –Hebrews 7:25

Day 307-Nov. 3—Worship God for being merciful, who will not remember your sins.

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” –Hebrews 8:12

Day 308-Nov. 4—Worship God, whose Son will come again to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. –Hebrews 9:27-28

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Verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, visit the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.

Week 41: Worship God with your being.

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. ³⁴May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. –Psalm 104:33-34 and 146:2

Have you determined to sing praise to God as long as you live and have your being? Your being is your existence. The distractions of the world often keep me from worshiping God. Health issues, family problems, work problems, or financial problems often control our thoughts, which then prevents us from singing praises to God. Even when King David was being chased in the wilderness by King Saul, he still praised God.

King David wrote the following in Psalm 63:1-4, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. ²So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. ³Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.” Do you have the same passion and zeal? Why or why not?

Verse 34 states, “May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.” Do you desire to please God? God knows what is in your heart and what you are thinking. Does God find a rejoicing or complaining heart? Do you rejoice in the Lord despite life’s challenges? Philippians 4:4-6 states, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵Let your reasonableness [gentleness] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Are your medications pleasing to Him? Meditation can be:

Pondering, which is deep thought;
Contemplation, which is reviewing; or
Reflection, which is making an application.

When you pray, you are meditating using all three aspects. Sometimes, King David’s meditations to God were very heavy because of the trials he faced, yet in the end, David rejoiced and trusted God to work out his problems.

When you meditate on the following worship focuses, it will please the Lord. Determine in your heart that you will praise God as long as you live and have your being. May He bless you richly this week.

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WEEK 41–October 8-October 14

Day 281-Oct. 8—Worship God for calling you to a holy calling according to His purpose.

Who [Jesus] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. –2Timothy 1:9

Day 282-Oct. 9—Worship God for abolishing death and giving you immortality.

[Grace,] which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. –2Timothy 1:10

Day 28-Oct. 10—Worship God for being faithful even if you are faithless.

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself. –2Timothy 2:11-13

Day 284-Oct. 11—Worship God for knowing you.

But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” –2Timothy 2:19

Day 285-Oct. 12—Worship God for making you a vessel of honor and ready for every good work.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. –2Timothy 2:21

Day 286-Oct. 13—Worship God that He can use you as a servant to help others escape from the devil’s snare.

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. –2Timothy 2:24-26

Day 287-Oct. 14—Worship God for standing with you and rescuing you from troubles.

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. –2Timothy 4:17

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Verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, visit the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.

365 Days of Worship –Week 12—Sacrifice

Sacrifice is difficult. How do you give a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving when you don’t feel like it? Life may be hard, and you feel sad, and you don’t feel like being thankful. Or, you may feel you are too busy to worship God. Maybe bad things may have happened to you that make you depressed, and you can’t praise God.

What is a sacrifice?

Sacrifice is offering your best for the benefit of others. For example, if you make a promise to someone, but it becomes a sacrifice, what do you do? How about sacrificing your time and money to help someone in need? I once sacrificed six hours of my time once a week, plus gas, to drive a friend to her cancer treatment that was one and a half hours away. Worshiping God is a sacrifice because we need to make the time to focus on Him and offer Him the gift of praise and thanksgiving even when we don’t feel like it, or we are too busy.

The Bible gives three examples of sacrifices.

Sacrifice of praise. Hebrews 13:15 states, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”
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Sacrifice is thankfulness. Psalm 107:21-22 states, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ²²And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!”
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Sacrifice of our bodies. Romans 12:1 states, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice as an example for us.

Realize how much God sacrificed for us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to take the punishment for sins. Ephesians 5:2 says, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Hebrews 10:12 states, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” Knowing how much God loves you and the sacrifice He made should make you praise and thank Him for forgiving you of your sins and giving you eternal life. And because of His sacrifice, we can offer a sacrifice of praise and love.

As you go through this week’s worship focus, please make the sacrifice to take the time to lay down your life as a living sacrifice and press in to worship God with a heart of gratitude.

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WEEK 12 – March 19-25

Day 78-Mar 19—Worship God’s majesty and strength.

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. ²Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting [eternal]. –Psalm 93:1-2

Day 79-Mar 20—Worship God because He does not forsake us and He is just.

For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. –Psalm 94:14-15

Day 80-Mar 21—Worship God because of his marvelous works and salvation.

Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. ²The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. –Psalm 98:1-2

Day 81-Mar 22—Worship God for His forgiveness and holiness.

O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. ⁹Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! – Psalm 99:8-9

Day 82-Mar 23—Worship God with thankfulness for His goodness, love, and faithfulness.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! ⁵For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. –Psalm 100:4-5

Day 83-Mar 24—Worship God because of His great works on the earth.

O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. ²⁵Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. –Psalm 104:24-25

Day 84-Mar 25—Worship God for His provision.

From your lofty abode [dwelling] you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. ¹⁴You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart. –Psalm 104:13-15

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, go to the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.

365 Days of Worship—Week 5 – Spirit and Truth

Do you know God seeks certain people to worship Him? Are you a true worshipper? God wants us all to worship Him, but only in Spirit and truth. In John 4:23-24, Jesus says, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” So, how do we worship in spirit and truth? Please take a moment and quietly ask God to reveal this truth to you. I have some insight, but God may give you another perspective. Please share below if He does.

The Bible says the Holy Spirit, which is the spirit of God, is the Spirit of truth. Jesus tells us in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” How do we receive the Holy Spirit? When you believe and confess Jesus is the son of God and the savior who rescues you from your sins and took the punishment for your sins, then the Holy Spirit gives our spirit life (Matt. 1:21; Heb 9:28; Rom. 10:9-10; Rom. 8:10-11). 1 John 4:13-15 says, “By this, we know that we abide [dwell] in him [God] and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” Have you believed and received Jesus into your heart (John 1:12; Eph. 3:16-17)? Is your spirit daily enduring (remaining) with the spirit of God through reading His Word, prayer, and worship?

We are to worship both in the Spirit and in truth. Truth is found in God’s word, and in Jesus, so when He dwells in our hearts, we have the truth (John 1:14; 17:17). Also, when our spirit meditates on God’s truth and then reflects His truth in worship, that is worshiping in spirit and truth. I pray as you meditate on each day’s truth, that you reflect it back as heartfelt worship to God from your spirit. Also, Philippians 3:3b states, “[We] worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”

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WEEK 5 – January 29-February 4

Day 29—Worship God for His steadfast love and salvation.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. ⁶I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. –Psalm 13:5-6

Day 30—Worship God’s Lordship.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. ²I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” –Psalm 16:1-2

Day 31—Worship God’s counsel.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. ⁸I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. –Psalm 16:7-8

Day 32-Feb. 1—Worship God’s presence and joy.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. –Psalm 16:11

For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. –Psalm 21:6

Day 33-Feb. 2—Worship God for His steadfast love to those who seek refuge.

Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. ⁸Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. –Psalm 17:7-8

Day 34-Feb. 3—Worship God as your rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, salvation, and stronghold.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. –Psalm 18:2

Day 35-Feb. 4—Worship God’s desire to rescue you and reward you.

He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. ²⁰The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. ²¹For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. –Psalm 18:19-21

All Scripture is from the English Standard Bible. Find the previous weeks in 365 Days of Worship. This information is copyright protected.

Christmas Poem by Debbie Auen

Christmas is about hope

Hope for sinners to be forgiven and free

For those who are spiritually blind – GOD’S truth to see

Christmas is about GOD’S presence, love, light coming through

To bless and transform me and you

Christmas is about GOD humbling HIMSELF to become a man

To reveal to us HIS purpose and plan

Christmas is about the power and purity of GOD’S love divine

Pouring forth HIS holy, spiritual wine

Christmas is about the greatest miracle taking place

GOD giving us HIS mercy and grace

Christmas is about GOD reaching down and out

To deliver us from fear and doubt

Christmas is about celebrating the reality of joy and peace

The fact that GOD’S love never shall cease

Christmas is about our need for salvation, sanctification, and God providing

It is proof that GOD is not distant or hiding

Christmas is HIS heart on display

That we will experience the true meaning of Christmas

In a personal way I pray