Sin – Hope for Complete Healing

Ten Ways to Overcome a Critical Spirit

Where does a Critical Spirit come from? We all tend to see how others can do better or be better, so we feel the need to tell them. This is not bad if it is done in love and received as being loving. Being criticized often feels like being judged. The problem is, we don’t like to be told what is wrong with what we did. When we feel criticized, we feel rejected, and we don’t want to be with the person who criticizes us. Has this ever happened to you? How did it make you feel? How is your relationship with the person who criticized you?

Why Are People Critical?

I was a very critical person for many years. The Lord showed me that I had low self-esteem, so I would criticize others to make myself look better. I had a judgmental stronghold that was built by a critical mother, and I felt like I could never be good enough. The critical spirit is fueled by anger. So the first way to overcome a critical spirit is to work through all the bad memories of when someone criticized you and you felt rejected. First, ask God to show you the earliest memory or strongest memory of when you felt judged or criticized (Psalm 139:23-24). Don’t relive the experience and don’t talk about it. Immediately forgive the person for what they said to you and ask God to release and heal the resentment, rejection, and anger you felt and still feel. Then ask God to remove the spirit attachment to that memory. Next, ask God to show you the next painful memory of criticism, then forgive, release, and remove the attached spirit. To learn more about how and why healing your memories changes your life, read my online book at hopeforcompletehealing.com.

How Do I Change My Heart From Critical to Caring?

The remaining nine ways to overcome a critical spirit are adapted from Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook by June Hunt.

Humble your heart to see your sin and your immense need for God’s mercy. Next, see others’ significance in God’s eyes, and when you criticize them, you hurt God. Pray and ask God to help you show the same grace to others that He shows you (James 4:11 and 2:13)
Put on and practice showing compassion for others (Col. 3:12). Look closely at the life of Christ to learn His compassionate way of confronting the truth. Pray that you will be controlled by Christ’s love for others (1Cor. 16:14 and 1John 4:7) .
Draw out the heartfelt needs of others (Prov. 20:5). Pray that God will give you a discerning spirit as you seek to draw others out and encourage them with what they are doing right.
Offer acceptance to others (Rom. 15:7). Realize that everyone has an innate fear of rejection and a deep yearning for acceptance. Pray and ask God to be a channel through which He extends His grace and values others.
See the God-given worth in others (Luke 12:6-7). Ask God to help you treat every person, especially the one most problematic to you, as someone with God-given worth. And pray that the Lord will not allow you to despise anyone whom He created and loves. If you despise someone, ask God to show you why, forgive them if they have hurt or disappointed you, then ask God to give you mercy toward that person.
Praise the positives in others (Phil. 4:8). Ask God to help you see the positive and right things people are doing, and be thankful. Also, ask Him to help you see others as He sees them and value them as He values them.
Refuse to wound others with words (Col. 3:16 and Eph. 4:29). Prayerfully consider the possibility that what you are criticizing in someone may be something God wants to deal with you about. Before speaking words of criticism, ask a wise friend to evaluate the content and tone of your words. Realize that after critical words are spoken, you can never take them back. If you need to share how someone has hurt you, ask God for the right words as His instrument for good, and pray that the other person will receive what you have to say.
See the unmet needs of others (Phil. 4:19). Instead of judging the inappropriate actions of others, seek to understand the need behind each action. If someone is critical of you, realize that their words reveal that they have unmet inner needs (for love, significance, or security). Realize that people don’t always mean what they say, nor understand their own deepest needs.
Rely on God’s Word and God’s Spirit for wisdom (Heb. 4:12). Memorize James 3:13-18 about what the wisdom from above is and is not. Pray that God’s Spirit will teach you spiritual truths and lead you to speak these truths in love (1Cor. 2:13).

Conclusion:

A criticism begins as a thought, which is in your control. Ask God if it is necessary for you to address the issue; if so, ask God how you should address the issue in love. For example, our church was practicing for the Christmas program. The choir director got mean with the children’s program director. I witnessed it and knew it needed to be addressed because the other person is easily offended. I prayed about how to address the critical words spoken by the choir director and asked God to direct my words. I called her, and when I described what I witnessed, she immediately saw her sin and repented. She called the children’s program director and apologized. The next Sunday morning, she apologized to the whole church. Since that time, I have noticed that she is more careful with her words. But the damage is done.

Jesus explains in His first sermon how we are to act as His followers. Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Jesus also said in Matthew 22:37-40, “And 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. 38) This is the great and first commandment. 39) And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40) On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” Let everything you do be done in love. Before you can love others well, you need to fix your love issues. See my page on resolving love issues.

Love From a Pure Heart

How to Respond to Criticism

**********

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 that are 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.

BENEFITS OF BELONGING

Do you ever wonder where you belong? Do you think there has to be more to life? The answer goes beyond the physical world. When you belong to a club or organization, you develop a passion and purpose; similarly, belonging to Jesus Christ also provides you with a purpose.

Belonging gives you a shared sense of purpose and passion because you are engaged in something meaningful. As a Bible teacher, my purpose is to help others learn and grow in their knowledge of God and the Scriptures. I have a passion for doing my best, and I want my students to achieve their best. I focus on learning new teaching techniques and creating fun activities to enhance my students’ learning experience. I feel that I belong to something greater than myself, and the camaraderie I share with other teachers reinforces this sense of belonging.

What gives you purpose and passion? If you find yourself struggling with this question, I encourage you to look outside yourself and toward the divine presence of God. My relationship with God has provided me with a sense of belonging, passion, and purpose—all of which are essential for mental well-being.

Does your purpose and passion hurt or help others?

Your purpose and passion can either benefit others and society or cause harm. For example, a person struggling with mental health issues may develop a harmful or distorted purpose, like the motivations of someone who commits acts of violence against innocent people. Individuals who inflict pain often hold onto a passion rooted in destructive lies and are influenced by the negativity they allow into their minds.

Ephesians 6:12 states, “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.” The demonic world cannot read your mind, but they can put negative thoughts into your mind. You can take your bad or negative thoughts captive, put them out of your mind, and meditate on good things. The Apostle Paul suggested in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Consider what thoughts occupy your mind. What influences you to be loving, kind, and helpful? The focus of your mind ultimately shapes your purpose and passion.

God Gives You Purpose

Being part of the family of God is incredibly rewarding and positively impacts your mental health. I have outlined numerous benefits of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Please read the statements below and reflect on how each truth provides you with a sense of purpose and belonging. There is so much to be passionate about!

You have been bought with a price through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus; You are not your own anymore but belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19-20). If you believe this and receive Him into your heart, you are given the right to become a child of God and belong to His family (John 1:12).
Since you are in Christ and He is in you (Col. 1:27), by the grace of God… you have been justified, completely forgiven, and redeemed (renewed) (Rom. 5:1; Eph 1:7). You now belong to Christ Jesus because you are in Christ and forgiven of your sins. Now you have a purpose to tell others of what Christ has done for you and can do for them.
You are free forever from condemnation because you are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). Since you belong to Christ and are free from condemnation of your former sins, you are now free to passionately reach out to those who are hurting and in need of freedom from their sin condition.
You have been placed in Christ by God’s mercy, and you now possess wisdom from God, His righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).
You have received the Spirit of God that you might know the things freely given to you by God (1 Cor. 2:12). You can now go to God in prayer, and He will give you understanding. You have been given the mind of Christ (1Cor. 2:16).
You have been established, anointed, and sealed by God in Christ, and you have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing your inheritance to come (2 Cor. 1:21; Eph. 1:13-14).
You were predestined and determined by God to be adopted as God’s child (Eph. 1:5).
You have been redeemed and forgiven, and you receive His lavish grace. You have been made alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:5), and raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven (Eph. 2:6).
You are one with God (1Cor. 6:17) and have direct access to God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:17-18). So you may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence (Eph. 3:12).
You have been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ. You have been redeemed and forgiven of all your sins. (Col. 1:13-14).
The debt against you has been canceled (Col. 2:14).
Because You are sanctified (by putting off your old self and putting on Christ’s life), you are one with the Sanctifier, Jesus Christ; He is not ashamed to call me brethren (Heb. 2:11). You have been made complete in Christ (Col. 2:10)

Conclusion

We all want to belong to something, to feel accepted, and have a purpose. As I reflect on the senseless assassination of Charlie Kirk, I can’t help but be in awe of his sense of purpose, passion, and belonging. You may not know much about Charlie, or you may not agree with his political stance. He lived his life with passion and boldness because he belonged to the family of God and believed in the conservative movement, which gave him purpose and power to stand against great danger and opposition. He invited people to join him and be a part of his conservative Christian movement. People felt they belonged because they were accepted, and as a result, they had the courage to be passionate about their beliefs and the message of hope. Because you belong to the family of God, you have so much to be passionate about. Go and tell others and invite them to belong to the family of God with you.

**********

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.

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.

How to be Free from Sin’s Control – Post 4

Do you think you know the permanent solution to the most common problem we all have? When I ask inmates about sin and forgiveness, most do not know what sin or forgiveness is. I explain sin as anything we think, say, or do that breaks God’s heart (Good News Club definition). Some think God is disappointed with them when they sin. He is not disappointed. His heart is broken because He created us to be one with Him, but our sin separates us from Him. We sin when we disobey God’s royal law to love Him and others. Ecclesiastes 7:20 states, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” And Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” If no one is good and we all sin, then how can we be liberated (Luke 4:18)?

Even though I was a Christian for many years, went to church, and read my Bible, I continued to be controlled by the sin of anger, worry, and a need to control. I read many self-help books, sought counseling, memorized scripture, rebuked demons, and went to the altar all the time. If you read my book on my website, you learn how God healed my painful memories, so my past no longer controlled my soul, which is my will, emotions, and thoughts that influence sinful actions. I briefly summarized how to free in your thoughts in Post 2. In the last post, I explained how to free your spirit and the role of your spirit to the Spirit of God. I realized lasting liberation from habitual sin is submitting my spirit to God’s control and keeping my mind on His truths.

How do we submit our spirits to God?

Remind yourself every day about the truth in Colossians 3:1-3, “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. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Our lives are hidden with Christ in heaven, so our minds should be focused on what Jesus thinks. For example, when I become irritated with my husband, I have made it a habit of being thankful and thinking of things that are praiseworthy (Phil. 4:6-8). If I did not set my mind on this truth, then my negative thoughts would control my emotions, which would lead to unkind words and an avoidable fight. Another truth I set my mind on is serving others as Jesus did, not expecting to be served (Matt. 20:28). And, Galatians 5:13 states, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.“

I also remind myself of 2 Corinthians 5:10; “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” The Apostle Paul said that we should “make it our aim to please him [God] (2Cor 5:9b).” If we are pleasing God by doing His will, loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving others, then sin will not control our soul (mind, will, and emotions). When we do sin, since none is good, we must confess our sins daily. In 1 John 1:9 it explains, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Verse 24 of Romans 3 gives us hope, “And [we] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment for our sins, which would be like you taking your children’s punishment for their wrongdoing. When we are justified, it means our sin is removed and God redeemed (restored, saved) us and made us new (2 Cor. 5:17).

Who helps us and gives us hope?

Because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, we are forgiven and reconciled back to God (2 Cor. 5:20). Remember, sin separates us from God. Colossians 1:21-22 states, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him [God].” We need to see ourselves as holy and blameless, free from our sinful nature, and one with Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:6-7 states, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For one who has died has been set free from sin.” As I work with inmates, they struggle with this verse, and they don’t see themselves as free so they remain in bondage to old patterns of behavior. I understand that painful memories control our thoughts and emotions, which is why I wrote the book on this website. Trauma needs to be healed but when they are healed you must look in the mirror and say, I am no longer controlled by (whatever), I live my life through Christ and His strength (Phil. 4:13).

And Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Every day, tell yourself that Christ lives in and through you and Christ is perfect. Tell your mind, will, and emotions that you are controlled by Christ’s love (2Cor. 5:14).

It is hard to crucify (put to death) our fleshly desires, but giving in to our flesh will lead to death. Setting our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace (Rom. 8:6). So, do you want death or life, misery or peace? When you submit to God and obey Him, you will experience liberation from the control of sin in your life.

What is the source of our sinful nature?

So much can be said about the source of our sinful nature. One source is recorded in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” Temptation is not a sin. When you are tempted, take the thought captive and command it to be gone, and then replace it with God’s truth (2Cor. 10:3-5).

When I am tempted to sin and say something unkind and snide, it comes out of my self-centered pride because I had unmet expectations or desires (Ps. 59:12). Another source is being directly tempted by the devil just as he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, then Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11). The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:26; “And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” The only way to become free from the devil’s captivity is to submit to God. James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Conclusion

Sin breaks God’s heart because He loves us and wants us to obey Him because we love Him. Just as a parent loves their children and wants their children to obey them because they love the parent. So, out of love, Christ reconciled us to God through His blood on the cross so that we can be friends with Him and have our sins forgiven and made holy and blameless.

When we submit our lives to Jesus Christ and desire to please God through obedience, we will be free from the penalty of death brought by sin. Submitting our lives to God is setting our minds on the things that please God. So, read your Bible every day and do what it says. If you are not excited about these truths, please ask God to examine your heart to show you why. So many people don’t see their sin because they don’t read their Bibles, or they justify their actions because of their pride.

Which sin camp are you in?

Are you excited to be free from sin’s control?
Don’t know what sin is? Read Galatians 5:16-25.
Justify your actions as righteous and don’t acknowledge your sin? Read Jeremiah 17:9-10.

___**************___

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. 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.

15—God Promises to Test Us

What are God’s tests like? Tests determine what you learned and how you can apply what you know. Do you like tests? I know I don’t because of the possibility that I could fail. How do you pass a test? As a public-school teacher, I would say to listen to what your teacher teaches and take good notes, know all the material in the required reading, and take the time to study your notes and reading material. One time I gave the final exam out to my students to use as a study guide. You know, most of them never studied or bothered to look at my study guide, so many failed. When they found out how easy it would have been to get an “A,” they were upset with themselves for not putting forth an effort to study. God gave us the Bible to study and learn from. Are you reading and meditating about how you can apply God’s teaching to your life?

Do you remember getting your driver’s license? You studied the driving book front to back because if you didn’t know the rules, you would have an accident. You pass the written test, but then you must take the driving test. I must admit, I failed the driving test twice, even though the driving teacher let me use the little car I practiced in. I finally passed using my friend’s colossal chevy. God is merciful and compassionate toward us; even so, He will test us to see if we can apply what we know. Our Christian driving test is through the trials of life to see how we apply the Word of God. Did you pass the first time, or did you have to go through the troubles again before you passed?

What are God’s tests like?

The Bible is your reading material, and your Bible teacher will tell you what to know and study to pass God’s tests. All we need to do is memorize the material in preparation for the test. The following few Bible passages give us an idea of what God tests for. God gives instructions, which He calls a law, command, statutes, judgments, etc., all are recorded in the Bible. He asks that we obey what He tells us to do; if we don’t obey, it is a sin. Not all instructions are for us today; for example, God said that the Israelites were to gather only enough manna to feed their family for that day. Exodus 16:4 states, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.’” But many Israelites did not obey God’s instructions and failed the test. Are you walking according to God’s instructions?

God Tests Our Obedience

Then in Exodus 20:1-17, God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. Note all the promises of success that God gives if you obey these commandments. And God spoke all these words, saying, ²I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

(1) ³“You shall have no other gods before me.

(2) ⁴You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

(3) ⁷“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

(4) ⁸“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, ¹⁰but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. ¹¹For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

(5) ¹²“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

(6) ¹³“You shall not murder.

(7) ¹⁴“You shall not commit adultery.

(8) ¹⁵“You shall not steal.

(9) ¹⁶“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

(10) ¹⁷“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Exodus 20:20 states, “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’” Can you imagine if everyone would obey these ten commandments? Do you think we would have a problem with crime? Jeremiah 9:5-7 describes our present society, “Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. ⁶Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. ⁷Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people?”

God tests our hearts and minds.

I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. ‒1Chronicals 29:17a

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! ‒Psalm 7:9

Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. ‒ Psalm 26:2

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? ¹⁰“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds. ‒ Jeremiah 17:9-10

Ask God to search your heart and mind and to show you where you do not love Him or others well. Ask if you are being patient, kind, envious, boastful, arrogant, rude, insisting on your way, irritable, resentful, etc. (1Corinthians 13:4- 5). Ask Him to show you where you do not love Him with all your heart and mind (Matthew 22:37).

God Tests Our Faith using Trials.

God uses trials and hardships to test us. 1Peter 4:12 tells us, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” And the passage most Christians know, James 1:2-4, tells us, “Count it all joy, my brothers [and sisters], when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” And James 1:12 states, “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.” Will you still love God even when you fail the test and must retake it?

In 2Corinthians 13:5, the Apostle Paul tells us to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! Do you have Jesus’ attitude of looking out for other people’s interests before your own (Philippians 2:4-5)? Are you a servant like Jesus (Philippians 2:7)? Are you willing to lay down your life for your friends (John 15:13)? If you can’t answer “yes” to these questions, then ask Jesus to come into your life and forgive your sins and help you be more like Him.

The end goal of the tests throughout our life is to be like God. Ephesians 4:20-24 states, “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— ²¹assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²²to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” We renew our minds through prayer and applying the Word of God to our lives.

Conclusion

This post was a tough post to write, and I could have written more. If you have more to add, please leave a comment and share what you know. God gave us the Bible to study and learn from. Are you reading and meditating about how you can apply God’s teaching to your life? BIBLE means Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Rely on the all-powerful and loving God to help you and be with you through the trials of life.

RELATED POSTS

7 Ways to Suffer Well: (Part 1)

POSTS about God’s Promises

Posts About Godliness

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 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.

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.

11—God Promises to Give You Peace and Rest

Would you agree that we live in a world full of chaos and hate? Does the world news make you anxious? Do you feel stressed by the pressures of life? If so, God promises to give you rest and peace. Imagine that you are lying in a hammock under a shady tree, relaxing by a pool or lake somewhere, or sitting on a porch swing reading a captivating book. Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? God promises to give you everlasting rest and peace that rivals the ultimate relaxation situation.

What do you need rest from?

We need rest from carrying our worries and responsibilities. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” When our eyes are on Jesus, and we pray about everything, we will stop striving and feeling weighed down by the world’s concerns. 1Peter 5:7 states, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” King David said in Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” So when you pray and give your cares to God, He promises to sustain you, and you won’t be moved, that is, to be provoked. The Apostle Peter tells us in 1Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Doing evil is disobeying God.

We also need to enter God’s eternal rest. Hebrews 4:1, 6, 11 explains, “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” 6) “Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience.” 11) “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” These verses encourage us to strive to obey God, so we don’t lose our eternal rest. In my last post, I explained how God promises to rescue us from His wrath when we obey Him and do what is right. Hebrews 4:1 says we are to “fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it [His rest].” This type of fear is forsaking evil and not giving in to our sinful nature and lustful desires but turning to God and obeying His commands.

How do you achieve peace in a world full of troubles and chaos?

I found that peace resides in my heart when I look to Jesus and give Him my concerns. My favorite go-to Scripture verse is Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” I wrote a series of posts about trust because trust is so hard to do, and we become disappointed when our expectations are shattered. Understanding God’s promises help us trust Him. 2Corinthians 1:20 states, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” God keeps His promises because it brings Him glory.

Troubles Are Inevitable, but Peace Is a Choice We Make

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus has overcome the world, but how do we overcome the world? 1John 5:4 explains, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Because we have faith that God keeps His promises, we don’t have to carry the cares and troubles of the world. The Apostle Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:7-8, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If you don’t give God the issues that cause you anxiety and worry, then you choose not to have peace.

When We Obey God, We Will Have Peace

I don’t know about you, but I feel miserable and guilty when I sin. I have no peace when I say or do something that hurts another person. But when I repent and ask forgiveness, I also must ask God to take my guilt to feel peace again. Proverbs 3:1-2 tells us, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, ²for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.” And Isaiah 57:21 states, “There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.” Wicked people do not have peace, which is why our world has so much chaos and hate.

Conclusion

I hope you have been blessed by this post, and I pray you will have peace and rest during these troubling times. Keep your focus on the things of God and not on the issues of our world. There is nothing that escapes God’s notice. 2Chronicals 16:9 tells us, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him [completely His].” God keeps His promises; you can trust Him.

RELATED POSTS

POSTS about God’s Promises

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Check out my first book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think.

10—God Promises to Deliver Us from Wrath

How can a God who is love also deal out wrath? Will I incur the wrath of God? What is the wrath of God? The Bible says in Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” We only need to fear the wrath of God if we continue to live ungodly, disobedient, and unrighteous lives. Also, John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” So when we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we will be saved and have eternal life, but we also have to obey. God’s grace saves us from the His wrath, but our obedience sanctifies us and makes us holy, which is the only way we can be present with God.

God is also holy and does not sin. Our sin (evil, disobedience, ungodliness, and unrighteousness) separates us from God, and the punishment for sin is eternal separation. Not everyone goes to heaven to spend eternity with God, not even those who call themselves Christian because they live an ungodly lifestyle. 1John 3:10 states, “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” Read my post on this topic; Are You a Sheep or a Goat? For this reason, I believe that over half the church will miss the rapture and have to go through the wrath of God during the tribulation.

What incites the wrath of God?

The Bible clearly shows us the things that incite the wrath of God. The Apostle Paul tells us that our sinful, hard heart stores up the wrath of God.

Romans 2:5 states, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Ask God to show you if you have a hard heart? Is your heart fully submitted to God and obedient to His Word? Romans 13:5 states, “Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.”

Ezra 8:2b states, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” Are you seeking God through prayer and reading your Bible? Or do you forsake God to follow your fleshly desires and worldly allurements?

Ephesians 5:5-6 explains, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” Ask God to examine your heart; are you sexually immoral or impure? Are you coveting things others have? Do you seek to please your sinful flesh and not please God?

Colossians 3:5-6 also explains, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” Again, go to God in prayer and ask Him to show you any sexual sins (lustful thoughts, etc.), immorality (dishonesty; harmful intentions, etc.) of any kind, impurity, passion, evil desires, and covetousness or idolatry. I wrote a series of posts on idolatry.

The good news is that Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby and suffered every temptation known to man. He did not sin and died to take our punishment and God’s wrath for sin. Hebrews 2:17-18 states, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

God Promises to Save Us from His Wrath

Meditate on each passage and seek understanding. Let these verses go deep into your heart and let them replace wrong beliefs. Deliberately read each word out loud.

1Thesselonians 5:9 tells us, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:9 states, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

Romans 6:22-23 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification [set apart as holy] and its end, eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God Promises to Forgive Us Our Sins So We Don’t Incur His Wrath.

2Chronicles 7:14 explains, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

1John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Act 10:43 states, “To him [Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Psalm 103:10-12 “He [God] does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; ¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Forgiving others who sin against you is done out of obedience to God. So if you do not forgive others who did you wrong, then God can’t forgive you because you sinned against Him. See my post called WHY MUST YOU FORGIVE.

Conclusion:

John 8:31-32 tells us, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” If you are not reading your Bible and going to church, you are not abiding in Jesus Christ, and you will not know the truth. The Bible is our guidebook for this life so that we can enter into eternal life with God. The wrath of God is on those who are disobedient. We will always struggle with our sinful nature, but the Spirit of God has given us a new life through believing in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, which we learned in the last post.

I pray that this series on the promises of God has been helpful and comforting to you. Leave a comment if you have anything additional you would like to add. I try to keep my word count low out of respect for your time, so much more can be said about this topic.

May God’s grace and mercy be with you always.

Joyce

RELATED POSTS

Posts about God’s Promises

Posts About Godliness

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 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.

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.

9—God Promises to Give You a New Life

Did you ever dream of living a different life, and what that would be like? I have been reflecting on the Scripture verses about living a new life for several weeks. I have been challenged to think differently, speak differently, and react differently. By differently, I mean think as Christ thinks, speak as Christ would speak, and respond with love like Christ. So why don’t I live like Jesus Christ, who lived a life of love?

How do we get a new life?

Our new life begins by changing wrong thinking and belief patterns to reflect the love of God. We also need to put off self-centered pride, that only thinks about ourselves. The same miracle that raised Jesus from the dead also raises us from the deadness of our sin so we can live a new life. Romans 8:11 states, “If the Spirit of him [God] who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Also, 1John 4:13 &15 states, “By this we know that we abide in him [God] and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” Verse 15: “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” The Holy Spirit of God not only gives us life but helps us to live a new life, but we first must choose to walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-17 explain, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

The Apostle Paul explains in 2Corinthians 5:17 the following, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” The new life we are to live can only be lived through Jesus Christ, as explained in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” “And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” – 2Corinthians 5:15. Think for a moment about what a day in your life would look like if you lived through Christ Jesus? 1John 4:9 states, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”

How should Christ’s death and resurrection change us?

Remember, you can only change yourself; you can’t change anyone else. How would your life look different because of what Jesus did for you on the cross? Colossians 2:13-15 states, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” The work of the devil in our lives has been disarmed and we are free from the devil’s control through our sinful flesh. 1John 3:8 states, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” But we need to always humbly submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:6-7).

Read and ponder each passage below and think about how you can apply the passage to your life.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. –Romans 6:4

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. –Romans 7:4

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. –Colossians 2:11-12

Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. –Romans 4:25

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. –Colossians 3:1

Before we knew Christ Jesus, we were dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1), but when we believe and seek His forgiveness, we are set free from the control of sin (Rom. 6:22-23). Our sinful nature should not control our new life. We will struggle with unhealthy beliefs and wanting things our way, so we need to consider ourselves dead to self-centered pride and seek to love others as God loves. As you want others to love you, so you should love others in the same way.

How do we live through Christ?

Here is how you know you are living through Jesus Christ and not through your sinful flesh. I still struggle with my sinful flesh, but as I submit to God, I have the victory. 1Peter 3:8-9 tells us, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. ⁹Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”

- Do you have unity of mind with those you live with and fellowship at church with?
- Are you sympathetic to those around you?
- Do you have brotherly love for those who are hard to love?
- Do you have a tender heart towards those who are struggling?
- Are you humble and do not insist on your way as the only or best way?
- Do you bless those who irritate you or make you angry? Or do you return an insult from the offense you feel? We can bless people by being patient, gentle, kind, peaceful, and so on.
- Are you servant-minded like Jesus? Philippians 2:3-8 explains:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

⁵Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Conclusion:

As long as we are in our bodies, we will battle our sinful desires to please our self-centered, prideful flesh. We need to remind ourselves of our new life in Christ and decide to live by the Spirit in us, not our old sinful flesh. Romans 8:5-6 states, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” You can’t do this in your strength, which is why we need to put on Jesus Christ and keep Him on. Romans 13:14 tells us to “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” We also need to consider ourselves as dead to sin. Romans 6:11 tells us, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” My online book explains how a person can live a new life and have a new destiny.

RELATED POSTS

How The Spirit Gives Life.

Are you in control of your life?

How to Dig up the Unforgiving Belief to Grow in Love

Love From a Pure Heart

HOW PRIDE DESTROYS

How to Convert Pridefulness to Gentleness and Humility

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 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.

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.

1—God’s Promises – Introduction

Are you concerned, maybe worried, about what is happening in America and around the world? Do you wonder how God will work out His will for your life? I have been pondering God’s promises, which have given me peace. If you don’t know His promises, how can you claim them?

Never forget that God keeps His promises. 2Corinthians 1:20 tells us, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” Also, Romans 4:20-21 states, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” God may not do what you want or how you want, but He always has your best interest in mind because only He knows your future. King David says in Psalm 139:16-18. “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. ¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”

Most of God’s promises are conditional, for example, Jeremiah 7:23 states, “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’” When we obey God and walk in His ways, then He will abide with us that it may be well with us.

God’s promises are for everyone. Acts 2:39 states, “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” I have gathered many promises from the Bible, and I am sure there are many more. In future posts, I will share the scripture promises and applications for each of the following categories.

― God promises eternal life and salvation:

― God promises to help you

― God promises to prosper us

― God promises to be our protection/shield/stronghold

― God promises to provide for us

― God promises to reward us

― God is our Refuge

― God promises peace

― God promises us grace and mercy

― God promises to give us wisdom

― We will not be separated from God’s Love

― God promises to give us strength

― God promises to give you rest

― God promises to fight for you

― God promises to forgive our sins when we confess them and forgive others their sins

― God promises to never leave or forsake us

― God promises to deliver us from our troubles

― God promises to give you the desires of your heart

― God promises to lead us

― God promises to answer prayer

― God promises to heal you

God never lies. Titus 1:2 states, “In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” And Hebrews 10:36 states. “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Matthew 7:21 elaborates, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” John 6:40 explains what the Father’s will is, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him [you and me] up on the last day.”

Here are a few more fantastic promises, note the condition is to believe. When we believe with our heart we will be saved. Romans 10:9 explains, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” So many people only believe with their mind, or they say the apostle’s creed, but don’t believe with their heart. Here is how you know. Does the promise of eternal life make you happy and do the following verses make you excited or are they just Bible verses you memorize at one time? John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” In verse 36, we are encouraged to not only believe but obey as well.

If you believe with your heart that Jesus is the Son of God, then God abides in you and all His promises are for you? 1John 4:13-15 tells us, “By this we know that we abide in him [God] and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And 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.” How wonderful is that, that the God who created the Universe dwells in us when we believe. Ephesians 3:17a states, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, which is believing.”

When will we receive the promise of eternal life? 2Peter 3:9 explains, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Repentance is acknowledging your sins and seeking God’s forgiveness (1John 1:9). Sins are anything we think, say, or do that breaks God’s commands, namely, to love Him and to love each other (Luke 10:27). The Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1Timothy 2:4, “Who [God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Also, John explains in 1John 2:25, “And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.” 2Corinthians 5:1 says, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 1John 5:11 “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Ponder the following scriptures and how sin separates us from God and keeps us from receiving eternal life. Romans 5:21 “So that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Galatians 6:8 “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” We sow to the spirit by meditating on God’s word, which is keeping our minds on the things above (Colossians 3:1-3). God never lies, but the devil is a liar (John 8:44) and he will deceive you just enough to create unhealthy beliefs about God’s promises, so you don’t trust God. Satan wants us to remain in his oppressive control. Satan does not want you to spend eternity with God and will do everything to keep you from obeying and doing God’s will.

Conclusion

God keeps his promises, but for us to experience His promises we need to meet the conditions first. His promises are many and for everyone. Today, we looked at God’s promise of salvation and eternal life. The conditions were (1) to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died and was raised again (1Cor. 15:1-6). (2) Believe with your heart and confess with your mouth what you believe. (3) Obey and do the will of the Father. (4) Die to our sinful nature and be righteous. (5) Humbly confess your sins and receive the free gift of God. (6) Sow to the Spirit.

Check out my first book on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 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.

Why Go to Church?

Do you or do you know someone who believes a Christian does not need to go to church? Christians have many reasons why they don’t go to church. Over the next several blog posts, I want to explore what the Bible says about the church. In this post, I identify the benefits of being a part of a church. I understand that the church is made of imperfect people who hopefully strive to become more like Christ, so don’t expect to find a perfect church. The pastor won’t be perfect either, so why go to church? Just as people can be messy, so can a church.

Why We Need the Church

I have discovered that many people wrongly believe that they don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. That is true. If you are a prisoner of war in solitary confinement, you will still be a Christian and go to heaven. But God created us to be a community of believers. A community looks out for each other and helps those in need. Titus 3:14 states, “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.”

For example, one of our homeschooling mothers with six children was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Her youngest was five years old. Our church family supported her and helped the family by taking turns driving her for treatments, making her family meals, and watching the children during her treatments. The type of cancer could not be treated with chemotherapy, so she was allowed to try alternative therapies that were not paid for by her insurance. The church family helped pay for the treatments. The men of the church cut and split wood for the family to heat their home for the winter. At Christmas time, the church showered her children with gifts.

If you stayed home instead of supporting the local church and helping the members in need, then who would be there for you and help you in your time of need? How will you be encouraged to love and do good deeds if you don’t go to church? Hebrews 10:23-25 states, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” If we neglect attending church, we are disobeying God, and therefore, are in sin. I understand that the elderly and infirmed may not be able to get to church, so hopefully, the members of their church will be visiting them to encourage them in their faith and show love by helping them.

The Church is Necessary to Help Us Persevere in Our Faith

Romans 10:17 states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” I know you can do online church or listen to radio preachers, but being in the house of God and corporately worshiping with others encourages your faith in God. When the children of Israel left Egypt, God required them to build a meeting place where the whole congregation could hear from God through Moses. A congregation is an assembly of persons brought together for common religious worship.

Psalm 107:32 states, “Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.” Also, Psalm 111:1 states, “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” And Hebrews 2:12 states, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation, I will sing your praise.” The Bible is clear that we are to meet together to praise God. Psalm 86:9 states, “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.” If you don’t want to worship with the believers on earth, then why would you want to worship with them in heaven?

The Corporate Worship Protects You from Deception

Deuteronomy 11:16 states, “Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.” You risk losing your faith and being deceived when you don’t go to church because you become vulnerable to demonic attacks. We were created to worship God and to believe in Him, so if we stop worshiping God, then we will be drawn to worship idols. You are deceived if you don’t think this can happen to you because it happened to the Israelites time and again throughout the Old Testament, and they suffered greatly.

Have you ever sat around a campfire? If you move a burning log away from a fire, it quickly cools and stops burning. If you noticed that when someone stops going to church, their faith will cool? We will be easy prey for the enemy when we are isolated. 1Peter 5:8-9a states, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, firm in your faith.” You can only be firm in your faith when you stay close to other believers with a strong faith. Have you watched an African Nature show? A herd of animals can protect themselves from predators, but if one of the animals gets separated, they are taken down and eaten. We need to stay watchful. The church is there to encourage us to stay under God’s protection.

Conclusion

My heart is very heavy as I write this post because I know many people who were strong in their faith but are no longer walking with God because they left the encouragement and protection of the church. If you don’t like the church you attend or attended, then find another Bible-teaching church. I have changed churches many times, depending on my stage of life. For example, my mother and father grew up Lutheran, so I began my life as a Lutheran. My mother and father came to know Jesus as their savior, so we attended a Brethren Church for a while. Then my mother and father got baptized by the Holy Spirit, and we went to a Pentecostal church for a while. My parents divorced, and we returned to the Lutheran church in my teen years. In college, my friend took me to her Pentecostal church. When I got married, we attended a Christian Missionary Alliance church. When I married my second husband, he wanted to attend the local Wesleyan Church. The point is, find a church that teaches the Bible and don’t expect it to be perfect or to meet your expectations.

How to Convert Pridefulness to Gentleness and Humility

You might think you have the right to be prideful because of your position in life, accomplishments, or status in the community. None of those situations are bad, nor does it mean you have arrogant, self-centered pride. Being proud of your accomplishments is different than thinking you’re better than someone else. I have to admit that I struggle with pride because I slip into thinking more highly of myself than I ought to. Most pride issues come from unhealthy beliefs that need to be uncovered and transformed by truth.

How often have you heard people make excuses for their bad behavior and accept it as part of who they are? So why is self-centered pridefulness a bad thing? The Spirit of pride keeps you from acknowledging your sin, apologizing, and repenting. I have written several posts on this subject, to learn more please read the posts listed below:

HOW PRIDE DESTROYS

#1 Destroyer of All Relationships and the Solution

Anger Issues Protected by Pride and Judgmental Strongholds

My website is about changing unhealthy beliefs to experience a new reality. What we think and say comes from what we believe, and what we believe directs our behavior. Our choices determine how healthy our relationships will be. In this series of posts, I will expose the unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and how to transform them with the truth to experience a new reality. So why should we deal with pridefulness, and how does it block a gentle and meek attitude?

Where Does the Prideful Belief Come From?

The primary source of sinful pride is the devil. Self-centered, unhealthy beliefs are based on wrong assumptions and perceptions put into our minds by the demonic spirits all around us. Remember, we are spirit beings in a physical body living in a physical world controlled by the spirit world. You can read more about that in my post called: Four Realities of the Spirit World, also see the link below by Dr. David Jeremiah. If you are not submitted to God and are not resisting the devil, he will put the thoughts into your mind that you deserve better treatment than that, and so on.

Satan (angel named Lucifer, meaning “morning star”) sinned because of his pride by wanting to set his throne above God’s throne and was thrown down to earth (Isaiah 14:13-15 and Rev. 12:7-9). He causes us to sin through the same prideful attitude. Pride is thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think (Romans 12:3), which also encourages us to think with sober (sound) judgment, that is, with a humble attitude. You know you have a spirit of pride when you are self-centered and insist on getting what you want at the expense of others. And, you know you are prideful when you become offended and get a bad attitude toward someone for what they said/did not say or did/not did something you felt was unfair.

How do you know if you are humble?

God’s word defines a humble person as follows:

1. Someone who fears God (Prov. 15:33; 22:4).

2. A person who bears with others and is kind, patient, and forgiving (Eph 4:2 & 32).

3. When we count others as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).

4. If you have wisdom that is pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17; Proverbs 11:2).

5. Someone who has acknowledged they are a sinner and repents (Psalm 149:4).

6. A person with a contrite (repentant) heart who trembles at God’s Words (Isaiah 66:2).

7. A humble person is not judgmental but gives grace (Eph 4:29).

What Is the Truth That Transforms this Unhealthy Belief?

The truth is that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1Pet 5:5 and James 4:6).” 1Peter 5:6-7 states, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Give God all the worries that cause you to be anxious, and trust God to take care of all your concerns. When you worry, you exalt yourself above God because you do not trust Him to take care of your affairs. When you humbly give God all your concerns, He promises to exalt you at the proper time.

James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When we submit to God, we are humbling ourselves and acknowledging our sin and need for His power and strength. But we are also to resist the devil and his temptations toward selfish ambition and pride. James 3:14-16 states, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to [deny] the truth. ¹⁵This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile [evil] practice.” First, humbly ask God to show you if this verse applies to your life. Secondly, if you see selfishness, acknowledge that you have an unhealthy pride that leads to selfish ambition and ask for God’s forgiveness. Thirdly, ask God to remove it and to give you a humble spirit.

How To Change Unhealthy Beliefs

1. Before you can transform unhealthy beliefs, listen to what you are saying and pay attention to your thoughts because they come from unhealthy beliefs.

2. Submit the wrong thinking to God and ask Him to show you His transforming truth.

3. Ask God to show you if there is a painful memory contributing to your pridefulness. Satan takes every opportunity to inject pride into our minds.

4. Pray and put off the unhealthy belief controlling your thoughts and put on the truth God shows you from His Word.

I first loosed the wrong thinking that God showed me and replaced it with scripture truths similar to the following:

Humility realizes that everything I have, including my abilities, is a gift from God. Deut. 8:17-18

I do not think of myself more highly than others, but in humility, I will regard others as more important than myself. Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2:3

God lifts up the humble in due time, so I will cast all my anxiety on Him because He cares for me. 1 Pet. 5:6-7; James 4:10

I am humbled when I see my need for God and trust He will guide me in what is right for all His ways are loving and faithful. Ps. 25:9-10

When I am humble, then I will be honored. Prov.15:33b

HOW TO DESTROY THE DEVIL’S WORK IN YOUR LIFE

Who Is Lucifer in the Bible?

All verses are from the English Standard Bible unless otherwise indicated. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. No part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

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, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name so I know you are a person making the request.