Fullness of Life - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) December 16, 2022

"Fullness of life" as a concept is mentioned in John 10:10. The New International Version says - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Most other translations refer to an abundant life while the New Living Translation (NLT) speaks of a "rich and satisfying life." Regardless of the version, it is clear that fullness of life is desirable. After all, when God has a generous offer, it is to be sought and received with gratitude and praise.

What exactly is the "fullness of life"? What does it look like. Is it about money? Health? Security? A combination of these and more?

The word of God provides a clue in Colossians 2:9-10 - For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority (NLT).

Christ contained the fullness of what God is and has everything God is offering us. This fullness is therefore more than a physical state of being but a spiritual one. A spiritual completeness that spills into every day life, ensuring a richness that surrounds all that concerns a person. A richness that could only be obtained through Christ who, according to Ephesians 1:23, "fills everything in every way."

We receive this by believing in Jesus, by knowing Him and obeying Him. It is He who died and resurrected to make this blessing available to humanity. He doesn't care about our past and how bad we think we are or once were. He cares about bringing us into our glorious future. A perfect example is the Apostle Paul. Originally named Saul, he was a persecutor of those who believed in Jesus. So much so, he presided over the murder of Stephen, a disciple. Yet, God stretched out His hand to Him and after that encounter, Saul was transformed into an ardent believer in Christ. He became an apostle, changing his name to Paul (which means 'humbled') and wrote more than half the books of the New Testament as a servant of God through Christ.

And the Almighty wants to do a similar thing with all of us. He wants to transform us from living for ourselves to living for His glory. That we may have lives that reflect the fullness made available through Jesus Christ. Lives that will be spoken of long after we are gone because of the impact they made for the Lord. Such lives are filled with God's fullness which means blessings, experiencing the miraculous and a protection that defies understanding. These and so much more are the inheritance of those who choose Him and walk with Him for the long-haul.

So what is it you are looking for? What blessing would make your life full? Is it faith? Health? Joy? An end to insomnia? Look to Jesus Christ to supply these things by seeking and receiving spiritual fullness, which will translate into the provision of all your physical needs. For Matthew 6:33 tells us that when we seek the things of God, our needs will be provided. Let us ask Jesus for the spiritual fullness that produces the fullness of life we desire. And let us believe that we shall receive for Matthew 7:11 tells us our Heavenly Father gives good gifts to those who ask Him.

May the grace of the Lord bring us into His fullness and may we experience the blessings promised in Amos 9:13-15, IJMN, Amen.

The Box of Fear - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 13, 2022

Fear is rebellion because the Lord has repeatedly commanded His children to not be afraid (Philippians 4:6).

And yet, we succumb to fear, allowing satan to cause us to meditate on what he wants instead of what the Lord has called us to focus on. Philippians 4:8 tells us what our minds should process - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Fear does not qualify as any of these. Praise the Lord for His mercy that He patiently works with His own to extract them from fear's chokehold.

What we forget is that when we allow ourselves to dwell in a state of fear, we tell God that He's not capable of dealing with whatever it is that robs us of peace. And when that happens, we unfortunately give satan free rein to control that area of our lives that we've placed in a 'box of fear'. That box we've effectively told God to take His hands off of.

Recently, the Lord had to teach me I had a 'box of fear' that I wasn't fully submitting to His control. An issue that popped up and I just didn't want to deal with it. Every other thing in my life took precedence. Including cleaning the house and doing laundry. And just like that a few days became weeks and weeks became months without me addressing the matter.

Then one day, the Lord pointed at my 'box of fear' and told me it was time to open it. I didn't want to and even asked Him to deal with it instead. However, the Lord reminded me of some crucial scripture He'd been teaching me in the weeks prior. They stood as a mirror and I couldn't avoid what they reflected - fear.

I prayed and determined not to cower because of the supposed Nephilim (giants), I did what the Lord instructed and made a call (Numbers 13-14). I spoke to a lady who asked me to call back. I took a breath, turned up my worship music and read scripture while I waited. Having fortified myself in the word, I made the second call and spoke to someone who showed so much kindness that the process I'd dreaded was over in minutes and worked in my favor.

I praised the Lord. Then, I got irritated with myself and wondered why I'd seen a mountain when all that lay before me was a molehill. In the process, I'd wasted time and money because I dragged my feet. Yet, in this mistake, the Lord was there and kindly redeemed me, allowing things to work out in the end. He taught me that allowing fear to keep me from moving in Godfidence in every area of my life, is rebellion and it gives the devil room to cause trouble.

As the year comes to an end, ask the Lord to show you the 'box of fear' you don't want to open. That thing you are dragging your feet on simply because you don't believe God can handle it for you. Don't assume the box contains some large issue. What it holds could actually be very small in the grand scheme of things. Whatever it is, for some reason, you've told God "hands off". Maybe you've seen others struggle in that area and think the same will happen to you. Or perhaps, the issue is one you've dealt with in the past and because the result wasn't positive, you now expect a repeat.

Whatever the case, it is time to open the 'box of fear' knowing that God is right by your side. If indeed you are His child, then remember He has given you authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall harm you (Luke 10:19). Let Him hold you by the hand as He guides you to eliminate every 'box of fear' in your life.

For more posts on the subject of fear, please click here - https://www.themiraclealley.com/post/topic-fear

Praise Like Moses - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) December 9, 2022

Exodus 15:2 - “The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

This verse was uttered by Moses as he marveled at how the Lord rescued his people from their captors. They'd just watched the very Red Sea that stood still for them sweep away their pursuers in an instant. I can't fully comprehend the awe Moses must have felt to see how God fulfilled His word to set His people free from slavery. Yet, I can imagine why Moses called the Lord the source of his strength, his salvation and called Him his ultimate defense.

Moses had been marching, leading the Israelites across the Red Sea's floor. He had to turn around to see what God had done to cement their victory from Pharaoh and his army. Similarly, on Tuesday, we looked back to see how God got us through the impossibilities we've faced. We too can therefore praise God and exalt Him.

Today, I call on you to do what Moses did by speaking Exodus 15:2 out loud. Align with it. Don't stop there, however. Begin praising the God who you have proclaimed is your strength, your defense, and your salvation. We do this because we have been called to praise and worship the Lord and also because according to His word, we were created to worship Him. Isaiah 43:20-21 - The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

We've discussed so much this year and the Lord has taken us through a variety of subjects, many of them complicated and requiring weeks to grasp. And sometimes, God wants to remind us of the simple things that He needs us to do and to understand. That simple thing is to declare who God is to you and praise Him.

I therefore pray that you will join myself and other Peppers as we honor the Lord and focus on exalting Him for His greatness.

See you at Noon EST when we'll rejoice that we serve a God who is the be all and the end all. We shall worship Him for all He is and then we shall prayerfully intercede for other people, focusing on their needs, not ours. The Lord will bless us and ensure we do not leave fellowship the way we came, IJMN, Amen.