Being an employee - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) October 28, 2022

Let's be honest, most of us don't like our employers. Our opinion of our bosses is even worse in most cases. We think very poorly of them because they think we're machines without feelings.

And as a result, we give them the quality of work we believe they deserve for the quality of treatment they give us. I mean think about it. People barely get pensions anymore and the prospect of retirement means working at Walmart or elsewhere for many.

Thus, there are several logical reasons why so many are quiet quitting - doing the bare minimum for a paycheck. Or, hustling employers by working multiple jobs at the same time when they were hired with the expectation that they'd dedicate their work hours to one company only.

As believers we have to ask ourselves a simple question - what does God expect from us at our workplace?

Ephesians 6 makes it clear that we are to do our job as if we were working for Christ himself. We are to treat our jobs as if we were hired by the Savior and give it our best. We are to do so knowing that "the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does..." (Ephesians 6:8).

Our emotions are irrelevant. Meaning, even if our human bosses and employers are the worst, the Lord still expects us to work for them as if we are employed by Him. If you are scratching your head wondering how such is possible, that's understandable. How can you give your best to someone/something you can barely tolerate in some cases? The answer lies in focusing on the fact that you serve a God who tells you to thank Him under all circumstances, whether good or bad. He calls on us to give before we receive. The point is, God's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). He tends to do things in a manner that's confusing to us mere mortals, but we still have to obey Him. Therefore, ask God for help and change your behavior for the better.

God's instructions seem impossible because we've been conditioned to put our needs and desires first. If, however, we put God's desires first then we'll realize that no matter how horrible our employers, bosses or others are, we must be and give our best. Thank God, we can do so while searching for a position elsewhere if need be. And if that's God's will, He will move you.

Will this be easy? Sadly no. Yet, it is in our weakness that God's power is revealed mightily. I've shared my testimony of how the Lord helped me when I once dealt with a disrespectful coworker. It was hard to not express myself as I would have in my Before Christ Days. I opted to take my grievance to God and in less than 48 hours, the coworker was gone.

Doing things God's way can be a challenge but if we trust Him and sincerely call Him into the matter, He will always rise to the occasion. He will do this for you in your work environment, bringing you favor before your higher ups and peers. That you may obey His instructions and work at your earthly job as if unto the Lord, IJMN Amen.

P&P 200: The Ticket to Heaven - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) October 25, 2022

Have you ever asked yourself what it takes to get to Heaven?

Jesus gave us the answer when He said nobody could get to God the Father except through Him (John 14:6). As God resides in heaven, it is clear Jesus is integral to reaching those pearly gates and gaining admission. This is why believers share the gospel, encouraging people (Christians included) to choose Jesus, submit their lives to Him and thereby gain access to God the Father who lives in Heaven.

Yet, many say the Sinner's Prayer or some version of it, and think that's it. They don't realize that there's more in store for them. Jesus promised that all who believed in Him and kept His commandments would receive "another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth" (John 14:15-17). Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to His people. He revealed some functions of this great gift in John 14:26 - But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The Holy Spirit is charged with reminding us of what we've learned from Christ's Gospel. After all, most of us can hardly remember what we had for breakfast, talk less of the many mysteries Jesus taught. The Holy Spirit acts as the Voice of God and His job is to help us "turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”" (Isaiah 30:21). Without Him, we'll never get out of the sin habits that our intelligence can't rescue us from.

Ephesians 1:13-14 - And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him (NLT).

Jesus marks believers with the Holy Spirit and this is a guarantee of the promise of eternal life with Jesus in Heaven (Romans 6:4). This makes the Holy Spirit incredibly special because Holy Spirit is therefore our literal ticket to Heaven. In addition, the Holy Spirit ensures we get everything God promised to us here in this realm. All that was stolen from us or that we neglected to claim. He gives us hope and guidance on how to get all that's ours. We therefore cannot afford to ignore the Holy Spirit and act as if He doesn't exist. He is part of the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is assigned to each of us who have chosen to believe and obey Christ, and thereby be identified as His own.

To get to Heaven, you need Jesus and one you have Him you get the Holy Spirit who will walk with you through every situation to get you to eternal life. Would you start the process of submitting your life to Jesus today? Would you do this so you can be blessed here on earth and receive your ticket to Heaven? Today is P&P 200 and we are celebrating the anniversary of the 200th gathering to fellowship via Praise & Prayer (for others). This is the perfect opportunity to give your life over to Christ and receive the promise. This decision is a choice to be subject to Jesus, having Him as your Lord and Savior. Do not assume that you were raised Christian and that will suffice. Salvation is an individual journey. Do not think you've done great good and will thus get into Heaven. There are many good people in hell, unfortunately. Jesus was clear - nobody gets to eternity except through Him. And through Him, you get Holy Spirit who takes you from good to godly.

So, tell Him you want Him as Your Lord, tell Him you need Him to teach you and send you the Holy Spirit to help you remember all you learn at His feet. Say the following prayer - Thank you Jesus, for sacrificing yourself for me. Lord Jesus, I come to you as a sinner in need of repentance. I ask for your forgiveness. Today, I renounce satan and proclaim Jesus as the new Lord of my life. From this day onward, I am a child of God, redeemed and anointed to live a life of light. A life that illustrates the grace of my Lord. Thank you God for coming into my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

Rejoice and let the rest of us know you picked the Holy Spirit, Jesus and Almighty God! Then come back at Noon EST for a praise party so we can join you in thanking the Lord for your life and the ticket you shall surely receive as a child of God.

Come leave your comments to this post over here - https://www.themiraclealley.com/forum/praise-pray/p-p-200-the-ticket-to-heaven-tuesday-praise-pray-for-others-october-25-2022

You are being built for the Lord - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) October 21, 2022

The walk with God is not for the faint at heart. How do I know this? Well, Jesus said as much in Matthew 10:22 - You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. In addition, there's the plain fact of this all over the Bible. Think of Job, for instance. He was a man described as blameless, upright, God-fearing and righteous in Job 1:1. Yet, he experienced the sort of challenges that would make the average individual shudder at the mere thought of such happening in their own life.

And, if you don't want to take the word of Jesus for it - or the experiences of the men and women in the Bible for that matter - then take a look at your life. Since becoming a believer, has your life been all roses and fun? Or have there been some serious challenges that only God could get you out of?

Yet, we hang in there. We don't give up. We hold onto our faith and the knowledge that God is working things out for our good even if it doesn't look that way. We read His word to encourage ourselves, play music from our favorite music minister and let the tears fall. No matter what, we hold on to the God who's come through for us before, believing He will do so again. We fast, pray, and strive to live righteously, obeying His instructions as best we can.

And, when we don't do things as well as we should, we get on our knees and plead for forgiveness. We raise our hands to the Lord, convicted by the Holy Spirit placed within us, to repent. And His grace, being sufficient for us, speaks through the blood of Jesus, bringing mercy.

This is the walk of a believer in God. It's not easy and oftentimes it won't be fun. Nevertheless, we must carry on with a stubbornness that defies logic. We must be staunchly determined to never return to the days when we didn't know the word of God or His power, for then we would be in error. We must reject sin habits, day by day, and allow God to fashion us into the new creatures we became once we gave our lives to Christ and submitted wholeheartedly to Him.

And we must remember, particularly on the days when we haven't done our best, the word in Ephesians 2:22 - And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. What must we remember about this scripture? That we are being built into dwelling places for the Lord. These dwelling places - our bodies - will be inhabited by His Holy Spirit while we walk the earth. The term "being built" means we are continuously under construction for God. In His grace, He is molding us over time to suit Him. That way, we grow each day, becoming a place from which His power does great works.

Do not imagine that because you are 'under construction' there are no rules to be followed. Rules exist for a reason and in construction, then ensure worker safety and that the final product will be solid, sound and safe for its inhabitants. Similarly, observing God's rules during our construction phase ensures we are being built so God lives in us through the Holy Spirit. Paul cautioned in Ephesians 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. In order to not grieve the Holy Spirit, Paul instructs believers to turn away from a sinful life which he details in Ephesians 4:17-32. As long as we keep this in mind, construction shall continue and be completed for God, just the way He likes it. There is great reward here on earth and in heaven for a successful final product and these include a good relationship with the Lord, His protection and provision in all areas.

So, though the walk be long and tiring, never forget, you are being built for His glory. So is the person to your left and your right. There is therefore hope of salvation for all in the Lord as He builds us into grand residences for Him to dwell in comfortably. Glory be to His Holy Name!

See you at Noon EST.