Praise is your freedom - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 5, 2022

Praise is your freedom.

Have you ever noticed how much better you feel when worship music is playing? You forget your problems and even marvel at how joyful you are.

That's because when we praise or are surrounded by voices of praise, we invite the Lord into our environment. The Bible said, "How can light and darkness live together?" in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (GNT). Therefore, wherever the Lord is, darkness must flee.

Oftentimes, we're too intellectual to accept that something so simple could be the way to stop the devil in its tracks. However, praise is a mighty weapon that sends satan running.

Psalm 149:6-9 - May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, 9 to carry out the sentence written against them— this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the LORD.

This scripture details what praise does in the 'hands' of God's children. It is an authoritative implement that stops kings - the most powerful - be they here in earth or in the spiritual. Praise enables God's beloved to punch above their weight and wield His limitless strength. And there's nothing satan can do about it.

So, will you tap into the power that's at your disposal today? Will you lift your voice and your heart to the glory of God? Satan will throw as much chaos as possible at you to throw you off and distract you from giving God His due reverence. Are you going to let that scheme work on you? Or, are you going to take a deep breath and focus on thanking God even if you are in the midst of a storm? Will you trust Him enough to take your eyes off the wind and simply walk on water, praising Him until the storm stills?

God bless you and I pray I'll see you at Noon EST. I also pray that you'll surround yourself with praise to chase the dark away, IJMN, Amen.

Speak Boldly - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) August 2, 2022

2 Samuel 23:5 - “If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.

These words were spoken by King David centuries ago. At the time, he was an old man who knew death was knocking at the door. Can you imagine being so confident about where you stand with the Lord to speak about your relationship with Him that way? David's claim was that he was in such good standing with the Lord, that God made him an everlasting and secure promise. That without this, God wouldn't have saved him and granted his desires.

Keep in mind that David peeped on a married woman bathing in her yard, desired her, and slept with her (2 Samuel 11). When she, Bathsheba, got pregnant, David brought her husband back from the warfront, hoping that she'd sleep with him so the pregnancy could be pinned on the husband and not not. However, the woman's husband, Uriah, refused to go home and enjoy the comforts of his wife during wartime, so what did David do to solve his problem? He had Uriah placed in harm's way so he'd die. Once that happened, he moved Bathsheba into his palace and made her one of his wives.

How could someone like this get to the end of his life and claim that he was in good standing with the Lord?

It shouldn't be a surprise that God is forgiving. He even pleads with us to return to Him in Isaiah 44:22, saying He has "swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist." He is the God who, when we repent, will freely forgive us and allow us a fresh start (1 John 1:9). Sure, we'll have to endure the consequences of our sin. In David's case, he repented profusely but the product of his adultery - a baby - died (2 Samuel 12). Nevertheless, God still loved him and blessed him in so many other ways. And just as He loved David despite his failures, so also does God love you and I.

Each of us needs to strive to be like David. No, I'm not suggesting people knowingly commit sin believing they can simply repent and carry on with their relationship with God. After all, God's children are expected to live righteously in the fear of the Lord. We are also warned in Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, if we choose to continue sinning, we effectively reject the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to set us free from death (Romans 8:2).

We need to be able to acknowledge our sins when confronted with them and truly repent. To repent means to be so afraid of repeating the sin that we take every step possible to avoid it. It is never again recorded in the Bible that David allowed his eyes to wander. Never again did he look with desire at a woman that wasn't his. He also never schemed to kill an innocent man again.

Those of us who submit our lives to the Lord and accept Jesus as our Savior have the grace afforded to us through His sacrifice on the cross. We can rely on that grace to receive everything David spoke of and more. This is because Jesus intercedes for us and by His name, we can repent for sins and be redeemed. This grace allows us to speak boldly about our relationship with the Lord, God Almighty. And unlike David, we don't have to wait till we are almost dead to do so.

May the Lord help each of us to honor Jesus' sacrifice and please God with our lives. That we too can confidently speak of our standing with the Lord, as well as everything He's done and will do for us, IJMN, Amen. See you at Noon EST for Praise & Pray (for others).

Satan's Lies about God - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 29, 2022

Satan has been very successful at lying to people about God. So many are unaware of who He is and what He can do. This is satan's plan, of course, because if an individual lacks understanding of God and their relationship to Him, then they become less of a threat. After all, a person who knows God learns they have powerful spiritual weapons that make satan ineffective and destroy its schemes on earth (2 Corinthians 10:4). Therefore, the devil wants people weak so they can't interfere with what it's doing to them or others.

And so, satan works tirelessly to make people think all sorts of falsehoods about the Lord. It tells people God isn't real, for instance, knowing that people can't get into heaven if they don't believe in the Lord. This is how a kind and well-meaning person can miss getting to heaven. By ignoring the need to know and have a relationship with God, such a person becomes unaware that death is not the end of their existence. They either go to heaven or hell becomes their final resting place. This confusion pleases the devil because it keeps many from experiencing eternal life with the Almighty. Its goal is to steal, kill and destroy, after all. Satan may push people to hate or even curse God, knowing the consequence of this. 1 Corinthians 16:22 - If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!

If a person won't believe there's no God, then satan will persuade them to think God doesn't care about sin. While God knows His people will sin, He nevertheless calls on them to shed their sinful habits. He also works with each to achieve this goal. The devil, on the other hand, tells people they can't overcome sin and shouldn't try. When people believe this lie, they ignore the warning to stop sinning in Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The devil also takes advantage of the fact that God patiently gives people time to repent and change. It then convinces many that they will never be called to account for their sins (Psalm 94:7). That is a lie for the word states God will judge all for what they have done (Romans 2:6).

The devil wants people to believe God can only do one thing in their lives but nothing else. This way, people think God is limited in power. So, a person may pray for God's help on an exam and ace it, yet believe God can't help them with their finances. However, Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 - "...with God all things are possible.” If a person believes God can only do certain things, they won't submit every aspect of their life to Him. As a result, they won't experience the miracles that are their right as children of God. Satan is betting that without these encounters, their faith will become stagnant. That they'll become dissatisfied with the Lord and won't seek a deeper relationship with Him.

What lies have you believed about God? I pray the Lord will show you what lies you have not yet rejected. All of satan's lies must be replaced with the truth that is the Lord's word. If not, satan, the accuser, points a finger at those who believe its lies and stands in the way of their blessings. Going as far as stealing the inheritance of future generations. May the Lord open the eyes of our hearts to the lies we must reject and may we each come to know God in truth, IJMN, Amen.

See you at Noon EST for an hour of fellowship at the feet of the Father. In His presence, we shall dispel the lies sent to ensnare us, IJN, Amen.

Read the rest of the Satan's Lies series

1. Satan is a Destroyer - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 15, 2022

2. Satan's Lies, Insecurity & Self Reliance - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) July 19, 2022

3. Satan's Lies & Breaking Covenant - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 22, 2022

4. Satan's Lies & Rebellion - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) July 26, 2022

5. Satan's Lies about God - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 29, 2022