We are well into 2025. How have your plans for the new year gone? I'm talking about the resolutions you wrote down and the expectations you had for them. I ask because it is easy for us to create great plans without first asking the Lord what He wants us to accomplish. We humans tend to be self-focused instead of God-focused, after all.
And so, how is that working out? I ask this question so that if you—a believer—realize things aren't going so great, you can take this opportunity to pivot. And by pivot, I mean to turn to God and ask what He wants from you in 2025.
Having aspirations for ourselves is not inherently bad, in my humble opinion. Wanting to be better or desiring to have better of certain things can benefit yourself and others. However, the Bible teaches us to put people's needs before ours and to be wary of selfish ambition. These realities of our faith need more attention. By the Lord's grace, we will tackle them eventually.
The issue is that most of us pushed God out of the picture of our 2025 plans. We didn't make Him the starting point and thus didn't ask Him what He wants for us. Rather, we forged ahead with identifying our goals, expecting Him to bless what we wanted. We allowed little to no room for His input or instruction on how to approach the year.
This is not how those who have given their lives to Christ and walk in the Spirit of the Lord are to behave. Matthew 6:33 teaches, [b]ut seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Forgetting this may be why so many face headwinds that require you to expend more energy than necessary.
Thanks be to God for His grace and mercy. Despite the choice to move without His direction, He has shown kindness. This is why you've experienced some progress with certain of your plans. Let us be grateful and thank Him for this, and then let us repent for not seeking His will in the first place.
Next, we must remedy what we did wrong by praying and possibly fasting to hear what God wants us to accomplish. That way we will move knowing that we have His approval as we take steps to do what He wants. As we honor Him first, He will bless us and we'll discover that much of what we wanted only needed our genuine submission to Him for them to come to pass.
If you prayerfully sought God's will for your year, I praise Him on your behalf. Please pray for those of us who neglected to apply that wisdom. Call on the Lord to show mercy and grant His grace as we seek to discover what He wants for us in 2025. May we all learn to make God the center of our lives so we seek Him first about everything, IJN, Amen.
Kindly share your thoughts on today's message so the group can be edified. We shall commence our offering of praise at Noon EST, then pray for the needs of others at 12:25 EST. And at 12:50 pm, we will petition the Lord to know His mind as to what He wants for our year. God bless you.
To learn more, please read:
From M22 - Thank you Father for blessing us with your word through sis @FFJ. I pray Father that you will never be an afterthought in our lives. I pray that we will always put your first above everything else. Father Lord we repent of getting carried away with setting goals for ourselves and not asking you for your direction and will for us. Father Lord I pray that you help us to rectify our ways and correct our decisions. I pray at the end of 2025 we will have every reason to rejoice because we will do things your way and let you have your way in every situation IJMN Amen
CLOSING PRAYER
You are high and lifted up, Awesome God. You are high and lifted up, Mighty God!
Father, thank You for bringing us to the conclusion of another hour of fellowship. Thank You for using this time to teach us how to better relate with You so we can please You and be blessed. Thank You for this great grace and mercy. Thank You for hearing our prayers of repentance and for kindly accepting them. Thank You for wiping the slate clean.
As we go our separate ways today, I pray that Your hand shields all of today's participants and lurkers. Go ahead of everyone, Father, keeping them safe. I extend the shield of faith around them to cover what concerns them as well. Thank You for foiling the works of the crafty planned against them. Take all the glory, Father, now and forever, IJMN, Amen!
LAST 10 MINUTES
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for being our Creator. Thank You for being the Beginning and the End. He who all our blessings flow from. We honor Your holy name.
God, You taught us today that we should not make You an afterthought. That it is not right to make our plans outside of first seeking Your desires for our lives. Thank You for correcting us. Thank You for steering us aright. IJN, we repent for every time we have gone ahead to plan our lives outside of You. Please forgive us for the hubris of thinking that there is any part of us that is not under Your authority. Yes, You have given us the right to make our choices but as Your children, we know the main choice is to submit all to You. Please forgive us for failing to acknowledge this and thereby depriving You of Your glory.
Merciful God, we receive Your forgiveness in faith because Your word tells us that if we confess, You are just to forgive (1 John 1:9). And so, now, we look to You to learn Your will for this year of our lives. We call on You to open our minds to what You desire us to do for You. What would You like us to accomplish, dear Father? We know that whatever You ask us to do, You have gone ahead to smoothen the path for us and will hold our hands every step on the way.
Your word states that those who call on You will be heard and You will tell them the unsearchable things (Jeremiah 33:3). Your word promises that those who seek Your wisdom will receive it because You will give it freely without finding fault (James 1:5). And Madam Wisdom herself tells us that all who seek her will find her in Proverbs 8:17.
And so, we look forward to receiving Your insight on what You expect from us and the strategy needed to proceed. Thank You Lord God Almighty for hearing and answering this prayer, Amen!
Lord, thank You for being our Teacher. Thank You that in Your wisdom, You sent Jesus, Your Holy Spirit, Your prophets, and many others to teach us Your children. Glory be to You who is invested in training Your people.
God, I want to lift up schools to You. Father, parents send their children to learn and expect them to be safe places. However, we have seen an increase in dangerous occurrences on school grounds. Be it evil influences or even deaths happening.
Heavenly Father, I pray for the protection of children. From their hearts and minds to their physical bodies. We know that Jesus loved children so much He prayed for them unbidden. He loved all of Your children - even those who did not acknowledge You - that He died on the cross to set them free.
Father, remember the children. I bind every evil operation and every altar raised up to bring about insecurity in schools. I pray for the presence of Jesus, His peace, and the power of Your Holy Spirit to flow in schools, bringing security and joy to children everywhere. I cover the hearts and minds of children in the blood of Jesus.
I also want to pray for children who are not in school. Lord, while people can learn anywhere, we know that schooling is an integral part of a child's experience. Please bless children with the opportunity to learn and be surrounded with their peers in safe places. Lead and teach them with Your loving eye upon them, IJN, Amen.
Glorious God, thank You for being the God who cares for all. Thank You for You are He who makes the sun shine on the good and evil. You allow the rain to fall on the wicked and upright (Matthew 5:45). Praise be to You, kind Father.
Lord, God, I want to pray for those experiencing housing insecurity. God. You are He who does not deprive His children of any good thing per Psalm 34:10. Thank You, God, that housing is a good thing and just as You ensured that Elijah was taken care of even in the wilderness not allowing him to be exposed to the elements (1 Kings 19:9), I look to You to provide for Your people in need of housing. That none will be homeless but always have a safe and secure roof over their heads.
Remember Your word in Isaiah 32:18 - My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Grant Your people peaceful dwelling places, secure homes, undisturbed places of rest. For Thine is the glory, the honor and the power, IJN, Amen.
From JIR - I pray for all believers to read the Bible everyday and not only read the Bible but also live by the Bible. I pray that we all put ourselves in the shoes of those in need and eagerly give the shirts on our backs and the shoes on our feet if need be. I pray that we give to those in need on a consistent and persistent basis. IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - I pray for the Body of Christ to harmonize and be one with each other. I pray the Body of Christ is successful in touching the hearts of many through the Holy Spirit. I pray that we bear plentiful good fruit - 30 fold, 60 fold or even 100 fold. I pray that we remain rooted in You and endure to the end, Lord. IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - Please Lord, place Your hands on those who are terminally ill or sick. We know that all things are possible through You, Lord. Please bless the doctors and surgeons performing the surgeries on the terminally ill or sick with knowledge and wisdom and with sharp eyes, steady hands and support from their teams to be successful in their surgeries. Please bless the patients to pull through and be able to live full lives ahead of them. All things are possible with You in the midst, Lord. Please bless them with miracles to extend their lives. IJMN! Amen.
Lord, I thank You for Your grace and mercy upon this world. Thank You for being the God of families. You created Your own family and then introduced that structure to humans so that people would enjoy the benefits.
God, the Bible teaches that every family on earth gets its name from you in Ephesians 3:15. You are invested in the establishment of families and I believe it is Your great will to bless them. Your word even states that You place the solitary in families in Psalm 68:6.
Lord, so many families are in chaos for one reason or another. At the root, I believe, is the failure to serve You. God, the only one who benefits from the dysfunction is satan and I thank You that You are not in the business of giving the devil what it desires.
You have granted Your people authority over the power of satan (Luke 10:19). And so, I stand on Your word and pray for families to turn to You and be blessed. I pray that the knowledge of Christ and His sacrifice will come to families. I pray that parents will declare like Joshua, "as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 4:15). I pray that every shackle instituted by satan falls apart now, IJMN, Amen. The darkness and blindness is dispersed by Your light. As was the case with Cornelius and His family, friends, and staff, the presence of the Holy Spirit comes to rest upon families and Your name is esteemed, IJN, Amen.
PRAYER TIME
for other people and not yourself.
Lord, You are faithful and I want to thank You. I give You praise for how steadfast You have always been in my life. Even in the moments when I took my eyes off You, You caught my attention and directed me back to You. Thank You for never giving up on me but instead investing Your Son and everything in this world to ensure I am free.
Hallelujah!!
From JIR - “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:15-17 NLT
Father, I want to express my gratitude for Your marvelous hand upon my life. Thank You for showing great kindness and patience. Thank You for walking with me. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who ensures I have the mind of Christ. Thank You for the access You have given to Your throne.
From JIR - “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.”
Psalms 25:4-5 NLT
Lord You are our light in this dark world. You steer us and guide us in the paths of righteousness and I thank You. You give us so much to look forward to and make life worthwhile. I thank You for giving us purpose. I thank You for creating us and being our Creator. It is such an honor and a privilege to call You God and to be called Your servant. There is no greater honor. Thank You Lord for deeming us worthy of Your love. It is amazing. IJMN. Amen.
Psalm 103:1-5 - Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (NKJV).
From JIR - Lord I thank You for Your perfect love. You show mercy and compassion to who You want. I thank You for blessing me to experience You mercy, grace and compassion. I need You and would be nothing without You. Thank You for ensuring me that You will never leave me or forsake me. I am utterly grateful and thankful for You kindness and Your patience with me. All glory belongs to You Lord. I worship You. IJMN. Amen.
Great God, thank You for another day to gather in your presence. Thank You for the loving kindness You have for us that You would teach us and steer us aright. Thank You for Your grace and mercy upon our lives that You always lead us out of error. Thank You for Your love that endures forever.
Where would we be without You? Thank You that we never need to find out.
Glory be to You!
PRAISE TIME
From AW -
Hi Peppers!
I'm going into a meeting soon, but I just wanted you to know I'm praying for y'all! Miss you. Thanks again @FFJ for keeping P&P going!
From M22 - Praise God! God bless you sis @FFJ for constantly reminding me about this every single time we discuss. When this year started, I definitely had resolutions and I told myself I would always commit everything to God in prayer but along the line I fell short. My goal moving forward is to always seek God's will over every decision no matter how small.
In the past 3 years, I have seen how not seeking God impacted my life and now the goal is to be more intentional about seeking him moving forward. God is merciful and we should always seek his direction and also know that no issue is trivial to bring up in prayer before him.
God bless you all! Happy fellowship day.
From JIR - Thank You Lord for breathing life into us and waking us all up this morning. Thank You Lord for guiding us all in here to edify our souls with today’s word. Nothing is by chance. You are intentional and we thank You for loving us and being so invested is us that You provide us with what is needed to face the challenges that we may face today. We worship You and we thank You Lord. We are here to serve You. The world revolves around You. We are in it because of You and Your grace and Your mercies. Thank You for giving us purpose Lord. We adore and cherish You. IJMN. Amen.
I feel like this message is directed towards me and I thank you sis @FFJ for sharing it. God has many ways of grabbing our attention and today’s message most certainly did that for me. I am guilty of not reaching out to the Lord at the beginning of January for what He has in store for me in 2025 due to me looking forward to some exciting events to start off 2025, which by any means doesn’t make it right. Towards the end of February, I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to water fast for 21 days. I made it to 14 days but God spoke so clearly to me on what is required of me this year within the first week. I tried to complete the 21 days but once it started teetering on the lines of legalism and other factors, I decided to stop.
I am so thankful that by God’s grace, I was able to water fast even that long and His tender mercies which are new every morning were granted to me. Now my aim is to do what the Lord wants of me this year. It is not a race but a marathon as you sis @FFJ have told me before. I am encouraged and am working towards the goal that God has tasked me with for this year. He is so good to me that although I didn’t put Him first in January He still stepped in and helped me and is still helping me to get over the hurdles and challenges that may be in the way. I never repented for not seeking God first so this message is most definitely meant for me. Thanks sis for bringing it to light.
I sent you a message in your inbox @FFJ. When you get time please look it over and let me know your thoughts. Also, I will be training a new employee today around the time of fellowship, so may not be as active today. God bless all who participate today, who lurk and who are here for the first time. I pray that today’s message is as edifying for you as it was for me. IJMN. Amen.
From EC - Amen and good morning ladies!
ALTAR CALL
Jesus said that nobody will get to God His Father except through Him in John 14:6. He also said that no one will see the Kingdom of God (i.e. Heaven) if they have not been born again (John 3:3). To qualify to see God in heaven, a person need only repent and believe the good news that Jesus is God's Son who died for the sins of mankind.
If you want to understand what I'm talking about, please watch the short video below. It's from a guy who speaks with a British accent, but please don't hold that against him. What he says is important and can change the entire trajectory of your life for the better.
If you watched the video to the end and said that prayer, then welcome to being a child of God! I pray you receive the Holy Spirit and are led in the ways of the Lord so you experience the fullness of life that is the inheritance of those who give their lives to Christ. Be sure to let me know you said the prayer and I'll send you more materials so you can grow as a new creature! Congrats and God bless you!