Are you listening to what God is saying to you? Once you have given your heart to Jesus, it is important to remember that in order to grow spiritually in your walk with Him, you not only need to “converse” (pray) with Him but to also listen. Sometimes this can be difficult because the spiritual battle that surrounds us can be noisy! Remember, the battleground takes place first with your mind. Ol’ Slewfoot LOVES to have his dominions whisper distractions into your ears. I always have to remember to pray to have ears that will listen and hear what it is that God, through Holy Spirit is saying to me and sometimes THAT can be difficult.
You will find places and times in your life that feel the best times to converse with your Father, for me it is either in the shower or on the road when I am driving to work. When I am in my car, I usually put on a Christian radio station and allow music full of praise to flood my car. I know that the Bible tells me to enter into His presence with thanksgiving and with praise and so I have made it a habit to just spend time worshiping the Lord. Telling Him how very much I love Him. Thanking Him for removing the spiritual scales of my eyes and bringing me into the knowledge of Jesus and all God has done for me through His Word. As you start your day praising Him, your heart will fill with the most inexplicable joy! YOU have a heavenly Father who LOVES YOU! HE LOVES YOU! Jesus died on the cross to SAVE YOU! He is interested in ALL that you are! He has great plans for you! He wants to love on you – so praise and worship is a time where you LOVE ON HIM! And let me tell you – YOU CANNOT OUT LOVE GOD! Oh my goodness! I can see why satan does not want us to worship God with thanksgiving and praise because in doing so – it BLESSES US! Can you believe it? We are giving God what is rightfully His due and He turns it around and floods US with Joy! With Peace! With Love! Test me on this – TRY IT! Spend a few minutes just thanking God. Thank Him for whatever comes to mind and I can tell you that as you continue to honor Him – YOU will be filled with peace that really does pass ALL understanding! If You love on God, He in turn LOVES ON YOU! \0/ \0/ \0/
Ol slewfoot knows this and wants to inhibit our praises because He is jealous of God. He wants people to worship him. And I’ll tell you something, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:4:
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
he doesn’t WANT you to worship God! he doesn’t WANT you to praise God! he will do ALL he can to distract you from doing so, but God knows that in worshiping Him and Praising Him “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.” (Psalm 100:4)
God is so merciful, time and time again He tries to draw us to Him, and time and time we push Him away. STOP PUSHING GOD AWAY and run into the arms of your Father who has done ALL that He can to draw you closer to Him. Whatever is keeping you from going forward in Christ, determine in your mind (the battlefield) and in your heart that WHATEVER you have to do to grow closer in your walk with Him, that NOTHING will stop you. NOTHING. Let the Love of God overflow you, God’s love is healing. Beloved, there is NO GREATER LOVE than what you can experience by receiving His love. HE LOVES YOU, like NO other. And once You allow Him in and determine to set your heart and mind on Him, it is the BEST life choice you will EVER make. Ever.
“Father God, thank You for Who You are… Thank You for being MY God, for not giving up on me… For sending Your Son, Jesus to die on the cross for forgiveness of my sins. Thank You for the resurrection. Thank You for removing the scales that blinded my eyes to the knowledge of You and all that You have done for me, helping me to recognize that what I need is YOU. I love you SO Much. Please give me ears to hear, eyes to see, a heart to receive and a mind to understand the fullness of Your love for me. I want MORE of You! I want to walk in accordance to the purpose You have designed for my life. Forgive me Father for my sins. Wash me with the precious blood of Jesus. Please be glorified in this life which I have given back to You. I love You so much. Grow me Father and use my life to fulfill whatever purpose You have designed me for, be glorified. Bind the enemy in Jesus name from hindering me and keeping me from hearing ALL You want to say to me this day. I thank You for the victory in Jesus! Be glorified in Jesus name I pray, AMEN.”
Our walk in Him is one of faith. It is one of love. It is one where we have to diligently make a conscientious determination to PRESS IN. To not give up. To continue going forward and trusting in Him. Listen, we are not dependent upon our own strength – WE ARE DEPENDENT UPON HIM. The beginning of wisdom is acknowledging that a part from God, we CAN DO NOTHING. So it’s all about growing in Him. It has to be an act of our will, because God in His tremendous love for us, made us with “free will” and ironically that is the very thing that satan has counted on for us to not use it for the one purpose we were created for – to WORSHIP GOD. Ironically, our “having free will” has bound us up in making the wrong choices! That is not what God gave it to us for! So choose THIS day to make the RIGHT choices, and as in Colossians 3:2:
“Set your minds on things that are above, not things that are on earth.” and also as in Romans 12:1-2:
“… Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
USE YOUR GOD GIVEN FREE WILL TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND and SEE what God will do! Because in doing so, God will keep you in perfect peace because your mind will be set on Him, because you have chosen to TRUST HIM. (See Isaiah 26:3).
Psalm 1:20-33 says:
“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make My words known to you. Because I have called and you refuse to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to Me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Let us listen to the Word of God and what He is saying to us this day. CHOOSE WISDOM. God loves you so very much… Let’s learn to LISTEN to what He is saying to us, with open ears and open minds and open hearts, let’s start now. Ready? Set? Go!
9
0
20