God's Promises Over Your Life

James chapter 4 verse 8 says, Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double-minded. When we make the choice to draw near to the Lord there is a promise. There's a promise for us that he will draw near to us.  But getting closer to God can really only happen when our hearts are clean before him, when sin is absent from our lives, and we have repented. And also when we love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul.

David desired to get close to God, because in Psalm 139 verse 23 to 24 he says, Search me O' God, and know my heart, try me and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. He had six requests to the Lord; search me, know my heart, try me, know my anxieties. In other words, know my thoughts and see if there is any wicked way in me, meaning, identify, reveal the sin that is in my life. And finally he said, lead me in your way in a way that pleases you. I believe we should all desire to draw closer to God, to draw nearer to him because he wants us to have a deeper personal relationship as Christians. We need to approach the Lord Jesus Christ to approach his throne of grace by prayer and in faith, and begin to pray just as David did. 

Lord search me,  search my motives, my mind, search my being, know my heart and remove all of the impurities, the unforgiveness, the hurt.  Try me, meaning test me, Lord, because it is through the testing of our faith that we grow stronger, that we develop and mature as Christians. Pray that God would be the focus of your thoughts, and perhaps the most important place to begin is for God to see if there is any wicked way within you. May he reveal that hidden sin, the thing that we make excuses. For when it really is just sin, once he has revealed it, pray that he may take your hand and lead you in his will. 

Let us pray, Father God, you are the strength of my salvation and I give thanks to your holy name. I desire to draw closer to you Lord and I begin by repenting. Forgive me for my sins forgive me for all that I have done wrong. I know that it is sin that separates me from you so I pray that your blood washes me clean. May I live a life that is consecrated in you. May the Holy Spirit strengthen and convict me to separate myself from the world because your word says, that I should not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind.  Forgive me and wash my conscience clean. Help me to keep my eyes looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of my faith. In you Lord is everything I want and everything I can ever need. Lord Jesus, I desire to draw close to you because in First John chapter 4 verse 19 the Bible says, We love because he first loved us. You loved me before I ever knew you and I thank you. I thank you, because your word even says in Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Thank you for such a deep love, father God, for such an everlasting and eternal love that knows no bounds.

I desire to draw close to you because in Psalm 27 the Bible says, The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh my enemies and foes they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me my heart shall not fear though war may rise against me in this I will be confident of one thing. I have desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple, for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret place of his tabernacle he shall hide me, he shall set me high upon a rock. I bless your name Lord, and I thank you for being the strength of my life. I pray that just like David my only desire, the only thing that I will seek is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Because if I abide in you I am kept safe and well I am hidden in your pavilion and set high upon a rock.

Holy Spirit, I pray that you would birth in me an appetite for the Word of God. An appetite for the Word of God in my life. Birth the hunger in me which will draw me closer to him. Birth in me an appetite for prayer, for worship, for communion with the Lord. And so I come to you Lord Jesus in recognition of your great and mighty power, in recognition of your love and mercy. I am seeking a relationship with you, a relationship that yields good fruit within me, a relationship that brings peace and protection and it brings a change within me.  I worship your holy name Lord, and I adore you, Lord Jesus, your blood is living and it's powerful, and I pray that it will transform me totally.  Do not let me stumble, O Lord, help me to overcome in the name of Jesus. You are a God full of compassion and I surrender my life, my family, into your caring hands. May your name be blessed and worshiped forever in Jesus name I pray, amen. ~By Hosiah Hope / GRACE FOR PURPOSE PRAYERS

Calm, Relaxing Blessed Bible Verses | God's Promises Over Your Life

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HOW TO USE THE ARMOR OF GOD

Ephesians 6:11 says,  "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil....Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

How will I get the armor of God? We “put it on” by seeking God and His righteousness above everything else (Matthew 6:33). We make Him and His ways our dwelling place (Psalm 91:1). We delight in His commands and desire for His ways to become our ways (Psalm 37:4; 119:24, 111; Isaiah 61:10)

The 7 Pieces of the Armor of God and How to Use Them

Jesus defeated every enemy when He died on the cross and conquered the grave three days later. It is from confidence in His victory that we can put on the full armor of God and stand firm in our daily battles.

Before we get to the seven pieces of armor and how to use them, here is the scripture that Paul wrote.

Ephesians 6:10–18:  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

#1 How to Use the Belt of Truth - The first piece of armor Paul discusses is the belt of truth. ... The belt is where Roman soldiers stored their weapon – without a belt, they could not carry a weapon! So, why does Paul associate the belt of a soldier with truth? For Christians, God's Word is truth, and it serves as our foundation.  A) Start your day in the Word.  B) End your day in the Word. C) Memorize Scripture based on the lies you are struggling with.

#2 How to Use the Breastplate of Righteousness - So, why does Paul call it the breastplate of righteousness? If we do not protect ourselves with righteousness, we open ourselves up to attack from the enemy and can fall into sin. To be righteous means to obey God's commandments and live in a way that is honorable to Him.  

As believers, we have no righteousness apart from that which has been given us by Christ.  Our breastplate is His righteousness. His righteousness will never fail.

A) Identify righteous activities in your life that strengthen you. This may be as simple as having an occasional conversation with a homeless person and getting to know them by their name.

B) Identify unrighteous activities in your life that weaken you.  For each of us, this is going to be unique. I found that I was consistently watching movies and TV shows that were not in line with my beliefs. By intentionally exposing myself to immoral behavior, I was allowing Satan to weaken the walls that Christ had built around me.

#3 How to Use Sandals with the Gospel of Peace - We must understand what the gospel of peace is. The word “gospel” means “good news,” referring to the sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we can be saved. Having our shoes fitted with the gospel of peace allows us to do this successfully. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

A) Preach the Gospel to yourself daily - Remind yourself of the hope you have in Jesus Christ. Because of His sacrifice and your belief in Him, you shall not perish but have eternal life. Do not wait until the hardship to remind yourself of this. Build your foundation on a daily reminder of this hope, and you will be able to get through anything.

B) Share your testimonies with others - The easiest and most effective way to share the Gospel with others is to tell your story of how Jesus changed your life.

C) Be a living example - The way you walk through life will be seen by many. When you carry yourself with the fruit of the spirt, people will stop and notice.

#4 How to Use the Shield of Faith - Paul discusses the shield of faith and tells us to take up the shield of faith in order to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ... To have faith is to believe God created the world and sent His only Son to die for our sins so we might have eternal life.

A) Faith is the shield of the believer. Trusting in God’s power and protection is imperative in remaining steadfast. When the battle rages, we must remember that God works all things for good. He is always true to His promises.

B) Take time to remember the promises of God. When fiery darts try to impact your heart, extinguish them with reminders of God’s goodness over your circumstance. Here are some of His promises…

He will never forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

He will meet all your needs (Phil 4:19).

Call on Him and He will answer (Psalm 50:10).

He will make your path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

C) A soldier’s shield was strongest when linked with another - Band together with other believers in the fight of faith. The best way to band together is through the closeness of a small group. This is how the church began in the first century, and this is where the strongest bonds are made today. 

D) Recount God’s past victories in your life - Make a list of all the ways God has come through for you in the past. Whenever your faith waivers, recite this list and remember in detail how God made a way.

#5 How to Use the Helmet of Salvation - In the Roman army, the helmet served as protection for the head. It was a vital piece of the armor, as an attack to the head could result in instant death.  The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: willa ("will" or "resolution"); and helma ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these elements effectively means "helmet of will" or "guardian".

A) Stand on the conviction of your salvation - When you know without a doubt that you are going to heaven because of what Christ did on the cross, not even death can defeat you. We will all face extremely dark times. In these times, our salvation will light the way and carry us home.

B) Placing your thoughts on things above by listening to sermons via podcast - Be intentional about feeding your mind with spiritual food throughout the day. Load up your podcast with sermons from the greatest preachers in the world. Play those podcasts every single day on the way to and from work.

#6 How to Use the Sword of the Spirit - All other pieces of the soldier’s arsenal are defensive weapons, but not his sword. The sword, a gladius, was a deadly weapon. In the hands of a skilled warrior, he could pierce through even the strongest armor.

Our sword is the Word of God, both the written and the incarnate Word. Every other piece of armor protects us against attacks. With God’s Word, we are truly able to fight and defeat all enemies. Christ used Scripture to defeat Satan when He was tempted in the desert. We must do the same.

A) Arm yourself - Be intentional about reading scripture. As I mentioned earlier, find a time that you can dedicate reading and studying the word of God where you are free of distractions.

B) When attacked, fight back with the Word of God - When Satan attacked Christ in the desert he told him, “No….for it is written…” Use Christ’s example when Satan tries to come after you.

C) When beaten down, immerse yourself in the Bible - Even those with great faith are going to have days when they feel like they are barely hanging on. On these days, ten minutes of time in the Word is just not enough. Take a sick day and immerse yourself in His Word for the entire day. Read, study, pray, and repeat.

#7 How to Use Prayer - In prayer, we show our reliance upon God to act and move. Our entire armor is rooted in His strength. Without His presence, we are powerless in the fight. We must fight on our knees. The One who has won the war is with us in the battle. We will see a victory when we fight in His power.

A) Pray when your eyes open every morning - Before you do anything else, go straight into prayer. I start every day asking God for the wisdom to make good decisions, the discipline to stay true to His word, and the vision to hear His voice for direction.

B) Pray impulsively throughout the day - Sometimes we can get caught up in saying the same prayer over and over again. This can lead us to be in autopilot when we are speaking to our Father. You can break through the repetition by impulsively praying throughout the day. Pray for the people you encounter. Pray for the people you read about. Pray for the wonders and beauty of God’s creations.

C) Have a conversation with God on your knees before you go to sleep - There is just something powerful about getting on your knees to honor the King of Kings. The creator of it all is omnipresent and available to talk to you at all times. Tell Him what you are thankful for and talk with Him about whatever is on your mind.

Although the war has been won, the daily battle must be fought. Thankfully, we know with every fight we face, that we have the armor and weapons to help us defeat the enemy.

Bits & Pieces of the 7 Pieces of the Armor of God

CLOSER TO GOD | A Morning Prayer For God's Love and Grace

We have many things that fight for our attention. Whether you're at home, at work or even at Church, there is always something that seeks to demand your time, to demand your focus, and your attention. But I encourage you today despite there being so many things demanding our attention we should be mindful of what we are giving our attention to.

The Bible says in Matthew 22:37 Jesus said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

When you love something, when you love someone, when you love them with all your heart, soul, and mind then that person has your attention. That person or that thing takes your time. You make room to accommodate that which you love, you make adjustments, you prioritize, and move things around so that you can give time to that which you love. In fact if you love something or someone enough you will wake up early, you will go to sleep later, you will find the energy somewhere and somehow to accommodate a relationship between you. You will do near enough anything when the love is so strong that it's with all your heart and with all your soul.

So as you listen may I ask you the question? Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all of your mind? Are you waking up earlier just so you can say, Good morning Lord Jesus I place today in your hands. Are you making room to accommodate the Lord in your daily schedule?  Are you making adjustments to your day so that you can read the word of God so that you can pray? I encourage you to be obedient to the words of Jesus, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Be obedient to the Word of God. 

In Deuteronomy 11 verse 1 which says, Therefore you shall love the Lord your God and keep his charges, his statutes, his judgments and his commandments always be obedient to the word of God. 

In Joshua 22 verse 5 which says, But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you to. Love the Lord your God to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments. To hold fast to  him and to serve him with all your heart, and with all your soul be obedient to the word of God.

In Psalm 31 verse 23 which says, O love the Lord all you his saints for the Lord preserves the faithful and fully repays the proud person so with this understanding. 

So, let us pray. Lord Jesus you are great and mighty, you are holy and worthy, thank you for your faithfulness. You have been good to me, Father, I pray that you remove everything that is hindering me from my life. Remove everything that is blocking me from having a closer relationship with you. Take away those things that are a distraction, those things that disengage me from you. Take away anything that wants or does demand my attention above you. Open my eyes so that I can see it so that I can discern those areas which are competing with you in my life. And I pray that you would give me the strength not just to identify but to remove those things. I desire to be more and more like you Lord. 

First John chapter 1 verse 6 says, If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth. I pray that I may always walk in the light that is your word. The Bible says your word is like a lamp unto my feet. I pray that you would help me Lord to keep your word on my heart. May I be focused and attentive to your word which is sharper than any two-edged  sword.  Give me the grace to put you first to put you ahead and above all of my daily tasks, my schedule, and my responsibilities. I will forever place you above all things.

Deuteronomy chapter 30 verse 16 says, I command you today to love the Lord your God to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his judgment that you may live and multiply and the lord your god will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 

Holy Spirit will you help me to be obedient to God's word, help me to walk in the way that pleases God. Help me to keep all of his commandments in my life, may his statutes be close to my heart. Give me the strength to live in a manner that is indicative of someone who has been transformed by the love of Christ. I pray for your help and guidance Holy Spirit, help me to stand up and stand out for Christ. The bible tells me not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Transform my mind, transform my way of thinking so that I may be focused on my relationship with you. Lord Jesus, give me a desire to chase after you. 

Lord, I pray for a heart of worship like David so that I can worship you in spirit and in truth. I pray that you would give me the strength and the boldness to refuse to bow down to anything and everything that seeks to take your place in my heart. Anything that seeks to take my attention away from you, help me to be bold tough to remove it, whether it be a career or a relationship. Help me not to bow down to any other gods or to any idols. I thank you for listening to this prayer. Lord may you be glorified and honored. I uplift your holy name for you alone are worthy to be praised. In the mighty and precious name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen. ~Grace for Purpose Prayers