iHurt.
"God, speak to me. I hurt." my inner voice choked.
And it could not come any clearer than this, particularly Key #3.
Extracted from Spiritual Survival :
==================================
"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps,
if you are not willing to move your feet."
==================================
What are my gates?
They are the weakest points in our character. These gates open and close through our choices. Our decisions are the keys that give Satan access or block his access to our spirits, so our choices are like the city gates, our weak areas are Satan's main focus in his attacks. How does he know our weaknesses? Satan studies us by simply observing the choices we make throughout every day. Our choices reveal our character strengths and weaknesses. The emotional traumas we’ve experienced create weaknesses Satan hooks into and gains access.
Now, God has given you keys to open spiritual doors. As you use these keys you receive what God has prepared for you:
Key #1: Faith in God
Matthew 21:22, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." God doesn't want us to be a mountain climber, but a mountain mover. We don't have to cooperate with Satan's plan by investing years hiking up one mountain only to see the next mountain range on the horizon. Our trust and faith are gifts God gave to help us. Without these gifts, we would be left to depend on our own resources, which is not the plan of God. He wants us depending on him only. Since, the power to live this way comes only from the Lord, there is no reason for us to have an attitude of superiority or self-righteousness.
Key #2: Forgive Others
Mark 11:25, "When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too." This is possibly one of the hardest steps God asks us to make. Unforgiveness is an obstacle in our spiritual growth. Because God can't work in a heart full of hate. When we ask for his help, the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives the ability to forgive others. Luke 6:37-38, "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure... Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you."
Key #3: Possess Right Motives
James 4:1-3, "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure." Wrong motives cause self-destruction, addictions, or becoming out of control. Wrong motives can push us to a point where we cry out, "Why am I doing this to myself?", "Why can't I stop this?" "What is wrong with me?" The fact is, we've fallen into Satan's trap. We are aching for self-serving attention, validation, and love. We ask for all of the things we think will fulfill us... love, peace, friendship, acceptance from others, and emotional support. If we embrace the one thing that has the power to fill all our needs - Jesus, then we will fall into divine alignment.
Key #4: Confess Sins
James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results." There will be times when God drops a name or an event into our minds and tells us we need to confess the sin attached to this person or event. A good exercise in cleansing ourselves from sin is to write down the names of people we have unforgiveness towards and every sinful event we can remember. Then go through the list and confess them to the Lord and ask for his forgiveness. This might be a hard thing to do, but afterwards we feel much better and closer to the Lord.
Key #5: Give Generously, Cheerfully, and Secretly
2 Corinthians 9:7-8, "You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others."
Matthew 6:1-4, "Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do--blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you."
Key #6: Serve Others
Philippians 2:3, "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself."
Key #7: Ask God
Luke 11:9-10, "I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks."
=====================================
"Unwavering obedience to the biblical principals
you learn will assure your spiritual survival."
=====================================
Be aware that pain is found off God’s path. Pain that God as a loving Father doesn’t want us to experience. But he allows our free will to take us where we choose, but the Holy Spirit will not give up on trying to persuade us to get back on the right path. Proverbs 4: 25-27, "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil."
What does a lifestyle of pride contain?
· Wanting people to praise us.
· Keeping score on our achievements and comparing them to others.
· Rejoicing in other’s failures and resenting other’s successes.
· Compulsion to defend ourselves against criticism.
God loves us so much that he sends us warnings through the conviction of the Holy Spirit if we are walking in pride. Conviction sometimes feels like an uneasiness in our stomach or feeling uncomfortable in our spirit man. Conviction of the Holy Spirit is never expressed as condemnation. If we choose not to acknowledge these warnings, out of his love for us God steps in and disciplines us in order to stop this destructive lifestyle from continuing.
===================================
"There are two types of pain in this life;
that of discipline, which lasts a short while
and that of regret, which can last a life time."
===================================
How is God's discipline an asset?
It educates, corrects, instructs, nurtures, and conforms us into the image of Jesus through our hardships, sufferings, and persecutions. God's discipline isn't abusive or motivated by hate, but out of his love for us and the goal he has created us to accomplish. Proverbs 3:11-12, "My child, don't ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." Without God’s discipline and left to ourselves, we will naturally choose the path of least resistance. This path can eventually lead to our spiritual demise.
======================================
"If the road you’re traveling on has no obstacles,
it leads nowhere."
======================================
To persevere by keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus. James 1:3-4, "When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
Perseverance involves pushing through any obstacle on our paths. Obstacles can be as big as a mountain or something very small that weighs us down making the race harder than God designed it to be. Be patient for your mountain to move. It may take time, but be persistent as you wait and remain steady in your faith. Eventually, the obstacle blocking your path will vanish.
Proverbs 4:11-15, "I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. If you live a life guided by wisdom, you won't limp or stumble as you run. Carry out my instructions; don't forsake them. Guard them, for they will lead you to a fulfilled life. Do not do as the wicked do or follow the path of evildoers. Avoid their haunts. Turn away and go somewhere else."
And it could not come any clearer than this, particularly Key #3.
Extracted from Spiritual Survival :
==================================
"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps,
if you are not willing to move your feet."
==================================
What are my gates?
They are the weakest points in our character. These gates open and close through our choices. Our decisions are the keys that give Satan access or block his access to our spirits, so our choices are like the city gates, our weak areas are Satan's main focus in his attacks. How does he know our weaknesses? Satan studies us by simply observing the choices we make throughout every day. Our choices reveal our character strengths and weaknesses. The emotional traumas we’ve experienced create weaknesses Satan hooks into and gains access.
Now, God has given you keys to open spiritual doors. As you use these keys you receive what God has prepared for you:
Key #1: Faith in God
Matthew 21:22, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." God doesn't want us to be a mountain climber, but a mountain mover. We don't have to cooperate with Satan's plan by investing years hiking up one mountain only to see the next mountain range on the horizon. Our trust and faith are gifts God gave to help us. Without these gifts, we would be left to depend on our own resources, which is not the plan of God. He wants us depending on him only. Since, the power to live this way comes only from the Lord, there is no reason for us to have an attitude of superiority or self-righteousness.
Key #2: Forgive Others
Mark 11:25, "When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too." This is possibly one of the hardest steps God asks us to make. Unforgiveness is an obstacle in our spiritual growth. Because God can't work in a heart full of hate. When we ask for his help, the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives the ability to forgive others. Luke 6:37-38, "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure... Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you."
Key #3: Possess Right Motives
James 4:1-3, "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure." Wrong motives cause self-destruction, addictions, or becoming out of control. Wrong motives can push us to a point where we cry out, "Why am I doing this to myself?", "Why can't I stop this?" "What is wrong with me?" The fact is, we've fallen into Satan's trap. We are aching for self-serving attention, validation, and love. We ask for all of the things we think will fulfill us... love, peace, friendship, acceptance from others, and emotional support. If we embrace the one thing that has the power to fill all our needs - Jesus, then we will fall into divine alignment.
Key #4: Confess Sins
James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results." There will be times when God drops a name or an event into our minds and tells us we need to confess the sin attached to this person or event. A good exercise in cleansing ourselves from sin is to write down the names of people we have unforgiveness towards and every sinful event we can remember. Then go through the list and confess them to the Lord and ask for his forgiveness. This might be a hard thing to do, but afterwards we feel much better and closer to the Lord.
Key #5: Give Generously, Cheerfully, and Secretly
2 Corinthians 9:7-8, "You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others."
Matthew 6:1-4, "Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do--blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you."
Key #6: Serve Others
Philippians 2:3, "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself."
Key #7: Ask God
Luke 11:9-10, "I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks."
=====================================
"Unwavering obedience to the biblical principals
you learn will assure your spiritual survival."
=====================================
Be aware that pain is found off God’s path. Pain that God as a loving Father doesn’t want us to experience. But he allows our free will to take us where we choose, but the Holy Spirit will not give up on trying to persuade us to get back on the right path. Proverbs 4: 25-27, "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil."
What does a lifestyle of pride contain?
· Wanting people to praise us.
· Keeping score on our achievements and comparing them to others.
· Rejoicing in other’s failures and resenting other’s successes.
· Compulsion to defend ourselves against criticism.
God loves us so much that he sends us warnings through the conviction of the Holy Spirit if we are walking in pride. Conviction sometimes feels like an uneasiness in our stomach or feeling uncomfortable in our spirit man. Conviction of the Holy Spirit is never expressed as condemnation. If we choose not to acknowledge these warnings, out of his love for us God steps in and disciplines us in order to stop this destructive lifestyle from continuing.
===================================
"There are two types of pain in this life;
that of discipline, which lasts a short while
and that of regret, which can last a life time."
===================================
How is God's discipline an asset?
It educates, corrects, instructs, nurtures, and conforms us into the image of Jesus through our hardships, sufferings, and persecutions. God's discipline isn't abusive or motivated by hate, but out of his love for us and the goal he has created us to accomplish. Proverbs 3:11-12, "My child, don't ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." Without God’s discipline and left to ourselves, we will naturally choose the path of least resistance. This path can eventually lead to our spiritual demise.
======================================
"If the road you’re traveling on has no obstacles,
it leads nowhere."
======================================
To persevere by keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus. James 1:3-4, "When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
Perseverance involves pushing through any obstacle on our paths. Obstacles can be as big as a mountain or something very small that weighs us down making the race harder than God designed it to be. Be patient for your mountain to move. It may take time, but be persistent as you wait and remain steady in your faith. Eventually, the obstacle blocking your path will vanish.
Proverbs 4:11-15, "I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. If you live a life guided by wisdom, you won't limp or stumble as you run. Carry out my instructions; don't forsake them. Guard them, for they will lead you to a fulfilled life. Do not do as the wicked do or follow the path of evildoers. Avoid their haunts. Turn away and go somewhere else."
posted by whimsical_fantasies at 4:51 AM
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