PrayerCity International

Be strong and of good courage… Joshua 1:6
Joshua discovered four reasons why you need to be strong and demonstrate courage. Yesterday we looked at the first two. Today let’s look at the next two: 3) For the sake of others. People are watching you. They want to know if you’ll face the situation with courage or buckle before it in fear. Your ability to demonstrate faith in the midst of difficulties will give them courage. The battle is not just about you, it’s about those God has planned to bless through you. You may not have money or fame, but you have influence. The attitudes you display and the decisions you make will influence your children and your grandchildren. You say, ‘But I am afraid.’ We all experience fear. But the Psalmist declared, ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You’ (Psalm 56:3 NKJV). 4) For your enemies’ sake. David wrote: ‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…’ (Psalm 23:5 NKJV). God will not only fight for you, He will vindicate you in the eyes of your critics. It’s good to have critics and competitors. Sometimes a foe can press you into victory where a friend cannot. Who would ever have heard of David, without Goliath? Who would have known about Moses, if there had been no Pharaoh oppressing God’s people? And what would have been known about Esther, without Haman’s evil plot against the Jews? What’s your dream? Is there an enemy standing between you and its fulfilment? Dare to confront them and they will become an instrument in God’s hand to press you into your destiny.
Ucb

‘Arise…go…to the land which I am giving to [you].’ Joshua 1:2
Joshua had already tasted the joys of the Promised Land. But now he had to go back and wait until Moses died and every doubter in Israel was buried. Observe: 1) Some of our old ways must die. Moses represented the old system. It was good for then, but not now. When you align yourself with what was, instead of what is, you’re not ready. There are still too many folks you need to impress. You’re so bound by certain philosophies that when God says it’s time to move, you have to consult somebody else. When God told Joshua, ‘Moses My servant is dead…arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them,’ there was only one correct response: ‘Yes, Lord!’ You must honour the past, but not get stuck in it. You must stand on the truth, but seek God for fresh instructions and insights if you’re to reach your destiny. 2) Your doubts must be buried. Only two out of the twelve spies who went into the Promised Land believed God would give it to them. The other ten saw giants, caved in to doubt, died and were buried in the wilderness. And every doubt that’s holding you back has got to die and be buried too, including the voice of your low self-esteem, your childhood fears, your anxieties and your critics. Gather them up, put them in a box, bury it, stand on top of it and say, ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.’ Before you can move ahead you must understand and live by these principles.
Ucb

Be strong and of good courage… Joshua 1:6
Why did God say to Joshua, ‘Be strong and of good courage’? For four reasons: 1) For Joshua’s own sake. God had a lot invested in Joshua; the future of an entire nation rested on his shoulders. And since God has a lot invested in you too, you must believe that it’s His will for you to succeed. If you grew up in a family or church where you felt unworthy of God’s favour and unentitled to His blessing, you must reprogramme your mind with the Scriptures. ‘…then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success’ (Joshua 1:8 NKJV). 2) For the Lord’s sake. God told Joshua, ‘…do not be afraid…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 NKJV). God’s reputation was on the line. The nations in Canaan had heard how He delivered the Israelites from slavery, drowned the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, and fed His people with food from heaven every day. Had Joshua failed to conquer the Promised Land it would have brought reproach to God’s name and made His people a laughing stock. The Lord had a bigger stake in Israel’s success than anyone else. His plan to bring forth the Messiah depended on their success. His desire was to turn a bunch of slaves into the greatest nation on earth – one that served the true and living God. And Joshua had a big part to play in it. Where did Joshua’s strength come from? This promise: ‘…the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

Happy Christmas to all the members of prayercityinternational world over, may the Almighty God bless you immensely as you look forward to a wonderful and  prosperous new year. Enjoy yourself and be blessed

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…Abraham… was called God’s friend. James 2:23
After losing everything he held dear, Job looked back and longed for the days when God’s friendship ‘…graced [his] home… [his] children were… around… [and] everything was going [his] way…’ (Job 29:4-6 TM). Maybe you can remember days like that in your own life. We’ve been conditioned to think of friendship in terms of the benefits it confers, but being God’s friend comes at a price. As Rebecca Barlow Jordan points out, it ‘costs… time, selflessness, thoughtfulness… absolute trust – and very often suffering. Those who are intimately close, feel the hurts and joys of the ones they love more than anyone else… True intimacy means a death to our own selfish desires.’ Abraham was called God’s friend, but the friendship came at a price. We read, ‘[Abraham] believed God’ (Genesis 15:6 TLB) when He asked him to leave his home, set aside any preconceived notions of how his life would go and move to a strange land. Aged 93 , ‘[Abraham] believed God’ would still make good on His promise of a son and heir. Then Isaac was born and God upped the ante by asking his ‘friend’ to make the supreme sacrifice: to do something He demanded from nobody else in Scripture… except Himself. The Bible says, ‘By faith Abraham… offered Isaac as a sacrifice… even though God had said…”through Isaac… your offspring will be reckoned”‘ (Hebrews 11:17-18 NIV). Then just as Abraham was preparing to plunge the knife, in an act foreshadowing the death of God’s Son, God honoured Abraham’s faith and provided a substitute. When you decide to walk with Jesus, the One Who called us ‘friends’, the journey is rough at times, but His friendship will never fail you

…that it might go well with [you]… Deuteronomy 5:29
When God tells you to do something that seems difficult or unpleasant, He’s not trying to make your life hard or put you in a straitjacket. Often He’s just getting you to a place where He can bless you. ‘Oh, that… [they]… would… fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them.’ Anything God asks you to do carries this thought with it: ‘That it might go well with [you].’ Hopefully, that will help you to start looking at things differently. Living in peace, instead of always going to pieces, is easier when you learn to respond to God immediately. Don’t hesitate. Don’t negotiate. Don’t rationalise. And whatever you do, don’t run. The only thing that’s worse than running away from God is living with the painful aftermath. Your disobedience can take you all the way to the bottom. If you doubt that, stop and read the story of Jonah. The prophet Samuel said, ‘…to obey is better than sacrifice…’ (1 Samuel 15:22). The truth is, sometimes you’ll have to sacrifice certain things in order to obey God. But it’s better to do that than to ignore His voice, live stressed out, forfeit His blessing, and end up getting nowhere. Sometimes God will require things of you that He doesn’t seem to require of others; that He won’t explain, and you can’t understand; and that when you’ve obeyed them, you won’t immediately see the benefits. But if you’re convinced that He loves you and has a plan for your life, you’ll surrender to Him in trust, knowing that in the end it will ‘go well with [you]‘.

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[Your] steps… are ordered by the Lord… Psalm 37:23
What should you do when doors you thought God had opened suddenly slam shut? You’re thinking, ‘Lord, I did all the right things. Why is this happening?’ Be at peace, God is still directing your steps. When your hopes seem crushed and your plans have altered, rely on His superior wisdom and unfailing love. God has already planned your life from beginning to end, so trust Him to work things out for your good (Isaiah 46:10-11). If you give it a little more time, your pain will turn to praise as you realise that He just closed a lesser door to open a greater one. Timing is so important! As you begin to understand God’s timing you’ll be better able to cooperate with Him. When you don’t know, learn to wait with confidence on the One who does. The problem most of us have is that we attempt to take the lead role in our relationship with God and it doesn’t work. God has that role, and He won’t give it to us! He gives instructions and we’re supposed to follow, even when we don’t like or understand the way He takes us. ‘Why does it take God so long to do things?’ you ask. Because unanswered questions create trust. When you don’t know, you have to trust the One who does, and that keeps you growing in faith. God has a definite plan and time, and while He’s getting you ready He keeps you in His waiting room. If that’s where you are today, remember, it’s only as you reach new levels of maturity that God releases new levels of blessing into your life

‘…I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.’ John 5:30
The third thing that describes Christ’s relationship with His Father is obedience. Jesus said: ‘As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.’ Jesus neither considered nor consulted His own will in the matter. Instead He focused like a laser on one thing – doing the will of God, no more and no less. Note the words, ‘As I hear.’ When you have heard from God the discussion is over; it’s time to act. God’s not going to change His mind, so you need to start changing yours and ‘get with the programme.’ When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, you give up three basic rights: a) What it will cost you; b) Where it will take you; c) The extent to which it will change you. In order to enjoy a relationship with Jesus similar to the one which He had with His Father, that’s the price tag! You say, ‘That sounds very demanding.’ Yes, but it’s also very protective. When God told His people to do something, He also told them why: ‘…that it might go well with you…’ (Deuteronomy 5:33, 6:3, 12:28). God’s not trying to cramp your style, make your life hard or put you in a straitjacket. He’s a Father who wants only the best for His children. IsnHow’s Your Relationship with God? (3)
‘…I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.’ John 5:30
The third thing that describes Christ’s relationship with His Father is obedience. Jesus said: ‘As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.’ Jesus neither considered nor consulted His own will in the matter. Instead He focused like a laser on one thing – doing the will of God, no more and no less. Note the words, ‘As I hear.’ When you have heard from God the discussion is over; it’s time to act. God’s not going to change His mind, so you need to start changing yours and ‘get with the programme.’ When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, you give up three basic rights: a) What it will cost you; b) Where it will take you; c) The extent to which it will change you. In order to enjoy a relationship with Jesus similar to the one which He had with His Father, that’s the price tag! You say, ‘That sounds very demanding.’ Yes, but it’s also very protective. When God told His people to do something, He also told them why: ‘…that it might go well with you…’ (Deuteronomy 5:33, 6:3, 12:28). God’s not trying to cramp your style, make your life hard or put you in a straitjacket. He’s a Father who wants only the best for His children. Isn’t that what every good parent wants? So when you walk in obedience, God’s best is what you will get that what every good parent wants? So when you walk in obedience, God’s best is what you will get.UBC

…I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John 5:30
Three things describe Christ’s relationship with His Father: intimacy, dependency and obedience. Today let’s look at His dependency on God. ‘The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner’ (v. 19 NKJV). Jesus knew He couldn’t do anything without His Father, so He didn’t bother to try. We, on the other hand, sing, ‘Without Him I can do nothing,’ then go out and act like it all depends on us. If we succeed, we often become so conceited that nobody can stand us. And if we fail, it’s usually because we collapsed under the weight of an assignment God didn’t give us in the first place. Have you ever wondered why Jesus never struggled with insecurity or battled the fear of failure like we do? Because it never even occurred to Him that He couldn’t do something which His Father had already assured Him He could do. When you know you have heard from God you can face any obstacle or enemy with confidence. God will never give you an assignment that does not require His wisdom and undergirding strength. Indeed, every act of God in your life is designed to increase, not decrease your dependence on Him. You say, ‘But I have talent. I can do a lot of things!’ Yes, but you can do nothing that matters in God’s eyes. So before you begin your day, kneel and pray, ‘Lord, I’m counting on You, and I don’t have a backup plan!’UCB

…I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John 5:30
The relationship Jesus had with His Father is the kind of relationship that He wants you to have with Him. Three things describe that relationship. For the next few days let’s look at each of them: First: Intimacy. Jesus said, ‘The Father loves the Son and shows him all he does…’ (John 5:20 NIV). You interact with many people throughout the day, but you only share your heart with those you trust, and with whom you have a close relationship. So, how close are you to God right now? Close enough to hear when He speaks to you? Close enough to know when you’ve said or done something which has grieved Him? Close enough to feel the warmth of His presence? The truth is, you are as close to God right now as you desire to be, decide to be, and discipline yourself to be. Nothing is born unless there is first an act of intimacy between two people, and intimacy is based on one word: ‘desire.’ How much do you desire God? David said, ‘O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you…’ (Psalm 63:1 NIV). Do you desire His house? ‘They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights’ (Psalm 36:8 NIV). Do you desire His Word? ‘I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread’ (Job 23:12 NIV). UCB

I set out to find if there is another way that  man can do without God but i found nothing. I also looked around to see if i will be able to find another option or any other God like the almighty God, but i still came to zero point. Then, I set my mind and heart to look for another way by which i can prosper, gain glory, wealth,everlasting  life and power, but i still could not find any. Finally, i turned to God the most high and found out that all things are readily available in Him more than i can think or imagine. Now i could rightly say that in the heavens, on the earth, in the great seas and oceans, even also in the grave there is  no other like Him. This is my conclusion, there is no other God  other than the most High. He is all in all and ever ready to welcome you if you will end your search and return to him before it is too late.There is no other way to prevail without Through Jesus Christ. It is him that has power to do all things.True happiness, peace and joy can be found in Him, not in the Clubs, bottles of Beer,women or wealth.But  Salvation can only be found through him. “The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts. 
 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 
he seats them with princes 
and has them inherit a throne of honour. 
“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
upon them he has set the world. 
 He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. 
“It is not by strength that one prevails; (1 Samuel 2:6-9 NIV84)

For me, I am not really very comfortable with the way things are in general. This implies to the Christian life and  faith we preach. Men and women on the daly basis are moving very far from the truth because they do not understand who the truth is and even the some so called born-again believers has also falling to the same circumstance. Men has quickly forgotten what happened during the days of Noah. Or Eli and his sons. I strongly believe that the scripture cannot be broken, our salvation is closer now than when we first believe. I advocate that all men should return to God in the truth and the spirit and make peace with him. Religion, been religious or even becoming a member of any church organisation without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ cannot take you very far in life. However, we have to return to the traditional system or way, down to the basic as he told Nicodemus in John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3 NIV84) . A lot of bishops and teachers of our time has simply build on the wrong reason or foundation and it is very expensive. Because of there ego they have ignored the call to return which will save there life and the lives of others. Understanding the word of God and by his grace living in line according the to instruction will put us on the right track. I so much believe that this a personal race which no one will be able to run without the help of the Holy Spirit. As he commanded in Act 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (Acts 1:4 NIV84). Though at the moment, we now live in the world that evil is no longer seen as evil, and sin is no longer sin but  has become a way of life. Men does no longer regard the name of Jesus Christ holy but as one of those things. For me, I desire that all men should repent and turn to Jesus Christ for the salvation of there soul. it does not do me any good to see my brothers and sisters living in total ignorance or perish. I do not want to go to heaven alone by his grace. I wish that all men should return to the throne of God in other to find grace for there salvation. Hell is not the best place to be whether we believe it or not. There is one evil that I have seen, due to multiplying no of church’s and fellowships at every nook and cranny, men has assumed that one simply becoming a member Have qualified them as a good christian. But when you are a christian and still does not know Jesus Christ or work in his steps and still live in sin or you are a self righteous individual then the truth is far from you.

Therefore,Make every effort reconsider the option of accepting Jesus Christ as your LORD and personal Saviour . ¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

At the end of the day, the world does not really hold any thing for the sinner. it is all about broken promises. This Present world will certainly not last for ever, but the word of God stands for sure. the things we is simply passing by and it does not pay to sow on instability.The word of the living God (Jesus Christ)is the only stability that has ever existed or will exist

“…I have commanded a widow… to provide for you.” 1 Kings 17:9
When famine hit Israel, God said to the prophet Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath… I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.’ Observe three things in this story. First, when the need arises, your provision will be in place. That’s how God works, so ask Him to tell you where to go and what to do. And when He does, get moving! Second, the people God uses will surprise you. Sometimes they’re people you would tend to overlook. This penniless widow had ‘”…only a handful of flour… and a little oil…”‘ (1 Kings 17:12 NKJV). That’s no problem to God. He doesn’t need much to start with in order to do something great, just a willing heart. Why didn’t God send Elijah to a wealthy family? Because they didn’t need a miracle – she did. When God’s work has a need He looks for someone with a seed, stretches their faith, and both the giver and God’s work are blessed. Finally, your ‘bad time’ is often God’s opportune moment. This miracle took place in the middle of an economic depression. What seems like the worst possible time for you is when God loves to move. This woman was only one meal away from death; it doesn’t get much worse. ‘So, she went away and did according to the word of Elijah… she and… her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry…’ (1 Kings 17:15-16 NKJV). The key to her miracle is found in Elijah’s words: ‘…”Do not fear… but make me a small cake from it first…”‘ (1 Kings 17:13 NKJV). The Word for you today is this: don’t be afraid; put God first and He will meet your need.UBC

“Marriage is honorable among all and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge”… Hebrews 13:4

The “mistress” syndrome or the “mistress” deal is a problem that plagues our society and the world in general today

Who is a “mistress” and how does one end up or not end up in the position of a “mistress”?

A mistress is a woman who has a continuing extramarital sexual relationship with a man, especially a married man.

Today many matured single women; widowed, divorced or never married have found themselves willingly or unwillingly in the position of a mistress. The truth is that it is not a situation that most women desire but their circumstances have sometimes forced them into it.

Most matured single women of today have at some point or the other in their lives dreamt of a fairy tale wedding to their prince charming, they have dreamt of marrying their own husband, having their own home and indeed their own children. It is the will of God for us to be fruitful and to multiply.

However life doesn’t always turn out to be what it promises. Things can sometimes go wrong. Circumstances can take us far away from our dreams and our places of destiny. Disappointments, broken dreams, unfulfilled expectations sometimes take the place of perfect settings and fulfilled dreams.

Just as the Lord has created every human being and indeed every woman as a unique creature, there are some common traits as human beings that we all display. These traits are reflected in our emotions, response to shock and reaction to sudden change.

Women are created to receive love, the general belief is that they are the weaker sex and so need to be constantly pampered and showered with love through life. But the truth and the reality is that women end up giving more love than they receive, they are the ones that sacrifice time, personal pleasures and everything else imaginable because they love their husbands and children fiercely. It is a misguided idea to say that women are weaker than men. Yes, the bible says they are physically weaker but never indicates that they are weaker in any other way.

A lot of women are misguided into believing that they must receive that love from a man at all costs but love found in the wrong place is ungodly love, it is against the will of God.

So it is not acceptable for a woman to end up as a mistress to any man purely because she is looking for love. The truth is no man can love you like your heavenly father does.

A lot of women who are believing God for their own life partners end up giving up when their dreams seem to be eluding them. They think they have no hope and no future as a single woman so they fall prey to the ungodly advances of the men who take advantage of their situation. These men come with inviting but empty promises for the future, and the women fall for them.

Some widows never did a day’s work in their marriage. They relied entirely on their husbands for financial, emotional and spiritual support. Such widows if not properly counseled and without a very strong family support, can end up with men who claim to have pity for their situations but take advantage of their vulnerability by turning them into their mistresses. The devil will take advantage of women’s vulnerability and weak emotional states because the devil hates women. The war between women and Satan got its start in the Garden of Eden and has not stopped, but however don’t think that because Satan is against you, success and standing for what is right is impossible to achieve.

God is on your side to see you through every difficult time. You don’t have to conform to the way of the world when you find yourself in a vulnerable position. You just need to be bold enough to say “NO” when the world says, “YES”. Turning yourself into a mistress for whatever reason is not only a bad idea; it is also sinful and totally unacceptable to God. It is a lose-lose situation for all. There are only two paths that this kind of relationship can take and both of them end in disaster. One path is that he’ll tell you that he loves you and plans on leaving his wife. Of course, this will never happen because most men are never bold enough to do that. He will keep telling you that he wants to wait for the right time but the timing is never right.

The other path that this torrid affair can take is that he may in fact leave his wife. Or more likely, she’ll leave him when she discovers that he’s a two-timer. And then what do you have? You have a man who’s proven himself to be a cheat. How can you ever trust such a man? And why would you allow yourself to be caught in such a mess.

If you think about it, why should a married man who’s having an affair ever leave his wife when he has the best of both worlds? He has a woman at home who cooks for him and cares for his children, and then he has you on the side to wear all the trashy lingerie that his wife refuses to wear. So he turns you on and off like a battery when he wishes. You have no choice but to hang on year after year, waking up alone every morning and praying that he can slip away every night to keep you company on those lonely nights. And in the end you’ll realize that you’ve wasted the best and most wrinkle-free years of your life on a man who has strung you along like a pull toy.

My sister wake up, and ask yourself, is it all worth it? Why live a life of deception and false sense of security. That man can never be your own as long as he is married to someone else because God is not in the business of breaking marriages. Believe God for your own husband and he will grant your heart’s desires.

A married man who is involved in extramarital affairs is a player.

The term “Player” says it all, for when it comes to matters of love and romance, a player sees it all as just one big game. This kind of man has only one goal in mind: He wants to come out of the game a winner no matter who gets hurt.

And how does a player win? By scoring, of course… with as many women as possible, but be rest assured that this man will certainly get his reward, because you cannot form your happiness on somebody else’s misfortune and get away with it. God is not mocked, whatever a man sows he will reap!

Of course there are those group of women who intentionally pursue the men to become their mistress.

Such women have no self worth, no dignity, no integrity and are only after material gains from the men. They want to keep up with the world by keeping a life style that they can ill afford. They want to wear the best clothes and drive the choicest cars but are not ready to work for it.

Such women are Jezebels and Delilah’s who would step on every man and woman to satisfy their tastes and needs, but the bible says “what does it profit a man to gain the world and loose his soul?  We will all have to face our maker one day and give account of our lives. It will be too late for you then to change your ways, but it is not too late for you now. He will not ask you how many designer bags and diamonds you owned or if you traveled on business or economy class, but He will judge you according to the works of your hands.

So woman, why not stand up for righteousness today and believe God for your own Romeo. There is nothing impossible with our God. Women who have stood their grounds have found love again even at the age of 50 or more. I know of a woman who was never married till she attained the age of 70, yes 70!!!

In all her lonely years of waiting and believing God for a life partner, she never gave up; she kept praying and believing God to experience the joy of marriage. A renowned man of God who lost his wife recently married a 65year old woman who had never been married. So what is it that our Lord cannot do?

You will not be 70 before you receive your own miracle in Jesus name. But I urge you today to give up your position of a mistress if you are one. Rahab, (in the bible), was a prostitute who met the Lord and was granted forgiveness. She ended up in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

We serve a God of the second chance and our Lord doesn’t keep account of wrongs. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, why not turn to Him today by giving your life to Him. If you are ready to do this please pray along with me;

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. Please come into my life and forgive me all my sins. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. Now fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide me from this day forward.

Thank you Lord for loving and saving me, Amen.

Congratulations!

If this article has touched you, I thank God for your life and would like to hear from you.

For further information and help, please send an email to singleladytd@gmail.com.

Don’t Worry, You Will Have Enough!
My God shall supply all your need… Philippians 4:19
Are you afraid you won’t have enough to meet your needs? Let’s read the story of the feeding of the 5,000 and observe three things about the disciples. First, they tried to escape the problem. They told Jesus, ‘Send them away, that they may go… and buy themselves bread’ (Mark 6:36 NKJV). But He said no. Jesus understood that you grow by dealing with problems, not avoiding them. Your faith increases only as you place a demand on it. Lazy, inactive faith will fail you in the hour of need, so you must feed on God’s Word and exercise your faith regularly. Second, the disciples thought what they had wasn’t enough: ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’ (John 6:9 NKJV). God will ask you to look at what you’ve got because even though it doesn’t look like much, when you factor Him in, it’ll be more than enough to meet the need. In the disciples’ hands it was just lunch for one, but in Christ’s hands it became dinner for 5,000. So put what you have into God’s hands and let Him work. Third, only when the disciples obeyed His plan was their need met. When you ask God for a miracle He will often give you a plan with a set of instructions. At that point your obedience sets the timer, activates the plan and determines the results. With God, there’s no lack and no limit. When it was over, ‘…th  UCB 

When famine hit Israel, God said to the prophet Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath… I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.’ Observe three things in this story. First, when the need arises, your provision will be in place. That’s how God works, so ask Him to tell you where to go and what to do. And when He does, get moving! Second, the people God uses will surprise you. Sometimes they’re people you would tend to overlook. This penniless widow had ‘”…only a handful of flour… and a little oil…”‘ (1 Kings 17:12 NKJV). That’s no problem to God. He doesn’t need much to start with in order to do something great, just a willing heart. Why didn’t God send Elijah to a wealthy family? Because they didn’t need a miracle – she did. When God’s work has a need He looks for someone with a seed, stretches their faith, and both the giver and God’s work are blessed. Finally, your ‘bad time’ is often God’s opportune moment. This miracle took place in the middle of an economic depression. What seems like the worst possible time for you is when God loves to move. This woman was only one meal away from death; it doesn’t get much worse. ‘So, she went away and did according to the word of Elijah… she and… her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry…’ (1 Kings 17:15-16 NKJV). The key to her miracle is found in Elijah’s words: ‘…”Do not fear… but make me a small cake from it first…”‘ (1 Kings 17:13,  Do not be afraid; put God first and He will meet your need. Ucb

Learn to build your life around your person, not your role, otherwise when your role changes you’ll lose your sense of worth. Being a good mother is a noble calling. It’s also a self-sacrificing job. But when your children leave home and those demands are over, it’s easy to feel like Naomi did. Her name meant ‘my joy’ But after her two sons died she changed her name to Mara, which means ‘bitterness’. Don’t allow changing times to change who you are, or to make you stop dreaming and give up hope. God still had a lot for Naomi to do. In the future she would mentor Ruth, who would give birth to a son who was destined to grow up and become part of the lineage of King David and our blessed Lord. What an honour! When your role changes, remember that your life’s not over. See your own worth as a person, discover your next assignment, gather up your assets and keep on living and giving. Don’t develop a ‘Mara mentality’. She allowed herself to become cynical when her circumstances changed; don’t let that happen to you! Discouragement often comes when we feel like we’ve seen it all, heard it all, done it all, and most of it was bad. No matter how old you are, you can never say you’ve seen it all. God can do ‘…exceeding abundantly above all that [you] ask or think…’ (Ephesians 3:20). You don’t know what God will do with your life before it’s over, but He has a way of saving the best for the last.
Ucb