If you have a coupon you wish to redeem at the grocery store, you are trading a worthless slip of paper for its cash value from the manufacturer. In other words, the real value of the coupon didn’t exist until it was redeemed.
We are not defined by our history, we are remade and redeemed by it. Our true value is revealed through redemption. Our history brings us into an even deeper relationship with our Maker. God takes our past and weaves a new narrative which brings new life and a DEEPER life with Christ as our advocate and example.
In 2nd Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Through faith in Christ, we are made new. This verse reminds us that when we are in a relationship with Jesus, our past no longer defines us. We are transformed into new creations, with a fresh start and a renewed purpose.
Regardless of our past mistakes, failures, or regrets, God’s grace and forgiveness are available to us. In Christ, we can leave our old ways behind and embrace the new life that He offers.
In the book of Revelation, chapter 8, there is a direct link between the victory of God during the final days, and the prayers we pray. Billions of prayers are heard and stored up in heaven. It is proclaimed that the victory of God is coming, and it is coming through the prayers of God’s people. So, the question is not whether our prayers are heard and/or answered, but rather, DO WE UNDERSTAND the answers?
King David authored 73 of the Psalms and some of them have a direct correlation with a specific life event. Many are written in the form of praise to God for answering his prayers.
Psalm 34 specifically states that God always hears our prayers, sees us, and cares for us. He is for us.
In verse 17, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them.” God hears and will respond. In Psalm 5, we read that God is never indifferent to His people when they call out to Him. “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
David is known for His anointing from God Himself, but He is also known as a prayer warrior. Prayer warriors are summoned and gifted by God to pray for others as intercessors for those of us who have difficulty in the area of prayer.
We have all acted as prayer warriors for those on our prayer lists. I can tell you truly that when I am desperate for prayers there are others, I call upon to pray on my behalf.
When the questions as to when my prayer is answered, or how is it answered, or when will I know it is answered, I ask those prayer warriors for guidance. I know that I am too smart to see the obvious, and too dumb to realize the answer. I am confident that God answers but that I just may not understand His answer today.
God is in my life for the long haul, and yours too. For those of you who are often asked to pray for others, it is likely that you have been anointed by the Holy Spirit as an Intercessor. You are called to be a prayer warrior. Friends, family, and acquaintances come to you with their needs, asking you to pray on their behalf.
Sometimes, you receive a prayer request from the Holy Spirit because an intercessor is required. This appeal comes to you as an inner urgency, placed there by God Himself. You don’t always understand why you wake up in the middle of the night with a news story from across the world, replaying in your mind. All you know is that you must pray.
Other times, prayers are requested by those who sense how powerful your prayers are and how seriously you take your ministry of intercessory prayer warrior.
In Thessalonians 5:18, we are instructed to give thanks in all circumstances because this is the will of God for us.
The writer is not saying that we should thank God FOR everything, but IN everything. Evil does not come from God, so we don’t thank Him for that, but we can thank Him for His presence during that evil, AND for the GOOD He will accomplish through the distress.
In other words, our attitude of gratitude must not be dependent on our circumstances or feelings, but rather on the confidence that God is making all things work together for good.
Remaining thankful in all circumstances places us at the center of God’s will. It creates a spiritual atmosphere that is welcoming to His Presence. Gratitude invites the power of God to alter our perspectives and halt the trajectory of our spiraling thoughts.
You inhabit the praises of your people. Psalm 22:3
Our works, that is our actions in everyday life, is a byproduct of our faith. We are moved by faith.
Many of us have tried to show we had faith through our actions – our good works, but felt unsuccessful and discouraged when we grew tired. This was because we were confusing the cause with the effect.
Think of salvation like a sailboat. God’s grace and promises are the wind — already blowing, already available. Our faith is like raising the sail. Once the sail is truly raised, the boat must move — not by paddling or effort, but because the wind carries it.
That movement of the boat is what we call works — the natural result, not the cause, of salvation. So, when someone says they have faith but there’s no movement — no change, no obedience, no fruit — it’s like saying their sail is raised but the boat isn’t moving. That’s impossible if the wind is real and the sail is truly up.
The book of James says, “Faith without works is dead.” He’s not saying our works save us, but rather, true faith always creates movement.
Everything that we have experienced thus far fits perfectly into our destiny. We can be safe in this moment right here, right now, today. Our transformed nature tells us to live loving, and compassionate toward others. We have a choice in how we live out our days, months, years, and decades in this dimension before we transition into everlasting life. When we choose to live the way Jesus taught, we choose God’s plan for us. If we veer off onto the wrong path, God will redirect us to get us back on the right one.
Each life represents a ministry in itself. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a father, a business executive, a seamstress, a farmer, a craftsman, an administrative assistant, a grandparent, or any other personal or professional position, your life is a ministry.
Some of us see it during our careers, yet others have trouble figuring out what their ministry might look like. All of us have a ministry. Maybe it’s ministering to your family. Maybe it is mentoring a young person or a neighbor. Perhaps you are caring for an ailing parent, spouse, friend, or sibling.
As a remodeler, I see where God loves to decorate our lives. God HAS to decorate us by His very nature. While He knows what we have done and where we are going, He continues to guide us, polish us, sand down our rough edges, and make additions that will continue our journey.
Let the Holy Spirit live long enough in a heart and that heart will be transformed. Portraits of hurt are replaced by landscapes of grace. Walls of anger are torn down and crumbling foundations are built up. God can no more leave a life unchanged than a parent can leave their infant’s diaper unchanged.
This could explain some of the discomfort in your life. Remodeling the heart is not always pleasant. We don’t object if a carpenter adds a few shelves, but it can be inconvenient and even painful when the entire kitchen is gutted for a total renovation.
God has such high aspirations for you. He envisions a complete restoration. He won’t stop until He is finished. He wants you to be just like Jesus.
When has worry EVER made something better? It usually makes us weak and sick.
We can overcome fear by looking to God and receiving his love. 1 John 4:18 tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”
Marcus Aureoles wrote, “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
We can choose to be fearful. We can choose not to be fearful.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
The spirit of fear doesn’t come from God and it certainly isn’t what He wants for you.
Fear, worry, and anxiety are silent killers. They shorten our lives and have a negative impact on those around us.
If you have a coupon you wish to redeem at the store, you are expecting to trade a worthless slip of paper or digital image for something of value. In other words, the real value of your coupon doesn’t exist until it is redeemed.
We are not defined by our history, we are remade and redeemed by it. Our true value is revealed through redemption. Our history brings us into an even deeper relationship with our Maker. God takes our past and weaves a new narrative which brings new life and a DEEPER life with Christ as our advocate and example.
In 2nd Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Through faith in Christ, we are made new. This verse reminds us that when we are in a relationship with Jesus, our past no longer defines us. We are transformed into new creations, with a fresh start and a renewed purpose.
Regardless of our past mistakes, failures, or regrets, God’s grace and forgiveness are available to us. In Christ, we can leave our old ways behind and embrace the new life that He offers.
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 