Poems and Words of Faith

Acts 16 – As I got to the part where Paul and Silas were in prison, chained and bound, they were praising God. Singing to Him, worshipping Him despite their circumstances. Then there was a great earthquake and the doors of the prison flew open and their chains broke, they were set free. The jailer turned to Christ too and his family.

This got my mind thinking of how we can often be in ‘chains’. Chains of fear, anxiety, worry etc. What ever binds you into not serving God, or doing what He is calling you to do. What ever it may be. This is from the enemy, its a chain that is binding you and me.

Lets keep praising God whatever circumstance we are in because its right to praise Him always. He is worthy of our praise whatever is going on in our lives. Praising Him for who He is , all He has done to save us, that the God of all creation loves us, cares for us and guides us.

One day our chains will break, we will be set free from our prison cell of pain, anxiety, fear, troubles, doubt etc

Fear comes knocking, Praise Him Worry consumes you, praise Him, Obey Him no matter where we are. He is God and He will come through for us. He will never leave us or forsake us. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who loves us. Nothing can seperate us from the love of God.

Praise is a weapon against the enemy so keep praising God and the enemy will flee. Keep praising God and don’t give up, those chains will break, you will be set free. We have a great big God who loves us so much. so declare His Word, Fight with His word which is the sword of the Spirit. Put on the whole armour of God as in Ephesians 6 v 10 to 17

This just came to mind too Psalm 34v19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivers us from them all.

Amen

The enemy is a liar. He will get you to believe the lies so that you will become a shadow of who you were called to be by God.

Listen and declare the truth of Gods word. If you keep saying I am unwell, I feel …..   I am not good enough, I can’t do this or that etc. If you keep speaking lies over yourself this is what you will get.

I know because I have done it for years and still do so I am talking to myself too. I have had a few bad things happen in my life which I don’t need to go into, but I have believed the lies. Maybe from parents, partner, people at school, my own wrong beliefs because of the past etc but whatever the source its ultimately from the enemy. He has been working in you for maybe years, so that you are now in a place you believe the lies instead of the truth.  Maybe you don’t feel good enough. Maybe you feel you won’t try new things because you may fail. Maybe you don’t go anywhere now because it’s safer to stay near to home. The enemy has got you in a prison. Its time to break free.

What can we do?  How do we get out of the prison we have built around us? How can we be set free from the past, the lies we’ve believed and the pain we are in ?

Gods Word is the answer with the help of the Holy Spirit. Gods word is powerful, its life, its truth, its hope, its absolute.

Find some scriptures that line up with your wrong beliefs. Declare them, not just once a day but 3, 4 or even 5 times a day. Have them around your home to remind you . Keep declaring Gods Word. In time you will renew your neurological pathways to the truth instead of the lies. From death to life words. Your mind believes what you say and your body will respond.

It will take time but keep going and don’t let the enemy in the door of your mind anymore.

This won’t be easy either. For one reason the enemy won’t want you doing it. If you’re like me, you have been speaking negatively most of your life so it’s going to take time. But bit by bit those chains will break. The neurological pathways will change, the old will die and the new will grow. The truth will be the new pathways in your mind and you will be set free

Declares these over your life

If you have fear then declare …’God has not given me a spirit of fear but of love power and a sound mind’

If you believe you cant …… declare ‘ I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me’

If you feel unloved declare‘ Romans 8 v 38-39 ‘Nothing can separate me from the love of God’ or 1 John 3 v 1 ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’ or See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God

If you feel alone declare …. Matt 28 v 20b, I am with you always to the end of the age. Or Isaiah 41 v 10 Don’t be afraid for I am with you.

Find scriptures that go with your negative words, keep declaring, keep going and keep trusting God and see your life change.

Don’t give up, God is on your side, you are His. Ask Him to help you to keep going however long it may take. You won’t regret it.

I was just spending time with the Lord tonight and felt led to 2 Corinthians 12 v 7 -10. I’m sure its all a verse we know well.

“My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak then i am strong”

I have often thought and pondered on these verses, knowing that Paul had this “thorn in the flesh”. We do not know what this was as he never tells us but that doesn’t matter. Its the fact that we may be broken, incapable, exhausted, weak but God can use us in our weaknesses. We are not written off by our inadequacies or weaknesses because God can use you and me through those things. We can do it through His strength, His love , His provision. He will get all the glory not us, which is right, because it is God working through us. We are His hands, feet and mouthpiece on this earth. So like Paul we can say that…. “I will boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. When I am weak then I am strong”

Maybe if you are feeling weak or not good enough, like I often do, that’s a good thing because we don’t rely on ourselves or our strengths, we rely totally on God. He can use people like us for these reasons so all the glory goes to God.

So never think you are not good enough or you can’t do what God has called you to. He loves you, has chosen you and will use you in your weakness, despite your weaknesses for His glory. People will know its God working through you. equipping you and anointing you for His plans.

As I sat outside today resting I was drawn to a small plant growing in a place you wouldn’t expect it. Against all the odds its growing and surviving in a hard place. I started to think that’s like us sometimes. Life takes turns and twists and you don’t understand why or how you are surviving in the hard places but you do. Why? Because God has planted you there. God is watching over you even if you feel He has left you and the struggles are too much. You’re growing and that’s what matters. Growing in trust, faith and hope and so much more.

Like God will do, I will lift up that tiny plant and put it where it should be now, where it can grow more, as the hard times are only for a season but its learned how to get it roots deep into the soil below to survive and it will become something beautiful.

So if you are in a hard place at the moment and wondering where God is, He is right with you and at the right time when your roots are deep in Him, He will lift you up and put you where He wants you to be so you can serve Him and others in the way no one else can.

PS Just went to move it but it wont budge its roots are deep in that hard place. I cant move it now it will die without the roots. Don’t be like this either when God is ready for you to move and He shows you where to go or what to do. Don’t stay in that hard place because its all you know, you could be missing out on something wonderful God has for you. Don’t let fear, anxiety or any roots like these stop you being what God has made you to be.

It seems at first glance that James is a bit odd to say ‘count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds’. Why would we be joyful in the trials? We all have had many trials and still do, I am sure. We wonder, where the Lord is. Has He left us, abandoned us? Why is this happening Lord? Why does one thing after another come at us? There are many types of trials like health, finances, family, work etc but as James says ‘Count it all joy when you encounter various trials. Why? Because the testing of our faith produces endurance so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The trials are opportunities for growth to mature in our faith. We see God at work in them, sometimes as they are happening or sometimes we don’t see it till later on. They can come out of the blue, last a long time and sometimes there may be many at once, you feel like you are sinking and wondering where God is.

I have been through and still am, at this time of writing, going through trials. I am totally dependent on Him. I have questioned, why Lord? As one thing after another has happened. I have also found that when you need Him the most He seems a million miles away, but He isn’t, He is right there with us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Sometimes when He seems silent that is when He is the closest when He carries us. He knows what we are going through Our Father is with us always

Trials sometimes prepare us for what God has planned for us. Maybe what we have been through will help someone else in the future. We can be there for people who are going through the same things we have been through. Maybe the trial is to grow our faith, to depend on God to supply all our needs as He has promised.

The trials are like the refiners fire, testing, purifying our faith just at the fire separates impurities from gold, God maybe separating all the things in our lives that are not of Him. He knows what we need and when we need it. So trust the process, however hard. I hadn’t been spending the time with God that I used to since I was unwell but that’s ok God understands that but now I’m back to my quiet time, space with Him to read HIs word, just to be in His presence.

So if you are going through a tough time, don’t do it alone, ask people to pray for you, spend time with God, read His word and one day the light will shine, the shadows lift and although the troubles are still there you know God is in control and he will supply your needs whatever that would be to you  He is worthy of our praise always in every situation. Keep your eyes on Him. Have that quiet time with Him again and He will guide you to scripture and give you the endurance to persevere. For He is bringing beauty from ashes, joy in the trials and He will never leave you or forsake you