Dear Heavenly Father,
You tell us in Romans 12:12(NLT), “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” This is such a powerful verse! It’s food for our spirits. There are times that I’m so saddened when I look around and see so many bad things happening. This sadness clouds my hope for the future, because I can’t see how I can be happy when the backdrop of life on earth seems filled with confusion, strife, and powerlessness. But when I begin to lose hope in happiness and blessings, I know it’s just the devil trying to steal my peace, and I quickly renew my mind and allow Your Spirit to minister to my soul. So many people do not do this. They don’t know that You have given us a way to cancel the plans of the enemy and keep him from stealing our joy.
We must remember that it is just as easy to choose faith as it is fear. The difference is the outcome. The outcome of choosing faith is growing closer to You through Jesus Christ. The outcome of choosing fear is more of what we do not want. You tell us in 1John 4:18 that perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment and torment isn’t what Your love is all about. Your love completely demolishes fear; it wipes it out. This is a tremendous comfort to Your people. When we saturate our hearts and minds with Your love and goodness, You will keep us in Your perfect peace.
You tell us in Philippians 4:6-8(NLT), “6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Your Word is the solid foundation for our lives. When we build our lives on what You have told us in Your Word, we will be blessed because Your Word cannot fail.
Even though I know that I should trust You and Your plan for my life, sometimes, I find myself in my own head, and I feel that You might not be pleased with me, or that I have disappointed You in some way. The truth is that You know exactly who I am. You know my thoughts and feelings, and You know my shortcomings and weaknesses. You love me despite those things, and You are patient with me as I learn to be more like Christ.
Thank You for blessing us to keep our thoughts and feelings anchored in Your goodness. Help us to understand that You always want the best for us. You gave Your Son, Jesus Christ, so that every person can be saved and will not perish but will have the gift of eternal life. You want this for every person, not just the ones that already know You. This is how loving and gracious You are. You want everyone to be blessed and You have already made a way through Jesus Christ for this to happen. Thank You for reminding us continually of Your goodness and love, as we seek to be full of the patience, hope, and faith of Jesus Christ.
Thank You for Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Choose Faith and Not Fear”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.