Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: God

The Help Of The Holy Spirit

Encouragement

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:2

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit guided and directed Him as He made important decisions. (Mark 1:11) As we see in today’s verse, Isaiah described what the Spirit’s presence would mean for the Lord.

The Spirit gave Jesus the knowledge of the will of God the Father. The Spirit enabled Jesus to take the word of God and apply it to the specific areas that He encountered.

Do you need guidance and wisdom for a decision that you are facing? Are you in a position of great responsibility and feel overwhelmed by the decisions that you must make? Are you seeking the help of the Lord?

As a Christian, you have the same Spirit who lives inside of you. The Holy Spirit comes in wisdom and brings the understanding of God’s ways. The Holy Spirit guides and directs us as we make the difficult decisions of life.

The same Spirit who enabled Jesus to see through the deceptions of Satan will also guide you through the temptations that you face. When the Holy Spirit controls your heart and mind, you can make it through the tough decisions you make and you can live your life effectively.

Pray

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit to give me wisdom to understand the things that I am facing today. Help me to know Your will and way so that I may please You in every decision I make.

God’s Will For Your

Encouragement

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭

Most Christians want to know what God wills for us to do but there is more to it than seeking answers to what job we should take, what car we should buy, or what person to marry. God’s will can be explained very easily.

Paul, writing to a group of Christians was encouraging and praying for them to know the will of God. He wanted everyone to be filled with the knowledge of His will. He was speaking specifically about pleasing God with our lives.

There are five aspects to God’s will that we should know and that Paul is explains to the church.

First, it is His will for everyone to be saved. If you are saved by the blood of Jesus you are in the right direction.

Second, we are to be spirit-filled. We should be led by the Spirit of God in all things. The Spirit of God guides and directs us.

Third, we are seek holiness because we are in the process of being sanctified or purified for righteousness.

Fourth, we should be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. Make Jesus your Master and you will be His servant.

And fifth, we are to suffer for the cause of Christ.

These five aspects align our lives safely in the will of God. If we are doing these things we will know that we are in the will of God.

Pray

Lord, I pray for You to encourage me to seek your presence daily. I want to live inside the boundaries of Your will. Help me to glorify Your great name.

Thankfulness Leads To Joy

Encouragement

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86:12‬

Are you a joyful person? Do you look at the brighter side of life? A thankful heart leads to joy.

What is your source of joy? It’s easy to confuse happiness with joy. Joy is eternal and happiness is temporal.

If God were to take everything away from you like he did Job, would you still praise Him? If you were to lose your joy because you had no more money in the bank or popularity or a job then your joy is not in Jesus. You see, joy that last forever is from the Lord. Everything in this world is temporary but everything in the Lord lasts forever.

If Jesus is your true source of joy then He is all you need. He satisfies your every longing.

Jesus wants to give you more than you can imagine. He wants to give you a life of complete joy. But the only way to experience joy is to trust in Him.

Don’t let worldly things consume your heart and mind. The devil is trying to steal from you. The devil wants to keep you from experiencing the benefits of the Lord. The devil wants you to live in fear and panic. But God wants you to be full of joy!

Is Jesus your Master and Savior? Praise Him today for who He is. Give thanks to the Lord for He alone is great. Does Jesus have your whole heart?

Pray

Lord, I pray that I never find joy from any other source than You. Fill my heart with gladness. Let Your light shine through me.