Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Jesus Knows How To Encourage You

Encouragement

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
Luke 5:5

Have you ever failed at something that you were good at? Do you remember that feeling of failure and frustration? 

No one knows how to help you in times of discouragement like Jesus does. He will not just encourage you to do better next time, instead, He gives you a recipe for victory.

Peter was cleaning up after an all night fishing failure. It wasn’t like he had just caught a few fish; he had nothing, and he was a profession. There was nothing to show for his effort. He was ready to throw in the towel and give up. Needless to say, what he needed was a victory.

Jesus could have said to Peter, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll be in a different line of work soon.” Instead, Jesus instructed him to launch back out into the deep and let the nets down. That sounds crazy! A carpenter instructing a skilled professional fisherman where and how to catch fish! But even crazier was the fact that they caught so many fish that the nets were breaking and they had to call for help to carry in the weight of so many fish.

This is how Jesus works in our life. He will take us right back to where we were unsuccessful in order to build us back up. The problem may have been that you were relying on your own strength and understanding and He wanted you to rely and trust in Him. We must learn from our faults and failures so that next time we will experience victory in the supernatural, spiritual strength of God.

Pray

Lord, I know that I need Your help and Your strength. Comfort me with Your Holy Spirit and show me what to do next. Your ways and plans are much better than mine and I will follow Your lead.

Watch And Pray

Encouragement

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26:41‬

The only way you can live victoriously in this fallen world is to heed the instructions of Jesus and to watch and pray. Keep watching and keep praying, is the guiding principle for every child of God, every moment of the day and throughout our time on earth. 

As Jesus prayed before the night of His crucifixion, He urged His disciples to watch and pray as well. The disciples were all exhausted and could not stay awake to pray. After praying for some time, Jesus walked back towards them and found them sleeping when they should have been praying. 

We need to be praying in unity with the Holy Spirit. Our flesh is weak. We need the strength of the Holy Spirit of God to give us victory while we walk this earth. 

We must remember that God is in control. Jesus is on His throne and has everything under His authority. But what Jesus wants is His bride to be watching and praying. We are to pray in unity together and for one another. 

This is a time for Believers to come together and strengthen one another’s faith. We are to encourage one another through prayer and sharing the Word of God. Don’t let this day of chaos blindside you and find you sleeping. This is a great time for us to shine the light of Jesus Christ into a dark and sinful world. 

Pray

Lord, let us all be aware of what is happening in our world today. Hear our prayers and heal our land. Let me be a light of Jesus for someone to see. 

Great Are His Works

Encouragement

How great are your works, O Lord ! Your thoughts are very deep!
Psalms 92:5

It shouldn’t take much for someone to see that God’s works are wonderful. Wonderful doesn’t even begin to describe how great His works are.

God made no mistakes from the time of creation nor has He held back any glorious design. Take the human body for example. How wonderful it is that the human body can heal itself.

The human brain has the capacity to store over 74 terabytes just in the cerebral cortex alone. Imagine if we used our brains to full capacity.

Now take creation as an example. The earth provides the perfect environment for humans to exist. The stars in the heavens remind us how small we are compared to God. The sun is just at the right distance to bless us and not burn us. God is wonderful in all His works.

If and when you struggle in your faith or wonder if God cares, stop and consider this verse as a reference that God knows and cares. He made us with much more detail than anything else. He loves us and cares for each and everyone of us.

When we consider His works and thoughts we may never comprehend the extent to His greatness. Maybe one day it will all be revealed to us when we get to Heaven.

If you are struggling today consider his greatest work when He sent His Son to die for you and to give you eternal life. He has prepared a way for you to spend eternity in His presence. That alone says enough.

Pray

Lord, help me to know that You care. As I face my struggles, give me comfort and peace that you are in control. I know you will work it all out.