How do you encourage someone who is depressed?

If you extend your soul to the hungry

And satisfy the afflicted soul,

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

Isaiah 58:10

We shall return to the book of Joshua again, however during my quiet time a few weeks ago, The Lord laid on my heart a topic which I would like to share with you, and that is how to satisfy the afflicted soul.

In Isaiah 58 we learn that when we fast, among other things, The Lord expects us to satisfy the afflicted soul.

What is an afflicted soul?

According to Strong’s Concordance the afflicted soul is a person who looks down on themselves or are depressed or even hurt themselves. We all know people who are depressed, and it is likely that some of us are even now going through depression or have suffered from depression at some point in our lives.

I recall suffering from depression in 2011 when I was going through intense spiritual attacks. It led to me being unable to sleep for a period of three months.

What is Depression?

The Bible calls depression a spirit of heaviness. It is something you cannot see however it can have a significant impact in people’s lives. There are emotional and physical effects of depression.

Emotionally it can leave its sufferers with feelings of sadness, hopelessness, crying, anger, constant pessimism, feelings of inadequacy and self-loathing, and being socially withdrawn.

Physically it could lead to lack of appetite, over-eating, erratic sleep pattern, headaches, lethargy, self-harm etc. In severe cases it can even lead to suicide.

Did Bible characters suffer from depression?

There are Bible characters who suffered from depression at some point in their lives. Elijah was a great Prophet who could command fire to come down from heaven however when he was being pursued by Jezebel he prayed that he might die: “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” (1 Kings 19:4).

King David, the great Psalmist, was depressed after he committed adultery with Bathsheba. He was so depressed that he groaned all day long until he confessed his sin before God:

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:3-5

There are other Bible characters who also suffered from bouts of depression: Abraham (Genesis 15), Jonah (Jonah 4), Job (Book of Job), King Saul (I Samuel 16:14-23), Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah, Lamentations).

Does God care about those who are depressed?

God cares so much for those who are depressed that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to heal the broken-hearted (Luke 4:18).

We have seen that depression is nothing new and it goes right back to Bible times.

Next week, we will look at how to encourage someone who is going through depression.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please show me how to encourage those who are going through depression in Jesus name, amen.

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How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

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God bless,

Blessing

What lessons can we learn from leaders who asked God for advice?

The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do.

Joshua 9:14 (ERV)

Last week, we learned that Joshua failed as a leader to ask God for advice before making agreement with the Hivites because he judged based on appearance alone.

Throughout the Bible there are leaders who sought advice from God before they decided to act and we will see what lessons we can learn from some of them.

King David

When the Amalekites invaded Ziklag, the camp where David and his men stayed and burned it; and took the women and children captive, David comforted himself in The Lord and asked The Lord whether he should pursue after this troop. God answered him and said he should pursue for he will surely overtake them and recover all (1 Samuel 30:8).

Lesson learned: Even in the midst of loss, distress and confusion, leaders must learn to comfort ourselves in The Lord and ask for His advice.

King Jehoshaphat

When King Jehoshaphat was told that a large army was coming against him he became afraid and he decided to ask The Lord what to do. He announced a time of fasting for everyone in Judah. All the people came from out of all the towns of Judah to ask for The Lord’s help. In his public prayer King Jehoshaphat reminded God that they didn’t have the strength to stop the large army that was coming against them. He admitted that they did not know what to do and they were looking to Him for help.

The Lord then spoke through a Prophet and reminded the King that the battle is not his battle, it is The Lord’s. The next day as King Jehoshaphat led the people in praise and worship The Lord set ambushments against their enemies and they turned on themselves and killed each other (2 Chronicles 20:1-29).

Lesson learned: When we are afraid we must admit our utter weakness and ask The Lord for help.

King Solomon

When God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask whatever he wanted, Solomon asked The Lord to give him wisdom and knowledge so that he can lead the people in the right way for he recognised that no one can rule the great nation of Israel without God’s help. In response, God told him that because he did not ask for long life and riches for himself or the death of his enemies, but instead asked for wisdom and knowledge so that he can make the right decisions, God gave him wisdom and knowledge, but He also gave him wealth, riches, and honour (2 Chronicles 1: 1-13).

Lesson learned: As leaders we must have the right attitude of continually asking God for wisdom and knowledge and He will give us also the other by-products of wisdom which is wealth, riches and honour.

King Hezekiah

When King Hezekiah heard that the king of Assyria sent his officials with a large army in Jerusalem and that they were blaspheming the God of Israel, he told the people to remain silent and not to say anything to them. He put on mourning clothes and went to the house of God and then he sent some officials to see the Prophet Isaiah to seek God’s advice as to what to do. Isaiah gave them a word from the Lord that they should not be afraid because He will send a spirit against the king of Assyria. He will get a report warning him about a danger, so he will return to his own country. And God said He will cut him down with a sword in his own country and this is exactly what happened (2 Kings 19:1-7).

Lesson learned: As leaders, whenever we hear a bad report doubting either our God or our integrity, we too must remain silent and take our compliant to the Lord and He will answer on our behalf.

Jesus Christ

The night before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ was praying on the Mount of Olives in agony, asking The Father that if He was willing, He should not make Him drink from the cup of suffering. Nevertheless, He said God’s will should be done and not His will. An Angel from heaven then came and strengthened him (Luke 22:42-43).

Lesson learned: Like Jesus, when we are facing a difficult situation that we would rather not face, we too should tell the Lord that not our will, but let His will be done in our lives.

Prayer

Dear Father, I ask that You give me the wisdom to do Your will and understanding to lead Your people in Jesus name, amen.

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How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

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Leaders rule by example rather than command

I will lead the men with me; we will march toward the city. The men in the city will come out to fight against us. We will turn and run away from them as we did before.

Joshua 8:5 (ERV)

When Joshua, the leader of the Children of Israel was giving the battle strategy of how they were to capture Ai, he told them that he will lead the men and they will march toward the city. In other words, Joshua did not just give the orders, he actively get involved in the battle.

This teaches us another important lesson about leadership; leaders must rule by example rather than command.

The Bible is filled with stories of men and women who lead people, not by staying in the background but by actively getting involved.

Deborah the Prophetess

Deborah the Prophetess and Judge over Israel encouraged Barak, the captain of the army to go and fight against their oppressors. However Barak refused to go unless Deborah went along with him and so she did and God gave them the victory (Judges 4).

King Jehoshaphat

King Jehoshaphat led Judah into the enemy camp by being the first to bow his head with his face to the ground and then all of Judah and Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. As a result of the praise and worship they offered to the Lord, the Lord set ambushments against their enemies and they were destroyed (2 Chronicles 20:18-22).

Gideon

Gideon was another leader who led by example. Once God told him to arise and go to the camp of the Midianites, he divided the three hundred men into three groups.  He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar with a burning torch inside it. Then Gideon told the men, “Watch me and do what I do. Follow me to the edge of the enemy camp. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do”. The Lord gave Gideon and his men the victory (Judges 7:16-25).

Jesus Christ

Jesus taught His disciples that whoever desires to be great must serve (Luke 22:26), and He demonstrated this by serving His disciples at the last supper (Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus showed His disciples how to be humble by washing their feet and encourages us as His disciples to do likewise (John 13:14).

These few examples show that it is important as leaders to rule by example rather than by command. A problem with commanding those you serve is that we do not remember very well something that we are told. To be an effective leader therefore we must strive to not only teach but to lead by example as Joshua did by getting involved in the heat of the battle.

When a leader is supposed to get involved but decides to stay on the side lines, it can lead to trouble. David, was a skilled warrior who did much exploits, however there was a time when he decided to stay at home instead of getting involved in the battle. A great sin of adultery and murder was committed as a result.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me to be like Your Son Jesus Christ. He showed us how to be humble by stooping down and washing His disciples’ feet. Please help me to lead by example rather than command in Jesus name, amen.

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Who Can Enter The Promised Land?

In the past few weeks we have been studying the book of Joshua and learning about how God used him to lead the children of Israel into their promised land.

We have learned that as followers of Jesus Christ, our promised land is not on this earth, but it is the New Jerusalem which is coming down out of heaven from God.

Today’s scripture tells us those who will enter into the New Jerusalem:

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 21:2, 27 (NKJV)

What is the Book of Life?

In the New Testament the Book of Life refers to God’s list of those destined for eternal life. Believers are written in the Book of Life from eternity:

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is

Revelation 17:8

Who can enter the New Jerusalem?

Only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter the New Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that on the Day of Judgment everyone will stand before God, both great and small and the books will be opened. And another book will be opened, which is the Book of Life. Everyone who is not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12, 15).

How can we be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

We can only be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life when we have washed our robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb:

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb

Revelation 7:13-14

Why must we wear robes?

A robe is a long-fitting gown that is worn as a mark of dignity. A robe is worn by kings (Jonah 3:6), priests, and persons of rank: Mark 12:38; Mark 16:5; Luke 15:22; Luke 20:46; Revelation 6:11; Revelation 7:9, 13, 14. As believers in Jesus the Bible tells us that we are kings and priests before God:

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

Revelation 1:5-6

How do we wash our robes in the Blood of The Lamb?

Firstly in order to wash our robes in the Blood of the Lamb, we must believe that while we were yet sinners Jesus Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Before we accepted Jesus, our own righteous acts were like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). Once we accept Jesus we exchange these filthy rags for the robe of righteousness as we develop a right relationship with God and we become the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour it is His Blood that cleanses us from all sin:

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin

1 John 1:7

Secondly we must repent from our sins knowing that the Kingdom of God is at hand:

Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Matthew 3:2 (NLT)

Why white robes?

White represents purity. When we accept the death of Jesus on the Cross and repent of our sins and follow His way, it makes our garments white because our conscience is clear and our soul becomes pure:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool”

Isaiah 1:18

To enter the Promised Land, we must do the following:

1. We must exchange our filthy rags for the robe of righteousness. In other words, we must have a right relationship with God which is through Jesus Christ;
2. We must wash our robes in the Blood of Jesus by believing that Jesus came to die in our place and that Blood cleanses us from all our sin;
3. We must make Jesus the Lord in our lives. Believe alone is not enough, because even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19), we must completely surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and make Him Lord over our lives (Acts 16:31);
4. We must repent from our sins and turn to God because the Kingdom of God is near (Mark 1:15)

Prayer:

Dear Father, I come to You now in Jesus name. I want to make the New Jerusalem my eternal home. I repent of all of my sins and I know that You are faithful and just to forgive me of all my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please help me to daily wash my robes and make them white in the Blood of The Lamb. Please write my name in the Book of Life and if there is anything in my life that will prevent me from inheriting eternal life please remove it with the Blood of Jesus, in Jesus name, amen.

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What does every new leader need to know?

What does a new leader who has been commissioned by God to become the leader of a new nation need to know after the death of its great leader?

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 NKJV)

Joshua was commissioned by God to take over the leadership of Israel after the death of Moses, Israel’s first great leader. To understand the impact that Moses had made, please take a look at how the Bible describes him:

“Israel never had another prophet like Moses: The Lord knew Moses face to face. The Lord sent Moses to do powerful miracles in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh, all his officers, and all the people in Egypt saw those miracles. No other prophet ever did as many powerful and amazing things as Moses did for the Israelites to see. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 ERV)

The Lord knew that Joshua had every reason to be intimidated by his new position as a leader following the death of Moses, therefore the Lord gave him an assurance which He is still giving leaders today who have assumed new positions of leadership, whether at Church, in business, in your career, or at home etc.

The Lord wants all new leaders to know the following:

1. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.

The Lord knew that men would try to rise up against Joshua as the new leader, to stop him from doing what God has called him to do, therefore He reassured him that no man will be able to stand against him.

Every new leader also needs to know that, when God calls you, there will be the naysayers also known as ‘Sanballat’ and ‘Tobiah’ (Nehemiah 2:19) – who will try to stop you, however just remember that the same God who has called and commissioned you will not allow any man to stop you from what He has called you to do:

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

2. As God was with Moses, so He will be with you.

As we can see from the above scripture, Moses was so intimate with God that the Lord knew him face to face. The Lord used him to perform many powerful miracles in Egypt, and the Lord used him to deliver the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt. That same God also reassured Joshua that He will be with him just like He was with Moses. He did not want Joshua to be intimidated or to think that he had to do the same things that Moses did.

That same God is telling you and I that He will also be with us. Whether He has called you to lead in a ministry, at work, in your business, youth group, in your home etc. that same God who was with Moses is telling you that He will be with you.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

3. God will not leave you.

The Lord told Joshua that He will not leave him and He is assuring you of this same fact that He will not leave you. Even though God may not be physically here on earth for you to see Him, Jesus told us when He rose again that He was going to be with the Father, but He will not leave us comfortless. He said that He will send His Holy Spirit to be with us and to comfort us:

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18)

4. God will not forsake you.

God told Joshua that He will not forsake or fail him. To forsake or to fail is to neglect or let someone down. As human beings we sometimes let each other down when we are not able to do what the other person expect of us, however God told Joshua that unlike human beings who fail and forsake you, He will do what He promised He will do.

Likewise, God is telling each of us that He will not forsake or fail us. What He said He will do, He will do:

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19)

So, what does every new leader need to know?

1. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.
2. As God was with Moses, so He will be with you.
3. God will not leave you.
4. God will not forsake you.

You can also listen to this message on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKaoYOpNkuw

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please download your free book: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

God bless,

Blessing

Why should we meditate on the Word of God?

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8)

Just like Joshua, God has a promise land that He has placed before all of us to possess, however before we can go in and possess the land and have good success, there are certain principles that God wants us to follow:

What does God want us to do?

1. Keep the Word of the Lord in your mouth

This means that we must speak the Word of God whether circumstances are favourable or not. For example when we are weak the Lord wants us to declare that we are strong (Joel 3:10). This doesn’t deny the fact that we are feeling weak, but we are declaring the outcome that The Lord will make us strong. Speaking the Word of God is important because that is how our faith will increase:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)

2. Meditate on the Word of God day and night

According to Strong’s Concordance, to meditate is to “moan, growl, utter, speak and muse”. In other words when you meditate you ponder on and then declare the Word of God. You don’t just do it in the morning but also in the night. When you do this the Bible tells us that you are blessed:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night (Psalms 1:1-2)

3. Observe and do according to what is written in the Word

To observe means you pay a close attention to what the Word is saying and then you do it:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22)

Why should we meditate on The Word of God?

1. You shall make your way prosperous

To be prosperous in all your ways refers to well-being, having favour with God and man and being wealthy. It means that when you ponder on and declare the Word of God you will flourish in your spirit, soul, body as well as in your finances, and God take pleasure in making His servants prosperous:

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27)

2. You shall have good success

Success is achieving all of what God has ordained for you with excellence. Successful people have wisdom and understanding, and are skilful in what they do. Success comes when we obey the commandments of God:

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man (Proverbs 3:1-4 ESV)

So in summary, we meditate on the Word of God so that we can be prosperous and have good success. You can also listen to this message on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaxqzd6yq8

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please download your free book copy of How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

God bless,

Blessing

You are God’s special people

In today’s Scripture God want you to know that you are His special people.

“Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all these laws and rules. Be careful to follow them with all your heart and soul. Today you have said that the Lord is your God. You have promised to live the way he wants. You promised to follow his teachings and to obey his laws and commands. You said you would do everything he tells you to do.

And today the Lord has accepted you to be his own people. He has promised you this. The Lord also said that you must obey all his commands. The Lord will make you greater than all the nations he made. He will give you praise, fame, and honor. And you will be his own special people, as he promised.”

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 (ERV)

 In this Scripture, Moses the man of God, tells the people of Israel that if they do everything The Lord requires of them then the Lord will make them His special people. As believers in Jesus Christ, the Lord is saying the same thing to us today. If we will believe in God by accepting Jesus Christ His Son as our Lord and Saviour, The Lord will also accept us as His own people and we will be God’s special people. Let’s take a closer look at this scripture.

What does The Lord require from us for us to be His own special people?

1. Obey all His laws and rules – do everything The Lord has told us to do in His Word – The Holy Bible. Just like Jesus, we should surrender our will to the Father and do all that He has commanded us to do “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38)
2. Be careful to follow them with all your heart and soul – we should put our all in serving God and follow His Word with all our heart and soul “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37)
3. Make The Lord your God – there are many god’s out there. Some are made of stones, metal and wood, some even worship the sun and the moon. Some worship their money, car, family etc. But The Lord who made heaven and earth, the God of Israel, wants you to make Him your Lord and God: “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands” (Psalm 115:3-4)
4. Live in the way God wants – there are many philosophies out there of different ways to live the good life, however God wants us to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8), and walk in in wisdom (Ephesians 5:15)
5. Follow the teachings of God – we should do what The Word says “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22)
6. Obey His laws and commands – even in the face of difficulty and persecution The Lord wants us to do what He says “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29);
7. Do everything God tells you to do – The Lord wants us to do everything He tells us to do so that He will make us prosperous and give us good success “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8)

Once we do what The Lord require, what will The Lord do for us?

1. The Lord will accept us as His own people – to be accepted is to have the assurance that we belong to God and that no one can take us from His hand; “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)
2. The Lord will make you greater than all the nations He made – it has always been the will of The Father to make those who obey Him great and to give them a great name. God told Abraham, Israel’s ancestor, that if he will leave his father’s house and go to a land that He will show him; “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2)
3. The Lord will give you praise – God is a faithful God, and when you listen to Him, He will give you fame and praise “At that time I will bring you back, Even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I return your captives before your eyes,” Says the Lord” (Zephaniah 3:20)
4. The Lord will give you fame – God makes those who obey Him famous. Listen to what He told David, the man who was after God’s own heart: “And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth” (2 Samuel 7:9)
5. The Lord will give you honour – because Solomon asked wisdom from God, God gave him both riches and honour “And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days” (1 Kings 3:13)
6. You will be God’s special people – when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we become God’s special people “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9)

Prayer of Surrender

If you would like to become God’s special people but have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus, please pray this prayer of surrender from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe that You are the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by You. I believe You died on the cross and You were raised from the dead.

I accept that I am a sinner and have come short of the glory of God. I now confess my sins and ask You to please forgive me for the sins of (……..please take your time and name them one by one and make a decision not to do them again).

Please wash me clean with Your precious blood that was shed for me on the Cross. Please remove me from the kingdom of darkness and bring me into Your Kingdom of Light. I want to know you Jesus, and have a loving relationship with God my Father.

Please become the Lord of my life and fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can live a victorious life.

From today, please gain control over my spirit, my soul, my mind, my will and my emotions. Please help me to live for You. Thank You Jesus.

Father, I now come to You in the name of Jesus. Thank You for giving Jesus Christ Your Son to die for me so that I can have a loving relationship with You. Please guide and direct my steps from this day forward in Jesus name.

Father, I know You created me for a purpose. Please show me why You have created me and what You want me to do with the rest of my life in Jesus’ name.

Next Steps

Dear Friend, if you have prayed this prayer from your heart, you have become a child of God, His own special people. Please get a Bible and start reading the Word of God, because the Word of God is Spirit and it is life. You literally become transformed as you read the Word of God. If you do not have a Bible please read it at: https://www.biblegateway.com/

Please find a Church where the pure Word of God is preached and join fellowship with other believers. This will help you to be strong and to grow in the Lord.

Dear Brother or Sister, if you have prayed this prayer, we would love to hear from you. Please send an email and we will send you a Bible and some excellent reading material to help you on this Christian journey: info@blessingcoaching.com

God bless,

Blessing

How do we get joy?

We began by looking at what is joy, and then the effects of joy. None of this will be useful unless we know how we can get joy. Here are some suggestions according to the Word of God:

1. Surrender our lives completely to Jesus. We do this by repenting or turning back on our sins. When we do this even God and His Angels rejoice:

I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:7, 10

2. Obey the commandments of the Lord

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full

John 15:10-11

3. Ask God to anoint you with the oil of gladness

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

John 16:24

4. Be filled with the Holy Spirit

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

1 Thessalonians 1:6

 5. Become born again into the Kingdom of God

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

6. Make a choice to be joyful. Offering sacrifices of joy – Psalm 27:6; sing praises unto the Lord, offer shouts of joy (Psalm 35:27); play instruments (1 Samuel 18:6); jump or leap (Luke 6:23).

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice

Philippians 4:4

7. Come into the presence of God – get alone and be quiet before Him.

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Acts 2:28

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 16:11

How do we get Joy:

1. Repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Jesus
2. Obey the commandments of the Lord
3. Ask God to anoint you with the oil of gladness
4. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
5. Become born again into the Kingdom of God
6. Make a choice to be joyful by offering sacrifices of joy
7. Come into His presence

Find out more at www.blessingcoaching.com

How to discover your life’s purpose through dreams

There are many types of dreams, however my purpose in this article is not to go through them all and focus on interpreting their meaning. The journey I invite you on is to look at what I call Significant or Great dreams or Epic dreams.

Such significant dreams – where you see yourself doing something big, something spectacular – are very much linked to purpose. I believe they are a message from God about the reason why you were born, and they are an indication of what you have been created to do. This verse from the Bible below demonstrates that God speaks to us and gives us His instructions through dreams:

For God may speak in one way, or in another,

Yet man does not perceive it.

In a dream, in a vision of the night,

When deep sleep falls upon men,

While slumbering on their beds,

Then He opens the ears of men,

And seals their instruction.

Job 33:14-16

If you have had such epic dreams, how do you go about understanding what it means and how to move forward to make sure it comes true? I would suggest you take the following steps, which I myself have tried and tested:

1. Write down your dreams 

First of all, write down the dream or dreams that you have dreamt which indicates your future path. The Bible encourages us to write the vision:

Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision

And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

Because it will surely come,

It will not tarry.

Habakkuk 2:2-3

When Daniel had a dream he wrote it down:

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

Daniel 7:1

2. Acknowledge God

Dreams and their meaning are given by God. Therefore, once you have written down the dream, acknowledge that it is God who gave you this dream and thank Him for it.

3. Ask God for interpretation 

Now that you have acknowledged that it is God that gave you the dream(s), ask God to tell you what the dream(s) mean(s). He is the one who gave you the dream, therefore He is your best guide to understanding the dream. To do this I suggest you simply go humbly to God and ask Him what the dream meant. Do this every night for 30 days before you sleep until the answer comes to you. You simply say something like this:

Father God, please tell me, what does this dream …. mean?

 4. Keep a record of the answers

For the duration of that 30 days, have a notebook and pen next to your bed, so that if an answer or anything of significance comes to you while you sleep you can write it down upon waking. The meaning that you seek may come in a day, two weeks, or it may take the full 30 days; don’t give up, it will come. My suggestion of 30 days comes from my own experience; before I knew my purpose, I spent 30 days asking God what the purpose of my life was and He answered me in a dream within a month. Sometimes the answers may come to you as a vision or a thought when you are awake, perhaps doing something mundane such as washing dishes.

5. Think of ideas of how to achieve the dream

Next, take a clean sheet of paper and ask yourself this question:

Based on the answer I got about the dream, how can it be achieved?

Write down any thoughts or ideas that come to mind, for example, if your dream is that you are going to be a best-selling author, sit down with a notepad and ask God, what topic would You want me to write about? Fiction, Non-Fiction? As you sit still, answers will come to you, possible book titles will form. Write these down as they come, along with anything else that manifests from your brainstorming. Try to keep at it until at least 20 ideas are on your list. You may do this exercise and find that inspiration comes to you much later when you are in the middle of something else.

6. Commit your ideas to God

Once you have your great ideas written down, commit them into the hands of God and ask Him for guidance and wisdom on the best way to move forward:

Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:5

Commit your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

 7. Take action

Next look at the list of ideas and consider what you can take action on immediately and do it. Look at this list every morning for the next 30 days and add more ideas to it as they come. Do something every day that moves you towards the attainment of your dreams. You will be astounded by what you achieve in a short space of time. To help you to track your progress, do record your achievements on a daily basis. Remember to keep praying to God for courage and strength to take these steps.

Get more tips on discovering your purpose through my free ebook ‘How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams’ which is available for download: www.blessingcoaching.com