You Can’t Do This By Yourself!

 

No one likes to admit that they need help especially if you're someone as strong willed as me. Someone who doesn’t like to bother anyone and who tries to do it alone; no matter how big or small the situation is. Someone who is always so dependent on self that it's so easy to forget that there is a God that can do far more than we could ever do by ourselves in our own strength. Well I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN'T DO THIS BY YOURSELF! As a Christian or non-Christian; you can't do this in your own power/strength. Not trying to discourage you I’m just speaking from experience.

WE live in a world were all we tend to think about is 'SELF' I this and I that... even our phones starts with the letter 'I' (iphones). We’ve become so self-seeking that we think of how successful and independent we can be on your own. How we can brag about how we did it by ourselves and especially us women in this generation, talking ‘bout how we don't need a "man" because we are sooo "independent" and we don't need no man to come along and help us get what we can get ourselves... WHAT??? It’s time I shine some light on this area because that's not the way God created us humans (male or female) to be. Yes us women shouldn’t be depending on no other man but God and our future husband but we also have to put our pride aside and stop letting one man’s mistake ruin it for all the other men that try to come in your life to help us. From the beginning of mankind when God created Adam, He soon created Eve because He said that "it's not good for man (meaning humanity) to be alone"- Genesis 2:18. God knew that Adam needed someone other than himself, someone else to HELP him in this life, in this world. Some of you may have already heard the phrase “You can't do life alone" well I truly believe that it’s the truth because this life was never meant to be done alone by our self. The bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 that: "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Sometimes we feel like admitting that we need help makes us look weak and incapable of handling anything by ourselves; but that is another lie from the enemy! 2 Corinthians12:9-10 says And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. It's in those weak moments that God can show us just how strong and great He truly is. When we recognize that our strength is nothing compared to God we began to let Him take over and help us no matter the circumstance. We have to realize that without God we can do nothing. - John 15:5

There's too many hurt people running around talkin' 'bout I don't need nobody, I've done it by myself all this time why do I need help? And don't get me wrong kudos to you because not everyone can make it in this life like that. But just because someone, one person, has hurt you or disappointed you doesn't mean that you should charge everyone for that one person’s sin; including God because at some point in your life you may need, want, or wish for someone to help you.  Or maybe you’re like me and you don't want to bother/disturb anyone with your mess and problems. Truth be told I was hurt/disappointed many times by people who couldn't keep their promises or commitment to me but instead of forgiving them I held it against them and everyone else and I used to put on a front and played it off like it didn't phase me but in all reality it did. I stopped trusting people and I began to shut them out, I even shut God out at some point in my life. I began to build up these walls to keep people out of my life because I was tired of getting my hopes up only for them to be torn down; so I stopped expecting anything from them and God and I started to try to do things on my own, in my own strength; without God. Well let me tell you how that turned out, it turned out to be a big mess. I was always tired, weary, depressed, worn out frustrated, annoyed by the outcomes of things and so on so forth. Until God began to work on me and He began to little by little tear down those walls, mend those broken parts and heal what was hurt. That process sure did take some time, and by time I mean a few years. But God started to show me where I was placing my trust and it sure wasn't in Him but in other people. The bible says in Isaiah 2:22 "Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?"  You see people will let you down, they will hurt you, and they will disappoint you, because they are human. But I had to learn that not all people are the same; some of them really do care about you and have your best interest at heart. You just have to have discernment and be God led because not everyone that enters your life is God sent or God led. 

When you learn to trust God, I mean TRULY trust Him; He will began to heal you from any hurt, and He will began to help you in every area of your life. God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble. -Psalm 46:1

Romans 12:4-5 says “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”  It’s time to let go of that hurt and leave it at the feet of Jesus where He can heal you and allow you to be free to move on and allow you to help others while they help you. The body of Christ is full of broken people and we all need each other to make it in this world; we can’t make it on our own. The enemy already has enough people coming against and attacking us Christian and we don’t need our brothers and sisters in Christ tearing and breaking each other down, it’s time we start building each other up because we need one another. So let go of the pain and let God use it to encourage someone else who is struggling in that area. Like the famous Hezekiah Walker’s song goes:

I need you
You need me
We're all a part of God's body
Stand with me
Agree with me
We're all a part of God's body
It is his will that every need be supplied
You are important to me
I need you to survive

I pray for you
You pray for me
I love you
I need you to survive
I won't harm you
With words from my mouth
I love you
I need you to survive

We need each other! We need God and we also need someone to help us make it in this life. If you don’t already have someone to do this life with I encourage you to reach out to someone you trust, and if you have a problem with trusting people I encourage you to go to God about it and ask Him to send you to someone you can trust because we all can use someone’s help, encouragement, prayer, and shoulder to cry on at some point in our lives.

I love you all and I’m praying for you all!

Your sis in Christ,

Joy J< 3
 

The Importance of Prayer During Your Process

 

As I was growing and maturing in my walk with God I used to get a little upset inside when people, specifically close friends, would tell me to pray about a certain situation or problem that I was having/struggling through even though I knew I should've been praying on my own but I found it easier to live off of their prayer life instead of creating my own. Don't get me wrong I knew all about the power of prayer but a lot of the time when I prayed I felt like my prayers were just hitting the ceiling and falling back down, like they weren't good enough to reach God. But I now know why I used to feel that way because I didn't believe for what I was praying for.  I didn't believe that God was able to do what I was asking Him to do. In Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." I never understood why prayer was so important during the different seasons/processes of my life, why they would tell me to pray but I soon found out when I began to start praying for myself.

Here are 5 reasons why prayer is so important during your process:

1) Prayer builds our relationship with God.

Without prayer we wouldn't be able to talk to God. Talking is a vital important part of our Christian walk because just like any other relationship we need to stay in communion with God.

It builds all the key factors of a relationship like trust, faith, love, loyalty, etc...

2) Prayer helps us overcome temptation.

Prayer gives us the power and strength to overcome temptations and the attacks of the enemy.

1 Chronicles 16:11 says: "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually"

3) Prayer helps us determine God's will for our lives.

Prayer directs and lead us into the will of God.

Proverbs 3:6 says: "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

4) Prayer helps us accomplish what God has called us to do.

Prayer gives us the strength to endure the process to reach where God called us to.

"So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do."

~2 Thessalonians 1:11

LAST BUT NOT LEAST....

5) Prayer is our spiritual weapon against the plans and schemes of the enemy.

Prayer is a spiritual weapon to fight against the spiritual realm Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear by stating: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Our fights in this life aren't all physical (flesh and blood) but are also spiritual.

2 Corinthians 10:4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."

Ephesians 6:18 says: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Prayer is one of the most vital things to do as a Christian in this day and age. Just to recap everything prayer helps build, root, ground and strengthen your relationship with God. Prayer takes you deeper in your walk with Him, it deepens your faith and builds your walk on a solid foundation. Prayer helps you overcome temptation. It gives you the strength you need to refrain from it and stand up against it 2 Timothy 2:22 " Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Prayer helps us see into the spiritual realm and helps us determine God's will for our lives, as we seek Him on a daily basis He will begin to show us His plan for our lives. After He shows us the plan He has for our lives we must stay prayed up to endure the process that comes with it. Don't think that after you know what God has called you to do that you wont be tempted or battle with different things because you will. That is why during this lifelong process we need to stay in commune with Him daily for help, strength, clarity, provision, and so much more... Lastly prayer is our spiritual weapon. Prayer allows us to intercede on the behalf of ourselves and our fellow Christians near and far from us. It breaks down strongholds, it breaks chains, it breaks soul ties, it breaks the spirit of depression, oppression, loneliness, suicide, etc.. all in the name of JESUS! That is why the enemy tries to stop/hinder our prayer life because he'll also hinder our relationship with God, our power, our fight against him, and our strength.
Stay prayed up!

REMEMBER: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Your sis in Christ,
 Joy J. :)

 

Don't Give Up!

We live in a world where people are so quick to give up instead of fight for what they love, have, and believe in. They give up on life, they give up on their family/friends, they give up on their relationships/marriages, they give up on their hopes/dreams, they give up on the things that God has promised them and last but not least they give up on God. And as Christians that is just what the enemy wants; he wants us to get distracted and detour us off the road that God placed us on. He knows that if we keep heading in that direction towards the calling that God has for us we will be powerful; he knows how victorious we'll be if we persevere through the trials and tribulations in our lives and not give up.

For a long time, I was that person who always seemed to give up when the going got tough. I gave up on any and everything that I started; I even started to give up on God and was ready to give up on life; after all what is life without God?? I didn't care about myself anymore, I lost vision of my dreams; it was all so dim to me. I couldn't see who I was anymore, I didn't know my worth or my identity so I began to wonder through this life blinded by the enemy's web of lies. I began to believe his lies of who he told me I was, how I was a failure and that I would never make it in this world, how no one loved me including God because he allowed certain things to happen in my life. After listening and hearing those lies over and over again replayed in my mind I started to believe that they were actually true. I started to get depressed and discouraged so I gave up on that dream that I had and the goal of finishing school.  After that I soon gave up on school, I took 2 years off, I didn't know what I wanted to do anymore. I was so lost and confused. I lost myself in the midst of that process but I found someone greater; I found God. It was in that time where I was at my wits end, where I thought it was all over that God came and showed me a new beginning in Him. He gave me my sight back; I was able to dream again, He also graced me with the strength to get back in school to help me to get back started on my dreams. From that point on God I learned to put my trust in Him and believe His promises to me. I will now be graduating this summer (2016) all glory to God because without Him I would've never made it this far!

I love these verses in 2 Corinthian 4:15-17 "For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” I soon began to realize that God is more interested in what you’re becoming than what’s happening to you. He often allows trials, troubles, tribulations, and problems in your life to teach you diligence, determination, and character. The problem you’re going through right now? It’s a test of your faithfulness. Will you continue to serve God even when life stinks? Galatians 6:9 says: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”

This New Year I want to encourage you to not give up, don't give up on your goals, dreams, life or God!  Stand firm in your faith and believe that God will help strengthen you in those moments when you feel like you can't go on. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us."  I think that sometimes we just read/quote verses like this one without even realizing the true power behind them. Which in this verse it says: "WE CAN (not maybe, or might; but CAN) do ALL things through Christ who strengthens US!" When hard times come your way, and believe me they will come if they haven't come already; but when they do come and you feel like giving up all you have to do is call on Jesus! The name that's higher than any other name, the name that has the power to save, the name that gives you strength to endure the tests of life, the name that delivers, rescues and restores you! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says "My grace (God's grace) is all you need. My power (God's power) works best in weakness." So when you're feeling weak that's a great opportunity to allow God's power to flow through you and help strengthen you. Never underestimate you're weakness and God's AMAZING power! 

Stay encouraged fight the good fight and NEVER GIVE UP!! Keep pressing, keep moving, keep trusting, keep believing and have faith that God will do what He said He will do!  ^“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” ~Philippians 1:6 <3

Love you all, your sis in Christ,

Joy J.
 

The Power of Deception

 

The definition of the word deception according to Merriam Webster is:

-The act of making someone believe something that is not true: the act of deceiving someone or

- An act or statement intended to make people believe something that is not true

The first thing that came to mind when I read the word deception was the serpent (snake) in the Garden of Eden that deceived Eve by making her believe that if she ate from the tree of knowledge and good and evil, the tree that God told them not to eat from, that she would be like God knowing everything. Some of you may know the story and others may have not even heard it before but it’s in the book of Genesis 2:4-3:24.  It's crazy because after the devil deceives you and gets you to sin, he manipulates you. He makes you believe that because of your sin you should hide from God instead of running to Him. 

 For a long time I was deceived by the enemy. I was caught up in his web of lies and condemnation many times in my life. I used to believe his lies so much that no one could tell me otherwise. I was deceived, discouraged, and depressed. I lived in a repetitive cycle of sin and because of that I ran and hid from God just like Adam and Eve did in the garden after listening to the lies of the serpent, the devil.  The bible says that the devil is the father of lies and that there is no truth in him ~John 8:44. One thing I’ve learned is that when you know the TRUTH, Jesus, no one will be able to deceive you, not even yourself. The devil loves to make us believe the total opposite of what God wants us to believe. He will have you believing that God doesn't love you because he let your loved one die, he'll make you believe that you'll always be the same, that God will never want to use someone as messed up as you BUT those are all lies because In John 3:16 it says "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son..." God loves you and me so much that He was willing to give up His only son, Jesus a sinless man, as a sacrifice to die for our sins. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." you see when you gave your life to God He wipes your past away forever and you are a new person in Him, so that lie of you will always be the same is wrong according to God's word because the truth says that "old things have passed away; behold all things are have become new!" When the enemy tries to tell you that God will never be able to use you because you're too messed up that is a BIG FAT LIE! In the bible that's all God used was people that were a mess and had issues and problems because through them He was able to do the miraculous and bring glory to His name.


As I’ve read over the story again it reminded me of how the enemy is still a deceiver till this day and how he takes his lies and twists them up so good that it looks like the truth, and if we aren't careful enough we’ll fall right into his trap and start believing them. The enemy loves to lie to us! He deceives us by making our situations look worse than what they really are. He deceives us by making us believe that we are too broken for God to use. He deceives us by making us believe that we aren't good enough, he deceives us by making us believe that we are not strong enough, he deceives us by making us believe that we are not victorious, that we will always be defeated. He deceives us by making us believe that we aren't eligible, that we are unqualified to do what God has called us to do, etc... Don’t be deceived by him any longer!

Now that we know what the definition of deception is and how the enemy uses it against us to cripple our faith, and discourage us we can fight back with the truth, The WORD of God! That is why the enemy fights us so hard when we are about to spend time in the bible because he knows that if we open it and read those truths we will disarm him and he won’t be a threat to us anymore. It's time we start fighting back with the word of God! The bible says in James 4:7 to "Submit to God, resist the devil and he shall flee!" When we submit to God we are under His protection; so when the devil tries to come after us God will shield us.

Don't be deceived any longer by the lies of the enemy; get in the Word of God and start remembering the truth so that when the devil tries to come at you with a lie you'll be able to shut him down with the TRUTH!  

*Remember as long as you submit to God He will have your back! ;)

Stay encouraged ya'll and have a blessed day! :)

Joy J. <3