Are You Weary?

by Jeanne Alcott

       Have you ever experienced “Friday fatigue?”  Friday is the end of the workweek for many, and the temptation can be to work, work, work all week, only to feel tired and drained come Friday.  Similarly, a person can find himself or herself fatigued in life.  Instead of living life peppy and energetic, that individual lacks energy, motivation, and joy.

       Anyone can become fatigued at times, yet that does not have to be your “norm.”  You can live your life energetic and fatigue-free, instead of worn out and drained.  But how do you go from weary to refreshed?  You find your rest in God!

It’s Actually a Command

       To “enter into rest” is exactly what God commands us to do in His Word.  (Ref. Hebrews 4:1-3.)  In life, there have to be times of coming aside and taking care of ourselves—for our spirit, as well as for our body and mind.

       We can rest in Him as we simply take a break.  We can rest our spirit and our mind through our prayer and worship time and through reading His Word.  But there is also a “sabbath” for our body.  We can tell when we have pushed ourselves beyond what we should have pushed.  And we usually pay for it! 

       Pushing beyond our physical capability is easy to do because it has become so prevalent in our society to stay busy.  Work hard.  Push onward.  Even in our time off, it seems we’re always doing something.  Even our children have learned this as a way of life.  They watch what Mom and Dad do and think that’s the way they are supposed to live.

       I once read about a preschool teacher who was teaching her class on the story of creation.  She asked the children what God did on the seventh day.  Most of them weren’t sure, but one girl raised her hand and said, “I think He mowed the yard.” 

       This little girl sure didn’t see her parents resting “on the seventh day,” so she didn’t think God did either!  Therefore, in her mind, He must have mowed the yard on the seventh day! 

       Albert Schweitzer, who was among other things a medical missionary, once said, “If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.”  And that Sunday does not come just one day a week—we need to have a rest each day.  We need to go to God in order to be recharged. 

       David had a good description of rest when he painted the picture of being drained as being in a dry and weary place where there’s no water.  He knew what it meant to come into God’s Presence and rest in His Spirit, as well as what it was like to rest his body and mind.  He wrote, O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is (Psalm 63:1). 

       And that’s where we can feel we are at times—in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Then David went on to write, You, O God, did send a plentiful rain; You did restore and confirm Your heritage when it languished and was weary (Psalm 68:9). 

Isn’t it true when we’ve worked extra hard or have been under some kind of stress or strain that we can feel as though we’re in a place where it’s dry and weary and there is no water?  We’re trying to get something to go a certain way and we’re pushing as hard as we can to make it happen. 

       But as you decide to rest in God, that’s when He sends the spiritual rain!  He restores you.  He confirms you.  When you languish, which means you’re fading, He refreshes your spirit.  When you’re drained, He restores your sense of well-being.  You become recharged! 

How To Enter In

       But what was the key that brought David to the point of experiencing the refreshing when he was fading.  How did he get restored when he was weary?  He said to God, “My inner self thirsts for You.  I will seek You! ”  

       David rested in God.  He went to Him to get “his battery” recharged.  We need to do that too!  And when we do, that’s what enables us not only to keep going, but to do a good job of it.  Our faith seems stronger, our optimism is up, and we know that we can go on.  We can work better at our job, put more into that relationship, stay in faith for every need to be supplied, and keep moving toward that long-held goal. 

       Resting recharges our faith to enable us to take more steps toward better health, to work out our plan to see a change in some area of our life, or to simply take care of others in our charge.  We’re able to work on getting the problem resolved because we have the energy to do it now.  That’s what rest can do.

Rest Can Ensure Our Future Success—

A Lack of Rest Can Burn Us Out Before Our Time

       There is no better way to train ourselves and prepare for what’s ahead than to take the time to get recharged.  This is what a Kenyan runner named Bernard Lagat does.  He competes in long-distance running and has been in the Olympic, World Championship, and World Cup competitions many times, having won gold medals and broken several world records.

       What’s amazing is Bernard is 44 years old at the time of this writing and in the last couple of years has just won another title in running!  You would think someone like this constantly pushes himself hard in order to succeed.  I understand that many runners never take off from their training schedule so they don’t lose their edge.  One expert running coach has said that U.S. runners are obsessive about not letting go of training.

       But not Bernard.  Every fall, he does something that other runners do not do.  He takes a five-week break from his training schedule and does absolutely no running!  The New York Times says that he tosses his sneakers into a closet and does “no sit-ups, no heavy lifting, except for a fork.”  And during that time, he coaches his son’s soccer team. 

       His reasoning?  Bernard says, “My runs are very hard.  Everything I do is hard….  [But] the body is tired.  It’s not a machine.  Rest is a good thing.”

       How about your “running” schedule?  As you’re running here and running there, make sure you don’t become obsessive about your schedule.  We all, myself included, need to take a break from time to time and stop running.  We can do this in small ways every day.  But there are times when we need to take bigger breaks.

       You may feel you simply can’t take a break.  I know what you mean.  After all, there’s so much to do, and those necessary tasks aren’t going to take care of themselves!

       Rest can be difficult for responsible people.  We want to make sure we do everything we should be doing.  But there may be a few things we’re caught up in from which we need to pull away for a time.  Sometimes doing that helps us see things more clearly.  But whatever the case, times of rest must come.  God wants us to enter into His rest!

Lack of Rest Can Even Affect the Health of Those Around Us

       Our constant running without breaks will eventually get to us and those around us.  This is what happened to a man who had become concerned when two of his sons began to stutter.  He took them to a speech therapist to have them checked out.  It just so happened this speech therapist was also a psychologist.  He examined the two boys and then asked the father if he could speak to him in private.  The therapist told this concerned father that he was responsible for the boys’ speech defect—and that he was ruining the lives of his sons! 

       Then he asked the father, “When did you last take your family on a vacation?”  The dad realized it had been a long time.  He felt he was too busy to take time with his family.  After he thought about this, he decided to make some changes.  He confessed, “I remember I used to say that the devil never takes a vacation, so why should I?  I never stopped to think that the devil wasn’t to be my example.”

       This man’s decision to rest in God and take time with his family turned everything around in the lives of those two dear sons.

Your Rest Shows Your Faith

       We need to think about who our example is.  If we really trust God, we won’t feel the need to push so hard in life.  We need to ask ourselves if the reason we’re running so hard is that we lack faith.  Perhaps we’re concerned that we won’t be able to take care of our responsibilities or that we’ll somehow miss something. 

       You see, the reason God wants us to rest in Him is not just so we can be recharged.  When we rest in Him, it demonstrates our faith in Him.  When you rest, you’re saying, “I trust You, Lord.  I don’t have to make this thing happen.  The success of my life doesn’t depend on how hard I push.  I have faith that You are taking care of me.  I’m going to rest in You.” 

       When we rest, we show our faith!  That’s a good thing to say to ourselves again and again: When I rest, I show my faith.  Our rest gives God an opportunity to refresh us.  Instead of dragging, we become energetic in our determination and positive in our well-being.  In other words, we go from being pooped to being peppy!  And that’s really where a lot of us need to go, especially if being peppy is something we haven’t felt for a while.  When you think about it, what good are we to God and to those around us if we allow ourselves to get so run down that we’re not effective.

       Maybe you need some time away from all the chatter—the noise of everyday life.  The cell phone chatter.  The street noise.  Driving in heavy traffic.  TV and electronics.  Attention-grabbing people and activities.  And on and on the noise goes.  If there is not enough silence in your life, that can mount up to a good-sized stress level! 

       Make sure you’re taking time to rest in God and to be renewed in your spirit, soul, and body.  If you do, He will take you from weary to refreshed, and that’s when greater things can happen for your life.  And the energy, motivation, and joy you’ll have while these things are happening will be so worth it.

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life.  

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

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Getting Past the 'Why' Question!

by Jeanne Alcott

       There are times when we are tested by trials that come our way.  To be tested means that the quality of our character and our faith are shown up.  We see what we have in us and what we can grow to be. 

       So when trials hit, we have an option: We can allow them to use us, or we can use the trials to grow.  We can refuse to allow them to push us backward or to destroy some area of our life. 

       In other words, when we find ourselves in a test of trials, we can ace the test!  We come out of that test successfully and see God’s power and grace move in our circumstances.  But in order to ace the test, we have to keep moving forward.  We can’t get stuck on one of the questions that invariably comes up during such a test, and that is “why.”

       It seems that question is on every test!  But don’t get hung up there when you’re being tested by a trial.  Learn to get past the “why.”  Why should you get past it?  Because it goes nowhere.  It helps no one.  It stops you from progressing through the trial so you can come out of it.  The “why” question can stump you and cause so much anguish.  You’re going to have to learn to get past it!

       That is what a man was advised to do when he found himself in a trial concerning his parents.  It shocked him when he found out that after many years of marriage, his parents were getting a divorce.  It was so unexpected, and it was so painful!  How could this be happening to his parents? 

       So the man went to see a Christian counselor.  He described to the counselor his shock, anguish, and perplexity because he didn’t know what to do.  He felt his whole world was being turned upside down. 

       He said, “I don’t get this.  How did this happen? This is excruciating.”  In other words, he was trying to answer the why question, and he was stuck! 

       The counselor saw the man trapped in the prison of why, just beating his head against those prison bars, frustrated and to no avail.  So he told the man, “The ‘why’ is none of your concern.  This is not your burden.  It’s not yours to figure out. This is in God’s hands.  As painful as this situation is, it gives you an opportunity to show your parents grace and to love them in their brokenness in a new way — which is precisely what Jesus has done and continues to do for you.” 

       Those words from the counselor made all the difference.  He got past the why question and began to understand that he was to show grace to his parents and work through this trial.  That strategy was where the healing and new hope could be found.  He was then moving forward, finally unstuck from “why.”

Stuck on ‘Why’ Doesn’t Help—It Hurts!
 

       You may have discovered this as I have: There is no healing in the “why.”  In fact, as we continue to ask it, the healing process is slowed down—and it can even be stopped.  Then the help we need can’t get to us—because we’re stuck.

       In other words, God’s healing thoughts can’t get into our mind; His healing power can’t enter our spirit. Being stuck on “why” even affects our physical well-being. 

       When you keep asking why, it’s as though you get trapped in a prison, where all you can do is beat your head against those prison bars.  It’s not healthy to get stuck on that question.  So give it to God and get past it.  Allow healing to be generated.  When you do that, here’s what happens—you are actually exchanging a question for an answer.  Instead of focusing on the question of “why,” you’re focusing on the answer of faith!

The ‘Why’ in the Wilderness

      This is what the Israelites had to do.  In Numbers chapter 21, we see the trials God’s people were experiencing.  They were on their way to the land of promise, but Moses had to change the route.  Because of their enemies, they could not go through the center of the area in a straight shot to get where they needed to go.  So they went around the land of Edom by the Red Sea.  The scripture says, “…The people became impatient (depressed, much discouraged), because [of the trials] of the way” (v. 4).  

       You know yourself how it is when you can’t seem to get to where you want to be, whether it be in your health, in your position or station in life, in a relationship, or in your finances. You keep working on problems that don’t seem to have answers.

       Those are called “trials of the way!”  If we’re not careful, we can become impatient and discouraged, and we might even start asking why just as God’s people did in their wilderness journey toward the Promised Land.

       The Israelites said to Moses, “…Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and we loathe this light (contemptible, unsubstantial) manna” (v. 5). 

       They were saying, “If you were going to deliver us out of Egypt and out of bondage, why did you take us to this terrible place?  So we could die here?  We don’t have bread; we don’t have water.  And this manna stuff you’re giving us—we hate it!  We were supposed to be delivered and led into our land of promise.  Why are we in this trial?”

The children of Israel were obviously stuck on that one question.  They were not moving on—moving forward—and they were failing the test!  If they had gone to God with faith, He would have comforted them, met their needs, and taken them through the trial so they could develop the character and strength they would need to sustain them in their new home in the Promised Land.

The Look of Faith—When We

Exchange Our Question for His Answer!

       The Israelites had come to the point they were rejecting God’s intervention in their lives, so that opened them up to experiencing harmful things.  Serpents began to come among the people and bite them, and many of the Israelites died. 

       So the people came to Moses and confessed they were wrong for turning against God, and they asked him to pray for them.  When Moses prayed, God told him to make a serpent of bronze and set it up on a pole.  And when anyone who was bitten looked upon it, he or she would be able to live. 

       But they couldn’t just casually look upon that serpent; they had to look with the look of faith.  So Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and as the people gazed upon the bronze serpent in faith, they were healed.

       We have to change the bewildered look of why on our face to the look of faith as we turn wholeheartedly to God.  That’s where deliverance from our trial lies.  But we can’t have faith at the same time we’re asking why.  Our “why” cancels out faith and drives our senses crazy.  We get so wrapped up in “why” that we can’t see with the eyes of faith what God wants to do in the midst of our situation. 

       That’s why it’s so critical not to get stuck on “why.”  When you can’t see with your faith what God wants to do, you become stuck and you can’t go on.  When you keep asking, “Why is this trial happening?” that’s what you have in front of your eyes: W-H-Y. Therefore, you become blinded to what God wants to do for you in your trial. 

       But when you reach out and throw the word “why” away from you, your faith can take over, and you can begin to see what God is doing.  Then your puzzled look of why is changed to your steadfast look of faith!  As you turn to God, that is what He sees—faith in your heart and on your face!  Oh, what a picture!  And He is going to respond to you!  He’s going to take you out of the trial.  He will bring you out with victory. 

       When God sees your faith even in the midst of being tested by a trial, He responds to you from His heart and with His power.  He’s going to take your world that seems to be turned upside down in your trial, and He’s going to give you new purpose.  You’ll come out of it and experience all that God has for you. 

       So when the pain seems unbearable and the frustration great, or when disappointment is all you can see, turn to God.  Pour out your heart to Him and do it not with questions, but with faith.  That’s where healing is.  That’s where your future is—and it’s a good one!

       So right now in the face of your trial—no matter how small or big—give God the look of faith and tell Him you believe He will take you through this and that you will come out with healing and blessing in the name of Jesus.  Refuse to get stuck on that one question in your test—God wants you to move on and ace it! 

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

DONATE NOW.

There’s Healing in

the Name of Jesus!

by Jeanne Alcott

       It’s important to ask ourselves as believers, Am I living in everything the Name of Jesus does for me?  God has given us the Name of Jesus to use to experience His power and authority.  But are we truly living in that power?  Do we recognize everything Jesus did and what His Name means to us now? 

       He has provided salvation, blessings, privileges, and healing in His Name.  Jesus, your Redeemer and Healer, has provided wholeness and well-being for every part of you—your body, mind, and emotions, and your spirit.  Your entire being can experience peace and wholeness because of the Name of Jesus.

       He became our avenue to healing by what He suffered and overcame on the cross and resurrection.  Isaiah 53:5 says, With the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.  Those were real stripes that Roman soldiers lashed upon Him without mercy.  Pilate had ordered that Jesus be whipped to appease those who were accusing Him.  The Roman governor thought that would be the end of it:  He would have Jesus whipped and scourged and then present Him to the Jews who would be satisfied with the punishment meted.

       That was the plan. But, instead, Jesus went the distance to endure death by crucifixion.  And by those stripes, you and I are healed and made whole.

       Think about all the Savior suffered.  He was beaten, lashed, and blasphemed by the religious leaders and the Roman soldiers.  Nails were driven into His feet and hands.  Later, after He had breathed His last breath on that cross, a sword was thrust into His side.

       Jesus was so savagely beaten and bruised that no part of His skin remained normal.  He was wounded so badly that Isaiah 52:14 says He was disfigured and marred in His appearance more than any man.

       From the crown of His head to the soles of His feet, Jesus suffered so that you could be healed from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet!  That’s why He endured all that humiliation and suffering—for your complete wholeness and well-being in spirit, soul, and body.

       Jesus did all that so He could become one with you and give you His Name.  Now He wants that Name to mean something to you.  He wants it to represent in your life the One who suffered and died for your salvation and healing.  So how can you dare not use that great Name?  How can you allow it to remain dormant and not active in your life?

       I encourage you to allow God to renew within you a greater sense of the power, authority, privilege, and position that comes with using that Name.  Because of His great sacrifice, you can have victory.

The Sixth Man—‘Wounded for Me’

       There was a certain man who came to fully grasp what it meant to have another person wounded for him—wounded for him, in his place.  Although his story can’t compare to what Jesus did for us, it illustrates the awesome, undeserved measure of what we have received as a result of Christ’s sacrifice.

       The man was the Prince of Wales.  During World War I, he decided to visit thirty-six of the men who had been brought to a nearby hospital due to their wounds.  The prince entered the main ward, where he shook hands with many of the men.  But afterward, he noticed that he had just seen thirty soldiers, not thirty-six.  So he asked where the others were.  Administrators informed him that the other six were severe cases in a different section of the hospital. 

       The prince insisted that he see them, so they took him to the second ward, where he saw five of those six men who had been severely maimed.  After he spoke with them and honored them, he asked why only five men were present—where was the sixth man?  They responded that the prince would not want to see the sixth man, and they attempted to describe the soldier’s unbearable appearance due to his severe injuries.

       Although this soldier was marred, almost beyond recognition, the prince insisted on seeing him.  When he and his escorts entered the room, he stood motionless for a brief moment.  Then he walked over to the patient, stooped down low, and kissed him on his cheek.  The prince was moved to tears and could only whisper, “Wounded for me.”

       As you envision Jesus today and all that He endured for you, can you see yourself looking upon Him and saying, “Wounded for me”?  Because of His stripes, you are healed and made whole.  Then because Jesus did not stay on that cross—but He defeated the enemy and was resurrected—you now have His Name.  By the power of that Name, you can be healed.  You can receive the healing that was obtained as Jesus was “wounded for you.”

       Just imagine the Lord standing before you, urging you to take the Name, and all that it represents, to receive wholeness and total well-being.  There’s power in that Name!  It is greater than anything that can afflict you or those you care about—in body, mind, or emotions.  It’s powerful because of what Jesus went through and overcame.  And now that Name is yours.

       One of our Partners testified that he has seen this powerful truth working for him.  He had been going through a time of sorrow and grief because his wife passed away.  But he had also been allowing Jesus to carry his sorrow and grief because he understood the power of what Jesus did for him. 

       He wrote in his note, “Since my wife made a permanent transfer to Heaven, I have found God to be very faithful.  And the word you said that Jesus was sent to heal the brokenhearted is absolutely true!  Through this journey, the Lord Jesus Christ has been with me.  Your ministry has been a part—a word in due season, right time, right place.  I have made a declaration: ‘Lord, I thank You for the joy that will manifest this year.  Every loss will be swallowed up by this joy. The joy of You, Lord, is my strength!’” 

       This man had been meditating on and saying the right things so he could receive the healing in his heart and emotions that Jesus provided for Him in His Name.  And I am happy to report that he is doing just that.  Our Partner has been able to experience some of the wonderful plans and blessings God has for him.  His loss is being swallowed up by joy!

       God has every kind of healing for you that you need.  He wants your entire being to be well and whole.  That’s why He gave you the Name of Jesus—so you can experience what God has provided because of what Christ did. 

       We must understand what we have.  We need to say to ourselves, I have the Name of Jesus.  In fact, stop and say those words right now:  “I have the Name of Jesus.”  That Name belongs to you, and you have the right as a believer to administer the healing power that comes through that Name.

       Oh, the power of that Name!  The power is ever-present. Are you using it to receive the healing you need?  That’s what God is urging you to do.  Jesus was wounded so your wounds could be healed.  Remember, He suffered from the crown of His head to the soles of His feet so you could be healed from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet! 

       What kind of wounds do you have—are they in your body?  Are they problems you’re enduring in your family or work?  Have you been wounded in your emotions?  Are you hurting in your finances or overcome by the burdens and heaviness of life?  Is something trying to hurt you in some other way? 

       You have the Name and the power behind it to see everything change.  So use Jesus’ Name today and experience the healing God has for you. There’s power in that Name!

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

DONATE NOW.

Look and Feel Better This Spring!

by Jeanne Alcott

       We all know that after a long, cold winter, we look forward to getting out more often.  We want to experience sunshine and fresh air!  That’s also when many households undergo what’s called spring-cleaning. 

       We put away the heavy blankets and air out the house.  We dust from top to bottom and maybe even do a few projects, such as repainting a room or thoroughly cleaning the garage.  Everything is thoroughly inspected and gone over from the windows to the furniture. 

       I once read that a possible origin of spring-cleaning can be traced to an ancient Jewish practice.  It was done in anticipation of their springtime holiday of Passover.  As you probably know, this holiday is celebrated in remembrance of the Jews’ flight from Egypt after they had been held captive there for more than 400 years.

       On a much different level, that’s similar to how we can feel during the winter—as if we’ve been held captive for years!  We want to break out of that old season and do some new things.  We were less active during those cold months, but now we’re ready for some activity.  We may have even let some wrong habits develop, and we need to get up and get going from the “captivity” of winter. 

       Simply put, in the spring, we want to look and feel better!

Is It Time for a Spiritual Spring-Cleaning?

       That’s also what we have to do spiritually every once in a while.  We have to do a spiritual spring-cleaning so we can look and feel better.  Perhaps that will entail clearing out some unwanted mindsets that have been allowed to creep in and develop in our thoughts, emotions, and attitudes.  We’ll also need to change certain behaviors.  That means we’ll have to take a look at places where dust may have accumulated in our lives—even places where, in the past, we desired to follow the Lord with everything within us, but something changed somewhere along the way and we became cold. 

       Performing spiritual spring-cleaning in our lives means we’ll need to sweep out some things that we’ve allowed “inside” and didn’t even realize we’d done it.  Those things, like cobwebs, became annoying and unattractive parts of our personalities and lives.

       We’re inspecting our lives and doing a thorough work “top to bottom.”  For example, have we allowed something in our hearts or minds that is affecting our outlook, values, and motives?  Has something pure about our lives become impure?  Just as junk can accumulate in our home, it’s amazing what can accumulate in our spiritual “house” if we’re not being mindful and doing regular upkeep.

       Think about what it’s like when you clean out your garage or the closets in your house.  At some point, you usually say, “Where did all this stuff come from?”

       The same can be true spiritually. You might ask:

·       “Where did this bitter feeling come from?”

·       “How did I let anger build up in me like that?”

·       “When did discouragement creep in and get such a hold on me?”

       It’s interesting how wrong attitudes and outlooks can accumulate in our lives so subtly that we don’t notice them right away.  On the other hand, just as we can accumulate certain items or possessions, we can also lose them.  We wonder where certain things about our spiritual lives have gone.

·       Where is my desire to seek God?

·       Why don’t I have energy and drive anymore?

·       Where is my motivation to serve others instead of just living for myself?

       We need the Holy Spirit’s help as we perform “spring-cleaning” on the inside of our lives so that we look and feel better inside and outside too!

How To Get Started

       If we want to do spiritual spring-cleaning in our lives, we’ll need the Holy Spirit’s help. But where do we start?  Psalm 139:23-24 should be our prayer:

Search me thoroughly, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

       “Search me thoroughly.”  In other words, we’re saying, “Lord, take inventory of me.  Look at my heart and my motives.  Analyze my thoughts.  Do this, Lord, so I can know if there’s any wrong or hurtful way in me.  If there is, please lead me out of that so I can look and feel better as Your child.” 

       We shouldn’t wince at the idea of undergoing a cleansing like that—because that kind of “spring-cleaning” is the only way we’re going to see better days!  Without spring-cleaning, the wrong ways that have developed and accumulated in us over time will be hurtful not only to ourselves, but also to others and to the work of God. 

       It’s just a smart thing to submit to having our spiritual houses searched and swept and cleansed!

Take Inventory, Clean, and Repair

       As we take inventory of our lives, we begin noticing attitudes and behaviors that aren’t really “us.”  We’re taking a close look and observing how we’ve been thinking and feeling, and we realize we’ve begun to allow ourselves to act in ways we don’t desire to see exemplified.  It’s then that we must make the decision to “clean” our spiritual houses of those behaviors and whatever thoughts might be causing them.

       After inventory and cleaning, the last step of this spiritual spring-cleaning is repairing any damage that has been done physically or emotionally so that restoration can come. 

       Thank God that we have been given the Holy Spirit who will give us the discerning ability to see these things for what they really are.  And as painful as it can be when we see them, He gives us the strength to rid ourselves of those unwanted, accumulated things that can seem hard to let go of. 

       Our tendency is to want to cling to our belongings!  Sometimes we do it because those things are sentimental to us and we’re used to having them around.  Or maybe those things bring us some measure of comfort.  So at times we don’t want to undergo the pain of change and of clearing them from our lives.

       But when those things are cleaned out, we can see the better us that’s in there!  Our lives will be improved, and the real us that God wants to be revealed will not be hidden and obscured amidst all the “stuff” of our lives that we allowed to accumulate. 

       This truth reminds me of the artist Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel many centuries ago.  Michelangelo spent five painstaking years lying on his back painting the ceiling frescoes depicting the fall of mankind.  After all that time, his work was finally completed, but the scenes had already begun to fade!  Within 100 years, the images were indiscernible.

       One painter described Michelangelo’s masterpiece as “colors through a smoked glass.” And that’s true of our lives when we allow “dust” to perpetually settle over us without doing regular spiritual housecleaning. 

God’s Masterpiece Revealed in You!

       It’s sad that we can accumulate so many hang-ups, habits, and brokenness that the “original” God made us to be can’t be seen!  We need to undergo cleaning so His masterpiece in us can be observed.

       Fortunately, that's what happened to the Sistine Chapel.  In 1989, after years of artists’ working carefully to clean all the frescoes on the ceiling, the originals could be seen once again.  And the result was breathtaking!  For the first time in nearly 500 years, people could see Michelangelo’s masterpiece the way it was intended.  Beautiful colors that had been buried for centuries once again shined through. 

       God wants others to see in you the breathtaking beauty that He has placed within you.  You may not feel that way right now, but if you will allow His Spirit to do some cleaning and uncovering, He will unveil the good things within you.  And He’ll do away with the things that are hurtful.

       Second Timothy 2:21 says, So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will then himself be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. 

       If we want to be usable by God, we’re going to have to allow Him to clean or remove from our “house” what is detrimental to us.  It may be painful as we dig and do the deep work of spiritual spring-cleaning.  But the results will be greater beauty, greater usefulness, and greater satisfaction.

       That’s what God wants for you!  He wants you to be content with who you are and how you think and act.  He wants you to look and feel better!  He wants you to be fit, prepared, and ready to do His will for your life so you can experience His best blessings.  All the work of inventory, cleaning, and repair will be worth it as it reveals God’s masterpiece in you!

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

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The Motivating Force of Love!

by Jeanne Alcott

       Did you realize that as a believer, you have such a powerful force within you—and that strong force is love?

       Naturally speaking, love is not usually seen as something powerful.  For example, when we think of our need to conquer, defeat, or overcome some kind of weakness or adversity, our minds don’t usually go toward “love” as a power word.  But love is exactly the power force within us that wins over all and never fails.

       God’s love within us as believers is a strong force.  It’s the aspect of His nature that strengthens us, motivates us, and affects our behavior.  How we act—the fruit of our lives—comes from one place, and that is the love of God within us that’s active and working. 

       The words you say and the kind of character that’s produced in you stem from the love you have.  In other words, they stem from the love that’s active and working in you.  So if you’re treating others the way God desires—producing character that’s honorable and marked by integrity—you are being motivated by a strong force of love. 
 

We regularly need to ask ourselves:

• - What is motivating me to do the things I do?  Why do I do them?
• - When I spoke to that certain person, where did those words come from?  What motivated my response?
• - If I’m succeeding at something in my life, what’s causing that? 

       If the answer to those questions is love, we’re on the right road. It’s a road that will lead us where God wants us to go so we can fulfill His will, live the good life He has planned for us, and help others do the same.

       I read something a truck driver said to describe how the love of Christ can control our behavior if we’ll just use the force of love within us.  This truck driver showed how God’s love had changed him when he said, “When I find somebody tailgating my truck today, I no longer drive on the shoulder of the road to kick up cinders on his vehicle.”

       How simple is that!  But that’s how the force of love works within us.  It shows us simple and pure ways to behave in order to demonstrate what we’re really made of.  And it motivates us to act on them!

       God wants us to live happier and healthier lives because we’ve learned to let love be the motivating force of our behavior.  If we’re unhappy about something, or things are not going well for us in some area, it’s good to see if we’re following the rules of love right down to our everyday actions and words. 

       We love in big ways and in small ways.  Love motivates us to do a certain thing or act a certain way when we would like to do something else.  Our flesh nature may want to rise up and say or do something that goes against those rules of love—to do something that’s unkind and wrong.  But love is a strong motivating source to redirect us to act in a way that pleases God.

Is Love Dominant or Dormant?

       Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us—meaning what His Spirit produces through us—is love.  That’s what we’re made of!  But we have to put it into action and let it motivate our lives.

       When someone who is serving you does something wrong, does love speak to resolve it?  When you’re driving and want to get somewhere fast, is love at the wheel of your automobile?  When someone wrongs you in some way, even intentionally, does love respond?  Is love dominant or dormant in those moments?

• - Suppose you’re under pressure because of all your responsibilities, but someone ask for your help.  How does your level of love respond?
• - What if someone slips in and takes the parking space you’ve been patiently waiting for?  How do you respond?
• - What about a person who says something about you that’s unfair?  Does the level of your love retaliate or respond with mercy and grace?
• - What if your friend or family member is doing something you don’t like?  Where is the love of God inside you then!

       These are practical situations, but allowing the strong force of love to motivate our actions is something we must do daily in the big and small circumstances of our lives.

Love Motivates Us and Enables
Us To ‘See’ Others

       First Timothy 4:12 tells us to be an example (pattern) for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

        This can be hard to do when we’re trying so hard to keep our own life going.  It can become easy to get centered on ourselves.  But the love of God in us causes us to look beyond just ourselves.  What it boils down to is that we trust the Lord so much with what we’ve committed to Him that we don’t have to be concerned about what’s going to happen to us.

       When people are worried about whether they’re giving to receive the help they need, the provision they prayed for, the restored relationship they’re seeking, the issue in their body that needs to be resolved, etc., they can become “blinded.” 

       Their mind and emotions can become so immersed in themselves that the fruit of love can be squelched.  They no longer see others the way God sees them, and they lose their motivation to give place to His love in their heart to help others.

Love in Three Directions

       When we are really trusting God—that’s when we can allow love to come to the forefront and become the motivating factor of our behavior.  As someone once said, “Love that reaches up is adoration.  Love that reaches across is affection.  And love that reaches down is grace.”  It’s love in three directions.

       So when we’re reaching up, we’re adoring God and worshiping Him.  When we reach across, we’re showing His affection to others.  And when we reach down to lift up those who need help, that’s grace.  We have to remember that our love does not stop with our worshiping God.  We translate that time with God into reaching out with affection to others.

       First John 4:20 plainly says that if someone says he loves God, but detests another believer, he doesn’t love God.  Actually, that verse says that person is a liar!

       Friend, God is as interested in how we show love to others as He is in our love toward Him.  That’s a pretty strong statement, but that’s what He clearly communicates to us in His Word. 

       First Corinthians 13:5 tells us that when we’re allowing love to be a powerful force through us, we will not act unbecomingly.  We won’t insist on our own rights or want our own way.  We won’t be self-seeking, thinking only of ourselves.  We won’t be touchy, fretful, or resentful. 

       Another scripture, First Thessalonians 4:12, tells us that through love we are honorable and command the respect of the outside world, being dependent on nobody [self-supporting] and having need of nothing.

       That describes a happier and healthier life that comes as a result of operating in love!  Not only do we respect others, but we receive respect because of what we allow to shine and show through us.  We’re not dependent, and our needs are taken care of, when our actions and words are motivated by affection and caring.

Rules of Love on a Stagecoach!

       Let me tell you a humorous, but very practical demonstration of this.  It will take us back many years to a time when people traveled by stagecoach before the days of railroad transportation.  In those days, people would crowd into stagecoaches to travel where they needed to go. 

       But like anything else, when the public is involved, there had to be rules, or people would inevitably offend one another.  So Wells Fargo posted rules inside each coach, telling passengers how they were expected to behave. 

       For instance, one rule stated that one must not snore loudly while sleeping!   Another said, in effect, “Don’t use your fellow passenger’s shoulder for a pillow—he or she may not understand and friction may result!”

       Then another rule stated that smoking was not allowed, only chewing tobacco; however, a chewing-tobacco user must spit with the wind, not against it.

        Those rules sound comical, and we might laugh, but thank the Lord for rules!

A Word to the Wise

       Looking at society today, we understand that there are rules that should affect our behavior for the good of everyone.  And if each person operated in love as he or she should, there would be much less friction in life.  People wouldn’t be offending and hurting each other so much. 

       Another Wells Fargo rule stated that gents guilty of unchivalrous behavior toward lady passengers would be put off the stagecoach.  Then it added this warning: “It’s a long walk back.  A word to the wise is sufficient.”

        A word to the wise is sufficient!  When we’re not walking in love, we may find ourselves on a long walk back to where we need to be.  If we don’t go God’s way, it’s much more painful and takes longer to get where we desire to be. 

       So let’s permit love to be a strong, motivating force in us.  Giving place to that love is powerful and helpful.  It makes our lives and the lives of those around us better.  Most of all, we please God when we allow love to determine our behavior.  And THAT is our biggest desire and accomplishment of all—pleasing Him.

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

DONATE NOW.

See the Vision—Fulfill the Dream!

Jeanne Alcott

       One of the greatest keys to receiving answers in life is having vision.  Without having a vision, or dream, of what we desire to see in our lives, we will not likely ever see it come to pass.  We have to have a picture in our mind and spirit of what we want to see happen as a part of God’s will and plan for us. 

       This “vision” can't be just an occasional daydream or the thought, It would be great if that happened.  Vision is something much stronger than that.  Vision is an image we have inside us that helps push us toward seeing that image forged into reality. 

       Without such a vision, I don't believe I would have been healed from the severe pain I once suffered.  Without an image formed in me about our ministry, it would not have come into being. 

       That is true for every facet of our lives.  Without vision in my heart and mind from God, I wouldn't have married the right person, gone to college, or worked my way up in an organization.  I had to have a vision formed inside me of God’s will for my life, and then see it as being fulfilled so I could work toward it and walk it out.  

The ‘Work’ of Having and Maintaining Vision
 

       Throughout life, we never stop having vision.  We envision what we want to see accomplished in our lives, whether big or small.  For example, without a vision for a balanced household budget in our personal finances, we wouldn’t have one!  We “see” or envision it first, and then we work and pray to see it come to pass.

       I can honestly say that at one point in our marriage, John and I didn’t have a vision for a budget in our personal finances, and we had to have God’s help to get out of debt.  But before we experienced the reality of that financial freedom, we had to set our hearts and minds that it would be so.  That’s when we became free of debt.

       Everything we desire in life requires some work in our mind and spirit—not just work on the outside or in the arena of what we can do.  We have to work on vision first before we can see what we desire become a reality.

       When we let go of that responsibility to cultivate vision within, we will stop seeing the answers we need.  Then instead of actively determining our lives, we become mere receivers.  We sit and receive whatever comes our way and then try to deal with it.  We decide only to handle what presents itself—instead of working from a vision of what we really want. 

       It takes effort to keep the image of our finished goals before us.

God Is Calling You To Succeed 

       The Lord is telling you that you are called to take an active part in your own future.  You should be unwilling to sit by the wayside and just “let come what may.”  No, God has called you to be a person of vision.

        I encourage you to cultivate inside you a picture for every single thing you want to see happen.  It starts with a Christian vision, which is to worship and obey God and win people for Christ as you live in God’s promises.  Then your Christian vision should drive your personal vision.  God has a unique and specific plan for your life.  It’s your personal vision, and fulfilling it is the way you can best serve Him and bless humanity. 

       God wants to see you healthy and whole.  So get a vision for that!  Get an image on the inside of physical and emotional health, wholeness, and soundness.  God also wants you to be amply provided for—abundantly supplied.  Capture that vision for your life!

       And just look at how the Lord is working to help you grow in Him and have excellent relationships, a great family life, and a successful business or job.

       Perhaps you’re going through a growing process right now.  Ask God for a vision of what He’s doing in you.  Get a copy in your brain of the picture He wants to plant deeply within of the good things He wants you to experience and do.  He wants you to see how you can influence and guide your children and those you lead.  The Lord sees how you can affect those around you in your city, state, nation—and, ultimately, the world. 

       We need to have a vision for every area of our lives!

Resist the Wrong Image!

       Don’t accept the picture that the devil would try to paint in your heart and have you swallow.  Don’t take the bait on that hopeless, sad image!   He will whisper things in your ears, such as:  Things won’t change; you’ll never achieve this goal; you’ll just have to live this way; you will always be disappointed by life; it’s too good to be true; it wasn’t meant to be.

       Don't bite down on those lies and ingest them into your heart and mind.  Instead, reject them and ask God to give you truth and a higher perspective!  That’s what He has for you—a perspective that is bigger and better than what you’ve ever dreamed. 

       That’s one of the first things you’ll need to settle if you want success in life—you need a good image, or vision, and a higher perspective!  So let God advance you from where you are in your mind so you can get a better image of what He has planned for you.  Don’t settle for a small, hopeless, limited view.

Take a Step Back From the Circumstances
and Grasp the Big Picture 

       A scholar and teacher by the name of William Macneile Dixon once described this type of view using an analogy.  He used the example of a fly crawling across a masterpiece painting in the Vatican that was created by the artist Raphael.

       Think about how much that fly could possibly know about that whole painting as it crawled along.  It could perhaps tell that some colors were brighter than others.  It could feel that some places were rougher than others due to the stroke of the painter’s brush.  But regardless of what small thing that insect could detect about that massive painting as it crawled along, it could not have a “big-picture” perspective.  Its vision was limited.

       Friend, what God has for you is a masterpiece.  That’s the plan He has for your life.  And He has designed that for you in every area.   But if your vision is limited, you’ll never be able to see it.  You won’t be able to find and fulfill it.  You’ll be like that fly crawling over a vast masterpiece.  Sure, you might experience little bits and pieces of His design for you—and perhaps get a glimpse of bigger parts of it here and there. 

       But wouldn’t it be great to be able to see and experience all that God has for you?   In order to do that, you’re going to need higher perspective and increased vision!   You’re going to have to back far enough away from situations, circumstances, and the smaller parts of your life so you can see the big perspective of what is available to you.  Just as that fly, you’re going to have to rise above the “painting” to see it in its fullness.

Climb Up Higher

       How large is your vision?   Do you have a mental picture of yourself just trying to get by—or do you see yourself totally conquering what’s bothering you and standing in your way?  Is your perspective large enough to think of having finances to send your kids to school, to give into God’s work, or to move to a better place to live?  What ideas do you have floating around in you that are shaping your career or causing you to be used in some helpful way?  Do you see yourself maintaining a good weight and enjoying good health free of pain?  Let God give you a good vision of what He has for you.  Climb up higher in your thinking so that you can have a better view.

       That’s just what a man in the Bible named Zacchaeus did. One day, Jesus was passing through this man’s town.  Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus, having heard about the miracles He performed.  But the crowd was large that day, and Zacchaeus was short in stature and couldn’t see Jesus clearly.  So what did he do?   He climbed a sycamore tree to broaden his view.

       The Bible says, When Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.  So he [Zacchaeus] hurried and came down, and he received and welcomed Him joyfully (Luke 19:5-6).

       It’s important to understand that at the time, Zacchaeus was not an honest person.  In fact, he was considered a sinner.  So the people couldn't understand why the Lord was doing this.  But Jesus was showing Zacchaeus a higher perspective for his life—how Zacchaeus’ life could be!  And because He reached out to this man, the Word says, Zacchaeus stood up and solemnly declared to the Lord, See, Lord, the half of my goods I [now] give [by way of restoration] to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I [now] restore four times as much.  And Jesus said to him, Today is salvation come to [all the members of] this household, since Zacchaeus too is a [real spiritual] son of Abraham; For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost (vv. 8-10).

       That all happened because a man changed his perspective.  And when he did—when he climbed up higher—he was able to see the Lord and his life was changed. 

       When we have a higher perspective in our thoughts and desires, we’re going to be able to see the Lord too!  We will be able to have a vision of what He has for us, and it will change everything!  We will be able to experience greater things in our own lives and do greater things with our lives for God.

       Don't become so involved in the small things of life that your vision becomes limited or dimmed.  Instead, see the bigger picture—the vision or image of the masterpiece God has painted just for you.

       Let the Lord help you see better in the midst of what you are perhaps facing right now.   Let Him raise your perspective so that you can truly see Him working in your circumstances, and you can visualize your dreams and desires being fulfilled.

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life.  

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

DONATE NOW.

Immanuel: God With You!

Jeanne Alcott

Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us.—Matthew 1:23 

       God called His Son Immanuel for a reason.  He wanted you to know that He is with you.  You are not alone.  Jesus Christ brings all that God is into your life.

       Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship, tells a story about Immanuel.  It was Christmastime, and he was bringing presents to the children of prison inmates.  This was a part of a program he began so those children could receive gifts they would not otherwise be able to receive because one or both parents were incarcerated.  He and his wife went to one house where they met a small boy who told them his name was Immanuel.  So Colson opened his Bible to Matthew 1:23 and showed the boy what his name meant—God with us.  The young boy jumped up in his excitement and kept saying to his mother, “Mommy, God is with us!  God is with us!”

       Can you imagine how much it meant to that family to know that God truly was with them?  I tell you, when life has dealt us a blow, when we are in serious need, we feel confused, or circumstances seem complex and we’re not seeing the answers we need—we need to remember Christ, our Immanuel!

       God is with you because you’ve accepted His Son.  All that comes with Him enters inside you.  So you can walk in real confidence.  You have great potential in what you can do and receive and become through Christ Jesus.

       When Christ comes to live in you in the New Birth, all that God is also becomes resident within.  You can lift up your head and walk like someone who knows what they’re doing!  In spite of circumstances in your body or emotions—or what’s happening in your relationships or finances or work—you are confident because the Lord is with you.  You have Immanuel on the inside.  You’re going to come through victoriously.

Be Confident in ‘Christ in You’

       Confidence is important to you because it’s a key to our being able to see God’s will accomplished in our circumstances.  We can have all kinds of wonderful things from Christ residing on the inside of us, but those wonderful things mean nothing to our life if we don't have the assurance to use them.  That’s why confidence comes with the whole package of “Christ in us.” 

       God is confident, and He wants you to be confident too.  When you feel down or unsure about how events are going to turn out, just remember, with Christ comes confidence.  You have Him in you; therefore, you can walk with composure and decisiveness.  Your faith is strong to help you stand.

        I think of the tremendous letter I recently received from a dear woman that shows the confidence we can have because Immanuel is with us.  She wrote that her son was born by emergency C-section due to a low heart rate.  Then it was discovered that he had complications breathing, so they were going to have to transfer him to a major children's hospital.  That meant the parents would not be able to hold him or feed or be with him for quite some time. 

       But prayer had gone out for this baby even before he was born.  We had been in a faith agreement, believing for God’s hand to be upon him.  But at the outset, when you hear words like this from doctors, you can be tempted to think your prayers didn’t work. 

       We all come to times such as that in our life.  The answer doesn’t come like we think it should, so our confidence is low or even shot.  We can think, What happened?  Where did things go wrong?  I prayed and believed—why didn't this happen the way it was supposed to?  These types of questions will try to invade our heart.  That’s why it’s important that we take time to be with the Lord.  He’s the only One who can renew our confidence so we can turn those questions around and be positive and resolute to see our answer come.

       Just as that couple was told their baby wasn’t breathing properly, we can see things in our life at times that are not “breathing” or functioning the way they should.  Things are not going the way we desire.  It’s only with the Lord that we’re going to be able to have what it takes to stand and endure so we see the answer we need.

       That woman and her husband were assured the Lord was taking care of their son.  Finally, just before they were about to take the baby to the other hospital, they decided to try giving him a certain treatment—which caused him to begin breathing correctly!  This mother said her son smiled at them while he was in the hospital and since then, he has hit many milestones before the usual predicted time. 

       In her letter, she wrote: “You helped in intervening through prayer for my husband and me and our unborn son, and we thank you for serving the Lord willingly and not begrudgingly with wholehearted commitment.  As you sought God on our behalf, I believe you helped to save our son’s life [when he was born] so he wouldn’t die, but would thrive!  Now he can be in church, serving the Lord and being a blessing.  He is a ‘crawling, soon-to-be walking’ testimony!  God bless you and John, and may your days continue to be a testimony as well to ‘how great is our God’!”

       Praise God!  He is with us.  That means He is with you.  I am thinking of what you might need today.  It may seem as though your situation is “barely breathing.”  You’re trying to give oxygen to the circumstances, but they’re just not coming along. 

       With the confidence of Christ, we believe the power of God transforms things—that the ending to your story changes.  It becomes a successful one in which God’s will is accomplished for you, and your situation turns into a big blessing.  It’s a “crawling, soon-to-be-walking” testimony! 

       Simply believe you will see God’s hand move to change your circumstances!

Favored With Blessing
 

       In Genesis 26:24, the Lord says, Fear not, for I am with you and will favor you with blessings and multiply your descendants.  There are those words again:  “I am with you.”  Where the Lord is, we can be favored with blessing, power, peace, and all that we need.  That’s why He wants us to be in Him and to believe that He is in us and will be Immanuel in our life—God who is with us!

       It’s like the concept of air.  Air is in us and yet we are also in the air.  So, too, is Christ in us, and we are in Him.  But with air, if we don’t breathe it, it doesn’t matter that it’s all around us, because it won’t get in us.  Our life will be over.  We have to take air in to benefit from it.

       Similarly, the Lord can be in you and all around you—with you.  But if you’re not “breathing Him in,” you’re not receiving all that He means to you or intends for you.  But when you are with Him in prayer or just thinking about Him as you’re sitting quietly—or even walking down a hallway or driving your car—your spirit is breathing in the very presence of the Lord.  It’s not just a matter of making sure you have fifteen minutes of devotions every day.  It’s cultivating the practice of making Him dominant in your heart continually. That’s what strengthens you and gives your spirit assurance, confidence, and firm stability.  It makes you effective, able, and strong. 

       Oh, when we see something is not going the way it should, we need that kind of confidence to pull us through.  And that only comes from being with the Lord—from getting in His presence.  As we practice living in His Presence, things happen!

       I’m thinking of a game some people have played, in which they fill up their car tank with fuel and then simply drive until they’re on “E,” or empty, again.  Unfortunately, if we play that same kind of game with our spiritual tank, when we hit the big empty signal, that’s exactly what we will be:  empty of confidence and empty of strength.  Our mental and emotional ability to successfully deal with our situation will be low. 

       Have you ever allowed yourself to become empty like that?  If so, you know how you become frustrated, irritable, or depressed—or all three.  Without the Lord, we can’t go anywhere in life that really matters.  But as we practice being with Him—breathing in that air of confidence—that’s when a testimony can come out of our circumstances. 

       Know that Immanuel is calling to you today and reaching out His hand to bring you into a deeper awareness of Him.  He truly is with you!

       That’s what He wants you to sense—that He is deep into your life and cares about you.  He wants you to experience not only His presence, but also changes in your circumstances and your desires to be realized.  Let Him show you the great wonders He wants to do for you and through you because He is in you and with you!

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

                                                              Jeanne and John Alcott

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