Standing Firm

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. [1 Corinthians 16:13]

Biblical TeachingsPodcast EpisodeYou Are Who God Says You Are

Three Powerful Things to Do When Biscuits Are Flying

Cathy

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]

QUOTE: As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. (John F. Kennedy)

NOTE: more details are in the podcast – this is only an outline

There are THREE POWERFUL BIBLICAL STRATEGIES that we can use DAILY to help us maintain our Stellar Thinking and believe that We Are Who God Says We Are.

These POWERFUL THREE come from our main weekly Scripture mentioned above:

  1. Rejoice always – always be joyful
  2. Pray continually – never stop praying
  3. Give thanks in all circumstances – be thankful in all circumstances

I know I get it this seems like an impossible request, and in the flesh it is!!  But remember girlfriend, we can’t do anything in the spirit without the help of the Holy Spirit. We CAN NOT do this on our own. I know, been there and tried, and it doesn’t work, so hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes!!

REJOICE ALWAYS: I have to say that rejoice always used to bug me; really Lord, you want me to rejoice when my heart is breaking? You want me to rejoice when I’ve lost my dearest friend, when I lost my Angel doggie, and even when I’ve lost everything I worked for? Seriously??? How in the world was I supposed to do that? What does that really mean?

“To rejoice” in this context doesn’t mean you are jumping up and down with excitement. “Joy” doesn’t even mean you are walking around with a plastered-on smile and pretending all is well. Being joyful stems from our relationship with the Lord and is not something that we can create from our own efforts. In fact, it is impossible. This is yet another gift that God gives us through the Holy Spirit’s power.

Joy is an unexplainable state of knowing that we can stand on His Word regardless of what is going on. We can hold onto what His promises are, He will never leave us alone, and we can stand on how much He loves us. NOT on our circumstances or what our emotions are telling us. Joy is standing on HIS WORD.

PRAY CONTINUALLY: When you hear pray continually you may get a visual of a monk who is in solitude for several hours a day. When really, it’s simply talking with God all day long about everything. It also means, to stop talking and to listen for a response for the things that you are praying about.

I don’t know about you, but I literally do pray all day long. Asking God for guidance and direction even in the things that may seem really simplistic. From when I should get up, to what I eat, and what I will be doing in the next five minutes. It’s an ongoing dialogue continually talking with God about every single thing all day long. I found that talking and listening to God all day long keeps me out of trouble!!

I do have my Holy Appointment, which is first thing in the morning of the scheduled time with the Lord. I’ll pray, write in my journal, do a Bible study or just be silent and listen. Then throughout the day I’m constantly praying about things and listening to how I should respond. Lord, help me be patient with the car in front of me; thank you that I have a vehicle that is safe and warm to drive; thank you for the ability to drive …. you get the picture. Then, of course, whenever I am outside hiking it becomes another focused Holy Appointment!!! If Jesus needed time to pray continually with his Father, how much more so do we need to? [Matthew 14:23]. Jesus’s ministry was based on his prayer time.

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES: this is another one that might cause us to stumble, but there is more to it than it sounds. Giving thanks in all circumstances does not mean that you are thankful that someone has died, or someone is sick, or that you lost your job. Being thankful in all circumstances means that we can thank God for the great love He has for us and that he has given us the ability to be in a relationship with Him.

We can give thanks because we can stay connected to Him through our continuous prayer. We can also be thankful because, without a doubt whatever the outcome is, He promises He will help us through it victoriously. We can be thankful for our present circumstances because they are but a temporary affliction. We can be thankful knowing that He has given us authority over all evil and our thoughts when all biscuits are flying.

Now, this one is a tough one I know, but hang in here with me. Jesus showed us what it means to give thanks in all circumstances during his last supper with his disciples. Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me”. [1 Corinthians 11:23]. He DID NOT give thanks based on his present circumstances. Jesus was about to endure the cross, the worst possible thing that could ever happen to any human being. He was thankful because giving thanks releases the power of God and would give Him the ability to carry out His assignment.

In other words, girlfriends, all our troubles here on earth, as heartbreaking as they can be, are temporary and we certainly can give thanks for that. Our situations also pale to the sacrifice of Christ. So, to give thanks in all circumstances releases the power of God within us to come out on top.

Since I’m being open and honest (and sometimes raw), I have to admit that being thankful in all circumstances ruffles my feathers a bit. Sometimes, I allow my emotions or circumstances to guide me vs the promises of God.

Therefore, there are moments when I have a hard time wrapping my pea-sized human brain around being thankful in all circumstances because I’m living from the flesh and not in the spirit.

POWERFUL THREE: The best thing we can do is tap into the Holy Spirit’s power within us so that we can embrace what God’s Word says and the POWERFUL THREE regardless of what our emotions or situations are telling us.

WHEN ALL THE BISCUITS ARE FLYING, WITH HOLY SPIRIT POWER LET’S ALWAYS BE JOYFUL, NEVER STOP PRAYING, AND BE THANKFUL IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES =======================================

DAILY ACTION STEP
Say to yourself out loud
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM

========================================

Take out your journal and write down your thoughts, takeaways, and progress!

TAKEAWAY GEMS

  • Always Be Joyful
  • Never Stop Praying
  • Be Thankful In All Circumstances
  • Be still and know who God is.
  • Know that God sees more than we do in all circumstances.
  • God is with us in ALL circumstances; flying biscuits or peaceful moments, He is present.

QUESTIONS TO “THINK ON”

  1. How would your life be different if you could always apply these three strategies?
  2. Of the three strategies, which one do you find the hardest to do and why? Which one is your favorite and why?
  3. What is ONE thing you can do today to start living a life of these three principles?

ACTION STEP: THANKSGIVING DAY: This is an activity that I find very rewarding. Get a large basket and start filling it each day. Fill it with a single piece of paper with ONE thing you are grateful for. There is no limit to how many thankful notes you write. Just write them and throw them in the basket. Then on Thanksgiving Day dump all these blessings out and read through them. This is a visual activity that is a great reminder of ALL the amazing gifts that God gives us on a daily basis.

DAILY SCRIPTURES

DAY 1: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. [1 Chronicles 16:34]

DAY 2: Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]

DAY 3: 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! [2 Corinthians 4:17]

DAY 4: And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. [Colossians 2:6-7]

DAY 5: And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. [Colossians 3:17] 

DAY 6: But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. [Psalm 5:11]

DAY 7: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. [Psalm 9:1]

× Text Me Today!