armor is for our defense, our protection, except the sword. The sword is an offensive weapon. God places his word in our hands and in our hearts, so that we can wage battle against the enemy. When those painful thoughts come, it is the word of God that drives back the enemy. Some examples from the scriptures are the following:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7 KJV).
“So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isa 59:19 KJV).
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31 KJV).
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:37–39 KJV).
There are many other scriptures God has provided for spiritual warfare, but if we are not reading his word and hiding it in our hearts, we will not have that spiritual sword ready when the enemy attacks. Staying full of the word of God is one of the most effective ways we can overcome negative thoughts and protect our minds and our hearts from the pain, fear, and guilt of the past.
Prayer
Dear Lord, please help me to stay close to you and remain armed and ready for whatever comes my way. Help me to hide your word in my heart so that I may find comfort, peace, and strength in this powerful gift you have given me. Help me to discipline myself to know your word, so that I may draw strength from it in the moment when it is needed.
There is Beauty in Confession
Day 5
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
—Jas 5:16 KJV
If you are struggling with a particular sin in your life or even just the temptation to sin, strength and healing can be found in confession. We are often reluctant to admit to others that we are struggling with temptation or that we have failed God. We may be embarrassed or feel that others are growing more quickly in their walk. We may want to project the image that we have it all together. Whatever holds us back from confessing our shortcomings is keeping us in bondage and stunting our spiritual growth. As long as we nurture even a tiny root of that sin in our hearts, it can spring back to life. It is one of the enemy’s favorite tricks for killing our joy.
If you want to be truly set free from that thing that is harassing and oppressing you, confess those hidden sins to someone you trust and ask that person to pray with you and for you. In other words, don’t just talk about it; make it a matter of serious prayer. God placed us among other Christians so that we may draw strength and support from each other. Confession enables you to get that sin out in the open and you essentially make yourself accountable to another person, to God, and to yourself not to slip back into that habit, addiction, temptation, negative thought life, lustful nature, sense of inferiority, gossiping spirit, jealousy, or whatever it is you have just confessed.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
