It’s not enough to just read our Bible to cross it off our to-do list — we need a revelation of Jesus in the Word every day to receive Him as our daily bread which gives us strength to live in Him. 

We can’t afford to live a day without abiding in Jesus and partaking in him. Just as we need food to operate, we too need Jesus for strength to walk by the Holy Spirit and not our flesh.

We will grow weary if we try to do life without a fresh revelation of Jesus every day. 

I find that as a mom with a newborn and toddler, annoyance creeps in very quickly, causing me to be mean and not like Jesus if I don’t take time throughout the day to remain in Jesus and meditate on His word. 

We must take time throughout the day to seek Jesus in the Bible and ask Him to open up the Word to strengthen us. 

Start your day with the desire and hunger to encounter Jesus and receive Him as your daily bread. Make Matthew 6:11 your daily prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Every day you must be ready to take up your cross deny your flesh. 

The temptation to complain, be angry, lust, feel afraid, and more will arise, but we must say no to these thoughts and feelings. To be a disciple of Jesus will require you to take up your cross and deny your fleshly desires—die to what is sinful by submitting to God and following Him. 

We must deny our flesh if we want to experience the life and love of Jesus. 

Our fleshly desires is what holds us back from truly receiving Jesus. If we would choose to let go of our annoyances, pain, and other sinful thoughts and instead fix our eyes on Jesus, we will then be filled with His love, peace, and joy. 

A life of self-denial and embracing Jesus is the way to follow Jesus. This does not mean that we ignore our feelings, but rather allow our feelings to draw near to Jesus. When we bring our emotions to Jesus, He make room for Him to fills us with His love to remove all that is not of Him. 

His love alone has the power to perfect us (1 John 4:18).

Do you have thoughts and feelings that don’t belong to Jesus? What do you need to die to in this season to follow Jesus?

Jesus wants you to experience an abundant life, but you must first be willing to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.

Jesus says in Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

If you want Jesus, you first have to be willing to deny your fleshly desires, live a life of long suffering (carry your cross), and follow Jesus. We allow Holy Spirit to reign in our lives as we choose to die to ourselves. This is when we will see the fruit of the Spirit displayed in our lives: Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). 

I’m currently in the newborn season with my son who is 2 months old. Any mother knows how difficult it is to take care of a newborn.

As a mom with a newborn, you have to wake up and feed your baby even though you are tired, be available to feed your baby during times when you may not want to feed them, and constantly give of yourself with long-suffering. 

As I go through this season, I’m reminded that we as believers of Jesus too are called to be ready daily to deny our fleshly desires, carry our cross, and follow Jesus. 

There is beauty and satisfaction in following Jesus, but with it also comes the need for you to carry your cross and die to yourself. 

Will you position yourself daily to deny yourself, carry your cross, and follow Jesus?

Following Jesus will not always be easy, but it is the best decision you can ever make. Jesus is life and when we have Him, we experience an abundant life.

How would our lives look like if we were to live with the end in mind? Eternity is real and how we live today will determine our eternity to come — whether with Jesus or away from Jesus in utter darkness. 

As we start this new year, let us continue to persevere strong. Jesus promises to save those who persevere and obey His commands until the end. Hardships and troubles will come, but by the grace of God and through His Holy Spirit living in us, we can persevere and end strong in the Lord. 

Jesus says in Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

As believers of Jesus, we are promised to be kept safe from the time when God judges the world in the times of tribulation (the trumpets and bowl judgements). 

Will you set in your mind and heart every day to take up your cross, persevere, and follow Jesus?

So remember, take up your cross and persevere. 

Prayer:  Jesus, thank You for being our strength and daily bread. Help us deny our flesh, seek You each day, and walk in Your truth. In every challenge, remind us of the life and joy found in surrendering to You.

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It can be easy to ignore the condition of our heart and tolerate negative thoughts. There have been many times when I have tolerated negative thoughts like believing that I’m not beautiful or thoughts like my husband would want to be with someone else.

You would think I would instantly stop myself from believing these thoughts, but when certain thoughts become so common, it can be easy for us to tolerate them.

It’s important however that we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). We can easily resist the devil as we choose to submit to God (James 4:7). 

Check the condition of your heart by inviting the Holy Spirit in to show you if there is anything dark you have been tolerating within your mind. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Guarding your heart includes being vigilant of what you let in your heart and what is in your heart. What is in our hearts will eventually come out in our actions. 

If we want to be vigilant of the enemy’s ways, we must be vigilant over the condition of our hearts. Guarding your heart is important because anything you tolerate inside your heart will eventually come out in your actions.

It’s important to take time every day to check on your heart and guard your heart from anything that would cause you to sin.

The enemy isn’t here to just ruin our day but to destroy our souls for eternity.

1 Peter 5:8 says, “ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Every day we need to be vigilant of the enemy’s schemes by guarding our hearts against things like offense, hopelessness, anger, jealousy, lust, selfishness, and anything that isn’t of Jesus.

When we tolerate the attacks of the enemy, we are inviting him to have room to destroy our souls by leading us to sin. Resist the devil by refusing to partner with anything dark and instead let the light of Jesus shine over your heart every day.

Don’t let anything shake your faith in Jesus. Stay rooted and immovable in the faith, remembering Jesus has defeated the grave and we too will reign with Him in eternity. 

Is there anything in your heart that you have been tolerating that needs to be laid aside and renewed with God’s truth?

The most important vision we need to have every day before us is to love Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength which includes obeying His commands. Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, obey my commandments.”

The moment we stop living with the vision to love Jesus and obey His commands is when we will start to drift into the path that will lead us to perish. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” 

This world is temporary, but eternity is forever. Let’s live every day not pleasing our fleshly desires but living with the fear of God to please Him. 

How can you be vigilant over your life and love Jesus better?

Jesus isn’t an option or a preference — He is the light we ALL need. Jesus alone is the one who can fill us with light because He is the light of the world (John 8:12). The solution for every problem is found in Jesus. He is hope, truth, and the source for an abundant life on earth and for eternity. 

Jesus promises that when we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness (John 8:12). We become bound to sin because we choose to follow our flesh rather than Jesus. Galatians 5:16 reminds us to “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” 

As we choose every day to follow Jesus, we will always be filled with life and light. 

Make Psalm 139:23-24 your prayer, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” As you invite the Holy Spirit in to inspect your heart, confess anything that is not of God and renew your mind with God’s truth.

So remember, be vigilant of the devil.

Prayer: Jesus, remove anything from our hearts and lives that is distracting us from putting You first and loving you. Let us guard our hearts against the enemy and stay rooted in Jesus. 

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Many times we focus on finding the source of temptation or removing the feeling of temptation instead of fleeing from temptation. Overcoming temptation starts with fleeing from temptation.

Recently I was tormented with lustful thoughts from my past. I started asking myself, why are these thoughts coming to me? As I tried finding the source of these thoughts, it only caused me to dwell more on the thoughts. I was left entertaining temptation instead of resisting temptation. The only way to overcome temptation is to walk away from it, and instead walk in purity by setting our eyes on the one who is pure which is Jesus.

Many times we fall into temptation because we draw near to temptation. God tells us in the Bible to flee from evil desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Temptation flees as we flee from it (James 4:7). We have to be intentional to not draw near to things that will bring temptation to us. As I focused my attention on Jesus and less on the source of temptation, the lustful thoughts left.

Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” The key to not gratifying the desires of our flesh is to walk by the Spirit. We don’t need to wait for our temptations to leave in order to walk rightly before God. We just need to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and not our temptations. The Holy Spirit lives in us to warn us of things that will only lead to our turmoil and eternal death. It’s our duty to listen and run away from sin. The Holy Spirit’s job is to help us look to Jesus. As we look to Jesus and remember His love and goodness, our temptations will no longer be temptations.

Paul makes it plain that when we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. The key to not falling into temptation is to walk according to the Holy Spirit’s ways and fix our gaze towards Jesus. Will you flee from all temptations and fix your gaze on Jesus?

James 4:7 reminds us to resist the devil and he will flee. In moments of temptation, we simply need to turn our attention to Jesus and away from all that is evil. Every day we have to make the choice to clothe ourselves with the character of Jesus. Our flesh will tempt us to be impatient when we are annoyed, angry when we are hurt, or lustful when enticed, however, we have the choice to walk as Jesus walked.

2 Timothy 2:22 tells us to, “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Pursuing righteousness means fixing our eyes on Jesus and guarding our hearts against darkness. How do we guard our hearts? By guarding what we see, hear, think, say, and do.

What can you do today to fix your eyes on Jesus and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace?

Giving attention to our temptations will only draw us towards temptation. The enemy wants us to give attention to our temptations, but we have the power to resist them. As children of God, we are called to behold Jesus and Him alone, and as we turn our attention to Jesus and resist the devil, he will flee.

The things of the world may seem gratifying at first, but we will soon find that following darkness will only leave us emptier. Jesus reminds us in John 10:10 that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but He has come to give us life to the fullest. Jesus wants us to experience true joy and eternal life. He came to set us free from sin and darkness. We now must choose to walk in His ways and say no to our old ways. So remember, flee from temptation.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for giving us the power to resist the devil. Help us to fix our eyes on you and only you.

I had always justified reserving certain parts of my story to only those I felt God wanted me to share it with, but recently God revealed to me that the true reason I didn’t share my full story was that I still had shame.

I had shame because I was still seeing myself as a victim instead of victorious through Christ.

No matter how bad your past may be, know that the blood of Jesus has the power to redeem and to wash you clean. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

Jesus came to set us free from our past bondages and sins. No one can condemn us when Jesus Himself has redeemed us. Romans 8:33-34 says, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

As I was pondering over my own testimony of how Jesus set me free from darkness and a life of deceit, I was reminded of the importance to hold fast to our testimony.

Revelation 12:17 says, “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”

There are two things that the enemy hates and it is those who keep God’s commands and hold fast to their testimony. The enemy knows that those who have these two things are undefeatable.

When we remember that we have been set free from darkness and hold fast to what Jesus did for us, we will never desire to go back to our dark ways. Let us not forget what we have been set free from. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Through Christ we all have been given a crown of royalty, being claimed as His child. The enemy is after our crown, but we can overcome his attacks by the blood of Jesus and our own testimony.

There is nothing good or enticing about our past when we see it as it is. Jesus opens our eyes to see what darkness truly is and what truth is in His light. Let us continue to walk in step with the light of Jesus. What Jesus has coming for us is so glorious and too precious to let the enemy take it away from us.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.'”

In Christ, you are anointed to proclaim good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release prisoners from darkness (Isaiah 61:1). The very thing that once held you captive now has no power over you as you abide in Jesus. You now have the power to set others free from what once bound you.

Will you hold fast to your testimony and remember what Jesus did for you?

Steward the gift that Jesus has given you. Know who you are in Christ and declare it out loud. Jesus has a beautiful future ahead of you. So remember, know the power of your testimony.

Listen more about my testimony in our podcast “The Power Of Your Testimony”
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Prayer: Jesus, help me to remember what you set me free from that I may continue to walk in your light. 

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Saying no to shopping has been a hard thing for me to learn this year.

I had to stop my old shopping habits with the circumstances that my husband and I are currently at. However, with all the shopping hype that has been going on, I found myself in despair from missing out on shopping.

The truth was I couldn’t accept the fact that I wasn’t able to spend as much as I used to.

As I prepared for alone time with Jesus, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper into my heart, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.”

I was reminded of Philippians 4:12 which says, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

This verse reminded me that not only do I have to learn to accept the conditions of my life, but that I can find contentment in every situation that I am in. Just as Paul went through seasons of plenty and in lack, we too will face circumstances where we cannot always live as we used to live.

Whether we have more than enough or just enough, we can always find contentment in Jesus. Contentment is found as we focus on His love and goodness towards us.

Our no’s in life don’t have to deprive us of joy. When our joy comes from Christ alone, nothing can strip our joy away. Focus on His goodness and remember the love that He showed us on the cross. He loved us so much that He died on the cross and rose again so that we could have everlasting life with Him. His love overwhelms us to a place of satisfaction that no other can bring.

God changed my perspective and showed me that I didn’t have to shop in the first place. Instead of seeing my situation from a place missing out, I started giving thanks to God that I didn’t have to shop because I had more than enough from Him already.

As I found contentment in Christ, saying no to shopping wasn’t a big deal. Whatever struggle you may be facing, know that you can say no and still be satisfied in Christ.

Right after Paul says “I know how to be abased and I know how to abound”, he says in verse 13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Paul learned the secret to contentment which is Jesus.

When we are in Christ we are never missing out on anything. We don’t need certain titles, possessions, fame, or money to be content. Christ alone becomes enough. In Him, we have all that we need. He gives us strength when we are weary and provides all that we need.

We must focus our eyes on Jesus and not let the desires of this world pull us away from him. 1 John 2:15-16 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.“

We can easily talk ourselves into believing that we need that certain car, house, or possession by what we see around us, but we must remember that the only thing we truly need is Jesus.

All of us would be ok without shopping if Black Friday never existed. We all would be fine without fancy cars if we never saw them. Possessions last temporarily, but Jesus and His word will last forever. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

It’s ok to have possessions, but it should never be our source of joy. Nothing in this world will ever be enough. Only Jesus satisfies.

Where are you looking for contentment? Is Jesus your destination for satisfaction? 

If you are in a place where you feel tested and stretched, run to Jesus. Don’t let your place of lack pull you away from seeing God’s goodness. His goodness is what will lead us to satisfaction. It’s when we fail to recognize His goodness that will cause us to look elsewhere for satisfaction. The enemy will try to pull our focus on our circumstances and make us feel that Jesus is far, but if we choose to look for Jesus we will find Him wherever life takes us.

His presence is always with us no matter what we face. It’s not a matter of if God is with us, but if we can see Him.

Contentment is found as we center our attention to Jesus. Saying no to the things of this world can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Look to Christ in every situation and you will see His faithfulness. So remember, it’s ok to say no.

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I have struggled with many things, but anxiety seems to still find it’s a way to creep in now and then.

There would be moments when I would give in to my fears and start entertaining such thoughts. I became so afraid of my own thoughts because it would cause me to feel depressed even when I didn’t want to feel that way.

I was bound and felt like I no longer had control over my thoughts. Questions to God came like, when will these thoughts leave? 

God then gave me a dream that opened my eyes to the reality that I was already set free in Jesus. I dreamt there was a black cat that had rabies. I tried avoiding the cat but whenever I would call it out to go away or tried to close the door on it, the cat would come even closer to me. But then in one scene of my dream, I remember walking away from the cat and disregarding it, and the cat went further away from me.

Through this dream, Jesus opened my eyes and showed me that I didn’t have to struggle or fear such anxious thoughts that come and torment me. I needed to stop seeing my struggle as a battle that needed to be fought, but one that has already been foughten.

The moment I disregarded the cat, it left me. It was when I acknowledged the power of the cat that I became afraid and the cat came even closer to me. Jesus reminded me that He is in me and because He is in me every darkness has to flee.

1 John 1:5 says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” We have the choice to walk in darkness or His light. When we walk in His light, we have fellowship with Jesus and His blood purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

There is power in the name of Jesus, and we just need to believe it. Throughout scripture we see Jesus casting out demons and making people whole. That is who Jesus was and still is today.

He has given us the authority to walk victoriously over the enemy. Jesus says in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.“

We can be so afraid of the very thing that keeps us in bondage, but when we realize that we have been set free in Jesus, we have nothing to fear. Our old sin habits no longer have power over us because in Jesus we have the power to overcome anything.

We need to stop trying to change and believe that we are changed.

In Luke 13:10 we see Jesus healing a woman who has been bound by a spirit causing her to be crippled. Jesus goes to the woman and heals her and said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity” (Luke 13:12).

Just as Jesus came to set that woman free, He also came to set you free.

Jesus longs to set you free from any bondage that is holding you back from living for Him. Any limitation we have that stops us from living for Jesus is a bondage from the enemy. Whether your struggle is emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or physically, Jesus wants to make you whole.

Jesus created you to thrive and to live in freedom. It’s time for you to believe and walk in the freedom that comes when you accept Jesus as your savior. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.“

Are you facing any bondages in your life? Ask Jesus to touch you and to set you free.

When you are faced with temptation, say to yourself, “Jesus has set me free”. You will see the power of your words and faith transform you and bring your healing. Jesus says in Luke 17:19, “Your faith has made you whole.” Your faith in Jesus has the power to make you whole.

Jesus wants to set you free so that you can set others free in Him. Your testimony has the power to help others walk from darkness into the light of Christ. God has mighty plans for your life. Don’t let the enemy stop you from living your life to the fullest. So remember, live set free in Jesus.

Prayer: Jesus, I thank you that you have set me free to set others free in you. 

After overcoming one of the hardest seasons of my life, I thought things would finally get easier. I was obeying God and doing all that He’d asked me to do, but after a time of victory, I was back into battle.

Accusations were getting thrown at me and fears from my past started to creep in again.

I remember asking God, “Why is this all happening? Aren’t I in your will?”

God then spoke to me one morning and said, “Just because you are armored doesn’t mean you are safe from battle. Because you are armored, you are ready for battle.”

It was in that moment when I realized God was preparing and equipping me this whole time to learn to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy.

Being a Christian does not mean we will pass through the hardships of life. We live in a world where the enemy is still roaring like a lion, seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). But because we have Christ, we can go through battles and finish victorious.

Jesus says in John 16:33, “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The pain of this world will be real and fear will be present, but with Christ, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). 

While we have Christ in us who helps us in our weaknesses, we still have to put on the full armor of God to win the battle. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

What does the full armor of God look like? Ephesians 6:14-17 explains it:

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace… take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

We need to put on the full armor of God to come out victorious. The shield of faith is critical to block against the fears that the enemy will attack us with. We must be living in righteousness to prevent our hearts from impurity and hold on to the salvation that Jesus gave us. Lastly, we need to use the word of God to bring down any lies and temptations the enemy will throw at us.

Every aspect of the armor of God is crucial to successfully overcome the attacks of the enemy. If we are missing even one of the armors of God, we are giving room for the enemy to attack us. Imagine going into battle with everything except a sword. You may last for a while but will eventually die.

Just like any battle, we too are in an intense battle against the enemy. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” No matter what you are going through, know that Jesus is for you. He came to give you life to the fullest.

In the midst of my battles, I had to use the word of God as a sword to break down every accusation that was thrown at me. I learned that no lie of the enemy could bring me down because I was holding on to the truth of Jesus.

There is no weapon greater than the word of God. We can use the advice that the world offers, but it won’t sustain us. We will eventually wear out and grow weary. But God’s word is flawless. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

We must not entertain any thought but bring it down right away with the word of God. We are letting go of our armor in the midst of battle the moment we entertain bad thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5 reminds us to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

The enemy will throw fears in our mind that speak against the truth of God. It’s in those moments when we must make the choice to believe in God’s word over our fears. God’s word has never failed and will never fail. He has a faithful track record like no other.

We can be sure that on the other side of the battle is God’s promises for our lives. God was leading Joshua and the others to their promised land, but they had to go through impossible battles. Their first obstacle was to cross the Jordan river while it was at flood stage and the highest peak (Joshua 3:15).

Despite the impossibility, God was able to dry out the river the moment the priests who were holding the ark of God stepped into the river. All of Israel crossed the Jordan river on dry land (Joshua 3:17).

Through it all, God made one promise to Joshua that He is also promising us:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.“ Joshua 1:9

We may go through the toughest battles, but God promises to always be with us. Be bold and courageous because God is taking you through the battle into your promise land. You have a mighty God who is with you and for you. So remember, you are armored for battle.

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It can be easy to underestimate the consequences of sin, and there have been times in my life when I thought that I could justify my actions despite what the Bible says. I thought that I could still please God as long I acknowledge him, loved him, and served him. But I have found that there is only 1 fact that we should all know about sin:

Sin separates us from God.

No matter how big or small your sin is, it all separates you from the grace and blessings of God. When Eve sinned through eating the fruit from the Tree of Life that God had forbid her from eating, God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. They were separated from God, and if we continue to keep sin in our lives, just like Adam and Eve, we will be separated from God in our lives.

Sin does not take away God’s love for us, but it does put us outside of the blessings that God had originally planned for us. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your inequities have separated you from you God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

Like Eve, if we take a taste of the “forbidden fruit” in our lives, we will find God’s consequences soon enough. Sin always seems good and harmless – like the forbidden fruit that Eve was tempted to eat. Genesis 3:6 says Eve saw the fruit as “good for food and pleasing to the eye.” Sin will never seem bad to us; it will always be desiring and bring a benefit for us – but only a temporary one.

You may think that sinning once, or just having a taste of sin is no harm, but looking to what happened to Eve, just one bite of the forbidden fruit brought curse to all generations to come. There will always be a consequence to sin, and it will definitely be greater than the instant gratification it brings. Ask yourself this: What good will a taste of sin have in your life? Why would you even want a taste of sin that God warns us to stay away from? What good would sin really bring to your life?

Don’t let a taste of sin get in the way of God’s blessing for you.

We are all still dealing with the same Satan that tempted Eve. Don’t fall for the doubts and lies that he will plant in your mind. We all face temptation the same way like Eve. It all starts from doubting God’s law, and then justifying that sin is no longer sin nor harmful to us. Many of us face sin saying to ourselves, “What can possibly be bad from doing this?”

Satan is good at telling you the benefits of sin, but he certainly will not tell you the consequences of it. He told Eve that the benefit of eating the fruit would bring her wisdom and make her like God. He was right, but he surely did not tell her that sin would separate Adam and her from God.

Satan knows that sin separates us from God, and he will do everything he can to deceive us into compensating for sin. Don’t use your own reasoning to justify if you should sin or not. Trust that God loves you and that he knows what is best for you.

John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Only God’s way will bring you life to the fullest. God wants to be one with you and he has planned blessings and a prosperous future for you. So remember, don’t try a taste of sin.

So how do we gain the power of God in our lives? It requires 3 things:

1) Prayer

2) Living Word (Bible)

3) Claim and Believe

Maybe you have done all these things and have seen nothing happen in your life, but have you tried doing all these 3 things together? You need to do all 3 things together to experience God’s power in your life. You need to pray, speak the living word of God against the problems you face, and claim and believe that God will give you the power to overcome anything. You will gain nothing from just praying but not having any faith to back it up. At the same time, there is no power in claiming and believing in empty promises.

Romans 16:20 says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” You have the power to cast Satan away. It is through God, but by you that you can defeat satan.

The verse does not say will crush Satan under God’s feet, it says under “your” feet. God wants you to realize that you have the power to conquer Satan. It’s not enough to be scared and helpless and wait for God to defeat Satan. God can defeat Satan anytime, but he needs you to step up in faith and fight Satan yourself with God’s power.

Don’t let the lies of Satan make you believe that your job is to give helpless prayers to God. You are not weak because you have an almighty God as your source of power and strength. Don’t fight Satan with a hopeless prayer, fight him with a powerful prayer that is fueled with faith.

God has also given you the Bible as another source to fight your problems. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active.” This Bible isn’t just any regular history book, it is a book that is alive to help you, and active to fight for you. Claim the living word of God and you will see it start to act upon your life.

Satan cannot stop God’s power, but he can stop your faith in God’s power. Do not lose hope in God’s ability to save you in any situation you face. Satan will try to bring doubts into your heart because he knows that it is your faith that fuels the power of God.

Jesus said it himself in Mark 11:24, “..whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Never doubt the ability of your faith, because that is a key factor in receiving the power of God in your life. Claim and believe in the living word of God and in your prayers and you will start to see God’s peace resting in your problems. Let God fill you up with his ever interceding power. So remember, you do have the power.

We need to realize that everyday in our lives we are constantly facing a battlefield. Satan is constantly trying to steal, kill, and destroy us. He lives to distract us from obeying and having a growing relationship with Jesus. It can be easy for us to forget that the things we struggle with daily are beyond our fleshly desires. Behind the desires and temptations you face is Satan the evil one who is waiting to devour you. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

We need to stand firm in Christ and use his full armor to win against satan. Going against satan is like preparing to go to war. You can’t go to war and expect to win without preparation and armors or weapons. You need to spend time practicing and strengthening yourself. This goes the same when we face our battlefield with satan. We need to face our daily life with God’s word and power. This is why it is important to spend our daily life consuming God’s word to help strengthen us whenever we face temptations and problems. Ephesians 6:13-16 says, “Therefore put on the full amour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one.” We need faith, trust, and the truth of the word of God to overcome satan. Do not try to rely on anything in this world to overcome your temptations and problems because only God is the solution.