Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.
To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
Dear Papa,
You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! No one is above You. No one can match or come near Your power and Your holiness.
Thank you that I am Your Beloved Daughter, so precious to You and always welcomed with open arms and open door to the Throne Room. You see me coming and say "open the doors, my daughter is here!" I never have to wait outside. I never have to tell anyone who I am; they know.
When I realize who I am, I see this problem, this situation differently. My first realization is I am not alone in this and I never will be. Your Holy Spirit has taken up residency in me. I also have the Creator of Heaven and Earth as my Papa. He can do ANYTHING and He loves me as His precious daughter so He will do EVERYTHING for me. You love to spoil me, You call it favor;bias. You tell me "if I am for you, who can be against you?" Best Daddy ever! Because You love me, You give me a place of honor. You exalt me. You put me over this problem, this situation I am facing. I may not see it right away. I may not feel it right away but as I remain in faith of who You are for me and who I am in You, You will allow me to see, know and feel that place of honor You have given me.
It is so much easier to trust You with this situation when I know how much You value and love me. I know big or small problem does not matter to You. If it matters to me, it matters to You. That's it! You are my Papa and You created me so special, exactly how You wanted me to be. Every little detail about who I am...my personality, my looks, my giftings You thought of and put together. You always intended for me to represent You and bring You glory. You are proud of your creation and You are proud of me! :)
I give you these concerns, this thing that has me worried. I place this problem in Your loving hands and say "please help me with this, Papa." I choose not to worry anymore but to trust and depend on You. I love that You care about this and You care about me.
You are always watching me. You never sleep. Your presence is constant and I love that so much. Help me to always be aware of Your presence.
In Jesus Mighty Name,
Your Beloved Daughter
V8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times
This is a command, not a suggestion. To be well balanced, temperate and sober of mind we need to be fixed on Jesus and what he accomplished on the cross for us.
We are all called to be leaders and examples of Jesus in the Kingdom. The first person we are to lead is ourselves. A good leader is not stuck on their emotions, they have a goal and a focus and are so fixed on both. Our goal and focus is Jesus. We have been given ALL things for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
We are empowered in this situation. The only power the enemy has is the power we give him. His first course of action is to get us off track by lies (thoughts...speculations - what ifs) and negative emotions (our feelings).
There is a place above that and it is the TRUTH. Jesus is the TRUTH.
***Being well balanced, temperate, sober of mind, vigilant and cautious is a Holy Spirit lifestyle not a one time event only when we feel we are being attacked***
This is our inheritance as a Daughter of the Most High God. We are made for this lifestyle of overcoming. This confidence only comes through intimacy with our Father.
V8 also says that the enemy is looking for someone to devour and it is not going to be us!
When we stand in our God given position as a Daughter Of The King, walking in our inheritance that Jesus purchased for us on the cross...we CANNOT be devoured!!!
V9 says to withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset-rooted, established, strong, immovable and determined]
To withstand him, we must be firm in our faith, our identity, know who God is for us in this situation or just in general. To be firm in faith is to trust in and depend on the promises He has given us in His Word.
It will always go back to: "I feel like this... but this is the TRUTH..." We must choose the truth of that promise and stand! Keep standing no matter how long. If we are made to overcome it really doesn't matter how long. As Graham Cooke says often in his books/CDs "We always fight from victory NOT towards it" because of Jesus and the victory He secured for us at the cross and through His resurrection.
***WE HAVE EVERYTHING OUR FATHER HAS***
His blood, His DNA, His gifts, His power, His love, His healing, ALL the Fruit of the Spirit, His mind, His compassion, His strength, His generosity, His faith, His wisdom, His discernment, His encouragement, His joy...His constant SMILE :) over us! ...EVERYTHING
What evil can work against that?
Giving someone a message is good, being that message is POWERFUL! ...not only against the evil one but for others to see Jesus tangibly in us. We are the living embodiment of Him. We represent Jesus! He chose us for that!
I heard these words very clearly...
"I will provide a way out or a way through ~Papa"
There is an upgrade attached to every trial we face. Trials are meant for us to climb up to see from God's perspective. The enemy wants us to climb down with him where fear, worry, anxiety and self-pity hang out. They saved a spot for us on the couch in the basement.
We are NOT going down! We are headed up to the penthouse for that view that our Father has. WE ARE GOING UP!
Some trials or problems are taken care of in a matter of hours, days or weeks. Others seem like an eternity...remember YOUR promise
...A way out or a way through
It will be one of the two. It is going to be okay either way. We have promises for the short struggle or the long ones. The cool thing is we are never alone, not for one minute or one second. He is holding your hand, kissing your forehead, carrying you if you need it for a time, hugging you constantly and clearing any obstacle in your path.
***The one who conquered death is your constant companion. He's got this and He's got you!*** :)
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.
To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
Dear Papa,
You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! No one is above You. No one can match or come near Your power and Your holiness.
Thank you that I am Your Beloved Daughter, so precious to You and always welcomed with open arms and open door to the Throne Room. You see me coming and say "open the doors, my daughter is here!" I never have to wait outside. I never have to tell anyone who I am; they know.
When I realize who I am, I see this problem, this situation differently. My first realization is I am not alone in this and I never will be. Your Holy Spirit has taken up residency in me. I also have the Creator of Heaven and Earth as my Papa. He can do ANYTHING and He loves me as His precious daughter so He will do EVERYTHING for me. You love to spoil me, You call it favor;bias. You tell me "if I am for you, who can be against you?" Best Daddy ever! Because You love me, You give me a place of honor. You exalt me. You put me over this problem, this situation I am facing. I may not see it right away. I may not feel it right away but as I remain in faith of who You are for me and who I am in You, You will allow me to see, know and feel that place of honor You have given me.
It is so much easier to trust You with this situation when I know how much You value and love me. I know big or small problem does not matter to You. If it matters to me, it matters to You. That's it! You are my Papa and You created me so special, exactly how You wanted me to be. Every little detail about who I am...my personality, my looks, my giftings You thought of and put together. You always intended for me to represent You and bring You glory. You are proud of your creation and You are proud of me! :)
I give you these concerns, this thing that has me worried. I place this problem in Your loving hands and say "please help me with this, Papa." I choose not to worry anymore but to trust and depend on You. I love that You care about this and You care about me.
You are always watching me. You never sleep. Your presence is constant and I love that so much. Help me to always be aware of Your presence.
In Jesus Mighty Name,
Your Beloved Daughter
V8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times
This is a command, not a suggestion. To be well balanced, temperate and sober of mind we need to be fixed on Jesus and what he accomplished on the cross for us.
We are all called to be leaders and examples of Jesus in the Kingdom. The first person we are to lead is ourselves. A good leader is not stuck on their emotions, they have a goal and a focus and are so fixed on both. Our goal and focus is Jesus. We have been given ALL things for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
We are empowered in this situation. The only power the enemy has is the power we give him. His first course of action is to get us off track by lies (thoughts...speculations - what ifs) and negative emotions (our feelings).
There is a place above that and it is the TRUTH. Jesus is the TRUTH.
***Being well balanced, temperate, sober of mind, vigilant and cautious is a Holy Spirit lifestyle not a one time event only when we feel we are being attacked***
This is our inheritance as a Daughter of the Most High God. We are made for this lifestyle of overcoming. This confidence only comes through intimacy with our Father.
V8 also says that the enemy is looking for someone to devour and it is not going to be us!
When we stand in our God given position as a Daughter Of The King, walking in our inheritance that Jesus purchased for us on the cross...we CANNOT be devoured!!!
V9 says to withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset-rooted, established, strong, immovable and determined]
To withstand him, we must be firm in our faith, our identity, know who God is for us in this situation or just in general. To be firm in faith is to trust in and depend on the promises He has given us in His Word.
It will always go back to: "I feel like this... but this is the TRUTH..." We must choose the truth of that promise and stand! Keep standing no matter how long. If we are made to overcome it really doesn't matter how long. As Graham Cooke says often in his books/CDs "We always fight from victory NOT towards it" because of Jesus and the victory He secured for us at the cross and through His resurrection.
***WE HAVE EVERYTHING OUR FATHER HAS***
His blood, His DNA, His gifts, His power, His love, His healing, ALL the Fruit of the Spirit, His mind, His compassion, His strength, His generosity, His faith, His wisdom, His discernment, His encouragement, His joy...His constant SMILE :) over us! ...EVERYTHING
What evil can work against that?
Giving someone a message is good, being that message is POWERFUL! ...not only against the evil one but for others to see Jesus tangibly in us. We are the living embodiment of Him. We represent Jesus! He chose us for that!
I heard these words very clearly...
"I will provide a way out or a way through ~Papa"
There is an upgrade attached to every trial we face. Trials are meant for us to climb up to see from God's perspective. The enemy wants us to climb down with him where fear, worry, anxiety and self-pity hang out. They saved a spot for us on the couch in the basement.
We are NOT going down! We are headed up to the penthouse for that view that our Father has. WE ARE GOING UP!
Some trials or problems are taken care of in a matter of hours, days or weeks. Others seem like an eternity...remember YOUR promise
...A way out or a way through
It will be one of the two. It is going to be okay either way. We have promises for the short struggle or the long ones. The cool thing is we are never alone, not for one minute or one second. He is holding your hand, kissing your forehead, carrying you if you need it for a time, hugging you constantly and clearing any obstacle in your path.
***The one who conquered death is your constant companion. He's got this and He's got you!*** :)