By Keiko Chibana-Shinn | Rediscovering Prayer
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Heb. 12:28-29
Our faith lives through the finished work of Christ and enters into the heart and spirit of every believer. We are no longer our own, we are God’s possession whose will is working in us to love life and others well. Dormancy and slumber have no place in our faith, for Jesus died for us that we might run the race set before us with endurance. We cannot sustain our faith only Jesus can carry us through the valleys and hills. Take comfort in the truth of God’s Word daily to release your fears and burdens to the One who has the authority to fight your battles for you.
Every encounter with Jesus brings us to a greater awareness of the magnitude of His love. The love of the Father is our gift to be unveiled each and every day as we spend time discovering His heart for mankind. Jesus gives His best, He does not give as the world gives. The Lord’s kingdom is in our midst and all we need is to reach hold of it and take it in as our own. In His Kingdom there is peace, joy, and righteousness through His Spirit. It’s in the place of intimacy, in prayer, and in intercession, we discover who we are and what we are capable of accomplishing through our identity and calling. To worship Jesus with our lives, in reverence and awe, activates His kingdom purposes in our lives.
Jesus has blessed your hands in advance and has prepared a level path for your feet to tread so you would not stumble into the hands of the evil one. His heart is to orient you to do good work by His Spirit so that with authority, you may tell your whole world that Jesus lives, that He is real, and that the wonder-working power of reconciliation comes from His might and not by man’s strength.
Jesus is the owner of your heart, mind, and spirit. Surrender your identity to Him and align your spirit to His. May we respond to the righteousness of Christ that brings us peace and calls us toward fruitful living by His strength. We are sealed with His Spirit and with the promise that our faith in Christ can and will overcome in this life, in your family’s life, in your health, in your finances, and at the end of every obstacle meant to train you up to rest in His finished work. Our faith is real because our rebirth is real.
Jesus said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:5-6
Our faith is living and active because the Spirit of Jesus has taken residency in the heart of every believer. Our faith is born of the Spirit, not by our own doing or choosing. Yet, the Body of Christ can be found wavering and staggering to walk steadily in the fullness of God’s deliverance from sin. Everything that has breath has been created to praise Jesus. However, our brokenness left unattended leads us astray. We are constantly distracted, in fear, and overly concerned about what people think of us rather than living confidently in who we are as beloved children of God. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life blinds us from seeing our great need for Jesus to fully intervene in our daily affairs.
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea…” Is. 48: 17-18
To all who have eyes to see and ears to hear, God is more than willing to unearth in us the miraculous. We are the children of the most High God but we have submitted to the lies of the evil for far too long. It’s time to break up the unplowed ground in our hearts to remove every root of deception, bitterness, and confusion from our hearts. For Jesus has called us to prosper in every way and to be in good health as our souls are nourished in the things of God. Jesus has dedicated His life to see us succeed through the eternal flow of strength given by His Spirit. Even in our failings, there is resurrection power working to raise us up into new discoveries of the goodness of God in the midst of our trials. God is calling us to a deeper awakening of our faith. Your faith speaks of a reality that releases peace and a supernatural love that moves you to action to bring a shift against the troubles you face.
Let us remain in the presence of God. Let Jesus shake off everything that entangles your belief in who He says He is in your life. Our Father protects us in the shadow of His hand, He arms us and equips us to disarm the work of the evil one so when the shaking comes, you will withstand the test of time. It’s His desire not to harm you but to empower you in every role of your life. We are called blessed as His children- as mothers and daughters, as fathers and brothers, and as the builders of His Kingdom.
Our Lord sharpens us to become polished arrows in His quiver so that at the right time, we may display His splendor by declaring God is for us and never against us. With an active faith, let us demonstrate that whether in the fire or flood, the Kingdom of God is in our midst. The power of Jesus Christ is here to break chains of injustice, to set captives free, and to heal the brokenhearted. You are a living weapon against the schemes of the evil one. You are the arrow in His quiver. Live out your worship, unleash your faith in the finished work of Jesus today!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender to you afresh and anew today. Remind me of your great love for me. Have your way in me that I may worship you in spirit and in truth. I ask for the fire of God consume everything that tries to shake my faith. I shake off everything that takes your place: Fear, anxiety, pride, and shame be burned away. I receive your Holy Spirit. Fill me now Lord, to overflowing with your peace and your righteousness. I want to live for you and see the manifestation of your Kingdom purposes in my life and in the lives of your people. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear what you’re saying so I may expose the lies and live in your truth for I am blessed and highly favored by my Lord and Savior. Glorify yourself through me that I may worship you in spirit and truth so that the world around me may place their full trust in the One who is mighty to save.