How to respond in difficult times…

 

“So Potiphar arrested Joseph and put him into prison. This prison was where the king’s

prisoners were put. And Joseph stayed there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph

and showed him kindness. The Lord caused the prison warden to like Joseph.”

Genesis 39:20, 21

 

Joseph was having a really tough time in Egypt. Firstly he was sold into slavery by his brothers,

then he was falsely accused by his master’s wife which put him into prison. It’s important to

note and understand that the hardships he was facing did not limit God’s power in his life.

God didn’t stop moving in Joseph’s life because he was in a bad place. In slavery God was working,

in prison, being falsely accused, God was at work in his life.

 

No matter how bad things are in your life God is still working. The difficult things around

you don’t limit Him one single bit. He is not looking at what’s happening around you to move.

He is looking at your faith. Will you still look to Him when things are difficult?

Will you allow what’s happening around you to determine how big you dream? Are you going to

wait for circumstances to get better before you move in faith or will you start trusting Him where

you are right now??

 

I am fully convinced God is moving in your life even when the world around you is falling apart.

Don’t let the bad things that are happening around you determine how must live.

Put your trust in God and move with Him.

 

Bless you, friends…

 

Rolain

 

Pray for someone……

“And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week].

And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. 

So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him  was persistently made to God by the church (assembly). Acts 12:3-19

This year I made a decision to change the way I pray! I can’t pray the same way I prayed in 2014. There must be a change! So I started praying for others more frequently. I decided to take it seriously. I always knew it was the right thing to do but this year I got more serious about it. And then I came across the scripture above! Let me show you how it challenged me:

Peter was in deep trouble. Herod had arrested him and was planning to kill him to please the Jews! But the bible tells us,

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:5

When I read this I realized something, our prayers have power, whether we are praying into situations we are facing in our own lives or whether we pray for people, our prayers have power.

The church prayed and Peter was delivered out of prison! He was rescued out of Herod’s hands! But get this, the church didn’t understand the power of prayer because when Peter came to their door they didn’t believe Rhoda! It can’t be so with us. We must pray with the understanding that our prayers are powerful and God answers prayer. I want to encourage you to pray for someone. Your prayer is important. It will make a difference in that person’s life.

The enemy doesn’t want us praying for each other.

Think about that! He too knows the power of prayer and he will do all he can to keep us from praying for each other. I will not stand for it, will you? Your prayer has the power to change someone else’s life!

Declare with me,

When I pray things happen.

My prayers have power.

When I pray chains are broken.

When I pray angels respond.

 

One last thing I want to share with you is this:

 

 

Peter was in the most hopeless of situations.

He was guarded by four squads of soldiers of four soldiers each.

He had two soldiers in his cell!

He was bound with two chains in his cell!

There were soldiers outside his cell!

 

If that is not a hopeless situation I don’t know what is. But it is through prayer Peter was set free! No matter how hopeless it seemed he was set free because of prayer! And that for me shows me the power of prayer. Don’t despise the power of prayer! When you pray for yourself or are praying for someone else, know your prayer has power!  God is so good……Amen!

Rolain

 

 

Is Your Life Balanced?

There needs to be a balance in our lives. A lot of Christians like to get stuck in one truth and that’s all they ever see. Some of us get stuck in prosperity or giving, or faith forgetting the other important things that make up Christianity. We need to strike a balance in our walk. It is not one or the other thing but it is all those things that make us successful.

 At bible school the lecturer made a very interesting observation. He said a lot of Christians pray and pray but don’t praise. He then told a true story about a traveling pastor who was sick. Every where this pastor went he asked people to pray for him but nothing changed. His sickness remained. One day the pastor went before God and asked Him why he was still sick despite the countless prayers being offered for him. God showed him a vision of measuring scales. On one scale was praise and the other was prayer. The scale which was prayer was filled and it far outweighed praise. God then told him that the reason nothing was happening was because there was no praise in his life. The man began praising God everyday and within no time he was healed of his sickness completely!!! That is the power of prayer and praise. The two go hand in hand.

Let me show you this principle in action in scripture. In Acts 16:23-36 we read about Paul and Silas.

In verse 25 up to 26 it reads, “but about the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were making prayers and songs to God in the hearing of the prisoners;
And suddenly there was an earth-shock, so that the base of the prison was moved; and all the doors came open, and everyone’s chains came off.
Notice, they prayed first but only as they praised God did the deliverance come through. A lot of the time we have prayed and prayed but with no answer while God was waiting for us to praise Him! There is power in prayer, no doubt but there is also power in thanksgiving and praise.

For another example we are going to look at 2 Chronicles 20. In verse 2 we read how Jehoshaphat got some disturbing news about a great army coming towards him. In his fear, he prayed to God for help. But notice that he didn’t get his deliverance then. The Lord answered his prayer but he didn’t get his manifestation then.  The manifestation only came when he praised God! The enemy still advanced after he prayed but it is only when he praised that the deliverance came.

It is the same with us. We should pray, we NEED to pray but it should be coupled with praise! Is your life balanced? Is your scale balanced? This is for all of us. I know that my scale is not balanced. My praise and thanksgiving is very low but I want it to increase!

Praise is acting like we have the answer – David Divelbiss

I have been so challenged by this word, I hope you have too. Let us practice praying and praising. Our praise is an act of faith towards God. It is our praise to God that releases our faith! Prayer is powerful, praise is powerful but together you become unstoppable!

God bless

Rolain