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God Has A Plan for You

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God Has A Plan for You

Embracing and walking in God’s plan

God Has a Plan for You

How do we know that God has a plan for you

We have all heard it said that, “God has a plan for you.” This is true. There are no coincidences. God is sovereign in everything. The bible tells us that he is omniscient. All knowing! There is not a thing that happens on the earth or in heaven without his knowledge. What does this mean for you and I as believers. I have plans for my life, as I am sure you do too. There is a statement that I have heard said, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans for tomorrow.” This also rings true with scripture. 

God Has A Plan for You 1

Proverbs 19:21 New King James Version (NKJV)

21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Let us explore the plans that the Lord has for you and I. We will divide this topic into sub-topics, to make it as easy to follow as possible. Whenever you find yourself struggling to articulate the meaning of your life, this is always the right place to start. Our creator was gracious to give us a manual for life, in the form of the bible. It is reasonable to say that a chunk of cases of depression are a result of people losing sight of meaningful things in their lives.

People wandering aimlessly on this planet, seeking some form of meaning. Our own plans can only take us so far. Beyond that point it is out of our control. This is what accounts for some of the things that we simply cannot explain about life. There are things that no matter how much thought we put into them, we could not come up with a reason for why they are the way that they are. 

For this reason, even prayer ought to line up with the will of God. When we are praying outside of his will, we are asking him to be who he is not. Praying his word is praying his will. You are asking God to honour his word. We know that he watches over his word to perform it. Instead of telling God our plans, we ought to be asking what his plans are for us.

Before I formed you

Jeremiah 1:5 New King James Version (NKJV)

5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified[a] you;
I [b]ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Even outside of your mother and father’s plans, God knew you before you would ever grace your mother’s womb. You were sanctified, and filled with purpose. This is what the late Dr Myles Munroe called seed. The seed of everything is in itself, is what he said. Meaning that everything you would ever do, or become is in you. The challenge is to birth it out. This of course will be tied down to the environment in which you choose to nurture this seed. God has a plan for you. It is encoded in your spirit. 

God Has A Plan for You 2

I know

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Another version says, I know the plans! God knows the plans that he has for you. These are plans for your goodness, that you would not see harm. Rather, for you to have a bright future, one filled with hope. With everything that is going on in our world today, hope is one thing that we so desperately need to keep a hold of. Hope is that fuel to keep going forward when nothing else makes sense. There is peace in knowing that God has a plan for you. If you would walk in that plan, the ending of this story will always be good!

Rejoices in giving good gifts

Matthew 7:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Unless you are a psychopath, you care for your loved one. Any normal parent will take care of their children. Let me rephrase that. Any good parent will take care of their children. They will give good gifts and do things in the best interest of their children. We are not talking about angels here. These are just regular humans. What more of our Heavenly Father? Just as our earthly parents have plans for us, plans for the very best things for us. Our God has a plan for you.

If we, with all our wickedness and imperfections give good gifts, I don’t know about you, but I long for gifts that come from above. 

Staying Within God’s plan for you

The most common way that we fall out of God plan is by superimposing ours on his. It is human nature to want to be in control of everything. We are taught to “handle our business” from a tender age. That desire to independent drives most of the things that we do as we grow older. So, what can we do to walk in God’s plan?

Here are some tips:

  1. Trust in God wholeheartedly
  2. Seek him first 
  3. Walk in the steps that he orders
  4. Submit to God
  5. Watch and pray

Trust in God wholeheartedly

Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 26:4 reminds us of God’s everlasting and infinite power. There is no end to the depth of his power. Nothing is too hard for him. No issue that you face will be too difficult for him to carry for you. Our part in all of this is in trusting him. Faith moves God. We understand that it is by faith that Abraham was set apart by the Lord. The bible tells us that it was credited to him as righteousness!

Nahum 1:7The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.

A stronghold is something that does not fall easily. Strongholds for better or worse are stable structures. This ties into the scripture that tells us that our God is indeed a strong tower, one in which we are made safe when we run into. Just as his sheep know his name, he knows those who trust in him. I want to be known by the Lord in all my walk. For his eyes to lead me wherever I go.

Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [a]direct your paths.

Trusting in God should be done in that God hard or go home format. When you trust him, you should do so wholehearted and wholly. Giving him every bit of your life, and not just some parts. We often compartmentalise what we share with our loved ones. Yet, it is futile to hold anything back from a God that is omnipresent as he is omniscient. Acknowledging God in all your ways entails taking his will into account for all decisions that you are to make. We know that in doing this, our paths are directed by him.

Seek him first 

Matthew 6:33 New King James Version (NKJV)

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

We live in a materialistic world. It is normal to desire beautiful things. At the heart of everything that we are and that we could ever do should always be the mantra, to seek him first. Our lives would be transformed if we committed to never doing anything without consulting the Lord. That is to seek him first, before anyone or anything else.

Seeking first the kingdom of God means that you put his will before your own desires. That is not an easy thing in the times that we live in. Yet we know that obedience is greater than sacrifice. The Lord is not after our offering, he does not desires us to make sacrifices, at the expense of being obedient. Where sacrifice takes the place of obedience sin becomes common place. Those who have more to sacrifice begin to live anyhow, knowing that they can atone through their giving.

This is a dangerous place, as we see in our churches today. Unlike God who is not a respecter of persons, our leaders are prone to showing preference to those who have more and can give me. Seeking first the kingdom will mean that we would have to forfeit some of the things that we desire. Knowing that there is a time for everything. We trust in his time.

Walk in the steps that he orders

Psalm 37:23 New King James Version (NKJV)
23 The steps of a good man are [a]ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.

We often take for granted that once God orders our footsteps, we automatically walk in these footsteps. God is faithful, so he will certainly do his part and order our footsteps. Us, on the other hand :(. The footsteps that God orders may not make sense to us. We don’t have the whole picture, so may not understand what he is doing, how or why he is doing something. A great example of this is when Jesus approached the fishermen who had laboured all night and not made a catch. He tells them where to cast. These are professionals being advised by a novice.

They had toiled! These men had done everything within their strength, and the depth of their vast knowledge. Yet none of this had produced a result. They could have easily shrugged off advice from a non-professional. Yet, by only by obedience do they get their reward. Had they turned away, their nets would have come to shore empty. We know that by following what God asked of them, they had an abundant catch! I want to live in the abundance of Christ, in the same way that I desire this for you.

Luke 5:5 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

Walking in the footsteps that God orders will often mean walking by faith and not by sight. Saying, I do not understand what or why God is doing something, but I will follow him regardless! This may mean doing something in the face of criticism from all who see you doing it. It may mean going against what seems to be wise. Yet we know that his ways are above ours.

Submit to God

Proverbs 16:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 Commit[a] your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.

Submission comes in various forms. Submitting to God is saying, “Let your will be done.” We are promised that when we do this, our thoughts and ways are established. Whatever you start with the Lord, he is faithful to see it to the end. He is a God of completion.

Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

This should be every believer’s desire. The coming of the kingdom of God must be close to our hearts. God has a plan for you that is tied to the coming of his kingdom. His will is that this would come to pass.

Matthew 26:39 New King James Version (NKJV)
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

God’s plan is not guaranteed to be an easy one. We can see this in the case of Christ. As a man who knew what the will of God was, he would still pray “if it is possible, let this cup pass me by.” From the time that he was sent to earth, he knew this to be God’s plan. Beyond it all, there is obedience. As difficult as this cup was, Jesus was willing to accept the will of God above his own. Let that be the same mantle that we carry.

Watch and pray

Matthew 26:41 New King James Version (NKJV)
41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

When God’s plan for you comes to pass, it rocks the plans of the enemy. For this reason there will always be hurdles along the way. There is nothing that can push you off the right path like temptation. This is why we are encouraged to watch and pray, so we can stay the course. Though our spirit may be willing, the flesh has evil desires. It is through prayer that we strengthen our spirit and bring our flesh into submission.

Psalm 127:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
Laboring and Prospering with the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.

You know the statement that it is better to work smart, that it is to work hard? This is what applies here. When we do things outside of the Lord it is possible that we may for a season prosper. This prosperity will make us more reliant in our own strength. Yet we will soon learn that, without God all of this is vanity. It will pass just as quickly as it came. Our God builds eternally. That is working smart.

Thank you for taking time to read this. We encourage you to meditate on what you have read, and devote time to prayer. This is an essential part of all that we do as believers. God has a plan for you indeed, and we are standing in faith that your purpose would be fulfilled in Christ. We aim to create more content and better resources for distribution. If you have been blessed, please consider becoming a PATREON.

12 Incredibly Powerful Prayers for Married Couples

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12 Incredibly Powerful Prayers for Married Couples

Prayers for Married Couples

 

Marriages are beautiful by design. They are by no means easy. It should be a no-brainer. You are bringing two unique individuals who will differ in mannerisms and opinion. They are coming from different background, with different experiences and beliefs.

They each bring their own pains, hurts and issues to the table. It’s a melting pot. Prayers for married couples are prayer points designed to harness these forces and bring Godly peace and harmony.

 

There is a saying that goes, “A family that prays together stays together.” This is not in reference to just going through the motions. Prayer is a place of pure vulnerability. It is supposed to be a place where you lay the cards down before God.

I encourage couples to make time to pray alone as well as together as a couple, as both prayer times are of equal importance. There are a few things that you may want to clear up before going into this.

 

Here are some ideas: prayer for couples

 

  • Take turns to pray, one prayer point at a time.
  • Start by telling each other how you feel. “When you did they I felt this.” Don’t carry unresolved anger and hurt into prayer.
  • Tell your spouse one thing you appreciated about them today. “Thank you for doing such and such for/with me today!” Gratitude is prayer.
  • Start with gratitude.
  • Confess your shortcomings before God and your spouse. Agree not to hold these things against each other, right from the start.
  • Pray into a vision that you share.
  • Pray over challenges that you collectively have.
  • Take turns to pray over each other.

IDEAS FOR PRAYER FOR COUPLES

IDEAS FOR PRAYER FOR COUPLES PDF DOWNLOAD

 

Prayers for married couples corporate prayer:

 

  1. Lord I am grateful for my wife/husband today. They are a gift, help to always hold onto this knowledge even when I cannot see it.

 

Gratitude is a grand form of prayer. Galvanise your marriage, starting with thanking God for what he has given you.

 

Proverbs 19:14

“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.”

 

  1. Father I am sorry for all the things I have done/not done to hurt my spouse, knowingly or unknowingly.

 

We often hurt our spouses without realising it. When we forgive, we too are forgiven. Asking for forgiveness from your spouse as well as from God gives your marriage a holistic feel. 

 

  1. Heal us of issues that we are yet to realise are issues. Fill our union with divine harmony.

 

Most couples don’t even realise when their relationships are deteriorating. Christians who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit cannot be blindsided. You have the ear of God, who is omniscient and omnipresent.

 

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

 

Hebrews 4:16 New International Version (NIV)

16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 

  1. Lord give me grace to overlook my husband/wife’s shortcomings! May their goodness not be lost on me.

 

It is very easy to focus on the shortcomings of your husband/wife. There are many great characteristics that they have. Our eyes should not be blinded from these. The world puts a lot of pressure on us to be perfect. This makes it easy to then only look at what our better half does wrong, ignoring other things.

 

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

 

  1. Lord give us vision for our family and for our marriage.

 

A Christian couple cannot afford to function devoid of vision. This should not be your portion. Stretch your hand towards the Lord with the regard of seeking vision. Accepting that we are blind, open our eyes. Show us the way, oh Lord.

 

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

 

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.

 

  1. Lord, you are the rock on which this marriage is built on!

 

Whatever we build alone, without the Lord is built on sand. It will fall apart. It may not fall apart immediately, but the countdown has begun. When you build on the rock of ages, you build eternally. Dr Myles Munroe famously said that, God is not obligated to finish what he does not start with us. 

 

Matthew 7:24-27

Build Your House on the Rock

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

 

  1. We will speak life into one another at all times.

Our words carry great power. With great power comes great responsibility. This is something that we often neglect as we go about our day. May your words be used to build your marriage, and not to destroy your marriage.

 

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

 

  1. Father we speak peace into our home, now and forever more.

The world is filled with bustle and hassle. We have to be able to maintain our peace. When one spouse loses their peace, they begin to steal peace from their husband/wife. Let that not be your portion. May peace be your portion. Let you marriage be filled with divine peace through Christ!

Philippians 4:7

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

  1. Lord give us grace to serve you, all the days of our lives.

No matter what we may want to do, our purpose is service. We are called to serve the Lord, our communities and our spouses. Family is the first ministry. A couple that serves together is strengthened. This means that your partner is part of your actions, and understand what you are doing. More importantly, they are a part of what you are doing. May your marriage be committed to serving the Lord!

Joshua 24:15

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

 

  1. Teach me to love my wife/husband as you loved us, giving all.

We are inherently selfish beings. Our world teaches us that each man should be for himself. Yet, God showed his love by giving his very best. Your marriage should be about giving your husband/wife your very best.

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 

Matthew 23:11 “The greatest among you will be your servant.”   

 

  1. Lord, give me wisdom to be a worthy helper for my husband/wife. To push them to where you want them to be.

 

The greatest worry for most couples is that their spouse would become a leech to what God is seeking to do in you. You cannot afford to pull away in all different sides. Our prayer is that your marriage would become an incubator for your destiny! Your marriage will be an incubator for your husband/wife’s destiny!

 

Galatians 6:2

2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

 

  1. Your plans for us will come to fruition, in Jesus’ name.

May God be the co-author of every plan developed in your marriage. May he be the director of all you set to do. More importantly, may he be the firm foundation on whom you build it all. Father you alone now the plans that you have for us! We buy into these plans, whatever they are. This marriage will move by faith and not by sight!

Jeremiah 1:5 New International Version (NIV)

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 

Prayers for couples

Powerful Prayers for Couples

I trust this has been a blessing, and will empower your couple prayer time. Our prayer is that your marriage would be stronger than ever! We believe that the Lord has incredible plans for couples. Stronger marriages make for a stronger church. We need that.

Prayers for married couples will be a massive catalyst to building a rehabilitating culture of prayer. Couples that pray together stay together.

If you would like to help us with the vision, partner with us through our Patreon page.

 

Originally posted 2018-12-21 17:44:34.

The Power of Forgiveness + 15 Bible Verses about forgiveness

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The Power of Forgiveness + 15 Bible Verses about forgiveness

The Power of Forgiveness + 15 Bible Verses about forgiveness

The Power of Forgiveness

Life is made up of seasons. The power of forgiveness is one that carries us through a lot of these. People will be people, and we will be wronged. No matter how well you start a race, the grandest significance is placed on how you finish it.

As we finish one season, let us finish it stronger than we started. We are going to be dealing with issues. This season is just one stage of this race, a new one is coming.

However before we move into the next chapter, we ought to close some pages in order to make way for new adventures in the next chapter. This is what we will be doing in this series leading to the end of this year. As always we intend to make each day’s teaching and prayer short and precise.

power of forgives


Forgiveness

You may have been hurt in this year or in years before, but do not carry that hurt into your future. Your future will have its own challenges and pains and tears and joy, do not let the past hold you back from thrusting forward into a greater future.

A Practical Path to forgiveness

Let us make this practical, get a paper and pen right now. Write down every single person or situation that has hurt you in this year. Take your time, do not leave anything or anyone out. Once you have them down, it is time to let it go! It is great that you have acknowledged the source of your pain, that’s a great step in healing.

No matter how strong or weak you may be, what you carry will always determine the speed at which you will travel. The only time heavyweights will help you go faster is when you are going down!

You are rising in the coming season, let go of anything that will weigh you down. It may be pain and heartache from the past, it has slowed you down long enough.

It may be the company you keep around you, take a moment to write down individuals who are not pushing you forward or pulling you up. I have learned in this year, to keep around me only two kinds of people. Those who inspire me and those who I inspire. Anyone else is surplus.

You are on this earth for a limited time, do not waste any precious moment on anyone who is not contributing to your growth!

Some people and past situations and hurt work like a leash. You can only move further when you are off the leash. The leash will always set a limitation on how far forward you can go as long as you are attached to it.

You have no business being attached to anyone and anything that will be a leash to you! You are called to move forward and upwards, you are not called to stagnancy and limitations. Some stagnancy in life is because of the company or the pain we hold on to.

Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Now get that paper you wrote on. Let us pray:

Prayer

Father I thank you for this wonderful teaching. I thank you for wanted me to move forward and up in all I do. From this moment on I ask that you cut ties that I have with anyone and anything that is holding me back from moving ahead.

Father, prune me of all stagnancy and leashes in my life. In the coming season, I will move forward! I will move at top speed with nothing slowing me down! All secret sin, all hurt, all grudges, all pain I give them to you Lord. I am weary from carrying them, father. Take them all. I will soar like an eagle in this year in the mighty name of Jesus.

Amen

Now I want you to call each thing or person on your list by name, and say I release you or I forgive you, whichever applies. Tear the paper. In the name of Jesus, I declare you free, and whoever the son of man sets free is free indeed, Thank you Jesus, for setting us free.

Bible Verses About Forgiveness

The Bible is filled with examples and teaching about forgiveness. As a child, I remember reading that you had to forgive 77 times. This made me start counting how many times people would mess up.

It sort of starts to drive you crazy after a while. The goal is not to keep a record of wrongs. Neither is it to let people take advantage of you. Over the years my yardstick has become Christ himself. How many times have I messed up? How many times has he forgiven me?

Colossians 1:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 in whom we have redemption [a]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Psalm 25:1 New King James Version (NKJV)


A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Psalm 32:1 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.

32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.

Psalm 39:1 New King James Version (NKJV)

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will guard my ways,

Lest I sin with my tongue;

I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,

While the wicked are before me.”

Psalm 106:1 New King James Version (NKJV)

Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins

106 Praise the Lord!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 130:4 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 But there is forgiveness with You,That You may be feared.

Daniel 9:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.

Mark 3:29 New King James Version (NKJV)

29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”—

Mark 11:25 New King James Version (NKJV)

Forgiveness and Prayer

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

Acts 5:31 New King James Version (NKJV)

31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 13:38 New King James Version (NKJV)

38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

Acts 26:18 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified[a] by faith in Me.’

2 Corinthians 2:1 New King James Version (NKJV)

Paul Urges Forgiveness

2 But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow.

Ephesians 1:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 in whom we have redemption [a]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

The Power of Forgiveness + 15 Bible Verses about forgiveness 3

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Originally posted 2014-12-22 01:12:39.