Religion is often a battle.

One day we feel drawn in the direction of trusting God, and then all of a sudden, we are on the opposite side, doubting Him. The pendulum of our thinking and feelings can swing from confidence to doubt all too simply if we are unprepared. Thankfully, God offers a key to stabilizing our religion. Times of doubt-causing fear, fury, or stress are standard for homosapiens, but we have got the choice to bring these natural feelings under subjection to the Lord. One of the finest methods to begin this process is recalling His nature and guarantees. When Devil is feeding us reasons to doubt, God wants us to draw from our well of religious information.

Concentrating on the Father swings our pendulum to trust. King Jehoshaphat demonstrated comprehensive confidence in the Lord when he learned of an incoming attack. In spite of his primary fear, he called on the people of Judah to fast. Then he spoke an amazing God-centered prayer praising Him, recalling His past provision, and asking for His protection. ( verses 6-12 ) As followers, we regularly accidentally fall into a pattern of praying with self-centered and negative words we detail our problem, beg for help, and jump to our feet still fretting. But the direct result of Jehoshaphat’s prayer was a quiet, trusting spirit. He swung from fear and doubt to confidence by looking not at his approaching enemy, but rather at his almighty Lord. Religion pendulum swings are everyday of followers, but we select the time period we intend to hover in the shade of doubt.

Faith-growing trust is only a prayer away. One thing more.

¹And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

   ²But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

   ³And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

   ⁴These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

   ⁵And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

   ⁶These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

   ⁷And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

   ⁸And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

   ⁹And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

   ¹⁰And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

   ¹¹And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

   ¹²And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

   ¹³And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

   ¹⁴The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

   ¹⁵And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

   ¹⁶And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

   ¹⁷Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

   ¹⁸And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

   ¹⁹And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.  Proverbs 10:16 NIV

Our righteous labors will result in wages that bring life and blessing, but the profit of the wicked leads to further sin and the resultant punishment. And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you. 30 You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes. 31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. 32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. 33 A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually.

Deuteronomy 28:29-34 NKJV

When you are rebellious and disobedient to the Lord, everything you have worked for and everything that is precious to you will become the property of others. You will become a slave to your enemy.

Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined.

Deuteronomy 28:47-51 NIV

You must serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity. When you are blessed of the Lord, you must appreciate your blessing and continue to serve and honor Him with joy and gratitude. If you are ungrateful and unappreciative, you open a door for the enemy to destroy that for which you have worked so hard.

For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. 43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; 44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for–45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.   Psalms 105:42-45 NIV

When you turn to the Lord, honor Him and remember Him, you will reap what others have sown. They will do the work, but because of their disobedience, you will benefit.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. 14 I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;

They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. 15 I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,” Says the LORD your God.  Amos 9:13-15 NKJV

When you obey God, everything you put your hand to will prosper. You will be blessed with the fruit of your labor. The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”  1 Timothy 5:17-18 NIV

God’s plan is for you to get what you work for and to be blessed by your labors. Slavery is a result of disobedience, but every person should be able to enjoy what he or she deserves and to reap what he or she has sown.

Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret–it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  Psalms 37:1-11  NKJV

“Trust in the Lord” — When we consider our circumstances and the things we see and hear it is not hard to surrender to fear and anxiety. However, the Lord emphasizes to us –- all through His word –- that He loves us, He cares about us, He is on our side and He will take care of us and provide for us.  He tells us over and over to TRUST Him –- because unless we trust in Him He is unable to help us — and He does want to help us.

“Do good” –- Stay in the will of God by DOING GOOD. God is your protection, your rock, your fortress, your deliverer, and your avenger as long as you see to it that you abide in His presence. As long as you decide to obey and serve Him with a willing heart He is able to protect and keep you. If you wander out of His presence and into the enemy’s territory you become exposed and unprotected. You must DWELL in the secret place of the Most High in order to ABIDE under the shadow of the Almighty.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”  Psalms 91:1-2 NKJV

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.  Psalms 91:9-11  NKJV

“Dwell in the land” –- God has made us exceeding great and precious promises, purchased with the priceless, precious blood of Jesus. We need to take what is ours. We need to boldly ask for what God has promised and we need to accept and receive it with humility and gratefulness. “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’” Abba Father went to so much trouble to purchase our life, our redemption, our freedom and our blessing that it would be a shame for us to refuse it. When someone loves us enough to make a great sacrifice for us — for the purpose of blessing us and with the intention of blessing us -– the greatest insult would be for us to turn the blessing down because of our false humility. False humility stems from an attitude of pride –- if I can’t earn it, I don’t want it. You have to humble your heart in order to accept the gift that you don’t deserve. God has given you the land – DWELL IN IT!

“Feed on His faithfulness” –- His faithfulness will sustain you. Because of His faithfulness you will always have exactly what you need. His faithfulness will feed you, clothe you, and keep you. You need to meditate on His faithfulness. Feed yourself with His word and His promises. Immerse yourself in His faithfulness. See nothing else, but His faithfulness –- expect it and look for it. When the circumstances are contrary –- believe in His faithfulness. When you are in need –- call on His faithfulness. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.

You can trust Him because He tells you to trust Him. You can trust him because He is trustworthy. He provides that which He promises and He only promises that which He can and will provide. He cannot lie and He will not lie –- that is why you can believe that what He says is the truth and why you can trust Him completely and absolutely.

POWER TO PRAY THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  Acts 2:4 KJV

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.  Acts 10:44-46 KJV

The Holy Ghost is a free gift, poured out on all those who would receive Him. In the book of Acts, those who were baptized in and filled with the Holy Ghost, also spoke in other tongues, extolling and magnifying God. The Hebrew word for “gift” – “dorea” – of the Holy Ghost is not the same as the word for “gifts” – “charisma” – of the Spirit – tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophesy, etc. in 1 Corinthians 12. The Holy Spirit is a gift in the sense that He is given free – you can’t pay for Him. The gifts of the Spirit, which operate through those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit, are a gift in the sense that they are a special, supernatural endowment – an ability which operates through men as the Spirit wills.

When you are filled with the Spirit, you pray out of your spirit man. Your spirit speaks in tongues through your mouth. The Holy Spirit, in your spirit, is the One who gives the utterance. You can pray in the spirit whenever you choose. This is not the “gift” of tongues – it is your prayer language. When you pray out of your own spirit in tongues, it is a hot line to heaven. Your mind cannot understand it and most importantly, the devil cannot understand it!  

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.  1 Corinthians 14:14-15 NKJ

We should pray and sing in our native tongue – in our case, English – and we should pray and sing in the spirit – in other tongues as the Spirit gives us the utterance. We speak, pray and sing in our own languages in order to edify others and ourselves.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.  Jude 1:20 KJV

We build up, strengthen, and edify ourselves spiritually, as we pray in the spirit.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  Romans 8:26-27 NKJ

Unless we pray according to God’s will, He will not hear us and He will not answer us. If we want our prayers to be answered, we must pray so that God can hear us. When we don’t know what or how to pray, we can pray in the spirit and the Holy Spirit will pray, through us, the perfect will of God for our life and situation. As people, we are not perfect, we don’t know everything and we may not even know the word of God very well, but if we can pray in tongues, we can be praying God’s perfect will!

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  I John 5:14-15 NKJ

What a tremendous blessing from God – to have the ability to pray according to God’s will at any time. Because when we pray according to God’s will, He hears us and if He hears us, He answers our prayers!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV

On the cross, Jesus bore the punishment that was due us, to bring us peace. The peace He paid for is peace with God. Unless you are reconciled to God and He has forgiven you and you are brought into right standing with Him – you cannot begin to know peace in any form.

“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” Isaiah 48:22 NKJ

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Ephesians 2:14 KJV

When sin entered into the heart of man, peace departed. Where there was once fellowship with God, there was suddenly a wall of partition, with God on one side and man on the other. It was an impenetrable wall that divided God and man and held them at a distance, man having become an enemy of God. Never again would man know peace without divine intervention, because his heart was wicked and full of sin. Jesus came to earth, God in human form, to pay the price, shed His blood, die and rise again, bringing down the wall that separated man from God. Man could once again freely enter into the fellowship and presence of God! 

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. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJ

In God, our future is peace. He desires peace for us and His plans for us are peaceful plans, to give us hope and a future. We can walk in His peace and we can know His peace if we will walk in obedience to His Word. When you are at peace with God and when your heart is right with God, you will live always in peace.

Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace. Psalms 37:37 NKJ

We can walk in His peace and we can know His peace if we will be full of His Word.

Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Psalms 119:165 NKJ

My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Proverbs 3:1-2 NKJ

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 NKJ

God’s Word will fill you up with faith and hope. You must meditate on it day and night, filling up your mind and thoughts with God’s Word. God’s Word needs to be in your mind and on your lips. It must become a real and living thing to you and you need to see and understand God’s plans for your life now and in your future. If you meditate on what the devil wants you to meditate on – his thoughts and plans for you – you will be tormented and full of fear. You must fill your thoughts with things of the Spirit of God, not with the things of the flesh. God’s plans for you must dominate your thought life if you truly want to walk in His peace. Peace is not the absence of conflict in your circumstances, but it is the presence of God in your life that will carry you through every adverse circumstance of your life.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6 KJV

1 John 5:14-15 says that if you pray according to His will, He hears you and if He hears you, then He will answer your prayer. Do not be worried or anxious about anything. Whatever you need – you can tell God about it and then you can relax and enjoy His peace, knowing that your situation is in God’s hands and that He is faithful and can be trusted to work everything out for your benefit. Then His peace will guard and garrison your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NKJ

31      “You believe at last!” Jesus answered.

32      “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

33      “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

JESUS PRAYED THIS PRAYER FOR YOU.

 Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name– the name you gave me– so that they may be one as we are one.

While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

John 17:1-26 (NIV)

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU MEDITATE ON THIS PRAYER – TAKE IT PERSONALLY – RECEIVE IT AS IF HE IS SPEAKING ABOUT YOU – BECAUSE HE IS!

19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies drip with dew. 21 My son, let them not depart from your sight; keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul, and adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear, nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 26 For the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.

The Lord created everything we see by wisdom, understanding and knowledge. God’s wisdom is His Word. The first place for us to go for wisdom is His Word.

It is better for you to seek after wisdom, knowledge and understanding, rather than riches – gold, silver and jewels – because riches can be gained and lost. However, if you seek wisdom, it will result in blessing that remains. Riches in the hands of a fool bring destruction, but riches in the hands of a wise man are blessed and a blessing.

Proverbs 1:32   (KJV)
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

The gaining of wisdom and understanding is better than the gaining of silver and gold. Wisdom will be, to you, more precious than jewels and nothing on this earth that you could possibly desire, compares with her. When you gain wisdom, you gain long life, riches and honor and peace. Wisdom is a tree of life, and every one who finds her, finds true happiness.

Wisdom brings security, because it destroys fear in your life. You can walk in confidence and peace, because your confidence and trust are in God who protects you and who keeps you from stumbling.

I Kings 3:11-13  (NAS)

God offered Solomon anything he asked for. He asked for an understanding heart in order to govern wisely. The Lord was pleased with his request and granted it, adding to it both riches and honor. When we seek God’s wisdom above all other earthly things – He gives us wisdom – and above all that, He blesses us with peace and prosperity. What a wonderful, awesome God we serve! Be sure that your priorities are right and you will find the blessing of God.