It’s not popular—or easy—but slowing down is essential to hearing God’s voice.

We must break free from our overstimulated culture. Phones buzz, screens flash and distractions come at us almost constantly. There is almost no time to rest. In our busy world, there’s always more to do, more to see, more to think about. We rarely take time to be still.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to cultivate a deep, inner life with God when we live this way. It’s difficult to get below the surface and really get to know Him if we’re always in a rush.

Look at the Trees

Picture, if you will, a tree with shallow roots. The tree may look OK on the surface, but it doesn’t bear much fruit because it’s struggling to get enough water itself. Over time, the tree may show signs of weakness or even become sick, and could be toppled at any time by a strong storm. This is not a tree others could safely climb or eat fruit from. It is not reaching its full potential.

What if the same is true for us? How many of us live hurried and worried, stressed and frantic, on edge and grasping for a sip of refreshment, barely able to get enough water for ourselves—much less give it to others?

The Lord, our Good Shepherd, has promised to lead us to green pastures. He wants us to lie down and drink from the still waters (Ps. 23:2), but how many of us resist Him? We may be Christians, know the Lord, and call Jesus our Savior, but where is the deep intimacy and our trust in His leadership to do this?

Finding Water in the Desert

If you’re struggling, know that God hasn’t left you. He’s not mad at you for being busy, but His heart may be calling you to slow down and step closer to Him.

The Lord has promised to meet us according to our hunger. Scripture is full of exhortations for God’s people to call to Him so that He can answer (Isa. 58:9; Jer. 33:3). His provision is strong and secure, but we have to access it.

That’s what the spiritual disciplines are all about (prayer, fasting, reading the Word). God is perfectly good and has promised to supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19); our part is to position ourselves to receive the fulfillment of that promise, which includes spending time with Him.

It’s a Choice

Ultimately, slowing down and seeking God is a choice. Our plates may be full, but we can ask the Lord for wisdom on how to create space for Him. A good place to start is with entertainment. While this is to have a place in our lives, “it’s a small place,” says Mike Bickle, IHOPKC’s director. Unfortunately, our culture often makes it a priority.

We can start by reversing this trend, putting aside a show we like or favorite movie to attend a prayer meeting, worship as a family or spend time in God’s Word. It may start slowly, but these activities can quickly become more enjoyable than the entertainment we’re forsaking, since knowing the Lord is our greatest pleasure.

It’s not only about discipline, but delight. Jesus loves us and wants us to be with Him where He is (John 17:24). We can choose Him daily, in ways big and small, which delights His heart. And since God wants us to draw near, don’t be surprised if He quickly pours out favor on your times with Him, encouraging you to do it more (and even invite others into the same thing).

The Point

The more we feast on God’s Word, the deeper our roots will go, as described in Psalm 1. This tree, which is “planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither,” symbolizes a healthy believer, “and whatever he does shall prosper (Ps. 1:3).

Pray and ask God for this: to come out of busyness and make time to seek Him more. Distractions can wait, but the Lord is waiting on us, beckoning us to seek Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Luke 10:27). He is our first love and source of life, ready to receive all who come to Him.

How can you slow down to hear God’s voice? {eoa}

A Detroit native who was raised in Vermont and Connecticut, Adam Wittenberg worked as a newspaper journalist until 2012, when he moved to Kansas City to complete the Intro to IHOPKC internship. Afterwards, he earned a four-year certificate in House of Prayer Leadership from IHOPU and is now on full-time staff in the Marketing department at IHOPKC. Adam is also active in evangelism and has a vision to reach people everywhere with the good news of Jesus Christ.

This article originally appeared at .

What’s God’s grace got to do with weight loss anyway?

Maybe you’ve said or thought something similar to this. “God, I know You gave me a brain to figure this whole issue out. I’m trying, but You can step in anytime now and relieve me from trying and failing.”

I was there for at least 30 years. I knew what to do, but try as I might, I couldn’t seem to sustain weight loss. I’d lose100 pounds and then celebrate with some sugary dessert. Then, I’d go back to eating like I had before and put it all the weight back on plus more.

I saw a diet as a way to get the weight off and then go back to how I’d always eaten before. It never occurred to me to that I didn’t need a diet. I needed a lifestyle change.

All throughout the time I was dieting, I would be asking God for help to make the weight loss stick. But I never asked Him what to do. I knew I needed to lose weight, and a diet seemed to be the way to do it.

Repent

That struggle ended when I finally came face to face with the fact that what I had been doing was more than just sneaking an extra cookie. I was throwing garbage in my body, which is the very home of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20). I had to repent for something I’d knowingly been doing all my life.

It wasn’t easy, because my true repentance had to be for years of putting sugar and high-carbohydrate-content foods as things I treasured more than God. In order to do that, I had to be sick-to-my-stomach sorry.

To repent means to turn around and go the other way, so no longer could I keep doing what I had always done and say I was sorry.

I was always sorry the scale showed I’d gained weight, but I was never sorry I ate that piece or two or three of Mamaw’s oatmeal cake.

To repent, I had to mourn for what I had done to the point that I was willing to do anything God showed me in order to become whole, happy and healthy body, soul and spirit.

Surrender

I had to accept and own my particular issue with food. Only then could I begin to accept God’s forgiveness for the gravity of my actions and surrender my issue to Him.

That’s when He revealed to me that even though sugar was all right for some to eat, it wasn’t OK for me. I had allowed sugar to master me, and He did not want me “to be mastered by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12b, NIV) other than Him.

Before that time, I had laid on the altar my inability to lose weight. I hadn’t given up the specific issue that was holding me back from losing weight.

Finally, I laid sugar, desserts, breads, pastas and starchy foods on the altar. Only then was I ready for God’s grace-strength to help me.

When I mourned what I had done to my body, the home of the Holy Spirit, when I felt it in the pit of my stomach, when I cried real tears of repentance, God knew I meant it when I said I was sorry.

Grace

When the truth hit me like a ton of bricks that I had to give up sugar in order to lose weight and keep it off, I was ready to do whatever it would take to get free.

I was at the end of my resources. I had tried every magic fix available and nothing worked. I was ready for God to show me how to do this and then follow what He showed me.

My heartfelt prayer was “God, I can’t do this. I’m weak around sugar. I need your strength to help me do this.”

In that moment, God spoke to me through His Word. “My grace is enough. It’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, MSG).

I didn’t know how I’d give up sugar. I knew I couldn’t do it in my own strength. I had to trust God completely to lead me.

From that moment on, I felt God’s grace-wind at my back propelling me forward. He brought people into my life to teach me how to change my ingrained habits, how to discover the underlying emotional reasons of why I ate when I wasn’t hungry, to understand that my issue wasn’t just food and my physical body, but with my mind, will, emotions and spirit as well.

In the past, I was running the weight loss show. That’s why it never worked, because I didn’t understand my blind spots. When I gave up being the boss and let God show me what to do, His grace empowered me to do what I thought I couldn’t only one second before.

After losing 250 pounds, I know I am powered by God’s grace. More than that, I know that weight loss or whatever issue you have has everything to do with God’s grace, which is perfected in my weakness. {eoa}

Teresa Shields Parker is the author of seven books, all available on Amazon. Her latest book, Sweet Hunger: Developing an Appetite for God, is available now, and Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds is the No. 1 Christian weight-loss memoir. She is also a writing and weight-loss coach, blogger, speaker, wife and mother. Visit her online at to find her books, coaching programs and free gifts.

This article originally appeared at .

“Lord, we need a generation of believers who are not ashamed of the gospel. We need an army of believers who hate to be lukewarm and will stand on Your Word above all else. Raise ’em up, Lord. Raise them up.” —War Room: Prayer Is a Powerful Weapon by Chris Fabry

The minute we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we enter a battlefield.

The battlefield is our Christian life, the enemy is Satan, the target is our soul and the battle plan is God’s Word.

The trick is recognizing the true enemy. He is a master at disguising himself as our boss, the mean neighbor down the street, the old bully from high school or the co-worker who is always nitpicking at everything we do.

But God’s Word says that we are not to go to war against flesh and blood, against people, against the tangible things we can see because they are just tools.

This would be like an army choosing to go to war against machine guns, grenades and missiles; and thinking that once they eradicated those that they had won the battle. Weaponry is just a tool. The enemy is the one using the weaponry. He is the one we need to defeat.

We need to target specific areas of our personal lives, because we need to bathe ourselves in prayer as much as we need to bathe others in prayer. Satan is battling for your soul as much as he is battling for the souls of your friends and loved ones!

This is why I provided these 10 verses on strength.

You can also find war room verses for:

• Anxiety
• Grief
• Joy
• Identity in Christ
• Faith
• Selfishness

You can also find these war room verses for when you don’t feel good enough, verses to begin your war room and these 10 most popular verses in the Bible.

Because while the Christian life is a battle, God never meant for us to live under pressure and stressed out. What kind of a testimony would that be? Why would anyone want to become a Christian if all they see are a bunch of stressed-out Christians under pressure all the time?

Paul said, “For the kingdom of God and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

10 War Room Verses on Spiritual Warfare

Keep them at your fingertips. Memorize them and refer to them daily.

1. Romans 8:37: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

2. Zechariah 4:6b: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.”

3. Matthew 18:18-19: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.”

4. 1 John 4:4: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

5. Ephesians 6:11-18: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”

6. James 4:7: “Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

7. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

8. 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him firmly in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

9. Colossians 2:15: “And having disarmed authorities and power, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them by the cross.”

10. Revelation 12:11: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.” {eoa}

Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her hero. Together they live in the country with their two active boys, where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an associate degree in practical theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of “A Little R & R,” where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You may follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.

This article originally appeared at .

Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Read Part 1 here.

Grow in Gratitude

While it’s important for us to present our requests to God with humility, it’s also crucial that we cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Instead of giving into anxiety, we can step back to reflect on how God has exhibited His faithfulness toward us in times past. This time of reflection encourages the heart. The Lord who was faithful in times past and is the same yesterday, today and forever will be faithful once again. He is never anxious, never worried, never at a loss and always prevails.

Regardless of what His children feel they are up against, those situations are not greater than our undefeated God. He splits the seas, leads His people to safety, rescues, redeems, renews and frees. In the worst of situations, He provides hope; in the most trying times, He offers peace that annihilates anxiety; and in the midst of chaos, He supplies answers that create viable solutions for all involved.

Whether it’s His exploits in the days of old, His creative ability within or around us, or His track record of faithfulness as provider, healer and friend, the Lord is always worthy of praise.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

Regardless of the threats we’re facing, the opportunity to open our mouths and thank the Lord for His ability, strength and provision is key to overcoming the temptation to be anxious. In these moments, we can find that life and death truly are in the power of the tongue.

In His graciousness, the Lord doesn’t just tell us how to handle anxiety, but He builds anticipation for what is to come when we follow His command to evict anxiety from our lives. After removing the tentacles of anxious thinking and pressing through the flurry of “what ifs,” there is space for what the Lord has provided for us. In its place we receive peace, serenity and tranquility built upon truth.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Exercise: Put Anxiety to the Test

1. Has the Lord ever failed you?
   No—Oh, OK. Go to No. 2.
   Yes—Oh, really? Skip to No. 4.
2. Has He ever failed to help you or take care of you?
   No—Well, then move to No. 3.
   Yes—Skip to No. 4.
3. OK. Has He left you or bailed on you in your time of need?
   No—Interesting. Move to No. 6.
   Yes—Really? Move to No. 7.
4. And by “failed,” do you mean disappointed your expectations?
   No—Not really? Move to No. 7.
   Yes—I see. Move to No. 5.
5. Were your expectations realistic, godly, derived from pure motives and for the good and maturity of everyone involved, for years to come and into eternity?
   No—Probably not completely? Move to No. 7.
   Yes—I see… Skip to B.
6. If He hasn’t forsaken you, has He ever completely and utterly failed you in some way?
   No—Hmmm… Move to No. 7.
   Yes—Then move to No. 7.
7. Has He shown Himself to be untrustworthy or unkind to you?
   No—OK, move to point A.
   Yes—Fascinating; move to point B.

A. If the Lord is continuing to show you His goodness, then why are you so anxious? Really? Why allow anxiety to rule your thoughts and actions when the love the Lord has is so great? He loves His children. He is a good Father. And maybe the better question would be, how is your faith? Has your confidence in the Lord been taking a beating lately? Has the accusation against His nature, His ability and His love for you gained traction in your heart? More pointedly, do you believe God is good? Do you believe He has all power and controls everything? Do you believe He loves and likes you? Because if you absolutely believe these things, if you believe truth, then fear and anxiety are not your portion. They have no place in your life. They are squatting in the space the Lord wants to grow and birth the miraculous. Shove them aside; replace them with truth. Plant the Word in your heart and see the Lord grow it into something beautiful that can withstand the pressures of life, the threats of the enemy and the uncertainty of what’s ahead as you rest in the certainty of God’s loving hands.

B. That’s interesting. Well then, if you can foresee how one event relates to and impacts all involved, then you’re definitely a top candidate for sustaining all things. Or you could be dealing with a sneak attack of pride and stepping onto a path blazed by Lucifer. Be careful! Because the Lord is clear that His ways are high above our ways. There’s a good chance there is a reason as to why events didn’t work out the way you desired. And before you ever realized the outcome to your problem, God had created a plan for redemption, because God is always good. And while that event may have felt disappointing—or even still feels crushing—the Lord’s nature as one who redeems, who causes all things to work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, will prevail. Then all disappointment will be exchanged for true fulfillment and true joy that will last for all eternity. But it’s your choice to believe that, or not, and respond accordingly. {eoa}

Fia Curley serves on the NightWatch at IHOPKC, participating in prayer, worship and intercession from midnight to 6 a.m. She enjoys blending her passion for prayer, worship and journalism as she labors with the Lord to see His goodness revealed to families, government leaders and immigrants from non-Christian nations.

This article originally appeared at .

The Alpha Course is changing lives across the world. Enjoy this powerful video featuring “Emma” of Mexico. Despite her initial resistance to the course due to her grief over her sister’s death Alpha has brought Emma into a new and vital relationship with God.

The twist cone is my favorite. I would never order plain vanilla, but it’s a nice complement to chocolate. These days I’m thinking about how sorrow and joy squeeze out of the same spigot and come served to us always intertwined.

Last week, my son gave a sparkly to his girl, and now my husband and I are whispering joyfully in bed at night about this beautiful match and how happy we are with the blessing of this young woman coming into our son’s life. The whole arrangement keeps us smiling. Then I lay my head on Matt’s chest, and he prays for these kids and their upcoming wedding.

But he also prays for my sweet auntie, as cancer brings her every day closer to the gates of heaven. And we pray for her sisters and their heartache at the thought of letting her go on ahead of them.

Always the joy twisted with the sorrow.

Lord, I ask, How do we live in a world like this? I have had this prayer on repeat for a few weeks. Last Sunday morning, I was especially groaning to the Lord, as I reeled under some very sad news that touched a family in my writing world. Lord, how do we keep hope when there’s the happy but always the sad, too?

He answered me, because He sees and He cares.

On Sunday mornings I’ve been watching a sermon on Facebook live, by a Spanish-speaking pastor out of Chicago. (Pastor Freddy Deanda, if you’re interested.) He had one point to his sermon that he repeated over and over again. His finger aimed at me, and he said with fire in his eyes, “The devil wants to steal your hope. If you start to lose hope, you’ll know that he is lying to you.”

The devil wants to steal your hope, the Spirit pressed into my thoughts.

Reminded me of a concert Matt and I went to years ago in Texas. A black family was sitting in front of us, and their little boy was whining. The mom looked at him and said, in a powerful tone that I think only a black momma can pull off with style, “Don’t you let the devil steal your joy!”

Her short but persuasive sermon has stayed with me all these years, and I wish I could thank her for it. Her voice came to me again, as I listened to the sermon on Facebook, “Don’t you let the devil steal your hope!”

Hope is mine because from his throne God says, “I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5b).

Can you sense the stealthy approach of the enemy, with his sticky fingers latched on to your hope? Whirl around and grab hold of it. Don’t let him swipe it. Hope is yours. It belongs to you.

Yes, the pain swirls in with the happy times, but never without hope. {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .

“Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you” (Isa. 35:3-4, NASB).

I have not caught the headlines for the last two and a half weeks. Not at all. I never opened up the news when I was in Israel and Jordan. I just had too many other things on my mind. I was aware there are tensions in the south border, but world news, I was oblivious to. So I came back and watched the news for as long as I could take, which was about 10 minutes.

I just look at the headlines online and I’m so aware that the world is unraveling—spiritually, morally, politically, racially, socially in just about every category. To be gone and come back and be hit in the face with all the news, including the tragedies of that duck boat going down with 17 people drowned, and the shooting in Toronto, and the forest fires in Greece, and it’s just astounding.

And so I was talking to the Lord about it yesterday morning, and so He led me to Isaiah 35. And if I could entitle this devotion, I think I would entitle it— “Hold On: There’s a New World Coming.” Watch below as Anne shares this vital word:

Anne Graham Lotz, second child of Billy and Ruth Graham, is the founder of AnGeL Ministries and former chairman for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She has authored 15 books, including her latest, The Daniel Prayer.

This article originally appeared at .

This is Part 1 of a two-part series.

There are some passages of Scripture that seem a little challenging to follow during those uncomfortable episodes that make up life.

Bless those who curse you? Yep, that’s what He says.
Purposely do good to those who have harmed you? Yeah, that’s expected too.
Actually forgiving someone who has maliciously hurt and abused you? Well, the Spirit’s help is definitely needed to fulfill that mandate.

There are also those verses that cause us to cringe, the ones that we don’t quite appreciate because we know we don’t quite follow them; the ones that we quickly gloss over and take as suggestions instead of commands, because we know God couldn’t really expect us to achieve something so … impossible.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7).

Terrorism, incurable diseases, random acts of violence, real financial pressures, world leaders with very few answers against the uncertainty of rising world issues and upheavals in our personal lives don’t do much to help a person stay calm in today’s world.

Suddenly, blessing and forgiving the most hurtful offenses begin to look a little easier. Thankfully, the Lord has made His power available for times such as these: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

The one who sticks closer than a brother calls us “more than overcomers” (see Rom. 8:37) because of what His powerful love accomplished for us and what He has made available to us.

Jesus’ sacrifice made it possible for anyone who chooses Him as Lord and Savior to be secure and established with His power. His Word gives us direction. His Spirit gives us the strength and ability to follow His Word as we relinquish control and trust the only one who is trustworthy.

Just as it takes work to evict a squatter from a property they do not own, removing anxiety from your life, when there are very real problems occurring, also requires your fervent attention and participation. But the Lord has outlined clear steps that can be followed, because our great comforter and helper desires to see His children walk live victoriously in this life.

Refuse Anxiety

Jesus did not allow Himself to be nailed to a cross so that your life could be overrun by anxiety. That was not the “life more abundantly” He envisioned for His followers. His intention for His children is for them to walk in freedom: “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27b).

The inherent power of Scripture and of His Spirit within is strong enough to overcome every accusation the enemy hurls at believers during times of turmoil.

Yes, there are real dangers and threats in the world, but the enemy often capitalizes on these moments to cause anxiety to arise regarding what could happen, wanting us to forget that we have no reason to fear because Jesus has overcome the world. The Son of God has been given all power and authority; He is the victorious King, who is for you today in the midst of this unsettling landscape. These are the truths the enemy wants to distract us from remembering so we become overrun by anxiety. But we don’t have to fall prey to his tactics.

Contrary to popular belief, with God’s power, it is possible to control negative emotions that arise within and not be overcome by them. Emotions are closely connected to thoughts, making what we think a key issue to how we feel about what is going on around us. A diagnosis from the oncologist can be devastating if the power and faithfulness of God are not taken into account and inserted in the situation. What we think and how we think about news of the latest act of terror greatly affects our response and ability to trust the Lord during times of instability.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor. 4:4).

The verses we memorized as children, the ones we know by heart, they must be our meditation. They must filter up into our minds and redirect our thoughts so that we speak and think differently, causing our actions to align to what the Lord has for His followers.

Pray and Ask

Instead of using energy to follow the enemy’s path into anxiety, that same level of focus can be used to follow God’s path toward life. But it starts with conversation. God doesn’t ask anyone to deny what is happening—He sees all that’s taking place within the lives of His children—but He desires to draw us into truth, to see how He is greater than all things. In situations of sickness, disease, trauma, lack, threats, great need, desperation, betrayal and uncertainty, God is able to intervene and transform situations.

I called upon the Lord from my distress; the Lord answered me and set me in an open place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can people do to me? The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph upon those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes (Ps. 118:5-9).

When we speak to the Lord about the latest event trying to springboard us into the dangerous pool of anxiety, it’s not for the sake of updating Him—God knows all things; He is well-versed in every detail of the situation. Instead, when we come to Him, we give Him access to our hearts once again.

Through prayer, we extend the invitation for His involvement in our situation. When we converse with Him, we are better able to see our great need and simultaneously, His great strength. As we sit before Him, we are able to calm our wavering emotions, asserting the truth of God’s character, the strength of His power, and the ferocity of His desire to help us as He shows forth His nature as Father.

As children of God, we have been given that same privilege Jesus has to boldly come to our Father to make requests, and see the Ancient of Days answer with power and strength. “Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession” (Ps. 2:8).

Rather than just hoping the Lord intervenes, we can actively request His help, and as a result, have our confidence built in God’s nature as the helper who responds to the cries of His children; it will allow us to become increasingly certain of God’s goodness, His provision and His nearness.

^“For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).

He desires to help us: “For He has said, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6). {eoa}

Fia Curley serves on the NightWatch at IHOPKC, participating in prayer, worship and intercession from midnight to 6 a.m. She enjoys blending her passion for prayer, worship and journalism as she labors with the Lord to see His goodness revealed to families, government leaders and immigrants from non-Christian nations.

This article originally appeared at .

Watch as activist and author Brigitte Gabriel gives a stirring call to action while introducing her newest book, Rise.

International speaker and best-selling author John Bevere unpacks a very personal experience with the Holy Spirit in which he truly understood the enemy’s deception. Watch it below: