Psalm 69:13

But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, at an acceptable and opportune time; O God, in the greatness of Your favor and in the abundance of Your lovingkindness, answer me with truth (that is, the faithfulness of Your salvation).

We all have those moments of intense, needful prayer, crying out to God for help only He can provide. God is faithful when we pray in faith for our needs. He alone knows our fears and circumstances, and He alone can comfort us during the trial.  

Psalm 37:37

Mark the blameless man (who is spiritually complete), and behold the upright (who walks in moral integrity); there is a (good) future for the man of peace (because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants).

Our behavior matters to God, those around us, and our families. God set an example of how to walk upright before Him in Jesus. When we are blameless before God, we live a life of peace and honor. It means something to have a good name here on earth and in heaven.  

James 5:16

Therefore, confess your sins to one another (your false steps, your offenses), and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much.

There is spiritual strength sitting in the pews every Sunday. The power of God-fearing praying people stops the enemy every time. The devil is afraid of a praying church and a praying congregation. Jesus expects us to use our faith for ourselves and others. 

Luke 14:11

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (before others), and he who habitually humbles himself (keeps a realistic self-view) will be exalted.

If we keep ourselves humble before the Lord, we will keep ourselves teachable. When we keep our hearts and attitudes right, God will raise us up because of our relationship with Him. Everything in life comes back to attitude, whether good or bad, and humility is a good attitude.  

Luke 10:19

Listen carefully; I have given you authority (that you now possess) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and (the ability to exercise authority) over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will (in any way) harm you.

Jesus came so we could do greater works than He did here. That means we can stop evil if we exercise our authority. If we don’t exercise our faith or study the Word to know what we can as Christians, we will live defeated lives. Jesus died on the cross to raise us above Satan and exercise our authority.  

Luke 4:47-48

Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a (far-sighted, practical and sensible) man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst again that house and yet could not shake it, because it had been securely built and founded on the rock.  

Take the time to build a strong faith foundation in the WordWord. Practice faith and walk in love so that when a time of testing comes, it will be stopped by a strong foundation. Trials may come, but with the Word of God and our prayers, they don’t have to stay. A faith foundation sets us up for success in this life.  

Mark 6:12

So they went out and preached that men should repent (that is, think differently, recognize sin, turn away from it, and live changed lives).

When we repent, we choose to go in a different direction. Our minds can no longer think of anger, greed, lust, inpatients, or jealousy. We must recognize those thoughts for what they are: sin and replace them with the Word. We will live changed lives When we focus on what is true, kind, and lovely. 

Mark 6:3

Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are His sisters not here with us? And they were (deeply) offended by Him (and their disapproval blinded them to the fact that He was anointed by God as the Messiah).

Letting ourselves be offended stunts our spiritual growth. When we don’t see God’s wisdom coming to us from the Word, we won’t see  His teachings help us check for offenses. It is hard to follow God when we don’t have peace because our minds are stuck going over past hurt.  

Mark 4:25

For whoever has (a teachable heart), to him more (understanding) will be given; and whoever does not have (a yearning for truth), even what he has will be taken from him.

A willing heart and teachable spirit are keys to our relationship with learning the Word and about God. When it comes to God, we know nothing unless we are taught, and we must be willing to learn to increase our knowledge. Knowledge increases our faith, creating a stronger spirit, and we grow as Christians. 

1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on guard; stand firm in your faith (in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound). Act like (mature) men and be courageous; be strong.

Keep the faith and be on guard, not letting the enemy find a way into our lives. If we must guard what we see, hear, and places we go, then we will. The strength of God can keep us when we remain stable and steadfast in the faith. Mark out time for God in the day and keep the relationship strong and the doctrine sound.