Isaiah had a vision of the Lord seated on his throne and the angels spoke in resounding praise and glory unto God. John in Revelation had a similar vision, being caught up to heaven and the angels did not cease day and night to cry: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8).

David understood that God dwells where there is praise and worship. “But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). There is a tangible manifestation of the presence of God, when we bow in praise and worship to Him. And where his spirit is there is freedom and liberty. Burdens are lifted, yokes are destroyed and people are healed and set free.

When we humble ourselves and bow in adoration and glory to God, then he will show up to transform lives. In 2 Chronicles 5, Solomon built a temple for the ark of the covenant, which carried the presence of God. Only the Levitical Priests who were worshippers and musicians were allowed to carry the ark with the presence of God. The ark rested on their shoulders, because the Priests consecrated themselves before God.

And it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD, and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).

Our praise confuses the enemy and wins battles. “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed” (2 Chronicles 20:22). God dwells in our praise and we fight our battles with hands lifted in adoration to God. When we humble ourselves and lift our praise to God, we elevate him high above our cares and worries. When we offer praise and worship God is sure to come in our midst and when he shows up, lives will change. His presence no longer dwells in an ark, but he lives in us and the weight of his glory comes when we worship.

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In 2 Chronicles, a great army gathered against Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah and he called a fast and commanded his people to seek God (2 Chronicles 20).

During their time of fasting and prayer the Lord spoke through a Levite and encouraged the people not to be afraid of the great army……for the battle is not yours but God’s (2 Chronicles 20:15). “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem”( :17).

Once Jehoshaphat and the people heard from the Lord, they fell before the Lord in worship. On the day of battle Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go before the army and declare, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever” (2 Chronicles 20:21).

Just as the Lord had promised the people did not even need to lift a sword, but their praise and worship was enough to destroy their enemies. And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed (2 Chronicles 20:22).

There are some situations that you will feel powerless to fight and the enemy may come against you when you lack strength. Seek the Lord, listen for his word and once he has confirmed his word to you, take your position in worship and let God fight your battles. This battle belongs to God so thank him in advance for your victory.

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Boldness is the willingness to take risks and to act innovatively while demonstrating confidence and courage. It takes courage to be a Christian and to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of cynicism and a culture of doubt and disbelief. It takes courage to speak out against injustice and to demand recompense and restitution when a wrong has been committed.

Jesus demonstrated this boldness even unto the point of death and his life was unconventional, at a time when religious dogma was pervasive. Jesus was not afraid of controversy and spoke boldly in the temple, streets and synagogues, although his message unsettled religious leaders. A den of thieves is what Jesus called the vendors and money changers who sold and traded in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13).

God is a good father, but he is also a God of justice and he hates robbery (Isaiah 61:8). It grieves God when people are treated unfairly. He is a God of vengeance and will recompense when wrongs are committed against the innocent. “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly”
‭‭(Deuteronomy‬ ‭32:35‬).

“Do not be afraid of their faces,” is what God told Jeremiah, “for I am with you to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1:8). So what if your opinion is unpopular and people take offence? Is your aim to please God or to please men? We speak the truth in love and we try our best to be at peace with everyone. There are situations that require us to boldly stand up and declare righteous judgement. The disciples were labelled as, “these who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

The disciples message was not one of conformity or a passive resignation to things as they were. They were revolutionary in their thinking and approach and they did not care if it cost their lives. Take a stand of righteousness, speak up when you notice injustice and work to establish a world which promotes the truth, that we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

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Jesus chose twelve disciples to mentor for the establishment of the great commission. Among the twelve he had a close inner circle of three, Peter, James and John whom he confided in. The hours approaching the crucifixion was a difficult time for Jesus where he struggled with the decision to suffer for mankind. In Matthew 26, he traveled to Gethsemane. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me” (Matthew 26:36-38).

There are people who will try to stay close to us because it meets a need for them. It is not wise to share your inner thoughts and deepest desires with acquaintances, but reserve your secrets for those closest to you who have earned your trust. Trust is not free, but has a currency which is earned with time and the demonstration of being worthy. Not everyone is worthy of trust and our discernment and a demonstration of loyalty will prove who you can trust.

We have to set boundaries in relationships and be careful in those seasons when you are most vulnerable. It is during these times when we need people around us who are safe. These people should also be able to hold us accountable, for decisions that we make and help us to stay grounded when times get difficult. Our inner circle should also challenge us to grow and bring out the best in us. Let us seek God about our relationships and close friendships and let God show us the people that we are able to keep close. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life”
‭‭(Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬).

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Jesus spoke to his disciples about the power and authority given to us over things in earth and in heaven. His assurance is that we have power to allow or disallow certain things in earth and in the heavens. Earlier in Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church and a similar reference was made to binding and loosing. At the start of this reference Jesus mentioned that he would give to us the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus’s teaching followed a discourse about dealing with conflicts and the need to speak the truth in love. He spoke about the need to try to resolve differences by having a discussion with anyone who had done wrong to us. Jesus taught that if after we had done all that we can to resolve a conflict and someone refused to listen, then it was ok to love them from a distance.

We have to try our best to be at peace with all men, but there are times when no matter what we do, this may not be possible. We take our petition to the throne room of God in prayer and be assured that our case is settled in heaven. When we take our petitions to God, we know that he is our adjudicator and High Priest who also governs the affairs of our lives. No wrong that has been done to us will go unnoticed before God and he will take vengeance and offer recompense. It’s similar to an earthly court where cases are heard and a sentence handed down to a guilty party and the person wronged is awarded a settlement.

While there are some prayers that we pray on our own, there are occasions when we need the agreement of other believers. Jesus also said that where two or three are gathered together and agree on anything that it shall be done for them by God in heaven (Matthew 18:19). This is why it is important to find a mature Christian to agree with us in prayer concerning some requests. In this way we guarantee that we are being objective in our request and also at times we need to be supported and strengthened by someone else.

God is in the midst of us and we will not be moved. God is with us and he is our refuge and fortress. He is present with us in trouble. “Be still and know that he is God because he will be exalted in earth and in heaven” (Psalm 46:10).

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Many of us pursue relationships with people that we deem to be of benefit to us. Our human need for love and affirmation means that we avoid loneliness and isolation. We have an innate desire for human contact and relationships. What we grow up desiring to learn is how to cultivate lasting and healthy relationships. At times our negative early childhood experiences, can hinder our ability to form and maintain healthy attachments. The good news is that in the same way that we can learn unhealthy relationship patterns, we can unlearn these behaviours and learn new healthy ways of relating to others.

God created us for relationships and we also have an innate desire for a relationship with a higher being. The crux is what will we use to fill that need for a relationship with a higher power. Either we develop and cultivate a relationship with God, where we allow him to control our lives, or we replace this desire with the love of money or material things. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). God warns us that we cannot seek to serve him and money for example, for money is a master and we are likely to love money and resent God (Matthew 6:24).

It is a relationship with God that will last into eternity and we are advised to store up treasures for ourselves in heaven. We have an eternal reward beyond this life, so we have to live for a treasure that can outlast our earthly existence. We need a hunger for God to cultivate a relationship with him. We know for example, when people are genuine about wanting to be in a relationship with us and we reward this with an audience, when we sense a genuine care for our wellbeing. This has to be balanced against self interest and self seeking motives.

God knows our hearts and what is in our mind and our motives. He can sense either genuine commitment and passion to do his will, or a reluctant submission born out of guilt and shame. What God desires is our hearts, broken with our love for him because we know how much he loves us. A love for him which translates into a hunger and a passion to be close to him and a desire to pursue him into eternity.

“I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:14).

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In Matthew 14, Peter and the other disciples travelled ahead of Jesus, after he had finished teaching the crowds. After Jesus dismissed the crowd, he went into the mountain alone to pray. When he was done praying, the disciples were far away by boat. They encountered a storm and the waves beat against the boat due to a strong wind. Jesus approached the boat by walking on the water towards them, in the early hours of the morning. The disciples did not recognise him and they also did not expect to see him walking on the water towards them. They cried out in fear thinking he was a ghost.

Jesus reassured them that they did not need to fear as it was him walking towards them. Peter being as impulsive as he was or in a manner which some would describe as faith, said to Jesus, “Lord if it is you, let me come to you on the water.” “Come,” Jesus said, to which Peter stepped out and walked on the water toward him. What happened next was the true test of Peter’s faith. He asked Jesus to give him permission to step out and on His word he did, but the wind did not cease. Fear is what overcame Peter and he started to sink and cried out to Jesus to save him. “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus said, grabbing hold of Peter.

Peter had enough faith to recognise that it was Jesus on the water and stepped out to meet him. Stepping out did not calm the wind and Peter’s doubt caused him to sink. We sometimes imagine that if we are sure that we have heard from God and we take a step of faith, that things will automatically be calm.

Dear friends, stepping out on faith often requires maintaining that faith, even when there are winds of doubt and fear around us. It won’t always be calm when God gives us the go ahead to take that first step. But if we continue to walk in faith and do not doubt then Jesus will help us to safety. God is with us and he will guide us and keep us safe, so that no harm can come to us. We have to maintain our trust and confidence in him to help us make it through the storm.

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The defence against constant bombardment is saturation in the word, to hide ourselves in God while the storm rages. That way God will shelter and protect us and be our shield and guide. “But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (Luke 5:15-16).

In order to remain full of the spirit of God, in order to be able to minister to others, Jesus knew the answer to prevent burnout. He often withdrew in order to pray and to connect with God in the wilderness. Sometimes we become bombarded by the cares of life and constant exhaustion and distractions can drain all of our energy. This makes it easy for the enemy to attack our minds and filter in fears, anxiety and depression. In order to reconnect with God, we have to pull away to be alone with God, to communicate with him and to be refilled.

God is our hiding place and the only way to shelter from the storms and cares of life is to find rest and shelter in him. He is never far away and it is the noise and chaos of life that drowns out the voice of God. He will not compete with our busy schedules or overly saturated minds in order to speak to us. We have to make time for God and seek him to find refuge in him.

“God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (Psalm 46:1). Take yourself away from the daily distractions of the noise and the crowd to pray and communicate with God. He will comfort and shelter you and protect you from the attacks of the enemy.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

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David wrote Psalm 18 as a song to glorify God, after he was delivered from his enemies. The description in the Psalm mentioned him being delivered from Saul who was King at the time. Saul had relentlessly pursued David and tried every strategy that he could find to kill him. Despite Saul being King and having all of Israel’s army at his disposal, God protected David and kept him safe.

Saul’s hatred and resentment for David, grew out of his strength in battle and David’s ability to slay more enemies than Saul. “And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands”” (1 Samuel 18:7). This made Saul angry and intimidated by David, because he knew that God had rejected him as King. This was due to Saul’s disobedience and God anointed David as King (1 Samuel 16).

Although David’s anointing was done in private, Saul could see the skill and strength which David displayed on the battlefield. And to add insult to injury, the women made songs about him after the battle, which seemed to exalt him above Saul. Despite Saul’s hatred and many attacks against David, he never retaliated but trusted in God to come to his defence.

In the end Saul came under the attack of the Philistines, was badly wounded and then took his own life (1 Samuel 31). David did not even need to lift his sword against Saul, which he refrained from doing because of his respect for his anointing as King. Today we do not fight with physical weapons, but we fight in the spirit, using weapons mighty through God to pull down strongholds. And when we pray, we expect God to win every battle on our behalf.

“the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me” (Psalm 18:47).

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Have you ever felt misled by someone, or duped into accepting someone to be something which they were not? Some people are skilled at deception and can pretend to be something that they are not, in an effort to gain from others, through the means of deception. We often judge people by their outward appearance but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

When John spoke to us about false prophets, he warned us to test the spirits to see whether they are from God or from the Devil (1 John 4:1). He stated that whoever confesses Jesus Christ is from God. James goes a bit further to remind us that even the demons believe in God and tremble in fear (James 2:19). So even people who profess Jesus Christ and claim to be Christians, can operate with wrong motives.

I always remind people, that Judas ate bread from the same dish with Jesus and that still did not stop him from betraying him (Matthew 26:23). I am not suggesting that we spend our lives being paranoid and mistrusting of everyone. We cannot lock ourselves in a cage, or build a wall around ourselves to stay safe from others. On the contrary, what I am suggesting is that we sharpen our spiritual senses and grow in Christlike maturity, in order to be able to discern good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

Paul told the Corinthians that discernment is a spiritual gift, given to the church for edification. “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:10). As children of God, he encouraged us to desire the gifts of the spirit (1 Corinthians 12:31). If we struggle with discernment, we can pray for God to increase this gift in us. That way we will be able to distinguish between the different types spirits, operating in other people and make better decisions about who to trust.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5).

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