What do you want from God? He will give you what you ask for. But, of all that we want or ask, do you ever think about wanting a personal relationship with God our Father?

God is our refuge. He is our strength. He is our present help when we are in trouble. We are his sheep, and he knows us. When we draw closer to him, to know him, he will draw closer to us.

Get to know God my spending time with him, listen to him, and he will reveal himself to you.

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV) – now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Psalm 46:1 (KJV) – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 95:7 (KJV) – for he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice.

James 4:8 (KJV) – draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

I Corinthians 14:25 (KJV) – and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Taking risk can mean a variety of things, like facing your fears, having faith, trusting God, and moving forward in our life. Yet, they all have one common result — reward.

We have to be willing to take risk not just for ourselves, but for God, To see God work a good thing in us. The smaller the risk we take, the smaller the reward. The greater the risk we take, the greater the reward. No risk, nor reward.

Most of us, want something for nothing. We have to put in the work to achieve what we are trying to do. We can’t expect God to reward us with something if we don’t want to take any risk for the reward.

God wants us to step outside of our comfort zone and take risk — good risk. To do so, we must trust him, have faith, and do the work. He wants to show us it is him that is working in us for his good pleasure, not our own.

Let God show you where he can take you. Have faith, and be unmovable!

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) – but without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Matthew 5:12 (KJV) – rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

James 2:26 (KJV) – for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Philippians 2:13 (KJV) – for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Mark 11:22 (KJV) – and Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

A plant needs to be taken care of in order for it to live, and to grow. Taking off the dead leaves, giving it water, feeding it plant food, and giving it some sun. But, if it’s not fed, it slowly dies.

We are the same. If we are not fed the word of God, we slowly die to self, to the ways of this world.

But, if we are fed the word of God, our light shines, God sheds away old bad habits, our minds are renewed, and our paths are directed by God.

Be fed daily, by reading the word of God. Let God live within you, and know that God is the true way.

II Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) – therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

Romans 12:2 (KJV) – and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Matthew 5:16 (KJV) – let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 6:11 (KJV) – give us this day our daily bread.

John 14:6 (KJV) – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

We are the work of God’s hands, not our own. We are the clay which he is molding. But most of us don’t want to be molded by God. We want to mold ourselves, by doing what we think is best for us. We walk around saying things like; “I know what’s best for me”, “I know what I need”. Little do we know, we don’t.

Most of us don’t have a clue of what’s best for us. Our daily habits are normal to us, therefore we don’t see anything wrong with a lot of the things we say and do. We are therefore, on the inside looking out. But those, who see us on the outside, can see our insides — our flaws.

If we can be honest with ourselves by accepting constructive criticism from others, who we believe are not being judgmental, we will see God revealing to us those things that do not belong within us. Seeing it as coming from God, our thinking will change, our ways will change, and we will see God stretching us, pruning us, cleansing us, and molding us.

God wants you to be like him. He knows you are not perfect, but through him you are perfect. The good that is within you, is not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. And the flaws that is within you, is not of the Spirit, but of the flesh. Know that, you can do nothing without God, but through God. Let Him mold you.

Isaiah 64:8 (KJV) – but now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Matthew 6:8 (KJV) be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Deuteronomy 18:13 (KJV) – thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

Galatians 5:16 (KJV) – this I say them, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

John 15:5 (KJV) – I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Do you hold on to unforgiveness? Do you deserve to be forgiven?

Satan will tell you things to prevent you from wanting to give grace to others. He will remind you of how you were hurt, to make you hold on to the anger, the bitterness, and the pain.

If you have done someone wrong, and have hurt someone, you would want them to have grace for you, and forgive you. It is not God’s will for us to withhold that which is good. Treat others like you want to be treated. God has given you grace, why not extend grace, and give it back to the ones who have hurt you by forgiving them.

Forgive those that hurt you. God’s grace is undeserved to us, but God gives it to us anyway. God loves us so much, and no matter what wrong we have done, He still gives us grace. He still loves us.

Don’t hold on to anger, bitterness, past hurts and pain. For God’s grace is sufficient.

Proverbs 3:27 (KJV) – withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

I Peter 4:10 (KJV) – as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Mark 11:26 (KJV) – but if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

II Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) – and he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

We all want things to go right, and we all want people to do right. But, we all want to do whatever it is — our own way. Because we feel, our way is the right way.

When someone does something wrong, we are quick to judge and condemn, yet we have our own flaws.

Just like an automobile has many parts, but each part has a role. Therefore, they all work together so that that car can run smoothly, to get you from point A to point B.

God made us all different for a reason, and we all have different roles so that we too can work together, for things to run smoothly.

We choose to do things in our strength and do our own will, which makes our lives, as well as others around us, complicated. That is why there are systems and laws in place to make do right, and make us work together.

For those who choose to do things in God’s strength and do His will, there lives are not so complexed. They are not under the law, to follow the law, because they are doing God’s will and not their own. But under grace.

Let us stop throwing stones at others, and examine yourselves. Stop judging and condemning others and you will not be judged or condemned.

Proverbs 21:2 (KJV) – every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.

John 8:7 (KJV) – so when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (KJV) – and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Romans 3:19 (KJV) – now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 6;15 (KJV) – what then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

II Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) – examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Luke 6:37 (KJV) – judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.

Do yo have a jealous streak? Are you jealous of others because of who they are, or what they have? Be honest with yourself — what are you jealous of?

We all have have some type of jealousy in our heart, but some jealously is more intense than others. We could be jealous of ones texture of hair, or of ones spouse, or of a persons accomplishments, to the point that it consumes us, and it affects our at-ti-tude, and it shows on the outside with our actions. We begin to verbalize it, then act on it, which is never nice. But when others recognize it, we deny it.

Satan wants to keep you in bondage to himself, and God wants to set you free from satan, from this world and all that satan try’s to offer you.

God is a jealous God. He doesn’t want us to worship others things, or put others and things, before him, which are considered gods. But, this doesn’t mean we should be jealous of others.

Whatever it is that consumes your jealousy, confess it to yourself, and to our Father that you have an issue of jealousy, and He will deliver you from it. Jesus will set you free — indeed!

Proverbs 6:34 (KJV) – for jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

Titus 2:12 – (KJV) – teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

Exodus 34:14 (KJV) – for thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

I John 1:9 (KJV) – if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 8:36 (KJV) – if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Our anger towards someone, due to their wrong toward us, can stir up within us that we don’t trust God to handle it, so we handle it ourselves. Taking matters into our own hands can be dangerous.

We can be lied to, treated wrongly, mentally and physically abused, or the life of a loved one taken by the hands of someone else, and that pain doesn’t go away overnight. Depending on the circumstances, it can take years. Then, there’s that cycle of pain and sorrow first, anger, then vengeance, way before the healing process.

It’s okay to feel sad and angry, but we shouldn’t let it last long, or let it harbor in our hearts. Harboring does not allow healing. And we must know that vengeance is not ours, it belongs to God.

We in the flesh, believe that man will get away with the wrong they have done. But, that is definitely not true. When we have wronged someone, we will not get away with what we have done. In due time, God will see to it that we pay for our wrong. It’s already done. Everything we have done, under the sun, good or bad, will be revealed, and we will pay for what we have done, whether good or bad.

Stop taking maters into your own hands, trust God, repent, and know that vengeance is not yours, but belongs to God.

Deuteronomy 32:35 (KJV) – to me belongeth vengeance, and recompence: their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

Romans 1:18 (KJV) – for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

Ephesians 4:26 (KJV) – be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Nahum 1:3 (KJV) – the Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Matthew 10:26 (KJV) – fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

Romans 12:19 (KJV) – dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Are you a talker or a listener? Are you trying to get your point across on someone else’s circumstances?

We are so anxious sometimes to tell someone something, that we start talking and the other person haven’t finished saying what it is they have to say. They are trying to get their point across, but we keep butting in, trying to get our point across. Sometimes, we want to answer before they can finish the question.

These type of conversations can sometimes turn into one-sided conversations, or forgetting the importance of what truly needs to be said — missing the point.

Some of us want to be the ‘winner’ in a conversation. We’re trying to let the other person know, we knew what they were going to say by speaking it first, while the other person is trying to tell it. It’s not even a race, and sometimes what we spoke is not the same thing the other person was trying to say. Also, most of us want to be right, and be on the smart end of the stick. But by doing so, you shame yourself.

We are to be quick to listen to what one has to say, then be slow to speak. If you just stop talking and listen, you will find some things have opened your eyes to yourself in some of these conversations.

Proverbs 18:13 (KJV) – he that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

James 1:19 (KJV) – wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.