Experience Strength, Wisdom and Help: The Benefits of a Living Connection with God

Do you ever wish you had a strong and caring friend to help you through difficult times? If so, the good news is that God is that friend. He has the strength you need and is eager to be a vital part of your daily life.
The Bible states, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him" (II Chronicles 16:9). The word "perfect" here does not mean without flaws, but rather "faithful, loyal, dedicated, and devoted" to God. He actively searches for people who put Him first and make Him the center of their lives.
For 4,000 years, mankind was separated from God due to sin, but through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we have been restored to fellowship with God. This means that as born-again believers, we have full freedom and confidence to enter into God's presence through the power and virtue of Jesus' blood (Hebrews 10:19, The Amplified Bible).
This means that the Creator and Ruler of the universe has made Himself available to meet with us personally every day. We can commune with Him at any time of the day or night. He is saying, "I am here for you. Just draw near to Me and I'll draw near to you. I'll give you the wisdom you need. I'll strengthen and equip you, and help you in every area of your life."
Although He has the solution for every problem, He won't chase us down to get our attention. It's our responsibility to seek Him out. Once we do that, He will be there for us and fulfill His promise in James 4:8. It's important not to wait until hard times come to turn to Him. We should develop a lifestyle of living contact with God, which means setting aside distractions and dedicating time to talk to Him, listen to Him, and commune with Him through reading His Word and prayer. By doing this daily, we will be spiritually strong enough to overcome any challenges that come our way.
As Jesus said, "In the world, we will have tribulation" (John 16:33), but as believers, we don't have to face these trials alone. God promises to be with us in times of trouble and to deliver and honor us (Psalms 91:15). This is why it's essential to maintain a living connection with God.
Jesus teaches us to "abide in me" (John 15:4-5), which means to make our dependency and communion with Him our permanent home. By doing so, we will bear much fruit and have victory in times of trouble. So, let's make it a priority to establish and maintain a living connection with God and experience the strength, wisdom, and help that He generously offers.

Overcoming Defeat and Receiving from God: A Biblical Approach

We all face moments of defeat and discouragement in our lives, but it's important to remember that we don't have to let these feelings control us. By following a biblical approach, we can overcome defeat and receive from God.

1. Make the decision to not be defeated. In I John 5:4-5, it states that "everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." By making the decision to not be defeated, and believing in Jesus as our savior, we can overcome the world and its obstacles.

2. Resist Satan. Satan is the enemy of our souls, and he will try to defeat us by planting thoughts of discouragement and doubt in our minds. But we have the power to resist him, as II Corinthians 10:3-5 says, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." By refusing to entertain Satan's thoughts, and instead taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ, we can resist Satan's attempts to defeat us.

3. Give your attention to God's Word. Proverbs 4:20-22 states, "My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body." By giving our attention to God's Word, we can fix our minds on God's promises, and find strength and guidance to overcome defeat.

4. Refuse to speak words contrary to what you believe you have received. In Mark 11:23-24, Jesus teaches, "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." We must refuse to speak words of defeat, doubt, or lack, and instead speak words of faith, believing that we have received what we ask for in prayer.

By following these biblical principles, we can overcome defeat and receive from God. Remember to make the decision to not be defeated, resist Satan, give your attention to God's Word, and refuse to speak words contrary to what you believe you have received. Trust in God's promises and believe that He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.