Learn how to practically help those in need by downloading e-book Helping the Hurting.

The one-page PDF, 5 Minutes to Hope has the things she does when she is struggling. Download it here.

• She has written a blog article: Do you Hate Asking for Help? 

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds . . . (James 1:2)

In and of themselves, our hardships are emphatically not joyful. That’s part of what makes them hard. What could it mean, then, in circumstances like these, to “count it all joy”?

When James charges us to “count it all joy,” he does not mean it all — all our pain, all our trials, all our hardship — is joy in and of itself. Pain is pain, not joy. Trials are trying, not sources of pleasure. Rather, what James has for us — and what the gospel of Christ provides — is a lens on life, and a true vantage point on reality, through which even life’s most painful trials have a vital part to play in our joy.

And not just “even,” but “especially.” In God’s strange and wonderful ways of ruling this world, life’s most painful trials serve a special purpose for our good. God often draws his straightest lines from life’s greatest difficulties to our deepest and sweetest joys. And not just in the long run, but even in the midst of trial. When trials assault our surface pleasures, we’re pressed to consider our deepest, fullest, richest treasures — and to tap those roots for sustenance in ways we simply do not when all is well.

Don’t think that James only has little trials in view here. He says “trials of various kinds” because he means the big ones, too. It can be easy to see how God is at work in life’s little inconveniences, but our greatest tragedies press the hardest, darkest questions on our soul.

Has God abandoned me? Is he really in charge and also good? Is he even there?

James will not have us relegate his charge to “count it all joy” simply to the easy stuff. The very issue at stake is the hardest things — the “trials” of tragedy, loss, distress, despondency, and long-term despair.

Verse 2 may be straightforward enough, but our souls need more than just a command to own this and see it come to life in us. Our minds and hearts need reasons, or at least a reason. Which is exactly what James supplies in what immediately follows.

We could rehearse many of the clear biblical reasons why we can “count it all joy” when we encounter various trials. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). We can write over every trial, “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). And we can say with the apostle, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Or with Jesus, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:12).

But James has something particular in mind: “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3).

“Steadfastness” is not a word we use frequently today, and so likely this does not feel especially compelling at first glance. Another word for it would be endurance. Endurance on its own isn’t necessarily desirable (for instance, enduring in error). What makes it compelling is what we endure in. And what James has in view is very clear: faith in Christ. And for Christians, enduring in faith is what life is all about. If we do not endure in faith, we will be on the wrong side of what matters most in the universe: being right with God, and enjoying him forever, in Jesus.

In other words, one of the things God is doing when he tests our faith is he is preserving our faith. When he lovingly brings trials into our lives — and he does so lovingly for all who are in Jesus — he is working for us, and in us, one of the greatest goods imaginable. When he tests us, he is taking action to keep us. And he keeps us not just by protecting our present level of faith, and not just by growing, enriching, developing, and maturing our faith. But in testing our faith, he is keeping it alive.

God’s preserving work in us through our pain and difficulty is essential to what matters most, and James makes that connection explicit: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).

Faith does not flourish when it lies untested. It atrophies when it goes un-exercised. And eventually it dies. So, when God loves us with his saving love, and gives us saving faith, he commits, because he cares for us, to inject our lives with various trials to train, grow, sweeten, strengthen, and mature what matters most in us. Our “various trials” in this life are not superfluous to our enduring in faith. And they are not just threats to losing our faith. They are one of God’s essential means through which he preserves the faith he has given us and keeps us as his own.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/suffering-that-strengthens-fait

Strange as it may seem, one of the primary purposes of being shaken by suffering is to make our faith more unshakable.

Faith is like muscle tissue: if you stress it to the limit, it gets stronger, not weaker. That’s what James means here. When your faith is threatened and tested and stretched to the breaking point, the result is greater capacity to endure. He calls it steadfastness.

God loves faith so much that he will test it to the breaking point so as to keep it pure and strong.

For example, he did this to Paul according to 2 Corinthians 1:8–9,

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

The words “but that was to” show that there was a purpose in this extreme suffering: it was in order that — for the purpose that — Paul would not rely on himself and his resources, but on God — specifically the promised grace of God in raising the dead.

God so values our wholehearted faith that he will, graciously, if necessary, take away everything else in the world that we might be tempted to rely on — even life itself. His aim is that we grow deeper and stronger in our confidence that he himself will be all we need.

He wants us to be able to say with the psalmist, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25–26).

https://fighterverses.com/blog-post/how-to-count-it-all-joy-james-12-3/

My first thought upon reading these verses is that steadfastness had better be worth it. Be joyful in the midst of your pain, because it will give way to steadfastness? Really?

In order to understand what James is doing, let’s put three definitions underneath all of this. “Joy” is not glib, naive happiness. The Bible refers to joy as contentment in Christ above all else. “Steadfastness” carries similar connotations. It means to be confidently rooted in Christ; in other words, it means that all of our confidence comes from belonging to him, not depending on our own effort or resources. “Faith” is believing that the promises of God that we cannot yet see or feel as reality will someday come true, because he said so.

Now, we can rephrase what James is telling us, and ask how it is possible to live out these words. He is saying, “Seek to be happy in Christ above anything else, and you will find that, even in trials, He will prove Himself and make His promises real to you again.” By implication, then, it will be worth it. All of it will be worth it.

I have personally wrestled with these things. I was born with a spinal defect called Spina Bifida, which took away my ability to walk a few years ago. Amidst approximately 20 surgeries and daily inconveniences, the question of “Why?” has arisen in my heart more than once. What’s the point, the end of all this? Ultimately, the answer has always come back, “Jesus is the point.” I am constantly reminded of how he has worked, of all the people I would have never met, and opportunities I would have never had if I hadn’t been given a disability. But this is not some inspirational story about a human being. This is a miraculous story about God.

See, the idea that “joy is a choice” is an incomplete truth. I can choose joy in having Spina Bifida, and you can choose joy in your trial, only if God gives our hearts joy. Joy is not simply one in a buffet of virtues, from which we can take at random as we feel the urge. It’s not a light switch we can simply flip on in our minds. This is where faith and steadfastness come in.

If God does the miracle of changing our hearts, and if He gives us the gift of faith, we will have the eyes to see where all of our pain is going. To know that whatever suffering we endure really is working for our good. To see that Jesus shows Himself to us more profoundly in our trials, and that this changes everything. To place our confidence in Him; really believing it doesn’t matter if everything is perfect here, because this world is not our home. Our hope is not in the things of this world. James goes on to write that the one without faith will be “like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” Only if God causes our hearts to remain steadfast will we be able to rest joyfully even when our world is caving in. Only if He does all of these things in our hearts can we “choose joy” in our suffering.

Conclusion? Oh, suffering saint, you must pray. I must pray. We must pray together for eyes of faith, hearts of steadfastness. We must seek God in our trials, asking Him for the faith to know He is in the fire with us, and the joy to believe that this is enough. In the end, brothers and sisters, we will see our Savior with unveiled faces. We will know, then, that it was worth it. That He is worth it.

https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/james-1-5

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Life is full of pitfalls and snares, and we often make wrong choices, but it is comforting to know that no matter what trials we may be called upon to face, or what foolish choices we have made in the past, we can go to the Lord and ask Him for godly insight and spiritual understanding, and He has promised to give us all that is needed for the task.

In this passage, James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, is particularly referencing the wisdom we need when compassed about by the various difficulties we encounter in our everyday lives and the tough choices we are all required to make. James was at enmity with God and scornful towards his older sibling. It must have been shocking for this young man to discover that the brother whom he had treated with such contempt, during his life, was his Lord and his Savior.

This bond-servant of Christ may have lacked wisdom in his earlier days but was ready to admit his folly and willing to share with us how easy it is to gain godly wisdom and spiritual understanding. James began his lesson on wisdom by pointing out that the suffering of this life produces patient endurance, which will furnish us with spiritual maturity

There are times when we do not know what to do or which way to turn, and I am sure that James was shocked and mortified when the resurrected Christ visited his petulant, younger brother. But James was a young man with a teachable spirit, who was quick to embrace the wisdom of faith he lacked, and encourages those of us who are deficient in spiritual insight to ask the Lord for the necessary wisdom we need – and not to doubt that He will provide for us liberally.

God knows that we are weak and frail and He knows that the testing our faith can cause us to complain or murmur or to become unsteady in our Christian walk.. but God provides all the wisdom we need to maintain a steady heart, patient endurance, and an unwavering, un-compromised faith in Him. God delights to give generously to all who ask – but we must be prepared to ask Him, to listen to His voice, and to obey His Word.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-stability-of-our-times

Have we ever ached for stability as much as we do now — for the semblance of some new normal, for a return, unmasked and un-distanced, to human life?

Many of us alive today have lived through little societal turmoil and upheaval. We have not endured wars on our native soil. Until now, we have not faced anything like a global pandemic months on end, and the uncertainty and chaos it’s brought around the world, even to the seemingly steadiest of societies.

In wisdom and love, Jesus allowed Peter to be sifted (Luke 22:31). So too his church has been sifted in these days. Our plans, our work, our finances, our relationships, our information sources, our preferences — we have seen that many of the structures and seeming givens in our world are not as sure and steady as we assumed. The instability has exposed a softness, fickleness, and frailty in those around us, and in our own selves. Some humble, long-overlooked saints are shining like never before. Other people have been washed away, revealing they had built their lives on sand.

The stability we need most in days like these, however, is not first and foremost our own. We need the fulfillment of the great prophetic promise that our God “will be the stability of your times” (Isaiah 33:6). How does he do that? We look first to a stability outside ourselves. The old word for it is steadfastness, as Paul prays,

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

In their respective Christian virtue-progressions, Peter, Paul, and James all highlight the need for endurance, or steadfastness (Greek hupomoné) — the ability to bear up under trial. “Make every effort to supplement your . . . self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness” (2 Peter 1:5–6). “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character” (Romans 5:3–4). “The testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:3–4).

Steadfastness, holding fast, is a critical facet of Christian maturity. We do not become complete or godly without it.

The virtue of steadfastness presupposes such waves, big and small — trials, conflicts, difficulties, pressures that would move the ship, and even send her out to sea, were it not for the steadfast anchor, holding the vessel firmly in place. Peter, Paul, and James mention the waves that threaten to carry us away: “our sufferings” (Romans 5:3), “trials of various kinds” (James 1:2) , “the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4). Steadfastness isn’t a virtue that shines in comfort but in conflict — under trial (James 1:12), in persecutions, afflictions, and sufferings (2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 3:10–11).

The Gathering Study: Overview

Preview of James

https://www.gotquestions.org/Gods-timing.html

The first thing we need to understand about God’s timing is that it is perfect, just as all of God’s ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30; Galatians 4:4). God’s timing is never early, and it’s never been late. In fact, from before our birth until the moment we take our last earthly breath, our sovereign God is accomplishing His divine purposes in our lifetimes. He is in complete control of everything and everyone from everlasting to everlasting. No event in history has put so much as a wrinkle in the timing of God’s eternal plan, which He designed before the foundation of the world.

Patience is a spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22), and Scripture makes it clear that God is pleased with us when we display this virtue: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7), for God is good to those who wait for Him (Lamentations 3:25). And our patience often reveals the degree of trust we have in God’s timing. We must remember that God operates according to His perfect and foreordained eternal schedule, not ours. We should take great comfort in knowing that, when we wait on the LORD, we receive divine energy and strength: “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). The psalmist reiterates: “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14).

When we question God’s timing, it is often because we are looking for guidance or deliverance from a difficult situation. We can rest assured, however, that our heavenly Father knows exactly where we are in our lives at every moment. He either put us there or is allowing us to be there, all for His own perfect purpose. In fact, God often uses trials to strengthen our patience, allowing our Christian faith to mature and become complete (James 1:3-4). And we know that all things – including these difficult trials – work out for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). God does indeed hear the cries of His children and will answer those cries according to His perfect will and timing. “A righteous man may have many troubles; the LORD delivers him from them all” (Psalm 34:19). The plans God has for His children are good plans – to help us, not hurt us (Jeremiah 29:11).

What is God’s Grace?

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-is-gods-grace.html

We experience God’s grace because God is gracious. In Exodus 34:6, when God is showing himself to Moses, we read “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Gracious is used here as an adjective describing God. It is one of his attributes.

Gracious, the Hebrew word channun, in its verb form, means to be considerate, to show favor. That God is gracious would mean that he is favorably inclined toward us. That he wants to show favor to us. To do what is best for us.

God is gracious. Graciousness is not something that he puts on and takes off depending on the situation. He is always gracious. He does not decide to show us grace. Rather it is just who he is. Because he is gracious he demonstrates grace in everything he does.

Grace is the Hebrew word chanan or the Greek word charis, meaning “the state of kindness and favor toward someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object.” (Strong’s Greek 5485).

Grace is what God does because he is gracious. Every action of God toward us involves his grace. His creation, his providence, his conviction of the sinner, his gift of salvation, his equipping of the saints, and the future he has prepared for us. All of this is due to God’s grace.

It is impossible to discuss adequately God’s grace without also mentioning love and mercy. These three attributes are closely related. And it is common to see them used together.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Because of his love, God, who is rich in mercy, saved us by his grace. Where does love end and mercy start? Or mercy end and grace begin? I don’t believe you can really draw a line between them. They are not really three different attributes. All three are simply different ways that we as humans see God.

The Unfathomable Riches of Christ

https://bible.org/article/believer%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%E2%84%A2s-unfathomable-riches-christ

When anyone accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior they are instantaneously enriched with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3) and declared to be complete in Christ (Col. 2:10). In fact, the Apostle Paul refers to these blessings as “the unfathomable riches of Christ” in Ephesians 3:8. “Unfathomable” is the Greek anexichniastos which means “past finding out, unsearchable, not to be tracked out.” The idea is that the believer’s blessings in Christ are “too deep to be measured.” Many of these blessings, however, are clearly defined for us in the Bible.

• In the eternal plan of God: Rom 8:29
• Reconciled: 2 Cor 5:18-19
• Redeemed: Col 1:14
• No condemnation: Rom 8:1
• Related to God through propitiation (the satisfaction of God’s holiness): Rom 3:24-26
• All sins removed by His efficacious blood: 1 Peter 2:24
• Vitally joined together in Christ for judgment of the old self “unto a new walk”: Rom 6:6
• Free from the law: Rom 7:4
• Children of GOd: 1 John 3:7
• Adopted (placed as adult sons): rom 8:15
• Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ: Rom 3:22
• Justified: Rom 5:1
• Forgiven all trespasses: Col 1:14
• Made near: Eph 2:13
• Delivered from the powers of darkness: Col 2:13-15
• Translated into the kingdom: Col 1:13
• A gift from God the Father to Christ: John 10.29
• Partakers of the holy and royal priesthood: 1 Pet 2:5
• Chosen generation, a holy nation, and a people of God’s own possession: 1 Pet 2:9
• Have access to God: Eph 2:18
• WIthin the “much more” care of God: Rom 5:9-10
• His inheritance: Eph 1:18
• Our inheritance: 1 Pet 1:4
• A heavenly association: Eph 2:6
• Heavenly citizens: Phil 3:20
• Of the family and household of God: Eph 2:19
• Light in the Lord: Eph 5:8
• Vitally united to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: 1 Thess 1:1
• Blessed with the “first-fruits” and the “earnest” of the Holy Spirit: John 3:6
• Glorified: Rom 8:30
• Complete in Him: Col 2:10
• Possessing “every spiritual blessing”: Eph 1:3

The Sovereignty of God

https://www.thegospelcoalition.com/essay/the-sovereignty-of-god/

The sovereignty of God is the same as the lordship of God, for God is the sovereign over all of creation. The major components of God’s lordship are his control, authority, and covenantal presence.

The sovereignty of God is the fact that he is the Lord over creation; as sovereign, he exercises his rule. This rule is exercised through God’s authority as king, his control over all things, and his presence with his covenantal people and throughout his creation. The divine name, Yahweh, expresses this sovereign rule over against the claims of human kings, such as Pharaoh (Exod. 3:14). Because God is tri-personal, however, his sovereign control is not impersonal or mechanical, but is the loving and gracious oversight of the king of creation and redemption.

His control means that everything happens according to his plan and intention. Authority means that all his commands ought to be obeyed. Presence means that we encounter God’s control and authority in all our experience, so that we cannot escape from his justice or from his love. When theologians talk about “divine sovereignty,” they usually have the first of these in mind, his control. Indeed, the Bible teaches that God controls all things. He has an eternal plan for all of nature and history (Eph. 1:9–11).

So even though Scripture teaches that God controls everything, we should not think of his sovereignty as an impersonal, mechanical determinism. God’s sovereign lordship is deeply personal. As Lord, God not only controls everything (efficaciously, universally), but also utters commands, words of life, that graciously govern the ongoing life of his creatures. And as Lord he has made a sovereign commitment to be “with” those who are his. Indeed, God’s sovereignty is a broad concept, including all that God is and all that he does, even embracing his love.

The Power of Our Praise and Worship

https://www.biblewaymag.com/the-power-of-your-praise-and-worship

The word praise means “the offering of grateful homage in words or song, as an act of worship: a hymn of praise to God”

Worship on the other hand in the New Testament the Greek word most often translated “worship” (proskuneo) is “to fall down before” or “bow down before.” Worship is a state (an attitude) of spirit. The nature of Christian worship is from the inside out and has two equally important parts. We must worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

Worship is a deeper form of praise. Everyone can praise God, but not everyone can truly worship as when you worship every part of you is involve: your mind, body and spirit. You get personal with God as you come from the outer court to the holy of holies where you physically or spiritual prostrate before God

1. Worship pulls down the glory of God. When you worship God the Bible says he inhabits the praises of his people, or he sits enthroned on the praises of his people (Psalms 22:3). What this means is that when you starts to praise God he comes down in your midst and inhabits your praises.
2. Praise and worship breaks yokes and brings deliverance. One of the first thing the enemy does when we are facing difficulties are going through our trials is to play with your mind as our mind is where the battle is either won or lost. He will come and play with your mind, tell you that you’re worthless, you cannot accomplish this or that or he will come and remind you of what you are currently facing. He loves when you focus on your problems, what someone said or did to you and not upon God as that is when he can infiltrate your mind and put thoughts in it that will hold you captive. That is why the Bible says that the weapons God has given us or not of this world, they are not carnal, weak or powerless but they are powerful spiritual weapons given to us by God to “…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”– 2 Corinthians 10:5. What this is saying that when a thought comes we should not sit idle and sup every thought that comes into our mind but we should hold them captive to see if they are God or not. If they are not of God we should destroy them, not to mediate upon them not even for a second but destroy them. ‘No devil I will not accept this thought. I am the head and not the tail’.
3. We receive breakthrough by praising and worshiping God. One of the power or effect of our worship is that we can receive breakthroughs in our lives when we learn to worship and praise God despite what we may be facing. Sometimes the enemy will stand as a fortress before us stopping us from receiving breakthroughs in our finances, relationship, ministry, job and so forth. The enemy is not our friend and his job is to stop us from receiving what the Lord has for us, but God is raising up on army that will not accept defeat or let the enemy robs them of what is theirs but will worship him for their breakthrough.

We Can Live Victorious Lives

We do not have to live defeated, but we can live a victorious life. Praise and worship is one of the most powerful weapon God has given us against the enemy. When we worship God even demons tremble and yokes began to be broken.

That is why the Satan is afraid of a worshiper because he cannot sit on a worshiper very long as when a worshiper gets into the presence of God he have to take his leave. Worship is so powerful that it can bring healing to the physical body, mind and spirit. Sometimes there are yokes on you, things not happening in your life and you need a breakthrough, you are weak in the spirit or body, spirit of heaviness is upon you, depression holds you captive and so forth, you can be free from them by praising and worshiping God.

Chapter 30 – Questions

1. Pg 228: Share what dreams /desires that you have put in God’s hand and you are waiting on His timing.
2. Ephesians 5:20: “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
   • What are you thankful for?
   • Have you ever really meditated on this verse
   • Have you ever continually praised God all day long !!
3. Read the following verses , then discuss the blessings found in the verses.
   • Eph 1:3-14
   • Romans 5:1-11
   • Romans 6:1-23
   • Romans 8:1-31
4. Share thoughts on the sovereignty of God.
5. Share your experience / or thoughts on how worship is a spiritual battle.

https://www.moodybible.org/beliefs/positional-statements/holy-spirit/

The Holy Spirit today plays a major role in the application of salvation to the individual.

• It is the Spirit who brings conviction to the unbeliever and causes him to see the truth of the gospel in a clear light.
• Those who respond to this conviction and place their faith in Jesus Christ receive eternal life and a new nature.
• The Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ, the church.
• He also unites the believer with Christ in His death, enabling him to live victoriously over sin.
• The Holy Spirit controls the believer who yields to God and submits himself to God’s Word.
• When these conditions are met, the believer lives in the power of the Spirit and produces the fruit of the Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit indwells the believer permanently. While the child of God may sin and grieve the Spirit, the Spirit will never leave the true believer.
• Absence of the Holy Spirit is the mark of the unsaved.
• The Holy Spirit seals the believer.
• This ministry guarantees the security of the believer “until the day of redemption.”
• The Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts or abilities for service to every believer.
• Although His restraint of evil in the world today will cease with the rapture,
• He will continue to be present in the earth. In the tribulation period the Spirit will be involved in salvation and filling.
• In the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Spirit will be in God’s people and the Spirit will be upon the King.

Be Filled With the Spirit

https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/transferable-concepts/be-filled-with-the-holy-spirit.html

Not yielded to God, the worldly believer is usually a miserable person — even more miserable than the non-Christian. He is in a period of stunted spiritual growth because he is not confessing and repenting of his sins, and Satan has succeeded in influencing and controlling him through the flesh.

The worldly or carnal Christian certainly experiences the conviction of the Holy Spirit and will not continue in his sins indefinitely; otherwise, he is possibly not a Christian at all. But defeated and fruitless, he depends on self-effort to live the Christian life instead of drawing on the supernatural, inexhaustible resources of the Holy Spirit. Grasping self-interest in one hand and groping for God’s blessing with the other, this person fails again and again to live the Christian life in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit.

Having experienced the joy and blessing of fellowship with God, he has lost present contact and does not know how to recapture that lost fellowship. Yet, the worldly believer can never be satisfied with that old way of life again, and in search of happiness and fulfillment, this person has become self-centered instead of Christ-centered.

As a result, he has become increasingly confused and frustrated and does not know what to do about it. He does not know how to live by faith, and instead he lives by feeling. The worldly Christian tries rather than trusts. He does not know how to stop being worldly nor how to become a spiritual Christian. The only one who can enable him to change is, of course, the Holy Spirit.

The Christian life is a miraculous and supernatural life. Christianity is not what you do for God, but what He does for you. Apart from faith in Christ, you cannot become a Christian, and apart from moment by moment faith or dependence on Him, you cannot live the Christian life. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, Christ lives His supernatural life in and through you.

But the average Christian does not understand how to draw upon the resurrection resources of Christ by faith. As a result, the worldly believer lives in spiritual poverty, not knowing or experiencing his great riches and resources, which are his heritage in Christ.

Lack of knowledge is not the only reason that Christians are not filled with the Holy Spirit. Many of them basically do not believe in God’s trustworthiness and are afraid to relinquish control of their lives to the Holy Spirit for fear that God will require the impossible from them — that He will change their plans, ask them to give away their wealth, take all the fun from their lives, make them endure tragedies or something similar.

Though you are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith and faith alone, it is important to recognize that several factors contribute to preparing your heart for the filling of the Spirit.

1. First, you must desire to live a life that will please the Lord. You have the promise of our Savior: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
2. Second, be willing to surrender your life totally and irrevocably to our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul admonishes in Romans 12:1-2, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
3. Third, confess every known sin which the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and experience the cleansing and forgiveness that God promises in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, however, is not a once-and-for-all experience. There are many fillings, as is made clear in Ephesians 5:18. In the Greek language, in which this command was originally written, the meaning is clearer than that in most English translations. This command of God means to be constantly and continually filled, controlled and empowered with the Holy Spirit as a way of life.

I cannot control myself and be controlled by the Holy Spirit at the same time. Christ cannot be in control if I am on the throne. So I must abdicate. This involves faith. As an expression of my will, in prayer, I surrender the throne of my life to Him, and by faith I draw upon His resources to live a holy and fruitful life.

Develop Dependency by Listening to the Holy Spirit

https://healthyleaders.com/the-three-works-of-the-holy-spirit-dependency/#:~:text=We%20can%20develop%20dependency%20by,to%20listen%20to%20His%

Dependency is continuous walking in the Spirit. Just as Jesus lived in continuous inward fellowship with His Father, so we are to be continuously dependent on God. As we do this, the Holy Spirit changes us.

Living in constant inward fellowship with God means living minute by minute in the inward presence of the Lord Jesus by His Spirit. This does not necessarily involve emotions and feelings, but it is a spiritual consciousness of the presence of God, a lifestyle of drawing life, wisdom, peace, and strength from His life. A total dependence on God continuously looks at Him with the eyes of our hearts.

Jesus gave us a wonderful promise of abiding fellowship with God (John 14:21-23):..… He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him … My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

This is a promise of the manifestation (“show Myself”) and continuous presence (“Our home”) of God in our hearts. We can live in this continuous inward fellowship with Jesus by His Spirit. As we do this, we will draw from His strength and His wisdom in order to fulfill His purposes (John 15:4-5).

Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must abide in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man abides in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.Jesus lived in continuous fellowship with His Father, and through that fellowship He drew from, and lived by, His Father’s life

What Does It Mean to Abide in Christ?

.https://www.christianity.com/bible/bible-study/what-does-it-mean-to-abide-in-christ.html

Connection with Jesus    Abiding in Jesus first of all means having a life-giving connection to him. A branch is connected to the vine, and a vine to the branch. This is what theologians frequently describe as “union with Christ.” Notice that this connection, this union, is mutual. We abide in him and he abides in us (John 15:4). If there is no connection, there is no life, no fruit.

Dependence on Jesus    But abiding also implies dependence. This aspect of abiding, unlike connection, is not reciprocal. The branch is dependent on the vine, but the vine is not dependent on the branch. The branch derives its life and power from the vine. Without the vine, the branch is useless, lifeless, powerless. Sap flows from the vine to the branch, supplying it with water, minerals, and nutrients that make it grow. And believers receive the “sap” of Christ’s grace through our life-giving connection to him. We are completely dependent upon Jesus for everything that counts as spiritual fruit (John 15:4). Apart from him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Continuance with Jesus   Abiding also involves continuance. In fact, “abide” (Greek, meno) means to remain, or stay, or continue. For example, in John 1:38-39, two of the disciples who first encountered Jesus asked him “Where are you staying?” They wanted to know where Jesus made his residence. The word “staying” is the same word translated “abide” in John 15. To abide is to reside. To abide is to continue, to stay, to remain.

Chapter 29 Questions

1. After having read Chapter 29, please share one “take away “ thought/insight that will be helpful in your daily walk.
2. Pg 222: Discuss what it means to have an openness to the Holy Spirit’s control . What fears do you have that could be thwarting your openness?
3. Pg 223: Discuss what it looks like to be dependent upon His control. What is Thrasher saying with “ You cannot trust God for something that has not been surrendered to Him.” Discuss Thrasher’s statement “Dependence on the Spirit does not mean inactivity, but it does mean activating our faith before we activate our wills “.
4. Pg 225: Discuss what it looks like to be responsive to His control.
5. Pg 226: “ It is God’s Word that explains to us how to be open, dependent, and responsive to God’s Spirit” (Thrasher). Share how God’s Word is helping you abide in the Lord. Give specifics from your daily time in the Word.

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/why-should-we-worship-god.html

Before discussing why we should worship God, it would be good to understand just what worship is. For many Christians, worship is what we do on Sunday morning. Singing a few songs, listening to a teaching, sharing communion/Eucharist, and doing whatever else is scheduled for the Sunday morning meeting time.

But worship is so much more than that. And, all too often, what we call worship is not really worship at all. What we call worship is all too often entertainment. And we evaluate the effectiveness of worship by how it makes us feel. But worship is really about what we give. Not what we receive.
Worship is bowing before our superior, in this case, God. True worship costs us something.

In Romans 12:1 that cost is described as the sacrifice of self. When we come before God in worship, we humbly give ourselves up to his Lordship, proclaiming that he is worthy and exalting him in praise.

Because He Is the Alpha and the Omega

Because He Is the Creator

In the fourth chapter of Revelation, John sees a vision of God on his throne in heaven. And surrounding the throne are four living creatures and 24 elders. They are worshiping God and saying,

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

They are proclaiming that God is worthy of our worship because he created all things. Because all things have their being in him.

Because He Is Lord

In 1 Chronicles 16:29, we are told to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” The Lord alone is worthy of our adoration and worship. The Psalms are filled with calls to praise the Lord including Psalm 95:6, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” And Jesus also tells us that “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

Because He Is the Redeemer

God is worthy of my worship because he is my creator and Lord. But he is much more than that. Throughout the pages of the Bible, you can find him working to call people to himself. And, more personally, he has called me to himself.

I am a sinful human. One who was separated from the love of God by my sin. But God provided a suitable sacrifice for my sin. He imputed to me the righteousness of Christ. He adopted me into his family. And he has prepared an eternal future for me with himself.

Because He Is Worthy

In the end, everyone will bow before God and worship him as Lord. When we all stand before him, his glory and majesty will overwhelm each one. We will bow then, not because we are forced to, but simply because we will acknowledge that he is worthy of our worship.

But how much better if we worship him now. He is our creator, Lord, and redeemer. Our natural response to him should be to mimic the elders and living creatures in Revelation 4:9-10 and bow before him,

Worship in Spirit and Truth

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-does-it-mean-to-worship-god-in-spirit-and-truth/

To say that we must worship God “in spirit” means, among other things, that it must originate from within, from the heart; it must be sincere, motivated by our love for God and gratitude for all he is and has done. Worship cannot be mechanical or formalistic. That does not necessarily rule out certain rituals or liturgy. But it does demand that all physical postures or symbolic actions must be infused with heartfelt commitment and faith and love and zeal.

But the word “spirit” here may also be a reference to the Holy Spirit—there’s disagreement among good Bible scholars. The apostle Paul said that Christians “worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3).

It’s the Holy Spirit who awakens in us an understanding of God’s beauty and splendor and power. It’s the Holy Spirit who stirs us to celebrate and rejoice and give thanks. It’s the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to see and savor all that God is for us in Jesus. It’s the Holy Spirit who, I hope and pray, orchestrates our services and leads us in corporate praise of God.

This worship, however, must also be “in truth.” This is easier for us to understand, for it obviously means that our worship must conform to the revelation of God in Scripture. It must be informed by who God is and what he is like.

Our worship must be rooted in and tethered to the realities of biblical revelation. God forbid that we should ever sing heresy. Worship is not meant to be formed by what feels good, but by the light of what’s true.

Genuine, Christ-exalting worship must never be mindless or based in ignorance. It must be doctrinally grounded and focused on the truth of all we know of our great Triune God. To worship inconsistently with what is revealed to us in Scripture ultimately degenerates into idolatry.

True Worship

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-worship

Let’s start with the inner essence of worship and then work out to the more public expressions of worship services or daily acts of love, which Paul calls our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).

The reason I make the distinction between the inner essence of worship and the external expression of it is because I think Jesus did in Matthew 15:8–9: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me.”

For Jesus, this worship amounts to zero. That is what “vain” means. “In vain do they worship me.” Zero. It is not worship. This is a zero worship. It is zero if there is no heart dimension to it. So, you can do as many deeds as you want and go to as many church services as you want and never be worshiping if it is all external and nothing is happening in your heart toward God. All true worship is in essence a matter of the heart. It is more, but it is not less.

Then the question becomes: What is this inner, authentic, Godward experience of the heart that we call the essence of worship? Jesus pointed us toward an answer in John 4:23–24 when he said, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Notice that worshiping in spirit is not contrasted with worshiping in the body or with the body. Instead, it is put alongside worshiping in truth.

Secondly, worship depends on a right spiritual or emotional or affectional heart-grasp of God’s supreme value. So true worship is based on a right understanding of God’s nature, and it is a right valuing of God’s worth.

So, here is my summary: The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.

Essence of Worship

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-inner-essence-of-worship

Now I take it as a given that worship, whether an inner act of the heart, or an outward act of the body, or of the congregation collectively, is a magnifying of God. That is, it is an act that shows how magnificent God is. It is an act that reveals or expresses how great and glorious he is. Worship is all about reflecting the worth or value of God.
What inner experience of the heart does that? If the essence of worship is not mere outward form, but inner, Godward experience, what experience reveals and expresses how great and glorious God is? To answer that question we go to Philippians 1:20–21.

Notice from verse 20 what Paul’s mission in life is. He says it is “my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted [the key word, “magnified” — shown to be great and glorious] in my body, whether by life or by death.” So what Paul is saying is that his earnest hope and passion is that what he does with his body, whether in life or death, will always be worship. In life and death, his mission is to magnify Christ — to show that Christ is magnificent, to exalt Christ, and demonstrate that he is great. That’s plain from verse 20: “that Christ shall be exalted in my body, whether by life or death.”
This means that we can now say that the inner essence of worship is cherishing Christ as gain — indeed as more gain than all that life can offer — family, career, retirement, fame, food, friends. The essence of worship is experiencing Christ as gain. Or to use words that we love to use around here: it is savoring Christ, treasuring Christ, being satisfied with Christ. This is the inner essence of worship. Because, Paul says, experiencing Christ as gain in death is the way he is exalted in death.

“Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing of blessing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the mama did when it was hoarded [Exodus 16]. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself, it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others.” – Oswald Chambers

“ The best preparation for worship is not a rehearsal but surrender “ – A.W. Tozer

Chapter 28 Questions

1. Look up these verses , and share how they make you feel / think about God
   • Psalm 96:4-9
   • Psalm 29:1-2
   • 1 Chronicles 16:25-29
   • Psalm 86:12
2. Pg 217: Fill in the blanks ! “ Worship is the _________ of all our nature to God . It is the __________ of _________ by His holiness ; the ___________ of mind with His truth ; the __________ of the imagination by His beauty; the ________ of the ___________ to His love ; the _________ of _________ to His purpose. “
3. Discuss William Temple’s definition of worship (above)
4. Pg 217-218: “The heart is the control center of our inner person“ ( Thrasher ) How do we give our mind , emotion and will when we worship?
5. Pg 219- 220: Discuss what unacceptable worship looks like .
6. Share thoughts , insights from the book or the notes.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gospel-worship/excerpts/worship-we-get-joy-god-gets-praise

Therefore, joyful, heartfelt, hope-filled delight in the God of mercy is the essence of worship. Not the totality of worship, but it is the essence. That’s amazingly good news, that he would say the aim of the gospel is that the Gentiles would glorify God for his mercy (Romans 15:9). And I’ve unpacked “glorify” in terms of joy and hope and praise and song and exultation

And the reason that’s such amazing news is that we get the mercy, God gets the glory. We get the joy, God gets the praise. We get the hope, God gets the honor. Such a deal! This is the best of all possible worlds. That God would set up the universe in such a way that his praise and his glory and his honor would be a function of my joy and hope. Amazing.

So we are calling the nations to be glad! “Let the nations be glad” (Psalm 97:1)! And that’s not the opposite of “let the nations worship God.” That’s the essence of worshiping God, which is why the gospel is called gospel — euangelion [good news], not bad news.

https://asymphonyofpraise.com/blog/the-power-of-praise

Most would agree that He is what we love and value the most. So why is it so difficult for so many of us to praise Him? In Reflections on the Psalms, C. S. Lewis writs that praise is “inner health made audible”. Isn’t that beautiful?

Praise Gives Us Access to God

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”. This verse refers to Moses’ Tabernacle in the wilderness. The Tabernacle was divided into three parts. The Outer Court, The Inner Court, and The Holy of Holies where God dwelt.

There was only one gate – one entrance – into The Outer Court. If you wanted to approach God, you had to go through the gate, into the courtyard, and finally into The Holy of Holies. 

The gate you come through to approach God is thanksgiving and the court you enter is praise. Psalm 100:4 should be so much more meaningful in light of its historical context.

It pains me to see people skip the praise and worship portion of a service. Worse yet, I’ve led worship in conferences where the Pastor or visiting speaker would skip out on worship, and show up at the very end just in time to speak.

Praise and worship is not the opening act to the Pastor’s message! Praise softens the soil of your heart so the seeds of the message can be planted.

To have direct access to God, it is essential to come through praise.

Praise Changes You

Leading worship, I have seen a lot from the platform. I’ve seen the hardest of hearts melt. I’ve seen repentance. I’ve seen friendship restored and marriages heal. I’ve seen children coming back to their parents, and parents return to their children.

Praise can change you if you allow it to.

Praise changes relationships. It changes hearts. It changes mindsets. In praise, our focus shifts from us to the Lord. From problems to The Solution. From pain to promise. From hurt to hope.

Proverbs 27:21 says, “As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.” Judson Cornwall says it this way in Let Us Praise. “So often, when we have heated our Spirits in worship . . . thoughts, desires, and attitudes rise to the surface.” 

As we are broken and heated in the presence of the Lord, those negative attitudes rise to the surface of our hearts. We are then able to bring them to Jesus to be forgiven and cleansed. 

In the fires of praise, God reaches out and melts down our jagged edges until we become smooth and pliable in His hands. Only then can we be molded into His image. We become so smooth and clear that when others look at us – when we look at ourselves, we see a mirror reflecting the image of Jesus. 

Praise is a Relationship, Not a Ritual

Psalm 81:10 says, “I am the Lord, YOUR God . . .”. Isn’t it wonderful to know that He is ours and we are His? Praise brings us into a closer relationship with Jesus.

I love Exodus 25:8. God tells Moses to build a sanctuary that “I may dwell among them”. He didn’t want a cathedral shining with jewels to show His awesomeness. He didn’t ask for massive monuments or statues made of gold. 

God asked for a simple tent. It wasn’t about the structure. It was about the relationship. He wanted a tabernacle just so He could be with us. That brings such tears to my eyes. The God of all of the earth could be anywhere, could have anything, could do anything, and yet He chooses to be with you, dear friend. 

I’ve been in the most beautifully structured churches. They are gorgeous to look at, but the Spirit of the Lord is no where to be found. I’ve sat in simple living rooms with a handful of saints, and the presence of God is so strong it is tangible. 

God doesn’t want anything to dwell in but us. He wants relationship with us. That relationship comes through praise.

The problem comes in when ritual takes the place of pure praise. A.W. Tozer said, “Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.” In 1962, Tozer grieved, “It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction was God.”

He inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3). He dwells in, lives in, and abides in our praise. My dear friends, He just wants a relationship with you.

Praise Defeats the Enemy

The first mention of praise in the Bible is at the birth of Jacob’s son, Judah, in Genesis 29:35. Judah means praise. No matter where you see the name Judah in the Bible, it always means praise. 

Revelation 5:5 tells us that our Lord Jesus, The Lion of the Tribe of Praise (Judah) has overcome! So many of us walk around in fear of the enemy. Whether it is “the devil” you fear, your own thoughts, or your next door neighbor, we often walk around fearing our enemy and what he/she could do to us. 

In 2 Chronicles 20:21, King Jehoshaphat “appointed singers unto the Lord, that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endures for ever.”  The choir and the orchestra went ahead of the warriors! It worked. The enemies were defeated and Judah never even had to take out their swords!

How many battles do we needlessly fight; drawing our swords of worry, our shields of fear, and our words of war? What would happen if we simply trusted that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah has already won the battle?

What would happen in our lives if we put away our warring words, and lifted our voices in praise?

Judson Cornwall said, “Saints who would learn to do battle for the Lord should first learn how to praise, for God sends praise as the shock troops to drive the enemy back before the rest of the army is allowed to join the battle.” (Let us Praise, pg. 44-45)

We could write a hundred more pages about the truths of the power of praise, but these four offer us a start into why praise should be a part of our everyday life. Praise gives us access to God. It changes us from the inside out causing us to be a reflection of our father. Praise is about relationship with our creator, and not just ritual. Praise defeats our enemies and brings us closer to God’s will for our lives.

What The Power of Praise Can Do

https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/debbie-mcdaniel/what-the-power-of-praise-can-do.html

• Praise gets our focus off ourselves and back on God.
• Praise brings us to a place of humility
• Praise makes the enemy flee.
• Praise leaves no room for complaining and negativity
• Praise makes room for God’s blessings over our lives.
• Praise invites His presence.
• Our spirits are refreshed and renewed in His presence.
• It paves the way for God’s power to be displayed, miracles ​happen.

“When we lift our hands in praise and worship, we break spiritual jars of perfume over Jesus. The fragrance of our praise fills the whole earth and touches the heart of God.”
― Dennis Ignatius

Chapter 27 Questions

1. Pg 207: Thrasher shared a story about David Wilkerson and his encounter with a gang and his sudden burst of praise which made the gang to flee. Share a time when you experienced an outburst of praise! ( It doesn’t need to be as dramatic as Wilkerson’s! )
2. Share a favorite psalm of praise  ! Or….do you have a favorite praise song  ?
3. Pg 208-214: Discuss each “Worship “ section…
4. Pg 208: “as a person becomes or focuses on God’s glorious character, he is transformed into His image “
5. Pg 209: “ Worship delivers a person from the lie that there is someone or something other than God who is worthy of our ultimate trust, affection and adoration “
6. Pg 210: ” Worship gives purpose and meaning to relationships since the deepest fellowship with others is found in inviting them to worship the Lord with us “
7. Pg 210: ” It is logical that if we are occupied with the object of our faith in praise and worship, our faith will be strengthened “
8. Pg 210-211: God declares Himself to be enthroned upon the praise of His people  , ….Today He manifests Himself in His church “
9. Pg 212: ” In worship we can be drawn to God and see His eternal perspective “
10. Pg 213: ” The Lord alone is to be worshiped and served……for we will serve the one we worship. “
11. Pg 214: ” Use the  occasion to praise Jesus Christ every time I was discouraged ….Satan so hates the genuine praise of Christ that his fiery darts of discouragement are not effective against us when we respond in praise”.
12. Share any thoughts /insights from the book or the notes.

For more information about Deborah Rise Movement, here is a link to their latest newsletter: DRM-Newsletter

Here is a link to this ministry: DRM-Covid Care

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-20/commentary-on-matthew-1510-20-21-28-5

Jesus’ response to her second cry for help includes a reiteration of his mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He even likens her status as a Gentile to the status of the small, pet dogs who long to be fed from the table (Matt 15:26).

The woman, however, is not deterred. She claims a place in the household, but it is a not a position of privilege or even the position of an insider. She accepts the status of a family’s dog by claiming that even the dog enjoys crumbs from the table.

Her statement is striking. She places hope in what others have discarded. This Son of David has so much power that there is enough power for the house of Israel and more than enough left over for her. She is not trying to thwart his mission. She just wants a crumb, recognizing that even a crumb is powerful enough to defeat the demon that has possessed her daughter.

Jesus praises her faith. This woman seems to understand what the members of the household of Israel have yet to grasp .Jesus is not just hope for Israel, but hope for the world.

https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-crumbs-for-dogs-matthew-15

In his commentary on this passage, Matthew Henry said, “She demonstrated spiritual quickness and sagacity” recognizing that which seems to be against us can be used for our benefit. Sagacity is one of those great descriptive words that we don’t use very often in our speech. It comes from the root word sage as in a wise sage or teacher. She sought Jesus- the one with the power and authority to meet her needs. All too often we turn to futile sources to meet our deepest needs. She continued her sagacious pursuit by calling Jesus the “Son of David,” which reveals knowledge of the promises concerning the Jewish messiah. Then, she referred to Jesus as Lord, acknowledging that He was worthy of praise. Don’t miss the lesson that she praised Jesus in the midst of her pain. The psalmist proclaimed that God is enthroned or inhabits the praises of His children.

A second characteristic that contributes to her deliverance is her humility. We should never confuse humility with weakness. This mother is a courageous warrior fighting for her child, but she humbly submits to the Lord of the universe. Pride would have been offended by the dog comment. Pride would have returned insult for insult, and pride would have gone away empty. The Bible says, “God rejects the proud, but He gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

A third and perhaps the main characteristic contributing to her blessing was tenacity. With the odds stacked against her, she pushes forward. When she got knocked down by circumstances and criticism, she got back up. When others told her to quit because she was wasting Jesus’ time, she continued to ask. Elijah prayed seven times before he saw the first small cloud. Jesus prayed the same prayer three times in the garden of Gethsemane, and this amazing woman asks three times for help. The primary purpose of this story is to inspire us not to give up just because the hill is difficult to climb. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking.

Persevering in Prayer

https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-81-persevering-prayer-luke-181-8

Although even in this lifetime we may not understand the reasons why God delays to answer our cries of agony, we can know for certain that He never delays to answer because He does not care for us or because He is unable to do what we need. He is able to do far more than we can ask or even think, even if it seems impossible to us. Because He is omniscient, God knows even the needs that we do not bring to Him in prayer. Because He is omnipresent, He can deal with your needs in Flagstaff at the same moment that He is dealing with some needy saint in Bangladesh. Because He is omnipotent, He has plenty of power to go around. Meeting your need won’t drain His supply

God doesn’t usually explain in advance why He is delaying the answers to our requests. But we need to cling to the fact that His delays are always for our good, even if we don’t understand the reasons why.

But what does Jesus mean when He says that justice will come speedily? Here we are almost 2,000 years later, and Jesus has not returned to rescue His needy people. We all know stories of faithful saints who have prayed for something all their lives, but their prayers went unanswered. What does speedily mean?

We must understand it from God’s timetable, not ours. With the Lord, a thousand years are like a day or as a watch in the night (2 Pet. 3:8; Psa 90:4). He told Noah that there would be a flood, but 100 years went by without a drop of rain while Noah endured his mocking neighbors. He promised Abraham a son, but he watched Sarah go through menopause and 25 years elapsed before Isaac was born. He promised Joseph in his teenage years through his dreams that his father and brothers would bow down to him, but he spent his twenties in an Egyptian dungeon. He promised to deliver His people from bondage in Egypt, but 400 long years went by before He raised up Moses, and that only after Moses spent 40 years in the desert after his failure. He promised to send His Messiah, but His people had to wait 400 years after the last prophet before, in the fullness of time, God sent His Son (Gal. 4:4). Speedily by God’s calendar is not speedily by ours! One answer to the problem of delayed answers to our prayers is to get a proper view of God.

Sometimes He is waiting, like a patient farmer, until the fruits of godliness, faith, and humility in our hearts is ripe before He grants the answers (Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer [Spire Books], pp. 88-89). Jesus says that when He returns, He will be looking for faith on the earth, but the implication is that it will be a scarce commodity (the Greek expects a negative answer). While the world may scoff because God seemingly neglects His saints, surely we ought to cling to Him in faith!

Don’t Give Up

https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/10/dont-give-up-when-tired-of-battle/

How should you pray when you are worn out, discouraged, and weary of the battle? You could pray, “Lord, give me patience.” That would be good. But a better way to pray is to ask God to increase your love and to renew your confidence in his ultimate triumph.

You can pray about the surface issue, but you will pray better if your prayer touches the root of the problem. Underneath all your struggles with patience and perseverance, you will find a faith that is losing heart and a love that is growing cold.

Maybe you’ve been praying for an unbelieving loved one for years and nothing has happened. You’re getting discouraged. You can say to the Lord, “Help me to persevere in prayer.” But a better way to pray would be to ask God to increase your faith in His ability to change this person and to increase your love for this person with whom you are probably now feeling very impatient.

Maybe you are battling again with the same old sin. You are discouraged by your many failures, and you are tired of the battle. Ask the Lord to increase your faith in His power to overcome this evil in your life. Ask God to help you love Him more than you love the sin that besets you.

God is the One who makes faith and love grow, so ask Him to do it specifically in relation to your battle. God will use the hardest things in your life to make you like Christ.

Jesus endured what he suffered by exercising faith. “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he trusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:23). That’s faith! Jesus was surrounded by darkness, but He put his faith in the ultimate triumph of God!

Jesus also endured through love. How could he stay on that cross? People were shouting for Him to come down. What made Him stay there? “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for His friends” (John 15:13).

Christ persevered through faith and He endured through love. When others see you enduring great trials because your faith is growing and your love is increasing, they will also see a reflection of Jesus Christ in you.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/persevere-in-prayer

 Continue steadfastly in prayer. Please don’t give up the diligence that you showed during prayer week.  There is so much power to be had in persevering prayer. Don’t forget the “impudent friend” of Luke 11:8 and don’t forget the parable Jesus told to the effect that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1–8). Perseverance is the great test of genuineness in the Christian life. I praise God that some of you have persevered in prayer 60, 70, or 80 years! O, let us be a praying church, and let 1982 be saturated with prayers to the Lord of the harvest. Won’t it be great to say in the end, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)?

 Be watchful in your prayers. This means, be alert! Be mentally awake! Paul probably learned this from the story of what happened in Gethsemane. Jesus asked the disciples to pray, but found them sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Mark 14:37–38). We must be on the watch as we pray — on the watch against a wandering mind, against vain repetitions, against trite and meaningless expressions, against limited, selfish desires. And we should also watch for what is good. We should especially be alert to God’s guidance of our prayers in Scripture. It is God who works in us to will our prayers, but we always experience this divine enablement as our own resolve and decision.

 We are to be thankful in all our prayers. The stories I have heard of what God is doing in so many of your lives through renewed prayer are amazing. They have really stirred me up to press on in prayer with thanksgiving. Keep telling me and sharing with others these good things. God will make this a harvest year if we press on in prayer with the joy of thankfulness.

When Should We Stop Praying for Something?

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/when-should-i-stop-praying-for-something

Isn’t it significant (I think it is) that in the Bible we have the statement “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2), but we don’t have the statement “You pray too much or too long”? We don’t have a statement that says, “You have things I did not want to give you because you kept on asking me when it was time to quit.” We don’t have anything like that.

In fact, all the emphasis in the New Testament is in the other direction. Keep on praying, don’t lose heart (Luke 18:1). Ask, seek, knock (Matthew 7:7). Wake up your friend at midnight if you must (Luke 11:5–13). Go back to the city judge until he gives you justice even though he just wants you off his back (Luke 18:1–8). I mean, those are amazing, horrible pictures of God. And the point is that he loves when we keep on coming and badgering him for something we want very badly according to his revealed will.

Chapter 26 Questions

1. Share a time when you persevered in prayer before it was answered. How did you encourage yourself to continue to pray ?
2. Read Matt 15:21-28. Discuss what this story showed about persevering in prayer.
3. Pages 197-199: “  Our sovereign God has purposed to sometimes require persevering prayer as the means to accomplish His will “. Discuss this statement and the five bullet points why God has chosen to work through persevering prayer .
4. Pages 200-201: Discuss the three truths of when we should persevere in prayer. What insights did you receive  ?
   • When you desire God more than you desire the answer to your prayers.
   • When you are standing on the Word of God
   • When you are willing to wait on God’s timing for the answer.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Philippians-4-6.html

What is the meaning of Philippians 4:6? “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”

If discouragement over the problems addressed in the letter (or anything else) was robbing the Philippians of joy, then Paul gives the solution in Philippians 4:6. There is no need to fret and worry about the way things are. The solution is to give the problems over to the Only One who can actually do something about them. The Philippians are to pray in every situation, bringing their petitions (requests) to God and offering prayers of thanksgiving for what God has already done.

 When we have problems and worries, we often forget to pray about them. Then, when we do pray, we may think that the only help that God can give is to grant the request as we have presented it and change the situation. God may very well do that. He has the power to change any situation, but He will not be limited to that. God does not promise to change every situation to our liking. What He does promise to do is give us peace during any situation. In other words, God may or may not change the circumstance, but He will change our disposition toward it so that it does not cause us inner turmoil.

Practically speaking, Philippians 4:6 gives us a model for the kind of prayer we need to pray when we are anxious or worried. First, we reject worry: do not be anxious about anything. Then, we simply ask God for what we need: in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And we thank Him for all that He has already done: with thanksgiving. Finally, we rest, knowing that He loves us and will work things out for our good and His glory. God’s peace is then ours.

Living By Faith

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-pace-of-faith

When Paul says, “The life I live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me,” he means: “Moment by moment I feel confidence that the love which moved Jesus to the cross for me is also moving him now to work in my circumstances for my good.” That’s why Paul could say, “I have learned in whatever state I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11). He believed in the present power and goodness of God and so he was not in haste: no frenzy, no jitters.

Haste makes waste. Waste of peace. Waste of health. Waste of joy. The Lord is never in haste for he has all things under control. What a steady power should mark his people! We dishonor him by our fretful hurrying. The children of the king do not panic when they lose their keys.

Anxiety Can Be a Spiritual as well as a Mental Health Issue

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/how-to-deal-with-anxiety-as-a-christian.html

Anxiety is not that simple because it often misunderstood to be simply that a person is stressing too much. There is a distinct difference between the sin of anxiety and the mental health disorder of anxiety that is characterized by physical changes in the brain. Anxiety is both a mental health issue and a spiritual issue. 

Billy Graham once said: “At its best, anxiety distracts us from our relationship with God and the truth that He is “Lord of heaven and earth” (Matthew 11:25). At its worst, anxiety is a crippling disease, taking over our minds and plunging our thoughts into darkness.”

The Bible goes on to tell us in the book in Philippians chapter 4, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The first step to becoming free of anxiety is to give your life to Jesus Christ. Once you’ve taken this step, the next is to practice fixing your thoughts on Christ and his promises. (John 14:2-3). In the battlefield of our minds, we are to practice awareness of our thoughts and take them captive. 

Anxiety crops up when we least expect it. It happens when we’ve put too much on our plates. When we pile on the hustle, the busy, the doing, the too much, the too many yeses. Our body doesn’t know any other way but to say no. And our bodies shut down in ways we don’t expect. God didn’t design us to hustle 24-7. He designed us to Be Still and Know. To ‘Be still’ means to rest in God’s presence. This verse wasn’t written in the context of taking a spa day. It was written in the context of war. The meaning of the Psalm means to: stop, cease striving and stop fighting. It means to acknowledge who our God is and be in awe of him. Daily we should learn to be still before our Lord. It keeps the world from spinning off its axis within our minds. That means to become un-busy, to not hustle. We are to prioritize our time with Him and listen to what our bodies need. Rest, exercise, a good bedtime routine, getting eight hours of sleep, and consume healing foods. This is how we war against the battle of anxiety. 

How to Overcome Fear, Anxiety and Worry

https://billygraham.org/story/how-to-overcome-fear-anxiety-and-worry

Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. —Billy Graham. When Billy Graham wrote those words in 1965, no one knew how true they would be 50 years later.

At its best, anxiety distracts us from our relationship with God and the truth that He is “Lord of heaven and earth” (Matthew 11:25). At its worst, anxiety is a crippling disease, taking over our minds and plunging our thoughts into darkness.

But God wants so much more for us than to walk through life full of fear, worry and anxiety.

“Do not be anxious about anything,” the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians, chapter 4, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Our instructions don’t stop there. The chapter goes on to tell believers exactly what we should focus on. And it’s not fear, terrorism, illness, death or evil.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9, ESV, emphasis added).

The first step to an anxiety-free mind is to give your life to Jesus Christ. Once you’ve taken that step, it’s important to fix your thoughts on Jesus and the promise that He is preparing a place for His followers in heaven (John 14:2-3).

Scriptures on Anxiety and Fear

https://billygraham.org/story/bible-verses-on-anxiety-fear/

1. Hebrews 13:6
2. Philippians 4:6-7
3. Psalm 34:4
4. Psalm 42:5
5. Matthew 6:34
6. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
7. Psalm 23:1-6
8. 1 Peter 5:5-7
9. Revelation 21:4

https://bible.org/seriespage/29-how-overcome-worry-matthew-625-34

When believers live only for food, clothes, etc., they debase themselves to being like animals. Life becomes all about serving our physical body. Really that is what most advertising is about: “Eat this!” Wear this! Watch this!” It is all about making the body attractive, pleasant smelling, comfortable, and entertained. Christ later says the pagans worry about these things (v. 32). Their primary concerns are temporal matters—not eternal ones—and they live in a constant rat race to fulfill those desires. However, believers are citizens, not only of this earth, but of heaven. Therefore, we must be primarily concerned about the affairs of heaven, even as we abide on the earth. Christ emphasizes this in Matthew 6:33 when he says seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness.

Focus on the Eternal

To overcome worry, we must focus on eternal matters—like becoming holy, seeing others saved, growing, and building God’s kingdom. Col 3:1-4 says: “Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.”

Often the way you conquer a passion is by focusing on a greater passion. To focus on earthly matters like riches and basic needs will always breed worry and anxiety. Focusing on eternal matters delivers us from those worries and brings God’s peace.

Worry does not benefit us physically, mentally, or spiritually. Proverbs says anxiety in the heart of a man brings depression (Prov 12:25). Typically, we start to worry about something, and it affects our entire mood (and often that of others). Next, we find ourselves down and discouraged. Worry also negatively affects us spiritually. In Matthew 13:22 (NIV), in the Parable of the Sowers, Christ describes the seed sown upon thorny ground as “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.” When we are constantly worrying, it hinders our ability to receive God’s Word and apply it to our lives. No doubt, there are many in the church who listen to their favorite pastor’s podcasts every week, read all the new latest Christian books, and yet their labor profits them nothing. Worry stunts their spiritual growth.

Some have counted over 3,000 promises in Scripture, and Matthew 6:33 is one of the greatest. Christ promises the disciples that if they made God’s kingdom and his righteousness their chief priority, all their needs would be met. The word “pursue” is a present imperative meaning that this must be one’s unceasing quest, not an occasional endeavor.5 When God’s kingdom and righteousness are our priority, God meets our needs, which ultimately delivers us from fear and worry.

When we pursue God’s kingdom and his righteousness, God meets our needs, which implies the opposite of this promise is also true. When we don’t pursue his kingdom, but instead neglect God and enjoy the world and sin, we will often lack. As in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, God often allows his wayward children to go away from him, enjoy sin, and reap the consequences of it. He allows them to experience lack until they come to their senses and return home (Luke 15). 

If we pray in every situation, if we bring our petitions (requests) before God in every situation, and if we give thanks in every situation, God will give us his peace. Worry often overwhelms us because we are not people of prayer—people who constantly pray in every situation. We pray only when things are bad and not when they are good. Or we pray when things are good and get mad at God when they are bad. Or we don’t pray at all. This type of person will lack peace. Sometimes we lack peace because we fail to bring our petitions before the Lord. We don’t ask for peace; we don’t ask for reconciliation in a difficult relationship. In addition, we don’t give thanks in all things. Instead we complain, worry, and get angry. We can’t receive God’s promise of peace in those situations.

Chapter 25 Questions

1. Page 187: Describe what it looks like to “ live at God’s pace ? How do we achieve this ”pace“?
2. Page 188: Discuss the difference between godly concern and sinful anxiety ?
3. Discuss the Mathematical formulas:
   • Concern + unbelief = anxiety
   • Concern + faith = biblical virtue
4. Page 189-190: Discuss “the four reasons“ Thrasher discovered that God wanted him to experience His peace.  Share thoughts , experiences.
5. Page 191-193: Discuss insights/thoughts on Thrasher’s sections on how to experience God’s peace .
6. Share scripture  verses, modifications to your life to decrease anxiety, and  experiences in dealing with anxiety in your life.