Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). Psalm 55:22 AMP

There is always the “day before the breakthrough”: the period of time when the weapons of mass distraction—anxiety, worry, lethargy—assail us. The devil loves to attack when we’re in these areas and times of uncertainty. But God is consistent. You can trust Him. As you read this, I pray that a spirit of faith will stir in your heart and you will be able to connect with just how faithful God is.

When you purpose to fulfill God’s plan for your life, you become a greater threat to the forces of darkness, so of course you are going to elicit a challenge. Any twig can float with the current. But the salmon swim upstream, over waterfalls and past grizzly bears, to reach their goal. Some of you are having a five-year challenge. Some of you wish it could have been just a five-year challenge because yours has stretched into a 20- or 30-year battle. But no matter how protracted your battle has been, God wants to see you through!

Most people who succeed in the face of seemingly impossible conditions are people who simply don’t know how to quit. Robert Schuller

Get specific. What is the primary thing bothering you right now? Take that item of worry and find corresponding promises in the Scriptures. Start speaking them over your situation. Go to God and trust Him to sort out that specific thing. No one else but God has the ability and inclination to care about your situation as if you’re the only person in the universe.

. . . Run in such a way that you may win. 1 Corinthians 9:24

Some of you are in the last phase of running your specific battle. Increase your expectation. Don’t drop off at 75 percent; stand for the next 25 percent! God knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). He knows each item, each issue, and if you cast your cares on Him, He’ll work it all together for good (Romans 8:28).

God is faithful,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. The Amplified Bible, Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation and The Amplified, New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

I’m grateful we get a fresh start every day. Each morning is a new day with Jesus. I could’ve had a weird last night, a weird yesterday afternoon, a weird last week— but His mercies are new every morning. If we start our day by giving Jesus priority, giving thanks, and cracking open the Bible, our spirit will be filled with substance and strength for the day.

If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day. ~E.M. Bounds, “Power Through Prayer”

Try beginning your day praising Jesus. Let the first words out of your mouth be, “Thank You, Jesus!” In Psalms, David wrote: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). God is inviting us to shift out of bitterness or an affliction mentality and instead magnify God and remember how great and mighty He is.

The enemy tries to keep us out of the secret place by keeping us busy doing other things. The devil knows that starting your mornings with God will precipitate a spirit of faith that will have repercussive effects for others. So you’ve got to be deliberate about spending the first moments with God. Find encouraging devotionals; read a Proverb a day; train yourself to read entire chapters and books of the Bible. If you don’t like reading, download the audio Bible on your phone or computer. Do whatever it takes to get the Word in you.

Whatever your battle, deny doubt and unbelief the right to govern your worldview and start praising God this very moment. Instead of gazing at your problems, gaze at Jesus, who has all the answers you will ever need.

Press on!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Then they came to Jericho and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” Mark 10:46-49

Get Desperate and Determined. Blind Bartimaeus was desperate and in need, and he called out to Jesus. So often, when we get under pressure, the temptation is to shift into neutral and zone out in front of the TV. Instead of letting lethargy set in, we need to get desperate and cry out to God for help. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6).

Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
Mark 10:50-52

Get Specific. “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to give a specific request. Don’t go through life in generalities. Getting out of the vague and general and making a specific request is an expression of faith. Pray specifically—not manipulatively—and according to God’s Word.

Get in the Word. We learn that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith is not based on a feeling but on the Word. As you meditate on the Scriptures, faith will come. A world can be changed by a breed of people who will desperately believe God’s promises and expect answers.

This is our moment to take our stand and take hold of what God has for us. I encourage you to trust God with your situation. As we do life together, forgive, walk by faith, overcome, learn, and grow, we’ll continue to see broken people come to Jesus and watch God heal their lives.

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19

We live in a fractured world, and our enemy, Satan, is strategizing to take us out. We must be careful not to let the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things hinder us from moving forward in effectiveness.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 1 Peter 5:6-10

Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He allowed humanity to put the crown of thorns on His head and nail Him to the Cross so the blessing of God could come into our lives (1 Peter 2:23-25). So choose to flat out trust God with the choices you have to make. If things are freaking you out, take them to the Lord. Cast down imaginations, take thoughts captive, speak God’s Word over your situation and refuse to back down, despite whatever kind of ridiculous battles, losses, or difficulties you’re experiencing. Life is full of thorns, but if we deal with those thorns properly, by casting all our cares and worries on Jesus because He cares for us, we will see the victory.

God has a good plan for your life!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

God wants you to come into His presence and enter into His rest. Through the battles of life, it’s important to press past the urge to back off from God’s plan (Galatians 6:9). You may be so overwhelmed with pressure that you don’t even feel like praying, but as you draw near to Him, He draws near to you (James 4:8). Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for the sheep, has an inexhaustible supply of strength available for the weary.

Sometimes we need to sneak away to find moments with Jesus. We don’t always have the luxury of going to the shoreline or the mountains, but we can have interludes with God right here in the middle of our busy lives. Don’t underestimate the value of these moments in His presence; small adjustments to seek Him more will yield big results. Drawing near to God for even a few minutes a day can refresh, rejuvenate, and revitalize you for life’s journey.

God asks you to console yourself with Him the oftenest you can. Lift up your heart to Him even at your meals, or when you are in company—the least little remembrance will always be acceptable to Him. You need not cry very loud: He is nearer than we think. –Brother Lawrence, from “The Practice of the Presence of God”

Spending time with God is not an obligation or an option but an opportunity—it’s where you find the answers to every problem you are facing. Start your day with the Lord before you do anything else. Battles are won one step at a time. In the presence of God there is enough power to not only sustain you through the trials and rigors of life, but also fortify you to radically impact the world around you.

Draw Near,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.