Psalm 24: 3-4 ” Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol.”

We all are tempted and enticed by idols.  Idols are everywhere,  and attempt to seduce us away from the only one true thing we should be worshipping – God.  If our behavior is innocent and undefiled…if our heart is uncorrupted and free from guilt we will see God more clearly.  For as it says in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  The purer a person becomes, the more clearly they can see God, for there are no obstructions to block His face.

Proverbs 10:9 ” The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.”

If you tell the truth in the first place, you’ll never have to remember what story you told which person.  When you tell the truth from the beginning, your story will never change, despite how much time has passed.  Being truthful, even if it’s uncomfortable, shows integrity…and besides, no matter how well we think it’s hidden, the real truth usually comes out in time.

Lamentations 3: 55-57 ” I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: ‘Do not close Your ears to my cry for relief.’ You came near when I called You, and You said, ‘Do not fear.’ “

The Hebrews conceived of death as a giant pit.  And when we’re in the darkest deeps of that pit mentality and emotionally…when depression and disappointment have taken over our lives, we have only one thing we can do.  Out of the very depths of that hole  we must cry out to the Lord… for  He will hear us, listen to our pleas, and bring peace as only He can.

I Corinthians 16: 13-14 ” Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”

As a Christian, are you a leader or a follower?   If your group of friends are doing something that you don’t agree with, do you stand up for your faith, or do you just remain quiet and compromise?  This scripture tells us to be cautious on how we conduct ourselves and lead our lives.  In any questionable situation we should be asking ourselves…would Jesus do this?

Psalm 33:4 ” For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.”

We’ve all been lied to…we’ve  all had trust issues. For we live in a fallen world where telling the truth and honoring your word are  laughed at.   And it’s the people we should be able to trust the most that hurt us the deepest.  But God is trustworthy and steadfast…He is faithful and just.  You can believe in His word and trust Him with your life.

Job 7:11 ” Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.”

Only the Lord may know the personal suffering and grief you’re going through today.  And it’s perfectly OK to be completely honest with God and tell Him how you feel…even to the point of yelling at Him.  For the Lord has very broad shoulders and will never take offense…for only He can truly understand.

Matthew 9: 6-7 ” Then He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home.”

A group of friends brought a paralyzed man to the Lord and Jesus  gave him a three-stage command.  “Stand up on your once useless legs,  pick up and carry the mat you were brought here on, and go home and witness.   Jesus was asking the paralytic to do something he couldn’t do before …”Stand to your feet.”  Jesus then commanded him to pick up his only means of transportation and carry what had carried him in the past.  And finally, He said, ” Go home and testify of your  healing to everyone that  has only known you as a paralytic…and take the mat as a remembrance. “

Philippians 3:9 ” …that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

There’s the Law of works and the Law of faith.  The Law of works tell you that if you’re perfect and do enough good works down here on earth, you can somehow “work” your way into heaven.  But in the end,  the only thing you’ll  see is depression, anxiety, and discouragement…for no one can live a perfect life, and despite  how many good works you do, it’ll never be enough.  On the other hand the Law of faith frees us from that condemnation  and  self-loathing  that loves to torture us when we fail.  Within the Law of faith there is not only that freedom,  but saving grace and mercy… all in the name of Jesus.

I Corinthians 12:12 ” The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.”

“No one will miss me…nobody will even realize I’m not in Church.”  The enemy does it all the time – convincing us that we don’t count, that we aren’t important enough, or that no one will even notice if we’re not in Church.  But if someone took your brain, or your heart, or your lungs you’d notice real quick!  Just like the human body, the Church is composed of many working parts, each with a specific task, but all working together for the common good of the body.  No one  part can function separately  from the body…it will die.  Never allow the enemy to persuade you that you aren’t important, or that your presence in Church is insignificant…you are very needed within that Body of Believers for it to function well.

Mark 11:23 ” I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”

What makes a person a prayer warrior that people think of first in times of trouble?  The simple explanation is exercise.  They exercise their faith and trust of God’s promises…and like exercising any other muscle group when you go to the gym everyday, their faith strengthens with use also.  Each time we pray and exercise our faith with confidence, we are built up…each time uncertainty is less because each time we’re standing stronger to start.