How to win the war for time with God !

HEYY Guys !!

So I have been super MIA For the past however long…. Some of it has simply been down to me being lazy as well as struggling to find inspiration to do this. Lately One thing that has been evident in my absence is the reality of spiritual warfare and the battle for having set apart bible study time l time which I have gathered from talking to numerous people is a never-ending struggle for many of us, one that we often lose. I know I do. Our attention is under attack for vain things and for the personal-approval desires that lure us online. So how do we preserve our time? 

As soon as you wake, there is a war to keep you from the word of God. I feel like this is a daily, constant war for me. When I got a full-time job, the war got even harder.  That’s not to say in school it’s not hard. But I feel like I had more meaningful distractions. You know my assignments, the netball team and plenty of undictated free time to do as I pleased.

I woke up when I had classes and appointments but apart from that I woke up when wanted to wake up. I could spend time with the word for an hour if I chose to. Now, if I want to spend uninterrupted time with God, I either need to wake up at 5am latest or schedule it in after work.

So, I think the war is, Do I make time for God, or do I try to fit God into the time that I feel like I already don’t have? When I wake up, it’s a daily decision. Ultimately the question on the line is how much do I love God?

Now they are many ways which I have found to be helpful to get my time with God in. I think we often including myself we fall into the trap that spending time with God has to be ridged in one spot. I used to beat myself up if my quiet time with God was not structured properly in my head. Then after starting work I realised to make use of all the time I have and that even means having my devotions on the bus on my phone or with my little notebook or when I’m washing the dishes or tending to my patients at work, God is still with me. I might not have the time to write out everything but I can meditate on scripture whilst on my phone or on the computer at work.

One thing I also realised is that I haven’t been properly resting in the lord. God gave us the seventh day Sabbath to rest in him and to study His ways but God showed me myself and I realised many a times I’ve been in church and realised not only did I not welcome the Sabbath properly but at times I’ve sat in church and my heart was on social media or completely distracted by what I have to do the next day when I could be having quality bible study just me and God. I’m someone who loves bible study with a passion and I was often getting upset that I couldn’t do that every day. I remember telling my friend this and she was like “err girl you have plenty of time on Friday evening and on Sabbath to get some quality time with God”. Which Is ever so true. Because let’s face it unless you have more flexible working hours in-depth bible study can be hard to do everyday but you can set apart a day or 2 in the week to do so.

I’ve realised that I’m drawn to whatever I desire and If I’m not delighting in the word of God, then most likely I’m not delighting in God himself. I think that’s ultimately what is at stake — my affections.

Psalm 37:4-6 English Standard Version (ESV)⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will act.
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will act.

James 4:8 English Standard Version (ESV)⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
  

What are my affections in, and what am I double minded about? If my affections are in my sleep, then I’m going to treasure sleep over the word. If my affections are on Instagram and spend over an hour on there then the proof is I have time I just don’t have the desire and I need to ask God to help me to desire Him and seek Him with all my mind.

I think identifying what really is my joy is helpful. Is it God? Is it my stuff? Is it my peace — or what I think is peace, because I’m able to sit up and watch something online when I could be reading my bible? 

Although these things are great opportunities what’s ultimately at risk 
is me and God being good.

Staying connected to God is key!! Life easily gets in the way and bang I’m distracted. But I notice the change immediately in my spirit and peace of mind when I’m not connected to God. For me, this is vital so the old me doesn’t creep back in because she is not as patient as the new me lol but once you see it happening I want to encourage you to tune off the YouTube, the Instagram, the Facebook and the phone-calls and texts and talk to God. The vision will be clear again.

Just a few tips

1.    Pray for the desire to spend time with God

2.   Realise you can spend time with God anywhere, even on public transport!!

3.   Observe the Sabbath. Use that time for personal time with God and switch off all the distractions. That way you can also focus on being a blessing and being blessed in the presence of God with other believers.

4.   Don’t beat yourself up, once you see the need for God make some changes. God will help your efforts. 😊

Overcoming negative thinking: 5 steps towards more peace in the new year.

In our excitement to welcome the new year it can be easy to forget that just like the previous year, everything WILL NOT be perfect and most likely you will be carrying over the same old mindset into the new. Challenges will arise and there are gonna be issues you need to address. However, I’m so grateful that we serve a constant God, if he could strengthen us through last year, he is faithful to do the same this year. However, to make this life a little bit easier, we have to work with him and protect our peace. This is incredibly vital because eventually the newness of the year is gonna wear off and if we are not careful our emotions are gonna run our lives when people get on our nerves or most importantly when we fail to meet the expectations we set for ourselves. I’ve come to realise that it’s in those moments that it becomes easy to forget who we are through Christ and who we are living for.

Now the reason I thought it was important to write about this, is because that’s an area I sometimes really struggle with and God had to check me on this. If I’m to be completely honest with you, I had one too many tantrums last year and allowed seeds to grow in my life that should have never been planted which led me to be VERY upset. I was an emotional mess until God went and got me together. I remember one night as I was having my devotional I cried in frustration to God because I just felt so attacked by thoughts in my own head!

It was literally as if my mind was plagued with things I wanted to happen, events, and worries about my future. I cried Lord I claim your word that “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13) and you “…have plans to prosper me and give me an expected end...” (Jeremiah 29:11) but I’m finding it hard to be positive and walk out in faith claiming your promises! What I knew I ought to do, it seemed impossible for me to do and I was about ready to be done. As I sat talking to God I began to cry because of all my anxieties and He spoke to me and said

 “Rejoice, what door is open in your life that you’re allowing the devil to come through and breed these false and negative thoughts? Are you allowing social media such as Instagram, relationship posts and the music you’re listening to, to plants seeds of discontentment? Who are you following, watching and wanting to be like that it's causing you to doubt who I say you are. I need you to guard your heart Rejoice so I can tell you my secrets and show you my heart and things that are unseen, not these temporary earthly attainments. Stop using these things to make you feel good about yourself, I want your entire heart and you have to grow up. Once you let go of these worldly ideals can you then be content in every area of your life. My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness”.

 In that moment, I repented to God for putting other things before him. I also decided to hit back negativity with the word of God and what he says about me, not what is fed on media and other people’s expectations. The world will and IS trying to deceive you by telling you that if you don’t have this or are going through that, then your life ain’t popping, you’re missing out or could be better. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with setting goals for ourselves, but we are to fix our eyes on Jesus for heaven is the ultimate goal (Colossians 3:1-2).  Trusting in the Lord brings ultimate safety, peace, joy and assurance of the future. This is a daily decision you will have to make if you want to win against Satan’s attacks and threatening thoughts. We can't afford to be distracted by silly things when there is heaven on the line. What door have you kept open which the devil comes in to steer you off track? Now I’m going to share with you, my 5 practical tips which help guard me against negativity and fear in order to keep my peace.

1.      Put on the whole armour of God- look at Ephesians 6:14-17. Too many of us are refusing to get dressed each morning and are walking around in rags or even naked, because we don’t read and apply the word of God DAILY and wonder why things aren’t going so well.(Belt of truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of the gospel of peace, Shield of faith and Helmet of truth.)We are in a spiritual warfare and our salavation is on the line!
2.    Mind your company- Bad company corrupts good character ( 1 Corinthians 15:33). Whether we like it or not the people and the things we entertain rub off on us, hence why we start to imitate friends’ expressions or characters on the tv shows we watch. If you have friends who are constantly talking down about themselves or other people or better yet if they love to sit and compare other people’s lives etc it's time to evaluate those friendships. If you allow yourself to feed of those types of conversations, they will start to affect you in your subconscious and you wonder why you’re negative?? A person who TRULY loves God will not actively go and engage in an environment which does not cultivate their faith or is contrary to the bible without being UNCOMFORTABLE or CONVICTED.
3.    Believe the best! -  Why are you talking to Satan? You need to capture those thoughts and make them obedient to the word of God. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but through him, you’re more than a conqueror.  I always try and base my thoughts on Philippians 4:8. (whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable). I like to ask myself Is what I’m thinking true or have I made up this scenario in my head and ran off with it, now I’m making myself feel bad over what’s not a reality? Am I being led by my feelings and emotions which change? What is the goal of thinking these bad thoughts? There is always good in something so dwell on the positive. Track down your stimuli and get tough with them! What gets your mind going? Is it the explore tab on Instagram, music or a particular tv show ?
4.   Know what the Bible says -  if you’re not sure go to the Bible or go and google some verses concerning your situation then go sit before the Lord. If you don’t know of what God says about you and the future how can you have assurance? The bible will put things in perspective for you and help you to stop making bad decisions and running ahead of God.
5.    Spend time with God- How can you have trust and love for someone you don’t know? Time with God is pure JOY and only He can meet your needs and give you the SPECIFIC diagnosis for whatever is happening in your life. Too often we like to look at other people’s spiritual experiences and lives and then compare it to ours etc. Trust me I have done that! The only person we need to be looking at is God for he was the ultimate example. God wants to spent time with you, Jeremiah 33:3 is just one of many examples where God has called us and said “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.”.  Only when you spend time with him and APPLY the word, you are able to be unbothered by negativity and concentrate more on living a life pleasing to God that will draw others to Him. 

No matter what happens this year, let’s not forget the work God is doing in us and wants to complete in us. As we pray for blessings and opportunities this new year, lets pray that God imparts in us a steadfast spirit that will endure all the hardships to come. Let us pray that we don’t feed our imaginations, fantasies and daydreams based on loneliness, anxiety or desperation. Let us pray that the lord will renew us. As Romans 12:2 says “Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Things will happen and we can’t control all that will happen, however, we do have the CHOICE to depend on the Lord.

REMEMBER Cheerfulness Brightens the Pathway—It is the duty of everyone to cultivate cheerfulness instead of brooding over sorrow and troubles. Many not only make themselves wretched in this way, but they sacrifice health and happiness to a morbid imagination. There are things in their surroundings that are not agreeable, and their countenances wear a continual frown that more plainly than words expresses discontent.2MCP 759.1

These depressing emotions are a great injury to them healthwise, for by hindering the process of digestion they interfere with nutrition. While grief and anxiety cannot remedy a single evil, they can do great harm; but cheerfulness and hope, while they brighten the pathway of others, “are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”—The Signs of the Times, February 12, 1885. (My Life Today, 153.)

STOP stressing out! major biblical keys on combating worry and stress

  ‘We gon be all right, do you hear me? Do you feel me? We gon be alright!’ 

It was very ironic that this was the song playing as I was talking to a friend about the number of different things we had to do and some of our fears and concerns. One thing that kept ringing through my head was if God has brought us this far, surely He is ABLE to see us through.

Psalm 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.

It is now that time of year where mid-terms and EXAMS are on your case. In my case, I have my 9000-word dissertation to do and it’s very easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. This led me to think of this point. Imagine the most challenging thing you have ever had to deal with. Now imagine life a month before that event happened. Even if you can look back and say “Oh, I knew it was gonna happen,” there was no way you could have truly known how things were going to play out, how the situation would make you feel, or what lessons you would learn. 

Uncertainty is such an unsettling feeling. As humans we have the tendency to always focus and wonder about 2 years from now, 5 years from now and so on and that can rob us of today’s joy and living in the present moment. Uncertainty is overwhelming when you allow it consume you, HOWEVER, because there is a God who holds tomorrow and takes care of us no matter what, we have no reason to worry about the unknown! So, STOP stressing out because you don’t know what next week, month, SEMESTER, or YEAR is going to look like…

It doesn't all have to be gloomy... His yoke is easy and his burden is light

Now the Bible is such an AMAZING book for it holds so many treasures and REAL-LIFE applications to many of the things that we go through and one person we can certainly learn from is Paul.

In his journey as a Christian, the Apostle Paul had no idea what he was going to face or what would become of him in the days to come. In fact, this man SUFFERED and went without the comforts of life that we are accustomed to as he was living out his purpose for Gods mission. One thing that helped him to keep going in life was to PRAY about EVERYTHING, not worry and to be CONTENT.  

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I CAN do EVERYTHING through Him who gives me STRENGHT” (Philippians 4:12-13). 

Paul LEARNED that it is far more valuable to focus on God and what He was called to do as opposed to stressing out over what might go wrong even if it meant going to prison. Don’t let yourself be afraid of the unknown.  You are where you are in this stage of life for a reason; it’s all part of the journey and you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t meant to be. When we worry, it can often make us complacent rather than dealing with issues at hand. This is because our emotions can cloud our view of what we have to do. Give yourself time to find out who God really is and how He has been faithful in the past to supply the needs of his people, AND GUESS WHAT? He STILL does the same today. When we get worried and fret to the point of discouragement and weariness it means we do NOT TRUST God. When you look to God for your answers, it will grow your confidence and trust for the future because you know God has it under control so then what should you fear?

God used Paul mightily and He was there for him continually and He wants to do the same for us today.  

We live in a sinful world with many hardships and various encounters which can often lead us worried and stressed. Some of those worries and causes of stress are issues such as:

 1. Not knowing how your school year is going to go.
2. Being uncertain about what to do about your job or different career opportunities

3. Not knowing what your current relationships will look a month from now
4. A situation with your health or your family that's completely out of your control
5. Feeling stuck about how you should approach a situation with a friend or someone your ‘talking’ to.

I would encourage you to give such matters to God and leave them with Him. Don’t pick them up and worry again and know that God will tell you what to do and life will plan out as it should. In order to do this, we must turn down the world's volume so we can be in tune with God.

God will continue to be with us for as long as we live. Keep your focus on finishing the course He has called you to. Don't give up on praying or reading His word because of what hasn't been sorted out yet. Don't stop worshipping and doing His work as you seek Him daily about the decisions or circumstances you're faced with.

You've made it this far and He is NOT going to LEAVE you now!
Love Rejoicexox

Devotional inspiration from* Philippians 4:4-13 and Acts 20:22-23

Interrupted plans !!! But lord I know what i want

Ahhhh nothing worse than when you decide you're gonna have a good day, then all of a sudden everything goes wrong! You know one of them ones when you say you're gonna wake up early, then you miss your alarm, then you're late to do something else, or something goes wrong and it throws you off completely. Trust me I know! so like literally yesterday, I was like okay I'm gonna set my alarm a bit earlier, so I have enough time to do my devotion, go to the gym and finish of my proposal for my meeting with my supervisor before I have to meet him then go to lectures. So I prayed about it, gave it to God and went to sleep. Sounds good right ? Well let me tell you, my alarm went off, no problem, did my devotion- no problem, I went to check my phone to go over some material which I had on there, then next thing you know, my phone freezes and it decided to die and not operate. I was finished ! I had saved some material on there which I needed for my meeting as well as needing it for my gym routine amongst many other things. So basically I spent majority of my day stressing over my phone and pondering when the last time I had backed it up coz I didn't wanna lose my stuff on there. Very stressful . So later on that night before I went to sleep, I talked to God and reflected on my day and he revealed and highlighted some very important points which I believe we can all learn.

REALLY THO ?

I know what I want !

You see Gods timing is everything!( that's another post on its own), we cant help but make plans and wonder when its our time for something to happen, forgetting that everything has its season (Ecclesiastes 3) and we should be anxious for nothing ! The things that we plan and aspire for are often minute matters in the overall picture of life. We want to do things now and  for our lives to go in a certain direction, forgetting that to get to those places lessons need to be learned and work needs to happen in order for us to be prepared for those things we want.

One example I can give for example is that most of us girls want love and to get married. That's fine, but God repeatedly says

do not awaken love whilst it is not yet time, Songs of Solomon 8:4

BUT  we rush ahead and talk to a guy we have no business talking to for various reasons. Then we find ourselves in a situationship or having begun something , it goes wrong and you get heartbroken because you placed so much hope in this guy rather than listening to God and putting your hope in him. Its all about Gods timing and will. Some of us are going around the same mountain every year declaring that we trust God but our heart is not really in it and we are not giving him a chance to do what he would want us to do. INSTEAD we write our own vision and put God on it ! You see that's why God has to interrupt our plans sometimes, because they are not good for us nor are they perfecting our faith- we cant place our trust on our phones, degrees, people etc. because they will fail us.

God knows the desires of our hearts, but in order for him to truly move us into all that he as in store for us, we have to delight in him, commit our ways to him and wait on him inspite of our own timings.

Romans 5:3-5

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

The bigger picture ~

God sees the bigger picture, Isaiah 55:8-9 declares our plans are not his plans and his thoughts are not our thoughts, that's something we truly need to learn and apply in our lives. Who knows, maybe I could have been involved in an accident if I had left my house the time I had planned. We like something, we set our eyes on someone, things break, inconveniences happen, traffic makes us late, like I could go on and on. The thing is when these things happen how do we react ?,do we say okay God what are you tryna tell me about this, or do we curse and blame God, forgetting that there's a reason for everything ?

You see God is not surprised at these events,  in fact sometimes they are divinely placed in our path to change us to be more like Christ or to give us something much more better. So for example you said you wanted to be more patient, how do you react to the traffic ? Sometimes we expect these big dramatic events to take place and then we are gonna have a massive epiphany, but let me tell you in reality its through these small moments of interruptions and frustrations where we are given the opportunity to trust in God despite the craziness and to rely on him. Our characters are not defined in big moments, but rather through the little things each day which reveal what's on our hearts.

God is certainly teaching me that I'm not in control, I'm not saying not to plan for things because that would be foolish, but rather lets not hold too tightly to these plans, because we are gonna set ourselves up for disappointment and anger when God says otherwise. I'm not in control but I'm sooo glad I serve a God who is. One who is working all things for my good (Romans 8:28), who knows exactly what and who I need at the right time.
Proverbs 16:9 "A man's mind plans his ways, but the lord directs his steps"
so guys lets trust the process and "obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus."