Do You Feel Lost and Uncertain? 5 Ways to Increase Your Faith Today

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

The journey of faith can be full of ups and downs, twists and turns. There will be times when you feel close to God and everything seems to be going your way, and there will be times when you feel lost and uncertain. But no matter what challenges you face, it’s important to remember that God is with you every step of the way.

Trust in God’s plan. When faced with challenges, it’s natural to want to take control and try to fix things on your own. But it’s important to remember that God has a plan for your life and that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Trust that God is in control and that He will work everything out for your good (Romans 8:28).
Seek support from other believers. One of the most valuable aspects of being a Christian is the sense of community and belonging that comes from being part of a church family. When you’re facing challenges, don’t be afraid to reach out to other believers for support and encouragement.
Find joy in the journey. It’s easy to get caught up in the struggles and challenges of life and lose sight of the joy and beauty that surrounds us. But the Bible tells us that we can choose to rejoice in any circumstance (Philippians 4:4). Make an effort to find joy in the journey, even when things are tough.
Remember that God is with you. The Bible is full of assurances that God is with us, no matter what we face. Remember that God is with you and that He will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Keep your eyes on Jesus. When things get tough, it’s easy to become focused on our own problems and struggles. But the Bible tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus and let Him be our guide (Hebrews 12:2). Keep your focus on Jesus and His Word, and let Him lead you through whatever challenges come your way.

The journey of faith is not always easy, but it is filled with joy and purpose. By trusting in God’s plan, seeking support from other believers, and keeping your focus on Jesus, you can navigate the challenges of life and find joy along the way.

6 Practical Tips for Calming the Mind and Deepening Your Faith

January 9, 2023January 8, 2023 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

Life can be challenging, especially when it comes to calming your mind. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of life and lose sight of what truly matters. But by following a few practical tips, you can stay focused on your faith and live a life that is calm, fulfilling and meaningful.

Set aside regular time for prayer and Bible study. The Bible is the word of God and contains valuable guidance and wisdom for daily living. Set aside time each day to read and reflect on the Bible, and make time to pray and communicate with God.
Seek out Christian mentors and accountability partners. Having someone to walk with you on your faith journey can be incredibly helpful. Consider finding a Christian mentor or accountability partner who can offer guidance and support as you grow in your faith.
Get involved in a small group or ministry. Connecting with other believers and serving others is an important part of deepening your faith. Find a small group or ministry at your church or in your community where you can connect with others and serve those in need.
Practice gratitude and thankfulness. Focusing on the things you are thankful for can help you maintain a positive outlook and keep your faith strong. Make it a habit to regularly express gratitude for the blessings in your life.
Stay committed to your faith, even in difficult times. There will be times when your faith is tested and it’s easy to doubt or become discouraged. But by staying committed to your faith and relying on God’s strength and guidance, you can weather any storm.
Share your faith with others. Jesus instructed us to spread the good news of his love and salvation to others. Find ways to share your faith with others, whether it’s through your words or your actions.

By following these practical tips, you can live a life of purpose and deepen your faith in the process. Remember, the journey of faith is not always easy, but it is rewarding and fulfilling. So, stay committed to your faith and trust in God’s plan for your life.

7 Simple Things You Can Do to Become Closer To God Than You Were Yesterday

January 8, 2023 Live Today With Faith2 Comments

Being a Christian means following the teachings of Jesus and striving to live a life that is pleasing to God. While this may seem like a tall order, there are some simple things you can do to become a better Christian.

Read and study the Bible. The Bible is the word of God and contains valuable guidance and wisdom for daily living. Set aside time each day to read and reflect on the Bible. Consider joining a Bible study group or finding a Christian mentor to help you grow in your understanding of God’s Word.
Pray regularly. Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. It’s a way to communicate with God and express your thoughts, feelings, and needs. Make time each day to pray, even if it’s just a few minutes. Pray for others, for guidance, for strength, and for whatever else is on your heart.
Attend church regularly. Church is a place where you can learn about God, worship with other believers, and grow in your faith. Attend church regularly and get involved in a small group or ministry to help you connect with other Christians and grow in your faith.
Serve others. Jesus taught us to love others and to serve those in need. Find ways to serve others in your community, whether it’s through volunteering at a local charity, helping a neighbor, or simply showing kindness to those around you.
Practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is an important part of the Christian faith. If you have been wronged, make an effort to forgive the person who hurt you. This doesn’t mean you have to forget what happened, but it does mean you choose to let go of anger and bitterness and move forward in love.
Be kind and compassionate. Show love and compassion to others, just as Jesus did. This means treating others with kindness and respect, regardless of their beliefs or actions.
Share your faith. Jesus instructed us to spread the good news of his love and salvation to others. Find ways to share your faith with others, whether it’s through your words or your actions.

Being a better Christian takes time and effort, but it is a journey worth pursuing. By following the teachings of Jesus and seeking to live a life that is pleasing to God, you can grow in your faith and make a positive impact on the world around you.

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

One of the most memorable passages of scripture is found in Luke 11:1, where it says: One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him. “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Jesus was modelling prayer to the disciples by spending long hours in prayer. They saw that he had something they didn’t. They saw that Jesus had a connection with God, and they desired to have the same.

The interesting thing is that the disciples never said, “Lord, teach us to preach, or, Lord, teach us to heal, or, Lord, teach us to perform miracles.”

They said plain and simple, “Lord, teach us to pray. This suggests that the most important lesson that we can learn is how to pray.

Jesus’ disciples saw the need to pray. They saw what prayer meant to the life of Jesus, and they knew that the solution to every problem was prayer. They knew that the only way to build up Christian character was through prayer. They knew that for them to have power, they would need a powerful prayer life.

So they said, “Lord, teach us to pray.

Garden of Gethsemane

Just before His arrest, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

The command came after Jesus had found the disciples sleeping instead of praying (verses 38–40). He had warned them that they needed to stay awake and pray with Him, but “their eyes were heavy” (verse 43), and they kept falling asleep. They slept right up until the time the armed mob came to take Jesus away (verses 45–47).

Unless we pray daily, we too will fall asleep, asleep to the effect our negative feelings and emotions are having on us. We want things to get better; we want our faith to be strengthened.

We have the best of intentions, but the temptation to worry, doubt and be fearful takes control. The temptation to be angry, to judge others, to hold onto unforgiveness, pain, and regrets, is just too much.

Our spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Having More Faith

An essential part of faith is to realise that fear and faith cannot exist at the same time; it’s like a tossed coin; it’s either heads or tails its impossible to be both.

This is why Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to ‘pray without ceasing.

Daily prayer means that fear doesn’t dominate your thought life, which means that you spend less time thinking about your problems and more time focusing on solutions.

So no matter what situation you find yourself in, PRAY.

Prayer lifts you to highs that you cannot reach on your own—giving you strength, confidence, and faith—giving you the power to overcome all negativity.

If you are feeling anxious, confused or angry at this time, pray. With the weapon of prayer, you are capable of doing great things.

Could the Second Coming be Digital?

September 15, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

It says in the Bible, knowledge is sorrow, and this is very true. The more you know about what is happening in the world the more sorrow you will feel. Human greed for money and power is destroying the earth right before our eyes.

Yet we remain powerless.

Man likes to think he can outplay God, but we have written records down through history showing that this is not the case. Would it not be a masterstroke for God to create something that cannot be stopped, that cannot be silenced, that cannot be killed.

In this digital age could it be technology that comes to our rescue?

This is an idea that flashed into my head this morning so I thought I would sit down and see what would flow out.

Technology gets such a bad rap, from so many people, afraid that only bad things can come from AI. Artificial intelligence.

But maybe this is not the case.

Maybe AI could save us from ourselves.

Now it may not be Artificial intelligence, it maybe an evolved internet that allows us to distribute the wealth of the world more evenly, that allows me, for example, to buy coffee beans directly from a South American coffee farmer. With no need for a middle man.

Digitally I can paid him for the product plus post and packaging. Which would mean I get a high quality product, and he can have a better standard of living.

This may seem impossible but it’s only 20 years ago when it took a half a day to upload a single high resolution photo to the Internet.

Just some thoughts I though I would share.

Are you having a Red Sea moment?

September 3, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

One of the most powerful stories of the old testament, in my opinion, is when the Israelites came to the Red Sea, and Moses held up his staff, and the waters parted.

With current events, that’s where I think we are now.

The Pharaoh, the 600 chariots, and skilled warriors are coming behind us, that could be represented as fear, uncertainty, worry and doubt. Coming from the potential threat of the virus, the global unrest, stories from the news and all peoples opinions on social media.

The parted water is the path into the future, we know all will be ok when we get to the other side, but them walls of water could fall at any time.

Faith is easy in the good times, but it’s the difficult times that test just how strong it is.

I read something on Twitter the other day, it said:

A true atheist knows that nothing ultimately matters and lives a relatively carefree life. A true believer knows that it’s all in God’s hands and lives a relatively carefree life. A lot of agnostics out there. @naval

So very true. A true believer knows that everything is part of God’s plan.

I can imagine that the best way to have crossed the Red Sea would have been to keep your focus on the other side and walk straight ahead with a fixed gaze.

For those that looked up at the walls of water and turned around from time to time to see if the Pharoah and his army was getting closer, I can imagine it was a terrifying experience, that would have made the crossing 100 times more stressful.

Fast-forwarding to today. All the people that are checking the news regularly, reading every social media post about the virus, the protests, and the looting. Im sure it’s a terrifying experience.

For them, the next 6-8months will be 100 times more stressful.

Im not here to say what is right or wrong; if you are reading this, you are old enough to make your own decisions.

But I guarantee you that if you keep your family and friends close and focus on the other side, planning and working towards the future, learning new skills and maintaining your health. You will come out of this crisis a lot stronger and wiser than you were going in.

Have a good day.

How to Get The Anxious thoughts to Stop Racing Around Your Head at This Difficult Time

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020 Live Today With Faith5 Comments

how-to-stop-anxious

This is an anxious time for all. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, what religion you are or the colour of your skin, or even your sexual orientation.

Even if you live away from all the hotspots where the virus is at its worse, economically you will most probably be feeling the effects.

Without question this has to be the highest level of worldwide fear I have witnessed in my life time.

When surrounded with so much fear, what can you do?

In the Gospel of Matthew there it says:

Matthew 13:12 (NKJV)
For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

There is a lot of debate about the meaning of the verse above, but today I would like to link it to current events.

So, for those that have faith, to him/her more will be given, and they will have abundance; but too whoever does not have faith, even the little that they have will be taken away.

In the last six weeks, I have seen a lot of people anxious, wanting the truth. So they search the internet for answers, for the whys, and the how’s?

Only to be met with countless conspiracies, which fuels their anxious feelings.

If you don’t know what a conspiracy is, well that in my opinion, is a good thing, but the dictionary term is, a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.

When people go down this route, then the little faith that they have will be taken away from them.

What You Focus On Grows

In moments of fear, you need to feed your faith. That way, the faith that you have will be multiplied.

One of the most dangerous things that you can do at this time is to focus on the fear, feeding your mind with content that makes your anxiety worse.

Throughout scripture, and down through history, people have come up against hardship, and in all cases, they have came back stronger than they were before. And the main thing that got them through was their FAITH.

If you’re feeling anxious at this time, I would recommend looking back on your life, at a time when you were very anxious over something. It could have been waiting for exam results, or medical results. Maybe over your future or that of a family member or friend.

It probably felt just as intense as it does now, you probably thought then that all your fears would become reality? You probably didn’t know how you would be able to move on.

But now looking back, events turned out a lot better than you would ever have imagined.

Now is one of those time.

There is a quote, ‘It’s impossible to see the picture when you are in the frame.”

picture frame

Wisdom comes from the ability to see our current events through the lens of the past. You are able to use the knowledge you have gained to step outside the current frame of fear, anxiety, stress, worry, and know that all will be ok.

Like all the other anxious moments in your life, this worldwide uncertainty will pass. You will get stronger and strengthen your character and faith.

The Most High God is in control.

Mental Health v Gold

Your mental health is your most valuable asset. So take care of it as such. The next 6-12 months are going to be a very uncertain road. Please don’t look for certainty within the media.

In scripture it says, guard your mind.

Never have them words been so essential to follow.

You will find that you may even have to guard yourself against the friends and those that you follow on social media that share all the latest facts and figures.

Starting your day off with the latest tragedy is the last thing that you need.

The first hour of the day for me is about connecting with NATURE and the body through EXERCISE. Both being vital for good mental health.

Collectively we must have faith; we must believe that there will be a better tomorrow. What we choose to focus on will grow in our lives, so focus on faith for the next week and see the difference that it makes.

It’s A Time To Pray. It’s A Time To Show Love. It’s A Time To Connect To The World Around You.

Thanks for reading.

Enjoy your weekend.

Doctors Advice Kills Woman!

February 28, 2020 Live Today With Faith3 Comments

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Recently i read a true story about a lady in her 80s who went to her doctor for a check-up.

He asked if she stayed active. She gave him a smile and said, I jog about four or five miles every day. Surprised, he told her she needed to be careful and not over do it. ‘Take it easy,’ he suggested.

She took his words to heart and decided to slow down. She reduced her jogs to slow walk, and cut back to one or two days a week. Within a year she was dead.

After hearing about her death, the doctor who’d given her such advice told a friend, ‘Never again with I tell a patient who is doing so well to slow down. The Bible is filled with stories with people who lived on because they had something to live for!

As long as God choose to leave you on this earth, don’t just exist — live! Claim the promise: ‘You will come to the grave in full vigour,’ (NIV Job 5:26). Keep dreaming. Accepting new challenges. And don’t even think about taking it easy!

How to Remove Your Problems?

November 29, 2019March 13, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

mountainsns

Jesus said: whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them’ (vv 23-24 NKJV).

Now, Jesus didn’t relocate any physical mountains during His ministry, so what was he talking about here?

The problems we face in life! And notice something important: He talked only once about our need for ‘faith’ — and three times about our need to ‘speak’ His Word. Why? Because if you don’t have enough faith to move your mouth and speak God’s word, you won’t have enough faith to move your mountain!

The bible says, ‘faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10:17 NKJV). Something wonderful happens when you verbalise Gods Word. Your ears listen to it, your mind is renewed, your focus is changed, and the thing that God responds to – faith – rises up within you.

And when you hold that position of faith, refuse to budge, and keep speaking God word, the mountain in your life starts to shift. As long as you keep saying what you think and feel in your natural mind, the mountain will keep standing like an immovable object.

But when you stand on God’s promise and declare, ‘I may not know how or when, but I know that you are coming down in the name of Jesus, ‘your mountain will move.

Enjoy your week.

Do You Feel Like You Have Lost Your Way? Then Learn to Connect With The Source Again Today

October 17, 2019October 17, 2019 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

connect

Life can get difficult sometimes, and it is hard to put a finger on why? You do the best you can, but nothing seems to work out.

You regret some decisions you have made. You feel guilty about past mistakes, and doubt sets in about your future. These thoughts can change to feelings that your life is out of your control. As negativity fills your mind, you can become stressed, and depressed; which eventually can lead to ill health.

If you could step back for just a moment, you would quickly realise, by placing your attention on your problems, you have stopped God’s healing energy from flowing into your life.

No matter how strong your faith negativity can take its toll, draining your spirit, making you doubt yourself. Your character can change and before long you’re not the person you once were.

Even the best of us can lose our way from time to time.

Faith is like a muscle, it needs to be worked regularly or it loses its power. Simply taking the time to connect to spirit can work wonders. A few words are all it takes to relight the flame of faith.

For the next few days my book, Making Space for God is available for free download. It has the power to realign you and help you see stressful or worrisome situations from a different angle. Click on the image below.

Wishing you health and happiness. Enjoy your weekend.