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Victorious Living Day 3: Victory Over Trials Devotional

October 3, 2017 by Mary

Lord, thank you that I have joy in the midst of my troubles, darkness and toil. You keep my spirit alive and full of patient expectancy despite the present difficulties. My spirit is eager to hear from you, Lord and to see you at work in this situation. I give you thanks that because of my faith, I am victorious. There is light in the darkness that can only come from you. My strength and power come from your spirit that is within me. Thank you, Lord, that I am victorious. Amen.

Praise: Lord, I praise you, that you lead me to victory in all situations, regardless of how glim they may seem. You provide me with the faith to endure these temporary difficulties.

Welcome to day 3 of our Victorious Living study. The image above has our scripture passages for today. Take some time to look them up in your Bible, reflect upon them and write them in the “Reflection” area of your workbook.

In Christ Jesus we have victory over every sort of trial. When our faith is rooted in him, we know that he will never leave us nor forsake us.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

We can do many things with our own will and might, but only the things done for the Lord will last. We can toil to achieve success here on earth, better looks, bigger houses, more money…and allow our hearts to take delight in all that we achieve with our labor. We reward ourselves for working hard, for acquiring things and think that we have achieved them alone. It is but for the Grace of God that we are where we are, that we have what we have, that we find intermediate success here on earth. But in all of the doing and achieving there lies a danger of self-self sufficiency and hedonism. We become lover of selves and seekers of pleasure. This pleasure is only temporary, but the Kingdom of God is forever.

One day, when things come upon us and we find ourselves heavy laden, we discover that our source of victory all along was the Grace of God. Even now, in our present trials, all we must do is call upon His name and believe. Our faith brings us victory, for we are victorious in all things with Christ Jesus.

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. Deuteronomy 20:4

The Lord is willing to fight our battles for us. He will fight on our behalf and slay our enemies if we believe. It only takes a grain the size of a mustard seed to believe. If you are facing a trial, big or small and you feel hopeless, frustrated, angry or your blood pressure has reached the boiling point, exhale fear. Quiet your body and mind down enough to inhale courage, for he will “fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

List some situations in your life where God stepped in and offered you joy in the midst of trial:

Write three praises for the joy you felt in the midst of your trials:

Write a prayer of victory:

Victorious Living: Day 2 Victories, Great and Small

October 2, 2017 by Mary

As we begin the practice of living victoriously regardless of our circumstances, we turn our thoughts toward small, everyday victories. You may not realize that there are small, seemingly irrelevant victories that occur in our lives each day. For some of our sisters here in the group, small victories may include things like getting dressed, making the bed or washing a load of laundry. For others, a small victory may look more like adding an extra mile to her morning run, finishing a final chapter of a book project or conquering her public speaking event without the jitters. Victory looks different for each of us.

The important thing is to recognize the good things that happen each day (victories), great or small. Each of these things are a gift from God. Each of us have our own cross to carry and our burdens may look different, but for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, we can come together to pray for one another and in our faith, we find likeness.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Ephesians 3:14-17

To be “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” means to find strength in Christ through the holy spirit, which is within us. We find strength enough to make our way through the darkness because Christ within us gives us victory. We know this. He promises it and shows us time and time again in the Bible when He comes to the aide of those who are in need. “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith“, oh sisters, our faith is the foundation on which we build our house. If we have no faith, our homes cannot stand. Where is your foundation today? Are you instantly defeated when you come to a fork in the road? When Christ dwells in our hearts, we stand firm, for we know that He will come to our aide.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57

We find our victory not in the things of the world, but through our Lord Jesus Christ. Where do you run when things are difficult? Do you look to others to solve your problems? 1 Corinthians tells us that we find VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our sustenance. He gives us victory over sin and fear loses its power, just as Christ had victory over death. Yes, he atoned for us at the cross, conquering death so that we might live.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Ephesians 6:10

The Lord admonishes us to be strong, recognizing the power of his might. Only through the supernatural strength of activated faith can we find victory over defeat. In any kind of battle, the weak are defeated. If our faith is weak, so too shall we be defeated.

While we are focusing on the Light of Christ this week, let us also focus on the true meaning of God’s word and the power the scriptures hold to give us strength to carry on, regardless of our circumstance.

Lord, I give you all that I have and all that I am. I dedicate my life to you and because my trust is in you alone, I know that I am victorious in all things. I pray that you will make me a glorious reflection of your victory over sin and death and that my heart is so in tune with your presence that I defeat the enemy and live victoriously in all things. Amen.

Victorious Living Kickoff Starts Today!!!

October 1, 2017 by Mary

Yaaaay! Welcome to the first day of our 31 day study of Victorious Living!

Today is Sunday, so take time to rest and renew on the Lord’s day.

Week 1: God’s Light

As we begin this study, take some time out this first week to recognize the Light of God. Choose a special candle to light each time you are working on your workbook pages. Let the shimmering light remind you of God’s Light and Love for you. His Love for you can not be quenched, it is eternal.

Here are the scripture verses to take a look at today, along with your workbook.

If you have not ordered your workbook, there is still time! Click here.

Victory in the Light

Day 1 in your workbook:

Prayer: Lord, may the peace of Christ be the ruler of my heart. I give you thanks and praise for the Light of Your Spirit within me. I look forward to the joy and victory that awaits me as I grow in love and trust for you. May your light shine through me and touch others so that they may learn to love and trust in you as well. Amen.

Praise: I give God praise for victorious living through the Light of His Spirit.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 1:5

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Reflection Questions for today:

How has the Light of Christ made you victorious in earthly situations? List 3 examples:

Describe God’s Light as you see it:

How has the Light of Christ brought you victory over defeat?

Write a victory prayer:

Focus on the Light of Christ throughout your day today. Lighting a candle as you do the heart work in your workbook is a visual reminder of God’s Light. Open your workbook to Day 1. Inhale. Take time to pray before you begin reading and working on your reflection questions. Gather all of the materials you will need as you begin this 101 day study. While the primary focus is drawing nearer to Christ through Bible reading and reflection, feel free to make this workbook your own by using stamps, markers, stickers, highlighters, pictures or anything that helps connect you with the daily work. I use mine as journals. I often write out the scripture passages in my “Reflection” area as well as what I think God is speaking to me through the scripture reading.

In the daily assignments, you may be asked to write prayers. Writing a prayer is as simple as having a conversation with God, but putting it on paper. It can be short or long. Give God praise, reflect on the scripture verses you have just read, share your heart, ask for help and give thanks.

I will do a post later on today with my Day 1 journal pages and reflection.

xxoo.

Mary