victorious living

Victorious Living Day 9: Victory in a Renewed Spirit

October 10, 2017 by Mary

Today is Day 2 of Week 2 in our study titled, Victorious Living.

The theme of our study today is finding victory in a renewed spirit. This could not be a more timely study for me. I hope that it comes at a perfect time for you today. Have you lit a candle to prepare for your prayer time today? I would love to see a picture here in the comments or on my Facebook page! I would also love to see pictures of your workbook pages!

Behold, the Lord has proclaimed
    to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
    “Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.”

Isaiah 62:11

There will come a time when the Lord comes again.We should seek after holiness, for He comes for His servants and saints. His promises are proclaimed in the Bible and they shall come to pass. Spend time in prayer today renewing your spirit. His salvation is with us. The world may be turning upside down but our God is steadfast. His promises live on forever. He will never go back on His word and salvation, His reward.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Oh, how I love this passage! God IS peace. Paul prays that the “God of peace” will sanctify us (to set apart as holy). He speaks of the WHOLE person-spirit, soul AND body, for we know that we are all of these. One cannot exist without the other. So, Paul is praying in his letter that God will sanctify (make holy) our body, mind and spirit (the WHOLE) of us. Such beautiful words, in essence praying that God would touch His people with His complete peace, from the inward part of us to the spiritual part of us that we cannot deny ( that which is the sum of who we are), and our physical being, (the temple by which the Holy Spirit makes a way through the world).

As you are praying today, think about the word, “holiness”. When we are sanctified by God in our mind, body and spirit, we are renewed. At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be renewed and find our final victory. As Christians, this is what gives us strength, hope and encouragement to carry on in the faith. This assurance brings us from victory to victory, knowing that the things we face here today are only temporary.

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

To “put on the new self” is to change our lives to put on righteousness. We have a desire to go to heaven when the time comes, but we often lack the discipline to change our lives. As a Christian, your life should look fundamentally different than before you were in the faith. We must have a lifestyle of daily repentance, growing in faith and relationship with Christ. When we receive new life in Christ and we walk in it, our hearts will show us areas that need to be conformed or changed more into the likeness of Christ rather than in the futility of our own mind.

As we put off our old lives and put on the new life, change happens. As we grow in the faith and we come to know Jesus more personally we let go of our “deceitful desires”.

Lord, because I am your child, my victory has already been won. You will come again and bring your reward with you. During these troubled times here on earth, I pray that you will continually renew the spirit within me, that I may find comfort. Let all of your creation rejoice as you make your proclamations to the ends of the earth. Amen.

Praise: Praise the Lord, for He says to rejoice! I have victory through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Take time today to list some times when God brought you comfort and a renewed spirit while you were going through a trial:

Give God praise that He is able to renew your spirit. Write three praises:

Think about the message today and write a prayer of victory for the ways that God spoke to your heart.

Victorious Living Day 8: Victory in His Peace

October 9, 2017 by Mary

???Week 2: Focus on Prayer??

Take time during the study this week to seek God in prayer. Place a cross or a picture of Christ in your prayer area to give you a visual reminder of His faithfulness and love. You can scroll through Pinterest to find a beautiful picture ?and print it out to help you along this journey. Perhaps you have a favorite card, cross, pencil sketch or painting to use for inspiration. These visual reminders sometimes help us to focus our intention on prayer and draw us away from other distractions.

Father in heaven, I will rejoice in you, forever. Keep me from anxiousness and in all that I do I will present my prayers and petitions to YOU. Oh, what a privilege it is to know you. You give me peace because YOU are near, regardless of my circumstance. I know that I am victorious and I rejoice in the peace of your presence. Amen.

Praise:

I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you give peace to those who call upon your name.

Only God can give us perfect peace. If you are struggling through a difficult season in your life, prayer and daily relationship renewal with Christ are a crucial ingredient to keep you from anxiousness. Make sure to tell the Lord what you need, make your requests known, but praise him for all of the answers to prayers, the peaceful days and the many times He interceded for you.

Jesus be with me.

We need only call upon His name in the quiet corners of our hearts and minds and He will calm the storms.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

Are there areas in your life where you could use a fresh dose of the peace of Christ? If so, list a few:

Write three ways the Lord has given you victory in your prayers and petitions to Him:

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Take time today to write a victory prayer! Thank God for the victory you have found in Him. Think about the many ways He has helped you find victory in difficult and trying circumstances in your life.

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

Victorious Living Study

September 24, 2017 by Mary

The Victorious Living study is a 31 day journey into my workbook, Victorious Living: 101 Prayers and Praises. This workbook is a result of my own personal journey of faith and victory over obstacles. We all go through struggles but we all look at them differently. Victorious Living is a way to rearrange our thoughts and feelings about our struggles and put them into a more positive perspective through God’s promises for us. We must be cautious of letting the difficulties in life create in us a negative mindset.

As with all of my workbooks, this promises to be a personal journey toward spiritual growth and newly discovered truths for you. During this month long abbreviated study, you will have weekly challenges, which I have outlined, below.

Weekly Challenges for our study include:

Week 1: God’s Light

Week 2: Prayer

Take time during the study this week to seek God in prayer. Place a cross or a picture of Jesus in your prayer area to give you a visual reminder of His faithfulness and love. You can scroll through Pinterest to find a beautiful picture and print it out to help you along this journey.

Week 3: Praises

Take a praise walk. Think of the many ways you can praise God this week for His mercy and grace. Sing praises to Him on your walk. Look around. Notice the beauty of His creation all around you and give Him praise!

Week 4: Reflection

Take time during the study this week to reflect on all that you have learned about overcoming. To celebrate and honor your spiritual growth, treat yourself to a bouquet of fresh flowers. Place them in your study area to remind you that new spiritual life is blooming inside of you. You are His beautiful creation. Think about what you have learned and how far you have come during this study. Give God praise that He has made you victorious!

Resources

The Victorious Living workbook is optional, as I will provide a devotional and the Bible reading plan for each day, but I highly recommend that you purchase the workbook, as this is an abbreviated study and the full workbook is 101 days of scripture suggestions, daily assignments and reflection.

My Blog and Social Media Schedule for This Study

Blog:

All of the free resources for the 31 day study will be posted here daily and include Prayer, Praise, Reflections and study questions.

Instagram:

I will post daily encouragement and Bible verses on the Hope Filled Living Instagram page. Please feel free to post updates and photos of your weekly challenges by using hashtags, #hopefilledliving or #victoriousliving. I would love to see your candles, flowers and pictures of your journey!

Facebook:

I will post the daily assignments Monday-Friday on the Hope Filled Living Facebook page.

I hope you will join me on this 30 day journey!

xxooxxoo.

Mary