Sermon Title: The Wickedness And Unnecessary Pain Caused By Doubt (Genesis 16)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
One of Man’s most insidious proclivity is to doubt God.
Make no mistake about it.
To doubt God is to submit to the devil’s subjugation - the results of which always lead to greater wickedness and further imposes on the ‘doubter’ the unnecessary burden of grief and pain.
Abram’s doubt of God’s faithfulness led him to - once again - defile his marriage to Sarai; and desecrate God’s design of marriage and family.
Be absolutely clear.
Polygamy, along with all forms of sexual relationships - outside of God’s design of a holy, loving and faithful marriage union exclusively between a man and a woman – is a wicked imitation of the holy matrimony.
Abram’s abject failure and abysmal passivity as a husband – similar to that of Adam’s - is unquestionably not grounds for a departure from God’s holy design of marriage and family.
When Abram and Sarai decided to take the fulfillment of God’s Promise into their own hands, the results are predictable; a needless, human drama - based entirely on the insidious and wicked nature of the heart - that leads directly to anger, conflict, hate, jealousy, marital tension, and relational strife.
This wickedness and unnecessary grief would not be contained only within Abram’s family.
The current Arab-Israeli conflict has drawn the entire world - throughout the history of Mankind - into a tragic and hopeless war that left millions dead; all because Abram and Sarai doubted God’s promise.
Even then, God’s Covenant with Abram is immutable and infallible.
His Promise to Abram (Ref: Genesis 12:1-3) that “all peoples on earth” will be blessed through him is our assurance that Christ’s blessing of Salvation and gift of eternal life is, indeed, extended to every human being in the world – past, present and future. (Ref: John 3:16-17)
To this, we must understand that only Christ’s Return would truly resolve the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict that started way back in Genesis 16; which is why we must continue to intercede for these two nations.
To doubt God is to bear the cost of both departure from His Holy Presence; and defiance against His Holy Will.
Our Lord never keeps us “from having children” (Genesis 16:2); nor does He hold back on the fulfillment of any of His Promises.
Every Promise or Covenant from God is already fulfilled at the moment of its Divine Revelation.
It is both impossible and wicked for us to even consider that we might help God fulfill His Promise; just as it was for Sarai to even think about building a family through her Egyptian slave, Hagar. (Ref: Genesis 16:2)
That this sacrilegious suggestion was accepted by Abram spoke not only to the wickedness of doubt, but also the weakness of their characters that caused them to succumb to the culture and customs of the defiant nations around them.
Sarai may have understood God’s Sovereignty over her womb, but her anger burned wickedly against the Lord for promising the heavens, yet leaving her – seemingly - desolated in an earthly hell, despised for her barrenness.
She was in a world of needless pain, brought about by her own doubts of God’s infinite faithfulness and power.
Through an unholy surrogacy as a means to 'help' God fulfill His Promise to them, Sarai - along with Abram – tried to justify the defilement of their marriage and the desecration of God’s holy design of family to their own dismay and detriment.
Doubt of God is defiance against God.
To doubt God is to sin against Him.
With her own words, “the Lord has kept me from having children” (Genesis 16:2); Sarai was very clear of God’s sovereignty over the womb, and yet, she acted against it.
To doubt God is to sin against His Will.
Abram and Sarai was brought into the marriage covenant by the Lord, and yet they wickedly disregarded His Will for them to remain in exclusive and holy matrimony.
The Christian must make every effort to be vigilant at all times against doubts regarding our Lord; and resolutely forbid the cultures of this dark world from corrupting our embrace of God’s constitution and definition of marriage and family.
Protect your marriage and family by committing both utterly to the Lord.
In fact, ensure that your marriage and family becomes wholly His; by solely obeying His Rules for your marriage and family relationships.
In his moment of passivity and weakness, Abram sinned by heeding Sarai’s wicked suggestion; and later, succumbed to Sarai’s wicked desire to mistreat Hagar. (Ref: Genesis 16:2-6)
Christian husbands, know that it is not about wearing the pants; but all about denying yourselves, taking up your cross and following our Lord Jesus Christ (Ref: Matthew 16:24).
Our “head-ship” has absolutely nothing to do with dominance, but rather, devotion to be the first to follow Christ; to be the point-person (Ref: Ephesians 5:23) - appointed by God – through leading by example and inspiring your family to daily draw close to God, seek His Will and listen to His voice.
Out of his own doubts, Abram allowed his understanding of marriage to be corrupted; and abdicated his appointed role to exemplify absolute faith in the Lord to Sarai.
Instead, Abram should have assured Sarai of his exclusive love and loyalty to her as husband; and encouraged her to trust the Lord together for the miraculous fulfillment of His Promise - regardless of the prevailing societal implications of childlessness as a sign of divine punishment.
Abram – as husband - should have vehemently refused to sin against God, and his marriage to Sarai with an Egyptian slave.
It is unbiblical to think that “God helps those who help themselves”.
God helps.
Regardless.
God helps everyone because He loved the world - “that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).
The only way we 'help'' ourselves is to draw close to Him; to believe Him; to follow Him and wait upon Him – not try to do what we think He ought to do.
Our only task is to trust Him; and obey His every Command.
To those who do, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
To wait upon the Lord requires patience.
Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Galatians 5:22-23)
Never live without the Holy Spirit; never leave God out of your life.
If you have heard His Promises right, it will be fulfilled In His Time – albeit beyond your time in this world. (Ref: Hebrews 11:13)
The Christian life is possible only within the framework of God’s Promises.
The Lord must be first, and foremost, in the relationships, priorities and endeavours of our lives.
Which is why we must “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
With the overwhelming evidence of the Lord’s love revealed in our lives, it takes greater effort to live in doubt and unbelief of the Lord – along with the wickedness and unnecessary pain and grief that results.
When we fail to wait upon the Lord, even our earthly successes are abject failures.
Like Abram, Moses attempted to fulfill God’s purposes by presumptuously murdering an Egyptian slave master; only to be taught a lesson in patience by tending sheep for the next 40 years.
Even for Abram, it was to be 13 years after the birth of Ishmael that Isaac was born.
Understand that God has all the time in the world; for our times are held in His hands. (Ref: Psalm 31:15a)
This is timely advice in every regard –
Trust God right now; and learn to W.A.I.T. upon Him. (Worship the Lord, Accept His Will, Intercede, Trust and obey Him)
We can never reach for God’s Promises without first dying to ourselves; just as Abram and Sarai – as one body - cannot be part of God’s Promise of Blessing without first accepting the fact that without God, their bodies are barren, weak, and as good as dead.
This has everything to do with the reality that - God is Sovereign over all.
For only God can fulfill His Promises.
The more we ‘help’, the more harm we do.
We trust God.
We obey God.
That is what we must do.
In faith, we are mere, but profoundly blessed, participants of His Blessed and Glorious work of Kingdom in-breaking.
Work that is done merely through the zeal of human effort without counting the body as dead, and without completely depending on the Power of God, will never amount to anything but more doubt, more pain and more wickedness.
Which is why when Hagar conceived, Sarai became a wreak. (Ref: Genesis 16:4-6)
In Sarai’s own eyes, she was the wretched cause of God withholding His Promise to Abram.
In a culture that immensely valued childbearing, Hagar was instantly elevated to a status far beyond that of a mere slave; and even appeared in higher station than her mistress, Sarai.
Abram and Sarai’s doubt of God’s faithfulness has turned an already challenging circumstance into a terribly complicated, divisive and deadly global crisis that would continue to reverberate throughout the ages and nations of the world.
The physical result of Hagar’s conception by Abram is certainly not justification of God’s original Covenant.
Never look at your life, your ministry, or the church - in terms of physical results.
A life filled with worldly possessions is not justification of God’s favor; neither is a well-subscribed ministry or church, justification that what they are doing is acceptable and pleasing in God’s sight.
The only justification we have comes solely from faith in Christ which impassions us to participate in the Great Commission by the Power of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)
All things considered, it is much easier to simply trust and obey the Lord.
In fact, His Promises are meant to spare us from these complications and conflicts.
In Abram and Sarai’s case, it remains clear that all the pain and wickedness they have suffered is needless; and brought about because they doubted God and acted apart from Him.
Abram and Sarai’s doubt, the ensuing family drama, along with Hagar’s decision to escape; reveals the wickedness found in every human heart that the best way forward is a change of circumstances.
“If I could just change my circumstances, things will get better; things will go on more smoothly; I would feel better about myself.”
This is the very lie that condemns the doubter to a life apart from God, filled with despair and hopelessness.
A change of circumstances without a change of heart is to jump out of the frying pan into the fire – resulting in the same set of grief and wickedness.
In every case, the transformation needed is not a change of life’s circumstance, but a change of the heart’s substance.
The Psalmist David writes,
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12)
Instead of praying that the Lord change our circumstances, we must ask and be willing to let the Lord transform the very substance of our heart - by the Power of the Holy Spirit; that with a supernaturally pure heart and steadfast spirit, ever trusting and obeying the Lord, we may (i) overcome our own doubts; (ii) resist the devil; and (iii) persevere victoriously unto the fulfillment of the Lord's ultimate Promise of Salvation.
For the true Christian, every challenge and struggle in life is the Lord’s process of holy refinement (Ref: Zechariah 13:9); and divine opportunity for each to prove the genuineness of our faith so that what may result is “praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7)
We must be victorious exactly where we are, regardless of our circumstances; because Christ is victorious wherever He is!
The Apostle Paul testifies in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10:
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
When in difficulty, never doubt, and never give up; instead, look up to the Lord, trust Him utterly, and let His Power be made perfect in your weaknesses.
It is never a change of circumstances that we need, but a change of our heart’s substance.
Be absolutely done with the wickedness and needless pain that comes with doubting God.
Never doubt the Faithfulness, Love and Power of God who has already – through His Son, Jesus Christ - saved us from the wages and bondages of sin; and given us the gift of eternal life in His Coming Kingdom.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord, forgive me for every moment that I doubted You; wilfully departing from Your Holy Presence and defying Your Holy Will.
Forgive my wickedness of even considering that I might help You fulfill Your Promises to me.
I believe that Your every Promise is already fulfilled at the moment of You revealing it to me.
Grant me the strength and resolve to make every effort to be vigilant at all times against doubting You, O Lord; and grant me the courage and wisdom to stop the cultures of this dark world from corrupting my faithful embrace of Your constitution and definition of marriage and family.
Protect every Christian marriage; and family established in Your Holy Love and Commands, O Lord.
May every Christian husband and wife love and “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21)
Holy Spirit, make my only task in life to trust You and obey Your every Command; for “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Help me daily “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
May I trust You right at this moment; and daily W.A.I.T upon You – that before I reach for Your Promises, I would first die to myself, take up my Cross and follow You, Lord Jesus!
Help me accept more of the fact that I am broken, barren, and weak; that only through You, is Your Strength made perfect and revealed through my life.
Lord, I am thankful for Your Truth that has set me apart from the needless pain and wickedness that comes from doubting You.
O God, change not my life’s circumstances; but instead, change the substance of my heart – that You would create in me a heart that is pure, powerful, steadfast and ever-willing to remain in the Your Holy Presence (Ref: Psalm 51:10-12) – that I may daily overcome my doubts, resist the devil and persevere victoriously through life unto the fulfillment of Your ultimate Promise of Salvation!
Lord, I am absolutely done with the wickedness and needless pain that comes with doubting You.
Grant that I may never doubt Your Faithfulness, Love and Power – for I believe that, through Christ, You have already saved me from the wages and bondages of sin; and given me the gift of eternal life in Your Coming Kingdom.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
One of Man’s most insidious proclivity is to doubt God.
Make no mistake about it.
To doubt God is to submit to the devil’s subjugation - the results of which always lead to greater wickedness and further imposes on the ‘doubter’ the unnecessary burden of grief and pain.
Abram’s doubt of God’s faithfulness led him to - once again - defile his marriage to Sarai; and desecrate God’s design of marriage and family.
Be absolutely clear.
Polygamy, along with all forms of sexual relationships - outside of God’s design of a holy, loving and faithful marriage union exclusively between a man and a woman – is a wicked imitation of the holy matrimony.
Abram’s abject failure and abysmal passivity as a husband – similar to that of Adam’s - is unquestionably not grounds for a departure from God’s holy design of marriage and family.
When Abram and Sarai decided to take the fulfillment of God’s Promise into their own hands, the results are predictable; a needless, human drama - based entirely on the insidious and wicked nature of the heart - that leads directly to anger, conflict, hate, jealousy, marital tension, and relational strife.
This wickedness and unnecessary grief would not be contained only within Abram’s family.
The current Arab-Israeli conflict has drawn the entire world - throughout the history of Mankind - into a tragic and hopeless war that left millions dead; all because Abram and Sarai doubted God’s promise.
Even then, God’s Covenant with Abram is immutable and infallible.
His Promise to Abram (Ref: Genesis 12:1-3) that “all peoples on earth” will be blessed through him is our assurance that Christ’s blessing of Salvation and gift of eternal life is, indeed, extended to every human being in the world – past, present and future. (Ref: John 3:16-17)
To this, we must understand that only Christ’s Return would truly resolve the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict that started way back in Genesis 16; which is why we must continue to intercede for these two nations.
To doubt God is to bear the cost of both departure from His Holy Presence; and defiance against His Holy Will.
Our Lord never keeps us “from having children” (Genesis 16:2); nor does He hold back on the fulfillment of any of His Promises.
Every Promise or Covenant from God is already fulfilled at the moment of its Divine Revelation.
It is both impossible and wicked for us to even consider that we might help God fulfill His Promise; just as it was for Sarai to even think about building a family through her Egyptian slave, Hagar. (Ref: Genesis 16:2)
That this sacrilegious suggestion was accepted by Abram spoke not only to the wickedness of doubt, but also the weakness of their characters that caused them to succumb to the culture and customs of the defiant nations around them.
Sarai may have understood God’s Sovereignty over her womb, but her anger burned wickedly against the Lord for promising the heavens, yet leaving her – seemingly - desolated in an earthly hell, despised for her barrenness.
She was in a world of needless pain, brought about by her own doubts of God’s infinite faithfulness and power.
Through an unholy surrogacy as a means to 'help' God fulfill His Promise to them, Sarai - along with Abram – tried to justify the defilement of their marriage and the desecration of God’s holy design of family to their own dismay and detriment.
Doubt of God is defiance against God.
To doubt God is to sin against Him.
With her own words, “the Lord has kept me from having children” (Genesis 16:2); Sarai was very clear of God’s sovereignty over the womb, and yet, she acted against it.
To doubt God is to sin against His Will.
Abram and Sarai was brought into the marriage covenant by the Lord, and yet they wickedly disregarded His Will for them to remain in exclusive and holy matrimony.
The Christian must make every effort to be vigilant at all times against doubts regarding our Lord; and resolutely forbid the cultures of this dark world from corrupting our embrace of God’s constitution and definition of marriage and family.
Protect your marriage and family by committing both utterly to the Lord.
In fact, ensure that your marriage and family becomes wholly His; by solely obeying His Rules for your marriage and family relationships.
In his moment of passivity and weakness, Abram sinned by heeding Sarai’s wicked suggestion; and later, succumbed to Sarai’s wicked desire to mistreat Hagar. (Ref: Genesis 16:2-6)
Christian husbands, know that it is not about wearing the pants; but all about denying yourselves, taking up your cross and following our Lord Jesus Christ (Ref: Matthew 16:24).
Our “head-ship” has absolutely nothing to do with dominance, but rather, devotion to be the first to follow Christ; to be the point-person (Ref: Ephesians 5:23) - appointed by God – through leading by example and inspiring your family to daily draw close to God, seek His Will and listen to His voice.
Out of his own doubts, Abram allowed his understanding of marriage to be corrupted; and abdicated his appointed role to exemplify absolute faith in the Lord to Sarai.
Instead, Abram should have assured Sarai of his exclusive love and loyalty to her as husband; and encouraged her to trust the Lord together for the miraculous fulfillment of His Promise - regardless of the prevailing societal implications of childlessness as a sign of divine punishment.
Abram – as husband - should have vehemently refused to sin against God, and his marriage to Sarai with an Egyptian slave.
It is unbiblical to think that “God helps those who help themselves”.
God helps.
Regardless.
God helps everyone because He loved the world - “that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).
The only way we 'help'' ourselves is to draw close to Him; to believe Him; to follow Him and wait upon Him – not try to do what we think He ought to do.
Our only task is to trust Him; and obey His every Command.
To those who do, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
To wait upon the Lord requires patience.
Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Galatians 5:22-23)
Never live without the Holy Spirit; never leave God out of your life.
If you have heard His Promises right, it will be fulfilled In His Time – albeit beyond your time in this world. (Ref: Hebrews 11:13)
The Christian life is possible only within the framework of God’s Promises.
The Lord must be first, and foremost, in the relationships, priorities and endeavours of our lives.
Which is why we must “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
With the overwhelming evidence of the Lord’s love revealed in our lives, it takes greater effort to live in doubt and unbelief of the Lord – along with the wickedness and unnecessary pain and grief that results.
When we fail to wait upon the Lord, even our earthly successes are abject failures.
Like Abram, Moses attempted to fulfill God’s purposes by presumptuously murdering an Egyptian slave master; only to be taught a lesson in patience by tending sheep for the next 40 years.
Even for Abram, it was to be 13 years after the birth of Ishmael that Isaac was born.
Understand that God has all the time in the world; for our times are held in His hands. (Ref: Psalm 31:15a)
This is timely advice in every regard –
Trust God right now; and learn to W.A.I.T. upon Him. (Worship the Lord, Accept His Will, Intercede, Trust and obey Him)
We can never reach for God’s Promises without first dying to ourselves; just as Abram and Sarai – as one body - cannot be part of God’s Promise of Blessing without first accepting the fact that without God, their bodies are barren, weak, and as good as dead.
This has everything to do with the reality that - God is Sovereign over all.
For only God can fulfill His Promises.
The more we ‘help’, the more harm we do.
We trust God.
We obey God.
That is what we must do.
In faith, we are mere, but profoundly blessed, participants of His Blessed and Glorious work of Kingdom in-breaking.
Work that is done merely through the zeal of human effort without counting the body as dead, and without completely depending on the Power of God, will never amount to anything but more doubt, more pain and more wickedness.
Which is why when Hagar conceived, Sarai became a wreak. (Ref: Genesis 16:4-6)
In Sarai’s own eyes, she was the wretched cause of God withholding His Promise to Abram.
In a culture that immensely valued childbearing, Hagar was instantly elevated to a status far beyond that of a mere slave; and even appeared in higher station than her mistress, Sarai.
Abram and Sarai’s doubt of God’s faithfulness has turned an already challenging circumstance into a terribly complicated, divisive and deadly global crisis that would continue to reverberate throughout the ages and nations of the world.
The physical result of Hagar’s conception by Abram is certainly not justification of God’s original Covenant.
Never look at your life, your ministry, or the church - in terms of physical results.
A life filled with worldly possessions is not justification of God’s favor; neither is a well-subscribed ministry or church, justification that what they are doing is acceptable and pleasing in God’s sight.
The only justification we have comes solely from faith in Christ which impassions us to participate in the Great Commission by the Power of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)
All things considered, it is much easier to simply trust and obey the Lord.
In fact, His Promises are meant to spare us from these complications and conflicts.
In Abram and Sarai’s case, it remains clear that all the pain and wickedness they have suffered is needless; and brought about because they doubted God and acted apart from Him.
Abram and Sarai’s doubt, the ensuing family drama, along with Hagar’s decision to escape; reveals the wickedness found in every human heart that the best way forward is a change of circumstances.
“If I could just change my circumstances, things will get better; things will go on more smoothly; I would feel better about myself.”
This is the very lie that condemns the doubter to a life apart from God, filled with despair and hopelessness.
A change of circumstances without a change of heart is to jump out of the frying pan into the fire – resulting in the same set of grief and wickedness.
In every case, the transformation needed is not a change of life’s circumstance, but a change of the heart’s substance.
The Psalmist David writes,
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12)
Instead of praying that the Lord change our circumstances, we must ask and be willing to let the Lord transform the very substance of our heart - by the Power of the Holy Spirit; that with a supernaturally pure heart and steadfast spirit, ever trusting and obeying the Lord, we may (i) overcome our own doubts; (ii) resist the devil; and (iii) persevere victoriously unto the fulfillment of the Lord's ultimate Promise of Salvation.
For the true Christian, every challenge and struggle in life is the Lord’s process of holy refinement (Ref: Zechariah 13:9); and divine opportunity for each to prove the genuineness of our faith so that what may result is “praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7)
We must be victorious exactly where we are, regardless of our circumstances; because Christ is victorious wherever He is!
The Apostle Paul testifies in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10:
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
When in difficulty, never doubt, and never give up; instead, look up to the Lord, trust Him utterly, and let His Power be made perfect in your weaknesses.
It is never a change of circumstances that we need, but a change of our heart’s substance.
Be absolutely done with the wickedness and needless pain that comes with doubting God.
Never doubt the Faithfulness, Love and Power of God who has already – through His Son, Jesus Christ - saved us from the wages and bondages of sin; and given us the gift of eternal life in His Coming Kingdom.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord, forgive me for every moment that I doubted You; wilfully departing from Your Holy Presence and defying Your Holy Will.
Forgive my wickedness of even considering that I might help You fulfill Your Promises to me.
I believe that Your every Promise is already fulfilled at the moment of You revealing it to me.
Grant me the strength and resolve to make every effort to be vigilant at all times against doubting You, O Lord; and grant me the courage and wisdom to stop the cultures of this dark world from corrupting my faithful embrace of Your constitution and definition of marriage and family.
Protect every Christian marriage; and family established in Your Holy Love and Commands, O Lord.
May every Christian husband and wife love and “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21)
Holy Spirit, make my only task in life to trust You and obey Your every Command; for “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Help me daily “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
May I trust You right at this moment; and daily W.A.I.T upon You – that before I reach for Your Promises, I would first die to myself, take up my Cross and follow You, Lord Jesus!
Help me accept more of the fact that I am broken, barren, and weak; that only through You, is Your Strength made perfect and revealed through my life.
Lord, I am thankful for Your Truth that has set me apart from the needless pain and wickedness that comes from doubting You.
O God, change not my life’s circumstances; but instead, change the substance of my heart – that You would create in me a heart that is pure, powerful, steadfast and ever-willing to remain in the Your Holy Presence (Ref: Psalm 51:10-12) – that I may daily overcome my doubts, resist the devil and persevere victoriously through life unto the fulfillment of Your ultimate Promise of Salvation!
Lord, I am absolutely done with the wickedness and needless pain that comes with doubting You.
Grant that I may never doubt Your Faithfulness, Love and Power – for I believe that, through Christ, You have already saved me from the wages and bondages of sin; and given me the gift of eternal life in Your Coming Kingdom.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.