The grace of God gives us strength and the corresponding ability to do the things we otherwise could not do. This happens as a result of being in an intimate relationship with God, through his Son Jesus and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit. The more intimate we are with God, the more time we spend quietly with him, and the more we yield to him and depend upon him the more empowered we become.
Power from God does not come by way of religious-type activity and service. It comes as a direct result of abiding in God’s presence and being connected to him in a very real and meaningful way. Jesus tell us this when he says -
“Remain in me and I will remain in you…. apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
Jesus gives us a great example of how he received power from his Father, God. Shortly before his death on the cross, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was sorrowful and full of grief-filled emotions as he prepared to do the will of God by dying on the cross for our sins. The “man” in him did not want to die. What did he do? Jesus went away to be alone with God…. to be in earnest prayer with him one-on-one. When he finished his prayer time with God, Jesus was prepared, equipped with the strength he needed to be able to die for you and me. Matthew 26:36-46
The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus prayed to his Father that just as he and God were one, that we all would “be in them.” John 17:20-21 This serves as a reminder that God desires us to remain as close as possible to him. He knows that for us to be able to do his perfect will, we need to maintain an intimate relationship with him.
‘Abide in God’s Presence’ is one Spiritual Exercise that is conducive to a healthy life. The more we are in God’s presence, the more power the Holy Spirit gives us to make healthy choices and to change our behavior. We are able to do things that we otherwise might not be able to do.
Questions to Reflect On:
How close to Jesus are you?
How much time do you spend in prayer with God on a daily basis?
How much time each week do you spend reading the Bible and meditating on what you’ve read?
Scriptures Related to Intimacy:
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3
By some estimates, approximately 40% of all deaths in the United States are premature (at least 900,000 deaths annually) and are due to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, misuse of alcohol and drugs, and accidents. Other contributors to early death include genetic predisposition (30%), social circumstances (15%), poor access to quality health care (10 percent), and environmental exposures (5%). (David Anderson, Ph.D., StayWell Health Management)
So more than any other factor, it’s our lifestyle that causes us to be unhealthy. Changing old unhealthy habits is not easy but it’s essential if we want to become healthier and live a better quality of life.
God’s Power is Available to You
“God’s way is … an empowered life.” 1 Corinthians 4:20 – The Message
God wants to assist us in living a healthy life and He has given those who believe in Jesus a helper – the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-17) Just one of many blessings we receive as followers of Christ is that we have God’s power in us to live the kind of life that He wants us to live and this includes the ability to make desired lifestyle changes.
The Bible tells us that the same mighty power that raised Christ from his grave is available to us who believe in Jesus. (Romans 8:11 and Ephesians 1:19-20)
One key to being empowered by God’s Spirit is to recognize that in our own strength we can not do what we can in God’s strength and power. We must recognize this and depend on the supernatural power of God to work in us. We must submit and surrender to God and embrace the spiritual truth that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Your Body is God’s Temple
Because God’s Holy Spirit lives in those of us who have accepted Jesus into our hearts, our bodies are His temple ( 1 Corinthians 3:16) Therefore, we have a responsibility to care for His temple. It’s an awesome thing that God’s Spirit in us empowers us to live in such a way that we can care for His temple as a matter of love and worship to God. One beneficial by-product is that by appropriating God’s power, we can live a lifestyle conducive to good health.
My Prayer for You
Like the Apostle Paul, I pray that the “eyes of your heart” might be open and that you are able to understand and appropriate the power that is available to you to make any lifestyle changes you might want to make….. all for the glory of God! ( Ephesians 1:18 and Ephesians 3:14-21)
Questions to Reflect On
Are you trying to make lifestyle changes in your own strength?
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, do you believe God’s Holy Spirit lives in you?
Do you embrace the truth that the same power that raised Jesus from his grave is available to help you in making changes in your life?
Resources Related to God’s Power & Healthy Lifestyles
When we have strength we can make it through tough times. This strength enables us to live a healthy lifestyle and to manage the stress that is present. Are you looking for insight about how God can be a source of strength? Today my devotionals led me back to two passages in Ephesians where Paul shares his understanding of how God supplies us strength. I’ll do my best to pass his wisdom along to you here.
What the Bible Says about Strength and Power
Ephesians 1:15-21 is a prayer of Paul to the people of the church of Ephesus. He is especially praying that they be unified in their new faith so that they can be the body of Christ that God intended them to be. This prayer still applies to us today… and it is my prayer for you. I pray that you may know God better and that your understanding of him be deep in your heart. This deep understanding of who God is and of the love he has for you should be a source of hope – the kind of hope that can only come from God. Accompanying this deep understanding of God and belief in his character and nature should be great power. Paul tells us in verse 19 that this power is like the working of his mighty strength – the same strength that God used to raise Jesus from his grave. This same power, and strength, is available to you if you believe.
Further in this same book, in Ephesians 3:16-21, Paul again writes to these people in a prayer. We are also told that we can have this great power because God’s Holy Spirit lives in us who believe in Jesus. When you are deeply rooted in God’s love you are able to grasp how much Jesus loves you and cares for you. This is hugely important because as you embrace this love, you begin to realize the fullness and power of God. God’s Holy Spirit, who lives in you, gives your mind this ability. It’s not your power, but God’s power that is manifested in you and at work in you. (Ephesians 3:20)
Another important determinant of receiving God’s strength is our weakness. We are told that Jesus’ strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul came to recognize that it was his personal weakness and associated dependence on God that was key to him having power that came from God. So, it is in admitting our weakness that we affirm God’s strength.
Receiving God’s Strength
So, according to these scriptures, how do you receive strength that is available from God?
You believe in his Son, Jesus.
You begin to understand just how much God loves you and you receive this wonderful love.
You humbly acknowledge that you are weak and dependent on God.
You know that his Holy Spirit lives in you.
You believe that God’s power raised Jesus from his grave.
And, you believe that God wants to use this same mighty power for good in your life.
This is how you have strength – strength that comes directly from God. It’s about your faith, belief and trust – the essence of the Christian faith.
You were created by God as his masterpiece to do wonderful things through the salvation you receive by believing in Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 When you receive strength from God, through his mighty power that is available, you can make it through the challenges that life throws at you. When this happens, God is glorified. Ephesians 3:21
Hummingbirds live on nectar from flowers and the sugars that are found in specialty feeders. I have two plants out back that have attracted Ruby Throated Hummingbirds for the past five years. One is an Autumn Sage. The other is a Black and Blue plant – which is what the hummingbird in this video is feeding on. The last few days, these tiny birds have been visiting these flowers frequently as they stock up on the needed fuel they will need for their migration South.
These little birds are amazing. Their average weight is 1/8 ounce. Their wings beat between 40 and 80 beats/second. They breathe approximately 250 times per minute . Their heart rate is an unbelievable 250 beats/min at rest and 1200 beats/min while feeding. Finally, in flight they reach up to 63 miles/hour. Most researchers seem to accept the fact that those who migrate to the Caribbean Islands and Mexico cross the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean waters during a non-stop flight taking 18-20 hours. No wonder they require a lot of food for energy and strength!
People Need God
I imagine most of you know the story of David and Goliath. When David came face to face with the giant, he relied on God’s presence for strength. Read 1 Samuel 17:1-51. David was clearly aware that God was with him. and that the battle was not his, but God’s.(verse 45)
During David’s battle, he focused on God’s presence, not his circumstance or problem. David’s knowledge of God’s presence prevented him from becoming discouraged or giving up.
If you focus on life’s challenges and your opposition in the battles you face, you are likely to lose hope and give up. When you stay in God’s presence and keep the focus on him, he will give you optimism and the strength you need.
Remember, with God, all things are possible. Matthew 19:26
Questions for Reflection
When you need extra strength to make it through a tough or challenging time or when you are facing “giants” in your life, where do you turn? What is your source of strength?
People are looking for strength in their lives today as much as any time in the recent past. I see this played out in the number of times that people have landed on my site with searches for strength using search engines.
Take a look at the graphics below which summarize landings on my site over the last year with searches using the keyword “strength.” True, some of this has to do with the content I have added to the site, but nonetheless, the data is pretty convincing.
What this represents to me is that a whole lot of individuals are looking for information, especially scriptures, on how they can receive strength during difficult times. Fortunately, scriptures in the Bible are a great source of strength. Scriptures are the Word of God and truth – something we can all benefit from when times get tough.
Earlier today, I read a teaching from David Wilkerson’s World Challenge Pulpit Series titled – “If Foundations Are Destroyed, What Can the Righteous Do?“ Wilkerson reminds us that God is to be a source of strength during difficult times. “Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed.” Isaiah 26:20 Wilkerson suggests that the “secret hiding place” is a chamber in your mind.
If that is so, how can that spot in your mind be comforting? I would propose that the only way your mind can really be a respite for what’s happening in the world around us is for it to be filled with the truth of God’s Word. Reading the Bible is the most ‘sure-fire’ way that ou can get to know God and His character and nature. It’s in the Bible that the disciples and other authors write about their experiences with Jesus and their interactions with God.
Paul tells us in one of his letters to Timothy that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
This scripture reminds us that the Bible prepares us and sustains us for living and for handling the stress we encounter. It’s through reading scripture that we can get a better understanding of who God is and how He wants to work in our lives. When we read the Bible, we have an opportunity to draw close to God and to sense His presence. And it’s when we are in God’s presence that we can have peace and receive strength that will sustain us through tough times.
The more frequently we read scripture, the more likely we can recall the truth that we read when we need to be reminded of who we are in God and His Son, Jesus. Frequent reading of the Bible will cause the ‘chambers in your mind’ to more likely be filled with His truths rather than the lies of the enemy. It’s what you constantly think about that really impacts on whether you are at peace or whether you are fearful and anxious. And, over the long haul, these two mindsets will have radically different impacts on your emotional and physical health status.
Yes, God can be a source of strength in your life … and one of the best things you can do is to regularly read the Bible so that you can be reminded of His truths. Hopefully, your thinking patterns will also be affected in a positive way.
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10
Questions to Ask Yourself
To what degree is God a source of strength during your difficult times?
How often are you reading the Bible to better understand the nature of God and to be reminded of how much He cares for you?
What is one scripture that is a source of great strength for you?
God created each of us – you and me – as His masterpiece, His workmanship, to do the good works He planned for us long ago. This is what scripture tells us in Ephesians 2:10.
But there’s a catch. It’s only by accepting Jesus as our savior that we become “new” people and have the capability to do these good things that God has planned for us to do. Romans 3:22-25 tells us that we are made right in God’s eyes when we trust in Jesus to take away our sins and our sinful nature. Without the transformation that occurs through the love of Jesus, we will not be able to do what God created us to do. We will not have the ability or the power that God gives us in the form of the Holy Spirit that lives in a believer of Jesus.
It’s the grace of God – our salvation through the death of Jesus is one way He has demonstrated His grace to us – that gives us continual power through the Holy Spirit that enables us to live the kind of life that is pleasing to God and that glorifies Him. Without God’s grace we would not have the ability to make the day-to-day lifestyle choices we make that affect our health. It’s God working in us that enables us to apply our will to make these healthy choices. By nature, we’d want to chose things that our flesh desires which typically would not be as healthy for us. These same unhealthy choices would not be honoring to God and His temple – our body. See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
So, how do we do the good works that God planned for us long ago? How do we know what He wants us to do? How can we become equipped to do these things? The answer is found in scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
It’s only by becoming familiar with God’s principles as laid out in the Bible that we can become equipped to do all the things that He wants us to do. You and I each have a role to play in God’s kingdom. He has given you different gifts and abilities than He has given me. He wants us to use these gifts in a way that makes a difference in this world. God wants us to love on people and He wants us to share His truths with people who don’t know Him.
The healthier we are and the more energy we have the better we’ll be able to do all the things He wants us to do. I would submit that it’s by living according to His guidelines found in scripture that will enable us to be healthier.
If you haven’t become familiar with the Spiritual Exercises I have identified, you may want to read more about them. I have also developed a Spiritual Fitness Assessment that assesses the degree to which your life is in agreement with these Spiritual Exercises and you may find it helpful to spend some time reviewing it.
Believe that God loves you…. because He does. He has, and continues to dempnstrate His grace towards you and He’s given you guidelines to live life by so that you can do all the special things that He planned for you to do so long ago.
Application:
Believe that God love you… because He really does.
Receive God’s love and grace.
Get to know God’s will for you and become better equipped to live life by reading the Bible regurlarly.
Your old nature was crucified on the cross with Jesus
Have you realized substantial victory from your old and sinful nature since you’ve become a Christian or are you still “stuck” in a major rut by your old thinking patterns and unhealthy behaviors?
Romans 6:6 is a reminder that your “old” nature, your “old” manner – your “old” self – was crucified and died with Jesus when He was crucified on the cross. In reality, it is a done deal! Romans 6:7 tells us that anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Since your old nature has died, you are now free from sin and the way you used to live before you accepted Jesus into your life.
Our old nature, our old self did things apart from God. This old nature was inherited from Adam and Eve who were the first sinners. (Romans 5:12) We used to live life without the help of God’s Holy Spirit, who now lives inside of us. We were unable to live the kind of life that glorified God. We were unable to make behavior changes that we knew would be healthy for us… healthy in mind, body and spirit.
But because of what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary, we now have a new nature and we can live in triumph over death and sin and our old ways of living. (Romans 5:17-19) You and I are in right-standing with God. We are now righteous because of what Jesus did and our faith in what the Word of God says. We are free to live in the power of the cross. This, accompanied with the power that we have because God’s Holy Spirit is in us, enables us to live life more fully. It should enable us to live life with less of a struggle. Sure, we will still struggle in some areas, but we should be able to have significant victory over the way we used to live because of the cross and because of the power that we have. We have the same power in us that raised Jesus from His tomb! The Holy Spirit living in us gives us that same resurrection power. (Ephesians 1:19-20)
This power is to enable us to live in a way that glorifies God and that honors His temple, our bodies. ( 1 Cor. 6:19-20) This power can enable us to make the kind of behavior changes that we know we should make to be healthier.
I am learning that a key in this area is to admit to God, in prayer, that I am unable to make these changes in my own strength… in the abilities of my old nature.. and that I am strongest in my weakness and that I can have the ability to make these changes in God’s strength and power… in the Holy Spirit’s power. (2 Cor. 12:9 and Isaiah 40:28-31)
Thank you Jesus for what you did on the cross because you love me. … thank you for making me whole again!
If you didn’t listen to the song, consider opening this link now … and know that God loves you!
Points to Ponder:
Have you fully recognized and understood that, if you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior, your “old” nature died on the cross with Him? Are you living life from this perspective?
Are you appropriating, or have you appropriated, the power of the Holy Spirit in your life to make the lifestyle changes you desire/desired to make?
Are you regularly admitting to God that you do not have the ability to live life to the fullest and that you need Him and His power to do so?
If you do not have Jesus in your life but recognize your need for Him, follow this link.
Today we likely face more stressors and strains than usual as times in the world are really tough. Since we are in such tough times with the economy, unemployment and the like, you are probably experiencing a high level of stress due to the associated challenges – in your work, personal life and family life.
During times like this, it’s critical that your level of strength, wisdom and resilience be very high. And it’s vital that you receive this from the Lord.
This requires spending quality alone time with Him. Alone time to be still with Him and to hear from Him. Just time to sit in His presence. To be in His Word so He can speak to you as a son or daughter of God.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:29-31
My “To Do” list is always long. Daily, I am tempted to get right to work and plunge into whatever needs my attention. After all, there’s work to be done! This is a daily temptation most of us face I imagine.
However, it’s in the waiting… being quiet with God in His presence… that we gain His strength for living. This is a discipline, a spiritual exercise, that has to be practiced over and over and over again.
I encourage you, at all costs, spend personal quiet time with the Lord! He will equip you for living today.
Are you struggling to change a behavior that you know is unhealthy? Maybe this will help.
In a blog post last week I wrote about how God can help us manage the stress in our lives. I mentioned how much God loves us and that he sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we might have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10. I also posted a link to a presentation that shares the Good News about how God loves us and the difference that Jesus can make in our life. I thought it would be helpful to go deeper in sharing how God enables us to change our unhealthy lifestyle.
One thing that happens when we accept Jesus into our life is that God makes our old nature dead. Romans 6:6 says “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 6:11 says “In the same way, count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. The New King James version of the Bible says that we are to “reckon” ourselves dead to sin.
I am learning of the importance of “reckoning” myself dead to sin and my old nature. The degree to which I really believe and receive deep in my heart and spirit the fact that my own nature was crucified on the cross when Jesus went to the cross, will be the degree to which I can be successful in living the full life that Jesus died for me to have and that God offers me now. You see, the Bible says that our old nature really died on the cross with Jesus. Our responsibility is to believe and receive this fact. When we are able to do this at a very deep level it has the ability to radically transform our life and our behavior. It is so very critical however that we really do believe this — that we “reckon” this in our spirit. In this there is great power.
Colossians 2:8 reminds us that we are not to rely on the ways of the world once we have become a child of God. The ways of the world would tell us that in order to make behavior change, we must muster up motivation and self-discipline and all sorts of strategies to make the behavior changes we desire to make. The way of God and the Bible tells us that we are to choose to depend on Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us to make these behavior changes. We must choose as an act of our will to depend upon Christ in the power of the Spirit.
Romans 13:14 says “Rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Colossians 2:6 says “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. In Ephesians 3:16, Paul writes “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being.” Ephesians 20 says “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
What we are invited to do as believers in Christ is to believe deep in our hearts that our own nature was taken away and died when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, and then we are to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit within us each and every day to live life. This includes the ability to live and make behavior changes with the same power that raised Christ from the dead.
For me, to be able to make the changes in my life that I felt called to make, daily I surrender my own nature and ask God’s Holy Spirit to empower me to live that day and to be the one that enables me to make any lifestyle changes that I desire to make.
If you have been struggling to make a health behavior change in your life, “reckon” that the old behavior is now dead, and allow the Holy Spirit within you to live out the new behavior.
What challenges does this present? What obstacles have you encountered?
Last week I prayed in a way that I had never prayed before.
My heart has been heavy for an individual for many months. I sensed that person needed a special touch from God from deep within. On many, many occasions I had prayed for him. In my Men’s Bible study we have been looking at how Christ lives His life through us. Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20, “It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.” That tells me that a follower of Christ is to allow Christ to be the one who is speaking, behaving and doing all the other things a person does. If we were truly one with Christ, we could step aside and let Him live though us.
Jesus tells us in John 15:4 & 16, “Remain in me and I will remain in you.” “The Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” To me, this says that if we are so deeply abiding in Jesus that we will actually sense His presence in us. We will know that Jesus actually is living in us. Since that is the case, then we ought to understand that Jesus wants to be the one praying, not us. If we have this awareness and are able to yield to Jesus during our prayers, then in those moments we can be confident that the prayers that are being lifted up to the Father are actually the prayers of Jesus. Wow! That is so very powerful and sacred and holy.
I believe that this is the true essence of abiding in Jesus. When we are able to experience that Jesus is present and the one living through our bodies and the one doing the talking through our lips, then we are “joined” to Him just as He desires us to be. When we are able to be in this place, that’s when much fruit will be produced. (John 15:5) And one of the fruits that most pleases the Father is the fruit of someone entering into His Kingdom.
Why does Jesus want to be able to pray through us to the Father? He wants us to experience the ultimate connection with Him that occurs during that time of prayer. He wants us to have that sweet fellowship with Him. He wants us to experience the confidence and the power that occurs when we are with Him so solidly. He wants us to be instruments of His love as we pray for others. He wants us to really know Him… the kind of knowing Him that is experienced during such intimately prayerful times.
When we are in God’s presence, imagine how quieted our body, mind and emotions are. Such peace is wonderfully conducive to our health. When we are purely connected with God and Jesus it’s a really beautiful thing. Anytime we experience something beautiful, it’s good for our inner being and wellness. Imagine the strong sense of confidence you’d have and a sense of power, not power that comes from self, but power that comes straight from God. We should not be motivated for these reasons, but it’s an extra benefit that comes from such a close and intimate relationship with our Savior!
I have full confidence that God heard that prayer last week. It was Jesus’ prayer to His Father. I also know that God then touched a man’s heart in a special way over the next few days. Thank you Jesus for revealing more of your nature to me.
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The grace of God gives us strength and the corresponding ability to do the things we otherwise could not do. This happens as a result of being in an intimate relationship with God, through his Son Jesus and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit. The more intimate we are with God, the more time we spend quietly with him, and the more we yield to him and depend upon him the more empowered we become.
Lifestyle Factors and Your Health
God created each of us – you and me – as His masterpiece, His workmanship, to do the good works He planned for us long ago. This is what scripture tells us in Ephesians 2:10.
Romans 13:14
Last week I prayed in a way that I had never prayed before.
