“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) Fretting and fighting over the small stuff will always cause you to lose your happiness.This is a hard habit to break because people are negative by nature and conditioned by culture.  Ever since Adam and Eve, we have been going around excusing and accusing. We excuse ourselves for the mistakes we make, and we also accuse everybody else for our mistakes.We say, “If I just had a different spouse, then I’d be happy. If I had just never gotten married, then I’d be happy. If I just had children, then I’d be happy. If my children would leave home, then I would be happy.”That’s “when and then” thinking. But you are as happy as you choose to be! You can’t blame anybody else for your unhappiness because happiness is a choice. You have to stop excusing and accusing; you have to stop fretting and fighting over the small stuff.The Bible says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure” (Philippians 2:14-15 NIV).Those may be some of the most difficult verses in the Bible. But the scariest verse in the Bible to me is Matthew 12:36, where Jesus says, “And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said” (NCV).That ought to send shivers up your spine. How many times have you complained, grumbled, or argued about something when you shouldn’t have been sweating the small stuff? The first law of life is this: Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Law number two is this: It’s almost all small stuff!The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV).Study after study has shown that gratitude is the healthiest attitude.What do you have to be thankful for? Remember, no matter what is going on in your life, God is always with you, God is always in you, and God is always for you.That’s cause for gratitude, not grumbling. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

Have you ever been in a valley of despair? Our disappointments, regrets, and unmet expectations reside in the valley. Sometimes it takes a while to climb out of it and we can find ourselves getting tired of the journey. The valley experience wasn’t what we anticipated when we began our Christian journey. We may have expected hard days, but not difficult years that a valley may bring. Yet, the valley experience will develop us into being more like Jesus Christ. It will help us with persevering under difficulty, overcoming sin, and depending completely on God. We may not immediately recognize our spiritual growth, but it will be evident to those in our homes, schools, or workplace. If we learn to worship God in the valley, our hearts begin to understand the joy in the midst of difficulties. If we learn to pray in the valley, our prayers become more discerning and powerful. If we learn to know God’s word in the valley, our minds are well fortified against the attacks of the devil. If we learn to serve others in the valley, we immediately recognize that we aren’t the only ones hurting and that there are people much worse off than us. The valley experience isn’t for everyone. Many believers choose the easier path of living a surface Christianity that minimally requires church attendance, infrequent Bible readings, and hurried prayers. Yet, for those who are willing to go deeper in Christ to experience His amazing presence, the valley experience will be the toughest, but most rewarding part of their life. Our mountain top triumphs are even more celebrated when we remember where we’ve come from in the valley. PRAYER Dear Lord, my valley experience is only worth it if You are with me. Help me to persevere through this season of my life and I will give You the glory now and forever more. In Jesus’ name, amen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

The goodness of God is over us all the time whether we sense it or not. He is a good God who uses everything in our lives for our good because we love Him and we are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) He is good to those who are His children as well as to those who are outside of the faith. (Matthew 5:45) When is God good? God is good when life seems to be all good. God is good when life seems to be all wrong. God is good when we have everything we need and want. God is good when we suffer lack and wonder how we are going to make it. God is good when we feel and know the love of family and friends. God is good when we feel isolated and rejected by family and friends. God is good when there’s leftover money for savings and investments. God is good when there’s not enough money to pay the bills and creditors. God is good when our gifts and calling are being used for His glory. God is good when our gifts and calling seem inadequate for the need. How can God be good when our life isn’t going the way we desired it? Because He knows our life journey even though we don’t. He has a beginning and ending to our lives in mind. It’s His will for us to trust in His goodness even when we don’t always understand the life journey. The twists and turns of our lives may catch us off guard—but it never comes to a surprise for our God. His goodness led Jesus to die on the cross so we wouldn’t have to suffer for all eternity. Even when we are besieged by doubt—let us never doubt the goodness of God. PRAYER Dear Lord, many times I feel like You’re not around. But I know in my heart, You are with me and You are a good God. Restore the right spirit within me to know and sense Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, amen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

Today we are fasting from the thought that says, "I can't shake my past."Often our past is what limits us and keeps us defeated. MEET THE NEW YOU You truly are a new creation—if you are in Christ. The old has passed away. Your past is over! GOD WILL USE YOUR PAST Live in Romans 8:28. All things, including your past, work for your GOOD! While your past is over, God can still make it work to your advantage. Believe that. YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR That means your past doesn’t conquer you! You have conquered it, by being in Christ. You’re the head and not the tail! See yourself that way, and your past loses its grip on you. YOU ARE NOT GUILTY No matter how guilty you were, you have been pronounced by Jesus as "NOT GUILTY." Jesus has washed all your sins away (Romans 8:34). That’s how God sees you. Now, you can start seeing yourself that way. YOU CAN SHAKE IT OFF! In Acts 28:5, Paul shook off a serpent from his hand. And you have the power to do so as well. Nothing can harm you anymore—not even your past mistakes or shortcomings. Shake it off by speaking to it! HAVE A FUNERAL FOR REGRET Kiss regret goodbye. Have a burial service for whatever is nagging you. Take 20 seconds and pray this funeral prayer: "Lord, I thank you that this sin or mistake of my past is dead and gone. You have removed it and forgotten it, therefore so do I! I shake it off and commit it to You." And thus concludes this funeral service for your past! THINK IT AND SAY IT I am a new creation in Christ Jesus; and no matter how bad my past is, it’s not only forgiven—it’s washed away!  I am more than a conqueror, and I will not be pushed around by memories or people from my past. Because of the blood of Jesus, I am not guilty. I shake off my past. I declare it is over, and I expect God will turn my situation around for good in some miraculous way, in Jesus’ Name! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

Have you ever felt like doubt was winning in your mind? You want to believe God, but there’s always something that puts a pause in your spiritual walk. Sometimes you want to give up because it seems easier than pressing past the circumstances surrounding your life. Yet, there’s nothing on earth that can stop us when we stand our ground in faith. How do we press back with faith? We press back in faith with God’s word. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17) When we are faced with doubt, we cling to God’s word because He never lies and His promises are secure. We press back in faith with prayer. “LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty.” (2 Chronicles 14:11) When we are surrounded by doubt, we can pray to God for renewed strength and faith to believe against the impossible. We press back in faith with Christian fellowship. “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32) When we feel the pressures of doubt, we can share with other believers and renew our faith by the word of their testimony. We press back in faith with action. “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:26) When the clouds of doubt descend on our minds, we can take action by stepping out on faith even though we don’t see with our eyes. We press back in faith with perseverance. “The testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:3) When doubt rises up like an immovable mountain in our minds, we can recognize that the testing of our faith is going to build our spiritual endurance to overcome it. PRAYER Dear Lord, I want to press back against doubt with faith. Show me the areas of my life that I can begin to build up my faith in You. In Jesus’ name, amen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

Have you ever had a plan B just in case your plan A fails? But what happens when plans C, D, and E fail as well? We can get caught up in our own plans—to be married, to have children, to be gainfully employed, to move to another location, etc. However, some or all of our plans don’t happen even remotely as we desired. Married couples get divorced, couples struggle with infertility, people lose their jobs, and some of us move to a worse location. It’s disappointing when our plans fail because we thought God’s plans and ours were on the same level. If we aren’t careful, we may fall into the lie of believing that our lives don’t have any plan or purpose. However, there are plans; but they are God’s plans for us. His plans were sealed before we were even born. God’s plans take in everything—our strengths and weaknesses, our victories and failures, our mistakes and accomplishments. Because He is God, He can turn every situation in our lives for our good. Our responsibility in God’s plans is to trust Him even when everything looks like a great mess. The first step in trusting in God’s plan is to relax. We need to take a deep breath and remember that He is faithful to fulfill our purpose in Him. When we resist anxiety and pray for His help, we find a different level of peace that we’ve never experienced. The next step is to take the actions taught in His word. We need to let go of our temporary plans and trust in His infinite one. We need to sacrifice our desires on the altar of God’s will. In doing so, we find that our plans ultimately align right where God wants us. PRAYER Dear God, I want Your plans to be my plans and Your will to be my will. Help me to release all of my plans into Your faithful hands. In Jesus’ name, amen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

Growing up, I watched a TV show called Wild Kingdom, which gave me insight into the jungles and wildlife in other countries. Without fail, every show about lions chasing after their prey made everyone stop to watch. While we didn’t want to see the poor antelope captured, we couldn’t move away from the TV until the tense situation was settled either way. There was one characteristic that stood out regardless of whether it was lions, tigers, or hyenas hunting their prey—they sought out the one in the herd that was the weakest, whether because they were young or disabled physically. Many times the herd would circle around the youngest to protect them from the intense gaze of their predator. If the young animal should wander away from the herd, they were almost always caught in the jaws of a stronger animal and held down to be eaten alive. In this wicked culture of the last days, our children and teens are also being stalked by a dangerous and evil predator named Satan. He will tempt mature believers to walk away from their faith, but his strongest urge is to wipe out the next generation in any way possible. It’s only when the body of believers surround our young people with prayer, solid biblical teaching, and strong examples of faith that they will be able to evade the enemy’s attack. Christian mothers stay on their knees interceding for their children of all ages until Jesus calls them home. They live faithfully to God’s word without compromise even when tempted. As a result, their children are well equipped to stand up against Satan and conquer the enemy instead of being spiritually eaten alive and defeated by temptation. PRAYER Dear Lord, I need Your power from heaven to be the mother You called me to be in this world. I will protect my children from the devil by praying Your word over them every day. Amen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

I’m not a huge fan of trials. They come in all shapes and sizes in the most inconvenient times. I’ve found that I can’t necessarily prepare for the worst of trials because they target toward the weakest areas of my life. While knowing scriptures and praying regularly helps me get through trials—they don’t insulate me from the painful lessons that I need to learn in order to grow in my faith. How do we get through the trials of our lives? BELOVED, DO NOT BE SURPRISED AT THE FIERY TRIAL WHEN IT COMES UPON YOU TO TEST YOU 1 PETER 4:12 I’m not a huge fan of trials. They come in all shapes and sizes in the most inconvenient times. I’ve found that I can’t necessarily prepare for the worst of trials because they target toward the weakest areas of my life. While knowing scriptures and praying regularly helps me get through trials—they don’t insulate me from the painful lessons that I need to learn in order to grow in my faith. How do we get through the trials of our lives? Get through by trusting God in faith. (Psalm 62:8) Faith is the first and foremost way to make it through our trials. We can’t trust in the circumstances that we see, instead we trust in what we know is true about God. Our faith is strengthened as we continually take His word into our hearts and minds. Get through by staying the course instead of giving up. (Philippians 3:14) Giving up during a trial is a common temptation for all of us. We think that giving up on God’s intervention will relieve us of the stress and pressure. However, every time we press our way towards what we know is right—we become stronger in the faith even if we feel weak. Get through by seeking godly counsel and wisdom. (James 1:5) Common sense and practical thinking offer only so much when we are going through trials. Yet, most of the time, our trials don’t make sense. Therefore, we need wisdom from God to make the best decisions during our times of uncertainty. Get through by focusing on God’s grace and not the surrounding circumstances. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Grace is God’s unmerited favor on our lives. During times of trials, we can get caught in the trap of feeling sorry for ourselves and then discouragement begins to settle in our hearts. Instead if we direct our attention to God’s provision, protection, and guidance—we will overcome the pity parties. Get through by walking in the Spirit and resisting the passions of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) The Holy Spirit within will lead us in the right direction, while our flesh will always lead to death of dreams and destiny. Our spiritual walk is a day-to-day decision to follow Christ regardless of the trials before us. We will make it to the other side of our trials as we lean on God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit. PRAYER Dear Lord, I want to get through this trial with victory instead of defeat. Turn my attention away from anything that seeks to distract me from You. In Jesus’ name, amen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

It’s difficult when we’ve asked God for something and then we’re denied. It’s easy for us to fall into the trap of victim-like thinking: why is this happening to me? Why does everybody else seem like they’re doing great and I’m not? It can be hard when we don’t get what we want; however, it’s an opportunity for God to stretch our faith and help us to draw closer to Him. It’s spiritual maturity that will drive us above our hurt and disappointed feelings. It’s spiritual immaturity that will lead us to look at others and allow our hearts to be filled with jealousy and envy. There’s a way out of the temptation of feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s through what questions we can ask when we don’t get what we WANT: W – What are our motives? Good or Bad? “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2-3) If our motives are good, then we know that God will lead us in the right place even if we don’t get what we want when we want it. If our motives are for our own selfish ambition, then we want God to place roadblocks so that we can repent and refocus on what is good. (Psalm 5:8, 1 Samuel 16:7) A – Are we wanting what God wants for us? Yes or No? “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (James 5:14-15) If we want what God wants for us, we can rest in peace and contentment that it’s His will in his perfect timing. If we want what we want for ourselves, we may be setting ourselves up to move further from God and closer to the world. (Esther 2:15, Philippians 4:6-7) N – Now is my season? Yes or No? “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) If this is my season to receive what God has for me, then I can expect Him to move above and beyond what I have asked for Him to do. If this isn’t my season, then I can learn the spiritual discipline of waiting on God. (Ephesians 3:20, Isaiah 40:31) T – Trust in Jesus? Yes or No? “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) If I’m trusting in God, I know that He is trustworthy above any and everything in my life. If I’m not trusting in God, I need to pull for times of prayer and scripture study to increase my measure of faith during times of testing. (Psalm 20:7-8, Mark 9:22-24) PRAYER Dear Lord, I’m disappointed that I didn’t get what I wanted. Yet I know that You are in control of my life and have a plan for me. Increase my faith to trust You more. In Jesus’ name, amen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support

Today we are fasting from the thought that says, "I feel anxious." All of us deal with anxiety at various times in our lives. Some of the symptoms of anxiety include: heart palpitations, tension, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach aches, and headaches. You don't have to live this way. TREAT ANXIETY AS A SIGNAL RATHER THAN A CONDITION It is a signal to pray, and prayer will change the thing you are facing. MORE PRAYING ABOUT IT = LESS WORRYING ABOUT IT James 5:16 says, "The prayer of the righteous avails much." Stop trying to SUBTRACT the anxiety. Instead, just ADD prayer the moment you feel it, and anxiety will leave! WHEN PANIC ATTACKS, ATTACK BACK! How do you attack anxiety and panic? By speaking God's Word out of your mouth. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! Embrace this truth. Don't blame yourself for feeling anxious. It's the thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Stop beating yourself up when you feel anxiety. Instead, beat up on the enemy by speaking God's Word. REMEMBER YOUR VALUE Because you are so valuable in God's eyes, He will care for you. Yes, He values you, because He paid for you with the blood of Jesus! Worry and anxiety lose their power when you remember your value. BREATHE PRAISE TO GOD "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6). Experts agree that breathing literally helps manage anxiety. But when you BREATHE praise to God, you don't just manage anxiety, you MASTER it. THINK IT AND SAY IT!!! Anxiety has lost its power over me. When I feel anxious, it is a signal to pray and praise God. When I add prayer, anxiety is subtracted. Because I am so valuable to God, I know that He will take care of me. I attack panic by speaking the Word of God. The Prince of Peace lives inside of me, therefore, I have peace guarding my heart and mind. I breathe praise to God today, in Jesus’ Name! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/felicia721/support