Tag Archives: victory

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A week ago I wrote this.

I was feeling optimistic and hopeful, but I’m still waiting on some blanks to be filled in. Questions that weigh heavily on me, and will possibly change the outcome. I’m still not certain as to which way I want to go, fully knowing it’s not up to me anyway.

In cases like this, where I have no control, it’s easy for me to feel defeated and discouraged. I could very easily sit and have worrisome thoughts all day long, pondering the what ifs. I can choose to listen to the lies of satan, or listen to God’s promises. Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

When I feel myself slipping, and it’s a very slippery slope, all I can do is pray.

I don’t want to carry worry, it’s not my cross to bear.

I don’t want to carry defeat. Jesus gave me victory when He withstood a horrific beating and was hung on the cross.  I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. Psalm 62:1

When I start to worry or have the desire to control the situation, I just turn to Him and repent. Jesus, I’m so sorry I keep picking up worry and trying to control situations and outcomes. I know that You have a plan, and You are in control. Honestly, I don’t want that pressure, and I’m thankful that You are willing to walk me through all this. Please forgive me, Lord, and guide me in Your ways. Take my thoughts captive and fill me with Your love and joy. Amen

Last night I simply gave the situation over to Him. I asked Him to take it from my hands and mind, and help me to trust in His ways.

Truthfully, I don’t have control over much of anything in this life. When I think about the presidential election coming up, it would be easy to be disheartened that I don’t want either one of the two running our country. The current state of the world is extremely frightening if I choose to dwell on it. I don’t want to be politically correct. I want to be biblically correct.

I choose to trust in Jesus daily, most days multiple times a day.  I see the bad and give it up.

It’s a choice. If I carried the bad with me, my heart would change for the bad.

How do you handle worry and stress?

I’m linking up again for Just Write.

Undefeated- The Movie

Undefeated is a coming of age documentary from filmmakers T.J. Martin and Dan Lindsay based on the 2009 football season of the Manassas Tigers. The original plan was for a thirty minute documentary focused on O.C. Brown, and that turned into a full-blown movie project. Undefeated recently won the Oscar for Best Documentary!!

Manassas High School was founded in 1899, and the Tigers had never won a playoff game. It’s a school that doesn’t have the funds for a fancy field, proper equipment, or even a coach. What it does have though, is kids that want to be a part of something bigger.

Bill Courtney loved to coach. It was his dream actually, but it wouldn’t pay the bills, so he started his own business in 2001. He says he never quit coaching though. Coaching was his passion. His passion led him to Manassas, and 17 players that had a 6-54 record for the previous six years.

Courtney and his team of volunteers impacted those boys that were from the inner city. They cared about them and they prayed with them. It was more than just football, but it changed the way that football was played by those kids.

It changed lives.

It changed Manassas football.

There were a few times that I cried while watching. The stories of the boys are so endearing and heart breaking too. I was rooting for them personally and on the field, just like Courtney was.

There’s a line in the film where Courtney says, “If you think football builds character, it does not. It reveals character.” It’s such a powerful moment. I think I can still hear him saying it.

My husband came in while I was watching it, and sat down with me. He’s telling his friends they need to see it. That’s what I’m telling you. See it, it’s great. There are a few curse words in it, so you’ve been warned. It is PG-13, from The Weinstein Company.

Click here to watch the trailer. UNDEFEATED

David’s Prayer for Victory in Battle

Psalm 20 NLT

1 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.

2 May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

4 May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.

5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.

6 Now I know tat the Lord rescues his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.

7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.

8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.

9 Give victory to our king, O Lord! Answer our cry for help.

I wanted to add the King James Version after I looked it up for comparison.

Psalm 20

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;

3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice;

4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.

5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.

6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

I looked up the above at www.youversion.com

Victory with Jesus

It was pointed out to me by a dear Godly friend that I have the tendency to try and control things. This is not a trait I am proud of, and it’s not something that I fight all the time. I notice it when life is getting away from me, we’re a little to busy, satan is whispering in my ear, and I feel like I can’t see the shore.

It’s so great to have friends who lovingly call you out and gently advise you. I left our coffee meeting with a lighter heart and direction. Not a newfound direction, because she told me to pray, and I know I need to pray. Need to pray!

Do you ever get so busy that you forget to pray?

Me too.

I have no excuse.

Forgive me Jesus. Please forgive me for taking you out of my day, and trying to take control of things all on my own. I am sorry, and I know I can’t do anything without you. You have already won the battle. You know the details of my battles, and with You I will be victorious too.

I want to share some scripture that really speaks to this. I found this during my quiet time, and I know that God gave it to me to share with you.

Romans 8:31-37
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one-for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one-for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 

Ahhh, overwhelming victory! Yes please!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victory in Jesus

2 Timothy 2:1-5  “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.  3  Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  4  No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please his commanding officer.  5  Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.”

Our personal victory comes in the enduring of hard times, and knowing that if we remain steadfast in our faith, that we will live and reign with Christ forever!  Listen to verses 11-13. “Here is a trustworthy saying:  If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him.  If we disown him, he will also disown us: 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”  God will stay true to His promises, the good and not so good.  All he requires of us is faithfulness to His commands.  That is a comfort to me, but it is also a warning if I choose not to obey. 

I choose reigning with Him in heaven for eternity as my victory.  How about you?

I was dreaming?

I saw my hand and a rope.  I was trying to hold onto the rope, but my hand was at the end.  I could see the rope separating and starting to fray.  I was slipping, and the rope was giving away.  Then another hand envelops mine.  A worn and calloused hand.  A tanned and tattered hand.  A nail scarred hand.  It came from nowhere and covered my hand with a mighty strength, so powerful I could feel it.  Feel the flesh on mine.  And I knew it was going to be OK.  When I can no longer hold on, He, Jesus, is here to help me.  He will carry the load, and let me hang freely while He nourishes my soul with His peace and love.  He will carry me until I regain the strength to hold on and fight for myself again.  Because He loves me so much.  Thank You Lord, for answering my prayers.  Thank You for showing me this, and sending me this security.  I will follow You.  I will praise You in the storm, because You are worth it.  Thank You for grabbing my hand, and teaching me. 

Powerful Life

I know I have talked about satan waging a war, and feeling his presence before, but why won’t he give me a break?  I am so angry with him right now!!  Yes, I am tired of fighting with you, but I will NEVER stop!  I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  He is my everything!

There are times when I can feel him lurking..just waiting for the right moment.  And then there are times that he comes up on a sneak attack, when I am not ready or prepared.  See, I like to have plans, and the sneak attacks really mess with my plans.  But then he knows that, and he wants to drag me away from the One who truly loves me and protects me.  So I have been pondering that this week, and once again, Beth Moore has shown me the answer.  The past two days in her Breaking Free Day By Day devotional have been on prayer.  Yesterday was about how satan wants to see us do anything BUT pray.  He doesn’t even care if we study the bible all day long, because he knows we need prayer to understand what we are reading and the power to live.  So Pray! 

Today’s scripture was Colossians 4:2.  Devote yourselves to prayer:  stay alert in it with thanksgiving.  She said that discipline can fly out the window at times of temptation and weakness, we also don’t tend to think straight when we get a surprise attack, and that human nature is far too self-destructive to choose what is best at our weakest moments.  The last line today was this.  Prayer lets us walk in peace and victory enen when walking through a war zone.  You know I love that.  So today, spend a little more time talking to God! 

Praying God’s Word

Here you will find my devotional from Beth Moore.  This was from last week, but is still making an impression on me, and maybe it will you too. 

Blessed, merciful God, Your Word promises that those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

If I go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, I will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with me.  (Ps. 126:5-6)

Help me to see that the promise is not made to those who simply have tears but to those who are willing to sow seed in the midst of their tears.  Your Word tells us in Luke 8:11 that the seed is the Word.  If I’m willing to keep believing and sowing Your Word, even when I am desperately hurting, you will bring me forth from this difficult season with songs of joy.  Because of Your faithfulness, with joy I will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isa. 12:3)  Remember…GOD will give us VICTORY, but sometimes He will require every ounce of energy and cooperation we have in the process.