Remain in me, as I also remain in you John 15:4

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. - John 15:4

     To abide means to stay, to remain. Jesus wants us to be dependent on Him, rely on him, trust Him, keep our focus on Him and when we do that He will abide in us. When He abides in us He will guide us, keep us, and make sure we have everything we want and need- just like the vine nourishes the branch so it can bear fruit.

     We cannot bear fruit unless we remain in His word daily. His word joins us to Him and He is able to speak to us through His word therefore growing in Him daily. Just like a fruit, the more nourishment it gets, the more it grows. The more nourishment we get - the more we read the bible and apply it to our lives, the more we grown in Christ and know what He requires of us. 

     Let us abide in the Lord so that He may abide in us. God bless you and may you continue to be stayed in Him.

If this was a blessing to you, share it with someone. Thank you.

You are my God! Psalms 140:6

I said to the LORD: “You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. - Psalms 140:6

       Sometimes we have to declare to the Lord where we stand with Him truthfully. In this Psalm, the declaration of  "You are my God!" signifies that there is no other god I worship or I have faith in to answer my prayers than the Lord All Mighty! As believers, we know this to be the truth, we know this to be fact and when we walk with God, we in turn have to declare our faith in Him.

      Our Lord is the only one who can give ear to our supplications and answer our prayers.

Meditate on this scripture today and declare to the Lord that He is your God, the one who listens to you when no one else does and the one true God who is able to answer your prayers like no other god can.

Be blessed.

I AM Poem by Helen Mallicoat

I was regretting the past

And fearing the future.

Suddenly my Lord was speaking:

“My name is I Am.” He paused.

I waited. He continued,

When you live in the past

With its mistakes and regrets,

It is hard. I am not there,

My name is not I WAS”.

When you live in the future

With its problems and fears,

It is hard. I am not there.

My name is not I WILL BE.

When you live in this moment,

It is not hard. I am here.

My name is I AM.

Be anxious for nothing Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Philippians 4:6

      I get anxious sometimes to the point where I get sick. It interferes with my sleep and it's sometimes the only thing on my mind. Has anyone ever felt that way or experienced anxious symptoms? Let me tell you, it is not a good feeling. I have to find ways to calm myself and one way is reading scriptures that remind me that nothing is worth being anxious about - nothing. But with everything, prayer, supplication and thanksgiving are the mediums by which we can let God know what we want and we have to trust and have faith that He will take care of it. 

     Throughout scripture God reminds us

Forgetting those things which are behind...Phillippians 3:13

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. Phillippians 3:13

      Paul states that he does not count himself to have apprehended or grasp fully all the things that Christ asks of him.  However one thing that he knows for certain that he does is forget those things that are behind him and strive for those things that are ahead.

      It's hard to move forward if you are stuck in the past. It's hard to strive for perfection if you continue living in the past where you were not so perfect, which is the story of Paul and so many of us. Paul knew that in order to move forward to do those things that he set out to do after being convicted, he could not keep bringing up the past, he had to forget the past.

      Remembering the past ills, actions etc is not conducive to progress. Forgetting them and having your eyes on what is ahead and striving for those things is what is. 

    May God strengthen you on your journey to forgetting the past and reaching for those things that are ahead. God bless you. 

But We Will Remember The Name Of The LORD Our God

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Chariots and horses were used in battles and war and persons relied on them as a means of gaining victory. Therefore they trusted in those things to bring them victory. But King David is reminding us that although this is true to some, we will remember the name of the Lord our God! 

    Why will we remember the name of the Lord our God? When we remember His name, we will remember He is our true defense against battles and wars. He is the one who can give us true victory over all that come against us. So while others trust in things that they think will make them victorious, we will trust in God where our true victory lies. The name of the Lord is that powerful. Praise God!

And Whatever Things You Ask In Prayer, Believing, You Will Receive

There is an incredible promise in Matthew 21:22 that can transform how we approach God in prayer: "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." At first glance, this scripture might seem like a blank check for whatever we desire. But as we dig deeper into the context of this promise, we begin to see that it’s not simply about asking—it’s about faith, trust, and aligning our hearts with God’s will.

When Jesus said these words, He was teaching His disciples the importance of faith in prayer. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Our prayers must be filled with faith, not just in the act of asking, but in the God we are praying to. Do we truly believe that God is able to answer? Do we trust that His answer—whether yes, no, or wait—will always be for our good?

1. Prayer and Faith Go Hand in Hand

Prayer is not simply a ritual; it is an act of communion with God, where we bring our needs, desires, and burdens before Him. But without faith, prayer loses its power. In James 1:6, we are encouraged to “ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” When we pray, we must pray with confidence, not in our ability to get what we want, but in God’s ability to answer according to His perfect plan.

There’s a reason Jesus emphasized believing in this passage. Faith unlocks the door to God's supernatural provision. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” He wasn’t telling us to demand things of God like He’s a genie but to pray with a deep trust that our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need.

2. Aligning Our Prayers with God’s Will

When we think about asking and receiving in prayer, it’s essential to remember that our requests should align with God’s will. 1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” The power of our prayers comes not from the strength of our desires but from our willingness to surrender those desires to God’s perfect will.

Often, we may ask for things in prayer that we believe are good for us, but God sees the bigger picture. He knows what we truly need, and sometimes His answer is different from what we expect. When we pray, we should ask God to align our hearts with His, seeking His will above all.

3. Trusting God’s Timing and Response

One of the challenges we face when asking in prayer is waiting for God’s response. It can be easy to get discouraged when we don’t see immediate results. But God’s timing is always perfect. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We might not always understand why God’s answer looks different than what we imagined or why it seems delayed, but we can trust that He is working for our good.

When we pray believing, we trust that God is in control, even when the outcome is different from what we hoped for. Romans 8:28 assures us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Whether we see the answer immediately or have to wait, God is always faithful to hear us and respond in a way that fulfills His purposes.

4. Believing in God's Power, Not Our Own

Another important aspect of this scripture is that it shifts the focus from our ability to receive to God’s power to provide. Ephesians 3:20 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.” When we pray, we are tapping into the limitless power of God, not just our own limited vision of what we think we need.

God is not only able to meet our needs—He is able to exceed our expectations. But we must come to Him with the right heart, praying in faith, and trusting His plan, even when it doesn’t look like our own. Matthew 6:33 gives us this vital instruction: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When we put God’s will first, He takes care of everything else.

Pray Boldly, Trust Fully

As believers, we are called to pray boldly, believing in God’s power and goodness. Matthew 7:7-8 encourages us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” God wants us to come to Him with our needs, our hopes, and our dreams, trusting Him with the outcome.

As you pray, believe not just in the answer but in the One who is answering. Let your faith be anchored in God’s character and His promises, knowing that He is always faithful. Trust that whatever you ask in prayer, and believing, you will receive according to His perfect will and timing.

May your prayers be filled with faith and trust in the One who hears every word.