Tag: faith

Embracing God’s love for me

38. Armor of God, Part IV.

Ephesians 6:13-18. “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (NLT) 

Concluding the 10 principles I found in the passage on the armor of God: 

7. Let God protect your mind by receiving the gift of salvation that God wants to give you. God has promised to make me a new creation in Him and to live in me. As I let Him transform my mind, I will know Him better and be able to distinguish between truth and lies.

8. Receive the Word of God and use it to defeat the evil one’s lies and temptations. The Spirit will give me God’s words when I need them if I am familiar with what the Bible says. My challenge: restart a memorization plan so that I can recall verses accurately, not just their general meaning, with their references, so I can easily look them up when needed. This will help when I am rehearsing God’s truth.

9. Stay alert. Mindful in the moment, reminding myself of these truths.

10. Pray at all times for yourself and for all believers everywhere. This is an important reminder to me…the purpose of God’s armor is not just to protect me, in my attempt to walk worthy of my calling. All followers of Christ are in this battle with evil; I need to be praying for protection and strength for all my brothers and sisters around the world. Paul specifically asks his readers to pray for him and his ministry, reminding me of the part I can play in supporting those who minister in my local church and beyond. 

In a recent conversation with my sister about the tragedy of so many well-known ministers falling into sexual sin, I found out that for years she has been praying daily for her pastor and his wife. She doesn’t just pray that God will help her pastor to remain faithful, but that he and his wife will have a deepening, satisfying love relationship. That’s the kind of pray-er I want to be. Helping to build others up and protect them by praying for them.

Father, once again I am aware of how much I need Your work in my life to survive the attempts of Satan to destroy what You want to accomplish in and through me, my family, and our church. For Your glory, give me Your strength to use the weapons You have provided and the grace to encourage others in their battles. Amen.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart.

Embracing God’s love for me

40. Postscript.

Where do I go from here? In looking back over my quiet time notes in Ephesians I see several convictions and prayers for growth that I want to occur in my life. My habit in the past has been to finish a study and go right on to the next Bible study or spiritual book study, forgetting the list of changes I prayed about making in the previous study. Therefore, I am making an intentional plan now to address these areas. Initially, I have a two-step plan, but I will be flexible in adding or subtracting to my plan as I see whether I am getting closer to my goals.

These are my Growth Goals from this study:

• More awareness of God’s presence during the day
• More grateful response to God’s blessings
• Memorize key Bible verses
• Keep track of prayers and answers
• Live more intentionally (grace-filled conversations, use of strategies to fight temptations, looking for ways to bring joy to the heart of God)

And here is my plan:

Step 1

Use a small notebook (Bible-sized, kept with my Bible so I see it each day). Print the list above, tape it inside the notebook. Make a brief note each day on at least one of the goals listed.

Step 2

Ask a close friend to hold me accountable to pray about and write notes at least 5 days a week.

This feels very “mechanical,” but I have found that to establish a habit I must be methodical at least initially. And I have already thought of some creative ways of recognizing God’s presence during the day, such as imagining that each pleasant little thing I notice during the day is a post-it note that God has placed in my world to remind me of His love. E.G., a new bloom in my garden is a post-it note of His love; the parking space right in front of the grocery door when it is raining, another post-it note; a smile from my infant granddaughter, another note, etc.

Father, You deserve my complete love and worship, and here I am needing reminders of Your goodness to me. Thank You for Your patience and never-ending love! Thank You for the Book of Ephesians, and all You have taught me through it. Please continue to draw these images on my soul so that I become a more beautiful part of Your Body of believers. Amen. 

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart.

Dear Reader, this post is the conclusion of the series on walking through Ephesians. I hope these posts have been a blessing to you. I would love to hear what you have taken away from Ephesians that has been encouragement for your soul. Also, would you be interested in walking with me through a series of posts on another passage or book of the Bible? You can respond on this post or write me at ohnpcoach@gmail.com. I appreciate your input. Peggy