God’s Gifts found in the struggle

Are you having a hard time?

When problems arise it can be easy to have trouble facing them. It is hard to find a solution in the midst of difficult problems when you are walking in the struggle instead of the victory God has already given you.

Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus”.

Repeating these scriptures back to God and reminding him of his promise to help us can start to lift you out of the situation that is bogging you down.

Psalms 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth, give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

I know easier said then done. It can be so hard not to keep from feeling downhearted. I have found myself crying out to God only to realize in the deepest part of the inner groaning a desire rise up in me to worship God in it all. I end up laughing and praising God recognizing how he sees me. How lovely I am to him. He will overwhelm me with his love as I worship and then give me a precious gift. A song in the spirit, lovingly talking to me in my spirit, filling me with faith to carry through the toughest circumstance, no matter what it looks like, and he will even show me a mental picture of victory. The key is to rejoice in the suffering. You will have incredible breakthroughs during these times alone with the Lord. Pouring your heart out before him with what is bothering you. Be real with God. Don’t hold back, talk to him like a friend. Lay it all on the line. In worship and prayer when I need to make the heart connection with God I will picture myself in the throne room climbing up into his lap and putting my head on his shoulder and talking to him daughter to father. He will begin to speak to me in the quiet. His comfort will fill me with peace.

Psalm 42:5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

In times of thankfulness I will honor God by picturing me pouring out the finest perfume as an offering. As he loves on me I desire to love on him with worship and song. I understand feeling helpless at times. Lately, I have been facing adversity and in the darkness I saw the light God was trying to show me.

God has shared with me before a very important Kingdom Key. Sometimes I still have to fight a little as he stretches me. Then I’m reminded as His outpouring of love upon me brings me back to the Kingdom mindset that covers me in his freedom and victory.

When God reminds us, he is so gentle and loving. We realize at that very moment we have the authority in him to rise above the struggle to see the “God solution”. In his wonderful solution and comfort he so lovingly has special gifts for us that can accelerate our relationship with him into new heights. We can soar with him experiencing his glory and blessings. You can be sure of one thing in that darkest hour. That the devil is paralyzed and God is greater. If we can think God for even the littlest thing, He can move leaps and bounds on our behalf.

There was a time when I was pregnant with my son Mission. Finances were scarce. I was living with my parents and was looking in the cupboards for food. I opened the cupboard and said, “there’s no food.” God spoke to my spirit… “Next time, thank me for food Hanah and when you open the cupboard it will be full of food for you.” This really spoke to me. I have carried this with me for years. My son is now 8 years old. God uses it to encourage me and get me thinking “out of the box” a lot. “With God all things are possible…” You start to realize the only limits are the limits we put on ourselves.

My father would always make me laugh when I was having a hard time. He would ask me, “Hanah, how many fingers do you have?” I would answer, knowing what was coming. “I have ten fingers dad, same as you.” My dad would smile the goofiest smile that would always make me laugh and say, “instead of complaining Hanah, if you want God to be able to help you out in powerful ways and give you a solution then you need to say, Praise God! Ten times and you will feel better by the time you are done.” A lot of the times it did help me feel God’s peace that I was going to make it through the struggle. Sometimes I would tell my dad it didn’t work, because I wanted to see what he would tell me to do next. I should not have been surprised at his response telling me to do it again.

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Strength in His Promises—
You will find amazing peace and strength in God’s promises. They can pull you out of the hardest times. You can find ones that apply to your situation or circumstances. Personalize those as you speak them back to God. The Bible is God’s gift to us and empowers us to speak pure life and power into our lives. Changing and transforming us as we speak His Word.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Psalm 138:7 & 8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.


How to Overcome—
You can start by understanding that God cherishes you. Realizing your worthiness in God can make the difference when struggling to get through a challenging time. Once you begin to understand and accept God’s unconditional love for you faith can start to shake your spirit to life with authority. Faith will rise up in you and instead of walking in defeat you can recognize the victory and start walking in that victory instead. God tells us we are more than conquerors in Him. That no weapon formed against us will prosper. If God is for us who can be against us? The Bible is full of written authority for us to defeat the circumstance. It may not always be the way we think. With God we are in a great adventure with supernatural wonders around every turn if you believe and expect to see them. Are you looking?

Be filled with the Gift of Faith—
How do we get this gift? Ask God for it. Ask God to help you and believe that he will come through for you. When I can’t seem to look up I begin to fight in the spirit. I speak in tongues, speak God’s promises and make decrees. I will say that, “I am not controlled by the situation, but I surrender to the Holy Spirit”. God gives us what we need to make it through. Be encouraged. Stand on the Word. Just when you think you can’t take it God will breakthrough for you in miraculous ways. At times, before we even ask him too. He is so COOL!

Isaiah 54:17 …no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord.

Isaiah 55:11 …so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Example:
In 2007 I was experiencing some tough battles. All I could see was that I was getting hit from all sides. I found myself wondering why it was all happening to me. I begin feeling sorry for myself and picked up a victim mentality. It was like I could not get past it. Knowing God did not intend for me to be burden down and feeling miserable, He began to recall to my memory scriptures that would help to encourage me and lift me out of the situation. What could I do? I have authority to trample on the devil. To go into the enemies camp and take back what he was trying to steal from me. Faith started to rise up in me. I begin to speak the Word. I begin to encourage myself in the Lord as David did. The faith kept rising…I am a victor not a victim. Speaking life over myself, making decrees and proclamations had a huge impact. The outcome is a miracle in itself. Not only did God step in and intervene on my behalf. He forgave me for my rotten self talk. I decreed victory in my life and proclaimed that from that point on I would walk in victory and justice. Now, when the verbal onslaught begins to rear its ugly head I know how to rise above it and walk in the proclamation. Love instead of anger will come out as I let the Holy Spirit work in me. Life can be a very different and successful place when you can believe for the God solution instead of focusing on the problem. A phrase that has often helped to remind me of this very principal is, “Life’s problems, God’s solutions”.

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.


Seeing the “God Solution”—
There have been struggles where it seems like there is no solution in sight. Like the end of the world is around the corner and I might as well let it all consume me.

If I am thinking like that there is probably a good chance I could miss out on the solution and blessings that God has for me.

One of the major keys of getting through it is praying the opposite of what is in the natural. No matter what it looks like if you can focus on God and his love to prosper you, give you a hope and a future. The darkness will begin to lift and you will start to see the God solution that might have been there all along.

Hebrews 11:6 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.

Many times God has come through for me at just the right time. See, God has this awesome policy. He never leaves a man behind. He is with you for the long haul, until eternity in fact.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

You can make it. It touches God’s heart when we are able to praise him through the circumstance. When there is a breakthrough it is often so much more than we expect. To set your focus on him and his Word opens you up for those earthly limits to become less and less and God possibilities to show up more and more.

Recognizing His special gifts for us--
In the incredible presence of God there are treasures. God can give you a prophetic vision, you could have a God encounter, you could be taken up into heaven, or feel overwhelmed by his awesome presence that you are never the same. In some of my deepest pain God has showered me with special treasures of His love.

What could he have for you?

Matthew 7:7-12 “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; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened”. “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”

God has his hand upon you. Don’t give up!

Proclaim, decree, and prophesy

Proclaim: speak the word and proclaim the opposite of the situation speak victory.

Decree: It says in His word that when we decree a thing it shall be established. Make a decree about the situation to God. Decree Success, Decree financial prosperity, Decree a new job, Decree a creative miracle, Decree freedom from addiction, and Decree a change in circumstance.

Prophesy: Let faith rise up in you and when you feel as if you are overflowing with it begin to call forth victory, begin to call forth a new job, begin to call forth increased provision, begin to call forth healing, begin to call forth salvation for others, and begin to walk in the Victory God has freely given you.

You are a victor… You are a victor… Speak it, let it take hold in your spirit, and praise God for His goodness.

As I’m writing this I feel as if I could explode. God has the best for us and He wants us to take hold of it. There is not one circumstance, struggle or challenge in life that he does not want you to have victory in.

Prayer: God, you are awesome. Holy Spirit I ask you to touch the heart of everyone who reads this and pour out increased blessing upon them. Let the words in this writing jump off the page shaking their very spirits alive and overflowing with your gift of faith. In your Name, I decree changes in circumstances God. I decree changes in financial situations. You are the God of unfathomable miracles and I ask you Lord to move right now intervening where a situation seems hopeless. With you God, All things are possible. I call forth cancellation of debts right now, I call forth joy and breakthrough for those hurting. God I ask you to loose and release your peace, comfort, and incredible love on those dealing with difficult circumstances right now. I give you all the Glory and praise in your mighty name, Amen

Be encouraged in the Lord, He is with you!