Deliverance And Truth: Faith's Foundation

Faith is a cornerstone of Christianity, and standing firm in one's faith is a recurring theme in the Bible. The Bible exhorts Christians to stand fast in the faith and be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. This means staying true to one's beliefs and not wavering, even in the face of hardship, danger, persecution, and conflict.

Christians are encouraged to put on the full armor of God to protect themselves from the devil's schemes and to study God's word to remain steadfast in the truth of the gospel. By relying on God's strength and not their own, Christians can stand firm in their faith and overcome trials and challenges.

Additionally, Christians are called to remember God's faithfulness and past deliverance, which can provide hope and encouragement during difficult times. This involves reflecting on how God has worked in their lives and glorifying Him for His character and power. Ultimately, by standing firm in their faith and trusting in God's promises, Christians can experience victory and freedom in Christ.

Ask for God's intervention and express your needs to Him

Asking for God's intervention and expressing your needs to Him is a vital part of standing firm in your faith. Here are some ways to do this:

Ask and Express Your Needs

Cry out to God and be honest about your needs and desires. Share your troubles and ask for His help and intervention, just as the psalmist did in Psalm 71:4, "Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked". Be specific in your requests, and don't be afraid to pour out your heart to Him.

Remember and Reflect

Take time to remember how God has worked in your life in the past. Reflect on His faithfulness and the ways He has helped and provided for you. Meditate on Bible verses that remind you of His past deliverance, such as Psalm 71:5-6, "For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you". This will strengthen your faith and increase your trust in Him.

Praise and Glorify

Fill your heart and mouth with praise for who God is and what He has done. Worship Him for His character and attributes, such as His faithfulness, goodness, and power. Declare His praises and glorify Him, as seen in Psalm 71:8, "My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long". Praising God will help shift your focus from your problems to His greatness and faithfulness.

Appeal and Base Your Requests on His Character

When you make your requests known to God, base them on His character and faithfulness. Appeal to Him as a loving and gracious Father who delights in giving good gifts to His children. Remember that He is a covenant-keeping God, and His character is unchanging. Know that He is able to deliver and save, as seen in Psalm 71:2, "Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness".

Put Your Hope and Trust in God

Choose to place your hope and trust in God alone, believing that He is working in your circumstances, even when you can't see it. Have an expectant faith, knowing that He hears your prayers and will answer in His perfect timing. Declare, like the psalmist, "But as for me, I will always have hope" (Psalm 71:14).

Anticipate and Watch for God's Deliverance

As you wait for God's intervention, anticipate His work in your life. Expect that He will bring about the answers to your prayers and needs. Watch for His movement and be attentive to His leading. Believe that He will deliver and save you, as He has done for His people throughout history, "You will increase my honor and comfort me once again" (Psalm 71:21).

Reflect on the ways God has helped you in the past

When reflecting on the ways God has helped in the past, it's important to remember that He has promised to deliver us from evil and spiritual attacks. We are assured that He will answer when we call upon Him.

One way to reflect is to remember how God has helped in times of trouble. In Psalm 71, the psalmist cries out to God for help, expressing his need and asking for intervention. He remembers that God has been his hope and confidence since his youth, and he glorifies God for who He is.

Another way to reflect is to recall specific answers to prayer. Remember the times when God has provided healing, restoration, or financial provision. He is faithful and delights in answering the prayers of His children.

We can also reflect on how God has guided and protected us through challenging circumstances. He has promised to be our refuge and strength, delivering us from fear and surrounding us with songs of deliverance.

Additionally, we can remember how God has given us His Word to stand on. He has equipped us with His armor to stand firm against the schemes of the devil and to resist the devil, knowing that he will flee.

Finally, we can reflect on how God has helped us to stand firm in our faith. He has called us to be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and to stand firm in one spirit as we live a life worthy of the gospel.

Glorify and praise God

To glorify and praise God is to extol His attributes, including His holiness, faithfulness, mercy, grace, love, majesty, sovereignty, power, and omniscience. We are called to glorify God in everything we do, and this can be achieved in numerous ways.

Firstly, we can glorify God by praising Him with our lips, as stated in Psalm 63:3, "My lips will glorify you". We can also pray in Jesus' name, aligning our prayers and desires with God's purposes. Producing spiritual fruit, as mentioned in John 15:8, is another way to glorify God. This involves bearing fruit when we win others to Christ, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, and performing good deeds.

Remaining sexually pure is also a means of glorifying God, as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, "Flee sexual immorality! ... glorify God with your body". We can further glorify God by seeking the good of others and making lifestyle choices that benefit them. This includes sharing our possessions with the poor, as this will bring glory to God and demonstrate our generosity.

Living honorably among unbelievers is another way to glorify God. By conducting ourselves honorably, we can lead others to glorify God as they observe our good works, as stated in 1 Peter 2:12, "Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God".

Being faithful when persecuted and facing death with faith are additional ways to glorify God. Despite suffering or facing death, we can glorify God by not being ashamed of the name of Jesus and standing firm in our faith.

In our daily lives, we can glorify God by letting His light shine through our interactions with others and sharing His love. We can start our days with prayer, meditating on verses, and offering our concerns and actions to God. Giving thanks at mealtimes is another way to glorify God, as it allows us to praise Him for His providence and provision.

Overall, by incorporating these practices into our lives and maintaining a close relationship with God, we can fulfill our purpose of glorifying and praising Him.

Base your requests for help on God's character and faithfulness

The Bible offers many insights on how to base your requests for help on God's character and faithfulness.

Firstly, it is important to recognise that God is faithful and will guard you against evil. As stated in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one". This is echoed in 1 Corinthians 10:13, where we are reminded that God is faithful and will help us overcome temptation. Similarly, 2 Timothy 2:11-13 states that "if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself".

Secondly, we are encouraged to put on the full armour of God (Ephesians 6:11) and stand firm in our faith. This means remaining steadfast and unmoved, as instructed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord". We are to resist the devil, as stated in 1 Peter 5:8-9, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith".

Thirdly, we are instructed to bring our requests to God through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, as stated in Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God". This is further emphasised in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, which encourages believers to "pray without ceasing".

Finally, we are reminded that God is a perfect example of faithfulness, as stated in Psalm 36:5, "Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds". We are called to be faithful because God is faithful, as stated in 1 Samuel 12:24, "Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you".

In conclusion, by recognising God's faithfulness, standing firm in our faith, bringing our requests to Him in prayer, and imitating His example of faithfulness, we can base our requests for help on God's character and faithfulness.

Put your hope and trust in God to work in your circumstances

In Psalm 71, the psalmist cries out to God for help, and though he cannot see God at work, he does not lose hope. Here are some ways to put your hope and trust in God to work in your circumstances:

Ask

Express your need to God and ask for His intervention. "Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked" (Psalm 71:4).

Remember

Reflect on the ways God has helped you in the past. "For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you" (Psalm 71:5-6).

Praise

Glorify God for who He is. This will foster trust in Him. "My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long" (Psalm 71:8).

Appeal

Base your request for help on God's character and faithfulness. "Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness" (Psalm 71:2).

Place

Anticipate

Watch for God to work and anticipate His deliverance. "You will increase my honor and comfort me once again" (Psalm 71:21).

Like the psalmist, even in the midst of trouble, we can stand firm on God and His truth. We may not see Him working, but we can take refuge in Him as our Rock and Fortress (Psalm 71:3).

We can also stand firm in our faith by studying God's Word and not wavering from the truth of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1). We must put on the full armour of God (Ephesians 6:11) and be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

We must not become discouraged. We must continually renew our minds and spend time in the presence of the Lord. We must pray for courage and boldness to do God's will. We must keep our eyes fixed on Christ and not be confident in ourselves, but in Him.

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