Virtuous

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life: 1. God uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 2. God uses problems to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags... if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." James 1:2-3 3. God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something by losing it. "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Psalm 119:72 4. God uses problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year someone was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" Genesis 50:20 5. God uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems... they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady." Romans 5:3-4 * Here's the point: God is at work in your life - even when you don't recognize it or understand it. But it's so much easier when you surrender to his plan for your life.

All the angels in heaven rejoice (have a party) over one soul being saved! Praise God...now those are the testimonies I want to hear!

Lola21st...I hear ya gurl and I ain't mad atcha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Celestial.butterfly...What a great idea! :okay: Shhhhhhhhhhh...

Cholette...I knew you would feel me guuuuuuuurl :okay:!

But I have asked Him that regardless of how He does it that it be in a way that I know could only come from Him... I've done that too lola21st.

I know ladies...I know! The part that I'm reminded of is this... he is causing you to compromise your faith and destabilize your walk, if he is leading you into sexual sin or causing you to be distracted from your commitment to God, the relationship is too expensive. I have to constantly remind myself of this. MY HUSBAND will not want me to compromise my faith or my body. He will want to present me to God in holy matrimony as a pure, righteous and holy woman of God! Then when the time comes for us to come together (yall know what I mean), it will be so... I tease with my friends all the time because I've had my wedding album since 2005 after God told me He was going to give me a family (husband). I have EVERYTHING picked out. All he has to do is come! Even down to the reception..baby I got it covered. Don't come looking for a meal or anything fancy. I'm having sack lunches...you don't even have to turn your cars off...just roll your windows down and someone will be standing on the corner to pass you your lunches.... ..just kidding. It's going to be BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!

I thought I would share this...It is fair to say that men can use this as well... IS HE THE ONE? First we must allow our Heavenly Father to do the picking. And second, the decision for a mate must be made on a spiritual and intellectual basis before it's made on an emotional one. "What about love? Shouldn't that be the third? you ask. No, and I'll tell you why. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9). The heart is willful and is driven by its own agenda. It does not consider things rationally and intelligently it just loves to love! Therefore you have to point it in the right direction: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life" (Proverbs 4:23)! Whenever you meet a man, you need to get clearance from God, check out his attributes, and then allow your heart to engage. Dating exists not for mating; it exists for collecting data. I believe that the biblical design would be friendship, courtship and then marriage. Friendship is two people walking together in agreement and accountability, learning and growing together. Courtship follows the mutual agreement to commit to one another exclusively - it is the decisive turning toward the agreed-upon goal of the marriage altar. It is a period of laying a foundation and preparing your life together after marriage. But dating? Well, if you do date, use the time wisely to gather these facts. 1. Check out the fabric. Is the person mate material? Does this man have an intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ? Does he care what God thinks about his behavior? Is he accountable to God as well as another co-laborer in the faith? Accountability is an important factor. It is imperative to maintaining a committed relationship. Is your potential spouse a member of the same family - the family of God? You need to have common interests and values and agree on the essentials of living day to day. You have a similar spiritual walk. You eat the same spiritual diet. You enjoy a lot of similar things. You have like interests, like goals in life, like opinions on basic life issues. You have had like experiences in your background. Though there is some truth to the idiom that opposites attract, like-minded folks fare better together. Furthermore, does he want to get married? I f you want to be married and your dreamboat isn't interested, don't waste your time. Remember, women fall in love and get married. Men decide to get married and then look for a wife. Note the difference in order. So if a guy says he's not looking for anything serious, take his words seriously. If he's not going in your direction, get off the bus and wait for the right one. 2. Does this man want you? Is he pursuing you? The man who is right for you will pursue you, and God's hand in the relationship will be clear. No guessing, no fleeces, no dead ends. Scripture says: "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 18:22). Note -who finds whom? THE MAN FINDS THE WIFE. From the beginning of time, God has transported men and women across the world in order to put them together. At the RIGHT TIME, He will bring that man on the scene and he will find you. In God's perfect design, the man is the one who recognizes his mate. Adam has no problem recognizing that Eve was his missing rib. You do not need to strategically place yourself anywhere. You don't have to help a guy out because he's shy! Men will do whatever they have to do to get what they truly want. The man in your life should recognize you as the pearl of great price in his life and be willing to do whatever he must in order to gain your hand. If he is passive about gaining your affections, take it as a sign that he is not interested. Many a woman's mother has suggested that it is a good idea to marry a man who loves you more than you love him. As cold as that sounds, it actually might be scriptural if you stop to think about it: "We love him because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Until then, take the ultimate chill pill. You don't need a bunch of men in your life to make you feel all right about yourself. You need only one man - your man, the one God has selected to select you. And trust me, the right man at the wrong time can be just as awful as the wrong man at any time. So trust God's timing in this. He is the ultimate matchmaker. Relax, sit pretty and allow yourself to be found. Again - WAIT until the man voices his intentions. He should take the lead in establishing the relationship. You may have an inkling that he is the one, but God will use the man to set the tone of the relationship. Allow him the opportunity to woo you - this is your first act of submission. Jesus set the standard for all men to follow. They should love us first. And they should lead the relationship. 3. The man in your life should not desire to move into your house, only into your heart. A man who prepares for your future has made his intentions clear. A man who is husband material has the means to take care of a wife. He is a responsible human being who understands he needs to have something to offer. In short, a man should have the means to be a suitable lover for you. 4. Check out his buddies. Everyone knows birds of the same feather flock together, yet most women fail to see the connection between a man and his friends. A man's pals tell you a lot about the person that you haven't seen yet. They reveal things about the guy's character that might be hidden when he is on good behavior. Everyone knows how to put his best foot forward. Don't stay focused on the foot, check out the rest of the body! 5. Check out his relationship with his mother. How does he treat her? This is your preview of how he will treat you. There are lots of men who, because of a negative relationship with their mothers, really don't like women, yet say they do. Unresolved issues between mother and son continue between husband and wife. 6. Remember that a man's family reveals the cloth from which he's cut. Take note and decide whether you want your future with the man in your life to look like his present family situation. 7. Check out the patterns of his life. Do you see repeated cycles of drama in his personal kingdom? Broken relationships? Problems in making commitments --including the job market? Mood swings? Is a problem always someone else's fault? Does he embrace responsibility or shirk it? Does he keep his promises? Is he a man of good reputation? Remember all garments look wonderful hanging in the store, but with wear, some begin to unravel. Give yourself time and space to check out the man in your life. Time will always reveal whether or not he is made of the right stuff. 8. Does this man have a vision for his life? Is he running with that vision? Remember, God decided Adam needed help once Adam got busy DOING his assignment. As we saw Adam, a man doesn't need help until he is busy doing what he was created and called to do. I s the man in your life guided by sense of destiny and purpose, or does he just allow life to happen around him? A man who is not certain of his mission can be a most miserable person - and you'll be miserable too if you know where YOU want to go in life. A man who has vision is not intimidated by a woman whose mission statement is clear. He will be your best ally, cheerleader and assistant because he wants you both to make it! A man who cannot be supportive of your achievements because he is floundering in a sea of uncertainty over his own life is not a healthy partner to have and to hold forever. Creating dependencies or feelings of obligation is not the way to get the best out of your man. Somewhere along the way, he will resent you and flee from the smothering burden of obligation he associates you with. You want a man who is firmly anchored in his identity in Christ. Remember, we are looking for a man who will be priest and leader of his home. His first instinct should be to want to cover you, redeem you, and provide for you. Your job is to decide if this is the man God has ordained for you to complement. 9. Complimentary. Do your talents and gifts complement his? Do his gifts, compliment yours? What about your temperaments? Do you see the two of you as an effective team capable of bringing blessing to the lives of those around you? Do your futures mesh? Can you coordinate your gifts in an attractive and effective way? This is why knowing your purpose is so important. Make sure your hearts beat for mutual causes. When I go shopping I always consider the fabric, the fit and what I already have in my closet. Will my next purchase be a complimentary addition to what I already have? If I find that I am going to have to buy shoes and matching accessories to go with a new outfit, I leave it right on the rack. It is too expensive a proposition. If the man you meet makes you feel that you need to completely reinvent yourself, something is wrong. This is where I ask you to consider the relationship in terms of cost. Is this relationship expensive spiritually, emotional or physically? Does your longing for a mate make you willing to forfeit who you are in the process? Or does he see you as the gift that you are? The man in your life should consider you a rare find, a priceless jewel-because of you he is getting ready to get blessed big-time! Any relationship that causes you to feel unworthy, unlovely, unacceptable, undesirable or that you have to work for love, is too expensive! God has called the man to cover, protect and provide not only materially for a woman, but emotionally and spiritually as well. You should be richer in mind, body and spirit for your union with the man of your dreams. The man in your life should make rich deposits into your heart and spirit, not withdrawals. 10. Does he have a healthy love and acceptance of himself? Make sure the man in your life has taken time to heal from past relationships and has made peace with himself. How he cares for himself is how he will care for you. A man's relationship with God is crucial here. His love for himself will only be as strong as his love for God. This is not something that you can impart. You cannot be his savior or teacher. That is out of spiritual order. In his rightful place as your personal priest, he should be leading you to a richer relationship with Christ. If he is causing you to compromise your faith and destabilize your walk, if he is leading you into sexual sin or causing you to be distracted from your commitment to God, the relationship is too expensive. Offending the Lover of your soul, who promises you eternal love, is too high a fare to pay for a ride that has a limited run. If you and your man can't soar in the Spirit, when the force of your love for another is tested by the pull or gravity of the world, your union will not be able to survive. So you decide. How much is your life worth? How much is your love worth? You will be able to accept only what you believe you deserve. God himself calculated the worth of your love and decided it was worth His life. He now pledges you His love for eternity. Yes, Jesus sets the example for all others to follow when He paid a ransom for His bride. Should you expect less from a mortal man? Throughout the Biblical age, men were willing to pay the cost for what they truly desired The truth of the matter is everyone knows that anything worth having, costs and no one gets a ride in this life for free.

I think we are all a little confused by the question. I think Cholette is not questioning our ability or our right to ask God for anything. She's focusing on how we ask Him for something and only look for Him to answer us in a certain way. Therefore; leaving us out in left field when He is in right field. It's not the asking, she's questioning.

Fear is paralyzing her. If she needs God to move in a BIG way, she's going to have to exhibit BIG faith. Faith is what moves God. I usually can hear God and give her a word, I was going to ask you if she comes to you during times she needs to hear from God. (IDK why, I just felt she trusts you to hear from God on her behalf - especially through her dreams) I think you may be right. This is something God wants to reveal to her Himself. She needs to calm down and put her faith to action at once. There may be something in her life (doesn't have to be sin or anything like that) that is blocking her from hearing Him. I had to go on a fast this week (the one I was telling you about) just so I could get to a point/place where I could hear Him. THAT and THAT ALONE was the purpose for my fast...just to hear Him when He speaks. BTW, tell her to speak nothing negative about what she's seeking God for. Even if it seems that way, she should only speak the way it should be. "Speak those things that are not as though they are." Faith is dead to doubt. Faith is Dumb to discouragement. Faith is Blind to impossibilites. Faith knows nothing but success (my signature)! Tell her to take the limits she has on Him and let Him move as He pleases. It's not her way but His way. It may seem petty but it is what it is and He will not allow any of us to put Him in a box. He wants to move on Her behalf. I can see him standing at the starting line waiting for the gun to go off...On your mark...get ready...set...GO... I see the baton thing-a-ma-jig in His hand which let's me know He wants to pass something to her. It's not a normal race...sprint or what have you. He has something in His hands to give to her but she HAS to take Him out of the box! In Jesus name... Whew , I see it!!!!!!!!

Oh, of course not! We can't limit God. He moves as He choose. You're exactly right. That's putting God in a box and we certainly do need to do that. It's almost as if we're saying, "God, I need to hear from you but the only way I will hear you is if you come to me in a dream." Do you think your friend feels the only way he/she can hear from Him is through her dreams?

Well, I think we do have a right to ask God for dreams. I know for me, God uses my dreams to speak to me or show me things. When I'm seeking God about something I want Him to reveal to me, I ask Him to reveal it to me even if it He does it in a dream. Nine times out of ten, He does. I mean, I don't think I would go as far as to say it's wrong to ask God to give us dreams because He does anyway. I don't recall anyone "asking" God to give them a dream in the bible but I really don't think there's anything wrong with it.

I stand in agreement with you that this matter is settled and God's Will be done in your life. I speak life into your circumstances. I call forth dreams, blessings, miracles, signs and wonders to manifest in your life TODAY, in Jesus' name...AMEN!

THERE IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thankyou: , Jesus. And the best is YET to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am in agreement with you for your new home!!!!!!!!

Glory to God!!!!!!!

Cholette... YOU BETTER SAY DAT! :yes: GUUUUUUUUUURRL...YOU ARE ON FIRE AS USUAL ! I have been feeling "rain" in my spirit for about a month. Everytime I hear a worship song mentioning "rain" my spirit leaps, flutters, etc. I know God is about to do miraculous things in the lives of His people! In the book of Jeremiah, God speaks about these times of manifestation of His promises (prophecies) and they shall not tarry but He will cause them to come hastily!

Mark 9: 24 "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

Restoration cometh...in Jesus name!

Guuuuuuuuuuurl, if you don't look for promotion behind this...you better!!!!!!!!!!!! If you don't look for miracles behind this...you better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guuuuuuuuuurl, if you don't look prophetically at this...you better!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE WON THE SPIRITUAL WAR THAT GOD ASSIGNED YOU TO AND JUST LIKE YOU SAID, THE DEVIL IS MAAAAAAAAAAAAD! Who shows up when you don't have money to take care of natural things? Who supplies all of your needs according to His riches (not what you have or don't have) in glory? I don't care about "recession". (Oh, I feel this thang) If your family don't have extra for you at this time of need in your life, it's because God wants to show up and show out because of your faithfullness. Even if they have it, He absolutely WILL NOT allow them to give it to you because He wants to show up and show out on your behalf...putting you on display as to His goodness and His faithfullness to His children! Guuuuuuuuuuurl, if you don't get up and rejoice...you better! This is God's divine opportunity to prove Himself through your current circumstances. If you wasn't in this situation, how would he be able to do what He's about to do for you? I'm telling you...Guuuuuuurl.... Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift my sister up to you and ask that you allow her to see the miracles you are about to perform in her life because of her faithfulness and obedience to you. Hallelujah...Thank you Jesus! Guuuuuuuuuurl, I can't even finish. Hallelujah! I know how I prayed for you the other night after we P.M.'d each other. I TOLD you what God said to me what He would do for those who blessed me and I reminded Him of it and called out your name. I told Him I wanted Him to bless your socks off and move mightily in your life. Cholette, I feel this thang. Do you hear me?! Do it God! Hallelujah!

I agree. What God has for you...is for you. I interviewed for a position (promotion) during my 8th month of pregnancy. They "HELD" the job for me until I came off of maternity leave 2 1/2 months later!!!!!!!!! I never heard it put the way Cholette put it; but it does make perfectly good sense. I also have heard that during those times of silence, God is testing our faith in that area. Just as in the natural, during testing time...the teacher doesn't speak!

I claim it and I receive it in the name of Jesus! I agree with you that this prayer is received in your heart and in the heart of those who read it.

I'd like to add to this. I agree that this is from the devil. I was told a couple of Sunday's ago as I went up for prayer, that a tormenting spirit was on me. I immediately recognized the area of torment. I didn't know at first thatTHAT'S what it was. Now that the enemy has been exposed for the piece of crap that he is; I can truly say I have not had those thoughts again. :thankyou: , Jesus! The devil is a liar! I command the spirit of torment to be cursed from the root and die in the name of Jesus! You have NO AUTHORITY here!!!!! Devil, I serve notice on you today that you are and you MUST flee. I'm not asking you but I am commanding you by the power of the Holy Ghost to leave! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! The fruits of the spirit is LOVE, JOY, "PEACE", LONG-SUFFERNING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE, FAITH - against such there is no law. butterfly, Stand fast in the liberty, where is Christ has made you FREE! The devil IS a liar and he might as well go on somewhere else because we're NOT having this. One more thing....YOU are the righteousness of God which gives you the RIGHT to stand in the gap for your family!!!!!!!!! I'm standing in the gap for my family and ain't a devil in hell about to take their life. They will be saved! The enemy knows your prayers for your family are going straight to the throne room. He knows that God HAS to answer your prayers because He HAS to honor His word (Cholette referenced the scripture) and he's trying to distract you. Tell him to :zipit: it! Stay pure...stay holy...stay in prayer before the Lord ...stay in His word and kick the devil in his hard face!

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From experience, I know when God lays someone on your heart to pray for, minister to, ect.; He has already gone before you and taken care of everything. Just be obedient and let God lead you. Let Him word your mouth and be confident in what He tells you to say. I pray that your spiritualual ears are open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit to hear what God speaks to you that you may give it to your son. I pray that you will decrease in yourself that God may increase in you. May the spirit of wisdom rest upon them. God, go before justblueskies and prepare the son's heart and open up his spiritual ears, that he may be receptive of what you're saying to him. Lord, I pray that the word you give to justblueskies for his/her son will be a word "in season" that will fall on good ground and planted in fertile soil. In Jesus' name...Amen!