Always Seek God With All Your Heart (Jeremiah 29) | A Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day

Jeremiah 29:13. And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Beloved, if you seek the Lord, if you search for him with all your heart, you will find him. We often spend so much energy. We spend so much effort and time seeking things, seeking people, seeking money. We expend a lot of energy seeking affection, seeking approval on all kinds of things, things that are temporary, things that will pass away. But today, saints, my message to you is this. We need to seek Jesus Christ. Before you seek the

things of this earth, call on the name that is above every other name. The name of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to seek protection under the lion of the tribe of Judah. Seek tranquility from the prince of peace. Seek God Almighty, the one who is, who was, and who is to be. I encourage you to seek, to call, to chase, the one who commands millions of angels, the one who speaks and creates. Call on the one who has the keys to life and death in his hands. So whatever situation you face today, whatever circumstance or

situation you're up against, God wants you to call on him. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." How wonderful to know that the Lord has said he will answer when we call. And then Psalm 50:15 says, "Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you shall glorify me." And so I want to encourage you when you look at God's word, when you look at his promises, he says, "Trust me in your times of trouble and

I will rescue you." This word trust is an interesting one. It's interesting because trust underpins every aspect of life and relationships. You interact with person A differently to person B all because you trust one and not the other. You work hard and diligently at your job because you trust that your labor, your effort, your skill will be rewarded and compensated. You lock the door. You hide valuables from plain sight. All because you don't trust everyone to have integrity and not steal. You order food and eat it without having seen the state of the kitchen, without

questioning the ingredients, all because you trust the restaurant, the establishment, or the chef. Do you see how trust is a huge factor in everyday life? Here's a couple of Bible verses I'd like you to hold on to. Jeremiah 17:7 and 8. The Bible reads, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes for its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought for it does

not cease to bear fruit. You see, in order to fully trust God, you have to relinquish full control. To put it another way, to trust in the Lord is to abandon trust in yourself or in another human. You stop trying to fix it yourself and you allow God. You yield to God. You surrender all control to him. And to do that in this day and age is to go against everything we're taught and trained to do. We have to take control of our career, our business. We need to take control of our future, our kids'

futures. So much of our lives today requires control. But the Lord operates differently when it comes to the aspect of control. The Lord requires us to have faith in him to relinquish control and stop trying to fix it yourself but hand it over to Jesus. And let's be realistic. There are some aspects in our lives where we need to accept that the only things we have control over is the amount of effort we put in, the attitude we have on a daily basis. That's what we can control. The rest we have to leave it up

to God. So trust God to intervene in that situation at work. Trust God to have an impact on your children. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and over all of your affairs. Remember that the Bible says you are blessed when you place your trust in God. You are blessed when you place your hope in Jesus. Now let us pray. Lord Jesus, I praise your name. You are majestic and glorious. I place my trust in you today and almighty God. I refuse to trust in the experts of this world. I refuse to place my

trust in scientists. I will instead fully trust in you and in your word, King Jesus. You are ever so reliable and consistent. Your word in Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever more." You are eternally changeless. You are the same God who spoke the words, "Lazarus, come forth." And your power brought him back to life. And I believe that you can speak life into my situation today. You are the same God who spoke the words, "Peace, be still." And a storm obeyed you. And I believe that you can still

speak those same words over me and calm my situation. You are still able to rebuke the storms that I face. My trust is in you, King Jesus, because you are an unchanging God. You are and have always been a redeemer, a savior, and a deliverer. Your word in Psalms 34:4-6 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noon day. Lord Jesus, I

commit all of my ways to you. I commit my plans to you, Father, and I relinquish control over to you, King Jesus. Have your way, Father. Your word tells me in 2 Corinthians 16:9 that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. Father, as your eyes search the whole earth, when you look to strengthen those whose hearts are committed to you, I pray that you may find my heart to be committed to you. I pray that you

would find my heart to be full of faith and burning brightly for you. May you find me, Lord, to have a heart that is full of trust and reliance in you. Lord, I pray that I may never be too busy for you. May I never be too tired to pray and give you thanks. I pray that my heart would never be too busy for your word. As your eyes search the whole earth for those loyal to you, I pray, Lord Jesus, that you would see me find my heart to be committed to you. I pray

that you may find a heart that looks only to you. May you find a heart that is satisfied only in your presence. I pray Lord that my heart heart may never settle for these worldly things, but rather may I constantly seek heavenly things, things from above, things that are pure and righteous. I desire to be wrapped in your steadfast love. I pray that your presence would always be strong and rich around me and around my home. Holy Spirit, would you move within me and clear up my heart? Help me to make room for the Lord

by removing anything ungodly within my heart. May the Lord's presence be known in my life. Father, your word says in Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise him. You are indeed my strength and shield. My heart certainly finds rest and comfort in you because you are an unfailing God. I bless your holy name. Amen. The Bible says something that's interesting in Psalm 119 verse 71. The word of God reads, "It was good

for me to be afflicted so that I may learn your decrees." And at a different point in my life, I would often scratch my head at this verse and ask myself, "How can it be good for you to be afflicted? How is there any good for you to go through pain, tribulation, and hard times?" But you see one day the Lord opened my eyes through his word and I read Acts 14 21-22. The Bible reads, "And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and made many disciples, they returned to Lististra, Iconium, and Antioch,

strengthening the souls of the disciples, exorting them to continue in the faith and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." Now I believe that affliction although unpleasant, although uncomfortable, afflictions are necessary for the Christian man or woman. Because if it were not for the struggle you're going through, how would you have come to know that God is faithful to his children? If it were not for the struggle you went through, how else would you have known that what the devil meant for evil, God would in fact use it for your good?

The Bible says we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. It says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers him out of them all." And here's the beauty of God. It's in your weakness that he reveals his strength. It's through pain in your body that God can reveal himself to be an almighty healer. It's in your lack that the Lord presents himself as a wonderful provider. I believe that as we go through life and face different trials, should we remain in the Lord, should we continue trusting in the mighty name

of Jesus Christ? Should we stand firm and believe God's promises to be true, then we will experience what the Bible talks about in James 1 verse 2 to 4. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. Afflictions bring about a result in you. It leads to spiritual maturity. It produces endurance. Afflictions

will result in you praying with a purpose. Afflictions will leave you with a desire to really connect with God because you know that you cannot go through this battle with your own strength. Today, Jesus may not be present physically in the flesh, but he is just as near to us. And even when we struggle, when we struggle with our emotions, with anxiety or depression, instead of turning to God, how many times have we tried to fix it on our own? The simple truth is that on our own, we are weak. We can't save ourselves, but

only God can save us. And in order for him to help us, we have to first ask for his help, we have to take that step of faith. So in your moment of desperation, don't just sit there and let God pass you by. Call upon the name of Jesus. Don't continue to be trapped by that spirit of depression. Call upon the name of Jesus. Believe that he is able to rescue you. believe that he wants to rescue you. We are not like those without hope. In every situation, we have a choice. We can choose to

either take matters into our own hands or to relinquish control and bring our requests to the Lord. Sometimes we're afraid to approach him. We might even be afraid that he will reject us or condemn us. But that is not his character. Hebrews says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." God is merciful. He is kind. He is willing to help those who seek him. All too often, we wallow in shame and guilt. We prolong our suffering. But

yet our healer is right in front of us. Don't let him pass you by. What we need to do instead is to swallow our pride, cast aside our doubt, and cry out to God. Don't pass me by. Don't leave me here. Don't turn your face from me. He will have compassion on you because that's the kind of God he is. believe that he is willing and able to cure whatever problem you're facing. We need to trust that Jesus Christ has the power and the authority to make straight whatever is crooked. No matter what it is,

he is capable of healing your marriage. He is capable of healing your addiction. He is capable of healing whatever is broken in your life. He will not pass you by if you call on the name of Jesus. And he will meet you right where you are. Now let us pray. Father, you are a good God. Your mercies are new every morning. Your love is everlasting. Your grace is all sufficient. and we declare that our trust is in you, King Jesus. Even though we may face afflictions, our trust is in you, King Jesus. Even though we

may be in the middle of fiery trials, our trust is in you, King Jesus. Lord, we trust that you know our beginning and our end. And we trust that when you allow us to go through tough times, when you allow us to face certain obstacles, we trust that you are performing a good work within us for your glory. We have to trust and believe that when you allow us to face afflictions and troubles, you are refining, molding, and shaping us in your divine plan. God, we trust that whatever you allow into our lives, although it

may test us, it will ultimately build our character and build our faith. And even so, Lord, we would like to thank you for the many, many times you have delivered us from troubles. You have been there as my source of divine strength whenever I am weak. Lord, I thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. When I'm in need of intercession, I thank you that the Holy Ghost is there to plead my case and intercede on my behalf. Even when I need counseling, the Holy Spirit is always ready with wise counsel and instruction. Your

word in Galatians 5:16-17 says, "I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Lord, I pray that you lead me to walk in the spirit and not to try and reason with my human intellect. Lord, work on me from the inside out. Fill me with more of your spirit so that the works of the flesh may not be

evident in my life. I pray that you remove from within me the works of the flesh. Things such as uncleanliness, hatred, and jealousy. Let that be removed from my character. Let outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, and envy be cleansed from my character, from my personality, and from my mind. Lord, I pray that you remove these things. I ask that you would empty me so that I may be filled by the fruits of the spirit as described in your word. Your word says in Galatians 5 22-2, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace,

longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Fill us with all these wonderful things. Fill us with a spirit of love, a spirit of joy, a spirit of longsuffering and kindness. mold our character to be one that is gentle and more like you, Lord Jesus. May your name be praised. Thank you for your kindness. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. What have

you done by faith? What's your story? What's your story of faith? Every believer must have a story of faith because without faith it is impossible to please God. So right here in this moment, raise your faith. Reach out to Jesus. Trust him. Embrace him. Hold on to his word. Cast your cares on him because he loves you ever so deeply. And perhaps one of the most prominent verses in the Bible about faith is Hebrews 11:6. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and

that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. This underlines just how faith is a requirement for the believer. And on the topic of faith, there are times when you have to encourage yourself. There are times that you will have to learn to talk to yourself and remind yourself of the promises of God. Tell yourself who God says you are. And when you do this, you will find that you will lift up to walk on top of your situation rather than underneath it. If you do this, it will lift your faith. Tell yourself

Bible verses such as Nah 1:7. It says, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." Tell yourself Isaiah 40:29, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Tell yourself Deuteronomy 31:8. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Hebrews 11:es 5 through 11 reads. By faith, Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found because God had

taken him. For before he was taken, he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith. By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to

the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age because she judged him faithful who had promised. Take note of the following. It was by

faith that Noah moved with godly fear and prepared the ark. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when he was called, even though he didn't know where he was going. It was by faith that Sarah received strength to conceive. I pray that this encourages you. By faith, the Bible is telling us that Sarah literally received the strength to conceive. She was made strong by faith. Noah acted. He prepared an ark. He moved with godly fear by faith. We all sing and shout that we are children of God. But how many of us depend on the

Lord in the same way that a child depends on a parent. Childlike faith looks to the Lord for everything. Childlike faith looks to the Lord for strength, for provision, for protection. I believe that having childlike faith is essential because when you emulate the faith of a child, you are emulating the kind of faith that Proverbs 3:es 5-6 speaks of when it says in the amplified translation, "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding in all your ways. know and acknowledge and recognize

him and he will make your paths straight and smooth removing obstacles that block your way. Now with this understanding let us pray. I thank you Lord for your unending love. You King Jesus are the wellspring of our hope. So even when life disappoints, even when friends abandon, I'm grateful that I can always count on you to be my rock and my refuge. John 7:38 says, "Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. Father, may the rivers of living water flow from every part of my life. May

your living water flow over my heart and soul and fill me with [Music] faith. Lord Jesus, so long as you are for me, I know that nothing can stand against me. I will continue to place my faith in you because you're a God who has held me up every time I didn't have the strength to stand on my own. You're a God who has calmed the storms in my life. And you've lifted me up high. Even when I thought I was at rock bottom in this world which is like sinking sand. You, King Jesus, are

my rock. Continue to be with me. Continue to give me the faith to stand firm day by day. Now, I don't know what I'll face tomorrow, but I do know that your word tells me to submit to you, for you will make my paths straight. I know that your word in the book of Isaiah tells me that when I pass through the waters, you will be with me. And when I pass through the rivers, you will not allow them to sweep over me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned because of

you. and the flames will not set me ablaze. In your word, I place my confidence for tomorrow. In your word, I place my hope and my faith for tomorrow. You are the God who knows the number of hairs on my head. And you said in your word that I am not to fear because I'm more valuable to you than many sparrows. I stand on that word. I rest in that word. You will never leave me nor forsake me. God, I pray that you would strengthen my faith. Father, help me to be strong in faith. I

trust you, Lord Jesus, to be my provider. The one who will meet my every need. I trust in you, Lord Jesus, to keep my mind at peace, to keep my soul at peace. your word in Jeremiah 17:es 7-8. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord, for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes. But its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease

from yielding fruit. Father, the one who trusts in you has spiritual security. The one who trusts in you is anchored and unshakable. And I desire to be someone who trusts in you fully. No matter the situation, may the Holy Spirit strengthen my faith. Regardless of the battle I face, may the Holy Spirit strengthen my faith. Lord Jesus, so long as you are for me, I know that nothing can stand against me. I will continue to place my faith in you because you're a God who has held me up every time I didn't have the strength

to stand on my own. You're a God who has calmed the storms in my life. And you've lifted me up high. Even when I thought I was at rock bottom in this world which is like sinking sand. You, King Jesus, are my rock. Continue to be with me. Continue to give me the faith to stand firm day by day. Now, I don't know what I'll face tomorrow, but I do know that your word tells me to submit to you, for you will make my paths straight. I know that your word in the book of Isaiah

tells me that when I pass through the waters, you will be with me. And when I pass through the rivers, you will not allow them to sweep over me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned because of you. and the flames will not set me ablaze. In your word, I place my confidence for tomorrow. In your word, I place my hope and my faith for tomorrow. You are the God who knows the number of hairs on my head. And you said in your word that I am not to fear because I'm

more valuable to you than many sparrows. I stand on that word. I rest in that word. You will never leave me nor forsake me. Your plans for me are good. Father, I thank you and I bless your name. It's in Jesus name that I pray. Amen. Trust God's timing. That's what I want to tell you today. A prayer delayed is not a prayer denied. God's time may not be your time. God's time may not be according to your expectations. But God has never made a mistake. God has never been late. He's never missed an appointment.

And so if you're waiting on God today, let me encourage you. Waiting on the Lord can be hard. But here's the thing. The wait always has a purpose. God is never accidental. He's intentional. Everything he does has a purpose. As much as we want to move forward now, as much as we want that breakthrough now, as much as we want that divine intervention now, sometimes we're just not ready. Sometimes God can see that there is more we have to learn, so he makes us wait. Sometimes God can see that we have more to change, so

he makes us wait. Sometimes God can see that we need more growth in our walk of faith and in our spiritual maturity. So he makes us wait. Let me tell you this. Pray for patience and pray that through this season of waiting, God would give you grace and courage. And furthermore, pray for God to reveal the next step for you in his timing. And finally, pray for your heart to be open to the work God's doing through this current season. Far too many believers make the mistake of giving up. They stop praying. They stop believing

and waiting on God just because the answer they want doesn't arrive when they want. Furthermore, the answer to your prayer may be delayed because of spiritual warfare. Remember that the Bible tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities. And so, while we may not physically wrestle with evil forces, the fight can come in the form of a hindrance. And here's what I mean. In the Amplified Translation, Daniel 10:12-13 says, "Then he said to me,"O not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding

this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for 21 days. Then behold, Michael, one of the chief of the celestial princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Daniel had prayed and prayed for weeks. And when his answer came, he was told that his prayer wasn't denied, but it was in fact delayed. It was delayed because of the prince of Persia, the

evil principal spirit of that region was hindering Daniel's prayer. And so saints, could it be that your prayer is actually not denied, but in fact delayed because of evil opposition? Could it be that the devil or a principality is actually wrestling with the answer to your prayer? This is why we ought to be wise and mature as believers so that we can be alert and mindful of how our prayers are fought. And I would like to encourage you that when you do come up against something that threatens you, turn to Psalm 35 and pray from

the word of God saying, "Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor. Arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, "I am your salvation." May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame. May those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. May they be like chaff before the wind with the angel of the Lord driving them away. Dear friends, may I remind you that God is your protector. God is

a shield that can block every attack regardless of what form it comes in. It will not prosper when you're with Jesus Christ. Our Lord is a mighty fortress, meaning he is a hiding place. In him, no enemy, whether visible or invisible, can touch you. So, take a step back and try handing things over to God. Get to a place where you say, "I'm turning this over to you, Lord." Get to a place where you say, "I won't spend my life worrying, trying to fix everything and everyone. I will trust in you, God, to fight for

me." Let us pray. Lord God, if I am being placed in a season of waiting because you want to grow my faith or grow my maturity, then may your will be done. King Jesus, give me the grace to wait on you expectantly with assured faith, give me the grace to be unshakable in my trust in you. So that even though my breakthrough or your intervention may not come when I want it to come, I will not be discouraged, but firm in faith, believing that you will arrive in your perfect time, which will be the right

time. Micah 7:7 says, "But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Help me to have a spirit that is humble and faithful. A spirit that always believes that my God will hear me despite the many discouraging voices in this world. Despite the many accusations and lies from the enemy, I declare that I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, we trust and believe that transformation can and will

take place in our lives. Where we are weak, through the strength you provide, we will be made strong. We will be able to overcome. I place my faith in what your word says, Lord. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." That is why for Christ's sake I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,

then I am strong. I am thankful, Lord, that your grace is indeed sufficient for me. Indeed, your loving kindness and your mercy are more than enough for me. Your grace and mercy is always available to me regardless of the situation and I truly am grateful. King Jesus, may your power be perfected. May it be completed and shown to be most effective in my weakness. That way you get the glory, Lord. You get the honor. Father, your word says in 1st Chronicles 16:34, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures

forever." Your word, Lord, tells me that I will praise the name of God with a song. I will magnify him with thanksgiving. I am so thankful for your love, King Jesus. that even though you knew everything about me, you knew all of my shortfalls and all of my mistakes, but yet you still died in my place, opening up the way to eternal life for me. Help me not to let my heart be overwhelmed. Your word in Psalm 61 verse 1 to4 says, "Oh God, listen to my cry. Hear my prayer. From the ends of the

earth, I cry to you for help. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the towering rock of safety. For you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings. Father, may we dwell in your presence forever. You are a strong tower, our divine refuge, and a safe place. Be glorified and praised forever more. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart

on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for 21 days. Then behold, Michael, one of the chief of the celestial princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is

made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. [Music] Psalm 19:14 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." I want you to note how the psalmist makes the distinction that he wants the words of his mouth and the meditation of

his heart to both be pleasing to the Lord. And I want to talk about this distinction between what comes out of your mouth and what your heart meditates on. I don't know about you, but have you ever offered words of encouragement to someone while you yourself were troubled within your heart? Or have you ever come across someone who says one thing, but later on it transpires that the intentions of their heart was completely the opposite to what they were saying? You see, God not only wants us to speak words of praise to him, but also

for our hearts to be full of praise for him. God doesn't simply want us to be people who say that we love him and we love his word, but he wants people who truly love him with all of their hearts and people who truly meditate on his word. The Bible says in Matthew 15:8, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Dear friend, don't be the type of person who honors God with their lips, but in your heart, you are far away from him. I encourage you today to pray

the prayer in Psalm 19. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Now, do you know why the heart is such an important area of your life? Do you know why God is concerned about the state of the heart? It's because the heart is central to all things. When you love and what you love, that's a matter of the heart. When you hate, that's a matter of the heart. When you are bitter, resentful, or unforgiving, these are all matters of the

heart. So you see, the heart is an important area for your life and for your spiritual health. The heart should be guarded and protected. We should never just allow anything to develop in our hearts. And I say this because it's the heart that the Bible says is deceitful above all things. It's the heart which that we have been told to guard with all diligence because out of the heart spring the issues of life. Now if you are to experience true change in your life, if you want real and lasting change in your life, then you

have to get to a point where you are withholding nothing, not even your heart. Ezekiel 26:36 and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Now is the time to place your faith in Jesus today. If you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. Instead, allow him to come in and change your life forever. Now, let us pray. Lord Jesus, I praise you because you are awesome and mighty. Lord, you

have said in your word, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me. I open my heart to you, Lord. I'm opening my heart to you, Lord Jesus. Purge me of all sin. Set me free from pride, from anger, from unforgiveness. Help me, Lord Jesus, so that I would be someone who is transformed in my mind and in my heart. Help me to be someone who really does strive to be like you, Lord. Give me

a strong pure passion to follow you and be an imitator of Christ. The Bible says in Proverbs 6 verse 16 to 19, these six things the Lord hates. Indeed, seven are repulsive to him. A proud look, the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that creates wicked plans. Feet that runs swiftly to evil. A false witness who breathes out lies, even halftruths. and one who spreads discord rumors among brothers. Let us pray this prayer. May the words of my mouth and the meditation

of my heart be pleasing to you, oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer. In Luke 9:62, your word says, Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Father, help me never to look back. Give me the grace, the strength, the determination to constantly look forward and keep my eyes on you. Lord Jesus, I surrender all to you. You can have my life. You can have my hands, my mind, my entire being belongs to you. I pray Lord that you would sever

the ties between me and this world. Break the ties between me and anything in my past that may be holding me back. Holy Ghost, help me to get to the stage where I surrender all to Jesus Christ and withhold nothing. If I am to be tested, Lord, may you find me to be loyal to you and not the blessings. Find me to be someone who is loyal to the healer and not the healing. I choose to have the miracle giver over the miracles. Lord, help me to understand that you are far more important and you

are of far more value to me than any blessing, any gift or breakthrough. Receiving you, Lord Jesus, is far more important and far more significant than anything else. And so I declare that I am willing to give up everything else if it means I will have you, King Jesus. Give me a heart that is content. Lord, give me a heart that would rather have a few things on this earth and store up my true treasures in heaven. Lord, I thank you because you are a God who will never leave us empty. If you ask us

to put something down, it's because you want us to pick up something that's better. I believe Lord Jesus that if you close one door, it's because you have another door that offers greater things. If you ask us to walk away from something, it's because you want us to walk towards something better. Help me to have faith that acts, faith that works. Lord, your word says in Mark 10 verse 29-31, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands.

for my sake and for the gospel who will not receive a hundfold now in this time houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children in lands with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first. Lord, I am willing to give up everything for the sake of the gospel. I am willing to surrender all for you because I know that in doing so, I will inherit eternal life. And this makes everything so much more worthwhile to know that I can spend eternity with

you. And so I pray and I ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. Don't allow me to love the miracle more than the miracle giver. Don't allow me to turn my blessing into an idol. But I pray that my focus will and will forever be Jesus Christ. I bless your holy name. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer. These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts

are far from me. and I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. These six things the Lord hates. Indeed, seven are repulsive to him. A proud look, the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others. a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that creates wicked plans, feet that run swiftly to evil. A false witness who breathes out lies, even half-truths, and one who spreads discord, rumors

among brothers. Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the gospel who will not receive a hundfold now in this time houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children in lands with persecutions s and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first. Jeremiah 29:13. And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Beloved,

if you seek the Lord, if you search for him with all your heart, you will find him. We often spend so much energy. We spend so much effort and time seeking things, seeking people, seeking money. We expend a lot of energy seeking affection, seeking approval on all kinds of things, things that are temporary, things that will pass away. But today, saints, my message to you is this. We need to seek Jesus Christ. Before you seek the things of this earth, call on the name that is above every other name, the name of Jesus Christ. I

encourage you to seek protection under the lion of the tribe of Judah. Seek tranquility from the prince of peace. Seek God Almighty, the one who is, who was, and who is to be. I encourage you to seek, to call, to chase the one who commands millions of angels, the one who speaks and creates, call on the one who has the keys to life and death in his hands. So, whatever situation you face today, whatever circumstance or situation you're up against, God wants you to call on him. Jeremiah 33:33 says, "Call to me and I will

answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." How wonderful to know that the Lord has said he will answer when we call. And then Psalm 50:15 says, "Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you shall glorify me." And so I want to encourage you when you look at God's word, when you look at his promises, he says, "Trust me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you." This word trust is an interesting one. It's interesting because trust underpins every aspect of life

and relationships. You interact with person A differently to person B all because you trust one and not the other. You work hard and diligently at your job because you trust that your labor, your effort, your skill will be rewarded and compensated. You lock the door. You hide valuables from plain sight. All because you don't trust everyone to have integrity and not steal. You order food and eat it without having seen the state of the kitchen, without questioning the ingredients, all because you trust the restaurant, the establishment, or the chef. Do you see how trust is

a huge factor in everyday life? Here's a couple of Bible verses I'd like you to hold on to. Jeremiah 17:7 and 8. The Bible reads. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes for its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit. You see, in order to fully trust God, you have to relinquish full control. To

put it another way, to trust in the Lord is to abandon trust in yourself or in another human, you stop trying to fix it yourself and you allow God. You yield to God. You surrender all control to him. And to do that in this day and age is to go against everything we're taught and trained to do. We have to take control of our career, our business. We need to take control of our future, our kids' futures. So much of our lives today requires control. But the Lord operates differently when it comes to the aspect

of control. The Lord requires us to have faith in him, to relinquish control and stop trying to fix it yourself, but hand it over to Jesus. And let's be realistic. There are some aspects in our lives where we need to accept that the only things we have control over is the amount of effort we put in, the attitude we have on a daily basis. That's what we can control. The rest we have to leave it up to God. So trust God to intervene in that situation at work. Trust God to have an impact on your

children. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and over all of your affairs. Remember that the Bible says you are blessed when you place your trust in God. You are blessed when you place your hope in Jesus. Now let us pray. Lord Jesus, I praise your name. You are majestic and glorious. I place my trust in you today. and Almighty God. I refuse to trust in the experts of this world. I refuse to place my trust in scientists. I will instead fully trust in you and in your word, King Jesus. You are ever so

reliable and consistent. Your word in Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever more." You are eternally changeless. You are the same God who spoke the words, "Lazarus, come forth." And your power brought him back to life. And I believe that you can speak life into my situation today. You are the same God who spoke the words, "Peace, be still." And a storm obeyed you. And I believe that you can still speak those same words over me and calm my situation. You are still able to rebuke the storms that I

face. My trust is in you, King Jesus, because you are an unchanging God. You are and have always been a redeemer, a savior, and a deliverer. Your word in Psalms 34:4-6 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noon day. Lord Jesus, I commit all of my ways to you. I commit my plans to you, Father, and I relinquish control over to

you, King Jesus. Have your way, Father. Your word tells me in 2 Corinthians 16:9 that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. Father, as your eyes search the whole earth, when you look to strengthen those whose hearts are committed to you, I pray that you may find my heart to be committed to you. I pray that you would find my heart to be full of faith and burning brightly for you. May you find me, Lord, to

have a heart that is full of trust and reliance in you. Lord, I pray that I may never be too busy for you. May I never be too tired to pray and give you thanks. I pray that my heart would never be too busy for your word. As your eyes search the whole earth for those loyal to you, I pray, Lord Jesus, that you would see me find my heart to be committed to you. I pray that you may find a heart that looks only to you. May you find a heart that is satisfied only

in your presence. I pray Lord that my heart heart may never settle for these worldly things, but rather may I constantly seek heavenly things, things from above, things that are pure and righteous. I desire to be wrapped in your steadfast love. I pray that your presence would always be strong and rich around me and around my home. Holy Spirit, would you move within me and clear up my heart? Help me to make room for the Lord by removing anything ungodly within my heart. May the Lord's presence be known in my life. Father, your word says

in Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted in him and I am helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise him. You are indeed my strength and shield. My heart certainly finds rest and comfort in you because you are an unfailing God. I bless your holy name. Amen. And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. Call upon

me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you shall glorify me. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes. For its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him and he

will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noon day. The Bible says something that's interesting in Psalm 119 verse 71. The word of God reads, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I may learn your decrees." And at a different point in my life, I would often scratch my head at this verse and ask myself, "How can it be good for you to be afflicted? How is there any good for you to go through pain, tribulation, and hard times?" But you see one day the

Lord opened my eyes through his word and I read Acts 14 21-22. The Bible reads, "And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and made many disciples, they returned to Lististra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exorting them to continue in the faith and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." Now I believe that affliction although unpleasant although uncomfortable afflictions are necessary for the Christian man or woman because if it were not for the struggle you're going through. How would you have come to know that God

is faithful to his children? If it were not for the struggle you went through. How else would you have known that what the devil meant for evil, God would in fact use it for your good? The Bible says we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. It says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers him out of them all." And here's the beauty of God. It's in your weakness that he reveals his strength. It's through pain in your body that God can reveal himself to be an almighty healer. It's in

your lack that the Lord presents himself as a wonderful provider. I believe that as we go through life and face different trials, should we remain in the Lord? Should we continue trusting in the mighty name of Jesus Christ? Should we stand firm and believe God's promises to be true? Then we will experience what the Bible talks about in James 1 2:4. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So

let it grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. Afflictions bring about a result in you. It leads to spiritual maturity. It produces endurance. Afflictions will result in you praying with a purpose. afflictions will leave you with a desire to really connect with God because you know that you cannot go through this battle with your own strength today. Jesus may not be present physically in the flesh but he is just as near to us. And even when we struggle, when we struggle with our emotions, with anxiety or

depression, instead of turning to God, how many times have we tried to fix it on our own? The simple truth is that on our own, we are weak. We can't save ourselves, but only God can save us. And in order for him to help us, we have to first ask for his help. We have to take that step of faith. So in your moment of desperation, don't just sit there and let God pass you by. Call upon the name of Jesus. Don't continue to be trapped by that spirit of depression. Call upon the name of

Jesus. Believe that he is able to rescue you. believe that he wants to rescue you. We are not like those without hope. In every situation, we have a choice. We can choose to either take matters into our own hands or to relinquish control and bring our requests to the Lord. Sometimes we're afraid to approach him. We might even be afraid that he will reject us or condemn us. But that is not his character. Hebrews says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to

help in time of need." God is merciful. He is kind. He is willing to help those who seek him. All too often, we wallow in shame and guilt. We prolong our suffering. But yet our healer is right in front of us. Don't let him pass you by. What we need to do instead is to swallow our pride, cast aside our doubt, and cry out to God. Don't pass me by. Don't leave me here. Don't turn your face from me. He will have compassion on you because that's the kind of God he is. believe that he

is willing and able to cure whatever problem you're facing. We need to trust that Jesus Christ has the power and the authority to make straight whatever is crooked. No matter what it is, he is capable of healing your marriage. He is capable of healing your addiction. He is capable of healing whatever is broken in your life. He will not pass you by if you call on the name of Jesus. And he will meet you right where you are. Now let us pray. Father, you are a good God. Your mercies are new every morning. Your love

is everlasting. Your grace is all sufficient. and we declare that our trust is in you, King Jesus. Even though we may face afflictions, our trust is in you, King Jesus. Even though we may be in the middle of fiery trials, our trust is in you, King Jesus. Lord, we trust that you know our beginning and our end. And we trust that when you allow us to go through tough times, when you allow us to face certain obstacles, we trust that you are performing a good work within us for your glory. We have to trust and

believe that when you allow us to face afflictions and troubles, you are refining, molding, and shaping us in your divine plan. God, we trust that whatever you allow into our lives, although it may test us, it will ultimately build our character and build our faith. And even so, Lord, we would like to thank you for the many, many times you have delivered us from troubles. You have been there as my source of divine strength whenever I am weak. Lord, I thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. When I'm in need of intercession, I

thank you that the Holy Ghost is there to plead my case and intercede on my behalf. Even when I need counseling, the Holy Spirit is always ready with wise counsel and instruction. Your word in Galatians 5:16-17 says, "I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Lord, I pray that you lead me to walk in the spirit and

not to try and reason with my human intellect. Lord, work on me from the inside out. Fill me with more of your spirit so that the works of the flesh may not be evident in my life. I pray that you remove from within me the works of the flesh. Things such as uncleanliness, hatred, and jealousy. Let that be removed from my character. Let outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, and envy be cleansed from my character, from my personality, and from my mind. Lord, I pray that you remove these things. I ask that you would empty me

so that I may be filled by the fruits of the spirit as described in your word. Your word says in Galatians 5 22-2, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Fill us with all these wonderful things. Fill us with a spirit of love, a spirit of joy, a spirit of longsuffering and kindness. mold our character

to be one that is gentle and more like you, Lord Jesus. May your name be praised. Thank you for your kindness. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. The word of God reads, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I may learn your decrees." And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and made many disciples, they returned to Lististra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exorting them to continue in the faith and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." [Music] Dear

brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you

Wish.