Author, Nicole L. Ross

Study! Research! Apply!

June 20, 2013 Author, Nicole L. Ross1 Comment

I can recall being a student in grade school and not having to study a whole lot to do well in class. Then as the years went on and I was placed in classes that were a bit tougher, the ability to excel became more challenging. I talked to my mom about my difficulties and the first thing she asked me was did I study? Well, no not really because I never really had to study before. She reminded me that I was now working at a level that I had not been in my past and in order for me to succeed like I had in the past it was going to take a little more effort and dedication. In other words, I was going to have to study. I was going to have to make a conscious effort to open up my books, read them, take notes and commit to memory the material. This revelation changed my mindset on so many different levels. It was then that I realized at a young age, in order for me to get something I had never gotten I had to do something I had never done. I had never dealt with work on such a high level, so therefore the effort I was giving in the past (which was very little to none) was no longer sufficient. If I was going to get out of the class what I expected to get, a few adjustments were going to have to be made.

God is trying to do the same thing in our lives. As we grow in Him more and more, there are going to be some thing’s that have to change. We are not going to be able to overcome the trials and tribulations of life by keeping the same routine day-by-day, month-by-month, year-by-year. God is calling us higher and an essential tool that is going to get us to where He is taking us is going to be us opening up the book. Not just opening it up, cause anybody can do that, but actually reading and mediating on it. The bible is God’s written instruction book on life. It provides light to avoid pitfalls in the path of life. Every situation you could possibly think of is in the bible. This is why God desires for us to familiarize ourselves with His word. It is not until we are able to fully appreciate it, will we be able to act upon it.

If there is something you do not understand while studying, research it. Ask questions, look it up online, read books do whatever you need to do until you get your answers. We have been blessed with new age technology so we have several tools available to us that will help us discover the meaning of anything we aren’t able to comprehend. I love to read books, so research does not bother me. I actually enjoy finding something in the bible I don’t understand because when I have to look it up I usually learn so much more than I would have expected. I love how God has gifted people all over the world to write books today, just as He did in the bible days.

Once you get what you are reading and have the understanding you desire, you must then apply it. As the saying goes, when you know better you do better. This is what God is looking for. As we learn about the word of God, we learn more about Him. Then we should be able to apply what we have learned to our lives. Apply it to our character. Apply it to our personality. That’s called transformation.

Reading the bible will do just that. It will transform you. Studying the word allows us to draw closer to God and teaches us how to live Godly lives. With the help of the Holy Spirit we also become equipped when we study the word. Equipped with what? Equipped with the tools needed to overcome the enemy. The enemy’s job is the kill, steal and destroy and you better believe he is going to be on his job whether you are in your word of not. He doesn’t want you to use your weapon, ie. The bible. Because he knows that if we take the time to get in our word the stronger we become. The stronger we are, we are able to put him in his place and walk in the victory that God has already given us.

Just so you know, you are held responsible for what you know. So as you learn and investigate the word of God you will be expected to do better. The book of James tells us specifically that ‘if we know good then we ought to do it and if we do not do it, it is a sin’. So be stubborn and learn the word but keep doing the same old thing if you want to, then you will be operating in sin. Apply it to your life and you will have a makeover take place right before your eyes and you might not even know it. God is not expecting you to do anything on your own, never forget that. In this whole process, He will be right there with you. He loves us just that much. #iDeclare #studyresearchapply

Prayer:

Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus, I thank for teaching me your word. I decree and declare that I will study, research and apply the word of God to my life. I understand the importance of studying and I will not take it for granted. I will not be afraid to ask questions. I will allow the word to transform me from the inside out. Thank you Jesus for your Holy Word. In your precious name I pray, Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture Reading:

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Psalms 119:11 NLT “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

The Perfect Transfer

June 19, 2013 Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

Every good conversation has at least two people both being able to express their thoughts and opinions right? Well, yesterday I went into the importance of prayer and how it is essential that we take time to talk to God. An element that cannot be left out however, is the ability to listen. This is how the perfect transfer takes place. In order for communication to be fully effective, we have to be able to not only talk but listen. Both parties involved have to communicate with one another. God has so much to say to us if we would only be still for a moment and hear. I’ve been guilty on many occasions of pouring my heart out to God in prayer, then when I finish saying what I have to say I go on doing whatever I was doing. Wrong. God could have answered what I was praying about right then, but instead of me waiting for His response I just went about the rest of my day. Now that I know better I do better, but I have to be honest because I still don’t take the time to listen like I should. Crazy thing is, I desire to hear from Him. Which we all should. I’ve even prayed and asked Him to speak to me but I don’t do my part to actually listen. The good thing about communicating with God is that He speaks in so many different ways. Sometimes He speaks in a small voice within, but this is not the only way He talks to us. If you are riding down the street He may talk to you through a billboard or poster. He also speaks through songs, through the word of God and sometimes He speaks through other people.

The location where the transfer takes place does not matter. You can pray in your kitchen while washing dishes, in the bathroom or simply lying in your bed. God is with us at all times, wherever we are. He is just waiting for us to acknowledge His presence. When we talk to Him we do just that. I named this article ‘The Perfect Transfer’ because in whole that is what prayer is. We transfer information to God, He transfers information back to us. It should be a reciprocal exchange. So now the next thing I want you to do is when you pray, after you’ve said what you want to say take time to be quiet and hear what God has to say to you. This is how you have the perfect transfer. #iDeclare #theperfecttransfer

Prayer:

Father God, In the name of Jesus I come thanking you for teaching me about prayer. Teaching me how to have the perfect transfer with you. I decree and declare that in my prayer time I will not only talk but I will be quiet and listen. I desire to hear from you and I will put myself in a position to do just that. Thank you Jesus for all that you are doing in my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 3:22 NLT “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Jeremiah 7:23 ESV “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.”

The Talk

June 18, 2013 Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

One of the things that I am most passionate about in this Christian journey is getting people to understand prayer. Prayer is so powerful. It is life changing, and most importantly it is our direct line of communication with God. Communication is essentially the foundation for any relationship. I know we’ve seen people pray many different ways, what I’ve learned however is that there is no set way of praying. Some like to scream and shout, others may be soft-spoken or whisper and some prayers may even be in your head. Whichever method you prefer is fine because God hears them all. Right now, I don’t want to focus so much on the method. I want to focus on the necessity. For those who have children, think about how talking to your children makes you feel. It builds your relationship. It allows you to learn more about them and even see where their head is. It strengthens the foundation and love that you have for one another. Now, if we know that God is our Heavenly Father how do you think He feels when His children communicate with Him? He feels the same way. When we talk to God, it builds our relationship. It helps us grow spiritually and we are able to learn more and more about Him. When we pray that’s when things begin to change. Prayer changes people, then people change things. Through prayer God equips and empowers us to do His bidding throughout the world.

As we gain more and more knowledge about prayer, the more we should want to do it. Life brings hardships and suffering it also brings joy and happiness. Either way, having a direct connection to our creator is a privilege. It is a privilege that we do not take advantage of nearly as much as we should. Prayer is an opportunity to humble ourselves and worship God in a way that no other creature on this earth ever can. Does God need our prayers? Not so much. Does He want us to pray and talk to Him? Absolutely.

One interesting fact that I’d like to leave you with is that the only thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to do was to pray. They must have understood and seen first hand the power and significance in prayer and they wanted to know how to do it too. Before you do anything else, after reading this I want you to have ‘The Talk’ with God. If nothing else, tell Him thank you. Try it and I guarantee you’ll love how you feel afterwards. Praying to our Heavenly Father will not hurt you. Not only will you find peace in talking to Him, the more you do it, the more you will feel His presence in your life. You will feel love because God is love. So go ahead and have ‘The Talk’, it’s way overdue. #iDeclare #thetalk

Prayer:

Father God, please forgive me Lord for not praying like I should. I decree and declare that I will be a prayer warrior. I will humble myself and pray and talk to my Heavenly Father so that I can grow more and build our relationship. Thank you for the opportunity to pray and seek Your face. I will take advantage of every opportunity I get to talk with You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture Reference:

Matthew 7:7-8 NIV ““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Luke 11:1-4 NKJV “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

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