Here we are on Day 4 of 21 Days of Prayer. Don't give up.
If you have started your new year on a new journey of faith, get ready to face hindrances, interruptions, distractions and barricades.
The point is this ~ You're going somewhere special and experience has taught us that every time someone makes that decision, there is an opposing force, it seems, specifically designed to make you give up.
But in today's post, we have high hopes that you will accomplish your goals if you pray and think ahead. You must decide how you will respond to those forces that will oppose your success, before they hit. When a storm starts to hinder your progress, don't throw in the towel or tap out!
Stay on the path, continue the journey and hold fast to your confession of faith (Hebrews 10:23). Here's an encouraging poem, written anonymously, that says it just right!
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When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don't give up though the pace seems slow— You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up, When he might have captured the victor's cup, And he learned too late when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out— The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit— It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
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In this world, we are going to have trials and tribulation (John 16:33). Hurdles will present themselves, trying to block our path to success. But you and I must do like the runner in a track meet (I Corinthians 9:24). Run straight toward the hurdle and trust your years of training and hard work to lift you up and over it! Cross over, clear the hurdles and you will win the race!
Father, I know people are quitting all the time but that is not Your plan for me. No matter how difficult the challenge may be, I will consider the words of Paul... in Philippians 3:13-16, he declared that he couldn't count himself a winner without completing the race. Like him, I put the past behind me, and by Your grace I reach forward, focusing on the goal in front of me and in faith, I am pressing toward the mark, expecting the prize of a high calling in Christ. So Lord, in the name of Jesus, please keep me sober minded, alert and able to keep reaching for the light that lies beyond the dusty mound of the battlefield. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
Inspiring Hope, Seasoning Faith, Pastor Sean
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