If you are asking whom or where you can go to to get the help you need, ask no more. Just turn to God who has already promised you the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom He has sent in Jesus’ name to dwell in you.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. Yes, teach you all things! Do you really believe that? Or are you like some who believe that you seek God’s counsel only for spiritual things, but consult “professional” help for all other things in your life?

God does not want you to run to and rely on worldly wisdom. Now, there is nothing wrong with going to a doctor or engaging a financial consultant, but God wants you to come to Him first for counsel and direction. That is why He has sent the Holy Spirit, the Counselor (John 16:7, NIV), to teach you all things. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and He will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

The apostle John said, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things… the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things…” (1 John 2:20, 27)

So the way God teaches you is through the anointing within. It is a continuous anointing. In any particular situation, He is anointing you from within, teaching you by the presence or absence of His peace.

For example, a deal you are considering may sound very reasonable. But if you don’t have the peace in your spirit, don’t sign on the dotted line. Sign only when you have the peace. Be led by His peace and you will find that your heart will not be troubled, neither will it be afraid. (John 14:27)

When you follow that peace which only God can give to you as an inward witness, good things and even miracles will come forth!

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever– (John 14:16 AMP)

-Joseph Prince (Daily Grace Inspirations) - 

An important help in the life of prayer is the habit of bringing everything to God, moment by moment, as it comes to us in life. This may become a habit the same way all habits are formed: repeated and constantly attended, moment by moment, until that which is at first an act of will becomes spontaneous and second nature.

If we will watch our lives, we shall find that God meets the things that we commit to Him in prayer with special blessing. He often allows the best things that we have not committed to Him to be ineffectual, simply to remind us of our dependence upon Him for everything.

It is very gracious and thoughtful of God to compel us gently to remember Him. In every thing . . . let your requests be made known unto God. Let us bring our least petitions, Like the incense beaten small, All our cares, complaints, conditions Jesus loves to bear them all

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

- A.Simpson

In Australia we just celebrated Australia Day; commemorating when the 6 states and 2 territories decided to make a day to nationally celebrating the unity of this vast country. I headed to the city for fireworks display and I saw multitudes of people, different nationalities and languages all together in one place… in same spirit and unity to celebrate the success of this country. It was such a perfect picture of unity.

Unity unites people of all differences but it does not matter because we all stand for the same purpose. Now, what if there is no unity? Did you ever encounter a work project or even school projects that require team effort, only to realize that one person in the group is not pulling their weight and resisting to co-operate? It pretty much stalls the project and you will hardly get anything done without the unity of all members in the group.

It is true that in reality we know that we don't always get along with everyone but God's word teaches us that He is the giver of unity. As believers, we are united by the Holy Spirit who gives us the same purpose and He unites us with the likeness of Christ to bring glory to the Kingdom of God.

We are surrounded by diversity every day and depending on the situation we can handle it in different ways but remember, when you're not coping with keeping unity with another person, love them and turn to Jesus. Ask Him to mould you more to the likeness of Christ and you will be reminded of your purpose to maintain unity with all diversity just because you are called to give glory to the name of Christ.

Rom 15:5-6
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Sandra Iliev

If you are a planner, your calendar may look like mine. Most meetings, events and gatherings are mostly planned or scheduled in advanced. I have a calendar that reminds me of appointments and “to-do” items but sometimes I will unavoidably encounter interruptions to my plans. Sometimes it could be frustrating but some of the interruptions usually turned out to be a better plan or options.

In the Bible, some of the great advances in God’s plans have come through “interruptions” to a normal routine. Take Saul for example, the Jewish extremist who persecuted countless Christians, was on his way to Damascus to arrest more Christians when he was blinded by Jesus Himself (Acts 9:1-9). This life-changing interruption had huge implications on Saul’s heart and the future of Christianity.

We may plan our days but when interruption comes, let’s not respond to it with negative emotions such as frustration, fear or doubt. God is able to make the plans of peoples to no effect (Psalm 33:10) and there is always a purpose to every ‘interruption’ in our ‘planned’ days. Let’s welcome all ‘interruptions’ as an opportunity to look for God’s life changing purposes for us.

Psalm 33:10 - 11
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.

- Irene Soon

When God created man in his own image, he created us with a free will which enables us to make choices in life. We are not puppets in the hands of a divine puppeteer, but rather men and women with the capability and intelligence to make certain choices as we journey through life.

The Bible has much to say about making choices. We can choose whom we serve (Joshua 24:15), how to spend our time (Luke 10:42), and to pursue God’s wisdom and live according to his value system rather than the riches and value system of our society (Proverbs 16:16). For every choice we make, there is a reward or a consequence (Galatians 6:7).

Just as God gives us the free will to choose to do things, He also gives us the power of the Holy Spirit not to do things that are contrary to his will and to the Word of God. There is no addiction he can’t deliver us from, no sin he can’t forgive. I know – I’ve lived with addiction and committed sins too numerous to count. We all face temptation, but the Bible tells us, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Here’s the catch, though – we must choose to take the way out that God provides. God supplies the power to resist sin and temptation, but the choice to resist them is strictly up to us.

What choices will you make today? Ask God for wisdom to make the right choices and the courage to trust and obey Him in all things.

Deuteronomy 30:19 
I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.

By Dee Dee Wike (http://devotionalchristian.com/choices-matter/)

The Lord understands what you are going through today because He has been where you are. The Bible says: 'This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do so let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.

There we will receive mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.' (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT) That means:

(1) Jesus understands your family problems He had a family of His own. And on one occasion they said, '...He's out of His mind...' (Mark 3:21 NLT)

(2) Jesus understands when you feel overwhelmed 'Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn't even have time to eat.' (Mark 6:31 NLT) Jesus not only dealt with on the job pressures, He had to organise, train and correct His own followers.

(3) Jesus understands when you feel rejected The town He grew up in had no use for Him: 'He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.' (John 1:11 NKJV) When Philip said, 'We have found the one whom Moses wrote about... He is Jesus...from Nazareth,' Nathaniel replied, 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?'(John 1:45 ) esus' family tree was nothing to write home about either. Rahab was a prostitute, Jacob was a crook, David was an adulterer - to name just a few.

Yes, Jesus understands. He knows where you're at today and He's able to help you. So talk to Him; He understands.

Hebrews 4:15 NLT
...He faced all of the same testings we do...

- Bob Gass (Word for Today)

There is a story of an old man who carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he poured a little oil on the hinges. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. And thus he passed through life lubricating all hard places and making it easier for those who came after him.

People called him eccentric, queer, and cranky; but the old man went steadily on refilling his can of oil when it became empty, and oiled the hard places he found.

There are many lives that creak and grate harshly as they live day by day. Nothing goes right with them. They need lubricating with the oil of gladness, gentleness, or thoughtfulness. Have you your own can of oil with you? Be ready with your oil of helpfulness in the early morning to the one nearest you. It may lubricate the whole day for him.

The oil, of good cheer to the downhearted one, oh how much it may mean! The word of courage to the despairing ; speak it.

A word spoken pleasantly is a large spot of sunshine on a sad heart. Therefore, “Let us be kind and give others the sunshine.”

Roman 12:10
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love.

- Author unknown

It's not unusual that life throws challenges at us. Sometimes we may feel thrown into the deep end or floundering to stay afloat. We may say, "I just can't do it!", or give a million logical reasons why we cant't. Perhaps, we just don't have the capabilities, time, or looks, or our history hasn't been pretty, or maybe people say it can't be done...

In Mark 8, Jesus's disciples were on a journey and forgot to bring food except for a loaf of bread. As we do when faced with challenges, the disciples started to discuss the issue at hand... Perhaps, they were arguing who was the one who was to blame, perhaps they were discussing the possibilities of buying food. Yet, in this moment, Jesus looked at them and said, "don't you understand?" 

You see, it was because just a little while ago, Jesus had simply fed 4000 people with 7 loaves and some small fish, with 7 basketfuls left! And yet so quickly the disciples returned to their small-minded thinking...
 
Let's not forget, we are not on our own, we have Jesus always with us! The best thing with Jesus is that He can use whatever little we have in our hands and multiply it above and beyond what we are able to ever comprehend! All He requires for us is to understand that He is able! Let us give Him what little we have and watch what He can do!
 
John 11:40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
-Jo Voon-

George Müller is among the missionaries whose lives have taught me many lessons about faith and God nowadays. If you read about Müller, you will agree with me that he is a man who took God’s Word very seriously and put them into practice in his daily basis.

The Bible teaches us that God is a God that listens to prayer (Psalm 66:19) and the same Bible says that faith is the assurance of things hope for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Müller believed that our God is a prayer-hearing God. Although he still could not see the things he prayed for, but he has faith that God will supply all he needs for His glory.

In the story of Müller’s life, it said that once the orphanage he was running had no food for children that specific day. He told the lady in charge of the orphanage to gather the children in the dining room and to give thanks in prayer for the food in advanced. Not long after, a baker knocked at the door of the orphanage to give them bread enough for 300 children, telling Müller that somehow he knew the orphanage would need the bread.

Soon enough, a milkman too knocked at the door. The milk cart had broken down in front of the orphanage and the milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk, just enough for the 300 thirsty children.

Just as a little child who never doubts that his dad will give him all he needs, so as Müller believed that God always hear to a prayer that seeks His glory. Just as James said: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:6). And John sums it up by telling us that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us ((1 John 5:14-15).

Next time when we pray, let us remind ourselves to approach His throne as a little child who never doubts. Having a prayer-hearing God as our Father who works in and through our faith; what a blessing indeed.

Psalm 66:19
But truly God has listened, He has attended to the voice of my prayer

John 15:7 
If you abide in me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you

- Jenni Wang

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Commentary
The church of God is like Moses’s bush, burning, yet not consumed; whatever hardships it has met with, or may meet with, it shall continue in the world to the end of time. It is persecuted of men, but not forsaken of God, and therefore, though it is cast down, it is not destroyed (2 Co. 4:9), corrected, yet not consumed, refined in the furnace as silver, but not consumed as dross.

Here are mercies in the plural number, which shows the abundance and variety of those mercies. God is an inexhaustible fountain of mercy, the Father of mercies. We all owe it to the sparing mercy of God that we are not consumed. Others have been consumed around us, and we ourselves have been in the consuming, and yet we are not consumed. We are out of the grave; we are out of hell. Had we been dealt with according to our sins, we should have been consumed long ago, but we have been dealt with according to God’s mercies. We are must acknowledge it to his praise.

God’s compassions do not really fail, not even when in anger he seems to have shut up his tender mercies. These rivers of mercy run fully and constantly, but never run dry. No, they are new every morning. Every morning we have fresh instances of God’s compassion towards us; he visits us with them every morning (Job. 7:18); every morning does he bring his judgment to light (Zep. 3:5). When our comforts fail, God’s compassions do not.

(Adapted from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible.)

A Thought to Keep
If we need proof of God's mercy, we only have to look around. We're alive and given grace upon grace, even though we don't deserve it.

(Taken from the Beyond Sunday weekly devotional)

-Sandra Iliev