No peace

As I deepen my relationship with Jesus, learn more, and pray more I feel at peace, for the most part. However, I know what it feels like to not have that peace. This bible verse reminds me of that period of my life. Even though I wasn't what I would consider "wicked", I was trying to handle everything without God.
     So understand that even though someone's life may seem ideal, like they have it all, if they don't know Christ then they have nothing, and they need our prayers, our intercession. Satan can distract them with riches, or material possessions, but he can't fill that void that keeps them searching and wanting more. It's hard to understand what we're searching for until God removes the veil.
     I know the bible says that no one seeks God, but I believe since He put His existence on our hearts, that we know something is missing when we don't have Him in our lives.
     I didn't feel like writing yesterday; it was just a roller coaster of emotions for some reason; maybe because I didn't sleep well, or maybe because there's something else going on with me that I don't know about, but anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that there's no peace for those who have evil thoughts and feelings (like what I'm going through right now), even if they are a believer. In order to have peace and joy, we need to be free of these negative thoughts and emotions. So, I'm still trying to give it all up to God.

“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”

Isaiah 48:22 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for how we, as individuals of the Church, deal with the unsaved. Pray that the Spirit will guide us to portray the characteristics of Christ when our own human instincts are to act and react in a not-so-Christian way sometimes. Let’s also pray our hearts are softened toward those who test our love and patience.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

The evil ones

Bear with me on this one...there is a person who I feel just drips, even reeks of pure evil. What scares me or concerns me are the feelings just hearing his voice brings out in me. It teeters on hatred because, in my mind, not only is he evil, but he gets away with everything. I get angry that there doesn’t seem to be any justice; that evil sometimes does seem to win out over good, which fills me with resentment and even fear. I feel like others are blind to his evilness and even aide him instead of standing up to him. A large part of it is probably that he’s a bully, and I absolutely despise bullies.
     I couldn’t keep on living with these horrible feelings, so I started exploring scripture and have come up with a lot of good stuff! (Don’t you love God’s word???) Hopefully, some of you can relate to these feelings and don’t think I’m horrible for having them. If you don’t have any connection with what I’m talking about, then maybe you can pray for me to have a softened heart?
     So, the question I was seeking answers to was: how to deal with evil people? First, I wanted to define evil biblically, and I think I’ve found the most inclusive answer (let me know if you have a better one, please):

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. 

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:29-32 NIV

     Then, I looked for answers as to what to do. I’ll share the verses throughout the week, but you know it all comes down to the same thing: the only thing we can control or change is ourselves. I should’ve known. I can’t change another person, only how I react to that person (or that situation, place, event, etc ...) All of the verses helped me, but the one that really grabbed me was:

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 14:14 ESV

     I constantly have to be reminded to take everything to the Lord, and He will take care of it. I’m so thankful for that ability, and life is so much easier when I do that—feeling blessed.

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Please join me this week in praying for how we, as individuals of the Church, deal with the unsaved. Pray that the Spirit will guide us to portray the characteristics of Christ when our own human instincts are to act and react in a not-so-Christian way sometimes. Let’s also pray our hearts are softened toward those who test our love and patience.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power