Hope For Your Challenges

You may begin by practicing 5 steps. You can be sure God will change you as you daily practice these steps:

1. Recognize you have NO sufficiency of your own.

"Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God," (2 Corinthians 3:5)

2. Aim to please God – not to get rid of your problems.

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." (1 John 3:22)

3. You only have the responsibility to work on yourself – no one else.

"And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’, and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:3-5)

4. As you depend on God’s resources – the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and Prayer - your problems will be defeated.

Holy Spirit – "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
(John 16:13)

God’s Word – "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23)

Prayer – "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

5. Practice this assignment:

Select a Scripture verse from any of the above verses and write it on a 3 x 5 card.
Carry this card with you and meditate on this verse for one week. (Memorizing helps)
Study all the texts in this lesson for one week during your "set apart" time with God.
Pray for wisdom and direction before you begin and thank God for His promises when you close.

Prayer review:

A = adoration – praise God for His gifts of mercy which include compassion, patience, and goodness. (Psalm 145:8-9)

C = confess – agree with God as to your sinful condition.
(Psalm 51:10, 17)

T = thank – thank Him for cleansing you. (1 John 1:9)

S = supplication – Ask for your needs – specifically the need to know Jesus personally and the willingness to let Him change you.

With these thoughts in mind, you are now ready to work on your areas of challenge.

Your next lesson is entitled "Contending with Self"