How to Enjoy a Stress Free Christmas Season

November 28, 2012 by Olga 6 Comments

How to Enjoy a Stress Free Christmas Season

Being “stressed out” is a relatively new concept, entering contemporary usage in the late 1920’s. In many respects, the notion of being stressed is an idea promoted by modern media which tells us all the things we must do to experience perfection and then commiserates with us as we consistently fail to achieve it. In particular, the multitude of expectations surrounding the Christmas season can set us up for stress, if we don’t make conscious decisions to be “in the world but not of it.” Let’s first define stress and then move on to removing it from our lives.

What Is Stress?

According to Merriam-Webster online, stress is “the burden on one’s emotional or mental well-being created be the demands on one’s time.” Put simply, stress places demand on one’s resources that exceed the available supply of those resources; be it time, money, emotions or physical capacity. But wait. As Believers, who is our resource and who is our supply? Stress is the inevitable response when we allow ourselves to become disconnected from our Source. Let’s redirect our attention to our Supply and Source.

As A Man Thinks, So Is He

How do we know that we are stressed? Some telltale signs are worry, fear, irritation and weariness. Often we experience physical symptoms including a rush of adrenaline, and perhaps feelings of breathlessness or overwhelming fatigue. But I believe the main way that we know we are stressed is that our minds become occupied with it. We think or even say “I am so stressed out” or “I don’t know if I can take this much longer” or “How will I ever get everything done?” and so on. It doesn’t take too long for our thoughts and words to bear fruit – the unwanted fruit of stress. But there is an antidote to physical symptoms and troubling thoughts. There is a Name that is above stress.

The Name Above Stress

If you have been dwelling on the demands being placed on your finite resources, take a deep breath and focus on your infinite Supply and Source. God needs many names to describe the multitude of his perfections. Here are a few of His names that demonstrate His superiority over finite supply – which is at the root of stress.

Jehovah-Jireh

This name describes His perfection as our supply: Jehovah-Jireh means the One who sees our needs and provides for them. Do you have a need? Is your supply lacking? Then behold and meditate on Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord your supplier.

Jehovah-Rohi

Another name that describes God’s role as provider is The Lord My Shepherd. Psalm 23 tells us that we shall not want for any good or beneficial thing. Do you need more time? Fewer things to do? The Lord your Shepherd is your faithful provider.

Jehovah-Shammah

When we are in the middle of situations that outstrip our supply, we often feel that we are alone. One of Satan’s craftiest tactics is to create a sense of isolation from each other and from our Source. But God has another name that addresses our temptation to feel alone: Jehovah-Shammah. This name describes how God will never leave us nor forsake us. Psalm 139:8 states the ever-present quality of God like this: “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

Jehovah-Shalom

Stress robs us of our peace. “Absence of trouble” is the world’s idea of peace. In other words, external circumstances dictate whether or not we are at peace. But God always has a better way. Jehovah’s shalom penetrates our spirit man. In the midst of trying situations, we can shape our circumstances from a position of supernatural peace that comes only from God.

There are many more names of God that speak to his desire and sufficiency to supply our every need. When feeling stressed, it’s good to remember that “the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

What’s Our Part In Reducing Stress?

In addition to meditating on God as our Supply, we need to ask Him for help to honestly evaluate the demands on our resources. God doesn’t honor laziness, but He also has a spirit-directed plan for how each of us use the resources He has given us – particularly time.
God has promised wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5). We can ask for and receive wisdom to know what to commit to and what not to commit to. If you are prone to overextending yourself, ask God for wisdom in this area.

Isn’t it interesting that when we are under stress, the first thing many of us skimp on is time with the Lord – BIG mistake. We must go to the Lord and seek His wisdom at the first sign of stress. Ask Him to show us His way that we may walk in it. Ask Him for discernment in requesting help from others.

To Sum It Up

Make a conscious decision to be “in the world, but not of it.” There is no family or societal tradition that is more important than loving God and honoring Him. Let this be a year that you and your family experience a Christmas season free of stress.

The most important way to reduce stress is to spend time in the presence of the Lord. Meditate on the names of God, Your Supply and Source.

Do your part to minimize stress by honestly evaluating your commitments.

Wise choices will watch over you. Pro 2:11 NLT
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7 Vital Choices You Have To Make In Life

July 17, 2012 by Olga 46 Comments

7 Vital Choices You Have To Make In Life

by Olga Hermans

#1: Make a choice to take a stand in your own life
It is one of the most frustrating things when we have the idea that our own life is just rolling down the road. Sometimes there are seasons in our life that we don’t even realize what is going on and why things are the way they are.

Do you realize that you are a unique individual? Do you know that there is not one other person in the whole world like you? God made you special, just the way He wants you. He has a unique purpose for your life. Realize that, and you are on your way to being a winner.

#2: Make a choice to be responsible for your own life
You cannot dodge responsibility for how and why your life is the way it is. Take ownership of your own life. If there are things in your life that you don’t like; you probably made a wrong choice somewhere. If you are in debt, you are the one that is responsible. Your job, your weight, your marriage; you are responsible.
There is absolutely no reason to blame others or look at the past. There is no victory and no progress in doing that.

When you choose to think and speak negatively, filled with anger and bitterness, you will experience isolation and hostility around you. That is something that you don’t want, right? Start making right choices from now on. When you choose the right behavior and thoughts, you will see the right results in your life.

#3: Make a choice to do what works
Somehow you have to discover the payoff that drives your behavior. This is a biggie. If we would realize what consequences our behavior would have in the long run, we wouldn’t be so tolerant of ourselves. Who wants to be lonely and bitter and hostile? No-one in their right mind would want that.

I know people who have a self-destructive behavior. My sister died of anorexia nervosa last year because she rejected herself, she punished herself by always asking for negative attention. Remember, you are EXTRA-ordinary because you are one-of-a-kind. When you have even a little self-love and self-worth because of your awareness of God in you; you will start developing Christ-motivated habits that will make you a winner for sure.

#4: Make a choice to acknowledge the issues you want to change
You only can do that by getting real and getting brutally honest with yourself. Look at the areas that aren’t working for you and stop making excuses.

You cannot afford to lie to yourself! You have to know where you are in life and where you want to go. Your life is like a GPS system in your vehicle that must have two pieces of information to function. First, it must know your destination, and second, it must know your current location.

#5: Make a choice to take action
Once you’ve made some decisions, you have to act. Nobody cares about what you think unless they see you do something. Talk is cheap; being a doer determines the course of your life. Take all your revelations, insights and awareness and convert them into purposeful and constructive actions. That is when your life will gain value and meaning.

Realizing you have to change might be painful, but staying where you are and not doing a thing is more painful. So, take the pain that burdens you have now and turn the situation to your advantage.

#6: Make a choice to take charge of your life and hold on.
Our life needs a manager and you are the one! God has given us authority to rule our own life. You really should make it your objective to be very active in doing that. Do it in a way that generates high quality results. You are the only one who can make your life work.

The key to managing your life is to have a strategy. You need courage and energy to execute that strategy. If you do have a strategy, the future looks bright for you. You know, if you don’t require much of yourself, your life will be of poor quality. If your standards are too high, you will give up and you will have more difficulties.

#7: Make a choice to get clear about what you want.
When you know what you want you can take your turn. You need to be awakened to things God has for your life; He has an awesome plan and a purpose for you here in the earth.

By being specific in defining your goal, the choices you make along the way will be more goal-directed. You will recognize which behaviors and choices support your goals — and which do not. You will know when you are heading toward your goal, and when you are off track.

What choice is your most favourite choice and which one do you struggle with the most?

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When Life Throws You A Curveball

July 15, 2012 by Olga 50 Comments

When Life Throws You A Curve Ball

by Olga Hermans

You know a curve ball starts one way and then goes another. A well-thrown fast ball is predictable – you know where it is going – and because of that, it is fairly easy to hit. But a curve ball is different. The pitcher makes the ball curve by pulling down on it with his fingers as he releases it. The ball spins diagonally and then curves.

When I say a curve ball, I am referring to an unexpected problem, a surprise obstacle or a twist in the way you thought things were going to happen. For example, you thought your marriage was going to be everything you hoped for and you thought you were going to live happily ever after. Then you found out that it wasn’t the way you thought it would be.

Maybe you were hired for a new job and you thought it was going to be a certain way, but you found out you had a boss or an employee that was a real pain in the neck. That was a curve ball. You did not see it coming. It started out the way you thought it would, but suddenly there was a change.

Sometimes you get those balls that are thrown at you that are just crazy and you don’t know what to do with it. You’re thinking: “how in the world am I going to hit that one?”
I think about what happened to the disciples; they weren’t counting on Jesus dying. Jesus was their savior; He was their King and all of a sudden He is hanging on the cross and they are hoping that He will have a comeback and then he gets buried.

That was curve ball for them, they weren’t ready for that and they didn’t know how to hit that kind of a ball.

Have you ever had a curve ball in your life? Something happened unexpectedly, something you didn’t plan on. Maybe somebody in your family died or maybe your parents got a divorce.
Maybe something happened that you didn’t see coming and you had no clue whatsoever to do with the situation? The disciples had to make a choice; was their faith going to be based on the circumstances around them or continue to carry on what Jesus told them to do?

When I was 18, my father died unexpectedly. I remember the day that my mom and dad were going to a birthday party of a friend. They were dressed up and I remember my father making really nice compliments to my mom, how good looking she was and all that. All 5 of us always enjoyed it so much when he was “dating” my mom.

Anyway, off they went. At the party while he was dancing, he fell on the floor and had a heart attack; he never stood up again. It was devastating to my mom and all of us; she was speechless, she just couldn’t get her mind around the fact that he was gone. It was a very, very tragic moment for all of us; our life was never the same thereafter.

There are many times that people are not correctly handling problems and obstacles in their lives because they have failed to make an adjustment in their timing. The point is this: Most of us are accustomed to handling things straight on, so it can be very difficult when we get a curve ball thrown at us.

There are situations in our life where we feel we are totally undone because of something unexpected and unwanted came into our life. You have to make choice. You can be destroyed and fall apart or you can bounce back and hit that ball!

You can look at it this way: in the ocean there are sharks, but in the boat there is safety. You can stay in the boat (Jesus) and cross the ocean (go through life in this world) and the sharks will not get to you. In Christ there is victory, joy and peace. In the world, there is tribulation, but in Christ, you can go through the world overcoming every circumstance and situation. It doesn’t change the things that are in the world; it just changes your ability to overcome the world.

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Learn How Important Growing Up Is For You!

July 7, 2012 by Olga 34 Comments

Learn How Important Growing Up Is For You!

by Olga Hermans

Most Christians desire to fulfill the will of God. They know that they are redeemed from the curse and they want everything that Jesus purchased for them by shedding His blood on the cross. But things like the news and people around them on the job try to talk them out of that; they diminish their belief in their covenant with God, especially when it comes down to their financial provision.

There is a wonderful inheritance waiting for those who are mature, responsible and faithful.

Galatians 4:1-2 says, “Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.”

So this means that when we want to qualify to receive our inheritance, childlike tendencies will hinder us. Wow, that hurts and it may sound totally unfair, but let’s have a look at it! You might be reading this and know you have children that you cannot give a car to because they are not mature enough to handle it.

It’s the same with our heavenly Father; He loves us so much that he knows that when He would give us everything that we desire, it might destroy us. For that reason it is important for us that we understand what we need to do to walk in a life filled with blessings!

Growing up is a process and in order to grow up, you need to locate yourself, you need to know where you are in life. All of us begin at the New Birth as spiritual babies in Christ, but God doesn’t intend that we stay that way. His desire is for us to grow in all areas of our lives-spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially.

Although we all may grow in different areas in our own way, we are supposed to grow up. He is right there on our side to make it all happen. Psalm 115:14 says, “The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.”

One way we can make our growth process a little easier is by waking up unto God and that happens when we desire to read the Word of God more than ever before. We grow when we desire the sincere milk of the word. 1Peter 2:2 When you do that, you place a demand on the Holy Spirit who causes you to grow. 2 Peter 3:18

One thing is for sure, God expects us to grow spiritually. When you grow up, you are able to handle trials and temptations; you have God’s wisdom flowing in your life. Plus you will be able to grow strong relationships with others.

When we keep on walking with the Lord through all our trials and struggles, we will have grace in every situation that we face. His grace is always sufficient and He always causes us to triumph. He anoints us with His power and His ability. It will require that we make a quality decision to allow God’s Word to mature us.

There are things that we do as children; we speak differently, we understand things differently and we think differently. It is time to put them away. 1Cor.13:11 There is no need for us to sweat the small things, because in the eyes of God everything is a small thing. It doesn’t matter, what matters is that you and I are going to finish the race strong.

Why would we be jealous and not be glad when a friend gets promoted; God has a way better promotion for you. Why would you concern yourself with what other people think of you? Breaking free from worrying about what people think of you might be your biggest breakthrough.

In order to discover the life you were born to live, you need to grow up from your old ways of doing things. If what people think about you is more important than what God thinks about you, then God cannot be the source of your life. John 12:42-43

It is important to stay focused and to get all our priorities right in 2012. It’s very simple: God is our loving Father. He is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator and possessor of heaven and earth. We should live to please Him. What Anna, Ken and John think doesn’t matter.

We should give our full attention and stay focused on God. If we keep listening to criticism and sarcastic remarks and the opinions of others, it will cost you your blessings, your healing, your provision and even the salvation of your family members. It is not all about you; it is all about what Jesus did for you and me on that cross. Our full inheritance is waiting for us, especially in 2012. God wants to bless you so that you can bless others (Gen. 12:2-3).

Watch out for people who satan will use to discourage you in everything that you are believing for. Satan is the father of lies, and lieing is all he can do. John 8:44 He will try to get you in trouble and put shame on you. Don’t believe his lies; don’t let him succeed in deceiving you in any way. Be bold enough to apply the Word of God to your life and receive His blessings with a grateful heart.

I remember the time when my husband and I decided to leave The Netherlands when our children were still quite young. Most people around us discouraged us, but there was that peace on the inside of us that kept us moving forward with the decision and you know what? Because they saw how steadfast we were in our decision, they came alongside of us. It was a great experience and because we had been obedient to what God had called us to do, we were tremendously blessed.

Sometimes it takes determination to not listen to other people’s opinions in the small things of life and in the big things of life. When you believe for healing for your child, that is not a small thing! Stay with the people who are in agreement with you and leave the opinions of those that bring doubt at the door.

It doesn’t matter who disagrees with your acts of obedience. Walk in complete liberty from people and their opinions so you can possess all the Father has for you.

If you are born again, Jesus Christ has made you free from the bondage of opinions so you can glorify God, free from poverty so you can be rich and free from sickness and disease so you can be healed. He made you free to walk in liberty.

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How To Pray To Stop The Devil

July 4, 2012 by Olga 24 Comments

How To Pray To Stop The Devil?

by Olga Hermans

What do you think about when you hear that question? Do you think “it is too difficult” or “I don’t want to fight with the devil”; what do think about when you need to fight the devil?

You know, you have been given the victory through the death of Jesus and His burial and resurrection over anything you will ever face. Maybe you are wondering how to see this happen in your own life and have no clue where to start. Maybe you started once and you gave up.

First things first; you must resist the devil in your daily walk, or James would not have mentioned it. The enemy has been conquered, but he still must be resisted.

The way to start resisting the devil is with submitting to the word. To submit to God means to surrender to Him, to yield yourself fully to Him, to come under His authority. To submit means to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. It means to believe, speak, and obey God’s Word. Submission could be stated another way: Trust God in every way possible

Prayer that stops the devil is based upon believing, speaking and acting upon what God says. Submission is not only to the written Word Of God, but also to the spoken Word spoken under the submission of the Holy Spirit.

There are people who will not submit to God because they want to be under His authority. They have failed to realize that if you aren’t under God’s authority, you are under the devil’s authority. There is no middle ground. People who are selfishly-ruled are satan-ruled.

To resist the enemy means to have an active, willful decision to say “no” to the devil with your heart, mind, words and attitude. Every time you invite the will of God to be done in your life, you are saying “no” to the devil. Every time you praise God, you are saying “no” to the devil. Every time you obey the Word of God, you are saying “no” to the devil. In other words, you are making positive choices that literally evict the enemy!

You are choosing the will, purpose and desires of God. When you resist the devil, he will flee from you. To pray to stop the devil, you must believe in the power of the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:16-19

We have boldness, confidence and liberty to enter into the holiest place through the blood of Jesus Christ. I have heard a former Satanic witch say once ad I think it was on the 700 club, “Whenever the blood of Jesus was mentioned, it stopped the power of Satanists.”

It was the blood of Jesus that destroyed Satan’s hold over you and me. It was His blood that ransomed us from Satan’s authority. It was His blood on the cross that bought and paid for our total salvation, so when we come to God, we are coming through the blood of His Son. Every time we quote Romans 8:1, we are declaring the power of the blood of Jesus: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

If you do not believe in the power of the blood of Jesus, you will not pray with authority. You will be reminded of what you’ve done in the past, of your failures and shortcomings, and as a result your prayers will be like a wet noodle. The devil knows when you don’t know your authority.

It takes the blood of Jesus to free you of guilt and condemnation. It takes an understanding of the blood of Jesus to know your sins have been remitted. When you call on the blood of Jesus, you have immediate access to the heavenly Father.

To have prayer that stops the devil, you must approach the Father in the name of Jesus. John 16:23-24

God wants you to have fullness of joy. He doesn’t want the enemy to overrun your life in any area. The Bible says that the shield of faith quenches every fiery dart of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16). David the psalmist declared, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

Jesus already won the victory that is sufficient to give us complete liberty from the devil’s work in our lives, but we have to enter into the type of prayer that will stop him. That’s believing prayer in the name of Jesus.

When we use the name of Jesus, we have used the highest name in heaven, on earth and under the earth. There is no other authority greater than the name of Jesus.

You and I have been given the power of attorney to use that name! Jesus was saying to His disciples and to you and me, “I am going away. I will send the Comforter [My Spirit] to you. Carry on business as usual, because I am giving you My name. I will never leave you. I will never abandon you. I will be with you always to the end of the world.

To pray to stop the devil, you must declare the Word of the Lord. Hebrews 4:12

Because the Word of God is a living entity, you can take it into your prayer closet. This is an aspect of prayer that many people have not entered into because they have not recognized the value of it. They pray, beg and plead, but they never come with the Word. If you will start your prayers with God’s will, which is His Word, you will never pray amiss.

If you are approaching God for healing, come into agreement with His promises of healing in Isaiah 43:4-5; Matthew 8:17 and 1Peter 2:24. You can pray, “Father, I am coming to You through the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus and with Your Word. You put sickness and diseases upon Your Son, Jesus Christ, so I wouldn’t have to bear it. By His stripes I am healed. Thank You for my healing now, in Jesus’ name.”

What are some experiences that you have had with resisting the devil? Give us one of your great testimonies in the comment section; thank you! Check out my book on prayer, that teaches you even so much more on how to be effective in prayer.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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Speak to Your Mountains

July 1, 2012 by Olga 13 Comments

Speak to Your Mountains

by Olga Hermans

Now is the time to speak the Word Of God to the mountains in Your life and see them removed; whether is the mountain of sickness, lack, division, torment, oppression, or some other challenge. On one of Jesus’ final trips over the Mount of Olives before His betrayal and crucifixion, He taught His disciples in Mark 11:12-19

Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem on the same route they had taken into Jerusalem, up over the Mount of Olives, down to the little town of Bethany. He taught, ministered and spoke each day in the temple. Mark 11:20-26

Often overlooked is the parallel between the fig tree and the nation of Israel. Jesus came to the fig tree, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit. It wasn’t so He spoke to it and it withered. Jesus came to the nation of Israel, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit; the fruit of a righteous, holy nation. He came to the temple and found a den of thieves. What he has done to the fig tree, He did to the temple and found it a den of thieves. He overthrew the money changers and spoke to them that their house would be left desolate.

It was only a few years later, 70 A.D., after Jesus had spoken it, that the Roman general Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it.

In the Bible, we are likened to trees. The trees of the field shall clap their hands Isaiah 55:12. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches John 15:5. Jesus is looking for fruit in our lives; the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of souls being won to Christ, the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

On one occasion when this parable was told, the landowner said, Let’s destroy the tree. Then the Word came, No, give it one more year. Let’s dig around it, fertilize it and see if it brings forth fruit. Thank God, He is merciful!

Jesus left us an example that we are to follow. He left us a pattern of faith. In verse 14, He spoke to the tree, and the disciples heard it. In other words, it wasn’t one of those whisper things. He spoke out loud. Nothing happened visibly at that moment. As you release your faith, nothing may happen visibly at that very moment.

But when Jesus returned by this same route some 24 hours later, the fig tree had dried up from the roots. In the natural, it is impossible for something to dry up that quickly.

Then Jesus commanded, Have faith in God. Romans 12:3 says,…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It has been said, Faith is the title deed to that which is invisible. Corrie ten Boom said, Faith is the radar that sees things and catches an image of them, even though they may be beyond natural sight. The image of it is imprinted in us by the Word of God. Then Jesus said, For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain…Mark 11:23

Jesus was using the terminology of speaking to a mountain as a figure of speech, saying, If you have a problem, a difficulty, an obstacle that is like a mountain, you can speak to it to be removed. Jesus was saying that you can speak to any mountain-size problem to be removed and it has to go. Maybe your mountain is sickness or disease, depression, discouragement, fear, dismay, or financial lack.

Many people talk about their mountain, discuss their mountain and even evaluate their mountain. They take samples of their mountain and compare it with other people’s mountains. Then there are mountain conferences or dialogues where people get together and discuss their mountains!

Jesus didn’t say that we are to discuss our challenges. He said, “Speak to them!” Speak to cancer. Speak to financial lack. Speak to the rebellion in a child. Speak to the mountain in a situation. How do we get to the point where we believe that what we say will come to pass and that when we speak to our mountain, it will be removed?

Jesus said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you John 15:7

One of the primary keys to your confidence in prayer is to know that what you are speaking is the will or the Word of God. This is the day and the hour for God’s people to do great exploits because we are in covenant relationship with Him; speaking His Word, praying His Word and obeying His Word.

What is your experience with speaking to your mountains? Please let us know in the comment section.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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Abiding Under The Shadow of The Almighty

June 27, 2012 by Olga 20 Comments

Abiding Under The Shadow of The Almighty

by Olga Hermans

Once you know that divine protection belongs to you, there are some conditions you must keep to activate that protection in your life. Psalm 91:1 makes that very clear; if you are going to enjoy God’s protection, you’re going to have to abide in Him.

The word “abide” means to lodge, or to set up camp. He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall lodge under the shadow of the Almighty. Notice that you can’t see a shadow, but it’s always there. To be in somebody’s shadow you have to be pretty close to him or her. In other words, you have to be pretty close to God to lodge under His shadow.

Make no mistake; however, going to church does not make you close to God. Lots of people go to church but are not close to God. They just go to church. The word does not say to draw near to your church, and you’ll be close to God. It says to draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you.

The depth of your relationship with God depends on the time you spend with Him, because you spend time with whom you love. Are you someone who spends time in worship before God, time in praise to God, time in personal one- on-one prayer and communion with God? If you are, you’ll notice that the closer you get to Him, the closer He gets to you. You reach a place where you abide under His shadow. And that’s the best place to be.

God said in James, “Draw nigh to me, or close to me, and I’ll draw nigh to you.” Well, to be under the shadow of the Almighty is to be close to the Father. In order to be close to Him, you need to be in fellowship with Him, not out of fellowship with God. Not just a child of God, but you need to be close to the Lord. A relationship needs to have been developed between you and the Father; one in which you can clearly know God’s voice when He’s leading you and speaking to you.

Never let it be a case with you where all heaven stops because they hadn’t heard your voice in decades. Nor let it be with you that the only time that heaven hears from you is when you need something. On the contrary, develop a relationship with the Father where the Father can speak to you and you can speak to Him.

What does it take to become an abider?

Putting God’s Word in your heart, for one thing. John 15:7. The truth that is alive in your heart is the truth that you act on every day. Truth comes alive in you when you think about it, meditate on it and apply it to your life, so at the moment of danger, the Word of God is your first thought.

Take the 91st Psalm into yourself daily until it becomes engrafted in your heart. Remember this: it’s the Word that you act on today that will get you delivered. It is not what your heard last year. It isn’t even what you know. It is what you do. Keep yourself full of God’s Word and you will do it.

Another definition of abiding is simply obeying. 1John 3:6 says, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” The reverse of that is also true – whoever sins (or is disobedient) does not abide in Him.

It is a good thing that we live in the time of grace and mercy and it is never too late to call upon the Lord. But you have to know that you need to live close to Him and abiding in the Word (God’s wisdom revealed to us) or it will be difficult for you to call on Him in faith when calamity comes.

Don’t live day after day by the world’s standards, because when a crisis comes it will be hard for you to take your dependence off the world and put it on Him.Pro 1:29-31

In other words, if you are going to live like the world, your outcome is going to be like that of the world. Pro 1:33

Prov.1:33 is exactly the protection that I like to know; it is promised to you and me!

Learn more about “Abiding Under The Shadow of The Almighty” in my book by clicking here!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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How Does Faith Work?

June 25, 2012 by Olga 31 Comments

How Does Faith Work?

by Olga Hermans

Many people are talking about faith. Faith is not only believing. It is not simply confessing or just hearing the Word. Faith requires doing, yet that’s not all. Although faith includes prayer, there is still more. Meditation is not the final answer either. Learning how to receive from God is a big part of faith too. Praise is powerful, but it needs to be supported by the other parts of faith.

So, how does faith work? Most people think they know, but do they really? Can you explain how faith works to somebody? If you really like to discover the life you were born to live and fill it with passion, you need to know how faith works. So, let’s have a look!

In a given situation, a person may exercise great faith by utilizing only two or three parts of faith. It is not just a cut and dried formula that must be rigidly followed. It is a breakdown of faith that gives us an inner picture of how faith is developed and operate great faith by using everything God has given us.

The growth, development, and release of faith includes hearing the Word, believing the Word, praying according to the Word, receiving the promise, confessing the Word, praising God, and doing the Word.

Let’s say you would have a V-8 engine. The engine is to the average person just a machine. The person, who knows engines, however, knows it is made up of many stationary and moving parts. Primarily, the engine itself has eight cylinders with pistons inside of them. Timed explosions in each of these cylinders causes power to be released to move the pistons. The moving pistons turn a shaft that harnesses the power from the explosion of the gasoline in the cylinder and eventually channels that power to turn the wheels.

Even though some of the pistons or cylinders are not functioning properly, the engine will still run, but it will be rough. It is the same with people and faith. Some people will get a lot of mileage out of a little bit of faith, but the full potential can only be reached by continuous exercise of all parts of faith. Jesus must be our example for He is the one person who developed His faith to perfection. Our faith will grow the same way, because it is His faith that we have been given.

Your faith is very similar to the V-8 engine used in many cars. It is one operation, yet the power is generated through a series of operations within the engine itself. Each operation in faith has a specific place and will produce power if it is run by the Spirit. Although the engine may run on fewer than all 8 cylinders, its power and efficiency are greatly reduced. For highest performance every part of your faith must be operating.

A car engine must be properly tuned and the timing set for it to run properly. Depending on the make and year of the car, the spark plugs and/or points must be firing with precision or the explosion of the gasoline air mixture will not be good. Likewise the pistons, valves, and cylinders need to be in good shape. If all these things are not in order, the engine will run rough, lack power, start poorly, and cause many problems.

If so much knowledge is needed just to run an automobile, why shouldn’t we be more concerned about the great powerhouse God has given us? Don’t wait until a crisis arises to check your faith because it will be too late.

Faith includes hearing, believing, praying, receiving, confessing, meditating, praising and doing. All of these things are important, and you will probably discover other things that help our faith grow and mature to the place that it can be used to meet the needs of those around us. Remember, this is not a dead formula, a set of rules, or another do-it yourself kit. It is a simple explanation of the various parts of faith using a modern parable.

It is a great privilege to build our lives on a foundation that cannot be shaken and will stand firm against every wind, storm, and flood of the adversary. Faith reaches for the eternal and brings it into existence in order to change the natural things.

You may be burdened with sin, sickness, discouragement, or confusion, but your faith in the eternal Word of God can overcome those feelings and give you victory in every situation.

The temporal things will be changes by the Eternal, and you will be established on the rock. How wonderful is that!!

What things have you see change in your life because of your faith? Tells us about in the comment section…

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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The Importance of Relationships

June 19, 2012 by Olga 25 Comments

The Importance of Relationships

by Olga Hermans

The other day I heard somebody say, “The more I get to know some people, the better I like my dog.” It shook me for a minute, but then I thought…in some cases that might be true. Last weekend I was in a large crowd of people and really met the most interesting people from all walks of life. I love that!

But I must say, some people are sometimes just a little obnoxious if you know what I mean. God must have a sense of humor because He puts us all together in one place and wants us to realize that we need each other. He wants us to know the power of relationships; He works through people like you and me to get us where we need to be. So, let’s have a look at the importance of relationships the way God meant it to be.

In the first chapters of Genesis, you can read that God created and then you always can read: “and God saw that it was good”. But then when He created man, He said something different. He looks at man and says, “It is not good…” Genesis 2:18

He didn’t say that man wasn’t good, but that the situation he was in wasn’t good. That is a profound statement that God made, because He says here that He created man to need more than just a relationship with God. He created us to need each other. It wasn’t that God was lacking or not able to be all we needed, but that He designed us to need each other.

God did not create Eve immediately after He said: “…I will make him a helper” Genesis 2:18 But God didn’t forget what He was doing, He knew what Adam needed, but Adam didn’t. So, God brought the animals in front of Adam to make him aware of his need. As Adam began to name them, he began to realize that all the animals had others like them but he had no one to like himself.

God was able to alert to his need as well as to establish the fact in Adam’s mind that nothing on this planet could meet that need except another person. If Eve would have shown up before Adam knew he needed her, he might have marked off the garden as his and not let Eve in.

“So, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place.” Notice that God did not go back to the dust of the earth to create Eve. He took what He needed out of Adam’s side without replacing what He took, and then He finished Eve.

When Adam awoke, a part of him was missing. Part of his spiritual, emotional, and physiological makeup was gone and he sensed it. He was now even more incomplete and alone! When God finally brought Eve to him, Adam called her wo-man!

Sometimes, people think that needing others, or having to depend upon others, is a sign of weakness. Our society teaches us that independence equals strength, when just the opposite is true. It takes great strength to get along with others. You need to have a lot of inward flexibility and plain common sense to stay in relationships; trust God to help you and negotiate the differences. All it takes is a well developed attitude of selfishness to run out and do your own thing. There is a lot of that going on these days.

God created us with a need for others. The need for meaningful relationships was not a result of man’s fall into sin. Our desire for relationships was the plan and will of God. We were designed to need each other before the fall! In fact, we fulfill God’s created order when we recognize that need.

I am not saying that we should smother our relationships; people have been abused or abandoned by others and often carry the pain of old relationships into new ones. They often try to get people in new relationships to make-up for all the evil that has been done to them previously. The true meaning for relationships is not a devouring, damaging, suffocating thing. It is a mutual supportive expression.

People who have been hurt need to learn how to forgive those who have offended them in the past so that they not poison their future relationships with the pain of past ones.

God created us as wonderful beings, as the crown of His creation. He created us with a will and with an intellect. He created us with the power to choose because He didn’t want to force us to serve Him. God wanted us to have the free choice whether or not to walk with Him. But how is God going to let us know how He feels about us? Do you remember how God reached out to Adam and how He communicated His love for Adam? How was God to tell Adam His plans, dreams and purposes for him?

How was God able to tell Adam how much He loved him? How could Adam understand love? That’s why God gave man the ability to love and to need others. Though relationships are NOT God’s primary way of revealing Himself; we need to take it serious. When our relationships are perverted, they will hinder us in our life in everything that we do and desire to accomplish.

How well are your relationships doing? Tell us in the comment section what stood out to you in this post.

You can get my eBook: The Power of Relationships by clicking here

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Seven Easy Types of Prayer

June 17, 2012 by Olga 31 Comments

Seven Easy Types of Prayer

by Olga Hermans

There are seven types of prayer in the Bible, which we should be exercising on a regular basis. They are simple and can be prayed anywhere at any time; especially when they come from a believing heart. You see, most people use the same kind of prayer for all their issues in life.

I”d like to tell you that that is a huge mistake. Many prayers are not working because people are using the wrong rules and laws. How many sports do you know? Let’s say you know seven different sports; what you also know is that these seven sports have different rules to follow. It would be very confusing to play a soccer game with baseball rules, isn’t it?

The reason people are confused and have problems with their prayers being answered is that they have their rules all mixed up. One mistake that most people make is that they think they should finish every prayer with the words, “If it is Your will.” They claim that is how Jesus prayed.

Let’s have a look at all the different prayers and make is a little easier!

1. The Prayer of Agreement
Agreement is the most important thing you need when you pray, because our prayer multiplies when we are in agreement with those around us. 1Peter 3:7. We actually always need to be in agreement all the time, not just when we face a crisis. God honors the prayers of those who pay the price to live in unity. Pray the prayer of agreement especially when you feel the need for a little extra prayer power.

2. The Prayer of Petition
This is a prayer that we all use randomly, but there is something you need to know about it. When we petition God, we ask for something for ourselves. When we pray for others, we are interceding. I think we all know that most of us are too interested in ourselves and that’s why we pray this type of prayer. There is nothing wrong with us praying for ourselves, but our prayer life should be well-balanced.

3. The prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
It is a wonderful thing to praise God for what we believe He is going to do after we have communicated with Him about our needs and the needs of others. We should praise the Lord continually and with that, I mean all day. We should thank Him in good times and especially in hard times. This is good for our character, because when we praise Him during the tough times, we take our eyes away from our problems and stay focused on Him, who is the answer!

4. The Prayer of Intercession
To intercede means to stand in the gap for another person. Ez.22:30. If people have a need, we can intercede for them and expect to see them comforted and encouraged while they are going though certain situations. We then can expect a suitable breakthrough for them concerning their need being met. We need each other! It is a wonderful thing to pray for others and see God come through in their life without them even knowing that you prayed for them.

5. The Prayer of Commitment
When we are tempted to worry or to take control of some situation in life, we should pray the prayer of commitment. God is ready to get involved in our situations when we commit them to Him. You can commit your children to the Lord, or your marriage, your personal relationships and especially those things that you like to worry about. 1Peter 5:7. Only God really knows what needs to be done, and He is the only one Who is qualified to do it.

6. The Prayer of Consecration
This is the type of prayer where we give ourselves to God. In this type of prayer, we dedicate our lives and all that we are to Him. I remember the time we went from Tulsa OK back to The Netherlands; we had no idea whatsoever what was going to happen, so we consecrated ourselves to God because that was the only thing we could do. We more or less told the Lord: here we are, do as you please. Consecration is a powerful thing, but it must be sincere.

7. Believe God hears you
When we pray, we need to come to God as a believer and not as a beggar. Hebr.4:16 tells us that we can come boldly into His throne room; not as a homeless person, but as a son or a daughter and be bold about it. Believe that He hears you and have confidence in that very fact. He loves us and desires for us to receive the Blessing that He had promised Abraham to give to us.

When you pray, believe that He is working on the situation you prayed about. Don’t keep praying the same prayer over and over again, but instead thank Him for what He is about to do and for Who He is. Do things that build your confidence and your relationship with Him.

Let me help you to grow your spiritual life with my own book on prayer. Maybe you think you know enough after these two articles, but my book goes into a depth on prayer that I can assure you that you will not regret.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

Filed Under: PRAYER Tagged With: 2012, a home run, answer, answers, breakthrough, choice, choices, Christianity, corporate, corporate prayer, decision, destiny, discipline, disciplined life, discover, dream, driven life, effective, excerpt of book, for such a time as this, future, God, God knew you before you were born., home run, how to live a life, how to live life, ignite, increase, Jesus, joy, life, life choices, lifestyle, live a life, live life, money, passion, Prayer, profit, prophecies, prophecy, purpose, Restoration, Right Place, Right Time, self control, step up to the plate, stress, supernatural, the answer, the calling, the choice, the life, the power, this is your life, to live, trouble, vision, What does it mean, word, your life