gospel

Prayer Points : Deliverance From Evil 

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

Opression is all around in this world. Emotional , physical, financial and mental opression occur in the lives of many. In the Psalms David asks for deliverance from the opression of man. “Order my steps in thy word : and let not iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the opression of man : so I will keep thy precepts. “(Psalm 119:133 & 134) Throughout the psalms David asks for deliverance from his enemies and troubles.

We face enemies and troubles of all kinds in our lives and there is no better way than to call upon the Lord during these times.

The victory has already been won. Jesus won it through one death, burial and ressurrection! The blood covered it all!  Praise God! Putting on the whole armor of God prepares us to walk in the victory that has already been won for us. 

When we are putting on the armor of the Lord we are putting on the Lord Jesus Christ like the word instructs us to. (Romans 13:12 & 14)  Below are some prayer points to consider as we put on the whole armor for spiritual battle.

1) Truth :  As we pray in spiritual warfare we must have our loins fasten with truth. Truth which is the Word of God must be within us so that the lies of the enemy don’t have root in our hearts which hinders the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

2) Righteousness : Our chest must be covered in righteousness. As we interceed we must be sober, walk in faith and love and apply the Word in our lifestyles. 

3) Readiness: Our feet must have readiness and stability with the preparation of the gospel of peace so that we can stand firmly during testing and trouble. We won’t be moved in prayer and spiritual warfare when it gets difficult. God will give us hinds feet for high places. 

4) Faith : We need to shield ourselves with faith against the fiery darts of the wicked. As we pray and war in the Spirit we need faith as our defense. 

5) Salavation : Our head must be covered with Salvation. Helmets in the natural are made to protect the head from any danger or harm . So in the Spirit we need to wear our helmet of salvation in battle from danger and harm. 

6) Word of God: We need our sword of the Spirit as our authority and power in intercession as we decree and declare. 

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Prayer Points: Triumph Over Temptation 

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

We all face temptation from within and coming from Satan the tempter. It is not a sin to be tempted, the sin is giving in to the temptation.
 In my transperency I can say that there are temptaions that hit my weak areas and sometimes I fall short and feel shame all around. I’ve learned to always get up after a fall and surrender my will to God’s will. 


 Never is it smooth or easy,  but I have developed a strong prayer life that causes me to triumph over temptations. I’m nowhere near perfect, I just allow the Perfect One to shape me and mold me into what He wants me to be.  

Below are some points to consider on overcoming temptation through prayer.
 Prayer Point: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ” (Matthew 6: 13) 


1) Temptations test our faith, humbles us to depend on God and revelas what is in our heart. (Deuteronomy 8: 2 & 3)

 When our faith is tested it is meant to perfect us. In our falling short we realize that we are not able to make it without God. The conditions of our heart becomes clear when we are tempted.


2) Temptations are meant to teach us and build our spiritual muscles. (Judges 3: 1,2)

 Spiritual warfare is unavoidable for the believer. We are to fight against demonic spirits, wickedness in high places and principalities. Through temptations we learn strategies and how to apply biblical principals to our lives. 


3) Temptations are meant to increase us and lead us into inheritance.(Exodus 23: 29, 30) 


4) Temptations are meant to remove impurities,develop patience and improve us.(James 1: 2 – 4)


5) Temptations provide an opportunity to walk in victory and defeat the devil.(Matthew 4: 1- 11)



5 Lessons Through 2 Samuel 

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

In life we experience both public victories and personal failures. 2 Samuel tells of stories of David becoming king over Israel, when he commits adultery and the eventualities from his choices. 
The book doesn’t end there. David humbled himself, repented of his sins, allowed God to rebuild him and continued his assignment. Below are some lessons to consider on the book of 2Samuel. 
1) Some of the closest people to you that are sent to care and comfort you will unintentionally hurt you. In the midst of being crippled God will send an abundance of kindness your way. 

Mephibosheth was dropped by his nurse while she was in a hurry to flee. King David restored all that was lost materially to Mephibosheth and gave him a place at his royal table. 
2) Doesn’t matter how much we try to cover up our sins they will be exposed when we don’t surrender. 

 3) God will send someone to rebuke you in love and to wake you up! A real prophetic voice gives warnings. 

 4) Generational sins and curses can greatly affect a family. 


 5) God will send mercy even after a death from the consequences of sin. 

 

Prayer Points: Forgiveness

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

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One of the greatest hindrances that can happen on our prayer journey is holding on to grudges, hurts and offenses. No one is exempt from being hurt and mistreated. In fact often times hurt is a cycle where those who have deeply hurt us are deeply hurting and pass that hurt on to the next person. Forgiveness isn’t so easy when there is a wound that seems to have no time to heal before another thing hits hard. But that doesn’t mean forgiveness isn’t possible. In fact the cross shows us forgiveness is possible! On our own and in our flesh we can be enslaved to hurt, pain and offense. But with all that Christ has done for us we can be free to forgive. Below are some highlighted points to consider on giving and receiving mercy and grace.

 

Prayer Point: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”(Matthew 6: 12) 

Receiving mercy and grace: Sin is a debt that we as humans cannot pay. But there is a loving Savior who is without sin that was sent to earth to pay that debt. Jesus suffered, died, rose and ascended into heaven all for us; in spite of our shortcomings. So when we pray for mercy and grace the gift of forgiveness replaces the captivity of sin and death(spiritual death). We are not under the curse of the law as some were in the bible times, but we have been redeemed! Hallelujah! Jesus became that curse for us so that we can be free!!! (Galatians 3:13)He thought that much about us to go through what mankind deserved.

Giving mercy and grace: Giving goes far beyond just visual and physical means. Forgiveness is a choice in the sense that we can choose to give and receive or we can choose to not give and not receive. We have to choose to surrender our heart, attitude and actions to God’s will in order to be transformed from being enslaved  to hurt, pain and offense to being liberated to extend grace and mercy. In our human minds we will at times remember the hurt, pain and offense, but right there and then we can respond in that grace and mercy. We can tell ourselves “Grace covered that!” “Mercy has got that!”

May we be receivers of mercy and grace and be givers of mercy and grace!

Declaration: I receive grace and mercy into my heart and I give grace and mercy from my heart. 

 

 

5 Benefits Through Discipleship

/ Crystal Holdipp / 2 Comments

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Discipleship is not a choice for the believer. It’s actually a command. God wouldn’t tell us to do something that has no purpose or meaning. There are many benefits through discipleship for the Kingdom of God. After all what matters most is the Kingdom. 

A disciple for Christ follows Jesus and lives a lifestyle of operating in the will of God. They have a heart to please God. Discipleship involves going to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching according to the great commission in Matthew 28: 18 -20. Below are some highlighted points to consider on the benefits of discipleship.

 

1) Discipleship points people to Christ. There is no greater solution than to turn to Christ. At the end of it all Christ is all-powerful and rules and reign above everything. 

2) Discipleship leads people to the truth. Many different opinions and beliefs float around the world today, but it’s the truth from the living God that can only redeem. 

3) Discipleship directs God’s people towards God’s purposes. We as believers are here on this earth to walk in God’s purposes and a great way to encourage it in the next person is through discipleship. 

4) Discipleship equips for ministry. Those that are in relationship with God are not on earth just to exist, but to operate in the Divine calling that God has assigned to us. 

5) Discipleship unites people to stand together. Through teaching, training and mentoring believers grow, learn and develop in unity for the Lord. 

5 Lessons From 1 Samuel

/ Crystal Holdipp / 2 Comments

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Samuel is the writer of the majority of 1 Samuel. Gifted as a prophet, Samuel gives a warning to the Israelites about their desire for him to choose an earthly king to lead them and the disaster it will bring. The Israelites didn’t pay attention to the warning and experienced much mourning because of their desire.

Below are some highlighted lessons to consider from 1 Samuel.

 

1) A persistent petition from a mother births a powerful legacy of seeking the Lord. Hannah who continued in prayer during barrenness eventually gives birth to a son(Samuel) who develops a lifestyle of prayer and worship unto the Lord during his leadership.

 

2) Outside of God’s presence is death and grief. When the glory of the Lord departs from a people, there is no victory during the battle – which brings much loss. After Eli’s sons(Hophni & Phinehas) were killed in battle and Eli died when he heard all that happened, Phinehas’ wife gave birth to a boy and named him Inchabod which means “The glory is departed from Israel”.

 

3) Human leadership has the ability to mislead and rely on self, but the Holy Spirit will never lead you outside of God’s covering. Saul walked in disobedience to God and thought he could do things all on his own and still reign.

 

4) Never give place to the devil in avenging yourself. God will take care of the mockery and deprivation in His timing.

 

5) Surround yourself with those who operate in wisdom. In our times of haste, their words can save us from taking foolish action. Abigail encouraged David in who he was in God and in leaving the situation(when her husband at the time mocked David and David’s request for payment of his men’s service was rejected) for God to handle.

Music Review: Redemption by Kwest

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

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Introduction: The intro gives a compelling upbeat of why the listener should listen to the message of the song. Titled song ‘LOVE’, briefly gives you an idea of the tune being about God’s love and how no other love compares to it.

Melody & Rhythm: The melody and rhythm are of a speedy paced nature and the instruments that are apart of the melody beautifully combines together.

Vocals: The singer’s vocals are smooth and powerful at the same time.

Instrumental & Digital Effects: The drums stand out in the background and enhances the song’s sound.

Structure of the Song: I think that the song was organized very well and neat. The track has been recorded with order and flows smoothly throughout the entire song.

Performance & Song Potential: I believe that the overall song is excellent and has been written, sung and recorded professionally. Love has the potential to reach a larger audience and to hit the top of the music charts.

Listen to ‘LOVE’ and more of Kwest’s music on YouTube. Click here to listen to ‘LOVE’. 

Prayer Points: Praying for Provision

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

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There are times we are in situations that we don’t know how to get out of. Wonderings of the heart and mind saying: How did I get in this? How do I get out of this? What do I do in this? How do I continue living in this? Sometimes it seems the bigger the efforts made by us and the desire craved, the higher the odds pile up. How does daily bread manifest in our lives when we are running on low of the very life we have and we are in need of life support? Below are some points, questions and thoughts to consider on when we are in need of provision when we feel powerless.

 

Prayer Point: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’

Our daily bread is the provision of our daily needs. What are the necessities that we need daily, in a world that showcases the tasty, sweet and overflowing with glamour? Where our wants are advertised confusing us with what we really need.

What are your daily needs?

What are the daily needs of your family?

What are the daily needs of our community?

What are the daily needs of the strangers, friends and acquaintances around us?

What are the daily needs of the nation?

What are the daily needs of the world?

 

Luke 18:1 encourages us “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

That simply lets us know even when the odds are piling up and seems to get bigger than our desire and tries to threaten our needs of ever getting met – we are to continue in prayer for the needs.

What do we do when adversity seems to advance further than the outcome of our continual efforts? Prayer is what we have to hold on to when everything else seems to go away.

Sometimes fainting may lie and say that is the only thing we have left to do.

Fainting into despair.

Fainting into disbelief.

Fainting into desperation.

There’s something that needs to be revived in us again.

Revival of prayer, faith, walking in God’s will, declaring and decreeing specifically the needs and being relentless in the part we are responsible for.

Jehovah Jireh: God our Provider,

Reveal who you are in our daily lives. We give you praise and thanks for all the past and present revelations and provisions that you have been to us. Lord revive in us the faith that lives on and rescue us from fainting when we are overwhelmed, exhausted and dehydrated within. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

 

5 Lessons From Ruth

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

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The book of Ruth is an amazing story of redemption and love. In the bible, Kinsman – Redeemer was a protection law that was in place for the welfare of the poor from being taken advantage of and from the wealthy taking away property that came from a people(community). The Kinsman – Redeemer is a reflection that God will redeem Israel from their suffering and the injustices and that Jesus is a Savior for humankind and will come back to conquer every evil deed . Below are some highlighted lessons on the book of Ruth to consider.

 

1) It’s better to be in a famine and under God’s protection, then to have a feast and step outside of God’s direction. When Elimelech and his wife Naomi(along with two sons) left Judah to stay in Moab,  they stepped outside of God’s direction. Moab was a land in the bible where people worshipped false gods and idols.

 

2) Running from trouble brings added trouble when we are outside the will of God. In Ruth 1, it mentions that Elimelech(Naomi’s husband) died and later on  Mahlon and Chilion(Naomi’s sons) died. There are always negative consequences from making a choice to be outside the will of God.

 

3) Faithfulness always ignites breakthrough. Ruth went into the field to gather from the harvest. God used Boaz to protect, provide and be generous to Ruth. Ruth stayed with her mother – in – law Naomi and went in the field and miraculous things erupted from that.

 

4) When you look out for someone else and allow God to work through you for their blessing, bitterness will dissipate. Naomi who was bitter decided to let go of the bitterness and  she guided Ruth in how to go to Boaz.

 

5) To travel from grief to restoration it requires trust, faith and obedience. Ruth had to trust that after the death of her husband that this was not the end of her story. In addition, she had to believe that God would turn her situation around and she had to follow the instructions she was given from her mother – in – law and take action from her trust and faith.

 

 

 

 

Prayer Points: Petition

/ Crystal Holdipp / Leave a comment

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As we continue in our lifestyle of prayer, another focus we can put into practice is to petition for ourselves and for others. Simply meaning making requests and asking God to move on our behalf concerning personal and public matters to do with yourself, family, friends, body of Christ , government and the world. Below is our prayer point and highlighted points to consider.

 

Prayer Point: Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

What is God’s Kingdom?: According to Romans 14:17, the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

How is God’s will done in earth?: Through willing people. Whoever is available to be used by Him.

Meditation: Abba Father, I pray that your righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost be manifested in my life,  family, friends, body of Christ and in this entire world. Father I pray that we will be yielding vessels that are available for your will to be done through us and in us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I want to encourage everyone to continue to petition as the Holy Spirit leads them. Sometimes God will place specific people and situations on our hearts to intercede on. We must always keep ourselves covered in the  powerful blood of Jesus. Those attacks and schemes of the enemy that come after servants of God, prayer warriors and intercessors petition can sometimes be dangerous to the mind, spirit and body. War in Jesus against evil forces and remember the blood of Jesus will never fail you!