Pray...

let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found;

(Psalm 32:6)

O Lord, You are my God; I trust in You; my times are in Your hands.

How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for me!

How great is Your goodness which You have bestowed upon me in the sight of men!

I take refuge in You. 

Thank You for hiding me in the shelter of Your presence.

Thank You for keeping me safe in Your dwelling.

Thank You for delivering me in Your righteousness.

Thank You O Lord, for being my refuge; let me never be put to shame. 

Thank You for turning Your ear to me, for coming quickly to my rescue and for being my rock of refuge – a strong fortress to save me.

Thank You O Lord, for leading me and guiding me.

Thank You for redeeming me.

I trust in the Lord! I am glad and rejoice in Your love.

Thank You for setting my foot in a spacious place.

You have shown me Your wonderful love.

Praise be to You O Lord!

Thank You for not cutting me off from Your sight, for hearing my cries, and for answering me when I call out to You for help.

Thank You for preserving me.

Now to You Lord, Who lets Your face shine on me and saves me in Your unfailing love, be all honour and glory forever and ever Amen †

[Prayer adapted from Psalm 31]

 

Shelley Johnson “Pray” © 2015 revisited December 8, 2025

Prayer

 

“Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 [AMPC]

Hallelujah!

Jesus makes three specific promises concerning prayer,

1. Anyone who asks in prayer and keeps asking receives.

2. Anyone who keeps seeking in prayer will find.

3. Anyone who keeps on knocking on spiritual doors through prayer would have those doors opened.

Asking, Seeking, and Knocking in prayer are integral to the process of receiving what we need and teaches us to be faithful, responsible and patient, all means of building solid Christian character. The moment we pray, the process begins.

“And [the angel] said to me,

Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of [and in response to] your words.”  Daniel 10:11,12 [AMPC]

Prayer is the key to enter into the presence of God.

“Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You…”  Psalm 141:2 [AMPC].

Our prayers should come from our hearts, hearts that are pure, “without anger or quarrelling or resentment or doubt [in our minds]” (1Timothy 2:8 AMPC).

We must be true pray-ers, not like those Pharisees who love to be seen, making long public prayers (see Matthew 6:5) – those who utter useless hypocritical prayers for man’s recognition.

Apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, exhorts us to “Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]”.

God wants to hear from us, His children. He looks forward to it and does not want us to withhold our prayers. Our Lord Jesus was always in prayer; He is our example to follow.

Jesus prayed for every reason and on all occasions and He taught His disciples how to be effective and efficient in prayer (read Matthew 6:6-15).

The disciples recognized the importance of going to the Father in prayer. And we too must come to that realization; we must bring all our concerns to God in prayer because everything that is of concern to us is of concern to our God and, even though He already knows, He desires to hear about it from us.

Prayer has the power to remove obstacles, break barriers, pull down strongholds, open doors, close doors, change lives, heal the sick, cure addictions, guide the lost back home, enable victories, calm the storms of life, restore broken marriages, create pure hearts, renew steadfast spirits, and strengthen our relationship with God.

Prayer is amazingly effective!

So, this week spend time in God's presence through prayer; utilize God's own Word to fashion personal prayers, as you ask and seek and knock.

Expect your prayers to be answered, because God's Word does not return to Him without effect (Isaiah 55:11).

Expect great things to happen in your life during your conversations with God; remember to listen out for His small, still voice (1 Kings 19:12).

Beloved, you will emerge better off than when you began, as you purposely spend time in His presence.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Prayer” ©2013 revisited December 7, 2025

What I Know

 

Beloved, it’s a good practice to make declarations from Scripture over your life, so today, declare what you know, confident that God’s Word shall not return to [Him] void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which [He] please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which [He] sent it. (Isaiah 55:11 AMPC).

I know that I love God because He first loved me!

God has called me by name, I am His. So, when I pass through the waters, God is with me; and when I pass through the rivers, they will not…yes, they will NOT sweep over me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned…no, no, no! The flames will not set me ablaze.

He is the Lord, my God! The Holy One, my Saviour! I am precious and honoured in His sight…and, God loves me…yes, God loves me. God loves me! I was created for His glory…I am His witness whom He has chosen…and…

I know and believe Him and understand that He is God.

Yes, no one can deliver out of His hand.

When God acts, no-one and nothing can reverse it…no-one, and nothing (period)

God is my Redeemer, the Lord, the Holy One, my Creator, my King. He makes a way through the sea; a path through the mighty waters – God is doing a new thing! I will NOT dwell on the past. God is making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland!

I know…that, because God loves me, and I love Him, and because He has called me according to His purpose, He is working together all these things I'm going through for my good…

God knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me a future with hope…

I know when I call upon God and come and pray to Him, He listens to me; when I seek God with all my heart, I find Him. I find God and He brings me back – God restores me, and…restores to me. Hallelu-Yah! God restores my fortunes!

God is the One Who knows…and bears witness.

I know that God will fulfill His promise to me, His gracious promise of complete restoration – to bring me back…bring me right back to a place even better than it was before, in quality and quantity; double, twice as much, as I had before…and, even more than that!

I know, yes, I know Whom I have believed! And I am convinced that He is able!

I know that God can do ALL things. God can do ALL things!

I know...no plan of His can be thwarted, no purpose of His can be thwarted…the Lord will bless the latter part of my life more than the first. This is my inheritance from God, my Father.

I know…indeed I know, if God is all I have, then I have all I need!

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “What I Know” © 2015 revisited December 6, 2025

Church Membership is not Salvation

 

A person could be faithful in his commitment to attending church every Sunday, even performing good works of service in church but that is not salvation. Church membership does not necessarily mean that a person is saved.

There are people who have not received Christ as their Saviour attending church; they are unsaved members.

Some have not made a true commitment to be a follower of Christ – they are lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16 TLB).

I know you well—you are neither hot nor cold; I wish you were one or the other! But since you are merely lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth!

Some have not grasped the message of the Gospel though faithfully present at every service (Hebrews 4:2 GNT).

For we have heard the Good News, just as they did. They heard the message, but it did them no good, because when they heard it, they did not accept it with faith.

Others are deluded in their belief that going to church and performing “good works” holds the same meaning as being a Christian (Matthew 7:21-23 MSG).

Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our super-spiritual projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

Oftentimes aspects of church are confused with salvation.

Making a public statement of cognitive belief in Christ is not a means of salvation.

Making a public symbolic statement of immersion is not a means of salvation.

Conducting ministry and evangelism is not a means of salvation.

Beloved, know that “God our Savior, wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 NIV).

Salvation is not about one’s works in the church. It’s not about organizing tea parties, playing the drums or being in the choir.

Salvation is about sincere repentance of one’s sins, placing faith in Christ and His finished work at Calvary, acknowledging and confessing Him to be Lord and believing in one’s heart that God raised Him from death (Romans 10:9-10 NRSVUE).

But what does it say?

“The word is near you,
    in your mouth and in your heart”

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim), because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation.

And then the journey begins...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Church Membership is not Salvation” ©2013 revisited December 5, 2025

God Loves You

 

"God's love for you is like a tree that can never be removed, it burns eternal in your heart there's nothing to compare it to, this love God feels for you"

Beloved, you can never be reminded enough of God’s love for you. 1 John 4:10 (NIV) tells us,

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

God loves you and the way God loves you is intimated in the words of 1 Corinthians chapter 13. This beautiful chapter of love is a precious gift to you from the God of love.

Romans 5:8 (NIV) lets you know that God loves you in spite of your sins, for as it is written,

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Yes, God’s great love for you was wonderfully manifested when He sent His only begotten Son to save you (John 3:16). God poured out His love then and is still pouring out His love on you now.

So, beloved, you may rest assured that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate [you] from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 8:38-39 NIV)

Amen †

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “God Loves You” ©2013 revisited December 4, 2025

From Adam to Noah

 

When God formed man from the earth, He named him Adam, demonstrating that names have meaning to God. Since then, people have been given names.

In times of old, only one name was given; some, like Jacob, “supplanter”, related to the circumstances surrounding their birth while others’ names were connected to a promise, Isaac, “he will laugh”.

In the naming of the ten generations from Adam to Noah, is such a case, where each name is connected to a promise. It is the promise that God, in His love and mercy, made to Adam “and the woman”, immediately after their display of wilful disobedience.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

In this verse, Genesis 3:15 (NKJV), lies the promise of redemption.

The woman’s Seed Who would bruise Satan’s head, is our Lord Jesus. On hearing this wonderful promise of God, faith must have been implanted into the hearts of Adam and the woman, for it was after hearing that promise, that Adam called the woman Eve, "living". And they believed that through Eve would come, the One Who would redeem all of mankind from the sin that the deception of Eve and Adam's disobedience had brought upon the world.

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” – Genesis 3:20 (NKJV)

God’s glorious message of redemption is told in the names of those from Adam to Noah:

Adam – “man”

Seth – “appointed”

Enosh – “mortal”

Kenan – “sorrow”

Mahalalel – “the blessed God”

Jared – “shall come down”

Enoch – “teaching”

Methusalah – “his death shall bring”

Lamech – “despairing”

Noah – “rest”

“Man is appointed mortal sorrow, but the Blessed God shall come down, teaching that His death shall bring the despairing, Rest.”

Beloved, these ten names, from Adam to Noah, conceal irrefutable evidence of a loving God, Who, from the very beginning, had already laid out a plan for the redemption of sinful man.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “From Adam to Noah” ©2013 revisited December 3, 2025

Let us Pray…

 

Abba, Father, You are the true God and Eternal Life, You are the only One Who is able to keep me from falling, You are greater than my heart, and You know everything.

I thank You for the fellowship I have with You. I thank You for placing Your own Spirit in me so that I do not follow mere natural instincts, but I am led by Wisdom and Understanding.

Thank You for teaching me how to build myself up in my most holy faith and how to pray in the Holy Spirit.

Thank You for teaching me how to keep myself in Your love as I wait for the manifestation of Your promise to me in Christ Jesus.

I believe in my heart all that You have said; I have confidence in all Your words and in all Your promises. And I am confident that when I ask anything according to Your will, You hear me. I know that I already have whatever I ask of You.

I know that I am a child of God, born of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

I know that as a child of God, You keep me safe, and the evil one cannot harm me.

I know that as a child of God, Your Holy Spirit gives me understanding, so that I may know Him Who is true.

I know that as a child of God, I am in Him Who is true and He is in me.

I praise You and I thank You O God. I thank You that Your love is made complete in me. I thank You for giving me Your Spirit, so that the One Who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world. I thank You for bringing me out better than I was before. I thank You that the latter is greater than the former.

I give You all the praise and all the glory for this great and wonderful thing You have done in me, through Your love for me; I thank You for loving me. You are my everything.

I offer this prayer in no other name but the name which is above all names, Jesus, my Lord, my Saviour, my Deliverer, and my Redeemer.

Amen†

 

Shelley Johnson “Let us Pray” © 2016 revisited December 2, 2025