Do these seven things to Strengthen your stand in Christ Jesus (my own experience)

Psalms 26:12 “My foot stands in an even place; In the congregations I will bless the LORD.”

While there are some things that are indispensable to keeping close to God, such as praying and reading the Bible, we are also called to be set apart from the world in every area of our lives. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, what fellowship can light have with darkness? Let’s take a look at ways in which we can set ourselves apart from the world and strengthen our stand in Christ.

Meet with God everyday

Daniel 6:10 states, "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime"

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray without ceasing” 

We sometimes miss that meeting with God is not just for us but also for Him. Like a loving parent wants to be close to his or her child, so does God want to have a close relationship with us. We are His children, and He loves us deeply, in a way we can’t even fathom as humans. No one in your entire lifetime, including your parents, will ever love you like Jesus does. God wants one on one time with each of us. We are all individually special to Him. Yes, we must always be in constant prayer, no matter where we are or what we are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) but it’s also important to spend quality time with our creator, away from the hassle of life, by having a time when we meet with Him daily. Furthermore, we see throughout the Bible that meeting with the Lord blesses us and gives us the strength to take on the next step in our journey with Him. During this time we may receive messages and gain insights. Moses, Elijah, Daniel and Jesus as a man, all experienced similar encounters. Time spent in the presence of the Lord allowed them to hear Him and their obedience unlocked the power and strength to take on the task that the Lord called them to. God still speaks and works the same way today. There were times when the Holy Spirit nudged me to let me know my time to meet with Him was coming up. Mostly, whenever I was distracted, I would hear my name in a whisper, and it would be a couple of minutes before the time to be with the Lord. That was my cue from the Holy Spirit to get ready for the meeting. To add, having a specific time when you meet with God every day is a powerful stand in the spiritual realm. It disrupts and cancels the enemy’s plans and schemes and with this victory the Holy Spirit can work mightily through us. Sitting with Jesus everyday and spending time with Him shows your love for Him and also your understanding that without Him, we are nothing (John 15:5).

Entertain Godly friendships

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Evil associations corrupt good manners.”

Proverbs 28:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

Luke 5:32 says Jesus came to bring sinners to repentance 

I saw a post on social media that says, “Jesus sat with sinners, but He never sinned with them” and that’s the mindset that we should have. A friend who puts God first, is obedient to the Lord and loves godly wisdom, is a friend to cherish. The opposite is damaging and destructive. A friend who has not chosen to live for the Lord is living for the enemy and is being used by him to lead that friendship astray. Friendships that are God focused are a blessing for all involved; the blessings might also extend to others that are in proximity of that connection. This relationship can withstand the storms because of their faith, through interceding for and strengthening each other, and above all else, it will add to your spiritual growth and edify the body of Christ (Ephesians 6:16).

Obey His command to YOU

Genesis 26:4-5 “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My mandate, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”  

In Genesis 12:1, the Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household to go to the land I will show you”

The Lord may deliver a personal mandate to you that will be for a season or even for your entire life. These mandates are important to follow. They are not to be forced on others, they are for you unless the Lord said otherwise. God sees all and knows all, and He can be trusted to guide us. He is holy and is always working for the good of His people. With that said, to stay in His will, it is crucial that you follow His commandments and any mandate that He told you to follow. 

The Holy Spirit is always speaking to us. You may receive message and information from God audibly, in your spirit, in dreams or from a person. Draw close to Him and you will be able to receive knowledge and insights that will propel you in the right direction and keep you prepared for the coming of Christ. 

Take notes of your dreams and ask the Lord for the interpretation and clarity.

Acts 2:17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams”

The Lord speaks through dreams. Taking notes of your dream will keep you vigilant and aware. The enemy is working twenty-four-seven to try to take us to hell with him, so it’s important to know what’s happening in the spiritual realm so that we are able to fight against and cancel his attacks before it reaches the physical. God shows us the spiritual war through dreams so that we have the upper hand by using our weapons (the word of God, faith, prayer and fasting) to fight. We are shown these types of dreams to either minimize them or stop the attack all together. Secondly, the Lord also gives us dreams of His plans for us, important information needed on our walk with Him and insights. Joseph saw his future in a dream (Genesis 37). The Lord will sometimes show us dreams about our future to help us maintain hope and faith during difficult times. One day, when I was on the verge of falling into hopelessness, I heard the Lord say to me, “Remember what I told you” and I immediately knew by the Holy Spirit what he was referring to and that knowledge gave me hope in that moment (It was a message I received that very week).

Be mindful of the type of gospel songs you’re listening to. 

Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”

I wrote a post on why we shouldn’t listen to secular music. But, not all gospel songs are of God. Just as a person could be preaching about God and doesn’t have the Holy Spirit or is not a true follower of Jesus, it is the same way a gospel song could be made without the spirit of God behind it. (1 Samuel 16:23)

If the gospel song takes the focus away from God, challenges your humility, is focused on worldly things and self, I would definitely remove that one from the list. 

Ask for the spirit of discernment and listen to the Holy Spirit on this one. 

Story time…

One day, I was preparing to do some work for the Lord when I started feeling irritable and “off”. I put on a gospel song to set the atmosphere so that the Holy Spirit could take the lead. Then I heard, “Not that one, this one is best” and the Lord put on my mind which song to play. This song is called, “Worthy is your name” by David Forlu. I was relieved of the heaviness that came over me before I played the song.

What you choose to listen to or watch, has the power to destroy you or build you up. 

Matthew 6:22-23 "The light of the body is the eye. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.”

Find a local church to regularly attend. 

Romans 12:5 “So it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”

After the Lord put it in my spirit to find a church, the enemy tried to stop me from going (I will one day share this story), which revealed to me how important it is to be apart of the church. We are one body in Christ, and we edify the body of Christ, individually. We each have something to give that would help build the body of Christ. 

In 1 Thessalonians 3:6-8 Paul’s spirit was revived due to hearing about the faith of his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Fellowship helps us maintain faith and walk truthfully with Jesus. It keeps us encouraged and empowered, just as Paul was when he heard of the Thessalonians’ faith. You are not meant to do life on your own, we need each other. I was in that “lone wolf” state of mind for a long time before the Lord revealed the truth to me. A truth that I’m so glad I followed—it’s been a blessing. If you can join your church’s Bible studies, that would be great too. It’ll help to improve your understanding and knowledge of God. Please, consult with God first before venturing out into anything, any relationship or any situation. Not because something sounds or looks good doesn’t mean that it’s God’s plan for you. 

Last but certainly not least, keep your home holy.

Deuteronomy 7:26 “Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed.”

Items in your living space that represent the kingdom of darkness can limit your walk with Jesus and block your blessings. Not only will you be affected, but it could also sabotage the people that are in that space. Furthermore, holding on to occult items or any object that represents evil, gives demons the legal right to torment you. By removing and clearing your space of things that go against the word of God and what He stands for, you are letting Jesus into your home and allowing Him to fully dwell with you. These objects could be art, books, souvenirs and so on. Remember, Jesus is enough. He doesn’t need the assistance of other items or practices to be your God or to move in your life. Also, the enemy thrives in uncleanliness, try to declutter and keep your home clean to the best of your ability. 

To end, in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Paul said, “Abstain from all appearance of evil” and he also said, in 1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me but not all things edify.” By knowing the word of God, surrendering to Jesus daily, praying without ceasing and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us, we will navigate well and make decisions from a place of godly wisdom. All things considered, Christians should not be walking around afraid of every little thing, that would defeat the purpose of having faith and trusting in God. But we must be aware of our surroundings, especially our homes, and even who we choose to have in our space and see to it that we are always choosing Jesus in every area of our lives. This allows God to work in our lives and through us. It also secures our salvation. Having a godly lifestyle protects us from being vulnerable to evil and keeps us from falling away. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”

Many blessings to you.