Not long after, you receive a hallelujah—thank you, Jesus revelation, the devil comes quickly to steal that word before it takes root in your heart. His goal is to turn your adulatory praise into an interrogation of skepticism, “Did God really tell me that?”

[T]hen cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved (Luke 8:12b).

When doubt vs. faith  

I’m learning to:

• Immediately document the revelation, including the time and date I received it. That notation will serve as proof later that I didn’t imagine the whole experience.
• Expect the devil, usually in the middle of the night, to insert doubts and fears into my mind—don’t treat them as reality but as faith stealers.
• Meditate throughout the day on scriptures that relate to the revelation. The Word of God annihilates the enemy’s lies and strengthens my faith.
• Never let my guard down; the devil is unceasing in his efforts. (See Ephesians 6:11-18.)

When Jesus was tempted on His forty-day fast in the wilderness, He responded to every bait the devil threw at Him with, “It is written . . . ” (See Matthew 4:1-11.)

So likewise, we must also be steadfast and use our faith and say, “It is written . . .” when the devil comes to steal the revelation.

© 2022     

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

It’s a privilege to bring your concerns, even your innermost secrets, to God—furthermore, you can tell Him stuff that’s hard to admit to yourself. It’s comforting to be able to confide in the omniscient One. So, be honest; bare your soul; lay it all out; your vulnerabilities are safe with God; after all—it’ll just be between you and Him.

One of the reasons I love talking to God is I don’t have to overly explain myself; He won’t misconstrue what I mean—He knows my intentions without me uttering a single explanation; He interprets silence and pinpoints the origin of my tears, then puts them into a bottle (see Psalm 56:8).

He’s always available; appointment isn’t necessary—walk-ins are welcomed. No preparation is needed; come as you are—it’ll just be between you and God.

Yeah, you can trust Him!

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. ² You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.³ You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. ⁴ You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord (Psalm 139:1-4, NLT).

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

Does your faith have an expiration date of when doubt and unbelief will take over? Faith must undergo a battery of stress tests when you walk with God; it’s part of the course for you to run long laps—huffing and puffing. Therefore, if God inserted what you’re waiting for in your heart—keep running; it shall come to pass. In the meantime, praise and thank Him for what’s to come.

But me, I’m not giving up. I’m sticking around to see what God will do. I’m waiting for God to make things right. I’m counting on God to listen to me (Micah 7:7, MSG).

Nonetheless, we know it’s not easy to wait; even the disciples who witnessed Jesus performing miracles had doubting faith. So how do we achieve believability in God’s will for our lives when circumstances differ? The answer to that question is how serious we are about wanting steadfast faith. Are we willing to do what profound faith requires?

1. The more one-on-one time we spend with God, the more we learn about Him—forming a love relationship. Our faith develops further as we endure hardship and depend on Him to carry us through. We begin to confidently recognize God’s voice as we listen to, talk to, and obey His instructions throughout the day. Over time, trust solidifies, and faith grows.
2. Great faith doesn’t mean we are devoid of fear; on the contrary, strong faith believes what God whispers in our spirit despite the enemy’s screaming, ear-piercing lies.

Use your faith to believe God’s grace is sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9) and that you have the help of the Holy Spirit to guide you through anything (see John 14:26).

Though it tarries, we are not alone as we wait.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry ( Habakkuk 2:3).

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

We have auto, home, and health insurance, but do we have step insurance? As unpredictable as life is, do we really want to proceed without communicating with the Holy Spirit throughout the day about the moves He wants us to make—or not? When Jesus walked the earth, He did nothing without receiving directions from His Father; they were in lockstep—shouldn’t we do likewise? When our steps are insured by the Holy One, they are backed up by the Word (see Romans 8:28).

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:6).

Jesus didn’t navigate on His own; He stayed in continuous communication with His Father; consequently, His steps were protected.

• Jesus slipped away often to pray alone. (Luke 5:16)
• Before Jesus selected His disciples, He went into the mountains and spent all night in prayer with His Father. (Luke 6:12)
• After Jesus fed the 5000, He withdrew to a solitary place to be alone to pray. (Mark 1:35)
• Jesus sent the multitude away and departed into the hills to pray. (Mark 6:45-46)
• In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus agonized in prayer. (Mark 14:32-42)

Because Jesus spent so much intimate time with His Father, He knew God’s will. For example, before He raised Lazarus, He lifted His eyes and thanked His Father for always hearing Him; Jesus knew His steps had the “green light” to call Lazarus forth. (See John 11:41-42.)

We can walk by faith when God authorizes our steps—knowing nothing can prevail against what He orders. Even if our foundation collapses, we win because God is with us.

Are your steps insured?

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

We often define evildoer with broad strokes: murderer, adulterer, kidnapper, extortioner, liar, and so on. But what about the subtle ills we unconsciously or consciously do to one another that don’t make the headlines—the small foxes that slither devastation into a person’s life? We can’t weigh the magnitude of sin on scales like vegetables in a supermarket; it doesn’t matter if it’s explicit, understated, or muted—it’s all evil in God’s sight.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness (Matthew 23:27).

The evildoer’s spirit is conniving as it slithers into vulnerable situations. For example, the world is split on many issues, and it’s okay to have differences of opinion; however, what’s not alright is how we dehumanize one another in the process of disagreeing. This dehumanization plays right into the devil’s hands. And we, as believers in Christ, must not be one of the characters in his plot to spread evil.

We’ve all watched movies and applauded when evildoers were finally captured; it’s part of our human nature to want to see justice served. But what if we’re the wrongdoer—do we still wish justice served? We’re often unaware of the evil we spurt onto others.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24, NKJV).

Anyone of us can be susceptible to this scheming spirit. Therefore, we must remain watchful for any signs of it influencing our hearts; we must stay prayerful and keep our minds on God’s righteous ways of doing things. And as impossible as it may sound, the best way to protect our hearts is to love one another.

Of course, that’s not always easy, but we can’t take the devil’s bait and say that’s impossible; God wouldn’t tell us to love everybody if it were impossible. So if you are having problems loving, ask for the Holy Spirit’s help, then do whatever He says.

In John 14:15, Jesus tells us if we love Him, we’ll keep His commandments. 1 John 4:20 says if a man says he loves God and hates his brother, he is a liar.

Will those Scriptures justify our explanation to mistreat and hate others?

So when the enemy uses people to spread division, injustice, bigotry, and other forms of hatred, by faith and our allegiance to our heavenly Father, hold up: LOVE.

Stay vigilant—the evildoer is slithering by.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8)

© 2022      

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

Are you weighed down with troubles? Each worrisome thought adds weight to the burden making it even more intolerable. However, believers have access to God’s promises during challenging times. Psalm 34:19 says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. So let His Word do the heavy lifting by encouraging your spirit out of despair.

I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe in him (Ephesians 1:19, TLB).

No weight can withstand the power of God’s Word!

When you need some heavy lifting done, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you enlightenment on the scriptures that speak to your situation. Then study, meditate, and trust that the Word will work in your circumstances. This level of assurance doesn’t happen overnight—it takes practice leaning on God and trashing the devil’s troublesome thoughts as lies.

Finally, worship and praise the Lord. With all this adulation, the enemy will flee but don’t be surprised or discouraged when he returns. Just do what you did that caused him to leave in the first place. He’s counting on your human nature to wear down and lose focus; remember, he’s a spirit; he’ll never tire out; therefore, stay ready to battle, and claim what’s rightly yours through Christ.

I’ve been waiting years for a particular prayer to be answered. I’m fighting fiercely to hold onto my faith by casting down every vile thought. I primarily depend on two scriptures to do my heavy lifting while I wait.

1. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart (Psalm 37:4).
2. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Find scriptures that will do your heavy lifting.

© 2022      

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

The prophetic plan set into motion before the beginning of time cannot be stopped by the world’s denial of God’s existence; or by its rebellious attitude that it’s the master of its own fate. The world might try to suppress and ignore the truth of God’s reality, but His divine attributes are on public display; everything that is—attests to His being. People might choose not to respect the Almighty; however, that does not obstruct humanity’s prophetic future.

Ready or not, Jesus is coming back.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:10).

But imagine the impact believers would have on a dying world if more of us conducted our behavior as if Jesus’ return could come at any moment—unannounced.

Would we be caught:

• Passing up opportunities to spread the gospel?
• Holding unforgiveness?
• Treating people, the way we wouldn’t want to be treated?
• Harvesting pride?
• Worshiping idols?
• Mistreating our enemies?
• Purposefully deceiving others?

We can’t stop the clock to prepare—we must live ready.

© 2022      

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

How sincere is a believer’s allegiance to God if they reject His Word whenever it infringes upon their ideologies? Surely, they can’t expect to flourish when they cherry-pick the Truth.

Today, the world is bombarded with heated controversial issues that test our commitment to serving the Lord. It makes me wonder if He allows these intense disputes for our enlightenment; we need to know how strong our loyalty is to the truth of His Word when under pressure. For example, do you stand or fold when God said you are to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who mistreat you? (See Luke 6:27-28.)

The Bible addresses how we should handle conflicts and indifferences. Our tactic should come from love and unity, not hatred and division. Beware of people who use religious terminology, yet the content of their message promotes discord. We must read the Word and study how Jesus confronted conflicts.

Jesus included—not excluded.

• When the Jewish leaders and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, Jesus told them—he, without sin, cast the first stone. (See John 8:1-9.)
• Lepers were considered outcasts in Jesus’ day, but when a man with leprosy came to Him, He saw him as a human being needing to be healed. (See Matthew 8:1-4.)
• Tax collectors were despised, so when Jesus went to Levi’s house to dine, people didn’t understand. (See Mark 2:13-17).
• In Jesus’ day, Jews avoided Samaritans (like we shun those unlike us today). But Jesus didn’t ignore the Samaritan woman at the well. Instead, he talked to her and used her cup to drink. (See John 4:1-29.)
• When Jesus was on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive the people because they didn’t know what they were doing. (See Luke 23:34.)

Jesus’ stance was about love and compassion. He condemned the sin—not the sinner. We are to imitate Him. If we take any other approach, we are rejecting the TRUTH.

If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned (John 15:6, TLB).

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (See John 14:15.)

© 2022      

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

Due to a surge of erratic volatile events that the world is undergoing, our daily schedules, routines, and lives are subject to change suddenly. Consequently, I’m sure you will agree that if there ever was a time to stop and purposefully listen to what the Lord is saying—it’s NOW.

We sing songs, pray, and read Scriptures asking the Lord to order our steps. Yet, many people spend most of their prayer time informing God about situations, instead of listening to El Shaddai, Lord Almighty’s instructions in this season of spiritual warfare. We need divine wisdom on how to survive through this strange terrain.

Speak; for thy servant heareth (1 Samuel 3:10b).

When God first called Samuel, Samuel thought his mentor, Eli, had called him. After this happened the third time, Eli realized the voice that called Samuel was God’s. So Eli told the boy, if He calls you again, say: Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. (See 1Samuel 3.)

Is God calling you?

God is constantly communicating, so expect to hear from Him. Since He speaks in several ways, we must be open to receiving various forms of communication, including but not limited to: circumstances, people, nature, dreams, visions, peace, inner knowing, and of course, His Word. Some people have even heard His audible voice.

In the case of Samuel, he listened and obeyed God; therefore, because of his dedication and faithfulness, he was used mightily. Samuel did what he was placed on earth to do; now it’s our time to be used. Don’t miss your turn!

When I read your weekly comments, I can tell we agree that God’s prophetic Word is unfolding right before our eyes as things are heating up and closing in on earth. As a result, it’s time to listen and receive instructions on what God wants His people to do in this hour. And when we receive the call, by faith, our response should be like Samuel’s, “Speak; for thy servant hearth.” Like a friend of mine would say, “It’s just that simple.”

It’s time to listen—and obey!

© 2022      

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

The world is still doing what it has always done—misbehaving, disregarding God and all He represents. You would think with the frequency and intensity of troubling events the world would realize that something unusual is taking place.

“So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin, of greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting, lying, bitterness, and gossip.” (Romans 1:28-29, LAB)

Of course, the world thinks it’s smart enough to speculate and hypothesize why all these dire conditions are occurring, but if its theories don’t point to heaven—it’s all vainglorious foolishness. This is a time of reckoning; God is publicly revealing His displeasure with the inequality, dishonesty, cruelty, hatred, and so on that are running rampant.

Unfortunately, some of us who are believers in Christ are often unaware of how far we have drifted from the gospel to keep up with this fallen world. Because deception looms, we must weigh our actions by the Word of God, not by human standards, particularly how we treat one another.

Still cuttin’ up!

• Treating others the way we wouldn’t want to be treated. (Matthew 7:12)
• Taking advantage of the poor. (Proverbs 22:22)
• Conveniently excusing lying and other forms of deception. (Proverbs 19:9)
• Holding grudges and unforgiveness. (Matthew 6:14-15)
• Criticizing, belittling, and condemning others for their sins. (Romans 3:10)

If we know better, we ought to do better.

I genuinely think the mistreatment of one another will be our nemesis if we are guilty and don’t change our ways. How can we say we love God and mistreat our fellowmen? We can’t! (See 1 John 4:20.)

Those of us in Christ see the world misbehaving; however, the challenge is for us not to be persuaded by such acts of misconduct.

The world will get you in trouble!

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).

© 2022      

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.