OVERCOMING THE HINDRANCES IN OUR WALK WITH THE LORD

(To receive God’s blessings in our life)

In the book of Hebrews we read,“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1)

The bible makes it clear that we will all go through trials and challenges in life and at

times be rejected for our faith

The Apostle Paul said to the young pastor Timothy “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus

will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

Jesus Himself said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated

Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)

But IN Christ we can overcome all of life's challenges and disappointments

Jesus Himself said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in

Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The Apostle John wrote “You are of God, little children, and have

overcome them, because He who is in you is greater that he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAN HINDER US FROM FULFILLING GOD'S PLAN FOR OUR LIFE AND OUR FULL POTENTIAL IN CHRIST: - Our current circumstances and trials (Financial, Relational or Health issues)

- Our attitudes (That we have allowed wrong attitudes to develop in our heart)

- Our fears - Sin (Bad habits)

- Discouragement (We have become preoccupied with the problems in our life)

- Unbelief

- The negative opinions of others (Having negative and ungodly people in our lives will undermine our faith)

- Our own self talk

Today I want to look at three important keys that can help us to overcome the hindrances in

our walk with the Lord so that we can enter into the fullness of what God has planned for our life

1) FAITH

2) PRAYER, and

3) ACTION

I will now look at each of these in turn:

1) Faith We must simply just continually believe in

God’s ability to work things out in our life

The Angel Gabriel said to Mary the mother of Jesus “For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

The bible makes it clear that God is absolutely faithful and that we can continually depend

on Him in ALL circumstances

In the book of Jeremiah we read, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And

whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Jesus Himself said,

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

Maintaining a strong faith is a great key to experiencing God’s peace in our life ESPECIALLY

given the times that we are now living in

In the book of Isaiah we read, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind

is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Faith is the key to seeing God’s miracles in our life

Jesus Himself said, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and

do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:21-22)

Jesus said to the woman who was healed of the issue of blood:

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34)

We see this woman’s faith in Mark 5:28 “For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes,

I shall be made well.”

I will now just briefly look at 4 keys to help us to remain strong in our faith:

i) Continually building our lives based on the promises contained in God's word (The bible is full of promises for all believers)

The Apostle Paul wrote,“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

ii) Being careful what we focus on

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,

whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

iii) We must surround ourselves with people of faith and vision

The people that we associate with in life will have a great impact on our faith and life

In the book of Proverbs we read,“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)

iv) We must simply just choose to trust the LORD at all times

King David wrote, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the

land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:3-5)

2) PRAYER

We need to learn to involve God in all that we do in life. In the book of Proverbs we read,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God knows how to turn every situation around. God is able to make a way where there seems no way

When we are faced with what appear to be impossible circumstances we must simply

learn to go the Lord in prayer to get:

• His peace

• His guidance and direction

• His strength

• His help

King David wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present

help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;” (Psalm 46:1-2)

We must simply ask God for His help in time of need and He will give us wisdom and direction as to what to do.

God ALWAYS knows how to best turn our circumstances around – “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37)

In the book of James we read, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who

gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

The LORD said to the prophet Jeremiah, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you

great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

When we pray in faith we see God turning our circumstances around

Prayer invites God into our circumstances. We see this in book of Acts after Paul and Silas had been beaten for their faith

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” (Acts 16:25-26)

Jesus Himself said in relation to the power of praying in faith:

“Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:22-24)

We have a God who both hears and answers all of our prayers that are in line with His will for our life

The Apostle John wrote, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if

we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)

We need to be persevering in our prayers

In chapter 18 of the gospel of Luke we see Jesus emphasising the importance of being persevering in our prayers

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ “And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God not regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me’”

“Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said, “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?”

“I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)

We must simply be persevering in our prayers until we see the breakthroughs and answers to our prayers

3) Action• As we move God moves

• It is as we step out and do what God calls us to do that we see the miracles

When God speaks to us what to do we must simply just step out and do it

Jesus Himself said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you

will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

It is important that we learn to act upon what God tells us to do

because:• God’s ways are higher than our ways

• God is able to open up doors that no man can close

• God is able to give us favour

• God is able to meet our every need in life

• “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37)

• It is as we step out by faith to act upon what God tells us to do that we see the miracles

It is as we knock we see the doors open. God is able to open doors that no man can close

In the book of Revelation we read, “These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Revelation 3:7-8)

We need to simply allow the Lord to direct our steps and as we step out by faith to do what He call us to do, we will see God opening up doors of opportunity for us

It is as we step out and do what God calls us to do that we will see the miracles in our life• As we step out to do what God calls us to do He

begins to guide and direct our steps

• The hardest thing at times is to make a start to

something new that God is calling us to do and to overcome our fears

• We must also not allow our intellect to stop us from doing what God calls us to do

• We must learn to simply just do what Jesus tells us to do and then we will see the miracles

I will finish by looking at the miracle of Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding feast

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” (John 2:1-11)

So in conclusion three important keys to seeing hindrances continually removed in our life are;

1) Faith (Trusting in God at all times)

2) Prayer (Involving God in all that we do), and

3) Action (Just doing what Jesus tell us to do)

As we do these three things we will see the miracles and breakthroughs in our life on a consistent basis