Many times people put limits on God and as a result they do not receive what they could receive from Him. There are three ways that people limit God. Sadly, many people do not even realize that they are limiting God.
The first way that people limit God is by not accepting or believing that He is able and willing to do what He said He would do. The Bible contains many clear promises from God. Each of us has free will to believe or not believe and If you don't believe that He can or that He will, you will not receive from Him.
If you don't want to limit God in your life, then start by accepting that His promises in the Bible are true. He is very willing and very able to perform what He said. We receive His promises when we believe His promises.
Another way of limiting God is by telling Him exactly what He needs to do and how He needs to do it. Some people don't even realize just how arrogant and irreverent they are. They say things like, "God, you just have to do this right now", or "God I need you to give me this amount of money by midnight tonight.
Imagine going to the dentist and telling him exactly what he needs to do for you, how he should do it, and how much time it should take for him to complete the job. Just walk in, give him his orders, and never allowing the dentist to have the freedom to do what he is an expert at. Wouldn't that be arrogant of you?
Now I understand that when we pray we need to give God our specifics requests. I also know that the Bible teaches us to go to God holding nothing back; to tell Him all that is on our heart, even if it is negative. But we still need to show reverence to God Almighty, don't we?
If we really believe that He can and will help us, then we do our part, which is to ask and believe. We may at times go to God in prayer, upset and discouraged, pouring our heart out to Him, But then we need to let Him do His part, which is to provide, however He sees fit to do it.
Too many times people put God in a box and tell Him exactly how and when He needs to do something. The Bible says, "Let your requests be made known unto God". It doesn't say anything telling God how He is supposed to do it!
The third way we can limit God in our lives is by feeling unworthy. Countless Christians, because of guilt and condemnation, do not feel worthy to let God know their requests. They do not believe that God would do anything for them because of their past sins, and thus, they limit God in their lives.
Let's get honest for just a moment. Who in and of themselves is really worthy to receive blessings and favor from God Almighty? Who has lived such a perfect life that they are worthy of receiving the promises from the Creator of the heavens and the earth?
None of us are perfect; we all fall short and we all sin. But Jesus Christ has paid the price for all sins. Because of his accomplished work, and since God has raised him from the dead, we have forgiveness of our sins.
Far too many Christians limit God in their lives because they do not see or understand what Jesus Christ accomplished. Because of Christ's accomplishments, we now stand righteous before God. We no longer need to carry the sin, shame, guilt and condemnation. Jesus Christ paid the price and we have been cleansed.
We can avoid limiting God in our lives by remembering that we are now dear children of God, made righteous in His eyes by Christ's work. We can go to our Father with confidence, pouring out our heart to Him, confident that He will bring His promises to pass for us. And we can be absolutely confident that all His promises are true, and that He is able and willing to bring them to pass for us.
We need to remember that God has unlimited resources. He has ideas and ways of answering our prayers that we have never even thought of. We pray and then look for and expect His answer.
When we believe God we trust Him. We are relying on Him to help and to take care of things. And He is really good at it! He's been doing it for a long, long time for those who trust and believe Him.
Ask Him for His help, and ask reverently, acknowledging Who He is. Don't put any limits on Him by telling Him what you think He ought to do. And see yourself as His dear child, knowing it is His desire to bless your life.
Michael A. Verdicchio offers a FREE eBook, "9 Keys to Answered Prayer!" for signing up for his FREE weekly news letter, "The Pep Letter," at:nhttp://www.ConfidenceAndJoy.com nMichael is a husband, father, minister, author, broadcaster and the voice on numerous projects and productions, Get a FREE Lifetime Membership to EnrichingYourLifeNow.com when you subscribe for FREE to his inspiring blog.
Full text religion-and-spirituality articles - Content for Reprint
Life of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia
Copyright (c) 2011 Beverly Johnson
Saint Adrian was a officer and body guard at the imerial court of Nicomedia during the fourth century. While persecuting the Christians, Adrian was so impressed by the strength and faith shown by them. St. Adrian questioned them about why they withstood the pain and suffering and what they expected in the afterlife. The Cristians replied, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (I Corinthians 2:9).
St. Adrian of Nicomedia Martyred
Saint Adrian of Nicomedia marveled over the Christian's words of faith and the courage the Christians displayed. Their willingness to die for the sake of Jesus Christ humbled and impressed St. Adrian of Nicomedia that he immediately converted to Christianity himself, refusing to persecute the Christians anymore, saying, "Write my name down also, for I am a Christian and I die gladly for Christ God". After his conversion, St. Adrian of Nicodemia was brought to the imperial court and tortured. His limbs were severed one by one on an anvil and then he was beheaded on March 4, 304.. The body of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia was then set on fire but a rainstorm put out the flames and lightning struck the guards. St. Adrian's wife, Saint Natalia, took one of his hands with her to Argyropolis. Saint Adrian of Nicomedia's hand is now a relic in Grammont, Belgium.
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St. Adrian of Nicomedia Patron Saint
Saint Adrian of Nicomedia is the patron saint of:
- Plague
- Weapons dealers
- Butchers
- Prison guards
- Soldiers
- Epilepsy
St. Adrian of Nicomedia Feast Day
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Adrian of Nicomedia on September 8th and the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast day of Saint Adrian on both March 4th, and August 26th. Saint Adrian of Nicomedia is especially honored in Flanders, Germany and Northern France. St. Adrian of Nicomedia medallions and statues usually feature the saint with weapons in his hands and an anvil near his feet.
Saint Adrian of Nicomedia Jewelry
Many Catholics wear a St. Adrian of Nicomedia medal or a St. Adrian of Nicomedia necklace all year round to help prevent against sickness. Christians who suffer from epilepsy also wear a Saint Adrian of Nicomedia pendant as protection against epileptic seizures. Parents often choose a St. Adrian of Nicomedia medal to protect them from illnesses.
Beverly Johnson Roberts, founder of Patriotic-Jewelry.com, is a goldsmith who graduated from FIT in New York City with a degree in jewelry design. She specializes in religious jewelry-See some pieces devoted to St. Adrian of Nicomedia
I'm fairly sure a small number of you are familiar with the seven deadly sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride). In resistance, within Catholic catechism, there is a much less distinguished list of seven virtues that were shaped to battle these seven deadly sins. Although these merits are typically linked to absolutely Christians and Catholics, I deem that they can be applied and can help anyone no matter their spiritual partiality. These virtues were first penned by the likes of Aristotle and Plato. However, they weren't truly recognized until a lyricist named Aurelius Prudentius (AD 410) wrote a traditional poem known as Psychomachia, which demonstrated the fight of good versus malevolence. The poem was passionately admired and in time laid out the groundwork for our present seven heavenly virtues. I've yet to find a suitable rationalization of each... So I'm going to briefly summarize each virtue and try to show its magnitude in each of our lives.
Humility: made to combat Pride- A common misconception about humility is that many perceive it as thinking less of yourself, when in reality it is thinking of yourself less. It takes an immense amount of courage to be a truly humble individual … In order to have this virtue you must first examine your true self and then be brave enough to confront and fix the problems you found.
Patience: made to combat Wrath- Well I'm sure you have heard the words "patience is a virtue", and if you weren't sure where the phrase originate…now you know. Patience is synonymous with peacefulness; a genuinely patient individual is always at peace with their inner being. Patience is an attribute held by leaders… They are unaffected by pressure…Untouched by stress …And always stand strong against adversity… Patience is a difficult virtue to obtain and many believe you either have it or you don't, but I'm confident it's attainable to anyone who cares enough about acquiring it.
Diligence: made to combat Sloth- "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, so shall your poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man"(Proverb 24:30-34). A possessor of this virtue has a decisive work ethic, an ardent nature and a whole lot of integrity. The above Bible passage exemplifies what could happen to any who are slothful; here is what it says about those who are diligent… The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied (Proverb 13:4)… A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich(Proverb 10:4)
Charity: made to combat Greed- Charitable people aren't simply benign givers, they are people who sacrifice their own good for the good of others. A truly altruistic individual will give away their last dime because the happiness they derive from being charitable is stronger than the pain being bankrupt brings them. The first step to becoming a charitable individual is getting your priorities straight. Spend some time with your thoughts, develop a vision of what you truly want out of Life… a vision that isn't distorted by greed or gluttony… and by the time you have a noble vision that's true to you, you will have already acquired the virtue of charity.
Temperance: made to combat Gluttony- Temperance is strikingly similar to discipline; discipline however, is often misconceived as being antonymous to freedom…when in reality, discipline leads us to our freedom. Let me ask you this… is the alcoholic really free? Is the drug addict really free? Is the cigarette smoker really free? In my mind, even if they do live in the acclaimed "Land of the Free", they are still enslaved and imprisoned by their addictions and cravings… This is precisely why I see temperance as an essential virtue, freedom without temperance is impossible.
Kindness: made to combat Envy- When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most prominent he replied "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, and your whole soul. This is the first and the greatest of the Commandments. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Upon these two rest the whole law and all the prophets" (Matthew 22:34-40).love is the doctrine of kindness, a kind persons heart is always full of love. They love the world, they love themselves, and most importantly…they love each other.
Chastity: made to combat Lust- Through a Christian's perspective, chastity usually pertains to abstaining from sexual conduct. This may be a vital aspect, but I prefer to view chastity from wider perspective. In order to acquire this virtue, you must be pure in both thoughts and actions… You must be able to stare temptation in the face and have no problem turning your back… In my mind, this is one of the most intricate virtues to attain, especially considering the temptation the modern age has brought. But of course, refraining from enticement takes discipline, which is something that can be developed.
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