Category Archives: Challenges

December 17th 2016 – Temptations

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“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

There it is, staring you down. It grabs hold of your attention and captivates your thoughts. It appears so harmless, but in the end, it can be deadly. It is temptation, and every one of us has to face it. The good news is that if you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, you don’t have to face it alone. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be freed of our bondage to sin while also finding strength to resist it through God’s Spirit. What an encouraging thought. When faced with temptation, the God of all creation provides a way of escape or the strength to bear it.

Unfortunately, this does not mean we always take that way of escape. Like a kid standing over an open cookie jar, often we stand gazing into temptation and wonder why we were not able to resist. In those moments when we fail, we can come to God and experience His forgiveness and grace all over again. This is the beauty of the Gospel. Yes, we must resist sin and flee from temptation but when we do fall short, we have a loving God who desires to forgive.

“Take the way out of temptation when you have it.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me. I know that I have done wrong and have sinned against You. Father, please forgive me and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can fight temptation. Lord, when I find myself in a tempting situation, open my eyes to the way out so that I can escape. In Jesus’ name, Amen

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

December 9th 2016 – Decisions

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“And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.”

(2 Chronicles 21:6)

Our lives are full of decisions. From small ones, like what we have for dinner, to large ones like who we marry. No matter their size, they all impact our life somehow. In 2 Chronicles 21, Jehoram begins his rule of Judah by killing off his family and leading the nation into sin. This was not a decision that happened in a moment but probably was a result of a close relationship with a family known for their evil deeds. In essence, his bad decision to marry into Ahab’s family led to even worse decisions later.

All of us have big decisions to make, but none are more important than what we decide about Jesus. If you do not have a relationship with Christ, then you have to decide whether you will trust in Him for your forgiveness. If you have already been born-again, then you must decide if you are going to obey His commands. These decisions will impact our lives for a long time to come, even into eternity. So how do we make sure we are making wise decisions? We can read God’s Word. When we read the Bible and apply what it says, we’ll find ourselves making godly decisions that will impact our life and the lives of those all around us.

“We miss out on blessings and we inherit troubles when we disregard God and His Word.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Word and the guidance it provides. Help me to make wise choices no matter the size. Keep me focused on You so that I can impact this world for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

November 29th 2016 – Tears Into Diamonds

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“I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.” (Psalms 6:6)

 

How does pain hit us? How do we respond to it? It could come from the death of a precious loved one, the hardship of having someone betray you, continuous struggles or the sin you keep falling into that you hate. Perhaps you’ve had sorrow as King David did and had a child turn against you. Many of us, no matter how tough we are, have experienced pain that brought us to tears. How does God look at you and me during our struggles and when we’re weeping before Him?

(Psalms 56:8)
“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?”

Our loving heavenly Father takes distinct note of when we cry. When we cry, we do not keep our tears, but they are captured by the Lord. Have you ever been bothered by seeing your child struggle, getting hurt, and crying? It is even more so with our Father in heaven who sent His Son to intercede with His tears on behalf of our struggles and sins. Jesus sowed tears of sorrow for our sin so that He could give us joy by defeating our sin (Psalm 126:3).

Take heart today by knowing God has taken note of our struggle, our prayer, our tears, and most importantly our sins, and we will ultimately be eternally freed if we have entrusted our life to Him.

(Revelation 21:4)
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

“Our tears will turn to diamonds in His nail scarred hand.”

“Diamonds are just coal that did well under pressure.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for capturing my heart, my sorrows, and my tears. Thank you for paying the ultimate price for my sin so that I can be eternally delivered from the sorrow of my sin and this sin stained world. I have great hope because of You Lord. Thank you for caring for me and remembering me even when I weep. Please keep reminding me that my tears are but for a moment, and you will wipe every tear I ever had away from my face. Please give me Your power to see and walk in Your joy since I know this day is coming. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

 

November 14th 2016 – Hands Held High – Praying for Others

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“And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ handsbecame heavy; so they took a stone and put itunder him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”(Exodus 17:9-12)

When Israel was fighting Amalek, Moses stood on top of the hill overlooking the battle, with his hands lifted high, and as long as they were lifted, Israel prevailed. When his arms became weary and dropped down, the battle went to Amalek; so Aaron and Hur drew up alongside Moses and they lifted up his hands, keeping them raised until sundown, because Moses didn’t have the strength within him to fight the battle alone.

Do you know a brother or sister who’s been going through a rough time? Possibly even a family member? Someone you know who really needs prayer? I’m sure you do.  So be an encouragement this week – lift them up in prayer, stand beside them, and help them through the battle. You never know how your help might affect a far greater spiritual battle they’re involved in. And with so much work to be done, remember too, that he who refreshes will himself be refreshed!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I love You and praise You Lord. Thank You for always being here to watchover me and help me when I am having troubles. Thank You for always blessing me even when I don’t see it right away. Thank You for the people that You have brought into my life that pray for me when I am having struggles. I lift up ______ who is also struggling with ______. I will keep them lifted up high in prayer. I ask that You would personally make yourself known to them. Love them and comfort them in this battle. Cause it to end swiftly with glorious victory.  I also lift up the leadership of our country. Please Draw them close to You. May they realize that they can find forgiveness from You and seek Godly direction. In Jesus’ Precious name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 30th 2016 – Why Would God Choose Us (Part 1 of 5)

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“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

When you look through the stories of the Bible, one thing stands out, and that is that God doesn’t do things like the world does.  He operates the way He wants to and nobody is going to tell Him differently.  We see this so clearly in the type of people that He uses.  He doesn’t go for the high and mighty, He goes for the low and humble, and makes them into who He wants them to be.  For the next few days I want us to look at different people in the Bible and see how God chose them and used them.

King David:  David was a young man that watched his father’s sheep.  One day when the prophet Samuel came to anoint one of his sons to be the next king of Israel, his father never even called him to come in to meet this great man of God.  Yet after Samuel went through all of David’s brothers he asked if there was another.  Look at what the Bible says:

(1 Samuel 16:10-12) Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”  And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”

David’s father might have passed him up, but God didn’t.  At times you might feel like you were passed up, but stay faithful and close to God your Father, because He is the one that has great plans for you.  He never misses the one that He wants and what He is looking for is a person with a pure heart.  So today, be that person.  Yes, why not you?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, It is You Lord that promotes and makes us strong, so today my trust is in You.  Lord God, You will get me to the place that You want us to be. Thank You for all you do. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

As King David faced Giants in his life, so will we. Don’t face them alone.. if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, please click here to learn more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

October 26th 2016 – Love and Forgiveness

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“How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!” (Song of Solomon 7:6)

Within the book of Song of Solomon, we encounter the dramatic love of Solomon and his bride. We also encounter their first fight. Yet, it seems that as soon as the fight begins, it ends. It does not end in simple tolerance of one another, but it ends with that renewed passion & desire. This leaves us asking, “How can other marriages move from pain to passion so quickly.” The answer is simple yet sometimes difficult to live out. It’s the two main biblical principles of forgiveness and love. When a marriage has a foundation of active forgiveness and genuine love, there may be conflict, but it won’t remain long.

So how do we bring these two elements into our marriages? Again, the answer sounds simplistic but without Christ, it is impossible. To live within these elements of love and forgiveness, we must choose to be loving and forgiving. Today, choose to forgive your spouse for anything they may do. Choose to love them despite their faults and failures. Choose to love them like Christ loves us in that while we were still sinners, He died for us. That is true love. Even in view of our weakness, Jesus chose to forgive us of everything. In light of this great love found in Christ, we too can learn to love and forgive in our relationships. When we do, we will be equipped to move quickly from pain to passion in our marriages.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14)

Prayer:

“It is impossible to live a life of continual, active forgiveness without a relationship with Christ.”

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the precious gift of salvation. Your love and forgiveness have changed my life, and I desire to show that same kind of love and forgiveness within the relationships around me. Fill me with Your Spirit and instruct me by Your Word, so that I can live like Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, Don’t wait! In a flash of a second it could be too late!” Click Here to read Four Simple Steps to Jesus.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

October 12th 2016 – Rejoice During the Test!

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“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,” (1 Peter 1:6)

It has been said that the  Apostle Paul (with the Holy Spirit) wrote 13 of 27 books that make up the New Testament. In His writings, I’m sure that you have noticed that the Apostle Paul gets into a lot of tight spots. What do we then see him doing? Many times we see him recalling the incredible things God has done in his life in the midst of trials. Do you enjoy tests? Not many people do, but tests serve some valuable purposes. They reveal strengths and they reveal weaknesses. They demonstrate what we know, what we do not know, and they teach us how to apply knowledge. Testing highlights God’s faithfulness in our lives and in the lives of others. We can then patiently endure the test knowing that no matter the outcome, God is in control. When you are going through a test, remember all the things that God has done for you and then praise Him.

(Philippians 4:8) “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”

“Remember all that the Lord has done for you when going through trials and difficulties, Rejoice in those Test!”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your strength and comfort during times of testing. Please help me to praise You even in difficult situations. Please help me to be an encourager to others when they are going through a test. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

 

August 28th 2016 – It Starts with You and Me

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“These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.” (Nehemiah 12:26)

In the days of Nehemiah, there was only a small percentage of Israel that left Babylon to go back to the land and yet, their love for God and for each other leads to incredible things. Each person was part of rebuilding the wall, defending against enemies and encouraging one another. Today, the same is true about each of us. When we give our life to God, we can change the world.

Will your life make a difference? Over and over, we have one life making a difference in the Bible and in real life. Not just the well-known heavy hitters like Moses or Paul, but two men many don’t know or could not identify. Ezra and Nehemiah made a huge impact in their community and in the course of their nation. You can impact the course of your family, neighborhood, town state or even the world. That being said, changing the world is too big. You don’t start out by changing the world; you start out by saying ‘yes’ to God. Then, you begin to change, and then your light begins to influence or change others. This leads to a domino effect of change that leads to communities that are on fire for Jesus Christ, which can change the world.

“There is no question; one life can make a difference. The only question is… will it change yours? You decide.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I desire to use my life for Your Kingdom. I am imperfect but willing. Take my life, my resources and my relationships and use them to impact my community with the Truth of the Gospel. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I am fully equipped for this ministry. In Jesus’ name, Amen

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

August 27th 2016 – Words Have Power!

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“I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.” (Song of Solomon 2:1)

What causes someone to change their view of themselves? Could it be as simple as kind words of affection? It was in the case of Solomon and his bride to be. In chapter one of Song of Solomon, we find the Shulamite depressed about her appearance when she says, “Do not look at me, because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me.” She is concerned about her appearance because she worked in the vineyards, under the hot sun, and was unable to care for herself. Compare those original words to chapter two where she calls herself a rose of Sharon. What a change of perspective, and all because Solomon spoke loving words of affection and encouragement to her. This shouldn’t surprise us since God’s Word describes the power of words in the book of James.

(James 3:5) “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”

The power of our speech is unbelievable. Many times we forget that and hurt with our words rather than heal. God desires that we all walk with grace, humility and love for one another. We should look for opportunities to lift one another up with our words. Speak words of gratitude, of thanksgiving and of grace to one another. Husbands, speak affectionate words to your wife. Wives, speak words of encouragement to your husbands. In this circle of loving words and affection, you will find a healthy, growing relationship. Our words are powerful so let’s use them wisely.

“Our words are powerful tools that can be used to build people up or tear people down.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for relationships. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I can speak loving words into those I relate to, whether my spouse, children or friends. Give me patience to love even when the love is not returned. I ask for wisdom to know when to speak and when to keep silent. Use my words to heal and to glorify Your Name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

August 9th 2016 – Challenges From the Adversary

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“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:9)

There are many in the world that think life with God is an easy road. After all, you simply come to God and He paves a trouble-free path all the way up to the streets of gold. While there is a peace and joy that comes with following Jesus, the road is not easy. In fact, as you step out to serve the Lord, you will find many challenges along the way.

* When you step out to serve God, you will be challenged.

* When you step out to give, you will be challenged.

* When you step out to love, you will be challenged.

The enemy of God desires nothing more than to stop us in our tracks. If our lives are being used to spread the Gospel, then Satan is not happy. Even though this is true, don’t let it slow you down, because with Christ we have the power to overcome.

(1 John 4:4) “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

The enemy may try his hardest to sidetrack us and to pull us out of the work God is calling us to, but he is limited in his power. In Jesus, we are not. Even in the midst of enemies, trust in the greatest Friend you could ever have… His name is Jesus.

“Spiritual opportunities and spiritual adversaries often go together. You shouldn’t run from adversity.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the forgiveness of my sins and the power that is available through Jesus. Help me to see adversities as stepping stones to Your plan for my life. Give me the strength to endure the tough times and spiritual battles so that I can be used to reach others with the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org