Stir up your Gift

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind".                                                2 Timothy 1:6-7    NKJV

Here, Paul urges Timothy to stir up the spiritual gift that was given him when he laid hands on him. That day, Paul validated Timothy's gifting, and God expected from that day, fruit to be born because of it. Timothy could not ignore this fact and, nether can we. God expects this fruit from us. We have to develop it, keep it fresh and vibrant. Notice that God expects that we stir up this gift, not Him. He has given this gifting in the first place now, it is down to us to carry it out. We will be held accountable if we fail to do this.

We are not told what particular spiritual gift we are to stir up but, it is obvious that the first point is to stir up the Holy Spirit within us. This means we have to clear out all of the old way of life, sweep it clean and allow the Spirit of God, access to our whole being. There may also be a particular gift that God has for us - pastor, teacher, evangelist or other type of ministry. God will show us this as we begin our tidying up of our lives. Of course, in a church setting, our ministry must be recognised by the body as we are under authority there. Therefore, we must remain accountable. Be mindful of Proverbs 18:16: 'A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men'. If your gifting is from God and for that church, God will open the door. If not, He may require that you move, but get counsel for this.

Once we know the gift that God has given us, we are to ignite the flame and let the fire burn within us and to whoever we are sent to. We are not to become puffed up or professional by the gifting God gives us. Just a glimpse of how Jesus handled things in Philippians 2 will give us a sound introduction. Rather than having a position of authority, we are called to be servants for Jesus. Yes there are times when we may have to use the authority given to us but, this should only be used when necessary.

If you have a burning desire within you to serve Jesus, then speak firstly to your pastor and be guided by their thoughts. However, balance this out with what you feel God wants of you and act accordingly. He may require you go for ministerial training or serve in the church periodically but, be prepared that, you may be turned down. This could be because it is felt that you are not ready yet or, that you don't fit in. Pray it through for direction, but don't rush into anything until you are sure what God wants.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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Only a Prayer away

6This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.7The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, 34:7 The believer is not only saved, but kept as well. The angel of the LORD, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, serves as an encircling garrison for those who fear Him, delivering them from dangers seen and unseen. No sheep of His can ever perish (John 10:28).

Psalm 34:6-7.   NKJV

David was a mighty warrior although at this time, he had been in fear of king Achish. This is why he had feigned mental illness. He needed to get away from him. David was also a mere man and needed to cry out to the Lord for help. God heard him and delivered him v6.

        

Your weakness is not frowned on by God. On the contrary, He is always there to help at all times. When we are in a precarious position, Jesus is in the right position, encamped around us. We only need to call out to Him v7.

We often consider we have a weakness when we continue to let God down or, get ourselves into times of trouble, but we are normal people living a normal life, the main difference being, we need to involve Jesus much more than we do.

Sometimes, we may find ourselves in a scary position. We don’t know what to do to solve this. Possibly this is why we have taken on the task of forgetting the fact that Jesus is encamped around us. The problems may have been escalating for some time but, we may have thought, it’s not that big a problem, I’ll attend to it later, but later never comes and the problem goes on.

Don’t put things off until tomorrow, attend to them today. We have no problem that is too big for Jesus. He is with us 24/7 and that is so encouraging to know. Len Magee, an Elim Pentecostal music pastor, wrote and recorded a song called ‘Only a prayer way’ rubber-stamping the fact that He will take it all on board as we give it to Him.

There is no need to fret, worry or fear because Jesus is here

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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Always be ready to praise and worship God

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad".      

                                                                                     Psalm 34:1-2    NKJV

David wrote this Psalm at a time when he was on the run from Saul, who was out to kill him through his jealousy, because David was better thought of than himself. So David penned this Psalm and then David found himself with Achish (or Abimelech as some thought this name was of the king, while others thought it was the place.) One of Achish's servants recognised David and made it known to the king. Therefore, David began to feign being mentally ill, making weird noises, having saliva running into his beard and scratching at the doors of the gate. Achish was convinced and had David put out of the city and he went on his way.

David wrote this song and made it known that we should all bless and praise the Lord at all times. David intended us to use this song not only when things were going well but also when things were at there worse. He knew that such worship as this, would encourage people and place praise in their hearts too. And this is what David carried on doing. He was a man after God's heart and he wanted to live up to this. 

It is so encouraging for us too. Praise lifts the heart and reaches Jesus faster than the speed of light. He cannot resist a praising person and He is right in the middle of it, joining in with us as He praises His own Father God. It must be an amazing sight to witness seeing the church, the angels, Jesus and Father God praising in heaven. We will see this one day.

But, I believe that David wrote this song for all down the generations to sing in worship. Just think, instead of moaning and groaning when things go wrong, wouldn't it be wonderful to bless the Lord at all times, the praise so tremendous that the walls of heaven shake (Isaiah 6:3).

It can be done but, only when we put God's Word into action and bless and praise Him at all times. This means all the time. Think of the changes that this would bring. Well. it has to start somewhere so, why not be one of the early starters and get this show on the road.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Death is not final - it is just a doorway

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me".       Psalm 23:4    NKJV

The world over, many people are afraid of death and conversation about this subject is often avoided. It's not that we don't know that we will die someday, it's just that we don't want to think about it. Woody Allen sums it up, 'I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens.' In a way, he sums up the feelings of most people.

It's similar for the Christian but we view it differently. We don't wish to dwell on the subject but, we have no need to be afraid of it. Death is only a doorway - a doorway to heaven and Jesus. David viewed it as not fearful at all. In the valley of the shadow of death, our Shepherd is right there with us so, there is no need to fear at all. The sting of death is unconfessed sin but, Jesus has taken our sins away when He died on the cross, so that sting is no longer able to hurt us. 

We may not like the thought of death, especially if we have received a bad diagnosis and the prognosis is not good. Fear can kick in but, so can peace. I used to work in a hospice and my job was speaking with dying patients and their families. It was amazing to see how patients responded to the news. Yes, many were fearful but as they spoke about it, a kind of peace came upon them. I was privileged to be able to speak to them about Jesus and many over the 10 years I was there, accepted Jesus. 

Death is not final. Those who know Jesus as their Lord, go directly to Him and that wonderful life begins. Sadly, those who don't know Jesus or refuse to believe in Him, also have eternity but, this is eternity without Jesus and their friends and family, and there are no second chances to change their minds.

This is why it is so important to prepare for the future and death - the place you will spend eternity is most importance. Ask yourself, 'When I die and walk through a door, what will be on the inside, paradise or eternal death and pain.?The choice is yours

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Get instruction

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye".                                                               Psalm 32:8    NKJV

We often go out into a wilderness type of setting trying to find answers to what we are supposed to do. The thing is, as born again believers of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to do that. We have all we need for our daily care and the answers to the questions we struggle with; it is recorded in the book we call the bible. This is why it is essential to read it and study it as much as you can. It is a life-saver,

I’m not trying to teach you what you already know, not at all. What I’m attempting to do is to underpin what is required for a healthy and prosperous walk with Jesus. His Word here, tells that He will instruct us and teach us and guide us in what is the right way to go and the right thing to do. If you ever go on a hike in the countryside, unless you’re familiar with the lay of the land, it is a good idea to take a compass with you, that is if you know how to use one. If you don’t then have someone show you the basics. It’s foolish to set off without one, or have one and not know how to use it.

In many ways, Jesus can be rather like a Spiritual compass. When we are struggling to find our way with something, He has the answers. We may hear a soft voice within our soul guiding us but usually, He will point us to scripture. It’s a Living Word and I have lost track of the times that He has shown me something and, it has been bang on to what I asked Him. He can't be faulted. He is our instructor.

The word instruct here means to: teach (Yarah in Hebrew), direct, to point, shoot, aim, throw and cast in a straight manner. The primary meaning of Yarah is 'to shoot straight' or 'direct the flow of something'. Jesus is our instructor and teacher, He is also our guide because He knows what's ahead or what we may encounter. Therefore it is foolish to go alone; we need His guidance.

Have you ever tried to go it alone? It's not a recommended thing to do, you may make it but, you're going to meet many hazards along the way. At this moment in time, are you struggling to know what to do about something? Don't use guess work i.e 'eeny, meeny, miney, mo' type of thing. It doesn't work and really, you're just casting yourself before Satan - and he wants to totally confuse and disarm you, don't go there. Instead, get before the Lord and ask Him what you should do. He will answer but, be patience, it will be in His time. Why? Because His time is perfect. Oh, and by the way, He may be trying to direct you through His Word. So spend some time reading it, the answer may come so quickly.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Keep your mood healthy

"But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. 4I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill." Selah

                                                                          Psalm 3:3-4    NKJV

This Psalm shows us the changing moods of David. They changed rapidly from dark despair to confidence. Let's be honest, aren't we all like this at times? We may feel that there is no help for me from God, 'I'm on my own here.' Then, our mood can change again, very quickly as we remember past victories - the many times that God has rescued us.

In verse 3, we see a breakthrough. David prays, 'But You O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the one who lifts up my head.' The difference here is that David began speaking faith to Himself. Changing moods are often present but we have to rise above them; otherwise we sink. He recognised the danger around him but, he had been here before. This is the man who toppled the giant, Goliath. He may now have been older, but his faith was more stronger and through his past victories and experience, he knew God through and through. Therefore, what he said in verse 4 was a life-changer, 'I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.' And then, the amazing confidence he had in God shone through, 'I lay down and slept; I awoke for the Lord sustained me' v5.

When our circumstances overwhelm us, we are called to look to the same God of peace. It is essential that we do this. It may be difficult; our pride may try to prevent us calling on God or asking someone to pray for us, but, it is paramount to our survival. In addition, we should always try to have confidence within our hearts by speaking faith. Often, when we have a sudden attack from the evil one, we panic and speak out negative words. Don't do this. Stay in contact with Jesus and you'll be less likely to do this.

It is far better to be able to lay down and have a sound sleep knowing that God is watching over you.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

What's missing in your life?

"Unless the Lord builds the house, They labour in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain".     Psalm 127:1-2   NKJV

William MacDonald says of this Psalm, 'Little is much if God is in it' but the reverse is also true, 'Much is nothing if God is not in it.' Wise words indeed which underpin verse one very well, 'Unless the Lord builds the house, They labour in vain who build it.' Basically, if our activity is not directed by the Lord, it is a waste of time and energy. A person can work hard and be appointed to the level of director in a successfully thriving business, but if God is not in this, the person may not personally succeed. They can build an empire - a vast church, but if they have accomplished this in their own strength and left God out of it, it will all come to nothing.

We can't leave God out of our life and be happy and successful. As Solomon would say, 'It is all in vain.' God needs to be the central part of our lives; whether that's a marriage, a business, work or life in itself. One can never be truly happy and content, no matter how rich they may be, without God. They can have all worldly goods and still not be happy. They can have everything and yet, nothing. Without Jesus in a person's life, they are dry and discontented.

'Much is nothing if God is not in it'. What is your spiritual life like at this moment? It may present Jesus to be just a flickering, distant light, that is all. Or it may be a flaming torch of Holy Spirit fire. What would you like it to be out of these two? What are you missing out on? Remember when you were first saved; nothing bothered you at all because Jesus was your everything. He was a flaming torch of fire. Has He turned into a flickering, distant  light now. What happened to make it this way; what has happened to dampen the fire?

You only need to tell Him how you feel and ask Him to bridge the gap that has become more like a daily ritual than a time of intimate peace and worship. Why not do it right now?

'Lord Jesus, please re-light the fire that once burned brightly in my heart and help me to be in intimate worship with you every single day of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen!'

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard.