After I’d gotten settled into the chamber, my body floating comfortably above the water, the room went dark and the gentle music that had been playing in the background went silent. I’d read that isolation tanks were therapeutic, offering relief for stress and anxiety. But this was like nothing I’d ever encountered. It felt like the chaos of the world had stopped, and I could clearly hear my innermost thoughts. I left the experience balanced and rejuvenated, reminded that there is power in stillness.

We can rest most comfortably in the stillness of the presence of God, who renews our strength and grants us the wisdom we need to tackle the challenges we face each day. When we’re still, silencing the noise and removing distractions in our lives, He strengthens us so we can hear His gentle voice more clearly (Psalm 37:7).

While sensory deprivation chambers are certainly one form of stillness, God offers us a simpler way to spend uninterrupted time with Him. He says, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father” (Matthew 6:6). God will guide our steps and allow His righteousness to shine brightly through us when we seek the answers to life’s challenges in the stillness of His magnificent presence (Psalm 37:5–6).

By:  Kimya Loder

Reflect & Pray

Acts 12:10, NIV

They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

Peter was arrested for sharing his faith and put in prison. King Herod ordered sixteen soldiers to guard him and had him chained between two soldiers in his cell. The night before Peter was to go on trial and likely be executed, an angel appeared, woke Peter up, and suddenly Peter’s chains fell off. The angel said, “Come with me.” The prison doors opened of their own accord. They walked past one set of guards, then a second set, who were diligently watching, and yet none of them saw Peter.

God didn’t say you would never have problems, but He promised that when trouble comes He will hide you. He won’t let the circumstances stop your purpose. He has angels watching over you right now, protecting you. He knows how to open doors that you can’t open, how to get you out of problems that look impossible, how to blind the eyes of those who are trying to hold you back. You may not see a way out, but God can make the chains fall off.

“Father, thank You that You supernaturally open doors and make things happen that I can’t make happen and don’t deserve. Thank You that I can stay in peace in difficult times, knowing that at any moment You can turn things around. Whether You do it gradually or suddenly, I will rest in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Psalm 16:11, NIV

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

It’s good to be passionate about our dreams, passionate about healing, freedom, and promotion. But don’t be so consumed that you’re not going to be happy while you’re waiting for God to make His path known to you. Don’t put your happiness on hold until everything works out. This day is a gift. Enjoy your life while God is working. Don’t be uptight, stressed out, and saying, “When is it going to change?” You have to pass the test of being happy where you are before God will get you to where you want to be. If you can only be happy when the problem turns around, when what you desire comes to pass, that’s going to delay what God is going to do. You have to put your foot down and say, “I am going to enjoy this day. This crisis, these challenges, or this bad break is not going to stop me. God, Your presence in my life is my joy. I trust Your timing, and I trust Your ways. In the meantime, I’m going to rejoice and live my life with gladness.”

“Father, thank You that this day is a gift from You, and I’m not going to live sour and defeated. Thank You that my happiness is not dependent on my situations but upon the Your presence in my life. I’ve made up my mind that I’m going to rejoice in You and be glad. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

The Lord says this:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

the least of the clans of Judah,

out of you will be born for me

the one who is to rule over Israel;

his origin goes back to the distant past,

to the days of old.

The Lord is therefore going to abandon them

till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.

Then the remnant of his brothers will come back

to the sons of Israel.

He will stand and feed his flock

with the power of the Lord,

with the majesty of the name of his God.

They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power

to the ends of the land.

He himself will be peace.

I exult for joy in the Lord.

Lord, I trust in your merciful love.

  Let my heart rejoice in your saving help.

I exult for joy in the Lord.

Let me sing to the Lord for his goodness to me,

  singing psalms to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

I exult for joy in the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary,

and most worthy of all praise,

for the sun of justice, Christ our God,

was born of you.

Alleluia!

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,

Perez was the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,

Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,

Obed was the father of Jesse;

and Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

Joram the father of Azariah,

Azariah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah;

and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.

Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon:

Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Achim,

Achim the father of Eliud,

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob;

and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;

of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

1 John 3:1, NIV

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Who told you that you can’t accomplish your dreams? Who told you that you’re less-than, not good enough, not smart enough? Who told you that you can’t be happy? Who says you’ve had too many bad breaks, that the obstacles are too big? That may be true if you were average or ordinary, but I know something about you. Your Father in heaven loves you with a great love. You have royal blood flowing through your veins. You have the spiritual DNA of Almighty God. You are wearing a crown of favor. You’re the King’s son, the King’s daughter.

 

Maybe you’ve had some bad breaks, you’ve been overlooked or pushed down, but have the right perspective: You’re a child of the King, and it’s time for you to reign. You haven’t made too many mistakes. Your obstacles are not too big. Get your passion back. Get your fire back. You wouldn’t be reading this if God wasn’t about to do something unusual, something unprecedented. You’re on the verge of seeing favor that you’ve never seen.

“Father, thank You for being my Father and loving me with a great love. Help me to quit believing the lies that say I’m less-than or that I can’t overcome something. I believe and declare that I am a child of the Most High God and that I’m going to reign over what has reigned over me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

John 1:22, NIV

Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

Imagine someone asking you what the Jewish priests asked John the Baptist, “Who do you say you are?” What kind of answer would you have? John’s response was to quote the words of Isaiah, “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord.” Rather than say what he felt or what other people were saying about him, John said what God said about him. Is that how you would respond?

 

Why don’t you start saying what God says about you? “I’m talented. I’m successful. I’m prosperous. I’m free. I’m valuable. I’m a masterpiece.” What you say about yourself is going to become a reality. What you say gives it the right to come to pass. Now quit saying negative things about yourself. “I’m so undisciplined. I’ll never get out of this neighborhood. I’ll never break this addiction.” You’re going to become what you believe. You don’t have to feel it, you just have to believe it. If you believe it long enough, you’ll not only feel it, but you’ll see it.

“Father, thank You that You alone have the right to define who I am because I am Yours. Thank You that You call me blessed, redeemed, forgiven, healthy, overcomer, and a masterpiece. I will call myself what You call me and become who You say I am. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”