Depending on God for Everything

How to Depend on God

Christianity Oasis has provided you with this How to Depend on God study on depending on God for everything. We'll be looking into that and how to become and remain a virtuous woman.


The Virtuous Woman
Step 8

Depending on God for Everything

How to Depend on God Truth

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Virtuous Woman study program. This is our How to Depend on God Bible study looking into what it means to be depending on God for everything. The Biblical message shared in this how to depend on God Bible counseling journey will truly bring a Spiritual essence of peace, hope and comfort.

Start this adventure from the beginning:


Welcome back!


Depending on God for Everything Always
Advice on How to Depend on God

I'm so excited to be with you today to share more truth as women seeking the virtuous life!

If you invest your time into something, you can make it prosper. But what is the primary reason for the success of something you invest your time in? Faith. Let's take a look at our verse for today. With your eyes you see a field, but with your imagination, you see a vineyard. Take a leap of faith when the Holy Spirit guides you to. Most people think that a leap of faith is doing something that has a moderate risk, hoping that they'll profit for themselves. But, what actually is a leap of faith?

It's really about doing something that is so improbable, that failure is practically certain without God's hand. If your leap of faith is something that glorifies God, you can bet that His hand will be helping you. Remember the story about Peter walking on water with the Lord? What happened as soon as he started to lose faith?

Matthew 14:26-31

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Depending on God for Everything Instructions
How to Depend on God Concerns

You can do whatever you set your mind to, if you have faith. Jesus promised ...

Believe and you shall receive!

Matthew 21:22

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Beware of Your Comfort Zone?

Life can be pretty tricky sometimes. Sometimes when you're just coasting along through life and things are uneventful ... That is, peaceful, and seemingly secure ... You may feel like you've got it made. You may not feel like you need to be depending on God for everything. But all too often, as long as things are going well in peoples' lives, and they feel like they have control, they get too confident, and forget how important it really is to need God.

Let's put that little theory to the test, shall we? As long as you're in your "comfort zone" and everything happening in your life is pretty typical, how close do you stay in communication with God? Okay, now, when there's a crisis, even a minor one, doesn't your prayer time increase? Isn't your desire for God's presence more intense at those times? Do you not only pray harder and longer, but do you also whisper more mini-messages to Him throughout the day and night? Why? Because you have Faith that He will intervene to help. If you didn't really believe He would help, you simply wouldn't pray.

God's purpose was not for us to do it all alone. His purpose was for us to do things for Him and with Him. As adults, we're taught to be independent and self sufficient. This "rule" does not apply when faith in your Lord is the issue. You must be as a child. Your Father expects you to depend on Him. He waits and longs for you to ask Him for His hand to help you.

Matthew 18:3-4

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

When you find yourself relying solely on your own strength to accomplish something, you are denying the power of God to work through you. That doesn't mean however that you shouldn't have determination, it means that you should depend on God, trust in His plans and guidance and will.

2 Corinthians 12:9

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Aha!

Depending on God for Everything Can Be Done
How to Depend on God Today

Yet another great reason to become as that little girl you used to be ... That inner child of God! Because she is not afraid or ashamed to be weak and lean on her Father. If she had a bad day and the world seemed to be crumbling down around her ...

  • If her teddy bear's eye fell off
  • If her best friend called her a brat
  • If she got chocolate ice cream on her new dress
  • If she fell off her trike and scraped her elbow
  • If she lost her lunch money on the way to school
  • If some kids were making fun of her on the playground

Do you think for one moment, she would forget to kneel down by the side of her bed that night and spend some time in the comfort of her Father's arms? Now let's compare. As an adult, if you have a bad day ...

  • If you lose your car keys
  • If you forgot to charge your cell phone
  • If you spill coffee on your new blouse on the way to work
  • If someone pulls a prank on you at the office
  • If your heel breaks off your shoe
  • If your credit card gets denied when there's twenty three people in line behind you at the supermarket
  • If your child thinks you're square and doesn't invite you to their school orientation

Is depending on God for everything a hard thing to do? Do you hit your knees that night before you go to sleep, just yearning for your Father's comfort and guidance, or are you more apt to analyze every little incident on your own and try and come up with solutions to make your life sail along more smoothly instead of surrendering it to God? Just something to ponder on about ways of How to Depend on God more in your everyday life.

The last part of Verse 16:

This verse reminds me of John, Chapter 15.

Jesus the True Vine

John 15:1-2

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Jesus is the true vine and God is the vineyard owner.

We are the branches. If we don't bear fruit ... In other words, if we don't glorify God by living virtuously, we are taken away.

Does that seem extreme to you? Think about it. This analogy is actually a very good thing to reflect on. Jesus didn't compare the branches of a tree or a shrub or any kind of ornamental plant. The purpose of the grapevine isn't to be full of leafy vines, it's the fruit that is important. The Lord didn't create us so that He could look down upon a bunch of pretty faces every day. He created us to glorify Him and that is beauty in His eyes. And if we don't, we're really just taking energy from the plant. Never forget that we have free will, so it's really our choice as to whether we bear fruit or not. Maybe an easier way for us to understand the concept of being 'taken away' is to think of it as a branch that falls off on its own. Those who fall away are taken away.

If we bear some fruit, God will prune us, or in other words, He will remove whatever it is that is keeping us from being even more fruitful in our lives. He may take away whatever or whoever it is that you are counting on in your life it isn't Him. Does that mean that if you depend on your husband to support you, that God will take him away from you? Of course not. But if the two of you aren't working together to glorify God, He may prune a leaf or two, or a sprig, or whatever it is that He feels is interfering with your bearing abundant fruit. If this is happening to you and you don't realize why, you could get very confused and think you're being punished, but once you realize the truth of it, it becomes very clear that God just wants you to be all you can be ... For Him. The analogy of the grapevine is such a good one because if you don't prune a grape vine very drastically, you'll get a whole bunch of beautiful leaves, but not many grapes at all.

The Importance of Depending on God for Everything
How to Depend on God Forever

John 15:4-5

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If you cut a branch off the vine, it's impossible for it to bear fruit. Without the Lord, you cannot be fruitful. You must depend on Him. He is your lifeline, your savior, your betrothed, your strength.

The Lord will not cause great pain in your life when another method will produce the fruit He wants from you. Neither would you beat your child with a paddle when ten minutes in time out would be effective enough. God is not out to get you. He loves you. He guides and teaches gently and lovingly unless tough love is needed.

Look again at the verse above:

Abide in me, and I in you.

Abide means remain or stay. Jesus is saying, Stay with me. When you're betrothed to someone, you can't bear to be apart. You become part of each other, united, as one. Whenever you feel like you're drifting away from Jesus, just imagine Him whispering to you, Stay with me.

Now, look at how it all ties together and is confirmed:

John 15:6-8

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Willingly Depending on God for Everything
How to Depend on God With Trust

Stay with Jesus and you will bear fruit.

Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Believe to receive!

When you bear much fruit, you glorify God.

Read God's Word, pray and watch God's increase of the fruit in your life grow to an abundance you never imagined.

1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

Don't risk losing the opportunity to be fruitful for the Lord. Once truth is instilled in your heart, you will learn to recognize the things that produce good fruit in your life and the things that do not. People know you by your fruits:

Luke 6:43-45

43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Depending on God for Everything is Wise
Learning How to Depend on God

I like that last part: For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. What does that mean? It means that whatever is really in your heart is gonna show up in your deeds. No fooling. Something that is evil, but tries to be appealing, will be revealed, sooner or later. You must be watchful to protect your virtue. Things can look awfully pretty, and be useless, even harmful. Satan would love to coerce you into eating (and producing) poisonous fruit. He doesn't just use apples. He knows that everyone is wise to that trick. If you become aware of bad fruit in your life, remove it. One bad apple will spoil the whole bushel.

Have you noticed that we've been proving and disproving a lot of old wives tales and old sayings? That's because a lot of people believe that they're really true. Don't take it for granted that something is true just because it is well known. You never know. Always reflect on it and prove it for truth.

When wolves come to you in sheep's clothing, don't let them pull the wool over your eyes. Be alert. Be aware. Be prepared. If you allow them to lead you astray, you will become fruitless.

Matthew 21:18-19

18 Now in the morning as He [Jesus] returned into the city, He hungered.
19 And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

The Lord is counting on you to be fruitful. Choose things in your life that will amount to a bowl of fruit brimming with promise for you and your family. Be faithful and fruitful.

Start Depending on God for Everything
How to Depend on God Forever

Have you ever seen an impressionist painting of a bowl of fruit? Okay, now, have you ever seen a painting of a big bowl of rotting fruit? Probably not, but the thought of it is pretty disgusting, isn't it? You know, from your own kitchen, that if there is a bad potato in the bag, the potatoes around it all have a tendency to start rotting, and the smell of rotten potatoes is just about as disgusting as it gets, aside from spoiled chicken ... And spoiled milk "ranks" right up in there too, huh?

It doesn't take much, like mold and mildew to get things rolling in the "rot" department. You may have a tomato that has a soft spot, and you know it's starting the process of decomposition, so what do you do? Throw the whole thing away because you can't see with the eye alone if the spoilage has spread inside to the rest of the tomato, and it just hasn't turned color yet.

Now, what about in life's basket of fruit? If you eat just a little bit of salmonella is it okay? Won't your stomach detect the slightest bit? When there is something that is a threat to your virtue, take the utmost caution, be over protective, and remind yourself that just a little bit of poison is enough to cause major damage.

Fruit flies. Odor. Stain. Progression. Illness. Ugh!

Keep a close eye on things that can poison your soul and ruin your life and the lives of your loved ones. Things that are bad have a tendency to grow ... Fast! The sooner you get rid of them, the sooner you put them out with the trash, the sooner your bowl of fruit will be fresh and crisp and healthy and good again!

Back to Faith

Why is depending on God for everything so important? At the beginning of the program, it was pointed out that many women fail in the virtue department because they believe that they don't have enough faith to be consistent in a life of virtue, so they simply give up.

Depending on God for Everything Summary
How to Depend on God Conclusion

If you've heard a little voice say anything similar, that's just the enemy talking. Faith is a powerful virtue, and throughout history, faith has carried the most unlikely prospects through to salvation. Moses thought he wasn't good enough to lead God's people to the promised land because he wasn't an eloquent speaker, yet can you think of anyone who could have done a better job? And it was because of his faith that he endured forty years. That is forty years of leading 600,000 backsliding, stiff-necked, murmuring people to the land that God promised them. Love and faith ... They're amazing virtues that a sincere Christian just can not do without. You can do miracles too, like Moses did, if you just put your faith in God above everything else. In other words depend on God for everything, without Him, none of us can do anything worthwhile.

But ... But ... But ... I have such a jaded past. ...

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in His presence.

And have you forgotten about the grace of your Heavenly Father which surpasses all mercy that an earthly human can perceive?

You can do infinitely more than you know ... With the Holy Spirit of God working through you!

John 14:12

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Reflect on God's Grace, it can change your whole life ... If you let go and let God.


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The Virtuous Woman Steps

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There is a force out there that is attempting to overtake us all; it is Satan. There is another force that is protecting us from him; it is the Holy Spirit. It is a battle for souls. This battle is called Spiritual Warfare, and like it or not, you are right in the middle of it.

How to Prepare for Spiritual Warfare