The Hand of God Is Leading You _ A Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day.

All around the world, people have come up with different ways to create a certain atmosphere based on their beliefs. Some people engage in elaborate rituals and practices that they believe will please their idols. Some people meditate and chant, hoping it'll bring some sense of peace, and some people do things like burn sage and incense, believing that it'll purify the atmosphere around them. But as children of God, we do not do these things. We call on, we trust in, we believe in the one true living Son of God, Jesus Christ. In Exodus 33, when Moses entered the tabernacle, a pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle. And the Bible tells us that the Lord talked with Moses. Now, in this passage of Scripture, pay attention to Moses' request in verse 12 and 13, and then pay special attention to how God responds in verse 14 regarding his presence. The Bible says, Exodus 33, verse 12 to 15, Then Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, Bring up this people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in your sight, show me now your way, that I may know you and that I may find grace in your sight. And consider that this nation is your people. And he said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Then he said to him, If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. Now, ask yourself this question. Why is it that God's assurance to Moses was to tell him that his presence would go with him? And why is it that Moses was so resolved to say to God that if your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. In other words, Moses was saying, if your presence isn't with us, we're not going anywhere. Dear friends, I believe that every time we pray, every time we open the word of God, every time we open our hearts in worship, God makes his presence known among us. And when he does, it has transformative power. The presence of God chases away every evil and unclean spirit. It casts out demonic influences. It brings peace and revival. It awakens our spirit. It fills our hearts with joy, and it is with us wherever we go. Now, one thing that you should know about the Lord is this. When God's presence comes into your life, there will be a clear and significant effect. And so today, I want to walk you through three clear, undeniable signs that God is with you, because I believe that some of you listening right now need to be reminded of this. You need to be reassured that God has not left you, that he has not forgotten you, that his hand is still on your life, even if your present circumstances are telling you otherwise. The first sign that God is with you is peace, not just any peace, a peace that is beyond all human understanding, a peace that doesn't make sense when you look at the situation you're in. Now, if you cast your mind to Mark chapter 4 from verse 35 to 31, you will find one of the most powerful pictures of this in all of scripture. The disciples were in a boat, and they encountered a storm. The Bible says the waves were breaking over the boat so that it was already filling up. This was a violent, terrifying storm, the kind that makes grown men fear for their lives. And where was Jesus? He was asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat. Now, think about that for a minute. The disciples are panicking. They're shouting. They're bailing water. They think they're about to die, and Jesus is asleep. Why? Because the storm didn't trouble him. The chaos didn't disturb his peace. He knew exactly who he was, and he knew exactly what he had authority over. And when the disciples woke him up in a frenzy, saying, teacher, don't you care if we drown? Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm. He said, peace, be still. And the wind died down, and the sea became completely calm. And in that moment, the disciples realized something. They weren't on that boat alone. They weren't on that boat with just anybody. They were on that boat with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace. And the same is true for you. You see, we as believers are in our own boats. Each one of us are in a quote, unquote, boat called life. And in this boat called life, we will all encounter storms, financial storms, health storms, relationship storms, storms in your family, storms in your mind. And our first reaction tends to be much like the disciples. We go into a panic state. We start looking around at the waves and the wind. We start crying out, Lord, don't you care? But here's what I need you to understand. The Bible says in Philippians 4, verse 6 to 7, be anxious for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. A peace that surpasses all understanding. That means it doesn't need to make sense. It doesn't need to be logical. The world will look at you in the middle of your storm and wonder how you're still standing, how you're still smiling, how you haven't lost your mind. And the answer is simple. The Prince of Peace is in your boat. Now, the second clear and significant sign that God is with you is that you will see evidence of his hand over your life, whether you believe it or not. God is interested in every single area of your life, not just big decisions, not just major milestones. He is interested in the seemingly little and insignificant things too. In Exodus chapter 13, verse 21, the Bible says, And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. God's hand was leading the children of Israel. He didn't just point them in a direction and say, good luck. He went before them. He guided them by day with a cloud and by night with fire. He was a way maker. He was actively involved in every step of their journey. And in our own lives, God's hand can be seen in the very same way. The accident that should have taken your life, but you came out unscathed. That was the hand of God. The season where you had little, where you didn't know how you were going to make it through the month, but somehow he provided. That was the hand of God. Those situations where by all accounts, you should have been broken, but somehow you found strength. You found joy and you kept going. That's the hand of God. You see, sometimes we're so busy looking for the spectacular that we miss the hand of God in the ordinary. We're waiting for the parting of the red sea when God is already guiding us with a pillar of cloud. We're waiting for the dramatic miracle when God has been quietly moving things behind the scenes, arranging circumstances, opening doors, closing others all for our good. Now, the third sign that God is with you is that you will hear his voice. And for you to understand the sign, you need to first ask the question, who does God speak to? The Bible says in John 10 verse 23, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. And that means we are his sheep and his sheep have the ability to hear them. So how does he speak? Throughout the Bible, God speaks in many different ways. He spoke to Elijah through a gentle, still, small voice. He spoke to Joseph in a dream. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush. He spoke to others through angelic visions and visits. And he can speak to us today through his word. Now, I want to say something important here because sometimes people are waiting for the burning bush. They're waiting for the dramatic, unmistakable moment where the heavens open and God speaks audibly. And while God absolutely can do that, more often than not, he speaks through his word. He speaks through the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit in your heart, the gentle nudge, that still, small voice. Isaiah 30 verse 21 says, whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it. The voice of God is a clear sign that he is with you. And if you're hearing that voice, if you're sensing that prompting in your spirit, do not ignore it. Be attentive, be sensitive, be alert to the voice of God in your life. Because a shepherd only speaks to sheep that belong to him. And if you can hear his voice, it means you belong to him. It means he knows you and it means he is with you. And so I want to encourage you today, in the middle of a storm in your life, you can know that God is with you because there will be peace in the middle of chaos. There will be peace in the midst of uncertainty, a peace that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away. You can know that God is with you because his hand is over your life. He is guiding you. He is protecting you. He is moving things together for your good, even when you cannot see it. And you can know that God is with you because he speaks to you through his word, through his spirit, through the still small voice that only his sheep can hear. These are not coincidences. These are not accidents. These are the signs of a God who is very much alive and very much present in your life. Now let us pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your presence in our lives. We thank you that you are not a distant God who watches from afar. You are Emmanuel, God with us. You are the God who steps into the boat with us. The God who walks before us with a pillar of cloud. The God who speaks to our hearts with a still small voice. Father, for anyone listening right now who is in the middle of a storm, I pray that you would speak peace into their situation just as you spoke peace to the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee. Remind them that the Prince of Peace is on their boat. Remind them that no storm is greater than the one who created the sea. We declare your word in Isaiah 26, verse 3, which says, you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you. Lord, keep us in perfect peace. Help us to keep our minds steadfast and fixed on you, not on the storm, not on the waves, not on the wind, but on you. Father, we pray that you would open our eyes to see your hand at work in our lives. Forgive us for the times we have overlooked your goodness. Forgive us for the moments we failed to recognize that it was you who protected us, provided for us, and carried us through. Open our eyes, Lord, so that we can notice how you move things in our lives so that they work out for our good. And Lord, we pray that we would be attentive to your voice. In a world that is full of noise and distraction, help us to tune our ears to you. Help us to recognize when you are speaking, whether it's through your word, through the Holy Spirit, or through the gentle prompting in our hearts. May we never be too busy or too distracted to hear you. Your word says in Psalm 46, verse 10, be still and know that I am God. Lord, help us to be still. In the chaos, help us to be still. In the busyness, help us to be still. In the storms, help us to be still. And in that stillness, may we know that you are God. May we know that you are with us. May we know that you will never leave us nor forsake us. We praise you, Lord, because you are the Prince of Peace, and in your presence, every storm must bow. We praise you because you are the Waymaker, and your hand guides us even when we cannot see the path ahead. We praise you because you are the Good Shepherd, and your sheep will always hear your voice. We give you all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise. Dear Lord, I pray that you would lead us. Lead us in every aspect of our lives. Lead us when it comes to our families, our friends, and the relationships we have with those also around us. God, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lead us to still waters, Master. When it comes to the significant decisions in life, may the voice of the Holy Spirit lead us. When it comes to the gifts and callings that you have placed over our lives, may you lead us, God. Dear Master, we are seeking your voice for direction. Open our ears so that we can hear from you. We are choosing to trust in you, Lord, with all of our hearts. We are choosing not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust you, Lord. Lord, you are the Good Shepherd. With you we shall not want. You are the one who makes us to lie down in green pastures. You are the one who leads us beside still waters. You restore our souls. You lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake. Even though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for you are with us. Your rod and your staff, they comfort us. You prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. You anoint our heads with oil. You are faithful, Lord. We thank you for hearing this prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen. Then Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, bring up this people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in your sight, show me now your way, that I may know you, and that I may find grace in your sight. And consider that this nation is your people. And he said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Then he said to him, If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. O God, listen to my cry, hear my prayer. From the ends of the earth I cry to you for help. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings. Tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.