Martha Wing Robinson: She offered her life to God as a living Sacrifice

 Step into the extraordinary life of Martha Wing Robinson — a quiet servant of God whose radical obedience, spiritual discernment, and faith-fueled ministry shaped early charismatic Christianity in North America.

Born in 1874 in Sand Springs, Iowa, Martha's life was not marked by fame, but by yieldedness. From childhood prayer walks to the Faith Home she ran with her husband Henry, this biography reveals her journey through suffering, healing, prophetic clarity, and deep intimacy with Christ. She was a flame in the silence — and even in widowhood, she radiated divine presence. Discover how her simple acts of surrender led to miraculous healing, prophetic insight, and spiritual legacy that still whispers through the Church today. Whether you’re drawn to stories of revival, women of faith, or the power of intercession — Martha’s story will stir your soul.

What happens when a frail young girl surrenders everything to Jesus, even her health, her strength, her dreams? In this powerful documentary style story, journey through the extraordinary life of Martha Wing Robinson, a forgotten heroine of early Pentecostal history.

From the quiet fields of Iowa to the healing streets of Zion, Illinois, Martha's life was one long offering on the altar of faith, marked by miracles, intercession, divine revelation, and radical surrender. Though she never sought fame, God moved mightily through her, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and drawing countless souls to the cross. Her final words capture her legacy. Nothing matters but Christ Jesus. If you're hungry for deeper intimacy with God and stories of real spiritual power, tell the stories of forgotten saints who lived for one thing only, Christ.

The wind that rustled through the cornfields of Sand Springs, Iowa in 1874 carried no prophetic thunder, only the subtle hush of possibility. It was here, in a modest home tucked amid rural quietude, that Martha Abigail Wing first breathed the air of a world she would one day touch profoundly. Her family, devout Christians of sober conviction, cultivated not just crops, but character. The word of God was a constant companion in their home, read aloud by candle light, mesmerized at kitchen tables, embodied in humble acts.

Martha, the second child of several, absorbed this rhythm like sunlight into soil. From the beginning, there was something quietly radiant about her, unusually thoughtful, deeply sensitive, and given to quiet observation rather than boisterous play. As she grew, her love for books and learning became evident. Local teachers noted her sharp intellect, her hunger for knowledge, and above all, her sincere yearning for something more than academic success.

Beneath her disciplined, schooling pulsed a spiritual curiosity, a silent ache for divine intimacy. She once wrote of this time, "I did not know what it meant to follow Christ, but I yearn to be near him. Even without understanding, my soul stretched toward the light."

Sand Springs offered few distractions, but plenty of space for contemplation.

I'llMartha's walks through de-laced mornings became sacred routines.

2:212 minutes, 21 secondsAmong chirping birds and whispering trees, she would speak softly to the unknown, asking questions no one else could answer, sensing a presence she

2:292 minutes, 29 secondscould not name. Then in 1886, the air changed. A local revival swept through the town with sudden force, tent

2:382 minutes, 38 secondsmeetings, him singing under starlet skies, and alter calls that seemed to pull souls into something transcendent.

2:442 minutes, 44 secondsMartha, then just 12, attended hesitantly. She wasn't drawn by spectacle, but by hope, the sense that her inner ache might find resolution.

2:532 minutes, 53 secondsOne sermon pierced her. The preacher spoke not of hellfire, but of surrender, of coming empty-handed before Christ and

3:003 minutesreceiving everything. That night, Martha responded, not with dramatic weeping or trembling, but with a quiet nod of the

3:083 minutes, 8 secondsheart. In her journal, she recorded, "Tonight I felt the Lord." Not just in my thoughts, in my very marrow. I am

3:173 minutes, 17 secondshis. After this quiet conversion in 1886, Martha Wing's path did not ascend smoothly into triumphant faith. It

3:253 minutes, 25 secondsspiraled inward into tension and testing. She was 16 when she first heard the call. Not from a pulpit or a vision, but within the fragile silence of prayer. The Lord wants you to live and work just for himself. It wasn't a suggestion. It was a summons and it terrified her. Martha loved the Lord, but to relinquish all, to cast aside

ambition, romance, comfort, even health, she wrestled, not only in spirit, but in flesh. Within months of receiving the call, her body began to betray her.

Chronic illness set in, mysterious in origin and unrelenting in pain. Doctors offered little hope.

Her strength faded. She could no longer teach, travel, or participate in ministry as she'd hoped. Her bed became

both altar and battlefield. In her journals, she penned anguish and all side by side. If this is the cost, I will pay it. Yet daily I asked the Lord why he must use pain as his chisel. These were Martha's Jeff's main years.

family cared for her tenderly, but few understood the spiritual crucible forming within. She read deeply scripture, theology, the testimonies of saints, and wrote out her soul's confessions.

Sometimes she felt near to God, luminous and trembling in prayer. Other times she felt abandoned.

Even in darkness, she once wrote, "He is teaching me how to see." By 1898, her body was near collapse. Years of decline had left her weak and broken. She prayed not for healing, but for release from fear. That's when the turning came.

One winter night, Martha knelt by her bedside and made the vow that would change everything. If waking up in hell was the price of obeying you, I would still say yes. It was an audacious act of surrender, the kind that transcends reason. She gave everything. That night, the atmosphere shifted. Though not instantly healed, she awoke with new strength. Slowly, her body mended, her spirit surged, and her purpose was clear. She belonged entirely to God. The next morning, her body, long hostage to affliction, held a curious vitality.

5:465 minutes, 46 secondsNot dramatic healing, but the slow flicker of restoration. Over days and weeks, strength returned.

5:535 minutes, 53 secondsShe could rise from bed, walk without collapse, speak with fullness. She began to pray with others and they too

6:006 minutesexperienced healing. It became clear the vow had opened a gateway. Those close to her began to notice a luminous change,

6:086 minutes, 8 secondssomething radiant behind her eyes, something unseen that seemed to move through her voice. Her journal entries began to shift from pleading to praise.

6:176 minutes, 17 secondsHe has made himself known. My suffering was the tomb. Now he has risen in me. By year's end, Martha's life had pivoted.

6:276 minutes, 27 secondsShe was no longer merely recovering. She was being reformed, recommissioned.

6:326 minutes, 32 secondsPeople sought her counsel, not because she had expertise, but because she carried something holy. Her surrender had made her a vessel. From this point

6:416 minutes, 41 secondsonward, Martha walked in the strange tension of prophetic grace, humility rooted in pain, power born of emptying, and an authority that emerged not from

6:496 minutes, 49 secondstraining, but from intimacy. She moved to Zion, Illinois, a town built by Alexander Dowi for divine order in 1899.

6:586 minutes, 58 secondsShe came not merely as a curious observer, but as a woman guided by divine uncction. By this time, her physical restoration was nearly

7:057 minutes, 5 secondscomplete. Her days of quiet prayer had given way to public intercession.

7:117 minutes, 11 secondsPeople gravitated toward her presence, not because of her appearance or eloquence, but for the authority she carried. Martha possessed what Zion

7:187 minutes, 18 secondshonored most, a life surrendered fully to the Holy Spirit. She soon connected with Dowi, who had founded Zion and other early leaders. They recognized in

7:287 minutes, 28 secondsher a rare gifting, not flashy, but deeply spiritual. She was invited to attend healing services and participate in teaching gatherings.

7:377 minutes, 37 secondsObservers described her ministry as low to the ground, but reaching heaven. She didn't seek attention, she sought alignment. In 1901, Dowi formally

7:477 minutes, 47 secondsordained Martha Wing as a minister. It was a quiet ceremony not marked by fanfare, but by prophetic clarity. Dowi

7:557 minutes, 55 secondsbelieved she was called to operate not just in healing, but in spiritual discernment and the raising of intercessors.

8:018 minutes, 1 secondAnd indeed, testimonies from this period abound. People healed of lifelong afflictions after Martha prayed, broken souls restored by her counsel. Even a

8:098 minutes, 9 secondswoman reportedly raised from the dead after Martha laid hands and declared life. Martha did not boast of these events.

8:178 minutes, 17 secondsShe recorded little, spoke even less.

8:208 minutes, 20 secondsHer ministry philosophy was simple. The glory belongs to him. If he chooses to move through me, I must remain bowed.

8:298 minutes, 29 secondsHer time in Zion refined her theology.

8:328 minutes, 32 secondsShe embraced the full power of the Holy Spirit, but resisted emotional excess.

8:378 minutes, 37 secondsShe believed healing must be rooted in surrender, not spectacle. And above all, she cultivated a rhythm of daily obedience, never letting public ministry

8:458 minutes, 45 secondseclipse private communion. By the end of 1901, Martha was known not just in Zion, but beyond. Invitations came for her to

8:548 minutes, 54 secondstravel, speak, and minister across the Midwest. But her heart remained steady. She would go where the Lord sent.

9:019 minutes, 1 secondNothing more, nothing less. When Martha Wing met Henry Robinson in the early 1900s, it wasn't romance that sparked

9:089 minutes, 8 secondsthe connection. It was spiritual resonance. Henry was a man of quiet strength, deeply committed to prayer and ministry and drawn to the same radical

9:169 minutes, 16 secondsfaith Martha embodied. Their paths crossed in ministry circles where Henry had heard testimonies of Martha's healing touch, her prophetic clarity,

9:259 minutes, 25 secondsand the humility that marked her service. She saw in him a man unafraid of divine unpredictability.

9:329 minutes, 32 secondsHe saw in her a woman already burning.

9:359 minutes, 35 secondsIn 1905, they were married not with grand ceremony, but in quiet consecration.

9:419 minutes, 41 secondsMartha wrote of the union, "We seek no earthly security in one another, only deeper obedience together. It was a

9:489 minutes, 48 secondscovenant built not on comfort, but conviction." Soon after, they began a ministry together that defied convention, a faith

9:559 minutes, 55 secondshome. No income, no formal support. They refused to ask for money or advertise their needs.

10:0310 minutes, 3 secondsInstead, they trusted that God would send both resources and people. And he did. Day after day, those broken in body and spirit came through their doors.

10:1410 minutes, 14 secondsThey were fed, prayed for, taught, and healed all on faith. Martha and Henry didn't charge, didn't boast. They simply

10:2210 minutes, 22 secondslived the word. Testimonies from those years filled pages. People came dying and left walking. A woman on the brink

10:3110 minutes, 31 secondsof death was restored after Martha's prayer and Henry's worship. A family received groceries just moments before their cupboards emptied, anonymously

10:3910 minutes, 39 secondsdelivered by a neighbor who claimed they felt a sudden nudge. Martha's prophetic gift deepened during this time. She

10:4610 minutes, 46 secondsbegan receiving impressions, sometimes sharp, sometimes subtle, that guided decisions. She could sense when a visitor needed healing of the soul

10:5410 minutes, 54 secondsbefore the body. She once told a young preacher, "You are trying to cast out what you secretly admire. God desires

11:0211 minutes, 2 secondshonesty before authority." Henry too flourished in ministry. His preaching became tender and bold, his presence

11:1111 minutes, 11 secondscalming. Together, they created not just a home, but a spiritual threshold, a place between heaven and earth where people encountered the miraculous. But this chapter did not end without sorrow.

11:2311 minutes, 23 secondsIn 1916, after years of partnership and shared ministry, Henry passed away suddenly. Martha was devastated not only

11:3011 minutes, 30 secondsby grief but by the severing of a spiritual bond that had shaped her most fruitful years. Yet even in mourning,

11:3711 minutes, 37 secondsshe did not retreat. She leaned in. God has not taken away my mission, only my companion in it. She kept the faith home

11:4611 minutes, 46 secondsopen, refusing to let grief shut its doors. Now she stood alone at the threshold, welcoming the ill, the weary, the brokenhearted.

11:5511 minutes, 55 secondsHer voice had grown quieter, her presence more intense. Visitors described entering the home as stepping into peace itself. Healing did not cease. If anything, it accelerated.

12:0712 minutes, 7 secondsIn the solitude of widowhood, Martha's prophetic gift bloomed. She began to receive distinct impressions, visions of individuals before they arrived, words

12:1512 minutes, 15 secondsof correction laced with tenderness and spiritual insights that pierced pretense. She never claimed the title prophet, but those around her did. One

12:2512 minutes, 25 secondsevening during prayer, she saw a vision of a young woman surrounded by chains of shame. Martha whispered a truth that shattered the lie, and the woman

12:3312 minutes, 33 secondscollapsed, weeping, freed. Another time, she declined a visitor's request for healing. Instead, she quietly said,

12:4112 minutes, 41 seconds"First, you must forgive your brother." The pain is bound to that memory. The man wept and was healed moments later.

12:4912 minutes, 49 secondsMartha became known as her mother in Israel, a phrase not assigned lightly.

12:5412 minutes, 54 secondsIt meant more than wisdom. It meant authority born from suffering, a life of obedience that shaped others by proximity. Young ministers came from

13:0313 minutes, 3 secondscities and country seeking not training but alignment.

13:0713 minutes, 7 secondsMartha rarely preached. She prayed. She listened. She corrected with grace and

13:1313 minutes, 13 secondsimparted without pride. She wrote often in these years, devotions, reflections, personal letters. Her themes focus not on doctrine but on intimacy with Christ.

13:2513 minutes, 25 secondsShe wrote, "A life in the spirit is not loud. It is a whisper that moves mountains. Loneliness remained, but it

13:3313 minutes, 33 secondsno longer defined her. She had become flame, not a bonfire surrounded by voices, but a single candle carried into

13:4013 minutes, 40 secondsthe dark places, illuminating all she touched. By the early 1930s, Martha Wing Robinson was no longer a name passed in

13:4813 minutes, 48 secondsministry circles. She was a quiet force felt across spiritual communities.

13:5313 minutes, 53 secondsDecades of devotion had shaped her into a living symbol of surrender, healing, and divine presence. Yet, she never accepted any title prophetess, healer, saint. She preferred simply his servant.

14:0714 minutes, 7 secondsHer body, once renewed, had grown frail again. Age did not erase her discernment. If anything, it honed it.

14:1414 minutes, 14 secondsVisitors still came, often unannounced.

14:1814 minutes, 18 secondsSome sought counsel, others simply sat near her in silence. A few wept in her presence without knowing why. The faith

14:2614 minutes, 26 secondshome remained open, though it bore the hushed reverence of holy ground.

14:3014 minutes, 30 secondsMartha prayed with fewer words, but each syllable seemed forged in eternity. In one letter from these years, she wrote,

14:3814 minutes, 38 seconds"I do not ask for longer days. I ask only that each breath I take be led of him. Dreams came often now, vivid

14:4614 minutes, 46 secondsimages, faces she did not recognize, messages she could not interpret alone." One recurring vision showed a lamp burning in a forest surrounded by wolves

14:5414 minutes, 54 secondsheld back by unseen hands. She believed it was symbolic of the church preserved by intercession in the coming days of

15:0115 minutes, 1 secondturmoil. She continued writing small devotionals, letters to missionaries, notes of encouragement to believers in

15:0815 minutes, 8 secondsother nations. Her tone grew gentler, more still, less urgent, and more eternal. Many who received her letter

15:1715 minutes, 17 secondssaid they kept them as scripture, though Martha insisted they were only fragments of her walk with Christ. Toward the end, she began saying strange things, not

15:2615 minutes, 26 secondsconfusing, but layed with spiritual insight. Once she whispered to a young intercessor, "You must learn to walk as

15:3415 minutes, 34 secondsif the kingdom is already behind your eyes. That is how he leads." In 1936, her health faltered dramatically. Those

15:4315 minutes, 43 secondsaround her knew her time was near, but Martha had no fear. She spoke of seeing angels at night, hearing songs with no

15:5015 minutes, 50 secondsearthly melody. Her final days were marked by peace, uninterrupted by suffering. On her last morning, she

15:5815 minutes, 58 secondsasked to be left alone in prayer. Later that day, they found her seated upright, eyes closed, Bible on her lap. She had

16:0716 minutes, 7 secondspassed quietly. No struggle, no scene, just a homegoing. Her last spoken words,

16:1316 minutes, 13 secondsas remembered by one witness, were, "Nothing matters but Christ Jesus." After Martha Wing Robinson passed

16:2116 minutes, 21 secondsquietly in 1936, the faith home did not shutter, nor did her ministry vanish into obscurity. The lives she touched

16:2816 minutes, 28 secondswith prayer, counsel, healing, and prophecy rippled outward like a stone cast into eternity. She hadn't left

16:3616 minutes, 36 secondsbehind books of theology or institutions named in her honor. She left testimonies, and they endured. Ministers

16:4316 minutes, 43 secondswho had sat under her gaze now carried her spirit into pulpits and mission fields. intercessors who had been shaped by her silence now led prayer movements

16:5216 minutes, 52 secondswith a depth that defied formality. The healing witnessed in her presence became their confidence in the miraculous.

16:5816 minutes, 58 secondsHer writings, simple devotions, letters, reflections were gathered by believers who refused to let them fade. Excerpts

17:0617 minutes, 6 secondswere read in prayer circles, quoted in sermons, tucked into missionary packs.

17:1117 minutes, 11 secondsOne phrase kept appearing, "A life laid down is a door opened wide." Though no physical monument rose in her honor,

17:1917 minutes, 19 secondsmany considered her life a spiritual cornerstone, she had embodied a theology of the heart, one where surrender outranked strategy and obedience

17:2817 minutes, 28 secondsmattered more than recognition. To some, she became proof that God could move through the humble, the hidden, the yielded. Years later, in biographies and

17:3717 minutes, 37 secondsoral histories, she was described simply as a woman who gave God her last breath, and he made it a song. Her quiet teachings on faith, healing, and

17:4617 minutes, 46 secondsspiritual intimacy shaped the early contours of charismatic ministry in North America. Even today, strands of her wisdom surface in unexpected places.

17:5517 minutes, 55 secondsDisciples who disciple others with the same gentle authority, who call down miracles without shouting, who walk into prayer rooms with the kind of peace

18:0218 minutes, 2 secondsMartha once carried like a garment. And always her final words echo. Not as farewell, not as doctrine, but as

18:1218 minutes, 12 secondscompass. Nothing matters but Christ Jesus. Lessons from a life laid down such as Martha's.

18:1918 minutes, 19 secondsOne, surrender is strength. Martha's pivotal decision, choosing obedience even at the cost of comfort, recognition, or understanding reminds us

18:2818 minutes, 28 secondsthat true strength often comes from releasing control, not grasping for it.

18:3318 minutes, 33 secondsIf I should wake tomorrow in hell for having obeyed you, I would still choose you tonight. Two, healing is often a

18:4018 minutes, 40 secondsjourney, not just a miracle. Her gradual physical restoration shows that faith doesn't always bring instant results, but it invites transformation over time.

18:5018 minutes, 50 secondsShe lived through the tension of waiting, trusting, and enduring. Three, the power of quiet ministry.

18:5718 minutes, 57 secondsMartha rarely spoke loudly or sought fame. Her authority was rooted in intimacy with Christ, not public platform.

19:0519 minutes, 5 secondsThis teaches us that impact doesn't require noise, only authenticity.

19:0919 minutes, 9 secondsFour, prophetic clarity requires emotional maturity. Her discernment was compassionate and precise. She modeled a

19:1719 minutes, 17 secondsprophetic posture that was gentle, wise, and rooted in empathy, not ego. Five, faith-based hospitality has eternal

19:2519 minutes, 25 secondsimpact. The faith home was more than a house. It was a spiritual threshold.

19:3019 minutes, 30 secondsMartha and Henry's willingness to provide with no financial guarantees demonstrates how hospitality fueled by faith becomes holy ground. Six. Legacy isn't what we build, it's what we birth.

19:4319 minutes, 43 secondsMartha left no monuments, but raised countless spiritual sons and daughters.

19:4819 minutes, 48 secondsHer legacy lives through transformed lives, not institutions.

19:5319 minutes, 53 secondsSeven. Solitude can refine, not just isolate. He

19:5319 minutes, 53 secondsSeven. Solitude can refine, not just isolate. Her widowhood wasn't the end of ministry. It was the beginning of deeper

20:0020 minutesauthority. Martha's solitude became sacred space where she cultivated intercession and spiritual insight.

Madame Guyon: Her Prayer Was So Dangerous, Louis XIV Personally Had Her Arrested

 Madame Guyon: Her Prayer Was So Dangerous, Louis XIV Personally Had Her Arrested .

Discover the untold story of a French widow who asked God for suffering and received it in full measure -who was imprisoned four times without trial, condemned by the most powerful churchman in France, disfigured by smallpox, stripped of her children, her reputation, and her freedom- and who sang psalms through the iron bars of the Bastille with a peace so inexplicable that hardened prison guards pressed their ears to her door and wept without knowing why. In this powerful documentary, the story of Madame Jeanne Guyon reveals what God produces through a soul that has surrendered not just outcomes but the entire process - how one silenced woman's writings crossed continents and centuries to shape John Wesley, Hudson Taylor, Watchman Nee, the Quakers of Pennsylvania, and the deeper life movement across three continents — and what it truly costs to lose everything the world says you need in order to find the one thing the world cannot give and cannot take.

From her book, A Short and Easy Method of Prayer, her teaching rested on three movements so simple they were revolutionary. 

¶First, pray the scripture, not for information, but for encounter. Read slowly, just a few verses until a single word or phrase  touches your heart. Then stop. Stop completely. Hold that word gently. Rest in it. Do not analyze it. Let it nourish you. The goal is not knowledge. It  is presence. 

¶Second, simple attention. Throughout the ordinary day, working, walking, cooking, gently turn your attention inward to the quiet awareness of God  dwelling within you. Your mind will wander. That is expected. The practice is the gentle return again and again without self-condemnation. A quiet continuous awareness. You are here. That is enough. 

¶Third, abandonment. Yield not just outcomes but the entire spiritual process itself to God. Stop trying to manufacture your own holiness. Perform every duty fully. This was never about neglecting responsibility, but do it without frantic inner striving, without anxiety over results, without condemning yourself every time you fall short. Stop paddling so hard. Trust the current. 

Madame  Guyon put it plainly. 

Prayer is the key of perfection and of sovereign happiness. The way to become perfect is to live in the presence of God. 

This was dangerous. In a world where faith meant elaborate ritual and institutional permission, where faith meant elaborate ritual and institutional permission, she was telling ordinary people, servants, merchants, mothers, farmers, that they needed none of it to know God directly, just the open heart, just the turned attention, just the surrendered will. She wrote her book. It spread like  fire. With her spiritual director, Father LaCombe, she traveled through the Alps, Geneva, Turin, Grenobyl. 

“It is a great truth, wonderful as it is undeniable, that all our happiness — temporal, spiritual, and eternal — consists in one thing; namely, in resigning ourselves to God, and in leaving ourselves with Him, to do with us and in us just as He pleases.” — Madame Guyon

Madame Jeanne Guyon, a 17th-Century French Christian, is most notable for her immaculate work: A Short and Easy Method of Prayer. Although this book is rather small, its interior wisdom guarantees a lifetime of practicality. Contrary to many of her contemporaries, Madame Guyon doesn’t depend on eloquence or strain but on the beauty and simplicity of quiet surrender.

Most Christians, even to this day, are accustomed to strictly verbal prayer — an offering of moral righteousness in exchange for the fulfillment of a desire. For Guyon, however, prayer is neither a transaction nor an art for the gifted, it is the natural movement of the soul back toward the God who is already dwelling within it.

To know God directly, just the open heart, just the turned attention, just the surrendered will.

An unprejudiced reader may find hidden under the most common expressions, a secret unction, which will excite him to seek after that Sovereign Good, whom all should wish to enjoy.

In speaking of the attainment of perfection, the word Facility is used, because God is indeed found with facility when we seek Him within ourselves. But, in contradiction to this, some perhaps may urge that passage in Saint John, “Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me” (John vii. 34). This apparent difficulty, however, is removed by another passage, where He, who cannot contradict Himself, hath said to all, “Seek and ye shall find” (Matthew vii. 7). It is  true, indeed, that he who would seek God, and is yet unwilling to forsake his sins, shall not find Him, because he seeks not aright; and therefore it is added, “Ye shall die in your sins.”

On the other hand, he who diligently seeks God in his heart, and that he may draw near unto Him sincerely forsakes sin, shall infallibly find Him.

A life of devotion appears so formidable, and the Spirit of Prayer of such difficult attainment, that most persons are discouraged from taking a single step towards it. The difficulties inseparable from all great undertakings are, indeed, either nobly surmounted, or left to subsist in all their terrors, just as success is the object of despair or hope. I have therefore endeavoured to show the facility of the method proposed in this treatise, the great advantages to be derived from it, and the certainty of their attainment by those that faithfully persevere.

O were we once truly sensible of the goodness of God toward His poor creatures, and of His infinite desire to communicate Himself unto them, we should not allow imaginary difficulties to affright us, nor despair of obtaining that good which He is so earnest to bestow:

“He that spared not His own son, but delivered Him up for us all; how shall he not, with Him, also freely give us all things?”(Romans viii 32). But we want courage and perseverance; we have both to a high degree in our temporal concerns, but want them in “the one thing needful” (Luke x. 42).

If any think that God is not easily to be found in this way of Simple Love and Pure Adherence, let them not, on my testimony, alter their opinion, but rather make trial of it, and their own experience will convince them that the reality far exceeds all my representations of it.

Beloved reader, peruse this little treatise with a humble, sincere and candid spirit, and not with an inclination to cavil and criticize, and you will not fail to reap some degree of profit from it. It was written with a hearty desire that you might wholly devote yourself to God; receive it, then, with a like desire for your own perfection: for nothing more is intended by it than to invite the simple and child-like to approach their Father, who delights in the humble confidence of His children, and is grieved at the smallest instance of their diffidence or distrust. With a sincere desire, therefore, to forsake sin, seek nothing from the unpretending method here proposed but the Love of God, and you shall undoubtedly obtain it.

Without setting up our opinions above those of others, we mean only, with truth and candour, to declare, from our own experience and the experience of others, the happy effects produced by thus Simply Following our Lord.

As this treatise was intended only to instruct in Prayer, there are many things which we respect and esteem, totally omitted, as not immediately relative to our main subject: it is, however, certain, that nothing will be found herein to offend, provided it be read in the spirit with which it was written; and it is still more certain, that those who in right earnest make trial of the way, will find we have written the Truth.

It is Thou alone, O Holy Jesus, who lovest simplicity and innocence, “and whose delight is to dwell with the children of men” (Prov. viii. 31), with those who are, indeed, willing to become “little children”; it is Thou alone, who canst render this little work of any value by imprinting it on the hearts of all who read it, and leading them to seek Thee within themselves, where Thou reposest as in the manger, waiting to receive proofs of their love, and to give them testimony of Thine. Yet alas! They may still lose these unspeakable advantages by their negligence and insensibility! But it belongeth unto Thee, O thou Uncreated Love!

Thou Silent and Eternal Word! it belongeth unto Thee, to awaken, attract, and convert; to make Thyself be heard, tasted, and beloved! I know Thou canst do it, and I trust Thou wiltdo it by this humble work which belongeth entirely to Thee, proceedeth wholly from Thee,and tendeth only to Thee! And, O most Gracious and adorable Saviour!

            To Thee be all the Glory!

UK digital ID latest development

 Digital ID in the UK: The Government Says It Is Voluntary, But Your Employer Might Not Give You a Choice

Immigration experts warn the 'opt-in' approach signals a lack of confidence in adoption

The new digital ID will combine tax, health, benefits, and immigration records into a single profile accessible across public services.

UNITED KINGDOM : King Charles confirmed the Digital Access to Services Bill during the 13 May King's Speech, giving the government powers to build a free, voluntary digital identity system for public services. But the government's own 129-page briefing notes tell a different story. Right-to-work verification is listed as a 'priority use case' set to launch by the end of this parliament in 2029, and for millions of British workers, 'voluntary' may turn out to be a matter of perspective.

NOW - King Charles: "My ministers will also proceed with the introduction of Digital ID." 

The Voluntary Contradiction Workers Should Watch

The government dropped plans to make digital IDs mandatory for right-to-work checks in January this year following public backlash over privacy concerns. The King's Speech reaffirmed that position. Digital ID will be free, optional, and available to anyone who wants it.

But the government's briefing notes still frame the system as a tool for 'proving your right to work.' For employers, the appeal is obvious. Digital checks are faster, cheaper, and harder to forge than paper-based verification. If businesses adopt digital right-to-work systems on a wide scale, workers who don't hold a digital ID could find themselves at a disadvantage during the hiring process.

Chetal Patel, head of immigration at law firm Bates Wells, told People Management that the voluntary approach was 'unlikely to shift the dial' for employers, who would probably take a 'wait and see' stance rather than act as early adopters. She added that the 'watered-down, opt-in approach suggests a lack of confidence in widespread adoption.'

What a Digital ID Would Actually Hold

The system won't just store a name and a photograph. It will pull together HM Revenue and Customs income records, NHS health data, Department for Work and Pensions benefits information, and Home Office immigration status into a single digital profile.

'Bringing together sensitive personal data into a single digital profile is unlikely to be an easy sell,' Patel said.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, raised a different concern. She warned that 19 million people in the UK currently experience digital exclusion. 'While Digital ID in the UK may now be framed as voluntary, international experience shows that digital systems can quickly become essential in practice,' Anderson said. For those 19 million people, she added, the new system 'creates a real risk of new barriers to accessing essential services.'

The Cybersecurity Bill Running Alongside It

The Digital Access to Services Bill doesn't sit alone in the King's Speech. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which has been progressing through Parliament since November 2025, was also reaffirmed. That bill introduces fines of up to £17 million ($23 million) or 4% of global annual turnover for serious cybersecurity breaches. Regulators will also be able to impose daily penalties of up to £100,000 ($135,000) for ongoing non-compliance.

The bill covers operators of essential services, data centres, and managed service providers. Businesses that fail to report cyber incidents within 24 hours or meet supply chain security standards will face enforcement from regulators, including the Information Commissioner's Office and Ofcom. With a national digital ID system set to collect sensitive data from four government departments, the stakes for getting cybersecurity right just got higher.

Can This Plan Survive the Government Pushing It

The timing raises a question that goes beyond policy design. Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered the King's Speech while fighting for his political survival. More than 90 Labour MPs have called for his resignation after the party lost more than 1,400 council seats in the May local elections. Four ministers have resigned this week, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting is reportedly preparing to quit his post and launch a leadership bid as early as Thursday, according to The Times.

If Starmer's leadership doesn't survive the summer, the Digital Access to Services Bill could stall, get reshaped, or lose political backing altogether. For the millions of workers, renters, and benefit claimants who stand to be affected, the question isn't just whether digital ID will be voluntary. It's whether the government promises it will still be around to deliver.

What The UK Just Announced Will Make The World Prepare To Receive The Antichrist 

 The UK has just announced something that will form part of the foundational system that the antichrist will use digital ID. 

 My ministers all will also proceed with the introduction of digital ID that will modernize how citizens interact with public services. ~ King Charles 

Now, it's unclear at this stage whether it is mandatory or optional. But for Christians who view the world with a biblically prophetic lens, here's what catches your attention. Many believe that once digital identities become widespread, then banking, taxation, health care, and essential services will be fully integrated. A true digital society means that Revelation 13 will be possible to be enforced. 

 Now what you can see from this chart is the intensification of the push for digital ID. 

 Switzerland has voted to approve a new digital identity infrastructure for the country. 

The UK has announced plans for a digital identity. 

Sweden already has a well-established electronic identification system eid used widely in both public and private sectors. 

 And if you look further a field, India has ADHDR, the world's largest biometric ID system. 

The United Arab Emirates has the UAE pass and so many others follow suit. Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, and more. 

Now, why is it that so many Christians link a digital ID to Revelation 13? 

 Why is it that anytime things like digital IDs, cashless systems, or centralized identification technology is mentioned, the beast system is immediately brought up? 

 Revelation 13: verses 16 and 17 in particular, describes a beast that causes all people to receive a mark on their right hand or forehead and that no one can buy or sell unless they have the mark. For many 2:12 interpreters, this mark of the beast is associated with control over commerce, buying and selling, universal identification. 

 Everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave.  A system of allegiance that goes beyond economics and ties to worship or loyalty.

 So, let's take a deeper look as to why digital IDs get linked to Revelation 13.    

 Now, a lot of people underestimate how severe this regime is. If you are left behind and if you take the mark of the beast, you have literally pledged your allegiance to the devil. 

 And people may think, well, I will refuse and just find somewhere to hide for the rest of my days. But this won't be possible because you will literally be unable to pay your bills, fill up the gas in your car, or anything that requires a transaction.

You won't be able to do any of that without the mark of the beast. Imagine a world where you have to choose between buying food or selling your soul. 

 Imagine being completely cut off from society and forced to live off the land just to survive. 

 This is the reality many wilI face.  The Antichrist will literally oppose Jesus Christ in every way. 

 Here is what's coming. Companies will begin selling a microchip the size of a grain of rice that gets implanted under the skin of your hand. You wave your hand over a card reader and the payment goes through. No wallet, no phone, no card, just your body. Now, right now in the world, 11 countries have launched central bank digital currencies. 

 Government controlled programmable money. 49 more are running pilots programs. 

China's digital yuan has processed nearly a trillion dollars in transactions. These currencies can be programmed to expire, to restrict what you buy, and to shut off your access with a single keystroke.

Neuralink has implanted brain computer interface chips in 12 human patients. These devices read thoughts and translates them into actions on a screen. The company has openly stated its long-term goal to merge human consciousness with artificial intelligence. And a digital identity system called World ID, backed by the CEO of Open AI, is Scanning people's irises in six American cities, linking their biological data to a global digital network. None of this is coming. It is here, right now in 2026. 

 And every single piece of it lines up with the prophecy written 2,000 years ago in the book of Revelation.

  Today we're going to take a look at the technologies, the financial systems, and the political moves that are building the foundation for the mark of the beast. And then we're going to talk about the only way to stand against it when the time comes. Before we look at the technology, we need to be clear about what scripture says.

 Revelation 13 : 16 to 18. He causes all, both small and  great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. 

 Three things stand out from this passage. 

First, the mark is universal.  It applies to everyone regardless of status. 

Second, it's tied to the body, the right hand, or the forehead. 

Third, it controls economic participation. You cannot buy or sell without it. 

For centuries, people read those words and could not imagine how they could come true. 

How could every person on earth be forced to take a mark? 

How could buying and selling be controlled at the individual level? 

How could this be enforced globally? 

The technology to do all of that did not exist until now. 

 Let's start with the most literal development. Microchips are being implanted in human hands for the purpose of making payments. 

A British Polish  company called Walletmore has been selling implantable payment chips commercially. The chip weighs less than a gram. It's smaller than a grain of rice. It uses near field communication technology, the same system used by contactless bank cards and smartphones. 

 Once implanted between the thumb and index finger and activated through a digital wallet app, it allows the user to pay at any business that accepts contactless payments. Over a thousand of these devices have been sold by the single company. Globally, more than 50,000 people have received some form of subdermal chip implant. A Wisconsin company called Three Square Market became the first in the United States to offer RFID (Radio-frequency identification) chip implants to employees. 

 The stated goal to replace key cards, login credentials, and payment systems with a single chip embedded in the hand. 

 The technology is real. It is commercial. People are voluntarily lining up for it, and it's being placed   between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. Read Revelation 13:16 again.

 A mark on their right hand ✋🏽. The location is not a coincidence. The second piece of the system is digital identity tied to the body. 

In May 2025, a project called World Coin, now rebranded as World, launched in the United States. It is backed by Sam Alman, the CEO of Open Al. The system works by scanning your iris through a device called the orb. 

 That scan creates a world ID, a digital identity verified by your unique biological data. In return, users receive cryptocurrency tokens and access to a growing digital ecosystem. The project has partnered with Visa and has over 25 million people on its network globally. Verification centers are operating in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. 

 India has ODAR, a biometric ID system covering over a billion people linked to fingerprints and iris scans. 

China runs a social credit system that ties digital identity to behavior, spending, and compliance. 

The European Union is developing a unified digital identity framework. 

 The direction is clear. Identity is moving from documents you carry to data embedded in your biology. Your face, your fingerprint, your iris, your body becomes your credentials. And once your biological data is the key that unlocks your ability to participate in society, whoever controls the system controls you. 

Chips and biometric IDs are the access points, but the control mechanism is money itself. And that is where central bank digital currencies come in. 

 As of 2026, 134 countries representing 98% of global GDP are exploring CBDC's.  Central Bank Digital Currencies ( CBDC )

 11 have launched them. 49 are running active pilot programs. China's digital yuan is the largest with transaction 9:53 volumes approaching a trillion dollars across 17 provinces. India's digital rupee has expanded to 5 million users. 

 Brazil launched its DREx program in January of 2026. 

The European Central Bank is advancing the digital euro. 

Here is what makes CBDC's different from the money in your bank account. They are programmable. The government that issues them can attach conditions. 

They can make the currency expire after a set period. 

They can restrict which categories of goods it can be spent on. 

 They can geo fence it so it only works in certain locations, demarcation boundaries, and they can freeze or eliminate it instantly without a court order.

 Physical cash cannot be controlled this way. You hand someone a dollar 💵 note and the transaction is done. No tracking, no permission needed, but CBDC's turn money into a tool of compliance. 

Every transaction is recorded. Every purchase is monitored and access can be switched off at any time. That is exactly what Revelation 13:17 describes. No one may buy or sell except one who has the mark. 

Revelation 13:17 states that no one could buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This verse highlights the economic control exerted by the beast over people during the end times.

CBDC's are the infrastructure that makes that level of economic control technically possible for the first time in history. 

Third technology goes beyond the hand. It targets the forehead or more precisely what's behind it. 

 Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, has implanted brain computer interface chips in 12 human participants as of late 2025. 

 These devices read neural activity and allow paralyzed individuals to control computers with their thoughts. One patient has logged over 15,000 hours of use. The system works by placing ultra thin electrodes directly into brain tissue, creating a two-way communication channel between the brain and external devices. The stated long-term goal is not medical. It is enhancement.

 Neuralink has publicly discussed achieving human Al symbiosis, merging human consciousness with artificial intelligence so that humans are not left behind as Al advances. 

Now think about what Revelation says. The mark goes on the right hand or the forehead. 

The forehead is where the frontal lobe sits, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, moral reasoning, and worship. 

Throughout scripture, the forehead represents allegiance. God's people receive a seal on their foreheads in Revelation 7:3.

Revelation 7:3 states, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." This verse emphasizes the protection of God's servants before any harm is inflicted on the earth.

The beast system creates a counterfeit mark in the same location. With brain computer interfaces, access to the forehead is no longer symbolic. It is literal. 

A device implanted in the brain that monitors thought patterns that can receive signals that can influence neural activity. This is technology that  directly accesses the seed of human will and worship. 

The final piece of the system is what ties everything together. It's the intelligence that monitors, enforces, and never sleeps. 

Artificial intelligence in 2026 can process the data of billions of people simultaneously. It can monitor financial transactions in real time. It can analyze biometric data from cameras, scanners, and implanted devices. It can detect patterns of non-compliance and flag them automatically. 

 Revelation 13:15 describes the image of the beast. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast. That the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. An image that speaks, an image that identifies who worships and who refuses. An image that enforces compliance with the power of life and death. 

For 2,000  plus years, no one could explain what this meant. A statue that talks and kills. It sounded impossible.

Revelation 13:15 describes a scenario where an image of the beast is given the ability to speak, and it enforces worship of itself, threatening death to those who refuse. This passage highlights the power and influence of the beast in the end times.

Overview of Revelation 13:15.

Revelation 13:15 presents a significant moment in the biblical narrative, focusing on the power of the beast and its image. This verse illustrates the authority granted to the second beast, often interpreted as the False Prophet.

Key Elements of Revelation 13:15

• Speaking Image: The image of the beast is given the ability to speak, symbolizing a form of life or influence that compels worship.

• Enforcement of Worship: The image enforces worship, threatening death to those who refuse to comply. This reflects the oppressive nature of the beast's regime during the end times.

Contextual Significance

• End Times Narrative: This passage is part of a larger apocalyptic vision that describes the rise of powerful entities opposing God and His followers.

• Symbolism of the Beast: The beast represents forces of evil and deception, while the image signifies idolatry and the manipulation of faith.

Implications for Believers

• Call to Faithfulness: The verse serves as a warning to believers about the challenges they may face in remaining faithful amidst persecution and coercion.

• Understanding Authority: It emphasizes the need for discernment regarding authority and worship, urging individuals to remain steadfast in their beliefs.

Revelation 13:15 encapsulates the themes of power, idolatry, and the struggle between good and evil in the eschatological framework of the Bible.

14:03 But consider what Al is right now. It's an intelligence that is not alive. It can communicate. It can make decisions. 

 It can process data from every neural interface, every biometric scanner, every digital currency transaction on Earth. 

It can identify resistance before it becomes action. And it can trigger the system that cut off access or enforce punishment. 

Connect the five technologies. 

¹ The implantable chip identifies you. 

² The biometric system verifies you. 

³ The digital currency controls your ability to buy and sell. 

⁴ The neural interface monitors your thoughts and allegiance, and ⁵ the artificial intelligence coordinates all of it globally in real time without rest . 

This is not a theory. This is an engineering diagram. And every component already exists.

 Now, here is the part that should concern every believer. They will never call it the mark of the beast. They wil never label it with 666. They will never announce that this is to be the system described in Revelation. 

 Instead, they will call it progress, convenience, security, inclusion, financial equality, public health. They will tell you it's for your safety, for your children's protection, for the planet. 

They will make it sound compassionate, reasonable, and necessary. And refusing it will look irrational. You will be called a conspiracy theorist. You will be called selfish. You will be excluded from employment, banking, health care, and basic commerce. The social pressure will be immense. 

But the Bible is direct about what happens to those who take it. 

 Revelation 14:9 to 11. If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever. And they have no rest, day or night, who  worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name. 

 No rest day or night forever. This is not temporary discipline. This is eternal irreversible separation from God. Taking the mark is not just a bad decision. It's a final decision. It is the deliberate choice to reject Jesus Christ and align yourself with the Antichrist system with full knowledge of what you are doing. The Bible does not just warn us about the mark. It tells us about the people who will refuse it and their identity is not a mystery. They are the ones whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

Revelation 13:8 says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship the beast except those whose names are written in the book. They are the ones who preach Jesus Christ and refuse to worship the beast." 

Revelation 20:4 describes believers who are  beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image. They had not received his mark. They are the ones who keep God's commandments and remain faithful to Lord Jesus Christ. 

Revelation 14:9-11 warns that anyone who worships the beast and receives its mark will face God's wrath and eternal torment. This passage emphasizes the serious consequences of rejecting God and aligning with the antichrist.

Revelation 14:12 calls for patient endurance from the people of God who keep His commands. 

 They are the ones who love Jesus Christ more than their own lives. 

Revelation 12:1 says, "They overcame the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even unto death. They are the 144,000 sealed by God with the Father's name on their foreheads. 

God's mark, not the beast's. And they are the victorious. 

Revelation 15:2 describes those who gain victory over the beast, over his image, over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing before God with his harp in their hands. 

 They are not superheroes. They're ordinary believers who made an extraordinary choice. 

They chose  faithfulness over survival. 

They chose Jesus Christ over comfort. 

They chose eternal life over temporary safety. 

And the reward is staggering. They lived and reigned with Lord Jesus Christ for a thousand years. 

Let's be direct about this. Refusing the mark of the beast will cost you everything in this world. Your job, your bank account, your ability to buy food, possibly your freedom, and possibly your life. 

 Taking the mark of the beast will cost you everything in eternity. Your soul, your relationship with God, your hope forever. 

There is no compassion between these two losses. One is temporary, the other is permanent. One ends when this age ends, the other never ends. 

Jesus Christ asks the question himself in Mark 8:36. 

 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? 

 The mark of the beast will offer you the whole world. Security, provision, access, participation, everything you need to survive in the system. But it will cost you the only thing that matters. So here is where we are. 

 Implantable payment chips are in human hands right now. 

Biometric digital identity systems are scanning irises in American cities.

 Programmable digital currencies are launching across the globe. Brain computer interfaces are reading human thoughts. 

And artificial intelligence is being positioned to coordinate all of it into a single integrated system of control. 

The mark of the beast is not here yet. The antichrist has not been revealed. The tribulation has not begun. 

 But the infrastructure, the technology, the financial systems, the political frameworks, the cultural conditioning is being built in plain sight. 

And very soon the choice will be forced on everyone. Take the mark and keep your place in the system or refuse it and lose everything except your soul. 

 If you have not yet given your life to Jesus Christ, do not wait. Right now, today, salvation is free. Jesus Christ already paid the price. 

Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God 21:19 has raised him from the dead, you will be saved." If you already know Jesus, stand firm. Study the Word. Build your faith now while the cost of following  Jesus Christ is still manageable. Because the day is coming when it will cost everything. 

 And the only people who will stand are the ones whose foundation was built before the storm hit. Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world. 

 Do not be afraid. Do not take the mark of the beast. 

 Do not worship the beast. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust that the God who saved your soul will sustain your life until he calls you home. 

The last days are no doubt upon us. The Bible has been clear with regards to the people we would find in this time. 

The first group of people are the indifferent type.

The state of society during the last days can be summed up in the scripture Matthew 24:12, which states,"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." 

 When Jesus came to fulfill the law, the law was  consolidated into two commands. To love the Lord with one's whole heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. 

 And so naturally, the absence of love would be a telltale sign of the end of days. As we can see today, in many parts of the world, lives are no longer valued. There is a lack of human compassion, a lack of kindness between  people. 

Jesus Christ commanded us to love others as ourselves. People's failure to give adequate love to others is simply a reflection of their failure to love even themselves adequately. But how can one truly love oneself without appreciating the love of God towards us? 

   We need to appreciate that the blood of Jesus Christ paid for your sins and the sins of every person on this earth. Now, if you think that you should be treated a certain way because of the price that Christ paid for you, then you should also show this same treatment to your neighbour. You should also love your neighbor in the same way that you are loved by the Lord. We are alI the image bearers of Christ and so lawlessness should never be found in our lives and the love in our hearts should most certainly never grow cold. 

Another group of people that you will find in the last days are the mockers. 

We should be cautious that these people do not draw us away from the faith. The Amplified Translation for 2 Peter 3:3-4 states, "First of all, know without any doubt that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following their own human desires, form, and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? What has become of it?" For ever since the fathers (of the faith) fell asleep in death, all things have continued exactly as they did from the beginning of creation. 

  Ironically, instead of being grateful for ample time to act in faith and live a life pleasing to God, people will mock  those who are preparing for the Lord's return. If I were them, l'd be glad that I had extra time to prepare. 

But that's not how they see it. and consider the elusive nature of time. Sometimes we have to run because we are late or because we are afraid of being late or because we're trying to beat the occurrence of something undesirable. 

 These are all instances of human limitations. 

 For example, if Lazarus was our friend and we heard he was dying, we would likely move with alacrity to see him. Alacrity comes from the Latin word alacer, meaning “lively” or “eager,” and suggests physical quickness coupled with eagerness or enthusiasm.

We would run to him immediately. However, Jesus Christ was not like us. He did not respond in this way. He loved Lazarus. 

 Yet, he decided to stay away. 

Jesus's lateness could have been avoided as the scripture deliberately says that Jesus was nearby. 

 When he arrived, he was 4 days late. 

Jesus Christ had a direct link to the Father of time. So he knew that he could never be late. We should trust in God's timing and not fear. We should rest easy in the assurance that God is all powerful and fully in control. He has every intention to return to save us from this world. 

The naysayers can only think from a limited worldview while our GOD is not affected by time.

 The final group of people are the backsliders. 

 In fact, all types of people present in the last days can be encompassed in 2 Timothy 3:1 to 5. The Bible tells us that people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. 

 They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and have no self-control. 

 They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they wil reject the power that could make them godly. 

 Stay away from people like that. 

I'm sure as a Christian you feel an unction to address these people and keep them accountable in our associations with them. However, let us remember that no man can come to God except the Father draws him. 

Yes, you want to show off all your Bible school theology. You want to catch that difficult person in their own flawed theory and diminish it before their very eyes. But tell me, after you have proven this person wrong and shown yourself to be somewhat of a biblical scholar, how do they perceive your Saviour? 

Are you winning your argument but lose the lost sinner's soul?

Do they want to get to know this God who has saved them from their sins? 

Or has the conversation left a bad taste in their mouth? This is not to encourage you to have a lukewarm zeal for Christ and the spreading of the gospel. No, this is to remind you that you can win an argument but lose a soul. 

Remember that at the end of the day, the Holy Spirit takes the credit for the saved soul. 

It is the undeniable, indescribable pull of faith that brings a person to Christ, not a passionate debate.

 After all, without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith here is a revelation from God. 

 We have to be careful as believers that we don't backslide and fall into being unloving and unforgiving. 

 Don't be puffed up with pride and love pleasure rather than God. But in second Timothy 3, there is specific mention made of believers who will act godly but will be far away from the actual God. Do not get so bogged down by the appearance of being religious that you lose the reigns of your relationship with God. 

 Some of us have become so used to routine and keeping up appearances that we do not realize that we have become Christian caricatures. While we should be wary of the types of people the scripture warns us of, we should be wary that we haven't slowly and covertly become one of them ourselves. 

 We are never beyond correction especially in the last days. 8:41 

If you are ready to make that decision today, pray with me. 

🙏🏽 🙏🏽 

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for today. I thank you for your word that you have sent my way. I thank you today for being personal and intentional with me. 

I have heard your words today and they have struck me deeply. I have lived being comfortable making my own choices whether they were right or wrong. 

 I have most often carved my own path, made my own way. I didn't know any better, Lord. 

And yes, I do know there have been those times it seemed you were reaching out to me, calling out to me. I am sorry Lord for never really listening to what you were saying nor did I follow the direction in which you were leading in those times. 

That is why I come to you today with an open heart. 

Through your Word I have seen how much you care about each step I take. 9:50 You care not just about where l end up but also about the journey itself. 

You pay attention to how I walk, what I carry, what I leave behind, and who I become along the way. 

 Lord, I know your heart for me is good. 

You do not want confusion, destruction, or shame for me. You want to lead me into what is right, wise, fruitful, and pleasing to you. 

Lord, I know you want to be part of my daily decisions. 

You do not want me to call on you only when things go wrong or after I have tried everything else. 

You want to walk with me from the start, not just rescue me at the end. 

 You want to be there when l am choosing, planning, speaking, waiting, and moving. 

      You want to guide me before I make mistakes, not just comfort me afterward.

 So today l open every part of my life to you again. 

 Lord, you see much farther than I do. 

 You know more than l ever could. My view is limited, but yours is complete. 

 I only see what is right in front of me, but you see what is ahead, what is hidden, and what is still taking shape. 

 I can only guess, but you are certain. I may hope things will work out, but you already know the outcome. 

Even before l was born, you knew me. 

 Before I had dreams, you knew my purpose. 

 Before I made plans, you already understood the path that would shape me, make me stronger, and bring glory to your name. 

 So today I ask Lord please guide my steps. 

 Take control of my path. Lead me in the right direction as I go through both the easy and hard parts of life. 

Speak into my situations, my choices, my relationships, my work, 12:09 my desires, my timing, my thoughts, and my plans. 

 Keep me from walking blindly into places you want me to avoid.  Help me not to mistake my emotions for your guidance.  Do not let fear, pressure, pride, impatience, or other people's opinions guide me. 

 Teach me to recognize your peace, notice your warnings, and value your wisdom more than my own preferences. 

 I know that walking with you gives me an advantage.  It keeps me from guessing my way through life. 

 It saves me from carrying the full weight of decisions I was never meant to make alone. 

 When I give my way to you, I am not losing control out of fear. l am trusting my life to the One who sees clearly. I am not becoming weak but wise. I am not moving backward but earning to walk with the shepherd who knows the safest path. So today as I give my way to you I stand in faith knowing you lead me better than I could ever lead myself. 

 I also ask for grace to trust you Lord even as you lead me. I know I am enthusiastic and excited within me right now. But Lord, I also know that I am weak and my human heart contend to be fickle. 

l am stepping out into new waters today. 

So l ask earnestly that perhaps if at some point I am doubtful of the way in which you are leading me. Please open my eyes and my heart and help me to understand. 

 I also ask today that you help me to always bring my plans before you on the altar of prayer. 

Help me to commit my ways into your hands daily. 

 I don't just want you present in some parts of my life. I want you present in everything, every decision, every desire, every choice. And even as I start trusting you more today, let this day be a sign. Let this day be different for me. Thank you, Father, for answered prayers today in Jesus Christ name. Amen.

 

PSALM 138 (21st Century King James Version)

 Psalm 138

21st Century King James Version

138: ¹  I will praise Thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee.

² I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth, for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

³ In the day when I cried, Thou answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall praise Thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of Thy mouth.

⁵ Yea, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly, but the proud He knoweth afar off.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.

⁸ The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of Thine own hands.