Tag Archives: forgive

OUTSMARTING SATAN Poem Devotional

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October 25________________________________________
When I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
-2 Corinthians 2:10-11(NLT)
OUTSMARTING SATAN
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you know that you have a hidden enemy who attacks you?
You need to live in God’s truth and have your minds renewed
Satan’s out to destroy and create havoc and confusion in your life
Un-forgiveness gives a foothold to the devil and snuffs off God’s light.
When you harbor resentment and do not forgive others
You are the one who will actually be affected and suffer
To outsmart the enemy, you need to forgive right away
Abide in Jesus and you will never be corrupted and swayed.
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How do you strategize so you can win a contest, a battle or competition? First, you have to know your enemy or the other people involved in the competition if it was one. Then you have to equip yourself so that you have a big chance to win it. Next, you exercise and build up your discipline and bodies if it was a marathon or physical contest. Not knowing your enemy’s tactics, capabilities and schemes will not ensure a winning stance.
The bible says that one of the biggest ways we can outsmart Satan is by forgiving others who have wronged us. This keeps him out of our heart’s door.
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PRAYER
Lord, give me a repentant and forgiving heart always.
REFLECTION
How can forgiveness keep our heart’s door shut towards the devil?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

FORGIVENESS ONLY THROUGH CHRIST Poem Devotional

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September 3________________________________________
“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.” – Acts 13:38(NLT)
FORGIVENESS ONLY THROUGH CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
If you think you can forgive others easily
You’re wrong, only Christ can grant mercy
Without faith in him, it is impossible to forgive
Go and request his grace and learn to receive.
Jesus died on the cross to pardon our sins
No other gods have conquered death and win
Through his blood, we can have grace to forgive
Commit your life to him, and constantly believe.
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The hardest thing to do is to forgive someone you love who has betrayed you. I have been betrayed by many loved ones. It was many years before I realized that it took a while for me to forgive others. Just saying “I forgive them Lord” didn’t really mean I wasn’t going to go through the process of healing the pain it inflicted on me. It took even longer to forgive myself for allowing these people to abuse, minimize and neglect me. When I became born again, I suddenly got revelations that I was forgiving the “worldly” way. I learned that when I have forgiven someone, I have already discarded the list of wrongs they have done to me.
The bible tells us that we can only forgive because God loved and forgave us first. Without him, it’s impossible to forgive.
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PRAYER
Lord, grant me grace to forgive easily.
REFLECTION
Who was that person who was most challenging to forgive? How did you eventually grant that person forgiveness?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

LIVE IN CHRIST’S AUTHORITY Poem Devotional

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March 13
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And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
– 2 Corinthians 2:10-11(NLT)
LIVE IN CHRIST’S AUTHORITY
A poem and essay by ILMA
When we commit our lives to Christ
We receive his grace in our new life
We can only forgive when his spirit allows
We have no power if we don’t praise him and bow.
Live in the authority that Christ gave you
Don’ live in the old for you are already made new
Obedience to God’s will exposes Satan’s schemes
He will no longer be able to tempt us to sin.
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Some believers still find it difficult to forgive. I think one of the reasons why they struggle with granting forgiveness is because they don’t quite grasp the unfathomable love of God for all his children. Their views may have been influenced by their unpleasant experiences with authority figures and caregivers.
One of the ways we can keep the enemy away in our lives is through obedience and seeking God’s word and his will. Once we meditate on his words day and night, we will begin to comprehend why obedience is vital to growth. When we rebel, we miss out the promises he gave us and open doors for the enemy to plot against us. Let us declare the authority we have in Christ Jesus.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the authority you have over my life.
REFLECTION
How can we exercise the authority of Christ especially in unpleasant circumstances?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

FORGIVE AS YOU ARE FORGIVEN Poem Devotional

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November 12
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Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. – Colossians 3:13(NLT)
FORGIVE AS YOU ARE FORGIVEN
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you easily get offended with others’ fault?
Make allowance for one another’s mistakes
Forgive others as you were forgiven by God
Don’t hold on to resentment, indifference or hate.
Remember that Christ has died on the cross
He sacrificed his life so you won’t be lost
He grants you fresh mercy each morning
Don’t give in to offense; count your blessings.
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When people experience abuse and was treated harshly, they either become abusive or embrace the victim role. In my case, I assumed the victim role for many years. I got attracted to abusive people and somehow allowed myself to be victimized over and over again. When the Lord revealed to me the stronghold of violence in my life and healed me from the pain, I learned to receive his mercy. I was very easily offended before I became a born again Christian. I saw things in the filter of the abuses I went through.
The bible tells us that we need to make allowances for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends us. Paul reminds us to meditate on how God forgave our sins so we can emulate his generosity to grant mercy right away.
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PRAYER
Lord, grant me a heart that easily forgives.
REFLECTION
Why is forgiveness essential in relationships?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

CONFESS AND BE FORGIVEN Poem Devotional

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May 29________________________________________
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. – 1 John 1:9 (NLT)
CONFESS AND BE FORGIVEN
A poem and essay by ILMA
What have you done that needs confessing?
Is it a stronghold that you are constantly doing?
If you confess your sins to him, he will forgive you
He is the only one who can cleanse you and renew.
As soon as God convicts you when you sin
Get down on your knees, repent and confess it
He is faithful and just to pardon you immediately
Don’t delay, declare and ask for forgiveness instantly.
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The trouble with some believers is that we sometimes take a long time to hear the Spirit’s conviction when we sin. When we don’t hear the voice that tells us to confess and repent, we endanger our hearts and digging ourselves into more sins. Confession is a grace given to us by God so that we can always start with a clean slate when we get down on our knees. The bible says that if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all our wickedness. It is our gateway to get back into relationship with the Lord and spiritually mature. It is one way of guarding our hearts. Confessing and repenting right away slams the door to Satan.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the gift to be able to confess our sins.
REFLECTION
Why is confession integral in our walk as a believer?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com