Breaking Strongholds of Fear that leads to Depression.

       "Don't you think I hear the whispers, those subtle lies, those angry pleas. They're just demons, demons, wishing they were free like me."- ( Diamonds)


   Fear is a prison. As I've made it through my first week back in college I've realized this. I look back at this past summer and see how captive to fear I was. I see even more clearly the walls of fear that imprisoned my heart because I chose to believe the lies of the enemy over the promises of God. I have also discovered that depression and anxiety reap a harvest of fear. As I submitted to it the walls of fear begin to rise up around my heart and blur my vision. I see that I was no loner looking through the lens of faith but through the lens of this dreadful fear. How did it all begin? A seed of fear was planted and I let it take root. I began to allow the enemy to water that depression with fear, doubt, and anxiety, and it began to grow all through my body, almost as if it was a parasite. The crazy thing is that I didn't even realize what was happening. I didn't realize that fear was overtaking my heart and mind. As the summer continued the fear got stronger. I listened to every voice that fueled my fear and rejected every voice the tried to crush it. It's as if fear became my crutch. I listened to the voices that said "Sofia the promises of God don't apply to you,\."Sofia you're never going to be in a relationship that God has ordered because you won't be able to handle it."Sofia you're not supposed to be here, it's impossible." Sofia you're not going to be able to pay for school, why are you going to Liberty." Sofia are you sure of your major, are you sure that's what you're supposed to be doing it doesn't seem logical, you might just be wasting your time. Sofia you should stay home and not go back to school because your family is not in the best spiritual condition and you're supposed to carry them." Sofia I don't know if he is the right guy for you." FEAR. FEAR. FEAR. That is what each and every one of these statement put in my heart. They crushed me because I submitted to their weight and the walls went up around my heart and shut out Jesus. I didn't know what voice to believe and what voice to deny so I just shut all of them out. I felt heavy and is if the affection of the Lord was slowly drifting from me. But oh what a lie from the pit of hell that was!! It was towards the end of summer in the month of July that I talked to a special friend of mine on the phone, crying my heart out because of the pain I was in, and through their voice Jesus spoke to me and said "Sofia you have walls around your heart and I want to get in. I am repairing your voice and I will tear down every wall if you let me." The transformation began when I surrendered. When I realized all of the fear that I had built up around my heart and all of the lies I submitted to I began to say "Fix it Jesus!!!" Please God tear down these walls I give them to you.  I began to watch a sermon series from Elevation Church entitled "The Will of God is Whatever." And Jesus began to tear down the walls! I had this revelation that my mind needed to be corrected by God's Word and my heart needed to be directed by it. So I began to have conversation with God through reading His Word. I just say "God can you show me things in Your Word to break down fear." And He did just that. It was amazing. I could literally physically feel my hardened heart being softened. As I came back to school I was more confident but still struggling with some doubt. Even as I began seeing God's promises and faithfulness unfold in front of me I still would say to myself "Is this for me?" It was just a few days ago that a friend I had made my freshman year of college, who I hadn't talked to in months and who knew nothing of my situation, texted me out of nowhere this "The Lord has really just given me a heart for you the last several days and I want to say thank you for standing firm and praising Him whatever your lot showing and pointing to His always and forever love that goes on. He is bringing victory in your life. I sense it. Strongholds demolished and chains of fear broken for he has heard your cry and seen you seek His face and He is coming. For He does not delay!" When I tell you I started breaking down in tears right in the library. I literally felt the presence of God so strong and so thick that I began to get hot in my face and started shaking. Jesus is breaking through my fear, and doubt, and helping me to run towards His promises and commands with an open heart. Jesus is crushing my depression and rebuking my anxiety with the loud sound of His voice. Jesus is repairing my voice that I might not shrink back in fear to His voice that calls me deeper and further into the unknown with Him,but that  says "Yes God!" He is giving me a war cry that shuts the lying mouth of the enemy and the voices of the doubters in my life. As I fight against fear I know that the war has already been won by the blood of Jesus. I know that God is for me and that even as Satan tries to throw his flaming darts of depression, fear, and doubt at me, my shield of faith that has been refined from suffering and the truth of God's Word, will take those flaming darts and quench them before they can even take root in my heart and mind. I just want to encourage those of you that are struggling with fear or who have struggled with it. His perfect love cast out ALL FEAR. Jesus is for you. You don't have to be scared, you don't have to withhold your heart. This morning my pastor said "Sometimes you can only see the wilderness, but God has a Promise Land waiting for you." Believe the promise guys.Don't let the opinions of doubters or Satan dictate your decisions. If I would've listened I would not be at Liberty University right now and I would not be chasing after everything God is for me and has for me. I've come to realize this, It's not over until God says it's over. I'm not moving until God says move. As long as the Lord's provision stays and His Spirit continues to lead me in that direction I will follow. Fear is a prison and Jesus holds the key to set you free. He has done it for me and continues to do it for me. I know there will be days when I will feel the fear creep in and start to whisper lies but I know that Jesus is right next to me saying this over my life "You are precious to Me. You are honored, and I love you." - Isaiah 43:4 May you all have a blessed week full of the chain breaking love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - Sofia

"All your curse will surrender, every damning word will kneel, They're just mountains, mountains, about to turn into fields." -(Diamonds)

Craving Jesus. Loosing Comfort.

"Lord, help me to crave You more than I crave comfort." The Holy Spirit deposited this prayer in my spirit yesterday as I was sitting in the doctors office waiting room. I instantly wrote it down. It's funny that this very prayer that I would not fall into always being comfortable made me feel very uncomfortable.  I think it's really powerful when the Holy Spirit gives you something to pray because it's not your own will or flesh, but it's God praying through you. The last prayer Holy Spirit gave me to pray was "Jesus I want to live in your heartbeat." For some reason I feel like I'm getting ready to enter into a new season, even though it feels like I've only been in this season for a short amount of time.One thing I've learned is that when the Holy Spirit gives you something to pray and you are obedient to praying that God begins to move in ways you've never experienced. When I submitted to the prayer the Holy Spirit gave me back in January, God wrecked my world with His amazing love like I had never experienced before. In just these short two months my heart has touched Jesus' heart in ways that I never knew possible. God stepped in and redeemed all of the time that I spent not giving my heart fully to Him and restored every promise that the enemy had convinced me I lost. I'm so thankful that I serve a God who never forgets or breaks His promises to us even when we forget or break our promises to Him. He is so merciful! So now I sit wondering what this next season is going to bring. I have to be honest that this prayer scares me a little. I know I'm not alone in saying that I like to be comfortable. I like feeling secure and in control, but I know that God's plan for my life is not that I feel in control or secure because of myself. His plan is that I am terrified of myself being in control and finding security in earthly things. God wants me to find security in nothing else but Him. He wants me to have no control so that I can know it is my King who has all of the control. This is so hard! My flesh fights with my spirit daily over wanting to have control. My flesh so badly wants to have security in earthly possessions. I want to have a nice career, a successful ministry, a big beautiful family, a nice house, an awesome husband, and so on. There's nothing wrong with wanting these things but the problem is that my flesh wants to find security in these things. While my flesh is fighting to find security in these things I hear the Spirit of God say "No, find security in Me." I know that this prayer is dangerous to the kingdom of darkness because when a Christian asks God to be taken out of their comfort zone miracles happen, people get saved, Satan gets crushed, and the church breaks out in revival. So of course as this prayer comes out of my lips daily, I will face spiritual warfare. I believe if there's anything the enemy wants more than unsaved people, it's Christians that are afraid to live radical lives for Jesus. My message to Satan is basically the same as Jesus' "Get thee behind me!" The devil has absolutely NO authority. This past Sunday the guest preacher at my church said something that convicted me greatly. "Fear is idolatry." If you fear something it's because you think it is powerful, which means you are worshiping it, which is idolatry. God has called us to fear Him only and to worship Him only.  So with boldness I rebuke Satan and say bye to the spirit of fear. God has called me to something so much bigger than myself. He wants to know that He can have my heart fully which means I may have to go through some things that show that He does. It can be scary thinking that but I have to trust that God is sovereign and nothing happens that He does not allow. If we are always comfortable we may never know what it truly means to fully rely on Jesus. This does not mean that we should live in fear of what's to come, God is a good Father and I am learning to trust in that truth daily. I have a radical spirit, and I want to see that radical spirit overflow out of my life. I know that God has called me to preach and that He wants to push that radical spirit and birth a wave of glory everywhere I go. From what I've seen and heard giving  birth is not pleasant experience, it's painful, but oh the joy that overwhelms the parents when they get to hold that baby. I think it's the same thing in the supernatural. Birthing things in the spirit realm may be painful, but the immense joy that comes when the delivery has taken place! I'm in the business of kicking Satan's butt and seeing God's people restored with the power of Jesus Christ. I'm praying right now that I will relentlessly pursue Jesus and that God takes me out of my comfort zone so that revival can brake forth. By the power of Christ in me I want to be able to don anything for Jesus! I pray that this sparks something in you guys reading this. That you will get on your faces before God and say "Jesus what do you want me to do, where do you want me to go? I say yes!" Know that when you ask God this you may get an answer that you did not expect and you may not be comfortable with it, but also know that God loves you so much and He is not going to bring you anywhere that He is not. He is your Father, your awesome Dad who is your holding your hand and is going to bring  you to places you could never go on your own. I'm still learning this and even as I type God is opening my heart to His love. God may take us out of our comfort zone but He will never take us out of the comfort of His Spirit. Step out of comfort and into Jesus' heart beat today. It will reap an eternal reward that no devil in hell can steal. Thank you Jesus! -Sofia

"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the LORD." - Isaiah 66:9

Peace of Mind is Your Portion.

  "Where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow." - Isaiah 35:7

(Where there used to be no peace, victory, or flourishing. God promises He will replace it with flourishing land, peace, and His glory.)


Do you ever feel like you're constantly being tested? Just as soon as something starts going right in your life something else crashes in and makes every good thing seem like it has lost its goodness. I think this happens to all of us. We go through seasons and days where we feel like we are constantly being attacked and most of the time it doesn't even make sense. For example the other day I spent my morning worshiping on my face. I love getting down on my face before God,I experience Him in such an intimate way when I do that. Anyways I spent that morning seeking God's face and asking Him for nothing more than to wreck my life and fill me up till I'm overflowing, basically I was just crying out for more of Him. About ten minutes after leaving that posture of worship I found myself being spiritually attacked in my mind. I got upset and confused and said "God why am I feeling like this and thinking these things, why is my family struggling, I just came out of worship with you I don't understand." A few minutes later I heard Him say to me. "Sofia I don't think you understand you've asked me for the most dangerous thing against the enemy." The Holy Spirit began to deal with me and I realized that asking God to fill me up and take complete control is a serious weapon against the kingdom of darkness because seeing God's face is what sparks revival. It's what breaks chains and causes men and women to rise up and radiate the glory of God that others may get saved and come into the kingdom. Seeking God with this earnest abandonment of the heart causes reverberations of his glory to go out into your city, household, church, workplace and so on. The enemy can't handle that so he attacks. You know one thing the enemy love is a stale Christian. He loves a Christian that isn't burning with passion for the gospel and the tangible glory of God. Why? Because this kind of staleness produces churches where people walk in sick and leave sick, where people walked in dead in their sin and leave even more dead in their sin, where people walked in depressed, stressed, and worn out, and leave the same way. If Satan can't get someone to be a non believer he will try with all he can to get a believer to be dry. If you ask me that's even more dangerous. So when the cry of our hearts becomes "Fill me up God" we become an even bigger target. I have to be honest I struggle a lot with my mind. As the stress piles in and I get caught up in my flesh and everything else that's going on around me the battlefield of my mind begins. Thoughts of worry, anxiety, pain, and tragedy will randomly pop up in my mind. Things that shouldn't consume my mind consume it and I begin to get frustrated with myself. This is why God's Word is vital. When attacks like this start to flood my atmosphere there's two things I do  1)Plead the blood of Jesus. You can call it old school but I promise that it works. The blood of Jesus is what saved you and me from hell and broke every chain of sin and condemnation off of our lives. What makes us think it still is not just as powerful to take charge over our minds and say "Not today Satan I plead the blood of Jesus over my mind which is renewed in Jesus, these thoughts do not deserve to enter me, I am a child of God." 2) Declare the promises of God over your life. The promises of God are found in His word so in order for this to take place you must read His word. These words have life and power. When Jesus used the word of God against Satan in the dessert the devil had to flee. Satan can not stand against the wonder working power of the blood of Jesus and His word. Use it. 

It's not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes I would much rather cry and just sit in my thoughts and sometimes I do. We are human and it will happen. But I hold on to the fact that God is refining me. That through the battlefield of the mind and trials and tribulations God is building me and fighting for me. That's why this life can sometimes seem like a war. Because God and His angle armies are literally fighting for our souls and minds every single day as the kingdom of darkness tries to overtake it. The good news. Jesus has already won and the devil has been defeated. Praise God! Even when it may feel like Satan is winning know that is a lie from the devil himself. He will never win. Your portion is not a disturbed mind your portion is Jesus and Jesus is "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6).  Prince of Peace come and sit on out hearts and minds today. Transform us God and help us to pick up the sword of the spirit and shield of faith so that every attack on our minds from the enemy is  brought down to your feet and removed far from us. Fill us up God, so much to  the point that we are overflowing. In Jesus Name!

I pray that this doesn't just encourage you guys but that it makes you realize the power that lies within you and that we need to be people that seek the face of God and put the enemy in his place. We are not defeated. We are victorious. -Love Sofia.

Revival Is in the Air

Jesus is a chain breaker. That's all I can think of on this Sunday as the week ends. This week has been challenging and full of hurt and emotion. What's amazing though is that the devil set this week up to be binding and empty, but God turned it around for good and made it freeing and full of His Spirit. At the beginning of this week I found myself with a crushed spirit and hurting heart, and now the week is coming to an end and I'm finding myself with a renewed spirit. It's all because of Jesus. This week at my school (Liberty University) we had the amazing opportunity of witnessing the launch of Propel Women. Christine Caine's new ministry initiative to launch women into the workspace usisng their God given talents and abilities to bring people to the saving grace of Jesus. It was such a powerful week full of teaching from some of the coolest, God loving people ever. Oh and not to mention Christine Caine and Beth Moore brought a powerful word that wrecked me and birthed out things in me that I didn't even realize existed. On top of all of that I finally found my church home. It's such an answer of prayer. I've been longing to get plugged in with a church and people my age who are on fire for God and embrace the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and the gifts he has given to the church. It feels so good to be divinely placed by God and know it because of His overwhelming peace. Basically I've been so poured into and wrecked by the Spirit this week. God is so faithful and even in the midst of heartache and a crushed spirit He meets me where I am, touches my heart and gives me grace through the good and bad. It's not always easy, sometimes we struggle for long periods of time. But God is doing something. He's shifting things and as uncomfortable as that might be the outcome is going to be glory.   Revival is in the air because chains are being broken off and the miraculous is happening. I'm believing that as I pursue God this month a fresh anointing is going to be released and miracles, signs and wonders are going to breakout all around me. I'm believing this is the year of God's presence and my prayer is that I know Jesus like I never have before and fall deeper in love with my bridegroom, Jesus, the lover of my soul. Praying that you guys are blessed and released into the world to be an encourager to others as the Holy Spirit breaks away your stone heart and renews the spirit within you. Trust me He will do it all you have to say is "yes Lord have Your way, have my heart."
  I finished reading the book of Genesis this week and this verse just wrecked my heart and spoke to me right in the middle of my situation. God is so good.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."- Genesis 50:20

This is me and my lovely roomate Katarina. I just wanted to brag on her lovelinss and how much she has helped me this week. She's the best and so are her shoes. 

Salvation is So Sweet.

But I will sing of Your power, Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning: For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. - Psalm 59:16

I am so thankful for the cross. I'm so thankful that my salvation isn't earned or obtained by works but that it is obtained through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. I am so thankful for the cross. There is nothing else that can save me. Being a good person, making good decisions, getting baptized, going to church twice a week, none of these things give me salvation or put my name in the book of life. Only Jesus. Only by His mercy, grace, and sacrifice is our salvation available. It's so glorious. What's even crazier is that when we accept Christ to be Lord over our hearts, and lives, he fills us with the Spirit and changes our values to His values so that those things I just listed above become apart of our lives; not apart of steps to salvation but a result of salvation. It's one of the craziest things in the world. And I am so thankful for it. Reading this bible verse this morning really encouraged me and refreshed my spirit. I have just been going and going this week. With non stop work, randomly getting sick, and feeling drained because I've allowed myself to worry and stress but not trust God, I've been discouraged. That's one of the reasons I love God's word. It is alive and active and literally takes a discouraged heart and brings power and truth. Today in convocation at school our campus pastor shared with us that a girl we had been prying for who got hit by a car a few weeks ago had a 25% chance of recovery. Now the doctors are saying she is going to fully recover. Praise the Lord for turning that 25 to an 100! God is our defense. He covers us in the shadow of his wings and makes Himself a refuge for the worried, broken, hurting, and sick . So I've made up in my mind by the life changing power of the Holy Spirit to worship God regardless of what I feel, to take time all throughout my day to just say "thank you Jesus." His mercy is new everyday, it sustains and makes me whole. I encourage you guys as I encourage myself to sing of God's greatness and power everyday. Even if you have no idea what your future holds, even if you're in the hurt, wondering, waiting. Continue in thanksgiving and constantly remind yourself of the cross. Praise is a weapon against the enemy and a fragrant sacrifice to God. Use it and rest in the fact that your sins are forgiven and your name is written in the book of life. - Sofia

Pumpkins, Waterfalls, and the Holy Ghost

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you all have had a good week so far. My week has been crazy! God has really been moving in a extremely supernatural way over the past few weeks in my life and roommates. He has just been teaching us so much more about His Spirit and has been taking us so deep into the miraculous. Just this past week money supernaturally filled my roomies bank account and wallet. The power of the Holy Spirit has just broken out and I am seriously overwhelmed with amazement on how it is spreading like wildfire in the lives of people around me. Friday night me and my roomette Kat went to a revival glory outpouring service at a church here in Lynchburg. It was indescribable. The Holy Spirit cam, baptized our hearts in His spirit, filled us, renewed us. Then I began to pray for Kat and the Holy Spirit started prophesying through me to her and about her life and things to come. It was miraculous. I am just so in love with Jesus. It is only by Hi's blood and grace that these things are able to become a reality. Seeing the kingdom of God here and now is beautiful and seeing my roommate's who I have grown to love in such a short amount of time experience these things for the first time and be filled with His Spirit like never before is incredible and I wouldn't trade it for anything. That's what this life is all about, serving Jesus and seeing people changed by his love and glory. God has set my heart on fire for ministry and seeing it manifest right in front of my eyes is crazy and wonderful. Today I got to go on my first every Virgina hike and saw the most beautiful waterfalls it reminded me of this verse. "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:38 The living water is the Holy Spirit and the only way for it to overflow out of us and into others is to drink from Jesus. Drink him in, take in his free gift, and the miraculous will happen. Revivals has broken out and this is only the beginning. Jesus we only want more and more of you. Pour out Your Spirit like never before."I may be weak, but Your Spirit is strong in me. My flesh may fail but my God you never will."

Oh and by the way today I went to a real pumpkin patch. As in the pumpkins were actually growing out of the ground. It was amazing. (I've never been to one before)-

Love Sofia

Be Holy

                                              Holiness is still important to God.

I think sometimes  the word holy can be very intimidating when it applies to us and I think that's why so many people in the church skip over the part of God calling us to be holy. I know that for me as I got deeper in my walk with God and realized that He was calling me to be holy I was very discouraged. How am I supposed to be holy? Isn't God the only holy one? How does he expect me, a sinner, to maintain holiness?   "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:15-16.   and "without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14. It's very clear when reading the bible that holiness is essential and very important to God. These scriptures can be very intimidating until you realize what Jesus has done in order for holiness to be achieved in your life and who the Holy Spirit is.  First of all to be holy means to be set apart, separated from sin, and  in communion with God. One thing we have to realize is holiness can not be accomplished with our efforts or with our own selves. Holiness starts at the feet of Jesus. Jesus' blood was shed to wash us clean of our sins, to make us blemish free and blameless before God. When we are covered in the blood of Jesus our tainted souls and stain bearing spirits are removed and replaced with the perfection of Jesus Christ. Wow. God is so good. If we do not constantly keep our selves at the feet of Jesus we can not be set apart and presented holy and blameless before God. Accepting Jesus into your life is the first step but now you have to continually be in fellowship with him everyday with prayer, worship, sacrifice, and reading His word. Without these things sin will still control your life which makes holiness impossible. Another thing we have to understand is the extreme importance of the Holy Ghost. Holiness can not be achieved without having the Holy Spirit living inside of you. The Holy Spirit sanctifies.  "who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood." 1 Peter 1:2  The Holy Spirit does many things but one thing He does that is critical to us maintaining salvation is separating us from the sins of this world and consecrating us to God. It's kind of amazing. God requires us to be holy, we clearly see form scripture that without holiness, separation from sin, we can not see God. But He doesn't leave us on our own. God doesn't say "alright well you've got to be holy, good luck hope you make it." He says something more along the lines of "You're my child and I have called you to be apart of a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I know there is no way you can do it so I sent my son to die for you and wash you clean, so you can live by his example, and I've sent my spirit to live in you so that I might make your body my home and purify your heart, set you apart, and make you holy like me." We are not alone! In the process of being sanctified and made more like Jesus each and every day we are enabled with the power of the Holy Spirit to say no to sin, to leave things that separate us from God and taint the purity and holiness He has called us to. Holiness is still important. Saying no to drugs, removing foul language from our lips, keeping our bodies pure from sexual immorality and our minds from lust, dressing modestly and presentable, staying humble, loving one another. All of these things are important to God! Why? Because the more we deny ourselves and the sinful things of this world, the more we become like Jesus, the more we are able to witness to one another the glorious and marvelous love of our Savior. So to all of my brothers and sisters in Christ let us not put holiness at the bottom of our list, let us leave things that separate us from God and taint the purity and holiness He has called us to. lets not get it out of our hearts and minds the critical importance of a holy life, let us not neglect coming to the feet of Jesus everyday and  being filled with the Holy Ghost so that our lives can be sanctified. Remember that God is our provider, yes He has called us to be holy but He has not called us to do it alone. He is there every step of the way.Have a blessed day. Love you guys. ~Sofia

Jehovah- Nissi

   Hi everyone! I hope you all are having a good week so far. With high school slowly starting to come to an end for me, I'm finding myself having more work than I've had through my whole high school career! Everything from 8 page research papers, to tons of college papers, scholarships, payments, and test to take can get pretty overwhelming. I am so thankful that I am able to enter into the rest of Jesus. Without His peace and guidance I would literally go crazy. In this new season of spiritual intimacy and prayer I've entered, God has revealed some different  things to me. One of these things are His characteristics and who He is to me and for me.

 Jehovah-Nissi means "The Lord is my banner." Jehovah, meaning Lord, and Nissi, meaning "refuge, exaltation, banner." As I came across the names of God this one really stuck with me and as I searched it up in the bible God poured His love and revelation into my heart. In Exodus 17:8 The Amalekites go to war and attack the Israelites. Moses orders Joshua to take some of the men and go fight against the Amalekites and says "Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill and with the staff of God in my hands" (9). So Joshua went and fought the Amalekites and Moses went and sat on a hill with Aaron and Hur. The interesting thing is this "As long as Moses held up up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning," (11). So basically when he was holding up his hands he was getting victory but when he lowered his hands he was being defeated. This has such a deep meaning. Moses wasn't just lifting up his hands randomly., he was lifting them up to God offering a sacrifice of worship and prayer.Think about a time you were at church and saw people lifting their hands during worship, that's probably what Moses looked like in that moment. When Moses's hands were lifted victory was established and poured out on the Israelites, but as soon as those hands of worship and praise came down defeat also came down upon the Israelites. This passage shows the value of offering ourselves to God as a living sacrifice and what can come of it. As the passage continues it says "But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him. and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side; and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun, (12)." Sometimes it get's hard to worship. We find ourselves getting beat up by our emotions and the world. We become weak and our hands and heart grow so heavy that we just don't think we can praise anymore. That's when we need to sit on the stone. I'm talking about the cornerstone, who is Jesus. When Moses's hands became heavy he sat on top of a stone. When I read this it all just hit me, this stone represents Jesus. Our strength, our fortress. Without continually turning to him ,and sitting upon His word of truth our hands become heavy and we can no longer find ourselves able to worship. He is our strength. We have to rest upon Him or we won't rest at all. Not only did Moses sit on the stone but his companions Aaron and Hur supported him. Helping him to lift his hands up. To me this represents having people in your life that will point you to Jesus even when things are hard. Aaaron and Hur could have let Moses struggle and watch the Israelites be defeated but they stepped in and helped their friend offer a sacrifice of worship to God. That's beautiful and that is true friendship.  So guess what happened after all of this "Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword," (13). When I read this I couldn't help but praise God. Joshua overcame. Because of Moses' sacrifice of praise to God they overcame adversity. "Moses built an alter and called it. The Lord is my Banner. He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord, (15-16)." God is our Banner. He fights for us and lifts us up when we are weak. Moses gave direct glory to God after this victory. He built Him and altar! And basically said "God is my protector, my fighter, my banner, my strength. I lifted my hands up to Him and look what He did. Not only did He give me the strength to carry on but He gave us the victory." Today know that God is fighting for you. When it seems hard to lift your hands in praise sit yourself upon the Rock of Ages, the cornerstone, the word of God, Jesus. When we are weak we are made strong in the Saviors love. Offer yourselves to God and He will pour out victory, strength and more than you could ever imaging. Thank you God for being our Banner our Jehovha-Nissi.    "Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them- living and breathing God!" Romans 8:5 (MSG)

Here are the names of God found in the bible. Study them and see what God has to say about your life and what He has to say about Himself. They will reveal the intimacy of God and what He has in store for your life. 

                                 Love,
                                         Sofia