Are you, or is someone you know, struggling somehow?

We all know people who are undergoing financial struggles, or who are suffering from health, lifestyle, marital problems, addiction, etc..

Whether they ask for prayer, or whether we simply offer to pray for them, we must always remember that nothing will change for them UNLESS they are employing YHWH's will and His Torah in their lives ... being responsible stewards of their money, their marriages, etc..

What I'm suggesting is that the only thing we can really pray for is for THEIR hearts to be changed! YHWH isn’t going to magically “fix” someone’s bad lifestyle habits, marriage, addiction problem, broken relationships, or their financial situation unless they are willing to make some changes in their own behavior.

Turning to YHWH is always the first step. But it also takes some effort on our parts. For instance, if we're prone to whipping out that credit card to buy whatever we want – then we MUST cut it up. Nip that habit in the bud!  If you can't afford to pay cash for it, don't buy it, unless it's an absolute necessity - something you cannot do without.

If you're addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, or whatever, and you cannot stop on your own, seek professional help. If you're overweight and wish to lose a few pounds, change your eating habits and start exercising. If you can't do it on your own, find a support group or professional help.

One huge deterrent to help you break a "bad" habit is to remember that your body is your TEMPLE! It's YHWH's Temple! Every time you feel the urge to abuse it in some way, remember, you're forcing the Holy Spirit to do it with you!

There are all sorts of little "tricks" to help you stay of His Path - but you first have to be WILLING and WHOLEHEARTED toward our awesome Creator. Everything we do should be for Him! (Colossians 3:17-24)

What has to happen is for each individual to seek HIM, repenting of their carnality and turning everything over to Him - and to begin DOING His Will, instead of just sitting around asking Him to bless whatever they’re doing, or to “fix” the messes they got themselves into by making unwise decisions.

Take a look at what Scripture says:

Matthew 25:20-21 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (ESV)

Matthew 25:20-21 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (ESV)

Luke 16:10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. (ESV)

Psalm 90: 1 A prayer of Moshe the man of God: Adonai, you have been our dwelling place in every generation. 2 Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, from eternity past to eternity future you are God. 3 You bring frail mortals to the point of being crushed, then say, "People, repent!"

4 For from your viewpoint a thousand years are merely like yesterday or a night watch. 5 When you sweep them away, they become like sleep; by morning they are like growing grass, 6 growing and flowering in the morning, but by evening cut down and dried up. 7 For we are destroyed by your anger, overwhelmed by your wrath.

8 You have placed our faults before you, our secret sins in the full light of your presence. 9 All our days ebb away under your wrath; our years die away like a sigh. 10 The span of our life is seventy years, or if we are strong, eighty; yet at best it is toil and sorrow, over in a moment, and then we are gone.

11 Who grasps the power of your anger and wrath to the degree that the fear due you should inspire? 12 So teach us to count our days, so that we will become wise. (CJB)