Have you ever come to the conclusion that there was something in your life that you very much wanted but that it seemed impossible to happen? You thought about it, you dreamed about it yet you accepted the fact that it will never happen.  The dictionary defines the word ‘impossible’ as ‘incapable of being or incapable of occurring.” I’m sure that many of you feel that way or have felt that way in the past. You have asked God for the impossible because there is no way you could bring it to pass on your own. And, it doesn’t have to be something materialistic; it could be your not being able to forgive a certain person for something they did in the past to you. Or, it could be you need a healing miracle for yourself or a loved one. But the good news is that because of Jesus Christ we always have hope; Why? Because with God ‘all things are possible.’ That dream, that forgiveness, that healing, they are all possible.

So the question is – How do we get there from here? How do we move from impossible to possible? The answer is not difficult at all – the answer is PRAYER! Prayer is the key that opens the spiritual doors to the ‘all things are possible’ in the kingdom of God. When life overwhelms us, the best thing we can do is keep our eyes upon Jesus. Jesus wants to encourage us; He wants to lift us up and He wants to give us strength when we need it. You will be encouraged; your burdens seem lighter and you find strength after you have spent time in prayer. This is what being in the presence of the Lord will do for you. Do you realize that no matter what you have prayed about – no matter how impossible it appears to be – God is able to do more than that? With God you always get more!

We serve the God of the impossible, and we should pray impossible prayers with confidence. Prayer brings us peace and when we pray and know it’s God’s will, we are given a peace that passes all understanding. God created the universe and continues to hold it together. How much more can He do with your life if you believe that He is able! God is able but you won’t experience this if you do not make prayer a part of your everyday life. I encourage you to pray impossible prayers – to launch out into the deep and pray God-sized prayers. God loves it when we pray for the impossible, when we believe Him for things that are beyond our abilities. He is looking for those with faith who will still press through in prayer when the going seems absolutely impossible. Faith is always praying. Prayer is always believing. Give God everything that seems impossible to you and believe that He is the God of the impossible.

Have you ever done something that you thought was special for another person and they in turn just took it for granted – they never thanked you for doing it?  As we approach Thanksgiving this week, let’s all remind ourselves of what we should be thankful for. Psychologists tell us that sincere gratitude or thanksgiving is the healthiest of all human emotions.  They say that gratitude produces more positive emotional energy than any other attitude in life.  You see the act of giving thanks is not only good for the giver but also good for the person on the receiving end.   When people are not grateful they tend to complain more and that is not good because not only does God hear your words of gratitude, He also hears your words when you complain and He doesn’t like it.  Numbers 11:1 says “And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it.”

The Masai Tribe in Africa have a unique way of expressing their gratitude.  When they want to say thank you to someone who has helped them, they quietly sit on the ground in front of the hut of the person who did them the favor for hours at a time.  They are not only telling the person how thankful they are, but they are also showing the whole tribe how grateful they are.  Ungratefulness is one of the worst of all sins especially when we enjoy the blessings of life, food, home, friends, health, and live in a land of freedom and never even say “thank you” to God. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

I don’t think we can ever give too much praise and glory to God.  Our hearts should be over-flowing with thanksgiving for who He is, what He has already done and what He has planned for our future.  I pray that our hearts will turn back to God and we will once again give God pre-eminence in our lives. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” Now is a good time for the people of God to humble ourselves, pray and seek His face to bring unity, love and peace to this divided nation.  If we don’t, then who will?

Words are incredibly powerful. They can build up, encourage, and motivate or they can also tear down and deeply hurt others.  Our words will either create something good and positive, or they will create something negative – something we really don’t want. Proverbs 18:21 says “death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”  The success or failure of a Christian is based on the positive or negative confessions they make on a daily basis.  A true confession of faith will always agree with the Word of God so we must learn to speak words that are positive and encouraging.  Your faith will never rise above the level of your positive confessions.

An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them to make it through the day.  A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill their spirit to the point that they give up and stop trying.  When Jesus was being tempted by Satan in the desert,  He used words only from scripture to fight and resist the devil.  He knew the power and force behind the words that are God-breathed.   With our words we can agree with God or agree with the devil; the choice is ours to make.  It is easy and uncaring to speak ungodly words, but it takes real effort and desire to speak words of love and faith.

God does not want us to use our words as a weapon to tear another person down. He wants us to use our words to bless others.  Jesus says in Matthew 5:44, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” We should not under-estimate the value of an encouraging word for it just may provide great comfort at just the right time to make a big difference in someone’s life.  I’m sure that you can remember a time when you were at the end of your rope ready to give up and someone crossed your path that day with a word that lifted your heart and gave you the boost you needed to hang on just a little while longer.

Job 22: 28 says “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy way.” Exercise your faith and build God’s word into your life. The power behind God’s word will change your circumstances; it will even change the atmosphere around you. Speak positively not only for yourself but for those around you who might be struggling with the challenges of life who need to hear words of faith and receive hope that only you can give them.

How are we able to believe that God does indeed have a destiny for us when the pressures of life make us think that our destiny is out of our reach?  I can assure you that every one of us has a destiny and it is God’s ultimate plan for your life.  Jeremiah 29:11says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Too often people allow adversity to become the final verdict over their lives.  They faithfully poured themselves into something that was close to their heart only to one day see that it did not turn out to be what they had envisioned. There is a feeling of defeat that can penetrate your soul that could cause you to question your self-worth, let alone think that you have a bright future.  This would be true if we allow the enemy to have his way but Romans 8:37 tells us “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Because we are more than conquerors, we have more than enough within us to walk into the destiny that God has already ordained for our life.

One factor that can hinder you while you are pursuing your destiny is negative words from others.  Many times others can see your destiny even when you can’t, and if it’s a person that does not want to see you succeed, chances are, they won’t have any problem offering words of discouragement.  Words like: “I’ve seen a lot of people fail in that area.”  Or “you don’t have enough experience.”  I suggest that you use wisdom and discernment in determining who you should share your hopes and dreams with.  Ask the Lord to make you as wise as a serpent yet harmless as a dove, as stated in Matthew 10:16.  In the fullness of time the will of God will be done in your life, but can you fight the good fight of faith and endure to the end?

God’s destiny for you will not change.  God cannot change.  He made a promise and God is a promise keeper.  We must learn not to measure the power of God by our circumstances.  God’s destiny for you isn’t based on how you feel, or what you are going through or what you can’t see ahead of you.  You might think that you are stuck in a situation and that nothing good lies in your future, but nothing is further from the truth!  You don’t know the end of your story; it hasn’t happened yet.  Be assured that God has a plan to take you from where you are now to where He has planned for you.  Trust Him and never doubt no matter what it looks like right now.