Grace is available when you need it!
Power, ability, and motivation is available from God when you need it. Sometimes we *know *we need help, and in those situations, God urges us to come before his throne and to receive the grace that we need to triumph in every situation.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
At other times, we may *not *be aware of the need for greater power from God. In those times, God generously gives more grace to us so that we can always triumph in Christ Jesus and accomplish our purposes in life according to His will.
“With great power the apostles continued their teaching. They were telling people that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. And God’s grace was working powerfully in all of them.”—Acts 4:33 (NIRV)
“Now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you about the grace of God which has been evident in the churches of Macedonia [awakening in them a longing to contribute]; for during an ordeal of severe distress, their abundant joy and their deep poverty [together] overflowed in the wealth of their lavish generosity. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily, begging us insistently for the privilege of participating in the service for [the support of] the saints [in Jerusalem].”—2 Corinthians 8:1-4 (AMP)
“But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more.”—Romans 5:20 (NIRV)
“But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation].”—James 4:6 (AMP)
“God has the power to provide you with more than enough of every kind of grace. That way, you will have everything you need always and in everything to provide more than enough for every kind of good work.”—2 Corinthians 9:8 (CEB)
If you only ask God for one thing to start with, let it be grace! When you have God’s grace, you will want to do God’s will. You will have the desire to accomplish your purpose in life, and you will have the power and ability you need to fulfill your destiny!
You Must Qualify to Receive Grace
But there is a very important condition. God will only give grace to those who are humble. He resists those who are proud. If you are proud, God will actually oppose you.
“Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”—James 4:6 (AMP)
God hates pride, as we are told in Proverbs 6:16-17. If you want to receive the power, ability, and motivation that you must have in order to fulfill your life’s purpose, you must always keep in mind that everything you are, and everything you have, came from God and from others. There is no such thing as a self-made man. Think about it. Everything you have and everything that you are today can be traced back to something that you received from God, or from your parents, or from your teachers, or mentors, or friends, or others. You are only building on what others have given you and what others have allowed you to become. If you ever mistakenly start thinking that you are something great in and of yourself, God will oppose you, and you will lose any hope of fully accomplishing your life’s purpose until you come back to your senses. This was the experience of the greatest king in the history of the world, as we are told in Daniel chapter 4.
We’ve already seen this in James 4:6, but this truth is so important for us to understand that it is stated, not just once; not even twice; but three times in different books of the Bible. This is significant because, as we are told in 2 Corinthians 13:1, “Every fact shall be sustained and confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (AMP).
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”—1 Pet 5:5 (ESV)
“Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.”—Proverbs 3:34 (NKJV)
Be Strong in Grace!
**“**So you, my son, be strong [constantly strengthened] and empowered in the grace that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus.”—2 Timothy 2:1 (AMP)
“Do not be carried about by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace”—Hebrews 13:9 (AMPC)
“My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.”—1 Peter 5:12 (NLT)
**“**but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”—2 Peter 3:18 (AMP)
Grace Enables Your Life to Glorify God!
As you learn to cooperate with the specific grace of God that has been given to you to guide, motivate and empower you to fulfill your purpose according to God’s will, your life will bring glory to God!
**“**Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of you, and you will be honored because of him. This can happen only by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”—2 Thessalonians 1:12 (ERV)
Be Empowered!
It is remarkable to see how many times in the apostle’s New Testament letters that they included blessings of grace for those who received their letters, as the Holy Spirit inspired them to write. Grace, more than any other quality or power, was what the apostles (and the Holy Spirit) desired for the disciples to have.
It is important for us to keep in mind that these original letters from the apostles were intended to be read aloud to the disciples. There were no printing presses or copy machines in their day that would allow quick and easy distribution of these letters in writing. It is very significant to realize that almost every written communication from the apostles included a blessing of grace that was intended to be read aloud to the hearers.
These written blessings, when they were read aloud to the hearers, carried an impartation of grace that delivered the desire, the power, and the ability to carry out God’s will.
“Let no filthy talk be heard from your mouths, but only what is good for building up people and meeting the need of the moment. This way you will administer grace to those who hear you.”—Ephesians 4:29 (ISV)
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”—Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
In the same way, we can impart grace to others through spoken blessings. You can impart powerful blessings of the grace of God upon yourself, your family members, and others by speaking these same blessings aloud to them, even if they are not present with you in the same place. Distance is no hindrance to spoken blessings. There is an impartation of grace every time these blessings are read aloud in faith.
“**Grace **to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Romans 1:7 (KJV)
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”—Romans 16:20 (KJV)
“The **grace **of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”—Romans 16:24 (KJV)
“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 1:3 (KJV)
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”—1 Corinthians 16:23 (KJV)
“Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”—2 Corinthians 1:2 (KJV)
“May the **grace **of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”—2 Corinthians 13:14 (NLT)
“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ”—Galatians 1:3 (KJV)
“Dear brothers and sisters, may the **grace **of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”—Galatians 6:18 (NLT)
“Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Ephesians 1:2 (KJV)
“Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.”—Ephesians 6:24 (KJV)
“**Grace **be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Philippians 1:2 (KJV)
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”—Philippians 4:23 (KJV)
“**Grace **be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Colossians 1:2 (KJV)
“Grace be with you. Amen.”—Colossians 4:18 (KJV)
“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Thessalonians 1:1 (KJV)
“The **grace **of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”—1 Thessalonians 5:28 (KJV)
“**Grace **unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”—2 Thessalonians 1:2 (KJV)
“The **grace **of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”—2 Thessalonians 3:18 (KJV)
“Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”—1 Timothy 1:2 (KJV)
“**Grace **be with you all.”—1 Timothy 6:21 (NIV)
“To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”—2 Timothy 1:2 (KJV)
“The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. **Grace **be with you. Amen.”—2 Timothy 4:22 (NKJV)
“To Titus, a true son to me in the faith we share together. **Grace **and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”—Titus 1:4 (ERV)
“**Grace **be with you all. Amen.”—Titus 3:15 (KJV)
“**Grace **to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Philemon 1:3 (KJV)
“The **grace **of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”—Philemon 1:25 (KJV)
“**Grace **be with you all. Amen.”—Hebrews 13:25 (KJV)
“May **grace **and peace be yours in abundance!”—1 Peter 1:2 (ISV)
“**Grace **and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”—2 Peter 1:2 (KJV)
“**Grace **be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”—2 John 1:3 (KJV)
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: **Grace **be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne”—Revelation 1:4 (KJV)
And finally, we come to the very last verse in the Bible. This is God’s last written word to us, and the final message and blessing of the Bible to us:
“The **grace **of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”—Revelation 22:21 (KJV)
Of all the things that could have been communicated in God’s final written words to us, He blessed us with grace. In this final written communication, His desire was for us to have the grace of God. May we all receive and fully cooperate with the full measure of His grace!
