Blessings

July 11, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Building tomorrow

Previously, I spoke to you about being grateful for everything we have today. The Father pours blessings upon us every day so that we can build our future with Him. Shall we pray about this gratitude? You don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their own way of communicating with the Father, and it is important that we seek this intimacy. Feel free to talk to the Lord in your way. But if you wish, I am here to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Father, the Lord pours so much upon us! Unique blessings and wonders, things that we only achieve by being in You, for the Lord is the source of everything! Help us to recognize and value everything You have already placed in our hands, to live a life of gratitude, even without having yet reached the place we dreamed of, but recognizing that the Lord places us in a place of honor every day, before Your grace and majesty! May our eyes be open to see each of the blessings we have already received, for it is through what we have and are now that the Lord […]

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July 08, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Where does the future begin?

You know that dream you have? That goal you work so hard to achieve? God is working on it today! Molded now Many times we want something so much that we can only look forward, forgetting today. But don’t belittle what you’re experiencing now, because this is when God is working. He is using what you have today so that you can achieve what you want and need tomorrow. He wants who you are today to transform and shape who you will be tomorrow. For the next day to come, you need to wait for today to end. So, make this day count! Creating today What you have may seem little to you now, because what we dream of is usually greater than what we already have, and what God has for us is even greater. This makes us look forward to tomorrow and close our eyes to the present. But God will use what you have now. Everything He has already placed in your hands is crucial so that you have the tools necessary to build the future. Everything you will experience begins based on the way you live today, the choices and directions you take now. Don’t forget […]

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June 24, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Directing dreams

There are dreams that are aligned with God’s, others that walk outside of God’s footsteps, and even those that are blessed by the Lord but become wrong dreams because we seek them incorrectly, far from God’s teachings. I want to invite you to pray together at this moment so that our dreams and paths align with those of the Father. Only in this way can we bear fruit for the Kingdom and experience everything that God desires for us. Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their own way of communicating with the Father, and it is important that we seek this intimacy. Feel free to talk to the Lord in your way. But if you wish, I am here to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Father, thank You for everything You give to me. Be the Author of my dreams and the guide of my paths. May my dreams and projects be in perfect harmony with Yours, so that I can live according to Your purpose and Your will. Teach my heart to discern the desires that You have, and may my plans be in accordance […]

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June 20, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Cursed dreams

I’ve read a lot about frustrated dreams, when we think that God doesn’t care about what our heart desires and does everything to do the opposite. Only later do I realize how this is a response from a spoiled child. We do not seek to understand the Father’s will and where it will lead us. We spend our time questioning why our dream didn’t happen, without seeing the wonders that were possible to be experienced in place of that interrupted plan. Zealous Father No, God doesn’t want to see you cry. In fact, I believe that it hurts the Lord, as a Father, to see His children suffering for something that did not happen. But He knows what’s best for you. Not only does He know what is best for us, He also knows the best way. I’m talking about this because there is a big difference between not getting what you want and not getting it the way you want. Sometimes God is not denying you what you dream of. But He may be saying “no” to the way you are trying. There are dreams that are not good for you, even if you don’t see any dangers in […]

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June 18, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Creating foundations

Previously, I talked to you about focusing on the structure of the building, laying the foundation, and strengthening the house. Shall we pray about this today? So that we can stand on the firm rock that is Jesus. Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their own way of communicating with the Father, and it is important that we seek this intimacy. Feel free to talk to the Lord in your way. But if you wish, I am here to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Father, we know that true transformation begins from the inside out. The search for it must be in secret, in our intimacy with You, where we are molded and renewed in Your image. Teach us to focus on what is within us. Enable us to seek Your face in prayer, meditating and studying Your Word, allowing Your Holy Spirit to work deeply in our hearts. May we grow spiritually in secret, away from the eyes of the world, being transformed according to Your will, forgetting the spotlight that our ego seeks and just wanting to be under Your gaze. Lord, we want […]

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June 06, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Purified like gold

The Bible tells us in several passages that God fashions us like new vessels and purifies His people like gold and silver. While studying and listening to some sermons on this, I found a deeper meaning on the subject: the way gold looks after going through the fire. Separated For gold to be purified, it is placed at a high temperature for a certain time. This metal is not found pure in nature; it is common to find it mixed with silver or other materials. Therefore, this purification becomes necessary. It’s the same with us. We were created by God and received the identity of Christ in our lives. But we are in the world and we are human beings with flaws. God needs to separate us from what makes us unclean. We need to go through a long process of purification and refinement. These steps hurt and don’t happen on our schedule. They occur at the right time and the correct temperature. It is not easy to be refined, and it is not painless to be purified, but God strengthens us at each moment of the process and promises us His protection. Becoming a mirror “So God created mankind in his […]

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May 29, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Unbind Yourself!

We hear a lot about being available for what God is going to do. The Bible says in several passages that we need to open our hearts and allow the Lord to act in our lives. But, after all, what does this mean? Be aware “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20 Being available does not mean being idle but being open and attentive. To be available, you can’t be tied to something; it is necessary that we are not entangled in any situation. When we try to embrace the world, we lose focus, and that puts us in a spider’s web. We make our lives so busy that we don’t have free time to pay attention to what the Lord wants to do. This makes us miss opportunities because we are too busy and miss the blessings of heaven because we are distracted by things that take us nowhere and just take up unnecessary space. Make room for “yes” “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries […]

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May 28, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Blessed to Bless

The Lord has a calling for each of us, with a personal and individual direction. But this calling is for the Kingdom, not for oneself. In the word of God, we are encouraged to love as God loved us, caring for one another and being channels of blessings to those around us. The answer to someone’s prayer could be you! Today, I want to invite you to pray together for this sense of community and body, so that we may understand that, in addition to our calling to serve the Kingdom, we must also serve people. Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their own way of communicating with the Father, and it is important that we seek this intimacy. Feel free to talk to the Lord in your way. But if you wish, I am here to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Dear God, I want to thank You for Your blessings upon my family and friends. I ask that You use me as a channel, so that I can be an answer to prayer in their lives, bringing Your love and light. Illuminate our paths […]

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May 06, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Living Christ

Being a Christian is not simple. It requires total surrender, dependence, and sacrifice. Emptying our hearts of our desires to align our projects with His often hurts, as we need to give up what we want and plan to trust Him completely, even if the decisions don’t make sense at the time. But we often forget this and consider ourselves Christians just because we go to church…. Ambassadors of the word “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 God demands nothing in exchange for His power and care. However, to be under His protection, we also need to be aligned with His word. The enemy constantly tries to deceive us with lies to influence our journey. Lies about God, about our identity in Him, and about the things and people around us. He will not respect your church card, but he is obliged to respect our spiritual authority. He can influence our lives even when we are at church; attending all services does not make us immune to his pitfalls. However, he has no power over us […]

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April 02, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Anointed

What have you done with what God has poured out on you? We often seek instant fulfillment, asking for everything or new things immediately, hoping to feel needed. However, true fulfillment comes only from Him, and we can only attain new things when we learn to cherish what we already have. God desires to anoint what you already possess! You already have the gift “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 God will not give you something new if you do not value what you already have. Routine makes us forget all that we have with us, everything we have received from God. We ask for gifts and more gifts, and we neglect the anointing. We long to be talented people, but when we have the ability to do something, we often think only of serving ourselves. Seeking validation in something that should point to the Kingdom. There is a very big difference between a gift and anointing. God wants to anoint us in our gifts; He wants to direct us to impact lives through our […]

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March 07, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Get out of the boat!

When we hear the word “worship,” one of the first things that comes to mind is music, praising in songs. But it’s not just that. We can worship Him in songs and melodies, but worship is a lifestyle and holds a much deeper meaning. We need to worship Him beyond the comfort of the boat. Complete delivery The first mention of the word “worship” is found in Genesis 22, verse 5, where God instructs Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, to offer him as a sacrifice: “He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” This initial mention of “worship” was associated with an offering, not a song. To worship means to be in complete devotion. This absolute surrender can occur through a song, but it is also evident in our decisions, the steps we take, the way we speak, act, and love. We can engage in various activities, but what characterizes an action as worship is the act of surrender. When we give something to the Lord, pour out everything at His feet, and submit it to His […]

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February 09, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Unnecessary battles

There are battles necessary for our growth, where God strengthens us and reveals Himself to us. However, we cannot forget that actions generate reactions and consequences, and depending on the step we take, the result may be an unnecessary battle that we ourselves create. Guided fights “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 Daniel was placed in the den with lions, and David was sent to fight Goliath. Similarly, we are also called to battles, urged to be strong and courageous, receiving direction and power from Him. These confrontations elevate us to new levels, drawing us nearer to Him and His promises. They are moments of strength and shaping, fostering our growth. However, at times, we engage in unnecessary battles not initiated by Him. The Bible instructs us to involve the Lord in our decisions from the very first step. Yet, in our daily hustle and bustle, we often decide for ourselves. This leads us into places, relationships, and circumstances not aligned with God’s plans, thus delaying the […]

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December 22, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Prayer to One God

Our minds, in moments of sadness and turmoil, become weak if they are not established in Christ. Consequently, we begin to try to fill the void within ourselves at any cost, but we can never fill it with anything other than God and His life-giving Word. This prayer is based on the previous text Creating other gods. You don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their way of talking to the Father, and it is important that we individually seek intimacy with Him. Therefore, feel comfortable talking to the Lord in your own way. But if you want, I will be happy to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Dear God, thank you for being complete. I appreciate that everything we need can be found in You. Please don’t let me create other gods or prioritize dreams and projects over You. I don’t want to seek answers elsewhere. Keep me steadfast in Your word, following Your direction. God, I ask for forgiveness for the times I’ve placed any other subject, place, person, or situation above You. Do not let my eyes stray from You, Father. Grant me discernment to identify and […]

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November 14, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Slaves of pain

Have you ever thought about losing all the things we complain about? If we were to lose our jobs because we complain about them, if we were denied access to places because of our complaints, or to people, situations, opportunities… Complaining about something is often connected to a lack of appreciation for it, even if only for a brief moment. It’s when something irritates me to the point of blinding my eyes to the value it holds in my life. Activate the faith. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance, character. And character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 Many times, we complain about storms and difficult situations. We forget that it is precisely these adversities that activate our faith and lead us to new levels with God. It’s not about a bad life, but rather a challenging day, perhaps just a complicated hour that, if we dwell on for hours, can ruin the entire day. Then, we ruin weeks, months, and even years! The reality is that we […]

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October 10, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Unnoticed Miracles

Even though I am a very observant person who pays attention to the smallest details, there are times when I let events go unnoticed. When it seems like we’ve been stagnant for a long time and that our life is stuck in the same place, it means we need to pay more attention to something. There may be miracles that are not receiving due attention. Grains that become beaches “Go and look toward the sea,’ he told his servant. And he went up and looked. ‘There is nothing there,’ he said. Seven times Elijah said, ‘Go back.” 1 Kings 18:43-45 Guimarães Rosa, a Brazilian poet, one day wrote a sentence that really impacted me: “When nothing happens, there is a miracle that we are not seeing.” If for a year you’ve felt like your life is going nowhere, you’re definitely not paying attention to small miracles every day. God is always doing. On some days something big, which easily captures our attention, and on other days small grains of sand that gradually fill in and form a large beach. Small miracles deserve our attention and gratitude. God doesn’t just do what you can see from miles away. But also things […]

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September 19, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Purified by the storm

Rain is also seen as purification. I know that sometimes we see it as something that causes dirt and often gets in our way. At many times we see storms as a delay in our day, and I know that it can really be difficult to get through them. But they are also a way of purifying. Rains are necessary “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime. It is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone” Zechariah 10:1 You’ve probably been through a time when it hasn’t rained for a while. The air becomes dry, at times it is difficult to breathe, the heat intensifies and crops are damaged. After a while without rain, when it finally rains, breathing becomes better, the streets are clean, the plants grow more easily…Physiologically we need this moisture and cleanliness. As frustrating as it is to get ready to go out and get your shoes wet in unexpected rain, the pleasure and purification that this rain brings makes it worth it later. Rains are inevitable “Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent […]

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July 20, 2023·Rapha Abreu

All spiritual blessings

“All spiritual blessings,” as written in Ephesians 1:3, is a way of describing the abundant blessings received from the Lord. They are divine favors. This term is linked to the favor and grace of God manifested in our lives. It is not something received on merit or at random. The essence of this term “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” Ephesians 1:3 Many times our mind refers the word “blessing” to something material. Like money, house, car… But God blesses us from the material to the immaterial. He blesses us spiritually and emotionally. He gives us health, family, relationships, spiritual growth, peace and resources. Receiving all spiritual blessings does not exempt us from challenges. Trials exist and difficulties can arise in some areas, even as they coexist with blessings in other aspects of our lives. The point here is that He has already blessed us and we can rely on God’s love and faithfulness in all circumstances and at all times. This awareness of God’s presence and care in our lives is sharpened as we develop intimacy with Him, not whether we […]

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June 22, 2023·Rapha Abreu

No space for the new

How do you want to receive new things from God if you remain the old man? No, our attitudes do not change God. His character is something permanent and solid. But our actions directly interfere with everything we receive from the Father. Not because we influence His power, but because we impede the miracle and blessings in our lives by being full of ourselves. We leave no room for the will of God. Empty yourself “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:17 In some of the texts I wrote here for the blog, I commented on how the actions of people at the time of Jesus prevented them from living profound experiences with God, prevented them from enjoying the presence of Christ. A very simple and quick explanation related to this is that God is not going to put new wine in an old wineskin. If we live a life for our desires, without emptying ourselves, we don’t make room for the new. Even if God poured out His new […]

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June 01, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Access to salvation

The word says that we must confess our sins and that, through this, He forgives us. But if He already knows everything before we even speak, why do we need to say? He has the password “According to His eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Ephesians 3:11-12 Salvation has been offered to us, but grasping it is in our hands. Jesus died for us and we now have full access to God, but if there is no movement from us, we are not saved. We need to receive Jesus! Do you know what I mean? It works for other areas as well. God won’t do anything if we don’t want to and if we don’t hand it over to Him. I look at all of this like a bank account. Imagine that someone deposited a very high amount in an account that you don’t have access to, because you lost your password. This money deposited makes no difference in your life if you cannot access it. You will need to go to a bank to solve the access impasse. God has already poured […]

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March 23, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Have you been dreading your call?

Do you know what your calling is? What did the Lord form you and call you for? It is important as Christians to know this, because God counts on us. Your calling won’t do anything for you if you don’t say “yes” to it. God does not suggest “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” 2 Timothy 1:9 It all starts with understanding that your calling is not a suggestion from God. It’s not like your life is a suggestion box, where God puts little slips of what He thinks could be better. We need to begin to understand the voice of God as a duty. Not that duty that tires us and is a boring obligation. But listening with obedience and devotion. When our obedience is activated, so are God’s graces and blessings in our lives. And it is through our calling that many of them are poured out on us. Obedience is faith “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.“ James 1:22 […]

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February 27, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Do you understand Agape Love?

I’ve come here a few times to talk about how the word of God generates real changes in our hearts. These changes start within us and, without forcing it, spill over onto other people. Thus, we become channels of blessings in the lives of others. For we have been blessed to bless. Was born of him “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 I want to start by talking about the importance of focusing on blessing, not receiving blessings. “But why should I love?”. Simple, because He loved you first. Whoever is born of love is love. A bird does not give birth to a cat. If we are children of God, we are also filled with love, for we are children of Love. I know that sometimes we can’t connect with certain people because they are very different from us in some points, so we end up being closer to others with whom we identify more. Just like some people might have the same feeling about us. And that’s okay. But […]

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December 08, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Don’t sell your anointing

These days I heard this phrase from the title of a friend and it was kept in my heart. So I decided to look more closely at God for what that really meant, as I felt it was Him speaking to me through this friend, that it was Him reminding me of my worth and what I was anointed for in the Spirit. Anointing “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come”. 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 This word means to anoint, to apply consecrated oil to a person. In the religious sense, anointing is practiced with the intention of exerting spiritual influence, sometimes with the purpose of blessing or even healing. An anointed person is under divine protection and the anointing can heal any physical or spiritual illness, bringing transformation through its calling. To sell that would be to give it up for something else. Something non-negotiable is that which we would not exchange or sell for anything, as that is the maximum value for us and nothing would be big enough to […]

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November 02, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Why know God’s will?

God has so many desires and dreams for your life. So many projects and accomplishments to shower on you. We constantly seek to know what these dreams are. But have you ever stopped to think about why you want to know God’s will for your life? We try to suit the Creator “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well“ Luke 12:31 At times I found myself asking this, thinking my curiosity had to do with how much I cared about God and His thoughts about me. But I noticed that I often ask His will because I care too much about myself. We think we are seeking the Lord, but in certain situations we use Him as a means and not as an objective. We begin to see God as an amulet, to use Him as a ladder to reach places we dream of. Trying to adapt the Creator of everything to our own creation. Remember: He is Life itself In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 He is not the way for you to get something you want […]

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November 02, 2022·Rapha Abreu

What is the dynamic of faith?

The dynamic of faith is when something is anticipated. As it is written in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see“ Faith is not a reaction to something, it is an anticipation. It is when we can understand the end without necessarily seeing the whole process. When we recognize that He is taking us to an amazing place, even if I don’t understand the way. Predetermined “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations… Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” Jeremiah 1:5 and 7 This is the greatest folly of the gospel! God calls you what you are, even before you become. And we need to trust God even before something happens. He called Abraham the father of multitudes in Genesis 17, even before that man had a son. When God anoints David as King in 1 Samuel 16, Saul was still in power and David was a shepherd in his father’s house. This is the dynamic of […]

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