JFA Blog

Reflections, studies and news for your walk with God.

November 08, 2021·Nicole Leao

3 days to get out of procrastination

We wake up, what do we do? We grab our cell phone and there goes our start of the day, but it’s time to give it a rest, so join me in a 3 day study to get out of procrastination. I’m sure you’ve felt like you needed more time in the day, that 24 hours seemed too little, but you know our God gave us the exact time we need, what happens is that many times we don’t manage it wisely. Procrastination and inconstancy These two words are well related, procrastination and inconstancy, you want to accomplish your tasks and one day you do, but the next day… then you don’t feel the same spirit as the day before and you do much less than you need to. This is the inconstancy generated by procrastination. You feel paralyzed with a lot of things to do. You feel that life is moving forward relentlessly while you are pushing it along. Your plans seem too big to carry out, so you’d rather put them off until later, when you’re more “relaxed”, but you know what? There is no perfect time to start, in this life we will have troubles and if […]

biblical-study devotional

November 05, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: Guidance for sentimental life!

Are you looking for direction in your emotional life? Then there is no better person to direct you than our good God. He knows what is best for us, what we need, and at what time we need it, so before we seek anyone else we must first seek our Father and He will direct us. It is in a daily relationship with our Father, that we find our identity and emotional security. Secure people have secure relationships, and this security is in God, for we are His children, and this is the true source of happiness. Remember that a boyfriend, husband or wife will never be able to satisfy you completely. Another thing is to look for someone with real values, remember that beauty is fleeting! Of course physical attraction is important in a life together. But don’t let someone’s physical beauty stop you from looking inside and looking for qualities that will make a difference in the long run. Today I want to pray with you that God will give you direction in your love life. That you may find someone with good values, who seeks to please the Lord. I leave here a passage especially for you […]

prayer

November 03, 2021·Nicole Leao

What do you need for a relationship?

Yes, this is a text for singles. But don’t panic! Don’t leave yet. Because if you are dating or married, you can send this blog post to someone. Of course, I don’t have a perfect marriage. After all, how could a relationship be if it is made up of two imperfect people. But if someone were to ask me for advice regarding this subject, I would pass along some that are listed below. #1 – Before looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend, look for a relationship with God Only God can complete you, heal you, and give meaning to your life. After all, who better than your Creator to reveal the purposes for which you came into the world? He knows all the precious things deposited in your life (skills, gifts, talents, characteristics, sensitivity to specific issues/things) because He is the one who put them all in you. And He knows exactly why you are the way you are. And if you think you have no value or qualities, you are very wrong! You were made in God’s image (Gen. 1.27) and everything He does is good (Gen. 1.31). You are a beloved child of the Lord (1 Jn. 3:1) and you […]

devotional love-of-god

October 29, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: How to live in harmony?

How to live in harmony when we feel we are failing so badly? This has been our topic of study for the past few days after all, we are sinners struggling against our own flesh and against the evil that is in this world. But there is a way to live in harmony and it involves three blessed words that we have studied, the first is love, the second is forgiveness and the third is patience. The Bible teaches us to live in harmony by putting on these three acts, the first of which is the most important and determines the fulfillment of the other two, for as it is written in Colossians 3:14, love is the perfect bond. Today, to close our reflection with a golden key, I want to pray with you that we will live a life of harmony and that we will be renewed in Christ, filled with the fruit of the Spirit. I leave here some passages especially for you today: Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, longsuffering; Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; as Christ […]

prayer

October 29, 2021·Nicole Leao

How to live in harmony?

How to live in harmony when we feel we are failing so badly? After all, we are sinners struggling against our own flesh and against the evil that is in this world. But there is a way to live in harmony, and it involves three blessed words: the first is love, the second is forgiveness, and the third is patience. The Bible teaches us to live in harmony by putting on these three acts, the first of which is the most important and determines the fulfillment of the other two, for as it is written in Colossians 3:14, love is the perfect bond. On Friday we talked about forgiveness, and today, in our last day of this series, we will delve a little deeper into a virtue that we have been lacking: Patience. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit to be perfected 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Galatians 5:22 No one is born patient, and this is clear to those who live with children. Who hasn’t asked when they were little on a road trip: “Are we there yet?”, or when they went to the doctors they were worried about […]

devotional

October 27, 2021·Nicole Leao

How to live in harmony?

How to live in harmony when we feel we are failing so badly? After all, we are sinners struggling against our own flesh and against the evil that is in this world. But there is a way to live in harmony and it involves three blessed words: the first is love, the second is forgiveness, and the third is patience. The Bible teaches us to live in harmony by putting on these three acts, the first of which is the most important and determines the fulfillment of the other two, for as it is written in Colossians 3:14, love is the perfect bond. On Wednesday we talked about love, and today we will deepen a little on a not easy but necessary theme, forgiveness, after all without it it is impossible to have harmony. Forgive 70 times 7 Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times; but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21,22 Are you willing to forgive 70 times 7? By ourselves this would be impossible, for […]

devotional word-of-god

October 25, 2021·Nicole Leao

How to live in harmony?

How to live in harmony when we feel we are failing so badly? After all, we are sinners struggling against our own flesh and against the evil that is in this world. But there is a way to live in harmony and it involves three blessed words, the first is love, the second is forgiveness, and the third is patience. The Bible teaches us to live in harmony by putting on these three acts, the first of which is the most important and determines the fulfillment of the other two, for as it is written in Colossians 3:14, love is the perfect bond. And in the next few days we will delve a little deeper into each of these acts, starting today with LOVE. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love This is one of the best known passages in the Bible, 1 John 4:8, but if only it were the most understood, it perfectly sums up the nature of our creator, that He is love, and what does that mean? Well, in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 we find the definition of love: love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does […]

devotional follow-jesus love-your-neighbor

October 18, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: Going through trials with faith!

Today we will pray for a theme recently written here on the blog… as it is known, in this world we will have afflictions, as Jesus said in John 16:33, but in the same verse He also says: “but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”. How good it is to know that our King has already conquered all the evil that we could face, isn’t it? Sometimes it seems that we will not be able to cope, as I told some of my testimonies, but it happens that in Christ we are strengthened, we find shelter, salvation, healing, care, and much more when we believe that there is no way out, but He is the solution, He sends resources and people from where we never imagined He would come. So today let’s pray together for the strengthening of our faith and for His provision in the midst of all the trials we are going through! Here are some passages especially for you today: 3 Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because […]

prayer uncategorized-en

October 18, 2021·Nicole Leao

God takes care of the sick!

Today I will begin this text by telling you that God holds our hand at all times, but especially when there is no one around. This weekend I had my four wisdom teeth removed and what an agony this surgery was, as soon as I arrived at the clinic I found out that nobody could enter the room with me, which was a torment to me at first. As I spent a lot of time in the hospital in my childhood, I used to get very nervous when I saw a needle. So there I found myself, in an operating chair, with three dentists surrounding me, putting a cloth to protect my face during the surgery, and then they started to administer the local anesthesia, with a needle that for those who don’t feel very comfortable, looks twice the size it really is. I was scared, feeling alone and uncomfortable, but then I remembered that I was not alone and that my Lord is the doctor of doctors. It was a 3 hour surgery and during this time I prayed from beginning to end, which kept me firm and strong in that chair, because I would have stopped at the […]

devotional uncategorized-en

October 15, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: Based on Colossians 3

Today we are going to pray based on Colossians 3, a text that carries very special teachings and values for our lives, among them the need to mortify our flesh, ridding ourselves of fornication, impurity, inordinate affection, vile concupiscence, and greed, which is idolatry. Remember that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I am going to leave it here, because each one of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to follow me, it will be a pleasure, feel free to speak it in your own way. Prayer Beloved God, I want to seek the things above, to think about what comes from above. I ask for help to put to death my earthly nature, namely impurity, lustful passions, evil desires, and greed. I know that my sinful nature drives me away from You, and I ask forgiveness for my sins. Pluck from me all the anger, indignation, malice, slander, and foul language that may be in my speech. Forgive me for the lies I have told in the course of my life, for I know that You are a God of truth, that I may walk according to Your […]

prayer

October 13, 2021·Nicole Leao

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart

Today I want to bring here on the blog a story that is to fill our hearts with emotion and happiness. This weekend I had the opportunity to meet Anderson Novais, his wife and their little boy, a blessed family full of faith. Now you may be wondering, who is this young man and why was this an opportunity, and for this I will tell you how my family met him. But first, I ask you: are you faithful in little? A servant at the traffic light Last week my mother was taking my cousin to an appointment when the traffic light closed, and they were surprised to see a young man with a neat beard, suit and tie, selling candy at the traffic light. An unpredictable scene in the city of São Paulo, where we are usually approached by beggars and small children who should be at school. The young man approaches the car, very politely offers the candy he is selling and hands over a card with his phone number, Instagram, and professional information, such as the college he is attending. My mother is intrigued by the scene, praises his posture and asks why he is so dressed […]

devotional love-of-god love-your-neighbor

October 11, 2021·Nicole Leao

The Children of Today

Building Alliances In one of our schools, we made a street with a round-trip track that surrounds some of those big plastic toys. For a parent meeting, I was visiting this unit in the evening and came across some beautiful (and well made) parked cars and trucks, neatly made out of cardboard by the parents of the small students, for a traffic education activity that would take place the next day. At the moment I thought of the pleasure and joy that both parents and children were feeling: one making the cars and the other playing and learning with something made by their parents. Seeing that, I remembered that a little over 20 years ago I was unemployed and had no money to buy presents for my twin sons…I had no doubts: I got some cardboard and Styrofoam…I took the two tricycles they had and turned them into two beautiful airplanes, with wings and tails. On the street at home (where no cars go) I drew a runway on the ground and we played all afternoon. This is how I see commemorative dates as Children’s Day (in Brazil, October 12nd): a great opportunity to celebrate the fact that we have […]

devotional

October 08, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: Understanding your value as a child of God!

Today we are going to pray for something that can be so basic, but is sometimes so forgotten by us, the value that we have as children of God. We are more valuable than birds to Him, but sometimes we put ourselves in the condition of being forgotten by the Lord, we believe that He is not looking after us and seeing our pains, but do you know what? He is, He sees your pain, He knows your needs and as a loving Father will satisfy them when the time is right! I leave here a passage especially for you today: “No one can serve two masters; for he will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Money.” “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your own lives, as to what to eat or drink; nor about your own bodies, as to what to wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap or store in barns, yet their heavenly Father feeds them. Are […]

prayer

October 06, 2021·Nicole Leao

Are you not more valuable than the birds of the air?

On a Wednesday I wake up more than calm, enjoying all the peace that those who believe in God should enjoy, until I get to the living room and my mother is making bills with a very worried face, I ask her what happened and she answers me: “I wanted to do so many things, but this month will be tight, we won’t be able to buy the water filter I wanted, or clothes for your brother. Let’s see, it’s not that we wouldn’t be able to pay the bills we had, but that we wouldn’t be able to buy these necessary things, but they could wait a little longer or be bought in other stores than the ones she wanted. My brother is at the peak of his growth, in puberty, so he won’t stop growing any time soon and soon he would have to buy clothes again, so the better brand clothes she wanted wouldn’t fit for long and he would soon lose them. The same with the water filter, ours had broken down and we thought about buying a better one that we have wanted for a long time, but the better one is not only better, […]

biblical-study

October 04, 2021·Nicole Leao

Going through trials with faith

In this world you will have tribulations… Jesus said it in John 16:33, but in the same verse He says: “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Everyone who is alive has faced difficulty, because we live in a world fallen by sin, all humanity suffers, trials and difficulties arise in our lives, we do everything in our power to literally get rid of these bad ones, including asking God to deliver us from this adversity faced. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 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 This is totally understandable, we don’t want to suffer, we all seek a full life, free from instabilities. However, there are so many things that God wants to do in us and through us through the trials we face. Of course, far be it from me to romanticize trials, and I say this with the short but intense experience on this earth of someone who […]

faith word-of-god

October 01, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: I am a beloved child!

Last week we talked a little bit about favoritism and God being things that don’t go together, our Father is just and loves his children equally, and then maybe you ask yourself: why does my brother have this or that, or is better off than me? Does God love the other more than He loves me? These seemingly harmless questions are doubts planted by the enemy in our minds and hearts, and we can’t let them take root, because soon we will be far from the glory of God, feeling unjust, and that our Father gave his only begotten Son to die for us all. So counter such lies with a single truth: you are a beloved child! God is no respecter of persons, He loves all His children equally, but each one chooses whether to live in this love. Each one chooses his or her own way, our Father has given us freedom, we have the right to choose to walk by His side in an upright way or not. The Gospel is not easy, for it demands surrender. Everything is achieved through effort and sacrifice. It is difficult to live like this in a world where everything seems […]

prayer

September 30, 2021·Nicole Leao

Does God have favorite children?

Have you ever wondered if God has favorite children? Perhaps at some time of difficulty you thought that God cared more for your other children, after all, you were doing everything right, but the Lord was not rewarding you as you expected. The lives of your brothers and sisters in the faith may have seemed better, more exciting, as if God had a favoritism for them. So, does God have favorite children? Am I one of them? In today’s text we are going to dig into this topic together and understand what the bible has to tell us about it. Favoritism and God For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 When I read these two words (favoritism and God), one next to the other they sound very strange to me, don’t you think so too? After all, God is just and in his justice would have preference among his children? I would also like to reflect on the above passage. Our Lord gave his only Son, not for one or two people, but for whoever believes in him. Because […]

devotional

September 27, 2021·Nicole Leao

How do you fight your battles?

In the last weeks we have talked a lot about preparation, mortification of the flesh and all of this also having in mind the importance of fasting, because as we have been talking about here, it doesn’t make God nicer, but through the mortification of our flesh our spirit is more attentive and prepared for battle because we are strengthened. So, to begin with, reflect: how do you fight your wars? With your own strength, with total dependence on God, but forgetting to seek Him? With confidence in the Lord, but doing your part? Well, I am sure that if you have not faced any fight in the last times, you have seen someone else go through one. I say go through because there are those who don’t even fight, they just let themselves fall apart. But from today on I declare that even if you don’t know where else to get your strength from, you will not give up, you will do your part, preparing yourself and facing every evil that may be happening to you, because even if you are tired, your God is perfect and strong, so when you are weak, you are strong in Him. Put […]

bible devotional

September 24, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: Starting a fast!

Last Friday we talked about the importance of fasting here on the blog, we also addressed frequent questions that can arise in our midst regarding this topic and today we will continue praying for the beginning of a fast, maybe you are not starting a fast now, but I want to leave here available a prayer for you when you decide to do it. I would also like to recapitulate a few points: Fasting doesn’t change God, it changes you! Fasting will not make God kinder or more merciful to you, in fact, it is directly related to us, that is, our need to break through the barriers and limitations of our flesh. Fasting mortifies our flesh and makes our spirit alert, so its primary purpose is the mortification of the flesh. We should also not be like the Pharisees, for Jesus condemns exhibitionism before men to attest your spirituality. If you wish, feel free to return to the last text to learn a little more about fasting. I leave here some passages especially for you today: 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better […]

prayer

September 22, 2021·Nicole Leao

Fasting, the preparation for battle!

How do I fast? Am I fasting in the right way? These are frequent questions in the Christian environment, and this is a subject that always leaves many in doubt and thinking about it today we will talk about fasting here on the blog. Together we will try to understand what the Bible has to tell us about this subject. But I want to tell you one thing, fasting is preparation for battle! What is fasting? First, we need to understand what fasting is. In general, it is total or partial abstinence from food for a definite period of time and for a specific purpose. Fasting has been applied practically in all eras, nations, cultures, and religions, with different purposes, being spiritual or even medicinal, since its practice brings several physical benefits with the detoxification it produces in the body, but our focus here will be on biblical fasting. Biblical fasting also brings abstinence from desirable things. Daniel, for example, ate no tasty foods and used not fragrant lotions for three weeks (Daniel 10:2-3). What is the purpose of fasting in religion? Fasting does not change God, it changes you! Fasting will not make God kinder or more merciful to […]

bible biblical-study word-of-god

September 20, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: No More for the Flesh!

This week we talked here on the blog about not allowing ourselves to be moved by the flesh and today we will pray for forgiveness first and also for help from our Lord. After all, the flesh makes us empty promises and leads us astray. In 2 Peter 2:19, it is written that man is a slave to that which dominates him. Therefore, when dominated by the flesh we let ourselves be destroyed by vices, which sometimes seem harmless and at other times not so much. We lie to ourselves with empty promises: “just today and I’ll stop”. But today the day has come to put an end to this situation, let’s also pray for deliverance from all and any addiction, so that we can get closer to the Father, remember that to go to God you don’t need to be perfect, come to the Father and He will set you free. I leave here a passage especially for you today: He who lives according to the flesh has his mind set on what the flesh desires; but he who according to the Spirit has his mind set on what the Spirit desires. The mindset of the flesh is death, […]

prayer

September 17, 2021·Nicole Leao

Don’t be dominated by the flesh!

We will begin this text with a biblical reminder of what the desire of the flesh is. This desire makes a huge mess and is difficult to put away: 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. Romans 8:5-9 The flesh makes empty promises In 2 Peter 2:19, it is written that man is a slave to that which dominates him. Therefore, when dominated by the flesh we let ourselves be destroyed by addictions, which sometimes seem harmless and other times not so much, but we lie to ourselves […]

bible word-of-god

September 15, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: Healing a wounded heart!

Do you know what the key to healing a heart is? It’s forgiveness, forgiveness cleans our hearts and lightens our baggage, maybe you carry a much heavier load than you should and it’s time to leave it in the past, after all, who lives in the past is a museum, so today I want to pray with you for a renewed heart, healed, free of pain, bitterness, anger or any bad feeling. In Proverbs 27:19, it is written that the heart reflects who we are, so we can realize the importance of taking good care of it, so that no evil can enter. Fortunately, we can count on our God for this, for as it is written in Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and deals with their sufferings. I leave here some passages especially for you today: Just as water reflects the face, the heart reflects who we are. Proverbs 27:19 He alone heals the brokenhearted and cares for their wounds. Psalm 147:3 May the peace of Christ be the judge in your hearts, since you have been called to live in peace, as members of one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15 Remember that you don’t have to […]

prayer

September 13, 2021·Nicole Leao

How to heal a wounded heart?

The verbs wound, hurt, injure, and offend are applied when there is emotional suffering, which comes from the heart, for the heart as we know it is the center of emotions. Perhaps you feel or have felt unappreciated or rejected. These are wounds that can generate severe consequences in life, for a wounded person hurts another as well. So it is essential that we be healed and heal our hearts as soon as possible. How is your heart? I know that sometimes life can be hard, but do you know what? God is looking for a wounded heart to heal. We know that in this world we will have afflictions, so our heart must be protected from evil and in God we find healing. As it is written in Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and deals with their sufferings”. A wounded heart finds no peace “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.” – Isaiah 32:17 When our heart is wounded the peace that we should find seems distant and do you know why? Well, in Isaiah 32:17 we read that the fruit of righteousness will be peace. When our hearts are wounded, […]

devotional