JFA Blog

Reflections, studies and news for your walk with God.

March 31, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

What Does It Mean To Be a Living Stone?

I recently stopped by for a Bible study and was reminded of an old song played in my church when I was a kid. The song said that “we are living stones of the Temple of the Lord”. So I decided to look for the passage of this song. And the verse is in 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 5: you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Jesus, the stone that gives us life This passage teaches us important points about the new covenant church. JESUS is the living stone that was rejected (1 Pet. 2:4). Other passages refer to Him as the cornerstone of God’s plan of redemption for mankind and as the cornerstone on which the church is built. Through his redemptive work Christ gives us life and makes us living stones. Based on Him, we together build a new house that is now spiritual. While in the Old Testament the temple was physical located in a specific place where the presence of God was manifested, TODAY, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and gives us life, the Lord […]

biblical-study love-of-god love-your-neighbor

March 28, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Prayer for forgiveness

Every relationship has a risk, as the people who go through our lives can hurt us or generate some kind of mark on our hearts. Just as we too will surely fail someone at some point. Glad there is forgiveness and reconciliation. However, we often find it difficult to forgive and we carry resentments with us. But today the Lord invites you to change that situation. Let’s pray together in this regard! Remembering that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord, our God and Father, we thank you for another day of life, for another opportunity to live in Your presence. We’d like to start by asking forgiveness for our sins, for the things we do every day that don’t please You. For our flaws that sometimes we are not even able to see. Holy Spirit help us to realize where we have gone wrong and what needs to be changed in our lives. Father, at this moment, […]

devotional forgiveness prayer

March 24, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

How to participate in a miracle?

All supernatural, miracle, provision and wealth comes from God. That is, everything impossible comes from the Lord, but He wants to use us in what is possible for us to do. And having a generous position in relation to our wealth, possessions and resources is one of the ways we participate in the miracle of provision that God wants to perform in the people around us. Wealth comes from God First I would like to share that all wealth is a gift from God. The danger lies in how our hearts are positioned towards it. The real problem is in us putting it in the place of God, people or purposes. But prosperity is a sign of God’s blessing on us. Abraham, for example, was a God-fearing man who was always very prosperous on earth. In Ecclesiastes 5:19 it is written that “Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.” This verse reveals to us that we have received from the Lord wealth and also health to enjoy it. And that the fact that we can enjoy a job and what we […]

generosity miracles

March 21, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Fresh start with God

Every day there is something new in our lives: a new outfit, a new routine dynamic or some new event that surprises us. Sometimes everything changes little by little, a little step each day and, when we realize it, our life is totally different. Closing cycles “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 Often cycles need to be closed and God wants to bring something new to our days, but we don’t want to. In Ecclesiastes the Lord tells us that there is a time for everything. There is a moment when certain things come to an end. Cycles are difficult things to close, difficult to let go of, but on this day the Lord invites you to surrender the seasons of your life to Him because He has something much better for you. Therefore, I would like to invite you to pray with me on this matter. Remembering that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. […]

devotional fresh-start

March 16, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Prayer for families

These days have been difficult, and we have seen and heard many things that have affected our families, husband-wife relationships, children’s minds, and parent-child relationships. Things are not easy, the only solution is to cry out to the Lord, for His care and mercy for our lives. Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be my pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord my God and Father, I thank you for another opportunity of life, for the good times and even the bad times of our lives. The days have not been easy, the enemy has been committed to attacking our families, but that day I come to the Lord, to ask you to take care of us, our children and adolescents, protect them from the cruel world we live in, Father. Lord, in the mighty name of Jesus, we rebuke all intrigue in our homes, silly fights and serious arguments. Our home is a place of peace and it’s a holy place, so we […]

devotional family

March 14, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

More than conquerors

In our days we go through countless struggles, battles and situations that we don’t understand. The devil constantly attacks us and as the Bible says: Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Despite all this, on this day the Lord wants to remind us of something: The message No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romanos 8:37 In Romans, the apostle Paul says that we are more than conquerors, not just conquerors, but more than that. The point is that we do not and cannot do this by ourselves. The end of the verse we read says that it is “through him who loved us”. Therefore our victory is only possible through Christ Jesus. Our lives must conform to that. We are no more than conquerors by ourselves or by our works. There is nothing we can humanly do to win spiritual battles. Jesus made us overcomers and claimed the Holy Spirit to be with us all the time, guiding us, helping us to endure the bad days and still pass through the snares of the devil. Conclusion I invite you to reflect: […]

bible conquerors

March 10, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

God’s plans for you

These days it is very common to make plans. We plan what we will do the next day, in our week, the work to be delivered, among other tasks. We also make more complex plans about our future, college, work and family. We plan so much, we establish so many activities, that we forget the main thing: is this God’s plan for our lives? What Bible ‘s say? “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.“ Proverbs 19:21 The Word tells us that many are the plans in a person’s heart, that is, this attitude is 100% normal. However, we need to remember that the will of the Lord is what prevails. But don’t worry, God’s will is not bad, quite the opposite! “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“ Jeremiah 29:11 See? In this verse The Lord has made it clear to us that his thoughts and plans are good for us. I would like to invite you to pray about God’s plans for our lives and their impact […]

devotional plans

March 07, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

A Prayer for Hard Days

The last few times have been very difficult, but the Lord has taught us in His Word not to be afraid: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 Today let’s pray asking that God be with us, strengthening us in difficult days. Remembering that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord my God and Father, we thank you for another day of life, for another opportunity to live in your presence, despite the difficulties and bad days. Holy Spirit, we invite You to be with us, calming our hearts, taking care of our lives and helping us to make it through another day. Lord we believe in Your faithful right hand, which sustains us, strengthens us and helps us, in the moments we need it most. We know that […]

devotional faith prayer

March 02, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Choose God’s will

Our life is made of choices. Every day we need to decide from small details to important steps that we should take: what I’m going to eat, the combination of clothes I’m going to wear, whether or not to change jobs, the date of my wedding, etc. Every moment is filled with choices we must make. However, we often don’t understand the value of it and the weight it has in our lives. Commit every choice to the Lord There are several types of choices that we have to make in our daily lives. We often define as less spiritual choices such as: where will I work, what college will I go to, where will I live and so many others. These decisions, although they do not seem to have a direct connection with our spiritual life, need God’s participation. When we choose to walk with Jesus, we understand that everything we do has a purpose and must to be committed to the Lord. As it is written in Proverbs 16:3 – Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The best thing to do, in a moment of choice like those mentioned, is to ask the […]

choices devotional

February 25, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Surrendering Everything to God

It’s not easy to hand things over to the Lord, we often want to hold them so tightly with us, but God is asking for something. On this day, let’s pray together, surrendering to God whatever we are holding. The control or our Isaac, as we discussed in the previous text. Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be my pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord my God and Father, we want to start by thanking you for your giant and intense love, which manifests itself every day. We also want to come and ask for forgiveness, for all the times you asked us for something and we didn’t want to give up, holding on tightly with us. As difficult as it is, on this day, we propose to surrender to You whatever we are holding. We want to submit to You the control of our lives. May You Lord act as you wish. Guide our steps and days according to Your will. We […]

deliver devotional

February 22, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

And when God asks to sacrifice the son?

Let’s start by defining, what is the son in this case? When we talk about the son, we talk about what has real value to you and me, something we feel we couldn’t live without. Imagine that there comes a day when the Lord comes and asks you for your son, that is, He asks you to deliver something that you love very much. What would you do at that moment? Abraham and Isaac There is a well-known biblical story, reported in Genesis from chapter 18 to 22, that talks about this. The story begins with a promise: even though Abraham was old, the Lord promised that he would have a son. This child was the long-awaited Isaac. Sara, his wife, was elderly and past childbearing age. However, the Word of God never fails and Sarah became pregnant even in her old age, giving birth to the child of promise. The Bible reports that after some time, when Isaac was a grown child, God asked Abraham to give his son as a sacrifice. In obedience, the next day, Abraham prepares wood for the burnt offering and proceeds to the place God had indicated. Would you dare to do this? Honestly […]

deliver devotional

February 17, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Take heart!

The days have definitely not been easy, we’ve been through so many things that discourage us and leave us with a restless heart. Every day, every second and every moment feels like they’re there just to discourage us, to make us stop. But can I tell you something? The message “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 Jesus’ last words were not intended to punish, but to bring comfort and consolation. He promised PEACE and JOY. He also brought the fact that He had already conquered the world. Spiritually we are already conquerors with Christ. We are joint heirs with Him and given access to all spiritual riches. Therefore, no matter how much we experience trials and difficult situations in the present time, we can have PEACE because we know that we are already victorious for eternity. There is no message more consoling and that can bring more encouragement than this. Praying about it The words of Jesus correct us, guide us, but they also bring us hope. As we read: “…In this world you will […]

courage-of-the-lord devotional

February 15, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

And when God seems silent?

At some point in our Christian walk we experience this moment: the silence of God. It happens that we often don’t understand this moment. We want to find reasons for this. The silence that is not silence Have you ever stopped to think that maybe this silence isn’t quite a silence? We can often be out of “in tune” with God and what does that mean? It means that many times we may have drifted away and God is not really silent, on the contrary, maybe He is talking repeatedly and we just didn’t pay the necessary attention. And how to change it? That is simple! Try to cultivate a deeper relationship with God. Don’t just read the Word, but examine it, pray without ceasing, fast, all of these, bring us closer to Him. The silence of waiting In Jeremiah it is told of a potter who molds his jar according to his will. It is common knowledge that this jar is you and me, molded by the Lord. And there is a time in the preparation of the jar when it is placed in the oven, so that the heat makes the clay hard enough. This is the moment […]

devotional silence-of-god

February 14, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

What are you afraid of?

Being afraid is a feeling that is part of our daily life, starting from our childhood. When we are children we are afraid of things like the dark, clowns and heights. Sometimes fears persist, but they can also disappear, giving way to others. Fear of the future Have you ever felt afraid of what was to come? Did you have that butterflies in your stomach thinking about what to expect for the next day? Often the future is the most frightening thing we face because we don’t know what it will bring us, whether it will be good or bad things. Fear of the future is simply fear that things will get out of our control. It is being afraid of seeing everything we’ve built collapse or even a responsibility we don’t know we’ll be able to handle. Matthew 6:34 says: “Then have no care for tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Take the trouble of the day as it comes.” Can you understand that? Jesus does not want us to be restless about tomorrow. After all, today itself already has its challenges and difficulties. Fear of changes I confess that this is a fear that plagues me. When […]

devotional faith fear

February 10, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

What to do with anxiety?

Since the beginning of this pandemic, it was clear that we have become increasingly anxious. Not only that, but we’ve also been developing disorders like toc, panic and so on. But what stands out most is anxiety. The big question that remains is: what does God think about it? What does the Bible say about anxiety? The Bible When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 The Psalmist says that anxiety was great within him. I start to imagine what could be going on, maybe he was being stalked, or having trouble at home, maybe he had a fight with someone, maybe, maybe, maybe… The possibilities of what was happening are infinite, but it is a fact that he was going through a moment of difficulty that caused him anxiety. However, he looked for solace and relief for his soul in only one: God. God is the answer! He brings calm and relief to our minds and souls. Remembering that: do not discard therapy, it is extremely necessary, after all, the Lord gave wisdom to these people to work with it, helping those who need it. He can use healthcare professionals to bless us. The […]

devotional peace

February 04, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Intimacy with God

We have lived such a busy life that it seems that we never find time to be intimate with God. Our schedule is always crammed with tasks and our lives are filled with activism. All of this has been keeping us from time with the Lord. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 Jesus calls us to be united with Him, as a branch is to its trunk. So I would like to pray with you to have intimacy with the Father and be united with Him. Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to write it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord my Father, I would like to begin by thanking You for another opportunity to be here in Your presence, for Your Wonderful and undeserved Grace and for Your love for us. I also thank You for Your Word […]

prayer

February 03, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

The family who fears the Lord will be blessed

Interestingly, blessing in the Bible is always closely linked to family and generational prosperity. Psalm 128 talks about what happens to one who fears the Lord and walks in his ways: v3. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.… v6. May you live to see your children’s children— peace be on Israel. In this Psalm it is also possible to see that the blessing that is on the one who walks in the ways of the Lord extends to his entire family, from generation to generation. The Blessing on Abraham’s Family Abraham was a God-fearing man. He obeyed the Lord’s call to go to another land. Along his way he built altars in worship of God. His main characteristic was his faith. In Genesis 13:15-16 we see that the blessings upon his life extended to his descendants (v15. “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”) and included the promise of a future great offspring that would come from him (v16. “I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, […]

blessings family

January 28, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Table Fellowship

Table fellowship is like the relationship we have with our families, where we eat together. A relationship in which we know each other so well to the point of knowing what the other likes or not, the quirks and certain things that it is only possible to know in an intimate environment. But how does this apply in our life with God? Jesus on the road to Emmaus This story is related in Luke 24:13-25. This episode took place after the death of Jesus, where two disciples were walking and the Master, already resurrected, began to walk with them. It turns out that none of them recognized Him and Jesus started a dialogue with them: “He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.” Luke 24:17 Both, annoyed, begin to share with the Master the last great event: Jesus had died, crucified. They also begin to say how much this upset them, for He was expected to be the one who would redeem Israel. Jesus then explained to them about the Scriptures and how the Messiah would have to suffer to enter His Glory. It turns out that all the way […]

devotional relationship-with-god

January 26, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Better than words

When we accept Jesus into our lives, we always say a prayer, something like: “Lord, I accept You as my Savior and I ask You to come and live in my heart.” It is interesting how many moments in our Christian walk are marked by moments with words. Attitudes To be honest, I’ve always been someone who values actions more than words, that person who always says, “Do you love me? So prove it” and over time I’m learning that with Jesus it’s not that different. It’s not that He wants proof of our love for Him, because He knows everything, including whether our love is true or not. What God really wants is for this love not only to be real in our hearts and minds, but that we can shine His Glory everywhere. He wants us to make a difference and also wants to see the fruit in our lives. What’s the point of saying we have a life with Him if we don’t bear fruits? The wordless prayer There is a practice called meditation that basically consists of being silent, with your eyes closed, trying to empty your mind. Many people say it works and that after […]

devotional follow-jesus

January 21, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

The good day and the bad day

The truth is, if you think about it, lately we’ve had more bad days than good days. There are so many bad things happening in the world, in our lives, that we often wonder, “Why is God allowing this to happen?” Have you ever thought that we don’t thank for the bad days? God has been working this in my heart, even ’cause my thoughts were always: “Why I have to be grateful for the bad days, who make me so sad?” I believe that’s a question that passes in your head. What do you think we discuss a little about? The House Now imagine Jesus saying this to you: “In the world you have trouble: but take heart! I have overcome the world” John 16:33b (BEB) In our lives, we went through bad days. After all, life isn’t perfect. But we have a lot of good days that give us strength to carry on. One time, I saw a reflection that said: Imagine that you are in a house and every day the only thing you have to eat is something you don’t like, but then, on the last day, you know that there is delicious chocolate waiting for you. […]

devotional faith love-of-god

January 20, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

The price of consistency

A successful marriage, a ministry that fulfills its purpose, a professional achievement. All of this takes a lot of work and dedication. Many times we want to live and enjoy good and intense results, but without paying the price of consistency and perseverance. I don’t know if you’ve ever lit a fire. Starting a fire is not the hardest, but keeping the flame lit requires fuel, work, attention and persistence. Sometimes I watch those survival shows and keeping the flame lit so that they can enjoy it to boil water, keep the body warm and cook food is one of the biggest challenges. Constancy to be relevant In the Bible, people who made a difference were people able to persevere, to keep the flame burning. Daniel in Babylon was called by King Darius to be one of the 3 administrators who would oversee the provinces of the kingdom, something great and probably desired by many. At that time Daniel was between 80 and 85 years old and had led an exemplary life in Babylon. The Bible describes him as “trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him” (Dan. 6:4). Building a reputation like this takes work, perseverance, and […]

bible faith

January 18, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

Psalm 94 for the anxious heart

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. – Psalm 94:18-19 Meditate on these words for a moment. So many times we fight in our own strength and rely on our own feet to support us when they may slip. Yet the goodness of the Lord is what really sustains us. You were not abandoned to get lost in your own thoughts. The Lord can help you and comfort you. When you are confused, He can clear your mind and guide you along the eternal path. If you’ve been feeling lonely and lost, know that He can put you back on track and make you walk towards the purposes He has for you. You can trust the Lord and rest in Him. There is true peace in the heart as we know that the Father’s love never fails and that He never leaves us. He holds us for every step we need to take along the way. We can rest in the presence of the Lord, who embraces us and releases us emotionally from any prison. Be free from anxiety, insomnia, depression and fear […]

prayer

January 13, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

An invitation to the Holy Spirit

I confess that recently I have changed a lot in my attitude towards the Holy Spirit. I have invited Him to participate in all areas of my life, not just some. I have also come to understand that He is someone who can be my friend. And I recently regretted ignoring Him for so long. Even though I was born in the church, and sometimes I failed the Holy Spirit. I often forgot to have a relationship with Him, to honor Him. I ended up creating barriers with the manifest presence of the Spirit out of fear of a “misuse” of His presence or fear of exposing myself in some way by letting myself be guided by His action. But the truth is that everything changes when we know and understand the Holy Spirit and give Him way in our lives. I still have a lot to learn about Him, as this experience is quite recent, but here I will share some of what I have lived and learned. We depend on Him First I would like to talk about how much we need the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our churches. Recently I have been very challenged […]

bible-app holy-spirit

January 10, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

LORD, give me a new spirit

Sometimes there are situations that repeat themselves and don’t seem to change. Or else something we’ve been hoping for a lot doesn’t happen. Anyway, there are so many factors that can discourage us. However, we who hope in the Lord have an inexhaustible source of strength and hope. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:30-31 Let’s pray together surrendering everything that has been going on in our minds and hearts to God. Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. PRAYER Dear God, I want to begin this prayer by giving thanks for Your Word that brings us words of comfort and consolation. Thank you for your mercy that is renewed and that accepts my prayer even when I would […]

prayer