don't block your blessings remember our God is a god of abundance and he desires nothing more than to bless us beyond our wildest dreams so let's not stand in our own way Embrace his will his love and His blessings today God wants to bless you with an abundant life we're also going to pray a powerful prayer with you calling on God to bless you abundantly in the name of Jesus so watch until the end and open your heart to receive the blessings of this prayer my dear friends there is a sad reality that we must face in our walk with God sometimes without even realizing it we become our own stumbling blocks sometimes we wonder why the heavens seems silent or why our prayers feel unanswered we pour out our hearts in prayer waiting and yearning for a sign an answer or even just a whisper to assure us that he hears we question have we been forgotten is there something we've done wrong but the truth is blessings from God flow constantly like a river quite often it is our actions our choices and our attitudes that may be preventing these blessings from reaching us you see God's love for us is so vast and his desire to bless us is so immense that His blessings are always flowing much like a mighty river that never runs dry this river is full of healing hope breakthroughs and miracles all waiting to enrich our lives but just as a river can be hindered by obstructions sometimes it's our own behaviors decisions and even the state of our hearts that act like barriers blocking these blessing we might not even be aware of these obstructions as they often masquerade as everyday choices or deep-rooted attitudes today let us dig deeper into understanding these barriers and how we can restore the free flow of God's grace in our journey of life God continuously weaves threads of Grace favor and love for each one of us but it's up to us to recognize and receive these threads to allow them to enrich the patterns of Our Lives today we will look at five barriers that can block your blessings and breakthroughs number one unforgiveness and holding on to grudges think of unforgiveness like holding onto a heavy Rock in our hand day after day that rock gets harder and harder to carry it slows us down and tires us out that's what holding grudges does to us it's like that heavy Rock making our life harder than it should be the Bible tells us clearly in Matthew 6. verse 14. for if you forgive others when they do wrong to you your father in heaven will also forgive you this means that if we want God to forgive us to forgive others it's a simple idea but sometimes it may be hard to do depending on the situation but we can all choose to forgive no matter how difficult do what God wants you to do and God will take care of everything else now let's Journey back to an often overlooked story in the Bible the story of Esau and Jacob these two brothers had every reason to hold on to grudges Jacob with the help of their mother deceived his older brother Esau to snatch away his Birthright and blessing the hurt and betrayal led to years of separation and bitterness Esau was so angry that he even thought of killing Jacob but over time something transformational happened when they finally met again it instead of anger and revenge this is what happened Genesis 33.
verse 4 says but Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept this reunion shows the power of forgiveness and how it can turn years of bitterness into a moment of love and Reconciliation yet it's vital to understand that forgiveness is not just for the person who hurt us it's also for our benefit it sets us free holding on to anger resentment and grudges is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get hurt it affects our well-being our relationship with God and others and prevents us from experiencing the fullness of God's blessings when we forgive we are not saying that what the other person did is okay but we are releasing them from our judgment and letting God be the judge in doing so we Tear Down the Walls that block our blessings and pave the way for healing peace and spiritual Prosperity after all every time we recite the Lord's Prayer we are reminded forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us in essence every prayer is a call to embrace forgiveness and let go of the chains that hold us back from God's Divine blessings number two doubt and lack of faith doubt can Cloud our spiritual vision making it hard to recognize and appreciate the Miracles that God manifests in our lives daily like a dense fog it distorts our perception and Direction when Jesus beckoned Peter to walk on water it was pure unwavering faith that enabled him to take those initial miraculous steps however the instant doubt seeped in he began to sink as James 1 verse 6 tells us but let him ask in faith with no doubting for He Who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind this wavering and unstable State of Mind keeps us from fully embracing God's blessings imagine trying to paint a beautiful picture but every time you're about to make a stroke you second guess the color choice the brush size or the direction of the stroke because of this the canvas remains incomplete and the image never fully comes to life similarly in our spiritual journey when we're constantly doubting or lacking faith we prevent our relationship with God from reaching its full vibrant potential we end up with a patchy unclear image of his plan for us rather than the Masterpiece he envisions in the Bible Hebrews 11 verse 1 tells us now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of Things Not Seen this means that even if we can't see something we can believe it's there just like we believe the wind is there when we feel it on our face even if we can't see it faith is believing in God and his promises even if we can't see him there's a story in the Bible about a man named Barack in the Book of Judges chapters four to five Deborah A prophetess told Barrack that God wanted him to lead an Army against their enemies and God would ensure they win but Barack doubted he said he would only go if Deborah went with him this showed his lack of faith because of this Deborah said that the honor of Victory would go to a woman instead of him and that's exactly what happened a woman named jail was the one who defeated the enemy's leader this story shows what can happen when we doubt or don't have faith we might miss out on the good things God has planned for us we can miss out on our blessings so doubt as a human emotion is natural all of us at different moments grapple with questions or uncertainties but in these times it's crucial to turn to God seeking his wisdom and guidance embracing Faith especially in uncertain times illuminates our path providing Clarity and purpose it's like having the right colors and vision to complete our painting revealing a beautiful Divine Masterpiece God is ever ready to guide but it's our faith and trust in him that transforms his guidance into blessings in our lives number three Disobedience and straying from God's path not obeying God can cause you to lose your way think about a time when someone gave you a map or directions to a place but instead of following it you decided to go your own way thinking it might be a shortcut but soon you found yourself lost wishing you had just stuck to the original path this is similar to our spiritual journey God gives us a map through his words in the Bible guiding us on the right path but when we decide to go our own way not listen to him we often find ourselves feeling lost and far from him God is clear about obedience in the Bible and first Samuel 15 verse 22 it says to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams this means that God values our obedience more than any gift or ritual we can offer he wants us to listen to him and follow his ways because he knows it's the best for us a story in the Bible that's not often talked about but is very relevant to our topic of disobedience is about King Saul and the amalekites in first Samuel chapter 15 God gave Saul clear instructions to destroy everything belonging to the amalekites because of the harm they had done to the Israelites but instead Saul spared their King hagag and kept some of the best livestock he thought he could use these animals as sacrifices to God but God wasn't pleased because Saul didn't follow his exact instructions even though Saul thought he was doing a good thing by saving the animals for sacrifice he missed the point obedience to God was more important as a result of his disobedience God no longer desired for King Saul to remain as king and his Reign took a tragic turn when we stray from God's path and don't listen to him it's like we're missing out on the best route he has planned for us God's path is always for our good even if we don't see it right away by being obedient and sticking to his directions we avoid many problems and heartaches it's essential to always check in with God read his words and pray for guidance just like that map or set of directions God's word will always lead us to the right place full of blessings and peace so let's make an effort to stay on God's path and enjoy the journey he has prepared for us number four pride and self-reliance here I am talking about the tendency to trust ourselves more than God consider that you have a puzzle and you're trying to fit a piece where it doesn't belong no matter how much you push or twist it it just won't fit but instead of looking for the right piece you keep forcing the wrong one thinking you know better this is what happens when we let Pride control us and rely too much on ourselves we try to force things our way even if it's not the right way instead of listening to God's Guidance the Bible has clear words about Pride Proverbs 16 Verse 18 says Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall this verse is a reminder that when we think too highly of ourselves we're setting ourselves up for trouble God wants us to be humble to realize that we don't have all the answers and to lean on him let's look at the story of King Isaiah in second chronicles chapter 26. Isaiah became king at a young age and for many years he did what was right in God's eyes he was successful and Powerful but with this power Pride started to creep into his heart he began to think he could do anything even tasks reserved for priests one day he went into the temple to burn incense a job only the priests were allowed to do when warned by the priests instead of listening and humbling himself became angry but God saw his pride Isaiah broke out with Leprosy right there and then Isaiah's Pride led to his downfall trusting in ourselves and thinking we don't need God's guidance is a dangerous path it's like refusing to ask for directions when we're lost just because we're too proud to admit we don't know the way so some of us need to admit that we don't know everything some of us are too proud but God is always waiting for us to reach out to ask him for help he wants to guide us and lead us to the best paths the key is to be humble to admit when we need help and to trust in God's wisdom over our own by setting aside our pride and leaning on God we open up a world of blessings peace and true success in our lives remember it's okay to not have all the answers as long as we know where to turn for guidance don't let Pride block your blessings and number five neglect of prayer and praise this is like drifting away from our Safe Harbor think about being in a boat and floating in a vast ocean near the shoreline is a safe harbor where you anchor every day it provides protection guidance and a sense of peace but gradually you start neglecting the anchor one day you skip it thinking it's fine to drift a little the next day you do the same slowly you find yourself far out at sea adrift and the once familiar Harbor is barely visible this is similar to our relationship with God when we consistently engage in prayer and praise to God we anchor ourselves to his presence but neglecting these practices is like neglecting that anchor letting ourselves drift farther from God's protective Harbor the Bible is filled with calls for constant communication with God in Philippians 4 6 we are reminded be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God the scripture underscores the importance of not only praying but also offering praise and thanks affirming our trust in him by doing so we strengthen our anchor ensuring we stay close to our spiritual Harbor the story of Jonah nicely reflects the significance of consistent communication with God when God first called Jonah to go to Nineveh Jonah ran away opting to board a ship going in the opposite direction he tried to escape God's call and in doing so found himself in the middle of a massive storm as he neglected his duty and his connection to God he drifted further away from his spiritual Harbor it was only when he was in the belly of a great fish having prayed and repented that he was set back on the right path Jonah's story is a vivid illustration of what can happen when we neglect our spiritual duties like prayer and praise and how we can always turn back to God our steadfast Harbor no matter how far we've drifted in our busy lives it's easy to think we can skip a prayer session today or skip a daily devotion or miss a moment of praise to God tomorrow maybe you're thinking that dealing with kids and grandkids as they go back to school is now top priority or dealing with my other family or work obligations is more important right now or you're probably just thinking I don't have enough time to spend 20 minutes or 30 minutes with God every day but every time we do this it's like allowing our boat to drift a bit further from that Safe Harbor over time we may find ourselves lost in the vastness of life's challenges prayer and praise are more than just expression of devotion they are also conduits of blessings just as the rain nourishes the Earth leading to blossoming flowers and thriving crops consistent prayer and heartfelt praise open the floodgates of Heaven allowing God's blessings to flow into our lives when we communicate with God through prayer we align our desires with his will making way for blessings tailored to our truest needs on the other hand praise is our acknowledgment of God's sovereignty our genuine gratitude for his works when we praise we recognize and celebrate the blessings we've already received no matter how big or small we also recognize and celebrate the blessings and breakthroughs that we expect to receive this grateful heart in turn attracts even more blessings Psalm 67 verses 5 to 6.
