LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
7 Powerful Promises of God in Scripture used during counselling
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
10/2022
What God promises, He delivers, but there are some that are more powerful to believers.
Here are 7 promises of God.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. – Matt 11:28-29
When you are at the end of your rope and everything around you seems to be falling in
upon you, then run to the Savior. Lay on His broad shoulders all the labors and heavy burdens
that are too hard for you to care. Only then can He give you rest for your soul. If you insist on
carrying your own burdens, you will never find true rest for your soul.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Phil 4:13
The Bible tells us that we cannot do anything of significance by ourselves (John 15:5), and
that only through our Lord’s strengthening us, can we do all things that are His will. To do “all
things” doesn’t mean we’ll have that luxury car or a bigger house, but our will and the Lord’s
will are aligned in purpose and whatever happens, He can provide for our needs (Phil 4:19) and
give us strength at times of weakness (Isaiah 40:29-31), but only if it’s in accordance with His
will (Matt 6:10).
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor
things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Rom 8:38-39
If there is a more comforting and more powerful promise that Romans 8:38-39, I’m not
sure what it is. For our Lord to tell us that nothing at all, created or otherwise, can ever
separate us from God and His love means we have security in God’s preservation of His children
(John 10:28-29). Nothing or no one can cut us off from God once we’ve trusted in Christ.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope. – Jer 29:11
Although this was written to ancient Israel who part of the nation were already in captivity,
it gave the Jews hope for a future. God means them good and not harm; good and not evil;
both a future and a hope. He does likewise to His own children who have trusted in the Lord,
Jesus Christ.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
The most familiar Bible verse in all of Scripture is John 3:16. It sums up the entire gospel in
a sense for it says, whoever believes in Jesus Christ will not perish but receive eternal life. To
“believe” means to trust in or have faith in and for that matter, to obey. Those who reject Christ
will perish in the lake of fire, although their soul will continue forever. There are only two places
we can go to in this life; into the Lord’s presence after death (2 Cor 5:8), “but whoever does not
believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of
God” (John 3:18b).
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God. – 2 Cor 5:21
We were redeemd by the precious blood of the Lamb.
Here may be the best and clearest presentation of the gospel in the entire Bible. It states
that Jesus never knew sin, but we sure do, don’t we?! That’s why He became sin for us. His
death was for the purpose of our receiving His righteousness. Without that imputed toward us,
we cannot enter the Kingdom. We must have the same righteousness as Jesus does or we’ll be
shut out in outer darkness forever, but not so if we’ve received Him and put all our trust in Him.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
I’m not sure who said it, but one person was asking whether they deserved a second
chance with God because they’d “blown it” again. The wise, old pastor said, “You do realize you
didn’t deserve the first one.” That man is right. None of us deserved to receive God’s mercy and
grace. We could never earn it in a million lifetimes. God forgives us when we confess it to Him.
End of story! Now, we must learn to let that go which God has forgiven. Even our salvation is a
free gift of God so that none of us would boast or brag about it (Eph 2:8-9), and knowing human
nature, I’m sure we’d brag to about anyone that’d listen. One young child in Sunday school said
the only part she brought to be saved was her sin. Jesus did the rest. She’s nailed it. Out of the
mouth of babes, they say.
Conclusion
I know you can think of other powerful and precious promises of God. Just think about this
powerful promise of God. The Apostle Peter said that our Lord “has granted to us his precious
and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2
Pet 1:4). These promises are not just great promises….they are “very great” and exceedingly
“precious” promises. We should rejoice that God doesn’t change His mind about us. If He did,
none of us would make it.
Resource
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway
Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
