by barneymungo » Thu May 21, 2009 10:42 am
The Christian’s enemies can defeat them, not by conquest but by consent
Edmund Burke, a famous English philosopher said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Likewise, Paul encouraged believers that “we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us”. Both quotes emphasize that God has already enabled each of us to live as a conqueror in this life through Jesus Christ. In every believer resides the Spirit of the living God who eagerly seeks to counsel us each step of our way. Our greatest threat resides not in the devil’s attack but in our own neglect of the gifts and resources Father God has made readily available to us.
Today, take Paul’s advice to Timothy and kindle afresh the gift of God in your life, stirring yourself up to do His will. Awaken your soul and spirit to the tremendous benefit God has given you through His Spirit and His Word. God has a great plan for your life. Work with Him to bring it to pass.
Prayer for Today
Father, I thank you for providing me with everything I need to triumph through Christ in this world. Today, I choose to do my part to please and obey You, not giving the enemy any opportunity to defeat me. Help me honor You today in all that I do and say.
Scriptures for Today
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:11 … so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
Our future depends on what we do today
Early on in life, simple math taught us that 1+1=2 and 2+2=4. At a young age, we readily accepted this fact and added it to our growing body of academic knowledge. The Bible teaches that each of us is the sum total of all the decisions we have made in our lives up to this point. We reflect the things we have thought, the words we have said, and the choices we have made. Since we cannot go back and remove any of our decisions, we must instead go forward, adding new choices to our life that will forever affect us.
If you are not as pleased as you would like to be about the sum total of your life today, consider changing what you are adding to yourself. The writer of Hebrews challenges us saying, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” God will counsel you today as to what you should choose, directing you about the things to approve and disapprove. He will advise you in the way you should go. Listen for His guidance concerning your life as He directs you into His best. Each day offers opportunities for a new beginning.
Prayer for Today
God, today I choose to follow You and to honor You in all that I do, say, and think. Help me to make the right choices. I know my future depends on it.
Scriptures for Today
Deuteronomy 30:19 Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Maturity is the understanding that even though it may affect you, it may not always be about you
Take a baby for example. They believe it’s all about them. They cry when they are hungry, sleepy, in pain, or they need their diaper changed and they demonstrate no real care or responsibility for others. All they care about is their personal satisfaction and immediate comfort. With many Christians it can be the same.
As we mature, we should begin to see life and its many situations from a different perspective. Paul and Silas were thrown in prison for preaching the Gospel. It was terrible, dark, wet, stinky, and gloomy. It would have been easy to give up. Sure, prison affected Paul, but he realized that it might not be all about him. They decided to praise God in their difficulty. God responded and shook the earth, opened the prison doors, and many believed and were saved, including the jailer and his whole family. Sometimes things affect us when it’s not about us.
Prayer for Today
Father, please help me to face life with a mature vision. Help me to see a little farther down the road of life. I know that those who serve You will suffer persecution and even though that may affect me, I will not let it be all about me. I commit to be selfless. Your will be done and not mine.
Scriptures for Today
Acts 16:25, 26 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.
Our attitudes of life are shaped either by past experiences or future expectations
Why do you think what you think about life? Why do you feel like you feel about your family? Why do you want what you want today? Are you happy, sad, excited, afraid, emotionless, or passionate about your day? Are you angry, worried, frustrated, irritated, aggravated, or short tempered? Is there a smile on your face, a bounce in your step, joy in your heart, and peace in your home? What are you expecting your day to be like today?
We all approach each day with an attitude and expectancy for that day. Our attitudes of life are based upon our past experiences or future expectations. Examine yourself and question your attitude. Where did it originate and is it an attitude with which God is pleased? If not, change today.
Prayer for Today
Lord, thank you for giving me the time and encouragement to examine my attitude and replace those things which offend You and keep me back from experiencing Your joy, Your peace, and Your hope for my day. Make me more like You.
Scriptures for Today
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Three tests of followership: obedience, submission, loyalty
God makes no leaders…He makes followers…followers make leaders. It’s important we understand the three tests a follower will face on his journey to becoming qualified to lead.
First, a follower must obey. People normally only obey those whom they want to obey or are forced to obey. The second test involves submission. Submission demands we yield our strength and support to those leading us when we do not have to, and would not naturally want to, obey. Finally, a follower must be loyal. Loyalty is the show of support for the leader’s decision and is the shining crown and greatest reflection of a person’s character. Loyalty is demonstrated by what a person says and how a person acts when following requires submission.
Prayer for Today
Father, help me to be a great follower. Forgive me for my past disobedience to those in authority over me, my lack of submission to those I have disagreed with, and my disloyal conduct displayed in my attitude and response when having to submit. I thank You for Your grace and power to help me be a follower and a blessing to the leaders in my life.
Scriptures for Today
Hebrews 13:7, 17 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.
It takes courage to keep going
The Bible details so many stories of men and women who found themselves in difficult and even embarrassing situations. From David, whose men wished to stone him, to Esther as she faced the possibility of execution, each story gives reason for people to stop going forward in life. However, the heroes of the Bible and, indeed, heroes of faith today must continue their journey despite their fears and failures.
It takes courage to keep going after hurtful, embarrassing, or compromising events. Nonetheless, we must find the strength to keep going despite the circumstances. Take courage, my friend, your greatest day is yet ahead.
Prayer for Today
God, I need courage to go on today. Help me to see past this moment in my life and allow You to heal my heart and my emotions. Use me, also, to help others to go on and be a witness of Your faithfulness and love.
Scriptures for Today
Psalms 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
It's not what you are going through, but how you go through it
If there is one thing Christians need, it is a fresh revelation concerning the fact that our actions and responses preach louder than our words. The world around us is desperate to see the power of God. They need to see faith, courage, strength, and love in us as we face our personal adversities in life. While our attention and focus may be on our current problem, rest assured that the attention of others is on us. This is one reason why it is not what we are going through, but how we are going through it that counts.
Someone else is also watching our response and that is God Himself. He desires that we be conformed to the image of His Son, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. Does our character, when in the heat of a battle, reflect that of Christ? Do we stay steady and obedient to God's will and way or do we compromise our stand? Focus on what God can do in you and through you instead of only seeing what is happening to you.
Prayer for Today
Faithful Father, I want to reflect Christ to those around me. Help me today and every day to remember that what really counts is how I demonstrate what I believe through what I do as I face the challenges that life brings.
Scriptures for Today
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Full vessels are at their greatest day
One of the major principles of God's Word is the law of reaping and sowing. In order to reap, we must sow. In other words, we must pour out what we have in order to re-produce and gain reward. God gave each of us talents that He expects us to freely give to help enhance and advance His Kingdom. We are filled up only to be poured out and re-filled again. If we never empty ourselves then perhaps we are living in our greatest day.
Don’t be a full vessel sitting on a shelf and gathering dust. Very actively pour yourself out upon willing hearts and hurting souls. Then trust God to fill you again.
Prayer for Today
God, I am a vessel today ready to pour out what You have given me. I trust that as I pour out You will refresh and enlarge me to receive more anointing, only to be given again. I will be faithful with what You give me.
Scriptures for Today
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
2 Kings 4:3-4 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
There is no lasting future on planet Earth
Solomon’s wisdom reveals the difference between a wise and a foolish man. He says that a wise man will look far down the road and prepare himself for the future while a fool will live everyday in a blind pursuit of that day’s benefit. Not planning for the future, Solomon said, would result in the fool being punished.
The greatest example of this is eternity. Where will you spend eternity and how much reward will you be given in heaven? Spend some time considering these questions and prepare for heaven because there is no lasting future on planet Earth.
Prayer for Today
Father, please help me to invest in eternal things. Help me to realize there is no future on planet Earth. I know I will reap what I sow and therefore, I pledge to sow eternal seeds of kindness, goodness, peace, and joy. Father, I trust You and I look forward to my eternal reward.
Scriptures for Today
Matthew 6:20 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Proverbs 22:3 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
What you think can change your mind, what you believe can change your heart, but only what you do can change your life and your world
I have heard it said there are two types of people: those who read history and those who make history. That’s the difference between people who think about doing great things, people who believe they are great, and those who do great things. Thinking about suffering humanity might make you want to do something to help. Believing that you possess some wisdom or ability to address the need might give you passion for a particular plan. However, unless you actually do something to address the problem: feed a hungry person, give water to the thirsty, preach the Gospel to the poor, heal the sick, or set a captive free, you have really done nothing to help.
Develop a passion and get a plan, but don’t let it end there. Put feet to your faith and become actively engaged in a work only your hands can do.
Prayer for Today
Father, grant me Your passion for a lost and hurting world, show me Your plan and how I can be involved, and then, Lord, put me into Your harvest field as a laborer. I want to work for You.
Scriptures for Today
James 1:22-27 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Life is predictable
Life is a journey and as with any journey, the road we travel should not be chosen by random or reaction. Since every road leads somewhere predictable, it is reasonable that we examine the path of our life so we will not be surprised when we arrive at our final destination. A person who follows a path of lying, cheating, stealing, or compromise should not be confused when they end up without friends, a job, or in jail … that’s just where that road leads.
In the same regard, at any time in life, a person can change the road on which they are walking and turn their lives around. Let God’s Word illuminate the road today for your life and live confident in your final destination.
Prayer for Today
God, I thank You for being with me on my journey no matter which path I choose. However, I pray that You would turn me from my own way and lead me on Your way for my life. Show me Your will.
Scriptures for Today
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
Psalms 27:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Life is a choice
In the Belief-Choice Faith Based Model of counseling and therapy, the first element is to ensure we believe what God’s Word says and not what God’s enemies say about us and our situation of life. Whether talking about anger management, addictive behaviors, or rebellious attitudes and actions what we believe will determine how we think, how we feel, and what we want.
However, life is a choice, and even if we believe the truth of God’s Word, we must still choose to do His word. Faith without corresponding action is useless and believing without choosing to obey God’s Word means nothing.
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord, Help me to know Your Word, to believe Your Word, and then choose to do Your word. No longer will I make excuses for not obeying Your commands. Thank You for Your forgiveness.
Scriptures for Today
James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
You may need a break from, before you have a break down, on your way to a break through
Sometimes the most godly thing you can do is rest. Imagine you are a world class athlete about to enter the most important competition of your career. This event will take every ounce of physical, mental, emotional energy and focus that you have. If you do not get the proper amount of rest, how do you think you will perform?
The Barbarian (World Class weight lifter) used to say, “There is no such thing as over training; only lack of sleep, lack of a good diet, and lack of will.” Many Christians today have a healthy diet of the Word of God and they have an incredible will to do the work of God, but this life is wearing them down. God does not give us more than we can handle. Maybe we need to slow down by placing rest as a priority of life. Success is when opportunity meets preparation. Prepare yourself, even when it means taking a break.
Prayer for Today
Father, please help me to take time to rest. I know You are going to need me in the future and I want to be ready. Help me to create a strategy that would keep me in the game for many years to come. I want to make the greatest difference I can make for Your Kingdom, my family, and my future.
Scriptures for Today
Exodus 23:12 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.
Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
God calls greatness out of obscurity
Just like the little shepherd boy named David who was alone tending a few sheep on the backside of the desert and who later became king of all Israel, God is preparing people in obscurity. God seems to like surprising people with sudden skilled usefulness.
Right now God is preparing those He will someday use, perhaps you are His next choice. Give yourself to His preparation, become great in your ordinary everyday life and don’t despise the day of small beginnings. God is busy building His kingdom and His future kings.
Prayer for Today
God, I know that You are always carefully thinking about me and how I can best serve Your Kingdom causes. Prepare me, oh Lord, so that I will be ready in the day of battle. Give me the wisdom to not be frustrated but to get educated and motivated for the greater days of my life.
Scriptures for Today
Isaiah 49:2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Psalms 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Left to themselves, bad things do not get better, they get worse
Like the vehicle that needs repair or a home that needs cleaning, our lives do not get better, cleaner, or more productive on their own … it takes work. Putting it off until a more convenient time accomplishes nothing. They won’t fix themselves.
Left to themselves, bad things do not get better, they get worse. This is why we must pay attention to those things which need work and make the effort to fix them. Whether attitudes, actions, thoughts, or feelings, we should examine ourselves and then force ourselves to affect the changes we know are necessary. Begin the process today.
Prayer for Today
Father, Your Word says that today is the day of salvation and now is the acceptable time. Show me those things that need my attention in my life and give me the grace and strength to do something about them today. Guide me, step by step, day by day, to become more pleasing and useful in Your hands.
Scriptures for Today
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Love is work…and we must do our first works to get back our first love
It is often said that “What you did to get it is what you have to do to keep it!” I believe this is true. From marriage to business, what it takes to get it is what it will take to keep it.
Love is work … and we must do our first works to get back our first love. This applies to how we feel about our salvation, our church, our family, and our God. When things seem to be a bit dull or something seems lacking - look first to yourself: Have you been spending the quality time investing in these areas as you have before? If not, no wonder something is missing. Get back to the basics and start enjoying life again.
Prayer for Today
Lord, show me the areas of my life wherein I need to spend more quality time. Refresh me and revive me, oh God. Make my love like an ever springing fountain which brings joy and refreshing to my soul and to the souls of all I meet. Revive me, oh God.
Scriptures for Today
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Christianity is a belief that demands action
Once I was told that the word “believe” is the opposite of the word belie. Belie means to not live up to what your claims. I was told that the word “believe” was made up of two common words: be and live. Thus the basic meaning of the word would seem to indicate that a believer would be a person who lived what they be … a be-liver.
If this is true, a Christian believer would be a person who embodied not only the faith but also the acts of Christ. Christianity is a belief that demands action. Are you acting like a Christian?
Prayer for Today
God, I know You love me and that Your love for me is not based on works but on grace. However, I do want to please You in everything I do. I pray, Sir, that You would gently guide me to see where I am not acting like a Christian and help me to submit my thoughts and actions and bring them into harmony with Your will.
Scriptures for Today
2 Peter 2:2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and His true way will be slandered.
2 Corinthians 10:5 … casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Only God can measure a finished product
Don’t be so hard on yourself. If it’s bad, God is certainly not finished yet. Imagine what it would look like if any product was halted in an unfinished state, part way through the production process and judged on the scale with a finished work. No doubt there would be evident failures. Only the creator knows when the creation is completed.
Only God can measure a finished product. Don’t worry, God is not finished with you yet and He loves you too much to leave you the way you are right now. He is still working on you!
Prayer for Today
Teach me, oh God, to not be frustrated with the process of life. I know that You are cleverly and wisely working in me to will and to do of Your good pleasure. I trust that You will make all things beautiful in their time. Here is my life, Lord…make something from it if You will.
Scriptures for Today
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
Jeremiah 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
Psalms 138:8 The LORD will work out his plans for my life-for Your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.
Philippians 1:6 In whom He has begun a good work He will perform it until the day of Christ.
Today may be your opportunity to get to know some of the greatest people you have never met before
Daily we pass people on the street, in the market, at school, or at work … people we have never met or taken the time to get to know. Many of these people have the potential to be some of the best friends a person could ever have. Every one of them has a story, a hope, a dream, a concern, and a passion they are willing to share with others.
Today may be your opportunity to get to know some of the greatest people you have never met before. Why not take a chance and invest some time in making a new friend today. People often love to talk about themselves and, if you care, they will share. Take the initiative, be attentive, listen, and make meaningful responses. In days to come you will be glad you did.
Prayer for Today
Lord God, I pray that You would help me to build good and godly relationships that last a lifetime. Inspire me today and lead me to the right people. Give me those whom I can influence and those who will influence me to godliness.
Scriptures for Today
Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times.
Proverbs 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
We are either coming from our greatest day, at our greatest day, or headed to our greatest day … and the truth is, it’s our choice
Much of life is a matter of perspective. It seems that the first half of a person’s life is spent seeking success while the last half is spent pursuing significance. While we often hunger to achieve a certain level of success and recognition, we can be left empty, even with our accomplishments.
I would not want to spend all of my life climbing a ladder only to realize when I got to the top that it was leaning against the wrong building. God has a plan and it includes you. He is working on each of us right now to make something greater out of us than we have experienced thus far. Be confident that a greater day is yet ahead. In fact, when we draw our last breath on planet Earth, we can boldly proclaim that our greatest day is yet ahead. It’s a choice!
Prayer for Today
Father, I am not finished yet. I want to be great in Your Kingdom and make my life count. Give me dreams and visions beyond my current situation. Take me to my greatest day.
Scriptures for Today
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
While a contract often protects my good at others’ expense, a covenant promises the other party’s good at my expense
Many people approach relationships with a contract in mind. Contracts are understandably necessary in many business relationships. However, there is no place for contract in personal relationships. Take marriage for example, pre-nuptials have become almost commonplace in today’s society. A prenuptial agreement is nothing more than a contract strategically designed to protect each party from the other. Rules, rights, and responsibilities are spelled out with penalties prescribed for any infraction.
God designed marriage, as well as other important relationships, to be birthed and maintained through covenant. Covenant is not a 50/50 relationship … it is 100%-100% relationship. Each person is 100% responsible to do their part without respect to the actions of the other person in the relationship. Covenant is what God offered Abraham and what Jesus offers us today. Respect your covenant relationships … God does.
Prayer for Today
Father, I want to be a covenant partner with You in making spiritual relationships which will last for eternity. Teach me about covenant and place the right people in my life. Give me the grace to value my relationships above what they can provide for me.
Scriptures for Today
Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
1 Samuel 18:1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
Sometimes God requires we gain victory in the situation before we gain victory over the situation
Jesus told His disciples that as long as they were in this world they would encounter tribulation, but to be of good cheer because He had overcome this world. Overcoming in the face of tribulation, testing, trials, and temptations is a two step process. First, there is victory we can experience in our moment, even before we are delivered from the pressures of the situation. This victory does not depend on our circumstances changing but us changing in our circumstances. This victory strengthens our faith. Victory in our situation is but a prelude to gaining victory over our situation and seeing our circumstances change to our favor.
Sometimes God requires we gain victory in the situation before we gain victory over the situation. Get a strong mental attitude about having God on your side. If God is for you, who can successfully be against you?
Prayer for Today
God, I know that You will never leave me nor forsake me. My life, my joy, my future, and my success are not dependent on the circumstances of life. I believe that with You all things are possible. Give me the grace to see Your finished work in me, even before I see things change.
Scriptures for Today
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Romans 8:31b If God be for us, who can be against us?
Visionaries live in the future
Don’t let life limit your vision. In Psalms 78, verse 41 David speaks of the children of Israel limiting God and His ability to help them. It says that they tempted God, and they turned back, and they limited the Holy One of Israel. How can man limit God? By limiting our vision to what we see instead of what God sees.
We should embrace God’s reality as our reality. This is often accomplished when we embrace the vision God has for us instead of allowing our present situations and limitations of life dictate. Ask God to inspire you beyond your moment with His vision for your future and take the limits off of God.
Prayer for today
God, I ask You to inspire me with Your vision for my future. Show me my life as You see it and unfold Your dream through me. I choose to take the limits off and let You be my guide.
Scriptures for Today
Job 33:14-15 For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds
Habakkuk 2:2 Then the LORD answered me and said, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.”
Thy Kingdom come
The Kingdom of God does not come with observation, is not a tangible place, but rather is within you. This Kingdom of God produces righteousness, peace, and joy, and exists wherever Jesus is Lord. It is our duty to bring our life under the sovereign reign of God for wherever He rules, there the Kingdom of God is established.
The scriptures tell us not to be overly concerned with what we will eat, what we will drink, or the clothes we wear. Rather, we are to seek as a first priority, the kingdom of God and right standing with Him and then everything we need will be added to our life through His supply. Follow the example of Jesus when you pray and say, “Thy Kingdom Come and Thy will be done.”
Prayer and Scripture for Today
Matthew 6:9-13 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Do not despise small beginnings
God has designed it so that each seed contains the potential to reproduce itself, supplying seeds for generations to come. If given the opportunity, placed in fertile soil, in the right season, watered and cultivated properly, this seed has the capacity to fulfill its greatest destiny and become much more than it may first appear.
Allow yourself the same privilege. There is much more to your calling, future, and impact than you may be consciously aware. Give God some credit. He has a plan and He has chosen you as His seed for a great future.
Prayer for Today
Dear God, I cannot see the end from the beginning as You are able. However, show me Your way and grant me Your grace to sow my life as a seed in this generation’s work for a harvest in generations to come. I will not despise the day of small beginnings.
Scriptures for Today
Luke 13:18-19 Then He said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.”
You will never do any better than God’s will for your life
While many people are seeking to excel in some arena of life, be it academically, economically, socially, or in some other self appointed pursuits, God has already placed greatness and excellence within each one of His children. What works for one person may not always work for another and “get rich quick” schemes lead most people who follow them into ruin. All the while, the only road to complete success and total fulfillment is to find and follow the will and purpose of God for your life.
Stop pursuing success by going your own way and doing your own thing. You will never be wiser than God or happier than simply being in His will.
Prayer for Today
Show me Your way father God and reveal Your path for my life. Let my life not be the result of mere human knowledge or calculation but rather an unfolding script which only You can write and I can follow.
Scriptures for Today
Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
Growth and expansion stop when those to whom ministry belongs cannot or will not reproduce
In the book of Acts is the account of the beginning of the church. It was brought forth in the power of the Holy Spirit. The birth of the church was a responsibility God gave to Himself while the growth and expansion of the church was primarily left up to those whom God called, equipped, and sent forth.
We must stay aware that the expansion of the church depends on the principle of us being daily transformed by His power and reproducing that transformation in others through our witness and work. Ministry belongs to you.
Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus, I will walk in the power of Your Holy Spirit today. I dedicate the works of my hands and the plans of my life to Your divine purpose. I invite You to intervene in the affairs of my life where my knowledge and perspective are limited. Help me to reproduce in others what You have produced in me.
Scriptures for Today
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost Has come upon you; and you shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and in the uttermost part of the earth.
1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
Success is more than a one step process
When God wanted to create His perfect world, His first step began when He said, “Let there be light”. Over the next seven days of creation, He continued taking step after step until He had successfully achieved His desired results. Throughout our lives we, too, are challenged to achieve our goals by designing and embracing the steps necessary for success. Whether building a house, taking a journey, or raising a family, a successful endeavor is completed step by predictable step.
Success is more than a one step process and success often belongs to those who are willing to embrace and endure that process. What steps will it take in your life for you to be successful?
Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to not be discouraged in the process of life. Show me Your way and give me achievable steps I can take to be successful in Your eyes. Help me to be patient and give me the grace to endure the journey.
Scriptures for Today
Psalms 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
Psalms 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.
2 Samuel 22:37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me so that my feet did not slip.
God moves through people to people
In Acts the ninth chapter, Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Damascus to continue his persecution of Christians. A great light blinded him and he heard a voice from heaven. This voice identified Himself as Jesus and instructed Saul to go into the city and await instructions from another person, later identified as Ananias. In Acts chapter ten, a man named Cornelius was visited by an angel and instructed to send for a man named Peter, who would tell him how to be saved.
In these cases and others, it was not the heavenly voice that taught these men the way of Christ, but rather this privilege and indeed the responsibility for witness and discipleship was given to other men. You see, God reaches through people to people. Let God reach someone through you today.
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me the privilege of telling others about You. Today I pray that You would put someone in my path whom I can instruct on Your behalf. Give me the words, the willingness, and the confidence to be a witness.
Scriptures for Today
Acts 9:6, 17 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 10:5-7 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do. And when the angel who spoke to him had departed …
