“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, NIV)
Are you believing for something that seems like it’s taking longer than you hoped? Maybe you’ve been praying for a loved one. Maybe you’ve believed for a situation to change for years. Don’t get discouraged. God is going to finish what He started! He is a faithful God, and He has something unmatched, unparalleled coming your way — favor, breakthroughs, restoration like you haven’t seen before! God has been good to all of us in the past, but I believe we’re coming into a time where we will see greater anointing, greater power and greater victories! The key is that we have to stay in agreement with God. We should get up every morning and say, “Father, thank You for Your unprecedented favor. Thank You for the immeasurable, unlimited, surpassing greatness of Your power.” If you keep standing in faith, I believe you’re going to come into more of those days where you stand in utter amazement and say, “Wow, God! I’ve never seen anything like this before!” Remember, scripture says, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” No, nothing is impossible when we put our faith and trust in Him. Keep standing today, keep believing, keep hoping because God has something astounding in store for your future! Heavenly Father, today I set my heart and mind on You. I choose to trust that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I stand strong on Your Word today knowing that victory is on the way in Jesus’ name. Amen! “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11, NIV)
God has many ways of pouring out His favor and goodness on our lives. Scripture says that He is your sun and shield. What does the sun do for us? It lights our way, keeps us warm, and nourishes the plants of the earth so that we can have food. Think about that for a moment. The earth is sustained by its relationship to the sun, and God wants to sustain you through your relationship with Him. He wants to give you direction and be your shield of protection against all the fiery darts of the enemy. In the natural, it’s easy to fall into the trap of relying on the things of this world to direct and protect us. But when we put our trust and hope in our heavenly Father, not only does it enrich our relationship with Him, it opens the door to the supernatural realm. It opens the door to supernatural favor, wisdom, divine connections, new ideas and so much more. When you trust in Him, He shines His light on your path and leads you forward into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you! Father in heaven, today I open my heart and mind to You. I choose to put my trust in You and receive Your blessing of direction and protection. Show me Your ways that I may walk with You today and always in Jesus’ name. Amen. “You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; and light will
shine on your ways.” (Job 22:28, NASB) In Genesis 17, when Sarah first heard the news that she was going to have a baby, the scripture says it was so far out she began to laugh. She was in her 90’s, so it seemed impossible from every angle. I can hear her saying, “Abraham, a baby? Are you kidding? I’ve gone through the change of life. That defies the laws of nature.” She was saying,“I’m at a disadvantage. I don’t have what it takes,” belittling herself, discounting herself. She was burying the promise deep within her. Friend, when you think about it, it’s just as easy to talk yourself into something as it is to talk yourself out of it. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why you can’t get well, why you can’t accomplish a dream, why your marriage is not going to last and talking yourself out of it, start talking yourself into it! “I can do all things through Christ. God is making a way even though I don’t see a way. I’m anointed, equipped, talented, more than a conqueror.” The more you speak God’s Word, the more you believe it. When you believe God’s Word, it comes to pass in your life. Start today by declaring His promises. Feed your faith and move forward into the victory and blessing He has in store for you! Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. I choose to believe Your promises and blessings. I choose to declare Your truth and talk myself into believing You instead of doubting in Jesus’ name. Amen. Joel & Victoria Osteen “...But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of
holding it back, and I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9, NKJV) In scripture, God gave a promise to Jeremiah that he would become a great prophet and speak to the nations. But Jeremiah was young and afraid. He didn’t see how it could happen. He started telling God all the reasons why it wouldn’t work out. He said, “God, when I get up to speak, people mock me and make fun of me. I’m young. I’m tired. I’m intimidated.” Just when you think he is going to talk himself out of it, he says in Jeremiah 20:9, “Your Word in my heart is like a fire shut up in my bones.” He was saying, “God, I may not see how it can happen. All the odds are against me, but this promise You put in me will not go away. It’s like a fire. It’s alive. I can’t get away from it.” You may be at a place right not where you could easily give up on what God has placed in your heart. But like Jeremiah, there is a fire shut up in your bones. What God promised you will not die. You can try to ignore it. You can try to talk yourself out of it. Your mind may tell you that it’s never going to happen, but deep down you feel a stirring, a burning, a restlessness. That’s the promise God put in you. He loves you too much to let you be average. He is going to push you into greatness. Get ready because the gifts, the talents, the skills, the ideas, the untapped potential is about to come forth! Father, Your truth is like a fire shut up in my bones. Help me to see Your plan for me. Help me to stand strong and trust You. Help me to boldly embrace everything You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. Joel & Victoria Osteen “You, O God, sent a plentiful rain...” (Psalm 68:9, NKJV)
Every person goes through times of drought, or dry seasons, when we don’t see the changes we hoped for. We’ve got big dreams, we’re standing on God’s promises, but things stay the same. It’s dry and barren. Maybe you are blessed in one area and in a drought in another. It’s easy to think, “This is the way it’s always going to be. I’ll always have this struggle.” No, in 2014 that drought is coming to an end. Any area of brokenness, dryness, loneliness, every empty place, if you will stay in faith, God is going to rain down favor, healing, and restoration. We declare that this year, you are going to see an abundance of rain! Every drought is only temporary. That dry season is not going to last forever. Struggle and lack is not your destiny. It’s temporary. Rain is headed your way! Declare it by faith, “Father, thank You that the drought is ending and the rain is coming; and in 2014, I will see an abundance of Your goodness in my life!” Father, thank You for Your refreshing rain on the dry places in my life. Thank You for raining down provision, blessing, hope, wisdom, joy and peace. Give me strength to stand strong in You as Your plan unfolds for my life in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen “Then Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!’ ”(1 Kings 18:41, NLT)
In First Kings 18, the Samaritans had been in a great famine. For three and a half years, there had been no rain. The prophet Elijah showed up and said to King Ahab, “I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.” When he said that, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, yet he chose to believe what he heard in his spirit in spite of what he saw in the natural. With his eyes, he saw drought, famine and barrenness; but inside, he heard the sound of the abundance of rain. Friend, this is what faith is all about. You’ve got to believe what you hear in your heart even when you see just the opposite. God is saying, “There’s about to be an abundance of favor in your life. The drought is coming to an end. You’re going to see healing, restoration, new opportunities, new growth.” Soon after, that rainstorm came. And just like Elijah, you have to believe that your rainstorm of blessing is right around the corner. No matter what anyone says, no matter what happens, keep believing and keep declaring because soon you will hear the sound of rain! Father, thank You for the blessing and victory You have in store for my future. Thank You for allowing me to see and hear in my heart the good things You have planned. I choose to keep my eyes on You and declare Your blessing over my life in Jesus’ name. Amen. Joel and Victoria Osteen “Now we who have believed enter that rest...”(Hebrews 4:3, NIV)
God desires for you to live in peace and rest no matter what is happening around you. When you believe God, you enter into His perfect rest. But if you are controlled by your circumstances, if you’re up when things are up and down when things don’t go your way, then life is going to be a roller coaster. God’s plan is for you to be stable, consistent, not moved by any of these things. Anytime you face adversity or hit a tough time, one of the best things you can do is simply stay calm and keep your peace. When you’re in peace, that’s a position of power. You’re saying with your actions, “God, I trust You. I know You are still on the throne. This may be difficult, but I know You are fighting my battles.” That’s what faith is — believing that God is who He says He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. When you believe God, you enter into rest and walk in peace and joy no matter what is happening around you. Father, thank You for peace and rest as I put my trust in You. Today I declare that You are my King. I declare that You are faithful. I declare that my faith and trust is in You, knowing that You have a good plan in store for my future in Jesus’ name. Amen. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”(Hebrews 11:1, NLT) So many people today are depressed and discouraged simply because they only focus on their present circumstances. They’re constantly dwelling on their problems, what they don’t have, and what’s wrong with them. They don’t realize it, but they’re allowing the enemy to steal their hope. This negative frame of mind is what keeps people from moving forward in life. Understand today that faith is confidence and assurance about the things we hope for according to the promises of God. Like an arrow, your faith points to the target of hope. If you don’t have hope, that arrow of faith will just drop to the ground. It won’t accomplish anything. But when you keep your hopes up, when you keep expecting and believing, it’s as if that target gets larger and larger — easier to hit! Choose today to live with an attitude of expectancy. Get your hopes up! Start by taking captive any negative thoughts you may have one at a time. As you focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness, you’ll feel that hope inside you growing. You’ll give your faith a target, and you’ll move confidently into the blessings and peace the Lord has in store for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAYFather, today I surrender every thought to You. I choose to release my cares and concerns so I can focus on Your goodness in my life. Thank You for the gift of faith to see the impossible become possible as I continue to place my hope and confidence in You in Jesus’ name, Amen. “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”(Mark 4:39, NKJV)
Have you ever thought about the fact that a boat can be surrounded by water, sailing through a vast ocean with water for miles in every direction, but it’s not any problem unless the boat starts taking on the water? If the boat starts allowing the ocean to come inside, before long, it will sink. The same principle is true in life. You can have trouble all around you — stress, frustration and worry. But the good news is, just like that boat, you don’t have to allow what’s on the outside get on the inside. When difficult times come, you don’t have to be overwhelmed by the waves of worry or fear. What should you do? Follow the example of Jesus. When He was in the midst of the storm, He stood up and spoke to the storm. Always remember, no matter what storms may come against you, the Greater One lives on the inside of you. Turn to Him and walk in His power. Don’t let the storm in, and speak peace to every area of your life! Father, thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and empowering me to stand against the storms of life. Today I declare peace over every area of my life and thank You for working things out for my good in Jesus’ name. Amen. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”(Psalm 100:4, NKJV)
What a wonderful privilege we have to enter boldly to His throne of grace. We serve a personal God who desires a relationship with us. We have access to Him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! But notice that today’s verse tells us that we shouldn’t just come any old way to God. We shouldn’t come empty-handed to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. What do we have to give that’s worthy of Almighty God? Our praise. Our thanksgiving. Our worship. We are to enter His gates with an offering of adoration from our hearts because He is so worthy! We have to understand, praise isn’t just about singing songs on Sunday mornings. Praise is the expression of gratefulness to Father God for who He is and all that He has done. Praise gets God’s attention. Praise is a powerful tool in the life of the believer because God inhabits our praises! When we enter His presence the right way, He enters our circumstances; and when God shows up, the enemy must flee! Today, enter into His gates with thanksgiving and open the door for Him to move on your behalf! Father, You alone are worthy of my praise. Today I declare that You are good, and Your mercy endures forever! Have Your way in me by the power of Your Holy Spirit. I honor You today and submit every area of my life to You in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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