“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14, NIV) “I’m God’s masterpiece. I’m wonderfully made. I’m talented. I’m original. God has given me everything that I need.” That’s what David was saying in Psalm 139. He praised God for making him in an amazing way and declared that what God had done was wonderful. Is that how you started your day? Most people think they are being humble by putting themselves down. They say, “Oh, I’m not that talented. It was no big deal.” But really, we should be bold like David and say, “I’m amazing. I’m a masterpiece. God made me and He doesn’t make junk! I am equipped, I am empowered, and I am amazing!” Today, make the decision to stop putting yourself down; stop focusing on your flaws and comparing yourself to others. Your Creator says “you are a masterpiece.” It’s time to get in agreement with God and realize how much He loves you. It’s time to realize how special you are. Make the shift by changing your words and start by saying what David said! Father, I do praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for equipping me for every good word. Thank You for showing me Your love in a new way as I keep my heart and mind focused on You in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save...” (Isaiah 59:1, NKJV)
When the Israelites were in the desert headed toward the Promised Land, they had manna to eat each day. After a while, they complained to Moses that they didn’t have any meat to eat. Moses went to God and He said, “Moses, I’m going to give you meat not for one day or five days or twenty days, but for a whole month.” Moses said, “God, that’s impossible. There are two million people out here. Even if we butchered all of our flocks, all of our herds, we wouldn’t have that much meat.” God answered back, “Moses, is there any limit to My power?” He was saying, “Just because you don’t see a way, Moses, doesn’t mean that I don’t have a way. All I have to do is shift a few things around, and I can bring it to pass.” And sure enough, in Numbers 11:31, “God shifted the wind and brought quail in from the sea and caused them to fall into their camp.” Notice they didn’t even have to go out and hunt or fish. The quail came to them. They just went outside and picked up what they wanted. What am I saying? God knows how to shift things so that blessings come to you. There is no limit to His power. So get ready to see those open doors of blessing in your life this year! Father, thank You for Your limitless power at work in my life. I know that Your hand is not too short for You are able and mighty to do great works in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT) You are God’s own masterpiece! That means you are not ordinary or average; you are a one-of-a-kind original. When God created you, He went to great lengths to make you exactly the way He wanted you to be. He gave you the right personality, the right gifts, the right talents, and the right connections to do exactly what He’s called you to do. The question is: do you recognize the treasure you possess? Today, don’t settle for living a mediocre existence. Unlock the hidden treasures inside of you. Every morning when you get out of bed, remind yourself, I am a masterpiece. I am handpicked by God, and I am a person of extreme value and significance. Remember, you are an original—you're not meant to be like everyone else; God designed you the way you are for a specific purpose. Everything about you is unique, and every detail about you matters. Receive His love today because you are His most prized treasure! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, thank You for loving me. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for choosing me and using me to bring You glory in Jesus’ name. Amen. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)
I know a man who had been out of work for over three years. He’s in construction management. For 25 years, he had a very good position at a successful company. But a few years ago when the economy went down, they had to let him go. He ended up taking a much lower level position in a small city and had to travel a couple of hours every day to work. It was taking a toll on his health, his marriage and his savings. It looked like things would never change. But about six months ago, his former boss called and said, “Hey, are you ready to go back to work?” That company landed the largest contract in their history. He not only got his job back, but all of his benefits were restored. Plus, they increased his salary significantly. What happened? He came into a shift. Suddenly, things changed in his favor. One phone call. One contract. One good break. He went from barely getting by to having more than enough. Now, get ready because these shifts are in your future! Father, I thank You for doing exceedingly and abundantly beyond what I could ever imagine. I thank You for supernatural shifts of favor in my life this year. I believe and receive every blessing You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3, NKJV)
Large trees represent power, majesty and stability. Have you ever noticed the difference between a tree planted by the water and a tree far away from water? The tree next to the water is much more healthy and vibrant. Its fruit and blossoms are the most beautiful. In the same way, when you are “planted” in the Word of God, your spirit is fed and you grow strong just like the tree by the water. You’ll bring forth fruit at the proper season. In other words, you’ll be in the right place and the right time. You’ll be productive and fruitful. And notice the end of today’s verse. It says that whatever you do will prosper! Do you want to prosper in your relationships? Seek God’s Word regarding relationships. Do you want to prosper in your health? Seek God’s Word about healing. Do you want to prosper in your finances? Seek God’s Word regarding finances. Make sure your heart and mind are planted in the Word of God. Let Him illuminate your heart with truth. Let Him wash over you with His promises. Seek Him, trust Him and obey Him, and everything you do will prosper! Father God, I love You so much today. Thank You for Your Word which is truth and water to my soul. Search me, know me and guide me in the way that I should go as I stay focused on You and planted in Your Word 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) As believers, we have the honor and privilege to enter boldly into God’s presence. Scripture says that we can come to His throne of grace and receive His mercy. Because He loves us, He has given us unlimited access to Himself 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 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 can we bring? What do we have that’s worthy of Almighty God? Our praise. Our thanksgiving. Our worship. We are to enter His gates with an offering from our hearts of adoration because He is 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, I come to You today with thanksgiving in my heart. I enter into Your courts with 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 in Jesus’ name. Amen. “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”
(Proverbs 13:22, NKJV) Notice, God has already laid up contracts, houses, businesses, promotions and good breaks. They already have your name on them. If you’ll keep honoring God and making room for them, then eventually they will find their way into your hands — the hands of the righteous. That means right now something is headed your direction; not bad breaks, not disappointments, not lack, not mediocrity. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are the righteous! Increase is looking for you. Favor is looking for you. Good breaks are looking for you! My question is, are you making room for it? Are you taking off the limits in your thinking? Are you preparing for increase? Get rid of any old thoughts that are telling you, “You’ve gone as far as you can. You never get any good breaks. This sounds good today, but this is not for you. This is for everybody else. You’ve made too many mistakes. You come from the wrong family.” There will always be voices that try to talk you out of it. When you look at it in the natural, your own thoughts may tell you, “It’s impossible. There’s no way.” But that’s when you have to rise up in faith and embrace His promises so you can make room for the blessings He has in store for you. Father, today I take the limits off and open my heart to You. I believe Your Word and believe that You have blessing and provision prepared for me. I receive it by faith today in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen God-Given Dreams “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure”
(Proverbs 16:9, AMP) Oftentimes as children, we have dreams for the future, dreams of being ball players and actresses, super heroes and firemen. But most of the time, they end up just being wishful thinking. As we get older, we grow out of them. It’s good to play and have dreams as children, but when we grow up, we have to know the difference between a God-given dream and a wish. I remember when I was a little boy, I dreamed of playing basketball for the Houston Rockets. That was definitely a fantasy! Beyond our wishes though, we all have dreams placed inside of us by the Creator of the universe. In fact, the Latin word for “desire” means “from the Father.” One way to tell if a dream is really from God is that the desire won’t go away. You may have had it for years, but you still can’t let it go. In fact, you may have tried to let it go, but it won’t let go of you. Today, I encourage you to search your heart and allow those God-given dreams to surface. He placed those desires inside of you for a purpose, and He’s going to use them to direct you into the destiny He has in store for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father in heaven, thank You for the dreams and desires You’ve placed within me. I submit those dreams to You and ask that You direct my steps. Search my heart and make my thoughts agreeable to Your Word and to Your plan for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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