devotions

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?…” Isaiah 43:19

“I am doing a new thing, shall you not know it? It is around the bend. It is around the corner awaiting you. Because you are abiding, remaining and living in Me and My words are abiding, remaining and living within you, you’ve asked for what you will, and now it is being done for you. What you have long awaited to see become a reality is here. Stay in Me the same way someone stays seated in a car while riding with someone they trust. I am taking you places you’ve never gone. I have a wonderful surprise for you, My daughter, that is far above anything you could ever think or imagine. I can’t wait to see your face when I give My surprise to you. I can’t wait to see your response to My blessing. You sense it near, and as we get closer to it, your excitement will build. You have experienced only a small portion of what I have in store, but I have so much more. Says the Lord.”

(Scripture References: John 15:4; Ephesians 3:20; John 15:11; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NLT.

I’m just going to say it. My sister, how are you going to enjoy the relationships that God placed in your life if no one can say anything to you without your feelings being hurt? How is anyone going to sharpen you if you get upset by the smallest amount of criticism? It’s good to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. It’s good to be sensitive to the needs of others. But being easily offended is not good. It will cause people to stand at a distance from you the same way God does because being easily offended is pride at the root, which is something God resists and stands at a distance from (see James 4:6). He gives grace to those who humble themselves because they understand that we all sin and fall short of His glory, including you (see Romans 3:23). Let your resolve be that anything harmful said about you has no power to destroy who you are to the Lord. Anything harmful done against you has no power to ruin God’s divine purpose and plan for your life (see Isaiah 54:17). He has you covered at every side with an impenetrable shield (see Psalm 5:12). Keep your heart soft toward God, but let Him help you develop thicker skin.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking directly to my heart. I am overly sensitive. Everything hurts me. I humble myself right now and ask for your help. Help me understand who I am in you. Heal my heart and help develop thinker skin. I forgive everyone that has hurt me. Give me wisdom in handling difficult people and wisdom in dealing with criticism. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“…The righteous shall live by faith” Romans 1:17, ESV.

Fear will tell you that your situation will never change. Faith will tell you nothing is impossible with God (see Matthew 19:26).

Fear will tell you nobody loves you. Faith will tell you God loves you with an everlasting love, and that’s all that matters (see Jeremiah 31:3).

Fear will tell you that you’re dying. Faith will tell you to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5:8).

Fear will tell you everyone is against you. Faith will tell you if God is for you, who can be against you? (see Romans 8:31)

Fear will tell you that you will never amount to anything. Faith will tell you that you are saved and called by God with a holy calling, and you have a purpose (see 2 Timothy 1:9).

Fear will tell you that your needs will never be met. Faith will tell you that God will supply all of your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:19).

Fear will tell you that you just can’t do it. Faith will tell you that you can do all things through Christ, which strengthens you (see Philippians 4:13).

Have you noticed by now how fear will always tell you what the enemy wants you to think, while faith declares the word of God? Faith declares His truth and fear whispers the enemy’s lies. Rather than choosing to give ear to fear, listen to what the Spirit of faith is saying to your heart.

Prayer: Father God, I thank You for the truth of Your word. Thank You for helping to live by faith. It’s the only way to live. Help me to operate in faith, to respond by faith, and to be moved by Your truth only. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” Luke 6:31, ESV.

Today, I challenge you to give people the benefit of the doubt. As much as you may want to get on every small thing that someone does to you, I challenge you to be patient and give people room to make mistakes. Before you rush to conclude someone doesn’t care for you, think of all that they have going on in their lives and all you’ve been through with them. Before you rush to conclude, God is not on your side, think about all Jesus went through to show you He cares a great deal. Look at your hands. Look at your feet. You’re alive.

It’s time to get a grip on reality and see situations for what they really are, not just how you want them to be. In a perfect world, people act how they’re supposed to act, but that’s not reality. We live in a fallen world, and without Jesus, we are only out to protect and preserve self. We all need Jesus to teach us how to love, how to live, and how to respond like Him. It’s going to be alright. Keep your bearings about you. Keep your head. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, and you will stay in peace. Let Him help you believe the best of people and see their heart.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for comforting and encouraging me. Help me see people’s heart, not just their actions. Help me not to be so critical and judgmental. Help me to process situations right. Help me, Lord, to treat others the way I want to be treated. Help me to give people the benefit of the doubt. I want you to be glorified in my life, but I know I have to humble myself and yield to you. So I do that now. Help me, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda]” Proverbs 27:6, Amplified.

A real friend will tell you when your breath stinks, when you have something in your nose, when your dress is too tight, and when you have lipstick on your teeth. They will caution you when you’re about to marry the wrong guy, when you are headed down the wrong path, and when you need to slow down and enjoy your life. A real friend is a mirror.

Just as some women try to avoid real mirrors, some women avoid deep friendships because they are too afraid of seeing the truth about themselves. But here’s what the devil doesn’t tell us, friendships not only reveal our weaknesses, they also reveal our strengths. Like a mirror, a real friend will tell you, “Girl, you need to lose some weight,” but in the same breath will say, “You have a beautiful smile and look at those eyes!” They will tell you that you are being messy with how you are handling a situation, and in the same breath tell you how much they love you and how awesome you are.

Beware of anyone who only tells you the good things about yourself. Also, beware of anyone who only wants to criticize you and talk about your flaws. That is not a real mirror, and that is not a true friend. Be a mirror that is both truthful and encouraging, and let others be a mirror for you.

Prayer: Father God, thank for your wisdom. Help me to be a mirror in the lives of friends. Help me to be both truthful and encouraging, and Lord help me to allow others to be a mirror for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read Ephesians 4:15)

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalms 1:2

When I gave my life to the Lord at the age of twelve, I didn’t know how to study a Bible, but thankfully, I had my mother to teach me. I used to enjoy opening her Bible. The pages were soft and worn. Entire chapters were highlighted, and she had filled the margins with personal notes. Her Bible was like a faithful friend that had been with her through the good times and in the bad times. I wanted my Bible to be to me what her Bible was to her.

If you want to have a stronger relationship with the Lord, you will need to develop a stronger relationship with the Word of God. See your Bible as a faithful friend that God uses to talk to you, strengthen you, and guide you along in life. As with a friend, you don’t try to rush through conversations; you take your time to get to know them better. Don’t try to rush through the Bible to say you read it. Slow down and allow the words you read to get into your heart.

Challenge: Read Psalm 23, starting with the first verse, The Lord is my Shephard. Before you move on to the rest of the verse, camp out there for a few days, saying to yourself over and over again how the Lord is your Shephard, asking yourself what is a Shephard and what does it mean to you? Once you have a good understanding of the first part of this verse, then move on to “I shall not want.”

Prayer: Father God, thank you for giving me practical wisdom, knowledge and understanding. I want to have a stronger relationship with you. So I ask that you help me to develop a stronger relationship with my Bible. Every time I open it to read it, let me get something out of it that will bless me and those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.” 1 Peter 1:5, NLT.

When God tells you “no”, when He closes a door, when He removes someone from your life, when He tells you to slow down, when He doesn’t allow that job to hire you, when He wakes you up in the middle of the night to pray, it is all a part of God’s divine protective plan. He protects you by His power and love.
You are in the palm of God’s hand, and no enemy can pluck you out! As long as you stay obedient to God, you will remain in His divine protection. It will be like a mighty shield around you…guarding you everywhere you go. However, if the enemy is wreaking havoc in your life, sometimes it’s not because you are just under spiritual attack. Attacks are often caused as a result of disobedience. Disobedience opens a large door to the enemy to come in and create a big mess of things.

You must always ask yourself, “Lord, is there anything You have told me to do that I haven’t done?” Once Holy Spirit brings it back to your remembrance, even if it’s something He told you many years ago, repent and then do it with no delay!

The enemy knows fully that he cannot touch you as long as you are obedient to God. You are outside of his domain and are shielded by God. Obey Him and His Word even when it doesn’t make logical sense. Obey Him even when it inconveniences you, makes you uncomfortable, and causes you to have to give up something of value to you. Be always before His face, receiving His wisdom and instructions and then doing what He says by His grace.

Prayer: Father, thank You for protecting me. Help me learn how to trust in Your protection and leading entirely. Forgive me if I have not obeyed You. I repent. Even when I don’t understand why, even when it makes no sense at all to my head, help me learn to follow You. I declare I am obedient, submissive to Your Spirit, and I continue to see Your divine protection in my life and in the lives of those I pray for. In Jesus name, Amen.

(Read Isaiah 1:19-20) 

“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]” Colossians 3:15, Amplified.

There have been times in my life when I didn’t know what to do. Because of everything going on around me, and everyone voicing what they felt I should do, it made hearing God’s voice difficult. But thank God, He taught me what to do when life gets confusing. The Bible says, let the peace from Christ rule in our hearts. When you don’t know what God wants you to do in a situation, follow hard after peace.

Check in and ask yourself, “Do I have peace about this?” Don’t go if you don’t have peace. Don’t take the job if you don’t have peace. Don’t leave if you don’t have peace. Don’t purchase the home if you don’t have peace. Don’t marry that guy if you don’t have peace. Let peace govern every decision in your life.
God is peace, and He will help navigate us through life if we let Him be the Shepherd of our souls and our guide.

Prayer: Father, I thank you for your peace. When I find it hard to hear your voice, help me check in, and locate peace. I want to do what you want me to do. Forgive me for not following peace in past decisions. I’m ready to go deeper in my understanding of how to be led by you. Teach me, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” Psalms 23:4, Berean Study Bible.

Anything that looks like a threat to you fulfilling God’s purpose for your life is no real threat at all. Whether the threat is internal or external, it will not impede your progress. God has gone before you and has cleared your path, my sister. Nothing and no one will stop you from fulfilling His purpose and plan. You are who God said you are; you have what He said you have, and you will do everything He purposed you to do by His grace and power!

Prayer: Father, thank you that nothing will hinder me from fulfilling your purpose and plan for my life. No internal struggle or external threat is more powerful than you. Thank you for clearing my pathway and helping me to fulfill your purpose for my life! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read Jeremiah 29:11-13)

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church,” Ephesians 4:15, NLT.

The smallest adjustments in life can make a world of difference. There are changes only God can make, but there are some things He will give you the strength to change about yourself. Then it will be up to you to receive His help to make those necessary adjustments. Sometimes it’s not a complete overhaul that’s needed. Depending on where you are in your walk with the Lord, the Holy Spirit may have already accomplished a significant amount of work in your mind and heart, and now only small adjustments are required.

Whether it is your attitude, how you approach things, changes in your diet, or disciplining yourself to pray and read your Bible every day, it is essential that you make the adjustments Holy Spirit is challenging you to make. God has your personal growth and development on His mind, and He knows if you cooperate with Him, you will grow into the woman you have always dreamed of being. That dynamic and mature woman that is truly living the God-kind of life is not far away!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for your work in me and for being so patient with my growth and development. I receive your grace to make any changes you want me to make, and I yield to you to make any adjustments that only you can make. Help me, Lord, to be all that you created and called me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.