Browsing Category

devotions

devotions

God rewards diligence.

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4

Let’s say Suzanne started a new job working as an administrative assistant to a top executive. Although she has experience in the administrative field, the industry of this new job is something she’s having to work extra hard to learn. She comes home after a long day at the office feeling discouraged. Maybe she chose the wrong job. Because it hasn’t been easy, maybe she needs to quit and do something else, she thinks to herself. But what if she focused not on how hard the job is, but on the goal? What if she were to learn from her mistakes and seek to get better and better everyday? What if she changed her attitude and perspective? It probably wouldn’t be long before promotion came her way.

God rewards diligence.

What you desire to accomplish in life is going to require some hard work. It’s going to require you learning from your mistakes and having a right attitude. There are many people like Suzanne who are having trouble seeing and seizing God’s promotions in front of them, because they didn’t expect it to be so difficult to obtain. Just because you’re being challenged doesn’t mean you’re not where you’re supposed to be. And just because everything seems easy doesn’t mean you are where you’re supposed to be. Grace is not the absence of great effort. Grace works alongside our great effort and it creates something amazing!

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for your wisdom. Help me to focus on the goal instead of the challenges. Strengthen me Lord. Help me learn from my mistakes and get better and better each day. I choose not to operate with a lazy mind or a slack hand. Help me to be a diligent soul that is diligent in every area of my life. From my relationships and family, to my workplace, to my spiritual walk with you, to my finances and everything else, help me do what I need to do. Help me receive your grace and apply your wisdom in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

devotions

The Spirit of Unity

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6

Ask any parent, and they will tell you they love to see their children working together even when they have differences between them. It’s the same with our heavenly Father; He loves to see His children working together—putting our differences to the side.

Jesus Himself prayed that we might be one as He and the Father are one (see John 17:21-23). I believe His prayer is being answered. We are seeing followers of Christ—from all denominations and cultural backgrounds—come together. It is because we’re realizing we are stronger together than we are apart. We understand that although we look different, sound different, pray, and worship differently, we all love Jesus and want to see people come to know Him.

Because of this spirit of unity that God is bringing to the Body of Christ, we will see a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and we will see great miracles, signs, and wonders. We will see record numbers of the lost being reached. We will see nations turn to God in repentance, all because we, His church, decided to put our differences aside and be the church God has called us to be!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking to our hearts. Remove any spirit within us that seeks to divide. That did not come from you. Help us to glorify you with one heart and one mind. Help us to be the church you’ve called us to be. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

devotions

A Message from God’s Heart for You

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living” Psalm 27:13

“You are not going to die in the wilderness. You are not going to die in that low place you’re in. There’s a reason I kept you alive. There’s a reason I rescued you and pulled you out from the darkness. I kept you alive so you can see My glory and taste of My goodness. I intervened so you can be filled with My light, My love, and My Spirit. Your life is going to be the complete opposite of what it is right now. Keep walking with Me and keep trusting in Me, and you will see, and you will taste of the good things I have in store for you, says the Lord.”

(Scripture references: Psalms 34:7-9; Psalm 42:5; Psalm 56:13)

devotions

God is doing a new thing!

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19

Three key places in scripture, God expresses His will to make all things new in our lives: in Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I will do a new thing”, in Revelation 21:5 “Behold, I make all things new” and 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” In each instance, God says Behold! Look! See! Lo! If you are looking behind you for the new thing God has for you to receive, you won’t find it.

God has blessed you with a new life in Christ. He will bless you with new doors to walk through and new opportunities to seize. He will bless you with new relationships to enjoy. Put the old things of the past behind you, and lift up your eyes and behold, look, and see the goodness of your God. See how He makes all things new for you because He truly loves you!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for making all things new in my life. Thank you for doing what only you can do. I love you and I enjoy being so loved by you. In Jesus name, Amen.

devotions

When life becomes complicated.

“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:6

When asked by friends about the status of a dating relationship, some people find themselves saying, “It’s complicated”. In other words, “We are together today, but yesterday we weren’t, and we may not be together tomorrow, but I really love him.”

Your body may be experiencing all kinds of symptoms of sickness and disease and doctors may not have a clear diagnosis for you. To them, your medical situation is complicated.

Your emotions may feel all over the place and you can’t seem to sleep or find rest. To you, your emotional state is complicated.

When life becomes complicated, you have to let God’s truth be your bottom-line, your way out, and the solution to every challenge you face. God’s Word is relevant to today’s problems. When Jesus was met with situations that were mind boggling to man, He always prayed and aligned Himself with the will of the Father.

My sister, I encourage you to surrender your will and your emotions to God and He will help uncomplicate things for you. Surrender your medical situation and your relationships to Him. He will help you to see things from His view and will give you His mind on every matter. This will bring you to a place of simplicity, which will bring you supernatural peace and rest in your soul.

Prayer: Father, thank you for speaking directly to me. Things seem so complicated and it’s tiring. I surrender to you right now. Lead me to those still waters that you speak of. Help me to keep things simple, and when things become complicated, help me to recognize it and seek your wisdom and grace. Let your truth be my bottom-line. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read Matthew 11:28-30)

devotions

Identify Yourself with God’s Grace

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10

In life, there are some who won’t let you forget what you did in your past or who you used to be. Paul had the same problem. He once persecuted the church and imprisoned many believers. He was a bad man, but God completely turned his life around. However, people around him weren’t so easily convinced of the change that had taken place within him.

The only way we can overcome the hurt of people’s judgement is by learning to do the same thing Paul did. He identified himself with the grace of God. He stated, “By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” God’s grace is His divine influence upon your heart and it’s reflection in your life. When Paul looked in the mirror, he didn’t see his past, he saw God’s grace. With God’s help, you can do the same.

You are not your past. You are not your failure. You are a testimony to God’s amazing grace! God will fight for you and will show Himself strong in your life. He will heal all the pain caused by the judgement of others and He will give you a word specially tailored to reach those who are going through the same thing God delivered you from.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for making me new in Christ. I am not my past. I am not my mistakes. I am your daughter and I identify myself with your grace. I believe your grace is in full operation in my life and I act like it, I walk like it, I talk like it, and I live like it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

devotions

You are called to a place unknown.

“Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing” Genesis 12:1-2, ESV.

Abraham was instructed by God to go to a place unknown, and God promised He would keep His covenant with him and would bless him and his family and make them a blessing. Whatever it is God is instructing you and your family to do, don’t be afraid. He will keep His covenant with you just as He did with Abraham. He will never call you to a place that He didn’t prepare beforehand. You may can’t see it now, but trust Him.

My sister, God is calling you to greater levels of service in His Kingdom. He is going to help you trust Him like never before. He is going to help you be strong and courageous. And just as God was with Abraham, He is with you because you are Abraham’s seed. As you step out in faith, God will keep you and all that concerns you. He will do as He promised, and will bless you and make you a blessing!

Prayer: Yes, Father God. Thank you for speaking directly to my heart. Help me to trust and obey you. Help me to do what you’ve called me to do with strength and courage. You are with me just as you were with Abraham. Bless me and make me a blessing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

devotions

Don’t just stand there and take it.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

The lies of the enemy are like flying missiles at the mind. They are designed to destroy us. They are lies that attack every part of our being. And while he is firing away, the enemy loves for us to suffer in silence. The enemy will try to make us feel like we’re losing our minds, but what is really happening is when we are silent, we are losing the battle in our minds.

Don’t just stand there and take anything off the devil. It’s time we wipe away the tears and take a stand against him. Our stand against the enemy is when we submit to God, resist the devil and watch him flee. It’s a 1-2-3 punch combination that knocks him out…cold. 1) Submit to God by surrendering yourself to Him. 2) Resist the enemy by taking a stand and opening your mouth to speak God’s truth. 3) Then, watch him flee from you. Don’t stop until he leaves you and the peace of God comes in. Jesus kept saying “It is written” until the enemy left him.

We are not weak women. We are strong in Christ. We are strong in the power of His might. We are strong because God calls us strong. We are champion fighters through Jesus. We don’t have to receive another lie from the enemy anymore. We can reject his lies and proclaim the truth of God’s Word!

Prayer: Father God, I submit to you now, I resist the devil, and he flees from me. I reject every single lie he has spoken in my ears and I proclaim the truth of your word. I am strong in Christ, and I am strong in the power of your might. I am not weak, I am a strong woman of God and I will not entertain the enemy’s lies anymore. I take a stand right now against him. You are for me Lord and you are with me. I am who you say I am, and I will do what you said I will do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read Ephesians 6; Luke 4)

devotions

Come closer.

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you…” James 4:8, NLT

When my husband and I are sitting on a sofa, and he is on one end and I’m on the other, I sometimes look at him and say, “Come over here. You feel distant.” And then there are times when I’m not talking or opening up to him. He’ll look at me and say, “Hey, what’s on your mind?” Because to him, I feel distant. We as humans long to feel close to those we love, allowing nothing to come between us.

Maybe you are on the opposite side in your heart and God is on the other. You want one thing, and He wants the other. Maybe you are not opening up to Him in prayer. Maybe everything feels confusing in your life right now, and you have no words.

It’s not God that is distant. It’s you.

“Come closer to Me,” He says. “You have been distant, My daughter. I want to help you. This is not the time to distance yourself from me. Draw near and receive My peace, receive My grace and My love. I won’t turn you away. I will help you.”

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for speaking to me. I am sorry for distancing myself from you. I come close right now, and I ask that you come close to me. I need you like never before. Draw near to me and let me feel your presence. Touch my heart and my mind. Strengthen me, God, and help me today. In Jesus name, Amen.

(Read James 4:7-8)

devotions

True Friendship

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Berean Study Bible

While spending time at my bestfriend’s house, who I’ve known since college, she blew up an air mattress, and I went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I found some of the air had gone out of the mattress, and I was sinking deep. I said to myself, oh well, I’m not going to make a big fuss about it. I’ll just try to go back to sleep. By the time morning came, she came in the room and saw me completely sunken. I said, “Drea, I’m surrounded.” We bust out laughing. She asked me, “Why didn’t you say anything?” I told her, “I don’t know, I decided to tough it out and not make a big deal about it.” Then I realized I’d done that a lot over the course of my life, especially since becoming a mother. Then I began to tear up, and she said, “I believe God wants you to get back over there and let’s do that again.” So I climbed onto the sunken mattress, and yelled, “Drea!!! Help me!! This mattress is sinking, and I’m surrounded!!” She yelled, “Alright! I’m coming Kesha!!” And she ran over to me and pulled me out. We both just laughed. Now, that’s true friendship.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for reminding me of what true friendship looks like, of how it’s ok to be vulnerable and express my heart, and it’s ok to ask for help. Help me to see friendship the right way, and bless me with the kind of friendship that shows your love, shares your heart, and is filled with your joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.