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1 John 5:4 NLT For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
God’s word tells us that, through Christ, we are victorious in every situation and every circumstance. Romans 8:37 says, we’re more than conquerors.
If we’re honest, there are situations that make us question our victory. If we get denied a promotion, how is that victory? If we get diagnosed with a disease, how is that victory? If our marriage ends up in divorce, how is that victory?
To understand our victory, we must step back and look at things from God’s point of view. From His vantage point, He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). For that denied promotion, there could be a number of victorious reasons we can’t see now. There could be a better promotion somewhere else, our faith and patience is being strengthened, or that denied promotion is bringing us closer to Him. All of this is victorious in God’s eyes.
It’s similar to a marriage that ended. A marriage ending could give us peace that God desires for us (John 14:27), a more compatible spouse could be available for us, or once again, the divorce could bring us closer to Him.
From God’s vantage point, every circumstance ends in victory. Even our natural death or the death of a loved one. Every born-again believer leaves the suffering of this world and ends up with Him. That’s victory.
Instead of getting upset with God or questioning the validity of God’s word concerning victory, take a step back and look at things from God’s point of view. And by faith, receive the victory He’s made available through Christ Jesus.
#perspective #victory #by #faith #in #Jesus #trust #God #first #enjoy #life #love #experience #Spirit #freedom #Christ #new #scripture #Word #devotional #blessing #people #growth
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
There are believers all over the world who read their bibles, consistently pray, give financially to the Kingdom, and serve in some way. They do all these wonderful things, but what’s their motivation?
Is it so they can get blessed? Is it so they can get healed? Is it so they won’t get punished by God? For every good spiritual thing we do, the motivation should come from love. Love for God, love for people, and love for the Kingdom.
First of all, every spiritual thing we do should come from our love for God. When we pray or read the bible, this shouldn’t be done out of obligation or fear of punishment. This should be done to become more intimate with our Father. This should be done to fellowship with Him and get to know Him more.
Secondly, because of our love for Him, we do what He says. He tells us to love one another (1 John 4:7-8). Every time we feed the homeless, share the gospel of Jesus Christ, or encourage our friends, we’re doing it out of our love for God and love for people.
Since we love God, we should love His Kingdom. Every believer has a responsibility in the Kingdom of God. This includes financing the Kingdom, expanding the Kingdom, and recruiting for the Kingdom.
The motivation for all these wonderful things should be love. Let love be the motivator, not fear or obligation.
#love #one #another #for #God #so #loved #us #freelove #Jesus #Christ #scripture #devotional
2 Corinthians 4:13 (AMP) Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had, who wrote in Scripture, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” We also believe, therefore we also speak,
When we clean the kitchen with Clorox spray or Fabuloso, we typically spray it without a thought. There could have been raw meat on the counter, but when we spray that cleaning product, we believe that it will destroy every germ or bacteria on that counter. No one takes the time to take these cleaning products to a lab to ensure that each bottle contains bacteria killing properties. We just spray and go.
The same faith we have in these cleaning products is the same faith we should have in God’s word.
When we read, God supplies our needs, just believe it (Phil. 4:19). Act on what you believe by declaring your needs are met. Even when we don’t know how our bills will be paid, we say what God’s word says. God’s word says by His stripes we are healed (1 Pet. 2:24). Just believe that word and act on what you believe by declaring that you’re healed. Even if pain is going all through your body, declare you’re healed.
We don’t have to wonder how it’s going to happen. We don’t wonder how that cleaning product kills 99.9% of germs, so we don’t have to wonder how these promises will come to pass. Just believe and act on what you believe by boldly declaring what God’s word says.
#have #faith #justbelieve #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #life #power #authority #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
2 Timothy 4:2 NLT Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
If you had to teach the word of God to a congregation, most of us would prepare to minister God’s word. The week before, we would pray longer, consistently study the word of God, and spend more time with God to see what He had to say. We would prepare ourselves because we want people to get something out of what we’re teaching.
Most of us don’t have a platform where we’re ministering to other people. Because we don’t have a platform, we don’t devote as much time in the things of God. The same way we would prepare to minister is the same way we should be all the time.
We should stay prepared because you never know when God may have us ministering to that coworker, that family member, or that person on social media. We should stay prepared because you never know when tribulations may come. We should stay prepared so that we can accurately hear from God and obey expeditiously.
Don’t become lazy in developing your relationship with God. Be ready in every season and for every circumstance.
#stayready #Word #of #God #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #study #Jesus #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #study #scripture #everyday #devotional
Exodus 34:14 NLT You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.
God is jealous for us. Like real jealous. He doesn’t want us worshipping or serving any other god besides Him.
He doesn’t want anything or anyone coming before Him. He doesn’t want work, children, or extracurricular activities coming before Him. He doesn’t want us to do anything without Him. He wants to be a part of our work day, our parenting, and in our marriages. He doesn’t want anything to take His place, including our logic and emotions.
His jealousy is not so His ego can be stroked. His jealousy is rooted in His love for us. He knows anything or anyone coming before Him is detrimental to us. If we do anything without Him, there’s a possibility of failure, heartbreak, and disappointment. It’s only by His grace things don’t fall apart when we don’t include Him or put Him first.
Be sure to put God first and put Him in every part of your life.
#loving #good #faithful #kind #true #God #first #Holy #Spirit #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 10:18 NLT And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
Sin consciousness in the body of Christ is high. Daily, believers look for areas where they’ve sinned. They attempt to please God with their performance instead of accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
As a result of sin consciousness, some believers offer their own versions of sacrifices. After sinning, some may shut themselves up in the house all weekend to study God’s word. They really don’t want to study that long, but they do it as a punishment for missing the mark.
Other believers don’t allow themselves to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. They don’t socialize with friends, they don’t watch sports, or they don’t go out to eat.
Unfortunately, some believers even abuse themselves after missing the mark. They hit themselves on the head and call themselves stupid or worthless.
God doesn’t need our sacrifices to show we’re sorry. He desires that we accept His Son’s sacrifice as the payment for sins and move on. Isolating ourselves, depriving ourselves, and beating ourselves up about sin DOESN’T please God. It creates distance in knowing who God really is and it minimizes what Christ has done.
So, if you sin, be grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus that paid for that sin.
#Jesus #paid #it #all #forgiven #just #believe #trust #God #receive #Christ #walk #free #from #sin #guilt #condemnation #cure #freedom #growth #scripture #devo
Most people would say they aren’t prideful. Most people aren’t going around saying, “Look how great I am.” Pride is not limited to magnifying one’s self and their achievements. Pride can be hidden.
One form of hidden pride is… not apologizing. If you’ve made a mistake (minor or major), apologize. This is big in parenting. As parents, we don’t always get it right. When we miss it, apologize to your children. Don’t be so prideful that you allow the authority you have to override an apology.
Pride is… not asking for help when help could be beneficial. If you’re going to work, cooking, taking the children to practice, and cleaning the house without asking your spouse for help, that’s pride. You may think you’re doing your spouse a favor by not “bothering” them, but in actuality, you’re applauding yourself and showing the world you can do it all on your own. If you’re single, these tasks must be done, but you can remove pride by asking the other parent for help or asking a friend or family member for help.
Pride is… not wanting to be celebrated. If people want to celebrate you, let them. You may think you don’t want to inconvenience people by being celebrated, but essentially, you’re saying, “I’m above your celebration.” Allow people to celebrate your birthday, anniversary, and achievements.
Examine yourself to see if pride has hidden itself within you. If so, allow the Holy Spirit to help you uproot it.
Proverbs 13:10 NLT Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.
#nopride #nofear #askforhelp #receivelove #receive #God #Jesus #Christ #love #life #joy #peace #goodness #scripture #devotional
Romans 12:12 NIV Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
This scripture teaches us the mindset we should have with hope, affliction, and prayer.
HOPE
This scripture, first of all, lets us know we should have hope. Hope is having an expectation of something good happening in our lives. If you can’t forsee anything good happening in the natural, turn to the bible and build your hope in the word of God.
Once hope is developed, be joyful in that hope. Don’t let delay and unfortunate circumstances steal your joy. Hope joyfully now. Hope joyfully forever.
AFFLICTION
We all want affliction gone immediately, but it doesn’t always work like that. During times of affliction, we must be patient. Patience is having perseverance as we rely on God’s word to create the change we desire to see. Whether it’s sickness in our bodies, trials in our marriages, or financial struggles, remain patient in affliction expecting things to align with God’s word.
PRAYER
Prayer doesn’t notify God about the situation. Prayer allows God to get involved in our situation. We should be faithful in prayer. That doesn’t mean we keep praying about the same situation. It means we pray about it once and remain faithful to be thankful that the situation has been handled. Simply say, “Father, I thank You that You handled ___________ .”
As we remain joyful, patient, and faithful, we’ll experience abundance, peace, and a more intimate relationship with God.
#joyful #patient #faithful #hope #in #God #experience #peace #abundance #fullness #relationship #Jesus #Christ #Word #scripture
1 John 3:21-22 NLT Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him.
Satan is known as the accuser (Revelation 12:10). Day and night, he accuses us of all our wrongdoing. He’ll show us how we should have been more respectful to our spouse and how we should have worked harder yesterday at our jobs. He’ll lie to us and say our blessings are limited because of the abortion we had or the adultery we committed.
If we’re not mindful of what Christ has done for us, Satan’s accusations can turn into guilt and condemnation. This guilt can affect our confidence to approach our Father.
Knowing there’s no sin that has not been cleansed by the blood of Jesus means everything in our relationship with God. Through Christ, God has forgiven ALL our wickedness and He remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12).
Although we may have missed the mark two hours ago, we don’t need to sit in timeout from God and think about what we’ve done. We can boldly and confidently approach God and receive mercy, grace, help, and blessings.
Don’t let Satan’s accusations separate you from God. Jesus’s sacrifice for sin will maintain our relationship with God forever.
#freedom #no #condemnation #Jesus #paid #all #forgiven #just #believe #trust #God #receive #Christ #walk #free #from #sin #cure #freedom #growth #scripture #devo
2 Samuel 2:1 NLT After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes,” the Lord replied. Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered.
When making any decision, it’s important to consult God. It doesn’t matter if it’s a major decision like moving to another city or a minor decision like, what to wear. Consult God in all your decisions.
As a result of David consulting God, he was put in a position to be king of Judah.
2 Samuel 2:4 Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah.
As a result of our consultation with God, we may be put in a position better than we could’ve imagined. We could be promoted, find our spouse, or be in a position to be a better witness for the Kingdom of God.
Consult God in whatever you do and whatever He tells you to do obey.
#consult #Spirit #HolySpirit #trust #God #is #directing #leading #guiding #us #love #life #Jesus #Christ #obey #thrive #new #peace #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 9:14 NLT Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. We no longer are being punished for the sins we commit on a daily basis. Jesus took our punishment. The sins we commit aren’t being charged to our account. They were put on Jesus’s account. So, if we sin, we don’t have to beat ourselves up about it. We should recognize and be grateful that the payment and punishment of sin was put on Jesus.
Does that mean we can live recklessly and practice sin? ABSOLUTELY NOT. The payment for sin was not meant for us to abuse. Jesus paying for and taking the punishment for our sins was for our conscious to be clear. It’s difficult to serve and worship a holy God when sin is on our conscious. It’s hard to build a relationship with God when you’re constantly thinking of how much you’ve sinned against Him. The guilt of sin won’t even allow us to ask God for anything (1 John 3:21-22).
Understand the payment and punishment was put on Jesus so that we can be free from the mental, physical, and emotional bondage of sin.
#Jesus #paid #it #all #forgiven #just #believe #trust #God #receive #Christ #walk #free #from #sin #guilt #condemnation #cure #freedom #growth #scripture #devo
Satan is not going to sit back and allow us to have the promises of God without a fight.
In the middle of our fight to receive the promises of God, we should be doing what the word says. We should maintain our faith in God’s word (Rom. 10:17), stay in love (Gal. 5:6), declare what we desire to see (Prov. 18:21; Ps. 45:1), envision ourselves with the promise (Gen. 15:5), and obey the Holy Spirit’s instructions (Rom. 8:14).
Satan will use the delay and tell us these spiritual things mentioned above aren’t working. He’ll remind us how long we’ve been confessing God’s promises in our lives and attempt to convince us it’s not working because nothing’s changing.
The devil is a liar!!!
We may not see the change, but things are happening behind the scenes. These spiritual things are changing us. They’re changing our perspective, and it is changing the situation. It’s just a matter of time.
Be patient. Confessing the same thing over and over and remaining positive can get old to our flesh, but the alternative leads to doubt and unbelief, which will get us nothing (James 1:6-7).
Ephesians 6:13 AMP Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
#have #faith #be #strong #faithfight #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #life #power #authority #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
You have a desire. You followed biblical instructions according to Mark 11:24 and John 16:23. You asked the Father, in the name of Jesus, and you believe that you’ve received it.
Here comes the fight. Satan is not going to just allow us to have our desires without resistance.
Satan will throw every thought in our minds on why it won’t happen. He’ll tell us our past or present sins will prevent us from having that desire, he’ll say our faith isn’t strong enough, we didn’t fast, pray, or read our bibles long enough, or we’re unworthy. This is just a short list of tricks he uses. These thoughts will go on until we quit or until the desire comes to pass.
People with little faith accept these thoughts and choose to believe Satan’s lies instead of the word of God (Matt. 14:31). People with strong faith combat these thoughts by confessing the word of God.
How do we get strong faith? From consistently hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17).
For every lie of Satan, there should be an attack with the word of God. If he said you’ll never recover from that disease, we confess, by His stripes, we are healed (1 Pet. 2:24). If he says it’s been two years since you’ve prayed for that, it’s obviously not meant to be, we say, I inherit God’s promises through faith and patience (Heb. 6:12).
This fight can go on for years, but if we continue confessing God’s word to combat the lies of the enemy, we’ll experience victory and everything our hearts desire.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
#have #faith #bebold #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #life #power #authority #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Peace is available for EVERYONE. Yes, EVERYONE. No matter if you’re going through a divorce, having mental or physical health issues, or struggling financially. We ALL have an opportunity to have and maintain peace.
How? Not worrying, but instead praying about everything, telling God what you need, and thanking Him for what He’s done. When we do those things, God promises peace.
If you’re not experiencing peace, you need to ask yourself, are you praying about EVERYTHING? Or, are you trying to fix things yourself? Are you telling God what you need, or are you trying to meet your own needs? Are you thanking God for ALL He has done, or are you just thanking Him for the major things? It’s difficult to worry and be thankful.
Never worry again and maintain a lifetime of peace by praying about everything, telling God what you need, and thanking Him for everything.
#no #worries #worryfree #maintain #perfect #peace #consistent #joy #free #in #Christ #Jesus #Yahweh #God #provider #supplier #Word #life #scripture #devo #growth
Matthew 10:42 NLT And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of My followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
God takes note and rewards the little things we do for one another. The person may not know what we’ve done and they may not say, thank you, but God sees us and will reward the good we do.
Being used in the Kingdom of God doesn’t always have to be some big extravagant gesture where we get millions of views or thousands of people are being blessed by something we’ve done. It could be little things that God puts on our hearts to do for each other.
So, keep holding doors for people, let them go ahead of you in line, pay for someone’s meal, or give a couple of dollars to that homeless man. God sees the good we’re doing and His word guarantees our reward.
Inspired by Andrew Wommack
#be #a #blessing #share #kindness #give #and #glorify #God #generous #generosity #Jesus #bible #growth #Word #Christ #believers
Job 22:23 NLT If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored— so clean up your life.
Psalms 30:2 NLT O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.
Joel 2:25 ESV I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.
Psalms 85:1 NLT Lord, you poured out blessings on your land! You restored the fortunes of Israel.
At the bare minimum, God restores our health, our fortunes, the time we may have lost, and our lives altogether.
Health
If we’ve battled some longlasting illness or pain in our bodies, by placing our faith in His restoring power in His word, we can be healed and whatever damages we’ve faced from that illness will be restored.
Fortunes/Finances
We may have lost a lot of our fortunes in a divorce, made some bad investments, or were unwise stewards over our finances. Regardless of what happened, God has restoring power over our fortunes. If He did it for Israel, He can do it for us.
Time
God will restore the years we may have essentially lost because of demonic attacks. This restoring power can allow couples to get pregnant in their 50’s, have people receive promotions that were long overdue, and things work out faster than anticipated. With God, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).
Our Lives
When we return to God, He can restore every part of our lives. We may have messed up in so many areas, but He can restore every part of our lives. He can restore marriages, broken relationships with our children, our minds, and our livelihood.
Whatever needs to be restored, God can do it. Come to Him, do what He says, and have faith to believe that He is THE Restorer.
#depend #relyon #trust #God #greaterthan #morethan #enough #Jesus #Savior #helper #redeemer #restoration #confidence #Spirit #scripture #devotional #Word #life #growth
As a father of two little girls, when my children get off the bus from school, without thinking about it, they immediately give me their backpacks and run home. The same way they give me their backpacks is the same way we should give our cares to God (1 Peter 5:7).
God wants to handle everything for us. If we give our cares to Him, He will perfect everything that concerns us (Psalm 138:8).
In Exodus 14:14, it says, “The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” We don’t need to try to handle any situation on our own. God wants us to leave it alone and let Him handle it.
Even for the unbeliever, God wants the unbeliever to give Him their sin, and He’ll exchange it for His righteousness through Jesus Christ (Romans 3). And if we as believers should sin, God doesn’t want us holding on to shame and guilt and internally punishing ourselves. He wants us to come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Heb. 4:16).
This goes against what a lot of people believe. They think we have to do as much as we can do, and when we can’t do anymore, then let God handle it. That’s not it. God wants us to give our cares, our battles, and our sin to Him immediately and let Him work it out.
Now, whatever instructions He provides to resolve the issue, do it, but we don’t need to worry ourselves over anything. Give it to God and live a carefree life.
1 Peter 5:7 AMPC Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
#sweetsleep #nofear #castcares #meditate #on #trust #God #is #greaterthan #problems #self #love #life #Christ #love #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
When we’re in faith and we’re desiring blessings from God, we usually are expecting a new house, a new car, a new job, and more money. There’s nothing wrong with expecting these things because God promised them in His word. But in between these “big blessings,” be grateful for the consistent blessings from God.
Be grateful that we have a functioning vehicle and we consistently get to our destinations without getting into accidents. Be thankful we’re employed and God supplies our needs through a consistent paycheck. Be grateful for a drama-free life and God’s peace being present in our lives. Be thankful our bodies consistently function effectively.
These consistent blessings from God may not get a lot people shouting “amen” during testimony service, but it displays the consistent faithfulness of God. And that’s something to be grateful for.
Psalms 86:15 NLT But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
#grateful #blessed #thankful #choose #joy #have #faith #trust #believe #thank #God #in #all #things #glory #Jesus #Christ #greaterthan #sickness #problems #life #Spirit #love #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Acts 17:10-11 NLT That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Some people get spiritual advice from pastors, close family members, or friends. Depending on what was told to them, they end up confused, deceived, or hurt. They take what that person is saying as the gospel truth.
As believers, we need to verify if what a person is saying is scriptural. Certain things may sound deep and spiritual, but they’re either taken out of context or are untrue altogether. It could be our sweet grandmother or our mentor or a pastor giving us wisdom. However, if what they’re saying is not backed by scripture, let it go.
To prevent hurt, confusion, deception, and the spreading of lies, search what ANYONE is saying for yourself. Be sure that what anyone is telling you is backed by scripture.
#wise #scriptural #counsel #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #live #keepgoing #believe #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 1:14 NLT Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
A lot of people hold angels in high regard. They think they’re a step below the Godhead. As we can see, angels are servants for believers.
They protect us (Ps. 91:11). When we speak the word of God, they ensure that it comes to pass (Ps. 103:20). They deliver messages to us (Luke 1:26-38). And they care for us (Heb 1:14).
Angels may have the ability to do some powerful things, but God created them to serve us. Get God’s angels involved by releasing your faith and allowing them to serve you.
#angels #protect #guard #defend #believers #protection #God #Loves #Jesus #Christ #covers #Word #growth #scripture #devotional #devo
Graced To Do God's Will 