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Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now, he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
This life is a journey. In order to be successful in this journey, we must strip off every weight that slows us down. There are sinful weights and non-sinful weights.
Sinful weights are obviously things contrary to God’s word, such as greed, sexual immorality, lying, fear, etc. Non-sinful weights are things we do in excess that distract us from growing in our relationship with God or reaching our goal. Non-sinful weights include gaming, being on social media, working, and socializing.
Both of these weights slow us down in our journey. To remove these weights, we must focus on Jesus. As we focus on Jesus and magnify what He endured for us, we’ll gladly take off these weights. Once these weights are removed, we’ll experience more of God and get to our God-given destination faster. Now, strip!
#God #first #Holy #Spirit #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
As we get older, we may experience some aches and pains. One person may ignore God’s word telling us we’re healed and agree with the doctor’s advice and take medicine and rest for days. Another person may ignore sound wisdom, consider themselves healed, rebel against the pain, and do more damage to their bodies.
That’s why it’s so important to listen to and be led by the Holy Spirit during these issues. God knows exactly what each person needs.
One person may have knee pain, and the doctor tells him to rest for a week. The Holy Spirit may agree with the doctor and tell him to rest and declare himself healed. Another person has the same knee pain, and the doctor tells her to rest for a week. However, the Holy Spirit tells her to rebel against the pain by walking a mile a day declaring she’s healed.
Both have knee pain, but because we’re all a little different, the Holy Spirit knows exactly what each person needs to get better.
Be sure to consult with the Holy Spirit each time we have an ailment. He’ll guide us to a place where our bodies agree with God’s word that says…
1 Peter 2:24b By His wounds you are healed.
#depend #relyon #trust #God #be #Spirit #led #greaterthan #morethan #enough #Jesus #Savior #helper #redeemer #restoration #confidence #Spirit #scripture #devotional #Word #life #growth
1 Chronicles 16:12 NIV Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced,
As the year comes to an end, don’t be so anxious to move on to the next year without reflecting on ALL God has done.
He’s provided for us, He’s protected us, healing has manifested in our bodies, we’ve been delivered from sins, He’s paid off our bills, etc. With all He’s done, tell Him thank you. Give yourself at least 5 minutes to reflect on what He’s done and sincerely tell Him thank you.
Before you move on with plans and ideas for next year, reflect and be grateful for what He’s done this year. And just FYI… the year is not over. He still has time to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
#much #more #in #store #God #is #so #good #thankful #praise #gratitude #grateful #blessed #Jesus #Christ #life #Spirit #love #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Philippians 3:8-9 NLT Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
Praying doesn’t keep us right with God. It’s Jesus.
Going to church doesn’t make us holy. It’s Jesus.
Fasting doesn’t connect us to God. It’s Jesus.
Dressing modestly doesn’t make us holy. It’s Jesus.
Reading the Bible doesn’t give us a good name with God. It’s Jesus.
Feeling guilty and punishing ourselves doesn’t cause forgiveness. It’s Jesus.
There’s nothing we can do to get us in right standing with God. All of our righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s eyes (Isaiah 64:6).
Only our belief in Jesus makes us right with God. It’s not about our performance but our faith in what Jesus accomplished for us.
#faith #Word #of #God #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #study #Jesus #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
It’s not exercising that alleviates stress. It’s God.
It’s not being a vegan that keeps us healthy. It’s God.
It’s not our jobs that provide for us. It’s God.
It’s not medication that heals our bodies. It’s God.
It’s not our great driving abilities that keep us from a crash. It’s God.
It’s not the good neighborhood we live in that keeps people from breaking into our houses. It’s God.
It’s not our great parenting that has our children on the honor roll. It’s God.
It’s not our hustle or grind that has us with more than enough finances. It’s God.
God definitely can use these things to enhance our lives, but be sure to give the credit and praise to God, not to the tools He’s using.
Psalms 20:7 NIV Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
#trust #God #promises #protects #loves #defends #keeps #us #Jesus #Christ #the #same #yesterday #today #forever #consistent #love #persistent #grace
Hebrews 12:15 NLT Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Bitterness can potentially take root in different ways. Bitterness can stem from our parents not being around, getting treated poorly, or not getting what we think we deserve.
Thoughts of bitterness about situations will show up, but it’s up to us if we allow bitterness to take root.
We couldn’t control our parents actions, but we can control our response to their actions. We can’t control our job picking someone else for that promotion, but we can control our response to them picking someone else.
Bitterness can’t take root if we focus on Jesus. If we focus on what He’s done for us, how He’s made a way for us to be in God’s family, how He sacrificed Himself for our sin, made us righteous, healed us, blessed us, and give us access to all of God’s promises, bitterness can’t stay.
We’ll realize although our parents weren’t the best, God is a Father to the fatherless (Ps. 68:5). We’ll realize God is the source of our promotions (Ps. 75:6-7). We’ll realize God’s promises are still available regardless of what we didn’t get in the natural (2 Cor. 1:20).
Ask the Holy Spirit if bitterness has taken root in your heart. If so, work with Him to uproot that bitterness and live an enjoyable abundant life (John 10:10).
#bitter #uproot #bitterness #live #free #in #Christ #God #helps #us #forgive #befree #release #hurt #loveothers #Jesus #loves #scripture #devo #Bible #growth
Proverbs 24:26 NLT An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.
It’s important that we’re honest with everyone. We should be honest with our children, honest with our spouses, honest with our coworkers, and honest with ourselves.
People lie for multiple reasons. They lie to spare a person’s feelings, they lie to “preserve a child’s innocence,” or they lie to avoid consequences. At the end of it all, a lie is based in fear. When a person lies, they’re afraid the truth will somehow harm them or the other person.
As we can see from scripture, honesty does the opposite of what we think. We think being honest will push people away, but it actually draws them closer to us. Honesty proves we can be trusted. If we lie about one thing, how can we be trusted in other areas?
Stop lying to “keep the peace.” Stop lying to make yourself look good. Stop lying to avoid consequences. Be honest with everyone to keep your conscience clear and to display your integrity.
When someone asks you a question, be completely honest with them.
#honesty #truth #love #behonest #nolie #kindness #God #Jesus #Spirit #peace #scripture #Word #growth
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
Hebrews 2:8 NLT You gave them authority over all things.” Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.
God has given us authority over all things. Nothing is left out. We have authority over sickness, disease, death, division, hate, anxiety, depression, fear, worry, and any other negative things.
If God’s word says we have authority over all these things, why is it that so many believers are being dominated by fear, depression, and worry? Why are believers being dominated by sin, sickness, and commitment issues?
It’s because we’re not using all the authority given to us. Some of us have been deceived into thinking we can’t help what’s going on around us. We’ve been taught to cope with life’s problems instead of overcoming them.
To truly maximize on the authority that’s been given to us by God, we must establish and develop a relationship with God. Secondly, we must get into His word to understand how to operate in our authority. Finally, we must receive sound biblical teaching on how to accurately apply our authority in our lives.
When we understand our authority and operate in it, nothing will dominate us. Nothing can stop us, and nothing can hold us back. Use the authority God has given you to live a victorious life.
#strength #life #power #authority #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Galatians 5:6 NKJV For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
So many of us have applied our faith to certain desires. We’re believing God for a new house, a new job, a better marriage, or health in our bodies. It’s great that we’re believing God for these things, but our faith won’t work unless we put “batteries” in it. The battery to faith is love.
If we’re in faith for certain things, but we’re not loving people properly, our faith won’t produce anything. Proper love can be found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 where it says, “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.”
We can’t be in faith for a new house, but we still hate our ex-spouse for what they’ve done to us. Our faith to be healed of that chronic pain won’t work if we’re rude to waiters at restaurants. The faith we’re applying to get that new job will be ineffective if we’re boastful of our talents.
The battery to faith is love. If we get our love together, we’re guaranteed to receive everything God provided, through Christ, by faith.
Inspired by David Winston
#faith #works #by #Love #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #live #keepgoing #believe #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #hope #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
How do we change our ways? How do we behave better? How do we stop sinning? These are the questions people ask who actually want more for their lives.
The answer can be found in Colossians 3:10.
Colossians 3:10 NLT Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.
By putting on our new nature, in Christ, and renewing our minds as we learn more about God, we can make the changes we desire to see in ourselves.
How do we learn more about God?
By spending time in His word. Developing a consistent prayer life. Talk to Him throughout the day. And let Him be the decision maker.
All of this can be summed up by consistently building an ever-growing relationship with God. The more we know about Him, the more we’ll learn about ourselves.
Stop using willpower to change. Grow in Him, renew your mind, and change will take place.
#real #change #transform #grow #permission #to #evolve #mature #progress #mind #renewal #God #is #good #faithful #love #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
God is NOT using sickness, car crashes, or divorce to teach us something. He’s NOT using layoffs, ailments, or frustrations to correct us. The Word does all of that for us.
Anything God wants to teach us or correct in our lives can be done through His Word. He doesn’t need to partner with Satan to show us anything.
God definitely can work these negative situations out for our good, but He’s not using these things to teach or correct us (Rom. 8:28). All teaching and corrections can be done through His word.
#Word #of #God #causes #us #to transform #grow #evolve #change #mature #progress #have #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #live #in #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
A church or a group of believers emphasizes evangelism based on Matthew 28:19-20. They focus more on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ across the nation and the world.
Another church reads, “for without faith it’s impossible to please God” and “the just shall live by faith” (Heb. 11:6; Rom. 1:17). That group of believers emphasizes faith.
Another group of believers emphasizes grace. They see where Paul said in Ephesians 2:8, for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
These churches may do other things, but they emphasize either evangelism, faith, or grace.
There’s nothing wrong with placing an emphasis on certain things in scripture. The problem comes when one group of believers thinks their emphasis is more important than another. One group thinks evangelism is more important than grace. Another group thinks grace is more important than faith.
We must realize all of these topics are important. One topic is not more important than another because they’re all based in scripture.
This kind of thinking is a tool of division, sent by Satan, to make the church ineffective. Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, “a household divided against itself will not stand.”
Stop being a vessel for division based on your opinion. I can respect what you choose to emphasize and you should respect what I choose to emphasize. It’s all necessary and important to expand the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
#grace #faith #salvation #unity #in #Jesus #Christ #God #first #peace #joy #effective #hope #Spirit #devo #grow #growth #scripture #everydaygodswill
Hebrews 3:12-13 NLT Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.
When we see our brother or sister in Christ sinning or developing an unbelieving heart, warn them. Don’t just let them get further and further away from God. Warn them to change and encourage them to believe again.
God doesn’t go anywhere when we sin or we’re in unbelief, but sin and unbelief hardens our hearts towards God. It’s difficult for people to change or listen to wise counsel when people practice sin and are in unbelief. They want to do whatever their flesh desires and make it with whatever natural skills they have. They don’t want to depend on God and they’re deceived into thinking their lifestyle is just fine.
If we love someone, say something. They may not change the first, second, or fourteenth time, but warn them, in love, from the word of God.
#share #tellit #Word #of #God #is #Truth #good #trust #believe #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #peace #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 10:17-18 NIV Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Because of Jesus, a sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Some may limit that statement to animal sacrifices, but it’s more than that.
When people sin, they create their own version of a sacrifice as a form of punishment. They sacrifice their sleep by staying up late praying and reading their bibles all night. They deny themselves meals, fellowship, and entertainment. Some people do all the above.
As the scripture says, these sacrifices are no longer necessary. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for our past, present, and future sins. Trying to create our own sacrifice is an insult to His sacrifice because we’re telling Jesus that His sacrifice wasn’t enough.
If or when we sin, receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ and thank Jesus for sacrificing Himself for sin. Don’t try to punish yourself. It’s pointless and not necessary. If God forgave you, you should forgive yourself.
#freedom #no #condemnation #Jesus #paid #all #forgiven #just #believe #trust #God #receive #Christ #walk #free #from #sin #cure #freedom #growth #scripture #devo
Romans 1:8 NLT Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in Him is being talked about all over the world.
Is your faith being talked about in your home, family, or community? Or, is your faith hidden where people don’t even know you’re saved?
Our faith should be evident. We should be telling our friends, family members, and coworkers what God has done for us and what He can do for them. We shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about our faith in Christ, and we shouldn’t bow down to this man-made rule of not talking about religion. Actually, we’re not talking about religion. We’re talking about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the benefits that come with it. The least we can do is buy a Jesus t-shirt.
Be bold as you talk about your faith in Him. Let people be uncomfortable around you because they don’t have that same relationship with God as you do. Finally, let them know they can have that same relationship with God by leading them to Christ.
#faith #share #Jesus #righteousness #right #with #God #Loved #abundant #life #peace #found #in #Christ #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo
Isaiah 26:3 NLT You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Philippians 4:8 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
People’s depression, fear, anxiety, sadness, and other negative thoughts can be resolved by keeping our mind on the Lord. When we allow our minds to wander and we meditate on what we don’t have, what the news is saying, and what experts are saying about the economy, we forfeit our peace. However, if we fix our thoughts on God and His word we’ll maintain our peace.
Some people will say, “I can’t control what enters my mind.” That’s true. We can’t control what enters our mind, but we can control what stays in our mind and what we give our attention to. If we actively resist negative thoughts, we’ll maintain our peace.
It’s a chore to keep our minds on God and His word. There are a lot of things attempting to get our mind’s attention. If we want to maintain this peace that God promised, we must use the Holy Spirit’s help to discipline ourselves to keep our mind on the Lord.
#listen #meditate #God’s #Word #life #strength #fix #mind #thoughts #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
When situations arise, some may say, “I have faith this will happen” or “I have faith things will work out.” That sounds nice, but in order for faith to be effective, it must be grounded in God’s word. If not, it’s just hoping and wishing for favorable outcomes.
Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). Whatever we’re desiring in faith must be backed by the word of God.
If we’re desiring a better marriage, job, house, or car we can be in faith based on Mark 11:24, which says, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” If we’re in faith for our bodies to be healed, we can focus on 1 Peter 2:24, which says by His stripes we are healed. If we’re in faith for our children to be productive in life, we can stand on Psalm 112:2 which says, “Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.”
Whatever we’re in faith for must have a scripture attached. When what we desire is backed by scripture, it must come to pass because God obligated Himself to bring it pass (Isaiah 55:11).
Hebrews 11:1 NLT Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
#faith #waiting #hope #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #live #keepgoing #believe #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Psalms 138:2 NKJV I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
As great as God’s name is, He’s magnified His word above His name. What does that mean to us? It means His word holds everything together (Heb. 1:3). His word has to come to pass in our lives. His word gives us hope. His word cannot fail.
There are hundreds of promises in God’s word. If just one those promises didn’t come to pass, everything would crumble and He couldn’t call Himself a faithful God.
It’s important to know God’s word to understand who He is to us, what He’s planned for us, and who we are in Christ. The word is everything.
#Word #of #God #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #study #Jesus #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Isaiah 54:9 NLT “Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you.
We all experience difficulties in this life. None of these difficulties is a punishment from God. Every punishment we deserve was put on Jesus (Isaiah 53; Gal. 3:13).
So, the punishment for lying, committing adultery, murder, abuse, drug addiction, and so much more was put on Jesus. Any sin you can think of was put on Jesus and He was punished for that sin. NONE of the punishment is put on us today as believers.
With that being said, there are still natural consequences for sin. If a person lies at work, they could be fired. Or, if a person murders someone, they can go to jail; but that’s not a punishment from God. These are just natural consequences.
Don’t let anyone tell you that God is punishing you for this sin or that sin. God no longer punishes mankind. The penalty of sin has been paid for by Jesus.
#Jesus #paid #all #forgiven #just #believe #trust #God #receive #Christ #walk #free #from #sin #cure #freedom #growth #scripture #devo
Matthew 24:4 NLT Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you,
Jesus tells us not to let anyone mislead us. To be misled means to cause someone to have a wrong idea or impression about someone or something.
Today, we have false doctrines, a great deception, false teachers, and sin being minimized. These are all the things Jesus was referring to regarding being misled (Matt. 24:4-14).
When we agree with what’s being told to us, even if it contradicts the Word, we’re being misled. When we come to the conclusion that we don’t have to be legally married to be with someone, we’re being misled. When we accept that we don’t need the church that Christ built to find God, we’re being misled. Any idea or thought that we accept that doesn’t line up with God’s word is a tool for being misled.
Stay with God’s word, and you’ll never be misled.
#transform #grow #Word #of #God #is #Truth #good #faithful #love #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Graced To Do God's Will 