Monday, July 20, 2009

Today's Word : Empowered to Overcome


"I have given you authority …to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you"
(Luke 10:19, NIV)

God has given you all power and authority to overcome every obstacle you may face in life! That means you are well able to do what God has called you to do. You can accomplish your goals. You have the ideas, the creativity, and the talent to be successful. You have been armed with strength for every battle!

God has already lined up the right people to come across your path. He’s already lined up the right opportunities. You have everything you need to live a victorious life. Not an average life, not a barely-get-by, mediocre life—you were created to excel. You have seeds of greatness on the inside.You may not have seen it in the past, but if you’ll stay in faith, it’s just a matter of time—victory is on the way. Don’t settle where you are.

Rise up in faith today and begin to declare, “I will accomplish my dreams. I can overcome any obstacle. I’ve been equipped and empowered to live in victory in every area of my life.”

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Heavenly Father, thank You for the power to overcome every obstacle I may face. Help me to see myself the way You see me. Help me to embrace the victory You have in store for me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Today's Word : Take a Step of Faith


"…And as they went, they were cured and made clean"
(Luke 17:14, AMP)

One time in the Scripture, there were ten lepers who saw Jesus coming through the city. They hollered out, “Jesus! Have mercy on us and make us whole!” Jesus could have healed them right then, but instead, He asked them to do something to express their faith. He said, “Go show yourself to the Priest, and you will be made whole.”

It’s interesting that those lepers were not supposed to be around other people. They had to live in colonies by themselves because they were very contagious and considered unclean. I’m sure they debated among themselves, “Do you really think we should go? I don’t look any better. My skin is not clear. It’s just going to be a waste of my time.” But they dared to put action behind their faith. They decided, “Jesus said if we go, we will be well. Let’s go. Let’s take a step of faith.” The Scripture says, “As they went, they were made whole.”

Friend, what is God telling you to do in your heart today? Take a step of faith. Put action behind what you are believing for. God is faithful. As you step out and show that your faith is in Him, it will open the door for His miracle-working power to flow in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Heavenly Father, I choose to trust in You. I choose to be obedient to You. Even when it doesn’t make sense to my natural mind, I am going to continue to walk by faith. I love You and bless You today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Today's Word : You Are Closer Than You Think


";…He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’"
(Mark 2:10b-12, NKJ)

In Mark chapter two, the Bible talks about a man who was paralyzed. He heard that Jesus was in town teaching at another house and knew that He could heal him. The paralyzed man convinced four of his friends to carry him on his bed over to where Jesus was. When they arrived, the house was so packed that they couldn’t get in. Do you know what happened next? Instead of just giving up and going home, the man was so determined to get his miracle that he convinced his friends to climb up on the roof, cut a hole in it, and lower him down to where Jesus was!

Now this man understood that you are closest to your victory when you face the greatest opposition. A lot of people would have just given up. They would have seen the crowd and gone home—even though they were just a few feet away from their miracle. Don’t let that be you! What are you believing for? Don’t give up just because there is opposition. Don’t let others discourage you from seeing your miracle. Keep pressing through today because you are closer than you think to the victory God has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Heavenly Father, today I release all of my cares and anxieties on You. I trust that my breakthrough is coming. I choose to press in and stand strong. I believe Your Word, and I believe that You will reward me as I diligently seek after You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Today's Word : What Moves God


"And when He saw their faith… "
(Luke 5:20, KJV )

Do you know what moves the hand of God? This may surprise you, but God is not moved by complaining and self-pity. He’s not even moved by our needs. Yes, He is concerned about our needs, and yes, He wants to meet our needs, but we have to do our part and invite Him to work in our lives by exercising our faith.

When Jesus walked the earth, oftentimes right before He healed someone, the Bible says something like this, "When He saw their faith…" And so I ask you today, can God see your faith?

When God sees you doing everything you can to get well; when He sees you getting to work a little earlier because you really want that promotion; when He sees you bypass the cookie jar because you’ve been believing to lose weight; when He sees you bite your tongue to keep the peace in your house; when He sees you help others when you really need more help than they do; when God sees your faith, that’s when extraordinary things will begin to happen. Faith opens the door for God to move, so demonstrate your faith today and watch the hand of God move in every area of your life!


A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for the gift of faith. I choose today to exercise my faith and invite You to move on my behalf. Keep me close to You, search my heart and remove anything that is displeasing to You. I bless You today and always. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Today's Word : Give Life to Your Faith


"…faith without works is dead"
(James 2:20, NKJ)

Are you putting action behind your faith today? If we aren’t doing something that shows that we believe God, the Bible says that our faith is dead. Dead faith won’t accomplish anything. We have to give life to our faith by putting actions behind it. And, it doesn’t have to be anything big, just something that shows your faith in God. For example, I know people who are down and discouraged. They pray, “God, please. Get me out of this discouragement. God, give me my joy back. God, give me a new beginning.” And yes, prayer is important, but it’s only part of the process. What really causes God to act is when you do something about it—you get back up, dust yourself off, and say, “You know what? I’m not going to stay down. This is the day the Lord has made! I am going to be happy and have a great day.” That’s putting action behind your faith.

I encourage you today to let your actions give life to your faith. Show the world that you are trusting God’s Word. As you do, you’ll give life to your faith, and you’ll step into new levels of His victory and blessing in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for Your Word that builds faith in my heart and refreshes my soul. I choose to put action behind my faith today. I choose to give life to my faith so that You can accomplish Your will in me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Today's Word : Faith That God Can See




"…You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove"
(James 2:18, Message)


We all have dreams that we’re hoping will come to pass and promises that we’re standing on. And we should always be praying, believing, and hoping. That’s all part of faith. But there’s another step that oftentimes, people leave out—you have to put action behind your faith.

Are you doing anything to show God that you’re serious about what you’re believing for? You can pray all day long, “God, get me out of this problem.” Or, “God, give me that promotion.” But if you really want to get God’s attention and see God move in amazing ways in your life, take it one step further and do something to demonstrate your faith. You may have an addiction, but are you going to a recovery program? Maybe you lost your job. Are you putting your resume out and knocking on new doors? That’s faith that God can see. And when He can see your faith, you’ll see His hand of blessing, provision, and victory in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I come to You today releasing every part of my mind, will, and emotions to You. Show me ways that I can demonstrate my faith in You. Help me to make wise decisions so I can walk in higher places with You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen