“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV)
Friends, throughout life, fear will come knocking at the door, selling you the worst case scenario. Fear tells you, “You’re going to lose your job. Your marriage is over. Your business is falling apart. Your child is done. It’s all downhill from here.” When those thoughts come, you don’t have to buy in. You don’t have to accept those thoughts. Here’s the key: when fear knocks, let faith answer the door. Don’t give those thoughts of fear the time of day. Don’t let them intimidate you. Answer back with faith. “Lord, You said the number of my days You would fulfill. God, You said Your plans for me are for good and not evil. God, You said what’s meant for my harm You would turn around and use to my advantage.”
If you’ll keep an attitude of faith and expectancy, it’s like keeping the door locked on an intruder. Fear has no right in the life of a believer. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Remember, the battle is in your mind. The enemy is after your thoughts. Don’t give him the time of day; and when fear knocks, let faith answer the door!
A Prayer for Today
Father, I thank You for Your Word which says that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. I receive peace in my heart and mind and stand strong in faith knowing that the greater One lives in me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God is holy, righteous, and just. But, as important as these qualities are, he reveals them within his compassion, graciousness, patience, and overflowing mercy and love. We can not only obey, worship, and reverently respect God, we can also love, appreciate, and adore him! Maybe the greatest challenge, however, is to reflect the character of God in our own lives!
Prayer…
LORD God Almighty, I not only trust in you, but I appreciate your faithfulness, your mercy, your love, your graciousness, and your patient compassion. Please help me display each of these virtues more fully. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
God has an appointed time to fulfill the visions, dreams, and desires in your heart. Just because it has taken a long time or because you’ve tried and failed doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. Don’t give up on those dreams! Don’t be complacent about pursuing what God has placed in your heart. Our God is a faithful God. No matter how long it’s been, no matter how impossible things look, if you’ll stay in faith, your set time is coming.
Remember, every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God put it there. Not only that, but He has every intention of bringing it to pass. Hold on to that vision today. Declare by faith, “My time is coming. God is working behind the scenes on my behalf. I will fulfill my destiny!” As you continue to hold on to that vision and speak life over your dreams, it won’t be long before you see them begin to take shape. You’ll see your faith grow, you’ll see your hope strengthen, and you’ll see yourself step into the destiny God has prepared for you!
So often, when people make mistakes, they get down on themselves and think, “If only…” “I should have…” “What if…?” It’s easy to feel like you’ve missed the best plan for your life. That’s when people get discouraged and stop pursuing their God-given dreams. But understand today, just because you’ve made a mistake or failed in some way, that doesn’t cancel God’s plan. God never disqualifies you. He never says, “Go sit on the sidelines. You’ve blown it too many times. You’ve got too many weaknesses.” No, God always gives you another chance!
Some of the great people in the Bible made very poor choices. The apostle Paul started off as a murderer, yet his destiny was bigger than his mistakes. He ended up becoming a great leader and writing over half of the New Testament.
What am I saying? Our mistakes, our failures, our poor choices don’t have to keep us from our God-given destiny. With God, it’s not about the way you start in life, it’s about the way you finish. Receive His grace today and embrace the bright future He has in store for you!
Father in heaven, I come to You today giving You all that I am. Thank You for the gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus. I believe He died and rose for me, and I invite You to be the Lord of every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“I will set no base or wicked thing before my eyes…” (Psalm 101:3, AMP)
In this Psalm, David was determined to honor the Lord with his mind. David knew that what he watched would affect his thinking. If he didn’t guard his mind by choosing carefully what he looked at, he would be drawn to do things that weren’t pleasing to the Lord.
The same is true for us today. If we are watching things on TV or reading things in books or magazines that aren’t pleasing to the Lord, we are opening a door to the enemy. When we look on things that aren’t pleasing to the Lord, a stronghold is built in our thinking. We become enslaved to those wrong thoughts. But, God has given us the power to break those strongholds through the blood of Jesus Christ!
If you are struggling with thoughts that you don’t want anymore, today, you can be free. First, receive His forgiveness and make the choice to change what you are looking at. Let the Lord wash you clean and strengthen you by His Spirit. Focus your thoughts on His Word and do not let any wicked thing before your eyes. As you determine to honor the Lord, He will empower you by His Spirit so you can live in freedom and victory all the days of your life!
Worship will get you through the roughest times in your life, because it shifts your focus from the problem to the problem solver.
