You Have To Forgive

You Have To Forgive

FORGIVE

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

All of us have been hurt at one time or another, and the offender may well have been someone we love. We often try to put the pain behind us and move on, yet most often we just can’t seem to shake off that annoying feeling. So why do we find it so difficult to forgive?

One reason that we struggle with unforgiveness is a simple matter of pride. When people offend us we take it so personal that it affects our pride. In our offended pride, the offence grows much greater than we should allow. It becomes an issue of personal attack rather than an honest mistake or flash of insensitivity on the part of the offender.

Another factor in our unforgiveness is bitterness. We become bitter when we refuse to deal honestly with hurt feelings and then permit the matter to fester in our heart. The growing sense of irritation spreads through our spirit like an infection. It has been rightly said that bitterness is like a poison that you prepare for someone else and then drink yourself. While it silently destroys our life, the person who hurt us may remain completely unaware of our dark feelings.

If you have been hurt recently, pray for the strength and honesty to approach the offender and say, “You did this and it hurt me. But I love you and refuse to allow this destroy our relationship.” As you do this, the Holy Spirit will minister healing to your hurt emotion and fill you with peace.

Prayer: Bind and cast out the spirit of unforgiveness for your heart, and ask grace for those who have hurt you one way or the other.

Scriptural Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32

You Have To Forgive

God Is Love

God Is Love

GOD IS LOVE

We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

The reason God wants us to love is because He is love, and He created us to be like Him – to love. The only reason we’re able to love is because God loves us: “Love comes from God . . . because God is love.” We were created in God’s image to do the two things on earth: Learn to love God and learn to love other people; life is all about love.

But love started with God. He loved us first and that gives us the ability to love others. The only reason you can love God or love anybody else is because God first loved you. And He showed that love by sending Jesus Christ to earth to die for you. He showed that love by creating you. He showed that love by everything you have in your life, it’s all a gift of God’s love.

In order to love others and to become great lovers, we first need to understand and feel how much God loves us. You cannot give to others what you have not received yourself. We don’t want to just talk about love, read about love, or discuss about love; our need is to experience the love of God. We need to reach a day when we finally, fully understand how God loves us completely and unconditionally. We need to become secure in the truth that we cannot make God stop loving us.

Once we’re secure inside God’s unconditional love, we’ll start loving others. We won’t be angry as we’ve been. We’ll be more patient. We’ll be more forgiving. We’ll be more merciful. We’ll let others have grace.

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart to see the love of God so that you will always walk in love.

Scriptural Reading: 1 John 4:7-19

God Is Love

Yes Lord

Yes Lord

YES LORD!

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” Luke 5:5

When Peter said “yes” to Jesus’ request to get into his boat, and later on to cast his net for a catch, the future apostle’s plans and life were irrevocably changed. The following three benefits Peter received for his obedience to the Lord will be yours when you also walk in obedience to Him:

•  Obedience to God will bring us into our destiny. At that moment of obedience, Peter’s destiny was revealed to him. After Jesus had filled the empty nets with an enormous catch, He transformed Peter into a “fisher of men.” The Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” Peter’s life mission was made known to him through obedience.

•  Obeying God allows Him to demonstrate His power in our life. Peter witnessed the miracle catch of fish that started with a “yes” to a simple request. He could have looked at his to-do list and said, “Too busy.” Or he could have said that would be a waste of time and effort, since they had toiled all night without a catch. Instead, he took the Lord at His word and saw the power of God at work. As a disciple of Christ, he saw first-hand the Lord’s transforming power in his own life.

• Obedience always results in a deeper understanding of God and ourselves. Having seen the miracle of the full nets, Peter gained fresh insight into who Jesus was and how he, Peter was a sinful man. Later on when Jesus asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It was at that moment of obedience, I believe, Peter had this glorious revelation of Jesus of Nazareth.

What is God asking of you today? What do you have that can be put to His service? Listen carefully, say yes by following His directions, and watch what He accomplishes in and through you!

Prayer: Pray for the grace to submit to the Lord, and do His will at all times.

Scriptural Reading: Luke 5:1-11

Yes Lord

Stay The Course

Stay The Course

STAY THE COURSE

Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. – 1 Corinthians 9:26

We have the choice to pursue the dreams that God places within our hearts. But those dreams cannot be pursued lazily. They have to be pursued with great commitment and discipline. Commitment is a sign of inner character and the first step toward achievement. Without it our dreams of greatness remain just that dreams.

For our dreams of greatness to become the living reality of our lives, we must do these things:

• Stay on course. When you find the path for your dreams commit yourself to it. Commit yourself to the process and the hard work that is required for you to achieve what you are pursuing. Keep your eyes, heart and mind focused on the things that God has placed on your heart to achieve.

• Avoid shortcuts. Anything that promises a quick-fix solution without any serious effort does not offer lasting promise. Don’t go for it. Even if you feel desperate and your situation keeps getting worse, do not allow the temptation and attraction for easy solutions to divert your focus. Short-cuts are normally labyrinths in disguise.

• Pay the price. Everything worth achieving will cost you something. It will cost you time, energy, knowledge, responsibility, excellence and integrity. These are demands that will be made on us. None of us can hope to get to the place that God has appointed for us.

Prayer: Ask the Lord for the discipline and commitment to make your dreams for this year a living reality.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

#YearOfPower

Stay The Course

It Takes Time

It Takes Time

IT TAKES TIME

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for a fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christ-like character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. The same is true for success in other areas of our lives.

When you try to ripen a fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. In most commercial farms, tomatoes are usually picked unripen so they won’t bruise during shipping to the market. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly.

While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. God views our lives from and for eternity, so he is never in a hurry.

The moment you open yourself to Christ, God begins His work in you. His purpose is to make you holy, healthy, and prosperous. For Him to do this work you must trust Him and surrender totally to Him. You may think you have surrendered all your life to Him, but truth is, there is a lot to your life that you aren’t even aware of. You can only give God as much of you as you understand at the moment. Once Christ enters your heart, He begins the campaign to take over more and more territory until all of your life is completely His.

God has promised to finish the work He has begun in you. He is at work in you to bring you to “the full measure of the stature of Christ.” And He will not rest till He finishes His work.

Prayer: By faith, surrender yourself to the Lord; tell Him to have His way and do His work in you.

Scriptural Reading: Philippians 1:1-11

It Takes Time

The Spirit Excellence

The Spirit Excellence

SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Colossians 3:23

It is said that as the great Michelangelo painted the magnificent frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel – lying on his back for endless hours to finish every detail with great care – a friend asked him why he took such pains with figures that would be viewed from a considerable distance. “After all,” the friend said, “Who will notice whether it is perfect or not?” “I will,” replied the artist.

There are two attitudes here – the attitude of Michelangelo’s friend and that of Michelangelo himself. His friend had an attitude that settles for the easy way out. People who have such attitude are only concerned about doing things to please people and not to achieve their full potential. For such people when there is no one looking, they just do a shoddy work and hide it behind a camouflage.

Michelangelo’s attitude on the other hand is the attitude of champions. People who have that attitude do not work just to please people. They work to fulfil their God-given potential. They don’t rest until they can be sure that God is pleased with what they have done. Whether they work behind the scenes or before the public, they strive for excellence. That was the spirit that drove Michelangelo to produce great masterpieces of art that continue to awe the world hundreds of years after his death.

That is the attitude that God wants us to have. He is an excellent God and He requires us to reflect His excellence in all we do.

Prayer: Lord, give me the wisdom and discipline to do my work to the best of my potential.

Scriptural Reading: Colossians 3:22-25

The Spirit Excellence

Be Patient

Be Patient

BE PATIENT

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. James 1:4

We all want to be successful, and we want it instantly. But there is nothing like instant success. Every enduring success takes time. One of life’s frustrations is that God’s timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn’t. You may feel frustrated with the seemingly slow progress you’re making in life. But remember that God is never in a hurry. He is always on time. So be patient with God and with yourself.

The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses a long process to develop character, especially in leaders. He took eighty years to prepare Moses, including forty in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses kept waiting and wondering, “Is it time yet?” But God kept saying, “Not yet.” Contrary to popular notion, there are no easy steps to spiritual maturity or secrets of instant success. When God wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years, but when He wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight. Great people grow through struggles and storms and seasons of sacrifices. Be patient with the process.

Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago I saw a man wearing a button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for “Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” God isn’t finished with you, either, so keep on moving forward.

Prayer: Pray for the spirit of patience and endurance so that you will receive all the promises of God.

Scriptural Reading: James 1: 1-8

Be Patient

You Are Accepted

You Are Accepted

YOU ARE ACCEPTED

God has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:6

Many of us base our self-esteem on what other people think, so we work hard at being accepted. We buy things, we wear things, we join things – just to be accepted by our friends, family, co-workers and peers. But our verse today says God has already accepted us in Jesus Christ. Does God say you have to earn the acceptance? That you could ever deserve it? No. The Bible just says God has accepted you not because of you but because of His Son.

If you’re a believer, God has accepted you as His child because of what Christ did for you on Calvary. He loves you unconditionally and accepts you for who you are. Some of us grew up with guardians who are impossible to please. They are perfectionists. No matter how much you tried, you couldn’t get their approval. If you got B’s, they want A’s. If you got A’s, they wanted A+’s. No matter what you did it was never, ever good enough. Even today you’re still trying to earn their love and approval.

But there are two things you must know:

1. In all likelihood, you’re never going to get that approval or acceptance. Not because of who you are but because of who they are.

2. You don’t need their approval because you’re acceptable to God. You don’t need their approval to be happy.

What a relief it is to know that you only need the love and approval of one person, and you already have it: God says you are accepted!

Prayer: Bind and cast out the spirit of inferiority complex, and declare with confidence that you are accepted and loved by God in Christ.

Scriptural Reading: Ephesians 1:1-14

You Are Accepted

Be Creative

Be Creative

CREATIVITY

The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15

God is creative. He created the universe and everything in it. He made us in His image and gave us the capacity to be creative. You have the ability to use your imagination to generate new ideas, discover new ways of doing things, and find solutions to problems. The sad news is that we often fail to use our creative capacity. When people are stuck in life, it’s usually because they’re still working with a set of assumptions that no longer apply. Or they’re using problem solving techniques that once worked, but don’t work anymore.

God wants us to use our brains – the great gift He has given to all of us – to think new thoughts and find new ways of being more effective and productive. If you keep on doing things the same old ways, you will keep getting the same old result.

Here are the five steps in the creative process:

1. State the problem clearly. What is wrong? Be as precise as you can. Vague problems are more difficult to solve.

2. Set a specific goal. What is it that you really want to accomplish?

3. Generate as many ideas as possible. The more ideas you have, the better.

4. Narrow the list to the one or two best ideas. One new idea is all you need to a breakthrough.

5. Take action! Do it now. God has given you fresh insight, now act on it!

You must always be developing and growing to become all God wants you to be.

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to inspire creativity and innovation in you and help you to accomplish great things for His glory.

Scriptural Reading: Proverbs 18:1-18

Be Creative

Being Purposeful

Being Purposeful

BEING PURPOSEFUL

For each one shall bear his own load. Galatians 6:5

It is our choices not our condition that determine our destiny. Your choices are far more powerful than your circumstances. For instance, your choices control your calendar and, as a result, your effectiveness. God expects us to assume responsibility for our lives and to carefully choose how we spend our time. We will all give an account to the Lord how we spend the time God gives us.

In order for us to be effective, we must discover why God placed us on this planet. Each one of us has a unique purpose. God has a special assignment for each of us. When you discover your purpose, your life will become very simple. You focus only on what is important to you. You are effective when you are fulfilling your purpose.

It’s not how long you live or even how much you pack into how long you live, but how well you live that counts. Here are three essential steps to simplify your life:

• First, figure out your purpose, and then let your purpose guide the goals of your life.

• Second, organize your activities based upon your purpose.

• Finally, harmonize your schedule with your purpose, that is bring your activities into agreement with your goals.

You have just enough time to do God’s will while you’re here on earth. You’ve been given just enough time to fulfil your purpose. When you try to do what God has not planned for you to do, it’s only natural that you’ll find yourself constantly out of time. If anything doesn’t fit the purpose of your life, God doesn’t want you doing it. Be focused on your purpose and you will find life a joy.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to reveal your  purpose to you and empower you to fulfil it.

Scriptural Reading: Galatians 6:1-10

Being Purposeful

Divine Ability

Divine Ability

DIVINE ABILITY

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

When God put His Spirit in us He gave us divine abilities to do all things He wants us to do for His glory and honour. If you look at the outward appearances you will think and feel you are useless and incapable. But the fact is God says, “You are capable.” And if God says you’re capable, then you are capable!

It is sad to see so many Christians who feel incompetent, insecure, and incapable. They are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit yet they are unaware of the power at work in them. They look at themselves and think they are not capable of any meaningful achievement. Within them, there is this gnawing, inner insecurity and a lack of confidence. Why? Their self-image has been shaped by the lies people told them in the past. They are acting on the basis of things that people said to them twenty, thirty, forty years ago. But it is not what people think of you that matters. What God has said about you is what matters. They said, you are “nobody.” But God says, ‘You are His child!’ They said, “You’re a loser!” But God says, ‘No, you’re more than a conqueror!’ They said, “There is no hope for your future.” But God says, ‘Your future is bright!’

You must stop believing their lies and start believing what God has said about you. Stop looking in the distorted mirror of what those who have no clue who you are have said to you. Who are you going to believe? What other people say about you or what God says about you? What God says you are, you are. What God says you can do, you can do.

Prayer: By faith, bind and cast out the memory of all the lies people have said to you, and declare that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.

Scriptural Reading: Philippians 4:10-19

Divine Ability

Hope For The Hopeless

Hope For The Hopeless

HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS

Afterward He appeared in a different form to two of His followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. Mark 16:12

Sometimes in our minds we feel as though God has fallen short, that He hasn’t done what He said He would do. Maybe a tragedy has befallen us. Maybe something has happened in our lives that has left us feeling disappointed with God.

That is how two disciples felt after the crucifixion. They had lost hope. When Jesus appeared to them, they were walking away from Jerusalem into the country (see Mark 16:12). In their minds, Jesus had let them down. They had misunderstood His mission. They thought He would be a militant Messiah, not a suffering Savior. But if they had read the Scriptures carefully, they would have come across a vivid description of the physical sufferings of Christ in Isaiah. They would have read the words of Psalm 22, which pointed out that His hands and feet would be pierced, and that He would cry out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” But they missed that.

Jesus was doing exactly what He had come to do, and they had misunderstood. And when it seems like God has failed us, it is because we have misunderstood His ways. That was the problem with these discouraged disciples, and so they were leaving Jerusalem. They wanted to get that image of Jesus on the cross out of their minds. They wanted to put as much distance from them and the cross as humanly possible.

Many times when we are discouraged, we think, ‘I don’t want to be around Christians. I don’t want to read the Bible. I don’t want to pray.’ But that is a big mistake. That is when we ought to be running to God, not away from Him. Your current situation is not the end of your story. Like Christ, you shall soon resurrect to a newness of life.

Prayer: Ask God to fill you with hope to overcome every challenge by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Scriptural Reading: Mark 16:1-13

Hope For The Hopeless

Grow In Faith

Grow In Faith

GROW IN FAITH

Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6:30 KJV

Martin Lloyd Jones said, “To be of little faith means we are mastered by our circumstances instead of mastering them.” Worry is an indication of a lack of faith. Jesus said, “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Jesus was not saying, “You have no faith.” Rather, He was asking, “Why do you have so little faith?”

There are people today who believe that God will save their soul, but they have a hard time believing that God will provide for their needs or resolve their problems or answer their prayers. They believe in Jesus for salvation, but they have a hard time believing Him for other things. When a challenge or test comes their way, they fall flat on their face.

So how do we get faith? How do we grow in it? We get it from hearing the Word of God, because the Bible says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). But it is not only hearing it; it is attention with intention. There are different ways to listen. You can listen and let your mind wander. Or, you can hear God’s Word and internalize God’s Word, and as a result grow in faith. Our faith also grows by use—by taking God’s Word and applying it. Sometimes we treat faith as though it were a fragile little egg, when in reality, it is like a muscle that grows stronger through use. We need to grow in our faith. May it never be said of us, “O you of little faith!” Let’s master our circumstances and let it be said of us, “I have not seen such great faith in Israel.”

Prayer: By faith, take control over every circumstance in your life taking away your joy and peace.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 6:30

Grow In Faith

Greater Works Shall You Do

Greater Works Shall You Do

GREATER WORKS

Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. Acts 2:22

Jesus did all of His miracles as a man, not as God. Let that sink in. This is a profound truth that has major implications for you and me. It changes everything. Pastor Bill Johnson writes: “Jesus could not heal the sick. Neither could He deliver the tormented from demons or raise the dead. To believe otherwise is to ignore what Jesus said about Himself, and more importantly, to miss the purpose of His self-imposed restriction to live as a man.”

Jesus said of Himself: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19-20). In the Greek language the word ‘nothing’ has a unique meaning – it means nothing. Just like it does in English! He had no supernatural capabilities of His own whatsoever!

While He is 100 percent God, He chose to live with the same limitations that man would face once He was redeemed. He made that point over and over again. Jesus became the model for all who would embrace the invitation to invade the impossible in His name. He performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God; not as God. If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us. But if He did them as a man, then we too can do the same through faith in God. Recapturing this simple truth changes everything.

Jesus said you and I will do even greater works than He did. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12-13).

The question for each of us is: How dependent and obedient to the Holy Spirit are we so we can experience this same anointing and power?

Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you a heart of obedience and absolute trust in Him; ask Him to anoint you to do “greater works.”

Scriptural Reading: Acts 2:22-35

Greater Works Shall You Do

Forgive Yourself First

Forgive Yourself First

FORGIVE YOURSELF

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

A murderer was condemned to life in prison. Then one day something amazing happened. The guard came and opened the jail cell. “You are free to go. Someone else is taking your place,” said the guard. “How can this be? I am still guilty!” said the prisoner. “Your debt has been paid. You are free to leave,” said the guard once more. The prisoner decided not to leave. “I cannot allow anyone to pay my debt,” said the prisoner. Because of his pride he chose to remain in bondage.

Imagine the guilt Peter must have felt when he betrayed the Son of God three times by saying he never knew Him. Imagine what he must have felt the moment he reunited with Him after the resurrection. The hardest person to forgive sometimes is ourselves. It is especially hard for high achievers to forgive themselves. They think they are above such failure or they can take care of themselves. However, the Bible says we all sin and it is impossible to remedy that sin by ourselves. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us… If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:8‭-‬10). The question is not whether we will sin; the question is what we will do when we do sin.

When you come to Jesus with your sin, there is nothing more you can do besides confessing and renouncing your sin. Sometimes it may require restitution with others. However, once you confess your sin and ask forgiveness, it is no longer on the debtors’ ledger.

Why not choose to walk free? The prison cell is opened.

Prayer: Confess your sins and receive forgiveness from the Lord; declare your freedom from sin and Satan in the name of the Lord.

Scriptural Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

Forgive Yourself First

Remember His Marvelous Works

Remember His Marvelous Works

REMEMBER

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth. —1 Chronicles 16:12

Have you noticed that you tend to remember the things you should forget? And then you forget the things you should remember. Sometimes you remember the line of an annoying advert on TV and catch yourself singing it out. Yet you forget the reference for that Bible verse you so love; or the birthday of your dear friend. It seems as if our minds tend to remember the wrong things and forget the good things.

God wants us to remember the good things. He wants us to remember the good things He’s done for us in the past. He wants us to remember His promises. He wants us to remember His power and the awesomeness of His deliverance. He wants us to keep His word in front of us all the time.

Why do we need to remember? Because we easily forget that our God is a mighty God. When that happens, we allow the enemy of our faith to bring the wrong things to our mind. Satan’s chief strategy against the children of God is to make us doubt the goodness of God. Our counter-strategy should be to remember God and His word always.

The Bible is a book that is filled with reminders. Not only that, it is a book that is filled with repetition. It tells us the same thing again and again and again, because we forget things. Jesus taught His disciples the same things over and over again.

Don’t get weary learning the same things over and over again. The more you arm yourself with the word of God, the less access the enemy has to steal your joy and victory in Christ.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you fill your heart with His word and empower you to triumph over the Enemy.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Chronicles 16:7-18

#YearOfPower

Remember His Marvelous Works

God Knows

God Knows

GOD KNOWS

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

It is estimated that in a lifetime, the human brain can store one billion bits of information. Literally, everything you’ve seen, heard, smelt, tasted and felt is still stored in your brain. That is a lot of information in our heads. Yet, with all that capacity, we still forget a lot of things. Many times we are unable to recall a name ten seconds after hearing it. We forget people we just met. That is a human limitation. Thankfully, we have a God who remembers.

God remembers everything—at all times. There is never a lapse in His memory. He never forgets a person or a name. God is omniscient, which means He knows everything. God’s knowledge is as eternal as He is. What God knows now, He has always known and always will know. God doesn’t learn new things; He knows them from the beginning. And He doesn’t forget what He has learnt like we do. We learn new things, but God never does.

The great news is that this awesome God is our Father. He knows everything that happens in His creation. He knows the things that stress you out. He knows your fears. He knows your anxieties about life. He knows your secret sins. He knows your hypocrisy. He knows your insecurities. There is nothing to hide from Him.

God wants you to talk to Him honestly. He wants sincere prayer from His children. Don’t pray with pretension. Today, you can come before Him just as you are and ask Him to help you live the life that He wants you to live.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to anoint you with His Spirit to live a victorious life this year.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 51:1-19

God Knows

Holy Fear

Holy Fear

A HOLY FEAR

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear. 1 Peter 1:16-17

We are called to have a personal love relationship with God our Father, but here Apostle Peter is quick to add the balance of the fear of God. Our love for God is limited by a lack of holy fear. The Bible describes God both as a loving Father and a consuming fire (1 John 4:8; Heb. 12:29).

We must remember both of these unchangeable attributes of God: “God is love,” and “God is a consuming fire.” Consider an earthly king with sons and daughters. In the palace, he is husband and dad. Yes, there are those times they can jump on his lap, and embrace him and talk and play with him. But in the throne room, he is king and they must revere him as such.

Aposlte Paul once said that one of the motivations of working so hard in preaching the gospel of Christ was the terror of the Lord. He wrote, “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). He warned the believers, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).

Those who have been born again know God as Father. But that does not negate His position as Judge of all the earth. As our loving Father we can approach God with confidence. But we must remember to approach Him acceptably; with reverence and holy fear.

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to create in you a reverent fear of God so that you will walk in all His ways and please Him at all times.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-21

Holy Fear

Crucified With Christ

Crucified With Christ

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

People sometimes will use the expression, “We all have our cross to bear.” But our cross has no relation to the difficulties we encounter in life. The cross to bear, so to speak, is the same for everyone: it is dying to self.

Dying to self means resisting the temptation to do what everyone else is doing when you know it is wrong. Dying to self means forgiving instead of harboring a grudge. Dying to self means putting down the remote control and picking up the Bible. Dying to self means praying when you would rather be sleeping. Dying to self means swallowing your pride and telling someone about Jesus Christ. Dying to self means doing what God wants you to do rather than doing what you want to do.

Jesus said, “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). That does not mean you must take a vow of poverty and give every possession away to be a disciple of Jesus. “Forsake all” literally could be translated, “Surrender your claim to, say goodbye to.” This means that true disciples of Jesus are not possessed by their possessions.

When you die to yourself and take up the cross, you will experience joy and an overflowing life. If you want to be a disciple, then you must love God more than anyone or anything else. You must deny yourself. And you must take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to purge you of selfishness and give you a passion for His Kingdom.

Scriptural Reading: Galatians 2:11-21

Crucified With Christ

The Greatest Commandment

The Greatest Commandment

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

Jesus replied, ‘”You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.”‘ Matthew 22:37-38

Some years ago, around three hundred whales were found stranded on a beach. Scientists speculated that the whales had been chasing sardines and became trapped in shallow water when the tide went out. Now that’s an amazing thing. By chasing little sardines, these gigantic creatures were ultimately led to their doom. Many people waste their Iives chasing sardines, so to speak. They major on the minors and have no clear focus or objectives in life.

But God tells us what should be the primary goal for every Christian. If we can get our priorities straight in this area, everything else will come together. In fact, if we can get these two principles operating in our lives, then all the commandments of God will become a natural outflow of our commitment to Him. What are these principles?

•  You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.

•  Love your neighbor as yourself.

When Jesus spoke these words, He was identifying what should be the focus of every person. Essentially, He was saying that love is the basis for all obedience. If you really love God, then you will naturally want to do the things that please Him. In fact, if you would love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and would love your neighbor as yourself, you would never transgress a single commandment of God. What is your highest priority in life? What is your greatest desire? Is it to please God? Then love the Lord and love your neighbor.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to inspire love in your heart for God and all people.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 22:23-40

The Greatest Commandment

True Humility

True Humility

HUMILITY

Yet is shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. Mark 10:43

If you desire to be used of God you should never get to the place where you are too big to do the small things or too small to do the big things. You must not entertain inferiority complex neither should you be arrogant.

We cannot get to the place that we are too big to do the small things if we want God to exalt us. Some Christians have the attitude that their position excuses them from doing some work that they consider menial. But the Bible is very clear that those who want to be leaders must be willing to be servants.

The law of sowing and reaping works for masters and servants alike. Get lifted up by pride, and you are destined to fall. If you are unteachable, you open the door to deception. Paul wrote that we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought. If we begin to think we are better than others, problems begin. Determine to keep a humble heart and think soberly about yourself; in time, God will exalt you.

•   Examine your heart. Do you tend to think more highly of yourself than you ought, or do you sell yourself short?

•   Seeing yourself as God sees you – nothing more and nothing less – is a great step toward maturity, and it will go a long way in making you a valuable servant. When God knows that He can trust you to have the proper view of yourself, He will be able to trust you with greater responsibility.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you the heart of a faithful and diligent servant in His house.

Scriptural Reading: Mark 10:35-44

True Humility

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

WHO ARE YOU?

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17

“Who are you?” Have you been asked that question before? Sounds like a simple question requiring a simple straightforward answer. People usually answer that question by giving their name – ‘my name is John Doe.’ However, your name is not really who you are. It is what you are called. Others mention their nationality, professional rank or denomination.

Who are you? If your name was changed would it still be you? Of course! What about if your nationality, profession or denomination changed? Would you still be you? Yes, of course! That simply means you are more than your name or other things you use to identify yourself. You are more than your physical features or possessions.

Many define themselves by what they do – ‘I’m a nurse’ or ‘I’m a pastor.’ Others identify themselves by religious affiliation – ‘I’m a Catholic’ or ‘I’m a Charismatic.’ However, none of these really answer the question, ‘who are you?’

The real you is a spirit created in the image of God. You are a spirit being. You are not just a social or physical being. You were a spirit before you put on flesh. When all the external identities are stripped off, you will find your true identity.

If your spirit is in union with Christ, you can boldly proclaim, ‘I am a child of God.’ If your spirit is in union with Satan, then you are Satan’s. You are who you are because of whom you belong to.

Whose you are determines who you are. Are you Christ’s? If you are then you have your answer. You are a child of the Most High God. Say it loud, ‘I’m a child of God.’

Prayer: By faith, confess that you are a child and an heir of God.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Who Are You?

Motives

Motives

MOTIVES

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. —Corinthians 13:3

Have you ever taken time to think about the reason why you do the things you do? Or the reason why other people do what they do? Behind every action there is a reason – or motive. Motive is simply the reason behind what we do.

Have you ever had a situation where someone became close to you and seemed to be very interested in your welfare only for you to realize later that they were just pretending? Yes, people can act very nicely to others just for the sake of something they need or want from them. Sometimes good deeds can be done for the wrong reasons. Even acts of kindness can be done for the wrong reasons.

Wrong motives are not always known. Many times the people with the wrong motives do not even know that they have wrong motives. They might have had those motives for so long that they are not aware of its presence. Motives such as the need for acceptance or the need to be recognized or the need to always outshine everyone else can be part of our lives without us knowing. They can drive us to great achievements but those achievements will not give us fulfilment because the motive behind them is wrong. Wrong motives eventually produce hypocrites.

God examines our motives before He sees our actions. He looks into our hearts before He looks at what we are doing. He is more interested in our hearts and the desires of our hearts more than the outward show that we put up for others to see. Always remember that the value of your actions is determined by the value of the motive that inspired it.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to examine your motives and help you to keep your motives pure and Christ-like.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

#YearOfPower

Motives