Whatever you’re giving your time and effort to, shows.  It shows up in your conversations, the people you choose to hang around. The emotions (happy one minute, sad the next), the thoughts (of depression, defeat) that you entertain, show up in your character and resonates in your daily life (the inside comes out).

It’s important to set our focus on The Things of God.  It’s very dangerous to fill our lives, our days, up with things that are meant to destroy us, to distract us!  Think on this. 

Who are you entertaining that you should’ve let go, a while ago?  What person has your attention, so much so that you are distracted and can’t fully seek God because they are always on your mind? Are you hanging around the right types of people?  Think on this.

What problem is that large (to you, but not to God) that it’s overwhelming your heart and mind, causing a lack of faith, to believe God will come through?  Are you holding onto the circumstance, the fear of what could happen versus holding onto the promises that God has spoken? Think on this.

Are we paying more attention to what we like to do, our convenient and comfortable sins, to avoid being inconvenienced in doing what God says? Do we enjoy disobedience but still want God to come in, like a rushing wind, and fix the problem?  If we don’t want to stop what we’re doing, how then, can we expect God to stop by, right now, this moment, and do what we want Him to do for us? Think on this.

Our God gives us a simple, yet powerful formula to prosperity:

Obedience + Grace + Mercy = PROSPERITY in mind, body & soul

Dear God, My Father,

Here I am, your child.  I acknowledge that some things have gotten out of control in my life.  I realize that my focus has been wayward.  I know that to win, I must serve You.  I know that to have joy and peace, it means to follow You, to abide in You; it requires my submission, my obedience, to You.  You said, in Your Word, that if I abide in You, then You will abide in me! God, Your Word is not a lie! I want what You have for me! I desire to be more like You! Forgive me.  Cause your face to shine on me! Oh Lord, I won’t run from Your teaching.  I want your blessings to flow in and through me, like the river! I want Your peace, Your prosperity. Lord, I’m willing! I want more of You! I want what this world can’t give me, Your peace and Your prosperity.  My prayer is signed, sealed, and delivered, to You, through Jesus The Christ, Amen.

Today’s Scriptures:

Isaiah 48:17-18 CEB | Common English Bible

17 The Lord Your Redeemer, the holy one of Israel, proclaims:
I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good,
who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If you would pay attention to my commands, your well-being would be like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Isaiah 48:17-18 MSG | THE MESSAGE

And now, the Master, God, sends me and his Spirit
with this Message from God,
your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel:
“I am God, your God,
who teaches you how to live right and well.
I show you what to do, where to go.
If you had listened all along to what I told you,
your life would have flowed full like a river,
blessings rolling in like waves from the sea.

 John 15:4 NIV | New International Version

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:7 NKJV | New King James Version

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[a] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Children of God,

Let’s remember that God doesn’t lie.  What He has said, concerning us, will come to pass!  IT WILL COME TO PASS!

Yes, it’s been a while since God has said that to you, but it will happen! IT WILL COME TO PASS!

God never gives you a vision that He won’t manifest.  God won’t ever show you that He will come through for you and then turnaround and let you down!

THE PURPOSE OF THE VISION IS FOR THE DIVINE MANIFESTATION OF HIS WORD IN YOUR LIFE!

God’s timing is the right timing! Therefore, don’t compare yourself to others’ successes, other’s victories.  Instead, be thankful for them! Bless God for other people.  Be happy that God makes ways for others and celebrate the goodness of Our Lord!

He’s good, no matter how long it has taken! Your victory is coming! Your future is secure!  Your breakthrough is just that, it’s yours! No one else can sign for it.  It will be delivered directly to you because your name is on it! 

HE’LL LAY IT IN YOUR LAP!

Choose to trust God, even when the odds are stacked up against you! There’s no wall that’s too tall for God to get you over! There’s no obstacle that God can’t move or allow you to trample over!  No person nor thing can stop God from getting to you to deliver your destiny!

We are set up, by God, to receive every gift that He has for us! That’s called: GRACE UPON GRACE!

Today’s Scriptures:

Numbers 23:1-20 ESV | English Standard Version

God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I received a command to bless:
he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

Numbers 23:1-20 GW | GOD’S WORD Translation

God is not like people. He tells no lies.
He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind.
When he says something, he does it.
When he makes a promise, he keeps it.
20 I have received a command to bless.
He has blessed, and I can’t change it.

Luke 10:19 CEB | Common English Bible

Look, I have given you authority to crush snakes and scorpions underfoot. I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.

John 1:16 NLT | New Living Translation

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

Don’t you think, for a second, that The God of Our Salvation has forgotten about you. What God has said, concerning you, will come to pass!

What can you do once you laid it down, at His feet? PRAISE and PRAISE some more! The enemy can’t stop your praise!

When you take a leap into PRAISE, the Power of God overwhelms you.  A shift happens!  You immediately think about how many times God has rescued you.

FAITH ACTIVATES PRAISE.

PRAISE GUIDES US INTO WORSHIP.

WORSHIP ACCESSES OUR MEMORY OF PAST VICTORIES.

MEMORY GETS US READY TO WALK INTO THE DIVINE

MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S GLORY IN OUR LIVES.

Take claim over the issue(s), IN THE NAME OF JESUS! Decree -AND – declare the VICTORY!  The weather is changing because the atmosphere has been set; the air is now saturated with praise and the expectation is here!

Disclaimer: You must be for real about seeking God! WORK THE WORD, THE WORD WILL WORK! Some of us aren’t playing with the enemy.  We know how powerful PRAISE is.  Some of us have been waiting for God to move. We’ve toiled, pressed our way through. We’ve endured.  We aren’t waiting another moment to PRAISE GOD! We say HALLELUJAH! We shout glory to God! We lift our hands in praise!

SPIRITUAL EXERCISE: Try it, today. Try it, tonight! Find a quiet space. If you have to, go to your car.  Command quiet wherever you are! Start PRAISING God!

Today’s Scriptures:

Romans 4:17 GW | GOD’S WORD Translation

as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.” Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don’t even exist.

Psalm 18: 17, 19 KJV | King James Version

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Philippians 1:6 GNT | Good News Translation

6 And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus.

Matthew 11:5 NIV | New International Version

The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Child of God,

Don’t you know that you have overwhelming victory, in Jesus Christ?  Every now and again, God will remind you that He is in control. God can turn it around and work it out, for your good!  He will remind you that He won’t leave you without His seal!

Jehovah Nissi – The Lord is My Banner

There is no defeat in Jesus!  Has God ever let you see the end-result, the victory?  Have you ever seen the other side of your problem?  It’s beautiful and it brings an unspeakable peace. Peace can be yours, now, and peace will carry you through, into, your victory!

Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Our Peace

Why should you be so confident?  The Word says so!

The enemy doesn’t want you to have peace, within the storm. The enemy wants to distract you.  Don’t take the bait! Choose to believe God even though your breakthrough is not here yet. Choose to trust God.

There is strength in your FAITH.  Whatever you feed your mind, body and soul will be evident in how you react, how you respond, while traveling through the storm!

We are “more than conquerors!”  Remember this, both today and forever! We are children of The Most High God. Our God is able to take us from where we are to where we are destined!

Today’s Scriptures

Romans 8:35-37 NLT | New Living Translation

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

Psalm 23:4 KJV | King James Version

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

When you’re in Christ, you wait in expectation for all of God’s Word to be fulfilled in your life. When we die, it’s because we had a reservation and a destination; we’re going to meet Our Master!

Rest in God’s divine promises. Don’t wait to thank Him for Calvary and the Resurrection. Don’t wait to thank Him for placing you into position to receive and retain all that He has for you!

In addition, be mindful that while we travel through Earth, we hold expectation to the very facts that God never lies to us! What He said, concerning you, will come to fruition! You have a reservation and a destination!

Today’s Scriptures:

Hebrews 6:19-20 GW | God’s Word Translation

We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the holy place behind the curtain (veil) where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.

Jeremiah 1:12 ASV | American Standard Version

Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.

Sometimes your computer has an enhancement, an improvement, that it requires in order to function properly.  It’s called an update. A message will pop up on your computer screen saying, “RESTART REQUIRED.”

The prompt asks if you want to Restart now, or later? You have the option of selecting a different time to restart.  If you restart now, and don’t wait until later, you could be avoiding potential viruses.  Without the restart, a program may malfunction.

Making it Make Sense. So, it is in The Kingdom of God.  If you don’t RESTART your faith in God, if you don’t do the necessary update (listen to God’s instructions through His Holy, Living Word, as it concerns you), you are potentially risking losing your faith, your hope (expectation) in Him. Your peace will be interrupted by your problems.  If you don’t restart, you could self-destruct, the enemy will trap you.  You need the update because it holds what is needed for you to avoid the enemy’s virus. The enemy’s virus rips you of your faith, it rips you from remembering God’s decrees over you.

The heart and mind need the update!

Don’t avoid restart.  Restarting is about remembering God’s love for you, His promises to you, what His Word says that you have access to through, His son, Jesus Christ.

Make a new start (restart) because there is healing there, deliverance there, peace there, faith and assurance in expectation (hope) there, safety there, compassion there, patience there, the pulling down of strongholds, there! ***(these are the updates that need to be made in order to assure your Spirit is protected from the enemy’s virus that plagues your heart and mind)***

You must restart!  What are the two main components in the update? Grace and Mercy. It is only by Grace and Mercy that the update proves useful.  God’s loves, His faithfulness, grants us the ability, the permission to start again, to restart.   The update is crucial to your growth in God.  

“RESTART REQUIRED”

Today’s Scriptures:

Jeremiah 15:21 NLT | New Living Translation

“Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”

Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV | New King James Version

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV | New King James Version

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Luke 1:37 ESV | English Standard Version

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Exodus 34: 6-7(a) NIV | New Internal Version

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

People of God,

While we profess a hope in Christ and believe that He is God, we oftentimes fail to believe Him, completely. God defies humanistic realities; He is supernatural and He dwells amongst our spirits.  Thus, He is The Holy Spirit, just as He is God-The Father, and Jesus The Christ.

Sometimes present circumstances cause a lack of faith and test the faith that you do have, in God.  Past victories should serve as a catalyst into present belief that God is able to do anything.  We often say this but do we really believe that He can turn situations around and work them out for our good? I would be remiss as to lie and say that my faith doesn’t waver.

Should FAITH waver? No.  Does faith waiver? Yes.  We are humans who are trying to live in God’s Spirit. 

Every day is not the happiest day of our lives.  If we admit our sins to God, He will forgive us.  Is a lack of faith, sin? Yes.  It is wrong to not fully place our trust in God.

If we say He is Our Savior, this means He is our all.  If we say He is all-powerful, then we know and should trust that He is in control and that He knows what we are facing.

~My Prayer~

Father, forgive me for the times that I don’t trust You, first.  Forgive me for not referencing my past victories, my past successes, the ways that You’ve made before, the times that You’ve brought me out of fiery situations, before.  Help me to trust you, the more.  Help me to use Your strength as my fuel.  Help me to see Your light in dark places.  Lord, help my unbelief.

Challenge yourself to think of the goodness of Jesus – looking on, remembering every past battle where God defeated the enemy for you.

Finally, gain more faith by reading (studying), praying, praising, worshiping, and fasting (gaining an intimate relationship in Christ).  Gain more faith by listening to the testimonies of other Christians.

Ask God to control your heart and your mind; the two must agree that God is with you, that God still has all-power, that God still holds you up, and that He has the ability to pull you through, into peaceful places, in Him.  When we are able to confess to God that we sometimes struggle in believing everything He says and we have a hard time seeing Him when our worlds seem to be falling apart, then and only then, will we experience God, in the fullness of faith.

Note: The man, in Mark 9, admitted to God that He lacked some faith.  It was then that God was able to move on his behalf, all because he was honest, realizing that only God has all-power and shows His faithfulness (by healing, delivering), anyways.

What you do is a direct determinant of the amount of faith you place in God.

Today’s Scriptures:

Mark 9:23-27

NKJV | New King James Version

Jesus said to him, “If[a] you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

GW | God’s Word Translation

Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.”

24 The child’s father cried out at once, “I believe! Help my lack of faith.”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he gave an order to the evil spirit. He said, “You spirit that won’t let him talk, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 The evil spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and everyone said, “He’s dead!”

27 Jesus took his hand and helped him to stand up.

People of God,

Whatever it is you need, ask it in Jesus’ Name! Ask that it be done in accordance to His Holy Will for your life.

^{Matthew 21:21-22 ESV 21} And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. ²² And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Ask Him to remove barriers, remove people that are hindering your progress.

Completely surrender it over to Him, relying on His Divine ability

to work it out,

to make things right, 

to open doors that were closed,

and close doors that mean you no good.

The God of Our Salvation is able to do “abundantly above” all that we can ever imagine!

Those visions that God has given you will come to pass, no matter how long ago they happened. He never lies to you. He never deceives you. He promised to provide!

Ask God to help your heart and your mind to agree; submit to His AUTHORITY in your life!

Work The Word in your life! Consider It Done!

Today’s Scriptures:

Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV | New King James Version

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Deuteronomy 30:3-13 MSG | The Message

3 God, your God, will restore everything you lost; he’ll have compassion on you; he’ll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered.

4 No matter how far away you end up, God, your God, will get you out of there

5 and bring you back to the land your ancestors once possessed. It will be yours again. He will give you a good life and make you more numerous than your ancestors.

6 God, your God, will cut away the thick calluses on your heart and your children’s hearts, freeing you to love God, your God, with your whole heart and soul and live, really live.

7 God, your God, will put all these curses on your enemies who hated you and were out to get you.

8 And you will make a new start, listening obediently to God, keeping all his commandments that I’m commanding you today.

9 God, your God, will outdo himself in making things go well for you: you’ll have babies, get calves, grow crops, and enjoy an all-around good life. Yes, God will start enjoying you again, making things go well for you just as he enjoyed doing it for your ancestors.

10 But only if you listen obediently to God, your God, and keep the commandments and regulations written in this Book of Revelation. Nothing halfhearted here; you must return to God, your God, totally, heart and soul, holding nothing back.

11 This commandment that I’m commanding you today isn’t too much for you, it’s not out of your reach.

12 It’s not on a high mountain – you don’t have to get mountaineers to climb the peak and bring it down to your level and explain it before you can live it.

13 And it’s not across the ocean – you don’t have to send sailors out to get it, bring it back, and then explain it before you can live it.