Bless Yourself

Leave it to Joyce to keep it real and isn't that what the world needs right now?

Real Christians who are not perfect but knows the perfect one. 

Real Christians that yes, we have our struggles but we are not defined by them and we are constantly striving for something better; something real; something to hold onto when the going gets tough.

Enjoy this little devotional and remember to always keep it real for the world is watching.

God Bless.

Bless Yourself

by Joyce Meyer

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. 
—Proverbs 8:17
Our motives are misplaced if we think we read the Bible and pray to please God, or to keep from making Him mad at us. God once told me, “You think, when you read the Bible, that you are making Me happy. I am going to be happy whether you read it or not. No, Joyce, if you read the Bible, you’re happy. If you pray, you’re happy. If you give, you receive.”
Every single thing that God tells us to do, He tells us to do so to bless ourselves. He doesn’t ask us to devote ourselves to study and prayer for Him; it is for us. The good life is our choice.

---

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2003 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

He Knows Your Name

Do you really believe Jesus knows your name let alone what you may be going through? 

Do you see yourself as being favored by the Kin of the Universe?

Sometimes life gets the better of us and we need encouragement or a sign from up above indicating God hears us.

And I believe this little devotional is just that. A word of encouragement to help us to keep going and to settle an age old argument as to wether God knows who we are and I can assure you, He does and He loves yountodau and in the day's to come.

God Bless.

He Knows Your Name

Favor in the Bible is a deeply intimate and profoundly personal relationship between two people.  On one occasion, for example, Moses prays for the Lord to go with the people as they head out into the wilderness. God says to him, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name” (Exodus 33:17, ESV).

Did you see it? God’s favor toward Moses means that God knows Moses by name. That’s no cold, mechanical reservoir of blessing whose valves have to be monitored. That’s a relationship between two people who know each other’s names. I hope you can see the point here, because it’s important that we start out our week of devotions by understanding why having the favor of God is such a good thing. It’s not just that he begins to pour out some sort of divine gold dust on your life so that good things start happening to you and people start treating you with more respect. To be in God’s favor means for him to relate to you personally, to look on you with pleasure and even friendship. It is to be in a sweet and intimate relationship with the God of the universe. If you’re a Christian, have you ever stopped to consider that mind-blowing reality? The Creator of the cosmos, God himself, knows your name! His face looks full into your own, not with anger or disappointment but with a radiant smile. Because you bring him joy.  Oh, if we could only grasp that truth and drive it deep into the bedrock of our souls, it would change everything! Instead of facing life with fear and trembling, we’d walk through it with confidence, knowing that God himself rejoices over us.

Instead of being puffed up with pride on our good days and beat down with guilt on our bad ones, we’d keep our eyes firmly locked on eternity—and on the smiling face of the God who knows our name.   What’s hard for you to accept about the idea that God knows you and wants to befriend you? What about it gives you hope and encouragement?

-Aurhor Unknown

Surviving The Counterattack

In my experience, there is always a counter attack when you take a step in your Christian walk.

You know the saying, you take one step forward, and 20 step backwards. AND NOTHING seems easy now a day's.

But if you stay strong, this too shall pass and to help make the counterattack less painful and faster, it helps to recieve an encouraging word like the following.

So let us take back what is ours and end this ridiculous cycle and keep marching on towards the prize.

God Bless.

Surviving the Counterattack

by Kenneth Copeland

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 It’s the moment we love more than any other—the moment of victory. It’s the moment when our healing manifests and the symptoms of sickness finally disappear. It’s the moment when Satan’s attack against our finances or our family is defeated and the breakthrough comes at last. What do you do when that moment comes? I’ll tell you what most Christians do. They kick up their heels in celebration. Then, breathing a sigh of relief, they put away their Bible, turn on the television and say, “Thank heavens, that battle’s over! Now I can relax.” Big mistake. You see, while they’re taking a spiritual vacation, Satan is planning his counterattack, plotting to snatch the victory from under their very nose. I first began to notice the effectiveness of such counterattacks years ago. Someone I knew, who had been studying a well-known healing evangelist, came to me and said, “I believe the Lord has taken His hand off Brother So-and-So.” “Really?” I asked in surprise. “Oh, yes,” he answered. “People are truly healed in his meetings, but when I follow up with them later, many of them aren’t healed anymore.” Although I couldn’t agree with his conclusions, I knew something was wrong. People came to this minister’s meetings, heard the Word of God, and experienced God’s presence. In that atmosphere of faith, it was easy for them to receive their healing. But when they left the meeting, they didn’t take that atmosphere with them. They stepped back into their old, unbelieving lifestyle that had made them vulnerable to sickness in the first place. So when the devil launched his counterattack with a few symptoms, these people just yielded to him. They said, “Oh my, I thought I was healed, but I guess I wasn’t.” “What’s wrong with that?” you ask. “What else could they say?” I’ll tell you what! They could have said, “Look here, Devil. According to the Word, I am healed by the stripes of Jesus. I received that healing at the meeting, and I don’t intend for you to steal it. So pack up your symptoms and go!” If those people had spoken words like that in faith, and refused to give in to the devil, they could have kept their healing. If they had resisted the devil as it says to in James 4:7, they could have defeated the counterattack. Stop being surprised by the counterattacks—and start being prepared for them. Lay a foundation of faith in your life, so when the devil comes like an old windbag and blows some lies, pains and adverse circumstances your way, your victory will not come tumbling down.

Speak the Word “I resist the devil and he flees from me.” —James 4:7 Need prayer? Call 817-852-6000. We’re here for you, 24/7! Also, visit www.kcm.org/youversion to receive a free gift from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland.

Pasture Experiences

There is so much I could say about this little devotional. In fact, maybe I am not to say anything at all but let the words of this little devotional speak to you where your need may be.

My hope and prayer is that by sharing this, you will find a new.sense of hope and not one of hopelessness because the world doesn't need any more of that.

So with that being said, I am just going to leave it here and allow the work of the Holy Spirit to do His thang....

God Bless.

Pasture Experiences

Have you ever felt God calling you to something? How did you react? You could do one of two things: with good intentions, you could try everything in your power to fulfill the calling … or you could wait for God to give you specific directions. There is wisdom in taking steps of action, and there is wisdom in waiting on God to tell you where to walk. It’s all about finding the balance between the two. Think of waiting as controlled preparation, like getting ready to have a baby.

Moms-to-be don’t visit every pediatrician in their area several times a week or buy all the diapers on Amazon. Nor do they just sit at home waiting for the day of delivery. They take deliberate steps for months in anticipation of the big day. Mommas may change their diets to nourish their little ones and ask other mothers for wisdom. They definitely visit the doctor as necessary, buy maternity clothes, and pray (a lot!). As the due date for my firstborn crept closer and closer, my anxiety grew more and more. I organized and reorganized the nursery, drove the route to the hospital, and read What to Expect When You’re Expecting until the cover was permanently folded over. The same is true for God’s timing and our preparation. Our job is to not run ahead of Him or lag behind. We should take natural, commonsense steps that are in line with His Word so we will be ready when He delivers our heart’s desire. As we step out in faith, He will show us the way by either opening doors or closing them. Sometimes that will require we do a new thing, and sometimes it means doing what we already know to do. A friend of mine wanted to write a book for ten years. Every time she got serious about starting the project, something deterred her: her family moved, she started a new job, she had another baby. God continued to close doors on her. A decade after He called her to write that book, she finally did. My friend realized the move, job, and baby each held lessons that ended up playing integral parts in her message. As she waited in her pasture—tending her sheep—God was getting her ready to share His heart in her book. Waiting in the pasture and tending sheep are difficult when we feel God has called us to something different. Many of us Jesus girls are doers, created with a nature to fix, nurture, and make things happen. Therefore, we don’t easily accept an assignment to hang out in our pastures and do the same old things when new things need to be done. And some of us Jesus girls are more cautious, created with timid hearts that seek confirmation. Before we get discouraged or passive about hanging out on the hilly slopes of what we know, let’s revisit James 1:2: “So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let [a test or challenge] do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way” (THE MESSAGE).

David was approximately ten years old when he was anointed king. He was not old enough or experienced enough to be king. Simply put, he wasn’t ready for the throne. However, his time as a shepherd had prepared him to be king. Like David’s, our pasture experience will mature and develop us for the next season of life. Lingering in our field will teach us the trustworthiness of God and the vastness of His ways. If David had rushed to the palace, his kingship would have advanced quite differently. Yet if he hadn’t taken the steps to get to the palace, he may never have been crowned. Who knows—we might never have been blessed by his poetic artistry of the psalms. Regardless if we like it, it is necessary for Jesus’s followers to embrace the pasture and tend to our sheep, as well as be willing to take a few steps toward leaving our current pasture.

-Wait and See Devotional

Overcoming Laziness

Big, big problem for me. I would rather sleep, eat bon-bons, and watch hours upon hours of useless tv than do anything spiritual or beneficial for others.
So when I came across this little devotional by Derek Prince, I knew there was still hope for me. 
And if I found hope, who am I to keep it to myself. May these words below shine light into a deep hole that a lot of Christians are fighting today.
God Bless.

Overcoming Laziness
Let us be diligent.
In 2 Peter 1:8–9, Peter set before us an alternative; we have two options. One is to be effective and productive in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The other is to be ineffective and unproductive through a condition that he described as being “nearsighted and blind” (verse 9 NIV). Those are strong words. In light of this condition, Peter continued with a therefore. This therefore relates to the warning that Peter had given:
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.(2 Peter 1:10–11 NIV)
That is good news. There are things we can do that will guarantee we never fall, and also that we will have a rich welcome into the kingdom of our Lord.
Basically, the condition about which we are warned is laziness. I am deeply troubled by the lack of concern in Christian circles about laziness. The majority of Christians view drunkenness with horror. They would reject any person who professed to being a Christian if he were drunk. While I agree that drunkenness is a sin, and while I certainly don’t condone it, I believe that laziness is much more severely condemned in the Scripture than drunkenness. The problem is that many Christians who would never be found drunk are habitually lazy. So, let’s heed that warning to be diligent.
Thank You, Lord, for the promise of entering Your rest. I proclaim that I will combat laziness, being “all the more eager to make my calling and election sure.” I shall be diligent. Amen. 

Derek Prince Ministries 

Prayer

This is such a powerful little devotional. 

My hope by sharing this devotional is give an insight on how to have a powerful prayer life not to edify ourselves but to bring the world to a loving Savior.

Lord, let it be so and let it begin with me.

God Bless.

Prayer

I prayed to the God of heaven

-  Nehemiah 2:4

There are numerous points of interest to this prayer.

First, notice the context of it. It is not a quiet bedroom, or a crowded church pew, or a scenic nature spot -- Nehemiah prays to God in the middle of a conversation with his king!

Nehemiah knew he needed to choose his words, and requests, well and so he fires a prayer to heaven even as he converses with his employer and ruler...and God answers it! Remember this next time you think you are too busy to ask God for help, or direction, or protection.

Notice to whom Nehemiah prays. He prays to the God! While living in a pagan land, surrounded by idolatry and hedonism, Nehemiah clings tenaciously to the one true and living God. Likewise, countless counterfeits are offered for true religion today, many of them just reworking age-old Eastern paganism.

But remember this lesson from Nehemiah: there are millions of gods to which you can pray, but only one God Who answers.

And this God is the God of heaven. He not only answers prayer, but has the strength to fulfill needs, move hearts, change circumstances, and forgive sins. Only the God of heaven, who rules sovereignly over earth, is worth praying to.

Last, and just as important, we notice that Nehemiah says it was I who prayed. He did not rely on his parents, or prophets, or anyone else's religion. He personally pursued the God from whom he hoped to receive answers.

Have you prayed to the God of heaven today? You are never too busy to pray, and he is never too busy to hear and answer.

 http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/prayer-8/

Falling Short

I fall short all the time. And I need an everyday reminder that it is okay to fall short and the favor of God is upon me.

The problem is I have to understand the favor of God and learn to reverence all the favor God can bring me.

I don't want to keep sinning and asking God to forgive me and for the favor of God to be on my life if I am just going to keep doing the same thing the next day.

I can't seem to think this is what God had in mind. Do we really think God wants to keep forgiving us as we do our thing expecting the same results?

I think we do. But I also know God has a timetable and I think we are about at the end of it. It is time we get our act together and begin to respect God, who He is, and what He expects.

Favor isn't just for us to throw around like candy but us to live as Christ and show this world just how much they need a Savior.

God Bless.

Falling Short

Today I want to look at a misconception about how we receive this favor. The Bible couldn’t be clearer that God’s favor must be earned. “[God] will render to each one according to his works” (Romans 2:6, ESV). If you want glory, honor, and peace from God, then do good—always and forever. That’s it; that’s the deal. But if you fail, if you are self-seeking, disobedient, and unrighteous, what you “win” is not eternal life but wrath and indignation. It’s a pretty simple system, isn’t it? Do this and live; do that and die. If you want God’s favor, earn it.  I’m not pulling your leg. And neither was the apostle Paul when he wrote Romans 2.  Paul also wasn’t kidding when, a chapter later, he reveals how many people he expects to meet the standard and win God’s favor. Look at what he says: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (3:10–12). So here’s the point so far: God’s favor is not a game, and it is not some special gold-plated status that brings good things into our lives. It is the very friendship of God, and by our sin and rebellion against him, we have forfeited that favor. What’s more, there’s no way we’re able to earn it back, and God cannot and will not simply suspend justice and grant us his favor anyway. No, his standard must be met. His law must be obeyed. Justice and righteousness must be honored and satisfied. His favor must be earned and won. But how? If we can’t do these things ourselves, then how on earth will they ever happen?

Have you reached a point yet where you have admitted your failure to live up to God’s standard on your own and don’t deserve his favor? Or are you still relying on your futile attempts?

-Finding Favor Devotion