THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU A NEW, BETTER FUTURE

Prisoner of hope means that you can’t get away from it. You’re HELD by hope. A prisoner of hope is someone who has an attitude of FAITH and EXPECTANCY even when things are bad because God has promised to RESTORE what was lost . . . and far MORE. That’s a great word of HOPE you can hold ON to! It means your HEALTH, your JOB situation, and your FINANCES may not be what you WANT them to be today, but they are all subject to CHANGE! God wants to RESTORE these things to you—not just the way they were BEFORE—but with MORE so that you are better off than when you began. No matter where you are TODAY or what happened to you YESTERDAY, God wants to give you a NEW future filled with JOY, FULFILLMENT and ABUNDANCE.

Today’s Scripture:

“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.”

Zechariah 9:12, ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE STRENGTH FOR ALL THINGS THROUGH THE POWER OF CHRIST IN YOUR HEART

The great heroes of the Bible impress us with their STRENGTH, their CONFIDENCE and the depth of their FAITH. And as God’s Word tells us, YOU can do the same great things THEY did because you have the same God in YOU! King David was SUPREMELY confident in God—firm in the knowledge that God would give him the strength to OVERCOME his obstacles. God can cause you to go OVER them, AROUND them, or even THROUGH them, but God WILL get you to where you’re supposed to BE. Philippians 4:13 says you can have strength “for ALL things” through the power of Christ in your HEART. We hope this will encourage you to take a stand for God. Don’t ever think that God did great things ONLY for people in the days of the Bible. He is the same yesterday, today and FOREVER. Call on HIM, and you’ll see Him come through and do what ONLY He can do!

Today’s Scripture:

“For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.”

Psalm 18:29, ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHATEVER IT IS, IT’S NO SURPRISE TO GOD, AND HE’S ALREADY PREPARED A WAY OF ESCAPE FOR YOU

We all go through difficult times in life. Maybe a LOVED ONE let you down. Maybe you didn’t get the job or PROMOTION you wanted. Maybe you’re having a challenge in your HEALTH. Sometimes it can feel like a raging river of EMOTION inside, but God PROMISES that He is with you. He will NOT let you down. He STILL calms the storms that rage around you!

What did the disciples do when they were in a great storm in Mark 4? They called on JESUS! They turned to HIM when they didn’t know what to do, and He brought PEACE to their CIRCUMSTANCES. Today, if YOU are going through circumstances you don’t understand, know that it’s no SURPRISE to God. He’s already prepared a way of ESCAPE for you. Call on Jesus, TODAY! He’s CLOSER than the air you breath! He loves you with an EVERLASTING love, and He PROMISES that He is ALWAYS with you!

Today’s Scripture:

“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!”

Isaiah 43:2, TLB

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE CAN’T EVEN SCRATCH THE SURFACE OF GOD’S GREATNESS

Have you ever had an experience where you were just overwhelmed and amazed by God’s GRACE and BLESSING? It is our prayer that if you haven’t already, you SOON will have the remarkable blessing of seeing His transforming POWER in ACTION. Paul described in his letters just how ASTONISHED he was by God’s grace. If there is ever a time when something just doesn’t quite seem to make LOGICAL sense, it may very well be GOD’S work in your life. He is such a BIG God who is so full of GOODNESS, GRACE, BLESSING, FORGIVENESS and MERCY—we cannot even scratch the SURFACE of His greatness. All you can do sometimes is stand back and be OVERWHELMED by His deep, abiding LOVE. Begin to RECOGNIZE and THANK Him for His abundant GOODNESS in your life.

Today’s Scripture:

The grace of our Lord [His amazing, unmerited favor and blessing] flowed out in superabundance [for me, together] with the faith and love which are [realized] in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:14, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE STILL, KNOWING THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL

We ALL have to make numerous decisions throughout the day. When you face a DIFFICULT decision, did you know you can ask GOD to lead you in the right direction? You’ll be AMAZED at the insight you get from relying on God instead of striving to find the answers on your OWN. If you’re constantly trying to figure things out and make things happen instead of waiting for GOD’S timing, you’ll wear yourself OUT. Instead, why don’t you come back to a place of REST, knowing God IS in control. His ways are HIGHER than ours. If you’ll TRUST Him to do things HIS way, you’ll see His BEST plan for your life unfold. When you feel worried or uptight, that’s the time to say, “God, give me Your WISDOM to make GOOD decisions. I REFUSE to worry. I’m staying in PEACE, knowing that YOU are in control.”

Today’s Scripture:

“Cease striving and know that I am God…”

Psalm 46:10, NASB

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

MAKE TIME TODAY AND EVERY DAY, TO SPEND WITH JUST YOU AND THE LORD….

If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I don’t even have time to think,” then you know how hard it is to CONCENTRATE when you’re being bombarded with noise from all sides. It can be even harder to hold on to PEACE when we don’t make time to read His Word. God doesn’t often shout to get our ATTENTION. Instead, the Bible says that He speaks in “a still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), which means we need to listen CLOSELY. What can you do to put yourself in a position to hear GOD’S voice? The key is to MAKE TIME every day away from the busyness and distractions. Find a room in your house, outside under the trees, or some other place where you can be STILL for a few minutes each day to spend time with HIM. As you spend TIME with Him, He will renew your SPIRIT and restore your PEACE.

Today’s Scripture:

…he leads me beside quiet waters.

Psalm 23:2, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD LOVES YOU TOO MUCH TO LEAVE YOU WHERE YOU ARE

Does there seem to be a problem waiting for you no matter where you turn? Do you sometimes wonder if your dreams are EVER going to come to pass? Maybe you’ve asked why God would allow you to struggle in your JOB, your RELATIONSHIPS, your HEALTH or some OTHER area of life. Sometimes God allows us to go through CHALLENGES because He knows it’s the STRUGGLE of life that builds STRENGTH in us. If God simply delivered us from EVERY struggle, then we might not continue to grow and learn to TRUST Him. When you stretch your FAITH, ENDURE, OVERCOME and PERSEVERE through the DIFFICULT times, you’ll begin to realize a greater level of JOY, PEACE, VICTORY and ABUNDANCE than you ever dreamed possible. Remember, God loves you TOO MUCH to leave you where you are. He’s PREPARING you for something BETTER!

Today’s Scripture:

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

2 Corinthians 4:17, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CHOOSE WORSHIP OVER WORRY AND MOVE FORWARD INTO VICTORY

You can’t worry and WORSHIP at the same time. When the devil brings you thoughts of worry, anxiety and fear, don’t believe them! Instead, let those thoughts be a REMINDER to you to thank God that the answer is on the way! That’s what King Jehoshaphat did. The people of Judah were surrounded by three major armies. It didn’t look as though they had a chance. This godly king was probably bombarded with thoughts of fear and anxiety. But he gathered the people together, lifted his eyes toward heaven, and prayed the simple prayer in today’s verse. Jehoshaphat’s prayer was ANSWERED. God told the people to march right into the enemy’s camp, SINGING and shouting PRAISES on their way. Notice, they WEREN’T worrying—they were WORSHIPING—and God DELIVERED them. Today, choose WORSHIP over worry and move forward into VICTORY!

Today’s Scripture:

“…For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:12, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP PLANTING SEEDS OF FAITH AND DECLARING WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU IN HIS WORD

Have you ever looked at a large, old tree and wondered how long it has been there? The thing to remember when you see a tree like this is that at one time, it was merely a little SEED. Just like a mighty oak tree, if you want to grow tall and strong in your FAITH, you must plant the good seeds of FAITH in your THOUGHT life through your WORDS and water them by MEDITATING on them so that you may reap a great HARVEST! Farmers may get discouraged sometimes, but they know that if they want good results, they must keep planting and watering the good SEEDS. Day after day, even when nothing is happening at the SURFACE, the farmer keeps taking care of those seeds because he knows it’s only a matter of TIME until the harvest. This is true of you as WELL. Keep planting the seeds of FAITH and DECLARING what GOD says about you in His WORD, and you’ll see GROWTH and an ABUNDANT harvest.

Today’s Scripture:

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

Galatians 6:7

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT ONLY YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH FOR GOD

There’s nothing more ENCOURAGING than to discover your PURPOSE and to walk in it! Don’t let the enemy convince you that you’ve been forgotten or left out. You were NOT made to sit on the sidelines. You have a DESTINY to fulfill!

God has entrusted everyone with different GIFTS and TALENTS. That means you ALREADY have the ABILITY, the CREATIVITY, the IDEAS you need to FLOURISH in what He has called you to do. There is something important that only YOU can accomplish for God.

Many heroes of the Bible had humble beginnings and were overlooked. David was the youngest of many sons, yet he was destined to become KING. Moses had a SPEECH impediment, but God chose him to deliver a NATION. It’s not about where you start, it’s about how you FINISH. Be bold enough to FOLLOW your God-given purpose and fulfill the DESTINY He has for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…

Romans 12:6, NASB