THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S TRUTH SETS US FREE AND CAUSES OUR FAITH TO GROW

Scripture tells us that every person has been given a measure of FAITH. Faith can grow and INCREASE, or it can be diminished. Notice today’s scripture doesn’t say, “Faith comes by having heard the Word of God one time.” It’s by HEARING—present tense. Sure, God’s Word can transform us in an instant. But most of the time, we need to hear God’s truth over and OVER AGAIN in order for it to become ACTIVE in our lives. The more we hear the Word, the more His truth chisels away at the doubt and unbelief that’s been built up over the years. His truth sets us FREE and causes our faith to GROW!

Just as a seed needs water DAILY to grow, your spirit needs the Word of GOD daily. Your faith needs to be WATERED by His Word. It can be as simple as selecting a few scriptures to MEDITATE on daily. Write them down and carry them in your purse or wallet. Read them out loud OVER AND OVER. Let His truth sink down into your HEART and move you forward into the FREEDOM and VICTORY He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Romans 10:17, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU CALL THE LORDS NAME, YOU ARE CALLING ON EVERYTHING HE REPRESENTS

Something SUPERNATURAL happens on the inside of you when you call on the name of the Lord. First of all, the Bible tells us that God actually makes His home in your HEART by the Holy Spirit. Not only that, but when you call on His name, you are calling on EVERYTHING He represents—life, peace, strength, hope, joy, healing, deliverance, forgiveness and so much MORE! It’s like receiving the KEY to a mansion filled with treasures—and it’s all YOURS! You can SEE that key in your hand; you can tell other PEOPLE about it; you can KNOW that you have access anytime you WANT, but you STILL have to take a step and USE the key to open the door before you can partake of the BLESSINGS inside. And you probably wouldn’t just peak in the door or visit once a week; NO, move right in! Make the DECISION today to move into God’s abundant blessings by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. Call on His name and move right in to His provision, His joy, His peace, His love. You have the KEY, so receive the abundant LIFE He has prepared for you TODAY!

Today’s Scripture:

But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:11, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BEING SUCCESSFUL ISN’T JUST ABOUT WHAT YOU MAKE HAPPEN FOR YOURSELF

There are a lot of people who are SUCCESSFUL in this world. They’ve ACCOMPLISHED their goals in the public eye. But being successful isn’t just about what you make happen for YOURSELF, it’s about what you make happen for OTHERS. It’s when you REALIZE, “God has blessed me not to just sit on my throne and let everybody see my ACCOMPLISHMENTS; God has blessed me to be a blessing to OTHERS. God has helped me to WIN so I can help somebody ELSE win.” In other words, it’s when you realize, “God helped me overcome this ADDICTION, now I’m going to find somebody and help THEM overcome.” Or, “God has blessed me with a happy FAMILY. I’m going to go find a family who is struggling and help THEM get back on track.” THAT’S what being SUCCESSFUL is really all about.

Today, look for ways to help others SUCCEED. Reach back and give FREELY of the TALENTS and ABILITIES you’ve been given. As you do, YOU’LL rise up higher and live in the fullness of the blessing God has prepared for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“…Freely you have received; freely give.”

Matthew 10:8, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD VINDICATED HIS PEOPLE, AND HE WILL VINDICATE YOU

God sees and cares about EVERYTHING that happens in your life. He’s seen every wrong that’s been done to you. He’s seen every unfair situation. He told the people of Israel, “I have seen your affliction. I have seen how badly you were treated those 430 years that you were in slavery.” Then He went on to say, “I have come down to deliver you.” When God brought them out, they didn’t come out empty-handed. God made their enemies hand over their gold and silver. God VINDICATED His people, and He will vindicate YOU!

Maybe someone has wronged YOU today. You could easily become bitter and angry and spend your life trying to pay them back. However, if you will give it to God and let HIM do it HIS way, scripture says He’ll pay you DOUBLE for your trouble! Today, know that He SEES where you are, He sees where you’ve BEEN, and He sees the STRUGGLES of your heart. RELEASE the struggle to Him and let HIM reward you with His EVERLASTING promises.

Today’s Scripture:

“I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.”

Psalm 31:7, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOOK TO GOD FOR HELP, HE IS ‘ALWAYS’ WITH YOU

God is ALWAYS with you. That means He is PRESENT at all times, CONTINUALLY, PERPETUALLY, throughout all TIME. In your day of trouble, He promises to be a HELP to you. How is He your help? “Help” means something different to each person. That’s because “help” is specific to your NEED. If you need money to pay your bills, a chocolate cake isn’t going to be much help! But we serve a God who is very SPECIFIC. And because He is always WITH you, He always knows EXACTLY what you need and is always READY to provide it!

Today, are you facing trouble or adversity? Know that God IS WITH you. LOOK to Him for help. TRUST that He has the answer, and that He is working things out in your FAVOR. As you continue to BELIEVE Him and follow His DIRECTION, He will LEAD you in the way that you should go. He will COMFORT you, REVIVE you, RESTORE you and BLESS you! He will be your ever-present HELP because He is forever FAITHFUL to His Word!

Today’s Scripture:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

(Psalm 46:1, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ANYTIME YOU HELP OTHERS, YOU ARE HELPING GOD HIMSELF…..

When we live in PEACE and UNITY, it PLEASES God. When we LOVE and SERVE others, putting their needs ABOVE our own, we are honoring HIM. When we carry each other’s burdens, we are fulfilling the law of Christ, which is to LOVE others.

What does it mean to carry each other’s burdens? There are many ways to reach out to people and help shoulder their load, so to speak. Just by giving an encouraging WORD or SMILE, you can help lighten the load for someone. When you PRAY and INTERCEDE for others in their day of difficulty, you are helping to carry their burdens. Maybe there are OTHER ways to help the people around you. Maybe you can pay for someone’s groceries or give someone cash at the gas pump. ANYTIME you help others and reach out to those in need, scripture says you are directly lending a hand to God HIMSELF.

Today, look for ways to lighten the load for the people AROUND you. Be a burden LIFTER. Remember, in God’s kingdom what you SOW, you shall REAP. When you help OTHERS, God promises to REPAY you. He’ll pour out His VICTORY and BLESSING on you ALL the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, WHATEVER YOU’RE PRAYING FOR, ‘EXPECT’ THINGS TO CHANGE IN YOUR FAVOR..

God has put DREAMS and DESIRES in EVERY person’s heart. But most times, there’s a season of WAITING involved. Maybe you’re waiting for a relationship to improve; waiting to get married; waiting for a promotion, or waiting to overcome an illness. MUCH of life is spent waiting. But there’s a RIGHT way to wait and a WRONG way to wait. Too often, when things don’t happen on OUR timetable, we get down and discouraged or anxious and fretful. That’s because we’re not waiting the RIGHT way.

Notice that today’s verse doesn’t say IF you wait; it says AS you wait. The fact is that we’re ALL going to wait. It goes on to say that we should consider how the FARMER waits—PATIENTLY and EAGERLY. We’re not supposed to sit around and be discouraged; we’re supposed to be HOPEFUL, POSITIVE and full of EXPECTANCY!

Today, no matter what you are praying for, EXPECT things to change in your favor. TODAY could be the day that God turns it all around. As you wait with PATIENCE and EXPECTANCY, you’ll open the door for God to MOVE. HE’LL fight your battles, and you’ll see that abundant HARVEST He’s promised in EVERY area of your life.

Today’s Scripture:

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.

James 5:7, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE FILLED WITH FAITH AND CONFIDENCE KNOWING THAT ALMIGHT GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE….

God has promised to be your Protector, your Defender, your Strength, your Shelter and SO much more! Even when the storms of life come against you, as long as you are dwelling in HIM, you dwell in SAFETY and TRUST—nothing can take away your PEACE and JOY. What does it mean to DWELL in Him? One of the definitions of the word “dwell” means to keep your attention directed toward something. The more you keep your attention directed toward GOD, the more you will KNOW Him and the more CONFIDENCE you will have in Him. When you focus your heart and mind on the Word of God and declare His promises over your life, you are DWELLING in Him. When you lift your voice in worship and give Him GLORY and HONOR, you are dwelling in Him. When you spend time MEDITATING on Him and connecting to Him through PRAYER, you are dwelling in Him. I know lots of us are facing difficult and uncertain times right now. DWELL on the fact that Almighty God IS on your side. Dwell of the fact that He’s promised to fight your battles FOR you and no weapon formed against you will EVER prosper. If you start thinking these kinds of THOUGHTS, you will be filled with FAITH and CONFIDENCE, no matter WHAT comes against you.

Today’s Scripture:

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.”

(Psalm 4:8, AMPC)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, REMEMBER THAT GOD IS STILL AT WORK IN YOUR LIFE. KEEP BELIEVING!

Paul was writing these words while he was in chains in prison. He was arrested for preaching the gospel. Everything in his surroundings shouted “LIMITATIONS,” but instead of looking at his surroundings, Paul kept his eyes on the LIMITLESS God. He kept looking for the open door of OPPORTUNITY that God would have for him next.

Since he couldn’t go out and speak publicly, Paul thought, “No problem. I’ll start writing.” He wrote book after book, almost half of the books of the New Testament, much of it from a prison cell. They thought they were stopping him, but they were doing just the opposite, causing his voice to become amplified. Here we are some 2,000 years later, and we still feel Paul’s INFLUENCE. When doors look closed all around you, when your surroundings LOOK limited, when you feel like you’re in chains, remember, God is still at work in your life. Keep EXPECTING. Keep BELIEVING. Pray for OPPORTUNITIES to be opened to you. The prayer of the righteous avails MUCH, so keep praying because He promises to break the chains and open doors of OPPORTUNITY in your life.

Today’s Scripture:

“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.”

Philemon 1:6, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE ARE THE HANDS AND FEET OF JESUS. WHEN WE HELP OTHERS RISE HIGHER, WE ARE FULFILLING HIS MISSION

It’s easy to be someone’s friend when they’ve got it all together, when they’re walking in BLESSING and PROSPERITY. Anybody can believe in people after they’re SUCCESSFUL, after they GRADUATE, after they’re PROMOTED, after they get their BIG BREAK. But, people need our prayer and support the most BEFORE they get their breakthrough. They need us to look PAST their faults and failures and see their POTENTIAL.

Most times, people just need a little bit of ENCOURAGEMENT to keep them moving forward. You may have some good ADVICE that could save someone a lot of heartache and pain. Don’t keep it to yourself. Pick up the phone. HELP them win. They may need to just hear, “I’m praying for you.”

Remember, you are the hands and feet of Jesus. When you help others rise higher, you are fulfilling HIS mission. Today, share your LOVE, SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT. Invest LIFE in others, see their POTENTIAL, PRAY for them, and together, you’ll rise higher into the blessing God has for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Ephesians 6:18, NIV