THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, DECLARE THAT YOU ARE FREE, AND CELEBRATE YOUR FREEDOM

Today in America, we CELEBRATE Independence Day. July 4, 1776 was the day America declared their independence, but the battle for freedom went on until 1783—seven years later. Even though the people DECLARED their FREEDOM in 1776, they had to stand and fight for many years before the British would accept and recognize the United States of America.

Do you know what the early colonists did once they signed the Declaration of Independence? They read it OUT LOUD in public. They published it in the newspaper. They SPREAD THE WORD. They continued to DECLARE and CELEBRATE even though they were in the midst of the battle.

In the same way, we have to DECLARE our FREEDOM and be determined to stand against the opposing forces of darkness in our lives TODAY. We have to DECLARE our freedom from addiction, poverty, sickness and lack. We have to stand and fight until we fully experience His FREEDOM and the PEACE that He has promised.

Today, no matter what battle YOU may be facing, DECLARE that you are free and CELEBRATE your FREEDOM because VICTORY is on the way!

Today’s Scripture:

“You have been set free from sin…”

Romans 6:18, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS EQUIPPED YOU FOR YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THIS LIFE…

Are you going through a season where you feel like every time you try to move forward, you hit a roadblock? Something happens that throws you off course. Be ENCOURAGED today because when you submit your life to the Lord, He PROMISES to go BEFORE you. He is PREPARING a way for you. He is making your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth. You may be going through a difficult time right now, but it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning, and God has EQUIPPED you for this journey.

Today, if you feel like you’re in a dry season, don’t look at your circumstances. Look at the PROMISE of God! If you’ll keep speaking words of FAITH, God promises that He’ll anoint your head with oil and your cup will RUN OVER. That means you’ll be REFRESHED and ANOINTED to do what He’s called you to do. God is PREPARING your path and EQUIPPING you for the journey.

What do YOU need in order to keep moving forward? Start by checking your ATTITUDE. Don’t go around complaining or focused on the negative side of things. Put on an attitude of PRAISE and THANKSGIVING. Thank Him for making your crooked places STRAIGHT! Keep your eyes on HIM and follow Him FORWARD into the path of VICTORY!

Today’s Scripture:

I will go before you and make the crooked places straight…

Isaiah 45:2, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU PRAY, ALL OF HEAVEN COMES TO ATTENTION…..

It’s good to pray and ask God to help you with every need, but don’t STOP there. Today’s Scripture tells us to pray for one ANOTHER. You have the ability to help someone ELSE reach their DESTINY. There are people God has put in your life who won’t BECOME all they were created to be without you PRAYING. They don’t have the FAITH to accomplish their dreams, they won’t BREAK the addiction, they won’t OVERCOME the challenge without you stepping up and asking God to HELP them. Prayer moves the hands that rule the WORLD. Prayer causes the God who created the universe to make things happen that we couldn’t MAKE happen. When you PRAY, all of Heaven comes to ATTENTION and the angels go to work. Chains of depression, sickness, and loneliness that have held others back begin to LOOSEN. It may not HAPPEN overnight, but your PRAYERS have great POWER and will produce WONDERFUL results.

Today’s Scripture

James 5:16, NLT

Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY IN PEACE AND STOP LETTING THINGS RUIN YOUR DAY…

The apostle Paul went through all kinds of UNFAIR situations. He was falsely ACCUSED of crimes, beaten with RODS, LIED about, put in PRISON, and SHOPWRECKED. In Acts 20, he gives us the secret of living a VICTORIOUS life: “NONE of these things MOVE me.” He was saying, “YES, there were setbacks and disappointments, but I did NOT lose my joy. GOD is still on the throne. Even being put in prison gave me the OPPORTUNITY to write about half of the books of the New Testament.” There’s ALWAYS something trying to move us, to pull us out of PEACE, to pull us OUT of rest. Are YOU allowing these things to move YOU? You can’t PRAY them AWAY. These are tests we ALL have to pass. Jesus said, “Do NOT let your hearts be TROUBLED.” He said troubles will BE there, but you don’t have to be MOVED by them. Stay in PEACE. Quit letting these THINGS ruin your DAY.

Today’s Scripture

Acts 20:24, NKJV

“None of these things move me.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T CONFUSE WHERE YOU ARE, WITH WHO YOU ARE

The Scripture speaks of how we are in the world, but we are not of the world. You may be in a LIMITED environment, but you don’t have to be OF it. Don’t let that environment get in YOU. If you see struggle, lack, and poverty LONG enough, your mind can become conditioned to thinking, THIS is who I am. I’ll NEVER have enough. NO, that’s WHERE you are, that’s not WHO you are. That may be what’s BEEN normal. The good news is, you’re a BARRIER BREAKER. SOME people try to put you in a box. They’ll tell you such things as, “You’ll never afford a nice house, never get well, never meet the right person.” Because THEIR thinking is LIMITED, they’ll try to put THIER limitations on YOU. You have to put your foot down and say, “I REFUSE to be mediocre because people AROUND me are mediocre. I AM a barrier breaker. I’m going to set a NEW standard.”

Today’s Scripture

John 17:14, NIV

“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS A PROMISED LAND FOR YOU

The Israelites had been in slavery for HUNDREDS of years. That was the land of barely ENOUGH. They were just SURVIVING, barely making it through. One day God brought them OUT of slavery and took them into the desert, the land of JUST enough. Their NEEDS were supplied, but nothing EXTRA. God EVENTUALLY took them into the PROMISED Land, the land of MORE than enough. The food and supplies were PLENTEOUS. It’s called “the land FLOWING with milk and honey.” FLOWING means it didn’t STOP. Its ABUNDANCE NEVER ran out. That’s where God is taking YOU. You may be in the land of barely enough or just enough right NOW. Don’t WORRY. God has NOT forgotten about you. He is saying, “Those are SEASONS. Don’t put your stakes down. You’re passing through.” God has a Promised Land for YOU. He has a place of ABUNDANCE, of MORE than enough, where it’s FLOWING with PROVISION, not just ONE time, but you’ll CONTINUE to have PLENTY.

Today’s Scripture

Leviticus 20:24, NIV

“You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TAKE THAT STEP, KNOWING THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING

God told Abraham to pack up his household, leave his extended family behind, and head out to a land that God was going to give him. The only problem was that God didn’t give him any details of where to go. But Abraham understood that just because you don’t have all the answers and you’re uncomfortable doesn’t mean you aren’t supposed to do it. God doesn’t give you a blueprint for your whole life. If you had all the details of what He wants you to do and how it will work out, you wouldn’t need any faith. He’s going to send you out, not knowing everything. It’s not always going to make sense. Other people may try to talk you out of it. Your own thoughts will tell you, What if it doesn’t work out? But if you take that step, trusting that God knows what He’s doing, then each step of the way there will be provision, favor, and protection.

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 11:8, NIV

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE ALL HAVE POTENTIAL, ONCE WE GET RID OF THE CHAFF

Throughout the Scripture, there are many references to “the threshing floor.” This was where the wheat was separated from the chaff. They would lay the sheaves of wheat on the floor and have oxen and cattle walk over them repeatedly, which separated the valuable grain from the worthless chaff. Without that process, the grain wouldn’t do them any good. For us to reach our highest potential, God will take us through some threshing floors. We start off like a stalk of wheat. The potential is there; we have seeds of greatness, but we have some chaff—some pride, insecurity, impatience—along with the valuable grain. Unless God takes us through the threshing floor—being stuck in traffic, an irritating coworker, a friend who walks away—we will never become what we were created to be. Even though it’s uncomfortable, if you have the right attitude, you’re going to come out refined, more valuable, and separated from the things that are holding you back.

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 28:28, NIV

Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY CLOSE TO PEOPLE WHO WILL CALL YOU BLESSED AND VICTORIOUS

Naomi lost her husband in death, and then both her sons died as well. She was so discouraged that she didn’t think she could go on. She had been full of joy and sweetness, but now she was bitter. She even changed her name from Naomi, which means “my joy,” to Mara, which means “bitter.” She was saying, “Call me bitter.” But her friends refused and kept calling her Naomi. She was trying to stay in defeat, but they said, “No, you’re coming into victory,” and eventually she did. If you have been through disappointments and loss, you need people around you who will remind you about who you are—not people who will get bitter with you and agree with the defeat. Stay close to people who will call you blessed and victorious. You want people in your life who will remind you that your best days are yet to come, that what was meant for your harm, God will use to your advantage.

Today’s Scripture

Ruth 4:14–15, NIV

The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE IS A SET TIME FOR FAVOR IN YOUR FUTURE…..

In the first eleven verses of Psalm 102, the psalmist goes into great detail listing all his troubles, telling how miserable he is. Just when you think he’s ready to give up, he wrote today’s Scripture. In the midst of his sad song, he recognized that God was still on the throne, and he knew there was a set time for favor in his future. God was saying to His people, “Don’t worry, things are about to change. You’ve come into your set time of favor. I will arise and have compassion.” In your set time of favor, God will step in against your enemies and scatter them. When He arises, sickness will be defeated, addictions will be broken, and lack, poverty, and struggle will come to an end. He’s going before you clearing the path where you couldn’t go before, pushing back the forces of darkness. The enemies you’ve seen in the past you will see no more. It’s your set time for freedom, for wholeness.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 102:12–13, NIV

But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.