THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

PUT GOD FIRST, AND HE’LL CROWN YOUR EFFORTS WITH SUCCESS

A lot of people are good at taking care of the physical and emotional parts of their lives, but they don’t take care of the SPIRITUAL. There’s no, or minimal, connection to God. Your life will be MUCH more fulfilling when you’re in relationship with your CREATOR. He breathed LIFE into you. He knows what your PURPOSE is. He wants to give you the advantage for SUCCESS. When you make HIM a part of your life, His FAVOR will take you where your talents and abilities can NOT take you.

Make your spiritual life a PRIORITY. When you get up in the morning, take time to THANK God for the day. Don’t run out of the house stressed out, in a hurry. Start the day off with a GRATEFUL attitude. Read the Scripture, meditate on His promises, and fill your mind with thoughts of FAITH, HOPE, and VICTORY. Put God FIRST and He will crown YOUR efforts with SUCCESS.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 3:6, TLB

In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

FOCUS ON GOD BECUASE HE IS FAITHFUL, AND HE WILL FIGHT YOUR BATTLES

In the Bible, when the people of Israel came out of slavery and were headed toward the Promise Land, they were so happy to finally be FREE! But then Pharaoh changed his mind about letting them go and came chasing after them. They came to a dead end at the Red Sea and things LOOKED impossible. Instead of staying in faith and focusing on the FACT that God had delivered them BEFORE, the Israelites got upset, fearful and started complaining, “Moses, why did you bring us out here to die?” Moses replied, “Stand still and you will see the deliverance of the Lord.” He went on to say, “The LORD will fight for you if you will hold your peace and remain at rest.” The Lord was FAITHFUL to His Word and delivered them again.

Moses knew he had to get the people out of that negative mentality or they would be defeated, and the same is true for YOU. You may be in a storm of LIFE, but don’t let that storm get IN YOU. Instead, set your focus on GOD because He is FAITHFUL, and HE will fight your battles. Stay CALM and remain in PEACE today because God is going to deliver YOU and lead you into YOUR promise land!

Today’s Scripture:

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today…the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.'”

Exodus 14:13-14, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHATEVER YOU NEED, MAKE YOUR REQUESTS KNOWN TO GOD

God loves it when you come BOLDLY to Him! When we pray with an attitude of FAITH and EXPECTANCY, it shows that we BELIEVE God and His Word, and that opens the door for Him to move on our behalf.

Today’s verse tells us that when we pray EARNESTLY and CONTINUALLY that it makes tremendous POWER available. Think about a little child asking his mother for something he really wants. That child doesn’t just ask once. Or twice. He asks CONTINUALLY! He doesn’t just walk away if he doesn’t get an answer right away. That child builds his case and gives every reason he should get what he is asking for!

Scripture tells us to come to God with the FAITH of a child. It’s not that we have to beg Him, but our DETERMINATION is an expression of our faith in His GOODNESS. When we build OUR case with the Word of God, we are setting ourselves up to partake of His divine BLESSING. Today, whatever you need, make your requests known to God. Come to Him with the faith of a child. Pray EARNESTLY and CONTINUALLY and watch His power work on YOUR behalf!

Today’s Scripture:

“…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”

James 5:16, AMPC

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

FAILURE IS TEMPORARY, GOD’S WORD IS FOREVER

Are you down on yourself today because of past mistakes you’ve made or because you’re not where you want to be in life? God knows every poor choice, every difficulty, every wrong turn you may have made, and He’s already planned your COMEBACK! In scripture, Jonah took a detour, so to speak. It took him a little bit longer, but because he called out to God, because he BELIEVED, God not only RESCUED him, but God got him to his final DESTINATION.

Friend, know today that failure is NOT final. God ALWAYS has the final say. Mistakes don’t have to keep you from your DESTINY. God’s plan can OVERRIDE every setback. Your world may be in turmoil today in a RELATIONSHIP, in your FINANCES or HEALTH. But know this: not only will God RESCUE you; He will set your feet on a rock and lead you to your final DESTINATION in life. Remember, the PROMISE He placed on the inside of you didn’t go away because you had some personal failures. No, that failure is only temporary but His Word remains FOREVER! Keep HOPING, keep BELIEVING because He will move you into the BLESSING and VICTORY He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“But I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

(Phillipians 3:13, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE, THEN NOTHING CAN STOP YOU

I heard somebody say, “Don’t let your heredity stop your destiny.” In other words, don’t let the way somebody treated you, or what they did or didn’t give you keep you from pressing forward and becoming all that God has created you to be.

The people who raised you may have had addictions, but that doesn’t have to be YOUR future. You can be the one to BREAK that negative cycle. Your parents may have had anger issues or never amounted to much, but you don’t have to keep letting that curse be passed from generation to generation. You can be the one to say, “NO MORE. This is a NEW day! I may have had an unfair PAST, but I’m NOT going to have an unfair FUTURE. I know God put a blessing on me BEFORE anybody could put a curse, and I’m NOT going to let my heredity stop my DESTINY.”

Today, know that God is FOR you! Seek Him with a humble heart and BREAK FREE from the bondages of the past. When you choose to put Him FIRST in your life, then NOTHING can stop your destiny!

Today’s Scripture:

…If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, GO OUT WITH A SMILE AND GIVE GOD YOUR BEST…

Are you facing challenges or difficulties today? Maybe something has happened that could easily discourage you and cause you to give up on your dreams. I want to remind you today that where you are is not where you are going to stay. God has a GOOD plan in store for your FUTURE. When you stay in step with Him, you’ll walk right into VICTORY.

Scripture tells us that God wants to take us from GLORY to glory, from VICTORY to victory. Even if you are between victories right now, keep your PASSION. Keep your ENTHUSIASM. FOCUS on the fact that God has another LEVEL for you—another level of GLORY, another level of INCREASE, another level of His FAVOR.

Today I ENCOURAGE you, go out with a SMILE on your face. Give Him your BEST. When you thank God for what He has done, you are sowing a seed that He will use in your FUTURE. Keep PRAYING, keep BELIEVING, keep HOPING and stand STRONG because another VICTORY IS coming your way!

Today’s Scripture:

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

2 Corinthians 2:14, ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LET GOD GUIDE YOU AND ORDER YOUR STEPS

It’s amazing how taking a few minutes at the START of each day to plan and set your thoughts in the right direction can help you get ahead and EMPOWER you to accomplish SO much more. But too often, people get so caught up in the activity of life that they tend to just “go with the flow” instead. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be flexible, but when it comes to your life, YOU should be the one setting the flow. Of course, unexpected things happen. Our days won’t always go according to plan, but if you’ll take time each day to set your heart and mind in the right DIRECTION, you’ll be EQUIPPED for whatever comes your way!

Today I encourage you to make plans to start your day right and set your thoughts in the right DIRECTION. Say something such as “This IS going to be a GREAT day. God IS guiding and DIRECTING my steps. His FAVOR is surrounding me.” Put God first place. Let Him GUIDE you and order your steps. Even if it’s just five minutes a day, make spending time with Him a HABIT. PLAN your day with Him because CAREFUL planning is the way to get ahead.

Today’s Scripture:

Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

Proverbs 21:5, MSG

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY TRUE TO WHO GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO BE AND YOU’LL HAVE NO REGRETS…

I read a report from a nurse who takes care of people who are close to death. She asked hundreds of patients in the last twelve weeks of their life what their biggest REGRET was. The number one regret reported was, “I wish I had been true to who I was and not just lived to meet the expectations of others.”

How many people today are not being TRUE to who GOD created them to be simply because they are afraid they’re going to disappoint somebody? They’re afraid they may fall out of someone else’s good grace. They worry about not being accepted into a certain group. I say this respectfully, but you cannot live trying to be who your parents want you to be, or who your boss wants you to be, or who your friends want you to be. You’ve got to stay TRUE to who GOD has called you to be.

Today, make the DECISION to live life with NO regrets. Surrender yourself WHOLEHEARTEDLY to who God CREATED you to be. Let Him MOLD and SHAPE your character. Let HIM order your steps. As you submit your ways to HIM, He will SHINE DOWN on you, and you will live the FULFILLED, ABUNDANT life He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LET GOD REFRESH AND RESTORE YOUR SOUL TODAY, AND EVERY DAY

Is there something that you’ve done in your past that you’re not particularly happy about? A choice that you regret? The good news today is that you can be FREE of guilt and condemnation. You don’t have to live with that burden any longer.

Today’s verse tells us that God’s MERCIES are new EVERY morning. He’s not ever going to run out of COMPASSION. He’s not ever going to run out of FORGIVENESS. He’s not ever going to say, “Well, this is the last time I’m going to give you MERCY.” No, you can have a new beginning EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Let that truth sink down deep into your heart RIGHT NOW. If there is anything from the past that you may still be carrying, take a moment and call on His FAITHFULNESS. Call on His MERCY. Ask for His FORGIVENESS. Let Him REFRESH and RESTORE your soul right NOW. PRAISE Him and THANK Him for the work He is doing in your life and enjoy a fresh new beginning TODAY!

Today’s Scripture:

“…His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23, NAS

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU GET YOUR MIND OFF OF YOURSELF AND ONTO OTHERS, YOU’RE SOWING A SEED

All throughout scripture, we see that God’s system is based on the principle of sowing and reaping. If you sow BLESSING and MERCY into the lives of OTHERS, that’s what you’ll reap in YOUR life in return. The same thing happens when you PRAY for one another. There’s a spiritual DYNAMIC at play when you get your mind off of yourself and onto others. You’re sowing a seed so that God can do something in your OWN life.

Is there someone in your life YOU can pray for? Maybe it’s a friend or a family member in need. They don’t have to be present. You can pray for them as you go about your day or even driving in your car on the way to work. It’s the connection of FAITH that opens the door for God to move MIGHTILY on your behalf. Pray for one another and WATCH what God will do!

Today’s Scripture:

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…”

James 5:16, NIV