Preparation

From: Bryant Wright Ministries

 

1 Timothy 4:7 "... Train yourself for the life of piety."

 

Football coaches have a saying about preparing for the big game. As you practice, so you play. It works the same way in our spiritual lives. Regular time alone with God is how we practice staying close to God each day. And certainly if we’re going to have meaningful, weekly worship with other believers, it’s always more meaningful when we’ve spent time alone with God.

Have you ever been to a worship service that just seemed to fall flat? Maybe you thought your pastor let you down and gave a sermon that was just plain boring! Or maybe the music didn't connect or wasn't the style you were in the mood for that day. Some days things just don't connect and you think, "Well, there's an hour of my life I'll never get back."

When a weekly service disappoints you, it might be because you haven't spent much time in preparation. You’ll be amazed how much anticipation there is for weekly worship if you have regular time alone with God.

Purpose And Persistence

From: Bob Gass Ministries

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Admiral Robert Peary attempted to reach the North Pole seven times before he finally succeeded. Oscar Hammerstein produced five shows on Broadway that were flops before staging Oklahoma, which was seen by almost five million people during a record-breaking run of 2,212 performances. When the enthusiasm for a new idea fades, when the odds against you increase and the results diminish, when it looks as if success is impossible, you must keep forging ahead.

The truth is, external things don't stop us; it's what happens to us on the inside! Most of us stop ourselves from reaching our potential. We can pretend that people, things and situations outside of ourselves are to blame, but in reality most failures are just the result of a lack of bulldog-like tenacity.

Leonardo da Vinci said, "Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star, does not change his mind." You must have a mindset to tenaciously pursue your dream. The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying. There is no insurmountable barrier, except your own inherent lack of purpose and persistence.

Discernment

From: Today God Is First - Os Hillman

John 10:14,27 "I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. . . . My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me."

Tom Fox is a successful financial advisor who heads up a workplace ministry in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area. He used to be troubled when he heard Christians say, "The Lord told me . . . " He certainly had never heard God speak to him like that. "What is different about those people and me?" he wondered.

In the Gospel of John, Tom read that Jesus had said that His sheep hear His voice, but he didn't understand how they could do that. His pursuit to answer that question began his quest to discover how to hear God's voice himself.

Today, Tom realizes that God does speak and that we, as His children, can hear His voice. He has discovered how to hear God's words of guidance in his daily life, which includes the day-to-day operations of his business. Now he is teaching others how they can hear God's voice as well. "Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10)

Our Part

From: Joel Osteen Ministries

 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.'... Therefore I delight in my weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

 

We all go through seasons of difficulty and face storms in life. But during those times, we have to remember that Almighty God is greater than any struggle we face! He’ll take those challenges and use them to strengthen us, but we have to do our part and take a step of faith toward the victory.

Think about the caterpillar before it becomes a butterfly. When it’s wrapped in its dark cocoon on the backside of some tree, it doesn’t look like it has many options. But inside that cocoon as it becomes a butterfly, it doesn’t just sit and wait for someone to come and let it out. No, that butterfly knows that it has to make a move if it’s going to be set free to fly. In the same way, we have to do something to get out of the confining places we are in. We have to pray, we have to believe, and we have to press through to victory.

Today, no matter what you may be facing, remember His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in you. He has given you everything you need to overcome in this life. Now is the time to break free and rise to new levels because He has victory and blessing prepared for you!

Persistent Prayer

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

Isaiah 58:8 "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily
spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."

 

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. This is why it is imperative you feed the spirit in persistent prayer. Stay engaged with God, and the gleaming dawn of hope will rise on your shadowed circumstances.

 

As you prayerfully walk with the Lord in the light there is a holy security and serene spirit that shines forth from your countenance for all to see. Your humble and good works on earth bring glory to your Father in heaven.

Prayerful perseverance increases the brightness of your light like the rising of the all-consuming orange sun. Dark days were created for the care of Christians to come forth in faith. Therefore, prayerfully persevere for your soul’s sake, for God’s glory, and in service to others.

Speak To God Often

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, never cease praying, render constant thanks; such is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

 

Make the most of your time. As you work to develop prayer habits, learn to turn your heart to God in those little moments of downtime. When you are waiting at the lights, or standing in a queue, or vacuuming, or mowing the grass. Turning to prayer at these times is not an obligation; it is an opportunity! It isn’t some big activity you are adding to your schedule; rather, it is using what is already in your schedule to deepen your walk with God and to lift others up in prayer.

 

It only takes a moment to put a situation or need before the Lord and ask for His work in that circumstance or in that person’s life. And it’s cool also to just chat with the Lord about life and about your relationship with Him.

 

This kind of open, frequent communication is what makes a relationship extra meaningful and deep, that puts it at the center of your life. Today God is inviting you to speak with Him often during your day. And when you realize that He is literally by your side 24/7, encouraging you to fellowship with Him...it becomes a very easy and natural thing to do!

Spiritual Blindness

From: Billy Graham Ministries

 

John 9:25 "One thing I know, I was once blind but now I can see."

 

I often try to explain the joy of following Christ: the thrill, the excitement, the exhilaration—knowing where I’ve come from, why I’m here, where I’m going! There’s a reason for existence. There’s a reason for getting up every morning of the year.

 

I try to tell folks what I’ve found in Jesus Christ, and in studying the Scriptures and walking with Him, and they say, “I can’t see that!” Of course, they can’t. They are blind.

 

Try to explain television to a blind man. He can understand a little of it, but it doesn’t make sense to him. Try to explain a sunset to him. He’s blind to it. The scales must be removed from your eyes. Christ can remove them right now and you can start living and seeing a whole new world that you never knew existed, if you will just let Him open your spiritual eyes.

Tune In

From: Billy Graham Ministries

1 Samuel 3:10 "... Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening!"

When I was a boy, radio was just coming of age. We would gather around a crude homemade set and twist the tuning dials in an effort to establish contact with the transmitter. Often, all the sound that came out of the amplifier was the crackle of static; but we knew that if contact was established with the unseen transmitter and the dials were in adjustment, we could hear a voice loud and clear.

After a long time of laborious tuning, the far distant voice would suddenly break through and a smile of triumph would illuminate the faces of all in the room. At last we were tuned in!

In the revelation that God established between Himself and us, we can find a new life and a new dimension of living, but we must "tune in." There are higher levels of living to which we have never attained. There is peace, satisfaction, and joy that we have never experienced. God is trying to break through to us. The heavens are calling. God is speaking! Let us hear.

Trust The Catcher

From: Our Daily Bread Ministries

Matthew 14:31 "Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt.'"

Life is a risky enterprise. Sometimes we fly high, enjoying great success. But then suddenly we fall into deep disappointments and the haunting reality of failure, leaving our hearts wondering if there is anything worth looking forward to.

 

Recently, I heard a pastor tell the story about a trapeze artist. The performer admitted that although he is seen as the star of the show, the real star is the catcher—the teammate who hangs from another trapeze bar to grab him and guarantee a safe landing. The key, he explained, is trust. With outstretched arms, the flyer must trust that the catcher is ready and able to grab him.

 

Life is indeed a risky business, but be encouraged! As we fly through life encountering various trials and challenges, we can always look forward to God reaching out to catch His followers and to pull us safely to Himself. I like that thought!

Just Ask Him

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

 

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord..."

 

When you face a major challenge, an impossible situation, in your life, ask God to show you what He is doing and how He wants to do it through you! God is purposeful in all that He does and He is in control of the circumstances of your life. The solution to an impossible situation is not found in what you can do, but in what God is doing.

Your situation is not a surprise to God. He knows exactly what He is doing in your life, and through you in the lives of others. "I know well the plans that I have for you," He says.

Ask God to help you recognize how this situation fits into how He is developing you as a person of God. Ask Him to also give you insight into how you can respond to this situation in a way that will point those around you to Him.

Noise

From: Bryant Wright Ministries

 

Isaiah 28:23 "Give ear and hear My voice, listen and hear My words."

Have you ever noticed how noise fills our lives? We wake to music or alarms. We get in the car and what’s the first thing we do? We turn on the radio, put in a CD or an iPod. When we walk in the house or a hotel room, the first thing we do is turn on the TV. It seems that, with noise, we somehow don’t feel so alone.

But, in the midst of all of this noise, are you missing the most important voice of all? God still speaks in a still, small voice. In the busyness and noisiness of our lives, it’s easy to miss Him. The only way to hear Him is to make an intentional effort to quiet the noise and spend some time listening, through prayer and reading His Word. You will never get a more important phone call or crucial message.

Find some time each day to be alone and quiet, and listen to the most important voice of all. Even turn off your cell phone! You simply can't listen to Him if you can't hear Him. Do this and it will enrich your life tremendously.

Priorities

From: Leading The Way Ministries - Michael Youssef

Philippians 3:7-8 "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."

As Paul discovered, the things we consider assets in this life often turn out to be our liabilities because they keep us from depending on God. What is the object of your confidence? Is it your intelligence, your financial security, your social network? None of these things will bring us indescribable joy—only dependence on Christ's strength can bring us true joy.

Only Christ's resurrection power can satisfy our empty hearts. Only His power can defeat our temptations and turn our trials into triumphs. Only His power can exchange our weaknesses for His strength. Any earthly assets that we draw on are rubbish compared to Christ's power.

If you have been struggling with finding your joy, spend some time today examining your priorities. Is Christ first in your life? Are you placing all of your confidence in Him alone? Be honest with yourself as you rank your priorities. Which are your assets and which are your liabilities as God sees them? If God is not your first priority, ask the Holy Spirit to help you reprioritize your life so that God is first and your joy may be full.

Spiritual Seeds

From: In Touch Ministries

 

1 Corinthians 3:6 "I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."

 

Think about everything that contributed to the story of how you came to know Christ as your Lord and Savior. It's probably not possible to fully count all those spiritual seeds that God used to draw you to Him. And not all the people who sowed good seed into your life knew what the outcome would be.

We have the opportunity and privilege--every single day--of sowing seeds into the lives of others, such as our friends, co-workers, children, grandchildren, or even strangers. God takes what you plant and makes things happen! He leads others to sow further seed or "water" the ground. Little by little, truth gets cultivated in their lives.

 

God sees all the little things you do; He's interested in more than just "big" things. The fruit of His Spirit--such as kindness, patience, and self-control--often manifests itself in quiet ways that others may never give you credit for. But such spiritual seeds accomplish powerful work in His kingdom. And, whether or not you ever see the results, the Lord is using you profoundly when you sow this kind of crop.