January Blessings
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January 7: Holiness Through Jesus“IT IS BECAUSE OF HIM THAT YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO HAS BECOME FOR US WISDOM FROM GOD—THAT IS, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS AND REDEMPTION” (1 Corinthians 1:30). I bless you to know that your Father in Heaven has not left you here on this earth to fend for yourself. If fact, He does not want you to fend for yourself. You are not strong enough to battle against the father-of-lies by yourself. Your Father has provided for you through His Son, Jesus Christ, who has become your Wisdom from God. Notice that the Wisdom that comes from Heaven is pure. It is filled with Holiness. BUT THE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM HEAVEN IS FIRST OF ALL PURE (James 3:17). I bless you today to start relying on the provision your Father has made for you. Start relying on the Wisdom…the Holiness…the Righteousness that comes from Heaven. Be found in Him, not having a righteousness of your own, but the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:9). I would like to pray with you. Think of the circumstance or person that is bothering you today. Then turn the focus to your own heart. Don’t bring the circumstance or the person to Jesus to be changed. Bring your own heart to Jesus to be changed. And you will witness a miracle. Pray with me: I encourage you now to listen for the Wisdom that Jesus will give you. I bless you with the Holiness of Heaven! |
January 8: Power Through His Spirit“BUT HE SAID TO ME, "MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS." THEREFORE I WILL BOAST ALL THE MORE GLADLY ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT CHRIST'S POWER MAY REST ON ME…” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I bless you to believe that this is really true…God’s Power is really made perfect in any weakness. I have experienced this myself in my own weaknesses. I have had the weakness of feeling abandoned. I have had the weakness of feeling condemned. I have had the weakness of feeling shame. And I have learned a very valuable lesson. God wants my weaknesses. He does not want me to try and hide those weaknesses…fix them… run from them…but to simply hand them over to Him, so that I can experience His Power. And I did. I bless you to experience God’s Power in your weakness. In order for Christ’s Power to rest on your weakness, you need to claim your weakness as belonging to you. You cannot give away what does not belong to you. Then you are ready to invite the Power of Jesus into that place. “NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO IMMEASURABLY MORE THAN ALL WE ASK OR IMAGINE, ACCORDING TO HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US, TO HIM BE GLORY…” (Ephesians 3:20). Yes, your Heavenly Father, through Jesus, is able to deal with your weakness. He is able to do what you will never be able to do by trying to get rid of it yourself. Your Father wants you to give up trying and give Him a chance. May I pray with you? Father, I am ready to give up my weaknesses. I admit that nothing I do can get rid of them. I have tried to hide them…fix them…run from them…Nothing works. I acknowledge that these weaknesses are mine. I own them. I long to be free from them. I now give them to you and lay them down by the feet of Jesus, to experience your Power at work within me. May your Power be made perfect in my weakness. Amen. I bless you
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January 9: Peace Through the Lord of Peace“NOW MAY THE LORD OF PEACE HIMSELF GIVE YOU PEACE AT ALL TIMES AND IN EVERY WAY” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). I bless you today to really capture this…the Lord of Peace Himself wants to give you Peace at all times and in every way. Who? The Lord of Peace Himself! When does He want to give you peace? At all times and in every circumstance! I know what you are thinking right now. This is impossible. But listen to this: “JESUS LOOKED AT THEM AND SAID, "WITH MAN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE” (Matthew 19:26). Many times when things seem so unlikely and impossible to me when I pray for something, I focus on the person of God instead of my impossible situation. I think of my Heavenly Father who is the Perfect Father (Matthew 5:48) and who always rewards those you seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). And then I think, “Every time I seek Him, He hears me and He takes notice.” Don’t believe the father-of-lies when he tells you otherwise. Secondly, I focus on Jesus, who is the Lord of Peace. And it is He Himself who wants to give me Peace. Do you think the Lord of Peace will know how to give Peace to you? I bless you to bring your anxiety to your perfect Father with whom all things are possible and who always rewards you if you seek Him. Invite the Lord of Peace Himself into that troubled place in your heart. Expose your heart to Him. Lay your burden at His feet. He loves it when you do that, because He already knows the way out. He longs to become your Lord of Peace…at all times…in every way….and under all circumstances. I bless you
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January 10: The Light of Life“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). I bless you today to know that you can have the Light of the Abundant Life. Although I had received Jesus as my Savior when I was five, it was only four years ago that I have learned and am still learning how to live in the Light of the abundant Life. I learned to say, “I can’t. I can’t fix my emotions of feeling like an orphan…feeling overlooked…feeling like I don’t matter.” I learned that I have a self-nature that likes to be autonomous. I kept on doing the things I did not want to do, and the things I did want to do…I couldn’t. “For God, who said, "let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts…” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Then, four years ago, I learned a lesson that changed my life…Jesus was the only One who could turn water into wine…let Light shine out of darkness…turn my self-nature into His Nature, because all authority has been given to Him (). I found that when I placed my self-nature under His authority, it had no option, but to change. I have since learned to live a life of humility…a life of “I can’t, Jesus, You have to do it for me.” And you know, He does. Whenever I feel overlooked, I turn to Jesus and confess, “Jesus, I feel overlooked. I do not know why, but I am not going to try and hide from that feeling, blame it on others of try to fix it, because by now I know I can’t. I bring it under your authority to change it for me. I bless you today to give up trying so hard to fix your self-nature. May God’s Light shine in your heart, exchanging your self-nature for His Light of Life. May He turn your abandonment into belongingness…condemnation into acceptance…your darkness into Light. I bless you
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January 11: The Father of Compassion“Praise be to the God and Father of our lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles…” I bless you to capture that the Father of Jesus is the perfect Father. He is the Father of Compassion. He is the God of all Comfort… and He wants to comfort you. The word Compassion means ‘the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.’ Believe that the Father of Compassion is aware of your distress and He has the intense desire to alleviate it. “He will cover you with his feathers,
Do you know that when my sister died, it was the God of Compassion, who comforted me? People certainly did their part and it helped a lot, but the ultimate comfort came from the Father of Compassion. The father-of-lies had me believe that I was lost without my sister’s love, but the Father of Compassion showed me that my sister still loved me, even though she was not here on earth any more. Love never fails. After He comforted me, the pain was gone. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…” What did the father-of-lies whisper in your ear that is causing you so much pain? Examine your heart and allow the God of Compassion to do immeasurably more than you can imagine, according to His Power that is at work within you. I bless you
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January 12: The Relationship“…that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:22). I bless you to know that Jesus lived a life perfectly united with His Father. To Him it was all about the relationship…His unity with the Father. He knew His Father loved Him. “…that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23). I bless you to capture that just before Jesus left for Heaven, He prayed the above prayer for you and me. He could have prayed for anything, but He prayed for that which was the most important to Him…our relationship with Him and the Father…the unity. Do you know what the father-of-lies do to me? He tells me that the relationship with God is not important…that it is senseless to pray…senseless to seek that unity. He would say things like, “Renee, your Father does not really want a relationship with you. He is not going to answer you when you pray. You are just wasting your time. To one of my friends the enemy said, “You have no favor with God." To another friend, “God has brought you to this earth to punish you. He does not even like you.” You see, the father-of-lies will try anything to keep you from having a relationship with the Father…because the enemy knows that if you become united with the Father, you will find out that the Father loves you as much as He loves His Son, Jesus, and you will have victory over the enemy. What does the enemy whisper to you that keeps you from praying to your Perfect Father? May you resist the evil one and pray to your Father anyway. Build a relationship with Him. Spend time with Him. Talk to Him…then become quiet and listen…and you will hear the perfect Father tell you how much He loves you. I bless you
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January 13: Cultivate the Unity“I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE GLORY THAT YOU GAVE ME, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE ONE: I IN THEM AND YOU IN ME. MAY THEY BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETE UNITY TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT YOU SENT ME AND HAVE LOVED THEM EVEN AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME” (John 17:22, 23). I would like to share with you my experience. I have found that I seem to sin when I do not feel loved. When I do not feel loved, I go into patterns of hiding, running and blaming. You see, when I do not feel loved, I start wearing a mask. My reasoning is that if I am a different person, I might be loved more. When I do not feel loved, I tend to run away from situations, because of the pain in my heart. Some people tend to put the blame on others when they do not feel loved. These are all sinful behavior patterns to cope with our pain of not being loved. Do you know what? Your Father knows that you do not feel loved...and He cares. He solved the lack of love by offering His own Person to you. This He accomplishes through Oneness with Him. And it is through this unity that we receive the Father’s love. So, the next time you do not feel loved, do not hide, run or blame. Come and sit on your Father’s lap. Come often and stay long. Find a place in your home where you imagine the perfect Father always waiting for you… a favorite chair or sunny spot. I like to take a walk every day and talk to my Father. We always meet on the road and we always seem to have something to talk about, even though we just talked the day before. “…I PRAY ALSO FOR THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE IN ME THROUGH THEIR MESSAGE, THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE, FATHER, JUST AS YOU ARE IN ME AND I AM IN YOU” (John 17 20,21). I bless you to cultivate that unity with your Father. May it become your most precious possession… and you will get to know the Father’s love for you. The perfect Father wants you to know that He loves you as much as He loves His Son Jesus, to whom He said, “YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” I bless you |
January 14: Sanctification for Spirit, Soul, and Body“MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). I bless you to be excited that when God sanctifies you, He sanctifies you through and through…spirit, soul and body. He does the job from the inside out, starting with your spirit, continuing to your soul and finishing with your body. May I share my experience of sanctification with you? During difficult circumstances, the God of Peace would ask me to focus on my heart and feel the pain. God wanted me to focus on my heart…not the circumstances, because it is in the heart that He starts His job of sanctification…and He uses the circumstances as His tool. If I obeyed and focused on my own heart, He would show me the real problem…the belief that really bothered me. Usually it was something like, “I am unworthy. I do not belong. I am invisible.” As soon as I offered my heart to Him, the God of Peace would start His sanctification job in me. He would do heart surgery and remove the belief that bothered me…to exchange it for His Peace. The peace that started in my heart would then spread to my thoughts and emotions and eventually to my body. You see, in the end it is the Peace of God that sanctifies our spirit, soul and body. I bless you to allow the God of Peace Himself to sanctify you. Do not attempt a job that only God Himself can do. If you would attempt the job of sanctification, it will be a job done on the outside only, because you do not have the power to change yourself on the inside…and there would be no peace. Remember, the God of Peace wants to sanctify you Himself. He starts from the inside and will reach your entire spirit, soul and body. All He needs from you is to focus on your heart (not the circumstances) and make it available to Him. He will do the rest. I bless you
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January 15: Your Father Draws You"NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS HIM” (John 6:44). Have you been having a deep desire to come closer to God…to become good…to be set free of the power of sin? I bless you to capture that it is your Father, the God of Peace, who is drawing you to Himself. It is not by your own desire that you are coming to Him. “MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IT” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). I bless you to be encouraged that your Father is drawing you to Himself so that He can beautify you through and through…spirit, soul and body “THE ONE WHO CALLS YOU IS FAITHFUL AND HE WILL DO IT” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). I bless you to be comforted that when your Father calls you, He will do the complete work of purifying you. His sanctification will start in your heart, then it will spread to your mind, then your body. “BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS, THAT HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL CARRY IT ON TO COMPLETION UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS” (Philippians 1:6). I bless you to be confident that your Father will never quit His job of sanctifying you. The God of Peace will sanctify from the inside out…until the work is complete. May you leave the sanctification job to your Father who called you, knowing that only He can do that job. Every time I find something wrong with my heart, like being jealous or angry or bitter, or even having beliefs of abandonment or condemnation or shame, I set my heart before the God of Peace, knowing that it is only He who can bring sanctification and Peace into those places. May you do the same. I bless you |
January 16: Live a New Way“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT” (Proverbs 3:5). I did not understand why God asked this of me, but He showed me that I could not rely on my own mind’s logic for a very important reason. Listen to this: “THE MIND OF SINFUL MAN IS DEATH, BUT THE MIND CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE” (Romans 8:6). That was it! God showed me that my natural assumptions were not reliable. My natural way of seeing things were not in line with how He saw things. The Perfect Father wanted me to admit that my mind’s reasoning was not trustworthy. This was a very new way of thinking for me, but I obeyed. I started running all my assumptions by God instead of blindly believing them. I started acknowledging God in all my ways. “IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT” And you know what! Something happened. Whenever I did this, my perfect Father showed me that my reasoning was off…every time…and He exchanged my perspective with His own. My life changed drastically. I started hearing the Truth about myself…about my mother and father…and about God. Instead of hearing “I am not good enough. I am not accepted. I am rejected,” I heard, “You are my beloved daughter. You are accepted. You are precious.” It became a moment-by-moment lifestyle to me…not leaning on my own mind, but asking God for His perspective instead. It is the single aspect that changed my life the most. Would you consider trying to live this way? It will change your life. I bless you |
January 17: Purifying your Thought LifeA few years ago, I realized that my actions, the things I do in life, were not so bad. I took good care of my husband and my children, the family dog and the house. I homeschooled my children and even sometimes ironed my husband’s shirts. So, all in all, I was doing a good job. On the inside, in my thought life, it was a different story. That area looked more like a war zone. Ugly thoughts of “I am a failure. I am worthless. I am not good enough” would ravage my mind all the time. Thoughts were running loose everywhere, making my mind into a battle zone. The worst thing was…I believed everything I thought. “May God Himself, the God of Peace, sanctify you through and through. My Father showed me that I had no peace in my thought life and that He wished to change that. The God of Peace wishes to sanctify us through and through. He made it very clear that I myself had no power to purify my thoughts and restore peace. It was God’s job. “…..And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” The God of Peace showed me that He does not want my thoughts to run loose…to be out of control…to think anything and everything it wants. Instead, He wants me to capture each thought as it comes in and make it obedient to Jesus Christ. How do you make a thought obedient to Christ? Let’s pray a prayer, which you can pray anytime by yourself when you want to make a thought obedient to God: Lord Jesus, I bring this thought to you. This thought has been running loose in my mind, causing a lot of damage. It has been causing me a lot of shame, sadness and unworthiness. I now take this thought prisoner and submit it to your authority to be submissive to your Will. In faith, I place it under your management. Please take this thought and purify it. Bring it under your control so that it will be used only for your will instead of tyrannizing me. Thank you, God of Peace for taking control of this thought and therefore restoring the peace in my heart. I bless you
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January 18: Purifying your Emotions“MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS…” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Understand that God has created you spirit, soul and body. Celebrate that your Father yearns to purify you through and through…all the way to your emotions. I bless you to grasp that your emotions do not stand alone. Your emotions are governed by what you believe…by what you accept as true or real. So, I bless you to allow God to bring His understanding into your beliefs…and His Peace will spill over into your emotions. I bless you
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January 19: May Your Mind Be Controlled by the Spirit“MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS…” I bless you to fathom that your Father wants to purify you through and through…especially your mind. There is a saying that states, “It is all in the mind.” Well, I happen to think it is true. I found out that I tend to act out the beliefs that reside in my mind. If my mind contains negative beliefs, I have negative emotions and destructive actions. If my mind contains positive beliefs, I have positive emotions and constructive actions. My mind seems to be a control centre that affects my whole life…how I handle myself…how I handle other people…how I handle God. “THE MIND OF SINFUL MAN IS DEATH, BUT THE MIND CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE” (Romans 8:6). This reminds me of a control tower at an airport. It is the job of the air traffic controller to control the incoming and outgoing planes and tell them where to go. He gives the planes permission to land and the pilots have to obey. This ensures life and peace. God would like His Holy Spirit to be the thoughts- and belief- traffic controller of our mind. He will only give permission to certain thoughts and beliefs to land. Others, He will command to leave. He wants to be in charge of what you believe. The result is Life and Peace. “TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT” (Proverbs 3:5). My responsibility is to allow Him to put His Holy Spirit in charge of my mind. Just like at an airport, this is a moment-by-moment decision. Every time a thought comes in and a belief becomes evident, I hand it over to the Chief, who allows the pure beliefs to land and who demands the evil beliefs to leave…replacing them with His own. I bless you |
January 20: Your Body Is Not Your Own“MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS…” I bless you to grasp that it is God Himself who wishes to purify you…spirit, soul and body. God does His sanctification from the inside out. He beautifies your heart and mind and that holiness then carries over to your body…your actions. A friend once told me, “I wish for God to become my reaction to everything in life.” Would it not be a blessing when a hurtful situation arises, instead of you reacting in defense to your own pain, God reacts through you with love and understanding towards the other person? I bless you to understand that when that happens, God’s sanctification has filtered through from your heart all the way to your body. “DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS IN YOU, WHOM YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD? YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN” (1Corinthians 6:19). I bless you to capture that just like your heart and your mind, your body is precious to your Father. You are not your own. “THEREFORE DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY SO THAT YOU OBEY ITS EVIL DESIRES. DO NOT OFFER THE PARTS OF YOUR BODY TO SIN, AS INSTRUMENTS OF WICKEDNESS, BUT RATHER OFFER YOURSELVES TO GOD…” (Romans 6:12, 13). And that is really all your Father desires from you…to offer every part of your body to Him…so that He can purify it. Remember, it is God Himself, the God of Peace, who beautifies you…spirit, soul and body. He can’t purify your body without cleansing your heart and mind first. He does a collective, thorough and inclusive job. I bless you
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January 21: May You Be Willing"O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, YOU WHO KILL THE PROPHETS AND STONE THOSE SENT TO YOU, HOW OFTEN I HAVE LONGED TO GATHER YOUR CHILDREN TOGETHER, AS A HEN GATHERS HER CHICKS UNDER HER WINGS, BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING” (Matthew 23:37). I bless you to believe that your perfect Father Himself will purify you all the way through, from the inside out…spirit, soul and body. He will keep on beautifying you until your heart is healed from all rejection, abandonment and shame. He will persist until your mind is fully governed by His Spirit. He will continue until your emotions are filled with His Peace. He will persevere until His holiness has carried over to your actions…BUT YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING. How often has the God of Peace wanted to instill His Peace into your heart…but you were not willing. How often has the perfect Father offered to exchange your understanding for His viewpoint…but you were not willing. How often has God Himself proposed to change your rejection into acceptance, change your abandonment into belongingness, change your unworthiness into excellence…BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING. May you allow the Father of Compassion to alleviate your distress and comfort you. May you permit Christ’s Power to be made perfect in your weakness. May you give permission to the Spirit of Truth to guide you into all Truth. May you come to the Father when He draws you. MAY YOU BE WILLING. I have found that sometimes I am not willing…I would much rather lean on my own understanding than allow my Father’s perspective to rule my mind. But I always pay the price later. Sometimes God pleads with me to hand my pain over, but I hold onto it with all my might. I would much rather hide, run or blame. It is one of the most difficult things to be willing, but I discipline myself every day, moment by moment to listen to God’s will instead of my own. MAY YOU TOO BECOME WILLING. I bless you
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January 22: The BIG Lie of Unworthiness“AT ONE TIME WE TOO WERE FOOLISH, DISOBEDIENT, DECEIVED AND ENSLAVED BY ALL KINDS OF PASSIONS AND PLEASURES. WE LIVED IN MALICE AND ENVY, BEING HATED AND HATING ONE ANOTHER” (Titus 3:3). I feel like this is how I had been living for the most part of my life. Although I had been saved to go to Heaven…I was not saved here on earth. I lived deceived…enslaved by my own self-nature…harboring malice and envy in my heart towards all those who seem so worthy compared to me…being hated by others who thought I was better than they were and hating those that were better than me. I felt that I was living in the Big Lie of Unworthiness. Later, I found out that most other folks were living in the Big Lie of Unworthiness as well. I was not the only one. “HOW OFTEN I HAVE LONGED TO GATHER YOUR CHILDREN TOGETHER, AS A HEN GATHERS HER CHICKS UNDER HER WINGS, BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING” (Matthew 23:37). Then the Father of Compassion had compassion on me and showed me that I did not have to live the rest of my earthly life in the Big Lie of Unworthiness…because He sent me the Spirit of Truth. “IF YOU THEN, THOUGH YOU ARE EVIL, KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO YOUR CHILDREN, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!"(Luke 11:13). My Father showed me that I just had to be willing. I just had to ask…and He would send His Gift, the Holy Spirit, to get rid of the Big Lie of Unworthiness. I had to be willing every day…every hour…every moment…TO LET GO OF MY UNWORTHINESS…AND RECEIVE HIS WORTHINESS FOR ME. I bless you today to be willing to allow God’s Gift, the Holy Spirit, to navigate you away from the deception that so readily enslaves and destroys. Synergize with Him as he leads you away from your own understanding into His perception. Acknowledge that you have been lead astray to believe that Big Lie of Unworthiness and acknowledge that you need a Savior for that too. I bless you |
January 23: The Broken Cistern that Cannot Hold Water“Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God …… you would have asked him and he would have given you living water" I bless you to know that your perfect Father loves you so much that He sent you a Gift…His son, Jesus, who can give you living water when you are thirsty. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17) I bless you to understand that it is the world’s way to condemn…but your Father did not send His Son to condemn you, but to save you. "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, I am slowly finding out that it is OK to admit that I am hurting. For a long time I have been playing games when the pain comes, almost as if I believed that God would not love me when I have pain…that He would condemn me. I would dig my own cistern and try to fill it up with joy, but I could never fool myself…it was a broken cistern that never held water. In the world, you always have to pretend to be happy and that nothing is wrong, but with Jesus it is exactly the opposite. I bless you to admit that your pain is real, so that Jesus can fill you with His Living Water. Stop pretending that you have what it takes. Stop pretending that everything is OK when it is not. Stop denying that you are hurting. Your Father did not send His son to condemn you…but to save you. I bless you to accept the Gift from your perfect Father and ask Him for a drink of Living, saving Water when you are hurting. I bless you |
January 24: Put Aside the DarknessTHIS IS THE VERDICT: LIGHT HAS COME INTO THE WORLD, BUT MEN LOVED DARKNESS INSTEAD OF LIGHT” (John 3:19). I have caught myself many times loving darkness more than light. For example, when someone offends me, I know by now that I can come to my Father and receive healing for the offense, but I would not be willing to come to Him. My reason? I know my Father, through Jesus, will heal my heart and turn me into a good friend or wife or mother again, but I do not want Him to do that, since my offender (according to my reasoning) does not deserve a good friend or wife like me. Therefore, I would rather stay in darkness myself…to take revenge. For some reason, it is hard for us to choose Light. The father-of-lies seems to have many reasons why we should not choose Light. I have caught myself walking in circles to avoid the Light. I would focus on the other person’s darkness, knowing very well that my own heart is filled with far more darkness, but if I can stay focused on the other person’s darkness, mine can stay hidden and I can hold onto it a little longer. But darkness is like quicksand…it pulls you in slowly…until you drown. “SO LET US PUT ASIDE THE DEEDS OF DARKNESS AND PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT” (Romans 13:12). The father-of-lies will try to persuade you to stay in darkness…to stay where you do not belong…to stay in the state of confusion, because from here he can manipulate you…control you…give you orders. I bless you to put aside the deeds of darkness. How do you do this? Stop playing mind games. Be honest with yourself by looking at your own heart and call a spade a spade. Why are you really so angry? Is it because you feel betrayed? Is it because you feel overlooked? Is it because you feel unlovable? Jesus wants to shine His Light of Life on you to heal your heart. Focus on your own heart only, not on that of your offender. It is only then that you will find the real answer. I bless you
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January 25: Demolish Arguments“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). I bless you to be willing to refute arguments and reasonings that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. Do you know what sometimes happens to me? A thought would enter my mind and I would start reasoning with it. Before I realize it, a whole debate breaks loose in my mind. I would replay an argument that happened that day…going back and forth between my part and that of the other party…trying to understand what had happened…why I was so upset. I would hear the little voice of the Holy Spirit prompt me to drop the debate in my mind…surrender it to God, but I would not listen. “Just a little while longer, Father,” I would insist. “I just want to replay it one more time. I almost have it figured out.” “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). I bless you to be willing to let go of a debate that is taking place in your mind. Demolish it. Bring it to a stop. Extinguish it. Instead, hand the whole war-of-words over to your Father, who looks at the heart…your heart…and the heart of the other party. He understands. He will examine, deduce and point out the truth to you. And His Truth will set you free. I bless you |
January 26: Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your MindToday I would like to talk about behavior patterns. I had suffered from severe shyness, especially as a child, but also throughout my adulthood. I would be inclined to avoid people, shrinking from contact with others. There would be a distrust of my own ability to act and speak what was expected of me. I was hesitant to commit and apply myself. I found out that shyness is not a feeling, but a set of beliefs that the father-of-lies had planted in my mind at some point in life. I started believing and living these beliefs…that I do not measure up…that I am not as good as other people…that I am a lesser being. “….But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I bless you to believe that God wants to renew your mind with new beliefs…with the Truth. “And the God of all grace … will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10). I bless you to grasp that the God of all grace will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. He Himself is the only One who can renew your mind…who can renew your beliefs. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). I bless you to bring your beliefs of inadequacy and unworthiness to the God of all Grace and allow Him to breathe His Truth into your mind…so that in all things …at all times, you will have all the confidence you need to face any person or any crowd. I bless you
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January 27: Be on the Alert“BE OF SOBER SPIRIT, BE ON THE ALERT. YOUR ADVERSARY, THE DEVIL, PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION, SEEKING SOMEONE TO DEVOUR” (1 Peter 5:8). I bless you to be on your guard! You have an enemy…a cruel raging enemy, prowling around incessantly, looking for a chance to obliterate the Hope, the Peace and the Truth that your Father so trustfully imparted to you. He will finish off and wipe out anything you are willing to forgo. Understand that he is wicked, relentless and extremely cunning. He will reduce anything to nothing! He shows no mercy! In Africa, where I grew up, the roaring lion would prowl around a herd of elephants in the hope of scaring a young one away from the rest of the herd. Yes, Elephants! As long as the little elephants stay close to the adults, they would be safe. Sometimes, a young one panics, separating itself from the herd, and starts running. That is exactly what the lion wants. The little elephant is now defenseless against the sharp claws of the lion that will tear it apart until nothing is left. “THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY; I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL” (John 10:10). I bless you today to be on the lookout! Be convinced that your enemy is a thief, a murderer and a demolisher. Stay close to your Father. There you are safe. “…I PRAY ALSO FOR THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE IN ME THROUGH THEIR MESSAGE, THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE, FATHER, JUST AS YOU ARE IN ME AND I AM IN YOU” (John 17 20,21). Do not move away from your Father. His love protects you from the evil one. Cling tenaciously to the Wisdom that is pure. Cherish the Truth. Hold tight to the Hope. Do not lean on your own understanding. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). I bless you |
January 28: The Pool of My Protection“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!” (John 8:44, 45) I once had a dream of swimming in a beautiful tranquil tidal pool by the ocean. While I was floating in this pool, I noticed a strong current running adjacent to the pool. In my dream, I looked at the dangerous current and thought how bad it would be if I accidentally landed in that current and were swept out into the open ocean. I talked to God about that dream and this is what He said: “Stay in Me, my child. Do not leave the Pool of My Protection by chasing after your thoughts---thoughts of condemnation …thoughts of shame …thoughts of abandonment. If you accept your thoughts as an authority to obey, they will drag you into the Current of “You’re-Not-Good-Enough”, which belongs to the father-of-lies. That is his territory. You are not safe there. If you land in the Current of “You’re-Not-Good-Enough”, you are required to give allegiance to the father-of-lies. He will expect you to abide by his rules of condemnation, shame and abandonment. There you will be obligated to live under the pernicious power of his beliefs…”I am not loved. I do not belong. I do not matter.” I bless you |
January 29: I Bless You to Resist the Devil“SUBMIT YOURSELVES, THEN, TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU” (James 4:7). We have all heard people quote, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” But, that is not the whole verse. I have found that the secret to resisting lies in the first part of that verse, ”Submit yourselves, then, to God.” I do it each time…all the time…a hundred times a day. I have found that I am much more dependent on God than I realized. I have found that my Father, through His Gift, Jesus and through His Gift, the Holy Spirit, is far more interested in my moment-by-moment life than I realized. YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD. I bless you with an anointing for vigilance! Be informed that your enemy, a murderer, thief and the father of lies, is always keeping an eye on you. He is observing from a distance…..keeping watch. He is looking for an open door……the right moment to make a move. He will come out of nowhere. You will be taken by surprise. Be on the lookout! Stand guard! Be ready to submit to God at a moment’s notice, because the One who is in you is greater than any enemy is. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU” I bless you with an anointing for resistance! Submit to God and stand your ground!! Do not yield an inch. Do not believe the enemy when he tells you that you have no favor with your Father…that your Father will never answer you…that your Father will not provide. He is trying to keep you from running to your Father. He wants to separate you from your protection. He wants to stop you from submitting. Submit yourself to God, then, a hundred times a day, thus keeping the door shut I bless you |
January 30: I Bless You to Become Like Jesus“AND WE, WHO WITH UNVEILED FACES ALL REFLECT THE LORD'S GLORY, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS WITH EVER-INCREASING GLORY, WHICH COMES FROM THE LORD, WHO IS THE SPIRIT” (2 Corinthians 3:18). One of the things that has influenced me the most in my life is the example Jesus left me when He was a human here on this earth. I ponder his example often and draw from the illustration he left us about his relationship with the Perfect Father. Listen to how he lived: “I DO NOTHING ON MY OWN BUT SPEAK JUST WHAT THE FATHER HAS TAUGHT ME” (John 8:28). Father, I pray that You will transform me into the likeness of your son, Jesus, who spoke nothing on his own, but only what You have taught him. May I too reflect his glory and speak only what You have taught me. May I not lash out in anger when someone offends me, but allow time for Your words to form in my heart…words of kindness…words of gentleness…words of truth. “JESUS GAVE THEM THIS ANSWER: "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THE SON CAN DO NOTHING BY HIMSELF; HE CAN DO ONLY WHAT HE SEES HIS FATHER DOING, BECAUSE WHATEVER THE FATHER DOES THE SON ALSO DOES” (John 5:19). Father, I pray that You will transform me into the likeness of Your son, Jesus, who was completely dependent on You and did nothing by himself. “APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING” (John 15:5). May I too understand that I can do nothing by myself, but allow your son to act through me. May I grasp that I cannot love by myself, but allow Jesus to love through me. May I fathom that I cannot hope by myself, but allow Jesus to hope through me. May I become like Jesus, because Jesus became like You. I bless you |
January 31: Set your Mind on Things Above“SINCE, THEN, YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST, SET YOUR HEARTS ON THINGS ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. SET YOUR MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON EARTHLY THINGS” (Colossians 3:1, 2). Listen to these words again from the Message: What is your sense of value…that you are worthless? Focus on the perfect Father’s sense of value. “LONG BEFORE HE LAID DOWN EARTH'S FOUNDATIONS, HE HAD US IN MIND, HAD SETTLED ON US AS THE FOCUS OF HIS LOVE, TO BE MADE WHOLE AND HOLY BY HIS LOVE” (Ephesians 1:4 MSG). What is your frame of reference…that there is no hope? Focus on the God of Hope’s frame of reference. “MAY THE GOD OF HOPE FILL YOU WITH ALL JOY AND PEACE AS YOU TRUST IN HIM, SO THAT YOU MAY OVERFLOW WITH HOPE BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Romans 15:13). What is your sense of proportion…that you will not be able to succeed? Focus on the God of Power’s sense of proportion. “NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO IMMEASURABLY MORE THAN ALL WE ASK OR IMAGINE, ACCORDING TO HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US, TO HIM BE GLORY…” (Ephesians 3:20). What is your perspective…that you will never change? Focus on the perspective of the God of all Grace. “AND THE GOD OF ALL GRACE … WILL HIMSELF RESTORE YOU AND MAKE YOU STRONG, FIRM AND STEADFAST” (1 Peter 5:10).
I bless you to set your mind on the God of Hope…not the hopelessness. I bless you |
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