Surrendered Life

November 1: My Life Patterns and Habits

“DON'T YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU OFFER YOURSELVES TO SOMEONE TO OBEY HIM AS SLAVES, YOU ARE SLAVES TO THE ONE WHOM YOU OBEY—WHETHER YOU ARE SLAVES TO SIN, WHICH LEADS TO DEATH, OR TO OBEDIENCE, WHICH LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?” (Romans 6:16).

I bless you to know that since your childhood, your flesh has acquired certain life habits and patterns…..patterns of blaming….patterns of running…..patterns of hiding. They were formed in response to the lies the father-of-all-lies introduced to you early on…I am unworthy…I am a failure…I am a mistake.

Understand that you have grown very comfortable with these life patterns, although they could be very destructive to you and those close to you. Your life habits are performed automatically, without any conscious thought from you. In many ways, you have become a slave to your own flesh habits, because they could become very controlling.

Realize that there is a way out of these destructive patterns.

“FOR WE KNOW THAT OUR OLD SELF WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM SO THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DONE AWAY WITH, THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE SLAVES TO SIN” (ROMANS 6:6).

I bless you to consciously and intentionally STOP AND LOOK at your life patterns.
I bless you to FIND THE LIES that have been keeping these patterns active.
I bless you to SURRENDER THESE PATTERNS AND LIES to Jesus to be crucified with Him.

And the body of sin might be done away with, that you should no longer be a slave to your own life patterns.

I bless you

November 2: The Two Sources of Counsel

“The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman” (Genesis 3:2-4).

I bless you to notice that there are two sources of counsel available to you…..God’s counsel and Satan’s counsel.

I bless you to notice that Satan’s counsel opposes God’s counsel…..resists God’s instruction….attacks God’s Word.

“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 attentive to the thoughts that enter your mind.
May you take captive every thought and investigate the source from which it springs.
May you withstand and reject any argument that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.

I bless you

November 3: The Two Sources of Counsel (2)

“The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman” (Genesis 3:2-4).

I bless you to notice that there are two sources of counsel available to you…..God’s counsel and Satan’s counsel.

I bless you to notice that Satan’s counsel opposes God’s counsel…..resists God’s instruction….attacks God’s Word.

“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.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil”
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace“
(Proverbs 3:5-7) and (Romans 8:6).
I bless you to be aware that Satan’s counsel might be the exact opposite:
Do not trust God,
but rely on your own insight and believe everything you think.
Be wise in your own eyes.
Do not let your mind be controlled by the Holy Spirit,
for your mind is sufficient to supply all the explanations you need.
Whose counsel do you heed?

I bless you

November 4: I Will Give You Rest

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Do you have a problem for which you see no possible solution?

I bless you to surrender your problem to Jesus. Admit that you do not have what it takes to solve it. Give up your own strategies. Make way for Jesus. Get out of the way.

Acknowledge Jesus as the only One Who can solve your problem. Admit that you have tried everything in your own power to solve the matter, and it is still not solved.

I bless you to come into that perfect place of rest as you let go of your burden. Come into perfect relief from your own ineffective self-effort. Come into that perfect place of stillness…calmness…peace.

“…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

I bless you

November 5: Become Mature through Constant Use

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman” (Genesis 3:2-4).

I bless you to notice that there are two sources of counsel available to you…..God’s counsel and Satan’s counsel.

“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-15).

I bless you to know that you become mature by training yourself to distinguish between good and evil…training yourself to distinguish between God’s counsel and Satan’s counsel, just like working hard at your driver’s ed to become a good driver.

I bless you to constantly seek God’s counsel…receive God’s counsel…obey God’s counsel. I bless you to constantly withstand Satan’s counsel.

And you will become mature…being able to distinguish between good and evil. And you will be a good driver.

I bless you

November 6: Throw Off and Put On

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:21- 24).

I bless you to know that since your childhood, your flesh has acquired certain life habits and patterns---patterns of blaming….patterns of running…..patterns of hiding. They were formed in response to the lies the father-of-lies introduced to you early on---I am unworthy…I am a failure…I am a mistake.

I bless you to throw off your old habits and patterns, which you have been using to deal with the underlying lies of unworthiness, rejection and shame in your life. STOP BLAMING, RUNNING AND HIDING. Face the lies!

You have heard about Jesus and have learned about the truth that comes from Him. Allow this Truth to invade those lies. Let the Spirit renew your thoughts by bringing His Truth into your mind and attitude.

I bless you to allow Jesus to substitute your sinful nature of sinful patterns with His nature, created to be like God---truly righteous and holy.

I bless you

November 7: Behave through Faith

“In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises” (Hebrews 6:12 AMP).

I bless you to lean with your entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His Power “so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power” (1 Corinthians 2:5).

I bless you to lean with your entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His Wisdom, “for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:15).

I bless you to lean with your entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His Goodness: “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you” (Psalm 31:19).

And you will inherit the promises.

I bless you

November 8: Life in the Spirit

“BUT IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELLS IN YOU, HE WHO RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD WILL ALSO GIVE LIFE TO YOUR MORTAL BODIES THROUGH HIS SPIRIT WHO DWELLS IN YOU” (Romans 8:11).

I bless you to grasp that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. The Spirit of Life dwells in you. The Spirit is life.

I bless you to bring any part of your heart that has been numbed by pain…that has been tired out by iniquities…that has been crushed by affliction… to the Spirit of Life, to be resurrected…to be revived…to be restored to Life.

I bless you to bring your wearisome childhood experiences that have exhausted your spirit… to the Spirit of Life…to be rejuvenated…to be rekindled…to be recharged.

I bless you to bring your mind that has been deadened by sin…to the Spirit of Life…to be renewed.

FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. (Romans 8:2)

I bless you

November 9: His Weapon Against You Is Deception

“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” (John 8:44).

I bless you to know that your enemy, the father of lies, does not hold to the truth.

His weapon against you is deception…the practice of deliberately making somebody believe things that are not true. Deception is based on a trick intended to mislead your mind.

I bless you to grasp that Satan’s tricks will only be effective if you believe him…if you acknowledge him as telling the truth…if you adopt the opinion that his word or act is a reality, even when there is no proof of its existence.

I bless you to NEVER lean on your own understanding, no matter how true and real things seem. You as a human cannot outsmart the enemy. YOU NEED TO LEAN ON THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, who was given to you for this very reason…TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

So, I bless you to bring every thought and every opinion and every act to the Spirit of Truth, for “when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

AND HIS TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

I bless you

November 10: The Heartache Shall not Hide from You

“INDEED, THE DARKNESS SHALL NOT HIDE FROM YOU, BUT THE NIGHT SHINES AS THE DAY; THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT ARE BOTH ALIKE TO YOU” (PSALM 139:12).

I bless you today not to despair in your darkness. The darkness shall not hide from Him.

Maybe you believe that your heartache is buried so deep that you would not be able to find it. Maybe you know that you have pain in your heart, but believe that you do not even know where to start looking for the cause of it. Maybe you can feel the anger and bitterness on the surface, but believe that your deep sorrow has formed a hard protective coating around it, so that it is not accessible to God’s healing.

I bless you to be excited that God can see deep inside your wounded heart. God is able to find wounds that are too deep for you to access. God is powerful enough to know where to look when you do not even know where to start looking. God can see through the protective coating.

I bless you to ask God to access the wounds that have become buried so they can be brought to the surface and into God’s healing Light. Ask God to break down the protective coating so you can find the lies and beliefs the enemy has planted in your heart. Then surrender the exposed heartache with its beliefs to God for His healing.

I bless you

November 11: Open Heart Surgery

“….ONCE MADE PERFECT, HE BECAME THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION FOR ALL WHO OBEY HIM” (Hebrews 5:9).

I bless you to understand that hidden heartache is not a good thing. If it stays in your heart, it can fester like an infected sore. You might not go after your emotional pain, but your pain certainly comes after you. It is the anger you feel when someone has offended you. It is the jealousy you feel when someone is more successful that you. It is the bitterness you feel when someone has done you wrong. Be aware that heartache can cause you to act out sinful behavior patterns like excessive drinking, eating, working, sleeping or any other ways to defer the emotional stress.

I remind you again that it is not so much what had happened to you that is causing you emotional pain, but what you came to believe about yourself and others in response to the events. Grasp that it is through these beliefs that the enemy secures an open door to your heart.

Therefore, I bless you to take responsibility for your beliefs. Face your pain. Take a good look at your wounds. Then take them to the source of eternal salvation….Jesus Christ. God will only do heart surgery if you allow Him.

Allow Him to bring His Truth to your beliefs. Know that His Truth to your beliefs will also heal your heart.

“THEREFORE DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY SO THAT YOU OBEY ITS EVIL DESIRES” (Romans 6:12).

I bless you

November 12: Unveiled Faces

“BUT WE ALL, WITH UNVEILED FACE, BEHOLDING AS IN A MIRROR THE GLORY OF THE LORD, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE SAME IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY, JUST AS BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD”(2 Corinthians 3:18).

I bless you not to depend on the beliefs of your own sinful mind…beliefs of I am not accepted…I am not loved…I am not sheltered. May you expose these opinions…lay bare these assumptions…uncover your way of thinking before the Spirit of Truth. And you will behold the glory of God’s revealing love to you…reassuring you that you are accepted….that you are being defended …that you are loved.

I bless you to grasp that each time you allow the Spirit of the Lord to exchange one of Satan’s lies in your life….for Truth…you are being transformed a little more into the image of Jesus.

I bless you to know that each time a belief is brought to truth in your life, a layer of the veil of deception is taken off and you start to look more and more like the Truth….like Jesus.

And when you look into a mirror you will behold more and more the image of Truth of your Lord in whom dwell no lies and beliefs of the enemy.

I bless you

November 13: Blessed Are You

“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).

I bless you today if you are in a place where you have meant well…you have meant to bless…you have meant to perform goodness and kindness---and you were rewarded with injustice, shame, accusation, rejection and abuse.

Blessed are you!
Know that you have glorified God.

“Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator”
(1 Peter 4:19).

I bless you to commit your abused soul to God, your faithful Creator. Place your rejected heart in God’s custody. Entrust your accused heart in your Father’s care and control.

May the Spirit of God rest upon you.

I bless you

November 14 Love your Wife…Respect your Husband…Run to Jesus

“HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES…...AND THE WIFE MUST RESPECT HER HUSBAND.” (EPHESIANS 5:25, 33).

Husband, I bless you to esteem your wife.
Take care of her.
Delight in her.
Applaud her.

Wife, I bless you to respect your husband.
Speak well of him.
Be faithful to him.
Praise him.

“I HAVE TOLD YOU THESE THINGS, SO THAT IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PEACE. IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. BUT TAKE HEART!
I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.” (JOHN 16:33).

I bless you to be careful of the expectations you place on your spouse or on your friend. There are certain roles that your spouse or friend cannot fulfill…some tasks belong only to Jesus.

I bless you to accept that only Jesus has authority to overcome the abandonment in your heart. Acknowledge that only Jesus is capable of overcoming the grief that you carry. Capture that only Jesus can overcome the shame that plagues you. Understand that only Jesus has power to overcome the rejection and disapproval you have experienced.

I bless you to set your husband, wife and friend free from fulfilling all your needs. Run to Jesus.

I bless you

November 15: The Serpent Deceived Me, so I Ate

“Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."” (Genesis 3:13).

“My friend was rude to me, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”
“My boss made a snide comment, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”
“My husband insulted me, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”
“My wife disrespected me, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”

I bless you to understand that the enemy, the father-of-lies, will offer you his fruit every day, to cause sin to reign in your mortal body “SO THAT YOU OBEY ITS EVIL DESIRES”
(Romans 6:12).

Know that the evil one will offer you the fruit of enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, fits of rage and selfishness. Moreover, he will offer his fruit along with the excuse, “She gave me some of the fruit, so I had to eat.”

I bless you to know that you DO NOT HAVE TO EAT THE FRUIT THE ENEMY OFFERS YOU, even when someone is rude, insults you or disrespects you.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)

You have a choice: You can eat or you can resist.

I bless you to resist!

I bless you

November 16: The Serpent Deceived Me, so I Ate (2)

“He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."” (Genesis 3:11, 13).

Did you eat from the fruit the enemy offered you? Did you allow sin to reign in your mortal body to “obey its evil desires”?

I bless you to understand that if you eat from the fruit the enemy offers…you will allow the enemy to render you NAKED….stripped of the armor of God.

When you eat…you allow the enemy to take off your belt of Truth. You authorize the Father-of Lies to strip you of the Peace that transcends all understanding. You give permission to the serpent to remove your shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish the rest of the flaming arrows that he has in store for you. You allow the deceiver to obscure God’s Counsel.

And when you are naked, the door stands wide open to the rest of the dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms to enter in.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

I bless you

November 17: Your Struggle is Not Against Flesh and Blood

“And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it"” (Genesis 3:11, 12).

“The husband you put here with me---it is his fault that I am not happy.”
“The parents you put here with me---it is their fault that I turned out this way.”
“The roommate you put here with me---it is her fault that I am always in a bad mood.”

I bless you to know that your struggle is not against the people in your life, but against the spiritual forces of evil, whose weapon against you is deception…making you believe things about yourself and others that are not true.

I bless you to understand that blaming others will not get rid of the deception….only the Truth will.

“Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” (Psalm 43:3).

I bless you

November 18: Seek and You Will Find

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
(Jeremiah 29:13).

I bless you to be patient when you seek God. He does not always answer in the way you expect Him to. He does not always answer in the timing you allow Him. He does not always answer in the place you watch for Him. However, believe that you will always find God when you seek Him with your whole heart.

I bless you to be excited about the ways God speaks. Sometimes His answer hits suddenly and vividly like a lightning bolt. Sometimes His Counsel comes quietly in a whisper, like a gentle sea breeze. Sometimes His Truth trickles in drop by drop, until the bucket is full and the answer is complete.

I bless you to know that when you do not hear from God and it feels like He has abandoned you…He is still working on your case. Understand that He is working behind the scenes. Be encouraged that He is busy moving the mountains. Don’t always expect an instant answer and instant solution and that every mountain be moved in a second.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
(Hebrews 11:6).

I bless you

November 19: Your Part and God’s Part

“IF THE SON MAKES YOU FREE, YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED”
(JOHN 8:36).

I bless you to believe that it is Jesus, God’s Son, who sets you free. However, it is your responsibility to come to Him to be set free.

“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).

Understand that it is not the Son’s responsibility to demolish arguments that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. It is your responsibility. The Son sets you free when you do your part.

Accept that it is not the Son’s responsibility to take every thought captive and bring it into His obedience. It is your responsibility. The Son will set you free when you do your part.

“[GOD] CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH [SUBDUED, OVERCAME, DEPRIVED IT OF ITS POWER OVER ALL WHO ACCEPT THAT SACRIFICE] (ROMANS 8:3).

Acknowledge that it is the Son who sets you free from the power of sin in your life. However, it is your responsibility to act upon His invitation…to bring your sin to Him…to receive His gift of freedom.

I bless you

November 20: Be the Kind of Worshiper the Father Seeks

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24).

I bless you today to be the kind of worshiper your Father seeks.

“For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.”
(Romans 8:5).

I bless you to believe that the Holy Spirit has certain endeavors in mind for you to obtain….certain aspirations for you to take possession of…certain desires for you to capture.

Aspire to live according to the yearnings of God’s Spirit, allowing Him to conquer a life ruled by the standards of the flesh. Take orders only from the Holy Spirit, allowing the Spirit to be the Master of your desires, will and actions. Permit God’s Spirit to make a reality in your life that the unholy habits of your flesh have been nailed to the cross. Allow the Holy Spirit to control and direct your life, overcoming those patterns gratifying the flesh.

And you will become a true worshiper….the kind of worshiper the Father seeks.

I bless you

November 21: I No Longer Live

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

When someone crosses your path, is he exposed to your flesh patterns…or does he encounter the mind of the Holy Spirit?

When someone rubs you the wrong way, is she exposed to the self-love of your flesh nature…or does she encounter the love of Christ?

When someone falsely accuses you, is he confronted with condemnation…or does he encounter the peace of Christ?

“We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4 AMP).

I bless you to allow your daily flesh patterns be buried with Christ, so that you may develop new habits and patterns…the nature of Jesus Himself.

I bless you

November 22: He Will Lift You Up

“"HAS NOT MY HAND MADE ALL THESE THINGS, AND SO THEY CAME INTO BEING?" DECLARES THE LORD. "THIS IS THE ONE I ESTEEM: HE WHO IS HUMBLE AND CONTRITE IN SPIRIT, AND TREMBLES AT MY WORD "”
(Isaiah 66:2).

I bless you today if you are sorrowful because of your past…if you are conscience-stricken because of what you have done…if you are guilt-ridden because you had acted out of your pain.

I bless you to bring God your regretful heart. Surrender your remorseful spirit to Him. Offer God your guilt and shame.

May your Father speak to your heart and tell you, “You are the one I will save and sustain. You are the one I will guide and teach. You are the one I will lift up and cherish”.

“HUMBLE YOURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP”
(JAMES 4:10).

I bless you

November 23: Be Compassionate and Humble

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble”
(1 Peter 3:8).

I bless you to visualize that to be compassionate and humble means to have your flesh nature buried with Jesus, so that you may live a new life…to allow Jesus to live and behave through you.

Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]
(1 Corinthians 13:5).

I bless you not to insist on your own rights and your own way. Do not be self-seeking. Do not take account of the evil done to you. Know that these are the desires of the flesh nature.

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).

I bless you

November 24: Allow God to Initiate

“THEN JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, "IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME”
(Matthew 16: 24).

I bless you to exchange the cravings of your heart…for the desire of God’s heart.

I bless you to let God initiate your plans instead of you following the desires of your heart. Be encouraged that God’s plan always comes with moment-by-moment instructions.

I bless you to allow God to blaze the trail instead of you trying to kick the doors open. Be comforted that He prepares the way before He calls you to go on it.

I bless you to permit God to lay the foundation instead of you laying your own stones on your own footing. Be convinced that it is only the foundations built on Christ, the solid Rock, that will stand when the storms come.

“FOR WHOEVER WANTS TO SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR ME WILL FIND IT. WHAT GOOD WILL IT BE FOR A MAN IF HE GAINS THE WHOLE WORLD, YET FORFEITS HIS SOUL? (Matthew 16: 25-26)

I bless you

November 25: Protect Them from the Evil One

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one (John 17:15).

I bless you to understand that your problem is not with the world, but with the evil one.

I bless you to know that your problem is not with your circumstances…but with the evil one. Your circumstances might be hard, but the evil one will deem them impossible…unsolvable… unchangeable…hopeless.

I bless you to know that your problem is not with what people told you…but with what the evil one told you. What people tell you might be hard, but what the evil one tells you will tear your heart apart…“You do not belong here. You are a failure. You are alone.”

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”
(Psalm 91:9:16)

I bless you

November 26: Your Father’s Unlimited Resources

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit”
(Ephesians 3:14-16 NLT).

Be encouraged that your Father has glorious unlimited resources from which He is able to draw what you need.

If it is hope that you need....He has inexhaustible Hope with which to supply you if you are willing. If it is comfort that you need....He has immeasurable Comfort that can be yours if you would only ask. If it is wisdom that you need....He has unceasing Wisdom to give you whenever you ask for it. If you do not know what you need....He, as your Creator, knows what you need even before you ask. Celebrate that your Father has what you need....His resources are unlimited.

I bless you to believe that your Father’s storehouse of capability is limitless.

I bless you

November 27: Persist

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'” (Luke 18:1-3).

I bless you to keep coming to your Father with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary, the father-of-lies. Grant me hope for my hopelessness. Grant me freedom from the power of sin in my life.”

"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
(Luke 18:4-5).

I bless you to persist with your asking. Cling to your Father. Continue to pray. Be resolute. Persevere.

“And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’ ” (Luke 18:6-8).

And experience the justice your Father brings against your adversary, the father-of-lies. Encounter the Hope your Father brings against the hopelessness. Taste the freedom your Father offers from the power of sin in your life.

I bless you

November 28: Become a Representative of the Lord Jesus

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17).

I bless you to become a representative of the Lord Jesus.

I bless you to serve as a representative of the Lord Jesus, expressing His nature to your family… exhibiting His grace and forgiveness to your friends… painting a picture of His love and acceptance to strangers.

“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires…”
(Romans 8:5).

I bless you to understand that if you are still living according to your own understanding and thoughts, you cannot be a good representative of the Lord Jesus. If you are still being controlled by your own sinful habits and patterns, you will not be a good spokesperson for Jesus. If you still have your mind set on the things that gratify your flesh, you will not be a good mouthpiece for Jesus.

“but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires”
(Romans 8:5).

I bless you to become controlled by the Holy Spirit, surrendering your understanding to Him. Allow Him to exchange your sinful habits and patterns with His nature. Permit the Holy Spirit to set your mind on what He desires.

And you will become a good representative of the Lord Jesus.

I bless you