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Preparation Reinforces Your Authority
Preparation reinforces authority in you. We have to let that marinate for a minute. We’re going to dissect this truism more, and by doing so give our prayer lives a very necessary and bountiful boost. To begin, it’s necessary to state a perhaps basic but important truth. It is the reality that everyone is not…
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After the Fall
God tells us in 1Corinthians 4:20 (NLT), “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” Heavenly Father has to remind us of a few things in His Word, because sometimes we allow life to get in the way. We forget that He’s given us access…
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The Source of Our Strength
2 Chronicles 16:9(NLT) tells us, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” This scripture in the Old Testament speaks to the vacillating hearts of men and women when it comes to their commitment to God. King Asa was the third King…
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Thank You for Victory Over Temptation
Dear Heavenly Father, Now more than ever, we are being bombarded with temptations, but You have not left us defenseless, and You tell us in Your Word how to handle things. We learn in James 4:7-8(NLT) “7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to…
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No Point in the Look-Back
I was going through some of my old emails over the weekend and came across a few that made me chuckle and reminisce about the old days. In one of them, a classmate had forwarded a picture he kept from our high school days. Here it is, over twenty-five years later, and he still has…
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Watch out for Mind and Body Manipulation
In 1Corinthians 6:12(NLT), through the Apostle Paul the Lord tells us, “You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.” It’s clear in this verse that, as it pertains to how we live…
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Help Us Bless Your Kingdom
Dear Heavenly Father, As Your children, it’s our privilege and responsibility to be the salt of the earth. It’s our job to season it with Your love and goodness by spreading Your Word; for Your Word is excellent seed and will harvest good fruit. There’s no reason why our lives shouldn’t be overflowing with blessings,…
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Opening The Floodgates Of Blessings
God’s motivation for being in your life is to see you blessed. It is for you to live the fullest, grandest, and most fulfilling life of which you’re capable. This is the truth that must frame your entire existence. It is the lens from which you must view both your triumphs and mistakes. There is…
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Return to Sender!
If you were to receive a letter or package in the mail that doesn’t belong to you, normally, the postal service will allow you to write “return to sender” on it; they will return it to the original sender at no cost. This is an antidote for life. When it comes to receiving anything that…
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The Big Shake-Up!
If there’s one thing that this environment of change and chaos has taught us, it is that we need God’s peace and love more than ever. From the outside looking in, it’s appears as though things are unraveling at an alarming rate, but the Christian can take confidence in John 15:1(NLT), where Jesus Christ teaches,…
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I Am Not Ashamed of The Gospel
Dear Heavenly Father, The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16 (NLT), “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” It is sad, Heavenly Father, that Paul wrote this thousands of years ago, at a…
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Pray with Vision
There are occasions in God’s Word where precious spiritual outpourings are shut up for a season and cease to flow into this earthly realm. When the door is opened and they begin to flow again, those in receipt of the outpouring, having gone so long without it, are better able to appreciate the blessing. 1Samuel…
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God Makes Everything Work Out
Dear Heavenly Father, I’ve learned in my walk with You that nothing works out if I try to do things my own way. Through choices about relationships, friendships, school, and those affecting family members, I’ve learned that if I stick with what Your Word says, things will work out. This is not always an easy…
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A Woman with Standards
Proverbs 31:10(NLT) says, “A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.” We might be tempted to overlook this jewel because so much has changed in modern times, but then again, so much has remained the same. It should never be lost on us that men are just as concerned about…
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Be Ready for What God Has in Store
The wonderful passage in Proverbs 3:5-6(NKJV) tells us, “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” I’m sure every Christian will agree that this is especially meaningful given the current time in which we…
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Desire Is What You Need
Isaiah 57:10 (NLT) “You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength and you did not grow weary.” How many Christians do you know today that are tired of life and are constantly feeling like there’s no good left in the world? I know quite a few of…
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Right Shoe, Wrong Fit
They’ve got videos now that supposedly teach you how to walk in five and six inch heels. Every time I hear about one of them, I chuckle to myself. Used to be that I could cut a stride with the best of ‘em back in the day, but now…what? Staying vertical is extremely important, and…
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Humility When a Kindness is Unappreciated
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for blessing me to learn another spiritual lesson. I’m very grateful that You’ve taught me how important it is that we give and pour into the lives of others. It keeps us thriving in a positive cycle, but sometimes our giving isn’t received in the way we hope. This week,…
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He Will Do the Rest
A couple of weeks ago, I was coming out of the grocery store on the way to my car when a homeless man approached me and asked if I could give him anything to get food. Like most folks, I’m extremely careful whenever I’m approached, but it was in a well-lit area, lots of folks…
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Foolish Decisions that Look Smart
“Common sense is not so common.” I chuckle to myself every time I hear this wise old saying. There is so much truth in those words. Common sense is the good sound judgment that is presumed most people will possess. Each of us come to the table with our own uniqueness, and our brains might…
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Elevation, Progression, and Promotion
Dear Heavenly Father, In Psalm 51:10(NKJV), the psalmist, King David, cried out to You, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” This verse resonates so deeply in my heart. I haven’t experienced the weight of responsibility and danger that David did, but I believe my desire to…
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The Game of Life
There aren’t too many people that start off playing a game with losing in mind. Most of us play because it’s pleasurable, and the cherry on top is the win. Well, life is serious business, but there’s no mistaking it, it’s a contest and we very definitely have an opponent. The name of this game…
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Down on One Knee
When a man decides to go down on one knee and ask a woman to be his wife, it means he’s seen something within her that has touched his heart profoundly. He’s determined that his search is over, because he’s discovered in her what could not be found in others. This is a choice that…
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Ouch…This Hurts Too Much
From sun up to sun down, you can tell a person all day long that you love them, but if your actions don’t prove your love, it will be difficult for them to believe what you say. I had an up close and personal view of this when I saw my friend, Josh, the other…
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Our God is Awesome and Amazing!
Newness is indeed upon us, this cannot be doubted. Lamentations 3:22-23(NLT) reminds us, “22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” These verses should ignite excitement in us every day. We ought to be enthused about what the Lord…
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Training in Godliness
Like many others, I have been glued to the television watching athletes from around the world compete for the gold in the Olympics. I happened to see a segment the other day on what it takes to be an Olympian. Three female athletes were interviewed. They explained the grueling, yet rewarding, preparation and training for…
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God’s Contagious, Ever-Abiding Love
I’m sure you’ve heard people make the statement, “You can’t help who you love” or “The heart does what it wants to do.” It’s true that the heart can be untamed in its desires, but God has given us something called free-will. He has also given us the responsibility to exercise the gift of free-will…
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Thank You for the Gift of Free-Will
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving Your children the gift of free-will choice. What a wonderful and unselfish gift, and by giving it to us You’re saying, “I want my children to be happy. That’s why I’m giving them My Word. It contains all the information they will ever need to live a righteous…
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Endure Out of Rest
There are periods within our Christian journey where things run rather smoothly. We’ll notice that this is particularly true after we’ve received a spiritual promotion. When we’ve graduated from one spiritual level to the next, it is almost always connected to learning what God has ordained us to learn,…
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Not Mine, But Your Will Be Done!
Whether we witness it now or later, there will soon come a time in all our lives when we’ll face a crucial decision. It will either solidify the foundation on which the rest of our lives will be firmly anchored in Christ, or it will send us spiraling down into the camouflaged darkness that the…