Each day we wake up and begin to let our minds focus on different things. It may be something that happened yesterday or further in the past. It may be something coming in the future.
But, yesterday is gone…and the future is not yet. We have TODAY!! We have this moment! What will we choose to focus on!
I choose JOY!! I choose to focus on the Giver of Joy! And as I focus on the Lord, HIS JOY will rise up and pour forth from me!! Thank You, Lord!
As I began to awaken this morning from a deep slumber, I felt this prayer rising up within me:
Give me Your eyes, Lord, that I may see.
Give me Your ears, Lord, that I may hear.
Give me Your mouth, Lord, that I may speak.
Give me Your hands, Lord, that I may do.
Give me Your feet, Lord, that I may go.
Give me Your heart, Lord, that I may love.
When I went to my Bible, I found that my spirit and heart were agreeing in prayer with what Jesus prayed for all believers:
May they all be one,
as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be one in Us,
so the world may believe You sent Me.
I have given them the glory You have given Me.
May they be one as We are one.
I am in them and You are in Me.
May they be made completely one,
so the world may know You have sent Me
and have loved them as You have loved Me.
John 17:21-23 (HCSB)
Sometimes we look at our lives and we ask God, “Why?”
We don’t understand why we are going through times of hurt; times of pain; times of weakness; times of warfare.
Beloved of God! The Lord is with us in and through it all! And not only is He with us…
But “…we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”. (Romans 8:28)
Be assured, precious ones, that no matter what you are going through…no matter how bad it may seem…the Lord loves you!!
What the enemy would use for your destruction – The Lord will use to strengthen you…to equip you…to help you to become more than a mighty conqueror!
This is His promise…this is His Truth! Believe it and declare it!
Last night I heard in my spirit…“INTREPID WARRIORS OF LOVE!”
I went to the dictionary and looked up intrepid. It means “resolutely fearless; dauntless.”
I looked up dauntless. It means “not to be intimidated”.
Ahhhhhh Beloved of God! May you be fearless and not intimidated by your circumstances!
I declare and decree over you this day:
You are INTREPID WARRIORS OF LOVE!! GO FORTH IN THE POWER AND LOVE OF ALMIGHTY GOD!! Amen!
Telling others we love them and teaching about God’s Love is important and needed in today’s world. But, even more important and more needed is to back up our words with actions that align with the Truth we speak.
The love that God calls us to is more than an emotional feeling. It is an expression of God’s love through action! How can we tell someone that is shivering from cold that we love them – without giving them a coat to wear? How can we tell someone that is hungry that we love them – without giving them something to eat?
Jesus taught us about the importance of our actions by saying, “…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
During this Christmas Season may we remember that one of the greatest gifts we can give someone is to show them our love through what we DO for them!
Actions speak louder than words! May we SHOUT God’s Love to the world by His Love manifesting through us through ACTION!
Sometimes we are thrown into times of feeling out of control. We find ourselves feeling depressed and unable to go forward.
It is during these times that we need to “talk to ourselves.” We need to speak God’s Word over our lives and our circumstances.
We need to look in the mirror and say, “Hope in God!!” May we choose to put our hope in the One who can change not only our lives, but change the world!!
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
(Psalm 43:5 ESV)
Lord, it doesn’t matter what season of the year it is — Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other special days that are set aside for special celebration — I simply want to praise You!
Lord, it doesn’t matter if everything is going my way, or if it seems like everything is going against me — I simply want to praise You!
Lord, it doesn’t matter if I am recognized for serving in ministry for You, or if I am hidden away and serving unnoticed — I simply want to praise You!!
You are my Joy, my Strength, my Purpose, my Destiny!! You are the reason I am able to meet each day with a feeling of holy expectation and promise!
Lord, may I praise You in word and in deed! May this new Church year be one that rises to meet YOUR expectation!! May we align ourselves with Your heart; Your truth; Your love; and Your will!!
I PRAISE YOU, LORD!!!
I have hummingbird feeders and bird feeders positioned strategically in my yard. This morning as I was on my porch, I thought, “I hear the birds; I see the birds; but they won’t come and feed from my bird feeders!”
On the heels of this thought, I heard the Lord in my Spirit say, “I hear My people; I see My people; but they won’t come to me and be strengthened and feed from My word and from My presence!“
The Lord has given us everything that we need to be shaped and molded into a vessel that He can use for His glory. He has given us everything that we need to grow – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
He has it available…but are we intentionally coming and receiving His life-giving Food? Are we drinking from His Living Water?
Hear the Lord today! He is calling you! COME!!
The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
(Psalm 145: 15-16 NASB)
Escalate means to increase in extent, intensity, or magnitude.
Yes, the enemy is intensifying his attack. The darkness is increasing. But we must remember what God tells us:
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. (Job 12:22)
We ARE to be the light of Christ in this world! When others are walking in fear and hate is streaming forth…we are to be the voice of faith…the voice of peace…the voice of love…the voice of power.
We must remind ourselves that 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)
Brothers and Sisters, it is a SPIRITUAL BATTLE!! We must not get our focus on the people…but on the source!
Put on the armor of Christ…focus on the true enemy…and declare the LORD’S will upon the land!! It is time to BE the Church of the Living God and ENFORCE the VICTORY that has already been won through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!!
There will be challenging days ahead in our country and in nations around the world. We must position ourselves to be “mighty oaks of righteousness” that spread our canopy above the land!
Do not despair…do not doubt…do not fear…
The LORD will march out like a champion, like a warrior He will stir up his zeal; with a shout He will raise the battle cry and will triumph over His enemies. (Isaiah 42:13)
HALLELUJAH!!!
We can’t go where we can’t see.
I believe that the Lord is calling us to go places in the coming days where we may never have gone before. But, it is so easy to think that we can’t “go there” because we can’t “see” ourselves in that position or place. And the enemy would love for us to continue to not see and to be in the “dark.”
Satan will use everything he can to stop us from being all that God is calling us to be. He will encourage us to look at things as they are in the “natural” and to put our focus on physical circumstances. He doesn’t want us to have “spiritual vision” to see things as they REALLY are!!
I am reminded of the Scripure 2 Kings 6:15-17:
Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And this servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
In the natural, they seemed to be outnumbered by the enemy…BUT, spiritually they had more than enough to conquer the enemy!! What is your “enemy” today? Does it seem that there is no way out? Does it seem that everything is going against you? Does it seem that circumstances are beyond your control?
I would say to you that where it seems that there is no way…spiritually, God has already provided a way!! His reality is different from our human reality. His vision is different from our physical vision.
How we “see” ourselves is sometimes very different from how the Lord sees us! And where the Lord is calling us to go is sometimes very different from where we are now. Like Elisha, I pray:
Oh LORD, open their eyes that they may see!
Beloved of God…what do you see?
Father God, as I quietly lay upon my bed
my thoughts turn towards You.
I am thankful that You are in my life.
I love being able to talk to You.
I love to quietly listen and wait
for You to reveal more of Yourself to me.
Each day gives me another glimpse
of Your glory; of Your love;
of Your faithfulness.
Thank You, LORD.
With love from Your daughter,
Tina
