Archived Daily Devotionals

Scripture:
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Saints,
Yesterday, I issued a faith challenge. The first part of the challenge was to turn our problems over to the Lord and not to speak of our problems again. Once we have turned our problems over to God, we are to let him handle them.

Today's faith challenge is to begin to thank God for handling those same problems we were worrying about yesterday. Now I am not saying that our problems with suddenly disappear because we said we left it at the alter. But what I am saying is that we have to BELIEVE that Gods got it! Now that's what we call faith.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Jesus once said, "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. He told the woman with he issue of blood, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. And then he told the one Samaritan whom he had healed from leprosy, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." There are many more examples in the bible of how FAITH was the answer to the problem.
We go to God in prayer so that he will answer when we cry out to him. We seek him, so that we will be delivered, be healed, be blessed, be over comers. There is power in the tongue. There is healing in the tongue. There is deliverance, in the tongue.

There is a song that Shirley Caesar sings called "We Praise You Lord". In it she says, "You've been telling God all about your problems, start telling your problems about your God!” So today's faith challenge it to Praise him, thank him, stand on his word and his promise. He's got this one!

Be Blessed

Prayer:
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. We Praise You Lord, from the rising of the sun, until the going down of the same. We Love You Lord. Lord, I thank You for my victories. I thank You Lord, because the victory is already mine. It was given to my by Your son, Jesus Christ. Lord, I am learning to be still and letting You fight my battles for me. I know Lord, that I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me. I know there is power in the Precious name of Jesus. We call on the name of Jesus. We invoke his power and his presence in our lives and in our hearts today. Bless the name of the Lord. Thank You Lord, my blessings and my breakthroughs today. Thank You Lord, for loving me in spite of me. We enter into Your gates with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. Thank You Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Scripture:
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

Saints,
Periodically I have an epiphany about God's word. Epiphany means; A sudden manifestation of the meaning or essence of something. Recently, as I sat listening to my pastor preach, I had one about my level of faith.

You see, Pastor Smith has starting preaching/teaching a series on "Be Encouraged.” Yesterday he spoke from the book of Exodus Chapter 14 verse 14. "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Now how many times have we all heard this message? If we would just learn to be obedient and be still, the Lord, our God, will fight our battles for us. In essence, if we would turn our problems over to God and LEAVE them with God, he will handle it.

Now even though, I know this word from God and have learned so much more, I don't always adhere to it. You see, we go before God in prayer everyday to talk to him and tell him all about our problems. We ask God to help us and then we continue to worry about the same old problems all over again.

We go before the alter of sacrificing and place our cares and concerns there for God to take them from us and then, when we finish praying, we start worrying about the same old things all over again. Taking the same old problems away with us.

That day when I got home from church, I issued a faith challenge to myself. I went before the alter and pledged to God that I would not speak anything negative about my situation this week. Sounds easy doesn't it? Well, it may not be as easy as it sounds.

You see, I know that saying you are going to do something and then making it happen, isn't always easy. In order to leave my troubles and problems with the Lord, I have to commit to not taking them back from him. I can start by not speaking them into existence. This is part one of my faith challenge. Will you join me today?

Prayer:
Lord, we come before the throne of grace this day, to thank You for Your word. Lord, You are my rock and my strength. I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me. Lord, I come before You this morning to place my all on the alter. Lord, we know that You are our Alpha and Omega, our beginning and our end. We know that You can do anything but fail. Lord, we come standing on Your word and Your promise. The promise of everlasting life through Christ Jesus, my redeemer. Father, You have said there is power in the tongue. The power of life and death. We speak life into our situations. We thank You Lord, for keeping us in perfect peace. You speak to the storms in our lives, Peace Be Still. You wipe away our tears and heartaches. Thank You Lord. Father, we surrender all to You today and we will walk away knowing that all things are in Your hands. Thank Lord. We praise, uplift and exalt Your name. Praise be to God, for he is worthy of all honor, praise and glory. Amen.

Scripture:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28

Saints, what is it that you want from God? Do you ever really stop and think about what would make you happy? Is it money, prestige, health? What is it? Is it a better job? A better mate?

Sometimes, we feel as though that something may be missing in our lives and wonder that if things were different, we would be better off. Sometimes, we think if we had certain things, our lives would be much easier.

I come this morning to let you know that all you really need is God. My God God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. All we really need to do is learn that we can find what we truly need by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Everything else will come.

Be Blessed

PRAYER:
I humble myself under Your mighty hand that in due time You may exalt me. I cast the whole of my cares, all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns, once and for all on You. You care for me affectionately and care about me watchfully. You sustain me. You will never allow the consistently righteous to be moved made to slip, fall, or fail! I resist the temptation to be anxious about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving continue to make my wants and the wants of others known to God. Whatever I ask for in prayer, I believe that it is granted to me, and I will receive it. Amen.

Scripture:
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you. Deuteronomy 12:7

Saints of God, how many of your realize that you are blessed, even in the midst of your trials and tribulations. How many of you realize that it is only because of his grace and mercy that we are still standing.

So often, we feel as though God doesn't always hear our prayers. Or, doesn't answer our prayers in the time or in the way we want him to. One thing that I have come to realize is that we go through many of the things that we do for our own spiritual development and for his edification.

So remember, even when it seems as though God may not be listening to you or answering you in your time, He is listening. Like the elders say, "He may not come when you want him, but he's always right on time.

He will show up and show out! If you let him.

Be Blessed

PRAYER:
Father God, we come this morning just to say thank You. Thank You Lord for blessing us in spite of us. Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness’. Thank You Lord, for fresh grace and mercy. Lord, we know that there is nothing that we could ever do to deserve Your favor, but You favor us anyhow. Thank You. Yesterday, we may have sinned and yet, You still forgave us when we asked. Thank You. Yesterday we may have done or said something that was not pleasing to You. But You still overlooked our faults and didn't give up on us. Thank You Lord. Today we ask that You would guide and direct us in all that we do and say. We ask that You would help us to keep You at the forefront of our lives. We Love You because You first loved us. We come humbling ourselves before You and uplifting and exalting Your Holy Name. We thank You for the death and resurrection of Your son, Jesus the Christ, in whose name we pray. Hallelujah, Glory to god. Amen.

Scripture:
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Saints of God, how many people know that you are a Christian? and if they know, is it because you have told them or do they see it in the way you walk, talk and act? Now I know this doesn't apply to any of you (wink), but how many of you have heard someone praise God one moment than turn around and curse at someone in the next. Or they have such a nasty attitude that everyone avoids them. They are rude and antisocial one moment and the next moment you see them reading their bibles.

If in fact you really are a Christian, you shouldn’t have to tell people. There should be a light in you that shines through that lets others know to whom you belong. You don't have to wear a sign on your back, you don't have to go around saying praise God; all day long, you don't have other symbols to tell the world that you have been saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the God that lives in you, that lets the world know.

Be Blessed

PRAYER:
My Father, My Lord, My Savior. We who have been reconciled into Your kingdom by the saving grace of Christ Jesus, come before You this morning with praises and thanksgiving on our tongues. Lord, we come honoring You this morning for the gift of fresh grace and mercy. Lord, You blessed me and kept me once again and I say thank You. Father, we come before You this morning asking that You would magnify Your power and Your presence in our lives. Lord, we know that we don't always do right in Your eyes, but we thank You for forgiveness. We realize and recognize that sometimes we don't always act Christ like. Lord, we come asking that Your light that shines within us would be magnified so that others may see it and seek after it in the same way we did. Lord, we ask that You would continue to bless our loved ones, our family members and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Someone needs a miracle today, so we come claiming a miracle for someone else today, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture:

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30

Today I want to talk about standing in the gap for someone else. Sometimes things happen in life that for whatever reason, we cannot handle on our own. We have to call on others to stand in our stead or stand in the gap on our behalf.

James 5:14 says; Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. There are times when even your pastor or church leader will say; Pray for me.

Even with the prayer list that I do everyday, it is because our brothers and sisters realize that they need help in praying with or for someone or a situation. Our word for the day says that the Lord looked around at a corrupt world. He saw how neighbor treated neighbor and was not pleased. He looked for someone to stand up for his brothers and sisters and couldn't find any. He saw how those who had mistreated those who had not. He became angry at what he saw and because he couldn't find anyone to stand up for the people and all the wrong they had done he would pour out his wrath and consume the people with his fiery anger for all the wrong they had done.

But you know what? Today we have someone who stands in the gap for us even when we are wrong. He is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We who are in the body of Christ know and realize that we are not in this thing alone. We have fresh grace and mercy because Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead, so that he would always be there to stand in the gap for sinners like you and me. Thank God for The One who stands for you and for me!

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Lord, we come this morning to thank You for loving us enough that You sacrificed Your only begotten son who stands in the gap and intercedes on our behalf. We thank You for the gift of eternal life that has been given to us through the shedding of his blood. Thank You Lord, for the only perfect gift, Your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Scripture:
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. Romans 1:11-12

Saints, how many times have you been in a situation and just wanted to give up? How often have you been on a mission or had a set goal but wanted to call it quits before you got there? Have you ever gotten mad at God because it seems as though he doesn't hear your prayers?

For the past couple of years, I have noticed that more and more saints are going through some trying times. Financially, the situations are so bad that people aren't trying to get ahead; they are just trying to catch up. There have been several couples that I know of who have divorced after being married for over twenty-years.

Finding a full-time job that pays a decent wage is almost impossible if you don't already have one. I know that personally, even with over twenty-years of experience, and all of my credentials, I still haven't found a full-time permanent position.

Then we see death and destruction all around us. Man-made and Natural disasters. Here in Detroit, we have the distinction of being #1. We are number one in unemployment and now we have been ranked as the poorest city in America.

Discouraging, isn't it? But there is one thing that God wants of you. That is to be and stay encouraged. Since the beginning of time, God's people have been faced with adversities after adversities. Death and destruction. Persecution, war and famine aren't things that are new to the body of Christ.

Having, Keeping and maintaining your faith through it all is what God wants for us. We must always remember, this is not God's world. He has a better place for us. A place where there is no death and destruction. No famine. We don't have to worry about bills or anything else for that matter.

Remember, be encouraged, trouble don't last always.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, when we awakened this morning, we realized just how blessed we were. We were able to open our eyes in a warm bed, with a roof over our heads and food in our cupboards. We were not cold and hungry as are the multitudes who have lost homes, jobs and loved ones because of the devastation that has his our southern states. Lord, sometimes it takes a disastrous situation for us to realize just how blessed we are. For even in the midst of our trials and tribulations, we must always remember, that You kept us safe from all hurt, harm and danger last night. Thank You. Someone didn't wake up this morning, but we did. Thank You. Someone doesn't know where their loved one are, but we do. Thank You. Lord, You have said that many are the afflictions of the righteous. We don't claim to be righteous, but we are always striving to be all that You want us to be. Lord, thank You. Father, touch the hearts and minds of Your saints. May we always be there to encourage, love and support one another Just as You and Your Word encourages and supports us. Thank You Lord for loving me. Thank You Lord for keeping me. Thank You Lord for blessing me. But most of all, thank You Lord, for Your Son, Christ the King, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Scripture:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Saints of God, do you praise him enough? I mean, do you praise God only when things are going well? Do you even praise him then?

So often in our daily prayers, we tend to only want to ask God for things. Forgive us, help us, bless us. If we praise him, it is usually just a component of our prayers. (the seven parts to prayer: adoration, praise, thanksgiving, confession, oblation, intercession, and petition. The number and order will vary, depending on your church doctrine.)

But the bottom line is this, do you praise him anyhow? Do you praise him in the valley? Do you praise him even when the bills are do and the bill collectors are ringing? Do you praise him even when you don't feel well, or adversity is on any hand?

Something that I started doing many years ago as a part of my prayer life is dedicate my morning prayer strictly to praise and thanksgiving. I try to keep that first prayer of the day devoted strictly to God alone. I find that if I start my day by blessing him, it blesses me. For the most part, it keeps me from thinking about the negative and focusing on the positive. Now this may not work for everyone, but try it! He blesses us; now let's bless him with praise and thanksgiving.

Prayer:
Our Father, our Lord, our rock and our salvation. Great Jehovah, we come giving You all honor, praise and glory. Lord, You who are known by many names, Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will provide, Jehovah-rapha, the Lord who heals, Jehovah-nissi, the Lord our banner, no matter what name we choose, You are still El Elyon, the most high God. Father, we come lifting up Your name. We bless Your name Lord and give thanks to You alone. Father, we thank You for waking us this morning. We thank You for our daily bread. We thank You Lord, for family, friends, and fellowship. We thank You Lord for Your word. Your word, that blesses. Your word that comforts. Your word, that heals. We come lifting up holy hands in total submission to You. We come humbling our selves before You Lord. Holy, Holy, Holy. We worship You Lord. We Praise You Lord. We Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah, glory, glory, glory, hallelujah. Amen

Scripture:
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Saints, how many of you have been blessed by God? Do you ever have pause to stop and look around and just start thanking God for everything he has done for you? Or are you constantly complaining about what you don't have and what God hasn't done for you?

It is just about this time of year that we must start reflecting on just how much God has done for us. You may not be totally satisfied with your circumstances, but trust me, no matter how bad things may seem, they could always be a lot worst.

I see the homeless and thank God that I have a home. I see those who have lost their minds and I thank God for keeping me in my right mind. I may not have a husband, but I thank God that I don't have a husband who beats me just because he had a bad day. I may not be rich with earthly possessions, but I am rich with family and friends. I am rich in the things that matter most.

He keeps me each and every day. He protects me and my sons from all hurt harm and danger. Even when I feel that I am failing and maybe I could have done better with my life, he lets me know, daughter, it is well.

And do you know what he requires in return? All that he requires is that we remain faithful to him and tell others of his grace and mercy. All that he requires is that we accept Christ Jesus as our personal Savior. All that he requires is that we hold on to his unchanging hand. All that he requires is for us to trust in him.

That is such a small price to pay when we realize how much GOD has already given us. Ain't that Good News!

Prayer:
Father, we come before You with humble hearts and minds thanking You for all You have done for us. We thank You for the simple things. We that You for the things that we so often take for granted. Lord, forgive me when I complain. Help me to remember always, how much I am blessed. Lord, bless the homeless and keep them warm. Touch the minds of those who have gotten lost in a world we cannot understand. Bless that family that lives in fear and deliver them into an environment that is safe and full of Your love. Bless those whose circumstances seem hopeless. Restore hope, love, joy, peace, and prosperity to those who have been robbed by satan. Father, we ask that food would be provided to those who hunger. That warm clothes would be provided to those who have neither a roof nor a place to call home. Keep our children, our future safe from all hurt, harm, and danger. May we always walk humbly by Your side and give You all thanks, honor, praise, and glory. Lord, we love You. We adore You. We will sing songs of praise all the daylong. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Scripture:
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope (faith) is in the Lord his God. Psalm 146:5

Saints, how often to you say; I hope that I get; I hope I can; I hope that happens? Now, how often do you say I have faith that I will get; I have faith that I will; I have faith that this will happen?

Too often we believe that if we hope hard enough for something that it will come to pass. God's word says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. If ye have the faith of a mustard seed and say to the mountain, be ye removed......

Saints, if you believe that God can do anything but fail. If you believe he is that he says he is. If you believe that you have been given all power through Christ Jesus, then learn to move from hope and into faith.

Faith means being grasped by a power that is greater than we are, a power that shakes us and turns us, and transforms and heals us. Surrender to the power of faith. ~ Paul Tillich

Prayer:
Thank You Jesus, that faith is not an emotion that I need to work up inside of me. Instead, it is a gift You give to me as I commit myself to You. Help each of us to grow in faith. Father, sometimes we become discouraged because things do not happen the way we hoped that they would. Help us to learn to be patient and not count on hope but to stand on our faith and know that in Your time, the things that You want for our lives will come to pass. Father, You have said that if we have the faith of a mustard seed and say to that mountain, that thing that stand in our way, be it sickness, poverty, bills, wayward children, cheating spouses, it will be cast into the sea. Father, we come believing that You will grant us the desires of our hearts according to thy tender mercies and through the blood of Jesus Christ, in whom’s name we pray. Amen.

Scripture:
all ate the same spiritual food,and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:3-4

Have you ever been hungry and craved something but didn't know what it was you craved? Have you ever been thirsty and didn't know what you wanted to drink? Have you ever felt like there was something missing in your life but couldn't quite put your finger on it? I know that from time to time, I have.

On television, we see many commercials that try to tell us what we crave. White Castles, "What you crave"; Big Macs, "Mac Attack"; Sprite; "Obey Your Thirst," and the list goes on and on.

At some point in their lives, everybody craves something. Unfortunately, everything that we crave isn't always good for us. For example, I am a cigarette smoker and I crave nicotine. The alcoholic craves liquor; the drug addict will try to satisfy his craving for drugs. Again, this list is too long to name all of the negative cravings that some of us have.

The word of God tells us to crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in our salvation. It tells us of the bread of God; for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." The word of God tells us whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Now thats the kind of meal that I want!

Prayer:
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Lord, we come before the throne of Grace this morning hungering and thirsting after Your word. Let us feast this day on the bread of life and drink from the fountain that never runs dry. Thank You Father for providing all of my needs. Lord, that You for blessing me even when I am ungrateful. Thank You for keeping me, my family, friends and loved ones safe from all hurt, harm and danger. But most of all; thank You for Your son, Jesus Christ, in his name we pray. Amen.

Scripture:
for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." Luke 12:12

Have any of you ever been compelled to speak a word to someone. Anyone. Even a total stranger? Has anyone ever spoken a word to you? Saints, I know that God speaks to me. Most people have are under the misconception that when God speaks to you, it must me in a big booming voice. Not true. God often speaks to us through others. I am not saying that he doesn't speak to us directly, but often times most don't hear him because of outside interferences. He will use whomever he can to deliver his messages. I am sure that many of you have received a word that was needed in these daily messages. When you are a child of the most High King, he will get his message to you by any means necessary. All we have to do is listen.

Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven. We come to You this morning seeking a word from You. Speak to our hearts Holy Spirit. Fill us with the living water. Use us this day to speak to the hearts of others. Father, You hasted Your word to perform it. As a disciple of Christ, taught of You, Lord, and obedient to Your will. Thank You for giving us wisdom and revelation, quickening us to Your word. Thank You Lord that we enjoy fellowship with one another and most of all with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May the words we speak this day be a comforter to someone in need today. Father we come standing in the gap this morning on behalf of our fellow saints who are in need this morning. Touch, Bless, Comfort and strengthen those this morning who have asked and those who have need. Father we love You, We Praise You, We exalt You. Amen, Amen, Praise God. Amen.

Scripture: For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Saints, how many of you wear glasses or contacts? I do. If you are anything like me, I have from time to time lost my glasses or broken them. When this happens, I have a hard time seeing things clearly.
Today I want to talk to you about putting on your spiritual glasses. You see, sometimes when we look at life we see things as they appear to be. We may see insurmountable mountains. We may see unconquerable circumstances. We may not see a way out of bondage.

Putting on your spiritual glasses is a way of looking at things through the eyes of Jesus. It is a way of allowing God to take over and make a way out of no way. It is a way of seeing things more clearly. Seeing things not in the natural, but in the super-natural.

Putting on your spiritual glasses allows you to let go and let God lead the way. Putting on your spiritual glasses blinds you to the things of this world and it opens up a whole new view for you to see. Gods way. Gods world. Gods plan for you.

Saints, today pick up those glasses, put them on and learn a whole new way of looking at things. Trust in the Lord and know that he will lead you down the right path.

Prayer:
Lord, I once was blind but now I see. We come this morning as the blind did in days of old. Asking Lord, that you would restore our sight. Help us Lord to find the path that you have chosen for us. Help us Lord, to develop greater faith. Help us Lord, to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. Father, we come surrendering our lives to you. Help us to learn to lean on you. Help us Lord to learn that its not always, about what we see but truly, about what you are teaching us. Teach us Lord to lean upon you. To depend upon you and not the things of this world. Father, we come standing in the gap for our Sister Rhonda. Heal her lord and make her hospital stay a short one. We come standing in the gap for Edith. Father, touch her Lord, and in doing so, cast out the cells in her blood that are causing her distress. Keep all of your saints safe and secure this day. Continue to be with our troops during the time of tribulation. Bless us Lord. Keep us Lord. Restore our sight once again. So that we may lift our eyes towards heaven and see your divine vision for us. Father, we come praising and uplifting your name once again. As we ask and pray this and all things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 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? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. Romans 6:15-17

Saints, how many of you have ever gone through an addiction? Exactly, what is addiction? I found a few interesting definitions I want to share with you.

1. Being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming. 2. An abnormally strong craving. 3. (Roman Law) a formal award by a court sentence of a thing or a person to another (as of a debtor to his creditor).

Now, personally I found all three definitions to be of great interest. Especially, number 3, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I started smoking when I was about 16. It was the cool thing to do. Now here I am, 30 years later, and I am still smoking. Not because it is the cool thing to do, but because I am physically addicted.

Now some people who have never gone through a physical addiction would say, just quit. But it's not that easy. My body and my emotions start going through some things. Without going through every detail, ultimately my body says, no, don't give it up because we need it in order to feel normal.

Well sin is like smoking. Some sins started out as the cool thing to do. "Everybody else is doing it, it must be okay." Every smoker knows that smoking is bad for you and can lead to serious health problems or even death. There are even warnings on each and every pack of cigarettes.

Unfortunately, there is not a warning on every sin. But there is the bible. The Bible is like the "Surgeon General's Warning" "Quitting sin now greatly reduces the risk of serious spiritual problems"

Prayer:
Lord, I am a sinner. I have not always done what You have said. I ask Father that You would help me to overcome my addiction(s) whatever it may be. Strengthen me Lord, so that I would not give in to the cravings. Calm my spirit and my soul so that I may not use my addiction as an excuse. Help me Lord to realize and recognize that Satan is using my addiction to keep me from You. Lord, I ask that in all that I do and in all that happens, let me never lose hope. Strengthen my faith O'Lord. Let me never think that the things that I do in Your name have been done in vain. Whatever the day may bring, let me trust that You are with me. Whatever path You have chosen for my life, let me follow it without fear. Whatever Satan may bring my way; I shall rebuke it and send it back to him with all authority that has been given to me through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father, let me not forget my brothers and sisters whom I pray for with all earnestly. Lord, as we are faced with new Leadership, new Laws, and new regulations, let us not forget Your word which is still the blueprint for us to live more righteously. Lord, I love and praise You. Thank You Lord for my breakthroughs and victories. As I ask and pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture:
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

Saints, have you been anxious about anything? Have you been worried about anything? Are you stressing about anything? I know I have been.

You see, there are things in life that make you anxious. Winter is here and we become anxious about paying the gas bill. Some of our cars are old and we become anxious when they don't want to start in the mornings. The holidays are coming up which means you have to plan for things and your money may not be quite right.

Personally, I took on a major project and I don't know if I can pull it off in the time allowed. I'm behind in paying all of my bills and then to top it all off, I agreed to teach a seminar on virtuous women at somebody elses church! Lord give me strength!

When I become anxious and start stressing, I turn to the word of God. When I got up this morning, I didn't even know that I would have to write today's message and I had been carrying around my anxiety since last Friday. I always ask God to give me a word that will bless someone else when I write these messages, but you know what? They always wind up blessing me too!

God said, be anxious for nothing! He is near. All we have to do is come before for the throne of grace and tell him what we want! Keep our hearts and minds IN Christ Jesus and HE will give us the peace and reassurance we are seeking!

So I have to ask, why ya stressing? He's Got This one!

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. We come asking Lord, for peace that passes all understanding. We come asking for strength to stand in the face of adversity. But most of all, we come asking with humbled hearts and minds, that You would hear our prayers and our petitions. Master, we need You to speak to the winds of adversity that are blowing against us, peace be still. We come asking that You hold on to our hands and the storms of life toss us about. We come asking that You would hide us under the wings of Your salvation as the roaring lions draws near in an effort to devour us. Father, I come asking for an extra portion of Your grace and mercy for the saints listed below. Lord, cover them in the blood and speak to their storms. Strengthen them so that they may stand. Keep them safe from all hurt, harm and danger. Lord, we ask that You would keep all of our families, friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters in perfect peace this and everyday. Bless us right now in the name of Jesus. Our prayers are not complete until we let You know just how much we love You. Our prayers on not complete until we sing songs of praise to You alone. Lord, we lift Your name on high, we give You all of our love, all of our praise and sing songs of praise all the day long. Thank You Lord for one more day. Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, Praise God thank You Jesus, Amen.

Scripture:
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:11-13

When each of us gets up in the morning, we usually have a certain routine that we follow as we prepare for the day. I for example, get up and head downstairs to turn on my coffee pot. (Got to have my morning java). I then head to the bathroom to do my grooming, grab a cup of coffee, head back upstairs, take my rollers out and get dressed.

Now very seldom does that particular routine change. Being a woman there are certain things that I will put on. I usually have picked out what I am going to wear the night before so I already know what that is as I prepare for my day.

Now you ask, okay, we know that Jackie is a praying sister, so when does she take the time to pray? I pray in my car on my way to work each morning. I pray when I get to my office before I sit down and start my day. I pray before I start writing these messages.

But lately I have found myself forgetting to pray about something that is very important and I realized that maybe, just maybe the enemy realizes it too. As I get dressed each day, I have forgotten to put on my armor.

You see, in the middle ages the solders, or knights, as they were called, always prepared themselves for battle. The armor was a way of protecting themselves against attacks from the enemy. As they prepared to go out and fight, they would never ever dream of not putting on certain items. The protective clothing (covering) or armor.

having girded (fortify) your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate (protects your ribcage & heart) of righteousness, and having shod (footwear) your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword (God's weapon of choice) of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints...."
Saints, even though we know that this is a spiritual battle that the Lord will fight for us, we must still be prepared. We must still arm ourselves with our spiritual weapons because we never know when the enemy might attack us. So Saints of God each morning as you prepare for your day, ALWAYS put on the whole armor, not your a piece here and there, but the whole armor of God.

Prayer:
I will trust in the Lord with all that I am. I will let go and let God be in control this day. I will surrender my all to him alone. Emanuel, Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords. You are known by many names but we know that You are the great I Am. Father God, thank You for keeping us once again. Thank You Lord for watching over us and our loved ones. Thank You Lord for the Blood that was shed so that each of us could enter into Your kingdom. Father God, we come before the throne of grace prepared to stand and fight against he who seeks to steal, kill and destroy us. We stand before You prepared to stand and fight the good fight of faith another day. Lord, we know that our fight is not that of flesh and blood, but a spiritual battle that You fight on our behalf each and everyday. Thank You Father for loving me that much. Lord, we pray Your for Your hedge of protection, we plead the Blood of Jesus, We submit our will to Yours as we let go and let You be in control. Bless You name Lord. Thank You Lord. Hallelujah Lord. Amen.

Scripture:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7

Saints, have you ever been in a situation and didn't know how you could get out of it but you did? Have you ever worried about something and it seemed to work itself out? Or have you suddenly gotten the urge to pray for someone you knew? You didn't know why but there is a sense of urgency to just stop and pray for someone or something? Often times God calls to our attention the needs of others and prompts us to intercede and stand in the gap for our loved ones. We must come to the realization just how powerful prayer really can be. When we go before the throne with a humble heart and with all sincerity, God can and does answer prayer.

Prayer:
Father we come before the throne of grace with a humble and sincere heart. We come not only on our own behalf, but on behalf of our loved ones, family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. Father God, we don't know what the needs of those that we pray for are, but we know that You know. So father, all we can do is ask that You touch, bless, and anoint those who we are praying for today. Grant them the desires of their heart, according to Your will and tender mercies. Where there is weakness, we ask for strength. Where there is sorrow, we ask for joy. Where there is sickness, we ask for healing. Where there is a lack of faith, we call on the Holy Spirit to magnify it's presence where it is needed Keep all of Your Saints safe, secure, and strong, in Your loving arms. We love You Lord, we thank You for the blessings that will be received this day. As we pray in the most Holy Name of Your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Be Blessed

Scripture:
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' " 2 Chronicles 20:17

Each time I prepare these messages; I stop and ask God what I should write about. Sometimes his message comes in really clear and at other times, not so clear. Well this time, the word that he dropped into my spirit came in loud and clear.

Saints of God, If it had not been for the Lord on my side, WHERE WOULD I BE? Most of us have been in a spiritual battle the majority of our lives and didn't even realize it. Most of us have been wrestling with demons and demonic forces and didn't know. Most of us have been shooting craps with our lives and didn't realize what that ultimate cost will be if we lose.

How many of us have been in a situation and come out on the other side wondering, Lord, how did I get out of that one? How many of us have gone someplace that we shouldn't have been, done something that we shouldn't have done, said something that we knew could have destroyed us and/or our families.

How many of us have been caught up, strung out, lost and confused, only to make it home safe and secure with nary a hair on our heads out of place. Well my brothers and sisters, If you don't know, let me tell you. If It Had Not Been For the Lord On My Side, Where Would I Be? I don't even want to think about it!

Be Blessed

Prayer:
My Lord, My Savior, My Redeemer. Father, We come this morning to thank You for keeping us and our loved ones safe from all hurt harm and danger once again. Father, we thank You for the angels that You have placed in our lives. We thank You for Your hedge of protection, The wings of Your salvation, the whole armor of God, But most of all, for the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. The Blood that saves, protects, sanctifies and redeems. Lord, we thank You for being on our side. We thank You for keeping us from danger, both seen and unseen. Oh, Bless his name, Saints of God. Lord, Father, continue to have mercy on me. I know that I haven't always done or said what You wanted, but You showed me mercy, anyhow. Lord, I know that I have done wrong, but You grant me fresh grace each day. Thank You Lord. Father, continue to use me as You will. Let something that we do or say this day, be a blessing to the body of Christ. Praise his name Saints of God. We Love You Lord and ask that You would continue to bless us, keep us, heal us, forgive us, deliver us. We come asking that You would continue to touch those saints who are listed below. We stand in the gap, placing their needs on the mercy seat. Thank You Lord, for Your blessings and Your deliverance. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Scripture:
But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. Hebrews 3:6

Saints, have you ever felt overwhelmed with the things that were going on around you? No matter what you seem to do, things keep going wrong? You were doing what you thought were the right things. You prayed about it. You cried about it. You did the best that you knew to do and still, things continued to fall apart?

I for one can honestly say all of the above are true about me. I try to live right. I try to remain faithful to God. I pray. I tithe, I do on to others, etc. And still........ Just this week, I know that things that I thought I had done right still fell apart. Things that I am trying to do still didn't come together as they should have.

Earlier this week I was having one of those more than I could handle type of days. I tried e-mailing my Pastor, calling my Pastor, and even went to the church to see him and still,....... I left him a note asking him, no telling him to call me, which he did. He told me that he had received my death threat (to him) and thought he better call. I explained that I didn't mean for my letter to come across like that, but that I was so stressed out and frustrated that I guess my letter did sound a bit harsh.

It was at that point that I realized that I was not being what God wanted me to be. I was not doing what God wanted me to do. What's that you ask? Faithful and patient. I was not holding on to his unchanging hand. I was not waiting on him, being still, and being of good courage.

Saints of God, no matter what we have planned, no matter what type of time table the world has set, no matter what the bill collectors, the landlord, or anyone else has to say, God still has the last word. Things happen or don't happen for a reason. We can't always see those reasons, but God has a plan and a purpose for many of the things that we go through.

Like the song says, "I almost let go. I was right at the edge of a breakthrough, but couldn't see. The devil really had me, but Jesus came and grabbed me, He Kept me, so I wouldn't let go."

Prayer:
Lord, we come to You seeking strength, guidance and a little more patience. Father, forgive us when we feel weak in our faith. Forgive us when we seem to give up and give out. Lord, we know that You are not a God of confusion. You have told us that You would never leave us nor forsake us. Thank You Lord for that word. Father, hide us under Your wings of salvation. Cover us in the blood. Keep us nearer God to thee. Lord, we ask that You would continue to bless our brothers and sisters. Lord, we pray for financial breakthroughs today. Father, I personally come asking that my brothers and sisters who are at the edge of the breakthroughs would just be patient and hold on. Father we know a change is coming. We know that deliverance is on the way. We know that we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us. Praise the name of the Lord everybody. Thank You Father for new revelations every day. Thank You for Your word that touches our hearts and our minds. Bless You name Lord. Father, we thank You for all things and at all times. We praise and uplift Your holy name. We lift Your name on high and sing praises to Your name. Thank You Father. Thank You Lord, Thank You Jesus. Amen