Archived Daily Devotionals

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~ Elizabeth Foley

Scripture:
Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.' " Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town. 1 Samuel 20:42 (New International Version)

Recently, I reconnected with an old friend. She and I have been through a lot together as friends and as sisters in Christ. For some reason, we grew apart. The reasons for our lapse in friendship, really don’t matter, what matters is that we have found each other again.

The experience reminds me that during the course of our lives, we will connect with multitude of people whom we will develop friendships with. Some of those friendships will last a short time, while others will endure a lifetime.

Since becoming a Christian I have made some wonderful friends in the Body of Christ. I know that some friendships, will last for only a brief time, while others will endure throughout the years. Some of us with continue to grow in the word with one another, while others will fall off this road we travel together.

I thank God for each and every person that He has brought into my life. Both those who will remain in my life as well as those I may lose along the way. Friends are a precious gift, no matter how long they exist in our lives. I pray that God will continue to bless me with friends in the Body of Christ.

Thank You.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
What a friend we have in Jesus, all my sins and grief to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer. You have created us to live in community, O God of love. Bless our friends who provide us with the grace and love of an extended family. Endow them with the riches of Your blessings; good health, sight, and mobility, that they may enjoy the wonders of Your creation and share their delight with others. Bless them with keen minds and compassionate hearts that they may create a better life for all. Guard them from injustice, oppression, and evil that they may know freedom and hope lifelong. In their waking and in their sleeping, in their laughter and in their tears, surround them with Your love until the end of their days; and bring them to eternal life in peace. Through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power.. the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. ~ Patrick Henry

Scripture:
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched and I will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

Saints, Do you ever feel that your life is in constant conflict? Do you sometimes feel like you are in a daily battle? You get prayed up, Holy Ghost filled, and armed with your spiritual weapons only to walk out the door and get hit with satan's heavy artillery?

You try to fight the good fight of faith, but sometimes it just gets too hard. He knocks you down and just keeps dropping bomb after bomb on you. How often have you felt too weak to go on?

Well Saints of God, I want to remind you that first of all; the battle is not yours, it's the Lord's. He is the General of this army. The captain of this ship, the ruler of your world. We must look to him FIRST for direction, strength, and leadership.

Secondly, when your spiritual storehouse is running low, you know where you can go to get more. The throne of Grace.

Our God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come once again kneeling at the foot of thy throne to honor you. We come thanking you Lord for keeping us yet again. Father, we know that we don't always honor you as we should, but we ask that you would forgive us once more. Lord, we come asking that you would strengthen and us and prepare us for the journey that lies ahead. Father, we don't know what to expect today, but we ask that no matter what we may be faced with that you would magnify your presence in our lives. Father, help us to see the tricks of satan. Help us to see our sins for what they are. Lord, hide us under the wings of your salvation. Keeping us in perfect peace. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Remember, Without the rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Scripture:
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18 (New International Version)

As a member and moderator of a writing group, we often challenge one another with writing prompts. The purpose of the prompts is to stimulate our creative processes and get us to think outside of ourselves. One of my most recent prompts posed the challenge to write about “What does beauty mean to you? Now before you begin, really think about it. Don't just describe it in the physical sense, but look a little deeper.”

As Christians this is a challenge practice daily. Prayerfully without giving it much thought. We learn to look at the world, not with our natural eyes but through the eyes of Christ. As a Christian, we learn to see the heart and spirit of a person rather than his outward appearance. As a Christian, we should be looking at the content of ones character and not the content of his pockets. We should be able to see a beautiful spirit rather than just a beautiful face.

My challenge to you today is to look at the world through the eyes of your hearts. Look at the world through the eyes of Christ. What do you see?

Do you see the hope that He has called you to?

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Lord, I once was blind but now I see. We come before you as the blind did in days of old. Asking Lord, that you would restore our sight. Help us Lord to see the world, not with our physical eyes, but through the eyes of Christ. 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. Lord, help us to realize that our circumstances do not define us, You do. You have already told us that You would never leave us nor forsake us. 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.

Do not allow a chance to the enemy. Continue to fight until final victory ~ Luigi Longo

Scripture:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 (New International Version)

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a friend who commented on the fact that he had not heard about the man who survived under a collapsed building in Haiti for twenty-eight days. We both marveled at this man’s resolve to stay alive. With nothing to eat or drink, trapped in darkness; day after day, I wonder what his thoughts may have been. You see, it takes a strong will and strong faith to live in total darkness with nothing to hold on to.

I’m almost sure that his mind and the enemy were playing tricks on him. Imagine nothing around you but death and debris. Nothing to hold onto but your faith; would you have been able to make it? Could you live on nothing to nourish your body but your faith?

In conjunction with his story, I also heard the story of the Georgian Bobsledder who was killed at the winter Olympics. What I found interesting about his story was that he went to the Olympics with no illusions on winning; he just wanted to follow his dream and live his country’s credo of “Fight Well.” Now both of these stories had very different outcomes, but I believe they convey the same message.

There will be times in our lives when we just want to give up. We don’t really believe that we can win this fight called life. There are days when there is nothing but darkness and despair all around us and there is no hope of us winning. What we learn from both of these situations is this; Fight well; help may be on the way. No, you may not have any illusions of winning but it has been ingrained in you to never give up and to fight the good fight of faith.

My heart aches for both of these men but I am full because of the joy that can also be found in their stories. Neither man gave up and both may have believed that they couldn’t win. However, what they both knew is that there is a power that is greater than us all; it is called the “Power of Faith!”

All faith asks us to do is “Fight Well.”

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Our Father which art in Heaven, though the world seems dark and desolate, I fear not because I know You are with me always. When the enemy seeks to destroy me, I will stand on my Faith. A faith that has been bought with a price, the precious blood of the Lamb. Father, I know that sometimes I become saddened by my situation and I fear that I cannot win. I forget that as long as you walk through the Valley of Darkness with me, I am never alone. Your rod and Your staff comfort me and give me the strength to walk on though I often know not where the road may lead. There is so much darkness and despair around us that sometimes we forget to look for the Light. Help us always to remember that when darkness falls, You can and will light our way if we just ask. Father God help us always to remember to guard our minds by putting on the helmet of salvation. The helmet that will protect our thoughts and our minds so that we can stay focused on You and the Word. Thank You Father, for the Word which is the same, today, yesterday and forever more. Thank You Lord for the Light of the world, Your Son Jesus Christ. It is in His name that we submit this prayer. Amen.

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder. ~ George Washington

Scripture:
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:32-34 (New International Version)

A months ago I was hit with a powerful message that I have had a hard time formulating into written form. Over the course of time, I have watched as many great men and great women fall from grace because of some pretty outrageous choices in their careers. I will pick on no one person in particular, but rather use a powerful statement that I heard one of our fallen leaders. “My position took me places my character couldn’t handle.” Pretty deep statement, isn’t it?

Many of us will often confuse what we do and the positions that we hold with who we are. The more we accomplish and the more powerful we become in our positions, will often corrupt the moral people we were meant to be. The more we grow and glow, the more we tend to attract those people and those things that can and will cause us harm.

We must always be mindful that all success isn’t good success. If we cannot see and do things that edify God and others and not just ourselves, we are condemning ourselves to and ending that will be anything but happy.

The word of God tells us to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. We must always remember to put God first in all that we do and say. By doing so, we remain humble and focused on doing what is right and not succumbing to the tricks of him who seeks to destroy us.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men. ~ John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

Remember, there is only one absolute power and He IS God!

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, help me always to remain humble as I learn what I do and who I am is only because of who You are. Lord, when I begin to confuse my blessings and favor, with my works, allow the Holy Spirit that abides within me to be magnified so that I may once again walk in tandem with You. Thank You Lord for favor, grace and humility. As in all things and at all times, we continue to bless Your Holy Name. In the name of Jesus, we submit these prayers. Amen.

Remember, don’t put a question mark where God puts a period.

Scripture:
This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Isaiah 44:2-4 (New International Version)

Saints, I know that most of you are saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit. I know that most of you put God first in all that you do and say. I know that most of you don't get upset, flustered or anxious because God is always right next to you helping you to make it through your situation. I know that most of you have no complaints because you have already turned them over to God. Or do you?

Saints of God, each and every one of us has at some point in our lives felt hopelessness, despair, anxiety, scared and all alone. Every one of us has felt that we couldn't handle whatever our situation was at that time. Every one of us has felt so far away from God that we couldn't even remember who it was we were supposed to be calling on.

Periodically, I have to remind myself to stop worrying about a situation. Sometimes I have to remember that when I turn my problems over to God and LEAVE them at the alter, not to turn right around and pick them back up. Sometimes I have to reach deep down inside of myself and remember to call on the name of Jesus. Every now and then, I have to force myself to get down on my knees and pray; even when I don't feel like it. Every now and then I have to ask God to forgive me for not trusting him in the midst of my situation.

Every now and then I have to ask God to forgive me for forgetting about him, especially when I know that he has not forgotten about me.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father, You are the creator of all things. You called forth the planets with a word, and established the stars with the sound of Your voice. You have authority over all the resources of the universe, and You have promised to meet all of our needs. We come before Your throne of provision right now. You know our needs, and the challenges that we are faced with. Lord, we ask that You would release a mighty blessing upon us and demonstrate Your enormous generosity, by providing above and beyond all that they could hope or imagine right now. Guard our hearts from anxiety and fear. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and cause faith to rise up within us. Enable us to stand firm in the midst of uncertainty, and bring forth a mighty victory. Help us to establish another testimony of Your goodness, that those who hear of it might glorify Your name. No weapon formed against us can prosper because not only have You given us our whole armor, we come pleading the blood of Jesus over our situations and into our circumstances. We rebuke satan and ask that You would not only give us a spirit of discernment but that You would help us to see things with our spiritual eyes. Continue to bless each family that is represented here. Prosper all who have come seeking Your face. Grant us fresh grace and mercy, as we pause to give You all praise, honor and glory. We pray in Jesus mighty name, Amen!

Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality. ~Ralph Marston

Scripture:
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:25-26 (New International Version)

I am a lover of words. I love how words come together to form a thought. I enjoy looking for variations of words and will often times look up similar words to see if they have the same impact. Expect and confidence, are two such words. They ultimately lead you back to the same thing; Reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing.

When we have expectations or confidence in something, we are saying to the world; so it is said, so it shall it be done. We believe that wherever or whatever our confidence relies on shall come to past. We believe that the object of our expectations shall come to past without question or doubt. The funny thing about expectation or confidence is that we are in control of how we gauge our expectations. In other words, we set the bar for ourselves.

As children we have little or no expectations of the world. As time goes by and we begin to experience difference aspects of life, we begin to develop expectations on just about everything and everybody. Many of the things that we expect are either taught to us or we develop our own criteria for what we expect.

We expect life and people to be a certain way. We expect to obtain certain things, meet certain people or to develop certain talents and relationships. We expect certain things for ourselves and for our families. I have learned one thing in my lifetime if nothing else and that is; our expectations will frequently change.

Today I ask you, what do you expect out of life? Where does your confidence lie? Who do you trust? Where is your faith? Too often we have trust in the wrong things or people. Our confidence is often deposited in the wrong places. Our faith often lost and can’t be found. The above scripture says; “the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”

When we put our confidence in God everything else will fall into place.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Lord, Jesus, give faith and confidence to the ones who read these words, so that they will want to reach out their hands to their friends and pray that pain, despair, and sickness will be healed. Give them wisdom to know best how to pray, fill their prayers with the faith that heals and their hands with the power that gives life and comfort. Father God, you are my strength and my confidence 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. Thank You Father for loving me that much. Lord, we pray Your hedge of protection, we plead the Blood of Jesus, We submit our will to Yours as we let go and give You control over our lives. Bless Your name Lord. Thank You Lord. Hallelujah Lord. Amen.