Archived Daily Devotionals

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. ~ Pamela Vault Starr

Scripture:
"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 2 Samuel 22:17-18

I used to wonder why some people settle for mediocrity. As I look around me at people in this world, I often wonder what causes a person to lose their hopes and their dreams? I often ponder how and why would someone give up the spark within themselves that pushes them on to do great things.

Personally, I reflect back on the life of my maternal grandmother, Madea. Growing up, my grandmother was the epitome of the strong black woman. She was the center of my family’s world. She worked hard and loved even harder. She fought for the things she believed in, especially her family. Then one day, she just stopped fighting.

Now I don’t know what happened to cause this change. Maybe it was having to bury two daughters, one being my mother; and her own mother. All within a few years of each other. Maybe it was losing “Auntie, the woman who had taken my grandmother and great-grandmother in when they had no place else to go. Maybe it was the realization that her grandchildren, whom she cherished had grown up and moved on.

Whatever the reason(s), it was evident that my grandmother had just given up on life, put away her dreams and decided to die. Yes, it took three long years for it to happen, but happen it did.

I often wondered how this strong and powerful woman could just give up her life so easily. Then I grew up and saw first hand how the things that happen to us can throw us for a loop and just make you tired. Tired of fighting, tired of loving, tired of living.

Too often I see people who have lost hope and don’t have anything to hold on to, lose their grip on life and just let go. Too often the things of this world will beat you down, leaving you bruised and confused, unable to stand the blows of the evil one.

For those of you who may be going through something, I come to tell you; hold on and don’t let go. To those of you who are feeling beat down by life, I come to tell you; there is shelter from the rain. For those of you who feel like all hope is gone; I come to let you know that there is still hope for a dying world. There is comfort for your weary soul. It can be found in the loving arms of Jesus.

So Hold On, Be Strong, and Don’t Let Go!

Be Blessed

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. Those who are saved and those who have yet to get to know You for themselves. Lord, we pray for financial breakthroughs today. So many need so much, have mercy Lord. Breath on us Lord, cover us Lord, Have mercy on us Lord. We love You Father God and we are thankful for what we do have. We praise, uplift and bless Your holy name. As we submit our prayers and petitions in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice. ~ Wayne Dyer

Scripture:
From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:20-21 (New International Version)

So often, many of us will go through life singing that song. You know the one; woe is me. When things in our life start going wrong we want to throw a pity party. We want others to help us resolve our problems or at the very least, give us a word of encouragement. What we fail to realize is that sometimes we have to resolve our own problems and situations by speaking of our victories.

I for one know that when we are faced with insurmountable pressures, we begin to buckle. We look to others for stabilization. We want others to understand our problems and what we are going through. Unfortunately, rarely do we receive from others what we want or need. We become discouraged and will often find ourselves standing alone in a corner, trapped by paralyzing fear and despair. We want to get mad at our family and friends because they aren’t there for us. Well today I want each and every one of you to know that when the world won’t give you a word of encouragement, we must learn to encourage ourselves.

Today’s word reminds us that there is power in the tongue. We have the power to speak life and death into each and every situation we are faced with. We are reminded of this time and time again via the word of God. When we start speaking life into our dead situations, we can start to see them move. We will begin to see the manifestation of our words in action via the indisputable word of God. When we say to that mountain to move, it moves. Not because of who we are but rather because of whose we are.

No matter what we may be going through or who is willing to stand with us, know that we already have the victory through Christ Jesus.

Be Blessed

Sometimes you have to encourage yourself.
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test.
And no matter how you feel,
speak the word and you will be healed;
speak over yourself,
encourage yourself in the Lord.

Prayer:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Father God, we enter into Your gates with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness. We thank You for new mercies with the dawning of a new day. We thank You for the blessings we will receive today. We thank You Lord, for walking with us through dangers seen and unseen. We love You for all that You are to us. Father, we ask that You would speak a word into our spirits right now, before the trials and tribulations of the day begin. Grant us Your peace. Grant us Your joy. Grant us Your favor. Lord, someone reading this prayer right now, needs the reassurance that everything will be alright. Someone reading this right now needs the comfort of Your loving arms wrapped around them. Someone reading this just need to know that they are not alone and that You are with us, always. Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness. We thank You for the gift of salvation. We give thanks to Your son, who paid the price of our sins, at Calvary, in whose name we pray, Amen.

That which causes us trials shall yield us triumph: and that which make our hearts ache shall fill us with gladness. The only true happiness is to learn, to advance, and to improve: which could not happen unless we had commence with error, ignorance, and imperfection. We must pass through the darkness, to reach the light.

Scripture:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 (New International Version)

Darkness is described as a condition that is void of light. When darkness is all around you, it is hard to see where you came from and even harder to see in what direction you may be headed. Have you ever been out at night and there was no light anywhere around you; or, in a room that was void of light? But then, you saw a ray of light and started heading in the direction from which the light emanated? That’s how our Christian walk is sometimes.

We find ourselves lost in the night, surrounded by darkness. We can’t see where we came from or where we are headed. We may even begin to panic and start doing irrational things in our quest to find our way home and out of the darkness that threatens to envelop us.

We search for a ray of light in anything, everything and everywhere. Our search may even lead us to the wrong things. We make seek solace in all the wrong places; in sex, drugs or alcohol. Some people get so lost in these places that they may never find their way home. You may know or seen some of these people. I know I have. My youngest sister got lost one day in the world of drugs and never made it home. However, my prayer is that she found the light she so desperately needed. Jesus; the light of the world.

Jesus can lead you out of darkness and into the wonderful light.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Grant unto us, Almighty God, in all time of sore distress, the comfort of the forgiveness of our sins. In time of darkness give us blessed hope, in time of sickness of body give us quiet courage; and when the heart is bowed down, and the soul is very heavy, and life is a burden, and pleasure a weariness, and the sun is too bright, and life too overwhelming, then may that Spirit, the Spirit of the Comforter, come upon us, and after our darkness may there be the clear shining of the heavenly light; that so, being uplifted again by Thy mercy, we may pass on through this our mortal life with quiet courage, patient hope, and unshaken trust, hoping through Thy loving-kindness and tender mercy to be delivered from death into the large life of the eternal years. Continue to touch Your saints who have asked for our prayers. Grant us everlasting mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

By faith we understand

Faith is the refusal to panic. ~ David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Scripture:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 (New King James Version)

So often we hear the phrase “Just have faith,” but how many of you truly understand just what faith is? Faith is often described as; believing and trusting in the power of the unknown. The dictionary defines faith as the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

I love to study the word of God and as I looked up the passage in the NKJ version of the bible, it had a title that stated as part of the lesson, by faith we understand. It raises the question, how can we understand something that we cannot truly touch, taste or feel?

In the flesh we are often taught to believe only in the tangible. Our minds often will not process information that does not make sense to us. In many ways we are too literal for our own good.

Now trust, that’s a whole other topic. However, when we talk about faith, we must also talk about trust. Trust is an emotion that I believe each of us is essentially born with. It is not until we learn betrayal that we begin to lose our trust in others.

Understanding is described as the ability grasp the meaning of, or to accept as a fact or truth or regard as plausible without utter certainty.

Faith is the belief and trust in and loyalty to God, the firm belief in something for which there is no proof and/or complete trust.

Now when I put those two definitions together I see; I understand and grasp and accept as fact or truth or regard as plausible without utter certainty in the trust and loyalty of God and I firmly believe that even though there is not proof of His existence, I totally and completely Trust Him.

That my friends, is the basis of faith!

Prayer:
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Father, when trouble comes my way, help me to learn to trust and have faith in You. Help me to remember that if I but have mustard seed faith, that I can do all things through Christ Jesus. Lord, sometimes we forget that You are our ever present help in the time of trouble. Thank You Lord, for being there when we need You. Lord, when we begin to falter and start to worry about our problems, help us to remember to be still and pray. When the problems of life seem to overwhelm us, help us to remember You are right there with us. God help us to realize that weeping may endure for a night, and that sometimes it is necessary for trouble to assail us so that we can see You power and Your glory manifested in our lives. Lord, We ask for strength today; the strength to stand and fight the good fight of faith yet another day. Lord, grant us peace today. Your peace that passes all understanding. Lord, fill our hearts with Your love. Your love that is not our selfish definition, but the love of Christ Jesus, that strengthens us. Now Lord, we come together on one accord to pray for one another. For no matter how heavy our cross seems, we recognize that we are blessed beyond our own imaginations. Bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Bless our loved ones who have not come to know You yet. But most of all, we Bless Your holy name. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Your attitude determines your altitude. – Unknown

Scripture:
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:34-36 (New International Version)

For more than the better part of last year, I was paralyzed by a number of unexpected changes in my life. My inability to adequately effect positive change to counter all of the negative forces coming against me rendered me practically useless. I was dazed and confused; punch drunk by all the blows life seemed to be sending my way. I was content to sleep my life away and do nothing to fight back against the forces that threatened to destroy me. It’s a brand new year and you ask, “What’s changed?” And my answer is nothing except my attitude.

At the beginning of a new year, many of us make resolutions to change some things in our lives. Those resolutions might be to lose weight, exercise more or quit smoking. Some make resolutions to go back to school or find a better job. For the most part, many will fail at these supposedly life changing resolutions. However, there are those who will in fact succeed. And do you want to know the secret to their success? It’s their attitude. They simply made up their minds to achieve their goals.

Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten all the life lessons I had been taught as a Christian. You know the ones; “I am more than I conqueror”, “I can do all things”, “I have not because I ask not” and the list goes on and on. Someway somehow I had started believing the lies that the enemy had started whispering in my ear; you know those too; “you aren’t worthy”, you can’t do anything right and that list goes on and on as well.

Far too often when things are going wrong in our lives, we tend to forget that we already have everything we need. It’s called the word of God. We just have to learn not to look down but to look up instead.

We must focus our attention to the heavens from which cometh our help, keep our eyes on the prize and remember that we already have the Victory!

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Lord, sometimes I try to pray and the words won't come. I toss and turn and feel nothing. My mind is dry, my heart is dull, my soul longs for life. Hear my silent cry, my God, hear me. Breathe on us Lord renewing a right spirit within us. Even in our times of sorrow, we praise Your holy name. Lord, open our eyes and give us a discerning spirit, so that we may recognize the tricks of the evil one. Lord, we come before the throne of grace once again asking that You would forgive us for not depending on You. We come asking that You who are rock and our salvation, would help us to starve our fears and doubts and feed our faith. Lord, I personally ask for forgiveness and direction for myself. I know that sometimes, we take You for granted and in doing so, leave ourselves open to attack. Lord, we stand before You again, putting on the whole armor of God. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, wielding our shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, and placing upon our heads, the helmet of salvation. Lord, let us always be diligent against attack from he who seeks to destroy us. Continue to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Continue to anoint our leaders. Help us always to be able to call upon the name of the Lord in our times of distress. Thank You Lord, for Your faithfulness. Thank You Lord, for Your covering. Thank You Lord, that You pick us up, when we have been knocked down. We will the name of the Lord at all times, and His praises shall continuously be in our mouths. Praise his name saints of God. Glory Hallelujah, thank You Jesus, in His name we pray, Amen.

Remember, the gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. ~ Chinese Proverb

Scripture:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 1 Peter 1:6-8 (New International Version)

Did you know that diamonds are made of carbon, one of the softest materials on earth? But when carbon is under extreme pressure buried deep below more than 75 miles of rock and is in temperatures more than 2, 192° F, it changes in to a diamond. What starts out as an inert object deep in the bowls of the earth, is transformed into a rare and precious jewel by pressure.

I often liken our lives to diamonds. We start out as; apathetic, asleep, closed down, dead, dormant, down, dull, idle, immobile, impassive, impotent, inactive, inanimate, indolent, languid, languorous, lazy, leaden, listless, motionless, numb, on ice, paralyzed, passive, phlegmatic, powerless, quiescent, quiet, slack, sleepy, slothful, sluggard, sluggish, slumberous, static, still, stolid, torpid, unmoving, unresponsive, (I’m using the thesaurus tonight), individuals who are usually full of themselves with selfish motivations and no real concept of who we are without God.

As things begin to happen in our lives that put us under pressure, we too begin to change. We start searching for that someone or that something that will be the catalyst for our transformation. Those of us, who are lucky, will soon discover that the something or someone who will be the motivating factor for our change will be God.

However, it won’t stop there. As we grow in faith, so will our situations. God isn’t content with us just being a Christian. God wants us to be the best Christian we can be. So in an effort to force out any impurities that may still remain in our lives, he keeps the pressure on.

The pressure is not to break us, but rather to make is into a flawless diamond; a rare and precious jewel.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Lord, sometimes it seems as though I am fighting a never ending battle. Some days are filled with stress and strife. Sometimes, I become weary from the war that wages around me. I realized that sometimes it is I who has caused the war from within. Lord, help me to be strong and resist temptation. Help me to develop patience, perseverance and peace within. Father, as I pause to spend time with You, I ask that you would quiet the conflict that rages within me. When I am faced with trials and tribulations help me to be still and remain calm and turn control over to the Holy Spirit. It's Your spirit Lord, that dwells in me. It that same spirit that can give me rest if I would just succumb to it. It’s in that spirit I can find peace, joy and contentment. It's in that Spirit that I can find the answer to the questions that plague me. Father, sometimes it seems as though satan’s entire army has come against me. But Your word tells me that no army can defeat me with the Lord on my side. Thank You Father. I know that as long as I follow You, I am on the right path. I also realize that as long as I follow You, satan will be there trying to discourage me. I rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus. I call upon the name of the Lord, and I will surrender my will to his and allow the Lord to fight my battles. Thank You Father for the power and authority that has been given to me through Christ Jesus. Lord, bless my family, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep me nearer God to Thee. Glory to God, Praise the name of the Lord. Hallelujah, Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Remember, Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wing, and only character endures. ~ Horace Greeley

Scripture:
And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Ruth 3:11 (New International Version)

As a mother, I always try to set a good example for my children by doing what is right. As a woman, I try to set a good example for all the younger women who may be watching me as they are trying to learn about life. As a writer, I try to maintain my integrity by adhering and deferring to the word of God in my written word. As a Christian, I try to do what’s right because God is always watching.

Too often some people would rather do the wrong thing for what they feel are the right reasons. For example, I recently read an article about a mother who gave her son a gun so that he could “handle his business.” Or how about the women who walk around scantily clad just to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Or, how about the writer who will write an expose` that they know is not true and will ultimately harm those they are writing about, just so that their book will sell. And last but definitely not least, the person who calls himself a Christian to the world, but does things behind closed doors that they know are wrong but because know one can see them, believe it’s okay.

So often we will conform to the things of this world because we want attention; we want to be accepted; or we just want to do whatever we want to do because we can. Too often we are willing to compromise who we are for all the wrong reasons and are unwilling to accept that there are consequences to all of our actions.

Personally, I would rather pass on the riches, the fame and all the hype and simply just want to be remembered as a woman of character.

What do you want to be remembered for?

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, sometimes we allow the things of this world to influence who we are. Sometimes as we journey through this life, we become lost. We find that we have somehow become separated from You. We look around us and nothing looks familiar, or we recognize that the things around us are not of You. We don't know how to find our way back to You because we don't know how we got to this place. But Lord, You have told us time and time again, that You are just a prayer away. Thank You Lord, for the power of prayer. Father, help us to recognize those times when we find ourselves in a far country, far away from Your grace and mercy. Help us Lord, to recognize Your angels who will help us to find our way home. Father, we thank You for Your under-Shepards who You have given charge over us. Because there have been times when we didn't even recognize just how lost we have been, but You have sent them out to bring us back into the fold. Now Lord, we ask that You would continue to touch our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as our unsaved families members and friends. So many need so much. We don't know the need of each individual but we know You do. Bless us Lord in the area of our lives that we have need of. Father God, our hearts are overflowing with Your love. Thank You Lord, for that love. We come before the throne of grace once again, just to give You honor, glory and praise. Bless the name of the Lord. Glory to Your name Lord. Thank You for loving me enough to sacrifice Your only begotten son, Jesus Christ, it is in His name we pray, Amen.

If you are reduced to God being your only hope, you are in a good place. ~ Jim Laffoon

Scripture:
We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:20-21 (New International Version)
Many people believe that hope is a useless emotion. They believe that hope is a thing that fairytales are built on. Hope is the innate ability to believe that something can happen out of nothing. Hope is defined as to want or expect something: to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true. It is a feeling that something desirable is likely to happen. What I have learned is that hope is necessary part of our existence.

Hope; like the air that we breathe and the water that we drink sustains us so that we can live to fight another day. Where there is no hope, the people perish. Hope is akin to faith. Neither can be seen but that doesn’t lessen the importance of either in our lives. Hope like faith is our ability to see beyond the natural and trust in the supernatural abilities of God. Hope like faith is the knowledge that there is something greater than what we can see, hear, feel and taste. Hope and faith are both roads that lead to God.

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." Hope begins in the dark; the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.

The bible is a book of hope. It teaches us that no matter what you are going through, God is still in the midst of it all. It teaches us to see beyond the natural and to lift up our eyes toward the heavens where He resides.

Remember, Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence.

Be blessed

Prayer:
Father, there were times this past week that I became weak. Forgive me. I doubted Your word and Your promises. Forgive me. I allowed satan to deceive me with his lies. Forgive me. I wanted to give up, but You wouldn't let me. Thank You Father, for keeping me once again. Lord, I come boldly before Your throne of grace. Your word says that You give strength to the weary, so I ask that You would strengthen me Lord, for I am weary. Bless me Lord with Your presence, that my heart might be encouraged. Help me remember Your faithfulness and Your love that I might stand in faith against the issues that face me. I bind the schemes of the enemy to tear me down, and I rebuke the spirits that have been assigned to harass me. I ask You Lord to minister fresh strength and joy to me. I agree with Your word, that says, Your plans for me are to give me hope and a future. Father, protect Your saints against the spirit of depression during these perilous times. Let it be so Lord Jesus, according to Your will. I pray in Your mighty name, Amen!

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone else's life. ~ Kobi Yamada

Scripture:
but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her. Song of Solomon 6:9 (New International Version)

As I think back to my childhood, I realize that many people thought me to be a bit strange. I was the type of child who would rather spend time with books than with people. Part of my reasoning was that books were my friends. Not so with all people.

My books didn’t judge me but rather offered a safe place of solace from what could be a cold and cruel world. I could find refuge in the pages of my books or travel to far away places that the other children had never heard of. My books could make me laugh, cry, and they even caused me to see the world outside of my own little neighborhood.

Even now, as I find myself in the throws of middle age, some people still think me to be a little strange. My family included. You see, I have moved beyond just reading books to writing them as well. I can often be found sitting in from of my computer into the wee hours of the morning, filling page after page with stories that make me laugh, make me cry, and see the world beyond my little own neighborhood.

And to make matters even worse, most of what I write is about God. Even my oldest son has asked why would I study religion as apposed to getting a degree in something more marketable like business or computer technology. He thinks I am wasting my time on a degree that won’t pay me as much as the others mentioned.

My answer to my son and to others is this; All of my life I have tried to please everyone else. My parents, my friends and even my associates. I had to reach the ripe old age of forty-something before I realized that the only ones I had to please, were God and myself.

So my friends, I embrace my uniqueness. It’s what make me happy. I urge you all to discover your uniqueness and embrace it as I have.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, I come before the throne of grace celebrating my uniqueness. Thank You Father for giving me the wisdom to recognize the gifts that You have bestowed upon me. Thank You Lord, for allowing me to celebrate You in the things that I do. Lord, I pray that someone will read this message and see this prayer and realize that there is great rejoicing and celebrating in uplifting the name of Jesus. We are not placed here on this earth to please others, our mission is to please and serve only You. Thank You Father God for that honor. Glory Hallelujah. In the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. ~Nelson Mandela

Scripture:
The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 1 Samuel 10:6 (New International Version)

I find myself at an age where I am constantly reviewing my past. I can honestly say, that I have not always known the Lord. I have done and said things that have caused myself and others heartache and pain. But you in retrospect, I also realize that since accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, I know I have been changed.

You see, since establishing my own personal relationship with the Lord, there are things that I can no longer do, places I can no go and even some people I can no longer associate with. Now this may not hold true for all Christians, but it does for me.

You see, the quality of my life is more important than the things in my life. It’s more important to me to be a good mother, a good friend but most of all, a good Christian. I cannot in good conscience cause other people harm through my action or words. I find that I am more compassionate to the needs of others. I have realized that the world doesn’t revolve around me.

When you develop a relationship with the Master, He become just that; the Master and ruler of your life. Even when you think you might want to return to your old way of doing things, you find that there is something within you that speaks to your heart; your conscience.

If you don’t have that something within you, ask yourself, Have I really changed?

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Once far from God and dead in sin No light my heart could see But in God's Word the light I found Now Christ liveth in me. Father God, May I keep growing closer and closer to You. Thank You Lord for blessing me in so many ways. Father, we ask that You would give us perseverance, endurance, and the strength to always seek Your counsel and guidance. Lord, we realize that so often we take Your word for granted. Forgive us Lord, for neglecting Your word. Lord, feed us the words that nourishes not only our bodies but our spirits and our minds as well. Lord, we when pray, help us to think of the needs of others before we think of our own, Help us Lord, to seek Your living water. For without the living water from the fountain that never runs dry, we will wither and die. We give thanks to You Lord, for always listening to us, even when we have neglected You. Thank You Lord, for our brothers and sisters who come before the throne of grace on our behalf. Thank You Lord, that You manifest Your presence in our lives when we least expect it. Bless Your name. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility. ~ Oprah Winfrey

Scripture:
Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? Isaiah 40:14 (New International Version)
Our lives consist of a series of choices. Some of those choices, we make, while other choices are made for us. When we are young and unable to make our own decisions, our parents are there to make the right choices for us. However, as we grow in age and knowledge, we can begin to make our own informed choices.

There were times in my youth where I did not always make the right choice, or at the very least I made some pretty stupid choices. For example, I know that there were times in high school; I chose to do the wrong thing in an effort to be accepted by the “in crowd.” Many of my choices would later lead to a series of heartbreaks and disappointments for me later in life. I realize that even as an adult, many of my choices were still bad ones. There is one very important fact that I have come to realize though, it’s never too late to make the right choice.

When we choose good over bad, right over wrong, light over darkness; we are in fact making the right choice. Even when our lives seem to be out of sorts, the choices that we make can still bless us. You see, I prefer to praise God in the midst of my storms instead of singing the blues all of the time. Each morning when I rise, I choose to have a good day no matter how dismal the world around me appears to be. I want to be a writer so I make a conscience decision to work at my craft on a daily basis.

So often we take the privilege of choice for granted. We don’t realize that there are many people in this world who cannot make their own choices. Even in this great country of ours, the right to choose has been taken away for some who did not or could not make the right choice.

The right to choose is still yours to make. Will you make the right one?

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father, so often we feel that our lives are not our own. We believe that our destiny in life is chosen by others. Dear Lord, help us to remember that the choice is always ours. When we find ourselves caught up in wrong situations, help us to see our way out. When others see our failures, help us to realize our victories. Help us always to remember, that the right to choose is ours alone. Even You, give us the right to choose. May the choices and decisions I make in my life, be pleasing to You. May I always remember that many of the choices that I make will impact my life forever. Lord, I choose You. I am blessed, that You have also chosen me. I thank You Lord for loving me enough to choose me to serve You. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Thank You Father for the gift of life, Your Son and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in his name that we pray. Amen.