Archive for the ‘inspirational’ Category
May 8th, 2010 | 
Author: TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“…The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” -1 Samuel 16:7, NIV
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
When the Lord looks at your heart, what does He see? Every one of us has an outer life and an inner life. The outer life is our public life that the people around us see. The inner life is made up of our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. Only you and God know what’s going on inside of you.
Too many people go around today pretending—acting one way, yet on the inside they’re thinking something totally different. Their heart and their actions don’t line up. But we have to understand that God is looking on the inside. We can fool a lot of people, but we can’t fool God. He would rather us be open and honest than go through life pretending.
Take inventory of what’s going on inside of you today. Are you at peace? Are you overlooking offenses? Do you believe the best in people? Do your heart and actions line up? If not, ask the Lord to give you an undivided heart. Be determined to stay true in your mind and your actions. Line up your whole being with His Word so that you can be pleasing to Him all the days of your life!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You today and ask that You search the deep places of my heart. Show me if there is any area where I need to line up my heart and actions. Help me to be authentic and true in my mind, heart, and actions. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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by Charles Stanley
The story of Gideon offers scriptural guidance for times when the odds are overwhelming and defeat seems imminent. No matter what your challenges are, the Lord is able to demonstrate His awesome power and deliver you.
God uses difficulty to build faith. Gideon was willing to believe God and go up against an army four times larger than his own. Trusting the Lord is a process which must be learned through experience.
At times God takes the people He uses and places them in impossible situations—in that way, they discover that He is faithful. We may prefer to acquire faith by reading a book, but the Lord knows that the best classroom is a place of utter helplessness.
God may require us to do what seems unreasonable. The Israelites were already outnumbered, but the Lord instructed Gideon to reduce the army to a mere 300 men. That made the odds 450 to one! Although God’s ways may seem illogical to us, His wisdom and power are far greater than ours, and His plan can be trusted.
God leads us to do that which brings Him glory. The army was now so small that its men could in no way take credit for the victory. The Lord delights in demonstrating His awesome power and glory through our weakness and inadequacy,
Consider life’s challenges as opportunities for the Lord to build your faith and prepare you for ministry. He uses those who are willing to obey Him even when the task seems illogical or impossible. And He takes pleasure in showing His faithfulness to those who trust in Him regardless of the situation.
“The golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters is not intellect, but obedience.” – Oswald Chambers
“I was not born to be free. I was born to adore and to obey.” – C. S. Lewis
“Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice; everything is lost by failure to obey God’s call.” – Henry P. Liddon
“You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil, if you do not desire to live according to it.” – Martin Luther
“When God gives a command or a vision of truth, it is never a question of what He will do, but what we will do.” – Henrietta Mears
“If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God’s will, and with equal joy they would lift a Lazarus in his rags to Abraham’s bosom, or be a chariot of fire to carry an Elijah home.” – John Newton
“Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” – Charles F. Stanley
“It is much safer to obey than to govern.” – Thomas à Kempis
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close” -Revelation 3:8, NLT
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
I believe that God is ready to present you with new opportunities. He wants to open new doors before you. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world around you, God’s Word remains true!
Remember, in an instant, God can bring the right people into your life, the right opportunities, and the right resources to take you to a whole new level. But in order to go to a higher level, you have to have a higher way of thinking. You can’t allow worry and fear to fill your thoughts because fear actually blocks the door of God’s blessing. Instead, fill your mind with the Word of God. Let His truth empower you because His ways are always higher than our ways; and I believe that even now, He is working behind the scenes on your behalf!
Today, choose to keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Begin to thank Him for the opportunities that are just ahead for you. Shut the door on fear and let God lead you by His peace through the door of opportunity He has prepared for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father in heaven, thank You for opening doors for me that no one can close. I believe that You are faithful, and You reward the people who seek after You. Fill me with Your peace and joy today as I learn to follow You in every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“The tongue has the power of life and death…” -Proverbs 18:21, NIV
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
God has given every person incredible power through the use of our words. Maybe you aren’t where you want to be in life today, but could it be because of the words you’ve spoken in the past? Have you spoken words of death by saying things like, “I’ll never rise any higher; I’ve gone as far as I can go”? Or maybe you’ve said, “I’ll never break this addiction. I’ve had it too long. It’s too hard.” And now you are eating the fruit of your words. You’re still in the same place.
If you are ready to change your situation, then it’s time to change what you say about your situation. If you want a different harvest in your life, you have to change the seeds you are sowing. It’s time to speak life over your future. Our attitude should be, “This may be the way it’s been in the past, but this is not the way it’s staying. I’m coming up higher. I may feel weak, but my declaration is that I am strong.”
Remember, when you sow words of life, you will reap life and move forward into the victory the Lord has in store for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father in heaven, I repent for speaking words of death and sowing defeat in my own life. I ask that You uproot any negative crop from the past and help me speak words of faith so that I can walk in victory in every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth…” -Isaiah 54:1, NLT
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Sometimes, when we don’t see our dreams and desires coming to pass, we can feel empty and barren like a woman who is unable to have children. But look at what this verse is saying: if you’ve got unborn promises, don’t just sit around in defeat.
Don’t just give up and say, “Too bad for me.” No, God says when you’re barren, the first thing you need to do is sing a song of praise. You might think, “Well, Joel, I’m kind of depressed today. I’ll sing after I have my ‘baby.’”
No, this passage wasn’t written to people who were holding their baby and had seen their dreams come to pass. It was written to empty-armed people; people who didn’t have what they were believing for. Do you know why? When you’re giving God praise, do you know what you are doing? You are activating your faith and putting yourself into position to give birth to that promise. You are setting yourself up for God to move on your behalf.
Why don’t you get into position today by singing a song of praise? All throughout the day, thank Him for what He is doing in your life and watch those dreams and desires come to pass.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father in heaven, I surrender all my questions, all my doubts, all my fears to You today. I know that You have a plan to fulfill every dream and desire in my heart. I choose to sing praises to You this day and thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
by Victoria Osteen
The Bible talks about joy and calls it “unspeakable and full of glory.” You know what that says to me? It says that joy is more than just a feeling. It’s more than just being happy. Joy is a supernatural force on the inside of you.
Joy is a deep abiding strength. It’s constantly there. It is a fruit, or offspring, of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t come from your circumstances. The world can’t give it to you, and the world can’t take it away!
So how do you “get” joy today? The good news is that when you make Jesus your Lord and Savior, the Bible says that the Spirit of God makes His home inside of you. And if the Holy Spirit is on the inside of you, than so is joy! As believers, we already have joy! But we have to stir up what God has placed within us. We have to choose to access that joy by putting our trust in Almighty God.
It’s like receiving a present. Someone can give you the most wonderful gift wrapped in the most beautiful paper with a gorgeous bow. And you can have that present sitting on your table, admiring how nice it looks. You can be so thankful for that gift and appreciate that person so much.
Yes, that present is in your possession; it’s yours, but until you open it and take it out of the box, you won’t be able to experience that gift and all of its true benefits! In the same way, you have to take that step of faith to access what God has given you by His Spirit.
Today, open your heart and receive the joy God has for you. Focus on the fact that He’s got you in the palm of His hand. Trust that He is working all things out for your good. Dwell on the truth that if God is on your side, there’s no enemy that can stand against you! As you begin to meditate on His promises found in the Word of God, faith will come. Hope will come. It will be easier for you to cast your cares on Him because you trust Him.
Before you know it, you’ll feel that supernatural joy welling up in your heart and giving you strength! You’ll have an attitude that says, “I don’t know why I’m in this difficult situation. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just have faith! I don’t why, but I just believe God’s going to get me out this!”
Other people will wonder why you have a smile on your face and a spring in your step, but you’ll know it’s because His joy is giving you the strength you need to push past the challenges of life so you can grab hold of the victory that God has in store for you!
by Victoria Osteen
Everywhere I go, I encounter so many people who have a misconception that God is always mad at them. When things don´t go well, the first thing they say is, “Well, God, You did it to me again!”
It´s as if they think God is just waiting for them to do something wrong so He can punish them and make their lives difficult. Let me assure you right now: that is the farthest thing from the truth! God is not mad at you; He is madly in love with you!
It doesn´t matter how many times you´ve made a mistake; it doesn´t matter how many times you´ve blown it. God is always ready to receive you with open, loving arms.
In fact, He´s already forgiven you for anything you´ve done in the past and anything you will do in the future. All you must do is accept it.
Imagine God in front of you right now with His arms outstretched, ready to welcome you. Don´t run away from Him; run toward Him. Simply take a step of faith and renounce your old ways so you can embrace His love and forgiveness.
Once you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Bible says God takes your sin and casts it as far as the East is from the West! He doesn´t see you as a sinner anymore; He sees you as His saint, His representative. He sees you cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
But it´s up to you to take hold of this by faith and allow the truth to change your thinking. The enemy doesn´t want you to see yourself as righteous; he wants you to see yourself as a sinner. He wants you to be down and defeated. He wants you to get up every day and think this is a hard life.
Don´t believe those lies because Jesus said, “I have come to give you life and life more abundantly.”
God is not in the business of condemning people; He´s in the business of improving and loving people. We have to be willing to see ourselves the way God sees us and dwell on His righteousness in order to be all that God has called us to be.
God is not in the business of condemning people; He´s in the business of improving and loving people. We have to be willing to see ourselves the way God sees us and dwell on His righteousness in order to be all that God has called us to be.
…to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(I Corinthians 1:2-3, NKJ).
by Joel Osteen
One of the battles that everyone faces at some time or another is the battle of discouragement. Our dreams don’t always happen on our timetable. We go through disappointments and adversities. With so much coming against us, it can be easy to loose enthusiasm and zeal for life. It’s good to have family and friends who encourage you. It’s good to have a coach, a teacher, or a pastor to cheer you on.
But one thing I’ve learned is that other people cannot keep us encouraged. They may give us a boost. They may help us from time to time. But if you’re really going to live in victory, that encouragement has to come from the inside. You’ve got to learn to encourage yourself.
When times get tough and things aren’t going your way and you feel like giving up on your dreams, deep down in your spirit there has to be a resolve, strength on the inside that says, “I refuse to settle where I am. I know God has a great plan for my life, and I’m going to keep pressing forward to become everything that He’s created me to be.”
In the Bible, that’s what David had to do. At one point, he had suffered a major setback. It was one of the most difficult times of his life. His city had been destroyed, his family was kidnapped, and finally his own men turned against him. It looked like an impossible situation. David could have easily just given up and faded off into the sunset, defeated and depressed.
But the scripture says in I Samuel 3:6, “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” See, David wasn’t depending on his family, his friends, or his colleagues to get him through. He knew how to draw strength and encouragement from within. How did he do it?
He began to replay the victories that God gave him in the past. He remembered how God chose him from His other brothers when he was just a shepherd boy. He remembered how he killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands. He remembered how God helped him defeat Goliath and how He protected him when King Saul was trying to kill him.
As David rehearsed the goodness and faithfulness of God, strength began to fill his heart. He got a new vision of victory. As he thanked God for all that He had done, David went from being depressed and defeated to rising up with that warrior mentality!
Friend, sometimes when you need it the most, the people you’re counting on to cheer you up, unfortunately, won’t be there for you. That friend that normally calls is out of town. Your spouse is having a tough month. Your co–workers, your parents, they’re preoccupied with their own challenges. But when you learn to dig down deep and encourage yourself in the Lord, there is real freedom.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“You crown the year with Your bounty and goodness…” (Psalm 65:11, AMP)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Are you seeing the goodness of God overflowing in your life today? If you´ll look with your eyes of faith, you´ll see that He´s already crowned your year with His goodness. In other words, you have been especially chosen; you are marked to receive His goodness.
And when God crowns you with His goodness, it doesn´t matter what´s going on around you. It doesn´t matter what´s happening in the economy, in the job market, or the housing market. God´s crown of favor and blessing cannot be moved. You are the head and not the tail; above only and not beneath.
Are you ready to receive His crown today? Are you ready to walk in the authority you´ve already been given? When you choose to receive and acknowledge His blessings by faith, you open the door for His bounty, His supernatural blessing to overwhelm you in every area of your life!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
by Joel Osteen
Not long ago, a man was telling me about how he felt as if he had wasted the first forty years of his life. He had come from a good family. He was bright and had all kinds of opportunity in front of him, but he ended up a cocaine addict. He told me, “Joel, I don’t even really remember the first part of my life. I was so high and so messed up. I ruined my marriage. I blew my education.”
At one point, he thought his life was over, but today things are different. Now he’s in his early fifties, his family is back together, and he has a good job. In fact, he volunteers for us every weekend. He said, “I never dreamed God would give me another chance. I never dreamed I could be this fulfilled.”
As we approach the holiday weekend, a time when we celebrate our freedom in America, I want to remind you that no matter where you are in life or what has happened in your past, it’s never too late for God to set you free from any bondage that may be holding you back. It’s never too late for Him to turn things around. It’s never too late to break that addiction; never too late to have good relationships; never too late to fulfill your dreams.
The scripture says that as believers in Jesus, God is always at work in us. But it’s also up to us to “work out” our salvation. In other words, we have to take steps of faith to work with God in the process of our freedom. We work out what He works in. Keep believing, keep hoping, keep praying, keep attending church, keep forgiving, keep declaring His Word over your life. The more you take steps toward your spiritual development, the more of His strength and power you’ll see at work in your life.
If you feel like you’ve wasted years or lost opportunities, if you feel like there’s something holding you back, now is the time to experience the true freedom that Jesus came to give. Open your heart to Him in faith and ask Him to show you the path toward victory.
Put your hope and trust in Him. Believe that He will turn things around for your good and watch His freedom come to every area of your life!
