In a culture filled with chaos and confusion, faithful and committed Christian communication is needed more than ever. Disruption is the new normal and the Church is called to lead on demonstrating to a watching world “unity in Christ.”
Unfortunately, politics, racism, and religion have replaced the Word of God in guiding some people’s beliefs, habits, attitudes, and actions. Thoughts, feelings and emotions that are believed to be at odds with ones integrity can cause people to lash out at others. Even if that integrity has been built on a false narrative. But even though “the flowers fade, and the grass will wither, the Word of God lasts forever.”
Most of us remain trapped in the narrow framework of the dominant liberal and conservative views of race in America, which with its worn-out vocabulary leaves us intellectually debilitated, morally disempowered, and personally depressed.
The Barna Group validated what we presented in Part 1. Their research uncovered, what every person of color already knew – “Church’s efforts toward unity in recent decades seem to be insufficient in helping to understand or rectify the challenges experienced by worshippers of color, especially Black individuals, for whom issues of race in the U.S. are front and center.”
“Our truncated public discussions of race fail to confront the complexity of the issue candidly and critically. The predictable pitting of liberals against conservatives, Great Society Democrats against self-help Republicans, reinforces intellectual parochialism and political paralysis.
We confine discussion about race in America to the ‘problems’ Black people pose Whites rather than consider what this way of viewing Black people reveals about us as a nation.
This paralyzing framework encourages liberals to relieve their guilty consciences by supporting public funds directed at ‘the problems’; but at the same time, reluctant to exercise principled criticism of Black people, liberals deny them the freedom to err. Similarly, conservatives blame the ‘problems’ on Black people themselves and thereby render Black society misery invisible or unworthy of public attention.
Hence, for liberals, Black people are to be ‘included’ and ‘integrated’ into ‘our’ society and culture, while for conservatives, they are to be ‘well behaved’ and ‘worthy of acceptance’ by ‘our’ way of life. Both fail to see that the presence and predicaments of Black people are neither additions to nor defections from American life, but rather constitutive elements of that life.” This description provided by Princeton Professor Cornell West highlights the need for a new conversation. A non-political and biblical conversation that emphasizes that we must always prefer people over any pleasures that might bring us joy.
These conversations must be grounded in equity. Not equity from the Republican perspective of identity politics or the Democratic perspective of diversity, but from the Kingdom party perspective of the Imago Dei. The Bible teaches about the value of work and the value of equal opportunity. The most productive and progressive society is one in which every member has full and unencumbered access.
Equity is not a program or initiative; it is a belief, a habit of mind. As I have stated many times: What you believe about someone determines how you label them. Those labels dictate how you (and others) choose to engage or disengage with them. Achieving true equity must be a moral imperative, and it serves as a central and essential component of any attempt to achieve the unity Jesus speaks of in the Bible.
Equity is not a guarantee that everyone will succeed. Instead, it assures that everyone will have the opportunity and support necessary to succeed. In an equitable system, the barriers that inhibit progress are removed.
From the balcony, solutions exist, and we are almost there, but not yet.
As believers, we are actively taking part in the kingdom of God, although the kingdom will not reach its full expression until sometime in the future. Jesus’ parables of the kingdom picture it as yeast in dough. In other words, the kingdom is slowly working toward ultimate fulfillment. It is not sporadically “breaking through” to bring us comfort in this world. Therefore, our efforts will need to be continuous and not a point-in-time solution.
It starts with forming or enhancing relationships with outgroup members; not pushing away from them.
“Forming relationships with outgroup members can have
myriad individual benefits, helping individuals widen their social circles, feel less stress and anxiety in intergroup contexts, and reduce their prejudices. But to benefit from the consequences of outgroup relationships, individuals must first build them.”
The believer is in a lifelong struggle with the flesh (Romans 8:13). Likewise, the church is a fellowship of persons who are both new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and still imperfect sinners. As we await our glorification and the destruction of our sinful natures, we must continue our process of sanctification, the daily process of growing into the very image of Christ. We accomplish this by “exercise yourself to godliness” (1Tim 4:7) – demonstrating love one to another, activating the fruits of the spirit, engaging in conversations and actions to unify, and being God’s witness here on earth for the world to see a better way. In effect, you’re saying to Him, Father, don’t let me waste this difficult time the country faces. Use it for my long-term benefit and to enhance Your glory through my life.
In the meantime, stay prayerful, God is up to something. We’re almost there, but not quite yet . . .
Today, Pastor Mike Evans provides us a challenge for standing in the gap for other. Isaiah, Esther, Nehemiah, and so many more heard God’s call and took a stand. Today, God is calling once again…but that raises a vital question. When God calls, who will answer? Those who have the heart to obey regardless of the cost. The prophet Isaiah was one such man. In his day, God’s people were in a desperate spiritual condition. Their king, Uzziah, who had once been a good man dedicated to following God, had violated the law and been judged as a result. His death created a power vacuum at a time when the kingdom was surrounded by enemies and danger lurked on every side. At that moment, Isaiah was given a vision of God’s power and majesty—a reminder of the help that was available to the Jewish people if they sought God’s face. But there needed to be a go-between, someone to speak to the people for God. Isaiah heard God’s call and volunteered for duty. He said, “Here am I; send me.” Notice that he did not ask God to find someone else to take on the challenges of the job. Isaiah was willing to step up and take responsibility to stand for God’s Chosen People.
Today, God is once again looking for men and women of courage and faith to answer the call and stand in the gap for the sake of the gospel. Will your answer be “Hineni”? It is time for us to stand in the gap. And I believe with all my heart that it is time for us to receive the signet ring of heaven’s approval and authority so that we can see God’s power on display in every part of our lives.
Heavenly Father, There is so much need in this world today. Lost jobs, a lack of food on the table, decreasing availability of medical assistance, rising violence, financial greed. Help us to be the ones willing to stand in the gap for the sake of the Gospel. As this world waxes worse and worse, let us be the ones who will demonstrate your love though our lifestyle.
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Col 4:6
Civility dies when you give up the right to have dialogue without trying to destroy the other person. The starting point for repairing our fractured country is how we interact with others.
First, our conversation should be an instrument of grace even to those who we don’t think deserve it. Paul uses the word “grace”, which most often refers to unmerited favor for those who are ill-deserving. Paul anticipating our sinful nature qualified this phrase with “always”.
Second, our conversations should be seasoned with “salt ”. Salt makes meat acceptable to the discerning palate and is a preservative that draws out bad organisms that can cause meat to decay. Once salt loses its chemical properties it is of no value. If the “flavor” of our conversation is saltless we are useless to God, of no value in bringing out people’s best tendencies and preventing their worse.
Deliberately seek to influence the people in your life by showing them the unconditional love of Christ through good deeds (Matthew 5:13)
Demonstrate the counterculture to language that demeans, degrades, divides and leads to societal moral decay. (Mark 9:50)
Witness to unbelievers being well prepared and focused on building others up according to their individual needs with purity of motive. (Col 4:6)
What a privilege God has given us to be in dialogue with others. Use it for God’s glory. It’s the evidence of the call upon our lives.
Father,
Your Word tells us we are to be a people set upon a hill; bringing light to the darkness of this world. Help us to live out the grace you provided to us. To not withhold conversation from anyone You put in our path.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link myTime with God
“God will not give us the Holy Spirit to enable us to gain celebrity or to procure a name or to live an easy, self-controlled life. The Spirit’s passion is the glory of the Lord Jesus, and can make His abode [only] with those who are willing to be at one with Him in this”.
F.B. Meyer
Reading the Word is not only beneficial to our walk; it can benefit others. As the number of readers of The Journey increases, so do the types of follow-up questions. I am realizing some have limited context for what we are talking about. I now am more conscious of the importance of you and I taking time to teach those around us. People are expecting us to use our platforms to make the Word plain to them; not to tell them how great we are or creating thirst traps as a way of gaining attention or validation. Our goal should be to reflect Him through us. Charles Koller explains it, “Not as a pipe through which the truth flows out to others, but as a living embodiment of the truth to which we seek to win others”. Witnessing does not depend on flashy rhetoric or heart wrenching stories. The spirit does the convicting and convincing. We are merely the tool. So, “study to show ourselves approved”.
When we don’t take the time to teach the Bible to others we dilute the complexity, historicity, and beauty of its story, and the readers can miss significant facets of the Good News about Jesus. I’m reminded of the story of Philip joining the Ethiopian high official in Acts 8 as a perfect example for us to model:
27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch,
a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians,
who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship
28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”
And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Philip didn’t wait for him to come to church. Philip joined the Ethiopian where he was. The Ethiopian official needed someone to relationally unfold Isaiah 53:7-8 to him in a way that made sense.
So here are the two challenges this passage confronts us with. First, we must be willing to step into some elses “chariot” and sit alongside people who can’t make sense of life, much less the Bible. Second, we must study God’s Word diligently and learn from good teachers about His whole counsel, so that when we do have opportunities with those seeking to understand, we can engage them with the whole story instead of leaving them with a presentation. We can only teach others what we’ve learned ourselves; so consider studying a book or two of the Bible.
You never know who God may put in your path to share the Good News. When your opportunity comes, just like Philip, be prepared.
Father God,
Prepare us to share your Word with others. Unless we study, we won’t be ready. It’s not always easy to dedicate time to studying; and yes I know this is an excuse. Help me to do better. I want and need to represent you well.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link myTime with God
Everyone loves and crave relevance. Relevance is about getting attention, being connected, being valued, and becoming significant. But attention engineering is not limited to our social media activity discussed last month. For some, their sense of identity may not be strong enough to exist without the constant reassurance of others. We often worry about our position and status, hoping to get proper recognition for what we do. It’s when the quest for relevance becomes self-centeredness and moves us out of the will of God that it becomes sin.
Everyone has a measure of self-centeredness. We must work daily to minimize how much focus we put on ourselves. Jesus is so opposed to the sin of self-centeredness that He declared, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). To deny oneself is to focus on the interests of God rather than our own earthly, material, personal desires (Matthew 6:33). What are God’s interests? His interest is for us to love and care for our neighbors (John 13:34-35), to bear others’ burdens (Galatians 6:2), to not pass judgment on others (Romans 14:13) and to be kind and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32). So our question today is, how can we balance becoming revenant and seeking to make others relevant?
Some say God’s interest is only in our relationship with Him. Moreover, as long as we have a relationship with Him, “It’s ok for the strong to rule over the weak, justice has no intrinsic worth and moral values are socially constructed and subjective.” Additionally, some argue, “Catering to others is indicative of a lack of self-esteem. And while giving to others is positive, you truly cannot give until you have taken care of yourself.” This type of thinking is rooted in our fleshly desire to supplant God’s authority with our own. Scripture clearly states in Romans 8:8 that, “People who are self-centered aren’t able to please God”.
Being self-centered is juxtaposed to several Biblical commands: “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24). Romans 12 teaches us to be transformed from the thinking of this secular world and not to focus on raising yourself up. Philippians 2:3-4 leaves no room for self-centeredness, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather, in humility value others above yourself, not looking to your own interest but each of you to the interest of the others.”
When we make others relevant first, our own relevance is a natural result and God will be pleased. In 1 Peter 5:6, Peter advises us to remember, that God’s recognition counts more than human praise. Therefore, seeking relevance or recognition is not wrong; it is seeking it in the wrong source. Seek to please God, not humans.
Father God,
We sometimes get full of ourselves and out of your will. We need to overcome the sin of self-centeredness, but we can’t do it without you. As we live a life pleasing to you, may others come to know you better through our words and actions.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link myTime with God
“If a man makes a promise to the LORD or says he will do something special, he must keep his promise. He must do what he said”
Numbers 30:2(NCV)
We have spent the first six months of 2019 unpacking the many promises of God. We’ve seen the grace and mercy He provides to us day by day. We’ve seen that we can depend on His promises. We’ve search scripture to confirm His promises. Yet, doubt, disappointment or disillusion creep in when we think He has not fulfilled His promise to us. This month we pause, turn the spotlight, flip the script, reframe the focus to explore the promises we have made to God and ask, “Can He depend on the promises we have made to Him?”
When you give your word, you’re putting your honor on the line. You’re implying that others can trust you because you have integrity. Have you ever considered how God hears the fulfillment of your promises to Him –
I’m willing to offer a belief in you generally, but without specifics attached to it. If what you are asking is too hard for me to do, you’ll understand if I avoid it. I will sacrifice for others as long as it does not affect my own self-interest as I face life’s daily events. I studied your Word and used my intellect to discern all that was right and wrong with it. Besides, it was written by imperfect men. I ignore the parts that don’t make sense or make me uncomfortable. I’ll proclaim my allegiance to you by judging people on the parts that don’t inconvenience me. I’m willing to love those who are like me but as your Word says, I’m required to love my neighbor not those others. I’m not a minister so, at my own discretion, I will tell others about the Good News. I asked you to alleviate that situation and you told me “your grace is sufficient”; I know you understand that’s not quite going to cut it.
Sound crazy? Before you too quickly dismiss this and while you may not audibly say these things to God, have you not conveyed these words to Him by your words and actions? God expects all true believers to be His emissaries. One day we will all have to stand before the Creator and answer the question, did we take Him at His Word and keep our promise?
The most basic promise of most believers is to serve Him. Serving is the obligation to love Him. John 14:15 defines loving Him as keeping His commandments. There is a direct link between His commandments and His promises. They are our reward for a life of faith, belief, and devotion. When we prioritize, pick or choose which commandment to focus on, we open the door for the enemy to get into our heads. My friend says, “If the enemy can cause us to doubt one promise from God to us, then over time that will cascade into uncountable other questions creeping into our heads and causing more doubt.”
Today I pose a set of questions that will allow you to unpack how well you have kept your promises to Him. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or your favorite beverage. Find a quiet space to work through them. You can choose how honest to be with yourself in your answers. This is between you and God. These questions are not designed to challenge you from my own perspective. It is the Word of God, the Word that Christ committed to His Church, and the Word that we are commissioned to defend and proclaim. The Word that can keep the Church strong and pure if we believe it and obey it. We convey our promises to Him by our actions and our deeds. Our actions should seek to please God, not have God please us. Special thanks to Chuck Bengochea and Tim Donoho for allowing me to integrate some of their questions with my own:
1. What real sacrifices have you made for Christ? The operative word is sacrifices. Not what have you done for Christ, but what have you truly sacrificed. Webster defines sacrifice as, “forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim”
2. What pain have you suffered for God? List 3 examples
3. List three significant gifts that you have given to God that forced you to change your lifestyle for at least three months.
4. If you knew you were going to die soon, what legacy would you leave behind that would benefit the body of Christ?
5. Have you ever been so hungry for the Word of God that you couldn’t sleep until you had meditated on it for a while?
6. What does it look like to “Seek God with all of your heart”? What changes would you have to make?
7. Do you know God well enough that He could brag on you if He wanted to? What would He say?
8. Learning to fully surrender to God is a journey; being willing to release your families, your financial future, and your health can be very difficult. Where are you on that journey? What do you still hold onto tightly and why? What do you think would be the outcome if you fully released that part of your life to God?
These are brutal questions for some. For others, these will be the most difficult questions that we have to answer in demonstrating your promise to God. Some of you simply won’t attempt to answer because the spaces for answers might be blank. I pray your first response will be to drop to your knees and join me in asking God to forgive us for not offering him our best.
Processing your answers will set you on a journey. You will find or awaken a depth of faith that wasn’t previously present. It is not too late to fulfill your promise to God; start today working on doing what His Word asks you to do and watch the blessings of the Lord come. E-mail me the challenges, roadblocks, and detours you experience on this journey so that I may pray with you and encourage you as you engage, discern and make conscious choices as you walk out your destiny.
Father God,
Forgive me for not always holding up my side of this covenant relationship. Use me as Your tool, not for my own purpose, but for Yours. Inspire me each day to seek out how I might truly be a worthy servant to You. Give me the opportunity to share my faith in You with others in both my words and actions. And give me the courage to do it boldly, without fear of what the results might be, knowing that it is solely under Your providence what the outcome will be.
“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind, that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.”
John Wooden
Dr. Travis Bradberry writes, “Regardless of the magnitude of the decision, our brains make it hard for us to keep the perspective we need to make good choices”.Problems in life come mostly as a result of bad choices. Look back and think deeply about a bad choice that seemed like the best choice at the time for whatever reason. The reason it seemed like the best choice was because of a lack of knowledge. At the beginning of June, we learned that Jesus provides wisdom and knowledge to those who love Him and keep His commandments. That’s reassuring because bad choices can dress themselves up as the best choices. Then they take you where you didn’t mean to go; cost more than you wanted to pay, and stay longer than you intended for them to stay. Therefore, it’s important that today we unpack this concept a little more so that you can tune out the distractions that give bad choices space in your life.
Every day we make a constant stream of decisions. Most are mundane, such as what to eat or in what order to tackle tasks. Others are more difficult, such as choosing between two job offers or whether to cut a toxic person out of your life. Then others, aren’t momentous in themselves, but can lead to tragedies: A person chooses to ride with a friend who has been drinking, resulting in a serious accident. Meeting a co-worker for drinks after work that leads to an affair. The young lady who decides to participate in shots at a party, resulting in her letting down her inhibitions. She ends up pregnant or with a venereal disease. Checkmate!
On our own, we don’t have the power to live Godly lives or make Godly decisions. We have to be willing to obey the wisdom God gives us and God’s wisdom comes to us through Scriptures. When making a decision in faith God provides an opportunity to stop us if we are wrong. He can close or open doors as He leads those who are willing to be led. No, “When God closes one door, He opens another” is not in the Bible, but be encouraged knowing that God is with you, no matter the position of the door of your situation. The Bible says,
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”(1 Corinthians 10:13)
He also expects spiritual brothers and sisters to be accountability partners. There’s no shame in getting help. We are the body of Christ. Building each other up is what we’re called to do. When you find yourself in a tight spot, share your situation with trusted friends who also believe in God’s power. But, choose your prayer partners carefully; the influence of friends is powerful enough to trump facts. The opinions of others really matter. The Bible provides examples of trusting friendships. God gave Daniel the wisdom to interpret the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. A wrong interpretation would have led to death. When God granted Daniel the wisdom to interpret the king’s dream, it launched Daniel’s long career as a political leader, trusted advisor, and well-known prophet. However, he first prayed with his friends. He prayed with them that God’s will be done through the decision made. Prayer was more effective than panic. Panic confirms your hopelessness; prayer confirms your hope in God.
On the other hand, Lot ignored his uncle Abram (not yet Abraham) and chooses to settle in Sodom. The Bible says in Genesis 13:8, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, . . . because we are brothers”. Nevertheless, Lot did what Lot wanted to do. He never considered the spiritual implications of moving his family to Sodom. The pull of the world looked too good to him. Ultimately, he lost everything and ended up living in a cave. He and his family paid the consequences for his bad decisions. (Remember the Butterfly Effect). See, no one is immune from the lure of the world’s choices, not even believers. Lot was a man of faith. 2 Peter 2:8 says, “Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day”. Be careful of letting your bad choices seem sexier than they really are. Choices can have eternal implications. Daniel exhibited faith, Lot exhibited self-interest.
Faith in Jesus Christ is based on trust in Jesus Christ. James 2:14-17 teaches that faith must be more than belief in certain facts; it must result in action, growth in Christian character, and the practice of moral discipline, or it will die away. A life of faith leads to a better knowledge of God, self-control, patient endurance and godliness. These actions do not come automatically; they require hard work. They are not optional; all of them are our responsibility and must be a continual part of our growth process. Matthew 6:33 teaches us to, “seek first the kingdom of God”.Seek the Lord and wait for Him until He gives you instructions. Many in the Bible made their decisions without first seeking God’s wisdom and experienced unfavorable outcomes. The scripture continues, “then all things will be added unto you”. Right outcomes are the result of God-centered decisions. The only way we can keep his Word is to grow in His knowledge. That’s why Peter prayed that they would, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
When we ask in faith, God gives us the wisdom we need at that particular moment. We can confidently claim the promise, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5). A doubtful mind is not completely convinced that God’s way is the best way; so the better you know Jesus the better you will be able to discern right from wrong. Even mature believers will have their faith challenged. We will always need to draw closer to him. Pray to make wise, God-centered, not self-centered decisions in difficult circumstances. Then match your persistence in prayer with gratitude when your requests are answered. God gives wisdom freely to all who ask.
Again I ask, who’s informing your decision-making process?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Lord, you are my strength and my shield; in You my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give You thanks. For I know that my decisions will turn out for my deliverance through your Holy Spirit and according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, so Christ will be magnified in my every decision.
The Netflix series What / If demonstrates how one seemingly innocent decision can have a major effect on oneself and those around you. It’s called the Butterfly Effect, first stated in 1963 by mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, a pioneer in chaos theory. In essence, the flap of the butterfly’s wing is part of the initial conditions that can lead to a chain of events leading to a large-scale chain of events. So what does this mean for us? It means that every decision we make matters and effects more than just ourselves. Have you ever thought about what informs your decision-making process? Some say we make decisions based on logic; the research says decisions are based on emotions. The decisions you make are a selection from a series of choices. The real answer to what informs your decision-making process should be based on your “Why”. When you know your why, you establish clear priorities. And making the “right” choices becomes a lot easier. I heard a story from Dale Powell that highlights how understanding your “why” will help you make better choices and decisions:
“Shortly after I was released from the hospital, I met a lady who saw that I was walking with a walker and inquired what was wrong with me. I told her that I had just had my knee replaced. She said she hoped mine did not turn out like hers. Dr. So and So had really messed her up and she had been on a walker for three years. I engaged in the conversation for a while and then said I was off to physical therapy. She replied “Oh, I don’t put any faith in that. I went one time and I thought they were going to kill me. I wouldn’t waste my time.” I thought how can she blame a doctor for botching her knee if she doesn’t follow up with his advice and do therapy? If I don’t follow the doctor’s advice, he cannot control the outcome. One session of physical therapy and expecting to get well is like doing one workout and expecting to be a fitness champion. It isn’t going to happen.”
She clearly didn’t understand that consistently going to physical therapy (the decision) was to restore functionality and prevent disability (the why). Can you relate? We sometimes make bad decisions because we don’t want to make the sacrifice that will lead to a better outcome. Even when we have evaluated our options – Self wants to do what self wants to do. And because we have the free will of choice, we are also the recipients of the free consequences of those choices. I’m glad God is more invested in accomplishing His good works through us. God’s plan is not defeated by our bad decisions. God intervenes to protect the promises He has made to us. Philippians 1:6 gives us the confidence that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”.
As believers, we can put our faith in Jesus Christ and allow Him to guide our every decision. Why? He will help us maneuver the traps, distractions and challenges this life presents. Our savior has promised to provide us wisdom for right living and understanding that informs our decision-making process. It’s been said that our destiny is a compilation of the decisions we make over our lifetime. Webster defines destiny as both a predefined course of events; and as the power or agency that determines the course of events. Our goal throughout our life is to use our agency to make proper choices and decisions that keep us from delaying or derailing our destiny. How we exercise our agency is enhanced by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember last months topic – He will be with you always.
Jesus provides us wisdom and knowledge through the gift of discernment. The gift of discernment is the ability to make the best choice when confronted with a number of options. Moreover, if the researchers are correct in stating that we make decisions based on emotions, then our emotions should be informed by the Holy Spirit. In our relationship with Christ, we have a noise cancellation system. When we study and apply God’s Word to our lives; when we passionately pursue Jesus daily, the noise of the world is quieted and we can hear Him clearly. Sure, we will still know the noise is out there, but the level of the roar is reduced. However, when we ignore these basic disciplines, the noise of the world increases and can become deafening – and our lives (and possibly others) suffer because we no longer hear God’s word. We then make emotion-based decisions rather than faith-based decisions. That’s why scripture teaches us,
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
Jesus didn’t intend to remove us completely from the noise of the world with its temptations, hurts, injustices and evil. Rather He intends to protect us in the midst of these dangers, effectively canceling the world’s noise to a point where we can hear and respond to God’s Word and our lives can be lived joyfully and effectively for Him.
With this knowledge, we can be sure of His promise to give us wisdom and knowledge: to discern; to evaluate what we are thinking against the Word of God; to make good choices and to give us a door of escape. He knows our end before our beginning but in the middle, he gives us free will to make our own choices. Our choices determine the path to our destiny – quick or long, hard or easy.
Let me encourage you to, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”.
So, who’s informing your decision-making process?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Decisions are not easy. I make over 3,500 decisions per day; some small some large. I know you leave each decision up to me, even when you show me the path of escape from those choices that may not be best for me. Help me to first evaluate all my decisions through the lens of scripture. You promised wisdom and understanding, but I can be hard headed sometimes. Help me to listen and act on your guidance; to trust that you shall open, and none shall shut, and you shall shut, and none shall open. Let all the glory and credit go to you in everything I do.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link myTime with God
No one likes to wait. We hate waiting at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office and even in the fast food drive-thru. We simply don’t like to wait! Waiting is also one of the biggest challenges to our faith. “Waiting is actively engaging in the shaping of my mind and spirit into what God desires of me.”Regardless of your situation, God has work for you to do in your waiting. The story of Adam and Eve is a story of rebellion against God. Once they believed that God didn’t have their best interests in mind, they decided to go ahead without God and do what they wanted. They became, in effect, their own god. When we commit our waiting to God, we transfer our burdens onto our Father. He has promised to sustain us. That miserable, uncomfortable, sometimes painful state of silence is one of God’s most powerful tools to set us free. When we choose to wait quietly and trustingly, we not only honor God but encourage others to put their hope in him as well. Whoever you are, and no matter what you’re waiting for, remember that life is about so much more than waiting—it’s about living and believing.
April Devotion
“We can pray until our knees are numb, but if our praying isn’t accompanied by acting, then we won’t get anywhere. We need to put feet to our faith. After kneeling down, we need to stand up and step out in faith. If you want to see God move, make a move.”
Mark Batterson
The Personal Challenge of Waiting
No one likes to wait. We hate waiting at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office and even in the fast food drive-thru. We simply don’t like to wait! And waiting for an answer from God can be an even bigger challenge. We know God only lends His name to those things that are in harmony with His character. We feel our prayers are in alignment with His Word and yet we haven’t heard a word about our specific prayers. We’ve prayed and cried; cried and prayed and nothing seems to change. How do we deal with the faith testing time of “waiting” for the answer? Waiting is one of the biggest challenges to our faith. I understand this challenge oh so well. I myself am currently in a stage of waiting. Asking God for direction, looking for answers, and expecting some upcoming changes. Feeling deep, complex emotions while waiting, especially for significant things, is not necessarily sinful in itself. The problem comes when we decide to allow those emotions to overtake us. The hardest part is that things are completely out of our control. For those who like to be in control, that’s not always an easy pill to swallow.
John Piper in Future Grace The Purifying Power of the Promises of God says, “Waiting on the Lord is the opposite of running ahead of the Lord, and it’s the opposite of bailing out on the Lord. It’s staying at your appointed place while He says stay, or it’s going at his appointed pace while he says go. It’s not impetuous, and it’s not despairing.”
When speaking to my mentor John Adams he says, “Waiting is actively engaging in the shaping of my mind and spirit into what God desires of me.”Initially, that sounded contrary to Webster’s definition of waiting. In addition, in the midst of the wait and pressure, it was hard for me to accept this view of waiting. See, this is not a worldview but a spiritual view. Waiting can actually be a positive that God uses to make us more like Jesus. God works on a very different timetable. In his mind, there is nothing wrong with waiting. When God does not seem to be answering our prayers sometimes we stop praying, stop expecting him to act, while giving way to a spirit of cynicism, rather than thanking God for who he is and all he has done for us. While God may not answer in our timing or in the way we expect, he will accomplish his good purposes in our lives when we persevere in prayer and praise. Remember, He works all things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
It’s important that we guard our hearts and mind during our time of waiting. As we wait, we should be content in spite of our circumstances. The daily operation of God’s Word involves the mind. I pray you realize it’s an honor and a privilege to actively wait on the Lord. Susannah Spurgeon, the wife of Charles Spurgeon, counseled her own heart with these words:
“The Lord has strewn the pages of God’s Word with promises of blessedness to those who wait for Him. And remember, His slightest Word stands fast and sure; it can never fail you. So, my soul, see that you have a promise underneath thee, for then your waiting will be resting and a firm foothold for your hope will give you confidence in Him who has said, ‘They shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.’”
In Psalms 37, David exhorts us to be patient and guard against cynicism as we actively wait. He realized that in our period of waiting our mind can play tricks on us.
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!”
Psalms 37:1
God knows our minds are tempted to drift while we wait. We can allow our minds to churn with crazy thoughts about others. We live in a world where everyone is always comparing himself or herself to the other person. What they have or what we don’t have. Social media exacerbates this because on Facebook or Instagram it seems everyone has such a great life. We see post of them traveling, doing great things with friends, experiencing only the best of life. As we compare our lives, we can sink into a deeper funk. We might wonder why we have to go through this while someone else seems to be receiving all the blessings of God. I accepted you as my Savior. Why isn’t my life perfect or at least as luxurious?
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.”
Psalms 37:3
Regardless of your situation, God has work for you to do in your waiting. Do not let your waiting keep you from being useful. Instead, take whatever comfort you are receiving from God, and begin searching for others who need it. When we serve others it becomes a distraction to our problems.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalms 37:4
When we continue to praise and worship Him, He will help us endure. In the wilderness, Moses reminded the Israelites where their provision came from.
“He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 8:3
In your wilderness of waiting, remember God has not left you. He is preparing you to receive His best.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
Psalms 37:5
When we commit our waiting to God, we transfer the burdens of our waiting onto our Father. He has promised to sustain us. “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”(Psalms 55:22) Every time you start to feel burdened, anxious or overwhelmed by something in your life, it is because you haven’t given it over to Him in the first place, or if you have, you don’t want to wait and have tried to take back control. This action will always lead to feelings of heaviness because He never designed us to take on what He has promised to care for.
The Bible Teaches Us To Appreciate Waiting
Perhaps the Bible talks so much about waiting because God wants us to know that waiting is far from a passive activity in which we do nothing. In fact, Scripture teaches us that God wants us to actively participate in the work He desires to accomplish. Waiting strategically can cultivate good fruit in our lives such as patience, perseverance, and endurance. It also draws us closer to our Savior and points those who are watching us as their gospel. James 1:2-8 tells us to, “Consider it all joy when trials come . . .”
The Bible is filled with examples of believers, who waited and held on in spite of their situation. Think about Job, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David. All had to wait for many years for God’s promises. They held to their faith, even when it seemed pointless and useless. Romans 8:25 – “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”When they reached their promise, they were blessed beyond measure.
Alternatively, the story of Adam and Eve is a story of rebellion against God. Once they believed that God didn’t have their best interests in mind, they decided to go ahead without God and do what they wanted. They became, in effect, their own god. Too often, this is exactly what we do today. When God tells us to wait, we don’t trust Him, but go ahead and find ways to accomplish what we want to happen. Their decision broke their relationship and fellowship with God. As descendants of Adam, we all now suffer from this separation from God and are considered children of wrath (Eph. 2:1-3).
God wants us to learn how to follow him and put down our demanding, overly anxious, selfish selves. One way He helps us do this is to say, “Wait.” That miserable, uncomfortable, sometimes painful state of silence is one of God’s most powerful tools to set us free. David understood this concept and voiced it in his psalm of praise, Psalm 62:5-8:
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
How To Actively Wait?
Linda Green, in Unlocking the Bible says, “We can be tempted to put our hope in things that may disappoint us in the end. We can hope a doctor will heal us, a teacher will pass us, a spouse will love us, our employer will reward us, or a friend will help us. But it is only when we put our hope in Christ that we can wait with confidence and know we will not be put to shame. It seems that God allows us to experience disappointments in life to teach us that nothing else will truly satisfy or provide us with a firm foundation to stand upon. God’s Word alone is unshakable. We can wait for the Lord knowing that, no matter how dark the night, His light will break through in our lives, bringing abundant joy through a more intimate relationship with Christ.”
Seasons of waiting reveal where we are placing our trust. Can we resist fretting, refrain from anger, be still, and choose patience (Psalm 37:7-8).
It’s easy to say we trust God, but our response to delays, frustrations, and difficult situations exposes where we actually are placing our hope.
Are we convinced God is listening?
Do we believe he’s good?
Do we accept that our circumstances are ordained of God?
Do we doubt he really cares about us?
When we choose to wait quietly and trustingly, we not only honor God but encourage others to put their hope in him as well. Yes, someone is watching how you respond. You may be the only Bible they see.
A friend once said, “Have you ever seen a Desert Flower? It grows in harsh conditions, extreme heat and cold and in parched earth. We’ve all been that Desert Flower at one point at work and in life. I’m talking gut-wrenching toxicity. An environment that perpetually calls on you to sacrifice your joy, sleep, inner peace, even your health, and goes against your very values, for people who don’t deserve it.” Like the Desert Flower, if we apply the right Biblical strategies we too can survive.
The Desert Flower survives because its root system has adapted FROM its environment. It has learned succulence, drought tolerance and drought avoidance. For us, our succulence is the Holy Spirit, which sustains us. And just as the Desert Flower stores water to survive, we are called to allow the Holy Spirit to rain on our lives. The Desert Flower is able to withstand desiccation without dying or drought tolerance because their roots are deep and extensive. So are we to be actively deep in our Word, prayer, fasting and praise. Unlike an annual plant that channels all of their energy into the current season, the Desert Flower practices drought avoidance. It understands struggle, waiting and dry seasons will come. We are not to get caught up in bad theology: the belief that as believers we won’t have troubles; Prosperity Gospel, or that we need someone to intercede to the Father on our behalf. We must also understand as believers we are in this world but not of this world. Avoid the droughts that lead to disappointment. The desert environment may seem hostile, but this is purely an outsider’s viewpoint. Adaptation enables the Desert Flower to not merely survive, but to thrive! I beseech you brothers, to understand your environment and adapt FROM it to thrive in your season of waiting.
I look back at the times of waiting, and I see that God was using the waiting to prepare me, to change me and to use me. I am learning the process of waiting has been just as important as the end result. Rather than doing nothing, I wish I had taken a more active approach during this time. Now, while I wait, I’m learning to deepen my trust in Him and to remind myself of His faithfulness. If I could know what He knows, I would choose His plan every single time. The bottom line is that worry equals a lack of trust in God. Do I really trust Him? I want my mind to say yes, even when my heart says no. If God is God, He can be trusted. I want to move in that direction during my times of waiting in my dry and weary place.
Now that I’m waiting again on something different, I am asking God to reveal to me the areas of my life that need work and prepare me for what’s to come; make me like the Desert Flower. I don’t want to waste this time anymore. Right now, through the struggle, through the pain, through the loneliness, through the chaos, through the wait He has already won, and He’s moving me in that glorious direction. No matter where I am, I want a life that’s marked not by waiting, but by worshiping. He deserves that and so much more. Whoever you are, and no matter what you’re waiting for, remember that life is about so much more than waiting—it’s about living and believing.
I ask you to join with me in an April 30-day challenge. Memorize or focus on one of these scriptures for 3 straight days and then move to the next one. These will encourage you while you wait patiently and while you continue praising Him. After 30 days, you will begin to measure the size of your problems by the size of your God:
Romans 12:12 –“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Isaiah 30:18 – “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”
2 Peter 3:8 – “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
Nehemiah 8:10 – “This day is holy to our Lord.Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Lamentations 3:25 – “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,to the one who seeks him”
Micah 7:7 – “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,I wait for God my Savior;my God will hear me”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight”
With these assurances and understandings of how we actively wait let our good brother Marvin Sapp, a 2009 initiate, encourage you:
Jesus Is The Ultimate Display Of Actively Waiting
Adam and Eve couldn’t wait and separated us from a perfect relationship with the Father. This month as believers prepare to celebrate Easter Sunday; there is no better story of remaining active while waiting than the story of Jesus stepping down from divinity to take on humanity. While He waited He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind. He ministered to those who did not know His father. He lived a life that was an example for all to follow. Yet in His humanity, in the Garden of Gethsemane He became weak and prayed that God would take away what He had to do. But while He waited, He surrendered to the will of God . . . “Not my will but your will be done.”(Luke 22:42) His was for the greatest sacrifice anyone can make. The Bible says, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”(John 15:13) Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He became human, lived, died and rose again to both reconcile us to God and to demonstrate a new humanity saved from sin and broken relationships. It is now only through God’s grace that anyone can restore his or her relationship with Him.
When Jesus was crucified on Good Friday His disciples must have been very discouraged, confused and grief stricken. It is quite amazing that they did not leave Jerusalem to return to their own homes. Even though the Apostles didn’t completely understand how the Scriptures were to be fulfilled their faith, love, and loyalty, despite their fear, kept them in Jerusalem for three days to witness the Resurrection. Like the disciples, we can be active in the things we know to do while we wait – the rhythms of prayer, evangelism, and discipleship that flow from our faith.
What a moment of sanctifying faith for this small band of believers when Jesus rose from the dead. His promise had been fulfilled. But little did they know that the coming of the Holy Spirit, would equip them in a way that would be even better than walking and talking with Him in person. The Holy Spirit would equip them to be his witnesses to “Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(Acts 1:8) Next month we will explore the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised He Will Never Leave You Or Forsake You.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help us to release all our concerns to you. We know that you have promised to take care of us, so we desire to rest in your assurance. We pray for your peace and contentment in spite of our circumstances. Forgive us our sins of impatience, cynicism, anxiousness, doubt, fear or lack of trust. Help us to be like the Desert Flower. We know your Resurrection is our guarantee that justice will triumph over treason, light will overcome darkness, and love will conquer death. So as we wait to hear from you; help us to continue worshiping and praising you because your working things for our good. We praise you in thisEasterseason. Change our lives; change our hearts that we may maximize every second of the day to be salt and light to others. And to be messengers ofEasterjoy and hope.
Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Words can’t fully express our gratitude. So we strive to let our actions be our words.
You can have what is promised, in the Bible, if you are willing to seek out His Word, believe His Word, and do His Word. In other words, live a life pleasing to God. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity but it does guarantee God’s provision. If we are going to receive God’s promises in our lives, we must make sure what we are asking God agrees with the Word and not with our circumstances. You can’t take carnality into your promise land. It requires consistency in your lifestyle; consecration in your focus; and separation from your past, people and perspectives. Jesus did not come to give us health, wealth and happiness. He came to save us from our sins to fulfill his ultimate promise, an eternity with Him. His promises help us on our journey. Our contentment comes through resting in Him, not in an abundance of stuff.
February Devotion
How are your New Year resolutions coming along so far? Almost half of New Year’s resolutions fail in two weeks. By summer, most will fail. Have you broken yours yet? I am thankful we can consistently depend on the unfailing promises of God. God always keeps His promises—the same today as He did in the days of the Bible. Yet some people become discouraged because they fail to see results after asking for His assurance. We can avoid frustration by understanding how Scripture teaches us to claim His promises. The promises of God should not be taken out of context or the gospel message distorted for our own selfish motives. Alarm at the gate, most of us have been taught bad theology. “Name it and claim it”. “Sow a seed”. “Blab it and grab it”. “Donate a window in the church to have your sins forgiven”. “Give up something for Lent and you’re guaranteed to become a better person.” That’s not how God’s promises work. His promises are reserved for those who are willing to truly believe in Him. Consider how this idea of prosperity plays out in the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity but God’s provision. Our contentment comes through resting in Him, not in an abundance of stuff. Having all our material desires met won’t make us any happier or more content, even though our sin nature will try to convince us otherwise. God will meet our needs—and He will often do it in unexpected ways. We trust Him to provide in His timing and in the way that is best for us. If we are going to receive God’s promises in our lives, we must make sure what we are asking God agrees with the Word and not with our circumstances. You can’t take carnality into your promise land. It requires consistency in your lifestyle; consecration in your focus; and separation from your past, people and perspectives.
To understand how God’s promises work you have to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” (Hebrews 6:12). This month I ask you to study the consistency of the heroes of faith in Hebrew 11 to understand how faith was demonstrated that lead to receiving the promises of God. As you study you will see God doesn’t care about your car, your house, your job, who wins the game, or who you would be able to help if you won the lottery. That line of thinking is antithetical to the true gospel message and the clear teaching of Scripture. He is concerned with is your Destiny – your ability to overcome evil, your peace of mind in the midst of the vicissitudes of life, your ability to help others see Him through you.
This year we must move beyond the spiritual welfare system. The belief that everything you ask of God will be given unto you. To receive his promises you have to understand the “way”. You don’t get to pick the way. He has provided, in His Word, His will and the way. How you live your life will determine when and if you are ready to receive His promises. God will not bless a relationship He is not involved in.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Luke 6:46-49
Man’s biggest challenge is that they want God’s benefits but don’t want a relationship. There are those who say, “Lord, give me what I need today,” but never get around to, “Lord, make me what you want me to be today.” He’s also not excited about people who say, “Lord, give me recognition on my job even though I’m too ashamed to give You glory among my co-workers”; or, “Lord, give me more money in my pocket even though I can’t make any available to Your kingdom”; or, “Lord, sharpen my skills even though I won’t use them for Your kingdom.” Jesus wants you to learn His sufficiency for your need, His strength in your trials, and His power over your archenemy, satin. Bishop Arthur M. Brazier used to say, “Jesus is not a celestial Santa Clause. He wants you to focus on his message not the goodies. He is not just whom we go to for our petty desires”. A mature faith builds an ever-evolving relationship with Him throughout our earthly lives. In Letters From The Exile, the transactional view of God is summarized this way, “When we, even unintentionally, communicate and internalize the idea that God works merely in transactions, we also communicate the idea that our hearts and attitudes play no part in the whole affair. We lose a sense of God’s unpredictability and mystery – that He works in ways we rarely understand or expect. We lose a sense of His character, because we turn Him into an impersonal force of the universe, dispensing rewards for the right tokens and withholding them for the wrong ones”.
To receive God’s promises requires you to change your perspective. Are you pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s your highest priority? Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). But as we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.
Now I must ask you who are you spending your time with? To receive God’s promises requires you to evaluate whom you hang with because who you hang with determines who you are. Pay attention to their lives, what they read, topics of their conversations, and what they value. Are they helping you draw closer to God or pulling you further away from Him? Paul called us to strive to be like other believers so that each follower would know more of God’s peace.
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9
We can trust and believe that God will always meet our needs. Whatever we need on earth or in heaven he will always supply. Brothers, there’s a huge difference between our wants and our needs. Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting his provision and power to live for him.
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalms 23:1
When evaluating a biblical promise, we should ask ourselves:
Am I asking for this promise with a spirit of submission to the will of God?
Might an answer to my petition harm another person or interfere with God’s will for his/her life?
Does the Holy Spirit bear witness to my spirit that God is pleased by my request?
Does it contradict the Word of God?
Will my desire advance my spiritual growth?
If we claim the Lord’s promises with a right spirit and pure motives, we will honor Him, receive what we ask, and grow in intimacy with our loving Father.
My brothers, Jesus did not come to give us health, wealth and happiness. He came to save us from our sins to fulfill his ultimate promise, an eternity with Him. His promises help us on our journey. God’s promises are a gift to us paid for in full on the cross by Jesus Christ. Although His promises have been paid for, we still have to talk to Him in prayer. So next month we will focus on the subject – God has promised to answer your prayers. The second we ask God in faith the petitions of our heart; those petitions become ours at that moment even though we have to wait for them to materialize (Mark 11:24).
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for preparing us to receive your promises in this New Year. For helping us to understand that the promise is always preceded by the sacrifice. Change our hearts, change our minds and give us the courage to live a life that is pleasing to you. We trust that you will fulfill our every need and whatever you are giving, we’re taking. If our wants are not of you, we don’t want them.
