Worship Brings Power

“But now bring me a minstrel. And while the minstrel played, the hand and power of the Lord came upon Elisha” (2 Kings 3:15)

The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people. When you worship the Lord, His presence will manifest wherever you are. It doesn’t matter if you are at home, in your car or at work, God will inhabit your praises. And where God is, there is tremendous power available! The enemy cannot stand in the presence of our Mighty God!

What do you need power for today? Do you need God’s healing power in you body? Worship Him. Do you need God’s restoration power in your relationships? Worship Him. Do you need His delivering power from a particular situation? Worship Him.

As you worship Him, you will see your perspective begin to change. The things that used to bother you will no longer bother you. Old habits and addictions will automatically break off of you. Things in your life will begin to change when you live a life of worship.

Start right now by worshiping the Lord out of your heart. All throughout the day, sing songs to Him and declare His goodness. As you do, you’ll experience the life of victory He has in store for you!

Do All That is in Your Heart

“Then Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.” (I Chronicles 17:2)

What is in your heart today? What are the dreams and desires deep on the inside of you? Maybe you want to start a business, or ministry, or go back to school. Whatever is in your heart, ask the Lord to confirm it to you. God leads us by desires, but we have to first submit our desires to Him. Sometimes we have to allow Him to change our desires, but know that He is always out for your good. It says in the book of Psalms that God gives us the desires of our heart. That means He places desires within us then brings them to pass so that we can live a fulfilled life here on earth. I believe David did this very thing. He was known as a man after God’s own heart. He submitted His heart to the Lord, and then Nathan came along and said, “Yes. Do what is in your heart. God is with you.” Whatever is in your heart today, submit it to the Lord. Trust that He is out for your good and working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you put your faith and trust in Him, He will guide you in the life of victory He has in store for you!

The Beginning of Wisdom

“The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom’s friend” (Psalm 111:10)

Do you need more wisdom in your life today? The Bible says that the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That word, fear, in this instance, doesn’t mean “to be afraid” it means to have honor and respect. It means that we revere Him because He is God. Wisdom begins when you honor God. When you truly respect and worship Him out of a grateful heart, then Wisdom will operate in your life. One simple definition of wisdom is applied knowledge. It doesn’t matter if you have all the knowledge, facts, and figures in the world, or if you are a high school drop out. Honoring and worshiping God is what makes you wise. Start today and begin to declare His goodness and faithfulness in your life. That’s worship. Declare who He is with a humble heart of faith. Declare that He is your Provider, you Healer, your Redeemer. When you focus on your God, instead of focusing on your problems, you are honoring Him. As you honor Him, Wisdom will flow through you and you’ll be empowered to live the life of victory He has in store for you!

Friend of God

“Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend” (James 2:23)

The All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Creator of the Universe wants to be your friend today. He wants to walk with you and talk with you and share life with you. That’s why He created you—first and foremost, for fellowship. It’s as simple as opening your heart of faith to Him. If you have faith in God today then, just like Abraham, you are God’s friend. And the Bible says that God is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. That means He is faithful. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He is with you always. He is mindful of you—that means He is always thinking of you. What an honor and privilege it is to be called God’s friend! Let that sink down into your heart today. The next time the enemy tries to tell you that you are alone in this world, or that no one else understands what you are going through, just say out loud, “I am a friend of God.” With God as your friend, He’ll walk forward with you down the path of victory He has prepared for you!

No Eye Has Seen

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9)

Have you ever tried to imagine what God might have in store for your future? No matter how great the dreams are that you may be able to come up with, God has more in store for you than you can even begin to imagine! It’s starts in this life and then carries over into the eternal life. God is a creative god and His thoughts and plans go way beyond our thoughts and plans. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what He has in store! Let that encourage you today to dream bigger. Get your expectancy up. There’s nothing that you can come up with that is beyond God. He wants to see you rise higher and it starts with your thinking. Think bigger. Think expansive. God wants you to excel and go beyond where you are. He wants to see you fulfill the desires of your heart! Keep standing strong in faith, and dreaming big, and you will see the life of victory He has prepared for you!

Be Led by the Spirit

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14)

Have you ever started to do something when you had a little nudging on the inside of you telling you to do something completely different? Sometimes it’s easy to override that little inward voice, but that small voice deep on the inside of you is how God speaks to you. It’s how He leads you by His Spirit. When you follow the Spirit’s leading by faith—even when it doesn’t make sense—you are making a declaration with your actions that you are a child of the Most High God. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons and daughters of God. The more you yield yourself to His leading, the easier it becomes to follow Him. You’ll hear His voice in the midnight hour giving your direction about which steps to take. You’ll hear His voice affirming you and guiding you into everlasting peace. Remember, God lead’s us by peace and joy. He’s never condemning but He always leads you into Truth. Take time today to tune out the other voices so that you can be led by His Spirit into the life of victory the Lord has in store for you!

Fix Your Eyes

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1)

Are your eyes fixed on Jesus today? It’s so easy to let the distractions of the world and the cares of every day life to change your focus. And whatever you fix your eyes on, you open your spirit to. You can choose to fix your eyes on Jesus no matter what distractions of life are going on around you. You see, when you fix your eyes on Jesus, you are opening yourself to the Healer. You are opening yourself to the Deliverer. You are opening yourself to the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Provider, the Redeemer, the Strong Tower of refuge. What do you need in your life today? Peace? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Do you need healing? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Do you need a safe retreat? Fix your eyes on Jesus. And you may have to turn off other things that you’ve been watching so that you can fix your eyes on Him. But remember, He is your source of life and the Author and Perfecter of your faith. Fix your eyes on Him and allow Him to work in your life so that you can experience the victory He has in store for you!

Light Will Come

“Light arises in the darkness for the upright…” (Psalm 112:4)

Is there any area of your life that needs light today? Maybe you’re in a seemingly dark situation or maybe you need some insight into a decision you have to make. Maybe you need the light of understanding into a particular situation. Whatever is going on in your life right now, God’s Word promises that light will arise. He promises to illuminate every area of your life. The Bible tells us in the book of Psalms that God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and light to your path. You can turn the light on, so to speak, by studying and meditating on the Word of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and shine the truth of God’s Word throughout your being. As you meditate on the Word of God you will see that light arise in your life. Your path will be clear, and you will move forward into the abundant life the Lord has in store for you!

He Improves Those He Loves

“…God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10)

Aren’t you glad that the God of this universe loves us enough to discipline and shape our character? Webster’s Dictionary defines “discipline” as training that corrects, molds, or perfects mental faculties or moral character. God improves our character through His training. While you are on this earth, you are constantly in spiritual training. Your faith is being trained, your character is being trained, and your heart is being trained to be more like Him. God is training us so that we can be holy, or set apart, in our mind, will, and emotions. Holiness is important to God because the Bible says that without holiness, we won’t be able to see Him. God doesn’t want anything to come between you and Him. He wants to be with you. That’s why He chose to make your heart His home. When you allow Him to shape, train, and improve your character, you will be holy and you will see Him. Receive His loving guidance today as He shapes and trains your character. Let Him work in your life and respond to His tender leading. As you do, you’ll rise higher in every area and live the life of victory the Lord has planned for you.

Focus on the Unseen

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Every obstacle in your life is subject to change. It doesn’t matter what you may be facing, there is an answer in the unseen. The unseen is the spiritual realm where the promises of God exist. Your faith brings those unseen things into this natural realm. When you are fixed on something, you can’t be moved. There’s a determination that fuels your focus. When you fix your eyes on the unseen—the promises of God—your faith will not be moved by your circumstances and you’ll eventually see those promises come to pass. Make the decision today to fix your eyes and mind on the promises of God. Meditate on His promises until they become more real to you than the air you breath. Declare that His promises will come to pass in your life. Declare that you have His favor. Declare that you are more than a conqueror. Don’t allow fear and doubt to change what you are speaking over your life. As you continue to fix your spiritual eyes on the unseen promises of God, you will see those things come to pass in the natural and you will move forward into the abundant life the Lord has for you!

The New Has Come

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

As a follower of Christ, you are a new creation! You have a new spirit, a new walk, a new life! Are there “old” things in your life that you are trying to get rid of? Maybe you have old behaviors or addictions that you want to change. Remember, the new has come. It’s a new year and it’s time to be the new you. Let this year be the year you break old habits and addictions. Let this be the year that you move forward into a new life of victory. And your new life includes all the spiritual blessings the Lord has promised in His Word. You have a promise of peace. Health. Protection. Provision. Be encouraged today and know that no matter what is happening in your life right now, you can embrace the new life God has prepared for you. Make the choice today to leave the old behind—leave behind old behavior, old thinking, old words. Embrace the new by faith and you’ll move forward into the life of blessing the Lord has in store for you.

Expect Good Things

“Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life…” (Psalm 23:6)

What are you expecting today? Are you expecting to rise higher in life? Are you expecting good breaks? Are you expecting goodness to follow you everywhere you go? If you are expecting to get the short end of the stick, your own wrong thinking will keep you in mediocrity. Remember, God will meet you at the level of your expectations. Pay attention to what you are thinking about and make the choice to believe God for good things. Every day, imagine there are blessings, favor, increase, and promotion in your path. They already have your name on it! It’s just a matter of time before you come across them. Start confessing everyday “Something good is going to happen to me today.” Stand strong when trouble comes, knowing that your best days are ahead. Believe that God’s blessings will overtake you! Expect goodness and mercy to chase you down. If you’ll learn to raise your level of expectancy, God will pour out His blessings and favor on you. You’ll rise to new levels and live the life of victory He has in store.

He is the Deliverer

“A Righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Psalm 34:19)

No matter what “troubles” you may be facing today, God has promised to deliver you! And notice this verse doesn’t say He's going to deliver you from “some” of your troubles — “if you say and do everything perfectly.” No, if you are righteous today, God promises to deliver you from all of your troubles. How do you know if you are righteous? When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, when you accept His forgiveness and believe He is working in your life, then you are righteous. Your faith and belief in the goodness of God is His righteousness at work in your heart. The Bible says in Romans 4, that “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

If you are facing troubles today, expect that God has a way of escape for you. Expect that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Meditate on this verse and let it sink deep into your heart. Know that God is good and He is your Deliverer today. Believe in His goodness and faithfulness and He will deliver you into the life of victory that He has planned!

He Withholds No Good Thing

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11)

What do you need from the Lord today? Do you need peace, provision, guidance? The Word of God promises that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk blamelessly before Him. Now you may be thinking, “Joel, I’m not perfect. How can I have a blameless walk?” The Good News is, when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you automatically have a new walk. The past is erased in God’s eyes. And sure, you may make mistakes but I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When you repent of your sins and receive God’s forgiveness you are cleansed and your walk is blameless. You have to understand that God wants to pour His favor and honor on you. If you feel like there is anything in your life that you need to be cleansed from, go to the Father today and confess it to Him. Let Him make you new so that you can receive the good things He has in store for you! Let Him be pour His blessing on you so that you can walk in victory all the days of your life!

God is at Work

“We thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of man, but as it actually is—the Word of God which is at work in you who believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13 NIV)

When you receive the truth of God’s Word in your heart, it automatically takes root and begins to work in your life! You may not always see it right away. You may not always feel it, but know that God began a good work in you, and He is faithful to complete it. When you are faithful to receive His Word, it opens the door for Him to work. The Bible tells us that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. That means, if there’s any confusion in your life, or if anything is unclear, the Word of God will divide the truth from the lies. The Word of God will direct you and light the path you should take. The Psalmist talks about loving the Word of God and making it your meditation night and day. I encourage you to find a few scriptures and write them on note cards. Ask the Lord to make those verses come alive in your heart. As you pursue and love the Word of God, you will see Him working. You will rise higher in every area and live the abundant life He has in store for you.