I cannot tell you how many times in my life I’ve wanted to quit, gives up, walk away. Times when things looked hopeless. Times when I thought God had forgotten me. Times when my heart was so heavy I couldn’t go another step. There were times when I said, “I’m not going to move from here until I hear Your voice.”

What I’ve discovered in my long life is this; My hope is in God; My name is written on His hands; He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds; And those who wait upon the Lord, renew their strength.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ERV says; That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles. So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever.

Don’t you just love that? Think about what you cannot see, not what you see. Keep your eyes on God, surrender to His will, put your hope and trust in Him. Stop trying to figure out the ‘why’ and focus on the ‘Who’. When things look bad, God is good! When things look dark, God is light! When I’m feeling helpless, God is my help! “What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever.”

Father, help me to be so short-sighted. I need to know that this storm will not last forever. I need to know that You are a God of Your Word, that what You say will come to pass, in my lifetime. I want my life to matter. To allow You to work through me to bring light and hope to others. Let me not get hung up on ‘me’, to get stuck on this trial. You have promised a new day. You said that old things will pass away but Your word will never pass away. I’m going to keep my eyes on You and my trust IN You. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

I work in an office where there’s music playing all day long. It’s not exactly my kind of music. I love music, but not all music. Some of it just irritates me and puts me in a bad mood. Some music makes me depressed and I just want to cry all day. My all time favorite music is worship because of always feeds my spirit.

Yesterday, I parked my car and began walking home. A secular song was looping through my brain and I thought, ‘Where did that come from?’ It had been playing in the office and although I wasn’t actually ‘listening’, it was still being ‘heard’. Subconsciously, my mind was hearing it, recording it and playing it back to me.

What are you listening to? I know people who have the news playing all day. They’re not really paying attention to it, it’s just ‘white noise’, they say. But those same people are fearful, angry and frustrated. They don’t know why, they just are. Your ‘white noise’ is feeding your spirit.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

We were created as spirits to bring light in a dark world. Just as our bodies are fed and affected by the food we eat, be it good or bad, so our spirits are affected by what we put into our hearts.  If are to be like Jesus, we must spend our time doing what He did; imitating God.

John 5:19-20a Jesus speaking, “I assure you that the Son can do nothing alone. He does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same things that the Father does. The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does.” John 14:12 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

You can’t imitate what you’ve not seen so if you’re doing things you shouldn’t be doing, re-examine what you’re watching.

Father, I set my eyes on You today. As I spend time with You this morning, I ask You to change my appetites to listen and watch things that are good, that they bring change to those around me. I cannot show love to the unlovely unless I know that Love dwells on the inside of me. So much power, this power of Love. Help me to love like You. Help me to focus my attention on You so that I can reflect You everyday in every way. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

What would you do if someone told you you had a billion dollars in a bank account, all you had to do was go to the bank and make a withdrawal? You’d have some qualifying questions, I’m sure! Which bank? What’s the account number? Can I go right now?

Acts 1:8a says; “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;” When Jesus left the earth, He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us power to be His witnesses. Witness what? Signs, wonders and miracles. The transforming power from dark to light. To bring revelation power of who God is and what He’s given us access to.

In Luke 10:19, Jesus said; “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” With that kind of power living in us, why haven’t we tapped into it yet? Is it because we have no idea, the inexhaustible supply the Father has given to us.

This is just a thought, but what if we have all this accessible power in us that we’ve never used because we don’t know we have it. 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” I will say this, I believe the account number is exchanging our fingerprint for Gods. That is possibly why we don’t lay hold of that power, because we don’t want to give up our own lives.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Father, I can’t have what you’ve provided for me and live my own life, my way. I lay down all I am for all You are. Christ in me, the hope of glory. You have given me power and my confidence is in You, the one who is all powerful. I can link arms with You and have access to all I need. It’s You who gives the power to get wealth. It’s You who heals, saves and delivers. You are truly all I need. It’s in the name of Your son Jesus, Amen.

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3 NASB

Do you know that what you do in the morning can pretty much set your day? Think about it. Have you ever ‘woke up on the wrong side of the bed?’ You’re grouchy all day long and can’t even figure out why! David knew that in the morning, God would hear him. He could order his prayer and then expectantly watch things happen.

We all have our morning routines. Even spontaneous people like myself have somewhat of a set structure to their morning, especially if you have to be out the door at a certain time. If we vary from that routine, we tend to forget important things, like deodorant or brushing our teeth. Never a good thing!

But we have a tendency to forget the most important part of any morning-prayer. Prayer isn’t made up of a list of things we need. Prayer is talking things over with the Father.  It’s a time to determine who is going to get the most of your attention, God or your problems. It’s a time of fellowship, telling Him how great He is and how thankful You are for His grace and mercy. He’s already aware of your needs but are you aware of His?

We sang a song on Sunday that I’ve been singing all week, “God You’re Mighty!” Each time I declare those words, I feel a surge of His presence, like what I’m singing brings Him into the room. When I exalt Him, I am saying, “God, You are mightier than anything I face! You’re bigger then my problems, my fears, my worries. You are mighty to save, heal and deliver! You are mighty to watch over my children and grandchildren. You are mighty to provide all that I need according to YOUR great riches.”

When my praise becomes my prayer, everything changes because God steps into the room to listen. If you are looking for an answer, begin to worship. If you’re frustrated with your job, start to praise Him. If you’re distracted by a diagnosis man gave you, begin to praise your Healer. The less you think about the problem and the more you worship, the sooner you’ll see the salvation of God.

Oh God, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. You are mighty! Your name is above all names, above everyone and everything. Lord You’re amazing! You’re worthy! You’re my Father, my redeemer, my worship if Yours, my praise belongs to You. You’re greater than any problem I face or anything that tries to distract or discourage me. I will focus my attention on You because there is nothing that is bigger than You are. It’s in the name above all names and I shout it out-JESUS! Amen

Have you ever felt like what you say just isn’t hitting the mark? I can say the same thing to a group of people, ask each one to write down what they understood me to say, and I can guarantee that each one will perceive something differently. Why is that? Because each one of them are looking at it through different lenses. Lenses that have been colored by personality, history, upbringing, etc..

Hebrews 4:12 NASB says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

There is nothing more frustrating then trying to get a point across to someone who has closed their mind to anything said. Been there! In fact, there was a time that I refused to communicate ANYTHING to ANYONE because I thought the problem was me! It so frustrated me that I began to search my heart to see if I had heard God wrong. Perhaps I made a horrible teacher, a worse friend and an awful wife.

Walt always teaches, “There are 3 parts to every conversation; what is said; what is heard; and what is meant.” It’s important to ask questions, “What did you mean by that, because this is what I heard!” That way, it allows people the chance to explain themselves. Most people just get offended and storm off, leaving the speaker wondering what just happened?

But the Word of God is living and active. It gets itself involved in our daily lives, getting to the root of the issue so that it can cut out what’s bad so healing can begin. If we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to explain truth to us, we will choose to be offended and cut off from people who love us and are left wondering, “What just happened here?”

There are times when you must pray the Word over people who have chosen to walk away. Their filters have skewed their perception and they are left bitter and broken. Our job is to pray Hebrews 4:12 and trust that He who began a good work in them, will be faithful to complete it.

Thank you Father that Your Word is always working in me. I will be still so that You can explain to me what I need to know. I will move forward healed and whole in my spirit, soul and body. I won’t allow bitterness to take root in me! I cannot change anyone, but You can. Apply Your balm. Let it thoroughly and completely do it’s perfect work. It’s in Jesus’ name always, Amen.

Well? Whats it gonna be today? Will we listen to our flesh or focus on the Spirit? Will we pray and fill our minds with the Word or just allow our minds to carry us along like an empty canoe bobbing down a river.

It’s a choice, you know. What we watch, what we read, where we focus our attention. We can’t wait for feelings to accompany our decisions, we must choose first, the feelings may or may not come at all. I used to think that I could only pray when I felt the Spirit of God moving, but it’s my prayers that move the Spirit of God. He’s always been waiting on US. He gave US the authority. He gave us a voice on the earth.

Romans 8:5-6 NLT, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

You can’t continue to pay attention to what they did to you. You can’t pay attention to what the doctor said, you can’t even pay attention to what came in the mail yesterday. The things we must pay attention to is this; Whats the Word say about that. When you think on the Word, speak the Word, agree with the Word, your mind will have peace and you will live.

When David picked up the 5 smooth stones to slay the giant that was standing in front of him, mocking and threatening him, he did is with precision. His stones represent our words; we must choose them carefully and prayerfully. We can’t afford to speak our minds, we must always speak the Word of God. Why? Because His Word is living, powerful, sharp and precise. It always hits the mark.

I didn’t say it, the Word said it. So today as you face challenges, make your mind up right now that you will practice Philippians 4:8, by keeping your mind on good things. It’s the only thing that brings lasting peace.

Father, I lift up Your name which is above all names. I exalt the Name of Jesus, mightier and more awesome then anything the enemy would try to assault me with. I trust in You, in Your Word.  I know that if You are for me, no one can stand against me. So right now I thank You for protection. I thank You for healing. I thank You that all my needs are met with plenty left to put in store. I thank You that You are everything I will ever need in this life and in the life to come. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

I know the title seems a bit strange. I mean who thinks of singers and worshippers as warriors, right? Well, I did a bit of that in church this past Sunday. As the Spirit coursed through my body and the words, “God, You’re Mighty!” came out of my mouth, I felt it was more of a declaration then a song. It was telling the atmosphere just Who was mighty, mightier then any demon, any sickness, any disease or lack.

The Lord led me once again to the story of Jehoshaphat, the king of Israel who was facing multiple enemies, threatening to overpower and kill God’s people.

Jehoshaphat encouraged the men and gave them instructions. Then he had the Temple singers stand up in their special clothes to praise the Lord. They marched in front of the army and sang, “Give thanks to the Lord! His faithful love will last forever.” As they began to sing and to praise God, the Lord set an ambush for the army from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come to attack Judah. The enemy was defeated! 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

Sometimes God just requires a song for your battle or for the battle someone is facing. Sometimes He uses what looks foolish to man to win a battle that man wasn’t designed to fight. Sometimes your intercession has a sound of it’s own, and takes on the form of music renders the enemies plans ineffective.

Want to confuse your enemy? Sing. Sing loud, off tune and strong  if you must, but sing! Watch the light break through the darkness, the sound that disrupts the silence. Watch the power of God dispel demons when you sing. Pick a Psalm, make up a tune, but sing.

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. Psalm 98:1

Go ahead, put that one to music and sing it loud so that the devil gets the message that you know God is greater! More powerful than a locomotive! Faster than a speeding bullet! Like the stone in Davids slingshot, it always finds and hits it’s mark.

God, You’re mighty! God, You’re holy! God You’re awesome! You’re my healer! My provider! My protector! You are!!! You’re my victor! My strong tower! My defender! You are!!! Oh hallelujah to the God who sets us free! Because of the blood, I’m no longer under the curse. Sickness bowed it’s knee to Jesus and He has given me all authority over all the power of the enemy and NOTHING shall by ANY means harm me. AMEN!

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I was reading in 1 Samuel about how the children of Israel wanted a King. They kept asking Samuel to appoint them a king to rule over them and the Lord said to give them what they asked for, because they didn’t want God to rule over them.

How very sad. I wonder how many times we’ve asked for things that weren’t the best for us. We beg for a better job but haven’t been faithful to do what God had intended for us to do in the one we have. We are full of greed and refuse to allow God to rule us. I remember being in a job I hated. The people I worked with were evil, being around that all the time was very difficult. I remember asking the Lord if I could quit and he said, ‘I still have a purpose for you here, be patient, watch and listen, I will show you.’ So every morning I would get up with a bit of dread in my heart. I’d go do my job the very best I could.

One day while talking to my co-worker, she asked me if I were to leave, what job would I want. I told her that my favorite job up north was working with Physical Therapists and I’d really enjoy going back to it. 3 months later, she was in an accident and had to go to a new PT clinic. They asked her if she knew of any medical billers and she said she did. I faxed my resume, was interviewed that next week and two weeks later took the job I have now. 10 years later, I’m recounting those events that led me here. Had I not stayed, been faithful to let my light shine, allow God to direct me, been hard hearted and gone by how I felt, I would not have the position, I have now.

I would rather be led by Jesus then by anyone on the face of the earth. Until we submit to his Lordship, we will be placing another king over us. Its not about the money, pay wise it was a lateral move at first. It was about being in a place where God intended me to be. Being flexible enough to make the change and continue looking for ways to spread the light of the gospel.

Every morning I cry out to the Lord, ‘Use me today, I’m Your servant. I believe You order my every step and I trust you direct me today. To be Your hands, Your mouth piece, Your love and light to a lost world.’ I appoint You Lord as King of me. Do with me as You please in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

As I was reading Psalm 51:12, I found David describing God as generous and it caught my attention. Anytime that happens, I know that God is trying to show me a part of His nature I’ve not quite seen so I looked the word up in dictionary.com and found this:

Openhanded; free; unstinting; persons who give to others something of value, or the acts of such people; liberal in giving; unselfish; free from meanness or smallness of mind or character.

So when David said, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit,” I believe he was describing a part of Gods nature that some of us have never seen before. Growing up, I always saw God with a lightening rod in His hand, waiting for me to do something stupid He could punish me for. I knew that He could be good, but wasn’t sure when that was going to happen.

Throughout Davids life, he cultivated relationship with God and knew His nature. He saw God stand beside him in battle, conquering over his enemies. He saw God restore his family and fortunes. He saw Him as a protector, a good Shepherd, leading and guiding him. He knew the joy that comes from the salvation of God, but most of all, that God’s generous Spirit held him up.

Father, thank you for your extreme generosity. I don’t have to do good to get good, I get Your goodness because of what Jesus did on the cross. I don’t have to work for it, do XYZ to find it, Your goodness is everlasting and Your mercy endures forever. Oh the joy I find when I think of Your salvation. I brought my brokenness to You and You made me whole. Not only that, but You don’t even remember what I did, the shame I carried with me everyday is gone as well. You’ve provided for all of my physical needs and my spiritual needs. You left nothing undone. Generous is Your nature. I want to be generous like You. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray this, Amen.