Delmar answers, “come on in boys, the waters fine!"

Unto Us

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder...” (Isaiah 9:6a, NKJ)

When Jesus came to earth, He brought with Him everything you need to live a life of victory. He came as a little baby, but He was empowered with all authority in heaven and earth. When you make Him your Lord and Savior, He gives you access to all of His resources. You have access to His peace, power, authority, provision, joy and strength. He brought all of this “unto us” when He came to earth. Unto us a child is born...unto us victory is given. Unto us peace is given. Unto us provision is given. Unto us hope and healing are given. Unto us eternal life is given!

Whatever you may have need of today, remember, when Jesus came into the world, He made a way for every one of your needs to be met spiritually, emotionally and physically. Surrender your life to Him and receive all the spiritual blessings He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, so that I could be free to live an abundant life in You. I receive unto me everything You came to give. Fill me with Your love and show me Your ways so that I can know You more. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Give Him the Gift of Worship

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts...” (Matthew 2:11, AMP)

When the wise men first saw Jesus, they were completely overwhelmed. They fell to their knees and wanted to worship Him with everything they had. Giving was an automatic response. They wanted to lavish Him with their love and gifts because they were thankful and wanted to honor Him.

When you give to God, He doesn’t want you to do it just because it’s offering time or because you feel like you have to. In fact, the Bible says, “Do not give grudgingly or under compulsion.” God wants you to give because your heart is overflowing with thankfulness. He wants you to be happy and cheerful when you give. In fact, the Bible says, “He loves a cheerful giver.” He wants you to give out of a heart filled with honor and faith.

Think about the faithfulness of God today. Think about what He’s done for you — He saved and redeemed you. Think about the fact that He is your provider. As you meditate on His goodness, your heart will overflow with thankfulness. And just like the wise men, giving will be an automatic response!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I choose to meditate on Your goodness today. Thank You for loving and saving me. Thank You for redeeming my life from the pit. I give You everything that I am today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Brighter Until the Full Day

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day” (Proverbs 4:18, NLT)

As a believer, God promises that your path will shine brighter and brighter as you seek His truth and righteousness in every situation. What is righteousness? Righteousness is simply being in right standing with God. You are made righteous by the blood of Jesus, and then you choose to walk in His righteousness by choosing to follow His commands. When you draw near to God, He will draw near to you.

John 8 tells us that Jesus is the light of the world. The closer you are to Him, the closer you are to the light source, and the brighter your path will be. With every step you take, your path is shining brighter and brighter. It’s going to keep shining brighter until the day you see Him face to face.

No matter what you may be facing today, be encouraged because your path is shining brighter. Keep moving forward — keep praying, keep believing, keep trusting, knowing that He has a good plan in store for your future.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, I know that You have a wonderful plan and purpose for me. I desire to be in right standing with You. Show me Your ways and teach me to walk righteously before You. Shine Your light in my heart and give me strength to pursue the path You have for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

He Makes All Things New

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And He who is seated on the throne said, ‘See! I make all things new...’ ” (Revelation 21:5, AMP)

When God puts a dream in your heart, when He puts a promise on the inside of you, He deposits within you everything you need to accomplish that dream. He wouldn’t give you the desire to do something without giving you the ability to fulfill it. In fact, the scripture tells us that God gives us the desires of our heart. In other words, He puts the desire inside of us and then works with us to bring it to pass.

Oftentimes, people set out to accomplish their dreams, but they face a setback or disappointment, and then they feel like their time has passed. But let me tell you today, no matter where you’ve come from, no matter what’s happened in your past, God wants to make you new. He wants to give you a fresh start. If you feel like you’ve missed opportunities in your life, if you feel like your time has passed, remember, today is a new day. You are a new person, and God has new opportunities in store for you. Lift up your eyes of faith and look forward to the new thing God has for you in this New Year!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for making all things new. I give You this day and invite You to have Your way in every area of my life. I choose to receive all the promises You have in store for me and look for Your goodness in the New Year. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Consider Your God

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body...he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:19–21, NKJV)

Abraham is known as our father in the faith, but he had many obstacles coming against the promise of God in his life. See, God told him that he would be “the father of many nations,” but Abraham was over 90 years old before he ever saw that promise begin to come to pass. How many people today would look in the mirror and say, “No way; it’s just not happening.” But today’s scripture tells us that he didn’t consider his body. He didn’t meditate on all the reasons he couldn’t be the father of many nations. Instead, he considered the strength and ability of his God!

He knew God could make a way even when there seemed to be no way. Abraham knew he served a faithful God, and so he gave all the praise and glory to Him! Scripture says his faith strengthened him and opened the door for God to move mightily on his behalf.

Today, what are you believing God for? Does it seem impossible? Has it taken a long time? Consider your God. Consider His Word. Consider His faithfulness. Just like Abraham, let His Word strengthen you as you give glory to God. Keep believing and keep hoping and let your faith open the way for victory in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness and strength at work in my life today. I choose to consider Your ability over my circumstance. I choose to trust You and receive Your strength. I give You praise, honor and glory now and forevermore. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Make Plans for the Next Victory

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day...” (Joshua 14:12, NKJV)

In the Bible, Caleb helped lead the people of Israel into their Promised Land. But scripture tells us that Caleb didn’t just stop there. In fact, when he was 80 years old he said, “God, give me another mountain.” He was saying, “God give me something else to do. Give me another assignment.” Notice, he was planning on living out his life in victory. He could have said, “God, just let me retire. Man, my back’s hurting. I can hardly see anymore. Medicare wouldn’t pay that latest prescription. I’m so aggravated.” No, he was strong. He was energetic; he was ready for the next challenge.

Friend, no matter how old or how young you are, God has another assignment for you. You wouldn’t be here if God didn’t have a purpose for you. I believe that this next year is going to be your best ever. Why don’t you make plans for another victory! Make plans to increase in influence, abundance and favor. Choose today to live full of joy, peace, strength and health and take a step of faith into the life of blessing He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for creating me and giving my life purpose. Help me discover the gifts and talents You’ve placed within me so that I can use them for Your glory. Thank You for another victory in this New Year. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Dream Another Dream

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT)

What are the dreams and desires that you have for your future? Maybe you had some big dreams in the past, but things didn’t go the way you planned. So you put them aside and settled for status quo. We’ve all had disappointments and setbacks, but today is a new day, and we serve a God who makes all things new!

Let me challenge you to dig deep and dare to have a big dream for your life. I always say, when one dream dies, dream another dream. Don’t just settle for mediocrity, we serve a God who is above and beyond anything we can think of, and He wants to manifest His greatness through you. Remember, there’s nothing you can dream that God can’t do. Why don’t you ask Him to bring you the right people, the right opportunities, and the right resources? Trust that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Dare to believe and dare to dream another dream because He desires to do big things in and through you in this New Year!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for a new day to praise Your name. I dedicate myself to You fresh and anew. Lead me in the ways of my heart; help me to find that new dream, and let everything I do bring glory to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The New has Come

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

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

As a believer in Jesus, you are a new creation! You have a new spirit, a new walk, a new life! There may be “old” things in your life that you are trying to get rid of. Maybe you have old habits or addictions that you want to change. Remember today that the new has come. It’s a new year with new opportunities, and it’s time for you to be the new you. Let this be the year that you break old habits and addictions. Let this be the year that you move forward into a new life of victory. Let this be the year that you take hold of all the spiritual blessings the Lord has promised — peace, health, protection and victory.

Be encouraged today because no matter what is happening in your life right now, you have a chance for a new beginning. Choose today to leave the old behind — leave behind old behaviors, old thinking, and old words and embrace the new by faith because this is your year to experience the new life that He has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me new. I choose today to leave behind the old life and ask that You empower me by Your spirit. Help me to understand Your plan and know the truth of Your Word that sets me free. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Who Will Receive the Blessing?

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:3–5, NKJV)

God wants you to receive every blessing that He has in store for you. In His Word, He tells you about His wonderful blessings, but He also tells you how to receive His blessings — by having clean hands and a pure heart.

We are made pure and clean by the precious blood of Jesus when we make Him our Lord and Savior and turn away from anything that displeases Him. I’ve found that most of the time, it’s not the big things that keep us from God’s best; it’s the small things — maybe it starts with an offense that turns into unforgiveness. Maybe you watch something on TV or the internet that you know you shouldn’t, and it becomes a bad habit that steals your time and pollutes your mind.

Today, make the decision to let go of anything that would keep you from His blessings. Make the decision to be a person of excellence and integrity. Treat others with respect and kindness and look for ways to be a blessing. Be determined to live a life that pleases God so that you can receive the abundance He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus that cleanses and renews me. I choose to turn away from anything that displeases You so that I can live righteously before You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

He Withholds No Good Thing

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“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, NIV)

What do you need from the Lord today? Do you need peace, provision or 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, “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, blameless walk. The past is erased in God’s eyes. Sure, you may make mistakes from time to time, but 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Understand today 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!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and choosing to pour out Your favor and blessing on me today. Thank You for giving me a new beginning and making me blameless in Your eyes. Search my heart today and show me if there is anything that would keep me from You today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.