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

Prince of Peace

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

The Bible calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. That means He is the ruler of peace. He is the ultimate peace. Having His peace is not like having the peace the world has; His peace is permanent. It never changes, and it can never be taken away.

It’s interesting that the word “peace” literally means “to set at one again.” In other words, when we are one with the Father, when we line up our thoughts, our words and our actions with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ, we will experience His peace in our lives. Anytime you find that you don’t have peace about something on the inside of your heart, when you feel an uneasiness, that’s a sign that you should stop and pray and make sure you are in line with God’s direction. Remember, His plans are for your good. He leads you by peace and fills you with His joy. When you choose His ways, you become one with Him and experience His peace and blessing all the days of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for filling me with Your peace and joy. Have Your way in my heart and remove anything that displeases You. Help me to clearly hear Your voice so I can walk in all of Your ways in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Wise Men Still Seek Him

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10, NIV)

After Jesus was born, the Bible tells us in Matthew chapter two that Wise Men came from the East to bow before Him and worship Him. They went to great lengths just to get a glimpse of the Child and traveled a long distance for many months, following the star. When they saw Him, they were so overwhelmed. The scripture says they fell on their faces to honor and worship Him.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That means that we should have a reverential honor and respect for Him — just like the Wise Men did. We are wise when we set everything else in life aside in order to seek Him. We are wise when we worship Him and give Him everything that we are. We are wise when we take time to honor Him. Remember, God is a rewarder of the people who diligently seek after Him. As you continue to put Him first in all you do, you’ll increase in wisdom and discernment, and you’ll move forward into the life of blessing He has in store for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, today I choose wisdom by choosing to honor You. I put You first in my heart, my mind, my emotions and my actions. Show me Your ways that I may walk with You and acknowledge You in everything I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Perfect toward Him

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“...I will walk within my house with a perfect heart” (Psalm 101:2, NKJ)

This time of year, people often take time to reflect and set goals for the New Year. But have you ever set “perfection” as a goal on your list?

Now, that may seem a little strange or unobtainable to many, but really, in God’s eyes perfection isn’t about performance. In fact, it isn’t about behavior at all. What God is looking for is a heart that is perfect toward Him. Scripture says that man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. That means that He is more pleased with someone who has a heart toward Him who may mess up than He is with someone doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

The condition of your heart is extremely important to God. When you have a right heart, you are humble before Him. You seek His ways. You get up each day with a desire to please Him. You submit every area of your life to Him, and you are willing to make adjustments and receive correction so you can grow and come up higher.

As you prepare for the coming year, make knowing Him your number one priority. Yield yourself to Him and let Him shape your character. Serve Him with all your might and let your heart be perfect toward Him!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for all of Your blessings in my life. I declare today that You are good and thank You for Your mercy. I set my heart and mind on You and ask that You have Your way in me. Help me to love You perfectly and keep me close to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

He Makes All Things New

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’...” (Revelation 21:5, NIV)

Can you remember the time when you first discovered a big dream in your heart? Maybe you were determined to excel in your career or as a parent, or maybe you were focused on deepening your walk with the Lord. You probably started out with enthusiasm, but maybe things got a little difficult or didn’t happen as quickly as you would have liked. Oftentimes, when things don’t go as planned, people decide, “I’m just going to settle here. It’s not exactly what I wanted, but at least it’s good enough.”

Friend, in this new season, recognize that you were made for more than “good enough.” You were made to increase, to excel, to grow and stretch. Why don’t you take a step of faith this year and embrace the new life He came to give you? Not only does Christ offer new life in eternity, but He offers new life here on earth. Why don’t you pick up those dreams and be determined to see them through? It’s a new day, and He is making everything new in your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for this new day. Thank You for the opportunity to begin again. I choose to press forward and keep believing for the dreams and desires You’ve placed in my heart. I trust You today with everything that I am in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Marked Moments

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“...time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11, AMP)

Before the foundation of the world, God laid out a plan for your life. He created you with a purpose, for a purpose, and He created you to be successful! He has marked moments already laid out that are going to come across your path. These moments are not ordinary. They are destiny-altering moments. They are designed to thrust you years ahead.

Ecclesiastes tells us that time and chance come together for every person. That means you will have opportunities to meet the right people, opportunities to advance in your career, and opportunities to fulfill your dreams. God has already prearranged for you times of increase, promotion and blessing.

Today, open your eyes of faith and see the good things God has in store for your future. Thank Him for what He’s doing and what He’s about to do. Thank Him for divine connections and marked moments because He is ready and willing to fulfill every dream and desire He’s placed within your heart!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for marked moments and divine opportunities in my life. I trust that You are working behind the scenes no matter what the circumstances look like. I choose today to keep my heart and mind focused on Your goodness, knowing that You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek after You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Living the Full Life

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it...” (Psalm 24:1, AMP)

God wants you to live an abundant and satisfied life! He wants you to enjoy the fullness of the earth and experience His goodness everywhere you go.

It’s easy for people to get stuck in a rut, doing the same thing the same way all the time. But when you open yourself to new people, new experiences and new ideas, you are making room for God to reveal Himself to you and work in different ways in your life. When you stretch yourself, you increase your abilities, and you increase your influence in the world around you.

This week, make the decision to explore something new. Take a different route home from work. Try something new on the menu at lunch. Be open to new people who may not necessarily look like you or act like you. Let God direct and broaden your horizons. Look for new opportunities to grow and stretch so you can live the full, satisfied life the Lord has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I open my heart and mind to You today. I ask that You help me broaden my perspective. Give me courage to step out of my comfort zone so I can experience the full life You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In Due Season

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:4, AMP)

God has set up seasons in our lives. It’s easy to get frustrated when our dreams aren’t coming to pass on our timetable, but every season is not harvest season. There are plowing seasons. There are planting seasons. There are watering seasons. Sure, we would love for every season to be a time of increase left and right, good breaks here and there. But without the other seasons, we wouldn’t be prepared. For example, it’s during the plowing seasons that God brings issues to light that we need to deal with. He’s getting us prepared for promotion.

If you’re not making as much progress as you would like, the key is to not lose any ground. Don’t go backwards. Hold your position. Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it’s hard. When you do that, you are passing the test, and God promises that your due season of harvest is coming. Be encouraged because your appointed time of increase, favor and promotion is on its way, and He will fulfill every dream and desire He’s placed within your heart!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, I bless You today. I thank You for preparing me for the blessing and promotion You have in my future. I surrender my heart, mind, will and emotions to You so that I can live as a testimony of Your work in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

All Things Are Possible

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’ ” (Matthew 19:26 NIV)

Are you facing something today that seems impossible? With man it may be, but with God, ALL things are possible. If you seem to be in an impossible situation, get “with God!”

Sometimes it’s so easy to focus on our problems and try to solve them in our own strength. But remember, the battle belongs to the Lord. He has a plan for your victory. He has a plan to give you a way out. He is making the things that seem impossible, possible. You can trust Him today. The Bible says that He has plans for your good, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Start believing and confessing today, “I am with God, and with God all things are possible!” Are your bills piling up? With God, all things are possible. Do your relationships need healing? With God, all things are possible. Is there sickness in your body? With God, all things are possible! As you meditate on God’s Word, His power is activated in your life. He will strengthen you and lead you forward into that place of victory He has in store for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for making a way where there seems to be no way. I choose to trust You, and I believe that all things are possible! Show me Your power today. Work through me to encourage those around me to trust You more in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Speak Life

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“The tongue has the power of life and death...” (Proverbs 18:21, NIV)

God has given us amazing power through the use of our words. God created the world with the words He spoke, and we also have creative power with the words that we speak.

Maybe you aren’t where you want to be in life today. Could it be because of the words you’ve spoken in your past? Have you spoken words of death by saying things like, “I’ll never rise any higher; I’ve gone as far as I can go?” Or maybe you’ve said, “I’ll never break this addiction. I’ve had it too long; it’s too hard.” Now, you are eating the fruit of those words — you’re still in the same place.

If you are ready to change your situation, then it’s time to change what you say about your situation. If you want a different harvest, you have to change the seeds you are sowing. Today, choose to speak life over your future. Let your attitude be, “This may be the way it’s been in the past, but this is not the way it’s staying. I’m coming up higher. I may feel weak, but my declaration is that I am strong.” Speak life, choose life, and move forward in His victory and blessing.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I repent for speaking words of death and sowing defeat in my own life. I ask that You uproot any negative crop from the past and help me speak words of faith so that I can walk in victory in every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Voice of Faith

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13, NKJ)

Every believer has been given a measure of faith. In order to see the promises of God come to pass in your life, you have to give expression to that faith through the words that you speak. We must declare what God says about us in His Word in order to activate those seeds of faith within. That’s why the scripture tells us, “Let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich.” When you give your faith a voice, you send forth the Word of God into the atmosphere. The Bible says that He watches over His Word to bring it to pass in your life.

The key is that we can’t allow words of defeat or negativity to come out of our mouths. Don’t dig up your seed by speaking against His Word. Instead, water your seed by continuing to declare the Word of God. When you wake up every morning, thank Him that His promises are coming to pass in your life. Throughout the day, continue speaking words of faith and life. As you give your faith a voice, you will see God's promises come to pass, and you will live the abundant life He has prepared for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I humbly come before You giving You my thoughts, my actions and my words. Help me to activate my faith by speaking Your Word daily. May my words and thoughts be pleasing to You always in Jesus’ name. Amen.