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

Stir Up Your Dreams

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you...” (2 Timothy 1:6, NKJV)

Do you need some freshness in your life today? It’s probably time to stir up what God has placed on the inside of you. It’s time to stir up those gifts, stir up those dreams, stir up those talents inside. Start stretching yourself. This doesn’t just mean making New Year’s resolutions; this means tapping into the destiny God has placed in your heart.

Scripture tells us that without vision, people perish. If you don’t have a dream, you’re not really living the way God intends; you’re merely existing. Maybe at one time you had a dream, but you went through some disappointments or setbacks. Things didn’t turn out the way you planned. But here’s a key: when one dream dies, dream another dream. Just because it didn’t work out the way you had it planned doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have another plan. You cannot allow one disappointment or even a series of disappointments to convince you that your dream is over. It’s time to dig your heels in and hold on to the promises in your heart. As you stir up those God-given dreams and desires, He’ll pour out His favor and blessings and fulfill every desire in your heart!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I come humbly to You. I give You my past, my disappointments, my brokenness. I choose forgiveness and peace. Fill me with Your hope and expectation as You fulfill the dreams and desires that You have placed within me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

You Have the Advantage

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“...His favor is for a lifetime...” (Psalm 30:5, AMP)

One definition of the word “favor” is an advantage for success. When you put God first, when you obey His commands, you open the door for His favor — you have the advantage for success! Even if someone may have wronged you and it looks like they have the upper hand, even if it looks like things are never going to change, you need to keep reminding yourself, “I have an advantage. God is in control of my destiny. He’s fighting my battles for me. He is my vindicator. And it’s just a matter of time before things change in my favor.”

There’s a scripture in Hebrews that says, “Don’t cast away your confidence.” One translation says, “Payday is coming.” In the difficult times, you have to remind yourself that payday is on its way. God is a faithful God. If you’ll keep doing the right thing, honoring Him and expecting His favor, God has promised He will pay you back. He will restore everything in your life that the enemy has stolen so you can live the abundant life He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for Your grace, mercy and everlasting favor. I open my heart and mind to You and receive every blessing You have for me. Thank You for favor, the advantage for success in every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hearing His Voice

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“If only you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God...” (Deuteronomy 15:5, AMP)

All through the day, there are two voices that compete for our attention — the voice of faith and the voice of defeat. You’ll hear a voice saying, “You’ll never rise any higher. You don’t have what it takes. You’ve reached your limit.” But if you listen carefully, you’ll hear another voice saying, “You are well able. You can do all things through Christ. Your best days are still up ahead.” You are the one who gets to choose which voice has power in your life.

The moment you verbalize a thought, you give it the right to come to pass. When you speak faith, you’re in agreement with God. When you speak defeat, you’re in agreement with the enemy. God-talk brings God on the scene. Enemy-talk brings the enemy on the scene.

Why don’t you get in agreement with God today? The negative voice may be louder, but you can override it. You can take away all of its power by simply choosing the voice of faith. Choose to declare favor, blessing and increase over your life so that you can walk in the victory the Lord has in store for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today and every day, I choose the voice of faith and victory. I declare that I am rising up higher in You, that I can do all things because You give me strength. I bless You and honor You in everything I say and do in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Like Fire in Your Bones

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“...But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9, NKJV)

In scripture, God gave a promise to Jeremiah that he would become a great prophet and speak to the nations. But Jeremiah was young and afraid. He didn’t see how it could happen. He started telling God all the reasons why it wouldn’t work out. He said, “God, when I get up to speak, people mock me and make fun of me. I’m young. I’m tired. I’m intimidated.” Just when you think he is going to talk himself out of it, he says in Jeremiah 20:9, “Your Word in my heart is like a fire shut up in my bones.” He was saying, “God, I may not see how it can happen. All the odds are against me, but this promise You put in me will not go away. It’s like a fire. It’s alive. I can’t get away from it.”

You may be at a place right not where you could easily give up on what God has placed in your heart. But like Jeremiah, there is a fire shut up in your bones. What God promised you will not die. You can try to ignore it. You can try to talk yourself out of it. Your mind may tell you that it’s never going to happen, but deep down you feel a stirring, a burning, a restlessness. That’s the promise God put in you. He loves you too much to let you be average. He is going to push you into greatness. Get ready because the gifts, the talents, the skills, the ideas, the untapped potential is about to come forth!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, Your truth is like a fire shut up in my bones. Help me to see Your plan for me. Help me to stand strong and trust You. Help me to boldly embrace everything You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Get in the Game

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1, NIV)

Is there a desire that you placed on the shelf, so to speak? Have you been sitting on the sidelines of your dream, celebrating everybody else’s victories, content to see the promises come to pass in their lives? It’s good to celebrate with others, but God wants to do something amazing in your life, too. He wants you to be celebrated. You don’t have to sit on the sidelines watching everyone else. You have treasure inside of you.

Think about the promises that God has spoken over you; dreams that He wants you to give birth to. It’s not too late. You’re not too old. It may look impossible, but our God can do the impossible. When you believe, favor is released. When you believe, hidden treasure comes forth. Don’t waste another day sitting on the sidelines of life. It’s time to get back in the game. It’s time to run your race. It’s time to press forward into the promises that God has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for the promises You’ve spoken over my life. Help me to rise up, be strong and press forward. Today I choose to let go of anything that would hold me back from boldly embracing everything You have in store for me in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Treasures Deep Within

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels...” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV)

You have many treasures buried deep inside of you. Gifts, talents, abilities that you don’t even know about yet. But as a believer in Jesus, the greatest treasure within you is the Spirit of God. You carry the treasure of God in an earthen vessel!

He’s also deposited treasures on the inside of you that are tied to your purpose. By His Spirit, you will discover that God has fully equipped you for everything you need in this life. We have to draw out those treasures inside of us by what we speak and what we believe. We stir up the gifts by praying in the Spirit.

Don’t let those treasures lie dormant. Seek God and follow His leading. Dig deep, stir it up and move forward in the destiny God has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for choosing to live inside of me. Show me the treasures You have deposited within me so that I can fulfill Your purposes for me all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The promise will Come through You

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:14, NKJV)

In scripture, God gave Sarah a promise that she would have a baby, but she was well beyond the childbearing years. She thought the promise would come through somebody else. That made more sense. She was too old. So she got her husband, Abraham, together with a young maid, and they had a baby. Sarah said, “Thank You, Lord. The promise came to pass.”

But God said, “No, Sarah. I didn’t put the promise in them. I put the promise in you. You have hidden treasure that is still buried in your womb.” But as long as Sarah thought, “I’m too old. I’m at a disadvantage. I don’t look like these younger women,” she was talking herself out of what God wanted to do.

How many times do we do the same thing? “I could never be in management.” “I could never write that book.” “I could never build that house.” No, God is saying to you what He said to Sarah. “I didn’t put the promise in somebody else. I put the promise in you.” Look past your circumstances today and look to God. The one who promised is faithful, and He will bring it to pass!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me. I know that You will bring to pass every promise You’ve made. I repent for trying things in my own strength and choose to trust wholly in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Talk Yourself into It

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; and light will shine on your ways.” (Job 22:28, NASB)

In Genesis 17, when Sarah first heard the news that she was going to have a baby, the scripture says it was so far out she began to laugh. She was in her 90’s, so it seemed impossible from every angle. I can hear her saying, “Abraham, a baby? Are you kidding? I’ve gone through the change of life. That defies the laws of nature.” She was saying, “I’m at a disadvantage. I don’t have what it takes,” belittling herself, discounting herself. She was burying the promise deep within her.

Friend, when you think about it, it’s just as easy to talk yourself into something as it is to talk yourself out of it. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why you can’t get well, why you can’t accomplish a dream, why your marriage is not going to last and talking yourself out of it, start talking yourself into it! “I can do all things through Christ. God is making a way even though I don’t see a way. I’m anointed, equipped, talented, more than a conqueror.”

The more you speak God’s Word, the more you believe it. When you believe God’s Word, it comes to pass in your life. Start today by declaring His promises. Feed your faith and move forward into the victory and blessing He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. I choose to believe Your promises and blessings. I choose to declare Your truth and talk myself into believing You instead of doubting in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Power at Work

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think...” (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV)

Today’s verse tells us that God will do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or think. But here’s the key: the next part says that it’s “...according to the power that works in you.” It’s not according to the power that’s in your neighbor, your boss, your pastor, your priest, the bank or the stock market. It’s according to the power that works in you. In other words, it depends on what you’re believing. If you go around telling yourself, “I’m just average. I’m not that talented. I come from the wrong family,” then the exceeding greatness of God’s power is not going to work in you. That treasure is going to stay buried.

But when you acknowledge God’s greatness in your life, when you see yourself the way He sees you and live by the Word of God, that’s when His power works in you Remember, you’ve been created in the image of Almighty God. You have treasure on the inside. If that treasure is going to come out, you have to have the attitude, “I’ve got what it takes. I’m not waiting on it. I’m not hoping to get it one day. I’m not begging somebody to give me a break. No, I’m equipped, empowered, talented and creative, and I will fulfill the destiny He has in store for me!”

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for Your exceeding, abundant promises. I invite You to have Your way in and through me. Show me Your ways that I may walk with You and honor You all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

You Have What You Need

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life...” (2 Peter 1:3, NIV)

It’s easy to get stuck in life thinking you’ve reached your limits. But, God wouldn’t have given you a dream without giving you the ability to accomplish it. You have everything you need. The problem many times is that it’s buried inside. It’s hidden treasure. You have gifts and talents that you’ve not yet tapped. There is potential that is waiting to be released. When God laid out the plan for your life, He deposited in you the skill, the wisdom, the creativity; everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Now here’s the key. It’s not what you have in you that matters; it’s what you get out. If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to tap in to that hidden treasure.

Now the challenge is, “don’t die with the treasure still on the inside.” You have something to offer this world that nobody else can offer. You are unique, one of a kind. You are anointed to be you. Be confident in who God made you to be, knowing that you’ve got what it takes to step in to the fullness of your destiny.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for giving me everything I need to fulfill the dreams You’ve placed in my heart. I choose to stay focused and press forward into the good things You have me in Jesus’ name. Amen.