Develop Your Talent

“That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition].”

(Colossians 1:10, AMP)

       Too many people suffer from “destination disease.” In other words, they've reached a certain level or obtained a goal, now they’re coasting in life off of what they've already learned. Studies tell us that 50% of people, after they graduate from high school, will never read an entire book the rest of their life. 

One reason is that people see learning as a period of life instead of a way of life. They think, “I’m out of school. I’m done with my training. I've got my job.” But, God never created us to reach one level and stop. Whether you’re 90 years old or 9 years old, you should be constantly learning, improving your skills, and getting better at what you do.

The key is that you have to take responsibility for your growth. Growth is not automatic. What steps are you taking to get better? Are you reading books? Listening to teaching CD’s? Are you taking any courses on the internet? Going to any seminars? Do you have any mentors? Don’t just coast through life relying on what you've already learned. You have treasure on the inside. Develop your talent and become all that God created you to be.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, help me to develop the talents You have given me. Show me to how to continue growing, stretching and increasing. Help me to maximize what You've placed in my hand as I daily give You glory for Your faithfulness in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Credits: Joel Osteen Ministries

It’s Never too Late

“The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

(Romans 11:29, KJV)

      What could be worse than to come to the end of life filled with regrets? “If only I had pursued that dream. If only I had been more disciplined. If only I had taken that step of faith. If only I had forgiven.” Don’t let that be you. You may have put things off a lot longer than you should have, but the good news is that it’s not too late to get started. You can still become everything God has created you to be.

Today, make the decision to stop making excuses. If you always make excuses, you’ll always have one. Don’t wait for a more convenient time. It says in Ecclesiastes, “If we wait for all the conditions to be just right, we’ll never move off of dead center.” Make a decision to just do it! Be a now person. Your destiny is calling out, and it’s never too late to be all that God has created you to be.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for making all things new. Thank You for renewing me, restoring me and setting me on the road to victory. Show me Your ways and give me the strength to embrace every opportunity that comes from You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Credits: Joel Osteen Ministries

Who Do You Agree With?

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

(Matthew 18:19, NIV)

The Scripture talks about how when any two of us agree, it shall be done. That’s a promise that when we stand in faith with another believer, God will do what He said. Well, I believe that principle is true even in the negative. When the enemy puts a thought in your mind, if you agree, then your agreement is what gives it the power to come to pass. But if you don’t agree, you turn it around.

The thought says, “Your children are going to get into trouble.” “No, I don’t agree. My children will be mighty in the land. My children will fulfill their destiny.” You've just stopped that fear from coming to pass. The thought says, “You’d better not go out today. You’re going to have an accident.” “No, I don’t agree. God has a hedge of protection around me; a bloodline that the enemy cannot cross.”

Here’s the key: don’t come into agreement with the fear. If you don’t agree, the only way it can come to pass is if God gives it permission. And if God does, you can rest assured it’s not going to work against you. It’s going to work for you. Today, pay attention to what you’re coming into agreement with and don’t agree with fear. Agree with His Word and embrace the good things He has in store for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I come into agreement with You. I choose to align my words, my thoughts and my actions with Your Word which is a lamp to my feet and light to my path. I will hide Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Credits: Joel Osteen Ministries

Overcome the “What If’s”

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

(2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)

   God’s desire is that we continually progress, that we reach higher heights and go to new levels in Him. Oftentimes, as soon as we make the decision to step out in faith and obey God, the enemy brings in fear to try to stop us. He’ll bring thoughts like, “What if you fail? What are other people going to think? You don’t have what it takes.” He’ll do his best to use fear to try to convince us to shrink back and stay where we are.

The Bible says that fear is a spirit. It plays on our emotions and holds us back. But the good news is that we have power over the spirit of fear! The Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear. When we receive God’s perfect love, we will have confidence about the future because we know His plans are for our good. I’ve heard it said that fear is an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. Understand that fear is a lie. Don’t buy the lie. Instead, choose to believe God’s Word and receive His love so that you can overcome fear and move forward into the blessings He has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for giving me power, love and a sound mind. I open my heart to You and receive Your perfect love. Fill me with Your confidence and assurance to embrace everything You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.


Credits: Joel Osteen Ministries

Just Ask

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”(Matthew 7:7, NIV)

What do you need from God today? A lot of times, it’s easy to think that we’re not supposed to ask for too much, but scripture encourages us to go to God with all of our needs. He longs to give you the desires of your heart and pour out His favor and blessing on you. In fact, Jesus said, “You have not because you ask not.”

Anytime you step out and ask for God’s favor, blessing or increase, you are exercising your faith. When you do pray, make sure there isn’t anything in your heart that would block that faith. Begin your prayers by surrendering every thought and attitude to the Lord. Ask Him to purify your motives and show you if there is any unforgiveness in your life. When you surrender everything to the Lord, it opens the door for Him to move on your behalf. Today, surrender all to Him and ask for whatever you need. Let Him pour out His favor and blessing on every area of your life.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I humbly come to You and surrender every area of my heart and life. I ask that You pour out Your favor and blessing on me so that I can be a greater blessing to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.


Credits: Joel Osteen Ministries

He Orders Your Steps

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.”

(Psalm 37:23, NKJV)

I had a man tell me a few weeks ago that he was really hoping to get this big contract. He worked in heavy equipment sales. He went to meet the owner of this very large company. He walked into the meeting very nervous, very uptight. The owner smiled and said, “My wife said to tell you hello. You both went to high school together. She said she always liked you. She told me before I left the house, ‘You make sure you’re good to him.’ ” And he was. He gave him that contract.

Friend, you don’t have to worry about your future. You don’t have to try to make things happen in your own strength. You can go through the day in peace because God knows exactly what you need. In your future, He has already lined up the right people, the right breaks, the good words you’re going to need down to the second, down to the exact moment. Like that woman, God will cause you to come in on cue. And if for some reason it doesn’t work out, don’t get all discouraged. Don’t get depressed. That just means that God has something better in store. It means He has a bigger opportunity in your future. He orders your steps, so keep your faith and trust in Him.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for ordering my steps. I trust that You are aligning people and opportunities in my life. I rest in You and praise You for Your goodness in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Credits: Joel Osteen Ministries

Know God's Character

It's important that we know God's character. Why? It gives us discernment. 

If we don't know the character of God, how can we ever know who is from God 

and who is not from God? 

Here are three character traits of God that help 

me stay in tune with who He is and what He is doing:

1. Justice: God is a God of justice. That word justice is so awesome 

because it means that He will always make anything that's wrong right. This 

helps me to not worry when I am mistreated because I know God will bring 

justice. It's who He is.

2. Goodness: God is good, this fact never changes. And He's good all the 

time, not just once in a while or when things go your way. Psalm 34:8 says, 

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge 

in him" (NIV). When things are bad, I find great encouragement in God's 

goodness.

3. Holiness: God is holy and righteous, and He desires to make us holy, 

pure and clean, free from the defilements of sin. To be honest, it has 

helped me in my walk with God to realize that whatever He does is right, 

whether I like it or not. This helps me to stay in sync with Him.

These three traits are not the only characteristics of God, but they are 

some of the most significant and powerful ones to me.

I encourage you to spend some time looking up these traits, and other 

traits of God that are important to you. When you study who He is, the Holy 

Spirit will help you incorporate His traits into your own personality. 

Begin to practice them in your daily life, and see what God does... You 

won't be disappointed.

Prayer Starter: 

God, You are wonderful. Your justice, goodness, holiness, 

and countless other traits amaze me and remind me of how great You are. 

Continue to remind me of Your character so I can become more like You.

God Bless! Happy Monday!

Credits: Joyce Meyer

True Happiness...

          Years ago I had no idea how strongly God felt about giving to others. Before that, I lived a selfish, me-first life. I struggled and strives constantly to find happiness for myself, but I always found myself worn-down, stressed-out, and definitely unhappy. 

However, God taught me a thing or two about true happiness. Once I figured out that happiness is a by-product of doing something good for other people, I began to adopt a lifestyle where I intentionally look for ways to help people, every day.

The Bible says in Acts 20:35, In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' (NIV).

That's amazing. Giving brings more happiness than receiving? On the surface, that doesn't make much sense. We live in a world and a culture that's obsessed with receiving. So many times, we look at people who have a lot of stuff and think, 'They must be truly happy.'

But true happiness comes from a lifestyle of giving to others. Now, that doesn't mean you have to give away millions. All God asks is that you give what you have.

I don't ever want to be the kind of person who just says, "Well, I'm doing enough. I'm satisfied." In reality, that will never bring satisfaction. No, I want to help as many people as I possibly can.

Today, find someone you can give to. No matter how big or small your gift, whether it's money, time, or encouragement, just give what you have. Experience the true happiness that comes from giving.

Prayer Starter: God, I know that true happiness comes from giving, not receiving. I want to live the life of true happiness that comes from forgetting about my selfish desires and seeking to give to those around me.

God bless everyone!

Credits: Joyce Meyer Ministries