Fourteen generations before David fought Goliath, God told Abraham, I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse" (Ce 12:3 NIV). Later, God extended this covenant to Abraham's descendants and inserted a key provision: "You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you (Ge 17:11 NIV). Apparently, no one in Saul's army, including Saul himself, remembered they had a covenant with God, which led David to ask, Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" David was asking, "How could this man, who has no covenant with God, even think about conquering us?" How strong is your faith in God's covenant to bless, protect, and prosper those who are in right standing with Him? If you continue to run from the giants in your life, you will never see the power of God manifested. When you believe God's promises, you won't tolerate any giant in your life. Did you know that you're an heir to the same covenant of blessing that God gave Abraham? 'If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:29 NIV). David rested on a covenant of protection that was fourteen generations old and is still good today. The story of David and Goliath is representative of the many battles we face on a regular basis: good over evil, Gods power over man's strength, and faith over fear. Whatever the situation, we can rest on Gods Word: We who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said (Heb 4:3 NIV).

“Christ…entered…into heaven…to appear in the presence of God for us.”  Hebrews 9:24 NKJV

Growing up, many of us had no clue what our parents did forty hours a week. We mightmuch the same way, most of us don't really know what Jesus does all day. And our lack (nave known where they worked, but we werent alogether sure what they did. Inof holy confidence stems from that very fact. So what does Jesus do all day, every day?He's pleading your case, pleading your cause. All you have to do is plead the blood. That phrase has fallen out of circulation in some circles. In part because of its misapplication.Let's see if we can revive it. Pleading the blood is not some superstition. And it's not an abracadabra; it's an awareness of your authority in Christ. It's an understanding that your forgiveness has already been paid for in blood money. It's coming to terms with the fact that we overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb (See Rev 12:11). Christ is in your corner, which means you have the full backing of the King and His kingdom. His full blessing-His full authority! Satan would like to make you doubt that. Remember what he said to Eve in the Garden of Eden: "Has God indeed said...?" (Ge 3:1 NKJV). Translation? "God is holding out on you!" If Satan can get you to distrust God's goodness, he wins, and you lose. Is it possible that because you're holding out on God, you think God is holding out on you? Go all in with God! If you don't hold out on Him, He surely won't hold out on you.

“If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”   1 John 2:1 NKJV

You might not know the name Angelo Dundee, but you've undoubtedly heard of world champion boxer Muhammed Ali. For more than two decades, Angelo was in Muhammed Ali's corner-literally. He was Ali's corner man! He also trained other world boxing champions. One of the great descriptions of Jesus is, "He's our "Corner man!" "If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." In his letter to Timothy, Paul exhorts us to "fight the good fight" (1Ti 6:12 NIV). And you're going to get knocked down a time or two. But you've got a Corner man who once went three rounds with death itself. He got knocked down at the cross, but He got back up three days later. He walked out of the tomb, winning the fight against sin and death.
Where is He now? He's at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you. In other words, Christ is in your corner! And He's not the only one. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the "paraclete," which translates in English as comforter and counselor. Paraclete is a military term referring to Roman soldiers who would fight back-to-back when they got into hand-to-hand combat. They protected each other's blind side, and that's what the Holy Spirit does. The Holy Spirit has got your back. And Christ is in your corner. The prophet Isaiah calls Him our rear guard: "The Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard" (Isa 52:12 NIV). You don't just have one member of the Godhead interceding for you-you have two!

“Whatever things are…praiseworthy—meditate on those things.”   Php 4:8 NKJV

Experts estimate that we have 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day. So let's use 60,000 as a happy medium. And let's observe four important things about our thoughts: (1) Psychologists say that 98 to 99 percent of our thoughts are habitual: In other words, they are basically the same thoughts we had yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and the day before that. Your mind must be renewed day by day (see Ro 12:2). You can't keep thinking the same things and expect a different outcome or a different outlook.  What’s the answer? Take on a learning mindset! In all your getting, get understanding.
Exalt her, and she will promote you" (Pr 4:7-8 NKJV). (2) Only 12 percent of our thoughts are focused on the future. But faith, by definition, is future oriented. "Faith shows the reality of what we hope for" (Heb 11:1 NLT). (3) A Harvard University study found that the average person spends 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are presently doing. And psychologists say, "A wandering mind is an unhappy mind." Of course, the most obvious culprits are the digital devices that keep us disengaged. Nothing dumbs down our ability to dream like our so-called smartphones! (4) The Cleveland Clinic estimates that 80 percent of our thoughts are negative. That's 48,000 negative thoughts per day! And when we verbalize those thoughts, it compounds the problem. What's the answer? "Whatever things are....noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things" (NKJV).

“Bringing every thought into captivity.”    2 Co 10:5 NKJV

Author Max Lucado wrote: Some time back, a mother asked te to pray for her eight year-old son. He was troubled by a constant barrage of images and scary visions that left him withdrawn and timid. They even took his sleep at night. On the day we met, his eyes filled with tears, and he clung to his mother. She had taken him to doctors, but nothing had helped. I told him that the devil had no authority over his life. That the reall battles are fought in the mind. That God will help us take every thought captive. I urged him to memorize a Bible verse and quote it each time the fearful thoughts came to his mind. Reach up with your hand, 1 urged, 'and grab the thought and throw it in the trash. And as quickly as you do that, replace it with a verse of Scripture. We then anointed him with oil and prayed for him. Five days later, his mother reported great progress. 'Since last week, the images are gone; he is no longer seeing them. He recites this Scripture from Psalm 25:5 NKJV nightly: Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. I believe this has brought him closer to Christ. He uses the strategy of throwing the fearful thoughts away in the trash can. He said when he tried to throw them away, his head would hurt. I asked, What made them go away?' He smiled and said, 1 know God made them go away." So the word for you today is-"Grab it, and throw it in the trash."

“Pray for one another, that you may be healed.”  Jason5:16 NKJV

Christian cardiologist Dr. Randolph Byrd had a great interest in knowing if prayer had a “scientifically measurable" impact on healing. He has said, "After much prayer, the idea of what to do came to me." Over a ten-month period, a computer assigned 393 patients in the coronary care unit at San Francisco General Hospital to one of two groups. The first group was prayed for by home prayer groups. The second group was not remembered in prayer. The home prayer groups were from various Christian denominations. They were given only the first names of the patients and brief descriptions of their diagnoses and conditions. They were prayed for each day. The prayed-for patients differed from those not prayed for in these ways: (1) They were five times less likely to need antibiotics.( 2) They were three times less likely to develop fluid in the lungs. (3) None required an artificial airway attached to a ventilator. (4) Fewer died. If the technique being studied had been a new drug or procedure, it would have been heralded as a breakthrough.Even Dr. William Nolan, the author of a book denouncing faith healing, said, 'It sounds like this study will stand up to scrutiny...Maybe we doctors ought to be writing on our order sheets, Pray three times a day." In the Old Testament, we read: "For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord" (Jer 30:17 NKJV), In the New Testament, James wrote: The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up....Pray for one another, that you may be healed" Jas 5:15-16 NKJV),

This message was taken from the Daily Devotional- The Word for You Today.

“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”    Am 3:3 NKJV

It’s no secret that today, the majority of marriages fail because of financial issues. Other relationships can also be threatened when we fail to repay a personal loan or meet our financial expectations. The following three strategies will go a long way in mitigating these pitfalls: (1) Discuss with your spouse the maximum amount each of you may spend without getting the other's permission. Any amount above this limit will be considered "major" and Will require complete agreement. Every couple defines a "major" purchase differently, depending on their household income, so stick to what has been agreed on. This is important. If you do not agree on a transaction, when the deal goes bad, the tendency is to point fingers. (2) Advise your family that personal loans are against your "house policy." Should you decide to make an exception to the policy, make sure your spouse is in complete agreement. If you are wise, you will put the terms and the due dates in writing. (3) Don't enable your child, spouse, or anyone else to remain irresponsible by bailing him or her out or always being their safety net. Just say no. By not saying no, you interrupt one of God's most effective principles-sowing and reaping the consequences of individual behavior.Real maturity occurs when this lesson is learned. Love must be tough! If you are an enabler, ask God right now to give you the strength to stop being so. For example, insist on that rent check from your still stay-at-home adult child. This demonstrates character-building love, which is genuine love. If you need to set financial boundaries, do it!

Fourteen generations before David fought Goliath, God told Abraham, I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse" (Ge 12:3 NIV). Later, God extended this covenant to Abraham's descendants and inserted a key provision: "You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you" (Ge 17:11 NIV). Apparently, no one in Saul's army, including Saul himself, remembered they had a covenant with God, which led David to ask, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" David was asking, "How could this man, who has no covenant with God, even think about conquering us?" How strong is your faith in God's covenant to bless, protect, and prosper those who are in right standing with Him? If you continue to run from the giants in your life, you will never see the power of God manifested. When you believe God's promises, you won't tolerate any giant in your life. Did you know that you're an heir to the same covenant of blessing that God gave Abraham? "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal 3:29 NIV). David rested on a covenant of protection that was fourteen generations old and is still good today. The story of David and Goliath is representative of the many battles we face on a regular basis: good over evil, God's power over man's strength, and faith over fear. Whatever the situation, we can rest on God's Word: "We who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said" (Heb 4:3 NIV).

“Go teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”  Mt 28:19 NKJV

The words Jesus spoke changed the world forever. These were the last instructions to His disciples: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" (vv. 18-20 NKJV). Jesus' followers took this seriously: "Daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (Ac 5:42 NKJV). They remembered that they followed a man who taught everyone, and who commanded them to teach all peoples. So they did. They began to teach both men and women, both slaves and free. Some of the world's greatest teaching institutions were founded by followers of Christ. Oxford and Cambridge Universities began in the thirteenth century. (The motto of Oxford University is: "The Lord is my light" Psalm 27:1). George Marsden noted: "One of the remarkable facts about American history is that within six years of landing in Massachusetts wilderness, Puritans established what would soon become a reputable college." These words are from a student handbook: "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life (John 17:3), and therefore to lay Christ...as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. That was Harvard University! And 92 percent of the first 138 colleges and universities founded in America were begun by followers of Christ. His words not only inform us; they also transform us.

“Only the Lord gives wisdom.” Proverb 2:6 NCV

Here's Paul’l prayer for the Ephesian church: "That...God.may give you the spirit of Wisdom and revelation “ (Eph 1:17 NKJV For the Colossian church, he asked that God would fill them with "the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col 1:9 NK/V). James wrote: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God...and it wit be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting (Jas 1:5-6 NKJV). Godly wisdom also comes to us by Bible reading. This is why Paul, in his last letter before being beheaded for the gospel, wrote to his successor Timothy and said, From childhood you have know. the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation" (2Ti 3:15 KJV). How would  you know that the wisdom you're walking in comes from God? "God's wisdom begin with a holy life... characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-face! (as 3:17 MSG). As young Solomon took the throne of Israel God asked him, What shall I give you?" (1Ki 3:5 NKJV). Solomon answered: Give to Your servant an understanding  heart. The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing" (1Ki 3:9-10 NKI As a result, Solomon became known as one of the wisest men who ever lived, and he wro. three of the books of the Bible. And the God who gave him wisdom will give it to you too.  All you have to do is pray for it and open your heart and mind to His Word.

“The children whom God has graciously given.”   Genesis 33:15 NKJV

When we eep the phrase 'empty nest’, we often think of mothers going though
pain and depression as their children move away. But research shows that fathers feel the pain as well—in many cases more intensely than their wives. The movie Father of the Bride is hilarious. But it's also a touching tribute to the love of a father for his daughter. When George, the dad, sits across from his daughter at the dinner table and learns that she's engaged, he takes the news hard. He can't believe what he's hearing. He has to clear his vision because he sees her as his baby girl, then as the tomboy of eight or ten years, and finally as a beautiful young woman of twenty-one. His little girl has grown up, and she's leaving him. He will never again be the main man in the life of this baby, this little girl, or this beautiful young adult. A part of his life is over, and there's grieving to be done. George's experience is not so unusual. A study asked 400 parents of college freshmen to report their feelings when their son or daughter left home. Surprisingly to some, the fathers took it harder than the mothers. Why? One of the chief explanations was regret. These fathers had been so busy, working so hard, that they suddenly realized it was too late to build relationships with their grown children. So if you still have teenagers at home, make a decision to regularly enjoy your remaining time with them.
Those days will be gone in the blink of an eye.

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?  Then I said, ‘Here am I!  Send me.”   Isiah 6:8 NKJV

Do you remember the ten spies who doubted Cods ability to deliver on His promise and dissuaded the Israelites from entering the Promised Land? Their doubt was so offensive to God—He had already revealed His power to them through the exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea-that God executed judgment on the spot. The very next day, the Israelites did an about-face. They changed their minds, but it was too little, too late. One day's delay cost them forty years! They missed out on the Promised Land because their reaction time was too slow. Now that doesn't mean you should live in fear of missing out. After all, God is the God of second chances see Jnh 3:1). But please understand this: inaction is an action, and indecision is a decision. When you're dealing with God, your response time is all important. Paul's ministry began when he had a life-changing encounter with Christ on the Damascus road. Immediately he fell to his knees and cried: "Lord, what do You want me to do?" (Ac 9:6 NKJV). In the book of Isaiah, when heaven opened and God said, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" immediately the prophet Isaiah said, "Here am I! Send me.' And He said, 'Go, and tell this people'" (Isa 6:8-9 NKJV). You don't want to get ahead of God, and you dont want to lag behind Him. What you want to do is seize the opportunities He gives you as quickly, as decisively, and as boldly as you possibly can. Your reaction time matters.

Type your new text here.

Today’s problem is not necessarily tomorrow's problem. Don’t incarcerate yourself by assuming it is. Resist self-labeling: "I'm just a worrier." "Gossip is my weakness." My dad was a drinker; I guess I'll carry on the tradition." Stop that! These words create alliances with the devil. They grant him access to your spirit. It's not God's will that you live a defeated, unhappy life. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices and make new choices. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance" (Ps 16:6 NKJV). Live out of your inheritance, not your circumstances. God has already promised you victory and provided you with weapons for the fight. "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2Co 10:3-4 NKJV). How did Joshua conquer Jericho? By using God's strategy: "Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord" (Jos 6:6 NKJV). The ark of the covenant was the symbol of God's presence. Joshua placed it in the middle of the procession. Every activity orbited around God. The secret of victory is to keep God center stage in your life, using the weapons of worship, Scripture, and prayer. Employ every tool God offers: Scripture memorization and petition. Turn off the TV and open the Bible more. Worry less and pray more. You can conquer your hang-ups by drawing daily on the presence of God.

“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.”    Jer 17:14  KJV

Dr.A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, was plagued with poor health. Two nervous breakdowns and a heart condition led to a physician telling him-at age thirty-eight-he wouldn't live to be forty. The diagnosis was no surprise to Simpson. Preaching was agonizing for him; even climbing a slight elevation left him breathless. In desperation, he went to his Bible to find out what Jesus had to say about disease, and he became convinced that Jesus wanted to heal him. Shortly after, he went for a walk in the country. Coming to a pine woods, he sat down on a log to rest and pray. He asked Christ to become his physical life until his life's work was accomplished.
He later said, Every fiber in me was tingling with the sense of God's presence.' Days ater, he climbed a 3,000-foot mountain. When I reached the top,' he said, "the world of weakness and fear was lying at my feet. From that time on, I literally had a new heart." le went on to preach 3,000 sermons in the next three years, sometimes holding twenty neetings a week. He became a prolific author whose books are still blessing the world. nd he died-at the age of seventy-six. In the Bible, Jeremiah prayed: "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. David said, "O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed e... You brought my soul up from the grave" (Ps 30:2-3 NKJV). Isaiah said, You will store me and make me live" (Isa 38:16 NKJV). So pray and believe God for healing.

“We are God’s workers, working together.”     1 Co 3:9 NCV

A cooperative spirit will become your norm once you embrace the fact that you plant seeds for your own success when you support others. Take the case of Paul and Apollos. Some of the Christians at Corinth felt they had to choose sides as to which one to follow-despite the fact that they preached the same gospel. Paul took them to task for their carnal attitudes. "One of you says, 1 belong to Paul,' and another says, 1 belong to Apollos.' When you say things like this, you are acting like people of the world. Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do. I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made it grow. So the one who plants is not Important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God, who makes things grow, is important...We are God's workers, working together" (1Co 3:4-9 NCV). In an attempt to blow out another's light so that their own lights can shine, some ministers make disParaging remarks about other ministries. And it's such a turnoff to both believers and non-believers. Paul's primary objective was to spread the gospel, and he wanted to make sure that no minister was hindered from doing so. In his letter to Titus, he encouraged bellevers to give Apollos their full support: "Do everything you can to help...Apollos (Tit 3:13 NLT). Such a request could emanate only from a secure heart. So the word for you today is-have a cooperative spirit.

In one sense, the kingdom of God is future, eternal, and heavenly. When Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth, the prophecy will be fulfilled: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev 11:15 NKJV). What a glorious day that will be for all of God's redeemed children. But until then, Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you." That means as a born-again believer living in this world, you're called to demonstrate what it means to live under the rule of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Winston Churchill famously quipped: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried." All human governments are flawed and ultimately destined to fail because they are made up of flawed human beings. So as citizens of the kingdom of God, we are called to be "light" that illuminates darkness and dispels ignorance, and “salt” that flavors, cleanses, heals, and enriches the lives of those we come in contact with (see Mt 5:13-14). We are called to practice the principles of God's kingdom in the marketplace of life. Whether you work in education, transportation, medicine, politics, agriculture, IT, sales, manufacturing, etc., you are called to demonstrate the benefits of living under the rule of Christ and by the guidance of His indwelling Holy Spirit. "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord." When Christ returns, that promise will be totally fulfilled. Until then, Jesus said, "Occupy till I come" (Lk 19:13 KJV).

“All things come from You, and of Your own (hand) we have given You.” 1 Ch 29:14 NKJV

Many of the heroes in the Bible were wealthy individuals. “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold” (Ge. 13:2 NKJV). King David ‘died in a good old age,full of days and riches and honor" (1Ch 29:28 NKJV). Barnabas, a wealthy landowner, made possible the expansion of the early church when he sold a piece of real estate and gave the money to the apostles (see Ac 4:36-37). There is nothing wrong with wealth in and of itself. The things that matter are: (1) How you get it. "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord" (Jas 5:1, 4 NKJV). The God who records and rewards also observes how you do business. (2) How you give it. David said, "All things come from You, and of Your own [hand] we have given You." So when God speaks to you to give, try to remember these two things: (a) He is asking for a portion of what already belongs to Him. You don't own it; you manage it for Him. (b) You always reap what you sow."Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal 6:7 NKJV). And in God's economy, you reap more than you sow. If you plant a single grain of corn, you reap a cornstalk with hundreds of grains like itself. So give and God will give back to you.

“Then I said, ‘Here am I !  Send me.’”        Isaiah 6:8 NKJV

One of the greatest disasters of history took place in 1271. That year, Niccolo and Matteo Polo, the father and uncle of Marco Polo, visited Kublai Khan, who was considered the world ruler-with authority over all China, India, and the entire East. Kublai Khan was attracted to the story of Christianity as Niccolo and Matteo told it to him. He said to them, "You shall go to your high priest and tell him on my behalf to send me a hundred men skilled in your religion and I shall be baptized. And when I am baptized, all my barons and great men will be baptized and their subjects will receive baptism, too. And so there will be more Christians here than there are in your parts of the world." But amazingly, nothing was done in response to what Kublal Khan requested. Only after thirty years was a handful of missionaries sent. Too few, too late! Christian leaders in the West apparently didn't have the vision to see the East won to Christ. The mind boggles at the possible ways the world might be different today if thirteenth-century China, India, and the other areas of Asia had become Christian. Now its up to us! You say, "What can I do? I'm only one person." You can do three things: (1) "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest (Mt 9:38 NKJV). (2) Give, so that the unsaved can be reached with the gospel (see 2Co 9:7). (3) If God calls you, go! "Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me."

We all have expectations of others.  Many times, we may not be totally aware of
our expectations, or we don't express them or will not acknowledge that they are unrealistic. Therefore, they can cause us a great deal of frustration. Failed expectations will always create stress if we allow them. Unfortunately, some of the most harmful expectations are the ones we have of ourselves. "I should be able to raise three children, have dinner on the table each night, work ten-hour days, and look perfect when my husband walks through the door. Make a list of your key expectations beginning with the most important people in your life, and list your key expectations of each person.Try to be objective in whether they are realistic. Understand the origin or core reason for an expectation. Have you shared these expectations? If not, why not? Do you fear rejection? What is the worst that could happen? Are you willing to negotiate some of your expectations? To preserve your peace, there may be instances in which you may have to eliminate certain expectations. The palmist wrote: My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. That means you may have to expect less from people and more from God. Don't set yourself up to be frustrated. Bring your expectations before God for a valuation. Let Him weed out the unrealistic ones and give you the courage to express the ones that need to be communicated. Trust God to influence the hearts of those involved so your expectations don't become a source of stress for you or them.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”   2 Peter 3:18 NKJV

How can you grow spiritually? By doing these five things: (1) Rediscover the Bible.You will never grow spiritually without soaking your mind in Scripture. When Jesus told the devil, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4 NKJV), He was quoting a verse from Deuteronomy that He'd memorized. If Jesus needed the Scriptures, you do too. (2) Restart your prayer life. Charles Spurgeon said, "As well could you expect a plant to grow without air and water as to expect your heart to grow without prayer and faith." When you venture into the realm of the impossible and start praying for God to move supernaturally in your life, you will begin to see miracles. (3) Reconnect with God's people. "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together...but encouraging one another" (Heb 10:24-25 NIV). (4) Resist your sinful habits. "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure" (1Co 10:13 NLT). Always choose God's "way out." (5) Invest in others. God has a place for you to serve and people for you to invest in. Make a quality decision that you are not going to just sit in church and soak up one more sermon; instead, begin to act on what you have learned.

During the Korean War a South Korean civilian was arrested by the communists and ordered to be shot. When the young communist leader learned that the prisoner in his charge was the head of an orphanage caring for young children, he decided to spare him. Instead, he ordered the execution of the man's son. The nineteen-year-old son was shot in the presence of his father. After the war, the young communist leader was captured by United Nations forces and condemned to death. But before the sentence could be carried out, the Christian whose son had been killed pleaded for the life of the killer. He argued that the communist had been young when he ordered the execution, and that he really didn't know what he was doing. "Give him to me," the man requested, "and I will train him" Unusual though it was, the United Nations forces granted his request, and the father took the murderer of his son into his own home and took care of him. The Bible says, "Love never fails" (1Co 13:8 NKJV). And by being exposed to the love of God, that young communist leader became a Christian and eventually went on to become the pastor of a church. Have you been hurt, betrayed, or treated unfairly? Instead of retaliating in anger, handle it scripturally:"Never pay back evil with more evil...Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, '1 will take revenge; I will pay them back, says the Lord...Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good" (Ro 12:17, 19, 21 NLT).

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.”   Matthew 13:31 NIV

Jesus sald: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches" (vv. 31-32 NIV). A mustard seed is only two millimeters in diameter and comes in three primary varieties: yellow, black, and white. Within that seed is a remarkable nutritional profile, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, E, and K. It's also a source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Jesus pointed out that when it's planted, it can grow up and become one of the largest trees in the garden, blessing the birds of the air by providing them with a home. Paul wrote: "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower...multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness" (2Co 9:10 NKJV).Who does God give "seed" to? Sowers, not hoarders! What does God do with your seed when you sow it? He multiplies it! The seed you sow can be in the form of time, service, wisdom, money, compassion, etc. And God promises that when you sow, you will reap His blessing. "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2Co 9:8 NIV). God has given you seed-sow it!

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”    Proverbs 12:22 NKJV

Rosalie Elliot made it to the fourth round of a national spelling contest in Washington, DC.  The eleven-year old from South Carolina was asked to spell the word avowal.  In her soft southern accent, she spelled the word, but the judges were unable to determine if she had used an a or an e as the next-to-last letter. They debated among themselves for several minutes as they listened to the recording, but it was too accent-blurred to de-cipher. Finally, the chief judge put the question to the only person who knew the answer.
"Was the letter an a, or was it an e?" he asked Rosalie. By this time, being surrounded by whispering young spellers, Rosalle knew the correct spelling of the word. Still, without hesitation, she replied that she had misspelled the word, and she walked from the stage.The entire audience stood and applauded, including some fifty newspaper reporters. The moment was a proud one for her parents. Even in defeat, she was a victor. Indeed, more has been written about Rosalie Elliot over the years than about the "unknown" winner of the event. As a redeemed child of God, your heavenly Father requires honesty in word and deed. "The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Pr 12:19 NKJV). "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds" (Col 3:9 NKJV). "Therefore, put away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another" (Eph 4:25 NKJV).

“Sensible people control their temper.”   Proverbs 19:11 NLT

Anger scares many of us because we ve been harmed by it. But anger can be evidence that a person cares about someone or something. Nothing wrong is ever made right without someone becoming angry about it. If you shut down all anger, you eliminate passion, intimacy, and love. Here are two ways to make anger work for you: (1) Direct your anger at the right target. Your spouse is not the enemy; Satan is. He comes to "steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (Jn 10:10 KJV). He's the one trying to drive a wedge between you. Consciously move your focus from your spouse to the problem. For example, get angry at your lack of finances, not your spouse's spending. Get angry at demands pulling you in different directions, not your spouse staying late at work. Get angry at the limitations on intimacy, not your spouse saying no to sex. Put the problem "out there," separate from you and your spouse. See yourselves as fighting the problem together. Attack the problem, not each other. (2) Look for the pain. Find the pain that triggered the anger; it's almost always there. Look for it in your spouse and in your own heart. What need isn't being met? What wound has been exposed? What shame or fear is aroused? When you identify the pain, you'll be miles closer to the solution. But beware! By being vulnerable, you may end up wounding each other sometimes; acknowledge it and forgive quickly. Staying engaged while risking vulnerability will increase intimacy more than anything else. So embrace anger as God's gift, and learn how to make it work for you.

“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”  James 1:19 NLT

You can use anger to actually deepen the bond and intimacy between you and your spouse.Here's how: (1) Acknowledge the place of anger. A person ruled by anger is not safe, healthy, or wise. "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls" (Pr 25:28 NKJV). But if you and your spouse can learn to rule anger instead of letting it rule you, it can be invaluable. Think of the emotion as a flare sent up by your brain telling you there's something you need to deal with. Find your own way to acknowledge your feelings. If you struggle to control your anger, take a walk and let the temperature decrease. Then come back, re-engage, and deal with the issue. (2) Don't run away. If you're truly in danger, you need to get somewhere safe. But if not, staying engaged with your spouse validates the feelings of both of you. It's the only way to get a solution. If either of you is angry, agree to deal with it. You may need to plan a time to do so, but don't wait long. If nothing else, determine to deal with it before going to sleep that night. You may not find a solution to the whole problem, but make a pact to defuse the situation before the day ends. "Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil" (Eph 4:26-27 NLT). If necessary, schedule a time to address the issue. You both deserve it, and your marriage is worth it.