Daily Devotions

Archive for October, 2023

The Page Turned

MELISSA — A couple of weeks ago when the Lord spoke to my heart, “No longer subjugated”, He also tore something apart. Could that have been a principality that He tore up? Perhaps one that has been sitting all high and mighty but met it’s doomsday? Gotta say, I really like the sound of that! Then a couple of days after this tremendous insight I heard, “The page has turned”. Not only did He shred something, but right behind it He turned a page. We are at a point for which we have been waiting and hoping. I know a lot of us feel like it has taken forever but we have had to acclimate to be able to shift into the next place. We’ve needed to be prepared for this new level, this new reality. The old norm can’t function at this level. The old norm operated under subjugation, but now it’s time to operate in a realm of freedom like we’ve not seen.


Power to Overcome Obstacles

KATHY—Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension was for our salvation.  That salvation includes the power to overcome any obstacle to your life and purpose.  The fact that He came to die for you proves that you have value.  That’s your trump, the undeniable proof that you have value and that will forever declare your worth!  The challenge is figuring out how to get your emotions to agree with that truth so that you don’t bottom-out if someone treats you as if you don’t have worth.  If  someone’s  selfishness or pride or ignorance or prejudice or stupidity causes them to look at anybody as worthless, that is their problem.  It is a lie to believe someone else’s problem can make you worthless.  The challenge here is to find a way that their problem has no influence over our emotions.  If we can learn to leave those offending moments in life by deciding not to stop and replay them, we can walk away in the confidence that we can trust God to deal with people and their issues while we rest in the truth that our self-worth isn’t even at risk.


Moving Into Father’s Momentum

As the people of God assemble today may they trust in the Lord and encourage one another to trust so that each one moves into the momentum of Father’s answer and gets us on the road to His outcome. Ps.9:10, TPT — “May everyone who knows your mercy keep putting their trust in you, for they can count on you for help no matter what. O Lord, you will never, no never, neglect those who come to you.”


God’s Throne is Established

“Your throne is established from of old. You are from everlasting.” (Ps.93:2) Before any sons of Belial (“reckless, lawlessness”) planned or implemented their shenanigans, God was already on His throne. Before any elements came together to form a disaster, He was. Before Abraham, Jesus is “I Am.” (Jn.8:58) So, as Melissa sings, “He stands above it all.” And we run to the Rock that is higher than us. “For no matter where I am, even when I’m far from home, I will cry out to you for a father’s help. When I’m feeble and overwhelmed by life, guide me into your glory, where I am safe and sheltered.” (Ps.61:2, TPT)


Life-Long Oppresion

MELISSA — A couple of weeks before I heard “No longer subjugated” the Lord told me that He is using this current oppression to deliver us from life-long oppression. So, when subjugation came up it was quite loud to me that He was saying we are no longer under control of decades, possibly centuries, of oppression. This is huge! This is part of the awakening. We’ve been asleep at the wheel and this explains to me why we haven’t seen great and mighty things on a larger scale that we know we are supposed to be seeing.


A Prison of Offense

KATHY–Blame and self-pity are big signals that anger is in residence.  BLAME builds a prison of offense and/or condemnation around you.  Forgiveness is the ONLY key to that prison.  We must watch for BLAME in our thinking and our conversations.  “Self-Pity” is a big signal that anger is unresolved:  “I was hurt,” usually justifies anger rather than resolves it.  Just like a person who justifies their actions has not repented of them, rehearsing the hurts is refusing to let go of offense.  It is blocking the CHANGE needed.  Being “hurt” is “tails” and “BLAME”  is “heads” of the same coin.  We can start with “heads” and describe the action of the offender; or cut to the result, “tails,” and describe the offense taken.


The Lord do a Work in You

(2Thess.1:11-12, Msg) May the Lord do a life-work in you before the end of this week. May it be a work that will settle something, that will loose something, that will open up something, that will thrill your soul and cause your spirit to soar. May it be a part of your present victories and your future accomplishments. “…we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.”


Agreement and Effectual Prayer

KATHY—Agreement with God in intercession results in effectual prayer.  I believe we will see more and more results of effectual, strategic prayer through the remainder of this year in the Body of Christ because I believe more believers are convinced of the priority of praying — and praying in alignment with the will of God.  Like a construction crew, prayer builds a door or bridge for God’s will into this earthly realm and the more faith and agreement, the more comprehensive the access and impact of our awesome God.  So, may we be diligent to pray when the Holy Spirit prompts; for when God adds our small part to the others He stirs to prayer, the pieces come together into a God-design that brings His will to earth as it is in heaven.  Amen!


Not Pawns and Slaves

As the people of God assemble today may they realize they are not pawns and slaves to demographics that so many willingly give in to as mandatory but are chosen to succeed in the purpose for which the Lord of heaven and earth has called them no matter the forces of current events that seem to pressure most into demographic molds/agendas of “correctness”. Eph.3:20, Amp — “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,” Eph.1:18, ESV — “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Eph.2:10, ESV — “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”


Where is a Hero When you Need One?

We hear awesome stories and testimonies and we long for those extraordinary, even miraculous things to happen for us. When I was child and frightened, I longed for a fearless, strong, undefeated hero to rush in and come to my rescue. Do you find yourself asking, “Where is a hero when you need one?” Perhaps a little different tack on this subject would be more help than merely wishing. Rom.10:8,Msg—“So what exactly was Moses saying? The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching.” We can choose to either wish and complain or we can search out, learn and memorize scriptural ammunition to use in the fight. Isa.49:2,CEV—“He made my words pierce like a sharp sword or a pointed arrow; He kept me safely hidden in the palm of His hand.”  Rev.1:16, KJV—“And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword…”.


Substandard Life to Premium Life

MELISSA — It is all starting to make sense why this awakening is so intense.  We have the opportunity to move from a substandard life to a premium life if we will embrace this alarm and not press the snooze button! This moment really is an invitation to something incredible.  This is an invitation to enter into and function from the fear of the Lord for the sake of the Kingdom and for His glory.  I really like the sound of that.  I really want to live that.


The Will of God and Prayer

KATHY—Praying our own opinions and judgments can become religious witchcraft.  If we pray anyone’s preferences, opinions, frustrations or agenda instead of God’s will, prayer becomes an attempt to impose one person’s will on another and that is the essence of witchcraft.  We must seek, NOT assume, the will of God before we pray.  Then we must let His will be confirmed by His Word and character and principles, not our preferences or justifications or prejudices.


Leaning and Hoping

This is the day the Lord has made so…    I will rejoice and be glad because I am able to lean on the Lord and hope confidently in the Rock all day long. (Isa26:4)  Isa.26:4 “So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. (Amp)


Listen Diligently

MELISSA—As the people of God, what do we need to be watching, listening for and heeding? Watch for creativity and ideas being unleashed that will produce finances, answers, healing, refuge and change in hearts. Deut.28 sounds like we won’t miss creativity and ideas “if” we listen diligently to the voice of the Lord our God, being watchful to do all His commandments.


Prayer Affected by Opinion and Judgment

KATHY—God help us all if intercession is ever based on deserving or sinlessness!  And God help us as intercessors that we never pray, or refuse to pray, based on our opinion or judgment of others.  Help us Lord not to ever allow opinions to override obedience.  Neither let our opinions be so loud that they deafen us to obedience! 


To Seek and to Save

As the people of God assemble today may they hope in Mighty Yahweh and His Word and His faithfulness to work that Word until His promises are fulfilled. May they take hope and encourage one another that their Lord is working in this nation and in the nations of the world and showing Himself mighty to redeem that which is lost. “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Lk.19:10, Amp)


What if we are the Awakening?

A friend of mine wrote a song that says, “What if we are the awakening that we’ve been waiting for?”  Could it be that God is hoping that we will think big enough and offer ourselves to be some person’s or some community’s or even some nation’s hope?  Rather than just going through life hoping for someone else to be what we need or hoping someone else will give us a break, what if we met a need or gave someone else a break that helped launch them into their destiny?  May the people of God propel many people forward in the purposes of God.  (Isa.35:3, Amp) “Encourage the exhausted, and make staggering knees firm.”  We are praying you discover daily that you are giving hope to others so they can succeed.


Both Hands on Plan A

MELISSA—This is the time to loose your grasp on plan B and take hold, with both hands, of plan A — Father’s original intent for your life. If your answer is hidden, ask God what the right question is in this moment. Ask Him what, in you, might be hindering the answer. Ask Him what you need to know today. He’s got plans for you, He is not into punishing you. His M.O. is all about forgiveness, redemption, relationship, and promotion, all for His glory. Hey, if He tells you it’s simply about timing then it’s really that simple. His timing is perfect. Look at the birth and life of Samuel. Perseverance is key! It’s going to be an amazing time heading into next year. Get ready for your answers.


Praying out of Opinions

KATHY—If we pray out of our opinions and judgments rather than the heart of God, we can bring ourselves under judgment rather than blessing. Also, we position ourselves for discouragement and unbelief because our prayers are hindered as James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives.” (NAS) 


The Prophetic Church

A prophetic church does not run for a safe bunker and begin praying for escape from the planet every time another threat comes from some despot in the Middle East. That church does not tremble and fret because its favorite political party is not in the White House. It is not a church reciting prayers while on the run. It is an offensive army on the march; taking territory from the “ites” (cf.Deut.7:1-6) and pulling down strongholds.  The prophetic church does warfare by revelation. A people who seeks their God for a battle plan will win the war (cf.2Sam.5: 22-25; Dan.11:32; Joel2:11).” A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the strong-hold in which they trust” (Prov. 21:22). In this time of history we don’t physically attack cities or people but we bring prayer and declarations against the strongholds of evil institutions (2Cor.10:3-5).


But Joy Comes in the Morning

MELISSA—We have had our questions, our doubts and shed our tears, but we’ve heard what comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5).  I’m telling you, the sun is rising on us and great joy will be ours because it is our time.  It’s time to operate in the mandate God has given us.


Terror by Night

As the people of God assemble today may they not be afraid of the terror by night nor the arrow that flies by day and may they not rehearse those matters but rather encourage one another and say that the Lord is our Refuge, our Fortress, the One we lean on and confidently trust in. (Ps.91:2)


Fear Not The Terror by Night

As the people of God assemble today may they not be afraid of the terror by night nor the arrow that flies by day and may they not rehearse those matters but rather encourage one another and say that the Lord is our Refuge, our Fortress, the One we lean on and confidently trust in. (Ps.91:2)


Ordinary People and Challenging Times

We are facing issues that generations before us did not face. Within moments of events taking place in remote parts of the world, we are watching them in real time. There are great challenges before us now and challenges yet to come. Those challenges must not go unmet. (Isa.45:15, The Voice) ”Cyrus said You have kept yourself hidden from others, but You are indeed God, who saved Israel in the face of great challenges.” Great Jahweh who saved Israel in the face of great challenges has not run out of solutions for present generations. Just as He used ordinary people in biblical times, He is still using them in these challenging times. We are praying you discover daily that you are trusting in Mighty God to help you meet the challenges in your life.