Daily Devotions

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Worn Out on the Way

KATHY—I sat at lunch with a friend who is a real trooper in the trenches.  As I listened to her heart after God, the thought came to me, ‘The only thing that can stop her from getting to God’s intentions would be getting worn out on the way.’  I made a decree over her, “This year, you will be quick to discern the difference between obligation and obedience.”  The enemy cunningly lays snares for a compassionate heart to distract them by the needs of others while they’re on the way to a God-mandate.  If distraction can deplete our energy, hell can hinder the purpose and timing of God.  We must be wise this year and budget our efforts as diligently as our pocket books.  

May Weariness Dissipate

MARTY—Don’t you just dread those times in life when it seems that every step you take is uphill? May the Lord grant that seasons of weariness and relentless opposition over your life break and dissipate like the morning mist.  (Isa.54:17, Amp)  “But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, TRIUMPH OVER OPPOSITION] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.”  We are praying you discover daily that absolutely no weapon formed against you is prospering.

The Intensity you Feel

Melissa — It’s happening folks! The intensity you feel right now is an evil agenda being de-throned.  God has not, and will not take His hand off of this nation! We are a blessed people, and we GET to be a part of His Kingdom invasion.  Come. On. Now. “The zeal of the Lord of hosts“ is accomplishing a miraculous transformation in the United States of America.  Does it look like what most of us thought a miraculous transformation would? Probably not.  Does it matter what we thought it should look like? Absolutely not.

Discernment

KATHY—There are five different words translated “discern or discernment” in the Old Testament. Their meanings include “to scrutinize or look intently at so as to recognize what is going on, an experienced gaze, to hear intelligently, to separate mentally (or distinguish), to be cunning, to diligently direct, to feel, to know by seeing, to perceive or to discover.”  Discernment by dictionary definition means to separate or distinguish, to see or understand the difference or to make a distinction.  In 1 Cor 12, another dimension is added to the meaning of discernment.  In this setting, discernment means “to judge the purity of something, as in to detect any mixture in its source or motive.”  When discernment comes as a gift from God, as in I Cor 12:10, it is God enabling us to separate or distinguish the difference between the human soul and the supernatural at work.  This discernment gift includes understanding the mental disposition of someone.  It also enables us to see the distinct differences between the Holy Spirit and angels or demons at work in a situation.  Discernment, whether it is a keenness developed through experience or a gift of the Spirit of God, is an awesome weapon that is both a beneficial and essential resource for the days ahead.  

Heavy Laboring Cease

As the people of God assemble today, may their heavy laboring cease and may stacked-up circumstances fall to the ground as they receive good things from their merciful God Who covers them.
“For the Lord God is a sun and a safe-covering. The Lord gives favor and honor. He holds back nothing good from those who walk in the way that is right.” (Ps.84:11, NLV)

Goliath vs. God’s Purpose

Marty—When a Goliath-sized obstacle rears its head and begins to proclaim to us all the many pieces it is going to rip us into, rather than trying to remember if our insurance premiums are paid, we should try to remember God’s Word over our life. Rather than predicting the picture of desolation this “monster” will leave us the subject of, we best begin to proclaim the purposes and prophecies of God for us and our seed. Heb.10:23,Amp—“Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His Word];”

Thoughts on Prayer

MELISSA–Here are some thoughts on prayer during times of war, such as we are dealing with at this time.  In Matthew 6:7 Jesus gives insight on prayer, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”  Vain repetitions here means: “To chatter, be long-winded, utter empty words, stammer, repeat”.  In times like these there is a tendency to just rattle off every fear and concern we have.  Jesus gave good advice here as he explained in verse 8, “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”  We need to come to God prepared to hear an answer and not just to throw up our worries all over Him.  This really came to life for me recently when I had just had one of those days where my concern list got filled up.  That evening I sat down to be quiet and listen when, all of a sudden, I was standing in this beautiful garden.  The trees caught my attention because they seemed lively and animated.  As I was taking in their beauty they all turned in one direction and I realized they were responding to the Lord walking through the garden.  I saw Him walking toward me when this thought hit me, “He knows”. In that moment I literally felt my shoulders and body relax.  I knew He knew about all of those things on my list.  Not only did He know, He already had an answer for each of them and my part was to simply trust.  As we navigate this time of war we don’t have to rattle off our fears to God.  He knows not only what’s manifesting but what is behind each manifestation.

Contradictions Bursting Into our Lives

KATHY—Wisdom would have us at least take note of contradictions that burst into our lives to discover or discern if they are a wake-up call from the Holy Spirit.  We must live ready to believe in God more than our beliefs if there is a show-down between the two.  I believe there will be such show-downs coming in the remainder of this decade because the Kingdom, like leaven, is spreading in the earth.  God is moving forward in the already written history of His people, building His church and maturing His sons.  When these confrontations come, we have three major resources to set and confirm our course: the Word, godly counsel and discernment.  

Something Said by Others

MARTY—There are people who stopped taking medicine or started taking a medicine because an individual, who had no medical training, said they should and the result was disastrous. There are people who have brought someone into their life or expulsed someone from their life because an individual said they should and the result was disastrous. There are people who have invested in something an individual told them to invest in and the result was disastrous. We should be very wise in deciding whether to live by something said by others and decide the correctness of it by the truths evident in the Bible.  ”…the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.” (Job 22:18, Amp)

Asking the Right Questions

Melissa Gabler—The last couple of years were a time of getting the tools needed for the tool belt.  It was a time of starting to ask the wise, right questions instead of the fear-driven questions.  A fear-driven question already has an answer in mind and can’t hear anything but that.  A wise question is open to hear truth.  Asking those wise questions in the past always got an answer.  A lot of answers were personal things that needed to be dealt with in me.  This even led me to go on a fear fast (that has not ended!).