Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “Joyce Meyer

Someone Called “Exact”

The Bible says Jesus was called “the exact”. What a name to be called!: The Exact. He was the exact representation of the Father. All my life I have heard individuals say, “I want ‘such and such’ put on my tombstone.” What if each of us wrote in our will that we wanted this put on our tombstone: “The Exact Representation of the Father”. Would the neighbors, knowing us, laugh? Would family members roll their eyes? Why wouldn’t “exact representation” be our goal? Is that what we are aiming for?   


Fear and Norms

MELISSA — My eyes are being opened to how far below par we have been living when God’s intention all along has been for us to reside above par. This awakening is exposing agendas that have been built to lull us and control us. These agendas use normal everyday things we allow in our lives because it’s a “norm” in society. There are things like pop culture, entertainment, news and standards that we call wisdom when in reality it’s man’s wisdom. Side note: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of [true] wisdom where man’s wisdom comes from fearing everything else. One fear leads to life abundantly and the other leads to an early grave. I have been guilty of living a life embracing man’s wisdom and society’s norms and I’ve noticed a whole lot of ineffectualness.    


The Conventional of Heaven

Convention: “a rule, method, or practice established by usage; custom; accepted usage, especially as a standard of procedure.” One label that fits Jesus very well is “unconventional”. “There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like yours.” (Ps.86:8; also Jer.10:6; 1Sam.2:2; Deut.33:26; Ps.74:12; Job 5:9) Jesus’ disciples had observed Jesus praying and had observed the impacting redemptive results He got when He spoke to nature, disease and demons. When they asked Him to teach them to pray, He told them that they should ask for that which is in heaven to be moved into the earth (Matt.6:10). Needless to say, that which is conventional in heaven (God’s will) is going to be unconventional by earth’s standards, practices, methods, rules and usage.


This is an Arise Shine Moment

MELISSA–I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed, but it kinda seems like our nation has taken up residence in the cuckoo’s nest rather than flying over it!?! It’s a bit of an awkward moment in what will be history, I’d say. Yes, I do jest and make light of what seems like “the end of the world” BECAUSE this IS NOT the end of the world. This is absolutely an Isaiah 60:1 moment, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”   


Callings of God Are Irrevocable

KG_Looking upKATHY—God will never change His mind about what we were born to be and born to do, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom 11:29, NKJ)  However, He will remodel our understanding of “how” to walk out that calling when necessary, and He will reassure us when we are shaken, and He will provide undeniable confirmation to strengthen us along the way.  I pray we yield to His remodeling and wait for and recognize His confirmations. May we not be stubborn out of fear or reckless out of frustration, and may we not be impatient with His timing.   May we have the courage to walk with Him and see our gifts and callings confirmed.


In Perfect Peace

As the people of God assemble today may they have Jehovah God Almighty at the forefront of their minds and their considerations. May they push aside all interferences and distractions as they freely worship Him and as they call upon Him. May the Lord Jesus Christ remain central to them throughout the week. Isa.26:3-4,Amp—“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.  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].”


Visible Representation

The purposes of an invisible God are served by a visible creation. We are the visible representation of the unseen heavenly realm. It all culminated in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit who anointed Jesus now dwells in us and enables us to be God’s visible, tangible point of rule and authority on earth. The Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God go hand in hand. You don’t get one without the other.


Father’s Intent for You

MELISSA—Here’s what you need to know first and foremost: YOU are important, YOU have a piece that the rest of us need, YOU have a gift and skill combo no one else has, YOU will live and not die, YOU are created for His glory, and all of these things are Father’s original intent for you in 2023! Now that that is in the atmosphere, let’s talk about life in the season ahead.


See Things as Father God sees Them

KATHY—Repentance is not just a call to confess sin so you will miss hell. It is to change your mind and see things as God sees them. It is to look at life with the power of God factored into the picture. It means change your thinking wherever necessary so you are empowered to do all that God intended in your lifetime and in eternity as well. It takes the Holy Spirit to open our minds and see things differently. (Act2:38)


Walking Out the Year

Many feel that they do not know how to walk out the remainder of 2023 because the last couple of years and months have proven to be matters and circumstances that we have never had to walk out before. Solomon prayed: 1Kings 3:7,AMPC—“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a lad [in wisdom and experience]; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish).” Proclaiming not knowing how to begin or end a thing shouldn’t be an excuse but rather an acknowledgement of WHO does. Then, if we know Who DOES know how to begin and end a thing ((Isa.46:10), we can yield to Him and His principles of enablement for and completing mandates and making necessary adjustments in preferences, appetites and emotions.


Are Thoughts and Prayers Abounding From God’s Truth?

Melissa — Truth and relationship with the Lord is about your meditations, thoughts, words, prayers. Are your thoughts and prayers abounding from His truth or the latest from Fox, CNN, Facebook, or Twitter? A safe and healthy place from which to operate your day is praying in tongues throughout. It’s the perfect prayer not swayed by national or family events. It’s the perfect prayer not swayed by the soul. In fact, don’t limit it to that. You may think you’re praying about what is concerning at the moment, but the Spirit prays what needs to be prayed at the moment whether it be for that particular situation or something completely different. Thank God that type of prayer cannot be touched by soulish fears and desires. That is exactly why it is perfect! God knew what He was doing when He gave us such a gift. Yes, I’d say it’s for today. My thought, the soul might say otherwise because it can’t control it. Ok, I’ll just leave that right there and wrap this up. It’s time to call on Him. It’s time to see great and mighty things. It’s time to be great and mighty things. 


Soul-Conflicts

Kathy — Soul-conflicts cause ulcers rather than faith. An “ulcer of the soul” is inflammation like agitation, offense, irritation, anger, fear, etc. A wound of the soul is from our history or experience. Neither of those is the starting place for effectual prayer because “ulcers” and wounds can keep us from seeing from God’s perspective. A timely example is that it cripples our faith to pray for our nation if we think God will not interrupt hell’s assignments against our nation. Since 2023 is part of our watch, we can anticipate God’s intervention in our nation this year as we pray and neutralize contradictions that influence daily.


Cry Out to God Most High

As the people of God assemble today may they look unto the hills from whence cometh their help and take hope that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is high and lifted up and He cannot be brought down to mere human limitations or emotions. May they worship El Elyon, Lord of Heaven and Earth Who is great and above all men and all circumstances and is, therefore, able to lift His children from the depths of hopeless entanglements.Ps. 57:2—“I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.” (Cf.Ps.97:9)


Hope and Outlook

A public school teacher from our home church was talking with one of her students. The boy said that since his father was in prison, he would likely be in prison. She simply told him that he did not have to be in prison just because his father was. His response was, “I never thought of that.” The teacher only had to speak something that you might think could be left unsaid because it should be obvious. But for a boy who lived in an environment without hope, a simple word of encouragement changed his whole outlook. Just because something has been, even for a long time, does not mean it is a given for the future. Through Christ our Lord, we are free from what has been and have hope for what shall be.   Gal.4:5,7-Msg “Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. 7 . . .And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.”


Needing to Know

Melissa— It came to me that to actually trust God meant to actually let go of needing to know the process of getting to an answer. I’ve never functioned like that. Unfortunately my M.O. has been to ask and believe for a God-outcome while all along fixating on my logic’s only conclusion as to how that could happen. That, my friends, will WEAR. YOU. OUT. In that moment it felt good, it felt right to let go, and something in me took a deep breath for the first time.


Blessed are They That Mourn

KATHY–“Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be drawn into the Lord’s comfort.” It seems illogical that anyone would not welcome comfort. But comfort requires change and change is not always welcomed. As hard as grief is, change is sometimes harder. But wounds do not heal unless we receive comfort.


Above all Things

All things are possible with God. The sticky part about that is, we believe the things that are possible are the things we can conceive. But ALL things are possible with God whether they are those we can imagine or those beyond our realm of knowledge and experience. Eph.3:20 “above all we ask or think”


You Can Fast Fear

Melissa — Hey, you can fast fear! It’s true! Set your mind to it and watch how aware you become of fear in your life.  It’s amazing how interwoven that stinker is.  But when you become aware, you can do something about it.  You can take your rightful place in the driver’s seat by forcing fear out.  Ask the Holy Spirit to point it out, then you replace it with truth.  You replace fear with God’s original intent for your life, thoughts of peace to give you an expected end (Jer. 29:11).  This is not necessarily an overnight change, it takes time.  It’s a process well worth it, but you can still be an agent of change in the middle of your process.  How? By listening to the Father and doing/saying what He tells you (John 5:19).


Defeat the Lion

KATHY–Sometimes we consider running away when the lion comes. But if we don’t persevere and defeat the lion in our face today (if we don’t defeat the strong mindsets and the rage that’s trying to rob us of purpose today), we won’t be equipped to face the bear. Then if we don’t confront the bear or the negative attitudes, unresolved offenses, flaws, they will hibernate then cycle back and cause trouble again. (Matt.24:13)


Eyes Open Wider

As the people of God assemble today may their eyes open even wider to the wonders of their God and to His plans in this earth and to His grace that enables His sons and daughters to overcome and reign in life. Rom.5:17, TPT — “Death once held us in its grip, and by the blunder of one man, death reigned as king over humanity. But now, how much more are we held in the grip of grace and continue reigning as kings in life, enjoying our regal freedom through the gift of perfect righteousness in the one and only Jesus, the Messiah!”

The Nation is Ripe

This nation is likely riper than it has ever been. It is probably riper than it was in the 1960’s when there was so much turmoil and chaos with the rioting and unrest. We are sons and daughters of God, there is a harvest and Isaiah says that God has harvesters and gatherers who can bring it in. There is a harvest of souls, of people who are fed up with chaos and lawlessness, misinformation and lies and the consequences of unrighteousness. There are people who are ready to be reached, ready to be loved, ready for peace in their lives.


Band-Aids and Cures

MELISSA — There is a tendency in each of us to get tunnel visioned, and self-focused. Actually, it is somewhat of a plague in our western culture. There are plenty of seemingly good reasons to get this way: the down spiral of society, diseases with no names or cures, economic decline, etc. With such looming danger it is easy to see why our scope narrows to personal and family survival. The problem is this, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4) He provided the cure for all of the above mentioned epidemics, and that cure is inside of us according to 2 Peter. There are pieces obviously missing in our lives if we are living by apocalyptic survival strategies daily. There are dots not connected if we are investing in “band-aids” while the cure dwells inside of us.


Trust and Learn

Kathy Gabler — If you have had strategic God-to-Man, prophetic communications that you found out later were insights that you hadn’t understood up front, don’t grieve and beat yourself up over that.  Again, factor in God’s nature.  Does He intend us to live in regret?  No, He is our Redeemer who buys back lost opportunities.  His nature is unchanging and we can trust our Redeemer and learn from such experiences. 


Reaching for God’s Extraordinary

We must reach up and get hold of God’s extraordinary which is more than a span of revival meetings that gives us temporary relief from the mundane. The mundane must be invaded in such a way that we do not simply return to it after a brief respite and after things are trying to sink back into “business as usual”.