Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “word of god

God in Response to Prayers

I received the longest text I have ever received with a testimony from a woman we have known for decades. About a month before, she was dying from several life-threatening issues and required immediate surgery. She lives by herself and was unable to work and was physically wasting away (90#). Let me share with you the high spots: She says, “I had stopped praying. I had basically given up. But thanks to you and Kathy and Melissa not giving up on me and praying for me, I have truly come out of illness, a dark place. My mind is clear. I’m back on my knees praying. God has blessed me so much since my surgery. I am working out again, eating again, doing things for my elderly mother and praying nonstop for my family.”  Blessed be the name of the Lord forever! Don’t stop praying for people. God is moving in response to your prayers, even in the midst of national crisis.


Our Secure Place

As the people of God assemble today may they rejoice together in God their Savior and in the fact that He has welcomed them, through Christ Jesus, into His family and that He is presently keeping them and, in future, able to keep them and what they have committed to Him and that they be confident in their secure place in the fellowship of the beloved. 2Tim.1:12,TPT—“The confidence of my calling enables me to overcome every difficulty without shame, for I have an intimate revelation of this God. And my faith in him convinces me that he is more than able to keep all that I’ve placed in his hands safe and secure until the fullness of his appearing.”


Word of God is Our Antidote

Kathy — The Word of God is our antidote.  The Word is our bulldozer.  The Word has the power to displace the emotional residue pushed ashore by the tide or even by a tidal wave of circumstances.  So our part of the process is to clear out the blockages within self by agreeing with the Word and by speaking the Word and telling every contrary force to be removed! (Matt. 17:20)  And the truth is that if stress, anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, guilt and confusion are removed and God’s Peace is in the house, what’s going on outside does not hold the same threat.


Turning Our Thoughts

Melissa — We meditate on God’s will, His original intent for this earth. We stop fixating on the enemy’s war around us by realizing his war has intensified because he is feeling the pressure of this never-ending Kingdom in Luke 1. We turn our thoughts toward that powerful fact. We engage in power, love, and a sound mind by dumping fear-thoughts that have wreaked havoc (2 Timothy 1:7). This is all possible in our lifetime! “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only one plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does.” (1 Peter 5:8-11, The Message)

(Melissa will be speaking about the prophetic lifestyle at Dreams Visions Prophecy September 10-12, 2021 at Grace Church Willis. gracewillis.org)
NO FEE to attend.


Mindsets and Transition

Kathy — I believe we are in a transition moving from a religious mindset that views church as meetings that satisfy an obligation to God to realizing we are all sons of God gathering to be effectual, by living our lifetime demonstrating His Kingdom come and will being done on earth as it is in heaven. This is not a new transition. It’s just a time of greater momentum with more obvious results and changes. The yeast is spreading, permeating our understanding. (Matt. 13:33)
       So many challenges church leaders are facing are signals of how much this transition is needed: finances decreasing, the same number of broken families in church as out, local churches losing respect and influence in the community and people losing motivation to be a part of the local church. Rather than be discouraged, we can take these things as a sign that this is time to take new ground. If we will move from traditional expectations and limitations to sonship, we’ll move into the empowerment of relationship where people are no longer just members of a church but Sons of God gathering to strengthen and equip and be enabled to serve their place of purpose and calling in life.

In His Name Mountains Move

MichelleMountainSunsetAs the people of God assemble today may they hold one another up in prayer and share with one another by exhortation that the mountains of difficulty and impossibility that stand in their way are nothing in the sight of their loving Father and He is a mountain mover. Matt.17:20,TPT—“He told them, “It was because of your lack of faith. I promise you, if you have faith inside of you no bigger than the size of a small mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move away from here and go over there,’ and you will see it move! There is nothing you couldn’t do!


June is For…

THE MONTH OF JUNE
The month of June is for looking and seeing over the top of the hump that stands in the path of our being able to see the next step or the solution to a great need. Ps.3:3,TPT—“But in the depths of my heart I truly know that you, Yahweh, have become my Shield; You take me and surround me with yourself. Your glory covers me continually. You lift high my head.”


God’s Intent for You

MSG No Rival 3-4-18picMelissa — The beauty is you just live your personal Jeremiah 29:11, and watch God.  All you have to do is do what you were born to do, and stop allowing fear to guide your life.  You see, fear makes you think you don’t have anything specific to do, you missed it, you don’t deserve it.  God has an original intent for you personally that is absolutely connected to His original intent for this earth. 


Image

Read SEEC Magazine June/July2021

Vol25Iss3_Cvr500Generic


Tides and Mountain Strongholds

kg_looking-upKathy — Tides And Mountain Strongholds—Like tides coming and going, there will always be problems. Ps.34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (NKJ) 1Pet. 4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” (NIV) It is not life that builds blockages in our hearts and understanding.  It is our reaction to life that causes us to build isolated forts atop high mountains of the soul every time we try to protect ourselves rather than trusting God, or when we try to justify our offenses rather than forgive or repent, or when we try to avoid pain rather than obey God. So God’s goal is to change me to the point that the tides cannot stir the same reactions within me. He desires to equip us so that troubles, afflictions and offenses are confronted with the Word and displaced by the Truth instead of a reactionary blockage or the false strength of a mountain-stronghold I erect in my soul.


Discovering God’s Plan

God’s thoughts, God’s heart were born in Hannah right in the midst of her grief and brokenness (1Sam.1:10). It was not her grief and brokenness alone. She could not claim it as her own. It was God’s! The result of God’s heart born in Hannah was a cry for a son that she might give him completely to God. Therefore, a son was born to Hannah and she completely gave him to God for the sake of Israel’s future. (Ps.142:5)  God has sounded out a framework for you to fulfill your destiny in (Heb.11:3). That framework is entered into by faith (2Cor.5:7). The way we know we have entered into it by faith is that there are corresponding actions of obedience and preparation. Our life’s call and work is a discovering of what God has had planned for eons. You were born at the right time.


God of no Limitations

As the people of God assemble today may they call upon the name of God Most High knowing that there is no limitation with Him and He gives abundantly. 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,”


Sound of the Ages

God is looking for a people who will line up with a plan that has been in existence for eons. God “framed,” “completed,” “fit for Himself the ages” (Heb.11:3) with sound. He sounded out that which fit His purposes. The ages have been “fit for Himself” therefore the machinations and agendas of men (both religious and nonreligious) will not fit or find a place of fulfillment in them. Could it be that sometime we get frustrated over unanswered prayer because our prayers don’t fit what Father has already sounded out for the ages which our lives were meant to fit properly and successfully into? Since the ages were framed by the sound of God, we might want to take time to listen to that sound rather than making all the sound during prayer. (Compare Rev.2:7)


Mind of Christ

FingerForeheadManAs the people of God assemble today may they appreciate, give themselves fully to and lean heavily upon the mind of Christ to be and do what the sons/daughters of the Kingdom are mandated to do in this present world to the glory of the name of the King of Kings.  1Cor.2:16–“….But we have the mind of Christ.”


Loosed From Past Limitations

HandsKnotUntyeMay the Lord break you loose from the past limitations of your family, even from many generations past. May you and your seed far surpass the deeds and accomplishments of your former generations so that the Lord is known as Almighty God to you and yours now, and in time to come. ”For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Ps.100:5, KJV)


The Enemy is Feeling Pressure”

(Melissa) We meditate on God’s will, His original intent for this earth.  We stop fixating on the enemy’s war around us by realizing his war has intensified because he is feeling the pressure of this never-ending Kingdom in Luke 1.  We turn our thoughts toward that powerful fact.  We engage in power, love, and a sound mind by dumping fear-PressureManRockthoughts that have wreaked havoc (2 Timothy 1:7).  This is all possible in our lifetime! “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only one plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does.” (1 Peter 5:8-11.  (The Message)


Bringing Change to a Nation

By Kathy G. — Some cocoons (entrapped, tough times in life) are common for many people, but we also have our customized cocoons, those tough times that are unique to us.  These come from matters that need resolve in our soul, like you may be having to work on a relationship that was damaged by jealousy or fear or anger.  Or you may walking at sunrisebe having to deal with problems you inherited, ongoing battles from choices made four generations ago.  Perhaps your forerunners  didn’t choose life and blessings and it caused  them to end up with a view of marriage that’s bound to fail.  So the next generation has to work through the trickle-down issues of divorce.  Or a generation made wrong career choices and bankrupted the whole family causing  poverty  conditions and limitations for decades.  Or a generation chose death and curses, deciding to be lawless, and the ripple effect undermined character to the point that a family or community or culture is cocooned in corruption. Can our struggles really be related to our purpose and our future when we can’t see any connection to either? We need to CHOOSE LIFE and bring CHANGE in our lifetime, and even expect change to ripple back to the previous generation.


Hidden, Misused and Fringe Exposed

We are declaring that hidden and misused facts will be exposed for what they are in near days. We declare that entities attempting to distract from “matters that matter”, by amplifying fringe voices and emphasizing WomanFaceHandsMasknon-essentials, will lose their steam. We declare that the economics of our nation and the mounting waves of hunger for truth and awakening in our nation will not be thwarted by the machinations of darkness. Job 5:12,Amp—“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty, So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.” Isa.29:15,Amp—“Woe (judgment is coming) to those who [try to] deeply hide their plans from the Lord, Whose deeds are done in a dark place, And who say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”


Prophetic Awareness

For a final note on the prophetic lifestyle: I will boil it down to this. The key is awareness. We must remember, at all times that the Kingdom of God is invading this nation. Each one of us has a piece of the Kingdom that SunPrayHandsUppenetrates and affects the region around us. We are going to WIN this fight. Hey, it’s not pretty right now, but no matter what you see, hear, or face, it has no effect on what God has set in motion. After all, He has the last word! If you feel worried, afraid, or uneasy that’s your clue that the Prophetic Lifestyle needs a re-boot. Make sure you keep the air cleared in your vicinity. One great way of doing that is upping your prayer in tongues. Talk about an air purifier! Speaking in tongues is a beautiful weapon from Heaven for such a time as this. We are all capable of living a prophetic lifestyle without being a Prophet. 


Security of Being Affirmed

Kathy — Identity is knowing who you are and being confident you have purpose for being here. The first shot FatherSonthe devil took at Jesus in the wilderness was at His identity: “If You are God’s Son, then command these stones.” However, Jesus was so confident of His identity that Satan couldn’t tempt Him to even have to prove it. (Matt.4:3-4) Affirmation establishes our self-worth. Satan said, “Since you are God’s Son, jump.” Matt.4:6 Let’s just see how far your Father will go to prove His regard for you. Many people grow up never being affirmed. This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased,” affirmed Jesus personally and publicly. Satan couldn’t make Him test His own worth because he couldn’t make Him doubt His Father’s affirmation.


The Other Side

Darkness, huge crashing waves and dangerous high winds were life-threatening factors pressing upon the disciples and rocketing fear and dread to heights they had never known. They were panicking because, if the present unconventional factors continued, they and their boat would go to the bottom of the lake. Initially, Jesus had told His disciples to go to the other side of the lake (Matt.14:22-27). At first, they were probably focused on their Lord’s instruction and enthused about following those instructions. They likely had a point of BoatRowPaddlesOlddestination in their minds and could see it with the mind’s eye as they planned their route and even had a spot in mind to tie up their boat when they landed. But, en route, unconventional elements interjected themselves and the disciples were forced into an entirely different form of effort in which they could no longer see the conventional path or destination. They could only focus on immediate surroundings and attempts at survival. We must beware of reaching a point at which we are merely dwelling on just the facts. Focus on present circumstances and abandoning “the other side” and abandoning instructions or putting them on hold, will take the heart out of us which is a must-have factor in getting us beyond the choking grip of present factors. These may be the present facts but they are not the conclusion of the matter. In the Bible, present facts and final conclusions always looked very different from one another.


There are Still Possibilities in God

As the people of God assemble today may they be refreshed in the corporate presence of the Lord and may they fearlessly face the unknown factors of the challenges ahead of them. May the Word and encouragement EyeAndEarcause their ears and eyes to be opened to discover that there are still possibilities in God for solutions that no one has ever considered. May they go out of the edifying corporate assembly toward those challenges speaking in agreement with the creative acts of God in the Bible and in the earth, imitating Abraham: (Rom.4:17, Msg)  “…[Abraham] dared to trust God to do what only God could do: … with a word make something out of nothing.”


The Unconventional and the Whirlwind

Before Moses was born Israel began to cry out, “Save us from Pharaoh!” Then 80 years later there was a suddenly: “Bam!” Snakes, staffs and bull frogs are flying in every direction. Before Jesus was born Israel cries, “Save us from Rome!” Then after 60 yrs. of Roman domination: suddenly, “Boom! Bam!” Wind, fire, speaking in tongues and spiritual drunkenness hit them. Then, following that, all manner of mind-blowing DarkCloudWhirlwindmiracles, signs and wonders began to take place wherever the followers of Christ showed up. God’s people are once again crying, “Save us, O mighty God!” So… Get ready for something unusual, something that is unconventional! Are you ready for the unconventional? (Isa.55:8-9) We must have Something which is totally unconventional in comparison to what is already not working here. It will require to be absolutely radical in its makeup and its effect. But it is not being handed to us on a platter labeled “As Usual”, “The Good Ol’ Days”, “Return to 1950’s Revival” It is headed our way in a series of Whirlwinds called “Unconventional”! The items and agendas which make up “conventional” and “typical” are going to be flying in every direction just like Aaron’s staff and Egypt’s snakes and bull frogs. Nahum 1:3— “…the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind”


Name in The Book of Life

LifeBookOfKathy — Our names are written in the Book of Life. It’s not just a list of names. Our names are written in several chapters of God’s plans. Maybe your part is to raise a daughter who will be a godly influence in a school system or to build a moral stronghold in the business community or to encourage righteous politics in ten families by 2024. You might be an encourager that God will use in a 1000 different settings. Rev.3:5,TPT — “And the one who experiences victory will be dressed in white robes and I will never, no never erase your name from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge your name before my Father and his angels.”