Source of Protection

Direction and Protection

 

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless”

(Psalm 84:11, NIV)

 TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God has many ways of pouring out His favor and goodness on our lives. Scripture says that He is your sun and shield. What does the sun do for us? It lights our way, keeps us warm, and nourishes the plants of the earth so that we can have food. Think about that for a moment. The earth is sustained by its relationship to the sun, and God wants to sustain you through your relationship with Him. He wants to give you direction and be your shield of protection against all the fiery darts of the enemy.

In the natural, it’s easy to fall into the trap of relying on the things of this world to direct and protect us. But when we put our trust and hope in our heavenly Father, not only does it enrich our relationship with Him, it opens the door to the supernatural realm. It opens the door to supernatural favor, wisdom, divine connections, new ideas and so much more. When you trust in Him, He shines His light on your path and leads you forward into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, today I open my heart and mind to You. I choose to put my trust in You and receive Your blessing of direction and protection. Show me Your ways that I may walk with You today and always in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
Psalm 23:1-3
New International Version 
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
He restores my soul. My, that sounds so good. But it is more than talk. When we've reached point that we can't go on, God blesses us with strength to just keep on walking. When we're in a struggle and things are tough, his power upholds us and we run to victory. When we're winning victories in his name, we can soar on wings like eagles. He is a shepherd and more. He is the Rock and Sustainer of our lives! 
MY PRAYER...
O Gentle Shepherd, help me rest tonight in your grace and in the confidence that you are nearby. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

sources:

http://www.pithochristo.org/2010/10/clarity-through-cleansing.html

http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=181069715269634

The mind of God

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!”

(Psalm 139:17, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Have you ever had difficulty receiving from God because you thought, “God has better things on His mind,” or “This isn’t that important to Him”? It may be tempting to let your mind wander in that direction, but the truth is that nothing is more important to God than you are! Every detail of your life matters to Him. Scripture tells us that He even counts the very hairs on your head. He bottles your tears and holds them as precious. You are important to Him, and nothing that concerns you is too big or too small for God!

Today, if you’ve had those discouraging thoughts come to mind, replace them by declaring the truth of God’s Word. Declare, “God’s thoughts are precious toward me. I am always on God’s mind. He loves me and I matter to Him.” As you begin to replace the negative thoughts with the truth, your life will begin to change. You will see a transformation in your thinking. You’ll feel His love like you never have before; you will know Him in ways you’ve never known Him before, and you’ll experience His goodness and grace all the days of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, how awesome You are! How great is Your love! Help me to receive Your love so that I may know You more. Thank You for perfecting everything that concerns me as I daily cast my cares on You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Verse of the Day

He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Peter 1:4

New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...

God made us to be like him in character and holiness. We are called to participate in the divine nature and are assured that we will be made ready when Jesus comes again. His promise is sure if we will follow wholeheartedly!

MY PRAYER...

Almighty God, my Everlasting Fortress, thank you for giving me your great promises. I long to know you more fully and be able to see your face today, just as I believe I will one day. Please protect me and my heart from corruption. In all love and appreciation I pray. Amen.

sources:
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/8112/Finding-God--The-Enlightenment--Part-1---Quantum-Mind-of-God
http://www.crosswalk.com/?utm_source=Weekly_Verses&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=03/12/2012
http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx

"Never ending Favor"

...you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Proverbs 3:4

It’s so vital to receive what God wants to freely give you!  It’s simple, but so many people believe exactly the opposite. Instead of receiving from the Lord, their mindset is, “God has better things to do than think about me,” or “I don’t deserve God’s blessing” or “Everything good always happens to somebody else but not me.” 

I know it’s easy to feel that way, but don’t let your heart and your words go there; don’t agree with this way of thinking.
God is for you!
And He desires for you to have every blessing and every good thing that He promises to you in His Word.
The Bible calls this “favor.” At some point in our lives, even if we didn’t recognize it, we have all experienced God’s favor.
Favor is the undeserved, unearned, unexplainable goodness of God in your life.
Favor causes you to reap even where you’ve not sown.
Favor protects you; it promotes you. It opens new doors — that should’ve taken years to open — in a single moment.
Favor takes you places you could never go on your own.
I declare today over your life that in the coming days and weeks ahead, God will unleash His unprecedented favor on you. Favor like you’ve never seen before.
Unprecedented means “unmatched, unparalleled, for the first time.” You’ve seen God’s favor in your life in the past, but what He’s about to do is bigger and even greater.
You just have to be willing to receive it and get in agreement with God.
If you will believe God and stand on the promises of His Word, He promises you will see incredible and wonderful things happen.
His unmatched, unparalleled, for-the-first-time favor is for you.
Victoria and I want you to know how much we love and appreciate you. You are one of the many ways that God has poured His goodness into our lives.
Through your faithful prayers and generous support, you help us share the message of HOPE with millions of people every day through all of our different ministry outreaches. Thank you for helping us to make such an important difference! 

Verse of the Day

Having been justified by His grace, we [have] become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. —Titus 3:7 Read: Titus 3:1-11

Isidore Zimmerman served 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Because of false testimony at his trial, he was convicted of killing a New York policeman. In time, however, his innocence was proven, and in 1962 he was released. But did he “live happily ever after”? No.

Even though he had been innocent all along, Zimmerman couldn’t escape the stigma of being an ex-convict. What few jobs he could get soon ended when employers learned that he had served time. His record was cleared, but society did not fully accept him.

What a striking contrast to our standing with God when we trust Jesus as our Savior! We are guilty. Yet on the merits of Jesus’ sinless life and atoning sacrifice, we are not only declared righteous, but we are fully restored to favor with our heavenly Father. He treats us as if we had never broken His law, reconciling us to Himself and adopting us into His family. That’s full acceptance.

It’s absolutely amazing that through faith, and on the merits of Jesus’ death, guilty sinners can be declared righteous by God. It’s even more astounding that He would restore us to His favor and want us to work for Him.

But then, that’s what salvation is all about.  —DJD

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
'Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head. —von Zinzendorf

When God forgives, He removes the sin and restores the soul.

Sources:

http://odb.org/2002/07/31/restored-to-favor/

http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx

http://kevinlaewing.blogspot.com/2011/04/gods-favor-how-does-it-work.html

http://santospopsicles.blogspot.com/2011/01/4-epiphany-sermon-blessed-are-you.html

Perfect Gift

It’s Yours

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”

(Ephesians 2:8, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

If I stopped by your house and brought you a beautifully wrapped gift and set it in your living room, that gift would be yours. It’s in your home; I gave it to you. There’s nothing you could do to make it “more” yours or “less” yours. Now, you could see that present and be so excited. You could call your friends and tell them about it. You could even write me a thank you note; however, you really can’t enjoy the gift until you open it. It wouldn’t do you any good until you put it to use. In other words, you have to receive that gift before it affects your life.

Friend, it’s the same way with spiritual gifts. God has a package of grace, favor, mercy, forgiveness, blessing, joy, peace and so much more available to you. But you have to receive it by faith in order for it to affect your life. You can’t earn it. You can’t pay for it. You simply have to receive it by faith.

Today, if you’ve never received the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, that’s the first gift to receive. Click here for more information. Then once you become a child of His, you can partake of His glorious inheritance. You can receive every spiritual gift and blessing He has in store for you!

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

By the Grace of God I Am What I Am

By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain . . . —1 Corinthians 15:10

The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.

There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, I bless You today. Thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life. I receive, by faith, every gift You have for me. Open the eyes of my heart that I may see all the good things You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

sources:

http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx

http://catholickermit.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/

http://utmost.org/by-the-grace-of-god-i-am-what-i-am/

Undeserved Favor

Undeserved, Unearned, Unexplainable

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD”

(Proverbs 8:35, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God loves you and He is for you! He is for your good; He is for your success; He is for your future. He desires for you to have every blessing and every promise declared in His Word. This is what the Bible calls His favor. At some point in our lives, even if we didn’t recognize it, we have all experienced God’s favor. It is simply His undeserved, unearned, unexplainable goodness in your life. God’s favor causes you to reap where you haven’t sown. His favor protects you, promotes you and opens new doors. His favor takes you places you could never go on your own.

Today, I declare over your life that in the coming days and weeks ahead, God is going to unleash His unprecedented favor on you — favor like you’ve never seen before! The key is to stay connected to Him, stay in fellowship with Him through prayer, worship and reading His Word. Let Him direct your steps and mold and shape your character. As you pour yourself out to Him, He will pour out Himself on you! He’ll pour out His grace, mercy and supernatural, undeserved, unearned, unexplainable favor on every area of your life!

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

AS YOU SEEK GOD YOU OBTAIN GOD’S FAVOR!

“He who diligently seeks good seeks [God’s] favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.” (Proverbs 11: 27 Amplified)

Imagine yourself in a big crowd and then suddenly a spotlight falls on you. You are chosen for special honors a spirit of success and achievement comes unto your spirit from this moment onwards. As you serve the Lord and live in His Word, you obtain God’s Favor. You are already chosen and honored by God.  That is why He has filled you with His fullness.

Let us look at the following scripture. Eph 3:17-21 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

I see you being filled with God’s fullness. You are rooted and grounded in love. God is doing exceedingly and abundantly above all that you ask or think and His Mighty favor is taking over in you. Begin to dream great dreams, meditate upon your success. Allow the Lord Jesus to flow out through His Word of Faith. Expect favor with people in every situation that you are confronted with in life.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for Your goodness and favor in my life. I trust that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I trust that Your plans are to prosper me and give me a future and a hope. I set my mind and heart on You this day and expect to see Your goodness in Jesus’ name. Amen.

CONFESSION

“I am acquainted with the operation of favor and success. I think and expect favor each and every day in Jesus Name, Amen.”

source:

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/favor-with-god

http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx

http://wizecounsel.com/walking-in-favor/

God's Favor

Unprecedented Favor

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe...”

(Ephesians 1:19, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Every one of us can say that, in our lives, God has been good to us. We’ve all seen God’s favor at work. He has protected us, promoted us and opened doors for us. That’s God’s favor. But I believe that in the coming days, God wants to show us unprecedented favor — that’s favor like we haven’t seen before.

In today’s verse, Paul said that in the “ages to come” we would see “the immeasurable, unlimited, surpassing greatness of God’s favor.” What’s interesting is that Paul wrote this passage ages ago. I believe that we are now living in the “ages to come” that Paul was talking about. I believe you and I are going to see this unprecedented favor!

The word “unprecedented” means;  unmatched, unparalleled, for the first time.” In other words, you may have seen God’s favor in the past, but you need to get ready. You haven’t seen anything yet. What God has in your future is going to be bigger, better, greater — unprecedented! He is going to show you His goodness in ways you’ve never seen before. Keep standing, keep praying, keep putting Him first and watch His unprecedented favor come on every area of your life!

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Hope

Read: Psalm 23

You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. —Psalm 71:5

The ancient road from Jerusalem to Jericho is a narrow, treacherous path along a deep gorge in the Judean wilderness. Its name is Wadi Kelt, but it’s known as the valley of the shadow, for this is the location that inspired David’s 23rd Psalm. The place itself offers little reason to compose such a hopeful poem. The landscape is bleak, barren, and perilously steep. It’s a good place for thieves, but not for anyone else.

When David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” (v.4), he was in a place where evil was an ever-present reality. Yet he refused to give in to fear. He wasn’t expressing hope that God would abolish evil so that he could pass through safely; he was saying that the presence of God gave him the confidence to pass through difficult places without fear of being deserted by Him. In another psalm, David said that the Lord was his hope (71:5).

Many claim to have hope, but only those whose hope is Christ can claim it with certainty. Hope comes not from strength, intelligence, or favorable circumstances, but from the Lord. As Maker of heaven and earth, He alone has the right to promise hope and the power to keep the promise.

Our strength and hope is in the Lord—

We rest secure in His sure Word;

And though we’re tempted to despair

We know we’re kept within His care. —D. De Haan

Hope for the Christian is a certainty—because its basis is Christ.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for this day and age I’m living in. I believe that You created me for such a time as this. By faith, I receive Your unprecedented favor as I serve You with my whole heart in Jesus’ name. Amen.

sources:

http://www.wednesdaynightservice.com/2010/11/10/favor/

http://odb.org/2010/07/19/hope/

http://www.oakgroveworship.org/

The fear of the Lord leads to life

Live All of Your Days

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil”

(Proverbs 19:23, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

One thing I’ve noticed is that so many people are walking around who aren’t really living to the full the way God intends. Do you ever notice that many people quit living around fifty, but yet they are going to stay on the planet until after they’re eighty? Maybe they went through a disappointment or had a failure. Someone hurt them, and now they’ve lost their joy and settled where they are. No, God has another victory in store! You wouldn’t be breathing unless God had something amazing in your future. It’s time to get your passion back and be determined to really live out all of your God-given days!

The scripture says that God wants to bring you to a flourishing finish, not a fizzled-out finish. Don’t let disappointment or self-pity hold you back. God has promised that what was meant for your harm He will turn around and use for your good. Not only will He bring you out, but He will bring you out better off than you were before. Receive it by faith today and press forward into the abundant, fulfilled life He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for the promise of living a long, satisfied life. I choose to stay in the game and press forward to fulfill my destiny. I won’t shrink back, give up or lose heart, but I will stand strong in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Time To Pray?

Read: Psalm 70

One morning, when I was a young child, I was sitting in the kitchen, watching my mother prepare breakfast. Unexpectedly, the grease in the skillet in which she was frying bacon caught fire. Flames shot into the air and my mother ran to the pantry for some baking soda to throw on the blaze.

“Help!” I shouted. And then I added, “Oh, I wish it was time to pray!” “It’s time to pray” must have been a frequent household expression, and I took it quite literally to mean we could pray only at certain times.

The time to pray, of course, is any time—especially when we’re in crisis. Fear, worry, anxiety, and care are the most common occasions for prayer. It is when we are desolate, forsaken, and stripped of every human resource that we naturally resort to prayer. We cry out with the words of David, “Help me, O Lord!” (Ps. 70:1).

John Cassian, a 5th-century Christian, wrote of this verse: “This is the terrified cry of someone who sees the snares of the enemy, the cry of someone besieged day and night and exclaiming that he cannot escape unless his Protector comes to the rescue.”

May this be our simple prayer in every crisis and all day long: “Help, Lord!”

Any hour when helping others,
Or when bearing heavy care,
Is the time to call our Father,
It’s the proper time for prayer. —Zimmerman

  There is no place or time we cannot pray.  

source:

http://www.restorepurity.com/articles/search?q=purity

http://www.dailywordofgodgroup.com/the-fear-of-the-lord.htm#.T4CvnvusmSo

http://odb.org/2011/05/05/time-to-pray/