Tag: daily devotional

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Sunday Reminder

I’ve always been good at forgetting, I’ve mustered the skill, but lately, to be honest, I’ve been dealing with so much anger, I’m so triggered to be vengeful even if I know it would not do me right and so much hate is surfacing from places I never even knew existed.

Someone I met for the first time, while attending church last Sunday also for the first time this year as I’m not really a church goer, felt like she needed to share this with me.

WhatsApp Image 2019-04-30 at 4.57.27 PM

How wonderful, how awesome, that God sees, God knows. And when you truly listen, God speaks, sometimes through angels guised as strangers.

Maybe it’s time to stop running, to stop forgetting and instead start to remember, to surrender, to let heart. After all, I do not walk this life alone.

Thank you for this Karen.

 

xx

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Enemies of the Heart | Anger

Following a daily devotional to appease a lot of chaotic thoughts.

This one is for me and I’m just going to leave it here as a reminder that there is so much more to life than living with all this nonsense.

Andy Stanley: Enemies of the Heart 

Devotional Day 3

“Letting Go of Hurt and Anger”

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

The second enemy of the heart is anger. We get angry when we don’t get what we want.

Show me an angry person and I’ll show you a hurt person. And I guarantee you that person is hurt because something has been taken. Somebody owes them something.

We all know people whose anger could be verbalized in one of the following ways: “You took my reputation.” “You stole my family.” “You took the best years of my life.” “You stole my first marriage.” “You robbed me of my teenage years.” “You robbed me of my purity.” “You owe me a raise.” “You owe me an opportunity to try.” “You owe me a second chance.” “You owe me affection.”

The root of anger is the perception that something has been taken. Something is owed you. And now a debt-to-debtor relationship has been established.

How about you? What debt is causing the anger you feel?

How long are you going to allow the people who have hurt you to control your life? Another month? Another year? Another season of your life? How long?

I’d like to propose that today should be the day when you quit holding on to the hurt!

While it’s true that you can’t undo what’s been done, it’s equally true that you don’t have to let the past control your future. In Ephesians 4, we’re commanded to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger.” We do that by “forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The remedy for anger is forgiveness. If we hold out waiting to be paid back for the wrongs done to us, we will be the ones who pay. If, on the other hand, we cancel the debts owed to us, we will be set free.

Of the four monstrous forces we’re discussing in these devotionals, I believe this one—unresolved anger from intentional and unintentional hurt—is the most devastating. Yet in some ways it’s the easiest to overcome. You simply make up your mind to cancel the debt. You decide and declare, “You don’t owe me anymore.”

Follow this four-step process today:

(1) Identify who you’re angry with.

(2) Determine what they owe you.

(3) Cancel the debt by forgiving them.

(4) Don’t let the anger build up again.

“So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:25-32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Enemies of the Heart | Guilt

Subscribed to this devotional recently and I’m just gonna leave Day 2 here. Just in case you stumble across this, read up.

Andy Stanley: Enemies of the Heart 

Devotional Day 2

“Fessing Up”

Scripture: 1 John 1:5-10

The first enemy of the heart is guilt. Guilt is the result of having done something we perceive as wrong. The message from a heart laden with guilt is, “I owe!”

Consider the man who runs off with another woman and abandons his family. Without realizing it at the time, he has stolen something from every member of his family. He has robbed his wife of her future, her financial security, and her reputation as a wife. From his children’s perspective, this man has stolen their Christmas, traditions, emotional and financial security, dinners with the family, and so on.

Now, the man who did all this doesn’t think in terms of what he has taken. Initially, he thinks in terms of what he has gained. But the first time his little girl asks him why he doesn’t love Mommy anymore, his heart is stirred. He now feels guilty. Dad owes.

Nothing less than paying that debt will relieve a guilty heart of its burden of guilt. People try to work it off, serve it off, give it off, and even pray it off. But no amount of good deeds, community service, charitable giving, or Sundays in a pew can relieve the guilt. It’s a debt. And it must be paid or canceled for a guilty heart to experience relief.

How do you get your guilt canceled? The answer comes in one of the first Bible verses I memorized as a child: 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (kjv).

Confession has the power to break the cycle of sin. And like most medicinal remedies, it works when applied properly. Proper application happens when we confess our sins, not just to God, but also to the people we’ve sinned against.

Guilty people are usually repeat offenders. And as long as you’re carrying a secret, as long as you’re trying to ease your conscience by telling God how sorry you are, you’re setting yourself up to repeat the past. However, if you start confessing your sins to the people you’ve sinned against, odds are that you’re not going to go back and commit those sins again.

Confess both to God and others, and you will slay this enemy of your heart.

What are you feeling guilty for? Confess your sin to God and to whomever you have hurt. Do it today.

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:5-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Don’t Give in to Self-Pity 

Sharing what my bestfriend sent to me first thing this morning. Very comforting especially to those who’s feeling down and “under the weather.” This is from one of the devotionals available at the YouVersion Bible App 

Don’t Give in to Self-Pity 

Self-pity is a destructive and negative emotion. It blinds us to our blessings and the possibilities before us and it steals our hope for both today and tomorrow. People who pity themselves think, “Why should I try to do anything? I’ll just fail.”

Self-pity is actually idolatry because it is self-focus carried to the extreme. When we allow ourselves to fall into self-pity, we are essentially rejecting God’s love and His ability to change things.

I encourage you not to waste one more day of your life in self-pity. When you lose hope and begin to feel sorry for yourself, stop and say: ‘I refuse to feel sorry for myself. I may be in a difficult season of life right now, but I will not stop hoping for better things!’

God has thoughts and plans for your good, to give you hope for your future. If you will hold on to your hope and fight for it when the enemy tries to take it away, you will see amazing things take place in your life.

Prayer Starter: God, I refuse to feel sorry for myself. Even if things are difficult right now, I know that You are bigger than my problems and that You have a good future planned for me. I want Your plans to come to pass in my life, and I trust in You to change my circumstances according to Your will.

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The Anchor of Hope 

Sharing Day 346 of the reading plan I am currently on from http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional

The Anchor of Hope 

All of us go through difficult times in our lives, and like a ship in a storm, we need help to remain steady. A ship has an anchor to help it hold steady, and the Bible says that the anchor of our soul is hope.

When you and I base our hope firmly on God and His Word, we may feel the wind and waves, but in the end we will not be moved.

During a storm, hope gives us the ability to look at things as they are and still be confident that something better is coming. That makes hope a very powerful and important quality for you and me to have – especially in times of trouble. In fact, I believe it’s the foundation that our faith must be built on.

No one – not even God – can promise that we will never have to deal with disappointment or trouble. But the important thing is that we never stop hoping. Maintaining a positive attitude and holding on to the hope we have in Christ puts us in a position to see God’s miracle-working power.

Prayer Starter: God, I put my hope in You. My expectation for the great things You’re going to do in my life is my anchor in trying times.

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬ NLT)

xx

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His Mercies Are Always New 

Every day is an opportunity to start over. How fortunate of us, we should be grateful.

Sharing Day 339 of the reading plan I am currently on from http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional

His Mercies Are Always New

Each day is a new opportunity to close the door on the past and experience a brand-new start. Even the fact that God divided the days into twenty-four-hour segments is evidence that we need to start over on a regular basis. There is always a new day, a new month and a new year. But in order for us to make use of these new beginnings, we must make a decision to do so.

Are you battling guilt and condemnation? Do you feel bad about something you did years ago or something that happened yesterday? No matter how much time has gone by, the past is still the past. What is done is done, and only God can take care of it now. Your part is to admit your mistake, repent, receive God’s forgiveness, and go on.

In Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah encourages us with the news that God’s mercy is new every morning. Every day He gives you a fresh start. I’m so glad that God sends a new batch of mercy daily – we can decide to have a new beginning every day!

Prayer Starter: God, I’m so glad that You’re mercies are new every morning! I can start fresh every day because of Your love, mercy, compassion and faithfulness to me!

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22-23‬ NLT)

 

xx

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Processing Your Anger

Sharing Day 332 of the reading plan I am currently on from http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional

Processing Your Anger

All anger, regardless of its cause, has the same effect on our lives. It upsets us, causing us to feel pressure. Keeping anger locked inside and pretending it doesn’t exist can even be dangerous to our health. Most of the time we’re only hurting ourselves, and the person who angered us isn’t even aware of it.

I struggled with terrible anger until God grabbed my attention. I eventually had to find a positive way to process my anger. That was a place of new beginnings for me.

When you face your anger and decide to deal with it God’s way, you can overcome it. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to be stable and walk in the fruit of the Spirit. We have the power to forgive those who do injustices in our lives and to love the unlovely.

So we must take responsibility for our anger and learn to deal with it. Instead of keeping it all bottled up inside, seek the Lord and ask Him to help you release it. Process it and bring closure to it, and that will relieve the pressure.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I don’t want to keep my anger inside of me because that will only damage me and it’s not pleasing to You. I ask for Your help. Help me to relieve the pressure of anger in my life.

Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. (‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ NLT)

xx

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a-quick-temper-will-make-a-fool-of-you-soon-enough(Photo courtesy: Google Images)

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Vengeance Is God’s

Sharing Day 324 of the reading plan I am currently on from http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional

Vengeance Is God’s 

When someone makes us angry, Satan likes to attack us and keep us upset. Responding in a positive way is the direct opposite of what the enemy wants you to do, defeating his plan to keep you upset. It doesn’t come naturally, and it isn’t always easy, but when we do what we can do, God will do what we can’t do.

When someone angers and offends you, a natural response for many of us is to try and pay them back. But if you really pay them back, what will you gain? You’ll only make them angrier and then they might try and pay you back again. The cycle never ends!

If we hang on to anger, we’re just being foolish. We must turn the anger and the people who caused it over to God and let Him take care of it. ..Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. .

Trust God and He will take care of you and protect you. You can’t change what happened, but when you give it to God, He’ll use it to bring you a better future.

Prayer Starter: God, I believe that vengeance is Yours and that paying people back in anger is not something You want me to do. I give my anger to You and trust that You will take care of me.

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. (‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭19‬ NLT)

xx

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Forgiveness: The Key to Keeping the Devil Out of Your Life 

Sharing Day 322 of the reading plan I am currently on from http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional

Forgiveness: The Key to Keeping the Devil Out of Your Life

Forgiveness helps us because it releases God to do His work in us. I’m happier and feel better physically when I’m not filled with the poison of unforgiveness. Serious diseases can develop as a result of the stress and pressure that bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness put on a person.

The Father can’t forgive our sins if we don’t forgive other people. We reap what we sow. Sow mercy, and you’ll reap mercy; sow judgment, and you’ll reap judgment. You need to forgive, by the grace of God in your life, to leave the door of your heart open to the Lord.

Unforgiveness gives the devil a foothold, which he needs to create a stronghold. When he has a stronghold, he can block the influence of the Holy Spirit. But whether or not he has the power to do that in your life is entirely up to you.

When you forgive, it keeps the enemy from getting an advantage over you and keeps your fellowship with God flowing freely. So do yourself a favor, and be quick to forgive.

Prayer Starter: God, I don’t want to give Satan a foothold or a stronghold in my life. I don’t want anything to hinder or get in the way of my fellowship with You. I release my unforgiveness so that I can fellowship freely with You.

When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭10-11‬ NLT)

xx

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Live at Peace with Everyone 

Sharing Day 314 of the reading plan I am currently on from http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional

Live at Peace with Everyone 

An important lesson I’ve learned is to “bend so I will not break.” The Bible says to “readily adjust yourself to [people, things]. And, if possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:16, 18 AMP).

Before I made the Word of God a priority in my life and decided to live an obedient life, I had to have my own way. I wasn’t adaptable. I wanted everyone else to adapt to me. Of course, that resulted in more strife and stress.

I’ve now learned to bend. It’s not always easy on the flesh to give in and do things differently than I had planned, but it’s easier than being upset and miserable.

If you want to have peace in your relationships, you will need to be willing to be flexible. Pushing for your own way all the time will only hurt and offend those around you. But when you take to heart Paul’s encouragement to ‘live at peace with everyone,’ the Holy Spirit will fill your relationships with His joy and peace.

Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, help me to bend so that I will not break. I want Your peace in my relationships, so I choose to be flexible today.

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬ NLT)

xx

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