Keep Asking

Today’s Scripture

“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:8, NIV)

Keep Asking

Is there something you are believing God for? Does it seem like it’s taking a long time to come to pass? Be encouraged today because the Bible says that through faith and patience, you will inherit God's promises. So don’t give up! Keep thanking God for His faithfulness in your life. Trust that His Word is true. Keep praying and keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking on the door, and it will be opened to you. It may seem like it’s taking a long time, but know this: God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. He is orchestrating things in your favor. His timing is always perfect! As you stay faithful in your prayers and thanksgiving, the Lord will move mightily on your behalf. He’ll take you places that you’ve never dreamed!

A Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You for giving me a diligent spirit. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Give me strength to stand until I see Your promises fulfilled in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Wake Up

Iyanla Vanzant

We cannot expect to be in control of the circumstances in our lives when we cannot control our minds for five minutes. Meditation is the daily minimum requirement that will prevent us from breaking down and falling apart at the most inopportune moments. It is the art of listening. It is a practice which enables us to tune in and fine-tune the key areas of our lives: the mind and the spirit.

Bishop Dale C. Bronner

The most dangerous weakness is the one you have but think you don't! Denial is refusal to accept responsibility. Know anyone like that?

My Depression Story: Where I've Been & What I'm Feeling

Les Brown

Les Brown

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Keep moving! You may be tired, fired, burnt out and do not feel like it...but keep moving! You may have stacks of bills and be stressed out about how to pay them....but keep moving! You may have drama or trauma in your life, relationships, children, or career....but keep moving. Someone you care deeply about may be ill or declining in health. It is their journey. You are here to love, support and/or accompany them...not to become them, so keep moving!
Life may hand you a set of keys that will not open any doors. Crawl out a window and keep moving! You will get past this moment. You will feel stronger and more hopeful than you are now. Resolve that you can and will do this. Just keep moving! You have something special. You have GREATNESS within you!

Stand and See the Victory

Post by Joel Osteeen on June 26, 2015

 

The people of Judah were surrounded by three major armies who were quickly closing in on them. In the natural, they didn't have a chance. They were outnumbered 10:1. Jehoshaphat, the king, called everyone together to pray. All the people stood before him – husbands, wives, and little children. You can imagine how worried and concerned they were. Their lives were on the line.
Jehoshaphat looked up to the heavens and said, "God, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." When you're in the valley, it's okay to be honest. "God, I don't see how I could ever get out. I don't see how I could get well, how my family could be restored." That's fine, but don't stop there. Do like he did, "God, I don't see a way, but my eyes are upon You! I know You still have a way. I know nothing is too difficult for You." After he finished praying, a young man spoke up and said, "This is what the Lord says, 'Don't be discouraged by these mighty armies for the battle is not yours, the battle is the Lord's.'"
You may be facing big enemies today, but God is saying the same thing—quit letting it upset you; quit losing your peace. It's not your battle; it's the Lord's battle. God went on to instruct them that the next day they were to walk toward their enemies. He said, "You won't even need to fight. Just take your positions, then stand still and watch the Lord's victory."
King Jehoshaphat did something interesting. He put the musicians, the singers and praisers out in front. With every step, as they walked toward their enemies, they sang, "The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever!" They were talking about the greatness of their God. They were speaking faith into their future.
When the enemy armies heard all the singing and shouting, they got confused and began to fight among themselves. They ended up killing each other. When the people of Judah arrived, their enemies were already defeated. They didn't have to lift one finger in their own defense just like God promised.
The enemy armies left so many supplies, equipment, valuables and clothing that it took the people of Judah three days to collect it all. On the fourth day, the Scripture says, "They stood in the valley of blessing and thanked God for what He had done!"
Maybe, like the people of Judah, what you're facing looks insurmountable. The enemy may have meant it for your harm, but he doesn't have the final say, God does! God says, "Stand still, and I'm going to show you My goodness. Stay in faith, and I'm going to turn that battlefield into your blessing field!"

The Law of the Spirit

The Law of the Spirit

by Joyce Meyer - posted June 26, 2015


Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2
Life is not just one long party; there will always be hard things and easy things mixed together in the events of your life. Regardless of what today brings, you can still have joy in the Lord, and that joy will give you strength to handle whatever comes your way on any given day.
When you follow Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life keeps you free to enjoy yourself because you can cast any burdens on the Lord (see Romans 8:2). God will lead you to know what to do, and He will energize you to do what needs to be done. You won't feel drained by life, but will grow through both the trials and the triumphs as you walk with God today.

Les Brown

Les Brown

You have the power to heal your life, to bounce back from failure, to get another job, to open and own your business, get out of debt, to create a new path for yourself, stretch beyond what is safe, familiar and comfortable.
You have the power within you to do more, love more, live more expansively and to learn much more than you do now. Believe and know that you have the power!! You have GREATNESS within you!

Breaking out of the Glass Bubble: Why Fear Is the Way to Freedom

Breaking out of the Glass Bubble: Why Fear Is the Way to Freedom

David Bederman | June 26, 2015 | Inspiring

“It feels like I’m in a glass bubble,” he said.
“I’m making a good salary and I enjoy my work…but I’m not happy”.
“I feel like I’m capable of so much more!”
Rob was a senior manager in an international high-tech firm.
“I don’t know what that means or how to begin moving in that direction, but I feel stuck, and every time I start thinking about what else could really be possible for me, a tremendous wave of fear takes over me.”
“So what about the glass bubble?” I asked him
“I know I have an entrepreneurial spirit David. I know there is something inside me that’s waiting to create something that could make a real difference in the world; I really feel that.
But I don’t even know how to begin exploring it, plus, I’ve got a family depending on me and, the truth is, maybe it’s just irresponsible – or even selfish – of me to be thinking of shaking things up at all!
That’s the glass bubble: I feel safe and secure on the one hand, but I’m afraid if I make a move, it could all just shatter to pieces.”
As Rob continued to share the challenge he was experiencing, I could hear how much fear was at the center of his story.

The Gift of Fear

In his book The Gift of Fear Gavin De Becker writes about how our natural fear instinct guides us to safety, often, even if we aren’t consciously aware that we’re in any any danger at all.
It’s kind of like our own built-in autopilot.
What’s interesting though is that fear is processed by a very primitive part of the brain that isn’t capable of logic or reason. It’s only real decision is – life or death? Fight or flight?

So if that’s true, then why does fear show up even when we aren’t facing a life or death situation?
Why does a significant growth opportunity, like introducing yourself to a woman at the bar, approaching your boss for a raise, or venturing out to begin your entrepreneurial journey often bring up the same emotional experience you might have if we were staring down the barrel of a gun?

The curse of safety

The idea of “safety” is a two-edged sword. On the one side, when face-to-face with a sabre-toothed tiger and your back is against a wall, “safety” is, without a doubt, the preferred option.
But when facing your dreams, your unexpressed potential and the power for change that you know you in your soul you’re capable of creating in the world – when the choice is between upping your game or “pushing through” and living an unfulfilled life, that’s when “safety” can become a curse.
That’s because, while our “animal brain” is conditioned to keep us “safe,” it can’t tell the difference between a real life-threatening situation, like a tiger in an alley, and going outside of your comfort zone – which can be dangerous for your ego – like when asking a girl out or asking for a raise.
Our physical response to both real danger and simply uncomfortable situations are often the same: heart pounding, sweaty palms, heavy breathing…and an instinct to run!

Killing your ego to save your soul

For the butterfly to be born, the caterpillar must die.
There is no going back. It’s all-in or nothing at all.
If there is a dream burning inside of you; if you have a passion for change, for stepping away from the daily grind of your current situation and for bringing something new into the world, then something will need to change in order for that dream to come to life…
That something is YOU.
In order to bring your dreams, your power and your passion into the world, you’re going to need a new set of tools.
You’ll need a new a new identity.
You’ll need new confidence, a new relationship to risk and you’ll need to re-align your relationship to fear.
To break out of the glass bubble, you’ll need to step into the most powerful version of yourself.
But what does the most powerful version of you look like? How does he speak? How does he carry himself in public? What does he wear? Eat?
How do you become that person?

Well it starts with making some big life changes, like building more confidence, letting go of familiar patterns of behavior and stepping out of your comfort zone.
But stepping out of your comfort zone is like death to your ego.
And what does the brain do when it senses you (or your ego!) are in danger?
In order to protect you, it creates a whole lot of fear!
So if you’re tired of living inside of a glass bubble – if you’re ready to begin exploring what might really be possible for you in life, you’ll need to create a new relationship…with fear.

When fear becomes your best friend

Your ego is the part of you that’s afraid to fail. It’s afraid to be embarrassed and hates to make mistakes.
Your ego wants you to be safe, and to stay inside your comfort zone….forever!
But greatness is never created from the safety of the comfort zone.

Greatness comes through being at your edge. @davidbederman (Click to Tweet!)

So the next time you start dreaming of all that you know is possible for you, and immediately after you’re gripped by a terrible, paralyzing fear, do the following exercise:

1. Look over your shoulder and scan for any threat of real physical danger.
2. In absence of any real physical danger, lean directly into the fear! (ie. do exactly what you’re afraid of doing)
3. Then ask the question: “What is one action I can take right now to bring me one step closer to this goal/dream?”
4. Repeat.

And remember, when the fear you’re experiencing is not connected to impending physical danger… then it’s showing you exactly the direction you need to be heading in order to grow.

Meditate On This

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26 Jun

Meditate On For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”... Isaiah 28:11–12 The Spirit’s Rest And Refreshing You’ve probably heard of the term “R&R”. It’s commonly used in the military and it means “rest and relaxation” after some exhausting overseas training or mission. Doctors also order “rest and rehabilitation” for the injured and sick. My friend, God has an R&R for you too. It’s called “the rest and the refreshing”, and it comes through praying in the Holy Spirit or tongues. One of the best ways to rest and be refreshed, especially when you are worried, fatigued or just waiting for the manifestation of your healing, is to pray in the Holy Spirit. Beloved, give yourself some time every day to pray in the Spirit, and allow Him to rejuvenate and refresh you supernaturally!

Change Your Words, Change Your World, Shape Your Future

It’s Time to Use Our Words to Declare Good Things

I once read an article about doctors who incorporated “talk therapy” to treat patients suffering with depression. Instead of medicating the problem, the doctors instructed the patients to start making positive declarations over their lives, saying such things as: “I have a bright future. People like to be around me. Good things are in store.”
Some of the patients were depressed because they were facing life-threatening diseases and felt there was no hope. The doctor asked them, “Has anyone ever survived this disease?” The answers were always yes. So he told them, “Then I want you to start saying, ‘I will make it. I will be one of the people who beats the odds.’ ”
Those patients obeyed the doctor’s orders, and amazingly, many of them not only came out of their depression, but they also made full recoveries!
It’s time to use our words to declare good things! Speak blessings over your life and your family. Throughout the day, say things such as, “I have the favor of God. I am strong and healthy. I’m well able to do what I need to do.”

Did you know that what you say about yourself has greater impact on you than anything anybody else says about you? Many people are overly critical of themselves, saying, “I’m so clumsy. I can’t do anything right.” “I’m so overweight. I’ll never get back into shape.” “I never get any good breaks.”
They may not realize it, but they are cursing their future. Those words sink into their minds. Before long, they develop a defeated mentality, low self-esteem and diminished confidence. Worse yet, those negative mindsets can interfere with God’s plan for their lives.
One of the best ways to break free from such strongholds is simply by speaking words of victory. Every day, look in the mirror and declare, “God’s Word says I am strong. God is fighting my battles for me. I’m excited about my future.”
Maybe you are lonely because you don’t have a lot of friends. Instead of complaining, start declaring, “God is bringing great people into my life. I know He loves me, so I can risk loving others.”
Speak blessings over your life, and as you do, you’ll go out with more confidence, you’ll be more congenial and, in turn, you will attract new friends.
When discouragement comes, instead of sitting back and accepting it, say, “No, I’m a victor and not a victim. I may have been defeated before, but the past is the past. This is a new day.”
It’s not enough just to think it; you need to hear it, because what we constantly hear ourselves saying we will eventually believe.
Some people live in a perpetual state of financial crisis. They can’t seem to pay their bills — always living “under their circumstances” and constantly speaking defeat.
If you are struggling financially, remind yourself repeatedly, “I am the head and I am not the tail. I will lend and I will not borrow. Everything I touch will prosper and succeed.”

“Oh, Joel, I can’t say that,” you may be thinking. “None of that is true in my life.”
Yes, it is true! That is what faith is all about. The world says you need to see it to believe it, but God says you must believe and then you’ll see it. You must speak it by faith.
Make a list of your goals, your dreams, the areas where you want to see change. Confirm your desires by Scripture, and then every day before you leave the house, speak those blessings aloud. Something supernatural happens when you speak those words aloud.
Maybe you struggle with condemnation because of past mistakes. Each day, boldly declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. God is pleased with me. He is on my side.” If you say something like that on a consistent basis, guilt and condemnation won’t hang around.
When my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1981, she made a list of 40 Scripture passages about healing. All through the day, she’d quote those Scriptures and say things such as, “I will live and not die. God is restoring health unto me. With long life He satisfies me.”

Even though she weighed a mere 89 pounds and the doctors had given her only a few weeks to live, Mother refused to see herself as defeated and dying. Instead, she saw herself growing stronger, living a long, healthy, happy life. Her words caused her faith to rise and filled her with hope.
Little by little she started feeling better, and eventually, God supernaturally healed her! Today, nearly a quarter of a century later, Mother is still vibrantly alive and praying for other people to be healed, as well. Moreover, to this day, before she leaves the house, she speaks words of blessing over her life.
You can do the same thing. Find the Scriptures that apply to your situation and then declare them. This is especially important in areas in which you continually struggle. Do not let another critical word come out of your mouth about yourself. Instead, take a few minutes every day to bless your life, to declare the victory.
Understand, it’s not enough to avoid saying anything negative; you must go on the offensive and start making positive declarations over your life. Remember, your own words will have more impact on your future than anything anybody else says about you.
Friend, if you’ll do your part and speak words of victory, God will pour out His favor in exciting, fresh ways in your life, and you will live the abundant life He has in store for you.

JOEL OSTEEN

What is Your Automatic Response?

Post by Victoria Osteen on June 23, 2015

 

We've all been in situations where we said or did something before stopping to think about it. Most times, when someone tells me, "I just did it without thinking," they are talking about something they wished they hadn't done! We've all been there, hoping that we could take back words or undo something that we just
"automatically" did.
It's interesting because research shows that our brains come up with answers before we ever become consciously aware of it. In fact, 95% of decision making happens subconsciously. When we face a new situation, our brain scans our memory for a similar situation and then tells us to respond in a similar way.
Think about that for a moment. Our brains are wired by our experiences. All throughout your life, you are taking in information that shapes your perspective and defines what you believe about yourself and the world around you. That's why the Scripture tells us to guard our hearts because what we allow into us will automatically come out of us.
The good news is that God's Word is more powerful than your past! His Word will actually rewire or renew your mind. His Word can change your perspective and thought patterns. Instead of automatically doing something you regret, you can automatically respond with the truth of God's Word!
Romans 12:2 talks about renewing your mind. The word "renew" means to make new or to make extensive changes. We have to proactively make internal changes in order to see external changes. We have to intentionally spend time reading and meditating on the Word of God.
Today, I encourage you to fill your mind with the treasure of God's Word. Write down some Scriptures and take them with you everywhere you go. Fill your thoughts with reminders of how God protected you and how you overcame obstacles in the past. Renew your mind to the goodness of God and set yourself up to automatically respond to life in faith and victory!

 

by Victoria Osteen

 

Living in Love

Look for the Best in Each Other

I once heard about a husband and wife who were so upset after a big argument that they refused to speak to each other. That night, not wanting to be the first to break the awkward silence, the man left a note on his wife’s side of the bed that read, “wake me up at 6 o’clock in the morning.”
The next morning, by the time the husband woke up, it was already 8 o’clock. Furious, he roared, “Where is she?” and was about to chew out his wife when he found a note on his side of the bed: “It’s six o’clock; wake up.”
If we’re going to live in love, we have to learn to forgive one another. The Bible says, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, but instead, forgive. And above all things, put on love.”1 That means: Above having your own way, above your own agenda, choose to put on love.
The apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that we would be “rooted and established in love so that we would have power together with all the saints.” When we choose to walk in love, we have the power of God in our lives, as well as healthier relationships.

We should always look for the best in each other. That’s one of the things I love about Joel. I used to think that he didn’t see the things that people did wrong. Then I realized: It’s not that he doesn’t see them; he chooses not to focus on them.
That’s what Jesus taught. One day a group of Pharisees brought a woman to Him who had been caught in adultery. The Law said that she should be stoned, but Jesus didn’t condemn her. Instead, He said, “Those of you without sin, go ahead; you through the first stone.”2
The woman’s accusers began to look within themselves. Then, they walked away.
We can all throw rocks and point out each other’s faults, but we need to make allowances for one another. We don’t know what some people have been through. We don’t know the pain and heartache they’ve experienced. When the woman’s accusers had all slipped away, Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more.”3
Let’s learn to walk in love and see the best in everyone. A house divided will fall. That’s why it’s so important to keep peace in your home. Be the first to apologize. Be quick to forgive.
Someone once asked me if Joel and I argue. Of course, we disagree, but you can’t argue with someone who won’t argue with you, and Joel won’t argue! He’s made up his mind that we’re going to walk in love, because that is where the power is. At times, Joel and I have said, “All right, we can’t see eye to eye on this, so we’re just going to agree to disagree.”
I can’t help it if he’s wrong sometimes!
When Joel and I got married, I like my own way, and when I didn’t get it, I wasn’t happy. Then God spoke clearly to me: Victoria, if you don’t change the way you’re acting, you’re going to change the man you married.
Well, that got my attention, because I didn’t want to change Joel’s personality. I love Joel. That’s why I married him. I knew that I had to be willing to make some changes.
In many relationships, after time, people neglect to walk in love. One day, they realize that their hearts have changed. You hear it all the time: “We just grew apart.”
Joel and I remind ourselves often that God brought us together. He’s got a good plan for our marriage. You need to remind yourself that God has put that person in your life, and He’s got good things in store. If you will do your part by being kind, respecting one another, treating each other the way you want to be treated, God will do His part, and you can live in love!

Be Kind and Encouraging

Be Kind and Encouraging

by Joyce Meyer - posted June 25, 2015

It [Love] is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
1 Corinthians 13:5
I have learned that one of the secrets to my own personal peace is letting people be who God made them to be, rather than trying to make them be who I would like them to be. I do my best to enjoy their strengths and be merciful toward their weaknesses because I have plenty of my own. I don't need to try to take the speck out of their eye while I have a telephone pole in my own.
A woman I know was widowed not long ago, and she was telling me about her relationship with her husband. This woman is pretty strong-willed and likes things to go her way. She told me that when she was first married, she noticed a lot of things about her husband that annoyed her. Like any good wife, she told her husband about his annoying traits and habits so he could change.
Gradually it dawned on her that although she was very good about telling her husband all the things about him that needed to change, he never returned the favor! As she wondered why, she realized that somewhere along the line her husband had made a decision not to look at—or for— her flaws. He knew she had plenty! But he wasn't going to focus on them. It occurred to her that she could continue to point out all his annoying traits—or she could choose not to, just as her husband had done.
At the end of our conversation, she told me that in the twelve years they were married, her husband never said an unkind word to her. I think we can all take a lesson from that.
Trust in Him Ask God to help you be kind to everyone. Don't say an unkind word today—focus on the strengths of the people you come in contact with, and do all that you can to encourage them.

Stay in Sync

Today’s Scripture

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NIV)

Stay in Sync

Have you ever tried something and got the results you wanted and then tried the same thing again and got different results? This happened to Moses in the Bible. They needed water and God told Moses to strike the rock. He struck the rock and water flowed out freely. Another time they needed water again, and God told Moses, “Speak to the rock.” Do you know what Moses did? He went over and struck the rock. He thought, “Hey, it worked last time. It’ll work this time.” But it didn’t. God had a different plan. The point is that we have to stay open and make adjustments to stay in tune with God’s plan. You can do the same thing the same way you did last time and get different results. It may not be something major, but like Moses, maybe it’s just something small. Sometimes a small tweak, a small adjustment can make a major difference in the outcome. Today, make sure you aren’t doing things just because it’s the way you always did it before. Instead, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit of God inside. Follow His leading and stay in sync with the wonderful plan He has for you!

A Prayer for Today

“Heavenly Father, I submit my mind, will and heart to You. Help me to see clearly what Your plan is for me. Help me to stay close to You always, not living in the past, but pressing forward to the new things You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Meditate on This

23 Jun

Meditate On For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 5:12 Practice Jesus’ Presence In Your Career With the Lord’s presence and His unmerited favor covering you, there is no way you will not be a success in your career. When I started working in my early twenties, I kept on practicing the presence of Jesus and in a short time became the top salesperson in my company. I started as one of the lowest-paid employees in the company, but the Lord consistently promoted me, and gave me different income streams from within the same company until I became one of the highest-paid employees in that organization. Please understand that I am not sharing this with you to put a feather in my cap. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that all the successes that I had experienced in my professional career are a result of Jesus’ presence and unmerited favor in my life. I also shared with you about my professional career (before I entered full-time ministry) so that you will not walk away thinking that I have personally experienced good success from the Lord only because I am a pastor. Beloved, whatever the vocation you are in, practice the presence of Jesus and depend on His unmerited favor. He will promote you and make you a success!

Understanding the Root of Your Fruit

by Joyce Meyer
Nehemiah 8:10 is an encouraging scripture that says, “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (AMP). God wants us to stay joyful no matter what difficulties we face in life, because His joy is our strength. Simply put, it’s the fruit of joy that strengthens us to go through whatever we have to deal with and make it to the end result. That’s why, as Christians, joy should be our normal mood.
Paul was determined to enjoy the journey no matter how many potholes were in the road. In Colossians 1:11, he wrote, “[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy” (AMP). Our joy is a weapon. It gives us the ability to not only endure difficulties, but to enjoy life in the midst of them.

Obstacles to Joy

But what happens when you wake up in the morning feeling low, irritated, discouraged or frustrated—and you don’t know exactly why? There has to be a reason. Well, for every “fruit” there is a root. And if you don’t get to the root of a bad mood, you just start blaming everything and everybody for making you feel bad, and focusing only on all the things that are wrong rather than the good God is doing in your life.
It’s amazing how our minds automatically lean toward the negative. That’s our old, unregenerate nature at work. But God’s Word says we are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). And Ephesians 4:24 tells us to “put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness” (AMP). This means we have to deliberately put on Christ’s love, mercy and patience—it’s a choice we make.
Before you start thinking, “But Joyce, you don’t understand how bad things have been and how much I’m hurting,” I want to remind you of an encouraging truth. God never tells us to do something He doesn’t give us the ability to do. Philippians 4:13 (AMP) says, “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” The key is to always lean on Jesus for the ability and strength you need to do what you need to do.

Figure Out Why You Feel Bad

If you’re frustrated by a bad attitude and not sure how to begin to overcome it, you need to discover the root of the fruit. Sometimes there are obvious reasons we feel lousy. It may be a bad habit, like not eating right or staying up too late at night. I always feel bad the next day when I eat too much sugar and carbohydrates. The simple solution is to eat healthier and go to bed at a decent time.
On a spiritual level, maybe you care too much about what people think about you to the point you are letting them control you. As a result you always say “yes” to people when you really want to say, “no.” Or you wake up feeling bad because you did something wrong the day before and haven’t repented of it yet. Now you’re reaping the consequences. But 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NKJV).

Is Your Spiritual Gas Tank Empty?

When I do a conference, I give it my all, and I’m glad to do it. But when I go home, if I don’t take time to get back in the Word, spend quiet time with God and get “filled up” spiritually, I’m bound to get a bad mood and start grumbling and complaining. When I run on empty, I’m a mess!
You must spend daily time in God’s presence if you’re going to live with the joy of the Lord. The more intimate your personal relationship with Him becomes, the better your fruit will be. Isaiah 40:31 (AMP) confirms it:
“Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”
If you’re not living with the joy of the Lord, examine the root of your fruit. Spend time with God, study the Word, do what He tells you to do by His grace, and soon your joy will return.

Chosen to Be Holy

Today’s Scripture

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Ephesians 1:4, NIV)

Chosen to Be Holy

Did you know that God had a plan for you before He ever made the earth? He created you to be holy and blameless in His sight. Why? He chose you to be His ambassador, His representative. He created you to reflect His glory, His character, His righteousness, His holiness. Think about that for a moment. Part of your purpose on this earth is to be a representative for the King of kings and the Lord of lords! What a great honor! Knowing that should make you want to walk a little differently. It should make you want to talk differently. It should make you think a little more carefully about where you go and what you choose to do with your time. Are you representing God’s holiness today? Remember, what God has called you to do, He’s equipped you to do. If there are things in your life that aren’t holy, God wants to empower you to overcome those things. Receive His strength and power today so that you can walk in holiness all the days of your life!

A Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You for choosing me today. Search my heart and remove anything that is displeasing in Your sight. I choose to walk in Your holiness today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Be Happy Even if You Are Suffering

Be Happy Even if You Are Suffering

by Joyce Meyer - posted June 24, 2015

But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness,[you are] blessed ( happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition].
1 Peter 3:14
According to this scripture, you can be happy even if you are suffering, as long as you are suffering for the sake of righteousness. Why? Because God is just, and even though you are being persecuted for doing the right thing, in the end you will win, because when you sow right seeds you will reap a good harvest.
What sense would it make for the Bible to say you are to be envied when you are persecuted unless you had a huge reward coming? Justice means everything wrong is made right. When you suffer for doing the right thing, God will give you double for your trouble (see Isaiah 61:7) because God always blesses those who do the right thing.
Power Thought: God's reward is greater than any suffering I will endure for a season.

Daily Bible Quotes

Every day is a beautiful day for inspiration and faith from Daily Bible Quotes!

It's 6/23 and here is today's scripture:

Yield to obey each other because you respect Christ.    Ephesians 5:21

The Valley Of Blessing

Post by Joel Osteen on June 19, 2015

 

We all go through difficult times in life and things that we don't understand. When we're in the valley, it's easy to get discouraged and think it will never get better. Too often, that's when we lose our passion.
But the Scripture also talks about the valley of blessing. That seems like a contradiction. We think, "I can't be in the valley and be blessed. In the valley, I'm discouraged. I'm dealing with this health issue. These people at work won't treat me right." We see the valley as being negative. "As soon as I get out of this situation, I'll have a better attitude." I've learned that God doesn't always remove the valley, but He will bless you in the valley.
David said, "God prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies." He didn't say, "God will remove all of my enemies, eliminate everything that's bothering me and then prepare the table." No, in the midst of the trouble; in the midst of the adversity, He prepares the table. He doesn't have to deliver you from it; He can deliver you in it.
One time in the Scripture, Isaac was in a great famine. Nobody's crops could grow. The land was dry and hard; there was no water. But he went out and planted his fields. In the same year, he received a one-hundred-fold return. God didn't have to deliver him from the famine; He blessed him in the midst of the famine. You may be in a valley right now fighting a battle in your health, in your finances, in a legal situation. God knows how to turn that battlefield into your blessing field. Don't complain about the valley; there's a blessing in that valley! It wasn't sent to harm you, it was sent to increase you. You need to get ready because it's not going to stay a valley of defeat. It's about to turn to a valley of victory. What you think is a valley of disappointment, loss or heartache, God is going to turn to a valley of new beginnings; a valley of greater fulfillment.
Perhaps you're in a valley of sickness. You could easily be discouraged and settle where you are. Take heart, it's only temporary. It's going to turn to a valley of health; a valley of greater strength. God has you in the palm of His hand. He promised the number of your days He will fulfill! Don't be discouraged by the valley. Like Isaac, it's about to turn to a valley of breakthroughs, a valley of abundance, a valley of victory. It's a valley of blessing!
"On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the LORD there…" (2 Chronicles 20:26, NLT)

 

by Victoria Osteen

Living in Love

Look for the Best in Each Other

I once heard about a husband and wife who were so upset after a big argument that they refused to speak to each other. That night, not wanting to be the first to break the awkward silence, the man left a note on his wife’s side of the bed that read, “wake me up at 6 o’clock in the morning.”
The next morning, by the time the husband woke up, it was already 8 o’clock. Furious, he roared, “Where is she?” and was about to chew out his wife when he found a note on his side of the bed: “It’s six o’clock; wake up.”
If we’re going to live in love, we have to learn to forgive one another. The Bible says, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, but instead, forgive. And above all things, put on love.”1 That means: Above having your own way, above your own agenda, choose to put on love.
The apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that we would be “rooted and established in love so that we would have power together with all the saints.” When we choose to walk in love, we have the power of God in our lives, as well as healthier relationships.

We should always look for the best in each other. That’s one of the things I love about Joel. I used to think that he didn’t see the things that people did wrong. Then I realized: It’s not that he doesn’t see them; he chooses not to focus on them.
That’s what Jesus taught. One day a group of Pharisees brought a woman to Him who had been caught in adultery. The Law said that she should be stoned, but Jesus didn’t condemn her. Instead, He said, “Those of you without sin, go ahead; you through the first stone.”2
The woman’s accusers began to look within themselves. Then, they walked away.
We can all throw rocks and point out each other’s faults, but we need to make allowances for one another. We don’t know what some people have been through. We don’t know the pain and heartache they’ve experienced. When the woman’s accusers had all slipped away, Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more.”3
Let’s learn to walk in love and see the best in everyone. A house divided will fall. That’s why it’s so important to keep peace in your home. Be the first to apologize. Be quick to forgive.
Someone once asked me if Joel and I argue. Of course, we disagree, but you can’t argue with someone who won’t argue with you, and Joel won’t argue! He’s made up his mind that we’re going to walk in love, because that is where the power is. At times, Joel and I have said, “All right, we can’t see eye to eye on this, so we’re just going to agree to disagree.”
I can’t help it if he’s wrong sometimes!
When Joel and I got married, I like my own way, and when I didn’t get it, I wasn’t happy. Then God spoke clearly to me: Victoria, if you don’t change the way you’re acting, you’re going to change the man you married.
Well, that got my attention, because I didn’t want to change Joel’s personality. I love Joel. That’s why I married him. I knew that I had to be willing to make some changes.
In many relationships, after time, people neglect to walk in love. One day, they realize that their hearts have changed. You hear it all the time: “We just grew apart.”
Joel and I remind ourselves often that God brought us together. He’s got a good plan for our marriage. You need to remind yourself that God has put that person in your life, and He’s got good things in store. If you will do your part by being kind, respecting one another, treating each other the way you want to be treated, God will do His part, and you can live in love!

How Saying the Right Things Can Change Your Life!

by Joyce Meyer
I started smoking when I was nine years old and smoked for many years. I liked it! So when I decided to stop, it was really difficult.
Every time I tried to quit, I’d last a few hours and then I’d be running around, digging cigarette butts out of the trash or looking for cigarettes in my coat pockets – anywhere I could think to look for them!
I didn’t have success until I got a revelation: I was burying myself in defeat with negative confessions.

Why I Had to Stop Talking Myself Out of My Victory

I finally realized that I was causing myself to fail through the negative things I was saying about myself. For a long time I would say, “I just know I could never quit smoking. And if I did, I’d probably gain a lot of weight.”
Thankfully, God was able to get through to me eventually and help me see that if I didn’t change my confession, I wouldn’t change. Then, He began to put desires in my heart to start speaking what I wanted, not what I had.
I started saying things like, “I can’t stand to smoke! These things stink and they’re expensive. I don’t smoke anymore!”
At first, I felt silly doing this because I would make these declarations while I was smoking. However, within about a week of changing my confession, I realized I now had the grace of God to quit smoking.
What I learned from this is I cannot rise above my own confession.

How God Taught Me to Talk Like Him

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” And Hebrews 4:14 (AMP) says we should “hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]”
Confession means “to say the same thing as.” As the High Priest of our confession, Jesus can only do what we’re saying that agrees with His Word. So it’s vital for us to learn how to speak the Word of God and not just say things based on our feelings or even what others have said about us.
I believe we’ll have greater success with this if we concentrate on what we should be saying, rather than focusing on all the things we shouldn’t say. It’s self-defeating to go around saying things like, “I shouldn’t do that… I’d better not do this…”
I want to encourage you to really listen to yourself. Where’s your heart? See Luke 6:45. We need to stop saying, “Oh, I didn’t mean that. I was just kidding.” And we need to start being accountable for the words we speak.
The truth is, the things we say come from something that is formed in our heart. So you can determine where your heart is by listening to yourself. You can hear bitterness and jealousy…insecurity and unhappiness.

What Changing the Way You Talk Will Do

“We all have room to grow in our relationship with God.”

Do you need a change of heart? All of us do. We all have room to grow in our relationship with God.
And the way to make progress is to speak His language…  

• Bless everything you can possibly bless. James 3:8-10 says we have the power to bless or curse with the words of our mouth.
• Be thankful and say so! (See Psalm 100:4.) Don’t just think about how much you appreciate someone – tell them!
• Be an encourager. Give someone an encouraging word every day.
• Tell the truth!
• Speak the Word of God. Recite and memorize verses that deal with things you want to change or overcome – anger, unforgiveness, insecurity…
• Don’t talk too much. Be quick to hear and slow to speak.

I encourage you to pray and ask God to help you use your mouth to say the right things. When you do, it will change your life!

Don’t Let Your Emotions Vote

Don’t Let Your Emotions Vote

by Joyce Meyer - posted June 22, 2015

Do not be misled, my beloved brethren.
—James 1:16
If we desire to walk after the Spirit, all our actions must be governed by God’s principles. In the realm of the Spirit, there is a precise standard of right and wrong, and how we feel does not alter that standard.
If doing the right thing requires a “yes” from us, then it must be “yes” whether we feel excited or discouraged. If it is “no,” then it is “no.” A principled life is enormously different from an emotional life. When an emotional person feels thrilled or happy, he may undertake what he ordinarily would not do. But when he feels cold and emotionless or melancholy, he will not fulfill his duty, because his feelings refuse to cooperate.
All who desire to be truly spiritual must conduct themselves daily according to godly principles. A good sign to show you’re growing and maturing in Christ is when you consistently obey, even when you don’t feel like it.
Learn not to ask yourself how you feel about things, but instead ask yourself if doing or not doing something is right for you. You may know that you need to do something, but you don’t feel like doing it at all. You can wish you felt like it, but wishing does no good. You must live by principle and simply choose to do what you know is right. There may be a certain thing you want to do badly. It might be a purchase you want to make that you know is too expensive. Your feelings vote “yes,” but your heart says “no.” Tell your feelings they don’t get to vote. They are too immature to vote and will never vote for what is best for you in the long run.
We don’t allow people to vote in political elections until they are eighteen, because we assume they would be too immature to know what they are doing. Why not look at your emotions the same way?
They have always been a part of you, but they are very immature. They are without wisdom and cannot be trusted to do the right thing, so just don’t let them vote. We mature but our emotions don’t, and if they are left unchecked, our lives will be a series of unfinished and disappointing ventures.
Trust in Him Pray and ask God to help you trust Him more than you trust your emotions.

For “Girls Who Take Things Too Seriously and Are Overly Sensitive.” A Must Read.

For “Girls Who Take Things Too Seriously and Are Overly Sensitive.” A Must Read.

Jennifer Pastiloff | June 22, 2015 | Living

 

Dear PP tribe, sometimes I like to use my weekly column to share other voices.
So, a couple of weeks ago I was in South Dakota (was leading a workshop there as I do a couple times a year) when someone sent me a Snap. As in SnapChat. (Yes, I am twelve years old now.) A mom had sent her teen (yay!) to my Seattle workshop and was all fired up because her daughter, Corrine, came home from school visibly upset after a talk they had been given at school. Her mom (Echo is her name and don’t you love her just for that?) sent me a clip of his video and his website. So there I was, in Sodak, about to lead a workshop and I got pissed. Real pissed. I was reminded why I am writing Girl Power: You Are Enough (which is with publishers right now – OMG) and I decided that I had to say something about this fella. Brad Henning is his name. So I made a cup of coffee and sat down my phone on my little tripod there on the kitchen table in Sioux Falls and I said this:

I then posted it on the interwebs and asked any of my writer friends if they would like to write an essay about it for my site. The beautiful Laurence Dumortier said she wanted to tackle it. Her last essay on my site blew my mind ( it is a must read) so I didn’t hesitate to say yes yes yes.
Someone called me a YesSparker the other day. I like that. Yes.

After you read her essay I would:

a) Love it if you shared it.
b) I mean, I would really love it if you shared.
c) Create a dialogue around this.
I know not everyone agrees with Laurence and I. Some people have even given me a hard time for bringing this up. I refuse to stay quiet though. I am not suggesting that Brad is a bad man, I just believe his methods are antiquated and his message is outdated and involves shaming.

Shaming is never okay.

Also, I am a feminist and his message just rubs me wrong. It feels misogynistic and tired and frankly, the opposite of what I am teaching out in the world. Girl Power: You Are Enough. No matter what Brad, or any other person, says. I hope to see some of you at the launch of the Girl Power workshops September 19th and 20th in Princeton and NYC. Oh yea, and Lena Dunham followed me this morning on Twitter.

Girls + Girl Power: You Are Enough. @JenPastiloff (Click to Tweet!)

Kapow!!
P.S. – This is who I am writing my book for. Teens like Nicole. So brave. Eff yea! Last year she was suicidal but today she is saying, “I am enough.” So, can I get another EFF YEA!
Here is the video Echo sent me. (Brad goes to schools and gives this lecture.) I have actually heard he is a lovely man. I am not taking away from his loveliness. But please, when it comes to this, he doesn’t seem to be the right person for this job.

Brad, Interrupted by Laurence Dumortier (@ElleDeeTweets on Twitter.)

Brad Henning is a self-styled relationship expert who visits schools to talk to students about dating. To the question “Why do girls wear makeup?” (Brad likes to style things as a Q&A) his answer is: “Would a guy want to take a girl out on a first date, if he could see what she looks like when she first wakes up in the morning the same way her parents do? Probably not.” Despite professing this kind of sexist nonsense, Brad Henning is paid by school districts to speak to teenagers about sex and relationships. Let that sink in for a moment.
When I mentioned to a friend that I’d been reading, with a mixture of fascination and horror, about Brad Henning’s work, she wondered if it was the same Brad she’d had to listen to a dozen years before during a high-school assembly. A little research confirmed it was. After a moment she reflected, “I will never forget how much I was shamed for being overly sensitive/humorless/man-hating/slutty/bad both during and after that f*cking assembly senior year of high school.” This essay is for her and for all the girls who had to listen to Brad’s lectures, and haven’t forgotten what it felt like to be chided and shamed.
Henning is a fan of the pseudo-evolutionary-biology—bogus in both in its premises and its explanations—that asserts as fact things like: guys are insatiably horny, you see, so that the species won’t die out! And also, girls have low sex-drive, on the other hand, so that the planet doesn’t get over-populated! Worse still, though, Henning promotes the tired falsehoods that form the backbone of rape culture. “The girls who give sex to their boyfriends outside of marriage,” Henning writes, “are undermining the maturing process guys need so badly.” Guys, Brad decrees, cannot control their sexual appetites. They need girls to do that for them. Girls who don’t do that make boys powerless to resist their own urges. (Is it any wonder, when girls are raped, that they run into so much victim-blaming?)
In one of his vignettes, Henning conjures a fairy-tale prince. He’s sowed his wild oats but now he’s looking to settle down:
Handsome, rugged, self sufficient…He’s the hero and he’s looking for his fair maiden. When he sees her for the first time, he is mesmerized by her beauty and charm. He longs for her… But then…of all the dastardly things…he finds out she has been with just about every guy in the realm. He realizes his fair maiden isn’t as fair as he’d hoped. Does he want to fight for her hand? No. This isn’t what he’s dreamed about all his life. He’s been dreaming about “A FAIR MAIDEN” not the town slut.
Never mind that the prince himself is not a virgin, it’s the girl who is disdained as a “town slut.” (I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that rape victims, if they go public, are forced to account for their whole past sexual history, as though it had anything to do with the assault in question.)
Of a girl who has already had sex but would still like to have a loving relationship, Henning takes the chilling position: “But now it’s too late for her… She can’t just change her mind about being wild like the guys.” This double-standard is not just bizarre and unfair, but actually dangerous. It reinforces the cultural script that girls who have had sex are, in fact, damaged goods, worthless and irreparably marred. The implied question is: why should boys bother to reign in their raging sexual appetites with a girl who “gives it away”? I can’t decide whether it is more heartbreaking or rage-inducing that girls are made to listen to this toxic garbage.
Even worse, Henning—not content with pushing the gendered hypocrisy of his ideas about sex, or even the shamey, rapey tone of his relationship advice—has let his opinions about girls wander even farther afield, sermonizing about their appearance, their tastes, their habits and mannerisms, the very expression of their feelings. That an older man would feel entitled to dictate a girl’s feelings to herself is, unfortunately, not all that surprising. But the endorsement of this bizarre intrusion by school districts that invite and pay Henning to come to their schools, and then force girls to sit through this awfulness, is perhaps the saddest and most angering thing of all.

Against that sadness and anger, here is a small but heartfelt gesture of imagination and hope:

In the part of his lecture where Brad intones, unimpeded, about all the many things girls do that “turn guys off,” I imagine, instead, a voice flooding the auditorium, warm and loving and at times a little sarcastic, interrupting the dude onstage in order to offer girls an alternate point of view. One that sees no need to control girls’ behavior, but instead believes in their intelligence and good-sense and inherent value.
In italics, then, excerpts from Brad Henning’s talk—interrupted by the voice of feminine wisdom and trust.
Since you asked the question about what turns guys off, here’s a list of them!
I don’t think we did, actually, but it should be good for a chuckle.
Turn-offs:
Girls who giggle (guys think you’re laughing at them)
How timely! Girls, gather round, permission is hereby granted to giggle, to guffaw, even to cackle. It’s not your job to worry what others think of it. (By the way, most of the time girls aren’t laughing at a guy. But this time, in fact, we are!)
Girls who never smile
I love you, April Ludgates of the world. Don’t ever change just because some Brad wants you to.
Girls who have lost their mystery
I don’t know what the f*ck this means. What is this? Is it code for “girls who’ve lost their virginity”? Gross. The fetishizing of virginity is one of the creepiest and most loathsome things about patriarchal culture. Please ignore.
Girls who need every hair in place
You do you. Be as polished or as scruffy as you want.
Girls who never stop talking
Talk away. I like the things you say.
Girls who are boy-crazy
Brads feel threatened that girls are capable of desire. It makes them uneasy that girls may, at times, be boy-crazy or girl-crazy or both. But Brads don’t get a say over how you feel. You can be giddy, or horny, or dizzy with infatuation. I’ll hold this space for all your emotions.
Girls who brag about their grades
Go for it, love. You earned it.
Girls who cry all the time
It’s okay to cry. It’s okay for boys to cry too.
Girls who always need attention
Everyone needs attention. You matter, too.
Girls without a mind of their own
Gracious, the irony! Girls can think for themselves, no thanks to Brad, though.
Girls who “screech” when they see their friends
It is a magical thing to be in the presence of those who really get you, and love you for who you are. Lord knows, Brads won’t do that for you. So screech your joy if you want. Caw, whistle, yodel, sing. It’s all good.
Girls who can’t take a joke
Especially rape jokes, right?!
Girls who make everything seem like it’s the guy’s fault
What can I say? It’s true. Obnoxious guys like Brad don’t like to be held accountable.
Girls who “tell all”
Speak your truth. Secrets empower abusers.
Girls who take things too seriously and are overly sensitive
If I could gather all the serious and sensitive girls in the world and give them a hug, I would. If I could gather all the flirty and funny girls, I’d give them a hug too. Often these are the same girls, for we are complex and multi-faceted. Brads would rather we be small, narrow, predictable and easy to control. But we are large and contain multitudes and won’t easily be subdued. ~ Laurence Dumortier.
**Thanks for reading, beloved PP tribe. What are your thoughts on this? Love you guys, xo Jen
PPS - I have 2 spots left for Italy this fall. Want to come? Email me info@jenniferpastiloff.com.