There’s More!

DAILY VERSE

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

– James 1:2

DEVOTION

I always used to struggle with this verse. How can I be joyous in the midst of a trial? It’s tough. You feel the weight of the world is crushing you, and somehow you’re supposed to take it in stride? Yes!

While it’s important to have faith that the Lord will ultimately “make all things work together for the good of those who love Him,” sometimes we forget that there’s a journey needed to achieve the final result.

Take Joesph for instance. He was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was thrown into prison because his master’s wife framed him. Yet he remained faithful. In the end, he was lifted up, becoming the second most powerful man in Egypt! 

Trials can be painful. But remember, God is simply preparing you for MORE!

Believe!

DAILY VERSE

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

– Hebrews 11:1

DEVOTION

Seeing is believing. We’ve all heard this phrase throughout or lives. But when it comes to God’s economy, this phrase is reversed. You must believe before seeing. Just as you must fully believe that Jesus lived and died for your sins to enter the gates of heaven.

Belief without seeing is a key feature of faith. We were not present when Jesus walked the earth, yet we’ve read the stories in the Bible that drew us to Him. We can look at the miracle of creation and peer into the night sky to see evidence of God’s existence. Therefore we can have faith that what we’ve read is true.

Believe. When you do, you will see the miraculous!

Be Ready!

DAILY VERSE

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

– Psalm 32:8

DEVOTION

Faith gets ready before the promise comes. Faith prepares for what it’s expecting. What are you standing in faith for today? What are you expecting to receive from God‘s promise today? Whatever it is, get ready and prepare for it!

Just as an expectant mother prepares for the birth of her child, we should also prepare for the things we’ve asked God to provide. God will give you direction, evidence that He is working in the background. Don’t disregard these nudging, hold on to them and prepare to receive the blessings God has for you!

You’ve prayed for it. You’ve seen evidence God plans on answering your prayers. Be ready when the blessings come.

An Expectant Attitude

DAILY VERSE

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

– Colossians 3:23

DEVOTION

We may not have control over everything in our lives, but we do have control over one thing, our attitudes. If you adopt an attitude of negativity, that’s exactly what you’ll attract. But, if you adopt an attitude of expectancy, circumstances will not longer have the same effect.

When you expect God to work things out for your good, you’ll see the challenges you face more as temporary. You’ll expect that God will finish the things He’s guided you towards. You will be in a position to receive the blessings God has chosen to give you.

As children of the Living God, we can take on an attitude of expecting that we are deserving of the BEST God has to offer!

Take Some Time to Give Thanks

DAILY VERSE

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

– Psalm 103:1

DEVOTION

Prayer is where we meet with our Father in heaven one-on-one. It’s where we build our relationship with Him, it’s where we ask Him to intercede, and it’s where we thank Him for all He has done. I would say thankfulness is the most important!

We can get so blinded by our wants and desires to the point that we forget to be thankful. We should be able to carry on a conversation with God like we do with anyone else we know. We should desire it! But it’s so important to come before Him with a thankful heart.

Take some time out of your day to simply say, “Thank You.”

Be Specific

DAILY VERSE

“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

– Luke 18:41

DEVOTION

Prayer is a unique privilege; it’s our way of being in relationship with God. When we pray it’s an opportunity to spend time with Him. Because prayer is relational, we should always seek to be specific.

God knows the contents of our hearts, but He’s eager to hear from us. Building a dialogue with God allows us to deepen our relationship with Him.

You don’t have to dance around your motives with God. Get to the point, be real, and you will see your relationship with Him move to a higher level!

God Wants to Reveal Himself to You

DAILY VERSE

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

– Job 42:5

DEVOTION

God answered Job’s prayer by allowing him to not only get back everything that he had lost, but he received double. God wanted to give him a double blessing and most of all, to reveal Himself to Job.

God wants to reveal Himself to you. Most of all, He wants you to have confidence and believe. When we lack faith, that He can and will do something, we can hamstring our blessings and miss out on them.

If you are having problems with unbelief, ask God for forgiveness! Ask Him to give you the faith necessary to receive the blessings He wants to give you.

Experience Overflowing Peace

DAILY VERSE

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

– Romans 15:13

DEVOTION

There are many who live in a constant state of tension. They’ve not fully given themselves over to Jesus. Their trust lies somewhere between this world and heaven.

To be fully surrendered to God so you me experience the peace only the Holy Spirit can provide requires you fully trust in God. When you see Him move you have to believe He will also finish what He has started. This is where faith lives!

I pray you experience an overflowing of God’s peace today!

Face-Down

DAILY VERSE

So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

– 1 Kings 18:42

DEVOTION

When was the last time you found yourself doubled over in prayer? The posture that Elijah assumes indicates profound humility and extreme intensity. He’s not just praying; he’s believing God for a miracle.

There are moments when you need to press in and pray through. You need to seed the heavens with fervent prayer. Most of all, you must believe that those prayers are heard, that God can do the miraculous!

Maybe there are some prayers you need to pray face-down?

You are part of His-story

DAILY VERSE

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.

– Psalms 105:1

DEVOTION

Our stories are what draw people closer to God and draw non-believers to faith. When God answers prayers and works out the things you’ve prayed for in unique ways, people need to hear about. There may be someone who needs to be encouraged or someone who God knows will be moved toward Him.

You play an integral part in His-story!