How do you Honor God?

“REMIND PEOPLE to be submissive to magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work.” – Titus 3:1

What do you do to honor God? A lot of times people think, “I go to church to honor God. I read my Bible to honor God. I sing and clap in worship to honor God.” And yes, those are ways to honor God, but did you know that you honor God just as much when you get to work on time? You honor God when you are productive each day and honor the people in authority over you. You honor God when you excel in your career.

Actions speak louder than words. When you give your very best in the workplace, your whole life is giving praise to God. Showing up with a good attitude, being friendly, organized, just being your best — people will notice there’s something different about you. They’ll want what you have.

As children of God, we should set the standard in all areas of life. People should see the depth of your character and your spirit of excellence and know that you are a child of the Most High God. Make the decision to honor Him in all that you do because you are His representative in the earth today!

God’s Love

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16

When God sent His Son to earth, He opened the door of salvation to whoever would believe. That means anyone can become a child of His and have everlasting life! Isn’t it good that He didn’t just come to save certain kinds of people? Aren’t you glad He doesn’t have a bunch of rules and conditions for salvation?

Before Jesus came, people had to observe many laws in order to be holy enough to go into God’s temple. They were constantly performing sacrifices to pay for their sins just so they could be around the presence of God. Even then, their sins were only covered up. They were still there. But when Jesus came, He was the final sacrifice. His blood doesn’t just cover our sins; it washes them away! Now, instead of going to the temple to be near God, the Bible says we are the temple, and He chooses to live inside of us!

Today, thank God for His mercy and for extending the gift of salvation to whoever believes in Him. If you’ve never asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life, there’s no better way to start! Choose Him and choose life.

I Am

“God replied to Moses, ‘I Am Who I Am…’ ” Exodus 3:14

In the Bible, God has many names that describe His character and attributes. In the same way that someone named “Joe” might also be called “father” or “husband” or “the boss,” God has names that describe Him and His relationship to His people.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew name for “God” was considered so holy that the people wouldn’t even say it. So, when God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and sent Him to lead the Israelites out of captivity, Moses asked God, “Who should I say sent me?” After all, He couldn’t breathe the name of God in public. God replied by saying, “Moses, my name is I Am.” In other words, “I am anything and everything you need. I am your joy. I am your peace. I am your strength. I am your victory. I am your way of escape. I am whatever you need.”

Today, God is saying the same thing to us! What is it that you need? The Great I Am, the Almighty God is ready to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Open your heart of faith to Him today and receive all the blessings He has in store for you!

Who You Are?

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” Psalm 139:14,

Have you ever noticed that when you ask someone “Who are you?” a lot of times they’ll say, “I’m a salesman.” “I’m a minister.” “I’m a coach.” “I’m a teacher.” Many people find their identity in what they do. The problem with this kind of thinking is that people identify themselves with their strongholds and negative habits, too. We hear people say, “I’m an alcoholic; I just can’t beat it.” No, that’s not who you are, that’s what you do. But if you keep thinking that way and talking that way, it will become so ingrained on the inside that you’ll convince yourself that it’s true, and it will keep you from rising higher.

One time somebody told me, ‘I’m a failure.” He was embarrassed by it. He didn’t want to live that way. I told him what I’m telling you, “That’s not who you are. If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then who you are is a child of the Most High God. It’s time to start acting like it because you have a destiny to fulfill.”

As a believer, you are the righteousness of God in Christ! You are the head and not the tail! You are an over comer! Today, embrace who you are in Christ and don’t ever let your performance change your identity.

Abundant Life Today

“…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10

Are you living the abundant life Jesus came to give? I’m not talking about living in the fanciest house or driving the newest car. No, His promise of abundant life goes way beyond material things that this world offers. Abundant life means “life to the full.” That means no matter what is going on around you, you can partake of the full blessings of God. You can have peace in the midst of a storm. You can have joy when things are uncertain. You can have hope when circumstances seem hopeless.

As believers, a lot of times it’s easy to look at that verse and think, “God is going to give me abundant life someday.” But the truth is that God wants you to have abundant life TODAY!

Don’t waste another second living in mediocrity or settling for less than God’s best. Receive His blessings by faith today. Receive His hope, joy, strength and favor. Declare that you are living the abundant life today and every day!

Bring Forth Fruit

“Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance” – Matthew 3:8

Something supernatural happens when you submit your mind and heart to the Lord. First, your heart changes; then your thoughts begin to change. Your actions begin to change. Your life begins to bring forth fruit, or it displays the character of God. The Bible tells us in Galatians that the fruit of God’s spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These character traits are proof that God is at work in our lives. Do you have more love than you used to? Are you more at peace than you used to be? Are you more gentle? Self-controlled? That’s because God is at work in your life, and it brings Him pleasure when you act more like Him.

If you need to grow in any of these areas today, simply open your heart and ask Him to work in your life. He promises that He will complete the good work He’s started in you. Don’t give up! Keep praying, keep believing, keep repenting and submitting your life to Him. Put His Word as a priority in your life and you will continue to grow and bring forth His fruit and live in His abundant blessings in every area of life!

He Prepares your Path

“I will go before you and make the crooked places straight…” – Isaiah 45:2

Are you going through a season where you feel like every time you try to move forward, you hit a roadblock? Something happens that throws you off course. Be encouraged today because when you submit your life to the Lord, He promises to go before you. He is preparing a way for you. He is making your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth. You may be going through a difficult time right now, but it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning, and God has equipped you for this journey.

Today, if you feel like you’re in a dry season, don’t look at your circumstances. Look at the promise of God! If you’ll keep speaking words of faith, God promises that He’ll anoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. That means you’ll be refreshed and anointed to do what He’s called you to do. God is preparing your path and equipping you for the journey.

What do you need in order to keep moving forward? Start by checking your attitude. Don’t go around complaining or focused on the negative side of things. Put on an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. Thank Him for making your crooked places straight! Keep your eyes on Him and follow Him forward into the path of victory!

Speak to your Mountain

“And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done” – Matthew 21:21

Everyone has gone through seasons when the challenges of life feel overwhelming. During those times, it’s easy to be tempted to talk about how bad things are. Maybe you received a bad medical report, or maybe you’re facing a financial obstacle. But the more you talk about something, the bigger it becomes in your mind. Instead, you’ve got to dig your heels in and say, “No, I am not going to give life to that defeat. I am not going to speak sickness over myself. I’m not going to speak lack. I’m not going to speak fear. I’m choosing a different report. I believe the report of the Lord which says I am blessed. I am favored. I am prosperous. I am healthy. I am whole. I’m a victor, not a victim.”

Remember, even if you don’t see how things could ever work out, God does. Speak to those mountains in your life and declare God’s favor over those situations. Instead of talking to God about how big your problems are, talk to your problems about how big your God is! As you speak to your mountains, they will be moved, and you will move forward into the victory God has prepared for you!

Voice of Faith

“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak” – 2 Corinthians 4:13.

Everyone who believes has been given a measure of faith. In order to see the promises of God come to pass in your life, you have to give expression to that faith through the words that you speak. We must declare what God says about us in His Word in order to activate those seeds of faith within. That’s why the scripture tells us, “Let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich.” When you give your faith a voice, you send forth the Word of God into the atmosphere. The Bible says that He watches over His Word to bring it to pass in your life.

The key is that we can’t allow words of defeat or negativity to come out of our mouths. Don’t dig up your seed by speaking against His Word. Instead, water your seed by continuing to declare the Word of God. When you wake up every morning, thank Him that His promises are coming to pass in your life. Throughout the day, continue speaking words of faith and life. As you give your faith a voice, you will see God’s promises come to pass, and you will live the abundant life He has prepared for you.

How much does a Prayer Weight

Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work. They had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said: “Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.” John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.

The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, “Do you have a grocery list?” Louise replied, “Yes sir.” “Okay” he said, “put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.”

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head. Then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scale went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, “I can’t believe it.” The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales.

The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust.

Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list. It was instead a prayer which said: “Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.”

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said, “It was worth every penny of it.”

It was sometime later that the grocer discovered the scales were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer weighs.