Today’s Scripture “…to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment…” (1 Timothy 6:17, NIV) Enjoy the Simple Things Don’t miss a great season in your life wishing you had more, complaining about what you don’t have. The real joy in life is in the simple things—making memories with your family, riding your bikes together, watching the sunset with your spouse, or staring up at the stars at night. You don’t have to have big vacations or lots of money to have fun. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life. Could it be that you’re at the right place for the season that you’re in, but you’re not enjoying it? Maybe if you would step back and see it from a new perspective, you would realize that God has you in the palms of His hands. He knows where you are, what you like, and what you don’t like. Instead of living discontented, frustrated, always wishing you were somewhere else, embrace the place where you are. See the good. Be grateful for what you have. A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for being the God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Help me find real joy in the beauty of this moment and in life’s simple things. I declare that I will embrace the place where I am and be grateful for what I have. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” I AM FEARLESS Through these messages, you’ll be so blessed as you discover how to live in victory and with confidence in every situation. God will open doors and make things happen that you never thought possible. OUR THANKS FOR A GIFT OF ANY AMOUNT REQUEST YOURS NOW! ► Follow Us This email is intended for hopkinsanthony33@gmail.com. To unsubscribe from this email list, click remove. To ensure delivery to your mailbox, please add devotional@goto.joelosteen.com to your address book of approved senders. View this email online. Share this email © 2020 Joel Osteen Ministries | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE
Why Does God Care So Much about His Lost Sheep?
URGENT: Encouragement and Prayer in a Time of Pandemic…See All of Our Coronavirus Resources Here Toggle navigation Search Browse The Bible Toggle Dropdown Find it! Why Does Jesus Care so Much about His Lost Sheep? Bible / Bible Study / Topical Studies / Why Does Jesus Care so Much about His Lost Sheep? Clarence L. Haynes Jr. | clarencehaynes.com Friday, April 24, 2020 Share Tweet Save Jesus often used parables, or stories, to teach his listeners a lesson. We all love a good story, and parables are a great way to make the lesson relatable, and easy to understand. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a parable about lost sheep, here is the complete story: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent’” (Luke 15:1-7). Who Are the Characters in the Story? The first thing you notice is that before Jesus tells this story is who he is hanging out with – the tax collectors and the sinners. In Jesus’ time tax collectors were hated, especially by the Jews. Tax collectors were notorious for charging people more taxes than were required by Rome and keeping the difference. This is how many of them got wealthy, by robbing the people. That’s why in the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19), when he repented one of the things he promised to do was pay back anyone who he had cheated. Jesus is not just eating with tax collectors, that was bad enough, but he was also eating with other kinds of sinners. (I guess tax collectors are a special type of sinner because Luke puts them in a different category.) Jesus choosing to eat with sinners was a problem for the self-righteous Pharisees and teachers of the law who believed this was beneath them. In essence, they were saying how could a man who claims to be so holy and of God choose to hang out and eat with the vilest of people? It is in this moment Jesus tells this story. Why Sheep? It’s fascinating that Jesus would use the analogy of sheep, because in Scripture you and I are often described as sheep. Isaiah 53:6 explicitly tells us that we all like sheep have gone astray. There are two reasons the shepherd would go after the sheep. First of all, according to the law, lost sheep had to be paid for (Exodus 22:10-13). It was expensive and it gave you a bad reputation. Listen to what bible teacher Warren Wiersbe wrote in his commentary: “The shepherd was responsible for each sheep; if one was missing, the shepherd had to pay for it unless he could prove that it was killed by a predator…Not to find the lost sheep meant money out of his own pocket, plus the disgrace of being known as a careless shepherd.” The second reason, which I believe is the greater motivation in this story, is that the shepherd loved the sheep. Recognizing the sheep was in danger, the shepherd went after the sheep. As long as the sheep stayed in the herd and was with the shepherd, that sheep was safe. The moment the sheep wanders off, that sheep is in immediate danger. The shepherd, because he loved the sheep, could not rest knowing the sheep was in danger. Here is where we see the heart of Jesus. In this parable, there were four types of people who were lost, separated from the savior. We mentioned two earlier: the tax collectors and the sinners. The other two were the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They too were separated from Jesus, they just didn’t realize it. They didn’t see their need for the savior. Jesus is the Great Shepherd. He loved all of these people and did not want any of them to remain in the condition they were in, outside of the safety and protection of the shepherd. For this reason he did what any good shepherd would do – he went after the lost sheep. He spent time with the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, the tax collectors and the sinners because he was trying to bring them back into the fold. He knew the only way to win them back was to go after them. And that is what he did. What Can We Learn from This Parable? 1. We are all the sheep in this story. You and I have all turned away or at one point have been separated from the Shepherd. In his great mercy, God didn’t leave us in that condition but went after us to bring us back home. 2. God cares about all the sheep. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us that God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but he wants everyone to come to repentance. This desire is why God pursues you, because he loves you deeply and cares about you. 3. You have to go looking for sheep, don’t expect them to look for you. The heart of this story is the need for those of us who aren’t lost to bring the gospel to those who are. If we are not careful, we can become like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, losing our heart and compassion for those who don’t know Jesus. In our desire to be holy and separate from the world, we sometimes isolate ourselves from the very people who need to hear the gospel. Whether it’s in your neighborhood, your workplace, your family, or your circle of friends and influence, it’s ok to spend a little time with them. Not just always beating them over the head with the gospel, but demonstrating the kindness and the love of Jesus. The Reward The reward is the same for you as it is for the shepherd – rejoicing. I don’t know if you have ever experienced the joy of leading someone to Christ. I can tell you from personal experience it is the greatest joy there is on the face of the earth. To know that you helped someone go from lost to found, from death to life, from hell to heaven. This is what it’s all about and this is the heart of Jesus the Great Shepherd. One of the final things Jesus said before he departed was go into all the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). There are many lost sheep out there and God has commissioned you and I to go and share the gospel with them. I pray that we would never forget this mantle and go looking for the lost sheep. They will be ecstatic when they are found and all of heaven will rejoice because one lost sinner has found their way home. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/kovop58 Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a rising speaker, teacher, author and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He has spent more than 30 years serving the body of Christ in various capacities and has just released his first book called The Pursuit of Purpose. If you have ever struggled trying to find God’s will, this book will help you discover the different ways God leads you into his perfect will. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. 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Admit
Living Light Daily Devotional Admit By Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.” – Psalm 25:9 “In their hearts, humans plan their course…” (Proverbs 16:9a). Let’s face it; nobody likes to be told what to do. Each of us wants to make our own choices…to do things our own way. Many of us don’t like to admit when we are confused, stumped, and don’t know what to do. But if we want to know God’s will for our lives, the first thing we all have to do is admit that we need it. Notice that Psalm 25:9 says that God guides the humble, not the independent or the know-it-all. If we want to try and figure things out ourselves, make our own decisions, and do it alone, God is going to let us do that. He is not going to force us to ask for His guidance and help. That is why too often we come to God for help after we have tried our own way and messed up, instead of going to Him first. It is much better to ask God to guide our steps than to correct our mistakes. Here is the good news…God wants you to know His will. He wants you to make, not just good decisions, but the best decisions possible. God does not play cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek, or ask you to guess what is behind door number three in trying to find His will. In fact, He wants you to know His will more than you want to know it. Just as parents take delight when their kids make a wise decision, how much more so does our Heavenly Father! But before God will lead you, you must admit you need His guidance. Once you do that, there is no end to the storehouse of wisdom He will give to you. Application: Have you admitted to God that you need His guidance and wisdom? Read in browser » The Gift of God By Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt “…But the gift of God is eternal life.” Romans 6:23 There is only one remedy for darkness and that is light. There is only one remedy for death and that is life. If sin brings eternal death, then the only solution must be eternal life. How, then, do you get eternal life if you have sinned? This is where God throws a big curve ball to the way we think and to what we feel is fair. Thankfully, it is God’s wisdom and not our rationale or feelings that determines what is true. Most people who believe in heaven and hell believe that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. Sounds simple enough. If you are bad you deserve hell and if you are good you deserve heaven. But at the end of the day, the wages of all sin is death. We all deserve death. We have earned it because of our sin. None of us deserves eternal life; because no matter how good we are we can never be good enough to earn it. Eternal life, therefore, is a gift that we do not deserve. This is the greatest news you will ever hear in your lifetime. When we accept what we don’t deserve (eternal life by God’s grace through faith), we won’t get what we do deserve (eternal death). Eternal life is not a goal you achieve; it is a gift that you receive. It is one thing to earn a salary. It is another thing to receive a gift. Sin pays wages. That wage is death, which is exactly what we deserve. But God gives eternal life as a gift that we do not deserve. Application: Have you accepted God’s gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord? Read in browser » Recent Articles: A Fair Wage GPS Affirming His Promise Accomplishing His Purpose Achieving His Plan Share Your Faith Boldly Learn a simple, straight-forward method for effectively sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. This three-week online course features a downloadable workbook along with training videos from Dr. James Merritt. Enroll today and learn how to effectively and confidently share your faith! ENROLL NOW Prayer Request Email TL Staff Donate Now Share Tweet Forward This email was sent to hopkinsanthony33@gmail.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Touching Lives, Inc. · 1800 Satellite Blvd · Duluth, GA 30097 · USA
Guided Steps
Living Light Daily Devotional Guided Steps By Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” – Jeremiah 10:23 If you Google this question: “What should I do?” you will get more than 64 million results. Advice experts have exploded all over the country. Everywhere from apps, to videos, to live chats, to newspaper columns, to blogs, and to podcasts, people are asking questions about career, love, family, worry, and finances. I can say as a Pastor that 95% of the counseling I have done in my ministry has dealt with this question: “What decision should I make?” Some of the most frustrating, agonizing, and nerve-wracking times in our lives are when we have to admit, “I don’t know what to do.” Believers and non-believers alike face these times. Rich and poor people face them. Old and young face them. If you are alive, there will be times when you simply do not know what you should do. But, God has promised He will guide us in these times. Somebody once said, “If you want to hear God laugh tell Him your plans.” Someone else followed that up with, “If you want to hear Him laugh even louder tell Him what you know.” No matter how smart you are, how good at something you are, how many degrees or awards you have, there will come a time when you do not know what decision to make. But here is the good news: You are not alone and you are not on your own. One of the greatest, most life-changing discoveries you will ever make is the realization that God wants to direct your steps. God wants to lead you down the right path. You have not been put here on this earth like a blind man, blindfolded in a dark room, trying to figure out your way around to keep from falling flat on your face. God has given us His Word, which is like a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105). He has also given us the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. The Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13). The God that gave you life wants to guide you in this life. The God that loves you wants to lead you. The God who gave His Son to die for you now wants to give you His wisdom to direct you. Proverbs 6:9 says this: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Application: Who is directing your steps? Read in browser » A Fair Wage By Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt “For the wages of sin is death…” – Romans 6:23 What is a wage? A wage is what you earned. It is what you deserve. A wage is what you work for. In Bible times, the word for “wages” referred to the daily food ration that was given to a Roman soldier for his service at the end of every day. It was his pay for simply doing his job. Romans 6:23 teaches, “The wages of sin is death.” Death, then, is not a physical problem, but a spiritual one. This silent killer is called, “sin.” We are all sinners. We have all done wrong. Sin is like a poison that kills all of us. Many people have a problem with this truth because they think, “Wait a minute, but we are not all equally sinners. There are really bad sinners, and ‘good people’ who are sinners.” However, it is not the amount of sin that kills, but the fact of sin that kills. We are all sinners. Therefore we all die whether we are a good or bad person. No one truly dies of natural causes. Rather, we all die of one supernatural cause – sin. Sin’s death is multi-faceted. Sin kills physically in that our earthly bodies die. Sin also kills relationally. Sin kills marriages, friendships, and even peace between nations. The greatest way sin kills, however, is spiritually. Sin kills your relationship with God. God is in the light, but sin puts you in the dark. God is life, but sin puts you to death. The physical death separates the soul from the body, but spiritual death separates the soul from God. When you read the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2-3, you see that God warned them that if they ate the forbidden fruit they would die that very day. They ate the fruit, but they didn’t die that day. Or did they? God doesn’t lie. They did die. They died immediately in their spirit. They died spiritually. Ultimately, like all people, their spiritual death led to physical death. What this word really refers to is “eternal” death. We are separated from God by our sins. Therefore, if we die in our sins, we will die eternally separated from God. Spiritual death can be reversed by a personal relationship with God. Physical death will be reversed by the resurrection of those who believe in God when we receive a new body that will never die. Application: Are you separated from God by your sins, or have you placed your faith in Christ and been forgiven and given eternal life? Read in browser » Recent Articles: GPS Affirming His Promise Accomplishing His Purpose Achieving His Plan Only God Share Your Faith Boldly Learn a simple, straight-forward method for effectively sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. This three-week online course features a downloadable workbook along with training videos from Dr. James Merritt. Enroll today and learn how to effectively and confidently share your faith! ENROLL NOW Prayer Request Email TL Staff Donate Now Share Tweet Forward This email was sent to hopkinsanthony33@gmail.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Touching Lives, Inc. · 1800 Satellite Blvd · Duluth, GA 30097 · USA
What Does Hebrews 11:6 Mean?
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What Does Job 3:25 Mean?
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Bible Verse for the Falsely Accused
≡ Menu Search For Topic! Why should God let you into Heaven? Do you know the answer? Are you confident in your salvation? Find out! False Accusations Fritz Chery Jan 18, 2020 Bible Verses About 0 comments Bible verses about false accusations Being falsely accused for something is always frustrating, but remember Jesus, Job, and Moses were all accused wrongly. Sometimes it happens from someone wrongly presuming something and other times it’s out of jealousy and hatred. Stay calm, do not repay evil, defend your case by speaking the truth, and continue to walk with integrity and honorably. Report this ad Quote A clear conscience laughs at false accusations. What does the Bible say? 1. Exodus 20:16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. Report this ad 2. Exodus 23:1 “You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand. Find Helpful And Educative Topics Replay Replay Unmute Loaded: 99.99% Remaining Time -0:00 Fullscreen 3. Deuteronomy 5:20 Do not give dishonest testimony against your neighbor. 4. Proverbs 3:30 Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Blessed 5. Matthew 5:10-11 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Report this ad 6. 1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Bible Examples 7. Psalm 35:19-20 Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. Report this ad 8. Psalm 70:3 Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!” 9. Luke 3:14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” Reminders 10. Isaiah 54:17 But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken! Report this ad 11. Proverbs 11:9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. Trials 12. James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Report this ad 13. James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Do not repay evil 14. 1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 15. Proverbs 24:29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” Report this ad Stay Calm 16. Exodus 14:14 The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” 17. Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. 18. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 19. 1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. Report this ad 20. 1 Peter 2:19 For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. Speak the truth: The truth defeats lies 21. Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. 22. Zechariah 8:16 But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. 23. Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Report this ad Seek God’s help 24. Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. 25. Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. You Need This In Your Inbox Today! Signup today and receive encouragement, updates, help, and more straight in your inbox. Sign Up Now! 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Stay Committed
Today’s Scripture “…Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people…” (Proverbs 3:3–4, MSG) Stay Committed At any point in His ministry, and especially as He approached the cross, Jesus could have said, “I’ve loved these people, healed them, and served them, but they treat me badly. I’ve had enough. I’m done.” But Jesus stayed committed when it was hard, when it wasn’t fair, when He had every right to quit. He was unyielding when it came to fulfilling His destiny, even at the cost of His own life. Is there something you’ve been tempted to give up on, to take the easy way out, to slack off—a dream, a relationship, a job? You may have a good reason to walk away, to back off, to not be your best, but God is saying, “Stay committed, stay determined, keep doing the right thing.” If you’ll stay committed to your dreams, to your marriage, to your friends, to your job, God is going to open doors no man can shut and take you to the fullness of your destiny. A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that nothing, not even the cross, could break Jesus’ commitment to loving and redeeming me. Thank You that I have the can-do power to do the right thing when it’s hard. Help me to stay committed, to be faithful, and to stay loyal. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” I AM FEARLESS Through these messages, you’ll be so blessed as you discover how to live in victory and with confidence in every situation. God will open doors and make things happen that you never thought possible. OUR THANKS FOR A GIFT OF ANY AMOUNT REQUEST YOURS NOW! ► Follow Us This email is intended for hopkinsanthony33@gmail.com. To unsubscribe from this email list, click remove. To ensure delivery to your mailbox, please add devotional@goto.joelosteen.com to your address book of approved senders. View this email online. Share this email © 2020 Joel Osteen Ministries | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE
Why Thy Will be Done Matters in Prayer 🙏🙏?
URGENT: Encouragement and Prayer in a Time of Pandemic…See All of Our Coronavirus Resources Here Toggle navigation Search Browse The Bible Toggle Dropdown Find it! Why ‘Thy Will Be Done’ Matters in Prayer Bible / Bible Study / Topical Studies / Why ‘Thy Will Be Done’ Matters in Prayer Clarence L. Haynes Jr. | clarencehaynes.com Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Share Tweet Save Have you ever prayed a prayer like this? “O God, thank you for today. Here is what I want. You are God. Now make it happen. In Jesus name. Amen.” I don’t know about you but I have prayed too many prayers like this. Yet the question begs to be asked: is this the essence of what prayer is all about? In the gospel of Matthew Jesus instructs us how to pray. In fact, he uses these words in Matthew 6:9, “This then is how you should pray…”. After making this proclamation he then goes on to give us what is known as The Lord’s Prayer. This prayer was never meant to be recited, but it was given to us as a model or template for how we should pray. Within this prayer, Jesus makes a statement that is crucial and essential to having a successful prayer life. Those words are “Thy will be done.” When you stop to think about what prayer is, I believe you will agree that many times we get it all wrong. Prayer is not about getting God to bend to the desires of your will. After all God is not some genie in a bottle ready to act at your beck and call. Prayer is when you bend your will and desires to God’s will. It’s when you line up the plans on earth with the desires of heaven. Too often in prayer we only focus on what we want or need and somehow God’s plan or purpose gets left out of the equation. The Challenge in Prayer One of the reasons we struggle with the will of God in prayer is because we often go to God with an idea of what we believe is the best answer for the situation. Quite simply we think we know what is best and that’s usually what we ask God for. Here is the problem: our vision and thoughts are limited and God’s purposes go beyond our imaginations. Consider Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” In the military, they have something called the chain of command. Often what happens is the general will send the decisions for what needs to be done down to the next in command below them. Eventually the decision makes its way to the soldiers in the field. The soldiers follow the order because they trust that those in command are making decisions that are best for the unit. They also trust that those above them have more information than they do. This is how it is in prayer. God sees more than we do. God knows more than we do. God’s plan involves us but also goes beyond us. That’s why when you pray it can’t just be about you and your desires. His will cannot be left out of the equation because he is operating at a level far above where we are. His Will Is Good for You I remember growing up in church having conversations about the will of God. Somehow the will of God meant being a missionary, but not just a regular missionary. The fear was that God was going to send you to be a missionary in the deepest, darkest jungle somewhere in the Amazon or some other less developed area. This thought process didn’t make God’s will welcoming, but made it something to be feared. The worry was that God’s plan was going to make you miserable, and who wants that? I believe for many this is the fear in prayer. Let me reassure you – you can trust God’s will for your life. You can trust that God has your best interests at heart. Because this is true, it should not be a strange or fearful thing to pray “your will be done.” In fact, it’s a great thing to pray because it takes you out of the picture and puts the answer and leading in his hands. That’s a great and safe place to be. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). Jesus Practiced What He Preached On the night Jesus was betrayed and before he was arrested, he withdrew to pray. These are the words he prayed: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus knew the gravity of what was about to happen. He was about to suffer and become the sacrifice that would bring about our redemption. The reality of this was overwhelming. Yet in the moment he did the same thing he is asking of us, he prayed “your will be done.” He put his own desires aside so that the will of heaven could be accomplished in the earth. Oh that you and I would pray and ask God for the things we need and desire, but at the end of the day let us be like Jesus and surrender everything to his perfect will. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). God Responds to His Will “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). God wants to accomplish his will in the earth. When you pray according to God’s will and you desire to do God’s will, your prayers become more powerful. The prayer that lines up with God’s will is the prayer that God will always answer. With this being the case, we should ask God to help us pray according to his will. When we do, we position God to hear us and when he does we know he will do what we are asking. God’s will is a wonderful thing. It is nothing to be afraid of, but rather something to be embraced. There is only one thing left to do. Go and pray according to his will. God wants to do great things in your life and they will happen as you pray and as you line yourself up with his will. I will leave you with the words of Jesus. This then is how you should pray…Your will be done. Photo credit: Unsplash/whoislimos Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a rising speaker, teacher, author and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He has spent more than 30 years serving the body of Christ in various capacities and has just released his first book called The Pursuit of Purpose. If you have ever struggled trying to find God’s will, this book will help you discover the different ways God leads you into his perfect will. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. 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Live in Freedom
Today’s Scripture “…Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom…” (2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV) Live in Freedom If you’re always thinking about something negative that happened yesterday, last month, last year, there’s no freedom there. That’s where the Spirit of the Lord was. This is a new day. Quit living in what was and come over into what is. Right now there is freedom, joy, peace, and restoration for you. Right now there are new beginnings. Remaining upset and offended about what happened yesterday doesn’t bring freedom. Living in regret of what you should have done or what could have been doesn’t do anything productive. It’s time to drop it and move forward. You may be a product of your past, but you don’t have to be a prisoner of your past. God already knew every hurt, every loss, and every mistake you would go through. The good news is that for every setback, He’s already arranged a comeback; for every disappointment, a new beginning; for every failure, restoration; for all the ashes, He has beauty. Live in freedom. A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that Your Spirit is working in my life and bringing me into freedom. Thank You that I can make a clear break with the past and enter into new beginnings. I declare that I am leaving behind what was and coming over into what is. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” I AM FEARLESS Through these messages, you’ll be so blessed as you discover how to live in victory and with confidence in every situation. God will open doors and make things happen that you never thought possible. OUR THANKS FOR A GIFT OF ANY AMOUNT REQUEST YOURS NOW! ► Follow Us This email is intended for hopkinsanthony33@gmail.com. To unsubscribe from this email list, click remove. To ensure delivery to your mailbox, please add devotional@goto.joelosteen.com to your address book of approved senders. View this email online. Share this email © 2020 Joel Osteen Ministries | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE
