“Loving Judas”

Beloved, loving Jesus feels natural — He is good, faithful, and worthy of devotion. But the real test of Christlike love is not how we love the One who blesses us — it’s how we love the one who wounds us. The test of loving like Christ is not loving Jesus; it’s loving Judas.

The Old Testament points us toward this kind of love. In Proverbs 25:21–22 we are told, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” Love that only reaches the lovable is incomplete. God calls us to something deeper.

The New Testament reveals this truth in Jesus’ own actions. In John 13:5, He washes the disciples’ feet — including Judas’, the one He knew would betray Him. Christ didn’t withhold service because of future betrayal. He loved fully, even when rejection was near.

The reality is this: anyone can love the faithful friend. But loving the betrayer requires grace that does not come from us — it flows from God.

So Beloved, when you encounter your Judas — the critic, the betrayer, the one who misunderstands you — don’t let bitterness define your response. Let Christ’s example guide it.

Because Christlike love is proven

not in comfort, but in our commitment to love like Jesus. 

Pray with me: Father God, teach me to love beyond preference and comfort. Give me the strength to show grace even when it’s undeserved, just as You have shown it to me — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#LoveLikeJesus 

“Finish the Course”

Beloved, the value of life is not found in comfort, applause, or preservation — it is found in purpose. When eternity shapes our perspective, survival stops being the goal and obedience takes its place.

Scripture gives us this clarity in the Old Testament. In Psalm 39:4, David prays, “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” When we understand that life is temporary, we begin to live with intention rather than attachment.

Paul echoes this truth powerfully in the New Testament. In Acts 20:24, he declares, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” His focus was not on preserving his life, but on completing his assignment.

The reality is this: life finds its highest meaning when it is surrendered. Not because it is worthless — but because its greatest worth is revealed when it is given back to God.

So Beloved, don’t measure your life by how safely you hold it. Measure it by how faithfully you spend it. Finishing your course matters more than preserving your comfort.

Today is not just another day.
It is a step in your assignment.

Pray with me: Father God, help me live with purpose and courage. Teach me to value obedience above comfort and to finish the course You have given me. Let my life testify to Your grace — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#FinishTheCourse

“Trade My Will For Yours”

Beloved, one of the greatest prayers a believer can ever pray is simple — but costly: “Jesus, take my life — and give me Yours.”

It is a prayer of surrender. A prayer that says, I trust Your way more than my own. We were never meant to lead God — we were meant to be led by Him. Real freedom doesn’t come from doing whatever we want. Real freedom comes when we finally place our lives into the hands of the One who loves us most.

The Old Testament paints this truth clearly. Proverbs 3:5–6 declares, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Submission is not loss — it is alignment. When we yield, God leads. When we release control, He restores direction.

The New Testament deepens this invitation. Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” This is not improvement — it is exchange. My life for His life. My plans for His purpose. My strength for His Spirit. Jesus does not simply fix us — He fills us.

So Beloved, don’t be afraid to pray it boldly: “Jesus, take my life — and give me Yours.” Because whatever we place into His hands, He transforms into something far more greater than we could ever build with our own two hands.

Pray with me: Father God, today I surrender again. Take my plans, my desires, my fears, and my future. Replace them with Your heart, Your wisdom, and Your will. Live through me, lead me, and shape me into the person You created me to be — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#NotMyWill

“The Battle of Self”

Beloved, one of the biggest battles we face every day is not with circumstances, people, or pressure — it is the battle of self. The tension between what we want and what God desires is often where the real struggle lives.

The Old Testament reminds us in Proverbs 16:32: “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Conquering external enemies may look impressive, but mastering our own impulses is far greater victory.

The New Testament makes this even clearer. In Luke 9:23, Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” The call is not occasional — it is daily. Following Christ requires continual surrender of pride, ego, fear, and self-will.

The battle of self is not about self-hatred — it is about self-surrender.

So Beloved, when the struggle rises within — pause, surrender, and choose alignment over impulse. Victory isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like quiet obedience.

If self-surrender is left unchecked, it’s impossible

for us to truly and authentically submit to God. Because the greatest win is not defeating others — it is surrendering ourselves to God

Pray with me: Father God, help me win the battle within. Teach me to surrender my will to Yours daily and to walk in humility, obedience, and trust — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#TheRealBattleIsSelf

“What God Sees”

Beloved, people often remember the residue of your past — the mistakes, the failures, the chapters you wish you could erase. They may see the scars and assume the story ended there. But God sees differently. Where others see the residue of sin, God sees the righteousness birthed through redemption.

The Old Testament gives us this promise in Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” God does not merely cover sin — He cleanses it. He does not rehearse your past — He renews your future.

The New Testament makes this even clearer. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we are told that Christ became sin for us so that “we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” That means God’s view of you is not filtered through your worst moments, but through Christ’s finished work.

People may recall who you were.
God sees who you are becoming. They may focus on the failure. God focuses on the transformation.

So Beloved, don’t live imprisoned by old labels. What God has forgiven, He has also redefined. Your past may be part of your testimony — but it is no longer your identity.

Because when God redeems sin,
He doesn’t just erase it — He produces righteousness from it.

Pray with me: Father God, thank You that You see me through the righteousness of Christ and not the residue of my past. Help me live in the freedom You have given and walk in the new identity You have formed — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#WhatGodSees

“Immutable  Love”

Beloved, life has seasons — some radiant, some heavy. There are days when we feel strong, faithful, and close to God… and days when we feel weak, distant, or undone. Yet this remains constant: God sees us on the best and worst days of our lives, and His love for us does not change.

The Old Testament declares this beautifully in Lamentations 3:22–23: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” God’s mercy is not mood-based. It does not rise with our success or fall with our failures.

The New Testament confirms it in Romans 8:38–39: nothing — not height nor depth, not present nor future — can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Our circumstances shift. Our performance fluctuates. But God’s love remains fixed.

So Beloved, when you shine — know you are loved. When you struggle — know you are loved.

When you rise — know you are loved. When you fall — know you are still loved.

God’s love is not earned by your best day nor lost on your worst. It is anchored in who He is — not who you were.

Pray with me: Father God, thank You that Your love does not change with my circumstances. Help me rest in the security of Your grace on both my strong days and my weak ones. Remind me daily that I am held by a love that never shifts — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#UnchangingLove

“Laying Down My Dreams”

Beloved, there comes a moment in every faith journey when the prayer shifts from “Lord, bless what I want” to “Lord, show me how to lay down my dreams and pick up Yours.” This is not a prayer of defeat—it is a prayer of surrender. It takes courage to admit that what we desire may not be what God designed. Yet true peace is not found in chasing our plans; it is found in trusting His purpose. When we hold too tightly to our dreams, we may unknowingly resist the very future God is trying to reveal.

King Solomon reminds us of this truth in the Old Testament when he writes in Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Solomon understood that human plans are limited by understanding, emotion, and timing—but God’s purpose is eternal. Sometimes God allows our plans to slow, shift, or even fall apart, not to punish us, but to realign us with something greater than we could have imagined.

Jesus Himself modeled this surrender in the New Testament. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39, written by Matthew). This was not spoken in comfort—it was spoken in obedience. And because Jesus laid down His will, salvation was released to the world. Surrender is never passive; it is powerful. When you place your dreams in God’s hands, you are not losing direction—you are gaining divine guidance.

So today, Beloved, ask God to reshape your desires and reorder your steps. Ask Him to replace what you planned with what He prepared. Trust that what God asks you to release cannot compare to what He is ready to reveal. His dreams carry purpose, peace, and power beyond anything we could build on our own.

Pray with me: Father God, I surrender my plans, my expectations, and my timeline to You. Teach me how to lay down my dreams so I may walk fully in Yours. Align my heart with Your will and give me the courage to follow where You lead. In Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#NotMyWill

“The Real Enemy Revealed”

Beloved, Scripture is clear: the battle has never been Black versus White. The conflict we feel in the world is not rooted in skin — it is rooted in sin and deception. When the Bible tells us who the enemy is, it removes confusion and restores focus.

The Old Testament establishes this truth early. Zechariah 4:6 declares, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. God reminds us that the greatest battles are never won by human strength or human opposition, but by spiritual authority. The enemy operates in the unseen, and so does God’s victory.

Paul reinforces this in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Flesh and blood are not the enemy. People are not the enemy. Satan is.

The enemy’s strategy has always been division. If he can keep us fighting each other, he will keep us from recognizing him. Racism becomes one of his most effective distractions — not because differences exist, but because those differences are weaponized to fracture unity. When anger replaces discernment and blame replaces truth, the real adversary remains hidden.

But God’s Word exposes the lie. From creation, humanity was made in God’s image — unified by purpose, not divided by worth. Jesus did not come to choose sides; He came to tear down walls. At the cross, hostility was defeated and reconciliation was made possible.

Beloved, unity does not ignore pain or history. Unity recognizes the real battlefield. When we stand together in truth, humility, and love, we resist the enemy’s schemes. When we serve one another instead of suspecting one another, darkness loses its hold.

So don’t aim your energy at people. Aim your faith at the real enemy. Because when believers stop fighting flesh and blood, they become unstoppable in the Spirit.

Pray with me: Father God, open my eyes to see the real enemy and guard my heart from deception. Heal wounds caused by division and help me walk in truth, humility, and love. Teach me to stand united with my brothers and sisters against the schemes of the enemy. Use me as an instrument of reconciliation and peace. In Jesus name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#NotByMight

“Forgiveness in Action”

Beloved, Jesus spoke some of the most difficult words ever recorded while hanging on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Those words were not denial. They were discernment. Jesus acknowledged harm without allowing it to harden His heart. Forgiveness is not pretending the wound didn’t happen — it is refusing to let the wound define you.

It is not your responsibility to heal what an aggressor refuses to acknowledge, accept, or release. Forgiveness does not require their repentance in order for you to find freedom. What you resist often persists, but what you release into God’s hands begins to lose its grip. Until someone confronts their own brokenness, they remain lost — not because you failed to forgive, but because they have not yet chosen truth.

Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:39,44), “Turn the other cheek… love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” These are not sentimental phrases or spiritual platitudes. They are solid beatitudes (aka) lived actions. This is forgiveness in motion — as Christ modeled it. It is strength under control. Mercy without denial. Love without permission for abuse.

Forgiveness releases the suffering that was attempted to be placed on you. It also exposes something deeper: hatred toward others often flows from unhealed wounds within. Outer conflict is frequently a mirror of inner turmoil. When someone chooses aggression, they are revealing pain they have not yet surrendered to God.

Your forgiveness gives them space — not to continue harming, but to reflect. And at the same time, it gives you space to grow. To practice Christ’s teachings. To allow God to search your heart, heal what was stirred, and deepen your maturity. This is not weakness — this is discipleship.

Forgiveness does not excuse sin. It releases you from carrying it.

Pray with me: Father God, help me forgive as You have forgiven me. Give me wisdom to set boundaries, courage to release offense, and grace to live out Christ’s teaching with truth and love. Heal what was wounded in me and let my obedience bring freedom — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#ForgivenessInAction

“The Potter and the Clay”

Beloved, life often feels like pressure, reshaping, or even breaking — but Scripture reminds us of a deeper truth: God is the potter, and we are the clay. What feels uncomfortable in our hands is intentional in His.

Isaiah 64:8 declares, “Yet You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” Clay has no power to shape itself. It must remain soft, yielded, and willing in the potter’s hands. Resistance hardens it. Surrender allows it to be formed.

The potter doesn’t rush the process. He applies pressure where strength is needed, removes imperfections, and reshapes what collapses. Every spin of the wheel has purpose. The stretching isn’t punishment — it’s preparation. The reshaping isn’t rejection — it’s refinement.

The New Testament echoes this truth when Paul reminds us that we are God’s workmanship, created with intention and purpose. What God forms, He forms with care. What He remakes, He does not abandon.

So Beloved, if you feel stretched, reshaped, or set aside for a moment — stay pliable. Trust the hands that are forming you. The potter sees what the clay cannot yet become.

Because when God finishes His work, what once felt like pressure becomes purpose.

Pray with me: Father God, I place myself in Your hands. Soften my heart where it has grown stiff and shape my life according to Your will. Help me trust Your process and remain yielded to Your purpose — in Jesus’ name, I pray, believe, receive, and praise in advance, Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#InThePottersHand