Beloved, sometimes the biggest gap between prayer and promise is preparation. We ask God for promotion, but are we prepared to handle the weight of it? We pray for blessing, but can we steward it well? That’s why the wisest prayer we can make is: “Lord, prepare me for the things I’m praying for.”
David prayed to be king, but before the crown came the pasture, the caves, and the battles. Joseph dreamed of leadership, but before the palace came the pit and the prison. Jesus Himself spent 30 hidden years preparing for three years of ministry. Preparation is never wasted—it is God shaping you to carry what you’ve asked for.
Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God doesn’t just answer prayers—He prepares people.
So Beloved, instead of only asking for the blessing, ask for the preparation. Pray for the discipline, the wisdom, and the humility to carry it well. Because when God’s timing collides with your readiness, you’ll discover He was preparing you all along.
Pray with me:
Father God, prepare my heart, my mind, and my spirit for the very things I am asking You for. Don’t just give me the blessing—make me ready to receive it, carry it, and multiply it for Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, believe, receive, and praise. Amen.
Beloved, true leadership isn’t about titles, positions, or applause—it’s about service. Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Kings, gave us the greatest leadership lesson when He knelt to wash His disciples’ feet. In John 13:14–15, He said: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
In that moment, Jesus redefined greatness. Leaders in the world may measure success by power, but Jesus measured it by humility. Washing feet was the work of servants, yet the Savior of the world showed us that the highest calling of leadership is stooping low to lift others up.
Paul echoes this in Philippians 2:3–4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” Leadership in God’s Kingdom is not about being served but about serving.
So Beloved, whether in your home, workplace, or community, remember—leadership doesn’t begin on a stage; it begins on your knees. True leaders don’t just give commands—they give themselves.
Pray with me: Father God, teach me to lead like Jesus—with humility, compassion, and service. Strip away pride and selfish ambition, and make me a servant leader who builds others up. Help me to remember that real greatness begins with washing feet. In Jesus’ name we pray, believe, receive, and praise. Amen.
My younger brother Deto Man (Dietrich) asked me to write a message about forgiveness. Many of you don’t know that his first infant son (my nephew), Trevon, was killed as a result of senseless domestic violence. After twenty-five years, the one responsible for his death has now been released from prison.
Beloved, forgiveness is one of the hardest commands of God—especially when the wound cuts this deep. No length of time can bring Trevon back, nor can it erase the suffering that has marked our family. But forgiveness is not about minimizing the crime or pretending that justice was unnecessary. Forgiveness is about releasing the grip of bitterness and anger before it poisons the soul.
The great blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland once said in his song, “That’s the way love works, you got hurt before you heal.” But I say this: “You got to forgive before you heal.” Without forgiveness, the wound keeps bleeding. With forgiveness, God begins to bind up the brokenhearted and restore peace where pain once reigned.
Moreover, Jesus said in Matthew 6:14–15, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Forgiveness is not excusing the offender—it is entrusting them into the hands of the only righteous Judge.
Additionally, Paul reminds us in Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Justice belongs to God, and only He can carry that weight.
At the end of the day, forgiveness does not erase memory, nor does it demand reconciliation. What it does is set the heart free. It is a declaration that while evil tried to destroy, it will not be given the power to rule over your peace. Ephesians 4:32 gives us this command, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
So my beloved brother and to those who have processed or currently processing significant loss in their life never forget that true forgiveness says: “You may have taken a life, but their spirit lives in eternity with Christ and though their time with cut short, we know one day soon we will spend the rest of eternity with our Savior and all of precious loved ones forever!”
Pray with me: Father God, We bring before You Trevon’s memory, Dietrich’s pain, and the wound that still aches after all these years. Lord, You see the injustice, You feel the sorrow, and You know the depth of anger that lingers. Yet You also call us to forgive—not by our own strength, but by Yours.
Grant my brother and those who are also grieving loss the grace to release what they cannot carry. Guard their hearts from the snare of bitterness and flood it instead with peace that surpasses all understanding. Help my brother honor Trevon’s life not with hatred, but with forgiveness, grace, mercy, healing, and a testimony of Your power.
We trust that justice is Yours, Lord, and we place both the offender and the broken pieces of our hearts into Your hands. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, believe, and receive. Amen.
It truly hurts my heart to see how deeply divided we’ve become over the very thing freedom promises: the right to speak, to believe, to share. Charlie Kirk stood boldly for freedom of speech, reminding us that disagreement is not destruction, and difference of opinion should never lead to violence.
Dr. King once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” When a voice is silenced through hate, all of us lose.
Freedom means allowing space for opinions — even when we don’t agree. It means respecting that others may see the world differently. It does not mean tearing down, harming, or ending the life of someone because of what they believe.
The way Charlie’s life was cut short is unacceptable. It is a wound against freedom itself.
The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because of Charlie’s faith and his freedom in Christ, he is now among the saints. And perhaps, in God’s great mystery, he and Dr. King are even now discussing things we will never fully understand until it is our time to join them.
May this Be Strong logo remind us all: • Be strong in protecting liberty. • Be strong in respecting one another. • Be strong in rejecting hate and violence.
Because freedom without respect is fragile, and freedom without strength will not last.
The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6:10 to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” With these words, Paul reminds us that true strength is not found in self-reliance, but in God’s unlimited power. Paul understood that life is a battleground, not a playground. He urged believers to put on the full armor of God, not to fight with human strength, but to stand firm in victory through God’s might.
Centuries earlier, the Lord spoke to Joshua at the edge of the Promised Land, charging him in Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua faced a great task, stepping into leadership after Moses, with fear pressing in from every side. Yet God’s promise was clear: Joshua’s courage was never to rest in his own ability, but in God’s abiding presence.
Together, these two passages weave a timeless truth: strength is not the absence of fear or hardship—it is the presence of God in the midst of it. The same God who empowered Joshua to lead Israel and sustained Paul through trials is the same God who strengthens us today. When we lean into Him, His power perfects our weakness, and His presence casts out our fear.
And as Jesus reassures us in John 10:28-29: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Our strength and security rest in His unshakable grip.
So, Beloved, walk forward in faith. When discouragement whispers, remember the Lord has commanded you to be strong. When opposition rises, remember His mighty power is your shield. You do not walk alone—the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Pray with me
Father God, thank You that my strength is not dependent on me but rooted in You. Just as You empowered Joshua, strengthened Paul, and upheld Your disciples, strengthen me today. When I am weak, be my power. When I am afraid, be my courage. Help me to walk boldly, knowing You are with me wherever I go and that no one could ever snatch me from the grip You have on my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, believe, receive, and give You praise. Amen.
Beloved, nothing you’ve walked through is wasted in the hands of God. Every trial, every tear, every triumph—He uses it all to shape you into who He’s called you to be. God never wastes anything in your life.
In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul reminds us: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Even pain has a purpose when surrendered to Him. What feels unbearable in the moment becomes the very weight that produces eternal glory.
And in Joel 2:25, God promises: “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” What was lost, broken, or stolen will not define your story. God is able to redeem wasted time, renew broken places, and rebuild what seemed destroyed.
Think of Joseph in prison, Moses in the wilderness, or Esther in exile—seasons that looked wasted were actually preparation for God’s greater plan. Nothing is lost when placed in His hands.
So Beloved, trust Him. God is not just the Author of your story—He’s also the Redeemer of every chapter. What you thought was wasted, He is weaving into something beautiful.
Pray with me:
Father God, thank You that nothing in my life is wasted in Your hands. Redeem the broken seasons, restore the lost years, and use my story for Your glory. Help me to see that even my struggles are being worked into a greater plan. In Jesus’ name we pray, believe, receive, and praise. Amen.
Beloved, “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” It’s easy to hide the messy chapters, to bury the pain, or to only show the highlight reel on social media. But true courage is found in embracing every part of the journey—the victories and the scars, the mistakes and the lessons, the valleys and the mountaintops.
David reminds us in Psalm 139:14, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” That includes your past, your present, and the person God is still shaping you to be. What feels like brokenness to you, God calls beautiful because He sees the full story—one that’s not defined by shame, but redeemed by grace.
So Beloved, don’t despise your journey. Own your story. Love yourself through the process. Every page, every chapter, every sentence is being used by God to write something bigger, something braver, something eternal.
Pray with me:
Father, thank You for reminding me that my story is not wasted. Give me the courage to own it, the grace to love myself in it, and the faith to trust that You are still writing it. May my life bring You glory in every chapter. In Jesus’ name we pray, believe, receive, and praise. Amen.
Beloved, we don’t pray for perfect circumstances—we pray to a Perfect Savior. If your hope is in life becoming flawless, you will always be disappointed. Life will bring storms, valleys, and unexpected twists. But prayer isn’t about making life easy—it’s about drawing near to the One who is perfect in all His ways.
Jesus reminded us in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He didn’t promise a life without trials. He promised His presence through them. And that is far greater than any illusion of perfection we could imagine.
Paul echoed this truth in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where God declared: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Sometimes the very circumstances we wish away are the ones God uses to display His strength.
So Beloved, don’t fix your prayers on the absence of problems—fix them on the presence of Christ. Don’t chase perfection in your situation—embrace the perfection of your Savior. Because where He is, peace reigns, hope abides, and victory is already secured.
Pray with me: Father God, thank You that my hope is not in perfect circumstances but in a Perfect Savior. Teach me to rest in Your presence, to rely on Your grace, and to trust that Your strength is enough for me in every season. In Jesus’ name we pray, believe, receive, and praise. Amen.
“The Way You Do Anything Is the Way You Do Everything”
Beloved, excellence is not built in big moments—it’s revealed in the little ones. “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.” If you cut corners when no one is watching, you’ll struggle to stand tall when everyone is. If you treat small tasks carelessly, you’ll carry that same spirit into larger assignments.
Jesus reminds us in Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Faithfulness in the small things prepares you for greater responsibility. Sloppiness in the small things sabotages destiny before it arrives.
And in Luke 12:48, Jesus takes it further: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” The blessings, gifts, and opportunities God has entrusted to you are not just privileges—they are responsibilities. God’s best flows through those who steward well, both in the small and in the great.
Daniel is a perfect example. Long before he faced lions, he was faithful in prayer and integrity in the palace. His consistency in the unseen moments gave him strength in the public trials. Greatness isn’t built overnight—it’s proven over time, in every small decision.
So Beloved, whatever God has placed in your hands today—do it with all your heart (Colossians 3:23). Treat the ordinary as extraordinary, because how you do the little things reveals how you’ll do everything else. And when you walk in excellence, God can trust you with more.
Pray with me:
Father God, help me to live with faithfulness in every detail of my life. Teach me to honor You in the small and the great, in the seen and the unseen. Let my consistency reflect Your excellence and prepare me for more. In Jesus’ name we pray, believe, receive, and praise. Amen.
Beloved, never settle for less than God’s best. We often pray for what seems good—a job, a relationship, an opportunity—but God sees the whole picture. What looks good to us may only be temporary. What looks best to Him is eternal.
Paul reminds us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” But notice—God doesn’t promise just any “good.” He promises His good, which is often far greater, deeper, and wiser than what we imagined.
The prophet Jeremiah echoes this in Jeremiah 29:11, where God declares, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” His best may take patience, pruning, and trust, but it always leads to fruit that lasts.
So Beloved, trust Him. God doesn’t just want what is good for you—He wants what is best for you. And if He withholds something now, it’s because He’s making room for something greater.
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Pray with me:
Father God, thank You that You see the end from the beginning. Forgive me for chasing what looks good when You have prepared what is best. Teach me to trust Your timing, Your plan, and Your purpose. In Jesus’ name we pray, believe, receive, and praise. Amen.
4GIVEN 