4GIVEN

Today’s Prayer by Noël Pinnock

Dear Lord, we always appreciate the doors that open and become quite discouraged when one closes. Without any notice, the hands of God moves silently yet consistently as His broad brushes fills the canvass of our life. We are reminded that despite our earthly expectations, Your will is sovereign because You reign as Lord over our lives. You are in the business of perfecting what You started in us as sometimes getting better hurts because it pushes us to recalibrate how we think and process our thoughts. One day we will thank You for everything that didn’t work out when we see what does work out was ordered by You. Jesus is the door and anyone who enters through Him shall be save albeit the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy but Christ has come so that we have life and life more abundantly. Father God, You are free to enter our lives and because You have the master key for all locks in life…it doesn’t matter the doors that close because who cares about doors that are closed when we can walk right through them, if it were in Your will for our lives. We stand today healed, whole, and healthy…in Jesus’ name, the Author and Finisher as well as Lifesmith of our lives, we pray with fervor and faith…amen!

I’ve heard it said, “It’s not what something cost, it’s what something is worth.” In theory this cliche sounds good but it’s not entirely true. We live in a transactional world and before any kind of currency is exchanged, the worth or value must at a bare minimum equal the cost required for acquisition. Let me lift it up….ignoring man’s foolery (sin) God saw enough value in us that he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). The blood stained cross was the currency used to pay our sin debt in full and reconcile us back to God because he valued his glory and us greater than our sins! The value of your soul is measured by the price paid for its redemption. The Bible says, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

All relationships go through good and not so good phases. When you recognize that your relationship is in a rough spot, take heart. Great relationships don’t happen by proxy. Realistically speaking, you must consider and be willing to accept disappointment. No one is perfect and yes that includes you! Two people will always have a difference in their expectations. Psychological studies have proven that once we become convinced of an idea, our brain will ignore and discredit any information that contradicts what we believe. In Acts 15:22-31 we learn of a crippling ‘what-we-believe’ disagreement in the early church that nearly caused the church to split in half. However, a thoughtful letter hand delivered by well-respected and humble leaders helped to settle the dispute. The leaders of the early church demonstrated conflict resolution 101! In lieu of bickering and harboring resentment they choose to respect the ones who opposed them, they considered their dispositions (they didn’t just write them off), and they were willing to seek out a long term resolution. God is not a fan of relational chaos! He desires that we all get along peaceably (Romans 12:18) because we enter relationships to build and grow our lives together. Therefore, don’t get caught up in the grind of life’s logistics and remember strong and healthy relationships are built on respect, integrity, and humility which can only happen when all parties are honest and willing to to subordinate with each other. Nothing will ever change until something changes!

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Stop thinking that you are not good enough for God to use you! The only credentials you need is a heart bent towards God! You are not called by man but by God to be the salt and light of the world and the Message Bible paraphrase nailed what Jesus told the people in the greatest sermon ever preached in Mathew 5:16, “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Jesus also said in John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world.” This is the second of seven “I AM” declarations of Jesus, recorded only in John’s gospel, that point to His unique divine identity and purpose. In declaring Himself to be the Light of the world, Jesus was claiming that He is the exclusive source of spiritual light. No other source of spiritual power or truth is available to mankind. Now look at that Jesus placed us at His level!!!!! Do you need more motivation to come from underneath that basket?? Beloved, let your shine today and believe that you’re divinely purposed to live an illuminating life that glorifies God through service to Him and His people!!

It’s a 2 step process! If you claim to love God who is the very essence of love (I John 4:8), you must also love God’s people. You can’t legitimately love the One without loving the other. I John 4:20 says, If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving [HIS] people. You’ve got to love both.” Fact is people respond to love and appreciation. Personally, when I am loved, I feel good about myself; I feel relaxed; I feel free to be myself. When I am loved, I feel the freedom to be honest, to be open, and to share myself with others. Being loved gives me the freedom to laugh and cry with the person I feel loved by. I want to be with them. I am willing to be vulnerable with them and to trust them. That is the way I feel about God and the people that love me. I feel drawn to them. I get it, everyone ‘love language’ is different but the foundational principle of each of those expressions is love and you can’t have one without the other! Love is not something we opt to do rather it’s something that God requires that we do and if He can love the ‘you’ in you…..you can do the same for others!

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Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “FACE.” Literally, we are to seek his “FACE.” How many times have you sought God just to sit in His presence face-to-FACE? Sometimes we get so tied up with life in our situations that we forget about seeking the “FACE” that created life. We all love and commit to memory Jeremiah 29:11 but take a closer look at verse 13 of the MSG paraphrase, “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” GOD ’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”— GOD ’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.” So today remember when you draw near to God, He will reveal Himself to you. God will never hide Himself from the one that possess a seeking heart. The Lord said in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my ‘FACE’, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

What would happen if you found out the enemy you’ve been fighting isn’t the devil or other people? What if the enemy is you? Accountability is best defined as the willingness to accept responsibility or account for one’s actions. James 4:17 says this, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Recently, I was reminded that accountability can be very humiliating and mentally/physically draining. However, the end result of transparency is far more rewarding both carnally and spiritually. The stark reality of Scripture is that one day we will give an account of all our actions be it good, bad or indifferent (Romans 14:12). Look at it this way, truth is like light and light will always expose darkness. Ultimately, accountability can be a means in which God draws us, through the friendship and fellowship of others, to himself. Self-sufficiency and pride says we don’t need anyone, but humility shouts for help from those God has placed in our lives. This habit of sharing and praying with others will inevitably teach us how to cast our cares [failures and mistakes included] on the only One who can fully bear their weight and who loves us with an unfailing love (1 Peter 5:7). God graciously reminds us that apart from him we can do nothing. And one great means of that reminder are the brothers and sisters he puts in our lives. Here’s a simply formula that I use to measure whether or not I am being a steward of accountability or the enemy of accountability: 1%=100%. Think about it!!

Life has taught me that praise is my weapon to win and in order for me to turn my focus from my problems and pain to God promises and purpose, I must press my way through! I have learned that worship will get you through the toughest times in your life, because it shifts your attention from the problem to the one who can solve your problem and remove your pain. No matter what goes on around us, God desires that we press in close to Him, so close that we can hear the glorious beat of His heart, we hear His voice louder than any other voice, and that we feel the peace of His presence surrounding us. In the midst of all we face in life, there remains the amazing story of Christ, who never changes and without Him, we have nothing. He is what it’s all about. And though we may know this in our heads, how we live out or faith during times of trouble might tell a different story. If God can birth beauty in a manger and out of the brokenness of the cross, He can also birth beauty out of our ashes. Jesus not only offers forgiveness for our sins but He also gives us power of the Resurrection which in turns gives hope for our future!! God says, “Behold, I am making all things new…” (Rev. 21:5) and our response should be, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

Father God, I come to You, confessing that I tend to have a heart that is filled with whining and complaining instead of gratitude and praise. Please forgive me O’God! Holy Spirit, help me learn to see Your hand at work in every area of my life good, bad, or indifferent. In all things, I have chosen to trust You even when I don’t understand my circumstances. Therefore, I choose to accept Your will, plan, and purpose for my life because I know that horizontal problems only leads to vertical praise for Your glory and my good! Thank You for caring enough for me to lead me and never leave me! In Jesus’ name

I boldly and yet humbly pray, amen and amen!!

Father God, teach me to offer You a heart of thanksgiving, gratefulness, and praise in all my daily experiences of life. Holy Spirit, teach me to be joyful always, to pray continually and to give thanks in all my circumstances. I accept them as Your will for my life (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). I long to bring pleasure to Your heart daily. Break the power of the enemy in my life. Defeat Him through my sacrifice of praise. Change my outlook and attitude into one of joyful contentment with my present circumstances. Father God, I thank You for my strengths and I praise You because I know that your greatness is perfected in my weaknesses! You are truly the best and worthy of my praise O’God!! Hallelujah, in Jesus’ name Amen and Amen and Amen!