Silver Lining

“And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.”
— PHILIPPIANS 1:14 (NLT)

You know the saying, “Behind every dark cloud, is a silver lining?” Well, you’re able to assist others to see their silver lining. Your testimony and experiences can often help others gain confidence and hope in their situation because they have witnessed how you handled your dark cloud. When you have setbacks, remember your confinement cannot stop your assignment. Your success over adversity is connected to other people of God. And when they see you emerge from your dark cloud you provide hope and confidence for them to find their silver lining.

Someone’s watching

 

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Heavenly Father, wherever I find myself, I know You are with me. My dark clouds will pass, and Your people will gain hope and confidence because You have brought me out victoriously! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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God Uses People

“I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.”
— EPHESIANS 6:22 (NLT)

Sometimes God will use people when He wants to bless you or get a message to you. They may be people you like, don’t like, people you know or complete strangers. You don’t get to choose who God uses. And when you’re doing the work of the Lord, it’s usually too big for you to do alone, which is why God sends help. You won’t have to force your godly task, goal, or purpose on people. They may not be able to see what God has revealed to you. Instead, Jesus will surround you with likeminded people who will bless you along the path Christ predestined for you. Continue to do the work Christ has placed in your heart and allow Him to place the right people in your life.

You can trust God

 

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Heavenly Father, thank You for using others to bless me and help me in achieving my purpose. I trust that You will protect me and guide me in the direction of meeting those You have sent to support me and lift me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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When You Know

“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God.”
— JOHN 13:3 (NLT)

It is important to know who you are. Jesus knew He would be betrayed by someone close to Him. Jesus knew He would falsely accused and judged. Jesus knew He be left alone when obeying God. And Jesus knew He’d be crucified. But because He knew God have Him authority over everything and that He came from God and one day would return, He could bear the troubled time ahead. When you know who you are, you can face betrayal, judgment, and hard times. You know it’s all in God’s plans and His plans are not to hurt you, but cause you to prosper and experience greatness. Learn who you are in Christ and walk in your authority today.

I am in Christ

 

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Heavenly Father, I know who I am in You. No matter my storm, I know You have prepared sunshine for me! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Your Now is Now

“Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
— EXODUS 4:12 (NLT)

Yesterday is in the past. There’s nothing you can do about the missed opportunities that set with yesterday’s sun. But you have awakened to new mercies today and bountiful opportunities. These opportunities may not always knock at your front door. Some you have to go after. And what better time than now! Don’t worry about what you will say or what you will do when you get there. Just go! Trust that God will be with you as you speak, and He will instruct you. Your blessing awaits you. Your opportunity is before you. Don’t allow another sun to set on your “now.”

Seize the moment

 

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Heavenly Father, I make the decision to go now. I trust you to tell me what to speak and provide me with instructions along the way. My now is now and I’m taking it! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Someday

“Jesus replied, ‘You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.’”
— JOHN 13:7 (NLT)

Whatever purpose God gave you; it’s for you. Whatever Jesus placed in your heart; it’s not a mistake. God has placed a dream in your spirit for you to accomplish, for you to connect with someone, and to give you success and prosperity. You may not understand today what Jesus is doing in your life, but that’s OK. Someday you will. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “You don’t have to see the whole staircase to take the first step.” Jesus may not reveal His entire plan to you in one talk, but He’s said enough for you to take the first step. And you won’t be alone when you take that first step. Jesus is with you always and forever.

Yours for the taking!

 

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Heavenly Father, I don’t know what You’re doing in my life, but I know it’s for my good and Your glory. Thank You for giving me purpose and everything I need to accomplish it. I’m stepping out today! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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A Small Amount

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”
— MATTHEW 25:21 (NLT)

Whatever Jesus has blessed you with is always enough for what you need right now. It’s not wrong to pray and ask the Lord for increase, but never belittle or be ashamed of that God has already given you. If you live in an apartment, treat it like a mansion. If you work an hourly job, perform like you own the company. If you drive a Dodge Neon, take care of it like it’s a Bugatti Veyron. Because when you’re faithful in handling what God has given you, He will increase you all the more. Your blessing is never a small amount in God’s eye, because He’s always focused on where He’s taking you and not what you have right now.

More is coming

 

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Heavenly Father, I will be faithful in handling what You have given me. I am not ashamed of the blessings You have poured over me. I know You will increase me in due time, because I have proven to be Your good and faithful servant. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Don't Be Afraid

“And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
— JEREMIAH 1:8 (NLT)

God didn’t create you to live for other people. He created you to bless other people. Jesus doesn’t want you to live in the shadows of other people. He created you to be the light for other people. In order to bless other people and to let your let shine, you have to be willing to do what and be who God tells you. You’re going to have to be different. You’re going to have to accept change. You’re going to have to endure what people say about you. But don’t be afraid of those people. God is with you and will protect you. This is a promise God has made to you. Remember this promise as you step out on faith today and be who Christ says you are.

God is with you

 

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Heavenly Father, I have decided not to be afraid. I am who You say I am. You are with me and I feel Your protection. I will step out in faith today, and be who You created me to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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His Favorite

“But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him His faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.”
— GENESIS 39:21 (NLT)

Can you recall a time when life was difficult for you? It could have been because of a job you didn’t like, an imbalanced relationship you were in, or you were mentally or physically in a place you never thought you would be. Today I pray that time of difficulty is a distant memory, but if you haven’t been delivered yet, remember that the Lord is with you. You’re His favorite. And because you’re God’s favorite, He will always show you His faithful love and you will always receive His favor through others during these undesirable times. When you make the decision to walk with God, the roughest terrain will be made smooth. His favor will sustain you and free you from any prison you may encounter.

Live your freedom

 

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Heavenly Father, I feel Your presence in my situation and know You are with me. Your favor overtakes me, sustains me, and delivers me. I am free in every circumstance because You are with me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Through the Storm

“He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.”
— PSALM 107:29 (NLT)

Last week southwest Michigan was hit with a terrible winter storm. As luck would have it, I had to drive to a customer before roads were cleared and the snow stopped. There were plenty of times I thought to turn back and cancel my appointment, but as I kept driving through the storm, the sun began to shine. I drove longer and the storm ceased, and the roads became clear. I reached my destination. There are storms you may have to go through to see the Lord’s sunshine and clear roads. And to see them, you have to keep driving through your storms in life and know God will calm your storm. There’s growth, peace, and prosperity on the other side of your storm. But you have to keep driving to reach God’s destination for you.

Keep driving

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Heavenly Father, You have built me for this storm I’m experiencing, and I know You are with me to guide me, protect me, and calm this storm. I will be better because of it. I will reach my destination in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Made Great

“For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah.”
— JEREMIAH 1:18 (NLT)

Do you realize how strong and powerful God created you through Christ Jesus? Do you understand how much you are truly capable of? You weren’t created to fail. You weren’t created to accept “good enough.” No! God destined you for greatness and the enemy of this world knows it. That’s why you might experience opposition. That’s why obstacles seem to arise all around you. But you have to understand that the obstacles before you are to make you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured. Scripture compares you to an iron pillar or a bronze wall. That means you’re made of some great stuff. Realize it. Embrace it. And take your stance as a Child of The Most High today.

You can win…

 

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Heavenly Father, thank You for making me strong. You created me to win. You created me great in Your image. I choose to embrace my heritage and live as a Child of The Most High today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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In Charge

“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.’”
— GENESIS 41:41 (NLT)

Are you ready to be in charge? If you are, you have to prepare yourself for what it takes to be in charge. Joseph was betrayed by people he loved, beaten, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, lied on, and locked away in prison before Pharaoh put him in charge of Egypt. But through all of this, scripture says God was with him. You too may have to experience hard times, but God will never put on you more than you can bear. Whatever God allows you to go through is so you can grow to who He created you to be. There are more blessings in store for you and God wants you to be ready and able to receive them. He won’t leave you or forsake you. So, are you ready to be in charge?

Weeping may endure for a night…

 

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Heavenly Father, I believe You are working everything out for my good and that You would never give me more than I can bear. I trust You, Lord, and I’m ready to grow more in You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Something New

“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?”
— ISAIAH 43:18 – 19a (NLT)

God wants you to forget your traditions, routines, or things that you’re comfortable with or used to. He wants to do something new in your life. This means you can’t hold on to your past and hold on to Jesus’ hand at the same time. You have to let one go. And letting go of your past means you have committed to walk in faith with God. It may not always be easy to start something new, but without change, you can’t grow. You don’t have to be great to start something new, but you do have to start in order to become the great person God created you to be. Jesus has already begun this new thing, and today is a great day to catch up to what He’s doing!

No better time…

 

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Heavenly Father, I choose to let go of my past and hold to Your hand. Allow me to see the new thing You are doing, Lord. I’m ready for You to take control, change me, and make me brand new! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Your Race

“I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle.”
— ECCLESIASTES 9:11 (NLT)

This year, you have a race to run. No one can run it for you. You don’t have to run it fast or be concerned with beating everyone else. It’s not a competition. There’s no first place or last and no one can stop you, but you.  It’s your race and only God can see you through until the end. This year don’t focus on what others are doing or compare yourself. Run your race. Look for ways to improve you – your mental health, your physical being, and your spiritual communion with Christ. When you run your race, everything and everyone around you will become better. Including you.

On your mark…

 

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Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me what it takes to successfully run my race. I know with You with me I cannot fail. I have peace in my race, endurance, and purpose. I will win! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Your Light

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
— MATTHEW 5:16 NIV

God uniquely gifted us to bring about change in the lives of others. And sometimes, Jesus will place us in undesirable position or situation in life so that others can witness God’s light in us. The way we deal with disgruntled customers, or the way we handle our workload or home life under pressure, are just some examples of how we can project God’s light in times of darkness for others to see and be blessed because of it. This is how God intended us to use our light. So, the next time we find ourselves in an uncomfortable environment, remember that we are on a mission to shine Christ’s light in this dark world. Others need to see the goodness of God and they can see it through us.

You are a light

 

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Thank you God for using me to glorify You. I will shine my light so that others see You in me through my good deeds. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Blessing in Disguise

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
— 2 CORINTHIANS 1:4 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered why God always you to be uncomfortable? Why does He allow you to go through hardships, trials, and have bad days. There are several reasons, and some you may never find out, but in today’s scripture, Paul explains that God allows trouble so you will know how to comfort others. This is something you can immediately put into practice. God has comfort you many times, and in doing so, provided you with an example of how He wants you to comfort others. Your discomfort is a blessing in disguise. It’s a blessing so that you will know how to comfort those around you in their time of need.

The same comfort

 

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Heavenly Father, You have comforted me in all my troubles and I thank you! You have blessed me with the ability to comfort others in their time of trouble with the same comfort You have given me. Thank You for trusting me and blessing me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Your Source of Comfort

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.”
— 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3 (NLT)

Whatever you’re experiencing today, you’re not alone and remember that it won’t last forever. You don’t have to rely on your own abilities or strength day to day. You have another source that you can always depend on – our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God is full of mercy, and every day He renews those mercies toward you. Not only is He merciful, but He is the source of all comfort. That means, whatever your situation, God will comfort you. Make sure He is your only source of comfort, and that He has your total attention not your circumstance.

Mercies every morning

 

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Heavenly Father, thank You for being my source of comfort. In You, all my needs are met. My focus is on You, and not my circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is my prayer

 

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Day 4: Paul is in Pain - God Has Spoken

“Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
— 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 (NLT)

Yesterday, we found Paul begging three times in prayer for God to remove the thorn from his flesh. Today, we find that God spoke to Paul each time he prayed and gave him the same answer each time! God spoke and said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” It took the Apostle Paul three times before he realized he needed to experience this pain for Christ to work through him.

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This is an encouraging word for you. You’ve been mentally uncomfortable a few days, or maybe suffering longer with a physical pain that’s rendered you weak, tired, helpless. Today, you are freed from all that negativity! Why? God has spoken to you! His grace is all you need. You can now boast about your weakness, because the power of Christ is working through you. Don’t allow your pain to block out God’s voice when He speaks to you. Drown out the pain with God’s voice. His grace is all you’ve ever needed.

Still voice

 

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Heavenly Father, I hear Your voice over my pain! Your grace is all I need. Your power is working in my time of weakness. Today I boast about my weakness so that Your power can work through me! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

This is my prayer

Day 3: Paul is in Pain - What to Pray

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.”
— 2 CORINTHIANS 12:8 (NLT)

In today’s scripture, the Apostle Paul is in pain. We find him begging God to take the pain away. I suggest Paul is recounting one his past experience, because in the following scripture we find he realizes his pain has purpose. Paul realized what to pray and that his initial prayer to Christ was incorrect.

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There are two ways that God deals with pain. One, God will remove your pain, or two, God will make you stronger to overcome your pain. When you experience pain, know what to pray. If God allows you to experience pain, it’s something in you He’s trying to grow and get out of you for you and the world to witness. In pain, pray the Lord reveals His will to you. What does He want you to experience, to know, or to grow from? Don’t focus on the pain, but instead focus on the change.

I’m listening, Lord

 

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Heavenly Father, reveal Your will to me. What are You showing me, Lord? Order my step to grow in You in this time of pain and discomfort. I know You are in control, and I trust in You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

This is my prayer

Day 2: Paul is in Pain - Come Back

“… So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”
— 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7 (NLT)

The Apostle Paul is one of the New Testament giants! He wrote half of it with his 13 Epistles. (So, why would a guy like that be proud? Ha ha!) Pride can get the best of all of us – even Paul. And it’s in these times that God will remind us by shaking up some things around us to bring us back to Him and protect us from ourselves.

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Just like Paul, and even Job, God can use the enemy for His glory and purpose. He will allow you to experience discomfort or pain to remember to keep Him first over yourself, your spouse, your job, house, car, money, title, and anything else He’s given you. God doesn’t want you to praise the blessing, but come back to praising the Blesser. So, when you’re given your thorn, remember it’s there to help you and remind you of who you are in Christ.

Return to your first love

 

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Heavenly Father, thank You for protecting me from myself. I know this thorn You have given me is only to mold me, not kill me. You are in control. Thank You for Your patience and guidance. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

This is my prayer

Day 1: Paul is in Pain - Give Credit

“If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message.”
— 2 CORINTHIANS 12:6 (NLT)

In today’s scripture, Paul tells the people of Corinth that he accepts no credit for his work. He admits that he could indeed boast about the work he’s doing for the Lord, but what good would it do if he received the credit. Paul wanted to make sure that all credit went to Jesus Christ for the purpose over his life and the message God gave him.

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Like Paul, you are doing some awesome things in life. And because in Christ you live, move and have all your being, I’m sure you want to give Him all the credit. You don’t have to wait for the big events of life – delivered from illness or saved your life in a car incident. You can give God credit for waking you up this morning. You can give God credit for your job, warm bed, breakfast or retirement. The important thing is to recognize it’s all because of God. And when you live this idea, everyone will notice a change and so will you.

Christ did it all.

 

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Heavenly Father, I choose not to boast about my accomplishments, but instead give You all the credit and honor. I want others to know that all I have and all I do is because of You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

This is my prayer