| "…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." (Philippians 3:13, NLT) | ||||||||||||||
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Are you focused on forgetting the past? Many people don't fully understand what that means. They wonder, "How can I forget something that's happened to me?" But one definition of the word forget is to "disregard intentionally or to overlook." What this verse is saying is that you have to choose to disregard your past so that it doesn't keep you from moving forward. That means the good and the bad. Even our past victories can sometimes keep us from rising higher. If we don't let go of the old, we'll never be able to embrace the new.
It doesn't matter what's happened in your history, it's time to forget what lies behind. Make the choice today to look forward. Trust that God has a better future in store for you. Trust that He's working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you forget what lies behind and press forward, you will see the abundant life the Lord has in store for you!
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This One Thing
God's Deepest Secrets
| "That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets." (1 Corinthians 2:9-10, NLT) | ||||||||||||||
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Who do you share your deepest secrets with? Most people only share their inner thoughts with those who are closest to them. People they trust. People they’ve gone through experiences with. Do you know who God share’s His secrets with? This passage goes on to say, “Who can know a man’s thoughts except his own spirit?” In other words, God’s Spirit knows His thoughts. As believers, His Spirit lives inside of us, revealing to us the heart and thoughts of God Himself.
God wants you to know what He thinks about you. He wants you to know about the plans He has for you. He wants to show you things you’ve never seen, heard about or even imagined. As a believer in Jesus, you are His child, but you are also His friend. He wants you as His closest companion. He wants to walk with you, talk with you and share with you. What a wonderful, amazing thought—we can know God’s thoughts because we are one with Him. Open your heart and allow Him to share His deep secrets with you today.
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Retrain Your Brain
| "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2, NKJV) | ||||||||||||||
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Living in victory means that sometimes you have to develop new habits. If you’ve been negative for a long time, you’ve got to retrain your thinking from “I can’t” to “I can;” from “It won’t happen” to “It will happen;” from “I’ll never get well” to “God is restoring health unto me;” from “I never get any good breaks” to “God’s favor surrounds me like a shield;” from “I’ve made too many mistakes. I’m all washed up;” to “I’m redeemed and forgiven. My best days are still out in front of me.”
It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, how many people have told you no, or how long it’s been that way, God has the final say. It’s not over till God says it’s over. Shake off the self-pity. Shake off the disappointment. Declare His promises over your life and see His victory as you align yourself with Him!
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He Withholds No Good Thing
| "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psalm 84:11, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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What do you need from the Lord today? Do you need peace, provision, guidance? The Word of God promises that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk blamelessly before Him. Now you may be thinking, “Joel, I’m not perfect. How can I have a blameless walk?” The Good News is, when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you automatically have a new walk. The past is erased in God’s eyes. And sure, you may make mistakes, but 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When you repent of your sins and receive God’s forgiveness, you are cleansed, and your walk is blameless. You have to understand that God wants to pour His favor and honor on you. If you feel like there is anything in your life that you need to be cleansed from, go to the Father today and confess it to Him. Let Him make you new so that you can receive the good things He has in store for you! Let Him pour His blessing on you so that you can walk in victory all the days of your life!
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Unhindered Prayers
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The Gift of Today
| "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, KJV) | ||||||||||||||
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Sometimes, our days can be so full and busy that we forget how precious and fragile our time on earth really is. It can be so easy to allow little things to creep in and steal our peace and joy. Maybe something didn’t go your way, or someone said something upsetting. Even traffic can cause us to get our focus off if we let it. But, we have to remember that each day is a gift. If we choose to focus on what’s wrong, we’ll miss out on the beauty that each day has to offer.
I encourage you today: don’t let the precious moments of life pass you by. Don’t wait for holidays and birthdays to show people that you care. Remember, each day is unique and irreplaceable, a gift from heaven above. You have been given time that can be invested or wasted; hours that can be used or misused. That’s why the psalmist prayed to God, “Teach us to number our days.” He was saying, “Teach us to value every moment we’ve been given so we can live a life pleasing to You.”
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Speak Vision
| "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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Every word you speak matters. Something you say may seem insignificant to you, but to someone else those words can be life changing. When you use your words to lift someone’s spirit and speak words of vision and life over them, you are depositing seeds that will last throughout eternity.
It’s especially important to speak vision into our children. As a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend, the children in your life need to hear on a regular basis that they can do something great with their lives. As parents, our words carry incredible weight. That’s why you should never put a child down. Don’t ever say, “You’re slow, clumsy or dumb. Why can’t you make good grades like your sister? Why can’t you hit the baseball like your cousin?” Those words are seeds. They can take root and affect that child many years later. Too many people have been crippled by low expectations. But today, all of that can change. Today, you can start to speak vision over yourself and the people in your life. Today, you can call out the seeds of greatness in others and stir up the gift of God inside. Today, speak life, speak hope and speak vision!
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