Today’s Bible Verse
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NKJV)
Do Everything By Love
In 1 Corinthians 13:7 (TPT), it says, “Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.”
The other day, I was watching the news on a Christian platform, and I was disturbed by what I was hearing. Before I knew it, I got upset like Peter and John did in Luke 9:54-55. I wanted to command fire to fall down from heaven to consume some people. But God reminded me, “Don’t you realize what spews from your heart when you say that? The Son of Man did not come to destroy life, but to bring life to the earth.” In the NKJV it says, “But [Jesus] turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.’” So, the next day in my prayer time, what was in my heart wanted to come out of my mouth.
People are not our problem. It’s the devil. He will try to deceive us or separate us from our mission, the Great Commission, and the Great Commission is all about people: the good, the bad, the ugly…which we all were before we came to Christ.
What happened was, I left my heart unguarded and the negative circumstances I was hearing were beginning to affect my attitude towards people. The Bible says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). This includes praying. We must keep our hearts pure and uncontaminated by hatred, bitterness, envy, pride, and self-seeking. These things are toxic. But love keeps the toxins out.
Love is the greatest indicator of our spirituality. It’s not how many scriptures we can quote, but how many we can live out in our lives that matters. Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Diligently guard your heart. The devil knows where to attack, and he wants to get to the source. Our faith is that source, so remember: Faith Works through Love.
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. (Pastor Henry Acevedo)
An Uncommon Life
Jesus taught His disciples the power of the spoken Word! And what would stop those words from coming to pass? It’s not the Devil.
“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.'” (Mark 11:22-26 NKJV).
We cannot pray effectively with hatred and unforgiveness in our hearts. Remember faith works through love. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6 NKJV).
Today’s Declaration
Heavenly Father, today, I choose to guard my heart with all diligence, to not let any toxins of hatred, bitterness, envy, pride, or self-seeking attitudes to enter my heart. I choose to love all people as You love all people, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today’s Bible Reading
- Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 8-9; Psalms 141
- New Testament: Luke 10:38-42; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-18
