Daily Devotions

Today’s Bible Verse “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 (NIV) Transform Don’t Conform Now more than ever, Christians must understand we need to live transformed (changed) lives. We live in a world controlled by an enemy who is constantly trying to conform and influence our minds to think destructive, ungodly thoughts. The mindset we possess directs our destiny. This is why the enemy wants to conform and warp every person’s mind. He is after the destiny of our lives, our families, and our nation. In Romans 12:2, God gives us the answer to the enemy’s attack. He says to be transformed (changed) in our mind so that our destiny will be protected by God. As Christians, we can easily believe we’re above influences and temptations because we go to Church, and we read our Bibles. Transformation, however, is not solely about reading your Bible; it is about change. The Lord wants us to live lives of continual change from our old sin nature, to our new nature in Christ. Second Corinthians 10:5 helps us walk out this change. It says we must “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” It’s a deliberate process of replacing every tempting and corrupt thought with the word of God. Every thought means every thought. A single ungodly thought will

Today’s Bible Verse “Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass: ‘Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!’” Romans 4:18 (TPT) Against All Odds When things look hopeless, you have to continue to believe God at His Word! Your life can be a testimony and an example of God even during a difficult season. I would like to share a story from one of my disciples, Brian, who was going through a season where he had to learn to trust God. You may be facing tough times during this season, things may look hopeless, but like Abraham you must continue to trust God at His Word. Jeremiah 1:12 (NKJV) says: “Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.’” My encouragement to you all is, remember this is just a season! Things are subject to change! Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) states, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” “Through a freak accident I ended up losing feeling from my chest down and I lost the ability to walk within a month’s time. It would require a spinal surgery that could leave me paralyzed. Doctors told me that I may never walk again. I had surgery in February

Today’s Bible Verse Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight.  They said to each other, “Wasn’t it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:31-32 (GNT) Then Their Eyes Were Opened I love this story about Jesus visiting His disciples on the Emmaus Road after His Resurrection.  I believe we can all relate to them.  Let’s put ourselves in their shoes for a moment.  Although we know the end of the story (Jesus rose again on the third day), the disciples did not know the end at that moment.  After the death of Jesus, the disciples were stuck in a place of sadness, fear, disappointment, and discouragement.  It left them sluggish and indifferent to what Jesus taught them for three and half years.  When Jesus visited these two disciples on the Emmaus Road, although they did not recognize who He was at first, later they realized that it was Jesus because when He spoke to them, their hearts began to burn with a passion again. When we have fellowship and communion with Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us, He gives us a burning desire to seize the life He has called us to live.  Whether it’s a life of purity and holiness or a life where we do things His way and not ours, He gives us the desire to pursue Him.  Philippians 2:13 says, “[Not in

Today’s Bible Verse … so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19 (NLT) Christ Dwelling in Our Hearts The word “dwell” is a combination of two Greek words that mean “down” and “to inhabit” a house. Combining the two words gives the idea to settle down in a home; to stay permanently and stable. Dwelling is experiential, not positional. Christ indwelling our hearts means He feels “at home” there. Christ can dwell in the deeply rooted areas of our lives. He can live comfortably in us when we yield our minds, wills and emotions to Him. This can only be accomplished through faith, that is why it is important that we strengthen our faith regularly by developing a strong devotional life. Meditating on His promises allows us to experience His presence in our hearts. He has given us a promise that He “will never fail us or abandon us” (see Hebrews 13:5). Regardless of what you do in life, God will never abandon you, never; He will always be there! Many times, our emotions and feelings play tricks on us, and because we have made a mistake we feel

Today’s Bible Verse So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.  John 15:4 (TPT) Get a Welcome Mat It is impossible to be fruitful unless we are planted. The book of Psalms says that only those who are planted in the House of God will flourish. His House represents His presence. However, we live in a society that drifts towards the “Airbnb” mentality; the “it feels like home without the long-term commitment” mindset.  This is the complete opposite from what God desires. God wants us to remain in constant, unbroken fellowship with the Holy Spirit. He does not want a casual, once a week visit, a dating approach or to remember Him only when we are going through a challenging time.  God desires that we are intimately joined to His presence. But we must lay out the welcome mat, and create an atmosphere where God feels wanted, desired and longed after. We can create an environment where the Holy Spirit feels welcome and appreciated. I really love how Psalm 27:4 reads in the AMPC translation: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the