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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When God sends you an angel (3)
08 MAY 2023

‘The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.’
Psalm 34:7 NIV
What are some other situations when God might send an angel to help you?

1) To get you out of trouble. Lot was living in Sodom, a city about to be destroyed because of its sin. That’s when God sent angels to rescue him and his family from impending doom. Lot listened, obeyed, and survived, but sadly his wife didn’t, and she perished (see Genesis 19).

2) To change your life’s direction. ‘Moses was tending the flock of Jethro…There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush’ (Exodus 3:1-2 NIV). Moses thought his life was over. He started out in a palace and ended up in a pasture. But every experience, good and bad, had equipped him to lead the greatest migration of people in history.

3) When you’re facing your biggest challenge. In order to enter the promised land, Israel first had to conquer its biggest city: Jericho. And Joshua hadn’t a clue as to how to do it. That’s when God sent an angel with a plan that would literally bring down the walls (see Joshua 5:14).

4) When you have given it your best and want to give up. After his spectacular victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Jezebel put out a death threat on the prophet Elijah. How did it affect him? ‘“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life”…Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up”’ (1 Kings 19:4-5 NIV).

And today God still sends angels in disguise to help us.

2 Samuel 3-5, John 17


❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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When God sends you an angel (4)
09 MAY 2023

‘My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.’
Daniel 6:22 NIV
Here are some more situations when God might send an angel to help you.

1) When doing the right thing gets you into trouble. Doing God’s will put Daniel in a lions’ den, but God brought him out and publicly vindicated him. The king declared, ‘Every part of my kingdom…must…reverence the God of Daniel. For…his dominion will never end’ (v. 26 NIV).

2) When you’re tired of battling temptation. When the urge to pick up a drink, drug, or a cigarette feels overwhelming, or you think the only way out is to lie, or loneliness is driving you into the arms of the wrong person. After Jesus had battled temptation for forty days, the Bible says, ‘The devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him’ (Matthew 4:11 KJV).

3) When the load you have been called to carry feels too heavy. Facing the indescribable agony of being crucified on a cross, Jesus prayed the defining prayer of His life: ‘“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him’ (Luke 22:42-43 NIV). God will strengthen you through His Word and prayer. Sometimes He will send people you know to help you do it. Paul wrote, ‘We were harassed at every turn – conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus’ (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NIV). Other times, He will send an angel.

Bottom line: when you call on God for help, you can be sure that help is on the way.

2 Samuel 6-8, John 18:1-18

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A prayer for financial contentment
10 MAY 2023

‘Contentment is itself great wealth.’
1 Timothy 6:6 NLT

The Bible says: ‘True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows’ (vv. 6-10 NLT).

Here is a prayer for financial contentment: ‘Lord, heal me from the stress of worrying about my perception among my peers. Give me the gift of satisfaction with what You want me to have. Thank You for teaching me to walk beside You, not in front of You. I repent of the times I got ahead of You. I also regret the times You were trying to bless me, and I was somewhere behind You, grappling with old issues. From this day forward, I will walk with You in peace and prosperity, knowing who I am, and whose I am. I’m preparing to be blessed with the practical steps I’m learning. But my focus is on You, and my relationship with You. Your Word says when I put You first, other things will happen as I prepare myself for what You have for me (see Matthew 6:33). Thank You for maturity coming to me spiritually, financially, and emotionally. My family will be blessed by what You’re teaching me. Amen.’

2 Samuel 9-11, John 18:19-40

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A prayer of commitment to God
11 MAY 2023

‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.’
John 17:4 NKJV
If the desire of your heart is to please God and fulfil His will for your life, here is a prayer for you:

‘Lord, I thank You that even though You know everything about me, You still love me. You know my thoughts, my mistakes, my sins, and yet You still call me your child. Your grace towards me is beyond comprehension. More than anything else, I want to know You intimately and sense Your presence in my life each day. If there is any part of me that I have kept from You, show me so that I can invite You to rule and reign there.

'Come into me, Holy Spirit, and revive my soul with rivers of living water. Then flow out through me into a dry and thirsty world (see John 7:38-39). Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You instead of others (see Hebrews 12:1-2). Lord, be my richest treasure always. Help me never to make an idol out of anyone or anything or allow possessions or the distractions of this world to get in front of You in any way.

'You are my healer, my hope, and my strength. When I need freedom, You are my deliverer. You are my shield from the Enemy, my counsellor when I need guidance, and my stronghold in the day of trouble (see Psalm 32:7). Truly, You are the God of miracles. Work Your miracles of grace in my life and keep changing me from day to day into Your likeness (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.’

2 Samuel 12-13, John 19:1-22

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Having a vision for your life
12 MAY 2023

‘Your young men [and women] shall see visions.’
Joel 2:28 NKJV

When you ask a little child what they want to be when they grow up, they are apt to say something like a firefighter, or a doctor, or a famous actor. The ability to dream is a gift that God has placed within each of us. If you want to achieve great things in life, you need a vision. Joseph’s vision didn’t come to pass until he was thirty, but he received it from God when he was a teenager. And God will give you one too: ‘Your young men [and women] shall see visions.’

Right now you may be considering different options for your life, and even experimenting with some. That’s okay, you’re still getting to know yourself; your strengths and weaknesses, what you’re drawn to, and what you have no interest in at all. If you focus your thinking on only one thing and your aspirations change, then you have wasted your best mental energy. But as you grow and mature, you need to zero in and become selective. The Chinese say, ‘A man who chases two rabbits catches neither.’ And when you receive a God-given vision, it has staying power. It’s like a fire burning within you. It may be a full-time vocation or a part-time avocation, but it’s the thing you will find the most fulfilment in doing.

Paul wrote, ‘This one thing I do’ (Philippians 3:13 KJV). As a result, he changed history, and today, churches and cathedrals are named after him. Here is a prayer God will answer: ‘Lord, give me a vision for my life!’

2 Samuel 14-15, John 19:23-42

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Change your thinking, change your life (1)
13 MAY 2023

‘Let God transform you…by changing the way you think.’
Romans 12:2 NLT

When you think creatively, you’re thinking like God your creator. But not everybody will welcome your creative ideas. Jesus wasn’t crucified because He worked miracles; He was loved and applauded for those. He was crucified for having ideas that challenged the status quo. God is the giver of great concepts, truths, and ideas. So when He gives you one, don’t let anybody talk you out of it. Don’t let the fear of rejection or failure kill your idea either. After all, you can’t do something new and exciting if you force yourself to stay in the same old rut. Don’t just work harder at the same old thing; make a change. And the first thing you will have to change is how you think, what you listen to and believe.

Take a look at the following phrases: ‘I’m not a creative person. Follow the rules. Don’t ask questions. Don’t be different. Stay within the lines. There is only one way to do it. Don’t be foolish. Think of your image. That’s not logical. It’s not practical. It’s never been done. It can’t be done. It didn’t work for them. We tried that before. It’s too much work. We can’t afford to make a mistake. It will be too hard to administer. We don’t have the time. We don’t have the money. Yes, but…’ Paul writes, ‘Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect’ (v. 2 NLT). The word for today is – change your thinking, change your life.

2 Samuel 16-18, John 20

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Change your thinking, change your life (2)
14 MAY 2023

‘He who walks with wise men will be wise.’
Proverbs 13:20 NKJV

If you’re surrounded by negativity, look for a better environment. Charlie Brower said, ‘A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow.’ Negative environments kill great ideas every minute. A creative environment, on the other hand, becomes like a greenhouse where ideas are seeded, then sprout and thrive. In order to grow, you must seek out people who are committed to personal growth. Such people:

1) Encourage creativity. David Hills says: ‘Studies of creativity suggest that the biggest single variable of whether or not employees will be creative is whether they perceive they have permission.’ When innovation and good thinking are openly encouraged and rewarded, people see they have permission to be creative.

2) Are willing to risk failure. Even when you have studied and prepared yourself thoroughly, you will have to try several times before you succeed. So, you need to be in an environment where mistakes are viewed as part of the creative process.

3) Believe in the potential of a dream. A creative environment encourages the use of a blank sheet of paper and the question, ‘If you could draw a picture of what you want to accomplish, what would it look like?’ A creative environment allowed Dr Martin Luther King Jr to speak with passion and declare, ‘I have a dream,’ not ‘I have a goal.’ Goals may give focus, but dreams have power. Dreams expand your world. And God is the giver of dreams and visions (see Joel 2:28).

Luke 9:1-17, Psalms 51-53

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Change your thinking, change your life (3)
15 MAY 2023

‘Let those with understanding receive guidance.’
Proverbs 1:5 NLT

The book of Proverbs begins: ‘These are the proverbs of Solomon…Their purpose is to teach people wisdom…to help them understand the insights of the wise…to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance’ (Proverbs 1:1-5 NLT).

Creative thinking is simply disciplined thinking. If you think you know all there is to know, then you already know everything you’re ever going to know. In order to break out of the box, you must begin by asking the right questions. Sir Antony Jay said, ‘The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a creative mind to spot wrong questions.’ Wrong questions halt the process of creative thinking. They send you down the same old path. In order to change your life, you must change your thinking. That means you must be willing to ask these two questions: ‘Why must it always be done this way? Is there a better way?’

Whether your goal is to build a better life, or a better family, or a better business, or a better church, or a better career, or a better ‘anything’, all change and progress must begin by honestly asking those two questions. The saying is true: ‘If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.’ So, do you want to succeed? You must be willing to change your thinking in order to accomplish it.

2 Samuel 19-20, John 21

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Practise soul care
16 MAY 2023

‘He restores my soul.’
Psalm 23:3 NKJV

David said, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul’ (vv. 1-3 NKJV). Today car engines are computerised. A light on your dashboard will let you know something’s wrong and that it’s time for a check-up. Your soul will do that too. But you’ve got to pay attention to the signals! Don’t wait until you have a spiritual, moral, emotional or relational breakdown before you stop and pay attention. When your soul’s thirst is not quenched and its needs are not met, it will seek relief some other way, often a way that will hurt you. You must know when to say ‘when’.

Most of us don’t take breaks that enable us to ‘restore our souls’. We’re ensnared by guilt, as if stopping would somehow be irresponsible. Or we fear losing ground because we took a minute for ourselves. One of the hardest things in life to achieve is not success, but a sense of balance. So in all your goal-setting and ‘go-getting’, don’t forget your soul. Even God rested (see Genesis 2:2). And if He did, then you need to also.

The power of rest is that it allows you to enjoy the journey of life and not just the destination. Indeed, if you don’t learn to walk in the park by choice, you may end up in the hospital by necessity. When God ‘makes you lie down in green pastures’, enjoy them. When He ‘leads you beside the still waters’, it’s to refresh and restore you. So practise soul care!

2 Samuel 21-22, Acts 1

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Lessons from a broken heart
17 MAY 2023

‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.’
Psalm 51:12 NKJV

A broken heart can’t be healed by working sixteen hours a day, sweating it out in a gym, or using mood-altering substances like alcohol and drugs. Those things may bring a temporary fix but don’t bring a lasting cure. After falling into sin and shame, David prayed, ‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.’ Good news: God can restore what you have lost and teach you things about yourself you didn’t know that make you a better person.

And one of the first lessons He teaches us is about forgiveness. You can’t hold the club of unforgiveness over somebody else’s head and expect to find healing yourself. Forgiveness is just a word until you extend it. Your peace of mind and confidence before God depend on your willingness to extend grace to others (see Mark 11:25).

The second lesson He teaches us is about relationships. And some of those relationships will bring you more pain than pleasure. Judas’ betrayal, painful as it was, was instrumental in bringing about history’s greatest event – the cross. Does that mean anybody and everybody can walk into your life and do what they want? No; their access to you is limited by the shield of God’s purpose. Some people bring comfort while others build character, and you need both.

The third lesson He teaches us is about ‘the yes zone’. ‘What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open’ (Revelation 3:7 NIV). So whether God opens the door or shuts it, trust Him, follow Him, and say, ‘Yes, Lord,’ because He loves you and has only the best in mind for you.

2 Samuel 23-24, Acts 2:1-21