January 11

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Isaiah 66:2 …on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

May you value and have respect for the gifts and the blessings which you have been given from God, by His grace, through no virtue of your own. By doing so, you honor the One Who is the Giver. Genesis 25

May you live in uprightness with those around you, not fearing what they might do, dealing through integrity with all you encounter, entrusting your safety to God. Genesis 26

May you be as confident in God and at peace in your heart during the storm as you are when all is calm. Trust in His care for you whether circumstances are favorable or not, knowing all that Jesus has done already, and realizing that He will complete and perfect His work in you. Matthew 8

My promises stand firm through eternity, and bring the light of hope to you as you receive them. But they do not exist in a vacuum, nor are they displayed as museum pieces in the hushed sanctity of a far-off shrine.
My promises are intended to endure the gritty reality of work in a broken world, stained by sin, occupied by enemy forces, surrounded by threats. This is where you live, and these are the conditions under which My Word shines brightest. Do not merely pull them out once a week and admire them, but USE them.
Wear the promises of My Word on your hands as gloves when uprooting the briars that choke out the tender shoots.
Stand on the truth of My Word, giving your feet firm traction and a solid stance, when the howling winds blow from the storms of despair and sorrow.
Cover your head, protect your ears, and shield your eyes with the knowledge of who I AM in your life so that the darkness and lies, shown everywhere as the lifestyle to have, will not carry any influence or gain any traction in your thoughts.
My promises are yours to take into the marketplace and work in the fields with, not trinkets to admire on a shelf. Be strong in My truth, and let the world see the durability of My Word in your life.

May your thoughts always turn to God and His laws always remain close to your heart. Then you will see the Lord draw near and be a very present help in times of trouble. Psalm 10

May you, in humility, make yourself available to strengthen the weak who have been caught in the schemes of the wicked one’s devising. Psalm 10

May you, in gratitude, make much of the Lord Who has done a deep work in your heart to curb the cravings of the flesh through the always-present power of the Spirit and the keen truth of the Word. Psalm 10

May you, in compassion, pray for your enemies, realizing that all will be shaken and will see trouble. Psalm 10

May you be content to search the outskirts and fringes for the rejected and despised who have been injured in their soul and crushed in their spirit by the lies of the evil one spoken through those willing to be influenced by him, for God never forgets the wounded, and sees every action taken against the helpless. Psalm 10

May you let your mouth be filled with blessings to those who spitefully use you and praises to the King to Whom you belong. Psalm 10

May you fear the Lord and shun evil, for this will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Proverbs 3:8

January 10

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

James 5:7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

Psalm 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.

Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

May you respect all offices of authority, without agreeing with any sins of the individual, for God may draw them by the honor you demonstrate, just as Abraham did not flaunt God’s promise to possess the land when he asked to buy a burial ground, for the sins of the Hittites were not yet full and the promise was not yet ready to be fulfilled. Genesis 23

May you trust the guidance and provision of the Lord in the assignments and tasks He gives you, knowing that He will prepare the way and lead you in it to complete His purpose and show His glory. But remember that you are only responsible for obeying, not for the results. Genesis 24

May you walk closely with the Lord, reflecting His love and generosity to others, obeying the nudge of the Spirit, going the extra mile. That is how others will know you are His. Genesis 24

May you listen to the wooing of the Spirit of God as He makes much of the Son of God. Allow your heart to be drawn in love to One Who has shown undeniably that He would rather die than live without you. Genesis 24

Release your heart into eternity with Me, My child, and abide with Me in the heavenlies.
Your feet will remain on the ground and your hands will continue to work in the earth, but your purposes and your goals will be from Me, not from the prince of this world system. Your ears will be able to hear My Spirit as life and healing and wisdom are spoken into your heart from the throne of the Father. Your eyes will gain the ability to see the glory of the Lord as it shines on the path you are to follow.
But you must grow into this, My love, through daily time spent alone with Me, in regular sessions of isolation from external voices, in periodic fasting from distractions, in special episodes of separation from the congregation, that you may practice the worship I give you and develop a taste for My presence. How will you spend eternity with Me if you cannot stay quietly thinking about Me for more than a few minutes?
As you grow in your love for Me and develop in your expression of worship, My joy will be revealed in your life to others and My presence will be felt by those around you. Come to Me that you may rejoice in Me and that you may share Me with others in your life.

May you bring your need before the Lord, confessing your belief in His ability to answer, so that He may demonstrate His willingness to answer. Matthew 8

May you express your faith in the Son of God before heaven and earth, acknowledging that He has the authority to speak the word and send the hosts of heaven to accomplish His command. Matthew 8

May you declare the praises of the Lord in the presence of His people and rejoice in His salvation with His saints, for in mercy He has lifted you up from the gates of death. Psalm 9

May you call on the Lord to arise, lest man should triumph, and judge the nations in His presence, remembering the needy and giving hope to the afflicted. Psalm 9

May you keep the commands of the Lord in your heart and not forget His teachings. They will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Proverbs 3:1,2

May you bind love and faithfulness around your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart that they may never leave you. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3,4

May you trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge the Lord and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6

January 09

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Isaiah 2:22 Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Psalm 33:10-11 The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Proverbs 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

John 15:12 This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

May you remain confident in the ability and the willingness of the Lord to perform His promises, guiding you to their fulfillment, and defending you from the forces and their agents who will try to invalidate the outcome, even as He did for Abraham. As the Lord restored the youthfulness of Sarah in order to bear Isaac, Abimelech saw her beauty and took her, but God prevented the question of Isaac’s paternity from being an issue. So also will the Lord make certain that the promise He has given you will not be questioned but that He will be honored when it comes to pass. Genesis 20

May you be prepared by walking close to God to pray for those who have exercised physical or worldly authority over you to your loss or harm when God directs you. This is not the way of the world or the method of the strong, yet it demonstrates a strength not found in the world that overcomes the world. Genesis 20

May you look beyond the daily responsibilities and mundane tasks in the natural that preoccupy your attention and demand your time and strength, just as Isaac’s parents did. Instead, allow the promise of God to bring joy to your heart and laughter to your life, that all who hear of it may praise God for His love toward you. Genesis 21

May you be willing for God to make a separation in your life, even when you cherish what must leave, entrusting God to be Lord in His own way. Genesis 21

May you not hold tightly to the promises God gives, lest you allow them to replace God as the center of your life and the focus of your heart. Genesis 22

Walk under the banner of My righteousness, My beloved, and know the effectiveness of My protection. The width and breadth of My victory is without end, and the strength of My truth will not run out, for I am your God.
Do not consider how your weakness might affect the outcome or feel concerned about the sin that so easily besets you, for in My love I have made provision for that. I have forgiven all that you confess and cleansed all that you repent of. I have brought you into right standing with the Father, Who has granted His Spirit to abide with you always, banishing fear and doubt in the light of His glory and the joy of His love.
Raise the banner I have given you and take courage, for I am with you and will perform the promise I have made to you. Be certain that your cup will overflow, for I fill it from the shoreless ocean of My blissful delight.

May you understand that it is not for what you do that you will be judged, but for why you do it, for though you prophesy in His name, driving out demons and performing many miracles, unless you are doing the will of the Father in heaven, you will be cast aside as an evil-doer. Matthew 7

May you be like the wise man who built his house on the rock and weathered the storm, for unless you put the words of the Lord into practice, you will not stand through the storm. Matthew 7

May you praise the Lord with all your heart when you tell of His wonders, and sing praise to the name of the Most High as you rejoice and are glad in Him. He turns your enemies back so that they stumble and perish before you, having judged righteously from His throne when He rebuked the principalities and destroyed the wicked with endless ruin so that they are not even remembered. Psalm 9

May you trust in the Lord, Who is a refuge for the oppressed needing a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know His name and seek Him have never been forsaken. He will reign forever, having established His throne from which He will judge the world in righteousness and govern the peoples with justice, never ignoring the cry of the afflicted. Psalm 9

May you walk in the ways of the godly and keep to the paths of the righteous, for the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land and the unfaithful will be torn from it. Proverbs 2:20-22

January 08

Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him…

Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

2 Samuel 7:22 How great You are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You, and there is no God but You, as we have heard with our own ears.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

May you be willing to intercede for others, speaking to God on their behalf, for it is His heart you are expressing. Genesis 18

May you keep your heart turned toward God that you may recognize His messengers who are sent to minister to you, directing you in the ways of His salvation, to which you are heir. Genesis 19, Hebrews 1

May you be willing to fully obey God and follow His instruction without digression, that His blessing of protection may be yours in its entirety. Genesis 19

Do you rejoice in the gift I have given you of your body, My child? Or do you find fault with it, disparaging the marvelous, intricate, self-managing creation that I have made just for you?
As with any gift, stewardship is important but obsession, whether for pride or dislike, is not. Just so, even with the spiritual gifts I have given you, realize that you have not earned them but received them; know that they are yours to steward for My honor and for the work of the kingdom which I have assigned you, not to modify for your pleasure and pride, or hide in denial as you hold them in disuse.
Use the gifts, both physical and spiritual, which I have given you. Look to Me for direction and understanding as you read the Word and pray in the Spirit; I impart wisdom and reveal knowledge and provide insight as you meditate on My statutes.
Let My truth settle into your heart so that you can express My nature, not only by deliberate speech and overt action, but more tellingly, through reflexive behavior and unthinking response, for that is how others will know that you have been with Me.
Exercise My gifts and practice the talents you find in your possession, for I use what you have at hand. You do not have to wait to receive more; more will come as you use what I have given you. Skill will increase as you begin, however imperfectly.
I am glorified as you step out in trust, and I honor your faith with more as you need it, for I am always watching over My Word in your mouth to perform it, and will keep My promises in your life.

May you live your life knowing that it is so much more than the basics, so that you may be free from worry about food, shelter and clothing, which your Father in heaven provides even to the plants and animals. He considers you so much more valuable than they are, so do not be distracted by those concerns, but focus your seeking on His kingdom and His righteousness, for you will find that all the other things are taken care of, as well, by the Lord. Matthew 6

May you judge others with the same grace and mercy that the Father has judged you. May you measure out to the needs of others with the same generosity that you have freely received from your Father in heaven, following the standard of God, for He detests differing weights and dishonest scales. Matthew 7, Proverbs 11, Hosea 12

May you persist in your asking, endure in your searching, and persevere in your knocking. Even among men, evil though they are, you will eventually succeed, but God is so much more gracious. He will certainly give you the good gifts He has prepared for you. Matthew 7

May you willingly give praise to the Lord, Whose name is majestic in all the earth, as He sets His glory above the heavens. In the midst of the works of His fingers, He is still mindful of man and cares for him, making His Son ruler over the works of His hands and putting everything under His feet. Psalm 8

May you understand what is right and just and fair when the Lord gives wisdom. It enters your heart and speaks words of knowledge and understanding which are pleasant to your soul, even as discretion protects you like His shield when your walk is blameless. He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones, saving you from the ways of wicked men of perverse words who walk in dark and devious ways. Proverbs 2:6-15

January 07

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Mark 2:17 NKJV Jesus said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Isaiah 40:31 KJV But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Revelation 2:5 KJV Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

1 Corinthians 2:9 CEB God has prepared things for those who love Him that no eye has seen, or ear has heard, or that haven’t crossed the mind of any human being.

Psalm 145:18 NIV The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

May you not accept the enemy’s version of what God has promised, as Sarai did when offering her handmaid to Abram, but wait patiently to see God work in ways that are impossible with man. If you can do it, how can God be glorified? Genesis 16

May you be assured of God’s love for you, not based on who you are, free or bond, nor affected by your feelings, arrogant or cowed, nor swayed by your behavior, obedient or rebellious. His loving care, mercy, and grace are a banquet to which He calls you, that you may partake of freely, just as Hagar was provided for at the well of Beer Lahai Roi. Genesis 16

May you walk before the Lord Almighty and be blameless in the intent of your heart and your faith in His promise. Thus He can confirm His covenant with you and greatly increase you. He will change your name (your nature) and make you very fruitful in His kingdom, and He will be your God. Genesis 17

May you understand that your fleshly nature will receive discipline. The carnal mind is enmity to God and must be brought into subjection. The scars of God’s chastening, which will humble you and do you good if you yield to it, will be the sign of the covenant He makes with His people in the latter days. That is the sign which will set them apart from every other people in the world. Genesis 17

May you not be distracted by the blessings of God so that you fail to receive the covenant of God. Genesis 17

Do not view what has been as what will always be, for I am the eternally creative God Who delights in revealing His nature to you in new and different ways. I never change, but I am always expanding your understanding of My love, which is vast enough to soothe the innumerable hurts of each person through all time.
Come and learn of Me — I will show you My ways differently than I teach another person, because I have walked with you through every detail of your life and understand what touches your heart.
Expect the unexpected, and let Me speak through you to others in words not of your choosing, yet in a way that will touch them, even as I have touched you.
Accept the diversity of My Body as I unite you with those I bring you to in the unity of My Spirit.

May you recall that there is nothing which is too hard for God. He will keep His promises which will be brought forth in His time, and you will be filled with joy and laughter at the occasion. Genesis 18

May you give to the needy out of the compassion of the Lord, and not for the regard of men, for the favor of men can never match the favor of the Father. Matthew 6

May you turn your heart to the Lord in all things, seeking His favor, obeying His will, and following His ways. Where your heart is, you will store up treasure. Matthew 6

May you take refuge in the Lord your God, Who saves and delivers you from all who pursue you, preventing them from tearing you like a lion and ripping you to pieces with no recourse. Psalm 7

May you not wrong your ally or help his lawless foe lest your enemy relentlessly pursue and overtake you, trampling your life to the ground in dishonor. Christ knows the hearts of men, seeing the secret wickedness of the wicked and understanding how to bring it to an end. He is also a witness to the secret sincerity of the just and has ways of establishing it when you make peace with God through the grace and mercy of Jesus’ sacrifice. Psalm 7

May you give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and sing praises to the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7

May you accept the words of the Lord and store up His commandments within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, calling out for insight and crying aloud for understanding. If you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5

January 06

Ezekiel 37:14 You shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.

1 Timothy 2:4 Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Psalm 37:24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Matthew 7:24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

May your choices not be based on material issues or natural conditions, like Lot did, but consider the spiritual cost. Remember that putting God first and making your search for His kingdom the primary purpose will allow all of the other things to be added to you. Genesis 13

May you expect God to make a separation in your life, pulling others away who will unsettle the peace of your heart and disturb the calm of your spirit. Once the distractions are gone, He will bring His promises to you, as He did to Abram. Genesis 13

May you know that though you live peacefully with your neighbors, the strife of others will, at some point, affect you, though you have no quarrel of your own. But as you trust God for wisdom and grace, He will give you strategies and multiply your resources, giving you the victory that others could not accomplish. Genesis 14

May you accept blessing and grace from unusual and unconventional sources, which may not follow the pattern you are familiar with. But as you understand the essential truths that you share together, you will find fellowship and refreshing together. Genesis 14

May you feel comfortable asking your questions of, and expressing your concerns to, the Lord, for He is a faithful and compassionate Friend. Your honest complaints and doubts, your anger and frustration, do not cause God any worry, nor does He hold them against you, but welcomes and accepts you. Genesis 15

May you receive God’s answers with an open heart filled with faith, not doubting His word, but anticipating His promises with gladness and trust. It shall be credited to you as righteousness. Genesis 15

May you rely on God’s promises and trust His love as you come to understand that the path to His promise goes through some dark and difficult times. It will be in those most challenging occasions that you will receive the greatest blessings and learn the most intimate truths of His love for you. Genesis 15

Turn to Me, My little one, in every circumstance and for every issue. Seek Me for each question. Desire My truth and My answer for any choice.
As you look into My face in the spirit and stretch out your hand to feel My heartbeat, the turning of your desire to Me will change you and do My work within your spirit.
You do not need to beg Me to hear you or plead with Me to be with you. I am always there and My ear is always open to your least whisper. But you do need to make Me your first stop, your one source, your only desire, so that the influences on your life are not many and your soul is not pulled in multiple directions.
Yield to Me, My child, by coming to Me. Sit before Me, lay before Me, glance with your thoughts at Me, acknowledge Me in passing, thank Me for each little thing that I have given you and the care I am providing you. Any time spent in My presence, however short it may be, is never wasted.

May you turn to God willingly for deliverance from and victory over your carnal nature and fleshly desires of the heart. Though the discipline is strict and the pain can be great, the Lord will be with you and provide all that you need to save you out of your sin, not in your sin. Matthew 5

May you live your life with integrity in all issues such that others know without question that you speak truthfully and your promises will be kept. Therein do you honor the Father and show His faithfulness to the world. Matthew 5

May you accept the violence people give you, without retaliation, regardless of the injustice or unfairness. May you give what others demand, adding more than they require, willing rather to suffer loss of material goods and social status before man than suffer loss of peace and fellowship with God. Else, by striving and disputing in the flesh and turning to your natural strength and carnal understanding, you no longer walk in faith and trust in the Lord instead of relying on and having confidence in the justice and judgment of God’s timing. Matthew 5

May you have the vision of the Father Who looks on each person as having great value and being precious in His sight, giving no heed to affiliations or associations of man that divide, isolate and separate. Matthew 5

May you be willing, even as Jesus demonstrated, to love and pray for all, giving common grace and courtesy to every person regardless of their response, that you might be shown to be children of your Father in heaven, Who is perfect. Matthew 5

May the Lord not rebuke you in His anger or discipline you in His wrath, but have mercy on you for you are faint, and heal you, for your bones are in agony, as you wonder how long until the Lord turns and delivers you, saving you because of His unfailing love toward you. Psalm 6

May the Lord hear your cry for mercy as you flood your bed all night with weeping and wear yourself out from groaning, weak with sorrow, and accept your prayer, as He turns back your enemies in shame, dismay and sudden disgrace. Psalm 6

May you listen to the wisdom of the Lord so you can live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm, unlike fools, whose complacency will destroy them, and the naive, whose backsliding and departure from the truth will kill them. Proverbs 1:32,33

January 05

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Psalm 139:15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something

Hosea 6:1 Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

Jeremiah 15:16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.

Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

May you know that as you turn to the Lord and depend on Him to teach you His language of love and His vocabulary of obedience, and as you encourage one another to be more daring to trust God and more resolute to draw near Him, then nothing He assigns you will overwhelm you. Genesis 11

As the Lord directs you, may you be willing to leave, mentally and emotionally, all that is familiar to you, all that you could fall back on and expect to turn to, growing spiritually into that which the Lord has prepared for you, to make you a part of His kingdom, to supply you with great authority and repute, for through you, He will bless all who come in contact with you. Genesis 12

May you follow in obedience and teach by example the ways of God’s love and the truth of His Word. All of the Law and the Prophets point to Christ, and will endure until everything is accomplished when He returns for His Bride. She will be found without spot, wrinkle or blemish of selfishness, having made herself ready for work, dressed in boots and gloves, wearing the armor of God, giving His love and mercy to those He treasures, rescuing them from the miry traps of the enemy. Matthew 5

Do not focus on the darkness which can still be found in you, but live in the light, My beloved. You are not yet ready to be translated as Enoch was, so there is still an internal war being waged in your members.
However, you have already crossed over from darkness to light, from death to life, because you hear My word and believe in the Father, having love for His children.
Thus do you leave the shadow and the dark behind as a traveler who climbs, step by step, out of a valley into the day’s light on the mountainside. The journey takes time, but if you always take one more step, nothing and no one can keep you from My light and My love.
As you learn to have patience with yourself, leaving to Me the ways of learning and the times of lessons, you will be able to see past the grime and stains in the lives of others and recognize My hand at work in them. In this way, you will learn to extend the grace of My love to a fellow traveler who occasionally needs a helping hand on the upward climb when the going gets steep for them.
Celebrate the light in each other’s lives and rejoice over the distance already traveled, for the road you are on leads only to Me, and I will keep and preserve you as I bring you through the problems, cares, and concerns that surround you.
I am Lord of all circumstances, and they exist to do My will. As the reality of this fact dawns on you, you will be able to more fully rest in My promises and flow in My Spirit, and My work will become your joy.

May you pray to the Lord, Who gives ear to your words and considers your sighing, listening to your cry for help as you pray to your King and your God, waiting in expectation as you lay your requests before Him. He is not a God Who takes pleasure in evil or allows the wicked to dwell in His presence. Psalm 5

May you bow down in reverence to the Lord Who leads you in His righteousness. By His great mercy He brings you into His house, leading you in His way, which He makes straight before you. Psalm 5

May you take refuge in the Lord with gladness and songs of joy as He spreads His protection over you. In this way, you can rejoice with those who love His name even as the Lord surrounds you with His favor as with a shield. Psalm 5

May you answer the Lord when He calls, and not reject Him, but give Him heed when He stretches out His hand, accepting His advice and receiving His correction, lest He laugh at your disaster and mock in your calamity. Those who will not hear Him when He calls will not be answered when they call to Him, and will not find Him when they search. Proverbs 1:24-38

January 04

Psalm 146:5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 73:28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Psalm 37:4-5 Delight thyself in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

May you be confident that God will not forget you in the place He has put you, nor abandon you in the task that He has given you. Though it feels He has closed you in, and even shut you off from contacts and connections that others enjoy, you can be certain that His hand of guidance and protection is upon you, and you have missed nothing of importance to you, or lost anything of significance for you. Let Him be the Source you turn to for your needs, and count His provision as the indicator of what you need, to distinguish between “need” and “want.” Genesis 8

May you recall that when sin abounds, even more shall God’s grace abound just as the sign of His covenant, the rainbow, is visible when the presence of rain brings up the fear of flooding. Genesis 9

May you be content with what God has given you, at peace with those around you, giving of what you have to those in need, showing God’s love and compassion, rejecting the covetousness of material goods and ambition for worldly power that filled Nimrod with unrest and dissatisfaction, causing him to rebel against God. Genesis 10

Stay diligent, My child, the time is not yet to lay down the tools or turn in the weapons I have assigned you.
I will come and give you refreshings through My Spirit and bring you to greater understandings in My Word, but the march continues, for time is short and the harvest is waiting.
Do not look back at past accomplishments, lest pride overtake you, and do not gaze long toward the end of the fields at what remains, lest despair defeat you.
Remain attentive and alert for what is at hand that you may hear and obey what My voice is speaking to you.

May you walk in the spirit of repentance, ever mindful of the carnal nature and ever prepared to defeat it by turning from it, whether to the grace and compassion of Jesus or the austerity and sternness of John the Baptist. Matthew 4

May you prefer the diligence of honest labor to the idleness of intemperate riches, that you might learn the practices and disciplines useful to your spiritual walk in Christ. Matthew 4

May you call to the Lord in prayer and seek His mercy, knowing that the Lord, Who is righteous, has set apart the godly for Himself. Psalm 4

May you receive the reproof and respond to the rebuke that Christ, the Wisdom of God, brings into your life, by the Spirit of the Lord, from the Word of God, through the Body of Christ, each confirming the other, speaking loudly and plainly and publicly, declaring the same message to all, using the same standard for each, calling the simple from their love of gullibility, the mockers from their joy of disparaging, and the fools from their pleasurable ignorance. For if you will heed His warning, He will pour out His thoughts to you, bring forth His Spirit in you, and make His words known through you. Proverbs 1:20-23

January 03

Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

Ephesians 5:27 That He might present … to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

John 14:21,23b He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

May you take pleasure in knowing that you are created in the likeness of God. As you express an active, dependent belief in the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus Christ, may you rejoice that you bear the nature of your Father, for He rejoices over you and takes great pleasure in you. Genesis 5

May you not grieve the Lord or fill His heart with pain by the inclination of your thoughts. Rather, walk in righteousness with God, blameless among the people, ever seeking to know His heart more intimately, hear His voice more clearly, and obey His will more quickly. Then He will be able to direct your paths to fulfill His purpose. Genesis 6

May you depend on the Lord for all your needs, counting on Him as your Source. To obey what He commands and accomplish what He assigns will require more wisdom than you have gained, more understanding than you have learned, and more power than you possess, so that the glory will be His. Genesis 6

May you be willing to do the work and accept the discipline now, before the need is evident. In this way, you may be prepared for what the Lord will accomplish, bearing the scorn and enduring the ridicule of others, ensuring that all who will may take refuge in the One they will come to know. Genesis 6

May you welcome the diversity of all that come to you, led by God, to receive the non-judging and uncritical acceptance and care which the Lord directs you to give, both clean and unclean, savory and unsavory, welcoming them in the name of the Lord and pointing them to the shelter of Christ and His sustaining grace. Genesis 7

I am the way, the truth, and the life.
I have made it possible for you to approach the Father; I have paid the price of your admission, I have made the provision you require for the journey, and the quickening life of the resurrection provides you the strength and endurance to complete the trip.
My Spirit serves as a guide for you as you travel, step by step, whether through heights of pride which need to be brought low and ridges of arrogance which have to be broken up, or through the ravines of despair which need to be filled in.
As you face the marshes of despondency, the touch of My Spirit is able to drain the tainted water and allow living water to flow, bringing refreshing and renewal along the journey. It is I alone Who walk with you, restoring your soul, giving strength to your bones, carrying and delivering you to your destination.
Along the way, as My Word directs and My Spirit empowers, you must choose to remove the thorn bushes and briars of rebellion, and roll away the rocks and stumbling stones of doubt that try to impede the progress of your journey and of those who come after you.
I have done what no man can do, but you must do what is yours to accomplish. It is the choice of your will to decide to walk in faith, no longer wavering, following the straight path and blocking off the crooked ones so that others may travel the King’s Highway safely.
Make the path that leads to Me safe and smooth so that even the blind and the lame can travel it without fear, for I am your destination, I am your resting place, I am the temple in the city of God, My Father’s house where your dwelling place is prepared.

May you realize that the wrath and indignation of God against all disobedience is drawing near, causing the ax to be laid against the root of the tree. Matthew 3

May your life prove your change of heart as you bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance, for only the trees that bear good fruit will not be cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3

May you trust not in traditions, nor follow the teachings of men, but walk in the truth of the Word and power of the Spirit that you receive for yourself as you study and prove the validity of what is taught. Matthew 3

May you rely on the Word of God when the enemy entices you, not counting on the arm of flesh, the strength of will, or the mind of man. Matthew 4

May you cry out to the Lord when many foes rise up and say to you that God will not deliver you, for you know that He is a shield around you, bestowing glory on you and lifting up your head. Psalm 3

May you not give in to the enticement of sinners, rejecting their amusements and not participating in their “tender mercies.” Those who do such things lie in wait for their own blood and only waylay themselves. Proverbs 1:10-19

January 02

Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Genesis 28:15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go… I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.

Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Luke 6:49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.

Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

May you imprint the truth of the Word of God in your memory and apply the power of the Word of God to your heart so that it may be on your lips to give life and defend against evil. Genesis 3

May the truth of the Word of God be seen in your life as a testimony, and the power of the Spirit of God as a praise, to the keeping power of the Father Who has hidden your life in Christ. Genesis 3

May you have a heart to hear the Spirit’s correction as He leads you into truth, not only giving you the Word of God, but removing the additions of man, that you may be firmly grounded on solid rock, not on shifting sand. Genesis 3

May you acknowledge that you are not your own but a servant of the Lord’s when confronted by the enemy. Genesis 3

May you turn always to the Lord for the responses you need when questions arise, suggestions are voiced, and offers are made. Genesis 3

May you not rely on what seems right, fair, or good to your own understanding, but depend on God’s Word and stand on His promise, for the weapons of your warfare are mighty through the power of the Spirit of God. Genesis 3

May you realize that when the enemy tries your faith by questioning your belief, he will attack man’s tradition because he cannot shake God’s truth. Genesis 3

May you honor God’s will and respect His desire by not approaching what He has directed you to avoid and not dwelling on what He has forbidden you to seek. Rather, delight yourself in the Lord Himself and rejoice in His presence as He walks with you in His garden and shows you the path to follow. Genesis 3

May you still yourself and wait, seeking in the Word and listening in the Spirit, when the Lord poses a question. Your response reveals your heart, which He already knows, but He is the answer, which you need to have. Genesis 3

May you learn to turn from the judgments based on the knowledge of good and evil, and rely instead on the example of the acceptance found in the Life-Giver, for He does not punish us as our sins deserve, but instead makes a way for us, giving His Son because He loves us so much. Genesis 3

May you rejoice in the realization that Jesus willingly took your place under the curse God placed on man’s sin, fully satisfying the penalty and completely covering the need, for His soul knew deep travail and His body felt pain unto death. He was made under the law and walked in the subjection your sin earned; by dying on the cross, He was made a curse for you, with thorns He was crowned, and His sweat was as blood. He was a Man of sorrow and, with His soul in agony, He remained obedient unto death. Though the highest systems of the world judged Him worthy to die, God Almighty judged Him worthy of life and made Him Lord of lords and King of kings, that He might be your Redeemer. Genesis 3

May you recognize the grace of redemption whereby when the sin of Adam cast him from the heavenly fellowship with God his Creator, it was not into the despair of tormenting punishment which is reserved for Satan and his angels, but into toil whereby we learn the futility of works outside of grace, and receive the discipline of sons by our adoption through the salvation of Jesus our Propitiation. Genesis 3

May you offer back to the Lord the glory which is His from what you have received from Him, for all good and perfect gifts come down from the Father of lights, but what you produce through your own strength, efforts, and understanding will vanish with the earth that it came from. Genesis 4

May you rejoice with your brother and humbly celebrate the blessings he receives through God’s grace, for to envy or hate him in your heart is to be guilty of murder. Genesis 4

My child, I have created you and redeemed you. I own you twice over. No one else can present a lien or show a claim on you, and no power can separate you from Me.
You are My delight, and I rejoice over you with singing. Receive My joy, sing unto Me, express your thanks in spontaneous worship and deliberate praise.
Sing the song that you find in your heart, for I have put it there. It is a song of salvation for others to hear, a song of healing for others to receive, a song of freedom that many can sing, a song of courage that will resist the enemy, a song of unity that will draw My Body together in all their diversity.
Do not wait to sing it, for time is short. Sing it loudly and sing it softly, singing often in harmony with others, as My Spirit prompts, but sing it with feeling and sincerity. Others will hear, and know the truth and feel the power of what they hear, putting their trust in Me.
Let your song be your prayer, and continue in prayer to Me always, seeking My face and living in My love.

May you give thanks for the provision of God, not holding it tightly but sharing it freely, for thereby does He meet your need, just as when Joseph, Mary’s husband, was told to take his family to Egypt, he was able to go using the gifts of the Magi. Matthew 2

May you turn to God for wisdom and seek Him for instruction, as you study His Word and listen to His Spirit. He desires to be found, & wants to communicate, willing to direct your paths when you commit your ways to Him. Matthew 2

May you submit the emotions of your heart and the thoughts of your mind in obedience to the Lord. As you look through the lens of His love at the truth of His Word, you can receive His guidelines as protection rather than restriction, and see in His ways the freedom to serve rather than chains that will bind. Psalm 2

May you take refuge in the Lord, serving Him with the fear of the wise and not the arrogance of the powerful. Rejoice before the Son with trembling, for He will rule the nations, as his inheritance, with an iron scepter. Psalm 2

May you welcome the wisdom and discipline of God in the fear of the Lord, for that is the beginning of Godly knowledge. Proverbs 1:7

January 01

Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.

Joshua 21:45 Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything He had spoken came true.

Jeremiah 9:24 “but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.

Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

May you understand that you are the personal creation of God, hand-made with meticulous deliberation, thought-out care and precise craftsmanship, fashioned in His image, to His specifications, and for His purpose, a precious gem, a masterpiece of great value, a work of art bearing vast beauty and deep, personal significance to the Artist. In this way, you can begin to comprehend the tragic loss He experienced when His enemy gained the title of ownership through cunning subterfuge, causing the slime of sin to coat, mar, and warp God’s dearest creation. Genesis 1

May you realize that though you have been formless and empty in the past, with darkness covering the deep parts of your heart, the Spirit of God has always been near, hovering, drawing you to Him, speaking of His love and showing His majesty through all of creation, ever patient, never tiring. He has always been present, drawing near to you whenever you turned to Him, so that when you accepted His gift of faith to believe in God’s Son, He was there to speak Light into your life. Genesis 1

May you allow God to do His complete work of creation in your heart and your mind, as He makes you aware of spiritual things and brings forth spiritual fruit in your heart, giving you wisdom to recognize the seasons in your life and understanding for the responsibilities He assigns you to be steward of in the world. By this means, you will show the image of God that is slowly but reliably and persistently made ever clearer within you, seen by others and blessed by God, to be fruitful and bring increase to His kingdom, filling, ruling, and subduing all authority that is counter to and resistant toward the will of God. Genesis 1

Patience, My people, will be needed in this coming year, for I have much for you to do, and I have times for it to be done. You must be patient in your obedience, not excitedly running ahead or distractedly lagging behind, but patiently listening to the Spirit’s prompting so you can move when it is time and stay when it is needed.
Patient endurance will be called for this year as you are faced with trials and afflictions that the enemy brings against you. Know simply that though the desire of the evil one is to weaken and distract you, it is My will that is being done to strengthen and focus you on the work that you are doing. The defeated foe, even in his rage, can do nothing beyond My Word, and I am always there to support you. Just as a soldier runs an obstacle course to the point of weariness, and an athlete practices to the point of exhaustion, so the tribulations you experience in the world when you are submitted to Me bring you to the peak of your performance.
Patient persistence will be the source of your strength in the coming months, for growth and increase come little by little as you continue studying in My Word and walking in My Spirit. Even when there seems to be nothing but the gray days of duty ahead of you, know that I am walking with you and am transforming your resigned acceptance into exuberant joy as the indistinct image of Christ becomes polished into the clear and unmistakable vision of the Father’s love in your life.
Be patient with one another, knowing that each one is working hard, carrying much, and following Me, so extend to them the grace that I have given to you and bestow upon them the mercy that you have received from Me. That is how My Body will be knit together, and how the world will see My love demonstrated among My people.

May you rest in confidence that past mistakes and previous errors and prior choices will not and cannot disrupt or derail God’s plan and purpose for you. Just as the lineage of Christ includes those who did evil and many who made mistakes, as well as people who were outside the promise and covenant of God to His people, even so, the Lord will succeed in forming Christ within you using all the diversity of experience you bring and submit to Him. Matthew 1

May you be ever aware that to know the scriptures and believe them to be true is not enough, for even King Herod’s advisors, the chief priests, and teachers could answer the questions of the Magi, but none found the Child except those willing to worship Him, whether poor, illiterate, and busy shepherds or rich, educated, and idle noblemen. When you seek Him to praise Him, you will find Him. Matthew 2

May you meditate on the law of the Lord day and night because of your delight and pleasure in it, for then you will not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. Psalm 1

May you will be like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season and growing vigorously, prospering in all you do. Psalm 1

May you be grateful that the Lord watches over and blesses your ways as you walk in and obey His ways. Psalm 1

May you choose not to be among those who walk in the ways of the wicked, for they shall perish like chaff that the wind blows away, unable to stand justified in God’s judgment or in the congregation of those in right standing with God. Psalm 1

May you gain learning by listening to, and wisdom by hearing, the guidance given to the discerning by the Word of God. Proverbs 1:1,2

May you attain wisdom to understand words of insight, and self-control to acquire a disciplined and prudent lifestyle of doing what is right and just and fair. Proverbs 1:3,4

May you be willing to receive the prudence He gives to the simple, and the knowledge with discretion He gives to the young. Proverbs 1:5,6

December 31

John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Romans 12:2 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.

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Psalm 92:4 You make me glad by Your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what Your hands have done.

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with Your goodness; Your ways overflow with plenty.

Jude 1:24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

May you prepare daily for the appearance of the Lord in you, His temple, as you desire Him to, giving heed to His Messenger, the Spirit, Who guides you into all truth and leads you in the way you should go. Malachi 3

May you realize that without preparation, you cannot bear to endure the day of His arrival or survive to keep standing when He appears, pure as a refiner’s fire and strong as a launderer’s soap, to refine and cleanse you. Malachi 3

May you understand that He is making of you an acceptable vessel for bearing offerings in righteousness, acceptable offerings to the King, Who is worthy. Malachi 3

May you boldly draw near to the Lord when He comes in judgment to testify eagerly and swiftly against those who persistently and fearlessly choose to not walk in His ways and continually and confidently opt to pervert His justice, gaining worldly rewards and recognition by willingly and readily departing from His counsel. Malachi 3

May you see that though destruction is the reward of those who pursue it, the Lord does not change nor does He go back on His promises, and anyone who honestly and humbly returns to Him will find that He will graciously and acceptingly return to them. Malachi 3

May you trust the Lord and test His word, obeying Him and watching to see if He will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing on you until it meets your need, and then overflows without measure. Malachi 3

May you accept His promise to rebuke the Destroyer and increase your fruitfulness until all the nations call you “blessed” and your land “delightful.” Malachi 3, Exodus 12

May you speak reverently of the Lord to each other, lifting up His name in respect and recalling His marvelous favors, rehearsing His awesome deeds, acknowledging that His commands are just, His yoke is light, His purpose is good, His plans are delightful, and His ways are holy and above your understanding. Malachi 3

May you realize that the end of the wicked, though they prosper for a short time, is certain if they continue as they have. Malachi 3

May you know that by obedient service and humble submission, you will escape the fate of the arrogant and the evildoers in that day when the Lord Almighty puts together His treasured possession. Malachi 3

May you see how He spares you in compassion just as a man spares His son who serves him, showing to all the distinction between those who serve God and those who do not. Malachi 3

May you revere the name of the Lord Almighty, for on the day that is coming all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble in the furnace and not a root or a branch will be left to them as the sun of righteousness rises with healing in its wings, while you go out and leap for joy like calves released from the stall, trampling through the ashes which are the only remainder of the wicked on the day when the Lord does these things. Malachi 4

May you remember the law of the Lord’s servant, Moses, for He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and hearts of the children to their fathers before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. Malachi 4

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the old and the new. I live in eternity and encompass all of time. I have created all there is, and will destroy all that has been. The highest heavens cannot contain me, but I dwell in your heart of praise. I am a burning, consuming fire of holiness, yet I gently bind up your wounds and embrace you with compassionate tenderness. I bring dreadful judgment and fearful sorrow to all who reject Me, and fill to overflowing with peace and joy and gladness the souls of all who find delight in obeying My commands.
I am all you need; find in Me your every sufficiency. Realize that you have only seen My back, and there is yet much to know and experience in My Word and Spirit. All that you have learned, and every way that you have grown in this year is but a foundation for what I will lavish on you in this next one. Do not “settle in” or expect the “same old same old” for I will overturn the routine and change up the process.
What I have led you in before will not always be the way to the next victory. Remain alert, watch closely, listen intently, for the battle to come is not the battle you have come through. Though you have never been this way before, I will lead you in the path that I have prepared. Trust Me and abide in Me, for I am your shelter and your rear-guard, your shield and protector, and I train your hands to handle each type of weapon needed for the different attacks the enemy will bring.
Submit to Me your rights, your ways, your opinions, your perspectives, and accept My vision and My wisdom, receive My truth and My power, and you will know My joy and My overcoming. I rejoice to give you all you need, for you are all I desire.

May you rejoice that the Lord is coming soon, and you will see the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city, lined with the Tree of Life on each side, bearing fruit and bringing healing. Revelation 22

May you give thanks that there will no longer be any curse, and the servants of God and of the Lamb will serve Him, seeing His face and bearing His name on their foreheads. Revelation 22

May you be among those who never have to fear the dark, and never need a lamp, for the Lord God is their light as they reign with Him for ever and ever, having been blessed for keeping the words of the prophecy in the book. Revelation 22

May you share what you see and hear from the throne of God as you serve Him with your fellow servants, telling forth His Word, as you worship God with all who keep the words of this book. Revelation 22

May you wash your robes that you may be blessed with the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city, leaving behind those who draw their power from other authorities, who seek their own pleasures, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood, for this is the true and righteous testimony of Jesus, the Root and the Offspring of David and the bright Morning Star. Revelation 22

May you obey the Spirit and the Bride, Who call you to come and quench your thirst by taking the free gift of the water of life, that you, also, may cry with them, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22

May you praise the Lord, wherever you find yourself, for His acts of power and His surpassing greatness, with whatever you have available, so that everything which has breath may praise the Lord! Psalm 150

May you please the Lord, as a wife of noble virtue pleases her husband, choosing to clothe yourself with strength and dignity, laughing without fear or concern at the coming day and what it may bear, for as you speak with wisdom and faithful instruction, you watch over the affairs of your household and do not eat the bread of idleness, causing those who know you, and the Lord, as well, to call you blessed, and to praise you for your continual reverence to God, Who will give you the reward you have earned, letting your works bring you praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31

December 30

Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.

John 1:12 as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away

Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Ephesians 2:8-9 By grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

May you understand how the Lord has loved you, for many have been given the opportunities to know the Lord and receive the blessings He has offered but they have turned away, refusing His love and rejecting His presence, preferring other pleasures and seeking different purposes, yet you have chosen Him and accepted His name, giving the Lord honor in your life, declaring the greatness of God before all to whom the Lord brings you. Malachi 1

May you show the respect due to your Lord and your God, certainly at the very least as much as a child honors the parent, an employee obeys the employer, or a servant respects the master, and how much more deserving of your regard is your Creator Who has original rights of ownership over His creation, and then how much more besides does the One deserve Who paid His enemy’s asking price for you, becoming your Redeemer? Malachi 1

May you not show contempt for the Lord by disrespecting His majesty or trifling with His grace, giving mere lip-service to His praise while contemplating other desires in your heart, by taking the time left over at the end of the day to seek the Lord in a distracted, half-hearted way, by skimming the scriptures in order to have time for the daily news, because what relationship can grow intimately under those conditions, and who would feel honored when afforded that type of attention? Malachi 1

May you realize the truth of how majestic the Lord Almighty is, and how highly His name is honored by the nations who have not known Him before, as they give pure offerings of heart-felt praise to God Almighty, dedicating their best efforts and their first-fruits of time, because those who have seen great forgiveness come into their lives will not stop until they have given great honor and reverence to their Savior, considering it a privilege to be broken and poured-out in His service. Malachi 1, Luke 7, Philippians 2

May you be blessed by the Lord when you give Him an acceptable offering, one that is worthy of the great King, Whose name is formidably awesome and reverently respected among the nations. Malachi 1

May you set your heart to honor the Lord Almighty, giving ear to His Word and respecting His commands, that His blessing may be with you and with your children, rather than His curse which is given to all who will not hear and obey, and that His covenant of life and peace may be with you as you give Him reverence and stand in awe of His name, speaking true instruction and abstaining from falsehood, that you may walk with Him in peace and uprightness, turning many from sin. Malachi 2

May your lips preserve the knowledge of God, and from your mouth may men seek instruction as from a messenger of God, as you walk circumspectly before the Lord, staying true to His word and bringing encouragement to the downcast, strengthening the weak in the faith, giving stability to the double-minded, showing no partiality in matters of the spirit or favoritism in carrying out His instruction, for we all have one Father and we were all created by one God, therefore we honor His covenant by keeping faith with one another. Malachi 2

May you guard yourself in your spirit and do not act despicably by wearying the Lord with words which justify wicked practices, thereby deceiving yourself and affronting God, denying His patience and longsuffering by claiming He does not care that evil flourishes, and that He will not punish those who seek their own pleasures as they flaunt His commands. Malachi 2

Be thankful, My child, for the reconciliation you have in Me. All that I willingly endured in My body was to bring you, antagonistic in action and hostile in thought, separated and isolated from your Creator, into the presence of your Father God in a holy and blameless condition, beyond reproach in word, thought or intent – acceptable in every way.
Is there a greater miracle you can envision? Has there been a more vivid demonstration of love? Has there been a greater gulf spanned? I have done for you that which you could not, that which was impossible for you to do, so you could stand in My presence with great joy giving glory, praise and honor to the One Who has all majesty, dominion, and authority for all time and forever.
Be diligent, My loved one, to continue, faithful in the hope you have received from the ministry of My Word, for it will keep you spotless and blameless, steadfast and firmly established, beyond reproach, in the peace of sincerity and innocence, even while surrounded by, and in the midst of, a crooked and perverse generation who fret over My truth and doubt My promises in the darkness of their own lives.
I have placed you among them so that My light can shine through you and draw whosoever will. Do not draw back from My work, do not quench the working of My Spirit, do not put a covering over your lamp. Rather, be that city on the hill and let your light shine in order for even more to step up and join you in glorifying your Father in heaven.

May you anticipate with joy the time when the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, prepared as a bride dressed beautifully for her husband, will descend out of heaven, and God will dwell with men, living with His people, wiping every tear from your eyes. He causes the old order of things to pass away so there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for He makes everything new, granting all this as an inheritance to him who overcomes. The Lord gives without cost to him who is thirsty water of life springing up, for He will be your God and you will be His child. Revelation 21

May you sing to the Lord a new song, sharing His praise in the assembly of the saints, and may you rejoice in your Maker and be glad in your King, praising His name with dancing and making music to Him with instruments. The Lord takes delight in His people, crowning the humble with salvation so that the saints may rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. Psalm 149

May the praise of God be in your mouth and a two-edged sword in your hand to inflict vengeance on the principalities and punishment on the powers of the air, binding the spiritual authorities who resist the will and the word of God, and carrying out the sentence of God against them, for this is the glory of all who know and embrace the goodness of God. Psalm 149

May you please the Lord, as a wife of noble virtue pleases her husband, bringing Him good, not harm, every day, working with eager hands, spending time to gather good things from places far from where many people are willing to go, rising early to feed many, working vigorously with arms strengthened by regular use, staying up late working to provide for those in need, with open hands to the poor and extended arms to the needy, covering those who are cold with the warmth of the love you have received from Him. Proverbs 31

December 29

Romans 8:26 The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit … intercedes for us through wordless groans.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord

Proverbs 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

Isaiah 25:1 Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Jude 1:20-21 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

May you recall that you are the servant of the Most High, a vessel made by the Potter for the purpose He has chosen, for showing His glory. Whether by the path of honor or of dishonor, of fame or notoriety, of long life or early death, of isolation or lost in the faceless crowd, the glory is to be His, and yours is the path of obedience, for the servant will not be greater than his Master, nor the disciple greater than his Teacher. For God to receive the greatest glory, He will triumph over His enemy at the point when the success of evil seems sure and the battle appears to be certain to go for the wicked, just as when Christ died on the cross, so that the Father could decisively and eternally defeat the power of death and the grave. Zechariah 14

May you prepare your heart for when the day of the Lord comes uniquely in your life, for all that exalts itself against Christ will be removed, as there can, and will, be only one Lord, and His name will be the only ruling name, and He will express Himself through you as living water flowing in all seasons of your life, without respect to status of those who are brought to receive it, rich or poor, young or old, left or right, high or low, their need will be met. Zechariah 14

May your prayer be for those who do not yet know the Lord, not having fully decided for or against Him, for He will polarize all people, causing them to choose for or against Him, without exception, and those who stand against the Lord will know death in many forms, without remedy, and they will be stricken with great panic when they realize the strength and might of God. Zechariah 14

May you be able to accept those who turn from enmity to God to giving Him praise, and may you be willing to grant forgiveness to those who earlier had been seeking your downfall and defeat, willing and intent on striking you down, but repenting now and celebrating the Lord, even as you do. Zechariah 14

May you learn to find your enjoyment and contentment in the things of God, not needing doses of the world to keep you happy, for even the pots will be dedicated to the Lord, and there will no longer be a mixture of the common with the holy, but the house of the Lord will be purged and cleansed that it will be a fit dwelling for the King. Zechariah 14

My joy is to give you the riches of heaven for your power and the keys of the kingdom for your authority, that you may know the depth of the glory of My inheritance and the breadth of the hope of My calling.
My plans for your welfare give you a future filled with hope, a promise that I will listen to your prayers, and an expectation that I will be waiting, arms outstretched, when your whole-hearted seeking brings you to Me.
These gifts and riches and wisdoms and understandings and revelations are My provision to My ministers and judges, to My princes and nobles, to My priests and kings, who go forth among My people to proclaim My word and execute My will.
As caretakers of My flock, you will use My gifts to defend the rights of the destitute who are in the midst of My discipline lest any take advantage of them and cause them to despair.
As servants sent to those who are near to Me, you will speak My words of comfort and healing to bind up the broken-hearted who have none to stand with them. In this way My love may be seen in the flesh by eyes which have lost their focus in the spirit.
That which you pour into the lives of those who esteem Me will not be lost, for all that you have to give has come from Me originally. You don’t need to give great quantities, simply use all that I give you for those who desire to honor Me, though they receive the world’s disdain. The more freely you give of that which you cannot keep, the more bountifully you will receive of that which you cannot earn.
Let your fellowship strengthen the weak and feeble hands of the infirm and elderly who are My heroes of the faith at the end of a long road of service when all others have left them. You will be repaid a hundred times over in coin that this world knows nothing of, and in treasure that is eternal.

May you rejoice when the Lord gives you victory over the enemy and brings relief from the attacks you have suffered through, for when you have withstood the time of temptation and tribulation, the enemy will depart for a season, but know that this is the time to draw close to God and grow in His grace and mercy, learning to walk in His strength and power, for the enemy will be given a time of freedom in which you will need to stand on His promises and execute His judgment with authority before you reach the end of the struggle. Revelation 20

May you praise the Lord, along with the heavenly host, for His eternal decrees and His mighty handiwork in the heights above which show forth His glory, for He commanded and they were created, and He set them in place for ever, that they may proclaim His praise by their existence. Psalm 148

May you praise the Lord, along with all His earthly creation, from the depths of the sea to the peaks of the mountains, both man and beast, plants and birds, kings and servants, young and old, for His name alone is exalted, and His splendor is above the earth and the heavens, yet He has made His people strong, giving them the victory, honoring His faithful ones who are close to His heart. Psalm 148

May you walk in the ways of the Lord by speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and for the rights of all who are destitute as you judge fairly, speaking out to defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9