Your Future & Hope…

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a FUTURE AND A HOPE. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will END your captivity and RESTORE your fortunes. I will GATHER you out of the nations where I sent you and will BRING you home again to your own land.” [NLT]

This verse responds to a question in all our hearts – “Why am I here?” Our heavenly father’s tells us He has a plan for us that will give each one of us a FUTURE AND A HOPE! We’re not inconsequential or unimportant but rather we are a vital part of God’s plan on this Earth.

God says that he knows the exact plans that He has for us. His plans will produce good and give us a FUTURE AND A HOPE. If we’re experiencing any degree of failure in our lives then this is not a part of the plan that God has for us. We must reconnect with what God has prepared for us and return to it to obtain a FUTURE AND A HOPE.

We are presently living in the days that this verse is speaking about. A day where if we pray, God will listen. If we look for Him wholeheartedly, we will find Him. We can walk in this promise everyday of our lives. This promise from God will produce a FUTURE AND A HOPE.

His promise concludes with four powerful acts…

1. He will END our captivity (from any form of oppression)
2. RESTORE our fortunes (anything lost will be bought back)
3. GATHER us out of nations (rescue us from where we feel foreign or alienated)
4. BRING us home again to our own land (a place of peace and familiarity with our heavenly Father)

Remember today that God’s plan for us is to have a FUTURE AND A HOPE; it is a plan for good!

Run To Jesus…

Rev 22:13 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the FIRST AND the LAST.”[KJV]

Today’s scripture contains a very powerful key for us to hold in our spirit every day!

This scripture is from the book of Revelations and Jesus is speaking. As Jesus was in the beginning of your situation, He is also in your present. Jesus is going to stay put with you until you have accomplished the goal and received the reward. Jesus is not running away from you or your situation, He is intimately involved with you. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, He is the beginning and the end and He is the FIRST AND LAST. He wants to be totally immersed in every area of your life!

Live life as excited about what you’re going through today, as you will be when you receive your promised reward. Be as expectant and excited today as you were on the first day you set out on your journey with Jesus.

It is vital to keep your faith, hope and energy focused towards the goal. Positioning Jesus in the very centre of your need through prayer, reading & applying His Word is essential to success in life. When you do this you’ll apprehend the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus.

Remember Jesus is as much in the beginning of things as He is in the end – He is the FIRST AND LAST!

Go a Little Further…

Matthew 26:39 “He (Jesus) went on A LITTLE FURTHER and bowed with his face to the ground, PRAYING, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” [NLT]

This is a great verse… This week, go A LITTLE FURTHER than you have gone before. Even when it may seem painful or the expected result may not appear to be the easiest. Why? To enable you to reach your victory exactly as Jesus did. Jesus had to accomplish the will of His Father so he went on A LITTLE FURTHER.

Often we can have feelings that we are at our limit or that we can’t go on any further. At these times, if we can summon up the obedience to move forward on God’s Word, we will step into our future with all it’s rewards. We often underestimate our strength to accomplish God’s will because we refuse to step out of our comfort zones. We want to dwell in a place of comfort then gripe and complain about nothing happening in our lives.

As you go A LITTLE FURTHER today remember to do exactly what Jesus did, He went on A LITTLE FURTHER then he stopped and PRAYED. PRAYER is the connection between the Father and us. It allows the plans of heaven to invade our world, causes confusion to cease and revives our spiritual strength.

Fulfilling God’s will in this season of your life is often as simple as just going A LITTLE FURTHER!!

Doing it all…

Philippians 4:13 “For I can do ALL THINGS through Christ, who gives me strength”

Some days we think we’ve conquered the world only to discover that there’s still a long “to do” list left. It has taken every ounce of strength to get this far so the rest will have to wait for another time. Everyone experiences days like these.

Today’s verse reminds us how to achieve victory every day. You and I can do somethings & many things in our own strength but we can’t do ALL THINGS. If we want to achieve our full potential we need help. We must obtain it through Christ. He gives us the strength and ability to do ALL THINGS, even the seemingly impossible!

So, how do we access Christ’s strength to do ALL THINGS just like the Apostle Paul? It’s simple, we ensure that Jesus is the central focus of our life. We place Him above and before everything else. We honour Him first in every arena of life – private, public and personal. Jesus gets the best of our time, our resource and our relationships. We vigilantly keep every arena of our lives focused on Jesus.

As we do this the gates of blessing from heaven open and Christ’s strength floods our life. So, this week, re-arrange your life to honour Jesus even more. It takes many simple decisions throughout the day to achieve this and then the promise of Philippians 4:13 will overtake your life and joy will become your constant companion.

Faith, Hope, Love…

Psalms 95:6 “Come let us adore and bow down: Let us kneel before the LORD our maker for he is our God.”

As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus many people are busy organising last minute gifts to ensure that everyone is taken care of on the day. Christmas is a special time of outreach and inclusion, a time when we can share the love and goodness of Christ with others.

It is a time to stop and remember the reason for this season. We celebrate the love that God has for this world. His great love sent Jesus into the midst of all that was lost and dying. Jesus’ sacrifice allowed us to be reconciled back to God again as He laid down His life on the cross.

Now that is truly something that we should be thankful for. We should worship God because of it. As we come humbly before our Lord in this way we testify that we are His people and we are surrendered to His leadership.

This Christmas as we celebrate Jesus let’s also remember our maker and our God. Set aside time to adore, worship and bow down before him and express our love and adoration. Not only will this bring honour to God but it will also help to restore faith, hope and love to those around you.

Joy Needed…

John 16:24 “You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy”

Have you ever been in a crowded room talking with someone only to discover that they were actually chatting to someone else? You feel embarrassed and slightly disappointed as you move away and compose yourself.

This verse lets us know who to talk to about what we need in life. We are to go directly to God and ask in Jesus’ name. When we do this the Bible says that we will receive what we asked for. Now that is great but there is even more.

When we’ve received what we asked for we also get abundant joy. We won’t walk away disappointed and embarrassed like in the conversation above. God promises to supply this joy with everything He gives when we ask properly.

Now, the key to opening this verse is that Jesus said, “You probably haven’t done this before.” Many believers have never asked for anything in Jesus name. That is why they haven’t received anything with joy. God’s promise is that whenever we ask in Jesus name, we will receive what we asked for plus abundant Joy.

So, what do you need? Take some time this week and ask God for it in Jesus name. Then get ready to receive. God’s Word says that it will come to you smothered in Joy at just the right time. This is God’s way, and it works, so why not let it work in you!

Your Bag Drop…

Philippians 3:13 “…but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”

Whenever we fly it’s always a great feeling to drop the heavy bags off at the check-in. Once this is done we are free to move around and focus on what we want to do next. We really don’t give our luggage a second thought – we have left it where it belongs.

In this verse Paul tells us exactly how he navigates life. He drops off all the baggage of his past and then forgets about it. Paul does one thing… he focuses on his future. The reality is that you and I cannot change our past but we can build a great future in Jesus.

In reality, it’s almost impossible to advance trying to carry all the heavy bags from our past. Bags of hurt, shame, error and abuse are too heavy for us to move. We must give them to Jesus and make Him the “baggage counter” of our life. As we leave our luggage with Him, and forget about it, we can move easily into our future.

This week why not go to Jesus and check-in all the heavy bags of your past. Then forget about them, they are where they belong. You will be free to look forward to a fantastic future. Set your focus on it and before long you’ll be experiencing a new freedom in Jesus like never before!

I Agree With You…

Matthew 18:19-20 “I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

Nowadays you can order almost anything on-line and get it delivered speedily to your door. It is so easy and convenient that millions shop that way each week. But, did you know that, prayer could be that expedient too?

Our verse today shows that whenever 2 or more believers pray in agreement with Jesus, overcoming power is released. It is delivered rapidly to our doorstep for our use. Now that, to me, is the best kind of on-line shopping!

A key to receive this overcoming power is to agree with Jesus and other believers when we pray. This is called the prayer of agreement. Amos 3:3 says that we can’t even walk together until we agree. That is why our prayers must agree with Jesus and His Word: the Bible. This causes us to walk together and have victory.

This week we want to pray in agreement with you.

Today, EMAIL US at prayer@SpiritWord.com.au and tell us what you would like us to stand in prayer with you about.

We will write each one down in our prayer of agreement book and WE WILL PRAY over them.

As you do this, stay expectant and ready for overcoming power to be express delivered to you from heaven. The works of the enemy can be destroyed in your family as we agree with Jesus!

Real Truth…

John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the TRUTH THAT YOU KNOW will set you free”

Often we see images in the press of the solid bars on prison cells or the sharp razor wire that incarcerates and separates people from freedom. We hear stories of brazen escapes by inmates and their subsequent recapture and return to prison. Freedom is something that we cherish and it is also something that God cherishes for his people.

This verse tells us that we each need to be set free. Many believers are unknowingly held captive every day of their lives. Their captivity is a cage formed by lies and deception caused by a lack of knowledge. The solution is simple: obtain the key that opens the prison cell. The key is simply to KNOW THE TRUTH from God’s Word.

It is important to understand that truth alone never brings freedom. It is the TRUTH THAT YOU KNOW that produces it. Jesus says we are able to know His truth and that is what sets us free. THE TRUTH THAT YOU KNOW SETS YOU FREE!

So, this week, join us as we continue in God’s Word together to KNOW TRUTH. Each day, set time aside to gain understanding from God’s Word. Let it disciple you into a new arena of freedom. Liberate yourself from the bondage of lies and deception and step up into a new-found freedom. The more you know the more you can grow so FLOURISH DAILY in His Word!

Jesus He’s My Friend…

John 15:14 Jesus said “You are my friends if you do what I tell you to do”

We all need friends. As life goes on we soon discover that to keep them involves investment from both sides. Deposits of time, love, wisdom and understanding are just a few things that keep a relationship healthy. Making a choice not to invest in our friendships means that they will suffer and won’t grow how they should.

Our verse this week reveals how easy it is to have Jesus as our friend. It is a simple but often misunderstood truth. All we have to do is obey what he tells us to do and Jesus becomes our friend. Nothing more, nothing less, just obey.

If we disobey Jesus our friendship with Him suffers. He is always prepared to rebuild from the broken pieces but we must make a deposit first. We must return to the Bible and resume doing what He said. Then, before we know it, He’s counting us amongst His friends again.

Now, here’s the best part… Jesus’s friends are to be our friends too. There is absolutely no reason to ever be lonely again. Jesus wants us all to get along. His intention is that we build great friendships with Him at the centre of each one.

If making friends seems difficult then pal up with Jesus first. He’ll ensure that our friendships are sorted out quickly. Life will then become easier, more productive and have greater pleasure than can be imagined.