For God’s people the greatest asset is true spiritual prayer. Each morning we connect to the Lord, meditating on His Kingdom and speaking His Word into every situation. Declaration of His Word ushers in His presence for morning devotion time and remains with us throughout the day.

Genuine prayer is for everyone . . . nothing mysterious about it, no elitist structure necessary. The winning combination is prayer . . . words from the Spirit of God flow through us. His wisdom is transferred to us so that we “speak as” the oracles of God.

At the top of your faith (meaning, you are releasing the greatest level of faith development you have) when you have done everything you know by faith to move the mountain and take the day, ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit and give you spirit-filled mentors to teach maturity in prayer.

As you mature, you are empowered to stand against anything not of God and His desires for you; as you “stir yourself up” in the spirit of Romans 8:31, you are persuaded that God is for you! He is greater than anyone or anything that can ever be against you.

Amen.

1 Peter 4:11 | Romans 8

Government insures order and accountability, makes secure, and is a foundation on which to build. We each have areas in which we govern, primarily in the home or workplace; and also, we each submit in many areas to being governed.  In the spiritual sense, every Christian has governmental authority—authority to govern spiritually. Their authority includes dominance and ruling within prescribed boundaries and, within those boundaries, authority does and should include headship.

Unfortunately spiritual government is often something less than right leadership and more like fellowship—sweet but not world-changing. Little is more discouraging than squandered or weak authority. On the other hand abusive authority is paralyzing, whether abusive by force or abusive by overstepping.

Governmental authority is God’s idea and certain people are just born to it – they are expert, decisive, and confident in their ability to lead. For those under authority, establishing trust and discerning who then Lord has chosen to “speak with authority” in matters that concern you settles issues, sets boundaries and puts things (and people) in order.

Governmental men and women are a gift from God. Look around. Who is in authority where you are? Who is decisively leading? Who has a leadership mantle with God-given authority to govern?  On whom do you discern the governmental authority of the Lord? When you know, remember they are to be honored, not worshipped, and that their governmental gift has been placed there by the Lord to serve His people.

Amen.

Isaiah 9:6-7 | Proverbs 20:5 | Proverbs 21:1

Writing is a form of confession and what you take time to write is more meaningful than ideas entertained in casual discussion or the privacy of your thoughts. Anything written can be judged when read and with subsequent readings we gain further conviction in favor, or opposition to what has been recorded.

Effective discipleship includes writing or “journaling” things that matter most.  Prayer requests, prayer concerns, thoughts while praying, words the Lord speaks to our hearts throughout the day, and occasions of praise or great joy as well as those of sadness, loss or defeat – these belong in a journal to be tested, believed and integrated into our beliefs or rejected as unworthy for the life of a disciple.

Thoughts come and go, forming patterns of thought; and when thoughts are written, surprising, even extreme, patterns emerge to develop context for who we are—either with strengths and confidence toward God or negatively, with insecurity and fear. Once exposed, our thoughts affirm our biblical admonition with God, or defy it.

Take every thought captive. Write the vision and make it plain.

Amen.

2 Corinthians 10:5-6 |1 Thessalonians 5:21 | 2 Timothy 1:13 | Hebrews 10:23

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  Mark 16: 15-18, NKJV

We sometimes make simple things difficult. The Lord said to go. The basic idea is go! Avoid “spin” that confuses. Keep it simple. The message is salvation – Kingdom righteousness that submits to the whole and isn’t exclusive, peace that comes from within despite exterior turbulence, and joy that strengthens relationship with Jesus Christ who is the source of all strength. If I overlook the basics of the message, my soul and focus shift and I find myself in a mysterious box to which the world cannot relate, and to which I can become bound.

Disciples should understand the mission. Jesus’ instruction is simple: Go! Make disciples. We are energized by His words and equipped by His Spirit to do them. We refuse to engage in religious spin concerning what Jesus meant when He said go! We know that He said preach, baptize, cast out demons, speak with new tongues, walk in divine authority, protected from harm, lay hands on the sick and rejoice to see them recover! That’s the mission. Pure and simple.

Hallelujah, that’s good! 

Amen.

Romans 14:17-18 | 2 Peter 1:16-19

There is a fine line. For every word we speak and with each motivation we produce the fruit of our character. Those around us see who we are, who we are not, and where we draw the line concerning the culture. Our “confession of faith” is not a lone expresser—rather, with actions and heart we trumpet where our eyes and minds have been.

It matters. Lives are a composite of spirit, soul, and body, plus everything that has ever happened to us, plus our response to those things. The resulting composite depicts a true identity, As Christians we are wise to deliberately submit all of it to the Lord. As we spend time with Him, everything we have become is mirrored—we see as He sees and can judge.

There is a spirit line—a “line” created by the heavens and earth, by day and by night, and by the speech and voice they represent. That speaking line “has gone out through all the earth.” The line is spiritual, drawn by their speech—the speech of the heavens and earth, the day and night, including everything in sight.

If creation has a voice we, too, have one. The voice you and I have become, speaks . . . a separating line that affirms what is of God and covenant and Kingdom . . . and what is not.

Amen.

Philemon 1:6 | Proverbs 20:10-11 | Psalm 19:1-4 | Psalm 19

In prayer we find that certain place in the Holy Spirit where we connect—where we realize He is praying with us and angelic help is working for us, and where our expectations move to heights not possible before we prayed. Today’s travail comes forth from an already-proven knowing that we have the advantage and an even greater confidence that the Lord is indeed on our side! Selah!

Therefore we prayerfully declare that we are those who continually go forth weeping . . . straining against contrary winds, weeping with travail for anything that is out of order . . . bearing seed for sowing continually. God’s word is the seed. We go forth with his Word, sowing. And we shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing our harvest with us!

The advantage is ours. Today, hallelujah, we take it!

Amen.

Psalm 124, verses 1-2 | Psalm 126, verses 5-6

Keep this in mind. Although oppression all around us is evidence of tumult from the realms of darkness and all that belongs to that realm, that is only one side of the big picture—the inferior side. The Lord God has a prophet of His in every house, in every sector, and in every nation; and His Word in demonstration is increasingly seen in the lives of His people—those on the side of righteousness.

• Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
• John 12:37 Who Has Believed Our Report? ] But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,
• John 12:38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “ Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”
• Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?”

Each day oppressive momentum builds to present its case the Lord has not performed His Word for those who have taken their stand with him—those who, having done everything necessary to stand thus far, continue to stand, no matter what! But soon oppression’s scream will come to an end as the voice of the Lord ushered in Divine rule forever–never ending, never less; always announcing more loudly today the promise believed yesterday and the day before, and the day before. Romans 5: 17-21

We train our eyes with confidence and remain focused upon the promise – “much more… even so… so also… moreover… much more… even so!’ Confident!

Amen.

So an officer of the king . . . answered the man of God, Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” (2Kings 7:2)

A previous generation saw it and many today also see – a window in heaven is opened! A Kingdom system and a class of people are unveiled that Jesus’ prophetic prayer might be fulfilled and those kept from the world by Him are one with the Father and the Son.

Christ determined to ‘get through’ as the Son of Man and became the firstfruit and forerunner of many brethren. Now followers from every tribe and nation rise with endowments of power and grace from ‘Our Father.’

A Kingdom system and people are revealed, aspiring to glory with the Father and the Son for a magnificent hope, fervent expectation, and present reality:

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
         And Your salvation all the day,
         For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
         I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
         And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
        O God, do not forsake me,
         Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
         Your power to everyone who is to come.

Amen – so be it!

John 17:21-22 | Romans 11:16 | Romans 8:29 | Psalm 71:18 | Psalm 71:15-18

Reading:
2 Kings 6:8-23
2 Kings 6:24-7:2
2 Kings 7

Something happens when we connect with the people who complete us. They encourage, build us up and make a vital contribution to our overall well-being. Statistically, babies who receive institutional care are a greater risk to suffer rejection initially and also long term when their critical need for sustained, affectionate touch and appreciation are delayed. The point is that, as we mature, nothing compares to the vital relational link we have with those God places in our lives—the family, friends, mentors, and advisers He chooses for us.

As visionaries we realize the value: The Holy Spirit joins us with others for shared vision; He ordains connections that bring like-minded strengths together. Going it alone is possible since we can discipline our lives for the Lord’s purposes whether alone, or with two or ten or more, though biblically the importance of two or more is obvious: The disciples were sent by two’s. . . the Lord places the solitary alone person in family. . . and Bible covenants like that between Jonathan and David join us with others for divine purposes.

When we submit our strength to the Lord, He adds our supply with others for multiplied strength . . . joins our prayers and intercessions together for appointments, plans, strategies and timings . . . and guards as precious divine relationships by giving us discernment of partnerships or arrangements that do not reflect His placement for us. We ask the Lord for covenants that are righteous and right for this season and to set us apart by the power of His Spirit and calling to fulfill every purpose of His.

Amen.

Mark 6:7 | Psalm 68:6 | 2 Samuel 20:16-17

In pressing circumstances our first response derives from core beliefs, a foundation already established and therefore evident in our lifestyle. The more offensive the issue, the more it is necessary to have an established revelation of what we truly believe.

• If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3, KJV)
• Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105, NLT)
• And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in him at all [no, not in any way]. (1 John 1:5, AMP)

In every pressing circumstance what we do next is predictable. Habitual attitudes produce predictably; and when pushed into the open where we live our lives, if divine government is not the norm for us, it becomes obvious . . . to us, and those around us.

In Israel and in the Church the Spirit of the Lord stands up . . .  to raise the foundations with supernatural proofs of the real thing. If belief (and deep revelation of belief) are lacking, then predictably we blend in rather well; but if what we’ve been through has proven us, we shine brilliantly—out in the open, on display!

Amen.

Psalm 11 | Psalm 119:104-106 | 1 John 1:4-6 | Daniel 12:3