Courageous Faith

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them” Joshua 1:6, NLT

Settle this in your heart today: “I am who God says I am. I have what God says I have. I can do what God says I can do, and I will be what God says I will be. There’s nothing too hard for me, because there’s nothing too hard for God!”

Maybe God has asked you to do something you’ve never done before. You are in uncharted waters and you may have no point of reference and not one example in your life to model after. Yet, God chose you, and He wants you to have courageous faith. Here’s how you can…

Write it down.
Create a vision board, a drawing, or write down the task God gave you. The vision you pen will be what fuels you.
(see Habakkuk 2:2,3)

Feed your faith.
The more you hear God’s word  and act on it, the more your faith will grow like a giant. Record yourself speaking God’s word and listen to it over and over again. (see Romans 10:17)

Surround yourself with people who believe in you.
Everyone isn’t going to champion your cause and support your bold steps toward obeying God. Instead of allowing their discouragement to deter you, surround yourself with people who believe in you and who are full of faith.

Say what you believe.
The Apostle Paul said, “I believed, therefore, I spoke” (see 2 Corinthians 4:13). When it comes to having courageous faith, you will have to declare it openly, especially in the face of those who doubt you and your God.

Prayer: Father God, I thank You for Your work in my heart and in my life. You are wonderful! Thank You for nourishing my faith and helping me to believe in You and in myself. I often feel scared, but don’t let that stop me from obeying You. I love You. Thank You for giving me courageous faith. In Jesus name, Amen.


©Daughter of the King

Great encourager

              

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Today, I am now working on all areas of my life with the help of the Lord. He has strengthened me, encouraged me, and helped me to be consistent and follow through with my intentions. When I want to give up, I say, “Jesus, please help me and give me Your strength.” He comes quickly to the rescue without fail, and helps me to no longer compare myself to people or this world.

If your weight has been a constant struggle, know that the Lord accepts you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are more than a conqueror. Hear the Lord whispering to you, “You can do it, My child, you can do it.” That encouragement is eternal. He will take you from glory to glory.

Prayer: Father, I need You more than ever. I need this  encouragement that comes from Your throne. Please help me today find my way and strength in You to achieve this. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

©Daughter of the King

You have some declaring to do!

“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. Psalms 118:17 (KJV)

When you could be dead, but God caused you to live, you have some declaring to do. When it’s a miracle that you are here, you have some declaring to do. When you wanted to backslide, but God kept you from going back, you have some declaring to do. There has been a supernatural work in you, and now there must be a supernatural work through you. Your declaring the works of the Lord will cause all around you to know and recognize the power of your God.

To declare in this verse means to inscribe, to recount, and to celebrate. Don’t hold back your declaration of what the Lord has done in your life. Write about it, talk about it, shout about it, and testify to the goodness of your great God! Don’t allow anyone to make you feel as though what He brought you through is too shameful to mention out loud. The only shame is in keeping quiet. If God brought you through it, He wants you to greatly rejoice about it and shout it on the mountain top! The only time we have God’s permission to be rooftop women is when we are boldly declaring what God has said and what He has done (see Matthew 10:27)!

We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (see Revelation 12:11).

Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your mighty work in me, Your work through me and Your work around me. Help me not be afraid to open up and declare to others what You have done in my life. I pray my testimony touches someone and helps them come to know You for themselves. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

He waits.

“Love suffers long…” 1 Corinthians 13:4, NKJV

Have you ever said to someone, “I don’t know how you put up with him.” “How do you put up with her?” I have asked my mother this question many times over the course of my life. In dealing with people, she continues to love no matter what. It shows her unbelievable strength and her supernatural ability to be longsuffering.

In the above scripture, the original meaning of to “suffer long” is to be long spirited, that is, (objectively) forbearing or (subjectively) patient. God is patient and longsuffering toward us all. He desires for us all to come into a true knowledge of Him, so He waits…and waits…and waits. He gives us many chances and opportunities to receive His love, His wisdom, His help and His mercy.

You might say, “I would be more patient with people if I saw a sign of hope. But they aren’t giving me any reason to be longsuffering, and it makes it difficult to put up with.”

We also gave God no hope that we would ever receive Him, but He chose to wait for us until we finally understood He was the way. If we are going to imitate our Father, we must learn how to wait while God work on others just as He is working on us.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for being so patient with me. Help me learn to be patient and longsuffering, not just with others, but also with myself. I pray that You help me love others the way You love me. In Jesus name, Amen.

(Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 4:2)

( Daughters of the King daily devotionals )

A message from the Lord's heart for you.

“I will increase your capacity to love. As you give your heart to Me, the walls that you’ve placed around your heart will come tumbling down. I will increase your ability to love. As you seek after Me the thoughts of mistrust will go far away. You will be able to love with My love. My love sets you free, it never binds you. My perfect love will cast out all your fears. My spirit of humility will clothe you. See? I have something better planned for you, a pleasant surprise. I will teach you how to receive love and give My love away without fear. I will heal every wound and mend your broken heart. You can love. Yes, you can. You can love those around you with My love and please your Father. It is not an impossible feat meant only for the naturally compassionate. My love has been shed abroad on your heart by My Spirit whom I gave you. He is your guide who teaches you all things and leads you into all truth, including the truth of how to love.”

(1 John 4:18; Romans 5:5; 1 Peter 5:5; John 16:13; 2 Timothy 1:7)

( Daughters of the King daily devotionals )

Be Accountable

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”  Proverbs 27:17

A life that is deficient in iron will cause one to become physically weak. Likewise, a relationship that is iron deficient, where no one is being sharpened, corrected, or provoked to good works is not beneficial to growth. People may fear upsetting you or hurting your feelings, but a real friend that loves you would much rather make you upset and please God instead of the other way around.

Accountability isn’t telling people what to do.  It is encouraging them to do what God has already instructed them to do.  We are not just helping each other stay out of sin, but helping one another move forward into being all that God created us to be.  We will never grow on an island isolated away from people.  Nor will we grow if we surround ourselves only with those that think like us and talk like us.  We need people that get up under our skin and irritate us, encouraging us to grow and mature.  Not “yes” people, but those who feel personally responsible to help us become all that God has called us to be.

Prayer: Father God, I need more iron in my life. I pray that You send true friends that will not appease me, but will sharpen me and help me be what You called me to be.  I thank You for always knowing what’s best for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.


( Daughters of the King Daily devotionals )

Knitted Hearts ( Part 2 )

“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 18:1, ESV

In the midst of corrupted hearts, authentic, non-competitive, loving friendships do exist, but only God can supply such a thing. I didn’t always have this mindset, especially after some friendship betrayals, but once I drew closer to God and allowed Him to work in my heart, I began to attract what I gave.

If you give love, you’ll receive love! If you have compassion, you’ll receive compassion! If you encourage, you’ll receive plenty of encouragement! If you offer support, God will surround you with loving supporters! We call this, “sowing and reaping.” You can’t expect to receive what you never give.

Beyond common interests and a sense of humor, the aim of friendships are to sow into each other words of purpose, eternal life and blessings. When we do this, we refresh each other’s spirit and strengthen each other’s faith. A Godly friendship means you bear your own hurts along with those of your friend. You cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, applaud them when they succeed and hold up their arms when the battle has made them weak.

Truth: You can’t expect to receive what you never give.

Point to Ponder: Are you being the kind of friend you want to have?

Pray with me: Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that You heal every wound from past failed friendships. I deeply desire to have true friendships in my life, but I know I have to give in order to receive. So I pray that You help me be the Godly friend You expect me to be. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!


( Daughters of the King daily devotionals )