Posts with the category “daily-devotion”

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." – 1 John 1:9The Breastplate of Righteousness is your protection over one of the most vulnerable areas of your life, your heart. The enemy knows that if he can corrupt your heart, he can corrupt your walk with God. That’s why God gave you this critical piece of armor.What does the en...  Read More

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." – Ephesians 6:11If you want to be fully covered and protected from the enemy’s attacks, you have to start with the most important battlefield, your mind. That’s why the Helmet of Salvation is the first piece of armor you need to put on. Because where’s the battle? In your mind.The devil’s schemes are s...  Read More

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." – Proverbs 3:5Sin always feels good in the moment. But the problem is, it’s never enough. The pleasure wears off, and you find yourself chasing after something new, something that can give you that next high. And before you know it, you’re stuck in a cycle. Your triggers lead to unhealthy tendencies, and those tend...  Read More

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." – Ephesians 6:11Have you ever wondered what the schemes of the devil actually look like? It’s not just random attacks. It’s a calculated strategy where he uses your own tendencies against you. The devil knows your cravings. He knows your triggers. And he’s ready to use them to keep you from living in v...  Read More

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." – Acts 1:8When you walk in your anointing, it’s not just about you. It’s about what God wants to do through you to reach others. Your talent is a gift from God, but your anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit working through th...  Read More

"But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him." – 1 John 2:27Have you ever wondered what makes someone truly effective for God’s Kingdom? There’s a difference between being gifted and being anointed. And it’s a diffe...  Read More

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." – Ephesians 6:11Have you ever played paintball? It’s a game where you shoot each other with paintballs flying over 100 mph. They leave welts and bruises, and if you get hit, you’re out. It’s simple, but it’s also a great lesson about staying covered.I remember playing paintball at a student conference....  Read More

"Be sober-minded; be watchful, your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." – 1 Peter 5:8Back in the day, I used to hoop. I know some people question whether I was ever really an athlete, but there was a time when I lived and breathed basketball. My high school coach had a way of motivating me that stuck with me. He’d say, “Newton.” “Yes, sir?” “When you ...  Read More

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." – James 1:2-3The moment you begin stepping into who God has called you to be, it’s going to come with opposition. When you choose to live fully surrendered to Jesus, you become a target. The enemy sees a life on fire for God and wants to put it out. And when t...  Read More

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." – Ephesians 6:12The battle you’re facing isn’t just physical. It’s spiritual. And it’s happening in the heavenly places. The devil is fine with you coming to church, singing the songs, an...  Read More

"Be sober-minded, be watchful, your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." – 1 Peter 5:8Have you ever made the decision to go all in for Jesus, to fully surrender and walk in His purpose, only to find yourself facing more opposition than ever before? You decide to lay down the things that aren’t good for you, the habits and distractions pulling you away ...  Read More

"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law, indeed, it cannot." – Romans 8:7Every single day, you’re faced with a choice. And it’s a choice that shapes everything about your life. Will you please God, or will you please yourself? That’s it. Those are the only two options.If you’re honest, living for yourself sounds like freedom. You get to do what...  Read More

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." – Matthew 4:4Have you ever thought about what you’re really putting into your soul? What you feed yourself spiritually determines how you grow. And the truth is, a lot of people are starving themselves spiritually without even realizing it.I read something recently that hit me hard. Out of the people who say t...  Read More

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." – Proverbs 31:28Motherhood is one of the most powerful callings God has ever given. It’s more than just a title. It’s a ministry. It’s a mission. It’s a life of pouring yourself out day after day, even when it feels like no one notices. But God sees you.Maybe you’re a mom in the thick of raising little ones, feeling...  Read More

"Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'" – 1 Corinthians 15:33What would it look like to make a one-degree change today? Not trying to be perfect overnight, but just aiming to be one degree better than yesterday. It’s about making progress daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, how do you do that? You have to mind the gap.Your choices have to be different. Your circles have to be...  Read More

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it?" – Jeremiah 17:9So many people live their lives completely controlled by their feelings. Every decision, reaction, and even their identity is shaped by how they feel in the moment. The problem is, our feelings are unstable, unreliable, and often flat-out wrong. They’re not meant to be the compass guiding our liv...  Read More

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." – Proverbs 3:5Have you ever looked at your life and wondered, “How did I end up here?” Nobody plans to end up broken, addicted, or overwhelmed by pain. It’s never a sudden decision, it’s a slow fade.Think about it like this: If a plane leaves San Antonio heading for Singapore and is just one degree off course, it e...  Read More

"For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." – Jeremiah 2:13Have you ever found yourself doing things you don’t even like just to be accepted by someone else? Maybe it’s the way you dress, how you talk, or even the way you act. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of tryi...  Read More

"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." – Romans 13:14Have you ever wondered why you keep falling into the same old patterns, even when you genuinely want to change? Maybe it’s an unhealthy habit, a negative attitude, or a struggle you just can’t seem to shake. It’s like something keeps dragging you back into the same mess, no matter how hard yo...  Read More

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." – John 10:10When you start walking in the power God has given you, things change. Lives are impacted. The power that God is working in your life and the power you display because of Him can break chains and set you free. That’s what living the abundant life is all about.The enemy’s mission ...  Read More

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7If you've ever traveled to London, you might’ve noticed something unique about their subway system. They don’t call it the subway, they call it the tube. It’s a cool experience, but something really caught my attention while I was there. As you step into the tube, there’s this phrase you hear over and over: ...  Read More

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." – 2 Corinthians 3:17The day you gave your life to Jesus, everything changed. You did not just receive forgiveness. You did not just secure eternity in heaven. You received the Holy Spirit. Your body became the temple of the living God. His presence is not far away. He is not distant. He is inside of you.But the Ho...  Read More

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." – John 14:12God never intended for you to live a powerless life. When Jesus walked the earth, He healed the sick, cast out demons, and performed miracles, not just to prove who He was, but to demonstrate what life in the Spirit looks like...  Read More

"For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation ...  Read More

"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." – Exodus 14:14You are not alone in what you are going through. Whatever battle you are facing, whatever weight you are carrying, Jesus is right there with you. And He is not just near. He is ready to rescue you.Years ago, when I was in college, I worked as a lifeguard at a camp. Part of my training was learning how to rescue someone dr...  Read More

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." – Ephesians 3:20When you lay something down, you are not just giving something up. You are making space for something greater. God never asks you to surrender without having something better in store. He is not trying to take from you. He is trying to bless you with the immea...  Read More

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." – Proverbs 3:5-6Laying it down sounds good, but what does it really mean? It means you do not just lay things down before God. You lay them down in front of others too. That is where real freedom happens.One of the biggest reasons people strugg...  Read More

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." – Matthew 11:28You have to lay it down. That weight you have been carrying. That struggle you keep fighting. That habit, that hurt, that cycle that keeps repeating. At some point, you have to stop running and surrender.At Celebrate Recovery, we give out chips. I have a lot of them, and I am not ashamed of that. But the firs...  Read More

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." – 2 Corinthians 5:17None of us are exempt from struggle. We are all in this battle together. The enemy loves to isolate you, making you believe that no one else is going through what you are facing. He whispers lies that you are the only one wrestling with that temptation, that sin, that p...  Read More

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." – 2 Timothy 3:1...  Read More

"Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." – 2 Timothy 3:5If you do not like what you are becoming, the world will tell you to change your behavior. Work harder. Try more. Fix yourself. But as a follower of Jesus, you know the truth. Behavior change is not the starting point. Belief is. If you want different results, you have to start with what you believe.Your...  Read More

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." – John 10:10In the middle of the Great Depression, a man named Mr. Yates was about to lose everything. His ranch in West Texas was struggling, his livestock were barely surviving, and the bank was on the verge of foreclosing on his land. He had nothing left.Then one day, a seismic crew knoc...  Read More

"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." – Galatians 4:7If you are a child of God, why are you living in spiritual poverty? Why do you struggle to walk in freedom when the Spirit of God lives inside you? Why do you settle for less when the King of Kings calls you His own?The answer is simple. You are grieving the Holy Spirit by refusing to walk in obedienc...  Read More

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." – Acts 1:8Imagine being the first person in your town to have electricity but only turning on the lights long enough to light your candles before switching them off again. That is exactly what happened to a woman in Ireland when e...  Read More

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." - Luke 24:5-6Easter is not just a day to celebrate an event. It is a call to live in the reality of what happened when Jesus walked out of the grave. The stone was rolled away, death was defeated, and everything changed. But the question is, are you living like it?Too many people believe in the resurrection but still live ...  Read More

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." - John 12:24Saturday was the day Jesus was buried. His body was wrapped in linen, sealed in a tomb, and placed behind a stone too heavy for any human to move. To the world, He was gone. His story was over. His impact had ended.Or so it seemed.There is somethin...  Read More

"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5Good Friday isn’t just another day. It’s the day everything changed. It’s the day the weight of sin, the punishment of rebellion, and the wrath of God all fell on Jesus instead of you.It should have been you.The betraya...  Read More

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." – Colossians 3:16The Holy Spirit gives gifts to every believer, not so that we can boast, but so that we can build. These gifts are not for show. They are for the strengthening of the body of Christ and the advancem...  Read More

"Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" – Psalm 34:8You may not understand everything about the Holy Spirit, but once you have tasted and seen His power at work, there is no denying that you want more. Not more for recognition. Not more to impress people. Not more for the stage. You want more because you need the presence of the Holy Spirit in your home, ...  Read More

"Do not quench the Spirit." – 1 Thessalonians 5:19How many times has the Holy Spirit nudged you to do something, and you hesitated? Maybe He told you to pray for someone, to speak life into a situation, to take a step of faith, but fear held you back. You started thinking, “What if they think I have lost my mind? What if I do not know what to say? What if someone else is better suited for this?”Th...  Read More