Live in Power Gloria Copeland Ministries daily devotional 31 May Thursday

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

– Romans 6:4

As a believer, you actually have residing in you the same new life God gave Jesus when He raised Him from the dead. The old sinner you once were has died. You've become a new creation on the inside.

You are full of the resurrection life of God!

But sin, disobedience and living a selfish, carnal life will keep that resurrection life from flowing out. Sin will separate you from the power of God, even though you're born again. Resurrection life will lay dormant in you if you walk in sin.

You can't overcome sin by trying to stop sinning, however. You overcome it by walking after the new life God has put within you; by spending time in the Word and in prayer. As you do that, the Spirit of God will strengthen you and enable you to put that sin under your feet.

Remember, though, the Holy Spirit will not subdue those old fleshly habits of yours on His own. He'll wait on you to take the initiative. Then He will strengthen you to follow through with your decision. He will teach you how to walk in the new life that is in you.

Take the first step today by asking for His help. Say, "Lord, I desire to experience the power to live by this new life every day. By a decision of my heart, I put down the dictates of sin. I declare myself dead to it. In Jesus' Name, I will spend time in prayer and in the Word today. As I do, I believe I'll receive a Holy Ghost refreshing in my life. I believe I'll begin to live out the resurrection power that You've placed in me!"

Scripture Reading: Romans 7:1-6

Tell the Good News Kenneth Copeland Ministries daily devotional 30 May Wednesday

God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

– 2 Corinthians 5:19

Very few unsaved people today have ever really heard the good news. Why? Because too many Christians are busy telling the world God is mad at them. And telling them that they're terrible and wrong. Some call that good news, but it's not, and it's not what God has commissioned us to share.

He's given us the "word of reconciliation"!

He's sent us to tell the news that God has restored harmony and fellowship between Himself and men. All men. Not just believers. Not just the people in your church, but everyone!

That's right. The worst old reprobate sinner in the world is every bit as reconciled to God as you are. Look at Romans 5:10 and you'll see what I mean. It says that "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son."

Reconciled. That word is past tense. God has already restored fellowship between Himself and the world. He did it when there was not one person on earth except Jesus who believed in the new birth. He did it when the entire world was lying in sin.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has cleansed and forgiven and restored to Himself every man, woman and child on the face of this earth. All any of us have to do now is receive that good news.

That's the good word God has given us. That's the word we need to share with those who are lost. If we'll do it, I can almost guarantee you, they won't stay lost very long.

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:10-21

Blameless - Joel Osteen Ministries daily devotional 30 May Wednesday

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

What do you need from the Lord today? Do you need peace, provision, guidance? The Word of God promises that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk blameless before Him.

Now you may be thinking, “Joel, I’m not perfect. How can I be blameless?” The Good News is that when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you automatically have a new life! The past is erased in God’s eyes. And sure, we all make mistakes, but 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When you repent of your sins and receive God’s forgiveness, you are blameless in His sight!

Today, understand that God wants to pour His favor and honor on you. He doesn’t want to withhold any good thing from you. If there is anything in your life that isn’t pleasing to Him, go to the Father today and confess it to Him. His arms are open wide to you today. He’s ready to receive you and renew you with His love. Receive His forgiveness and let Him pour His favor and blessing on you all the days of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and choosing me. Thank You for giving me a new beginning and making me blameless in Your eyes. Search my heart today; show me if there is anything that would keep me from You in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen                                                                            

What Will You Do with God’s Dream for You? by Rick Warren Ministries daily devotional 30 May Wednesday

"But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. . . . Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:6, 8 NLT)

After God gives you a dream, you always have a decision to make. Are you going to do something about the dream he has given you? Nothing is going to happen to that dream until you wake up and put it into action.

James 1 teaches us that faith is a verb. It's active and not passive. It's something you do. Decision-making is a faith-building activity. You use your muscles of faith.

A great illustration of God's plan is trapeze artists. They swing out holding onto a trapeze bar, and then they let go in order to grab hold of another trapeze bar that swings them to the other side. But, at one point, they're not holding onto any bar. They're suspended in air for a split second. 

Have you ever been in a place where you're leaving one job for another and nothing's in between? You're 180 feet above the ground with no net below and holding onto nothing.

But if you don't let go and grab onto the vision God wants you to have, you swing back.  But this time you swing back lower and lower until you've finally stopped, hanging there in the air. And there's only one way out: down!

God brings your dream to a point of decision so your faith will build as you swing toward God's dream for you.

Talk About It

When has God brought you to a decision point in the past?

What decision point are you coming to now?

Flourishing Finish - Joel Osteen Ministries daily devotional 29 May Tuesday

“For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you...to give you hope in your final outcome” (Jeremiah 29:11, AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God desires to see you flourish in this life. He wants to see you come out of setbacks stronger, wiser, increased and promoted. He wants to give you hope in your final outcome and see you come to a flourishing finish.

When my father died unexpectedly, all in our family was not well. We didn’t know how everything was going to turn out. We didn’t have all the answers, but we understood the principle that God never ends on a negative. Instead of getting stuck on that page, we just kept moving forward little by little, doing our best, being faithful, being good to people. When I look out today, I can see the faithfulness of God. I can say like David, “Look what the Lord has done!”

Remember, when you encounter adversity, know that God isn’t finished yet. He never ends on a negative. He has more in store for you if you will keep pressing forward. Don’t let your thoughts get stuck on the circumstances. Instead, lift up your eyes to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Trust that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf, and He will lead you into a flourishing finish!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, today I humbly come to You ready to receive Your favor, grace and mercy. I cast my cares on You. I cast my questions on You. I put my hope in You knowing that You will bring me to a flourishing finish in Jesus’ name! Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen                  

God Builds Faith by Giving a Dream by Rick Warren Ministries daily devotional 29 May Tuesday

Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. Ephesians 3:20 (LB)

When God wants to work in your life, he'll always gives you a dream—about yourself, about what he wants you to do, about how he's going to use your life to impact the world. 

There are many examples in the Bible of this. God gave Noah the dream of building an ark. God gave Abraham the dream of being the father of a great nation. God gave Nehemiah the dream of building the wall around Jerusalem.

How do you know when a dream is from God or when it's just something you've thought up yourself? The Bible tells us that God, "by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." (Ephesians 3:20 LB)

In other words, if a dream comes from God, it will be so big in your life that you can't do it on your own. It also will never contradict His Word! If your dream is something that the Bible speaks against, it's not from God.

Talk About It –

• God may be speaking to you now, but you just don't recognize it for what it is. Do you have a dream that you believe will serve other people? Where do you think that idea came from?

• What dream has God given you? What are you going to do now?

Don't Hesitate Kenneth Copeland Ministries daily devotional 29 May Tuesday

He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

– James 1:6-8

What happens when you hesitate to do something God has told you to do? Your adversary takes the first step. The devil gets the jump on you.

If you want to live by faith, hesitation is one of the most hazardous habits you could ever have. It comes from being indecisive. The Bible says a man like that is "unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything he thinks, feels, decides" (The Amplified Bible).

If you are double-minded, the decisions you make are split. You try to live by faith and protect your fear at the same time. You make faith statements like "I believe God is going to heal me." Then your fear whispers, "But I wouldn't want to say I'm well just yet." You're so busy going back and forth between faith and fear, you can't make any progress at all.

Kick the habit of hesitation today. Make a solid decision to trust in and act on the Word of God. Settle it forever. Resolve never to entertain doubts again. When doubt comes to your mind, cast it out quickly.

When God speaks, don't waste a moment. Step right out in faith. That way, you can always keep the devil a step behind you!

Scripture Reading: James 1:1-8

God’s Value System - Joel Osteen Ministries daily devotional 27 May Monday

"Keep me as the apple of your eye...” (Psalm 17:8, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

In this day and age, people are considered to be important for so many different reasons &mdaash; titles, position, possessions, where you go, what you drive. But God’s value system is very different from the value system of the world. God cherishes and values you so much simply because He made you. You are His beloved creation — the apple of His eye; the center of His world!

If you’ve ever thought that God has too many other important things on His plate to be concerned with you and your life, know this today — you are God’s number one priority. And, there’s nothing you can do to be more important or less important to Him. He values you today, and your value will never change. You are significant. Your life is significant. The things that concern you, concern God. He carefully watches over every detail of your life, and there is nothing too big or too small for His attention.

Today, find peace and security in God’s love for you. Don’t be afraid to take your concerns and cares to Him. He loves it when you come to Him, and He’s ready to receive you with open arms because you are the apple of His eye!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father in heaven, thank You for loving me today. Thank You for keeping me the apple of Your eye. I open my heart and mind to You and cast every care on You. I receive Your love for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen