Possess Your Promised Land Gloria Copeland Ministries daily devotional 21 May Tuesday

When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you...and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

– Numbers 33:51-53

God has given you a Promised Land. It's a place flowing with milk and honey, where your every need can be met. A place where you can keep sin underfoot as you rule and reign with Christ. A place where no weapon formed against you will prosper. A place where you are seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above principalities and powers--far from oppression.

As you study the Word of God, you'll find that's an accurate description of the kind of victory you should be experiencing in Christ--not in the sweet by-and-by--but right here, right now.

You may say, "Yes, that sounds nice in theory, but I'm dealing with reality here. The rent is due, and all I see is sickness, oppression and fear. This doesn't look like much of a Promised Land to me."

Are you still letting the devil live there? He's not just going to pack up and go home, you know, just because God has promised you victory. You have to kick him out.

But don't let that scare you. God has given you the power to do it. Remember what Jesus said? He said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19).

What's more, the devil is totally unarmed! Colossians 2:15 says, "[God] disarmed the principalities and powers ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in...[the cross]" (The Amplified Bible). You have absolutely no reason to cower before the devil. Jesus defeated and disarmed him through His death, burial and resurrection. The devil can't defeat you unless you let him. All he can do is make empty threats.

But beware! Empty threats can stop you cold if you believe them. So don't. Believe the Word of God instead. Use the Word and the Name of Jesus to drive the devil out of every last detail of your life.

Don't let him dwell in your territory. Force him to pack up and go home. Start possessing your Promised Land!

Scripture Reading: Mark 16:17-18; James 5:7-9

His Ways Are Higher - Joel Osteen Ministries daily devotional 20 May Monday

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.”

(Isaiah 55:8, ESV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

We all have dreams that we’re believing God for and situations we want to see turn around. Too often, we put God in a box and tell Him how to do it, when to do it, and who to use to do it. We’ve got it all figured out: how God is going to bring us out of debt, how He is going to change our loved one, how we’re going to meet the right person. We pray that things will unfold according to our plan. But we have to realize that God’s ways are not our ways. He is supernatural. His ways are higher than our ways. When God does something, it may not always make sense to our minds. If you have preconceived ideas of how you’re going to be promoted and how you’re going to get well, it can limit what God can do. You have to stay open. You may only see one way that it could happen, but God always has an option you can’t see. Why don’t you surrender your plans to Him today? Put your trust in Him because He is faithful. Let Him direct your steps because His ways are higher, and He knows how to lead you into the life of blessing He has for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I put my faith and trust in You. I declare that Your ways are higher, Your thoughts are better, and Your plan is what will remain. I surrender my will and my ideas and receive the direction You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Your Faith Is Being Tested by Rick Warren Ministries daily devotional 20 May Monday

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold." (1 Peter 1:7a NLT)

The Bible repeatedly says that God has promised to meet your needs: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus"(Philippians 4:19 NIV).

But the Bible also tells us that with every promise there is a condition. One of the conditions for this promise is that you have to trust him. The more you trust God, the more God is able to meet needs in your life.

So, how can you learn to trust God more so he can meet all of your needs? How can you learn to have greater faith? 

You don’t get faith by sitting in a Bible study group or just talking about it. Faith is like a muscle; it develops by being used. The more you use your faith, the more it gets stretched. And the more it gets stretched, the more God is able to bless your life. 

We call the circumstances that God creates to stretch our faith "trials": "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold" (1 Peter 1:7a NLT).

There are four common trials that God uses to test our faith, and, chances are, you’re in one of these tests right now. When you go through them, you can know that it is an opportunity for you to develop your faith so you can trust God more. I'll talk about the first two today and the next two tomorrow.

1. The Pressure Test
   The pressure test asks the question, “How will you handle stress?" Will you depend on yourself, or will you depend on God? Psalm 50:15 says,“Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me"(NIV). Do you turn to God when you're in trouble and not to other things?
    
2. The People Test
   God often uses people in your life to test and stretch and develop your faith. This test asks the question, “How will you handle disappointment?” Life is often disappointing. Careers, marriages, and even plans don’t turn out the way we planned them. But the most disappointing thing in life is people. Why? We get disappointed by people because we expect them to meet a need that only God himself can meet. This is a test!

Your problem is not the people in your life. Your problem is your response to the people in your life. People are not the problem, and they’re not the answer to the problem, either. The answer is God. When you expect other people to be your savior, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. 

Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence” (NLT). What happens if you trust in the Lord? Look at God’s promise in Isaiah 49:23: “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed” (NIV).

Talk It Over

• Which of these tests is God using in your life right now to stretch your faith?
• How will you choose to respond to the stress and people in your life that are testing your faith?

Free From the Curse Kenneth Copeland Ministries daily devotional 20 May Monday

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

– Galatians 3:13

You know the story. Satan came to Adam's wife in the form of a serpent and deceived her into disobeying God. Adam, although he was not deceived, followed suit.

When Satan came into the Garden that day, he didn't have any power at all. He had to come in like a sneak, not even talking to Adam directly but talking to his wife.

Now Adam was standing there, and he should have kicked him out right then. But he didn't. Instead, he set aside the command God had given him and did what Satan told him to do instead...and when he did that, he made Satan his lord.

In bowing his knee to Satan, Adam gave Satan the authority that God had given man. He made Satan the illegitimate ruler of the earth. Immediately things changed. Through one man's trespass, death passed to all men (Rom. 5:12).

The earth and everything in it was suddenly cursed.

"Okay," you say, "are we to live under this curse for the rest of our lives? Wasn't there anything God could do?"

He could and He did! He sent Jesus. Through Jesus, He set us free from the curse (Gal. 3:13).

The moment you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you were delivered from the lordship of Satan. You were redeemed from the curse. I didn't say the curse wasn't out there anymore. It is! You can see it all around you. But now you have a choice. You have authority over it in the Name of Jesus, so you can stand against it.

God's done everything that love can do. He sent Jesus to redeem you from the curse. The rest is up to you. Now you must appropriate what has already been done for you.

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:12-21

He'll Be Listening Kenneth Copeland Ministries daily devotional 18 May Saturday

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

– 1 John 5:14-15

Have you ever been in prayer and suddenly had the disturbing sensation that God simply isn't listening?

It's happened to all of us. We limp along praying the same old prayers, half-hoping those prayers are heard and half-suspecting they're not.

Today I want to show you how to resolve that dilemma once and for all. But let me warn you, I'm not going to slap you on the back and assure you God will listen to any old doubtful, self-centered thing you say to Him. He won't. He's only promised to listen to prayers that are prayed according to His will. The Apostle John says when you pray like that, you'll know that you have the petitions you desire of Him.

The word petition is defined as "a formal written request addressed to a sovereign superior of a particular right or grace," and that's exactly what you need when you're praying about something serious.

How do you put together a solid petition, one that's in line with the will of God?

First, you have to roll up your sleeves and dig into the written Word. Find scriptures that apply to your situation and make those the foundation for your petition.

Then get on your knees and consult with the Holy Spirit. Let Him help you develop your petition in detail. The best way to do that is to spend time praying in other tongues. (See Romans 8:26-27.) Expect God to reveal things from His heart to yours. He wants you to know His will. So, while you're praying, listen!

Last of all, write it down. Make a formal written request by writing down every scripture you found. Also, as you're listening to the Holy Spirit for the details, write down the impressions and ideas He gives you.

Take your time. Let the Spirit develop your prayer. Let the truth He reveals to you settle in and begin to work in you. Get your petition firmly in mind, then when you're ready, present it to God.

Believe me, He'll be listening.

Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:1-15

Trust in God’s Loving Care by Rick Warren Ministries daily devotional 18 May Saturday

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” (Philippians 4:6-7 LB)

There is no such thing as a problem-free life. You just have to learn to have peace in the middle of your problems, or you’re never going to have peace — period. As soon as one pops up and you deal with it, another one is going to take its place.

So, why is your life just one problem after another?

There are three reasons:

First, Adam choked. He blew it. He and Eve gave into temptation and allowed sin to come into the world, and we’re all paying the consequences. We live in a fallen world.

Second, you have an enemy, and his name is Satan. He wants to mess with your mind, your family, your health, your finances — particularly if you are a follower of Christ and you’re trying to do the right thing.

On top of all that, you make your own mistakes. Most of the problems and pain in your life comes from your own poor decisions. When we make dumb decisions, we pay the penalties.

But sometimes the pain in your life is no one’s fault. Sometimes there’s a problem in your life so that the work of God may be displayed in your life. Regardless of why you have the problem that’s unsolvable, unchangeable, unexplainable, or uncontrollable, whether it came from the world, the devil, or yourself, you still need the same response every time — trust in the loving care of God.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (NLT). That’s the path to peace. Trust God’s loving care in the situation.

Talk It Over

• What evidence is there in your life of God using your struggles to point others to him?
• How do other people respond when they witness your peace in the midst of difficult circumstances?

Secret Petitions - Joel Osteen Ministries daily devotional 17 May Friday

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.”

(Psalm 37:4, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

In the Psalms, it talks about the secret petitions of our heart. These are the hidden dreams that you haven’t told anybody about. One way you know they’re from God is that they’re so big you cannot accomplish them on your own. God does this on purpose so that it will take faith. Faith is what pleases God. Faith is what allows Him to do the impossible. So God will put something big before you where you don’t have all the talent, the education, the connections or the confidence. God will even allow certain obstacles that we can’t overcome on our own. Today, if you’ve been believing God for something that seems like it’s taking a long time, don’t give up! Remember, God knows exactly where you are. He knows the desires He’s placed within you. He’s working things together for your good. He’s promised to finish what He started, and as you delight yourself in Him, He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I humbly come to You today, giving You all that I am. Thank You for fulfilling every desire in my heart. Mold me and shape me into Your image. Remove anything from my life that is displeasing to You so that everything I do brings glory to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Accept What Cannot Be Changed by Rick Warren Ministries daily devotional 17 May Friday

“I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13 NLT)

Worrying about what cannot be changed won’t give you peace. Becoming resentful or bitter about what cannot be changed will not give you peace. Feeling guilty about things that cannot be changed will not give you peace.

There is only one thing that will bring peace in your life, and that is acceptance of what cannot be changed.

When Paul wrote the book of Philippians, he was in prison in Rome, awaiting execution. In Philippians 4:11-13, he wrote these words: “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (NLT).

Paul probably wanted to change his circumstances, and he could have lashed out at God and questioned what was happening to him. Instead, he trusted God for the things that he could not change and chose to give God the glory.

I can tell you one thing that keeps us tense and nervous and stressed out about the things in our lives: our demand for an explanation. When something goes wrong in life, we say, “Why is this happening, God? Why did you allow this?”

Here are three things you need to understand: First, God doesn’t owe you an explanation for anything. God is a good, just, and fair God, and he understands things that you don’t. You need to just say “OK.”

Second, even if he did explain why things happen the way they do, you probably wouldn’t understand it. You cannot comprehend the ways of God.

Third, explanations never bring peace, anyway. Explanations never satisfy.

What comforts us is the presence of God in our life — not God’s explanations but his care and concern and comfort. Stop looking for something that you really don’t need, and stop trying to change things that are out of your control. Then, you will have peace.

Talk It Over

• What are the circumstances in your life that you have tried to change but instead need to give to God?
• Instead of “why,” what requests do you need to make of God to help bring you peace?