He Is Willing

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:1–3

If you have entertained doubts about Jesus’ willingness to heal you because of your sins and shortcomings, I want to show you how Jesus healed someone who was disqualified and considered unclean under the Levitical law. Matthew 8 takes place at the Mount of Beatitudes right after Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, and it opens with the verses above.

One of my favorite places to visit in Israel is the Mount of Beatitudes. A number of years ago, I climbed up to where Jesus could have sat while He preached to the multitudes below, then I walked along a path that I realized led all the way to Capernaum.

I had always imagined Jesus going down the mountain toward the multitude, but I realized that if He had, it wouldn’t say “great multitudes followed Him.” Very likely, He had to be walking down another side of the mountain toward Capernaum for the multitudes to follow Him. Just one verse after Jesus healed the man with leprosy, the Bible tells us He entered Capernaum (Matt. 8:5), so that makes sense to me.

As I walked along that path, I came to a huge pile of rocks on the side and noticed other slabs of stone strewn nearby. All of a sudden, I felt the Lord arrest me, and He began to give me an inner vision. I saw how the man with leprosy could have hidden under those rocks so he could hear Jesus preach without being seen by the multitudes. Had he been seen, being unclean because of his leprosy, people repulsed by his condition might have hurled stones at him to drive him away.

I saw the anguish of the man whose body was covered with leprous sores and raw, exposed flesh, and who had also been forced to isolate himself and be cut off from his loved ones so he would not contaminate or defile them (Lev. 13:45–46). I saw the desperation of the man who threw himself before Jesus, worshiping Him as he said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And I saw the beauty and the majesty of our Lord Jesus as He touched the man with leprosy and pronounced, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

In that moment, the Lord didn’t just restore the man’s health, He also restored his humanity.

That Jesus touched a man with leprosy is amazing. Under the law, when the clean touches the unclean, the clean becomes unclean. Our Lord Jesus was showing that under grace, when the clean (Jesus) touches the unclean, the unclean becomes clean! Jesus did not contract defilement by touching the man with leprosy—He banished it. Beloved, He will do the same for you.

This devotional is adapted from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional.

Confession of Sin

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

A question I’m often asked about total forgiveness of sins is, What about the confession of sins spoken of in 1 John 1:9? Don’t we have to confess our sins in order to be forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness?

I have shared on several occasions about my own past struggle with 1 John 1:9—to the point of obsession with trying to confess every sin and living so sin-conscious that I believed I had lost my salvation. For now, I want to share with you a fresh and powerful revelation that the Lord opened my eyes to at the time of this writing. In my study, He asked me to examine the word “sins” in 1 John 1:9 and to see if it is a noun or verb in the original Greek text. Are you ready for this?

In the two instances where we see the word “sins” in 1 John 1:9, it is the Greek noun hamartia that is used. According to well-known Bible scholar William Vine, hamartia (“a missing of the mark”) indicates “a principle or source of action, or an inward element producing acts . . . a governing principle or power.” In other words, it refers to the sin principle, or our sinful state on account of Adam’s sin. By using the noun form of this word, John was clearly not referring to our committing of individual acts of sin, or he would have used the verb form, hamartano.

In the light of this, can you see how 1 John 1:9 is not talking about confessing our sins every time we sin in thought or in deed? John was speaking of the need to acknowledge and confess to God that we are sinners because of Adam’s sin, as well as to receive the total forgiveness for all our sins through Jesus’ finished work.

How often do we need to do this? Only once. That’s why 1 John 1:9 is primarily a salvation verse, one that encourages the sinner to acknowledge and confess his sinful state or “sinnerhood,” get born again by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and have his sinful state through Adam replaced with a new righteous state through Christ.

In the first chapter of 1 John, the apostle John was addressing the heretical Gnostic doctrine that did not subscribe to a belief in man’s sinful state. John was encouraging the Gnostics to confess their sinful state and receive the Lord’s complete forgiveness and total cleansing from all their unrighteousness through His finished work at the cross.

Now, what does John say then, about our committing of sins after we’ve become believers? Just two verses later in the second chapter of 1 John, John answers this question as he begins his address to believers: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). This time, the words “sin” and “sins” are the Greek verb hamartano. John is now referring to believers’ committing of sins—their sinful thoughts and deeds. What does John say regarding this? He reminds us that when we fail as believers, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ.

Because of our Lord Jesus and what He has accomplished at the cross, we have forgiveness and we still stand righteous before God even when we’ve missed it. As the apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian believers who had failed that they were still the temple of the Holy Spirit, John reminds us of who we are in Christ and Who we have representing us at God’s right hand.

Can you see that the Bible’s answer to overcoming sin is always to remind believers of their righteous identity in Christ? This is not to encourage us to sin but to encourage us to look to our Lord Jesus, to see our sins punished at the cross and to live victoriously and gloriously for Him. Remember, that is what true repentance is all about—turning to the cross and returning to His grace!

When you fail today, know that you can talk to God honestly about your failing, but do it with a revelation of the cross of our Lord Jesus. See your sins punished in His body and receive afresh His forgiveness and unmerited favor to reign over your sins.

This devotional is taken from the book Glorious Grace—100 Daily Readings from Grace Revolution.

Exercise Wisdom and Walk in Protection

For He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

Psalm 91:11–12

When it comes to the Lord’s protection, there are some who read Psalm 91:11–12 and see in these promises an invitation to live recklessly. But this scripture is not encouraging you to throw yourself in harm’s way. It is saying that as you go about the course of your daily life, “in all your ways” the Lord will protect you. The Hebrew word for “ways” in verse 11 shows this clearly—it is the word derek, which means path, road, or journey.

As you go about your daily path, there are times when the enemy may have put snares ahead of you that you are unaware of. But God will give His angels charge over you, to go ahead of you to protect you from those snares. It doesn’t mean that you should go and do something foolish and harmful to yourself to test God’s protection! Even as we trust the Lord for His divine protection, let’s exercise wisdom as well.

You may be familiar with Mark 16:18, which says, “If they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them.” Now, if someone challenges you to drink poison and you willfully drink it to show that it will not hurt you, that’s just being foolish. Psalm 91:11 is talking about the paths you take as part of your normal life. Drinking poison intentionally is certainly not part of your normal life. What Mark 16:18 is saying is that should you drink something harmful without realizing it in the course of your day, the Lord will protect you from being harmed!

I have a missionary friend who told me how someone had tried to poison him while he was in the mission field. In the end, the person became a believer in the Lord Jesus because he saw the missionary innocently drinking the entire glass of poison—and suffering no ill effects. That’s how Mark 16:18 applies!

And I hope you realize that God’s protection does not always have to come in the form of spectacular angelic interventions. I believe that every day, His protection over us is so supernaturally natural that many of us don’t even realize that we have been protected. Perhaps as you were stepping off the curb, you felt something hold or pull you back, and right then, a car sped past you. What do you think held or pulled you back? It may well have been an angel, not necessarily spectacularly, but supernaturally protecting you (Heb. 1:14)!

This devotional is adapted from the book The Prayer of Protection Devotional—Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times.

The Whole Armor of God

. . .above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:16–18

Today I would like to share with you how each piece of the armor of God found in Ephesians 6 is actually a weapon of right believing by which we experience His victory over the devil’s mind games.

Let’s look first at the piece of armor the Bible calls the shield of faith with which to defend yourself and stand strong when the enemy comes against you with thoughts of fear, doubt, and confusion.

In apostle Paul’s time, a shield referred to the huge shield that was used by the Romans, which was as big as a door! See your faith as a mighty shield and picture this—as long as your shield of faith is up, you are untouchable. No matter how many fiery darts the devil may pitch at you, ALL of them shall be quenched. Too many Christians are taking up the shield of doubt and quenching the blessings of God instead. Don’t let that be you—face your future with boldness with the mighty shield of faith.

Another area the devil likes to attack in your mind is the area of your salvation. When you come under attack, apart from the shield of faith, be sure to have on the helmet of salvation. The word “salvation” comes from a beautiful Greek word soteria, which definitely includes eternal life, but is an all-encompassing word that means deliverance (from your enemies, diseases, depression, fears, and all evils), preservation, safety, and salvation. So put on the helmet of salvation by meditating on Jesus, and be filled with God’s wholeness, protection, healing, and soundness. Let His soteria insulate your mind against the enemy’s lies.

Lastly, you have also been equipped with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Wield the sword of the Spirit by praying in the Spirit and speaking out God’s “now word” into your situation. Declare His promises and the truth of His grace over yourself and your circumstances to guard your heart against thoughts of hopelessness, despair, and fear.

My friend, the whole armor of God has everything to do with what you believe in Christ. When you believe rightly about His grace and His finished work, every evil strategy the enemy has against you will surely fail. So be strong in the Lord’s love for you. Believe that God is for you and not against you. His truth, His righteousness, His faith, His gospel, His salvation, His Word, and His Spirit are all weapons of right believing to overcome all the devil’s attacks.

This devotional is adapted from the book 100 Days of Right Believing—Daily Readings from The Power of Right Believing.

From Dead Works to a Living Relationship

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

Hebrews 6:1

Ever kept your eye on the clock while you prayed or read your Bible? Ever felt relieved when the clock showed that you could stop (because you have diligently done your part to merit God’s righteousness) and get on with the rest of your day?

My friend, if you pray because you think that praying makes you right with God, that’s a dead work. But if you pray because you are right with God and you know that He loves you, there is power there. Can you see the difference? It is the same activity—prayer—but the bases and motivations for doing it are completely different. One is a dead work while the other is a living work born of grace.

Similarly, if you study the Bible because you think that doing so makes you right with God, you have missed it. That’s a dead work. There will be no revelation because you are not flowing with the Spirit of truth, who bears witness with your spirit that you are already right with God. But if you study the Bible because you know that you are right with God and that the Bible is a love letter from the One who made you right, treasures from His Word will open up to you.

Look again at today’s scripture. Of all the things that make up the foundation of our faith, the Bible exhorts us to “repent from dead works.” Dead works are the so-called “good works” that people do to try to gain righteousness with God. And whether you live your Christian life in dead works or in faith toward God through a revelation of God’s grace can mean the difference between life and death.

Wilson is someone who can testify to this. Writing to me from Australia, he told me how he was handed one of my books by a woman he did not know. She just walked up to him and said she felt led to give it to him. Imagine how that must have sounded to someone who had been burned by legalistic teachings and was trying to get as far away from God as he could for the last two decades. His curiosity piqued, Wilson opened the book . . . and embarked on a precious journey that has brought healing, wholeness, liberty, and a new, loving relationship with God. Here is Wilson’s story of that journey in his own words:

Pastor Prince, what can I say? Your book changed my life! After running from God for the last twenty years, I finally stopped and turned back to God because of the way this book explains who God really is and what Jesus did for us on the cross. I now know (and am still learning daily) who I am in Christ.

Through your book, I have discovered that Christianity is not a religion like I thought it was and experienced before. Now I know that God is alive, He truly loves me, and is for me. This is the best thing that has happened to me!

Furthermore, I have given up smoking by following the ways you mentioned in your book and on some DVDs—to look to Jesus as my righteousness and declare I am righteous in Him even if that is the last thing I feel at that moment. You showed me that no matter what I have done or do, Jesus still loves me, and it’s because of this that I have been able to give up smoking. I couldn’t give it up through my own efforts before, but through resting in Him—His love, His righteousness—I have. Besides the cigarette addiction, I have also been set free from twenty years of drug and alcohol abuse and am now free of paranoid thoughts too.

I have also just enrolled in an online Bible college because now I’m hungry to know Him. I get your teachings on Facebook every day, which help me a great deal. Thank you for being obedient to God’s call on your life. You have helped make the doors to the church even wider for new Christians and also for those who have walked away.

Do you see what an amazing change knowing and believing right about God (and how He deals with us today) can bring? Listen, my friend, God does not want you in dead works—depending on your own efforts to please Him and qualify for His blessings. God wants you having and operating out of a personal and loving relationship with Him, not out of a sense of religious obligation. Dead works will bring you into bondage because it’s all dependent on your own efforts to please God. It will steal the life and joy right out of your Christian walk, like it did for Wilson many years ago.

Today, realize that God’s Word exhorts us to repent (change our minds) from dead works and believe the gospel. How do you do this? See the cross. See how God loves you so much that He sent Jesus, who came down to where you were to bring you up to where He is—something no amount of your self-effort can ever do.

Like Wilson, see Jesus’ obedience making you righteous (Rom. 5:19), and praise Him for His marvelous grace! Enjoy His wonderful presence today when you come to Him in prayer or read His Word. Let Him fill your heart, mind, and body with His grace, peace, wholeness, and life.

This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs.

Every Condition in Every Part

“Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails.”

Exodus 12:8–9

If you’re trusting the Lord for your healing breakthrough today, I want to arm your heart with this simple but critical truth: There are no exclusions and conditions to God’s healing power, because there are no exclusions whatsoever in the finished work of Christ. Its coverage is all-encompassing and perfectly comprehensive, and every condition has been covered!

I want to highlight a powerful truth in the verses above. Why did God specifically mention that the lamb should be roasted in fire with its head, legs, and entrails? I believe He wants you to see that Jesus, your Passover Lamb, bore every condition in every part of your body. There is no disease, injury, or sickness He did not carry in His own body on the cross.

The Israelites had lived under the stressful, cruel oppression of their slave masters and the horror of infanticide. Perhaps some of them suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or had recurrent panic attacks. Perhaps some had chronic pain and physical disabilities from being brutally treated by their slave masters. But whatever condition they might have suffered from, I believe they were healed as they ate the roasted head, legs, and entrails of the lamb.

Whatever affliction you might have in any part of your body, I want you to know every condition has been borne by Jesus on the cross. While God specifically instructed the children of Israel to eat the Passover lamb’s head with its legs and entrails, the whole lamb was roasted. This means no matter what disease you are battling today, Jesus has taken it on Himself.

Today, I encourage you to receive the holy Communion remembering the perfect love of our Lord Jesus and what His finished work of has accomplished for you.

Your part is to keep partaking of the channel of divine health He has given you until you see the manifestation of your victory. Your part is to lift up your hands to Him and say, “Lord Jesus, I receive Your healing. By the stripes that fell on You, every part of my body—every cell, every organ—is healed and functions at peak efficiency. Thank You, Jesus, for Your healing.”

This devotional is adapted from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional.

Righteousness Is A Gift

'And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:'

Luke 18:9

People who are self-righteous often despise others. No one can compare himself with God's perfect standard and feel good about himself. To trust in ourselves, we have to constantly compare ourselves with others. This breeds a critical attitude towards others that exalts self by debasing others.

No one can ever be righteous in the sight of God through his own righteousness. Our actions benefit us in relationships with people and prevent Satan from having an opportunity against us, but they cannot make us right (righteous) with God. We must trust in God and receive His gift of righteousness completely on the basis of faith in what Christ did for us. This is the truth that this parable is presenting.

Most people are unaware that there are two kinds of righteousness. Only one type of righteousness is acceptable to God. One form of righteousness is our own righteousness. These are the acts of holiness that we do in an attempt to fulfill the commands of the Old Testament law. This is an imperfect righteousness because human nature is imperfect and incapable of fulfilling the law.

God's righteousness is not something that we do, but something that we receive as a gift through faith in Christ. It's not possible to trust in our own righteousness and in God's righteousness. A person who believes that he must earn God's acceptance by his holy actions must not believe in God's righteousness, which is a gift. It has to be one or the other; we cannot mix the two. Righteousness is not what Jesus has done for us plus some minimum standard of holiness that we have to accomplish. God's righteousness is perfect. Accept this gift He offers to you. Andrew Womack

God Answers Prayer

'And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? '

Luke 18:7 

This is not an exact comparison of God to this unjust judge, teaching us that we should badger God until we weary Him and He grants us our request.

Rather, Jesus is contrasting His willingness to answer our prayers with this unjust judge's unwillingness. The parable is a contrast, not a representation.

Not only do we have God who is a just judge who will avenge His elect speedily, but we also have Jesus as our advocate or attorney who is always making intercession for us. However, we have an adversary (the devil) who is constantly accusing us and misrepresenting God (the judge). This causes men to give up (faint) and not even plead their case with God because they doubt that He will answer them anyway.

Jesus is saying that our Father is not an unjust judge that we have to pressure into doing what is right. Many times we put more faith in people and their willingness to do what is right than we do in God. Satan has deceived us about the willingness of God to answer our prayers and Jesus is countering that deception with this parable. Jesus is encouraging us to pray (petition God) and not doubt His willingness to grant our requests. To teach that we must pester God until He gives in to our pressure is not good theology.

This widow's actions were commendable. She knew what was rightfully hers and she refused to take 'no' for an answer. If we can be that confident and determined when dealing with unjust men, how much more should we persist, despite the devil's delays, when dealing with our faithful Father. You can trust Him to always come through for you. Andrew Womack

Like A Thief In The Night

'For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.'

 Luke 17:24

This scripture and the parallel scripture in Matthew 24:27 make it very clear that the second return of Jesus will be no secret to anyone. In Matthew's account, it is especially clear that this statement about the lightning was made so that we wouldn't be deceived by false Christs. Just as lightning is visible to everyone, so the second return of Jesus will be witnessed by the whole world. That's the reason we don't have to be fearful about missing His second coming and anxiously follow every report that Christ has come.

These verses completely destroy the claims of the Bahai religion and others who claim that Jesus has secretly come back the second time.

Just as Jesus had warned His disciples not to be deceived by false Christs because His second coming would be visible to everyone, He also explains that until the very day of His coming, the world will continue on its present course. People will not discern the signs of His coming just as the people during Noah's day didn't realize their impending judgment. This corresponds exactly with Jesus' prophecies about His coming being like the appearance of a thief in the night. Jesus is emphasizing that the unbelievers will not recognize that He is coming until it is too late. He is stressing that His coming will take the world by surprise.

The Lord is pointing out the urgent need to be ready for His return. In the same way that a thief comes when people are the least prepared, so our Lord will return in a time when people are not looking for Him. There will be a condition of apathy in the latter days that will tend to lull even the faithful to sleep if they don't take heed to His words. He urges us to be watchful so we will be prepared. Andrew Womack

Give Thanks Daily

'There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.'

Luke 17:18

Relatively few people who receive the goodness of the Lord return to give Him thanks for what He has done. That does not keep the Lord from doing what is right for us. He healed all ten of these lepers according to their request - not just the one who was thankful. However, there was only one out of the ten that was made 'whole.'

The Lord desires that we prosper in spirit, soul, and body. He wants us to be whole - not just healed. Part of the reason God meets our physical needs is to prove to us His willingness and ability to meet our emotional and spiritual needs. The Lord is concerned about our temporal needs (Mt. 6:30), but He is even more concerned about our eternal needs. All of these lepers needed physical healing and the Lord was moved with compassion and met their need.

He was also desiring to meet their spiritual needs, but only one out of the ten came back for that.

Being unthankful is always a sign that self is exalting itself above God. A selfless person can be content with very little. A self-centered person cannot be satisfied. Thankfulness is a sign of humility and cultivating a life of thankfulness will help keep 'self' in its proper place.

Thankfulness to the Lord for what He is and what He has done is a very important part of the Christian life. One of the many benefits of thanksgiving and praise is that they keep us from being 'self' oriented.

Giving thanks is a totally unselfish action and is a key to relationship with the Father that makes us 'whole' and not just 'healed.' Andrew Womack

The Righteous Remain Evergreen

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon… They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.

Psalm 92:12, 14

Have you ever wondered if your best days are behind you?

Perhaps you’ve gone through disappointments, losses, or simply the passing of years, and you’ve caught yourself thinking, I don’t have the strength I used to have. Maybe my best years are behind me.

Yet the psalmist paints a very different picture of the righteous. He says, “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.”

I love that little word “still.” It means that even after many years, many battles, and many seasons, the righteous are not drying up. They are not fading away. They are still bearing fruit. They are still fresh. They are still flourishing.

The world expects decline with age. It tells us to lower our expectations, slow down, and accept weakness as inevitable. But our heavenly Father says, “As your days, so shall your strength be.” He doesn’t give us strength in advance for ten years from now. He gives us strength for today. And tomorrow, there will be fresh strength again.

As the righteousness of God in Christ, you have the divine life of Jesus in you that keeps renewing, refreshing, and strengthening you through every season.

So don’t accept the world’s picture of aging, decline, and diminishing strength. Keep seeing yourself the way the Lord sees you—fresh and flourishing, fruitful and full of life. Declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ. As my days, so shall my strength be. I will remain fresh and flourishing, bearing fruit even in old age. My best days are not behind me, for the Lord will keep me fruitful and display His goodness in every season of life.”

Beloved, your best days are not behind you. The One who made you righteous delights to see you flourishing, bearing fruit, and displaying His goodness all the days of your life. Joseph Prince

I Will Possess Every Blessing That Is Mine in Christ

The righteous possess the land, and they dwell for ever on it.

Psalm 37:29 YLT

Have you ever stopped praying about something because you no longer expected it to change?

Perhaps it’s a health issue you’ve learned to manage, a family situation that has remained unresolved, or anxious thoughts that keep returning no matter how often you bring them to the Lord. After a while, it’s easy to lower your expectations and simply learn to live with it.

Yet God’s Word says, “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.” The righteous don’t merely inherit the land. They dwell in it. They enjoy it. They possess what has been given to them.

That’s what Joshua learned firsthand. After all the victories he had seen, the Lord still told him, “There remains very much land to be possessed.” God had already given His people the land, yet there were still portions they had not stepped into and enjoyed.

Perhaps there are areas of our lives that are like that. Maybe you’ve stopped expecting peace in your mind, healing in your body, or a breakthrough in a situation you’ve brought to the Lord for years. At some point, it’s easy to conclude, This is probably as good as it gets.

But our Lord Jesus did not pay such a great price for us to simply settle for less. And He is certainly not asking us to fight for what He has already purchased. He simply wants us to keep looking to Him, keep expecting His goodness, and keep walking by faith until we begin enjoying what is already ours.

So if there is an area where you’ve lowered your expectations, bring it before the Lord once again. Declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I refuse to settle for less than what Jesus died to give me. I will possess every blessing that is mine in Christ.”

Don’t give up ground, beloved. Keep trusting. Keep expecting. Keep speaking in line with His finished work. The One who made you righteous delights to see you enjoying every blessing He has freely given you. Joseph Prince

I Am Forever Accepted in Christ

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:19

Have you ever noticed how a moment of failure can affect the way you approach the Lord?

Perhaps you lost your temper, entertained anxious thoughts, or gave in to a habit you’ve been trying to overcome. Suddenly, you don’t feel like praying anymore. You hesitate to ask the Lord for help. You wonder if you’ve somehow disqualified yourself from receiving His blessings.

But beloved, if your right standing with the Lord could disappear every time you stumbled, it was never everlasting righteousness to begin with. Our Lord Jesus did not give you a righteousness that comes and goes depending on how you’ve performed.

The Bible tells us that by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Your righteousness today rests entirely on Jesus’ obedience, not your own. What you received by faith was never based on your performance, and your failures cannot undo it.

That doesn’t mean we take sin lightly. But it does mean we don’t judge our standing by our state. Our emotions fluctuate. Our thoughts are not always consistent. Even our behavior may disappoint us at times. But our standing before the Lord remains secure because it rests entirely on Jesus’ finished work at the cross.

Beloved, what you did not earn, you can never lose. Because Jesus has made you righteous forever in Christ, you never have to run from Him when you stumble. You can come boldly to Him today, knowing that you are completely forgiven, fully accepted, and forever His beloved.

So the next time guilt, condemnation, or the memory of a failure tells you that you’ve fallen out of favor with God, remind yourself that your righteousness in Christ is everlasting. The same obedience that made you righteous is what keeps you righteous today. No failure can take away the righteousness Jesus has freely given you. Joseph Prince

The Lord Is My Strength and My Help

“Fear not, for I am with you . . . I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

Have you ever reached a point where you simply didn’t know what to do?

Perhaps you’re facing an impossible challenge. You’ve done all you know to do, yet nothing seems to change. The more you think about it, the more overwhelmed you become. Questions fill your mind, yet answers seem nowhere in sight. And deep down, you know you don’t have the strength to carry it all alone.

David knew what that felt like. Returning to Ziklag, he found the city burned to the ground and everyone taken captive. His men wept until they had no more strength to weep, and in their bitterness they spoke of stoning him. David was grieving the loss of his own family, yet six hundred devastated men were looking to him for answers.

In that dark moment, David discovered a precious truth. He strengthened himself in the LORD his God. He turned to the One who had never failed him, sought His direction, and recovered everything that had been lost.

Beloved, perhaps today your body feels weak, and you’re trusting the Lord for healing. Perhaps there seems to be more month than money, there is strife in your home, your challenges with your child are weighing heavily on your heart, or you’ve been fighting a battle for so long that you’re simply tired.

Notice what the Lord says in Isaiah 41. He doesn’t tell you to become stronger, strive harder, or hold on a little longer. He simply says, “Fear not, for I am with you . . . I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you.” And because Jesus has made you righteous, you can receive these words as His promise to you today.

So if you’ve been carrying a burden that seems too heavy to bear, bring it to the Lord today and simply say, “Lord, You are my strength and my help.” The same Lord who strengthened David and restored all that he had lost has not changed. He will faithfully sustain you, help you, and lead you through whatever lies ahead.

You Don’t Have to Fear Bad News

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

Psalm 112:6–8 NIV

No fear of bad news.

Psalm 112 says this is what characterizes the righteous. But in a world where troubling headlines seem endless and fearful reports come without warning, how is this even possible?

I think many of us know what it’s like for fear to get ahead of us. We receive an unexpected report, and before anything has happened, our minds are already racing ahead, imagining outcomes that haven’t even happened.

Yet Psalm 112 tells us that the righteous respond differently. Notice that the verse doesn’t say they never receive an unfavorable report. It doesn’t say they have all the answers or know exactly how things will turn out. It simply says they do not fear bad news because their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Beloved, the righteous can remain steadfast because their confidence is not in favorable circumstances or in knowing how things will turn out. Their confidence is in the Lord. And because Jesus has made you righteous, this confidence belongs to you as well.

You don’t have to live in expectation of evil or surrender your peace to every negative report you receive. As the righteousness of God in Christ, your heart can remain steady even when circumstances are uncertain. The One who faithfully brought you through yesterday has not changed, and He will not fail you tomorrow.

So when fearful thoughts come and try to tell you how tomorrow will unfold, don’t let them have the final word. Fear doesn’t get to decide how your story ends.

Instead, answer those thoughts with the promises of God. Declare that the Lord is your confidence, that His goodness and mercy are following you all the days of your life, and that the One who has faithfully brought you through yesterday will remain faithful tomorrow.

As you do, you’ll find your heart becoming settled once again, steadfast and trusting in the Lord. Joseph Prince

Walk In The Light

'Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.'

 John 11:9

Jesus compares His decision to return to Judaea to a man traveling during the day. Daytime travel doesn't guarantee a hazard-free trip but the light does allow us to see the hazards. At nighttime, it's inevitable that we will stumble. Likewise, walking in the light of God's direction doesn't mean that there won't be problems, but the alternative of 'doing our own thing' (that is walking in darkness) is guaranteed to get us into trouble.

Jesus was obeying the leading of His Father to return to Judaea. He could see exactly what was going to take place and He was going to walk in the light that His Father had given Him. Our decisions should not be based on whether or not we will be hurt in some way as a result of our actions, but we must discern God's will and do it regardless of the cost.

The misconception that, 'if God is in it, there will be no problems' is not only wrong, but is dangerous. This kind of thinking has caused many people to 'back off' from what God has told them to do when things don't go the way they expected. Our problems do not come from God, therefore, we should not pray for problems and not embrace them as being 'a blessing from God in disguise.' Furthermore, when trials come, we should not be shocked (1 Pet. 4:12) and not let problems or the lack thereof confirm or deny God's will for us.

Jesus died for each one of us. Each one of us ought to live for Him. Offering ourselves to God is not just a one-time deal. We have to die daily to our own desires. This has to be a living, ongoing commitment to the Lord. Andrew Womack

Turn From Sin

'Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.'

John 11:5

It is interesting to note that special mention is made of Jesus loving Martha. This is after the incident recorded in Luke 10:38-42 where Martha is caught up with serving instead of worshipping Jesus and her priorities are still not in order. Jesus was not rebuking Martha but rather exhorting her for her own profit. When the Lord deals with problem areas in our lives, it is always for our profit - not punishment and we should not take it as rejection. This is one way to discern God's correction from the devil's condemnation.

God convicts us of sin but He doesn't condemn us. Conviction is solely for our profit with no malice while condemnation includes punishment. Satan is the one who condemns the Christian, but the Holy Spirit has given us the power to escape that condemnation. The way the Lord convicts a believer is through the inner ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is always done in a positive manner that encourages us to turn from sin rather than the negative way of condemning us for having committed the sin.

A Christian who still walks in condemnation is being condemned by the devil or is condemning himself. Only those who are living in the power of the Holy Spirit escape condemnation. Compare this to the law of gravity. Gravity is a law that never quits exerting its power, but it can be overcome. Through the laws of aerodynamics man can actually fly and send space ships beyond Earth's gravity. But it takes power to do this. If the power is shut off, the law of gravity is still at work and will cause the vehicle to fall.

Likewise, the law of sin and death still exists. If a Christian shuts off the power of the Spirit of life and begins to walk in the power of his own flesh, Satan will use this law of sin and death to condemn him and ensure he crashes. It's not God who condemns us. Andrew Womack

The Measure Of Faith

'And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.'

Luke 17:5

There are many scriptures that speak of varying degrees of faith. However, the scriptures also speak of Jesus increasing in wisdom (Lk. 2:52) that certainly refers to His physical intellect drawing more and more on the perfect wisdom of God that was already in Him at birth. It is in this way that we also increase in faith.

At salvation, the believer is given the supernatural faith of God. We had to use the very faith of God (not human faith) to believe the gospel (Eph. 2:8).

That faith came to us through hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), and once we are born again, it becomes an abiding fruit of the Spirit within us.

Every believer is given the same measure of faith at salvation but not all believers use what God has given them. Therefore, it is correct to speak of growing in faith and having great faith or little faith, but it is important to understand that this is speaking of how much faith we use or manifest - not how much faith we were given. All believers were given 'the' same measure of faith.

Jesus' example of the grain of mustard seed underscores the truth that our faith is sufficient if we will just use it without the hindrance of unbelief.

He then continues on into the parable of the servant serving his master to illustrate that our faith is not the problem but rather our use of it. We are using it to serve ourselves instead of our master who is God.

Living by faith is not something special that only the 'super-saints' are supposed to do. The Lord expects all of His children to live a supernatural life of faith. He gave you everything you need to do this, just let Him live through you. Andrew Womack

Ask Big

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

John 14:13

I want to begin this devotional by giving you this challenge: ask God for big things!

What do you desire to see in your life—in your family, health, finances, and career? What would you ask God for if you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that He is good and that His love for you endures forever?

Ask God for them! Jesus came so that you might live a life that is marked not by lack, but by abundance; not by despair, but by the fullness of His love, joy, and peace.

I would like you to write down in your journal what you would ask God for if you knew that He hears your prayers. What are your dreams, hopes, and aspirations? What would you like to see come to pass in your life? What are you battling with today? Which area of your life would you like to see God’s power work in?

Write it down. Write it all down. Write what you want to see happen with Bible hope in your heart that He hears you and will supply. Write with a certain, joyful, positive, and confident expectation of good.

Don’t just ask God for small things. Ask Him for big things! For instance, don’t ask Him for just a job. Ask Him for a position of influence. Don’t just ask Him to restore your health. Ask Him for a long and healthy life filled with many good days.

Enlarge your faith to believe in God’s goodness. He is pleased when our faith is big. He is not offended when we ask Him for big things.

Would you do that right now? Just take a few moments and pen down your requests to God—God, who is almighty and more powerful than we can ever imagine.

God, who hung the planets in their places and spoke order into the world. God, who led His people in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God, who rained manna from heaven and brought forth water from dry rock.

God, who turned bland waters into the finest wine. God, who made the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear. God, who multiplied five loaves of bread and two small fish to feed five thousand men. God, who raised the dead and conquered the grave.

Ask what you need of God, who loves YOU with an everlasting love!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Right Believing—Daily Readings from The Power of Right Believing.

Saving You Is Jesus' Job Description

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:20–21

The name “Jesus” is Yeshua in Hebrew, which contains an abbreviation for Yahweh, the name of God in Hebrew. So the name “Jesus” literally means “Yahweh is our Savior” or “The Lord is our Savior”! What a beautiful name!

Every time you call the name of Jesus, the name that is above every other name, you are calling God Himself to save you. Saving you is Jesus’ job description!

Whatever the challenge or circumstance, whatever crisis you are in—physically, financially, or emotionally—you can call on the name of Jesus and Almighty God Himself will save you!

My friend, you can take time to know the names of God, which He revealed under the old covenant, such as Elohim, El Shaddai, El Elyon, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rophe and Jehovah-Nissi. You can do a complete study on the names of God.

I am not against that at all. I teach on the names of God in my church as well, but all these names will mean nothing to you if you don’t know that God Almighty Himself, Jesus, wants to save you first from all your sins, then from all your challenges.

God can be all powerful, but if you are not confident that He is interested in your success, His power would mean nothing to you. So, you don’t have to memorize all the names of God from the old covenant. What you need is a full revelation that Jesus, in the new covenant, is your Savior!

What is Tiger Woods famous for? Golf! What is David Beckham famous for? Soccer! (He's also famous for product endorsements!) What is Jesus famous for? Saving you!

What do you need saving from today? See Him in your situation, rescuing, protecting, and providing for you!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor.