Daily Bread Archives

July 20, 2020July 15, 2020

Praise Changes Everything

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” ~ Acts 16: 25-26

First of all, I want you to understand that Paul and Silas were chained up in a Philippian jail. Then I want you to notice what they were doing. They were singing and praising God. Now, look at what those hardened criminals were doing. They were listening to them sing and pray. The audacity and faithfulness of their devotion to God in such dire circumstances did not go unnoticed by their fellow prisoners. They were wide awake and listening.

Maybe Paul and Silas’ unrestrained and unbridled praise and worship service relieved the burdens of the other prisoners who were sitting or lying down waiting for their judgment to fall. But watch this now, then “…suddenly there was a great earthquake…and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” The chains that bound them fell off. The cell door that held them in swung open. They were free.

Do you want to be free today? Do you want your chains gone? Do you want a new start at life? Begin with praise and thanksgiving. Your praise and worship will change everything. What you cannot change for yourself WILL change through praise, prayer, and thanksgiving.

Heavenly Father, help us to be consistent, determined, and fully persuaded about the things of God. Standing on Your promises, praying always, and never giving up before we receive an answer from You. Let Your praise never end or stay hidden in our mouth. Give us boldness and confidence to praise you in every situation, no matter who may be listening. Help us to have the mindset that whoever is listening may be freed as a result of our praise. Thank You, Father, for Your faithfulness and love.

In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

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Open The Lock

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” ~ Galatians 5:1

I find this incredibly interesting, we have been set free by Jesus, but we can willingly go back into slavery. So many of us ask for freedom, but we don’t really want it. For some reason, shackles and chains seem safe. Why? Because we’ve been brainwashed to think that once we are one way, we will always be that way. Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. Once a drug addict always a drug addict. Once a slave always a slave.

Slavery has been abolished for over a hundred years, yet we still hold onto the hurt of those who were slaves. We still force our brain to conform to the beliefs during those times, when we live in a world of freedom. We are so brainwashed into bondage that we have added a 13th step to the 12-step program, relapse. We automatically think that we will relapse. We automatically think that everyone who fits into our category must be in bondage as we are in bondage.

If they are not we think they’re trying to be something they’re not when in reality they are just trying to be more like who they actually are. But we refuse to believe that, why? Because misery loves company. We want others to be in bondage as we are in bondage. We want others to be in pain as we are in pain. We want others to be hurt as we are hurt. We want others to be slaves as we are slaves.

We have our nation brainwashed into thinking that people do not change. When in reality people can change, they just have to open their eyes to the key God put in their hands. The rapper NF said this in his song, ‘Outcast,’ “woke up in cell… door’s locked, but the keys are in my hands…” “I thought you had me in prison this whole time, but I’m the one holdin’ the keys.” See we place ourselves in these prisons, under these yokes, when Jesus has set us free. When He gave us the key to free ourselves, yet we are like a dog that returns to its vomit.

Why? Because we are uncomfortable in freedom. Our soul is not used to it. And because it is uncomfortable, we don’t want any part in it. We don’t want any part in things we don’t understand, but how can we ever understand freedom if we never take part in it? How can we understand Jesus if we never follow Him and build a relationship with Him? We were each given the keys, what will you do with yours?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Open the Lock.

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Flee

“⁷And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, ‘Lie with me.’ ⁸But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. ⁹He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?’ ¹⁰And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. ¹¹But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, ¹²she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.” ~ Genesis 39:7-12

Ain’t that sin for ya, every day constantly whispering sweet nothings in your ear. Trying to seduce you with every trick it has. But the great thing is, just as Joseph had a way to flee, God has given us a way to flee from every temptation and every sin that comes upon us. He doesn’t just leave us there to deal with it ourselves, but instead, He sets up an escape route and tells us to run. Run like you have an open shot straight to the end zone.

Don’t look back wondering if sin and temptation are gonna catch you. Just as that would get you tackled by your opponent in a football game, so would it get you tackled by sin in the race we call life. Don’t look back, just run, run like your life depended on it because it does. Sometimes we don’t understand that running away from sin is the way to save our lives because some think they won’t get caught because it was done in secret, but God sees everything and Joseph understood that.

Maybe Joseph remembered how God warned Cain, maybe that was a saying used often “….sin is crouching at your door, it’s desire is for you, but you must rule over.” And that is exactly what he did, he ruled over it. He took that escape route and fled. Imagine if we all fled from sin, how pure would we be? How much closer to God would we be?

Peace. Love. Go forth and Flee.

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Taking Possession of Your Promises

“So Joshua said to the Israelites. ‘How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?…’” ~ Joshua 18: 3

Has the LORD put a dream or a great vision in your heart? It’s been sitting there for years now, but you’re afraid to venture out. You find excuses, you let others discourage you, and procrastination sets in, and it all prevents you from starting. Don’t be afraid to step out into that ministry God has called you to, yes there will be giants, but God will fight for you and deliver you. Go on start that business venture He has put in your heart. Having relational problems? Seek Godly counseling, and do not be afraid for the LORD your God is with you.

What He has given you no one can take it from you, but you can lose it through disobedience or unbelief. The Israelites, when they had first come out of Egypt before they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, they were discouraged by a bad report and though they were on the precipice of their promise they lost out because of unbelief. Don’t let unbelief or fear steal your dream or your promise, trust God, He will bring about a great victory for you.

Our Heavenly Father, we need boldness and confidence to achieve the great dream, the great vision that You have placed in our hearts. Help us not to spend our time waiting for the right moment or the right opportunity where the sun is shining bright, and the skies are blue, but rather help us to find ourselves in the midst of Your Will for our lives and to take possession of that God-given dream or promise or vision and grant success.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

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Shout! For the LORD Has Given You The City

“On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, Shout! For the LORD Has Given You the City!” ~ Joshua 6: 15-16

For the previous six days, the Israelites were walking around this huge wall with soldiers on top armed for battle. The wall was so thick chariots patrolled from its top. The enemy’s stronghold seemed impenetrable to anyone who came against it. Yet the Israelites, under God’s direction, walked around. We as Christians sometimes feel that way. The enemy has a stronghold in our life, we’re under spiritual attack, and it seems useless to fight against it. But we can’t be intimidated, we have to continue to circle the enemy’s camp in prayer.

Watch this now. On the seventh day, they walk around seven times, no one is talking, not a sound is being made. What strange little people, this is no way to fight a battle. Don’t they know, it’s arrows, and swords, and spears that will win the war? Don’t they know that it’s siege weapons that will bring this mammoth wall down? Yet they circle in reverent silence.

Sometimes, the things we must do to achieve greatness is not quickly realized by others. We must pray and fast. Give up some TV time and some leisure time in order to dislodge the enemy from our affairs. Some folk will consider us strange and confused, but one day the trumpet will sound, and the LORD will say shout! I have given you the city! This is your breakthrough! This is your time of success! Can you hear the trumpet sounding? Is today your day to shout? Why not, go on, shout for the LORD has given you the city.

Heavenly Father, please help us to listen for Your voice, to do exactly as instructed no matter how strange it may appear to our self or to others. Give us the strength and the confidence to obey, and the grace to trust.

Thank You, Father, for our coming breakthrough and our very great success.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

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Protecting Your Harvest

“Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.” ~ Judges 6:2-6

Here is a story of how the Midianites, the Amalekites, and other eastern peoples would swoop down on Israel at harvest time, and take their harvest. Do you feel like every time your ship is on the horizon the fog swoops in and you lose sight? Or maybe your ship is in the harbor, but a storm is brewing and won’t allow your ship to dock? Or maybe you are under attack, a spiritual attack? Maybe the enemy is attacking you because it is YOUR harvest time.

The dreams you’ve dreamed for so long are finally here. The investment that seemed to have died is beginning to breathe again. Remember the seed you sowed so long ago, it has sprouted and has grown; now the enemy knows it’s YOUR harvest time. That relationship at home that you’ve been praying for, it is about to be restored. So don’t give up, just because the enemy has come down with great wrath wanting to steal and destroy your harvest. You are a mighty warrior; believe it even if no one else does, live it even if you don’t feel like it, because God believes in you so believe in yourself in the light of God’s grace.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every tithe payer right now that You would rebuke the enemy on their behalf. You said in Your Word that if we were faithful in tithes and offerings, you would rebuke the devourer on our behalf and then pour out a blessing so much we would not be able to contain it. I know that You are not a man that You should lie, and I know that all Your promises are true, so please show Yourself faithful to the tithe-payers right now and bring about a blessing so much so that they don’t have room for it, and that they will praise You and honor You in their testimonies.

In Jesus name, I ask it, Amen.

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Fight Back!

^“22And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, ‘You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. ²⁴And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.’ ²⁵And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.” ~ 2 Samuel 5:22–25

The Scripture states that when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, the whole army of them came up to search for David. And it’s the same with us today. When God has blessed us or has provided greatly for us, the enemy comes seeking to steal, or kill, or destroy our blessing. He will never let us enjoy our victory in peace and happiness. He will bring war, and hate, and trouble, and malicious talk, and slander against us. He will try to take or destroy everything God has just given us.

But we, as David did, must seek God, and seek His guidance to know how to proceed. Spend a little time in worship. A little fasting. A little seeking. Get up an hour earlier, God is faithful, He will let Himself be found by those who diligently seek Him. Then couple all that with some effectual, fervent prayer, and see how much that will avail.

Heavenly Father. I lift up to You everyone who is reading this devotional today. I pray LORD that You will go ahead of them. Be their point-guard and their rear-guard. Be their right flank and their left flank. Give Your angels charge over them, that they may prevail and be successful in all that they do. Bless them with peace, joy, and favor. Grant them good health. Father do not let the enemy take that which You have blessed them with.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

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Let Everything That Has Breath Praise

“Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” ~ Psalms 150

This is a hymn of praise to the LORD. The Psalmist is imploring everyone everywhere with everything to praise the LORD. In the little church that I grew up in as a young boy, we did not have musical instruments like electric guitars and drums, worship was done acapella. Now to be fair, we did have a piano in the corner by the platform, but no one ever played, that I can remember.

But instrumentless worship is not God’s way, He wants us to praise Him with all of our instruments, which include hand clapping and singing. Psalms 100 says, “make a joyful noise unto the LORD…come before His presence with singing.” Look also at the last verse of Psalms 150. It says, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.”

In our churches today, don’t let a sinner come into our congregation and raise their hands in praise and worship, for the thoughts that will fly through our minds about ‘that hypocrite.’ But think about it. God did not make a distinction, in fact, He was very specific, He said let EVERYTHING that has breath praise Him. If you have breath in your body, you ought to be praising God. Now don’t get confused with intercessory prayer and praise they are different. Prayer – except for the prayer of repentance- is for the saints, praise is for everyone, so go on praising Him today.

Heavenly Father, I lift up a shout of praise to You today for all the blessings I enjoy, all the prayers You have answered, and for all the times that You have been there for me when no one else understood. I praise You LORD for who You are and what You have done for me. I praise You and give thanks for the great work of salvation that You so freely give to everyone who will accept it. LORD, may Your great and matchless Name be lifted up in my life and among the nations, and may Your praise never depart from my lips. May songs of rejoicing continually be in my mouth, and may You be exalted in all the world, for You are good and Your mercies endure forever. Be glorified in my life I pray; in Jesus name, Amen.

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Encourage Yourself To Praise

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” ~ Psalms 146:1-2

Here the Psalmist is encouraging himself to praise the LORD. He probably doesn’t feel much like praising. Maybe things are rough at work. Maybe home-life is a mess. Maybe he is being unjustly persecuted. But still, he encourages himself to praise the LORD. He almost demands it, when he exclaims, “Praise the LORD, O my soul.”

“Don’t just sit there wallowing in your self-pity,” he seems to say to his soul. “Come on and praise the LORD, for there are benefits in praising. Things change when I praise. So come on soul, begin to praise.” Please realize that the soul is the mind, will, and emotion of a person. Therefore, the Psalmist is not caring about his own feelings, but rather, he instructs his mind to override his will, and praise the LORD. He doesn’t hold a council meeting to find out if it is a good idea. He doesn’t ask his soul to praise, he instructs his mind, his will, and his emotion to praise.

Now notice this. After encouraging his mind, will, and emotion to praise in verse 1, he disregards his feelings completely in verse 2 and makes an executive decision to overrule everything, not caring how down, or how depressed, or how weary from the fight his mind, will, and emotion are, he compels them to praise. “I will praise the LORD as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being” (v 2). He is determined to praise his way out of the desert and sing his way out of the flames. He is determined to not let circumstances keep him down.

Also, did you take note that he makes the object of his praise personal? He says, “…my God…” Not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or the God of his father, David. No! It’s his God. He knows him personally, and he remembers the benefits intimately. So, whatever you’re going through today. Put them in check and sing praises to your God!

Heavenly Father, I ask You to envelop each and every one who reads and accepts this prayer today with Your love and compassion. Let Your loving arms hold them and let them feel the love You have for them. Make their rough paths smooth and their crooked paths straight. Give Your angels charge over them and answer when they call. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Wake Up

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~ Matthew 26:41

How many hours do we spend in prayer a day and how many hours do we spend a day doing things that weaken our spirit man? I’m not saying we need to spend every waking moment in prayer and do absolutely nothing else, but I do believe we (the church) should spend more time in prayer. Just as these disciples were asleep and not keeping watch, so is the church. The Church is in the mess we’re in today, not because of Trump. Not because of the different world leaders. Not because of the broken government system. Not because of the ACLU. Not because of the amount of sin in the world, it’s because of the Church.

The Church is the only thing in the Church’s way. We are the only thing in our way. How many churches fast as a church family once a year or more? How many churches are worshiping and praying for the anointing of the Holy Spirit? Jesus said we would do better things than even He did, so why don’t we see it?

Why don’t we even see what He did being done? Why aren’t we using those Spiritual gifts that are set right in front of us and all we have to do is open them? Why don’t we? Why don’t we take those gifts that have been given to us? Because we, the church, are asleep. And when one of us sleeps we can’t function right, how do we know this? Because we are called the body of Christ, if the body is built up of different members, then if one, just one member goes rogue the entire body is affected by this one member. We can’t properly and effectively work without being in perfect unison.

So, we (each and every part of the body) needs to stay awake, we need to be on watch, and we need to pray. We need to do as Jesus did and wake up those who are in spiritual slumber. We need to be on high alert because we have been asleep for so long that we have forgotten we are in a war zone. No matter where we go, no matter who we are, no matter our name, no matter our ethnicity, no matter the color of our skin, we are all in war because it is up to us to spread the news. It is up to us plant the seeds. It is up to us to preach the gospel. It is up to us to intercede for the sinner. But if we’re asleep how can we do this and defend every attack the enemy throws our way?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Awaken.

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