Daily Bread Archives

August 27, 2023August 21, 2023

A Root of Unanswered Prayers

⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; ¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. ¹³As a father shows compassion to His children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. ¹⁴For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. ~ Psalms 103:8-14

This Psalm states that the LORD is a merciful and gracious God, abounding in steadfast love. He is not willing that any should perish, so much so that He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities, but has great compassion for us.

He wants us to all come to repentance and forsake our sins, and leave off our iniquities, not keep them hidden as secret sins. If we do that and keep our sins hidden, how can we find forgiveness? Not only that, but it could cause us not to be heard by God.

Ever wonder why your prayers are not being answered in a timely manner? The short answer is possible secret sins. How did I come to this conclusion? The Psalmist is saying that if he saw iniquity in his own heart and did nothing about it, it would hinder his prayers, but because he did not do that, he cleared his conscience before God, and therefore, God listened to his prayer and answered him. And that is true of all of us.

Maybe, we don’t see more of our prayers answered because of secret sins. Maybe the answer is we have cherished iniquity in our own hearts. In other words, we have entertained sins that we should be casting out and building up strongholds we should be tearing down. We are to do what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “…take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Dear LORD, please help me to tear down every stronghold. Help me to remove every secret sin from my life. Help me to remain in Your love. Teach me to overcome evil with good. Strengthen me to cast down every evil and wicked thought that enters my mind. Teach me to walk in Your ways and cling to Your Word. Help me to run the race set before me with great endurance so that I might finish strong. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Strongholds?

Back to Daily Bread?

Be Not Offended By Jesus

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. ~ Matthew 7:15-20

In today’s Church, we’re afraid to say anything that may offend someone. I was recently at a Church where the pastor from the platform was explaining his childhood. Specifically, the legalism of the Oneness Holiness Pentecostal Church he got saved in and the dead catholic church he grew up in. There was really no critiquing of the churches. Simply that, one was legalistic and the other dead. He then quickly defended himself with, ‘There’s good people in both churches. I’m not trying to critique anyone. I just want to tell you my experience.’

Why has the Church become like this? Why are we so afraid to offend people by speaking Truth? Sin isn’t to be tolerated. It’s not to be overlooked. Its feelings aren’t to be taken care of. It’s to be called out. It’s to be corrected. There’s not a time when we should try to protect the feelings of sin by quieting the Truth. No. Jesus said blessed are those who are not offended by Him. Jesus is Truth. We can’t quiet the Truth in order to make sin feel more comfortable.

We’re the body of Christ. The Temple of the Living God. Sin should never be comfortable around us. Sin should never feel safe around us. In the Spirit should be a big sign that reads “No Safe Zone Here” right over our heads. That’s what we should drive for. God’s Spirit should be so strong within us that sin flees from our presence because it’s afraid to be in the presence of God shining through us.

Dear LORD, please shine through me. Help me to remove all sorts of fear from me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I might be a mighty vessel for You to use for Your Kingdom. Fill me with a Spirit of Discernment so that I might discern between right and wrong. My thoughts and Your thoughts. Darkness and Light. Teach me Your ways and fill me with strength and courage. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Back to Fear?

Back to Daily Bread?

See The Poison

⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ~ Genesis 3:6

Something we don’t often talk about in the Church is how inviting the darkness is. We talk about how evil it is. We talk about how deceitful it is, but we don’t really talk about the why. Why is the darkness so deceitful? It’s not because it’s simply calling good evil and evil good. That’s not very deceiving unless you know how, when, where, and who to call evil good and good evil to.

See, we often talk about Satan in the Church as our defeated enemy, that’s a toothless lion. Someone that’s kind of stupid and dumb. When actuality, he’s quite smart and crafty. See, Satan doesn’t just attack to attack. He’s patient, and his timing is impeccable. He’ll wait for the perfect time when his prey is in the perfect storm to attack.

See, darkness is so deceitful because Satan uses our weaknesses to his advantage. He knows our weaknesses, oftentimes, better than we do ourselves. He doesn’t tempt us out of left field. No, he uses things that he knows will be tricky. Things he knows will cause us to take that second look.

This is why we have to remain on guard. Our enemy is still in this war. He’s still fighting us day and night. He’s still luring us in with forbidden fruit at just the right time. He’s still testing our pride of life, lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes. So what do we do? We get on our knees, and we pray. We put our flesh into submission by fasting. We seek the face of God with all that is within us so that when we are tempted with that forbidden fruit, we’ll see straight through to the poison within and refuse to bite.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and See The Poison.

Back to Spiritual Warfare?

Back to Daily Bread?

A Thankful Heart

²⁹ When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. ~ Leviticus 22:29

It is said that the LORD loves a cheerful giver. During the season of Thanksgiving, it’s easier to remember to be thankful for what we have, but when the season of Thanksgiving has passed, it gets harder. The problem is that if we’re only thankful during that one week, then the LORD won’t be too happy with us. Our thanksgiving is like bringing an offering to God. And in return, our God will bless us. Why? Because our sacrifice of thanksgiving brings joy to the LORD. Just as we feel more obligated to bless a thankful person, so does God.

Even our bodies react differently to our own thanksgiving. We begin to see the world differently. Our hearts become softer. Our love begins to grow. Our hope begins to grow. To be thankful isn’t just for God or others; it’s also for us.

Thank you, LORD, for all You’ve given me. Thank you for Your many blessings. Help me to always be grateful in all situations. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Thankful?

Back to Daily Bread?

Cry Out Until You Receive

²⁹ As Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³¹ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ~ Matthew 20:29-31

During the time of Jesus, the people tried to silence those who cried out to Jesus. They didn’t feel they were worthy of Jesus healing them. They didn’t see their worth. Today’s crowd is even more selfish, for they don’t even want Jesus to come into their city. But the two blind men were not intimidated nor discouraged. They shouted even louder, and Jesus heard them and granted them their heart’s desire. If they had caved under the abusive words of the crowd or decided to wait for a more opportune time, they would have missed their miracle.

Don’t wait, don’t be intimidated, don’t hesitate, and DO NOT BE DENIED; Jesus is passing by; this is your day and your miracle. Just reach out and touch Him, and your life will never be the same.

LORD, turn Your ear to my cry of faith today. Tough my heart, mind, soul, spirit, and body. Grant liberation to me as I cry out to You. Deliver me from all of my bondage and sin. Restore my mind and cleanse me of all evil thoughts and desires. Come to my rescue and help me to become worthy of Your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Joy Comes In The Morning

⁵ For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. ~ Psalms 30:5^KJV

If God loves you, He will discipline you, but it’s only for a short time because He loves you. Therefore, His favor lasts a lifetime. His favor will open doors that were once closed; it brings that promotion that was out of reach. It protects that wayward child and restores that broken relationship.

His love is the reason why weeping will only last a night, but when the sun comes up, it brings joy, new hope, renewed mercies, and fresh blessings. Be blessed today, be joyful today, be hopeful and optimistic today; God loves you and cares for you.

Father, we, Your children, come and present to You the offering of praise. Receive it today and leave behind a blessing. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Fighting The Stress

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ~ Philippians 4:8

Paul told us to renew our minds and focus on things that are admirable, praiseworthy, etc. How do we renew our minds? By following this simple instruction: Don’t let anger get the best of you. I know that overlooking other drivers can be challenging, but the results are a health hazard. It releases chemicals in your bloodstream that have adverse effects on your body. So do stress and unforgiveness. Your Health, both spiritual and physical, is not worth those negative emotions.

Dear LORD, help me to learn to control my thoughts, reactions, and emotions. Help me to overlook and forgive that I, too, may be forgiven. Help me to focus on good thoughts and meditate on what is noble, admirable, and kind. Help me to let go of the anger inside, might live a peaceful and low-stress life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Strongholds?

Back to Daily Bread?

Be Courageous When Facing Assyria

⁶ He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: ⁷ “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.” ~ 2 Chronicles 32:6-7

Judah was being threatened by Assyria, and yes, they were the leading world power. Yes, they had a large, mighty, experienced, and well-funded army. But Hezekiah reminded them of the God factor. And today, you may be facing your Assyria. Maybe you’re being bullied at work or at school. Maybe it’s a health issue or a problem only God knows about, and it’s overwhelming. Or maybe you just need to be reminded today of the greater power that dwells in you. For greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Don’t be afraid; you are an overcomer because you are a child of God. Be strong; you can do all things because Christ strengthens you. You are blessed and highly favored because you are a creation and child of God.

Heavenly Father, pour out Your love today on Your people. Encourage hearts and strengthen minds. We are Your people and the sheep of Your pastures. Cover and provide for each household that reads and believes this message this morning. In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

Back to Fear?

Back to Daily Bread?

Blessed Indeed

²⁵ Because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb. ~ Genesis 49:25

As a child of God, you are blessed indeed. For the blessings of Almighty God is all around you. Reach up, reach out, and take hold of the blessings He has reserved just for you. Speak them over your children, and pronounce them over your family. For the blessings of God is greater than the blessings of ancient mountains or the bounty of age-old Hills.

Heavenly Father, please bless Your people today. Encourage the discouraged, bind up the brokenhearted, and teach us Your ways so that we may know You and receive blessings from Your hand. Help us to recognize and appreciate all the blessings you’ve blessed us with. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Stay Awake And Watch

⁴⁵ Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁸But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know ⁵¹and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ~ Matthew 24:45-51

“Stay Awake! Keep watch!” This should become the anthem cry of today’s Church. But instead, today’s Church has been lulled to sleep by sweet, savory words tickling our ears. We’ve been pacified by smooth-talking politicians and their indirect bribes.

Today’s Church has fallen asleep on their watch. We’ve become like sleeping dogs that don’t bark.

Jesus said, blessed is the servant whom He finds doing what He has commanded him to do. That servant will be well rewarded. But “woe” be on the servant that is found asleep and is not doing what the master has commanded.

We all have a purpose to fulfill, but the problem is the enemy knows and understands our purpose better than we do. So he sets up the perfect blockers for us so that we’ll be distracted and lulled asleep before we even fully comprehend our God-given call for our lives. Therefore, stay awake and watch. Be alert, for the enemy is on the prowl.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stay Awake And Watch.

Back to Spiritual Slumber?

Back to Daily Bread?