• DAY 1: WHAT ARE THE PROMISES OF GOD?

    Did you know that God has given you, specifically and personally, “precious and magnificent promises” that will enable you to live victoriously in this world? It’s true—God’s Word guarantees it! And you receive His promises the same way you received the gift of salvation—by faith. It’s only through faith that God’s children receive and enjoy what He has promised. As we hear, study, and apply God’s Word, we are building up our faith, preparing ourselves to believe God for those things He has promised us.

    As a redeemed child of God, nothing matters more than recognizing and walking in God’s will. Knowing you’re walking in His will enables you to rise above the challenges life throws at you. God’s will addresses even your smallest concern. Begin your search by surrendering your will; then focus your heart and mind on God and His enlightening Word.

    As you open your Bible and begin your journey to discover God’s will and promises for you, it’s important to first spend time in prayer. Ask the Lord to cleanse you from all known sin and fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you’ll be in fellowship with Him during your study time. As you’re reading, try to understand the context of the passage you read, and test Scripture by Scripture, not your own desires. Submit your thoughts to God, pray for His guidance, and, in due time, you’ll get the insight you need.

     

    Scripture – Day 1

    2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
    “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
    Hebrews 11:6 NLT
    “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
    Psalms 19:8 NLT

    “The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.”

  • DAY 2: WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT SALVATION?

    The principle of believing and receiving a promise of God is illustrated when you first trusted in Jesus as your Savior. God promises eternal life to whomever believes in Him, and you received that promise by faith! True repentance begins with confession, which means to agree with God that what you did was wrong and needs to be made right. In-depth repentance brings in-depth cleansing. Forgiveness is about more than escaping the penalty of sin; it’s about restoring your fellowship with God.

    When you feel unforgiven, question your feelings, but don’t question God. Go back to His Word; it outranks self-criticism and doubt. We never have to earn God’s forgiveness, though Satan will try to make you believe this. Rather, we receive God’s offer of salvation by faith, and the Holy Spirit produces good works in us as a result. Every believer is clothed with the righteousness of Christ, which means you’re in right standing before God. This impels us to live in a righteous way in our everyday lives.

    As your heavenly Father, God desires an intimate, personal relationship with you, His child. As much as He desires to lavish His blessings on you, even more, He wants you to enjoy that open fellowship with Him that brings true, lasting, eternal joy. Don’t simply go to God for miracles—go to Him for a relationship! You can walk in His miraculous provisions every day. The Word calls this “abiding”—instead of commuting in and out, stay in contact with God, and all that He has will be available to you.

     

    Scripture – Day 2

    Acts 2:38-39 NLT

    “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away —all who have been called by the Lord our God.””

    2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

    “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

    Psalms 91:1 NLT

    “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

  • DAY 3: WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT LEADING ME?

    We acknowledge God by spending time with Him—consciously coming into His presence through prayer, meditating on Scripture, worshipping Him, and following Him. Without God’s input, you’re at the mercy of your own best thinking—and that should concern you greatly! Before you decide to go in a given direction, talk to God. You must trust that He knows what He’s doing.

    The Word of God provides us with protection and direction. While you’re waiting for God’s Word to be fulfilled in your life, you can verbalize it, obey it, and share it with others. These things will produce fruit in the lives of both you and your family and friends.

    To be successful in anything God calls you to do, you must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit within you and learn to recognize when He speaks to your heart through the Scriptures. Hearing God’s voice may mean you have to sacrifice lesser things and tune out lesser voices, but you must do it. Nothing—absolutely nothing—is more important than learning to recognize God’s voice when He speaks to you.

    Spiritual guidance is learned one step at a time. Even the most mature believer will stumble and get it wrong at times. This isn’t a problem, for “The Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).

     

    Scripture – Day 3

    Psalms 32:8 NLT

    “The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

    Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

    Isaiah 42:16 NLT

    “I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.”

    Psalms 37:23-24 NLT

    “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

  • DAY 4: WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT PROVIDING FOR ME?

    When we look to anyone other than God to meet all our needs, we’re setting ourselves up to be disappointed. When, however, you know that what you’re doing is in sync with God’s will, you can be confident He will provide what you need and fight for you. Our fears as related to provision are all rooted in an erroneous belief about God—that He does not have the ability or the willingness to take care of us. In fact, the exact opposite is true!

    A good strategy to combat fear is to learn His promises about provision, understand the ones that are conditional, meet the conditions, and rest in His love and faithfulness. You must do the natural things, and trust Him for the supernatural ones.

    One of the ways God wants to be involved in our lives is in our finances. We allow Him entrance into this area of our lives when we do things in His order. The Bible clearly teaches that the first tenth of all we earn belongs to God. The tithe is a minimum; your love and faith determine the maximum. The best way to overcome financial anxiety is by trusting God to meet all your needs. “God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19).

    Your need moves God’s heart, but your faith moves Him to action. Why will God answer your prayer? To protect His reputation as One who makes covenants and keeps them. Bottom line: the God you serve is just, compassionate, able and willing to meet your needs, so keep praying and believing.

     

    Scriptures – Day 4

    Philippians 4:6 NLT

    “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

    Daniel 11:32 NLT

    “He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.”

    Psalms 23:1 NLT

    “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”

    Philippians 4:19 NLT

    “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

  • Day 5: WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT PROTECTING ME?

    When we hit life’s rough spots, our tendency is to feel abandoned; yet, the opposite is true. At that very moment, we are more than ever the object of God’s love and concern. God’s Word is full of assurances of His protection over all who trust in Him. The first step in claiming God’s promised protection is to verbalize that He and He alone is your refuge and fortress, and you are trusting Him completely to do what He promised in His Word.

    All the great achievers in the Bible had one thing in common: they were just ordinary folks who took risks in obedience to God, believed Him, and ended up doing amazing things. Trust God. When He tells you to do something, He will give you the strength and resources to do it. What’s God asking you to do? Step out in faith and do it! Today, you are just one step of obedience away from the next truth God wants you to learn about Him; so you can’t afford to stay where you are.

    When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, you give up three basic rights: what it will cost you, where it will take you, and the extent to which it will change you. God’s not trying to cramp your style or make your life hard. He’s a Father who wants only the best for His children. Isn’t that what every good parent wants? So when you walk in obedience, God’s best is what you will get.

     

    Scripture – Day 5

    Psalms 91:1-16 NLT

    “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 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. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

    2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

    “For we live by believing and not by seeing.”

  • Day 6: WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT HEALING ME?

    Both Old and New Testaments are full of examples of sick people being miraculously healed. So, when God, through His Word, has this much to say on a given topic, we should pay extra close attention! Often in these examples, we see Jesus ask those He is about to heal to do something specific to demonstrate their faith in Him. Sometimes, God will give you a word, and it looks like it’s not working—but we must choose to obey God. We can’t doubt Him.

    In the Bible, one of the names God chooses to be called is “Jehovah Rapha,” which means, “I am the Lord who heals.” Now, if God calls Himself the healer, then you have the right to believe what he says and expect that, given an opportunity, He will perform His role competently. After all, His credibility depends on living up to His name. What He was, He still is. What He did, He still does.

    Keep your eyes on Jesus and draw strength from Him. When you or a loved one is sick, pray in faith, believing, and look for faith partners who will pray with you. God loves to touch the hurting places within you. Rise up in Christ’s name and take authority over every thought that keeps you linked to the pain. Allow God to heal your scars, break your chains, and set you free.

    Healing takes time, so expect some anger, fear, and sadness. Don’t disown them; they’re part of the process. But don’t adopt them, either; know when it’s time to move on. You can’t walk backwards into the future, and the future God has in mind contains more happiness than any past you can remember.

     

    Scripture – Day 6

    Matthew 8:16-17 NLT

    “That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.”

    Acts 10:38 NLT

    “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

  • Day 7: WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT MY LIFE′S PURPOSE?

    God created you, and He knows what you were intended to be. Your spiritual life isn’t limited to certain devotional activities. It’s about being empowered to become the person He envisioned when He created you. What are you called and gifted to do? That’s where you’ll find your highest level of joy! Don’t leave this earth until you have found and fulfilled what God called you to do.

    God has only one reason for filling you with His Spirit—to pour you out in service to others. You have been empowered for a purpose! Being in God’s will doesn’t exempt you from problems; but you can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). You don’t need all the answers; you only need to know you’ve fully obeyed the instructions God gave you. Once you know that, just drive, and let Him direct you!

    We’ve only touched the surface of the many precious promises in God’s Word. As you grow in Christ, and learn to discern and obey His will for you, confidence will become increasingly evident in your personal life. Always remember this important truth: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

     

    Scripture – Day 7

    Psalms 139:16 NLT

    “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

    Ephesians 2:10 NLT

    “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

    Luke 4:18 NLT

    “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,”

    Philippians 1:6 NLT

    “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

    2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT

    “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”