United Heart

Day 96
Don't compartmentalize. If you hold things outside of my jurisdiction, those things will trip you up. You must lay everything at my feet. And you must let go of it all.

I am not a grabber. I don't snatch things away from you. I am a Giver. I give life and I bring wholeness -- every time a person comes to Me, ready to receive. But how can you receive anything from Me if you are holding on to something else?

Fear, suspicion, unbelief, pride, self-preservation, pet peeves, worry, favorite things that won't take second place to Me, the mind-set that closes in tight and says, "but what if . . . ?" All of these must go. They are idols and they are strongholds in your mind that keep Me out. Let them go. This is repentance.

For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name. I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole (united) heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore. -- Psalm 86:11-12

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. -- John 10:10

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:1-2

Stand Up

Day 95
Get centered again. You may feel like you've been blown off course. But be like the punching bag toy that comes back straight up to center every time it takes a punch. Don't be moved off your foundation. Dig your heels in. Let your roots go deeper into Me.

I will dry up the waters of the enemy so his flow against you will have no effect. But you must immerse yourself in the waters of my Spirit. Stay drenched in my word, in Spirit-led prayer, in praise and thanksgiving, speaking and listening to Me all day long.

The more you press into Me, the more the enemy will press against you. But this is a set-up for greater victory and more triumph for you. Do you believe Me? Do not fear. Only believe.

Faith is action--spirit movement: Swim strong against the tide of evil and swim into the depths of my love for you. My love for you is powerful. There is no force that can stand against it. Stay in it. I am the Trustworthy One.

For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. -- Proverbs 24:16

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. -- Ephesians 6:10-13

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. -- Ephesians 3:16-19

Get a Grip

Day 94
I cannot fail. I will not waver. I am more solid than rock -- which I have created. And I am sovereign. I will surprise you. You cannot second guess Me. You do not fully understand my ways. All my ways are perfect. How can you know them?

I have poured my Spirit into you. Get a firm grip -- Wrap yourself around Me, and embrace every word I speak into your heart. The deep of my Spirit is calling to the deep of your spirit. Open your heart, and move with Me, into a deeper embrace. The two become one.

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! -- Deuteronomy 32:4

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. -- Isaiah 55:8-9

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. -- Philippians 3:12

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me--a prayer to the God of my life. -- Psalm 42:7-8

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. -- John 17:22-23

Come Quickly

Day 93
Never hesitate to come to Me. Come quickly. Come boldly. I am always waiting for you. I long to hear your voice callng to Me, worshiping Me, and telling Me that you believe Me. I want to experience your presence. Do you think I would ignore any of my children when they come to see Me? No. I care for you in great detail, and nothing goes beyond my notice.

And when you come to Me, all that I am is available to you. Do not be afraid of anything or anyone else but Me. Only believe -- that I AM who I say I am and that I reward those who diligently seek Me. I am not to be taken lightly. The things I am doing in you are for permanent life-change. I am not a human being, who is shallow and moody. I am not a tyrant. I am love. I will see to it that all things are made right, as you trust me.

And when you come quickly to Me, come with commitment to cooperate with Me so that my work will be done. It is the works I do that you need in your life. My works are marvelous and wonderful, and unchangeable. Enter into deeper levels of worship and communion with Me. I will unravel and disintegrate all the works of the enemy in your life. I will finish my work and make you whole.

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. -- Hebrews 4:16 [AMP]

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. -- Psalm 37:23

They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." -- Mark 7:37

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. -- 2 Corinthians 13:14

Rear Guard

The Indian Ocean
NASA

Day 92
What does it mean to stand back and let Me move in a situation? It means, in the face of difficulty, to back up into Me. I'm at your back -- I have your back. I am your rear guard. It means to turn away from the problem and see Me, face to face. Then give Me room, give Me opportunity, give Me time, to breathe into you my life-giving, transforming power.

You will become a channel of my power, a vessel of my grace, without realizing it, as you worship Me. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Praise Me in the morning. Praise Me at noontime. Praise Me when the sun goes down, and in the watches of the night.

The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves, you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind [Isaiah 52:10-12].

O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors. O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long [Psalm 71:1-9].

Lord of the Dance

Day 91
Come dance with Me in the heavenly places. I want your joy to be complete. The more you know, experience, and understand Me, the more full and complete your joy will be.

I gave you imagination because it is the capacity to see without limit. Give your imagination to Me. My Spirit will take you places you could not have dreamed of in your own mind. Let your deepest desires and inner longings bubble up and float up into my hands. I will fulfill your deepest desires. Trust Me completely to handle and carefully sculpt your inner imaginings into the dreams I already have for your life. I want you to be something -- someone -- very amazing and prosperous -- a life-giver, drenched with pleasance and refreshment.

Come dance with Me. Let Me embrace and hold you, and I will infuse you with the energy of my great joy. I give you perfect peace.

The young women will dance for joy, and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing [Jeremiah 31:13].

He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them [Acts 3:8].

Bravo, God, bravo! Heavenly beings and all angels shout, "Encore!" In awe before the glory, in awe before God's visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him! God thunders across the waters, brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—God, across the flood waters. God's thunder tympanic, God's thunder symphonic. God's thunder smashes cedars, God topples the northern cedars. The mountain ranges skip like spring colts, The high ridges jump like wild kid goats. God's thunder spits fire. God thunders, the wilderness quakes; He makes the desert of Kadesh shake. God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing, a wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches. We fall to our knees—we call out, "Glory!" Above the floodwaters is God's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace [Psalm 29, The Message].

Firm Foundation

Day 90
Your foundation must consist of Me alone. If you let the words and attitudes of people, the world, the ways of your old flesh and the murmurs and whispers of the enemy seep down from your mind into your spirit, your foundation will be watered down and weakened. These are fiery darts: doubt, worry, hatred, negativity, suspicion, oppression.

You must cover yourself with a thick barrier, the armor of God, to keep these things from infiltrating. Saturate yourself with my word so that my Spirit can take it up like a sword in you behalf to pierce and destroy the advances of the evil one. Boldly grab hold of every piece of information that comes into your mind, hold it up against the standard of my Word, and make it speak the truth!

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 3:11].

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand [Ephesians 6:13].

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ [2 Corinthians 10:5].

He Fills Everything

Little River Canyon Falls
Alabama

Day 89
Be faithful to Me, right where I have put you today. Look all around you, not to see what the people are doing, but to see what I am doing, and do it with Me. I am there, right beside you, working. Stay in very close touch.

What do you really want? Really? If you want to serve Me -- to do what I am doing, I will teach you, and guide you. I am already there, with the provisions and the power in my hand, for you to do it. If your heart is with Me, you will lack nothing.

Be thankful
Believe
Receive
Listen
Obey
Be thankful
Walk it out
Be thankful
Walk it through
Keep looking up at Me (my ways are higher)
Listen
Obey
Be thankful
Rejoice
See my power at work in you, through you, around you.

Every moment is a God moment, if you maintain this connection with Me. Am I not in everything?

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you [Psalm 139:7-12].

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way [Ephesians 1:18-23].

Front and Center

Day 88
Bring Me right to the front of everything. Don't make any new moves if you don't know whether you're following my lead. Ask my Holy Spirit to check you on this. Enter into deper, fuller communication with Me. It is available to you. Don't stop following after Me. You see that there are many things working to impede your progress. Be alert to my voice and my influence. Point your attention to it. This is what I mean by bringing Me to the front.

And keep Me at your right hand; don't go running off. I will never leave you, but see that you don't make Me chase after you. That's backwards!

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths [Proverbs 3:5,6].

O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You [2 Chronicles 20:12].

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well [Matthew 6:33].

Spirit vs. Mind

Day 87
If you communicate to people with your spirit, it will penetrate to their spirits. this is how the anointing works; it is released only spirit to spirit. Communication coming out of the mind may have been taught by the Spirit, but coming from the mind, it will not penetrate to another's spirit. However, a person whose spirit is open and actively seeking Me will be able to receive spiritual instruction from my Spirit no matter who the communication is coming through.

It's a very good thing for human minds to be taught and renewed by my Spirit -- I have commanded you to do this. But that is only one part of learning to be my disciple. The deeper part is learning to operate in the Spirit. Your spirit needs to be fed daily and filled with my Spirit. To the extent that you are full of my Spirit, you will be Spirit-led, versus mind-led.

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" -- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words [2 Corinthians 2:1-13].

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [Ephesians 5:18-20].

But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God) [Galatians 5:16 (AMP].

Fresh Bread

Day 86
In order to keep everything from getting to you, you have to get to Me! Other things, and people, will catch you and tag you and say, "Ha! You're it!" -- and you will be caught, obligated to them, unless you run straight to the safe base and make your home there. Every morning you've got to run to home base and linger there until you are filled up and equipped, ready with the game plan for the day. You can't live on yesterday's manna -- it's already stale. There is new bread and new wine for each new day.

You can't have control over other people -- nor should you want to. But you can have influence. The best way to have the right kind of influence over others is to be more and more influenced by the Holy Spirit yourself. Stale manna is also not going to work when you offer it to others. They need fresh bread -- the bread I have given you today. Your spirit must be fed every day, or it will be undernourished.

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man [John 2:24-25].

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed [Mark 1:35].

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God [Luke 6:12].

As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer [Luke 5:16].

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day” [John 6:32-34].

Sweet Renewal

Day 85
Cast off everything that encumbers you -- Don't just lay it down by your feet, close to you -- Cast it off! Let my glory fall down around you. It can't surround you when you are surrounding yourself with all sorts of other things. These are idols of your heart.

I am glorious over you. But I want to fill every part of your being with my glory. You are my temple. My Spirit fills my temple when it is consecrated and ready to receive my full presence. You must be renewed. Cast off, cast out all of the old ways of thinking. Be filled with the new -- new wine -- the mind of Christ.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [Hebrews 12:1-2].

For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ [1 Corinthians 2:16].

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back [Isaiah 50:4-5].

Static Cling

Day 84
You have to pray through -- through to the other side of the thing -- to the place of the substance of what's hoped for. What are you hoping for? What should you be hoping for?

Ask Me to keep you stuck to my side like static cling -- yes, cling to Me so that my presence, my character, my spirit come pouring out through your life.


Pray through to the place of faith. To be found in Christ Jesus -- that's the place. Immersed. Perfect Peace. Every thing of the devil, the world, and the flesh quenched by the power of the fullness of my mighty Spirit. There is a place you can go. You'll be okay.

Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy. If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped. I pray to God—my life a prayer—and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. O Israel, wait and watch for God— with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption [Psalm 130:1-7].

People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. We're in no hurry, God. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want [Isaiah 26:3,4,7,8 The Message].

Pray in the Spirit

Day 83
When you see or hear discouraging things around you, say, "No matter--I'm going to pray!" And pray in the Spirit. The in-working of supplication by my Spirit within you will prevail over the forces of darkness.

I am the One who knows exactly what needs to be done. I may reveal it to you completely or partially -- you may already see it. But relying on your own reasoning will get in my way. Come to Me immediately in Spirit-led prayer and allow Me to work in you the prayer of faith. Then pray with knowledge, if and when it comes to you. After that, follow any instruction I have given you.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [Romans 8:26-32]

Start at the Beginning

Day 82
This is the beginning of discipline: Making it your utmost priority to be alone with Me at the start of each day. When and for how long, I will tell you. You have seen that this is true, and you know it. You want to see Me flow out of your life, but first you must let Me flow in.

Obey Me in this first thing absolutely, and you will receive the grace -- my power to do my will through the rest of your days. My presence is my power. Be filled with Me.

The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you [2 Chronicles 15:2b].

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him [2 Chronicles 16:9a].

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you [Isaiah 41:13].

From Death to Life -- Every Day

Day 81
Don't ever allow the enemy to get an upper hand. He will never stop trying. You must keep your feet firmly planted on the Rock, and you must keep yoursef open to be continuously filled only with the Spirit of God. It's far too easy to get out of tune, because the environment you are living in is nearly always hostile to you.

So you have to maintain discipline over your soul to keep yourself wholly attuned to my voice and the promptings of my Spirit. This requires focusing of your spirit, a constant renewing of your mind, death to your self and its desires, and a continued yielding of your entire being to the lordship of Jesus, your true King.

So train yourself to listen to my voice, my word. KNOW IT. Say no to yourself. Say yes to God.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour [1 Peter 5:8].

Why do I live [dangerously as I do, running such risks that I am] in peril every hour? [I assure you] by the pride which I have in you in [your fellowship and union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily [I face death every day and die to self] [1 Corinthians 15:30-31 (AMP)].

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain [Philippians 1:21].

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me [Galatians 2:20].

Creative Hover

Photo by Josh Tracy
Fingerprintimages.net

Day 80
Let external issues drive you to Me. Get into the deep of my Spirit to find out and be able to deal with the core issues -- matters of the heart, and works that I am accomplishing in you and in others. The bottom line is connectedness to Me. This produces character development and all the fruits of the Spirit.

If something opposed to a fruit of my Spirit is being manifested in you, your connection with Me is somehow short-circuited -- the channel is clogged. Get with Me and let my Spirit unclog and clean out, and re-establish the connection.

You have to give my Spirit ample opportunity to hover over you in the places that are out of order. When I am done hovering, then I will speak into your life the word that will create in you the work, the fruit, the character trait you are needing. This is how I bring new things into being. You have to lay yourself down on my altar and let Me do it. True fruitfulness comes out of this intimacy with Me, and then maintaining the connection.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light [Genesis 1:2,3].

As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." Abraham is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised [Romans 4:17-21].

One Thing

Day 79
Your prayers are powerful for the pulling down of strongholds. You have all the weapons. Simply use them. Don't struggle to use them -- just use them! Walk in the power of my might. Persevere in obedience. Do not be weary in your well-doing. Struggling makes you weary. Walking in the power of my Spirit makes you strong. I am your source of power.

When you are completely plugged in to the power source, there is nothing that can stop you, nothing that is impossible for you. The work is in remaining connected (abide in Me). This is to be the focus of your efforts. It's in the seeking, the pressing in, the throwing off that which hinders, the drawing near,the taking hold of, standing firm, and clinging to Me. Make it your habit -- constantly refocusing on Me. Meditation on my word will help you do this.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus [Philippians 3:12-14].

Multi-Dimensional

Day 78
I am not a one-dimensional God. I am not a two-dimensional God. I am not a three-dimensional God. I am a multi-dimensional God. I am multi-faceted and infinitely dimensional. I want to take you to depths and heights and places in Me that your finite human mind would never imagine could possibly exist. Just you wait until you can see Me face to face, and you will be so completely overwhelmed and blown away.


But no, my child, I want to start overwhelming you and blowing you away right now! Let go of yourself and let Me take you.

And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ 1 Corinthians 2:12-16].

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen [Ephesians 3:19-21.

Go Beyond

Day 77
Be careful that you're not making an idol out of your own spiritual disciplines. Having a "daily devotion" can easily become a work of your flesh. You must cultivate an attitude of openness and complete vulnrability to the promptings and compellings of my Spirit.

Yes, get a habit in place of daily spending a block of time with only Me. But then, let Me take you beyond this. Relinquish your control of this time to Me, and allow my Spirit to take you deeper and raise you up higher than you've been willing or able to go before. Press in to experience my presence in greater measure, and let go of parts of yourself and your past -- good and bad -- that you've been clutching onto. Don't be afraid of letting go. Fall into my grace and let me catch you.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is [Ephesians 3:14-18].

The wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God —his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets
[1 Corinthians 2:7-10].

Deep Water

Day 76
It doesn't matter what people say. It doesn't matter how emotional they become. You must not take your cues from people, or be influenced by human words and emotions.

Be influenced by my words and by my Spirit. Keep pressing in to Me -- all day, every day -- as long as you live on the planet. I am the only one who has the whole truth. Don't react to people, their words or their pressures upon you.

Let my life-giving, pure water (which is my word for the moment) flow up and out of the deep well within you. I fill up this well with fresh water continually as you stay connected to Me, keeping close, keeping the pipeline open. Don't stop the flow. Listen to what I'm telling you right now . . .

Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within [Proverbs 20:5].

If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own, you'll soon be out of your depth [Proverbs 19:27].

Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. I'm writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I'm drawing a map to Righteous Road. I don't want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns [Proverbs 4:6,8,11&12, The Message].

Come Closer

Day 75
There is a difference between planning ahead and being prepared. I do not ask you to plan your future. I plan your future. I ask you to be prepared for what I have planned. If you seek my face, and not just my hand, you will have my full embrace, my arms surrounding you, holding you next to my heart. I give gifts to all my children, but not many of my children let Me hold them close and impart to them the fullness of my Spirit.

As long as you keep Me at a distance -- at arm's length, or even father away -- you will only be partially prepared for the future I have for you.

You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they'll never be heard from again. But I'm in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is! I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! [Psalm 73:25-28, The Message].

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne [Revelation 3:20-21].

The Other Side

Mom's Flower Garden

Day 74
Push through to the other side of your mood to the place of thanksgiving. Here you will be able to lay everything down and find rest. Let my peace prevail. Let my Spirit saturate you. The dross will float up to the surface, and then let Me deal with it.

You need to come to this place every day, and as often as I call you. If you sek Me first, I will fill your life with the real treasures of the universe. I will make all things new.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18].

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations [Psalm 100].

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us [2 Corinthians 4:7].

Buy the Truth

Day 73
Forget the former things. Do not dwell in the past. I have a future hope for you and for all who belong to you. Know my word, so you don't fall into error and be overcome by the enemy. Have I not spoken it more than once? I am gracious, and merciful, and I will not let go of what is mine. I will not let go of you.

What have I said about you? What have I spoken to you? Forget all the words of man and all the ways of man. Cling to my word and my ways. They are to you a tree of life. Fill up your mind, your heart, and your mouth with my words of life.

Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Own it. Know it. Be filled with it. Live it. Speak it.

Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert [Isaiah 43:18,19].

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed [Proverbs 3:13-18].

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding [Proverbs 23:23].

Insight

Day 72
There are things in your life, in your home, and in the lives of others that you cannot see or do not understand. When you see them, you may perceive them incorrectly, based on human understanding and the knowledge you have up until now.

To understand these things and to know what to do about them, you must pray in the Spirit and cry out for understanding, insight and discernment. Spend time planted at the feet of Jesus, calling out and waiting for my wisdom and my understanding of these matters. This is obedience. You will receive instruction for further steps of obedience, and being in the Spirit will cause you to be certain, firm and unwavering in your obedient actions (which are your good works).

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe [Proverbs 2:1-11, NLT].

Make Room

Day 71
I know your heart. I know every concern of your heart. Will you lay them all before Me? If you hold onto things too tightly, I cannot have my way with them. Whenever a thing is of such concern that it causes you to worry, to spend time turning over in your mind about what you should say, what you should do, you are being anxious, like I told you not to be, and you are not letting Me take care of it.

What does it mean to let go? How will you know when to do or say something and when to refrain from doing or saying? The way to know is by absolute dependence on Me -- moment by moment. This is not natural for you. It is learned. As you learn this obedience, your life will be guided and ultimately controlled by the Supernatural -- Me!

This happens by starting each day with your full attention given to Me. Make the room, and give the time for this to happen. Then, as you go through the day, keep making room for Me and keep turning your full attention to Me.

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life [Philippians 4:6,7 - The Message].

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word [John 8:36,37].

Hope

Day 70
Proverbs 4:5 -- Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.

When you have negative attitudes in your heart, negative thoughts in your mind (gloom, depression, hate, envy, worry, confusion, timidity, doubt, frustration, an irritated spirit), you are swerving from the Word of God, and have forgotten it.

There is a word in my Scripture for every negative attitude that assaults you. When you are assaulted, find my word that will bring truth, protection, peace, joy, love, power, self-control, confidence and a sound mind.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline [2 Timothy 1:7].

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [Ephesians 6:10, 11, 16, 17].

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! [Psalm 42:5-11].

Will You Be Tossed About?

Day 69
When I call you to walk out on the water, it won’t be during times of calm. I give you grace – power to walk over the waters of the tempest. Ask Me to give you the command, and immediately obey it. How will you keep from being tossed about? Don’t be tossed about! Take courage – I am calling you. I am teaching you, I am guiding you, and I am holding you up with the right hand of my righteousness. Keep your eyes on me. Pay very, very close attention. Do not give your attention to the waves. Whatever you give your attention to will carry you about. Do not let your attention be divided. Press in, press into Me.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." And he said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus [Matthew 14:24-29].

God alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea [Job 9:8].

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord [James 1:2-7].

Shaped and Filled

Day 68
How can you be one with Me in the midst of all that surrounds you, pressing in from every side, from above and below? These pressures are my tools, in my hand, to shape you into my likeness. Allow them to turn your eyes and your ears toward Me. This is life's journey. Through all that happens, press on toward the goal, fixing your eyes on Jesus. Study his life, how he acted and reacted. Then you will know him and you will know my character. As you study my word and see my attitudes and actions, you will understand my character, and my thoughts will become your thoughts. Know my ways, and you will be like Me.

Your attitudes determine how you will act (think -> say -> do). Have the mind in you which was in Christ Jesus, who made himself nothing. He emptied himself and I filled him with myself. I will fill you, and I will guard your ways, determine your steps, and make your paths straight.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training [Hebrews 12:2-7, The Message].

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped , but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [Phillipians 2:5-11].

There is a Plan

Day 67
My presence is with you always. I am in the falling rain and in the shining sun. My creation tells about me. You can see my character through what I have created, by what I do, and by knowing my word.

Let your consciousness of Me be foremost in your mind. Knowing Me -- not just about Me -- is the key to life. By being filled with my Spirit, you can know Me from the inside out. You can know my mind. My Son made that possible when he became a human being. He walked with Me like you can walk with Me. By his resurrection, you have newness of life -- direction, purpose, wholeness and fulfillment. All the work has been completed for you. You have only to take up your cross and follow Me. When you take it up, that means you commit to putting yourself to death. The hopes, dreams, desires and plans you have for yourself and your life here without Me are what you nail to that cross. Those dreams are empty and without purpose, and you will waste all your time and energy trying to follow them.

Follow me instead. I know the plans I have made for you, and my purposes are sure. They are for you, not for Me only. Your unique design and personality, your personal strengths and weaknesses, and all your innermost needs, I have formed and fashioned with careful precision to fit flawlessly into my tapestry of creation. All you will ever see with your human eyes is only a small part of the whole design. I will show you enough so that you can trust Me for all the rest. You will see it all and enjoy it fully someday.

Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that will I do [Isaiah 46:8-11].

There's a Bigger Picture

The Ohio River

Day 66
You have seen my power. You know that all things are in my hands. I am making you ready, prepared for each day as it comes. Do not forget my words that you have seen. Do not lose sight of my power and my ability to keep all things in my control.

My presence in your life will fill you with joy that sustains you when you feel emotionally drained. It's all right when you go through trials, and you can persevere because of my strength within you. The emotional highs are to build you up, and the emotional lows are to build you up, too. All things work together in my design. Nothing will escape my sight and my full knowledge.

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love [Psalm 31:14-16].

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? [Jeremiah 32:27]

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need [Hebrews 4:13-16].