CHAPTER 1
Can I Get a Witness?
And why call me Lord, Lord,and do not the things I say?
—Luke 6:46
Service is over. The Word was spoken. The message behind theWord was heard. The anointing fell, and we promised God wewould change our lives. However, as soon as we step outside thechurch doors, we literally step back into the world. The love andcompassion we show each other inside the church changes. Are wemerely "inside" Christians who put Christ on only between the fourwalls of the church building? Once we get outside those walls, is theworld able to identify the "real" Christians?
We are God's ambassadors and representation. If we continue todo and act like the rest of the world, Christ cannot be seen. Ourprayers are hindered and our blessings are blocked when we do notput the Word of the Lord into practice in our lives.
Each time we assemble, it is another opportunity for God to revealthe areas in which we need to improve. Once that Word is spoken, itis our obligation to receive and live it. Only by doing what He sayscan we experience change. Once change has taken root, what wehave on the inside will come outside. The world will then know thatwe are real Christians.
In the present day, people really need to see God in us so they canknow He is real. My prayer is that we all will become real Christiansbefore He returns and be effective witnesses in our communities tolead people to Christ.
My prayer: Father, let not me live my life in vain. Help me to do allYou say so that I might win others to Christ. Amen.
CHAPTER 2
The Virtuous Woman
Who can find a virtuous woman?
—Proverbs 31:10
To be chaste, faithful, righteous, right-minded, trustworthy, andeffective are a few of the characteristics Christian women are toexhibit. These qualities should be applied daily. We can call themGod's spiritual makeup. Only as we begin to follow the example ofthe virtuous woman in Proverbs will our true beauty be seen.
The virtuous woman is a gift from God. The writer in Proverbs31:10 asks who can find such a woman. This is an indication thatbecoming virtuous means such women are in demand. This is ahigh calling from God and should not be taken lightly. We are calledto set the example of being virtuous wives, mothers, and women ofGod as He has intended.
Let's examine each role of the virtuous wife, mother, and womanof God. Proverbs 31:11–12 says, "The heart of her husband dothsafely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She willdo him good and not evil all the days of her life." This is wheretrustworthiness comes in. She can be trusted. In current times,men find it hard to trust women. As regards virtuous mothers,Proverbs 31:29 says, "Many daughters have done virtuously,but thou excellest them all." The virtuous woman lifts up all herchildren and shows no favor. Her love is unconditional. Finally, inregard to a virtuous woman of God, Proverb 31:30 declares, "Favoris deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord,she shall be praised." This means the virtuous woman respects andhonors God by applying her spiritual makeup every day. Proverbs30:28 says, "Her children call her blessed; her husband also, and hepraises her." The blessing of the Lord rests upon her, and her familyacknowledges it. "Her price is far above rubies" (Proverbs 31:10).This woman is a valuable jewel. Priceless!
So, ladies, let's take a stand and be the women God has called usto be, without compromise. When our spiritual makeup shows, ournatural beauty will shine!
My prayer: Father, as I transform into the woman You have calledme to be, let Your reflection and love be a light that all can see.Amen.
CHAPTER 3
Love
If you love me, keep my commandments.
—John 14:15
The law of love is the force that releases all of God's blessings intoour lives. Everything hangs on love, and God associates love withfollowing His commandments.
In Matthew 22, Jesus speaks about two commandments. The firstand great commandment is found in Matthew 22:37: "Thou shaltlove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, andwith all thy mind." This means our hearts, souls, and minds shouldbe constantly consumed with God. The second commandment is"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:39).
Who are our neighbors? According to Webster's Dictionary, aneighbor is a person who lives close by. So that would meananyone who surrounds us. It means not only your saved brothersand sisters, but also your unsaved brothers and sisters. Love shouldhave no boundaries. Love is kind, and love does not hurt people.Godly love does not hold strife, anger, or unforgiveness towardothers. These are all the spiritual cancers that stop the flow of God'sblessing and keep us from entering the kingdom of God.
John 4:8 says, "God is love." God's kingdom is based on love.Obeying His Word is showing the highest form of love for Him, andwhen we love Him, we know love.
My prayer: Father, wash my heart with Your love daily that I mayknow You for myself. Amen.
CHAPTER 4
Trusting God
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding.
—Proverbs 3:5
There comes a time in our lives when we have to stand on faith (theWord) and trust God. In the midst of what's going on around us,God's Word has the final authority in our lives. When things don'tlook like they are working in our favor, we have to "Walk by Faithand not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). That's what faith is—trustingwhen we don't see anything happening.
When we can't see what God is doing, we think faith is not working.That's where trust comes in. We have to trust Him regardless ofwhat we see, no matter what we hear, and no matter what we feel.We have to walk in faith regardless of the situation or circumstancesand trust Him as our guide. Proverbs 3:6 commands, "In all ourways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." As we havefaith and trust in His Word, He leads us in the way we should go.This way, we won't end up going down the paths that will lead us tothe wrong destiny.
There will come a point where you will have to make a decision tojust step out on faith. It will usually be when nothing is workingand the things of the world are failing. You can no longer dependon the arm of flesh. When you are sick and tired of being sick andtired and are ready to take God at His Word and make Him yoursource, you are ready to leap. At that point, you can cry out, "God,I'm jumping. Catch me!" He will. He was waiting for you to make adecision. Whose side are you on? Pick the Lord's side!
My prayer: May I always trust You to see me through beingconfident Your Word is true. Amen.
CHAPTER 5
Rest and Wait
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
—Psalm 34:7
How do we rest in God? Let's examine the word rest. There are a lotof words that describe rest: relax, be at ease, stand still, and rely, toname a few. So what does it mean to rest in the Lord? Psalm 34:7could be interpreted as, "Relax, be at ease, stand still, and rely onHis Word: rest."
For most Christians, the challenges come when we are commandedto do what's on the other side of that verse "and wait patiently forHim." We have a problem waiting, not only as Christians but alsoas humans. We want God to do things right now! However, we arenot yet ready to receive some of the things for which we are asking.Waiting patiently means not asking why you don't have somethingyet, why something is taking so long, and why something hasn't yethappened. Resting and waiting patiently means to get comfortablein His Word and not worry about when things are going to happen.Trust that they will—we have God's Word on it. Waiting becomeseasier when we are resting in His Word. He sees our patience, and atthat point, He is ready to move on our behalf.
Lamentations 3:25 states, "The Lord is good unto them that wait forHim, to the soul that seeketh Him." There is a reward for restingand waiting. The Lord is good when we wait for Him and are not soquick to move before His timing. When we rest and wait on Him,He makes sure things are done properly and in order. And withGod, it is always worth the wait!
My prayer: Father, as I rest and wait on You all the day, I trust YourSpirit will lead my way. Amen.
CHAPTER 6
God's Prophets
Saying, touch not mine anointed,and do my prophets no harm.
—1 Chronicles 16:22
Our pastors are considered God's prophets. These men and womenare sent by God to speak on His behalf to give us correction, reproof,and warnings and to prepare us for the events that are about to takeplace. There is a divine anointing on these men and women thatGod has handpicked to speak to us. They are God's earthly angelsand have been equipped with wisdom and understanding to leadHis sheep.
Many are not able to fulfill this calling. We need to constantly keepthem in prayer and hold the highest respect for them. We are toalways speak encouraging words to them and about them to others.God commands in 1 Chronicles 16:22, "Touch not mine anointed,and do my prophets no harm." How many of us realize that whenwe speak harsh words against our pastors that we are touchingthem? When we bear false witness against them, that's touching.When we disobey them when they have given us instruction, that'stouching. God placed vision and purpose in our pastors' lives we arenot able to see. Our responsibility is to trust God and follow theirlead.
We are to protect our men and women of God at all costs, notletting others harm them with their mouths. Stand up for them,and let people know we love them and will not tolerate anyonedishonoring them. Let's keep our pastors and their families inprayer, be available when they need assistance, and be submittedto the vision that God has given them. "Believe His prophets, soshall ye prosper" (2 Chronicles 20:20). Obedience and honor is thegateway to prosperity!
My prayer: Father, give me a heart of submission and a tongue tobless and not to curse. Amen.
CHAPTER 7
Thank You
Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
—Psalm 100:4
Thank you are two words God loves to hear and can be used as aweapon against Satan. Thanksgiving is so powerful. It is worshipin God's ear, and it makes the devil tremble. We are commandedin Ephesians 5:20 to give thanks always for all things. We have togive thanks when we are on the mountains, as well as in the valleys.It's easy to thank Him when things are going well and all our needsare met. It takes trust to thank Him when we can't see our way orfeel His presence. This is when Satan is whispering in our ears,"God doesn't care; you're not going to make it; you are defeated,and the Word is not working." Remember the words in John 10:10:"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy."Satan wants to steal our thanks, kill our praise, and destroy ourconfidence. He knows how powerful and effective these things are.
In the midst of challenging times, we have to praise and thank Him.Our praise shows Him we trust Him regardless of the situation andthat we are thanking Him in advance for the answer. God wantsto know whether you will thank Him even when you don't see achange. Yes! We would and should. Thanksgiving is sweet to Hisears. When He hears you say thank you, He knows you trust Him.In our dry places, let's give thanks because it is there we receive ouranswers.
My prayer: Father, may I remember to thank You in all things, notlooking at what it is, but how it will be. Amen.
CHAPTER 8
Put Prayer Back
Yea, thou castest off fear,and restrainest prayer before God.
—Job 15:4
One of the biggest mistakes our country has made was to takeprayer out of our schools. Prayer is another one of God's weaponsthat Satan knows is very effective. The devil knows that he canattack our future if he can attack our children. Since prayer has beenrestrained in our schools, perversion, gangs, homosexuality, murder,and the drop-out rate are at all-time highs. Students killing eachother and teen suicides are becoming commonplace. Our childrendon't fear God or anyone else. It has been said that it takes a villageto raise a child, so prayer should be at every angle: at home, church,and school.
Teachers and school administrators need to pray to know howto deal with children who don't pray at home and don't go tochurch. Prayers need to be offered that God will give educatorsthe wisdom to reach them. Stopping prayer is stopping God. Weare commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing."That means don't stop. We pray in our homes and churches for ourchildren. Why shouldn't we pray in our schools? We need to getGod involved with our children and let Satan know he can't havethem anymore. They are God's property.
Put prayer back in our schools! Untie God's hands and allow Himto take our children and abort the plans Satan has for them. Prayeris powerful, and our children need to see how powerful our God iswhen we pray. Put prayer back!
My prayer: Father, help our children see their way, open their hearts,and teach them to pray. Amen.
CHAPTER 9
Marriage
Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled.
—Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is a blessing when it is done God's way. We have to be verycareful with whom we connect, as 2 Corinthians 6:14 commands,"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." So partnersmust also be saved and love the Lord. When we meet someone wethink might be the one, we have to go to God in prayer and ask forconfirmation if this person is His will. He will let you know if Heis pleased. Usually, there will be peace when that person is aroundyou. This will be a feeling you have never felt before or experiencedwith anyone else. That's God's way of saying, "This is it!"
We all want God's blessing in our marriage, so we have to do it Hisway and by His rules. Sex before marriage is not His way. It robsthe blessing and defiles the relationship, which opens the door forextramarital affairs. When we do things God's way, the blessingblocks this type of behavior from contaminating our marriages.
Saving ourselves for marriage is just that. It keeps the excitementand anticipation high. We can hardly wait to be together. However,we get to know each other during the waiting period and get closerto God so we can be the husband and wife He has called us to beand direct us into ministry. Because we were brought together for apurpose, we have to discover that purpose.
Marriage is a ministry in and of itself. That's why it's so importantto hear from God, or you'll get stuck with the wrong mate. Godgives us choices, life or death, blessing or curses, and Isaac orIshmael. Choose Isaac! God will send an Isaac, and when we don'trecognize it, we settle for the Ishmael. But God loves us so muchand wants the best for us; He will move that Ishmael out of the wayand show you the Isaac He wants you to have, the one who will loveyou and be a blessing to you. He loves us that much; He doesn'twant us to miss the mark. That's why we must choose carefully.
Marriage is serious, and when we do things our way, it will onlycomplicate it. As we honor God by choosing the right mate, Hehonors our choice and in turn honors our marriage!
My prayer: Father, open our eyes that we may see Your will and thewisdom to choose Your way. Amen.
CHAPTER 10
It Came to Pass
And it came to pass in the meanwhile.
—1 Kings 18:45
It was in a Wednesday Bible study that this revelation came. Thepastor was teaching on the Holy Spirit, love, the anointing, and thesupernatural. As we were going through scriptures, 1 Kings 18:45,"and it came to pass in the meanwhile," was one we could not getbeyond. It was a sermon all its own. The revelation was everythingwe have been praying and believing God for, "and it came topass." It was an eye-opening experience that night. The financialbreakthrough, "and it came to pass," that unsaved love one, "and itcame to pass," that healing, "and it came to pass." Wow!
As we walk in the Spirit and in God's love, the anointing of "it cameto pass" has to show up in our lives. "Calleth those things which benot as though they were" (Romans 4:17) is how God wants us to live.Another part of 1 Kings 18:45 says, "in the meanwhile," and indicatesthat while all of the negative and contradicting circumstances arehappening, we are still able to say, "And it came to pass." When wedon't know where the next meal is coming from, when we don'tknow how the bills are going to be paid, and when we are unable tosee the way, we can say with confidence "and it came to pass."
We are not moved by what we see, hear, or feel, but by what God'sWord says. "Not staggering at the promises of God, being fullypersuaded that He will do what He says He will do" (Romans4:20–21). As we continue to confess, "and it came to pass in themeanwhile," that is a war cry for breakthroughs.
My prayer: Father, as I voice Your Word into my life, may I never behindered or swayed by sight. Amen.
