Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 30, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious…Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!”
Psalm 66:1–2, 5
Lord our God, let your miracles be done among us, and bless us through your deeds. Bless us in Jesus Christ, the Savior of so many people. May your kingdom come to us and at last bring the great miracles that carry out your will and that do what is pleasing to you. Lord God, Father in heaven, we praise you! In you we live, in you we believe, in you we hope, in you we want to live day by day and hour by hour. May your name be honored among us, for you are our God and the God of all the world. Let your light shine among all people so that many millions and whole nations may glorify your name, for in the last days the nations shall come and worship you. So protect and bless us today and in the coming time, and again and again let something happen to bring us new life and strength. Amen.
DailyCommentary: Can you shout for joy to the Lord and not feel the jubilation in your heart? God’s awesome deeds have won us our salvation and we proclaims God’s great power. When we glorify His holy name all the nations of the world shall bow down before Him.
We respond to God’s calling as Christians and go forth to see what God has done for us and it is a a call for us to remember why we’ve been called. We know God has delivered us and we rejoice in His love.
It is grace that has brought us this far and we finally understand the spiritual meaning of joy in our lives. We have experienced His loving kindness time after time and yet we still sin against Him. What more can the Lord do to show us His unconditional love?
During this holiday season, we can show our devotion and love by bringing the Lord into our hearts and making each day a day to praise His holy name.
Want to know the best way to praise God for all the goodness He has done for you?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 29, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
John 14:12
Lord our God, we call to you, “Abba, dear Father!” because your Spirit draws us to Jesus Christ the Savior and to his gospel. We call to you for we belong to your kingdom. Give us strength to remain steadfast through all the troubles of our lives. Let your hand remain over us and over the warring nations. Your hand directs, your hand carries out the thoughts of your heart. May the time soon come when you will bring everything to fulfillment and give peace on earth. In expectation we praise your name, for you will bring this time and you will bring it soon. For your kingdom must come, your will must be done on earth as in heaven, and everything must go according to your plan. Amen.
DailyCommentary: Why do we praise God? Is it because He has given us so much to be thankful for? It goes much deeper than that. The book of Psalms was especially written as a way to praise God for everything He did for the Israelites. We see it in Psalm 147:1 where it tells us that “Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!”
God tells us that we will do works greater than Him but it is through His power that we give praise. Our faith in the Lord will be rewarded but until we bow ourselves down to Him and give Him praise we cannot hope to do great works for the Lord. In Psalm 103:1-3, it tells us, “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
This is something most of us forget. We are looking for the spoils but need to give thanks and praise first to He that has given us the kingdom of heaven. Praise and worship is fundamental to our salvation. Why? Without that love, care, and respect we show to God, everything we do will be in vain as our actions will not carry out our faith.
Your prayers of praise to God are heard and will not be forgotten. Praise is part of our submission to God and His ways. Let me end this talk on Psalm 107:8, “Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” That is reasons to praise god.
Want to know how to praise God for all the goodness He has done for you?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 28, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!
Mark 13:35-37
Lord our God, we look upward to heaven, for you will come from heaven in the glory of the Father. May we remain true to our calling, watching and praying every day and every hour, waiting for you, who will bring into order everything on earth. Bless us and bless our land. Grant us the joy to see you working through your servants toward the salvation of the peoples. Be with us and bless us. May your living Word work in our hearts so that every Sunday, every festival, and every day from now on may be a day of joy. Protect us. Bless us. May your name be praised in our hearts! Amen.
DailyCommentary: Society has a way of getting and keeping our attention on things that are not very important but how do you stay spiritually awake in a world that constantly steals your attention? What can you do to avoid falling spiritually asleep?
Are you too sleepy to realize the truth? God has called each one of us to be alert to what is coming and fight distraction when it does come. TWe must be observant with spiritual matters as we may lose sight of the goal – our salvation. We cannot sleep through life as if nothing matters.
How do we do this? Avoid conduct unbecoming to a Christian and be able to awaken others from their spiritual stupor. Show others the ways of the Lord. Keep busy with God’s word. Avoid works that brings down to the darkness of evil.
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13
Awareness is how Peter describes what our daily activities must entail and it is up to us to be vitally aware of the danger that spiritual slumber can do to us.
Want to know how to stay spiritually awake in a world that is filled with darkness?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 27, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”
Psalm 25:8–9
Lord our God, dear Father in heaven, we thank you that we may be your children, led by you. We thank you for guiding us in times of grief and never forsaking us. Now, as of old, you are with us, Lord our God, and you show us the way in every situation. Protect us in this present time, and grant us strength to go on patiently even when our lives hold much suffering and distress. We thank you for your guidance and rejoice in your help for our time. Reveal your hand in power, for soon, very soon, your right hand will change everything. Amen.
DailyCommentary: God is the ultimate teacher. He spends His time showing us His love and giving us all we need. We trust in the Lord for He has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
In times of despair, we learn how to trust god completely in all things. Trust and faith go hand in hand. For us sinners, the true meaning of trust comes not in our failure but in God’s love. Without it, we could not survive.
“God keeps on giving even though we do not deserve it but that is how He operates. he gives love unconditionally. We see this in Deuteronomy 30:9,“Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors.”
We don’t need to test God because it is a heartfelt expression of trust in God that keeps us going. The promises He has made of eternal salvation and a love so strong He even died on the cross for us.
We ask the Lord for these three things when it comes to trust:
“Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,for they are from of old” – Psalm 25:6
“Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious way” – Psalm 25:7
“According to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good.” – Psalm 25:7
A loving God is to be trusted in all things for he says,“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.”Isiah 55:8. That is why we put our trust in the Lord.
Want to know how trusting God is all things can help you find inner peace, unconditional love and true happiness?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 26, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!”
Isaiah 64:1–2
Lord our God, in our times too you hear the prayers and cries of your children. We need to cry out, for humankind has not become your own but still lives in pain and under judgment, and many thousands have to die or undergo terrible things. They should be yours, every one of them. They should all be your children. So we cry out to you: Reveal and glorify your name on earth so that a new time may come and great wonders may be done by your hand. May your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.
DailyCommentary: Do you recognize the power of prayer in your life? Are you praying everyday to God? Are you listening as well as asking? Why is prayer so important in our relationship with God?
Prayer is more than just asking God for things. The power of prayer comes from having a deep-seeded faith in the Lord and allowing Him to work His magic in your life. According to pastor and best-selling author Greg Laurie, “True prayer is what happens when our will is aligned with the will of God, and we pray accordingly. Prayer is our connection to heaven and heaven’s connection to us—that is why you should always keep the lines open!”
The most powerful prayer to god is the prayer you are saying right now that comes from the depths of your soul. Prayer is a connection between you and God and there are five types of prayer that you should be incorporating into your prayer life.
They are:
A – Adoration –which is our worship to the Lord
C – Confession – for which we confess our sins to God
T – Thanksgiving – which is how we give gratitude to God
S – Supplication – for which we give our specific requests to the Lord
Throughout the ages, Christians have been praying to God for everything from healing to saving from invaders to thanksgiving for the gratitude of God. This divine intervention comes unconditionally from the Lord. he doesn’t have to grant our petitions but He does so to bring us closer to Him as well as teach us lessons about life.
We are all sons and daughters of the most high and through our prayers, we are promised, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” as found in Philippians 4:19.
These promises come to us from a loving and caring God who wants the best for us and acts in our best interests. But if your faith doesn’t believe it the look to science for the facts regarding prayer and what it can do for you.
Science has proven the healing power of prayer in study after study. Duke University’s Harold G. Koenig, M.D. states this in an exhaustive analysis of more than 1,500 reputable medical studies. “People who are more religious and pray more have better mental and physical health.
He goes on to say, “The benefits of devout religious practice, particularly involvement in a faith community and religious commitment, are that people cope better. In general, they cope with stress better, they experience greater well-being because they have more hope, they’re more optimistic, they experience less depression, less anxiety, and they commit suicide less often. They have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, and probably better cardiovascular functioning.”
Use the power of prayer wisely for it has been given to you as a direct communication pathway to the divine.
Want to know how the power of prayer can work in your life?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
“If you spent your life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you really were? What if the face you showed the world turned out to be a mask… with nothing beneath it?” Jodi Picoult
None of us are required to live up to the expectations of others but there’s that little voice inside of us that tells us if we don’t, then we’ve failed at life. Not only is this untrue but it can be harmful to our inner psyche. You have no obligation to do what anyone else wants you to do. instead, you need to do things from the heart that inspire you and make you happy, not others.
The problem with expectations is… they get in the way of life’s experiences. You don’t need that type of pressure because God has put your pathway in front of you to determine where you go in life. This reminds me of a quote by Raymond Hull that states: “He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.”
Are you living your life the way you want to live it? Are you still allowing others to manipulate your destiny according to their will?
Your inner voice or intuition calls you out for life’s adventures. It knows you, it knows your thoughts and it helps keep control over your life and decision making. When you hand over that control to the expectations of others, you eventually lose respect for yourself and forget what makes you happy.
Do you own your own life?
That’s the problem that follows you around when you try living up to others expectations. You don’t learn from your own mistakes and end up following along someone else’s misguided path filled with the remnants of bad decisions and regrets.
So, what should you do next?
Letting Go Of Expectations
“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” Stephen R. Covey
If you live life stuck with expectations, you will never get out from reaching your true potential. Only you have the right to find your own happiness. Expectations place limits on us and life is not about limits but about shattering those limits and becoming the best you can be, No one can take that away from you!
Others may want to define you according to their own terms but you must serve yourself. Let go of both your expectations and those placed upon you and create your own reality. In the end, you either become a prisoner of other’s opinions or you live in a world where you live and die by your own decisions.
Your own expectations can be sidetracked and if they go wrong, you then make excuses for not getting where you want to go. If you worry about what others think, it becomes easier to make excuses. That is why insecure people do everything they can to meet expectations placed upon them and get caught up in self betrayal.
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – Carl Gustave Jung
How to stop self betrayal?
Compassion for yourself is your first priority. Others won’t have the same compassion for you and that is the worst form of self betrayal. Your uniqueness won’t lock you into trying to please others just to live up to expectations set for you from past failures.
Breaking Expectations Of Others
“Expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.” Brandon Sanderson
In life, nothing is easy but others make it so much harder for you when they try to control your actions, Whether intended or not, the words others use can have monumental consequences . They force us to pretend to be someone we aren’t until we lose both our authenticity and our identity.
You need to put your foot down and follow your dreams. Even if people mean well, they can’t see how they are hurting you. The key is to return to your innocent self and regain lost dignity.
Look into the mirror. Do you like what you see?
If not, then it’s time to go back and see that you have unique gifts to offer the world. Speak your mind and align your beliefs and values with your ethics and if they don’t match then its time to break the expectations others have over you.
According to author Jane Powell, from MeditationsForWomen.com, puts breaking expectations in perspective by stating, “Trying to live your life by the expectations of others disconnects you from your own desires. It leaves you feeling empty and unmotivated. The gratification that comes from fulfilling the expectations of others is very little and short-lived.”
That is why it is so important to to be aware of your surroundings. What are people trying to convey to you? Do they put you at ease or do they pressure you with their opinions and feelings?
Here Are 3 Things You Need To Do To Break The Expectations Of Others
Find your passion and go with it. Don’t let others take your passions away.
Have a strong character. Mix it with good values and you can live a life filled with integrity and power.
Live with a purpose. That purpose will drive you to not only meet your expectations but overcome them.
How To Live Without Expectations
“Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” Ralph Marston
When you cultivate self acceptance, you don’t need to have any type of expectations at all to be successful. Releasing expectations helps let go of outcomes. This way, you are not bound to what happens. Instead, you make your own outcome.
Focus on the present. It’s all you have and the more you live in the past or worry about the past the harder it is to overcome expectations. Focus on releasing people and situations from your expectations. That way, they can’t influence both your decision making abilities and your emotions.
Your expectations are undermining your happiness. In order to find happiness, you must not have any expectations at all. Break the cycle of desire and attachment and expectations diminish. Every day, we thrust expectations of all kinds on ourselves and the people we come in contact with. The more we live in the now and allow tomorrow to take care of itself the easier it is to live without expectations.
Let me end by quoting Steve Jobs when he says, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it by living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogmas – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
Don’t let others rule your life with misguided expectations. Instead, follow your own heart and make your own way in the world. Even if you fail… pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes and success and happiness will follow!
Want to know how you can end all expectations and live the life God gave you?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 25, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice… The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory.”
Psalm 97:1, 6
Lord our God, we turn to you, for you are our help. Hear our prayer, we beseech you; let our cry rise to you so that you may send your mighty help in our generation. Continue to protect us from all evil, from death and destruction. Protect us because we are your children. As your children we turn to you, the almighty God, who can make everything work together for good. Be merciful to us, O Lord God. Help us for your name’s sake. Help, Lord, for you alone can bring everything to a good end. So we stand before you in Jesus Christ, holding to every word you have given us and knowing for certain that you hear us. Amen.
DailyCommentary: What does it mean to be righteous? Knowing this one thing is key to submitting ourselves to the Lord’s reign and living a life filled with the righteousness of God. Since God made this world it is He who governs it according to His laws. How we act will either bring glory to God or send us to hell. We must choose who our savior is and what will we do to submit our will to His.
17th century minister, Matthew Henry states, “There is a depth in his counsels, which we must not pretend to fathom; but still righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.” His counsel we must learn and put into action if we are to rejoice for those who extol and live the virtues of Christian ideals are the one who will enjoy it’s spoils.
How we respond to the revealing of God’s glory says a lot about the state of our relationship with the Lord. Do we seek out the Lord or do we give lip service to our faith? Throughout the bible, God discloses the true qualities of a righteous man but it is the strong of faith who can respond and take action.
That action is based on the glory of God and gives up hope and protection. It is He who looks after us and guides us like a loving father. It is He who punishes us when we stray and forgives us when we repent for He is a loving father that cares for total well-being. The Lord reigns with love and we are forever grateful for that love.
Want to know how the Lord Jesus can bring you inner peace, unconditional love and true happiness right now?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 24, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them… For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:17, 20
Lord our God, give us new hearts, teach us a new way on earth, so that through your commandments all men may act in accordance with your Word and may become one. Only you can do this, working through your promised Holy Spirit, and you will do it in order that the earth may become a paradise, a heavenly kingdom pleasing to you. Let your words be written in our hearts, and help us to fulfill your commandments in all our daily contacts. For your commandments are to be carried out by us foolish, sinful men so that we may be made perfect, our sins may be forgiven, and everything may become right and good in your sight. Stay with us, Lord God, our Father. Help us in everything. Let something new, something pleasing to you, soon come into our time. Put your commandments into men’s hearts, that peace may be restored to the glory of your name. Amen.
DailyCommentary: Jesus came to fulfill the law that God gave to us. He is he word that leads us to the kingdom of heaven. How to enter the kingdom of heaven? Prayer is the key for all of us. Without it, we cannot hope to know the real Lord .
We must seek first the kingdom of God through faith but as a consequence of our actions, “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:14 As such, Christians must obey God’s law.
It is not enough to just know God. The law does not define just how we act but who we are inside and through repentance of our sins do we come back to the law. it is Christ’s righteousness that we must follow to the letter of the law for no man can come to God with sinfulness in his heart.
God knows what we have done, who we are and what is in our hearts but it is us who must come to the Lord with a clean heart before we can enter the kingdom of heaven. God’s kingdom has been opened to us through the promise of the Holy Spirit but only to those who God makes perfect with His love.
Want to know how you can find the kingdom of heaven here on earth?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 23, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.”
John 10:11-12
Lord our God, hear our prayer and reveal your hand in our days. May those things be done that bring your future nearer and that let the world see you as the Savior who can lead us to our Father. Bless your Word within us. May our hearts be strengthened, and may we always live in your presence. We draw our life from your Word, from your promise, and we set our hope on you, our Lord and Savior. Show your might, Lord Jesus, and carry out the will of God over all the world, so that we may rejoice when we see God’s glory appear and his will being done on earth as in heaven. Amen.
DailyCommentary: Just as Jesus is the good shepherd and watches over His flock, we too must watch over one another with love. Never letting the least of us go hungry or astray. In Mark 12:30-31 we see being good shepherd in action as it pertains to our society, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Being the good shepherd is all about loving others and we see this in the way servicemen never leave an injured soldier behind. They risk their own lives to save a fallen comrade. The same must hold true for us in our daily lives. We must be their to help those who need to be brought back into the fold.
Jesus was willing to give His life for His flock. He cares for us, feeds us and provides for us. How much would a hired hand help us? We are not hired hands in the kingdom of God. Instead we have been given the keys to the kingdom as heirs with Jesus. It is here where we must watch over the flock as Jesus does.
As we go further into the Gospel of John we see why Jesus goes after the sheep, we see the ” My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28.
Jesus will not let anything snatch us from Him. His love is eternal and when He says “I am the good shepherd” He means it as an example for us the follow. Jesus was an action taker and we need to be one also or society will continue to lead us away from God and into a life of sin.
Want to know how to find inner peace, unconditional love and true happiness in God’s kingdom?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 22, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.”
James 5:7
Lord our God, hear our prayer and reveal your hand in our days. May those things be done that bring your future nearer and that let the world see you as the Savior who can lead us to our Father. Bless your Word within us. May our hearts be strengthened, and may we always live in your presence. We draw our life from your Word, from your promise, and we set our hope on you, our Lord and Savior. Show your might, Lord Jesus, and carry out the will of God over all the world, so that we may rejoice when we see God’s glory appear and his will being done on earth as in heaven. Amen.
DailyCommentary: As Christians, learning how to be patient is something we’re not very good at. We want things now and when we don’t get it we complain. We haven’t yet learned to fully understand the phrase “Patience is a virtue” and that God delivers in His own time.
We’re stuck in a time warp… waiting for our savior to come and still trying to live in this world of sin. It isn’t easy but the benefits of being patient far outnumber the drawbacks. We read it in Romans 2:7 that “Those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality.”David Mathis, pastor at Cities Church in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, says, “Patience is the companion of humility and the enemy of pride.”
This is what happens to people when they try to push God to give them what they want right now. We’ve all heard the phrase, “In His own time” but how many of us are willing to wait? Pastor David goes on to say, “But part of waiting is the conscious hardship. We taste the bitter pill of patience and feel it slither ever so slowly down our throat.” It’s also been said that “Good things come to those that wait.”
Waiting is something God wants us to to do because in that time between what we want and what we receive, He is teaching us valuable lessons about life and His glory. That’s why we teach our own children how to be patient so they will see the wisdom in their own brand of patience.
God is patient with us. Remember, Adam and Eve were the first sinners and he’s waited all this time to perfect us in His image yet we still rebel against His love. In 2 Peter 3:9 we get a glimpse of God’s patience with us. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
The more we start practicing patience, the easier it becomes to understand why patience is necessary to know God. You may not like it but God has plans for you and through His patience they will be fulfilled!
Want to know how your patience can help you find inner peace, unconditional love and true happiness in God’s kingdom?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.”
Jim Rohn
Are you happy?
The reason I ask this because according to 2016 World Happiness Report, people in the United States are only the thirteenth happiest people in the world. For the richest and most influential country on the planet, this doesn’t seem to make sense. But let’s delve a bit further and see how this affects you.
What makes you happy?
Is it family, friends, money, your career? All of the above… or none of the above?
You see, happiness is a state of mind not a place we go to or based on the current or past events of our lives. Happiness is like the air we breathe. We can either accept it and let it flow through our bodies pumping us up with a life-giving force or dismiss it and allow it make us sick. You, my friend, have the final decision on what you want to do when it comes to finding real happiness.
So let me ask you again. What makes you happy?
Finding happiness in life is actually a misnomer. We don’t have to find happiness… we need to experience happiness. It’s not about looking for something to make you happy but opening your heart and embracing happiness.
How To Live a Happy Life
“The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go.” Dodinsky
The science of happiness has determined that happy people have specific ways they think and act that impacts their sense of well-being and happiness. It goes much deeper than just feeling happy. Many look at happiness as a result of their action but happiness drives your actions.
Take a look at your life. When you are happy, it inspires what you do but it’s the complete opposite when you are sad. But what if you didn’t have to rely on feelings to be happy? What if what you do everyday is a product of a belief is a higher power?
What if you could effectively erase worry from your thoughts? Do you think you could allow happiness to enter in. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
Most people based their happiness on how much or how little they have to worry about. Living with worry only spoils the happiness that surrounds you. Quality of life should have no bearing on how happy you are. The rich are not any more happier than the poor contrary to many believe.
In fact, many of the poor throughout the world are much happier than people who have so much. Studies show that the poor in many countries base their happiness on factors such as gratitude, love and care while those who pursue materialistic endeavors tend to use the objects as way to find happiness.
Henry David Thoreau once said this about happiness, “Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.”
If you search for happiness your whole life then it will be all in vain but if you allow happiness to live in your heart, it will grow like a flower. This is how I learned to be happy. I could have been mad at the world after losing my first girlfriend to leukemia but I lifted everything up to the Lord.
In Philippians 4:4-7, it tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice ! 5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Psychotherapist Jude Bijou MA, MFT states, “Joy is an emotion, and emotions are wordless. They’re pure physical sensations in our bodies. We express the emotion of joy in many physical ways.” Happiness should be physically exuded in everything we do. It isn’t about what we don’t have but being grateful for what we do have.
When I recently had major reconstructive surgery on my back, the pain was overwhelming but I still felt joy. Why? I was grateful for the health I did have. Pain was something I was used to for over ten years but I didn’t have control over that pain. To live a happier life, I needed to focus on things that I could control such as my mindset which is a major key to happiness.
Here’s A Short List Of Things You Can Do To Change Your Mindset About Happiness
icon-check1- Build different bridges with your thoughts – This means, instead of building a negative bridge, start building positive bridges and then re-enforce those positive thoughts at so that our brains can adapt and change according to our everyday behaviors.
icon-check2- Practice self compassion – Compassionate people have shown the ability to see beyond those things that cause unhappiness ans are able to focus on both love and care which are vital to how happy people act.
icon-check3- Personal awareness – So often we live on autopilot that we forget to be aware of our surroundings. We don’t see the beauty and the wonder that is sitting right in front of us. We’re too worried about our bills, the office or even what to make for dinner that night. Our brains ruminate or go over the same things that it blocks out our chance to experience life in all its grandeur.
icon-check4- Commit random acts of kindness – These random acts of kindness set off s mini explosions of happiness in our brains. They give us hope, purpose and belonging in a world that sometimes can be very cruel. Giving is like a drug, the more you experience the more you want to keep giving.
The more you decide in your mind to be happy, the easier it will be to stay happy. When you concentrate on your personal happiness as well as the happiness of others, you make happiness a daily habit for the good of the world.
Experiencing Love And Happiness In The World Today
“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” Marcel Pagnol
Love is one of the most important key to finding happiness in the world. Without it, we let misery creep in and allow ourselves to feel sorry for our situation.
Why is love so important to happiness.
Love and happiness have a connection that was given to us by God himself. God loves us so much that He wants us to experience that joy. We see this in bible verses such as: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”Psalm 37:4, and “In your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore,”Psalm 16:11.
According to Arthur Dobrin, D.S.W.,Professor Emeritus, Hofstra University and author of over twenty books, “Whichever way you find happiness, it is always accompanied by love, for happiness is ultimately the love of life, the celebration of living. The mark of happiness is that you are sensitive to the world around you, that you acknowledge your dependence upon your surroundings and that you are filled with loving-kindness.”
We are to seek out love and as well as give it and happiness will be a huge part of the process. George Sand probably distilled down to it’s perfect meaning when he said, “There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.”
Love changes us in so many ways. It makes us feel good, it gives us hope in others and it allows us to express the true nature of our being.. that is, to just love no matter what! No only do love and happiness go hand in hand… they were made for each other.
Love is an action verb. It must be acted upon. It is through those actions that we not only derive happiness but give it as well. The world doesn’t like others to be happy but you can make the decision right now to live in happiness and learn what makes people happy. Once you know this, happiness is yours to keep.
Want to know how you can find inner peace, unconditional love and true happiness in God’s kingdom?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 21, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:17–18
Lord our God, whose might is over all the world, over heaven and over earth, we want to find strength in you, for you have given us thousands of proofs that you are with us, helping in all that happens. And when we meet with difficulties, we want all the more to find strength in you, we want all the more to hope in you and await your victory. Let your light shine into everything, in life and in death. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
DailyCommentary: As Christians, we don’t just say a prayer for the people, we say prayers for all people from all walks of life and all beliefs. Why? It is because of God’s unconditional love that we use as our model to bring change to a world filled with sin and to help those in their time of need.
God asks us to pray for my people which is a call for humility and guidance. It is a call to pray for the church and it’s people.
This prayer for God’s people comes with a promise from God Himself that He listen’s to us in our time of need and takes the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and fulfills Jesus’ mission on earth… to come and reverse the effects of Adams sin and give us life everlasting!
Do you pray for my people asks the Lord?
Do you pray with humility?
Each one of us has the chance to talk to and listen to God Himself but as it is written in Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
That is a powerful way indeed to pray but it goes much further than that. We read that Jesus did not like the way the Pharisees prayed. They prayed out in the open streets so everyone could see and hear them. They wanted to show the public they were holy and pious.
Have you been guilty of that way of prayer?
Jesus condemns this way of praying in the bible by answering: “They have their reward,” which is the reward of being seen by others. Jesus does not say public prayer is wrong, but the idea behind the prayers. Are they for God or for men? Are they to be seen by others or are they genuine from the heart no matter what others may say?
God hears you and wants you to open your heart with a genuine prayer of love and thanksgiving. You can ask for anything you want but it is better to ask for God’s blessings and allow Him to work in your life. Anything other than that and it will fall on deaf ears.
Want to know how your prayer can help you find inner peace, unconditional love and true happiness in God’s kingdom?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 20, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.”
Jeremiah 16:19
Lord our God, we come to you burdened and driven by every kind of need and oppression, but you will bring light into every situation; in your great goodness and faithfulness you will continue to help. We come to you because you are our help. We want to draw strength from your Word so that we can remain steadfast in these times, awaiting your help and already finding joy and certainty in our expectation. For your kingdom is coming, and your will is being done on earth as in heaven. Amen.
DailyCommentary: No matter how strong we think we are, we are no match for the world,,, unless we have God in our corner. He is our rock and our fortress and “Because that is what he has done. It is he who has rescued us from the ruling force of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son that he loves.” Colossians 1:12-13
Where do we stand in our lives? Next to God or by ourselves? He has given us the promise of the restoration of our souls and who, by His grace, have been saved. God has become our refuge, shelter, and protector, and while we toil, we put our faith in the “light in the midst of darkness.”
But, who do we look to in times of distress? When the the day of affliction comes, you are my strength and my fortress and you will avenged them for their sins. We come to you seeking your goodness and your love. May we never lose hope or faith when things go bad.
Want to know how you can make Jesus your rock and your fortress?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 19, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27
Lord our God, we come to you poor and yet rich, weak and yet strong, with the prayer that your promise may be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our dear Lord and Savior. Let the time come when the heavens open and a new light shines over the earth, a time when people will praise and thank you and receive everlasting peace and happiness with you. Remember the many people who come into need these days. Remember our nation and all who work for the good of our country. Bless them and help them. And help the dying, O Lord our God; grant that they come to you, for they are yours. Your help will bring life out of death, joy out of grief and need. May your name be honored, dear Father in heaven, may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.
DailyCommentary: God did not choose the best of humanity to announce His word but those who’s hearts were clean and filled with love. There’s a big difference between spiritual wisdom and understanding. instead He choose people to serve the purposes of his glory.
Christians are considered to be the foolish, the weak, and the despised of this world but God uses us to further the message of the gospels. God has summoned us to be part of the body of Christ and through this we have unity but if He operated according to the values of society, they would never have been implemented.
To understand this, look at Isiah 55:9. We see what God is telling us. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” He does not rule by human standards but according to Barry’s Biblical Notes, “God’s wisdom has been expressed for all time in Jesus Christ. We who have trusted the crucified Christ have received the righteousness, holiness and redemption that come only from union with him.”
God knows what’s good for us. He has given us the proper wisdom and knowledge to help us grow as Christians. The true knowledge of God is the most valuable knowledge any human can acquire for without it, just pursuing knowledge for knowledge sake, without seeking to know who God is, is what the foolish do.
Want to know how you can find the spiritual wisdom of God?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
Here is your Daily Devotional Prayer for November 18, 2016 brought to you by The Plough
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Zechariah 9:9
Lord our God, we stand before you and rejoice that you want to be our Helper, our Father. We live in a dark and evil time when whole nations groan and lament. Our need rises to you in heaven, and we cry out, “Help us, Lord our God!” Help that your will may be done in all things and that your kingdom may come. Our task is to pray to you at all times, calling, “Come, O Lord God, in Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of all the world!” For in east and west, in south and north, among all nations, Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. Praise to your name that you have given us this Lord. Amen.
DailyCommentary: The Lord has come to us,riding on his donkey in both peace and love. Jesus came to fulfill the law and we rejoice in His triumphal entry. He comes in power and glory to reign over the earth, righteous and victorious.
Jesus is about to deliver us and redeem us of our sins. Why is it that we cannot see what our sin has done? Are we blind to what the Lord has done for us? As sinners, we are held prisoners, but Jesus has given prisoners hope that He will help us manage the assaults of our spiritual enemies.
The Lord will save us… that, he has promised us. Are we up to the challenge of trusting in Him? God has spoken to the nations and proclaimed the goodness and beauty for all.
Want to know how you can experience God’s promises of unconditional love?
You can find it in my #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com entitled “Summoned To Love – A Spiritual Blueprint For Rediscovering Inner Peace, Unconditional Love, And True Happiness.”
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