On Earth As It Is In Heaven

When Jesus was teaching how to pray, part of what is commonly referred to today as the Our Father prayer says, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God longs to give you a glimpse of heaven while you‘re still here on earth. He wants to show you His wonderful plan and bring it to pass in your life right now.

Have you ever thought about how God’s will is accomplished in heaven? In heaven, God’s will is automatic. There are no opposing forces of darkness or anything that would come against His will. On earth, we have to reject the negative, self-defeating thoughts and stand against the opposing forces that come against His will. We must make a commitment and choose His will on a daily basis – in our thoughts, words and actions.

I want to encourage you to open your heart to the will of God. As it says in Ephesians 6, you will be empowered by your union with Him. Just because you may not feel that way or see physical evidence of it today, keep declaring what God says about you so you can be empowered to overcome whatever opposition you face. Stand strong in your faith and watch as God's will comes to pass in your life, here and now!

Your Reward Is Coming

Have you been praying and believing for something that seems like it’s taking a lot longer than you thought? Many times, people can miss God’s best simply because they give up before they see their “due season” come. Don’t let that be you!

The bible says, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Be encouraged today because your answer is closer than you think! If it seems like things are getting more difficult, remember, when the intensity heats up, that means you’re closer to your victory. It’s always darkest just before the dawn.

You serve a faithful God, and He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. Don’t cast away your confidence today because your reward is coming.

The key is to keep an attitude of faith and expectancy while you’re waiting. Wake up every morning and say out loud, “I’ve come too far to give up now. My due season is coming!” Stay in faith and look for His hand of blessing because He has promised you victory, and it’s closer than you think!

Quality Time

God wants to empower and strengthen you to overcome every obstacle in this life. He wants to bless you with the confidence, wisdom and boldness to pursue the dreams and desires in your heart.

In the bible, everyone around Peter and John marveled at their boldness and ability. In Acts 4:13 it says Peter and John were supernaturally equipped. The people knew Peter and John didn’t have any formal training or education. This power and wisdom could have only come from one place – the Creator of the universe.

When you spend quality time with your heavenly Father, people will be able to tell. You’ll be energized by His anointing and equipped by His grace. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to be in His presence. No matter where you are on this earth, His presence is only a prayer away.

The bible says God is near to all who call upon His name. It says that He inhabits the praises of His people. Make your relationship with Him your number one priority and watch as you become more empowered and blessed each and every day!

Live Forward

Have you made the decision to forget the past? Many people don’t fully understand what that means. They wonder, “How can I forget something that’s happened to me?” But one definition of the word forget is to disregard intentionally or to overlook. In other words, you have to choose to disregard your past so that it doesn’t keep you from moving forward.

I really like what Paul said to the Philippians, “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” It doesn’t matter what’s happened in your past, it’s time to forget what lies behind.

Today, make the choice live forward. Trust that God has a better future in store for you. Trust that He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. You always move in the direction your focused on, so as you forget what lies behind and press forward, you’ll move forward. You’ll be able see the increase and blessing of God’s plan for you and start to live the abundant life He promised!

God’s Plan

God wants to see you prosper in this life. He wants to see you come out of setbacks stronger, wiser, increased and promoted. He wants to give you hope and help you reach your full potential.

When my Mom died from lung cancer in 2008 I was devastated. She was my best friend and the most important person on the planet to me. I didn’t know how I was going to make it through. But one of the greatest gifts my Mom blessed me with was developing in me a strong dependence on God. She taught me that He never ends on a negative.

Instead of getting stuck on that page, I kept moving forward little by little. It wasn’t easy by any means and I was depressed for a long while, but I did my best to still be good to people – at least in order to honor my Mom’s memory, even though I was still upset with God.

When I look back today, I see His faithfulness. Even though I was rebellious and bitter and acted out at Him, God never turned His back on me. And now I can say like King David, “Look what the Lord has done!”

I have such peace and contentment because of the trust I have in God. That whole period was the worst in my life, but it brought me into an amazingly close relationship with my heavenly Father, and I wouldn’t trade the current level of confidence and stability that has given me for anything in the world. 

Remember, when you encounter adversity, know that God isn’t finished yet. He never ends on a negative. He has more in store for you – just keep pressing forward. Don’t let your thoughts get stuck on your circumstances. Instead, lift up your eyes to Him. God said He has, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope.” SEEK HIM FIRST, and trust that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf, then you will see Him lead you to that place of peace and prosperity you desire.

Be The Flower Not The Weeds

One time I was walking this property that a friend of mine was thinking about buying and building a house on and I remember the piece of land being filled with weeds. All these dead, dried-up weeds had covered up everything. As we walked a little further in, I saw a single, beautiful flower that had grown up among all those weeds. It was so colorful and so different from everything that surrounded it. I thought, “That’s what God wants us to be: vibrant and blooming wherever He’s planted us.”

So often, people get caught up in behaving like the ‘weeds’ around them; settling for being ordinary and doing like everyone else. If you let your circumstances control how you act then you’re going to have an unstable, insecure life. But when you choose to trust God and allow Him to develop the strong virtuous character He’s called you to demonstrate, then you stand out. You bloom and people notice there’s something different about you, and they want to know what it is. That’s a powerful testament to the glory of God and we’re called to be that good example in the world.

Many times we have to pass a test before God will promote us. Just like a teacher in school or the boss on a job, God wants to know how well you are managing what you already have on your plate. How are you acting when you don’t get everything you want or don’t get it on your timetable? To pass this test means you go out each day with a smile on your face and a spring in your step. It means you give God glory in everything you do, no matter what season you’re in. Choose to bloom where you're planted and watch God take you to that higher level you’ve been praying for.

Be Still And Know

In our culture most people are used to having constant activity: computers, cell phones, television, email, video games. There’s nothing wrong with any of that but the Bible tells us that we need to stop and be still so we can focus on knowing God.

I’ve found this to be true especially during the difficult times. When you’re facing a challenge it’s easy to want to run to a friend or talk about it with a family member. At some point you will come to God. But the fastest way to find peace is to seek Him daily. That way, even when troubles come you’re already in close relationship with Him and knowing God means learning to rest in Him.

The bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God...” Once you commit to putting this into daily practice, you’ll find that instead of falling apart when things don’t go the way you expected, you will be able to say, “God, I rest in You. I know You have me in the palm of Your hand.”

Remember, our battles are spiritual battles. The people in your life aren’t the source of your problems, the forces of the enemy are. When you choose to be still and know that your Creator lives on the inside of you, you’re putting yourself in a position of strength.

Today, I want to encourage you to take time to be still before your heavenly Father. Let His peace cover you. Let Him refresh you and trust that the battles you face belong to Him. Make time to be still before Him and seek His will so you can experience an increase of peace and confidence in every area of your life!