Let God Make Your New Year
New!
Here we are once again on the precipice of a new year! As 2014 draws to a close what do you envision for your 2015? This past year may have been quite wonderful for you. Perhaps it was most challenging. Despite whatever took place look for the blessings of 2014. It is easy to focus on the negative in life. So much negativity floods the news media daily. You are bombarded with continuous updates of frightening happenings around the world. This endless barrage of negative can cast a dark shadow on your life if you are not careful.
Speak Life!
There can be enough personal challenges day to day. How you view each event will greatly affect your life. Your perception of a given situation or personal encounter can color it either positive or negative. What color palette you choose is truly a choice. Choose this day which you will serve…will it be God’s way or the world view? Choose life (positive) not death (negativity).
Purpose to breathe, think, see and speak life into each situation. Let God’s light, power and anointing color your world. Every cloud has a silver lining. Every situation has a positive aspect. Seek His light in every darkened corner. Seek His wisdom to walk in His light. Refuse to spend one more moment in the shadow of negativity.
Look forward knowing that God goes before you. He is your rear guard. He will test your faith by fire but He will bring you through unharmed if you keep your focus on Him. Stay hedged in going forward. The miracle is that you will come forth without even the smell of smoke remaining from any fire He has brought you through.
If, with God’s grace, you layer a positive experience over a negative one, the negative one dissipates. It is not buried to take root and produce noxious fruit at some future date. It simply fades away. Or, you can choose to ruminate over it over and over until it looms quite large and takes on a life of its own. It will color everything in your life. It will be as a shroud over your days. Blocking the light of His presence, the glory of His promise, the grace of His faithfulness, all will appear dark. Press through to the light of every circumstance.
A Time of Preparation
As 2014 draws to an end, look toward the Lord. Let Him guide your steps into 2015. Carve out some quiet time this week to hear from Him. Set your own desires aside to really listen to His direction for you. He knows the desires of your heart. Sit willing to listen to the desires of His heart for you.
It can be harder and harder in this world to make time for the Lord. Yet, it is critical to do so to stay on His narrow path of life.
Just remember, He makes 24/7 available to you. Rather than stepping into another year without a clear direction or focus, determine to commit to fast, pray and seek Him for your future. Without Him you can do nothing. With Him all things are possible! Look for the silver lining. Look for God’s grace in every encounter you have.
He is always with you. He is ever faithful. He goes before you to prepare the way. He is your rear guard.
As Doors Close, Doors Open!
As with any year, 2015 holds much promise. There will be blessings and challenges. There will be gifts and trials. Above all else, there will be the Holy Spirit leading, directing and guiding you in the way you should go. Jesus, your faithful intercessor, sits at the right hand of the Father ever interceding on your behalf. You have the Father who created you and knows every hair on your head. He loves you with a never ending love. Let the triune God permeate the atmosphere of your life each and every day!
May this week bring a close to all that no longer serves you in your walk with the Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray a release with God’s grace and love for any person, place or thing that will be left in 2014. As God closes doors, rest assured in the knowledge that He will open other doors for you in His perfect timing. May this week usher in all things new to color your vision with God’s grace and light for the destiny He has prepared for you on earth as it is in heaven ‘for such a time as this! God bless you this week and always.
Quotes To Ponder This Week
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” ~Jesus, Matthew 7:13-14
“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ~Jesus, Matthew 19:26
“No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” ~Jesus, Luke 9:62
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” ~Jesus, John 10:10
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” ~Jesus, John 16:13
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” ~Deuteronomy 30:19-20
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~Proverbs 3:6
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” ~Proverbs 18:21
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” ~Romans 12:2
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” ~2Corinthians 5:17
“in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” ~1 Peter 1:6-7
“Behold, I make all things new.” ~ Revelation 21:5
“Lose all your identity in the Son of God. Let Him become all in all. Seek only the Lord, and let Him be glorified.” ~Smith Wigglesworth, Devotional, page 534
A Prayer Request
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Please keep all who serve our country, our diplomatic corps, our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our front-line on the battlefield, let us be their front-line in the spirit. Also, let us cover all who have come home wounded that they and their families will receive the kindness, help and support they need to go forward in their lives. May the Lord bless them and keep them safe. Pray for all throughout the world for hedges of protection against radical Muslim extremists and all forms of terrorism. We have long prayed for spiritual victory over radical Islam in Esther’s Warriors Ministry. We now see the reality of this threat come to the forefront in this time in world history.
Please pray for all in authority over us, for the full truth to come forth concerning Benghazi. We as Americans and the families of those murdered in Benghazi deserve to be told the truth. Pray that God will open doors to let the truth on all that has been hidden flow for all of us in this United States of America! The truth shall keep us free.
Pray for peace in Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for Christians throughout the world who face violence and death for their faith.
May God richly bless the United States of America, bring to light every single crooked place and keep her safe. May we arise united once again as One Nation Under God in this auspicious season in our country’s history. We continue to pray for truth to prevail as we saturate this country in prayer and stand for all that is right in America and for all of us who call ourselves American. These are treacherous times and now more than ever we must maintain our walk. Fail not in this hour. #Pray for America.
Please Join Me in Prayer
Father God, We thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to set us free. As this year comes to an end, grace us to release with love all that is not of You in our life. As You close doors let us keep our focus on what lies ahead and fully leave that which is behind. Teach us to look forward with thanksgiving for all You have brought us through. Guide us to those doors You will open in the coming year. Lead us by Your light to Your perfect will in each of our lives ‘for such a time as this.’ Great is Your faithfulness, oh God! We thank You that You keep Your hand on America. Forgive our sin and heal our land that we will remain One Nation Under God. We pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen and Amen.