It’s All About God’s Love

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Luke 7:47

Her story is heartrending. In the Bible’s account, this woman in Luke 7 was described as “a sinner.” Many believe that she was a prostitute. When she came to Jesus, He did not chase her away, humiliate her, or condemn her for her sins. He knew how guilt had been eating her up on the inside and had compassion for her.

As she neared Jesus, she began weeping. Then, she washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with the precious ointment that would have cost her an entire year’s wages. Without hesitation, she lavished it on Jesus’ feet and worshiped Him.

In response, Jesus said that those who know and believe how abundantly God truly loves and has forgiven them will end up loving God very much. Simply put, those who have been forgiven much, love much. Those who have been forgiven little, love little. That’s why the emphasis of the new covenant is not about your love for God; it is about God’s love for you.

Do you see that your love for God in the new covenant is birthed out of a genuine and authentic relationship with Him? It is not a groveling display that is birthed out of the fear of punishment or religious obligation. Under grace, we are able to love God because He first loved us.

That is why people under grace become the holiest people you will ever meet. Their holiness flows out of their love relationship with Jesus! They have experienced His unconditional love in an intimate and personal way that transforms them. They just want to live lives that glorify and honor the name of Jesus.

Friend, we have all been forgiven much, but many don’t know and don’t believe this. Give up on trying to overcome your own failings, mistakes, addictions, and bondages, imagining that God requires this of you before you can come before Him.

When you fail, come to Jesus with boldness and confidence as this woman did. Feel free to weep in His sweet presence and simply worship Him. Pour out everything that is on your heart to Him.

Don’t worry, He will not heap more guilt and condemnation upon you. He will remind you of the cross and say, “Your sins are already forgiven. I have already paid the price for your sins at Calvary. Rest in My forgiveness and love for you.”

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Right Believing—Daily Readings from The Power of Right Believing.

Bold As a Lion

The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

Proverbs 19:12

Today, we are beneficiaries of God’s favor because His wrath against our sins has already been completely satisfied at Calvary. In Hebrew, the word used for “favor” is ratsown, which means His pleasure, delight, goodwill, and acceptance.

Our place of protection was purchased with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, we have been made righteous, and all the blessings of the righteous, including protection, provision, and length of days, are our inheritance. That’s the place we are in today. Isn’t that beautiful?

No wonder the Scriptures tell us, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Prov. 28:1). It also tells us, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). A righteous man (or woman) is who you are in Christ, and when you pray the prayer of protection in Psalm 91, your prayers avail much for God answers your prayers!

I received a testimony of God’s divine protection from Sally, who lives in South Africa. Be encouraged as you read how she prayed for protection knowing that she is righteous in Christ:

I was driving a rented car when I heard a loud bang. Within moments, the car was on fire. I immediately switched off the engine to get out. But to my horror, I could not remove the seat belt or open the door! I was stuck.

Finally, I managed to get the door opened. By then, the flames were threatening to come inside the car and I had to close the door again because I was trapped by the seat belt.

I called out to Abba Father and just declared, “I am Your righteousness. You are the only One who can save me!” As those words were echoing in my ears and heart, I heard a click as the seat belt was released. I dashed out of the car.

When the fire department arrived, they were able to stop the blaze. I praise the Lord for delivering me safely out of this dangerous situation! I realized that the devil has long been defeated and we don’t have to fear anything anymore.

Praise the Lord for His deliverance and protection. I rejoice that we are shielded from danger because of the righteousness we have in Christ!

This devotional is adapted from the book The Prayer of Protection Devotional—Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times.

Receive Jesus’ Shalom

A heart at peace gives life to the body.

Proverbs 14:30 NIV

The best way to know if you are embroiled in the things of the world is to be objective and ask yourself this: “Is my heart troubled?” I believe that the number one killer in the modern world is stress.

Medical doctors in my church have told me that if a patient has high blood pressure, they can advise the patient to cut down on sodium. They can also advise their patients to cut down on other excesses such as sugar or cholesterol. But as doctors, there is one thing that they cannot control in their patients, and that is their patients’ stress levels.

I personally believe that the physical root cause of many medical conditions today is stress. Stress can produce all kinds of imbalances in your body. It can cause you to age prematurely, give you rashes, cause gastric pains, and even lead to abnormal growths in your body.

To put it succinctly, stress kills! Doctors tell us that certain physical symptoms are “psychosomatic” in nature. That’s because these symptoms are brought about by psychological problems such as stress. Stress is not from God. Peace is from Him!

I trust that you are beginning to understand why Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Now, Jesus would not have used the word “peace.” The Greek New Testament renders “peace” as eirene, but since Jesus spoke Aramaic-Hebrew, He would have used the word “shalom”—“Shalom I leave with you, My shalom I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”

In the Hebrew vernacular, “shalom” is a very rich and loaded word. There is no English word that can accurately encapsulate the fullness, richness, and power contained in the word “shalom.” Hence, English Bible translators were only able to translate it as “peace.”

But while the word “shalom” includes peace, it means so much more. Let’s look at the Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon to get a better idea of what Jesus meant when He said, “Shalom I leave with you.”

The Hebrew Lexicon describes “shalom” as completeness, safety, soundness (in body), welfare, health, prosperity, peace, quiet, tranquility, contentment, peace used of human relationships, peace with God especially in our covenant relationship, and peace from war. Wow, what a powerful word!

This is the shalom that Jesus has bequeathed you: His completeness, His safety, His soundness, His welfare, His health, His prosperity, His peace, His quietness, His tranquility, His contentment, His peace in human relationships, His peace with God through the covenant made at the cross, and His peace from war. All these, my friend, are part of your inheritance in Christ today!

Can you picture the full implications of what it means to experience Jesus’ shalom in your life? Can you picture your life being free from regrets, anxieties, and worries? How healthy, vibrant, energetic, and strong you will be! Thank the Lord for this blessing today and start enjoying His shalom in every area of your life.

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor.

He Was Born A Savior

'For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord.'

 

Luke 2:11

Jesus did not grow into being Lord and Saviour. He was born that way. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). What a great mystery!

 

How could Almighty God limit Himself to the form of a man? And even if He did that, how could he possibly start as a baby? These questions defy human ability to fully understand.

 

At the dedication of the first temple, Solomon said, 'But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!'

 

(2 Chr. 6:18) How much less the body of a little child!

 

Part of the answer lies in the fact that God is a spirit (Jn. 4:24). Spirits are not limited by time and space. In Jesus' spirit, He was the eternal God who created the universe. The physical body of Jesus was just His 'earth suit' that He used to manifest Himself to mankind. All of Jesus' deity could fit inside that body.

 

Even though this is still hard to grasp, it helps us understand how Christ Himself can live in us as believers (Col. 1:27). If all the glory of God could fit inside the physical body of Jesus, then all the fullness of God can dwell in us too (Jn. 1:16). Believe that Christ is in you today.

God’s Wisdom Brings You Promotion

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you."

Genesis 41:39–40

In Genesis 39:3–4, we see how when Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph, and that everything he touched prospered, Potiphar immediately promoted Joseph and placed him in charge over all the affairs of his house. Similarly, when Pharaoh saw that the Spirit of God was in Joseph and that there was none who was as wise and as discerning as Joseph, Pharaoh placed him in charge of the whole of Egypt (Gen. 41:38–41).

My friend, I want you to note this: Joseph knew that God was the source of his wisdom. When Pharaoh said, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it,” Joseph immediately replied, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Gen. 41:15–16).

Joseph knew that his wisdom was a result of the Lord’s unmerited favor and would not take any credit for it. Clearly, here was a man who understood grace, and could be trusted with increase, promotion, and more good success.

Observe the wisdom of Joseph in action. Joseph did not just interpret Pharaoh’s dream. He went on to advise Pharaoh on how to take advantage of the seven years of abundance to prepare for the seven years of famine that were revealed in his dream. Did you notice how Joseph’s wise advice led to the creation of a position of influence for himself?

That is how the wisdom of the Lord operates. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.” Joseph knew that his wisdom was a gift from the Lord. He knew that he did not earn it and that it flowed from the Lord’s unmerited favor toward him.

The Lord’s ways are amazing. See the extent of Joseph’s promotion in Genesis 41. In the space of less than an hour, he rose from a lowly prisoner to the highest possible office in all of Egypt. That, my friend, is the unmerited favor of God! No striving, no self-effort, no compromises, and no manipulation, just pure grace and grace alone made all the difference in Joseph’s life!

Remember that when the Lord is with you, you are a successful person. It may feel like you are in a prison now, stuck in a hopeless situation, cast away and forgotten like Joseph was, but the story is not over yet! The Lord’s promotion is around the corner. Whatever situation you are in right now, do not give up.

If you are caught in a situation where you don’t know what to do, it is time to humble yourself and ask the Lord for wisdom. The Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

To ask the Lord for wisdom is to say, “I can’t, Lord, but You can. I give up on my own efforts and depend entirely upon your unmerited favor and wisdom.” As you receive His wisdom, riches and honor, as well as long life, will follow after you (Prov. 3:16). Run to Him right now!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor.

Message from Amir

How many of you have the Holy Spirit in you? A few? Now, that Holy Spirit that is in you is the Spirit of what God? Israel. The God of? Israel… Israel. So if you are born again believers, sealed with the Holy Spirit of the God of Israel, could it be that you will hate the Jews, the people of Israel? You have no idea how many people go to church on Sunday, claim and proclaim to be Christians, and they hate the Jews.

Now, why is that? It’s because they don’t know the One who is the Holy One of Israel. To them, maybe, He will say, “I never knew you.” It’s obviously people who claim to know Him who say, “Hey, we did this and that in Your name. We know You.” “Well, I don’t know you. How can you do all of this and still hate My brethren?”

In fact, anyone who is left from the tribulation who has come against the brethren of the Lord will not be allowed into the Millennial Kingdom.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy in the last chapter of his final letter that a time would come when men would not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears they would heap up for themselves teachers and will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

This is consistent with what he wrote to the church at Thessaloniki in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, that before the antichrist could be revealed, there would be a mass defection from truth.

Isaiah 43:2-3
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”


Malachi 3:6
“For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
 

If the Lord doesn’t change, then that means He is still the Holy One of Israel, their Savior. It is therefore beyond understanding how so many in the church today deny that modern Israel is biblical Israel or claim that the church has replaced Israel. These are defections from the truth. If the Lord is still the Holy One of Israel and is their Savior, who is the Israel being referred to? It can’t be the church, of which He is the head, because the Jews are an ethnic group and the church is not. The Jews are also the ethnic group through which Jesus, the Holy One of Israel and King of the Jews, entered the world. 

If He doesn’t change and He is King of the Jews, how can anyone who calls themself a Christian hate the Jews? To say that God has cast off His chosen people infringes on the omniscience of God. God doesn’t have the character to make wrong choices and to chose Israel and then cast off Israel is completely inconsistent with what we know of His nature. By the way, King Saul is not an example of God choosing and casting off. Saul was the people’s choice; David was God’s. 

Jeremiah 31:35-37
Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name): “If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.” Thus says the LORD: “If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD.”


As long as the ordinances established by God at creation continue, we can be assured He has not cast off His chosen people for all that they have done. And if He hasn’t done so, we shouldn’t either. Antisemitism is not a characteristic that should be found among God’s people. It is the doctrine of demons, and its rise is a sign we are in the last days!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

God Is on Your Side Today!

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Romans 8:31 contains a powerful rhetorical question and I encourage you to memorize it. Unfortunately, there are still some believers today wondering, “Is God really for me?”

Well, my friend, the Word of God does NOT say “maybe God is for us” or “hopefully, God is for us.” It simply says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Indeed, when God is for you, what opposition can succeed against you? When God Himself fights for you, defends you, and vindicates you, what adversity or adversary can stand against you? There are none! Hallelujah!

“But Pastor Prince, how did God come to be on our side? Even though I am a Christian today, I still fail and fall short of God's holy standards. I still lose my temper on the road now and then, and from time to time, I still get angry with my wife and kids. Why should God be on my side when I fail? Don’t you know that God’s holy?”

All great questions. Let me tell you why God is on our side. The answer is found at the cross. The blood that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shed on the cross put God on your side. Today, God can be for you even when you fail because Jesus’ blood has washed you whiter than snow!

Have you seen Cecil DeMille’s movie, The Ten Commandments, or the animation, The Prince Of Egypt? Do you remember what happened on the night of the Passover? The children of Israel put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts.

What did the blood do? The blood put God on their side! None of the families who had applied blood on their doorposts had to fear the death of their firstborn children.

Now, think about this for a moment. Were the firstborn children of Israel spared that night because of their perfect behavior and conduct, or were they spared because of the blood of the lamb? Of course, it was because of the blood of the lamb!

In the same way, God does not bless you, as a new covenant believer, based on your perfect behavior and conduct. He is for you today because of the blood of the perfect Lamb—Jesus Christ.

That is why as believers today, we don’t have to fight for ourselves. I like to say it this way: “If God is for us, who can come successfully against us?”

Always remember that God is on your side today because of Jesus’ blood. His holiness and righteousness that men are afraid of are now on your side because of Jesus’ blood. His unmerited favor is on your side and all of heaven’s resources are yours because of Jesus’ blood!

Now, who can come successfully against you? No sickness, no disease, no creditor, no evil accusation, no gossip—no weapon formed against you, can come successfully against you (Isa. 54:17)!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor.

Faith Is Released by Speaking

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way . . . “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:4–6, 8–10

Let’s take a moment to examine today’s scripture and what the apostle Paul says about the power of speaking in the new covenant of grace. In this passage, you see the differences that he skillfully laid out for us between the old and new covenants.

Christ marks the end of the law and the beginning of the new covenant. It is the gift of righteousness versus righteousness by works. Faith versus works. Believing versus working. Speaking versus doing.

It is vital for you to recognize the differences between the two covenants. You see, the new covenant is about right believing, whereas the old covenant was about right doing. The new covenant is about the power of speaking well, whereas the old covenant was about the power of working well.

I believe in the power of right believing. When a person believes right, he will live right. When a person believes that he is made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ, he will be inwardly transformed to live right, and the spirit of godliness will be evident in his life.

He won’t just be outwardly fulfilling the letter of the law for fear of punishment with a heart that is not right. The grace revolution is about inside-out transformation. It is about a heart emancipated by grace.

A person transformed by grace not only keeps the law of God outwardly, but His heart is also full of Jesus. He overflows with generosity, he is passionate for his spouse, and he is zealous for good works and the glory of His Savior, Jesus Christ. See the difference? It’s like night and day.

Your words are powerful. The Bible says that the word of faith is near you, “in your mouth and in your heart” (Rom. 10:8). Notice that it is first in your mouth, and then it drops into your heart.

When you speak words of faith, what you speak will finally drop into your heart, and what is in your heart will lead you. So when you are sick, speak well over yourself, declaring, “Lord Jesus, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed.”

It is important that under the new covenant you are not working for your own righteousness in order to be healed and blessed. Moses says this of the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does those things shall live by them” (Rom. 10:5). The focus is on doing.

What about the righteousness that is of the new covenant? According to Romans 10:6, “the righteousness of faith speaks.” The focus is on speaking. Therefore, speak! Open your mouth and speak! Faith (believing) is released by speaking.

You and I are made in the image of God, who, when things were very dark at the beginning of creation, didn’t say, “Wow, it is so terribly dark here!” He didn’t speak about the darkness. He did not speak what He saw.

No, God spoke forth what He wanted to see. He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Gen. 1:3–4). God saw light after He spoke it. When Abram was still childless, God changed his name to Abraham, which means “father of many nations” (Gen. 17:5). When the man with the withered hand met our Lord Jesus, Jesus spoke the word, asking the man to stretch out his hand, and the man was completely healed (Matt. 12:10–13).

With physical eyes, man saw Abram as barren and the man with the withered hand as an invalid. But our Lord saw and spoke differently! We serve a God “who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Rom. 4:17).

I love the King James translation, which says our God is a God “who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” He quickened the dead and brought nonexistent things into existence with His spoken words!

You are made in His image. The same can and will happen for you when you see and speak what you believe and want to see!

This devotional is taken from the book Glorious Grace—100 Daily Readings from Grace Revolution.

Knowing His Name

“I will protect those who trust in my name.”

Psalm 91:14 NLT

Did you know that Jesus came to reveal only one name of God to us? Our Lord Jesus came to reveal the name “Father.”

Father speaks of family and of closeness and intimacy. You can know God as Elyon, the Most High. As El Shaddai, God Almighty. As Yehovah, the Lord, the covenant-keeping God. As Elohim, mighty Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Every name is so significant as each one reveals a wonderful aspect of our God. But when you know God as Father, all His virtues, attributes, and power work for you to set you on high and deliver you.

Our Lord Jesus prayed, “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11). The Greek word for “keep” here is the word tereo, which means to attend to carefully, to take care of, to guard, to watch, and to preserve.

What is the name through which you will be kept guarded and protected? FATHER. Beloved, I want you to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have a heavenly Father who loves you, who gave up His all for you, and who is vigilantly watching over you!

He is your Father. Your Daddy. Your Abba.

That is the name by which He wants you to call Him. When my son, Justin, has a nightmare, he doesn’t call out, “Pastor Prince!” He just cries out, “Abba!” and I am there, ready to take on any monsters hiding under his bed.

In the same way, you can have complete assurance that when you call upon your Father, He will answer you. You can have full confidence in your Father’s protection and deliverance for you and your family, not because of your love for Him, but because of His love for you.

This devotional is adapted from the book The Prayer of Protection Devotional—Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times.

Acknowledge Jesus’ Presence by Giving Thanks

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

There are Christians who know in theory that Jesus is with them, but they do not actively practice His presence. For me personally, one of the best ways to practice the presence of the Lord is to thank Him all the time. You can give thanks to Him for everything. Just say, “Lord, I thank You for this beautiful sunset. I thank You for Your love and for surrounding me with good things and good friends.”

There is no limit to what you can thank Him for since every good and perfect gift that we enjoy today comes directly from Him (James 1:17). Even if you have had a rough day at work and you are facing a seemingly impossible challenge, you can practice His presence.

The moment you realize that your heart is heavy with worry and your mind is plagued by anxiety, share your challenge with Jesus and thank Him that this problem is not bigger than His hands. Begin to surrender it to Him and depend on Him for His strength, power, and peace.

As you do that, you are already practicing the presence of the Lord. And as you honor His presence and behave like He is indeed with you, He sees it as faith in Him and intervenes on your behalf for your success in whatever situation you may be in.

It is sad when Christians behave like some husbands who bring their wives to a party, only to ignore them completely. Their wives could be right there with them physically, but these guys are so engaged with their own friends, talking about the stock market, economy, or latest game on television, that their wives might as well not be with them.

Ladies, do you know men like that? Now, men who are reading this, I know you are not like that, so don’t get offended, all right? I know you cherish and love your wife. What I am trying to illustrate is that just because someone is with you physically, it does not mean that the person feels appreciated by you. Appreciation only occurs when you start acknowledging the presence of that person.

What I like to do is to look at Wendy across a room crowded with people, and when our eyes connect across the room, it is as if the rest of the people fade instantly into oblivion, and only Wendy remains. I want her to know that I appreciate her for coming along with me to that dinner event or meeting.

I am not claiming that I am sensitive to Wendy all the time, but there are moments when I do want to make it a point to make her feel special. She is special to me, but to actually appreciate her and to make her feel special is something else altogether. Like all husbands, I am still growing in this aspect.

Now, what does the word “appreciate” mean? It means “to increase in value.” If you appreciate someone, the person increases in value in your eyes. My friend, the Lord is already with you, so start to practice His presence. Begin by thanking Him, appreciating Him, and increasing His value in your eyes, and you will see Him acting on your behalf.

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor.

Satisfied by Grace Every Day

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

John 6:35

I want to encourage you to make listening to the good news of Jesus a daily priority. Listen, I know just how crazy and busy our days can get. But when the day is over and we have heard nothing about Jesus, we feel empty, stressed out, worried, fearful, and depressed.

My friend, Jesus is the bread of life and the living water. No matter how busy we get, it is prudent not to neglect feeding on His person. I know that in the natural, this can sound simplistic. You may be asking yourself, “How can simply listening about Jesus change things in my life and circumstances?”

The truth is, the things of God are really not complicated. Just think about the woman who suffered from hemorrhaging for twelve years. Simply hearing about Jesus and His grace infused her with so much hope, so much faith, and so much courage that she was able to receive the healing she had started to believe for. Don’t underestimate the power of hearing about Jesus just because it sounds simple.

There is a beautiful verse in the psalms that says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Do you want to know the secret of numbering your days and not allowing a single day of your life to be put to waste? The key is found in verse 14, where it says, “Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy.” The word “mercy” here is the Hebrew word hesed, which means God’s grace. God is telling us to be satisfied every day with His grace.

I suggest that before you do anything—read the papers, check your emails, or make that important phone call—start the day with Jesus and be satisfied with His grace. You can read a devotional about God’s grace, feed on the Father’s love, meditate on His grace, listen to a message that is all about Jesus, and open up His love letter—His Word—to you.

But Pastor Prince, my mornings are crazy! How long do I spend doing this?

How much must I read, listen, or pray?

Beloved, the key is not to be legalistic about it. If morning doesn’t work for you, then find a time that best suits your schedule. It could be during your lunch break or just before you go to bed. The key principle here is to be satisfied daily with His grace. Feed on Him until your heart is full and satisfied with His grace. It’s really not about the duration or how much, but your level of satisfaction.

Enjoy God’s presence daily. He loves having a relationship with you and wants to fill your heart with His grace, peace, wisdom, and joy.

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Right Believing—Daily Readings from The Power of Right Believing.

You Matter to God!

He calls his own sheep by name.

John 10:3

Do you sometimes feel like you are just a face in a crowd or a number in a system? You are identified by your social security number. Even when you see the doctor, you are called by your queue number. If you feel depersonalized and dehumanized, that is exactly how the devil wants you to feel—that you do not matter much to anyone, especially to God.

But you do matter to God! He calls you by name. He knows exactly what you are going through and where you are hurting. He sees you and cares for you, just as He cared for the people when He first walked on earth.

My friend, He will do for you what He did for the woman in Samaria. The Bible says that “He needed to go through Samaria” to get from Judea to Galilee (John 4:4).

Now, any Jew of His day would have taken a different and longer route to avoid going through Samaria because they hated the Samaritans, though the way through Samaria would have taken much less time. But Jesus deliberately took the shorter, avoided route, just so He could stop by Samaria to speak to the woman who had been searching for something in her life to satisfy her.

This woman had had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband. Clearly, things had not been going right in her life. She was probably looking for answers and fulfillment, and must have felt ashamed about her failed marriages and current lifestyle.

Yet, in spite of all this, she mattered to Jesus! He needed to go to her to minister to her. And indeed, after she met Jesus, the perfect Man, she was transformed. She was no longer ashamed, and went into the city to tell the people about Him (John 4:28–29).

Beloved, Jesus wants to meet you wherever you are at in life and minister His grace to you. You certainly matter to Him. He came to give you life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).

You are not just a face in a crowd or a number. No, He knows you by name and has a personal love for you. And in spite of the mess that you might be in, He wants to meet your every need and make your life beautiful!

This devotional is taken from the book Destined to Reign Devotional—Daily Reflections for Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living.

Choose Life and See Good Days

A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

Proverbs 14:30 AMP

In the new covenant, God wants us to come back to believing and speaking. I am not denying that the darkness, barrenness, sickness, or infirmity that you may be faced with is there. I am asking you to speak by faith what you want to see. While God saw the darkness, instead of speaking what He saw, He spoke what He wanted to see.

So the question you must ask yourself is this: What do you want to see in your life? What do you want to see in your body, your marriage, your children, your family, your household, and your place of employment? Listen carefully: I am not asking you what you currently see. I am asking you what you want to see.

It is unfortunate that the enemy has been successful in deceiving many people into speaking negatively, often with bitterness and unforgiveness, over their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Some years ago a pastor who has been used mightily by the Lord in healing miracles shared something very thought-provoking with me. He noticed that people who had been completely healed were susceptible to developing the same disease again when they harbored bitterness and anger against another person in their hearts.

Reread today’s scripture. From this verse, you can see how holding on to negative emotions can eat away at you on the inside. Holding bitterness against someone, for example, is like drinking lethal poison, and expecting the other person to die! It is just not worth it, my friend. You are killing yourself slowly.

I am not saying that the injustice inflicted upon you by this person is acceptable or insignificant. What I am saying is that today you can choose life and let go of that anger in your heart. Release that person, and most importantly, release yourself. Bless that person. Choose to love life and see many good days.

But Pastor Prince, you don’t understand. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness!

Precisely. Forgiveness is for those who don’t deserve it. That’s what grace is all about. Remember what the Word says: don’t return evil for evil, reviling for reviling (1 Pet. 3:9). Instead, have a spirit of grace and bless those who curse you. Bless them and set yourself free to love life and see many good days. Amen!

The sad reality is that the enemy has successfully programmed death into the human language. We hear causal expressions in our daily conversations such as, “That dress is to die for,” or “I am dying for that piece of cheesecake.” Come on, let’s change our vocabulary and saturate it with life. Instead of dying, let’s be living for something!

I like the salutation Jews use when they propose a toast. They say, “L’chaim,” which means, “To life!” Don’t be preoccupied with what is dark and deathly; let’s celebrate the abundant life that our Lord came to bring us! The power of life and death is in the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Love life and see good days.

Start by refraining your lips from speaking evil and begin filling your mouth with the good news of all the wonderful things our Lord has done and will continue to do in your life. When you change your words, you will change your life. L’chaim!


This devotional is taken from the book Glorious Grace—100 Daily Readings from Grace Revolution.

His Perfect Will, His Final Word

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:9–10

I want to share with you a precious testimony from Caleb, a father in Texas who wrote to my team:

My youngest son was diagnosed with scoliosis when his X-ray showed a seventeen-degree curve in his spine. Upon receiving the news, fear, doubt, anger, sadness, worry, and condemnation began to set in our hearts. We were also concerned about potential disabilities and surgeries for our son in the future.

As a pastor, I found myself struggling with my Christian beliefs. Nevertheless, I could feel the Lord’s loving embrace and peace as I prayed for my son. My church also prayed for him, and we believed the Lord could, and would, heal him.

The doctor referred him to a children’s hospital and arranged for an appointment. By faith, we decided to go for the appointment to confirm the healing had already begun. Even though doubt, condemnation, and fear crept into our hearts, we kept declaring the finished work of the cross and we kept partaking of the holy Communion.

During the appointment, the doctor examined my son and took more X-rays. Then she said, “I have good news for you!” and showed us the X-rays that displayed no trace of scoliosis. Our son’s spine had straightened out. The Lord had healed him! There is victory and power in the cross indeed!

We now distribute a copy of Pastor Prince’s book The Power of Right Believing to every new member in our church. We believe miracles happen as we fill ourselves with the good news of the gospel.

I really felt for Caleb when he described the feelings he went through on hearing his son was diagnosed with a condition that could potentially lead to lifelong disability. Every loving parent wants their child to be well and to enjoy a quality life, and that’s also our heavenly Father’s heart and will toward us.

Despite his fears and uncertainties, Caleb did the best thing he could for his son. He kept declaring the finished work of the cross, and he kept partaking of the holy Communion. And just like that, with nothing spectacular happening, no voice booming out from heaven, and no earth-shaking demonstration of power, his son was healed.

Are you also concerned about a health issue today? I pray that as you do what Caleb did, you will also see God’s supernatural healing manifest for you!

This devotional is taken from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional.

Be Led by the Holy Spirit

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

Acts 16:6–7

The more areas of your life you involve the Lord in, the more you can experience His protection. You can even ask the Lord to guide you in something as seemingly natural as your travel itinerary. In fact, read the passage above. The apostle Paul allowed the Holy Spirit to lead them at every step.

We see from those scriptures that closed doors are not necessarily negative, and could be signs of God’s protection over our lives. The challenge for some of us is that we are so adept at planning and scheduling our busy lives that many times, we don’t make room for the Lord to intervene and to guide us to be at the right place at the right time.

Let’s not put our trust in our intelligence and planning, but in His wisdom, leading, and counsel. There is a proverb that says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). Even as we plan, I pray that we will always remember to commit all our ways to the Lord, and allow Him to direct our steps.

Being led by the Spirit does not have to be something complicated. When you walk close to the Lord and have a close relationship with Him, He can lead you in supernaturally natural ways.

Some years ago, a couple in our church were vacationing at a beach resort on Penang Island in Malaysia, when the wife felt like eating something in another location on the mainland. Because of that “prompting” in her belly, they headed off earlier than they had originally planned. While they were loading their vehicle, a man kept hurrying them and asking them to move off as they were apparently blocking the hotel driveway, and that had really irritated them at that time.

In any case, just fifteen minutes after they had crossed from the island to the mainland, they heard the news that an earthquake in the Indian Ocean had triggered a killer tsunami that crashed onto the beachfront they were at, killing more than fifty people.

Had they left just a little later, they could have been among the casualties of the tragedy that day. Looking back, the couple believes that the man at the hotel might even have been an angel sent by the Lord to get them out of harm’s way quickly.

I don’t know about you, but I want the Lord to direct all my steps! Call upon Him today and He will answer you.

This devotional is taken from the book The Prayer of Protection Devotional—Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times.

Message from Amir Tsarfati

Next, Damascus somehow has to be destroyed. It has to happen. Damascus has never been destroyed to the point that is uninhabitable. The Bible says, “The burden against Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.”

But it’s not just that. Other countries that the Bible mentions that are going to come up against Israel are already surfacing in the news. Libya – we start seeing in Libya action that is resulting from the shenanigans of Russia, Iran, and Turkey in that country. Sudan – we see that both Russia and Iran and even Turkey are doing stuff there. Of course, the Abraham Accords that Trump started in 2020, they will continue, and we will have even the Saudis very, very soon added to this very thing. And we’re talking about it right now. You can see that.

And why am I saying that? Because the Bible says that while Iran is going to join Russia and Turkey, Sheba and Dedan, which is Saudi Arabia of today, will protest against it because they’re on the side of Israel. For that war to start, Israel must be safe, secure, and prosperous, and we know that it happens.

And that’s what Ezekiel 38 says, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you.”’” God is for Israel, and God is against those who come against Israel. And He says that Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal is going to come, and Persia and Ethiopia, which is Sudan of today, and Libya will join them. Gomer and Togarmah, which is Turkey of today, many people will come with them.

So you can see all the countries. And I bet you will see that happening either during Trump’s administration or right after that. These are the countries that are going to rise up against Israel. These are the countries that comprise the Ezekiel 38 war that will come.

And right after that war, following the supernatural victory of God in that war, Messianic aspirations will continue to increase, which will unfortunately lead to the acceptance of a false Messiah based on the false understanding of who and what Messiah is all about. And when you don’t think the Messiah is God and that He didn’t come to die for your sins, it’s very easy to choose a man promising prosperity, peace, and, above all, the temple in Jerusalem.

And that is exactly what Daniel, in chapter nine, said that the last seven years will bring upon Israel. “He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week,” seven years, “but in the middle of that one week he shall bring an end to the sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined.”

It’s determined. You cannot change it. There is going to be an invasion of Israel. There’s going to be an antichrist. There is going to be a Great Tribulation. We are not part of it. The entire description in the Book of Revelation, the church is not even mentioned once during the Tribulation. We will be out of here while Israel will be the focus of God’s dealing with the world. There will be a Great Tribulation, and Israel is going to seek the Lord during that time. “Alas! For that day is great,” Jeremiah 30 says, “so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”

Daniel 12 says, “At that time, Michael…” There is a specific angel in heaven whose job is to protect the nation of Israel. Did you know that? That’s his job – Michael. “The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.”

Basically, Daniel was given news by Gabriel that the Tribulation would be far greater than the Holocaust. And then he said, “And at that time, your people shall be delivered.” Who? The Jewish people that will see and acknowledge Messiah, believing in Him, because everyone does who is found written in the Book.

Zechariah said, “‘It shall come to pass in all the land,’ says the Lord, ‘that two-thirds [of Israel] shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, “This is my people”; and each one will say, “The Lord is my God.”’”

Remember, Israel of the present is Israel of the past, and it’s the same Israel of the future. It’s the same promise.

Zechariah 2:8-9
For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.”


Zechariah lived and prophesied in the post-exilic era, meaning after the Babylonian captivity. Remember, Israel had forsaken the Sabbatical year for 490 years, which equated to 70 Sabbatical years during which they had been ordered to allow the land to rest. God had promised that the sixth year would yield a bumper crop for them that would sustain them until the ninth year of the cycle when the eighth year’s plantings would be ripe for harvesting.

They did not do as the Lord commanded and God said to them, “You didn’t let the land rest so I am taking you out of the land to let it rest for 70 consecutive years.” Yet even after nearly half a millennium of disobedience, God said to them, “He who touches you touches the apple of My eye.”

What a tragedy it is to overlook such a great and deep love that God has for His chosen people even after great failures. This should be an encouragement to us as we learn of His mercy and grace through the Jews. Why would we choose to see Israel as forsaken when current events clearly show they are not? We miss such beautiful pictures of God’s faithfulness when we do such a thing.

God has brought them back into their land, they are prospering in it, nations prophesied by Ezekiel are in coalition together, Damascus is constantly in the news, and Israel is the focus of world attention. That means we can expect the destruction of Damascus, the invasion and defeat of Russia, Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan, and that the 70th week of Daniel are all on the near horizon.

All these things tell us that “soon and very soon we are are going to see the King!” And seven years or so later, all Israel will be saved when we return with Jesus at His second coming. Don’t let anyone tell you that modern Israel is not biblical Israel, because their existence today is not about their faithfulness to God but His faithfulness to His word!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

We Are Only Complete In Christ

'But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.'

 

 

John 20:31

Recognition of our completeness in Christ is a tremendous safeguard against deception. Prior to salvation we are incomplete and constantly strive to satisfy our hunger. But through the new birth, we are complete in Christ and our hunger should only be for more revelation of what we already have in Christ. Total satisfaction with Christ disarms Satan's lies. A big part of all temptation is dissatisfaction.

 

Adam and Eve would not have eaten of the forbidden fruit if they hadn't been made dissatisfied with what they had. Through Satan's lie they were led to believe that they didn't have it all (Gen. 3:5). The truth is, they did have it all. They were more like God before they ate of the fruit than after they ate the fruit. Their dissatisfaction was a preliminary step to their action of sin.

 

Satan tempts us in the same way he came against Adam and Eve (2 Cor. 11:3).

 

Therefore, a full revelation of our completeness in Christ will keep us from chasing after all the things the devil has to offer. If anyone tells you that Christ isn't enough; that you need something more, then that's the devil trying to turn you away from your completeness in Christ.

 

In the same way that Jesus has the fullness of God in Him, we have the fullness of Christ in us. That makes us complete or perfect in Him - that is our spiritual man. Our born-again spirit is identical in righteousness, authority, and power to Christ's spirit because our born-again spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9) which has been sent into our hearts crying 'Abba Father' (Gal. 4:6). Andrew Womack

Be Rooted in His Love

That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.

Ephesians 3:17–19

My friend, if you have received a negative medical report, it is natural for you to be fearful. It is normal to feel doubt, anger, sadness, worry, and condemnation, and even “struggle with your Christian beliefs.” The Lord does not expect you to never be shaken. But in the midst of your tumult of emotions, keep your eyes on Jesus and keep on declaring His finished work over your situation.

Maybe right now you are angry with God for allowing a disease to take root in the body of a loved one. Maybe you are feeling helpless because it feels as if you are standing on the sidelines, and there is nothing you can do to alleviate the suffering. Or maybe you yourself have been confined to a hospital bed, and you are terrified. Every time you are wheeled out for more scans, you don’t know what the doctors will find, and you are crying out, “God, why is this happening to me? Where are You?”

When you are staring at the symptoms in your body or in the body of your loved one, when it seems as though you have prayed with all your heart and still the sickness remains, I know it is hard to believe God can heal. Or maybe you believe He can heal, but you doubt He wants to.

Perhaps you have given up hope because you think that if He wanted to heal you or your loved one, He would have done it already. If that is how you feel right now, may I encourage you to feed on His love for you. The doubts in your mind might be screaming so loudly it’s hard for you to even believe in Him anymore.

But I pray that you will be able to catch a fresh glimpse of the width and length and depth and height of your Savior’s love for you (Eph. 3:18–19). I pray that even when your mind cannot understand it, your heart will be rooted and established in His love for you. When you are so established in His love, you will see Him do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you ask or think (Eph. 3:20).

Do not allow the enemy to shake your faith. Do not allow the enemy to sell you any more lies. He is a defeated foe, and whatever evil he meant against you, God will turn it around for your good and for His glory.

The Word of God declares that “no weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isa. 54:17). Even if the enemy has formed some weapon of disease against you, rest assured that it has no power to prevail against you.

This devotional is adapted from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional.

The Secret to Godliness

. . . add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

2 Peter 1:5–9

Have you been told you have to exhibit more Christian character, more self-control, more godliness, and more brotherly kindness? Like a thousand times, perhaps? I certainly was as a young believer. My friend, I totally agree that all these qualities are good and necessary, but the question is, how do we develop them? How should we preachers help believers to exhibit more Christian character?

When asked for the solution, most people would say, “Discipline! We need to focus more on the Ten Commandments and develop discipline, and then self-control, godliness, and brotherly kindness will come.” While all that sounds very good (to the flesh), that is not what the Word of God says in today’s scripture. Read it again, focusing especially on the last sentence.

It is clear that if a Christian lacks the qualities mentioned in today’s scripture, it is not because he lacks discipline, but because he “has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins”—the main clause of the new covenant. He has forgotten that the blood of Jesus has purchased for him the forgiveness of all his sins.

Beloved, if you remind yourself daily that you have been cleansed from all your sins, not only will it produce a genuine love for the Lord, but you will also exhibit more and more Christ-like qualities. Your heart will overflow with faith, self-control, godliness, perseverance, brotherly kindness, and love.

Let me share with you a wonderful praise report from a precious couple who experienced this very truth in their marriage and family. Andy (the husband) had discovered the gospel of grace through one of my books. Prior to this, he was a believer who loved the Lord, his family, and the church he attended. But Andy always experienced a struggle within himself where he would go through cycles of feeling up and down.

His wife, Danielle, who supported him through these cycles, described it this way: “One month he’d be fine. The next two weeks, not so much. Life was like a roller-coaster ride. . . these ups and downs became so regular that I could almost tell when things were going good and when they were going to swing downward again.” Needless to say, this negatively affected those closest to him—his wife and daughters.

However, as Andy began to learn about God’s grace, he came to see how he could rest in Jesus’ finished work. He explained the changes this brought: “The revelation that I’ve been forgiven through Christ and made righteous in Him made me Son-conscious instead of sin-conscious.

Now, when the accuser of the brethren tries to accuse me, the Spirit of truth convicts me of Jesus’ finished work! I still feel down at times of course, but I don’t sink to those depths as before and I’m not down as long as I used to be. I can’t explain it, but I’m so much more joyful now, and I’m just in love with Jesus all over again!”

You might like to hear how Danielle eloquently sums up how the revelation of Jesus’ forgiveness and grace has radically changed her husband:

I saw major changes in him! He’s become much calmer in handling frustrating situations. We’ve always had a good marriage, but now he treats me with so much more love and care and our marriage is even better! He also treats our girls better, showing much more patience with them. He spends much more time with them now and I can also see him really enjoying the time he spends with them.

The secret behind every godly man and woman is their belief in the truth that they have been forgiven. Their godliness stems from a revelation of their forgiveness. They are believers who believe and honor God’s Word. When God says that He is merciful and that He has forgiven all their sins, they take Him at His Word.

All day long, they are forgiveness-conscious. Even when they say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, or have a wrong thought, they continue to be forgiveness-conscious. They see the blood of Jesus continually washing them. They see God in His mercy and grace. And because of their forgiveness-consciousness, they experience victory over sin.

I encourage you to meditate on the forgiveness and righteousness you have in Christ. This is the key to enjoying your relationship with God and experiencing His love manifesting in and through you! Beloved, the more you are anchored in Jesus’ grace and finished work, the more you will reign in life through Him!

This devotional is adapted from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs.

Intimacy with the Lord

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28–29

The Lord does not want you to simply claim His promises of protection. He wants you to come close to Him. Running to Him and coming under His feathers speak of closeness. It’s not about how many times you have recited Psalm 91; it’s about having an intimate relationship with Him.

As a child, if it was thundering at night and I was afraid, I would run into my parents’ room, jump into their bed, and hide in my mother’s arms. After a while, I would fall into a deep sleep even if the storm was still raging outside.

You see, you don’t have to learn the seven steps of overcoming fear. Having the presence of a loving parent right with you is enough to drive out fear. Our Lord Jesus who loves you wants you to come close to Him and to take shelter in His love. Will you do that today?

I heard the story of a farmer whose farmhouse got burned down. As he walked around the smoldering wreckage, he saw the burned carcasses of his chickens. He happened to move the blackened body of one of the hens with his foot, and to his astonishment, little chicks came running out from under the body. What happened? They had taken refuge under the wings of their mother, who had given her life to save her little ones.

That’s a picture of what our Lord Jesus did when He took upon His own body the full punishment for our sins. The fire of God’s judgment fell, not upon the scribes and Pharisees who had rejected the Messiah, and not upon the Roman soldiers who nailed Him to the cross, but upon His own beloved Son—for the nation of Israel, for the Gentile nations, for you, for me, so that whosoever believes in Him would be saved.

But here’s something I want you to see: when Jesus was offered on the cross, He absorbed the judgment of God in His own body, and, as the sacrifice, He was greater than the fires of judgment. The Offering was greater than the judgment because the Offering was not consumed.

On that cross, our Lord declared, “It is finished!” before He gave up His Spirit (John 19:30). The Offering remained after all of God’s judgment was exhausted. Hallelujah! That is why we can come boldly to His throne of grace today!

This devotional is taken from the book The Prayer of Protection Devotional—Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times.