The Ground Is Ready for Your Healing

“The plowers plowed on my back; They made their furrows long.”

Psalm 129:3

In the verse above, we see a powerful and graphic agricultural imagery being used to help us understand the violent suffering our Lord Jesus endured for our healing.

Psalm 129 is a messianic psalm, and this is a picture of the scourging Christ went through. I was reading this verse one day, and I felt the Lord saying to me, “Meditate on why I used words that are associated with farming.” That made me wonder, Why did the Lord say, “They plowed My back” rather than beat, scourged, or hit?

Plowers drag a sharp plow that digs into the soil to break up the soil and make deep furrows in preparation for seeds to be sown as pictured on the following page. I believe that was what happened to our Lord Jesus’ back. When He was scourged by the Roman soldiers, it was as if His whole back had been plowed.

Furrows made in the ground by a plow allow for the planting of seeds and irrigation.
In Psalm 129, the furrows speak of the scourging Jesus received for our healing.

Victims of Roman flagellation were scourged using a whip made up of several long leather thongs embedded with shards of broken bone, metal, and hooks. With each stroke, the thongs would wrap around the victim’s body, and the shards would lodge in his flesh. When it was jerked away, the flesh of the victim would be ripped off and left in shreds, making deep, long furrows across his back. By the time our Lord’s tormentors were done, I believe there wasn’t a single sliver of skin left on His back. Psalm 22, a messianic psalm, tells us that even His bones were exposed and stared back at Him (Ps. 22:17).

It was not by coincidence the language of sowing was used to describe our Lord Jesus’ horrific scourging. Furrows are made so seeds can be sown. When you feel like you have no faith to believe in healing, our Lord Jesus says you just need faith as small as a mustard seed (Luke 17:6). It is not about how strong your faith is—just sow your little seeds of faith into the good ground of our Lord. The more you see what He has done for you, the more your faith will grow and the more you will experience a harvest of healing.

When His back was lashed into furrows, He was allowing the seed for your specific healing to be sown, whether it is high blood pressure, a tumor, or your child’s asthma. Whatever condition you or your loved one might be suffering from, Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice speak of how the price for your healing has been paid in full. It speaks of how you are so loved. Now reach out by faith and receive your healing. And even as you wait for your hundredfold harvest, may you experience His love for you like never before!

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

Know the Truth that Liberates

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:32

A good friend of mine who’s a fellow minister once suggested to the dean of a reputable Bible school that “grace” be incorporated into the school’s curriculum. The dean replied, “You have to be careful when it comes to grace.” This apprehension about grace is prevalent in many Christian circles. The moment they hear “grace,” they go on high alert!

I told my minister friend that I don’t agree grace should be a topic in a Bible school’s curriculum. Grace is not a topic—grace is the gospel. It is the good news! The word “gospel” simply means “good news.” Grace is not a theology topic, doctrine, or subject. It is a person, and His name is Jesus. That’s the reason the Lord wants you to receive the abundance of grace, for to have the abundance of grace is to have the abundance of Jesus!

John 1:17 says, “the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”. Do you see? The law was given, implying a sense of distance, but grace came in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the personification of grace. Jesus is grace! Now, I want you to notice something else too: based on this scripture, truth is on the side of grace and not on the side of the law.

Today’s scripture declares that “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Well, my friend, grace is the (definite article) truth that will set you free, not the law of Moses. The law is on the side of Moses, but grace and truth are on the same side as our Savior. Yet, there are people today holding on to the law of Moses and preaching it as if it is the “truth” that liberates. My friend, the grace of God is the only truth that liberates! Truth is on the side of grace!

Unfortunately, there are well-meaning people today who are afraid that when you tell a believer that he is completely forgiven by grace and no longer has to earn his right standing before the Lord via the law of Moses, it will cause him to go out and live a life of sin and debauchery. However, the Bible is very clear that the “strength of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56).

It is not grace that gives people the strength to sin; it is the law! The more you are under the law, the more sin is strengthened! Conversely, the more you are under grace, the more sin will be depleted of its strength.

In fact, the Bible declares that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Now, don’t just gloss over this powerful revelation. This means that the more grace you receive, the more power you have to overcome sin. In other words, sin shall not have dominion over you when you receive the abundance of grace!

So who switched the roles? Will the real gospel please stand up? Do you see how the devil has pulled the wool over the eyes of God’s sheep and put up fences surrounding the gospel of grace?

My friend, the truth that has the power to break down your prison doors and make you free is the truth of His grace. Your freedom is found in believing in Jesus—His grace and His love in your life. Every dark thought and evil addiction that may have held you captive cannot but scatter when they are exposed to the light of His grace and truth!

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

Whose Love Is Perfect?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

When I was the president of my youth ministry, I used to preach hard and strong messages, telling my youths, “You’ve got to love God! You’ve got to love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul!” All that time, when I was preaching this to the young people, I was wondering to myself, “How in the world do I do that?”

I would look at myself and check my heart, mind, and soul—did I really love the Lord that perfectly? How could I expect my youths to love the Lord that way when I knew that I myself had failed?

At that time, I was not established in the new covenant of grace yet. I did not know that by preaching that way, I was actually placing all my youths under the law because the sum total of the law is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Matt. 22:37–40, Mark 12:29–30).

Let me ask you this: Has anybody ever been able to love the Lord with all his heart, mind, and soul? No one. Not a single person has been able to do that. God knew all the while that under the law, no one could love Him that perfectly. So do you know what He did? The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . .” I love that little word “so.” It speaks of the intensity with which God loves us.

When God sent Jesus, He was effectively saying this to us: “I know that you can’t love Me perfectly, so watch Me now. I will love you with all My heart, all My soul, all My mind, and all My strength.” And He stretched His arms wide and died for us. This is what the Bible says about what Jesus did on the cross: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:7–9).

My friend, the cross is not a demonstration of our perfect love and devotion to God. The cross is God’s demonstration of His perfect love and His perfect grace (unmerited favor) toward us, for it was while we were still sinners that Jesus died for us. He did not die for you and me because of our perfect love for God. He died for you and me because of HIS perfect love for us!

Let me give you the Bible's definition of love to make this even clearer for you: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Beloved, that's the emphasis of the new covenant of grace (unmerited favor)—HIS love for us, not our love for Him!

As we raise up a new generation of believers, let us raise up a generation that is impacted by God’s unmerited favor and that boasts in His love for us. When we receive His love for us and start believing that we are His beloved, look at the result that 1 John 4:11 spells out: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Notice that the love for one another comes after our experience of His love for us! It stems from an overflow.

You cannot love others when you have not first been filled by His love. And when you are overflowing with His love, you will fulfill the law effortlessly without even trying because God’s Word tells us, “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10).

Step into that river today. Change the quality of your relationships by believing and being conscious of the fact that you are His beloved!

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

Base Your Relationships On God

'And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.'

 Matthew 24:12

The only reason that an abundance of iniquity would make anyone's love for the Lord wax cold, is if he were not separated from that iniquity. As with Lot, a righteous man can vex his soul from day to day by hearing and seeing the unlawful deeds of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:8).

We have to deal with the world's system and those in it, but we need to be careful and maintain proper balance. We should shun relationships with those who influence us negatively more than we influence them positively.

Marriage is one area where this principle is especially true. There is no closer union in life than the marriage relationship. A believer who marries an unbeliever is directly violating this scripture and is toying with disaster. The Lord should be the most important person in our life. How could we possibly become 'one' with a person who doesn't love our Lord?

It is folly to think that after marriage an unbelieving spouse will accept the Lord. Although that does happen, it cannot be guaranteed. In fact, statistics are overwhelmingly against this happening. Regardless of that possibility, a believer who marries an unbeliever is directly violating God's instructions here. It is not a good start to any marriage to spurn God's Word.

Being unequally yoked with unbelievers just doesn't work. Believers and unbelievers are as different as righteousness and unrighteousness, light and dark, Christ and the devil. One has faith and the other has none. One is the temple of God and the other an idol. Any Christian who doesn't see this conflict is deceived. Andrew Womack

Find Friends Who Can Carry You

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.

Mark 2:3

Sometimes it is difficult for us to have faith when we are on our own. When you have no strength and no faith, you need others to pull you through. I want to share with you a precious testimony from Audrey, a leader in my church who experienced that for herself.

In the twenty-ninth week of her pregnancy, her water broke and she was admitted to the hospital for bed rest. Friends prayed with her and her husband, encouraged them, and believed with them for the birth of a healthy baby. She and her husband partook of the holy Communion as frequently as they were able to.

In the thirtieth week, baby Jenna was born, weighing 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), thankfully with no major complications. She was able to breathe on her own and all her organs were functioning properly. She gradually progressed from a tiny baby supported by tubes and needles to tube feeding and finally to normal feeding.

Audrey’s daily commute to the hospital was exhausting, but she was thankful for kingdom friends who kept them in prayer. Many of them partook of the holy Communion on their own as they prayed for Jenna and her parents. After forty days in the hospital, Jenna was finally allowed to go home.

However, Jenna was soon back in the hospital ICU as her heart rate suddenly became critically low and later became too high. Audrey was devastated and by this time was “out of prayer and out of faith.” But church leaders and friends kept surrounding them in an environment of faith and prayer even when they kept meeting with setbacks.

During that period, Audrey shared that I preached a fresh message about the Communion in church, and after she heard it, she and her husband persevered and kept partaking of the Communion for baby Jenna until finally she was out of danger. It was an arduous journey, but Jenna went home strong and healthy. Hallelujah! Audrey shared:

As I think of how Jesus healed the paralytic based on the faith of the four friends who lowered him through the roof, I thank God we also had these “four friends.” Our friends continually prayed for Jenna and encouraged us to press in to claim God’s healing and to partake of the holy Communion.

If you have been dealing with a long, drawn-out medical condition or you are exhausted from caring for a loved one, depression can creep in as the burden gets too heavy for you. My friend, bring your cares to God, knowing He cares about you with deepest affection, and watches over you so very carefully (1 Pet. 5:7 AMP).

At the same time, I want you to know God never meant for you to function in a vacuum. His heart is for you to be planted in a local church and not forsake “the assembling of ourselves together” but to exhort and encourage one another (Heb. 10:25). The church is not perfect by any means. But we have a perfect Savior who has done a perfect work on the cross, and there is safety, healing, and provision in the house of God.

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

In the Place of Nearness

Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LORD.

Romans 8:38–39

You may have read of how Joseph in the book of Genesis wanted his family to dwell in Goshen, which means “drawing near.” He wanted them in a place of nearness to him and he told them, “There I will provide for you” (Gen. 45:11).

Beloved, even in the midst of famine, Jesus, our heavenly Joseph, wants us close to Him so He can provide for us. In the book of Exodus, God declared, “I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there” (Exod. 8:22).

In the land of Goshen, God’s people were protected from all of the ten plagues that besieged the land of Egypt during the time of Moses. In the second last of the ten plagues, a thick, paralyzing darkness covered the land of Egypt for three whole days. Yet, during that time, “all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings” (Exod. 10:23).

I believe it was a supernatural darkness that covered Egypt, because the Egyptians must have turned to natural resources of light to dispel the darkness—only to find they couldn’t. By the same token, it was a supernatural light that the Israelites enjoyed in Goshen, a light the darkness tried to smother but couldn’t.

Now, I believe this is prophetic of our times. The Bible is relevant for today. We are living in days where we see darkness—a supernatural darkness—cover the earth. Yet, the Scriptures tell us that even when there’s thick and deep darkness all around, the church—you and I, together with our families—can experience and enjoy God’s supernatural light in our dwellings. We, who have been drawn near to Him through the work of His Son, can have intimacy with God and enjoy His protective covering to live fear-free and victoriously in these dark times.

Beloved, in the place of nearness, God makes a difference between His people and the people of the world. We are in this world, but we are not of this world (John 17:14). We are His. He desires for us to be close to Him so that He can hide us under the shadow of His wings. He paid the price so that we can be called His children. Oh, what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the sons and daughters of the Most High (1 John 3:1)!

Beloved, whatever may be happening in the world today, you can be bold and fearless because nothing can ever separate you from the love of God, your heavenly Father!

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

How Esther Obtained Favor

Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.

Esther 2:15

When you know that you are greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved, you don’t have to depend on your self-efforts. Look at the story of Esther, for example.

When King Ahasuerus was looking for a new queen, the most beautiful women in the land were all brought into the palace. All the women were given the opportunity to adorn themselves with whatever they desired from the women’s quarters before they were brought for an audience with the king. But when it was Esther’s turn, she “requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised.”

And look at the results: “Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her,” and the king “loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:17)

While the other women grabbed the best garments, perfumes, and accessories to beautify themselves, Esther did not rely on her own abilities but submitted herself to Hegai, the official who had been appointed by the king to oversee the women. There was so much wisdom and humility in her decision. Can you see the beauty of Esther?

She did not trust in her own efforts. While the women tried to outdo one another by relying on their own efforts, Esther wisely submitted to the one person who would know the king’s preferences best, and the results speak for themselves.

This incident also demonstrates to us that Esther depended entirely upon the Lord’s unmerited favor. (When you depend entirely upon the Lord’s unmerited favor, you are trusting Him and in a position of rest.) Esther did not have to struggle. When she rested in the Lord and humbled herself, the Lord promoted her and exalted her above all the other beautiful women.

God resists the proud and gives unmerited favor to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5). When you humble yourself and cease from your efforts to promote yourself, and depend on Jesus alone, the Lord Himself will be your promotion and increase. Like Esther, you will stand out in a crowd and obtain grace and favor with God and man.

Do you know why the story of Esther is so important? Read the details in the Book of Esther. Because Esther was promoted to become the queen, she was in a favored position to protect all the Jewish people in the kingdom from being killed. When the Lord promotes you, He gives you the influence to be a blessing to the people around you. There are no coincidences, only God-incidents. The Lord will bless you to be a blessing!

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

Guard Against Deception

'And Jesus answered and said unto them,

Take heed that no man deceive you.'

Matthew 24:4

Deception can be avoided or else Jesus would not have said, 'Take heed that no man deceive you.' Satan can only deceive those who allow him to do it.

Ephesians 6:11 tells us to 'Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.' Putting on the whole armour of God will protect you from the deception of the devil. Just wearing part of God's armour will not fully protect you. Many Christians have been running around with the helmet of salvation on but nothing else. There is more to overcoming the devil than just being saved. We have to understand our righteous position in the Lord. We also must possess faith, know the Word, and understand the gospel of peace.

The Christian life is a constant struggle against Satan, who is trying to corrupt us. Most Christians are aware of the warfare, but they don't know where the warfare is occurring. The battle is in our mind. Just as the serpent didn't come against Eve with brute force, but rather used words to deceive her, likewise Satan tries to corrupt us through thoughts contrary to the gospel. Satan's original tactic was deception and that is still his method of operation today.

One of the characteristics of children is that they are easily deceived. They are gullible. One of the things that must take place to move from childhood into sonship is spiritual discernment. This comes from being grounded in the Word of God.

The way to recognize deception is not to analyze all the false claims but rather to become so familiar with what is genuine that a counterfeit will be easily recognizable. Anyone who is truly grounded in the Word of God will not be deceived. Andrew Womack

Give Thanks for the Lord Is Good

. . . And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me . . .

John 11:41–42

After Jesus had said these words, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And the man who had been dead for four days came out of his tomb!

This is one of the greatest miracles that Jesus performed. Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus raised him to life. Wouldn’t you agree that death is indeed an extreme problem? Facing a financial need, being sick and losing your job, bad as they are, are not as final as being dead!

But what I want you to see is this: If Jesus, in the most extreme of problems, shows us that the solution is still, “Father, I thank You,” then how much more should we thank God in the midst of the less serious problems we face. If thanksgiving can raise the dead, then let us give thanks in spite of the negative circumstances and we will see victory.

Unfortunately, we tend to do the opposite—murmur and complain. But murmuring and complaining only magnify the problem. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is the language of faith which pleases God. I am not saying that we give thanks for the problems we have. No, we thank God that He is our answer and that He has already given every blessing to us (Eph. 1:3).

“But Pastor Prince, what I have is so little.”

My friend, thank God for the little you have and it will multiply. Jesus thanked His Father for the five barley loaves and two small fish, a little boy’s lunch, and they were multiplied to feed more than five thousand people with twelve baskets full of leftovers (John 6:8–13)! And notice that when the Holy Spirit talked about this event again, He specifically mentioned the Lord giving thanks—“the place where they ate bread after the LORD had given thanks” (John 6:23). The Holy Spirit seemed to be more pleased with the act of giving thanks than the miracle of multiplication or the twelve baskets full of leftovers.

Beloved, the more you thank God, the more you please Him. What little you have will be multiplied and whatever is dead in your life will be raised to life!

Receive His Healing Power

When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 10:16 NLT

I would like to share a powerful truth that I believe will help to keep you in God’s love and drive fear out of your life: whenever fear tries to creep up on you, go somewhere quiet and meditate on how much the Lord loves you as you partake of the holy Communion.

Right off, you might be wondering, If God loves me, why do I have to pray or partake of the Communion at all? What difference does that make? And if it’s His will to heal me, why am I not automatically healed?

May I first answer the question of why you are not healed automatically? My friend, we know it is God’s will for everyone to receive salvation, to receive the gift of eternal life that was freely given to the world (John 3:16). But we all have the choice to accept or reject God’s offer. Nobody gets saved “automatically.” God is a gentleman, and He will not force His salvation on anyone. He will not force His gifts or blessings on us. He will not force His health or goodness on us.

So what difference does prayer and partaking of the holy Communion make? When we pray and partake of the holy Communion, we are actively releasing our faith to be aligned with God’s will, God’s Word, and God’s power. We are not begging Him to heal us or trying to persuade Him to heal our loved ones—we already know it is His will to heal.

Prayer is about building an intimate relationship with Him. When we pray and partake of the holy Communion, we are receiving His love for us and receiving His healing power into our physical bodies. Talk to God today (that’s what prayer is) about your health challenges, and let Him impart boldness to you and confidence in your heart that He wants you healthy.

So when fear grips your heart, go somewhere quiet and find rest in the intimate love of Jesus through the holy Communion. Talk to your Savior, and as you lift up the bread, tell Him, “Lord Jesus, thank You that You love me so much You allowed Your body to be broken so mine can be whole. Right now, I receive Your wholeness, Your strength, and Your divine health.”

As you lift up the cup, say, “Thank You for Your precious blood, which has cleansed me of every sin. Right now, I can come boldly to Your throne of grace, knowing I am completely righteous, knowing my prayers avail much!”

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

Worship Activates Angels

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

Psalm 34:7

Beloved, we have a resource that is greater than any attack the devil can launch against us. Would you like to know how you can activate angels in your life?

The most important key is worship. As you offer your praise to the Lord, the passage above tells us that’s when angels are most active. Our Lord Jesus defined “fear” as “worship” for us. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus responded by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13, which says, “You shall fear the LORD your God.” But He changed the word “fear” to “worship” and said to the devil, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God’” (Matt. 4:10).

Beloved, when you worship the Lord, His angels camp all around you, surrounding you to deliver you. If you are going through a difficult period in your life and are fearful, choose to worship Him. Fear fills our hearts when we are occupied with ourselves, but when we worship the Lord, we become occupied with Him, His beauty, and His goodness, and His angels surround us like a protective shield.

My ministry receives praise reports from people all over the world who, upon encountering His love for them personally through the preaching of the gospel, go on to be conscious of and full of thanksgiving for His goodness and grace upon their lives. Let me share with you a praise report from Sophia (who lives in Georgia, US), who’s also experienced the Lord’s intervention and protection.

Today, I read your devotional titled God’s Angels Are Watching Over You and was really encouraged. I recall an incident when my daughter and I were driving down the road behind an eighteen-wheeler when a vintage-looking car suddenly tried to get between our vehicle and the truck. I thought, “Why are you—” Right then, I heard a voice inside speak to me, asking me to be quiet. So I let the car squeeze in front of us. Immediately after I let the car in, one tire of the eighteen-wheeler blew. Surprisingly, the vintage car stayed in front of my car, taking the full impact of all the flying pieces of the exploded tire.

Once there were no more tire pieces coming from the truck, the vintage car returned to the left side of the road and drove off quickly. It then dawned on me that perhaps the driver of this car was an angel of the Lord. I was so encouraged to know that God protects us in these days and times!

Amen! When God gives His angels charge over you, they go ahead of you to guard and protect you from all sorts of danger. And yes, they may even choose to travel in vintage cars. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (KJV).

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

Have Confidence in the Unmerited Favor of Jesus

And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

Ruth 2:3 KJV

There is a beautiful story of a Moabite woman named Ruth in the Bible. In the natural, Ruth had everything against her. She was a poor widow, and she was a Moabitess, a Gentile in the Jewish nation of Israel. But even after her husband died, Ruth remained with her mother-in-law Naomi. She left her family to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem, and made Naomi’s God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—her God.

Now, because of their poverty, Naomi and Ruth could not afford to buy grain, and Ruth had to go out to the field to perform the menial task of gleaning whatever the reapers had left behind. I want you to notice that Ruth was depending on the Lord’s favor for she said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor” (Ruth 2:2). Ruth was confident that God would give her favor even though she was a foreigner and had no connections with anyone in the field. She didn't even know whose part of the field she would be able to glean in.

Look at the Bible's account of what happened next: “And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.” Of all the spots in the field that Ruth could have wandered into, her “hap” was to come to the part of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was a man of great wealth, and who also happened to be Naomi’s relative. “Hap” is an old English word and it means “to happen” to be at the right place. However, in the original Hebrew text, the root of this word is the word qarah, which means right happening!

When Ruth trusted in God’s unmerited favor, she qarah-ed or happened to come to the part of the field that belonged to Boaz. To cut a long story short, Boaz saw Ruth, fell in love with her and married her. Ruth was possibly at the lowest point of her life just before she met Boaz. All the natural factors were against her. But because she put her trust in the Lord, who put her at the right place at the right time, her situation was turned around completely. In fact, she became one of the few woman to be mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5, which states that “Boaz begot Obed by Ruth.” What an honor to be included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

My friend, no matter what natural circumstances may be against you today, have confidence in the unmerited favor of Jesus and He will give you what I call “qarah success.” He will cause you to be positioned at the right place at the right time to experience His protection and success in your relationships, career, and finances.

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

Seek Greater Revelation

'Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort;

and in secret have I said nothing.'

 John 18:20

The truths of God are hidden for His children, not from them. The Holy Spirit has been instructed to teach us all things (Jn. 14:26) and has given us an unction so that we will know all things (1 Jn. 2:20). We only have to appropriate what is ours.

What God desires His New Testament saints to know, that the Old Testament saints could not know, is 'Christ in you the hope of glory.' The coming of the Messiah was predicted in the Old Testament, but the idea that He would actually dwell in us was beyond anyone's imagination. However, the New Testament is clear that Christ, by the Holy Spirit, takes up permanent residence in all believers. This is a wonderful truth that some fail to fully appreciate. Solomon said at the dedication of the temple, 'But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?' We could say, 'How much less this physical body?' This is truly amazing!

The Lord's commitment to dwell in us and never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5), must be taken as an indication of His great love for us. If we continually thought upon this, with all its implications, how could we ever be lonely or discouraged? We couldn't! Depression and self-pity would cease!

Why would it matter what others thought of us if we truly understood how much Jesus thought of us?

Our attitudes and fears reveal that this revelation of 'Christ in us' is not a well established revelation in most Christians. However, this verse makes it clear that our Father wants to make 'the riches of the glory of this mystery' known unto us. We should all be seeking a greater revelation of this truth. Andrew Womack

Message from AmirTsarfati

To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation. Do you understand what we just said? There’s a group of people to whom Jesus will come back to, but not descend on the Mount of Olives for. Instead, He will appear in the clouds. It’s a different story. And to them and them only, He will appear a second time. What for? To save them from their sins? No. He already came to save us from our sins. It’s for a different salvation, as per Romans 8, a salvation of the body. Look at you. Look at yourself right now. Pathetic. Most of us here have reached the point where we’ve stopped admiring what we see when we look at the mirror. And now it’s a free fall. If you put a photo of you from 20 years ago, you can tell you’re dying. This is a tent. It’s not a building. This is a sinful body that cannot and will not enter the Kingdom of God. And in order for us to change, He needs to come and appear in the clouds. And for that, He’s going to come, and it is to those who eagerly wait for Him.

Something to bear in mind when we encounter the word “salvation” in scripture is that the word is not exclusive to the saving of the soul. The word can also mean “deliverance.” The deliverance of the soul will at times be the meaning, while elsewhere it is the deliverance from these fleshly temporal bodies or even from our enemies.

Such is the case in Hebrews 9:

Hebrews 9:28
So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

The means through which souls are saved was accomplished at the first coming of Jesus. At His next appearing, there will be another purpose that is also referred to as “salvation.”

Philippians 3:20-21
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Someday we are going to have these lowly, weak, and wearing out bodies transformed into bodies like that of the resurrected Lord. We will be delivered from all its limitations and be given bodies capable of eternal existence. This is part of our salvation to be sure. But, again, the saving our souls is not the purpose of His appearing in the clouds.

Romans 8:22-23
For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

He will appear a second time for the redemption of our bodies and take us to where He is, and we will then forever be with the Lord! Romans 8 reminds us of what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1, that we who have the Holy Spirit” have been guaranteed a future inheritance and that inheritance requires the redemption of our bodies.

Some will “get this” more than others, but you’ll all understand the idea. Imagine a body that never tires, never grows old, never needs glasses, never has hair that turns gray or falls out. It is one that can run and not grow weary, and walk and not faint.

Jesus is going to appear a second time to bring all of those things and more to pass. All we can say to that is:

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

From Glory to Glory

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18

I believe that Jesus is doing a great work in your life right now. Maybe you can’t see it because there’s something that you have done in your past that you just can’t seem to shake off, that seems like weights around your feet holding you down. Beloved, today is the day for your breakthrough. Learn to see what God sees by fixing your eyes on Jesus.

You need to understand that what you see or how others see you is not as important as how God sees you. Many people think that God sees them in their sins and is just waiting to pounce on them to punish them. This wrong belief produces wrong living. If you see God this way, you can’t help but be in constant fear, insecurity, and anxiety over your past sins. Today, make a decision to turn your eyes to Jesus, for He has already made you, the believer, righteous with His blood!

In fact, the more you behold Jesus, the more you are transformed “from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the LORD” (2 Cor. 3:18). Fixing your eyes on Jesus is the greatest holiness. Many think they have to do more in order to be more holy, accepted, and loved by God. The truth is, when you behold Jesus more and see His love, His forgiveness, His abundant grace, and His gift of righteousness purchased for you with His own blood, you will be transformed supernaturally.

Holiness is a by-product of seeing Jesus in His grace. When you see Jesus and receive His love and grace every day, your heart is transformed inwardly. This is not outward behavior modification. This is real change that is sustained by a heart touched by His grace and by an emancipated conscience that is forever freed from guilt. This is when that addiction begins to drop from your life. This is when that fear begins to dissolve in His perfect love, and that condemnation arising from your past mistakes is cleansed by His precious blood.

What a life! This is the life that God wants you to experience. Can you see it? Can you see what He sees?

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

The Gracious Gift of Righteousness

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:17

If you struggle, as many believers do, with whether you deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious, you are asking the wrong question.

The question you should be asking is, does Jesus deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious? Because you are in Christ, having a blessed future is not contingent on how much you strive to be perfect or how hard you work at changing yourself. It is contingent on the person of Jesus.

The Bible proclaims, “as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Does Jesus deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious? Then so do you! This is what being in Christ Jesus means. It means that today, God assesses you and sees you based on the perfection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ righteousness is your righteousness. In fact, the Bible explains that because Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, we are now the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).

“Righteousness” is a legal term. It means to have right standing before God. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words defines righteousness as “that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God.” In other words, your right standing before God is based upon Jesus’ right standing before God.

Today, you are as righteous as Jesus because your righteousness is from Him. He purchased it for you at the cross. When you received Him as your Lord and Savior, He took away all your unrighteousness once and for all and gave you His gift of righteousness. This righteousness is something that you can never obtain or achieve through your right doing; it can only be received by your right believing in Jesus.

And do you know what happens when you receive this gift of righteousness? The Bible declares that “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17). Hey, when you reign, your addictions don’t. When you reign, sicknesses don’t. When you reign, fear, depression, and every obstacle that is obstructing you from living your life to the fullest will be torn down and flushed out!

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

Message from Amir Tsarfati

First Peter 5 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Knowing this first that scoffers will come in the last days. You see, all of these people that are laughing at you because you’re so much into Bible prophecy, you know why they’re laughing at you? Because they are about their own lusts and you stand in their way.

I remember when I landed in Singapore and somebody picked me up in a beautiful Mercedes and he drove me to the hotel. On the way, he told me how much God blessed his business and how God blessed him with so much money. He’s building a huge house; he’s in a process of making the nicest house that he’s ever had. And he said, “I don't even mind that Jesus will not come back soon.” Because he wanted to enjoy this beautiful house.

It’s the private lust of that particular thing. People are so much into the worldly things that the last thing they need is for someone to be excited about the coming of the Lord. Their own lusts are saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” And they fall asleep. These people, they’re not sent by God. They don’t have the Spirit of God, and it’s their own private lust that motivates them to laugh at you. There is an effect when you are eagerly waiting for Him. There is a blessing in the waiting. It regards providence, as in Psalm 18, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

It renews our strength, as Psalm 31 says, “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). It also rejects fear. Psalm 37 says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the men who brings wicked schemes to pass.” It reaffirms our perspective.

While getting scoffed at and belittled may not be high on your list of pleasures in life, there are two things we can recognize when it happens. One, we are watching the fulfillment of prophecy in a very personal way. And two, someone knows what you believe. 

Ephesians 6:16
Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Our response when the fiery darts come our way is often to wander into the realm of emotions rather than continuing steadfast in the faith. The shield of faith has the capacity to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. This is because the object of our faith, the Holy One of Israel, the head of the church, is our covering and shield.

Psalm 18:1-3
I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:30
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

The Hebrew word translated as “shield” can also mean “protector or defender”. It is the word that is figuratively used to describe the scaly hide of a crocodile, which pictures something impenetrable. 

So when your adversaries roar like a lion and scoff and mock you for what you believe, fear not, for He is with you and will never leave or forsake you. Remember, we have been told what the world will be like in the last days and we are experiencing the fulfillment of it every day.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. 

The word translated as “wait” means “to bind together”. Those who bind together with the Lord will not be weary or faint, but they will have renewed strength and will mount up with wings like eagles. That means that no matter what comes our way, no matter the scoffing and disparaging remarks and attitudes toward us, these things cannot diminish our strength because the one we are bound to is the God of immeasurable power and strength. Binding ourselves to Him means we will not be moved!  

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

God's Awesome Power

'As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he,

they went backward, and fell to the ground.'

John 18:6 

It is evident that it was the power of God that made these six hundred men fall backwards to the ground, but why did it happen when He said, 'I am he'?

In this verse, and also in verse eight, the word 'he' is italicized. That means that the word 'he' was not in the original text but was added by the translators to make the sentence grammatically correct. This serves a useful purpose and is very helpful in most cases. However, the translators put these additions in italics so that we could be aware of what the text literally said.

In this instance, Jesus literally said, 'I am.' Since Jesus was God manifest in the flesh, His statement of 'I am,' carried just as much weight as when He expressed it to Moses (Ex. 3:14). This is nothing less than the Almighty God releasing His glory through the powerful statement, 'I AM.' No wonder these men were knocked to the ground.

This graphically illustrates how Jesus could have easily defended Himself against any size army that would come to take His life. As He said in John 10:18, 'No man taketh it (i.e. His life) from me, but I lay it down of myself.'

There are many instances recorded in scripture where people fell to the ground as a result of being in God's presence. The same thing still happens today. Just as some people faint when they experience fear, when they experience the awesome presence of God, they become weak, and lose strength in their physical body. Andrew Womack

Is There No Suffering for the Believer?

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

Philippians 1:29

A question I'm often asked is: Is there suffering in the body of Christ?

My friend, we are called and given the privilege to suffer persecution for His name’s sake as the apostle Paul states in today’s scripture. Furthermore, Paul tells his protégé, Timothy, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12 NLT). Jesus Himself said that those who follow Him will be persecuted for His name’s sake (Matt. 10:22).

However, I want you to be clear that this persecution doesn’t involve terminal illnesses, tragic accidents, or premature death.

But Pastor Prince, wasn’t Job a righteous man who experienced terrible suffering?

What happened to Job is not something that will happen to you who are IN CHRIST today. You see, one of Job’s complaints was this: “If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together” (Job 9:33 NLT). Now, read these powerful words spoken by Elihu in Job 33:23–24, which describes this mediator: “If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man His uprightness, then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom.’”

Elihu’s description of a mediator foreshadows what 1 Timothy 2:5–6 tells us, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Job experienced his sufferings because he didn’t have a mediator. But today, you and I do—in the person of our Lord Jesus, who died at the cross to atone for our sins and made us righteous before God. He became our ransom (the Hebrew word for ransom comes from the root word kaphar, which means “to make an atonement”).

Beloved, the atoning blood of Christ has canceled all the legal rights that the enemy had against you and your family. When you receive all that His perfect sacrifice at the cross has accomplished for you, you don’t have to live afraid that you will be like Job. Unlike Job, you have a mediator—Christ Jesus. In Him you can look forward to a future full of His promises, blessings, and protection (Ps. 23:6)!

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

He Freely Gives

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Romans 8:32

Isaiah 53:5 tells us that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. Every stripe He bore as He was scourged was for our healing. And He willingly allowed stripe after stripe to rip into His body so you and I could be well. Don’t ever believe the enemy’s lie that God wants you sick or that He is not willing to heal you. At the cross, our Lord Jesus demonstrated once and for all that He wants you well.

The Bible even tells us that it pleased the Lord to “crush Him” (Isa. 53:10 NASB). I used to wonder how it could have pleased the Lord to crush His own Son. Then one day, the Lord showed me.

My wife, Wendy, and I had gone to a mall and the nearest parking lot we could find was quite a distance away. We did a lot of shopping that day and before we knew it, we had our hands full of shopping bags. By this time, our Jessica, who was a cherubic two-year-old then, was tired and wanted to be carried. I picked her up with one arm, and she was so exhausted she fell asleep on my shoulder almost immediately.

As we walked toward our car, I felt my arm go to sleep, and I realized the car was much farther away than I had thought. It felt like a million pins and needles were piercing my arm, and I knew I could stop the burning pain by simply putting Jessica down and making her walk the rest of the way. But she was sleeping so soundly and deeply, I could not bear to put her down. I loved her so much I was willing to “crush” my arm so my little darling could continue to sleep.

All of a sudden I began to understand how it could please God to crush Jesus, who is described in the same chapter as “the arm of the LORD” (Isa. 53:1). It pleased the Lord to crush His only begotten Son because of His great love for you and me. That was the only way God could save us from sin and disease, and He willingly chose to give up His Son.

Today you can have full assurance God wants to heal you. The Bible tells us, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

God already gave us the best of heaven when He gave us His darling Jesus. What are our temporal needs when He has already given us a gift that is eternal? Whatever your needs are, whether it is financial provision or healing for your body, they are all lesser compared to the gift of His Son. How shall He not with Him also freely give them to you?

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