What Are You Hearing?

Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 NASB

Allow me to show you something from the story of the woman in Mark 5 whom Jesus healed from a “flow of blood” that had caused her great suffering for twelve years. We see in Mark 5:27 that her miracle began when she “heard about Jesus.” What do you think the woman heard about Jesus that was so powerful?

For twelve years she had been bleeding. According to Levitical law, she was “unclean.” Whoever touched her or even touched anything she had sat on was also considered unclean (Lev. 15:19–25). This means for twelve years she had been shunned and ostracized. For twelve years she was not allowed to touch anyone so she would not defile them. Can you imagine living a life where every single day, you are painfully reminded of how unclean, how impure, and how disqualified you are?

But then she heard something about Jesus.

She heard something that caused hope to spring up in her jaded heart and gave her the faith to believe she would be made well simply by touching His clothes.

She heard something that gave her the boldness and resolve to press her weakened body through an entire crowd, even though Levitical law forbade her from touching anyone.

Most of all, she heard something that caused her to believe that in spite of the fact she was unclean, she could receive healing. That is what I want you to hear about our Lord Jesus today.

In spite of the fact you are unclean, in spite of the fact you have failed, in spite of the fact there is sin in your life, you can receive healing!

Don’t allow man’s traditions to keep you away from your loving Savior. Come to Him just as you are. You do not need to do anything to qualify yourself. You do not need to wash yourself clean before you can approach Him. You do not have to long for His touch from a distance, wishing you were good enough or pure enough. Come to Him with all your sins and all your burdens—He will make you clean. The same Jesus who gave His body for your healing also gave His blood for your forgiveness. Just come to Him!

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

Hearts Purified by Faith

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. . . Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

John 8:31–32, 36

What is “the truth” that Jesus says has the power to set us free? Remember, our Lord was speaking to the Jewish people, so “the truth that they shall know” could not have been the old covenant of the law, which they were already well versed in. Knowing and attempting to keep the law to earn their righteousness had not given them the freedom they sought. It had, in fact, become for them an impossibly heavy yoke to bear.

To understand what “the truth” is, I want to bring you to Acts 15, where the Jerusalem Council had convened to debate which of the old covenant laws should be imposed on Gentile believers. Look at what Peter said:

“So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
—Acts 15:8–11

When Peter spoke about God giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentile believers in the same way that He had given the Holy Spirit to the Jewish believers, he was referring to his preaching to Cornelius’s household and how the Holy Spirit fell upon all the Gentiles there who heard him as he was speaking these words: “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43–44). Notice that when the Gentiles there simply put their faith in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, they were filled with the Holy Spirit!

The Jewish believers who were present with Peter then were astonished to see how even Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit in the same way they did (Acts 10:45–46). It was an unprecedented, unthinkable phenomenon for the Jews of the early church to witness, since under Old Testament laws, Gentiles were considered unclean (Acts 10:28). Later, the Jewish believers acknowledged that God had also granted to the Gentiles “repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18 KJV)!

This brings me to my next point. At the Jerusalem Council, Peter stated that the hearts of the Gentile believers were purified by faith (Acts 15:9)! Not by works, but by their believing right—believing that those who believed in the Lord would receive the remission of sins and be made the righteousness of God. Can you see that?

How are we made righteous today? How are our hearts purified today? By faith in our Lord’s finished work at the cross!

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Now, who are the pure in heart? Those whose hearts have been purified by faith. Amen! This is how we use scripture to interpret scripture. So don’t let someone tell you that in order to have a pure heart, you need to do this and that, and if you fail to keep to their list of dos and don’ts, your heart will not be pure.

Can you see how dangerous man’s opinions can be? Just like that, precious believers can come under great fear that if they aren’t doing something hard enough to continually keep their hearts pure, they will lose their salvation and end up not seeing the Lord.

According to the authority of God’s Word, our hearts are purified by faith in our Lord Jesus. Hallelujah! Let this truth put an unshakable confidence in your heart concerning your salvation, your relationship with the Lord, your future, and good things happening to and for you.

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

Freedom from Destructive Habits

. . . And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

John 8:11

I have received so many testimonies from people who have been set free from destructive habits. These are sincere and precious people who desired to experience breakthroughs but did not know how to. However, once they learned about righteousness that comes from Christ apart from their works, they began to confess that they were still the righteousness of God every time they felt tempted.

And bit by bit, the more they started to believe that they were righteous in Christ, and the more they refused to accept the condemnation for their past mistakes and for their present temptation, the more they became set free from the very addictions that bound them!

A brother from the US, who has been listening to my messages for some time, wrote to share that he had been addicted to pornography and had lived a lifestyle of sexual immorality since he was 14 years old. Although he had accepted Jesus when he was 18 years old, he continued to struggle with this aspect of his life. This is what he wrote:

As a result of some bad influences and some of my own bad choices, I became a pornography addict and began to lead a sexually immoral life at the age of 14. I got saved when I was 18 years old, but I still struggled with those kinds of thoughts and some old, bad habits. I tried everything to break free from immorality and lustful thoughts.

Then, I heard Pastor Prince’s message titled, “Good Things Happen To People Who Believe God Loves Them.” I listened to it over and over again, and for the first time, God's love became consistently real to me. I was able to receive God's unconditional love over and over again, and it healed my heart.

God’s love has set me free! Thank you so much for the message that your church sends out to the world. It is truly changing lives!

The revelation that God loves him unconditionally despite his failures and imperfections was what helped this brother break free from habits that had gripped him for many years.

Beloved, God does not want you to sin because sin will destroy you. But even if you have failed, you must know this: There is no condemnation because you are IN CHRIST JESUS and your sins are washed away by His blood! When God looks at you, He does not see you in your failures. From the moment you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, God sees you in the risen Christ, seated at His right hand! As Jesus is spotless and without blame, so are you!

God sent His Son to die on the cross for you while you were still a sinner. Obviously, He does not love you only when you are perfect in your behavior and thoughts. His love for you is unconditional. Receive it afresh today and break free from every sin and addiction in your life!

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

Speaking Out in Faith

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.

2 Corinthians 4:13

Do you know that as God’s child, you can speak positively into your negative situation and see it change for the better?

Let me show you some scriptures about faith and speaking that will help you. Romans 10:9 tells us 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”. Our Lord Jesus also said, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).

Now, reread what the apostle Paul wrote in today’s verse. Do you notice a pattern here? Faith involves believing in your heart as well as speaking with your mouth. You and I, we are made in God’s image. When God first saw darkness, He didn’t say, “Gosh, it’s so dark.” What did God do? He called forth light by speaking. He said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3).

In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus spoke to the storm and it subsided. He spoke to the fig tree and it withered. He spoke to the demons and they fled. He spoke to the sick and they were healed. He spoke to the dead and they lived.

Similarly, when we are faced with darkness in any area of our lives today, or trapped in a storm of challenges, let’s not be mired in looking at the problems and despairing. We should also call forth what we want to see! If we find ourselves caught in a dangerous situation, we should declare, “The Lord is my refuge and my fortress.” If there is a sickness in our body, we can call forth our healing by saying, “Thank You, Jesus, by Your stripes I am healed!” Start speaking forth your protection, your health, and your victory today!

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

The Power of Redeeming Thoughts

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 NLT

What mental movies are you playing in your head today? Are they thoughts of defeat and despair or thoughts of victory and favor? Faith is simply saying what God says about you and seeing what God sees in you and your situation.

It takes a thought to heal a thought. Unlike the world, which teaches you to empty your mind to achieve peace, God’s way is to fill your mind with fresh, powerful, and redeeming thoughts.

The apostle Paul tells us, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8 NLT). So it’s not just trying to blot out bad thoughts with your willpower. It takes a thought to replace a thought. It takes a right belief to replace a wrong belief. You need God’s truth to replace the enemy’s lies that have kept you in bondage.

My friend, if a wrong, bad, or negative thought is lodged in your mind today and you can’t seem to shake it, stop trying! Perhaps you’re lying in a hospital bed and can’t help but think of the worst-case scenario. You’re attempting to suppress it, but it’s not working. Well, stop! Stop trying to erase it from your mind. That just won’t work. What you need to do is replace that destructive thought with a thought that’s from God. That’s the only way to deal with a wrong thought and begin the healing process.

Start to meditate on truths such as, “Surely Jesus has borne my sicknesses and carried my pains. The chastisement for my wholeness fell upon Him, and by His stripes I am healed. With long life He will satisfy me” (Isa. 53:4–5 and Ps. 91:16). Begin to play mental movies of yourself getting well, being discharged from the hospital, having fun with your kids, or going on a nice holiday!

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

Choose To Believe

'Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.'

John 12:39-40

This could be interpreted as the ultimate teaching in predestination. That interpretation would be that these people were never given the opportunity to believe because of Isaiah's prophecies. However, the Word of God makes it clear that 'whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Rom. 10:13); 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me' (Rev. 3:20); and 'whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely' (Rev. 22:17). No one has ever been denied the opportunity to accept salvation (Ti. 2:11).

Mark 6:5 says that 'he (Jesus) could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.' In that instance, it is evident that the reason Jesus couldn't do any mighty work was not because He didn't possess the power, but because He chose not to use that power against a person's will. He couldn't perform the mighty works because of His decision to uphold our freedom of choice.

Likewise, these Jews could not believe because of their choice to reject Jesus. They could not believe because they chose not to believe. 'They stumbled at the stumblingstone' (Rom. 9:32), which was Jesus.

Isaiah did not predestine them to this fate. Rather he saw that very few would receive the report (Isa. 53:1) about the Messiah, and therefore would be kept from the knowledge of salvation because they rejected Him in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found (Col. 2:3). This is what Isaiah prophesied, and it came to pass. Be careful what you choose. Andrew Womack

The Power To Live A Holy Life

'Now is the judgment of this world:

now shall the prince of this world be cast out.'

 John 12:31

The only reason Satan ever had any right to become a prince or rule over us was because we yielded ourselves to him through sin (Rom. 6:16). Since Jesus 'bore our sins in His own body on the tree' (1 Pet. 2:24), Satan no longer has power or authority over those who accept Jesus' gift of salvation. Satan has been 'cast out' -- stripped of any power he had. Now he can only deceive, and if we fall for his lies, we stop God's blessings from flowing in our lives.

The reason why a believer must live a holy life is to avoid Satan's bondage. When we obey sin, we yield ourselves to Satan, the author of that sin. Yielding to sin is yielding to a person, Satan. God doesn't impute the sin to us but the devil does. Our actions either release the power of Satan or the power of God in us.

Although God is not imputing our sins unto us, we cannot afford the luxury of sin because it allows Satan to have access to us. When a Christian does sin and gives the devil an opportunity to produce death in his life, the way to stop him is to confess the sin. God is faithful and just to take the forgiveness that is already present in our born-again spirit and release it in our flesh, thereby removing Satan and his strongholds.

A person who abandons himself to sin is actually becoming a slave to the devil while a person who obeys righteousness is yielding himself to the Lord. This is why a Christian should live a holy life. Andrew Womack

Little by Little

“I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.”

Exodus 23:29–30

You can receive healing through the prayer of faith (Mark 11:24), and many times during our services, people are instantaneously healed as the gifts of healings flow (1 Cor. 12:9). There is a powerful corporate anointing at work when the church gathers together because Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). Where Jesus is, death turns into life and resurrection (John 11:25), weakness becomes strength, little becomes much, and in His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11).

While I would love for everyone to receive immediate and complete healing all the time, you don’t have to have an instantaneous manifestation or feel something tangibly happening in your body to know God is healing you. The moment you partake of the holy Communion in faith, your healing has begun.

Most people who have sent in their healing testimonies to my ministry weren’t healed in a spectacular prayer meeting or when a man or woman of God laid hands on them. They were healed gradually by the Lord as they partook of His ordained channel through which we receive His supernatural life and health—the holy Communion.

Sometimes teachings on the prayer of faith can put pressure on you to believe you have complete healing the moment you pray. But truth be told, most of us don’t have that kind of faith. As for the gifts of healings, they operate as the Spirit wills (1 Cor. 12:11) and not as man wills. When it comes to the holy Communion, there is no pressure. Each time you partake in faith, you receive a measure of healing and get better and better.

Sometimes we get impatient and want the Lord to drive out all our enemies at once. Read the verses above from Exodus 23 and see what the Lord said to the children of Israel as they were preparing to enter the promised land. Little by little. Little by little.

Today we don’t face the Hivites, Hittites, or Canaanites like the children of Israel did. But our enemies might be renal failure, leukemia, or high blood pressure. Whatever it is, don’t be discouraged. The symptoms might still be there even though you have partaken of the holy Communion, but keep partaking. The manifestation of your healing is coming. The enemy is being driven out from your life. Your healing might not be taking place as quickly as you would like it to, but it is taking place. My friend, don’t give up!

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

Submission Releases God’s Favor into Your Life

Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand . . .”

1 Samuel 17:17-18

When God wanted to bring down a mighty giant who was terrorizing the nation of Israel, He sent someone who was weak in the flesh. Think about it. In the eyes of the world, what could be weaker against a trained and fearsome soldier than a young boy who had no formal military training, no armor, was dressed in a humble shepherd’s garb, and did not even carry any real weapons other than a sling and five smooth stones from a brook? It is no wonder that Goliath mocked this young shepherd boy and his strategy. When David stepped into the battlefield, Goliath asked him sarcastically, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” (1 Sam. 17:43).

The implications of this battle were massive. It was not just a duel or contest between two individuals. The Israelites and Philistines had agreed to each send a warrior who would represent their nation. The defeated warrior would commit his entire nation to become servants to the other nation. It would be an understatement to say that a whole lot was riding on this one fight. And who does God send to represent Israel? In natural terms, He sent possibly the most unqualified person onto that battlefield in the Valley of Elah.

David was not even a soldier in the army of Israel! Do you remember how this shepherd boy ended up at the battlefield to begin with? David was there to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers who were in the army (1 Sam. 17:17-20)! And yet, David found himself standing on the battlefield as Israel's representative against the haughty Goliath. From delivering bread and cheese, he was now called upon to deliver the entire nation of Israel.

David was at the right place at the right time because he humbled himself and submitted to his father’s instructions to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers. Beloved, this is something you need to understand. Submission to God-appointed leadership will always cause God's favor to flow in your life, and you will find yourself, like David, at the right place at the right time!

The Bible says that we should not despise the day of humble beginnings (Zech. 4:10). There is nothing glamorous about delivering bread and cheese, but David did not despise it. And that put him right in the Valley of Elah, the wind blowing in his hair—a young shepherd boy with no military experience representing the nation of Israel against a mighty giant who was a man of war from his youth.

This is what God loves to do. He loves to take the foolish and weak things to shame the wise and mighty things of the world. So beloved, humble yourself and submit to the authorities that God has placed above you. And when you are faithful to carry out small tasks assigned to you, His favor is released in your life and you might just find yourself doing great exploits for God!

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

Secure in the Father’s Hand

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

John 10:27–30

My friend, if you don’t feel assured of your salvation in Christ, it will affect how you live life as a Christian. This is why I want to encourage you to be anchored on certain and clear passages—like the one found in today’s scripture.

Now, doesn’t simply reading this promise in God’s Word impart to you confidence, assurance, and security in your salvation in Christ? Let me draw your attention to the word “never.” This is going to bless you. The word “never” here is translated from the Greek particle ou me, which is a double negative, strongly emphasizing the meaning of “never, certainly not, not at all, by no means.” In other words, once you are saved, you will never, by no means, ever perish!

When people cast doubt on a believer’s salvation, it reveals how they do not accurately value the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. They are also making light of what our Lord Jesus suffered at Calvary for our salvation, forgiveness, and redemption. I don’t know what Bible they are reading, but my Bible tells me in no uncertain terms 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” (Rom. 10:9). My Bible tells me that “no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29). My Bible tells me, “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). That’s what my Bible says!

When we have the assurance of salvation and know that nothing can pluck us out of our Father’s hand, contrary to the saying that this gives people a license to sin with no regard for God, it actually gives us confidence and strength to look to the Lord, to run the race better, and go from glory to glory. Christians who are secure in the Father’s love will be transformed by the renewing of their minds with the power of God’s amazing grace. I believe with all my heart that born-again believers established in His grace want to live lives that glorify His holy name in every area of their lives. Why? Because grace isn’t a teaching, doctrine, or formula. Grace is a person and His name is Jesus!

That is why I like to use the phrase, “the person of Jesus.” Grace is personified in our Lord Jesus. You can relate to Him as a person. You can talk to Him, hang out with Him, share with Him your struggles and your challenges, and have really good, honest, and deep conversations with Him. Once you see our Lord Jesus as a person, and you see all His beauty, glory, grace, love, and forgiveness, there is no way you would want to live a lifestyle that does not glorify His holy name. When you value Jesus in your life, you value His glory.

I want to invite you to meditate on this powerful scripture:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
—Titus 2:11–14

Now, that’s the result of being under grace and that is what it means to be a part of the grace revolution! As we behold the person of Jesus, grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and we become a people zealous for the glory of our Lord Jesus in our lives and “zealous for good works”!

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

We Are in This World but Not of This World

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

Psalm 91:3

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler. Not “maybe” or “sometimes,” but an unqualified “surely.” Not a conditional “He might” but a definitive “He shall.” What blessed assurance we have that our God will deliver us from the snare of the fowler!

The Bible depicts the devil as a fowler. A fowler is a professional bird catcher. He lays traps and carefully conceals them so that he can ambush unsuspecting birds. The Bible also depicts the devil as a thief and murderer who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

What we need to understand is that the world we live in is a fallen world. Adam committed high treason and gave the keys of this world to the devil. Because of what Adam did, the devil is the ruler of this world. The apostle Paul calls him “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). That is why as long as the devil is still the ruler of this world, the world will continue to get darker and darker and there will continue to be accidents, sicknesses, calamities, tragedies, and deaths.

But we can rejoice in the knowledge that the devil’s lease on this world is quickly running out. Apostle Paul also tells us that our Lord Jesus is coming back and all His enemies will be humbled or put under His feet, with death as the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26).

In the meantime, we will see the world getting darker and darker. But as believers, we do not need to live in fear. Our trust is in our Lord Jesus. We are in this world, but we are not of this world (John 17:16). There is a very real and active fowler that is setting up snares. Even as I write this, I’m reading and hearing reports of bombs going off, shootings, a commercial airplane crashing upon landing, and viral outbreaks in different parts of the world.

In the natural, this can be extremely disheartening. But don’t forget that we have a Savior who is even more real, and He has promised to deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from perilous pestilences (dangerous diseases and viruses). The bottom-line is, we need to realize how much we need our Savior and His protection daily. We need to involve the Lord Jesus in our lives every day. Only He can deliver us and keep us safe!

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

Supernatural Transformation

“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

1 Samuel 17:45

Christ-occupation makes you bold but not superior, humble but not inferior. When our minds are occupied with Jesus, we don’t have to try to be humble. In the presence of the Servant-King, our hearts become supernaturally transformed, and we will carry His servant heart. In other words, when you hang out with Jesus, all that He is will rub off on you. Your thoughts and your words will be full of the fragrance of His sweet presence and grace. All your inferiority and insecurities will melt away in His marvelous love for you. It takes people who are truly secure in Christ to be able to bow down and serve others with genuine humility.

Similarly, when you are courageous and bold in Christ and in His love for you, it doesn’t manifest as fleshly pride and arrogance, but rather as complete dependence on Almighty God. Think of how young David charged down the Valley of Elah and challenged the giant Goliath, while the rest of the well-trained and full-grown men of the army of Israel cowered in fear. Was that simply a display of youthful bravado or a genuine dependence on God?

To the untrained eye, David could have appeared like an impudent little brat. But we know where this steely chutzpah comes from when these bold words of a mere teenager resonated throughout the valley: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Sam. 17:45). From his words, we can tell that young David was clearly occupied with the Lord of hosts and not with himself or his abilities.

When your thoughts are occupied with the Lord, you become a giant slayer! Are there giants in your life today that need to be slain? Like young David, occupy your mind with the Lord, and God will fill you with the courage and audacity to overcome all your adversities. Listen to the words of David in Psalm 18:29: “For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.” Let these words of faith and boldness be established in your heart. With God on your side, nothing is impossible!

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

Falling from Grace

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Galatians 5:4 KJV

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “fallen from grace”? Today, when someone sins, ministers say that the person has “fallen from grace.” Yet, interestingly, when the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he never told the Corinthians that they had fallen from grace despite all their sins.

Today’s scripture gives us the true definition of “falling from grace.” It tells us that to fall from grace is to fall into the law, that is, to try to be justified by obeying the law. Notice from here that grace is the high ground. In other words, when you are under the law, you have fallen from your high ground of grace. In the same way the mercy seat in the ark of the covenant is positioned above the Ten Commandments, so falling from grace is to go back to the Ten Commandments.

I want you to know what the Scriptures really say about falling from grace so that you don’t rob yourself of the power to reign in life. When you fail, don’t have this idea that you have “fallen from grace” and then try by your own efforts to get back into “the good graces” of God. No, God’s grace cannot be merited, earned, or deserved. It can only be received. And you become a good receiver of His grace that empowers you to reign in life when you come to the end of yourself—to the end of your own efforts to save yourself. When you see your need for Jesus and receive and rest in His finished work (especially when you have failed), that is when God’s undeserved favor—His saving grace—is unleashed in your life.

Miriam, who lives in Texas, found this to be so true in her life:

Pastor Prince, I was a believer for a long time but was very frustrated in my Christian walk because I was not living a victorious life. I was angry at the church, angry at God, and questioning what this life in Jesus Christ was about. I was also angry with my family, particularly my son for his rebellious behavior. According to the teachings I’d received and what I was doing to obey them, everything was supposed to be smooth going.

I started taking early morning walks and pouring my heart out to God. I told Him how frustrated I was and asked Him to show me where I’d gone wrong. I also told Him that I couldn’t love my son for what he was. I asked God to love my son, because even though I couldn’t, I knew He could.

I gave Him all my anger and started to see improvements in those areas where I had struggled. I told God I just wanted to live the life Jesus came to give me, because I didn’t believe Jesus went through the horrible death for me to live a defeated life.

Shortly after that, I read a book of yours and realized that I was living under a mixture of law and grace. I began learning to keep my eyes on Jesus’ finished work and to rely on Him for the kingdom life. No one had ever taught me the grace of our Lord Jesus and the love given to us by Father God through the finished work of His Son, and I had never understood what living a new creation life in Christ Jesus was.

I’ve since learned that it’s not about my trying to believe or my trying to be good to earn God’s grace. I’ve learned that it’s a free gift, and my response now is always, “Thank You, Father God, for loving me so much and giving me this abundance of Your grace and the free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ.” Your teaching of the grace of our Lord Jesus has changed my focus to see Jesus’ love and finished work. My heart’s desire is to be the light in the world, representing Jesus in spirit and in truth, and to be transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit from the inside out! And praise God, my relationship with my son has been restored because I allowed Father God to love him. Now, I always see my son through His eyes.

My friend, just as Miriam did, it is time for you to come out of mixture, confusion, and defeat. It’s time to break free from the crippling grip of all that has held you back. How? By falling into the arms of grace. Grace is the high ground that God wants you standing upon. Only the grace of God has the power to get you out of the cycle of sin and failure. The good news is, you can embrace the undeserved, unearned, and unmerited favor of our Lord today and begin to have dominion over sin!

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

It’s Not What You Have but Who You Have

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Genesis 39:1-2

Would you consider the young man Joseph, who was about to be sold into slavery, “a successful man”?

Of course not!

Yet, God says in His own words that Joseph was a successful man.

God's definition of success is contrary to the world's definition. Corporate America measures success based on what you have done, what you have accomplished, and what you have accumulated. It is based entirely on you focusing all your time, energy, and resources in meriting titles and collecting accomplishments.

Now, we have witnessed how this self-indulgent accumulation has led to the subprime crisis, the decimation of investment banks, and a widespread international financial meltdown.

My friend, I want to encourage you to begin to see that the world’s model of success is unstable and built upon a foundation that is shakable. It may have the appearance of the good life, but it is temporal, and we have all seen for ourselves how the world’s transient wealth can dissipate like smoke and easily slip away like the shifting sands in the desert.

From Genesis 39:2, it is clear that success is not what you have, but rather who you have! Joseph literally had nothing materially, but at the same time, he had everything because the Lord was with him. The material things that you have accumulated or are feverishly trying to amass do not make you a success. It is the presence of the Lord in your life that makes you a success!

We need to learn to stop pursuing things and to start pursuing Him. God sees your relationship with Him as the only thing that you need for every success in your life. I can’t imagine starting in a worse place than Joseph. He was completely naked. He had nothing! No bank accounts, no educational qualifications, no natural connections with people of influence, nothing. Thank God the Bible records a picture of Joseph who began with nothing, so that you and I can have hope today. If you think that like Joseph, you have nothing, well, you can start believing in the power of the presence of the Lord in your life. Start looking to Jesus and claim that promise in that scripture for yourself!

Say, “The Lord is with ME, and I am a successful person.”

Say it a hundred times if you have to, and begin to see this as your reality. Stick this promise on your mirror, and every morning when you brush your teeth, remind yourself that today, as you go to work, as you go to school, as you start the day caring for your children at home (or do whatever it is that you need to do), the Lord is with you. And because He is with you, YOU ARE ALREADY A SUCCESS! When you have Jesus in your life, you are no longer trying to be a success; you ARE a success!

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

God’s Word Brings Life and Healing

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Psalm 107:20

I have received many healing testimonies where precious individuals were healed as they clung to specific promises in God’s Word for them. Some years ago, I preached on 1 John 4:17, which says, “As He is, so are we in this world.” Our Lord Jesus bore our sins and our diseases in His own body on the cross, and He rose from the grave without them. This means that as Jesus is without any disease, so are we in this world.

The following week a lady in my church received a medical report for a mammogram that showed a lump in her breast. Her doctors told her to come back in so they could conduct a biopsy. Her response was to write on the report, “As Jesus is, so am I in this world. Lord Jesus, do You have lumps in Your breast?” And then she prayed, “Lord, as You are free from lumps, so am I in this world.” That’s all. Just a simple prayer.

At her appointment, the doctors checked her and rechecked her, but could not find the lump or offer any explanation for how the lump could have simply disappeared! We don’t need to know how; we just need to know who. It was our Jesus who healed her. Hallelujah!

I have received testimonies from so many people who were encouraged by this lady’s praise report. They stood on this same scripture and kept confessing it over themselves until they received their breakthroughs. I really believe that reading testimonies is God’s way.

This is why the Bible is filled with so many healing testimonies for our benefit. There is no healing too big or too small for the Lord. Testimonies from Peter’s mother-in-law who was healed of fever (Matt. 8:14–15), to the man with the withered hand (Matt. 12:9–13), to the woman who could not stand up straight for eighteen years (Luke 13:11–13) were all recorded for us. There are praise reports of blind eyes healed (John 9:1–7; Mark 8:22–25; Luke 18:35–43; Matt. 9:27–30), deaf ears opened (Mark 7:32–35), and the mute speaking (Matt. 9:32–33). There are testimonies of those who had died being brought back to life (John 11:1–44; Mark 5:35–42).

Healing accounts are also recorded in the Old Testament. Naaman was healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1–14). Hezekiah was told he would not recover from a terminal illness, but God healed him and extended his life by fifteen years (2 Kings 20:1–7). And these are just a few of the many testimonies recorded for us in the Word of God.

Beloved, I want you to know that this can be your story and testimony too. What the Lord did for them, He can and will do for you! Jesus’ healing for you rests on the foundation of His unchanging Word. Today let His healing and wholeness be manifested in your life as you anchor your heart in His promises, His perfect work, and His grace.

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

Be Faithful With A Little

'He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.'

Luke 19:12-13

The main purpose of this parable is to show that there would be a long period when Jesus would go away before returning to fulfill the prophecy about a physical kingdom on earth.

The nobleman's servants were called to give an account for what they had done with their lord's money that was delivered unto them. The servants were commanded to 'occupy till I come.' These servants represent the followers of Jesus. However, being a follower of Jesus is more than simply not rejecting Him. It is an active commitment to serve Him. One of the ten servants had served himself and not His master. He did nothing with what his lord had given him. This wicked servant was stripped of what he had and it was given to the servant who had used his lord's money wisely.

This illustrates that the Lord expects us to grow. This is made very clear in the parables of the kingdom which Jesus taught. In nearly every parable, growth or increase is expected. This servant who did nothing with what his lord gave him represents a believer who never grows or brings increase to God's kingdom.

What was it that this wicked servant didn't have that caused his master to take back the money he had given him? It wasn't the tangible money that he received. He had kept that laid up in a napkin and still possessed it. What he was missing and what the other servant had that caused the lord to give this pound to him was faithfulness. Those who are faithful with what God has given them will be given more, and those who are wasteful will have what God has given them taken away and given to another. Use wisely what God has given to you. Andrew Womack

Minister God's Love

'And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.'

Luke 19:8

Zacchaeus was rich but Jesus made no demands for him to give away all his goods to the poor as He did with the rich young ruler. Zacchaeus had already repented and money was no longer his god, as was revealed by his actions. It seems that Zacchaeus was going above and beyond the requirement of restitution as stated in Mosaic law by offering to give half of his goods to the poor and to repay fourfold for his theft.

Publicans were hated by their fellow Jews. They were especially despised by the religious Jews as the epitome of sinners and Jewish religious laws prevented devout Jews from keeping company with any publican. To eat with a publican was unthinkable as the Jews considered this actually partaking of the publican's sins. This is why the people reacted so adversely to Jesus eating with Zacchaeus.

Jesus did not eat at Zacchaeus' house to participate in his sin but to extend mercy and forgiveness to him. This is always the criterion whereby we can judge whether or not we should be involved in a certain situation. We must not participate in other men's sins, but the Lord doesn't want us to retreat to monasteries either. We are the salt of the earth (Mt. 5:13), and to do any good, we have to get out of the 'salt shaker.' If we can be in control and minister the love of God, then we are right to associate with sinners. But when we are being controlled by the ungodliness of sinners, we need to take control or withdraw. Andrew Womack

Please God Not People

'And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.'

Mark 10:48

The devil will always have someone available to tell us why we shouldn't expect to get results when petitioning God. Most people would rather stay with the crowd and not do anything to draw attention to themselves even if that means not getting their needs met. They will try to make you conform as well. If this man would have listened to the crowd, he would not have received his healing. 'Ye have not, because ye ask not' (Jas. 4:2).

This blind man is a good example of an active kind of faith. He was not passive in his approach toward healing. He boldly cried out to Jesus for mercy. When the crowd ridiculed him and told him to be quiet, he cried out even louder for mercy.

Many people believe that God can perform the miracle they need but relatively few are willing to actively pursue it until they get results. They are afraid of what others will think of them. This man had his attention focused only on Jesus. Nothing else mattered and that is why he got healed.

An integral part of faith is seeking God only with your whole heart. If we are concerned about what people think so that we can gain their approval, we will never take a stand in faith for anything that we might be criticized for. This one thing has probably stopped as many people from receiving from God as anything else. You cannot be a 'man-pleaser' and please God at the same time. Satan uses persecutions to steal away God's Word and thereby stop our faith. To see faith work, we must say with Paul, 'let God be true, but every man a liar' (Rom. 3:4). Andrew Womack

Jesus Paid The Price

'For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

Mark 10:45

Jesus told His disciples many times of His death but this is the first time He indicated the reason for His death. Now it is clear that His death would be a 'ransom', defined in the Greek as a means of loosing by paying a price.

The words 'ransom' and 'redeem' were used interchangeably in scripture.

Not only would Jesus pay the price for sin but also His death would be substitutionary. In 1 Timothy 2:6, the word 'ransom' is taken from the Greek word 'antilutron' which means 'a redemption-price.' The Greek word 'anti' means 'in place of.' In other words, the ransom avails for all who will accept it (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 10:13).

The price paid for our redemption is the life of Jesus, that is, Jesus' blood (Col. 1:14). This redemption, according to Hebrews 9:12, is eternal and is intended to purify us from all iniquity (Ti. 2:14), and bring us to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).

This can be illustrated by the way we use trading stamps. First, the stamps have to be purchased, then they are redeemed for the desired product. The purchase is essential but so is the redemption. No one really wants the stamps. They want what the stamps can be redeemed for. The purchase for our total salvation has already been made with the blood of Jesus, but our bodies have not been redeemed yet. That is to say that we have not received yet, all the benefits of this transaction in our physical bodies. This will take place at the second coming of the Lord when we receive our new glorified bodies.

Our spirits are the only part of us that have experienced total redemption. Andrew Womack

What about God’s Wrath?

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:29

When I was growing up in the Lord, I used to picture God as an elderly, unsmiling man with white hair, white eyebrows, and a white beard. I used to see Him holding a big club, waiting to bash me on the head as soon as I failed or made a mistake. Of course, when I grew in my understanding of God, I started to see Him without that big menacing club, but He was still not smiling and He was still very old.

I still remember how, as a teenager, I was praying one day when I heard God’s voice saying to me, “Son, why do you picture Me like that, as an old man?” I replied confidently, “Well, You are a Father and that’s how fathers look like, right?” He replied, “Son, do you know that growing old is part of the curse that came upon the earth because of Adam’s sin? In heaven, there is no curse. We are forever young.”

When I heard Him say that, all of a sudden, I began to see God as the same God who spoke with Abraham as a friend under the terebinth trees and showed him the stars, the same God who parted the Red Sea and delivered the children of Israel from slavery, the same God whose hand of favor made a young shepherd boy king over all of Israel. That’s how I see my God today. He is forever young, strong, and loving! He is not wielding a club and ready to punish me. His arms are spread wide, ready to embrace me.

My friend, do you see God as an aged judge or a young-looking, loving Father? Do you see an angry God today, or a God who is smiling and ready to embrace you? Because of Jesus’ finished work, I finally came to see that we are no longer under the covenant of law where God is happy with you sometimes and angry with you at other times. Today, He will never be angry with you, but will always accept, love, and favor you because of Jesus Christ.

Years ago, a very disturbed looking guy came running up to me after I had preached a sermon and said, “Pastor, you talked about God’s love, but the Bible also says that God is wrath!” I explained to him that while God has wrath, the Bible never defines God as wrath. Instead, according to the Bible’s definition, God is love (1 John 4:8). He then exclaimed, “But Pastor Prince, sometimes I see God being angry in the Bible!”

I explained, “When we see God being angry in the Old Testament and in the book of Revelation, His anger is toward those who have rejected Him and Jesus. But for you and me, believers in the new covenant, we will never be punished because we have already received Jesus. As believers, God is not angry with us because all His anger for our sins fell upon Jesus at the cross. Jesus became the Lamb of God who took away all our sins. On the cross, He cried out, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Why do you think He cried that? He cried that so we would all know specifically that at that point in time, God’s wrath fell upon Him. He became our sin offering and the fire of God’s wrath punished Him completely. He who knew no sin became our sin, so that you and I who are already believers will never experience God’s wrath.”

After I had explained this, this precious brother thanked me. The disturbed look that had creased his face had given way to a smile. I believe that as he walked away, there was a peace and assurance in his heart that God was not angry with him because his sins had already been judged completely on the cross at Calvary. Hallelujah!

It’s time to end the confusion about God’s wrath and to start seeing God for who He really is. God is (present tense) love. Believe Jesus, the Lamb of God, has taken away all your sins and that His grace is shining on you. You are His beloved child, in whom He is well pleased!

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