“Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19b NKJV)

Sometimes the act of departing from sin seems like an overwhelming mountain, especially if the sin is a habitual thing or exists in a blinded area of our lives.

Some Christians fall into the trap of grading themselves on the curve. This can be very deceiving. We should never compare the sin in our lives to what we see in the lives of people around us.

The Lord, instead, has shown me there are three easy ways to overcome iniquity. First, we look ahead to what would happen if we were to continue committing this sin. When we look at the ultimate results of sin, we often realize that they are very dangerous.

Secondly, we must look around. God has been so good to us. Look at all of the many blessings He has given us. Start counting blessings. We are complete in Christ. We don’t have to be involved in sin. Finally, we need to look within. He Who is in us is greater that he that is in the world. We are vessels to bring glory to God. By looking ahead, looking around, and looking within, we can depart from iniquity.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us today to name sin as sin, help us not to grade ourselves on the curve, but by Your Word. Help us to forsake sin and receive Your mercy.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

Who is responsible for acting against iniquity?

The Bible message is a very clear one: if we do not deal with the iniquity in our lives, God eventually will. If we do not clean up our unclean nature, our unclean nature will keep us in a miry pit.

In most cases, God does not act in a supernatural way to eradicate iniquity from a family or a nation. He has given us free will; He allows evil people to wage evil deeds. God removes His hand of blessing when the evil heart of man functions according to its unclean nature.

Don’t wait for generational iniquity to run its course in your family tree.

Take action now—in your own life and in your family’s.

Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.  (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 NKJV)

No one wants to play a game and have disadvantages against himself. Every one of us want to get every advantage possible in both spiritual and natural things. Unforgiveness is a DISADVANTAGE. It gives SATAN an advantage over you. The scriptures tell us to FORGET what others have done to us and to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” This is an ADVANTAGE. In the past I have occasionally felt that I had a right to be unforgiving. But one day the Lord said to me, “Unforgiveness is a luxury you can’t afford. It is too expensive; it costs you your spiritual advantages.”

You will have already formed your victory for the day if you pray this prayer in the early morning, before your day begins: “Father, I forgive all people their trespasses before they EVEN trespass against me.”

Dear Heavenly Father,

With an act of our wills, we forgive those who trespass against us. We forgive with the forgiveness of Jesus. We forgive in the person of Jesus. We do not walk by feelings of forgiveness. We walk by faith and obedience to Your Word.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by not means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:17-18 NKJV)

The name of Jesus is higher than any name.

Devils quiver at His name.

Angels are launched into flight in His name.

The sick are healed and the oppressed are delivered by His name.

No evil thing can stand against the name of Jesus.

When you speak in the name of Jesus, you are speaking from the identity of Christ Jesus. You are standing firm on the conviction that Christ is in you and you are in Christ. You are completely covered by the blood of Jesus, so nothing of your old nature is evident. Christ is your all in all. This attitude positions you for victory!

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. -(Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV)

When I read these scriptures, I find that they closely parallel the words in Psalm 1. Truly when we put our trust in the Lord and meditate on His Word, then we are fruitful and productive, even when the circumstances around us are falling apart.

Jeremiah lived in a day when the people worshiped idols. Even when Jeremiah knew that an enemy kingdom was soon to overwhelm Israel, he kept fresh and alive in God. There may have been drought AROUND him, but there was no drought IN him.

When at one time I found my circumstances very overwhelming, I said to the Lord, “What’s wrong with my life? I just want to run away and change my name.” The Lord answered, “This is not the time for ‘isolation;’ this is the time for ‘insulation’ with the Word. A right heart can overcome bad circumstances.” I insulated my thought-life with His Word, and soon my circumstances became fruitful.

Dear Father,

Don’t let us put our trust in natural things, but let us put our trust in You, our Supernatural God. Turn our times of drought into times of fruitfulness.

Amen.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9 NKJV).

The devil didn’t make you do it. Your forefathers didn’t make you do it. What you have done, you have done.

Own up to your own faults, errors, and sins. The Bible tells us that people who cover over their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

God’s promise is sure.

Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.  (Mark 10:52a NKJV)

Faith makes us whole. Physically, spiritually, and emotionally. We may think that the Bible is not useful for today’s situations, but it really will work in whatever area we need. Sometimes we look to the natural world for wisdom, when God’s supernatural wisdom, instead, will absolutely answer our dilemma.

Once I had horrendous battles with my thought life. A person had wronged me in a certain circumstance. I had great bitterness in my heart.

I said, “God, help me. Give me an answer. Certainly, my mind is sick in this area.”

And God gave me a beautiful scripture, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established” (Proverbs 16:3). So, I began to pray that scripture. I said, “God, I commit my ways to You this day.” My thoughts began to get in line. It was so wonderful. My thought-life did a turnaround, and wholeness came into that area of my thinking again. Faith makes you whole, wherever you are.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You that we have Your promises that will bring provisions and answers to all problems. Give to each of us a special promise that will bring forth a needed provision.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, that problem runs in my family.” The person may be talking about a particular weakness or disease or, perhaps, a certain vulnerability of some kind.

More and more, we are learning that certain physical ailments certainly do run in families—arthritis, asthma, cancer, obesity, alcoholism, heart conditions, diabetes, digestive tract, kidney problems, and chronic pain.

Emotional and psychological behaviors can also be inherited. Some families seem to be riddled with depression, lust, and anger.

Iniquity is likely at the root of a host of many other negative things in a family lineage—sterility, divorce, adultery, rebellion, debt—the list can go on and on.

The good news is that God gives you the ability to outrun anything that runs in your family.

My foot stands in an even place   (Psalm 26:12a NKJV).

Did you ever feel like your foot was slipping? That you were slipping in your faith and commitment? The devil would like for all of us to slip and slide. But God says, “Your feet stand in an even place.” When we stand on His Word, we are in an even place.

Once when our ministry went through a financial trial, the devil told me just to close the doors and hang it up. He said that I had never been capable of making good financial decisions—that I had blown it. But God didn’t say that to me; in fact, God gave me a promise that if I would trust Him, He would bring me through. While the staff was crying the blues, I stood on an even place. I said, “God will deliver us, God is delivering us,” and in one month we had a total turnaround.

When it looks uneven, put your confidence in the Word, and it will keep you even—until the circumstances come in line with the evenness of God’s Word. Let me pray for you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We pray that if we slip and slide, we will know in our hearts that there is no temptation You cannot lead us through victoriously. We have Your deliverance because we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Thank You for our deliverance and our strong place of standing on Your Word.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV)

He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. (Revelation 21:7 NKJV)

These promises made to overcomers are absolutely, positively marvelous.

Sometimes we want to ride through our lives on a pink cloud and play a harp—with nothing to overcome.

But we are not in kindergarten; we are in a battle. Battles take weapons, endurance, and guts. God wants His people to have spiritual guts. With His Word in us, we can overcome wrong mental attitudes, bad habits, and any defeat.

Years ago, God told me to be an overcomer in one area of my life. I thought, “God, I can’t do it.” This area had been a stumbling block for so long that I was blind to it. But the Lord sweetly said, “I’m not asking YOU alone to overcome, I am asking you to release Jesus to be the Overcomer in you. You have a new nature—an overcoming nature.” I then made the decision to allow His nature to take over in my life. Too often we are “undercomers” and will never surmount that which God would set before us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today we’re not defeated Christians—we’re victorious Christians. We are Christians who overcome in all things. We are more than conquerors,

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  (1 John 4:18 NKJV)

Fear torments. No one disputes that. But God’s love frees us from fear. When we realize the greatness of God’s love, then we will not be afraid.

Fear makes us immature, and PREFECT here means “mature.” We are not made mature when we allow fear to overwhelm us. The more we read God’s Word, the more we realize how much He loves us. We find His provision and His love printed on every page of our Bible. God is absolutely wild about you! He loves you, and the more you bask in His love, the more freedom you will have from fear.

The best thing about God’s love is that it is an unconditional love. God loves is always there to comfort you. When you go astray, God’s love is there to guide you back on the right path. And as God’s love fills us, it will overflow from our lips, our hearts and our spirits.

When we speak the truth in love, we begin to grow up in His Son. Speak God’s Word today, in love, and watch fear flee from you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you today that we are set free from fear in the name of Jesus. We are set free from fear because of Jesus’s overwhelming love for us.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

Think back on a time when God delivered you from an impossible situation or an unpleasant attitude.

Can you recall how diligently you prayed, how much time you devoted to painstakingly searching the Scriptures for the promises of God?

While your deliverance is fresh in your mind, read Psalm 48, say out loud “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, because He has delivered me (state your name) from (state the situation or condition).” Now, contemplate the mercy of your heavenly Father, who came to your rescue simply because He loves you.

Doesn’t that excite you and make you want to tell someone about how wonderful God is, how He is able to deliver you from your circumstances or attitudes?

Well?

Do it!

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. (Acts 6:8 NKJV)

Every one of us needs miracles and wonders. The two things that precede miracles and wonders are faith and power. POWER means “miracle-working power” or “the fullness of the Holy Spirit.”

To be filled with faith, we must be full of God’s Word and full of the Holy Spirit. We must pray, live, and walk in the Spirit in order to see wonders and miracles.

Sometimes our faith may seem weak or just neutral. At one service I felt led to pray for people who had foot problems. Afterward, a woman came up to me and said, “Please come look at my daughter.” The woman’s daughter was walking up the steps to the platform with great joy.

I said to the woman, “What happened?” She said, “Several years ago my daughter crushed the bones of her feet, and she could hardly walk. But now she’s walking normally.” When we go after God’s Word, miracles will come after us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We pray today that we will be so committed to the Word and to the power of the Holy Spirit that signs and wonders will truly follow us. We give all the glory and praise to Jesus.

Amen

Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!
(Psalm 148:2-3 NKJV)

Whether in the heavenly, earthly, or subterranean realms, the command to praise calls all of creation to fulfill their purpose for existence.

If you have ever questioned the reason for your existence, know that your purpose is to exalt God for His wisdom, which is exhibited in creation, and to adore God because of His incomprehensible love, which you experience through redemption.

Take heed to the exhortation in Psalm 148 and rejoice in any or all its verses.

Lift your heart and join with the angels, the sun, the moon, and the stars in joyous exaltation of the Lord most high!

God never blesses sin, but He does forgive and then bless those who seek His forgiveness and cling to Him. He gives the sinner a new identity—a new name, new character, new future. If God could change Jacob (see Genesis 32), He certainly can change you, me, and our children into His likeness.

God’s desire is to bless you, to bless your children, and to create a line of generations who know His blessing and are determined to pass it on.

This legacy of blessing is an integral part of the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants (see Genesis 12).

What about you?

Consider your family tree.

Is there a point where change was made?

Is there something you see that needs changing?

Might this change begin with you?

And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God…” (Mark 4:11a NKJV)

I have found that God does not want His Word to be mystery to us; He wants it to be revealed truth. When I find passages that I don’t understand in the Bible, I write a question mark beside them. When I read through those passages again, I ask the Father to reveal them to me. If I’m patient, eventually God will give me a beautiful revelation.

Once I didn’t understand why God had not allowed Moses to enter the Promised Land. I knew Moses had hit the rock twice, instead of once. If I had been forced to listen to murmurers for 40 years, I would probably have hit the people, instead of the rock. I put a question mark by that verse.

One day as I was reading the same verse, the Lord said that Moses DID get to enter the Promised Land. God said, “Moses was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Elijah and Jesus. With whom would you rather enter the Promised Land—murmuring Jews or Jesus?”

We know the mysteries of God through revelation knowledge.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Open our eyes to behold wonders from Your Word today. Give us hearing ears and seeing eyes to receive the revelations that You have for us. 

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you.  (Proverbs 6:22 NKJV)

God’s Word is very practical. This scripture tells us that His Word will talk to us when we wake up, guides us during the day, and keeps us while we are asleep.

I claimed this verse while memorizing the book of Proverbs some years ago. I would memorize verses first thing in the morning when my mind was clear. My mind was like a blackboard that had been erased: nothing had been written on it yet, so I could write God’s Word on it first.

At lunchtime, I would go over those same scriptures and again at night before going to sleep. It was as if those scriptures worked their way in my spirit all night long. It was a powerful time in my life.

It took about 10 months to memorize the entire book of Proverbs, but the truths in that book will stay with me throughout my life. I have “canned” them in my heart, and the Holy Spirit unscrews the lids and brings them to my remembrance.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You that the Word is not just for inspiration, but it is also wisdom in our lives. We pray that we will have great hunger to read the Word in the morning, at noon, and at night. We pray that Your Word will be a prevailing force of our lives.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  (Psalms 23:1-3 NKJV)

You must realize—and if you absorb this truth it will change your life—God never leads His people aimlessly. He always has a direction, a plan, a purpose. He leads us with divine precision and accuracy, and always for good.

Keep your mind and heart tuned to the Great Shepherd’s voice, and He will continually lead you into places of provision, security, restoration, and righteousness.

If you continue to follow Him, your family will be going somewhere, and that somewhere will be a place full of God’s promise and power.

It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.  (Isaiah 65:24 NKJV)

When you read this scripture, do you think it’s almost too good to be true? We read in the book of Numbers that Balaam decided to curse Israel so that he might receive the honor and financial gain that his carnal man so desired. Balaam discovered that he could not curse God’s people.

Every time he tried to prophesy evil, he prophesied good. Finally, he said to the king of Moab, “I don’t know what to do. I can only speak what God puts in my mouth; I can’t curse what God has blessed.”

God is so good to His people. They probably didn’t even know that this battle was occurring. Undoubtedly, God told Moses later.

How many times God has protected us! He has sent us angelic protection, and we were not EVEN aware of it.  Thank God for His love; thank God for the angels who encamp around about those who fear Him. Let’s pray together.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You that the Word is not just for inspiration, but it is also wisdom in our lives. We pray that we will have great hunger to read the Word in the morning, at noon, and at night. We pray that Your Word will be a prevailing force of our lives.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen

You’ve heard of “good king” Hezekiah, haven’t you? Well, the circumstance surrounding this man’s healing were truly miraculous. After Isaiah the prophet came and told him to set his house in order because he was going to die, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and beseeched the Lord for healing. Then God stopped the departing prophet in his tracks with the latest news bulletin from heaven: in three days Hezekiah would be healed and live another 15 years! For proof, Hezekiah asked the Lord to cause the sundial to move backward ten degrees, and God did just that! (See Isaiah 38).

Hezekiah was so filled with praise to the Lord that he wrote ten psalms and added to those ten, another five of King David’s, a psalm for every additional year of life. These are called “psalms of degrees” or “psalms of ascent.” Hezekiah didn’t think of the clock running down; he saw every year as another step closer to God. He was on an ascent to life everlasting, not a descent to death. Don’t you like that kind of attitude? Just like Hezekiah, you can cry out to God for a miracle. Then you, too, will have a song of praise in your heart for the One Who is daily drawing you closer to Him.

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12 NKJV)

Here again is the law of sowing and reaping. In the book of Proverbs, God tells us that if we want friends, we ourselves must be friendly—sow friendliness; reap friendliness. Whatsoever we sow is exactly what we are going to reap.

Do you want people to do good things for you? Then do good things for them. Sometimes our harvest won’t come directly from those people, but we will reap it in another area. I have found that if I sow in one field, I may reap in 10 other fields. God will always bring a harvest from the seed you sow.

There have been times when God has spoken with me, dealt with me, and has had me pray for the sick, when actually I felt like I was the one in need of healing. But as I sowed healing, God would send people to lay hands on me, or He would burden people in the night to pray for me. And I would experience absolutely the healing resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Sowing—what a simple law this is! We need to take advantage of it!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to take advantage of our advantages today. Help us to see that our disadvantage can become advantages if we will apply the law of sowing and reaping.  

In Jesus’s name,

Amen.