Marilyn Hickey

Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.  You guard all that is mine.  The land you have given me is a pleasant land.  What a wonderful inheritance! – (Psalm 16:5-6 NLT)

The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD you God and walk in His ways.  Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. –(Deuteronomy 28:9 NKJV)

God desires that your “land” be a delight, a representation of your inheritance in Him, and the pleasant territory described by David.

Your “land” includes the time and space allotted to you by God.  When we are faithful to God’s commands and manage our territory well, we become a beacon to others, a testimony of God’s goodness and favor.  Moses said the nations would stand in awe of God’s people because of their unique relationship with the Almighty.

God has given each of us a territory to occupy.  The upkeep of our “delightful land” falls to us; it is not accidental, but a matter of assuming our rightful authority.  In God’s eyes, what goes on in your territory is your responsibility.

“Having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” Revelations 5:8b (NKJV)

Our prayers are very important to God.  But if we really want our prayers to count, we must pray the Word.  Why?  Because the Word cannot return void.

Prayers of self-pity will never bring supernatural results.  It’s only when we pray God’s Word that we begin to fill up the golden vials (bowls) of heaven.  God keeps those prayers because He keeps His Word.  Answers will come.  Pity-parties are not the answer.  God’s Word will bring the supernatural.

When we send out prayers to God, we must also check out hearts to see if there is spiritual “static” that will prevent our prayers from traveling up to heaven.  Our messages to God can get lost or waylaid if we have some unconfessed sin.  If your prayers are going unanswered, check your heart to see if you are harboring sin.  If so, repent, and watch your prayer wing its way to heaven.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today help us to see that self-pity never does anything.  It is unbelief, and it is simply an occasion for the flesh to exalt itself.  We trust in Your promises.  We put our flesh down and stand fast on Your Word.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

The Hebrews call Psalm 136 the “Great Psalm of Praise.”  This psalm was probably a responsive singing.

The worship leader sang the first half of each verse, and the congregation always sang response: His love endures forever.

One thing we know will last for all time — God’s love.  How great is our God!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

His love endures forever.

(Psalm 136:1-3 NIV)

How do you see God’s love at work in your life?

Let’s praise Him always!

“And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.” (II Chronicles 12:14 NKJV)

It takes daily preparation to achieve an established heart.  We must pray daily and renew our minds in God’s Word so we will be spiritually in tune with our Father’s will, Jesus’ will, and the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Many times, we become involved in sin because we have not spiritually prepared ourselves to meet the day.  It is good to seek God early.  Sometimes people find it very difficult to “seek God early.”  Morning is often a time when our minds are fuzzy.  It seems easier to do anything except spending some concentrated time with the Lord.  But when we try to “meet the Lord,” He will, in turn, help us “meet the day.”

When God helps us to go out to “meet the day,” we’re prepared for good, not evil.  We, thereby, have brought the supernatural into our day long before we have encountered anything else.  Learn to see the Lord early.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Truly it is good to seek You early in the day; thank You that we have a way to prepare our hearts.  In preparing our hearts, we are kept free from evil.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.  The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

(Zephaniah 3:16-17 NKJV)

One day, all of the faithful will be gathered in one place, and the Mighty One will be in our midst.  We will shout the victory!  We will rejoice and be glad with all our hearts.

And God will sing back to us.  He too will rejoice — over us!

What an awesome sound that will be — a duet between the Creator and His creation.

“You enlarge my path under me; so my feet did not slip.” – (II Samuel 22:37 NKJV)

When we walk as the Lord leads us, we will not stumble because He leads in a very clear direction.  Although we may feel that we lack the natural ability to walk where He leads, He will endow us with the spiritual ability to do it.

One time I was a guest speaker at a large convention.  One of the other guests was an outstanding preacher whom I had admired for years.  When he said that he could hardly wait to hear me, fear stuck!

I thought, “Dear Lord, if he stays to hear me, I’ll faint on the spot.  Let him receive an emergency call; get him out of here!”

I was overwhelmed by insecurity.  The Lord encouraged me.  He reminded me that my presentation alone wouldn’t impress anyone, but that the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit would inspire the people.

In my fear I had seen a lack of ability in myself, rather than God’s sufficiency.  I repented quickly, dismissed the fear, and asked for God’s anointing on my message.  God’s anointing was especially sweet that morning, and I gave Him all praise for it.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us today to be led by Your Spirit and not by our flesh.  Help us to know that wherever You guide us, You will also enable us.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God.  People in general liked what they saw.  Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.  –(Acts 2:46-47 The Message)

This passage from Acts describes the daily lives of the first believers.  It is a life marked by simple acts — worshiping, taking meals together, and praising God.

Amazingly, these simple acts put the early Christians in a favorable light, and every day their number grew.

Living a simple life of prayer and praise may be the most powerful thing we can do to reach the world with the good news.

“Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  (James 4:7 NKJV)

How many times have you quoted the verse, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”?  But we cannot resist the devil if we don’t submit to God first.  When we find ourselves in difficult situations, we must look first at ourselves in difficult situations, we must look first at ourselves and ask, “Have I submitted to God in this area of my life, this situation, or this circumstance?”  Once we have truly submitted to God, we then have the power to resist the devil.  Resist the devil and watch him run!

Sometimes when we are caught in the middle of a difficult situation, our worldly instincts tell us that we must rely on worldly instincts tell us that we must rely on worldly understanding and worldly solutions.  We try to analyze the problem, instead of immediately turning it over to God.

Always check your circumstances.  Do it in this order:  submit to God, resist the devil, and watch him flee.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today that we are not ignorant of the devil’s devices.  We see him for who he is and what he is doing.  We submit ourselves to You for this day in every circumstance.  And we resist the devil with God’s power that is within us.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

Jesus’ disciples slowly began to realize that dealing with fear was going to be an important part of their lives as His followers.  The more time they spent with Him, the more evident it became that He would not always be with them and that it might not be either popular or safe to identify with Him.  Persecution, an unappealing thought, was a frightening possibility.  Jesus tried to help them prepare for what lay ahead and remember that they would not be alone.

No matter how alone we may feel or how frightening a situation we find ourselves in, we can take courage in the fact that Jesus is always with us; we are never alone.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  (John 14:18 NKJV)

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  (Matthew 28:20 NKJV)

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed” –(James 5:16a NKJV)

There is a small and unusual “hook” in this scripture.  Not only are we to confess our faults “one to another,” but we are to pray “one for another”—that WE might be healed.  God is saying that, by praying for someone else, YOU can be healed!

Here again we see the law of sowing and reaping.  Do you need healing?  Then pray for someone else who needs healing, and watch God heal you.  As you sow healing, you reap healing.

The idea that we should confess our faults to one another is not aimed at squeezing confessions out of people, but rather God wants our faith to be released.  If we have unconfessed sin, our faith is hindered.  God does not want our faith hindered in any area of our lives.

Here is God’s beautiful formula:  if you need healing, confess your faults one to another.  Then pray for someone who needs healing, and expect to be healed yourself.  It will work for whatever need you have.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today for the power and wisdom of Your Word that works in our bodies and minds.

In Jesus’s Name,

When a setback changes the landscape of your life, trust God to bring new life into the situation.

Put everything — yourself, your family, and the crisis — in God’s hands.

Don’t run from the challenge; adjust to and learn from it.

Look for signs of life springing up in the hard soil and realize that, if you will maximize every opportunity to learn and grow, the trial will become the seed of new growth.

In the end, a bad situation can produce a magnificent harvest.

What harvest are you believing for?

“For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28a NKJV)

Several years ago, God opened a door for me to preach in Nigeria.  I knew that men and women would travel many miles from other countries to that convention.  So, I cried out to God for the greatest anointing that I had ever experienced.

Sometimes we may think that God anoints us only in teaching and preaching.  But God’s anointing is available in every situation we encounter.

On the conclusion of our first service, a young woman passed by me.  I knew immediately that she needed ministry.  I confronted her, and she briefly revealed her difficult home situation.  We agreed in prayer for a miracle in her life.

Days later she presented me with a beautifully beaded bracelet.  It was as though the Lord said to me, “Your ministry to this woman will bear fruit in Africa.  When you look at this bracelet, it will remind you of My work in her life.”

Sometimes our greatest ministry takes place on the sidelines.  Remember, Jesus reigns in us at ALL times.  We live, move, and have our being in Him.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You that we live, move, and have our being in Jesus.  He is guiding and directing every aspect of our lives.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Remember, it is never too late to initiate a pattern of blessing.  It begins with a decision, and it happens in a moment of time.  We are empowered by God’s grace to initiate blessing.

Hear this, because it can transform your life:  we are not doomed to live chaotic, fear-filled lives.  We are not victims; we are victors, people of great value bought with the precious blood of the Lamb.

Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So, don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 NLT).

We must speak these words over our lives because the truth of God always nullifies the threats, taunts, and traumatizing words of the devil.  Decide and affirm often:

• In our home, we choose a gentle tone of voice and godly words to bring encouragement to others and promote a sense of safety and security.
• Our children speak lovingly, never taunting one another.
• We praise and encourage our children, balancing constructive criticism with affirmation.
• Our discipline is based in love and understanding; we do not attempt to change our children’s behavior by issuing threats.

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”  (I Peter 4:10 NKJV)

Manifold means “many folds.”  If we fold a piece of fabric and then unfold it, section by section, we would see, in each section, a different part of the pattern—until the whole piece of fabric was unfolded and the complete pattern revealed.

Peter spoke of “manifold temptations” in I Peter 1:6, while I Peter 4:10 speaks of “manifold grace.”  Grace will take care of temptation.  There are different portions of grace of various sizes of temptation.  If you hold up your hand, you will see that you little finger is smaller than your middle finger.  Likewise, there are different sizes of temptations.  Your little finger could represent small temptations, and your middle finger could be tall temptations.

Now look at your other hand, and see it as God’s manifold grace.  He has a little amount of grace to go with a little temptation, and so on.  God has provided just the right amount of grace to match the size of any temptation that we face.  I’m so glad that God has made a way for us to come through every temptation victoriously.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us today to look for the grace to match our temptation.  Thank You that You have given us a way to have victory in every situation.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30)

This world puts a great deal of emphasis on our exterior appearance and very little emphasis on the “hidden man of the heart.”

This outward emphasis on looks can be particularly crippling to women.  Not only is a woman judged and valued today for her beauty and attractive appearance, but also there has been an equally strong emphasis on youth—far beyond what is normal.  Thus, many women go on extensive, and possibly damaging diets, or even seek the service of plastic surgeons.

Think how much more valuable it would be to spend the amount of time on one’s inward and spiritual beauty!

Some of the women who are beautifully used in God’s kingdom are not OUTWARDLY glamorous.  But these women are outstanding in their INWARD beauty.

It’s great to LOOK attractive.  But it’s even greater to BE good.  God’s goodness—His soul prosperity—is extended to those who seek His kingdom and righteousness first.  Which is first in your life?  The way you look or the way God looks IN you?

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today for the great work that You are performing in our hearts and lives.  We are daily being conformed to the image of Your Son.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use it, it will be measured back to you.  (Luke 6:38 NKJV)

We sometimes limit this verse in the church to refer only to the giving and receiving of money or material goods.  In truth, Jesus was referring to all acts that flow from a generous heart:

• If you give of your time to the church or to those who need your help, your giving will return to you, perhaps in the form of increased productivity in your own endeavors.
• If you are a loving person, always friendly and quick to encourage other, you will receive more love than you gave out.
• If you are diligent and always do your best for your employer, you will receive favor and promotion in return.
• If you pour guidance, wisdom, and love into your children, you will receive the joy of watching them develop and grow strong, do good works, and raise healthy families of their own.

If you truly want to be in the full flow of God’s giving and receiving, give generously.  God loves a generous heart.

“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil” (Proverbs 20:30a NKJV)

Some people worry about the black and blue marks of a bruise, but these marks are actually symptomatic of the healing process.  The blue is the rich oxygen of the arterial blood that brings in new supplies and healing materials of the body’s “first aid” kit.  Then red venal blood carries out the damaged cells, refuse, and waste products.

Have you ever realized that Jesus’ blood also has a twofold healing purpose?  It cleanses us of sin and waste, and it also brings the freshness of His love into our lives.

Christ’s blood is one of the most powerful cleansing agents known to mankind!  His blood does more that whitewash our hearts—it purifies them from the inside out.  Christ’s precious blood purifies our hearts so completely that we become temples of God.

When Jesus was confronted with the wrong-doings of the Pharisees, he warned them, “You are clean on the outside, but your hearts are like the insides of tombs—filled with death.”  What do you want to be?  A tomb of death or a temple of God?

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today for the life of Jesus that flows through us.  We thank You for the dealings of Your Spirit to remove the garbage from our lives; and we thank You for Jesus’ love that brings us freshness.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

And God heard the voice of the lad.  Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar?  Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.  Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”  (Genesis 21:17-18 NKJV)

Poor Hagar, the water was about to run out, and she knew death would not be far away.  She couldn’t bear to see her only child die, so she left him under a bush and sat off in the distance, not wanting to witness the inevitable.

But Ishmael had grown up in Abraham’s household.  Ishmael prayed.  God heard, and an angel was assigned to minister to the family.

One of the most important things Christians need to teach their children is how to pray.  Of course, you want to continue to pray for them, but let them develop a prayer life of their own.

I never miss an opportunity to pray with others, especially unbelievers.  When the time comes that they feel the need to call out to God, I want them to feel comfortable turning to Him in prayer.

Do you need the ministry of angels in your current situation?

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I”  – (Psalm 61:2b NKJV)

When my husband, Wally, was a child, his sister Shirley was burned severely in an accident.  She died a few days later.  Shirley had been the “baby” of the family, and she was very much adored.  My husband’s father became very bitter, and he spoke harshly against the Lord.

But one day Wally’s mother said to her husband “Albert, we cannot afford to be bitter against the Lord.  We need Him too much right now.”

I believe with all my heart that it was the devil who destroyed Shirley’s life.  But she’s in heaven today, and we cannot let the devil destroy us, too, with bitterness down here.  Bitterness is a poison that can seep into all parts of your body and soul.  It can taint the way you view life and the way that you live your life.  Bitterness can multiply and feed upon itself until it overwhelms everything else.

Don’t let bitterness overwhelm you.  Go to the Rock that is higher than you, and let Him remove any bitterness in your situation.

Father,

We thank You that when we feel overwhelmed by circumstances, Your Holy Spirit will lead us to the Rock, Jesus Christ.

In His Name we pray,

Amen.

The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  But the father said to his servants, “Quick!  Bring the best robe and put it on him.  Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it.  Let’s have a feast and celebrate” – (Luke 15:21-23 NIV)

The story of the lost son is one of the most beloved in the Scriptures.  God is in the business of bringing families together.  Every day parents are fighting over custody of their children.  In many instances’ children must be forcibly taken from abusive situations or from parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol.  Other families are torn apart by strife, bitterness, and jealously.

Is your family whole, or are you longing for the day when every member will be present at the family reunion?  Is there a son or daughter who seems to have dropped out of sight, as far as your family is concerned?  Why not make a covenant with the Lord to pray each day for the next year for that family member to be reconciled?  God is able to send His holy angels or human messengers along that person’s path with just the right words to turn his or her heart toward home.  The Lord used an angel to bring Peter and Cornelius together, and He can do the same to bring your family together.

And don’t forget, every reunion means a celebration!

“He makes peace in your borders, and fills you with the finest wheat” – (Psalm 147:14 NKJV)

God will give us an abundance of revelation knowledge—the good seed out of His Word.  As an adult, I received some of my best advice on studying the Bible from…a TEENAGER!

When our church was small, I was the leader of our teens.  One young man had a tremendous hunger to study God’s Word.  He showed me a small indexed notebook where he wrote the scriptures according to topics.  Whenever people had questions about healing, he would immediately refer to that category.  Many times, he would also jot down special revelations that the Holy Spirit gave him.

At that time, I also taught a small home Bible study.  Sometimes I did not have specific answers to questions.  But with a small indexed notebook such as my student’s, I began keeping scriptures and applying them to specific situations where needed.

I now have many such notebooks on alphabetized topics, Bible characters, and even whole books of the Bible—all supplemented with revelation knowledge.  It is a valuable reference resource that I use to teach the Bible.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to be consistent and stable in our study of Your Word.  Then You will be consistent and stable in giving us revelation knowledge.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

Moses was forty years old when he stood up for who he was a Hebrew man; his actions resulted in his exile.

Moses was eighty years old before he came face-to-face with God at the burning bush, where he decided to follow wherever God might lead him and do whatever God might ask of him.

By faith Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and toward their land of promise.

Moses’ parents, Amram and Jochebed, very likely did not live to see Moses become the man of faith who led Israel out of its bondage in Egypt.

But that’s real faith—they did not see and then believe.

They believed for what they had not yet seen, and they never stopped believing.

What are you believing for?

“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” (James 1:26 NKJV)

One day the Lord spoke strongly to me about my tongue.  He told me that I had begun to listen to bits and pieces of gossip about people and then repeated it.  I had developed a critical attitude.  Instead of praying for these people, I was talking about them.

God directed me to scripture in Ezekiel that says the Lord was looking for a man/woman to stand in the gap of the hedge.  God chastised me for becoming a “gap finder,” rather than a “gap stander.”  Then He reminded me about some people with whom I had been very angry.  These people had gossiped and said untrue things about the ministry.  God said, “You reap what you sow.  You have gossiped about others; now others are talking about you.”

I repented deeply and asked the Lord to help me daily with my tongue.  The sins of the tongue are among the most serious that we commit.  The tongue can build up or tear down.  It is so important to ask God for help in bridling our own tongues.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us guard our mouths today.  Check us if we begin to talk or criticize.  Remind us that when we sow gossip or criticism, we also will reap it.  We cannot afford such an expensive harvest.

In Jesus’s Name,

Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” (Daniel 6:21-22 NKJV)

Angels are sent to believers to take care of the lions in our lives.  Sometimes we want God to protect us in a time of crisis, but until we repent of sin, we shouldn’t expect supernatural protection.  We can’t live a life of sin and the complain about the lack of supernatural deliverance in our lives.  Daniel was confident of God’s protection because Daniel was in a right relationship with his heavenly Father.

Let me give you a list of things to do NOW to prepare for any future overnight stay in the lion’s den:

1. Read your Bible before you arrive in the lions’ den.
2. Have a disciplined prayer time before the lions line up at your door.
3. Keep your focus on the Word of God during a crisis.
4. Keep an excellent spirit at all times.
5. Have faith that the Word will work for you.
6. Look to God for deliverance.
7. Give God the glory for your deliverance.

“So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

Faith does come by hearing God’ Word.  But many people hear God’s Word and don’t believe it, so they don’t get its benefits.

Do you remember Rahab (Joshua 6)?  She, along with all of Jericho’s inhabitants, had heard about the God of Hebrews.  The people of Jericho all heard the same report; but Rahab alone heard AND BELIEVED.  Not only did she believe in her heart, but she confessed it with her mouth and acted out her faith by hiding the Israelites spies.

Because of Rahab’s willingness to believe what she had heard, she was rewarded beyond her wildest imagination.  When the rest of Jericho was destroyed, the walls of Rahab’s dwelling remained standing—as a testimony to her belief in God’s Word.

We can hear God’s Word continually, but until we believe what we hear and then act on it, it is not profitable to us.

When you hear the Word, don’t just casually receive it in your mind.  Meditate on it.  Accept it and receive it as a special message from God to you.  Then use it to benefit your life.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to mix our faith with Your Word, to take Your Word and use it in our lives, and to know that it is Your personal message to us.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.