Marilyn Hickey

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.

And I said, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; surely, I will remember Your wonders of old.  I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.  (Psalm 77:10-12 NKJV)

Like the psalmist, you may be in the middle of a “night” of grief and sorrows, and you may be thinking, “Has His mercy ceased forever (Psalm 77:8)?”  When that happens to you or someone you know, turn to Psalm 77 and contemplate the four “I wills” of verses 10-12:

• I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.
• I will remember the works of the LORD.
• I will remember Your wonders of old.
• I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.

These four steps will lead you to God.  Great comfort and hope can come from meditating on God’s great provision for our lives.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” – (Philippians 3:13 NKJV)

Once we forget the past, we can then reach forth to the things that are ahead.  If we continue to remember the past, it will press against our “present” and keep us from the future that God has for us.  We can’t look backward and forward at the same time.

The Lord tells us that He puts our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.  I’m glad He didn’t say north from south because then we would meet our sins again!  If you start walking south, eventually you’ll reach the south pole, and then you’ll be going north.  North and south can meet each other, but east and west can never meet!  There is no east or west pole.

When God forgives us of our sins, He forgets them.  He never meets them again, and He doesn’t intend for us to meet them either.  Therefore, we leave the past sins behind and look for the future glory.

Don’t let yourself be burdened down with the memory and guilt of past sins.  Christ shed His blood on the cross so that we might no longer be bowed under the weight of all our sins.  Hand them to Him!

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today that we can forget the past.  It cannot exercise power over our present or future.  We reach forth for the things that You have for us today.

“Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” -(Psalm 55:17 NKJV)

It is not unusual for a man, who is committed to prayer, to pray morning, noon, and night.  Daniel made a commitment to pray morning, noon, and night.  In fact, Daniel enemies could only find one fault with him: his extensive prayer life.  That’s really something when the only fault that your enemy can find is your prayer life!  I wonder how many of our enemies could find that “fault” with us?  But such dedication to prayer also brings forth men like Daniel—and David, who wrote Psalm 55:17.  They were mighty and powerful in God.

Sometimes Christians will complain, “I just don’t have time for a lot of prayer.”  Only the devil doesn’t “have time” for prayer.  A dedicated believer will MAKE TIME FOR PRAYER.  Jesus always made time for prayer with His heavenly Father—even in the midst of horrendous crises, such as His impending crucifixion and death.

To live in prayer is to live in power.  Set aside special times—morning, noon, and night—for your prayer life, and watch your circumstances change!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today let us emphasize prayer in our own personal lives.  We must not look to other people to pray for us.  We are committed to a consistent, personal prayer life.  We look to You to guide us.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:11-14 NKJV)

I’m persuaded that the birth of every child sets off a chorus of praise in heaven.  It is a happy moment, filled with promise for a new life led in glory to God.

God does not ask you to entrust your children to Him without giving you the all-encompassing hope that He will fulfill your children’s lives in ways that will bring Him the greatest glory and give you and your children the greatest joy.

Take some time to reflect on that truth.  To entrust your child fully to the Lord is to claim, by your faith, that:

• God loves your child with an everlasting love.
• God’s purposes for creating your child are going to be fulfilled.
• Your child’s life is going to count for eternity.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22, 23 NKJV)

The fruit of the Spirit is to be very evident in our lives.  When we are born again, we receive the fruits of LOVE, JOY, and PEACE.  These are for our personal enjoyment.  We experience love, joy, and peace.

In addition to these three fruits, there are three more that relate to others:  We need LONGSUFFERING in dealing with other people.  We also need GENTLENESS and GOODNESS.  Thus, not only do we enjoy personal fruit for ourselves, but we can extend His fruit to others.

Lastly, three final fruits deal with our relationship with our heavenly Father.  We give FAITH back to Him, along with MEEKNESS and TEMPERANCE.

Here is a beautiful picture of FRUIT THAT WE OURSELVES CAN ENJOY, FRUIT THAT WE GIVE TO OTHERS, and FRUIT THAT WE MANIFEST TO THE FATHER.  How complete God has made us in Jesus!  If you have Jesus, you have the seed of all nine of these fruits.  Partake of them all.

Dear Heavenly Father,

No law can win against love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance—the supernatural traits of Jesus Christ.  Thank You, Father, that these abide in us in our new birth.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

(Psalm 119:74 NIV)

When a man of God receives grace for himself, he becomes a blessing to others.  Hopeful people bring gladness wherever they go.

What do you bring to your friends and family?  Do you remind them of all the bad things that have happened or might happen?  Do you give them a catalog of your aches and pains?  If your conversations are full of complaints, worries, and problems, then you are not testifying for God; you are testifying for the devil.

Your attitude alone can be a testimony to the gifts of God.  You have been forgiven!  You are assured of eternal life!  Considering the magnitude of these gifts, what do you have to complain about?

Reflect your joy and gratitude in every situation — you will be a blessing to your friends and family and, most of all, to God.

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”- (Acts 3:19 NKJV)

Repentance brings refreshing.  I was 19 years old when my mother received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  I was very “turned off” with both her experience and her Spirit-filled friends.  For four years she prayed for me and witnessed to me about the Holy Spirit baptism.  Finally, I met my husband-to-be, who was Spirit-filled.  God had begun to work on my heart.

I spent one entire night in repentance for rejecting such a wonderful gift of God, and I promised that I would participate in the next all-night prayer meeting that our church held.  Within four days I had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  After my repentance came one of the greatest refreshings I had experienced.

The major things that we need in our lives often come only after we have truly repented.  Then God can send a refreshing peace to us that truly “passes all understanding.”

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today let us repent of those areas where we have blocked Your flow of refreshing to our lives.  Help us not to examine others, but to examine ourselves.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.