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A Free Gift for All
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:
…God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
Acts 10:34-35, NIV.
TODAY'S WORD:
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! And God’s freedom is free for everyone. It doesn’t matter what your nationality or heritage is, or who your family is. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or don’t have. God wants you free from everything that would hold you back in this life. He wants to pour out His abundant blessing on all who honor Him and choose His ways.
It says in Galatians that in Christ, there is no Jew or Greek or even male or female. That means God’s not judging you based on physical conditions; He’s looking at your heart. He’s looking at the gifts He’s placed inside of you.
Don’t let the enemy lie to you and tell you that God is blessing everyone else but you. Look for the ways He is pouring out blessing in your life. Thank Him for His acceptance, love and freedom today. Focus on honoring Him and doing what is right. Receive His favor and blessing because it is a free gift for all!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father in heaven, thank You for loving and accepting me today. I choose to do what is right and honor You with my attitude, words and actions. Holy Spirit, show me if there is any area that isn’t pleasing to You and help me live as an example of Your goodness all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Three Conditions for a Miracle
BY RICK WARREN — JULY 5, 2014
“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.... Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (Mark 8:22-23a, 25 NIV)
The key to understanding what God is doing in your life is learning to see life from God’s point of view and having spiritual vision. The Bible says in Mark 8:22-23 and 25, “They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.... Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly” (NIV).
Jesus uses this story to teach us three conditions for a miracle. When you need a miracle in your life, you need to remember these three things.
Miracles happen when somebody cares.
The blind man didn’t come to Jesus on his own; he had friends who cared enough for him to beg Jesus to heal him. There’s a word for this: intercession. Intercession is when you bring somebody before Jesus not for your own needs but out of concern for that person. When you pray for somebody else’s needs, that’s intercession.
Miracles happen when we get close to Jesus.
You can’t be touched by Jesus unless you’re close to Jesus. Healing in your life does not come from religion or rituals or regulations. Healing comes from a relationship with Christ. The more you get to know Christ, the more you will see God’s healing in your life.
Miracles happen when we trust Jesus to lead us.
If the blind man hadn’t let Jesus lead him outside the village, he never would have seen the miracle.
Imagine you’re this blind man. Your friends have taken you to a guy you don’t know about. All of a sudden the guy grabs your hand and leads you away. You don’t know who this person is, you don’t know where he’s taking you, and you don’t know how long the trip is going to take.
Some of you feel that way right now. You have no idea what God’s doing in your life, where he’s taking you, or how long it’s going to take. You know what this means? You’re getting ready for a miracle.
This is called the walk of faith — when you can’t see but God can. All you have to do is hang on! You may be blind, but all you need to do is trust Jesus. He knows where he’s taking you. He loves you. He knows what you need better than you do. His way is always best.
Talk It Over
- If you are waiting for a miracle in your life, what might God wants you to do to draw closer to him?
- What have you learned about God and how he provides through your walk of faith?
- Who in your life needs a miracle? How might you intercede on that person’s behalf?
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