Peace with Your Enemies

Peace with Your Enemies TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7, ESV. TODAY'S WORD: What does it mean to please the Lord? In the book of Hebrews, it says that faith pleases God. Faith is simply believing that God is who He says He is and that He rewards those who seek after Him. The Bible also tells us that faith without works is dead. In other words, our faith is expressed through our actions. For example, when you go to sit down in your favorite chair, you don’t stop and wonder if it’s going to hold you up. No, you have faith in that chair because you’ve sat in it hundreds of times. If you didn’t have faith that the chair would hold you, you wouldn’t sit down. Your actions are affected by your faith. In the same way, when we have faith in God, we follow His commands. We don’t wonder; we don’t wait. We just obey Him. Today, know that you please Him when you seek Him by faith. You please Him when you read His Word. You please Him when you follow His commands. And, when you please Him, He makes even your enemies be at peace with you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, my greatest desire is to please You in all things. Fill me with Your faith as I study and obey Your Word. Help me to stay close to You always and thank You for giving me Your peace in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS...

You Need Friends Who Will Help You Succeed by Rick Warren “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24 NIV) Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (NIV). Real friends bring out the best in each other. They encourage and motivate one another to reach their goals. Friends who will cheer you on to success are a critical part of the Daniel Plan. There’s an old Zambian proverb that says, “When you run alone, you run fast. But when you run together, you run far.” The Daniel Plan — and the lifetime of healthy habits ahead of you — is not a 50-yard dash. It is a marathon. Marathon runners know there comes a point when you start getting a pain in your side that makes you want to give up. But if you have other people running with you, you can find the strength to continue to the finish line. The same is true in your journey to a healthier you. The only way you’ll achieve your God-given health goals is to have others involved in your life. “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). Talk It Over We all have different strengths when it comes to encouraging others. What are some ways you can encourage the people in your Daniel Plan group? Why do you think it’s important to want your friends’ success as much as your own? As you reflect on Romans 12:5, who are the people in your life to whom you can easily reach out for help?

Dinner served =)

Follow Peace

Follow Peace TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace… Isaiah 55:12, NIV. TODAY'S WORD: God knows what’s best for you. He knows what you need and when you need it. He knows how to put you at the right place at the right time. He knows where the danger is and where the good breaks are. You have to learn to trust that inner peace, that inner prompting that leads you. Even if the odds are against you, if you feel good about it in your heart, move forward. On the other hand, if there is unrest or uneasiness, if you don’t have peace, then wait. Don’t ignore the promptings, the impressions, the knowings. That’s God talking to you. Always remember, God wants to help you in your everyday life, not just in the big decisions, but even in the small things. He wants to pour out His favor on you and release your frustrations. If you will be sensitive to His leading, if you will follow His peace, He will lead you into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for peace. Thank You for leading me forth in joy and victory. I choose to listen to You. I choose to tune in to You. I choose to trust You knowing that You have a good plan for every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

PS... 

Keep Healthy Habits Through Biblical Meditation by Rick Warren “I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees.” (Psalm 119:48 NLT) The temptation to abandon the healthy habits you’re learning through the Daniel Plan can be quite strong at times. Your only chance to overcome those temptations is to follow the model of Jesus. When he was tempted in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus responded with Scripture.  Jesus meditated on and memorized God’s Word. Psalm 119:48 says, “I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees” (NLT). Biblical meditation is not about emptying your mind but filling it with truth. It simply means to read a passage of Scripture, think about it, and repeat it to yourself. It’s the first and most important step to memorizing Bible verses. No habit will help you in the spiritual dynamics of getting healthy more than meditating and memorizing the Word of God. Talk It Over What are some of the temptations you face on your Daniel Plan journey? Jesus overcame temptation with Scripture. What are some of God’s promises you can memorize to counteract temptation in your life? What can you do today to start a habit of Scripture memorization? Start with 1 Corinthians 10:13: “[God] will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (NLT).

True =)

Kiss =)

Psalm 95:1 to 2

Are You Listening?

Are You Listening? TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts… Hebrews 3:15, NIV. TODAY'S WORD: In 1999, I was eating dinner at my house one evening. My father called and asked me if I would speak for him that Sunday at Lakewood. In my 36 years, I had never ministered one time before. I didn’t have any desire to be in front of people. I liked being behind the scenes. I said, “I’m sorry, Daddy. That’s just not who I am. I’m not a minister.” He laughed and said, “Well, that’s fine, Joel. At least, I wanted to ask you.” When I sat back down to finish eating my dinner, something said so strongly, “Joel, you need to do it.” It wasn’t out loud. It was just an impression, a knowing. I can’t explain it. It didn’t make sense to my mind. Every voice of reasoning said, “Don’t do it,” but I couldn’t get away from it. I called my father back and said I had changed my mind. I ministered for him that next Sunday. What I didn’t realize is that would be the last Sunday of my father’s life. Friend, when you feel the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit, don’t harden your heart. Don’t ignore it. Listen and respond. He knows the future and has your best in mind. Trust Him and listen to His leading! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for leading and guiding me. I choose to tune in to You. Help me to hear Your voice, to know You and follow You all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

PS... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-zJHgaoVa4

To Change Your Health Habits, Change the Way You Think by Rick Warren “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” (Proverbs 4:23 TEV) Changing your health habits is like driving a speedboat on a lake with your automatic pilot set to go east. If you want to reverse course, you could try to physically force the wheel in the opposite direction, but you’d likely get tired, let go, and the boat would drift back. But there’s a better option: Change your autopilot. The same is true with your health habits. To make a lasting change, you must change how you think. Behind everything you do — even your unhealthy habits — is a thought that keeps you from getting healthy. Instead, the Bible says you should “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). God wants you to learn to think like Jesus. How do you do that? You meditate on God’s Word and you ask, “Lord, how would Jesus think about this?” The more you fill your mind with the Word of God, the easier that’s going to be. “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 TEV). Talk It Over What are some of the beliefs that have derailed your attempts to get healthy in the past?   What are some truths from God’s Word that can change the autopilot that keeps you from getting healthy?   What do you need to change about the way you do your quiet time or structure your schedule so that you can fill your mind with the Word of God?