The Bible study that I'm in right now talks about how to put God first in your life, and really have a relationship with Him.  To be honest, I talk to God all day long.  I feel like He's always with me, and whenever I need Him, He's there.  

I pray that my prayer life gets deeper, more consistent.  My prayer is that I look in the Bible for answers, not trying to find them from my own head knowledge.

My goal is to quit feeding my past, instead, feed my future, my destiny.  Reliving hurtful feelings only fuels resentment and anger.

Being intentional in remembering God's grace in our lives will help us keep the faith, when everything in front of us is in chaos.  

I praise God today, as I remember His past goodness, which makes it easier to keep trusting Him now.

Hebrews 13:7 – “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God.  Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 - “But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, what no ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him”

What the above verse says to me is that our feeble minds can't even imagine the wonders of what God has in store for us.  Isn't that exciting?  The future is all in His hands, and even though we have our part of the story to fulfill, we need to decide, 'are we in or out?'  But, what's so amazing is that God has a path laid out for me that's beyond anything I could ever imagine. 

The trials we face are just a mere distraction in the whole scheme of things.  Yes, they're tough and yes, it's hard to see the end and how we're going to get through it, but I have hope, faith and assurance that my God reigns!  He knows what's best for me.

Do you realize that the word 'sovereign' has the word 'reign' in it?  God is sovereign and He wants to reign over our lives.

I pray that I keep myself out of the way as I pursue a deeper walk with God.

I must never forget that God is always in control.  He knows my beginning and my end, and everything in between.  But, unfortunately, I catch myself thinking, "why me?"  

Most of us have a tendency when we get into a crisis, to want to help God out.  God doesn't need our help. He needs our cooperation and trust.  We want to hurry Him up or wonder why things aren't progressing faster, when, what we need to do, is trust Him in His timing.  

I feel truly blessed and don't want to ever take for granted what God has given me.  I strive to be humble and want to give more of myself, my time, my money to those who are in need.  

I can't even fathom waking up in the morning, and worrying about not having something to eat, or how I was going to get it.  I've heard it said that the more stuff' you have, the less you rely on God.  I don't want to get to that point.  

I want to totally rely on God, for everything.  

When we cooperate with His Will, it works.  It is a cooperative effort between God and man.  

Cooperate with God.  Trust that He's got this!

Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Taking time for others; this should be our mission as Christians, right?  In the past, I've always enjoyed giving, more than receiving.  

Each of us has something to give.  I'm so thankful that God gave me the ability to serve others.  Don't neglect the elderly because we'll all be there some day. 

Love someone; give them your time.  Let them tell you their story.  Learn from them and grow in your walk with God.  

Use the gifts that God gave you to serve others.

Galatians 6:2 – “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Having eyes of faith is conveyed only by God's Spirit and His Word.  This is not anything we can see through our human eyes. 

Are you surrounded by difficulties today, as I am?  Are you reveling in self-pity, as I seem to be doing?  The solution can only be found in God's grace.  We must simply open our eyes to the all-surpassing greatness of God's power, available on our behalf.

Faith in something means believing that it will come true, even when we don't have proof that it will. Having faith in God, to me, means trusting that what He says, He will do.  Sticking to that faith creates character.  

When all the odds are against me, when nothing is falling into place the way I want it to, my intention is to keep the faith, and not give up.  

I hope my consistent walk and love for others shows in my attitude, and in my personality.  I hope I can respond to others in a positive manner when they question me or when they say, "How can you believe that this will get better, when all the odds are against you, and nothing has been going right lately?" 

There will come a time, and there have been times, when having faith in God means believing in the impossible.  It means stepping out of the box and trusting God to step in and show His mighty power. (can I say, "Hurry up God")

Faith in God causes the Christian to pray to the Unseen Father and expect to hear an answer!

Psalm 37:5 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

Serving others. Shouldn't we be doing that?  Isn't that what God commands?  Go find someone and be a blessing to them, and I believe you will be blessed even more.  

As a Christian I should be serving others every day.  I should be giving more of myself, my time, to those in need, and to the people all around me.  

I believe that God places certain people in our lives.  He is purposely using us to bless others.  As Christians, we are to be God's hands and feet throughout our lifelong journey.

This world is so full of hatred and judgment, but I know the ultimate Judge and He sits on the throne today.  God knows our every move, our every thought, good or bad.  I try to keep my thoughts pure and focused on the good in my life, the blessings and grace I receive every day.  

There are days when I let negative thoughts creep in; thoughts of worry, and 'why me?’  But if I'm cognizant of this and shift my thoughts toward Heavenly things, past blessings and thoughts of moving toward a greater future, then my worry turns to joy, my sorrow to happiness, my dread to hope.

I'm praying for a servant heart today.  Serving is an active deed of love, it moves the hearts of others and offers comfort.

Let's resemble Jesus today and widen our hearts to serve others every day.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

I heard once that you should have a daily goal and try to accomplish that goal each day.  My daily goal is to please God, to show humility to others, and to be a blessing to those I encounter.  

Just imagine, if we all did this, each day.  What a wonderful world we would live in.  But, the reality is that we live in a broken world, and that outside of God's grace and love, we can't accomplish anything.  

Goals require discipline and consistency; not giving up, even when you're kicked in the face, (so to speak) by Satan.  Just imagine the desperation that Job (from the Bible) felt.  

We've all faced difficulties.  We've all been there, maybe not as extreme as Job’s situation, but it sure feels like it when it's you.  That's when God reaches down and picks us up out of that desperate, hopeless feeling.  He loves us, folks, right in the middle of our unworthiness.

I strive to please God; to make this my daily goal. I don’t want to put Him on some meaningless to-do list.  I want to stop being so busy with trivial activities and focus on the prize.  The prize is eternal life with our Creator. 

As I strive towards this goal each day, I don't want to forget others along my path, and I want to share my love with those that God places in my life.  

What’s your goal today? Start today with God in mind.

Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

It’s hard to be thankful when nothing is going right in your life.  I know that God is faithful.  He’s our guard and protector from the evil things of this world.   

God's plans and His timing are always perfect.  I have so many things to be thankful for. I have so many blessings poured out to me every day.  I have a family, a home, a job and friends.  I can serve God without being persecuted, and I can praise God openly and not worry about being shot or ridiculed for my faith.

I do thank God each day for my blessings.  Friends, God is so merciful to His children.  He wants to give us all the riches of Glory.  He wants us to have a happy joy-filled life.  

What He’s most impressed with is that we acknowledge our blessings, even in the midst of tragedies.  That’s true faith and perseverance. 

2 Thessalonians 3:3 – “But the Lord is faithful.  He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”