Are You Tired?

Main Verse: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Song to meditate on: Can’t Give Up Now – Mary, Mary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=FmQBshQ11uo)

There is this song by Mary, Mary “Can’t Give Up Now” , I especially like the part that says

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don't believe He's brought me this far to leave me

Never said there wouldn't be trials, never said I wouldn't fall
Never said that everything would go the way I want it to go

Ladies a lot of times on our journey to success we get frustrated and tired, however we have to be determined to hold on and not let go.

Life is about purpose if  you know what your purpose is and you make up in your mind that your purpose must be fulfilled then you will be driven, nothing will stop you from fulfilling that purpose. As the song says “nobody told me the road would be easy,” that’s because the road is never easy; “no pain, no gain.”  However we can be assured that God will never leave us a part of the way. Paul said in Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (NLT)

So ladies, today you might be tired, you might be frustrated, you might be ready to give in but I leave this song with you to take you throughout this day to remind you that you can’t give up now. To remind you that “what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18 (NLT)

Have A God Filled Day Ladies.

Let’s Pray:

Lord we praise you this morning even in our times of trials and we thank you Lord for them. Give us the strength today to push ahead knowing that you will not leave us because you will complete what you have started within us.

In Jesus Name

Amen.

The Strength of Weakness

Main Verse: …for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthian 12:9

Song to Meditate on : Let Go Let God (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76o4xhxIKfs)

Lately, I have a lot of things happening in my life, a lot of new challenges, added stress, stumbling blocks you name it. I have been tired, a bit frustrated and I just feel like I am not achieving some things I set out to achieve.

During this season however I think I am truly beginning to understand what was meant when God said to Paul that “my strength is perfect in weakness.”  You see ladies, throughout this time I have not been able to depend on myself. Many times I do not have a clue how to deal with the challenges I am faced with, as such I pray constantly, 24hrs per day. This has caused God to show himself strong in my life as I am constantly seeking him for help and have decided to let go and let God.

I am also appreciating that it is very important that we face challenges and trials along this journey because that’s the only way that some of us will get on our knees. If you are like me “miss independent and strong headed” then you will want to push ahead and take on the world by yourself without even consulting God. As such God has to stop us in our tracks and show us who is in control.

Isaiah 40:29 tells us that He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. So ladies, this morning, I implore you wait on God, pray and seek him when you feel weak, when you feel overwhelmed, when you feel helpless. He will give you added strength for the journey and he will even carry you some parts of the way. Many times when I look back I have to ask God when and how that situation went away or how was it done. That is because it was not done out of my own strength instead, it was taken care of by God.

Have A God Filled Day Ladies.

Let’s Pray:

Might God thank you for being our strength in our seasons of weaknesses and challenges. Forgive us for depending on ourselves and not on you.

In Jesus Name

Amen.

Attitude

Main Verse:  Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men Colossians 3:23 (AMP)

Have you ever heard the words “It your attitude not your aptitude that determines your altitude” It was first said by Zig Ziglar an American Authour, motivational speaker and sales man.

However around AD 80 Paul encouraged the Colossians to work heartily and to do their best at whatever they were given to do. You see ladies being smart, bright or intelligent with a bad attitude will not take you very far. Being a Christian with a bad attitude will not guarantee you a promotion either. As such it is very important to maintain the right attitude. James Caan, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor in People with Passion stated that “To be successful in any area in life you need to have the right attitude, which means you have to approach any task or job with determination, tenacity and above all plenty of enthusiasm.”

So this morning ladies, adopt a positive attitude, adopt an attitude that will please God. It may be a bit hard because of all the challenges an obstacles you’re facing. You might be working hard and your manager just never sees what you’re doing. Everyone might be getting a promotion and you are not but maintain a positive attitude at all time. James Caan in his article went further to say “it is important for people to have skills, training and experience but I have always been a huge believer in putting attitude above aptitude. You can come fully equipped for a role but without real enthusiasm the best skill-set will count for very little. You can train somebody and give them the tools but you can’t give them the right attitude.”

Have A God Filled Day Ladies.

Let’s Pray:

Father place in us a good attitude today, root out every spirit that complains, that is negative, tardy and lazy this morning. Instead Lord implant in us a positive attitude that does each task to the best of your abilities and that pleases you.

In Jesus Name

Amen.

It’s The Little Things

Today’s Scripture: And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ² and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.³ So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴ for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” Luke 21:1-4 (NKJV)

Song To Meditate on: The Little Things (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaEtSC9h9o4)

Do you know the saying that goes “good things come in small packages?”  The saying means that something is small but has better quality than big ones. This can be said of gifts; usually jewelry which comes in small packages and is usually worth more than things that can hold in big packages.

In the same way it is the little things that we do that count the most to people. Recently my mom was sharing with me how she gave a friend of hers a copy of the “Our Daily Bread” devotional because she found herself with an extra one. Her exact words to me were “Peta if I gave her a million dollars she would not have been more grateful.” You see ladies, this lady has been repeating her old devotionals for years now and without my mom knowing this she decided to give her one, for this her friend was most grateful and thanks her every time she sees her.

We also see where today’s scripture talks about the lady with the widow’s mite, the amount she gave might have been small but Christ considered it more than all the others because she gave it out of her poverty.

Ladies, I remember someone telling me that she prayed for someone fifteen years ago and the person remembered her and sought her out. That person helped her in so many ways because of that one prayer.

 So ladies this morning let us remember that it is the little things that we do for others and God that counts the most. It’s that little smile; it’s that word of encouragement, or that one meal that will cause someone to remember you or even prevent someone from committing suicide.

This morning remember to do even a little thing for someone and remember it is the little thing that makes the difference.

Have A God Filled Day Ladies

Let’s Pray

Father God, thank you for recognizing the small things that we do. Help us to be kind to others and to impact someone’s life today.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

Become an Inspiration

Today’s Scripture: “But encourage one another daily…” Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band -he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Ladies after reading the story above my spirit was lifted, I was very tired but reading it made me smile and gave me energy. You see ladies the blind man could have told the other man that he could not see however; he loved this man so much he wanted to see him happy. He could have focused on his own issues instead he focused on encouraging his friend and making him happy, the reward was happiness for him. I am reminded of a quote “To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.”

Seek to inspire and you will be inspired.

Have A God Filled Day Ladies

Let’s Pray

Lord Jesus thanks for being our main inspiration, we pray that you will help us to inspire and motivate others daily.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

Benefit of the Doubt

Today’s Scripture: Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9 (KJV)

Have you ever been in a situation where someone misunderstood something you said or did and it resulted in that person being offended? This offense usually leads to anger or even bitterness. Or have you ever heard anything negative about someone and then you judge the person based on what you have heard?

This happens so often, I can remember being assigned to a new position at work once where everyone told me that my manager was a terrible person despite all the negatives I heard I decided  to give her the benefit of the doubt. Truth told; she did have some ways that could annoy anyone however, deep down she was the sweetest person.

The Bible encourages us in 1 John4:1 to test the spirits; many times we draw our own conclusions about the motives of others before we even meet the person. Ladies, this morning, I am challenging you to give someone the “benefit of the doubt” before making any assumptions about their intentions. To give someone the benefit of the doubt means that instead of believing something bad about the person you believe something good. Today instead of taking offense  or over think the situation wait for an explanation, the person could be having a bad day.

Have A God Filled Day Ladies

Let’s Pray

Lord help us today to give someone the benefit of the doubt instead of thinking negatively and become angry and bitter.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

A Right Spirit

Today’s Scripture: …renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

Song To Meditate on: Hillsong - Create in me a clean heart oh God (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvLjV_B_8V4)

Recently I had a situation where I became very bitter; this bothered me because I knew that it was not of God so I did not want it to take root in me. As such, I prayed about it and God helped to correct the situation. In the same way David repented of his sin and prayed that God removed this sin from him but David went further to ask God to renew a right spirit within him.

You see ladies many times we find ourselves in situations where there are things within us that does not come from God, for me it was bitterness for David it was fornication and murder. We often repent and ask God to forgive us, however today I am encouraging go further and ask God to renew a right spirit within you.

A right spirit is a spirit that is a constant, steady and determined. It therefore means that instead of just repenting of his sin David was asking God to cause him never to do that sin again. He was asking God to make him resolute and unwavering in his stance so that these things would never be found in him again.

Therefore ladies do not say “well that’s how I am and I cannot change” or “well that’s what I struggle with,” instead ask God to place in you a spirit that will not repeat that sin. God wants to give us a new heart, a heart that is not deceitful and wicked, a heart that is not full of bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred or pride. God wants to give us a heart that mirrors his, a heart that loves, is peaceful and forgiving.

Have A God Filled Day Ladies

Let’s Pray

Lord Jesus renew a right spirit in us today.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

It’s Never Impossible

Today’s Scripture: For with God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:37

Song To Meditate on: Nothing is Impossible - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxKuDu2Vu1k)

It was Audrey Hepburn that said “Nothing is impossible; the word itself says 'I'm possible'!”

Maybe you have some dreams and goals and you are doubting because you do not see the resources to make them come to pass. Maybe you have tried and you were not successful the first time around so you are ready to give up.

Ladies, I want to let you know that nothing is impossible. Maybe you want to write a book or travel the world or start a business or become a preacher or a teacher. Maybe the Lord has laid something on your heart and you are fearful but ladies as today’s scripture tells us “with God nothing shall be impossible.”

You see ladies; success is 90 percent about believing, Jesus once told a man who brought his child for healing that anything is possible once he believe. (Mark 9:23).

·         Mary thought it was impossible for her to have a virgin birth

·         Esther thought it was impossible for her to go before the king

·         Jeremiah thought it was impossible for  him to speak to Nations

·         Saul thought it was impossible for David to kill Goliath

·         Moses thought it was impossible for him to speak to Pharaoh

·         The Jews thought it was impossible for a Messiah to come out of Nazareth

All these things were considered impossible however they were all successful. They were successful because God made them possible. Therefore ladies whatever it is that you hope to achieve today just believe knowing that nothing is impossible with God.

Have A God Filled Day Ladies

Let’s Pray

Oh Lord we thank you that nothing is impossible once we believe. Increase our faith today so that we can achieve our goals for your glory.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

Lift Up Your Head

Today’s Scripture: Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Psalm 27:7 (NIV)

Song To Meditate on: Lift Up Your Head – Damita Haddon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poa_s-Ap98s)

In New Year’s Eve service a lady was testifying about what God did for her in 2013. She testified that she baptized in 2013 and have found such joy in living this new life for Christ. She told us that before, she was moving up the corporate ladder but she was angry, miserable and empty however since she turned her life over to Christ she has experienced joy in many areas of her life. Ladies I too have this testimony, I did not have such peace and joy until I became a Christian. I am not saying that there are not times when I am unhappy or feel down but I now know that I can pray and ask God to deal with my issues so I don’t worry about them, as such  unhappiness does not last long because I have learnt to trust God and depend on his promises to me.

Ladies, we have entered into a new year and it is the perfect time for a new beginning, it is a perfect time for reflection and for setting new goals. This year I am encouraging you to lift up your heads (open up your hearts) and allow Christ to come in. Include growing spiritually as one of your goals for 2014. The Lord will work on your behalf if you allow him to. You do not have to live in depression or unhappiness. You do not have to always be worry about every little thing. All you have to do is to allow God to come in to your heart, build your relationship with him and trust him to fulfill his promises over your lives.

My prayer for all of you this year is that:

·         You will grow spiritually

·         God will grant you good success

·         God will grant you peace

·         You will dominate in every area of your life

·         You will know your purpose and walk in to it

·         You will prosper in every area of your life, physically, emotionally and spiritually

Ladies 2014 is a year of new opportunities, open doors and victory. Make the best of it, God has already make provision for you.

Have A God Filled Day Ladies

Let’s Pray

Lord Jesus thank you for bringing us into a new year. I declare that we will take advantage of every opportunity and walk into to every open door that you have provided. This year we will walk in purpose and be victorious.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

Happy New Year From Women's Devotional