October 12

Faith by SGLY Ministry

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; Shield of Faith Romans 4:20 KJV.

Abraham believed God’s promise to him, he was strong in faith, he gave glory to God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. At that time Abraham was putting up a shield of faith against unbelief. He wasn’t listening to satan telling him he and Sarah were too old to have a child, he was holding up his shield of faith and extinguishing those fiery darts from the enemy. He was choosing to believe God in faith. He was walking by faith, not by sight.

God has given us the Shield of Faith as part of His Armor. We need to carry this shield daily so we can walk with faith and extinguish those fiery darts of the enemy just as Abraham did. We need to stand firm in God’s promises and not doubt His word. We need to hold up the Shield of Faith and give glory to God.

Prayer: Thank You God for giving me the Shield of Faith so that I can stand strong against the enemies lies. Help me to remember to put on the Armor daily and carry the Shield of Faith with me wherever I go so that I will stand firm against the wickedness around me. I want to always walk by faith and not by sight. Amen.

Today: As you go about your day stay focused on faith. Look up some verses on faith, read them, write them down, speak them aloud, memorize them. Thank God for His word and His Armor.

Blessings to you as you focus on faith today.

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Preparing for the Best by Joyce Meyer

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. — Psalm 33:1

How we approach each new day and each new situation makes a huge difference. If we decide ahead of time that we won’t be happy or peaceful unless we get exactly what we want, then we will rarely be at peace.

I have heard people say things like, “If it rains tomorrow I am not going to be happy,” or “If I don’t get the job, I am going to be so upset.” When we think thoughts such as this, we are setting ourselves up to be unhappy and to lose our peace and joy before we even have a problem.

Instead of preparing to be upset, we can prepare to be at peace. We can think and speak things like, “I really hope the weather is nice tomorrow, and I hope I get this new job. But my joy comes from my relationship with Jesus, so I choose to be happy and have rest in my soul no matter what I come up against tomorrow. Whether it’s rainy or sunny, whether I get the job or not, I choose the joy of the Lord!”

The way we approach our lives makes all the difference in the quality of life we can have. When we can’t fix life, let’s remember that we can fix our approach toward it.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to approach life today with a godly attitude—positive and full of faith. Help me to make a habit of preparing for the best in every situation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Our Daily Bread

The Good Shepherd

Read: Isaiah 40:6–11

He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11

I sat in the hospital room with my husband, waiting anxiously. Our young son was having corrective eye surgery and I felt the butterflies jostle in my stomach as I fretted and worried. I tried to pray, asking God to give me His peace. As I leafed through my Bible, I thought about Isaiah 40, so I turned to the familiar passage, wondering if anything fresh would strike me.

As I read, I caught my breath, for the words from so many years ago reminded me that the Lord “tends his flock like a shepherd” as He “gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (v. 11). In that moment my anxiety left me as I realized the Lord was holding us, leading us, and caring for us. That was just what I needed, Lord, I breathed silently. I felt enveloped in God’s peace during and after the surgery (which thankfully went well).

The Lord promised His people through the prophet Isaiah that He would be their shepherd, guiding them in their daily lives and giving them comfort. We too can know His gentle tending as we tell Him our anxious thoughts and seek His love and peace. We know that He is our Good Shepherd, holding us close to His heart and carrying us in His everlasting arms. — Amy Boucher Pye

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. Thank You for the gift of Your sacrificial love and for the peace that passes all understanding.

The Good Shepherd cares for His sheep.

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“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)

Good morning, Lord.

As I sit in my cozy room looking out at what is left of the night sky as well as the peach-hued sunrise fringed by tall pines, I am reminded again of Your quiet but miraculous power. There is perfection in Your mornings, Lord, before the household is up and the lights come on, before the television news intrudes into the day and I pick up that rusty bucket of worries, cares and to-do lists that I tend to drag with me throughout my waking hours. When at night I close my eyes on the weariness, frustration and toil of the day, I turn my circumstances and my world over to You. I go to sleep on my messy situations and wake up to a clean palette of silence and beauty. You are the source of serenity and loveliness, Lord. You ask us to be still and know that You are God. You even give us beautiful morning hours—and moments of sanctuary throughout a busy day—if only we will notice and take advantage of them.

Faith Step: Today, Lord, help me to see the beauty you have made, to find the pockets of time that I know are there. Help me to give thanks and praise and to be still so that I can hear Your voice and once again be assured that You are God.

Author Unknown

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Move Forward Confidently

Thought for the Day

"Is there something you want to accomplish but you don't have the confidence to go after it? Call on God to stand with you and give you the confidence to take on the challenge that awaits you. There are times you will succeed and there may be times you will fail; however, you will never have to worry about asking "what if" or regretting not trying to reach the goals you want to set for yourself."
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Today's Word

"Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God." (Luke 18:28 NIV)
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Today's Prayer

Heavenly Father, it is with you by my side that I have the confidence to move forward towards what I want to accomplish in my life. I recognize that sometimes I may win and sometimes I may fail. Although I would rather win, I am not afraid to fail as each will likely come my way. I know that if I fear failure, I will never know victory. Amen

The Whisper Of God

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Bible Verses

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. - Ephesians 5:1-2

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Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

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Romans 12:3-5 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

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Zechariah 7:9-10 9 “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

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Psalm 62:1 A psalm of David. Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

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Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2

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Prayers

Prayer for the Morning

Dear Lord, please give me the patience to make it through this busy day with all the hustle, demands and distractions of modern life. Let me find the quiet time to hear your voice and feel your calming presence. I ask this in your son's name. Amen.

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And finally, grant me O Lord, I pray, the lamp of charity which never fails, that it may burn in me and shed its light on those around me, and that by its brightness I may share a vision of that holy City, where dwells the true and never-failing Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Father, thank you for feeding us with blessings from your own table and letting us drink from your rivers of delight.

We trust you to go before us and take care of everything we will need. Your generosity exceeds even ours, in the glory that pours from Jesus. Freely we have received; freely we will give to others in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 36:8 Philippians 4:19, THE MESSAGE

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Spirit of life, I pray that thou wilt continually live within me. May my days be spent neither in waste nor idleness, but planned to use, with the best that is given me. Amen.

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Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Matthew 6:12, TEV

Lord our God, we thank you for the great light you send throughout the world to let us know that you forgive, that no sin is too great for you to forgive. Grant that men may cry out, "Have mercy on me, O God!" Give them the spirit of prayer in their hearts to call, "Father, forgive us our sins." Send your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth and humility, and then forgive their sins. Wherever a soul is sighing, wherever someone is calling to you, hear him. May our prayers come before your throne. Hear and answer us. We have so much on our hearts that we cannot rightly express it all. We pray for others too. Father, forgive them. Clear away all the obstacles so that your judgment can be merciful toward those whom you forgive. Be with us. May we be a church community of Jesus Christ, washed in his blood, with strength to face every bitter outburst of the world's fury and still forgive. May our prayer remain, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." Amen.